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- Herausgeber: Valley Publishing Ltd.
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
This was it. For Tessa. For Cody. For Jared. Her family. Her Friends.
Moltere’s Mountain is collapsing. With Tessa, her friends and family still inside. Tessa won’t go out without a fight…and she won’t leave the others behind. But as she races to save everyone, time runs out.
Grounded with an injured wing, Cody wants Tessa to leave while they still can. But most of their friends and family are missing. He wants to do the right thing and save them all…but it’s too late…
Jared had led the army into the mountain. Only to find they were looking to annihilate all vamps, not just the bad ones. He can’t leave his friends vulnerable to yet another attack. But the mine is a death trap. And he could be the one that ends up dead.
The pressure is on – to save friends, family, each other – only the enemy is just as determined that no one survives.This was it. For Tessa. For Cody. For Jared. Her family. Her Friends.
Moltere’s Mountain is collapsing. With Tessa, her friends and family still inside. Tessa won’t go out without a fight…and she won’t leave the others behind. But as she races to save everyone, time runs out.
Grounded with an injured wing, Cody wants Tessa to leave while they still can. But most of their friends and family are missing. He wants to do the right thing and save them all…but it’s too late…
Jared had led the army into the mountain. Only to find they were looking to annihilate all vamps, not just the bad ones. He can’t leave his friends vulnerable to yet another attack. But the mine is a death trap. And he could be the one that ends up dead.
The pressure is on – to save friends, family, each other – only the enemy is just as determined that no one survives.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014
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Vampire in Defiance
Book #5 of Family Blood Ties
Dale Mayer
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
About This Book
Complimentary Download
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Sneak Peek from Vampire in Conflict
Author’s Note
Complimentary Download
About the Author
Copyright Page
About This Book
Moltere’s Mountain is on the verse of collapse with teenage vampire Tessa, her friends and family still inside. Tessa vows not to go down without a fight, nor to leave anyone behind. In a race to save everyone, time runs out…
Grounded with an injured wing, Cody wants the girl he loves to flee with him while they still can. But, in order to do that, they would need to abandon friends and family who are missing. Even as he fears the worst, the decision he doesn’t want to be the one to make is taken from him.
Human teenager Jared has led an army into the mountain only to realize that the allies he’s enlisted to help him against Old World vampires intent on enslaving the human race as a feeding source view the annihilation of all vampires – not just the bad ones – as the only recourse to put an end to the war. Fearing Tessa and Cody and their family and friends will be destroyed by the unstoppable army he’s gathered, Jared isn’t sure how to keep the land-mine he inadvertently created from blowing up in his face and taking out everyone he cares about in the process.
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Prologue
Please note – we left book 4 off with this chapter.
Tessa stopped directly in front of Goran.
Serus frowned at her. “Tessa, this might not be the best time.”
Goran stared at her, his jet black gaze shuttered and hard. Tessa took a deep breath and studied his eyes, seeing past the rage to the pain deep inside. There was so much hurt. But there was also anger. And she didn’t know if any of it was directed at her. If it was, she needed to diffuse it.
She willed herself to get this right. For her sake. For Cody’s sake. For Goran’s sake. “I’m sorry.”
Serus stepped up behind her.
Damn, her voice sounded terse. Cold. She winced. She hadn’t meant it that way. She tried again. “I am sorry. I wish there’d been another way.”
Clouds crossed his vision. He narrowed his gaze at her.
“But I had to.” She added soberly, not able to hide her own pain. “He was trying to kill us all.”
The room had gone deathly quiet.
She waited. They had to get past this as best as they could. She stared up at him, letting him see her own pain. Her own regret. Her own acceptance of his reaction.
The muscle in his jaw twitched as he continued to glare at her.
She waited.
His glare eased and a heavy sigh worked its way up from his chest. As he released it, some of the rigidity left his shoulders and eased the tight muscles of his face. He nodded.
