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Chapter Twenty-Three
Elias
Skylar’s instincts were spot on. I could sense the vampire nearby. I could also sense a few more of them, but I’ve seen what she can do. If they wanted us dead, they’d have already struck.
They wanted to talk to Skylar. No doubt to find out where the stone was hidden. While I had my doubts about bringing a human into this, the woman had stashed the stone somewhere the vampires couldn’t find it.
If she could hold him off long enough for the enforcers to arrive, we could catch this asshole. Quickly, I typed out a text on my phone. “Wait.”
Skylar turned to me, a look of annoyance displayed in her features.
I held my phone up, showing her my plan. She nodded once, her expression hardening into resolve.
This was it. This was checkmate. We were going to finish this thing. A bittersweet feeling swept through me. While I wanted Skylar to be free of this, and I knew I had to get back to my own work, I might miss having her around.
None of that mattered, though. This was always temporary despite the longing tugging at my chest. That same protective urge toward Skylar threatened to make me turn back to her but I fought it and left the house.
Quickly, I typed a message to Cain, then hit send. I knew I’d have backup in ten minutes. I had to neutralize any threats and get Skylar and her friend to safety before then. It was more than enough time.
It was time to finish this.
I walked around the building. There were several odd additions that made the footprint sprawl and turn in strange ways. They looked old and likely not up to code. Aside from the unusual structure, there was an aura to the place that didn’t feel quite of this earth. Though, I suppose that could be the veil that Skylar mentioned. With all the death the mortuary held, it was bound to take on some restless spirits or other qualities.
When I reached the back yard, I found a wide-open grassy area. A stone structure that looked a whole lot like an altar stood near the back with a pergola over it. On either side of the pergola were stacks of chairs.
Using my senses, I reached out for signs of enemies hiding back here. All my feelings led me back to the house. They were condensed indoors, waiting for Skylar.
Fear prickled along my skin. I was worried about her in there alone. The only way I could help her now was to take out some of the hidden threats.
Creeping along the back of the house, I stopped a few times to peek in windows. I caught a glimpse of Skylar, her hands in the air, talking to someone who was leaning over a woman in a chair.
So far, so good.
He was distracted, and she was safe.
I continued along and found a sliding glass door that led to a large open room that reminded me more of a church than the crumbling cathedral we’d been in earlier this evening.
Another alter stood at the back of the room and rows of chairs faced it. This room wasn’t empty, though.
As soon as I stepped in, I could feel the signs of life. Well, undead, actually. Skylar had asked me to keep my sparks to myself around the hostage and the murderer. She never asked me to promise the same for the others.
I let my power flow to my hands, sending a tingling sensation into my fingers as gold sparks sizzled and popped.
It was enough to bring out the few hiding creatures. Curiosity killed the vampire, right?
Three undead emerged from the shadows, hissing and baring their teeth like threatened animals.
I wasn’t going to mess with the theatrics tonight. I needed to be able to clear this room so I could focus on Skylar. If she needed me, I could sweep in and help her without getting distracted.
The surge built, my magic amplifying. I let it flow, then lifted my hands, sending the gold lightning toward the threats.
Sparks and flashes of light illuminated the room, making me squint for a moment against the brightness. Then followed the sound of snapping bones, exploding flesh and splattering blood.
I was getting used to the sound of exploding vampires. This time, I didn’t even flinch.
The creatures were all over the floor, all over the walls. Entrails and skin hung on the backs of chairs and a few pieces of red fleshy goo dripped from the ceiling fan.
I felt a little guilty for the mess. This was Skylar’s friend’s place. I’d call my cleanup crew when this was settled. By sunrise, it would be back to new. I wasn’t sure how they did it, but they always returned things back to normal.
