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A fresh surge of fiery rage shot through Nick, and the void quickly soaked it in, leaving Nick calm and clear-headed as the black veins darkened. The four vampires finally noticed the ash piles, and Nick stepped out from the darkness.
He struck mercilessly, crushing a skull and turning the nearest monster to ash. Nick moved through the ash cloud and struck again. The vampire’s quick reflexes saved him from an instant death but he was forced to stumble back.
Nick dodged a clumsy grab from the woman and kicked at her knee. Bone cracked, but she didn’t fall. She stumbled back, giving herself space, and another man lunged at Nick. Nick broke his arm and grabbed him, throwing him into the path of the last man as he tried to sneak up behind Nick.
The woman rushed him but Nick was ready. He feigned a low strike and she dropped her guard to block, and he smashed the club against her chest. She fell back, choking on blood, and Nick turned.
A vampire grabbed him and threw him to the ground, and he landed with a roll. Something soft fell from his shirt as he got his feet under him. Ash. The woman was gone.
Two down.
The two remaining vampires rushed him, and Nick swung wildly, forcing one of them to jump back. The other one tackled Nick, and he kept himself standing as he was forced back. The vampire grabbed the mace, and Nick let go. The man’s eyes widened as he overcompensated with his strength and lost his balance for a second.
The dagger.
Nick slipped the blade from its sheath and used his free hand to trap the mace against the vampire’s chest. He slashed with the dagger, and the vampire fell, exploding in a cloud of ash.
The last vampire threw himself at Nick and the dagger flew out of his grip. They hit the group, and the vampire was suddenly on top of him. He opened his mouth to bite, showing his unusually sharp teeth, and Nick shoved his forearm against the vampire’s throat. Black veins pulsed across his arm.
It was a battle of strength, and the vampire was going to win. He was supernaturally strong, and Nick couldn’t beat him. The void pulsed in his chest, drawing in the undead power floating in the air around the piles of ash. Nick pushed harder, and somehow, he forced the vampire back.
Nick shoved again, and the world flipped, and then Nick was on top. The vampire was pinned beneath him.
The dagger was the closest weapon, but it was out of reach. With no weapons and no other ideas, Nick sank his teeth into the vampire’s throat.
The vampire thrashed and screamed, trying to throw him off, but Nick clung to him. Blood filled his mouth and he almost threw up. The void flowed through him, calming the screaming in his head, and Nick tried not to think. He had to win.
The vampire managed to roll, but Nick wrapped his arms and legs around him, and he couldn’t shake him off.
Pain lanced across his skin where the vampire clawed at his back and his arms, but slowly, the scrapes grew weaker. Finally, he went limp.
The blood turned to ash in his mouth.
Nick coughed and rolled over, spitting out a mouthful of ash and dragging in huge, desperate gasps of air.
Panic, fear and revulsion threatened to flood his body, but the void took control. His shaking and trembling disappeared, the impending hyperventilation stopped, and his racing heartbeat slowed.
The dark power in his chest gave him what he needed, and after a moment, Nick got to his feet. His legs were steady, despite everything, and he took a few steps. He felt strong.
He started walking, and he left the piles of ash behind.
***
Chapter 53 - Cara
Cara’s hands were shaking, so she tightened her grip on the steering wheel. Jay’s car drove smoothly, and by the time she reached the edge of the city, she felt like she could breathe again.
She knew how much Jay loved this car, and despite its old age, it was in great condition. She tried not to think about what punishment the witches would give him for helping her escape, but every inch of the car reminded her of him. She couldn’t get him out of her head. It even smelled like his cologne.
“Oh, god,” she muttered. “What am I doing?”
She fidgeted with the stereo until she found the right song, and then she turned it loud enough to drown out her spiralling thoughts and the guilt that sat heavy in the pit of her stomach.
Fortunately, she remembered how to get to Nick’s house, and when she arrived, the lights were on. Someone was home.
She pulled into the drive, glancing around the shadowy street as she stepped out and hurried towards the front door. Every shadow loomed in her peripheral vision, taunting her with vague shapes and flickering movements. She was imagining it, of course, but it didn’t help her fear.
Cara almost forgot to stop before she reached the protective wards that surrounded the house, and when she crouched down to touch them, her heart stopped.