“And he’d have succeeded if you’d been a moment longer,” Goran announced, his voice gruff and thin with pain. “You don’t need to apologize. You did what you had to do.”
Tessa breathed loudly. She let her own strained shoulders ease. “I did,” she said, “But I’m still sorry. He was your son and Cody’s brother. I wish he’d been a stranger.”
A ghost of a smile whispered across Goran’s face. “In many ways, I guess he was.”
“And in many ways, he wasn’t.” Serus pointed out. “We know there are going to be many more casualties before we’re done.”
Goran nodded, straightened his shoulders, and looked around. “And we need to stop this abomination. There’s no way I’m leaving this nasty room and these…these things here to grow and come after us.”
Cody stepped forward. “Is that what you want?” He waited until Goran turned to look at him. “I’m pretty sure they are all related to us.”
A look of horror crossed Goran’s face. “That doesn’t make them family,” he cried. “They are creations, test tube concoctions. Lab results. Not family.”
Cody grinned. “Just checking.”
Goran shuddered. “Do not joke about that.’”
Just then a louder rumble sounded. Tessa spun around. “Whoa. What was that?”
The others turned as the sound grew louder.
“I don’t know,” Serus said. “But it’s not good.”
Goran straightened and took several steps forward. “I want this place demolished. These…these things destroyed.”
“We will. But it can’t happen right now. We need to get out of here.” Serus ran toward the door that Tyson had tried to escape through. “We have to go…and now.”
David ran ahead, tugging Jewel’s arm to keep her close to him. “What do you think that noise was?”
“I don’t know. But it can’t be anything good. We’re inside an old mountain, remember? Inside an old mine riddled with unstable tunnels.”
Cody rushed up and grabbed Tessa’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go.”
She tugged back, her gaze off to the side. “Not without your father.”
He turned to look at her. “What?”
“Your father. Look.” She pointed to where Goran was busy trying to destroy some kind of panel on the wall. “I think he wants these things destroyed more than he wants to get out of here safely.”
Cody groaned. “We don’t have time. We have to go.”
“I know, but look at him.” Tessa studied Goran’s face. “He looks possessed.”
“He is. Tyson created all this,” Cody swept his arm wide, “Using my father’s blood. Tainting it in a way. He’s not going to be able to live with himself if Tyson’s creations survive.”
“Can’t we take care of it later?” she cried out. “The others are ahead again.”
“Go. I’ll stay here and help him.”
“No. Not again.” She shook her head. “He needs to come with us. We need to make him understand.” A louder groan swept through the mountain, sending shivers down her spine. “And we need to get out of here, now!”
Cody rushed over to his father. “Dad, come on. We’ll come back and take care of this later. But something is happening, and we have to leave.”
Goran looked at Cody; Tessa could see the black tormented look in his features.
“Goran, please. There is something happening to the mountain. Either the vamps are blowing something up, or there is a quake or something. It doesn’t matter. We have to get out of here. Please.”
Goran shook his head. “No, you go. I have to make sure these things are destroyed.”
“And do you have to kill Cody while you’re at it?” Tessa cried. “You’ve lost one son. Do you want to lose another?”
His eyes widened in shock. “No. Go. Run to safety. I’ll stay he—”
“No!” Both Cody and Tessa shouted. They each grabbed one of Goran’s arms and dragged him out of the room. “We can come back later. We have to leave before we’re all killed.”
Just as Tessa finished speaking, a horrible groaning sound came from – everywhere. She cried out. “Hurry. The mountain is coming down.”
Then she was swept up into Cody’s arms and with Goran flying at his side, they raced down the corridor in the wake of the others.
Tessa clutched at Cody. Panic kept her breath locked into her throat. They weren’t going to make it. She knew it inside her.
“Stop thinking like that. We’ve been through so much and survived that I have to believe we’ll make it out of here.”
She didn’t bother answering him. They’d caught up to the others. She pointed to a black entrance up ahead. “There. It could be a way out.”
