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We’d covered the beach-facing windows, but not the ones facing the street. My parents weren’t supposed to be able to make it to the street, much less stand out in the open and fire into the house, as they’d done.
Do you want your mother, or your father, Etta asked me, standing without a gun, which meant she was going to take them on barehanded. Before I could reply, she telepathed, I’ll take your mother; you take your father. I’m sorry for it, but I’ll have to aim for the kill, rather just attempting to neutralize her.
She thought it’d be easier for me to pull the trigger on my father, and maybe it would, but I’d do it on either or both of them, if it would keep Etta alive. Don’t be sorry. You’re absolutely right, and I need you to promise me you’ll go for the kill and not try to spare them. I’ll throw a flashbang out, and we’ll both need to run and attack as they’re going off. There’ll be a lot of smoke, so — in the instant before detonation — get a bead on where they are and where they’re likely to be once you get to them.
* * * *
Etta
When you watch fights on television or in a movie, they sometimes last forever, but in reality, most to-the-death fights are over in seconds.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case on this day.
His mother wasn’t where I expected her to be, and I took another silver bullet in my chest. It, too, went all the way through, but it nicked the outer edge of my heart, which sapped at least seventy percent of my power. Largo was nearby though, and terrified, so I drank his terror in, but while I was doing so, I sensed another’s fear. It wasn’t Ryan, so I drank it in from the source and ran towards where I sensed it, and I dug into the brain while I ran.
When I reached her, Ryan’s mother had fallen to her knees, held in the grip of a terror she’d never known because I managed to get into her head enough to show her bound in my dungeon, her son and husband dead, and me punishing her for taking the man I loved from me. Life with no hope. Gruel without taste to eat, and pain every day, passed around to the vampires for food and sex. A thing. No longer a person.
I drank, and drank, and drank her down, until she looked like Leesa had — a mummified husk with her soul flickering, nearly out.
And then a flash came in from the side, and Ryan took her head off with a hatchet.
“I appreciate you not killing her, but they both had to die. Dad’s energy told me they might’ve backed off a few years, but eventually, they’d have come for us when we least expected it, which means they may have taken one or both of us out, and that isn’t acceptable.”
Seconds later, we were surrounded by Slayers, and Ryan put his arms around me, protecting me with his body, and told them. “I killed them both. Etta defended herself but used restraint.”
“For the second time today,” Ruth said under her breath, but then said, louder, “We saw. They took a toddler from its crib and waited for everyone to go searching for it, knowing we wouldn’t call a vampire in to help look for a little one who could crawl but couldn’t walk. The child has been found, safe and sound.” She toed the husk of Ryan’s mother’s hand and it went to powder, some of it blowing away on the breeze. “These two orchestrated their own deaths, both at the hand of their son. I decree it self-defense in both cases.” She met Ryan’s gaze. “I’m sorrier than I can say that you had to do it. No one should have to make the killing blow to their own parents. I was an idiot, leaving you alone to search for the child.”
“She won’t forgive herself,” Pat said. “So you’ll have to find it in your heart to do so, but not yet. Give it time.”
Ryan let go of me, stepped forward and drew Ruth into a hug. “I don’t need time. My parents knew exactly how to draw you away. There’s nothing to forgive.” He leaned back so he still held her, but he could meet her gaze. “I can take care of myself, as can Etta. We handled it, and now I can take her to my home.”
“I need to contact Marco,” I told them. “My phone is here, inside a signal blocking bag. I don’t want to seem rude, but I need to check in.”
“Of course you do,” Ruth told me, and the circle of slayers parted so I had a clear path to the house.
Follow me, I told Largo, and he stood and trailed me into the house. I’d taken a lot from him and he was weak, but he’d be fine after a few meals. With everything I’d taken from Ryan’s mom, I could go a day or two without a blood meal.
“We’ve tracked them to a cave system,” Marco told me when he answered. “I’m surprised I have a signal. We must be closer to the surface than I realized.”
“If you find who you’re tracking, you should hold them and figure out who they are. Ryan’s parents attacked us. I neutralized his mom, but Ryan killed his dad and then took his mom out while I had her down. I believe we can call an all-clear, but if you’re certain you’re tracking a couple in a cave, we need to know who they are.”
“Agreed. We’ll keep up with things here. My plane and pilot are still in the area. It’s good you’re available to come home, because I have need of you.”
“Of course. Ryan was looking forward to showing me his house, but I’ll let him know I need to head to the airport.”
“I’m sorry, and I’ll make it up to you, so you can go back after the first of the year, but I need you to rein Martin in. Also, we’re having some personality problems between some of the higher-level vampires in the coterie house. I’ve been staying on the premises as much as possible, but I need you back there.”
“I respectfully request a meeting where we discuss what will have to happen before I can invite Ryan into my downstairs quarters, and then, for the future, the specific markers he’ll have to meet in order to be allowed access without an active monitor.”
Kendra and Josef had been clear the basement of the coterie house was one of the few places we could put people to protect them from the slayers, so this was a big ask, but if Ryan couldn’t come into my personal space, I’d need to consider moving somewhere I could bring him.
“I’ll take the request into consideration. The plane will arrive in approximately an hour, give or take fifteen minutes. I’ll notify you when I can give you a tighter window.”
“Thank you.”
I’d used earbuds, but as soon as I disconnected and began walking towards the front of the house, Ryan telepathed, I’m disappointed, but I understand. We both have obligations. I’ll ride back with you, if it’s okay with you and Marco. Otherwise, I’ll hang out here and help with clean up before finding my own transportation.
He wasn’t likely to tell me how he knew what was said, so I didn’t bother asking. I’d love to have your company, though you have to know I’ll go into a box before we arrive because there isn’t time to fly to Chattanooga before sunrise. Marco knows how much I detest traveling when dead to the world, so things must be worse there than he let on.