Cody swooped into the big room, leaving the others slightly behind.
Frantic, she searched for a way through.
Dirt fell down on them, small stones bouncing as the mountain rippled all around them. More dirt fell, then more rocks. Cody darted and swerved, trying to get to the wall on the far side. She buried her face against his shoulder, fear clutching her heart.
She couldn’t have imagined this. Not after all they’d been through.
A huge boulder hit Cody and he reeled from the blow. He cried out. They started to slip sideways.
She gasped as his left arm fell away useless She grabbed his shoulders. “Cody! Oh my God. Are you okay?”
He obviously wasn’t. They were still falling.
“I can’t hold us up,” he gasped, “My wing.” Small rocks showered down on top of them. Tessa struggled to help Cody correct their path, but he was too big to hold up. She was losing her grip on him.
Then something hit her on the shoulder and they both lurched to the side. Cody crashed into a wall and fell from her grasp. He tumbled to the floor below.
Tessa cried out. Cody!
She jumped toward him.
Cody, talk to me. But there was no answer.
Something smashed into her back and sent her tumbling in his direction. She cried out in agony. Dirt fell down around her as she twisted in a freefalling motion. Then the mountain gave an almighty shrug and sent a huge cascade of rocks down on top of her.
And she knew no more.
Chapter 1
Tessa couldn’t move. Neither could she open her eyes. But she could sneeze…and cough…and sneeze some more. With every movement, pain radiated from her chest to her toes. Toes she felt all too well. Damaged toes. Damaged leg. Badly damaged knee.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
She tried to assess the damage. Obviously she was still alive, but given the little bit she remembered prior to this moment, she wasn’t sure that was a good thing. Buried alive sounded like another living dead scenario – especially considering her long lived vampire heritage.
Then she remembered her friends and family…and Cody.
Cody? Can you hear me? Cody!
No answer.
Maybe he was like her, caught somewhere between awareness and unconsciousness. Or worse.
Panic set in and brought her screaming back to her physical reality. And the pain. It streaked throughout her body and ripped the foggy clouds away from her mind. She cried out as millions of sharp pinpricks covered her legs, her back, and damn…her head. She’d been fighting for days and now she felt like she’d been the loser of a mega battle. Oh wait, she was – Mother Nature had given her ass a major butt kicking.
Still, as she vaguely remembered the blood farm vamps’ earlier innuendos about something big about to happen, she realized Mother Nature might not have had anything to do with it.
Cody? She reached out mentally again, hoping to sense him. Sense anyone. But found nothing on that level. It was like she existed in deep space completely surrounded by…emptiness.
She coughed again to clear the dust from her lungs. She had to hang on tight to her emotions, or she’d break down and lose what little strength she had left. Now if she knew the others were alive…
Cody? Can you hear me? Please be okay.
Memories of him falling from her grasp caused a light film of cold sweat to pop up all over her skin. She hadn’t been able to hold on to him. He’d been too big. Too heavy. She’d been injured and hadn’t been able to hold on tight enough.
If he’d died because of her… Tears threatened. Impatiently, she brushed them away. She didn’t have time to waste. He could be still alive. They all could be. The others had been just that much further behind them in the tunnel. If the tunnel had held.
She tried to take a deep breath. That brought on a major coughing spell. Damn, that hurt. Finally, she collapsed back against the rocks and opened her eyes.
And realized she wasn’t even at ground level. She was lying on rocks, surrounded by rocks, and covered by rocks. In effect, she’d been buried alive, sealed inside a hollow in the middle of the rocks. She surveyed her prison. Cracks of light shone through in odd places so the rocks hadn’t completely obliterated the cavern. That was the good news. With all the rocks flying around she was lucky she’d only been tossed around and bruised up. She didn’t think she’d broken anything – except maybe her leg, only she didn’t want to look too close. But…her hand had completely healed over as well.
How long had she been unconscious?
She could have broken and healed a dozen bones if she’d been out long enough.
Crap.
*
Cody tried to roll over and jolted awake as pain streaked across his wing. He cried out and collapsed back down, waves of agony rippled continuously down his body. Shit. The same damn wing he’d injured before.
When the pain finally eased, he slowly lifted his head and realized he had only inches of clearance before his head cracked into stone. His wing, stretched out beside him, was pinned under an even bigger boulder. At the sight of it, he remembered.
The cave-in. His brother. Tessa!
He groaned. He’d fallen with her. Instead of saving her, he may have killed her. Panic surged through him. Tessa? Tessa!
Cody? Is that you?
His heartbeat calmed. Thank God she was alive. Tessa? Where are you?
Not sure. Under a mess of rocks. And injured.
He gasped. Badly?
Don’t think so. Just my leg. A huge rock is balanced on several rocks above me and I’m jammed in below.
He lay back down in relief. Oh, thank God.
After a long pause she asked in a timid voice. Are you okay? I’m so sorry. I dropped you. I wasn’t strong enough with my injured hand to hold us both up after a big rock slammed into us.
That wasn’t your fault!
But I couldn’t save you, she cried.
He gave a short laugh. And I’ve been thinking the same about you. I carried you into the middle of a cave-in where we were both injured.
So you are injured! Her horrified gasp ripped through his mind loud and clear. He wanted to lie and say he was fin—
Don’t bother. Now how bad is it? I’m searching for an exit out of my prison.
Be careful, he warned. Any movement could bring those rocks down on top of you.
I know, but lying here forever doesn’t sound like a nice way to spend eternity. She almost smiled at the thought. Almost. What about the others? Have you heard anyone call us? I wish we could talk with them.
That would help, but no, I haven’t heard anything.
Can you move? she asked.
No. My wing is pinned by a large rock.
Oh no, she cried out. That’s bad. Can you move the rock?
He glanced up at the huge boulder and groaned. I don’t think so. It’s huge.
Then I’m coming to you.
No! But he was too late. Tessa, in her typical take charge and forge ahead regardless style, had left his mind.
And left him feeling lonelier than ever. Christ, he hurt.
He tilted his head and listened intently.
Someone was calling for him. And it wasn’t Tessa.
“Cody!”
*
Goran did a slow wide sweep over the rock pile below him. Dust swirled, hiding much from his view. The cavern ceiling still held, but it’s as if it had shed an inner skin and dropped it all to the floor below. He should have waited for the dust to settle, but he hadn’t been able to. Serus watched from the tunnel entrance with the other kids while he did a flyover.
It looked bad. Not a sign of them anywhere.
He’d already lost his oldest boy. He couldn’t stand to lose Cody, too.
Serus called out to him. “Any sign of them?”
“Not yet. But they might be anywhere,” Goran yelled back. “The dust is making it hard to see.”
“Cody fell off to the left,” David yelled. Goran hovered in place and turned to look at David. He pointed in the direction David had said. David nodded. Goran swooped down and studied the fallen rocks, searching for anything that would indicate his boy and Tessa were alive.
There was nothing.
As he turned to do a wide sweep off to the left, he heard someone. Or something. He dove lower and landed on a huge boulder.
Serus’s voice immediately jumped into his head. Careful. They could be under any number of rocks.
I know, but I needed to stop and rest for a moment. He hated to admit it, but he was feeling like crap.
I hear you. But we’re going to feel a hell of a lot worse if we can’t find our kids.
I thought I heard something here.
What?
Not sure. If you’d be quiet for a moment maybe I could find out, he answered, exasperated. Serus went silent…but stayed in the background. Goran didn’t need to look over at the mouth of the tunnel to realize that Serus was staring at him something fierce. As if by will alone, he’d have Goran find his daughter.
They’d decided that it was too unstable for Serus to land his jumps on the rocks, but things appeared to be calming down. The dust was settling.
Then I’m coming.
No, wait. Goran spun around. He’d heard something. He was sure he had. He crouched down closer.
And heard it. Someone moaned close to him. He punched a fist in the air.
Who? Is it Cody? Tessa? Are they okay?
I don’t know. I can’t tell.
Well, move the hell over. I’m almost there.
*
Jared woke up with the mother of all headaches. What happened? The last thing he remembered was a horrible groaning as the mountain gave a huge shake. He’d wondered about it being an earthquake, but then had been afraid the assholes he’d led into the mountain had done something bad.
Except they hadn’t had enough time. Had they?
He sat up and put a hand to his temple. The area around him showed a few fallen rocks, but nothing like he’d expected to see. The one beside him had drops of blood. So Mother Earth had taken a lucky shot and hit him in the temple, knocking him out. The rock on the ground appeared to be what he’d smacked on the way down. Damn, but that smarted.
What was he supposed to do now? Was the mountain done shaking and grumbling? Was it safe to go any further inside? Or should he head back to the mouth of the tunnel and wait it out?
Wait what out, Jared? You showed them how to get in. How can you sit here and do nothing while they go in and annihilate your friends?
Because by now he did consider them his friends.
And that was a hell of a lot better than his family.
At the thought, he jumped to his feet. What about his father? Could he have survived this? He searched his surroundings, realized he was still alone, and bolted deeper into the mountain.
*
Rhia waited, her arms braced against the walls, for the waves to finally calm. Thankfully, the tunnel hadn’t collapsed. Then they were in the deep rock section, and that might have afforded them a little protection. She glanced back at Wendy. A very wide-eyed and frightened Wendy.
“I think it’s over.”
“For the moment. What if it happens again? And was that an earthquake or a bomb?”
At the mention of a bomb, Rhia winced. She didn’t want to think about that. Neither option was good. Earthquakes were bad news on their own. Add a blast that could have set off the earthquake and it was really bad. Mines were often established along fault lines as that’s where the minerals collected. Still, the area had to be somewhat stable because humans used dynamite all the time. And as far as she could tell, this had once been a working mine.
“I disliked this place before. Now it just gives me the creeps.”
The shiver in Wendy’s voice made Rhia pause. Wendy shouldn’t be here. Neither should Rhia, for that matter, but she wasn’t going to go home.
Wendy was a different matter.
She turned back to her and opened her mouth.
Wendy beat her to it. “No. I’m not leaving. We’re here. Let’s find the others and get the hell out.”
Rhia studied the younger girl’s determined face, turned back to the tunnel and said, “Fine. Let’s get this done.”
Chapter 2
Tessa hated the shakiness wracking her soul. Never a huge fan of the great outdoors, this rock pile was bringing every old nightmare back to life while adding a slew of new ones. She might never sleep again. She shifted away from the hard rocky points jabbing her soft flesh. Dirt drifted, clogging the air. She shuddered, eying the boulder above her. That damn thing looked ready to crush her at any moment.
She heard voices and wanted them to be her family, but what if they were the assholes hunting her?
I think it’s my father. Cody’s whisper slipped through her mind on a warm wind.
Really? Do you think I should yell out? She perked up. Moments later she heard her father’s frustrated voice calling out, “Damn it. They have to be here somewhere.”
It is my father! She took a chance and cried out. “Dad?”
Silence.
The air filled with hollers. “Tessa? Is that you?”
“Are you okay?” Her father’s voice moved closer. “Can you show us where you are?”
“Is Cody with you?” Goran’s thready voice was thin with hope.
She sniffled back tears, unexplained laughter threatening to bubble up. “Cody is somewhere close by. But I don’t know where. He says his wing is pinned.”
Snaking a hand through the rocks, she poked her fingers upward as far as she could and wiggled them. “Can you see me?”
“There she is.” She heard her father call out, followed by sounds of someone scrambling over rocks. She wiggled her fingers again. They were grabbed and squeezed.
“Gotcha.”
“Oh, thank God.” Cody. My father found me. We’ll find you as soon as I can get out of here. Your father is searching for you. Can you call out? Give him some indication of where you are at?
Silence.
Cody? Damn it, Cody. Are you there? Can you hear me?
“Dad,” she shouted. “Cody stopped answering me.”
Fear propelled her to push up against the smaller rocks beside her. A small round circle of light appeared only to be instantly blocked by her father’s face.
“Did you find Cody?”
Serus checked behind him. “Goran is searching for him. Let’s get you out of here and we’ll join in.”
By the time the two of them had maneuvered enough rocks out of the way for her to slither though, she felt like she’d survived a session with a rock crusher. So not nice. And Cody still hadn’t answered the calls.
Ignoring her own pain, she crawled over to the closest rock and sat where she could survey the cavern. Her damaged leg stretched out in front of her. As long as she didn’t stare at it, the pain was tolerable, but if she let her gaze wander to the bloody mess, yeah, her stomach heaved and she almost passed out from the pain.
“Jesus, Tessa. Look at your leg,” her father gasped.
She gave him a wry smile. “Actually Dad, I was trying hard not to. Forget about my leg.”
“Hard to do when it’s right in front of me.” Serus squatted in front of Tessa. “Can you make out Cody’s energy at all?”
She shook her head. “Not from here. I need to stand up.”
They both gazed down at her almost useless leg.
And then the pain started. Tears welled up and stabbing pains covered her left side. “Shit.”
“Easy. You are doing fine. The leg will heal.”
She glanced up at him. “Will it? How fast? Cody needs us now.”
The rush of wings had her turning around to find Goran landing on rocks behind her.
“Tessa, glad you survived. Do you know where Cody is?”
She repeated what she’d told her father, adding, “If you carry me up high enough, I might be able to spot something.”
With her father’s help, Goran gently picked her up. She shuddered as her leg was jarred. She held it away from his body as he swooped upward until they hovered twenty feet above the rocks. She spotted David, Ian, and Jewel huddled against the tunnel entrance. She waved at them, relieved when they waved back. “Were they hurt at all?”
“No. We were just far enough behind you and Cody that by the time we reached the mouth of the cavern the rocks were already coming down.”
She kept her gaze on the floor below as she listened to them. Horrible memories flooded her psyche, making it difficult to focus. Not being able to see much in the way of energy trails – just those made by the elders – made it that much harder. She swallowed hard and tried to concentrate. She watched her father’s and her own energy trail from the rock prison rising into the air. But she couldn’t find Cody’s.
There should be his energy from the fall. If it hadn’t dissipated.
Damn. She was looking at it wrong. “Can you turn around? So I can see his energy path from his fall?”
Slowly Goran flew in a wide circle as she pulled the story together. There’s where she’d fallen, and Cody…his energy dove into that rock pile…thank God. He’d come down about thirty feet away from her. And closer to the wall. There was no visible sign that he’d moved after falling. She pointed out the spot. “I can’t see him or his energy after he fell, so he hasn’t moved.”
She glanced behind her to find Serus already almost upon them. She wanted to help the men lift rocks out of the way, but she wasn’t going to be able to stand on her own. And as long as Goran was supporting her, he couldn’t help Cody. A flat rock sat off to the side. “Can you take me over to that spot, please?” He lowered her gently to the rock then flew off to help Serus.
Tessa stood on one leg and watched. Cody’s energy lay low and quiet. Please let him be all right. Please. She watched her father toss rocks away fast and efficiently. Seconds later, he shouted, “He’s here.”
Oh, thank God.
Cody? Cody, can you hear me? Please talk to me.
There was only silence.
*
Goran landed on the biggest rock beside Serus. It was hard to pick the right place as he didn’t dare land on a rock that might be holding his son down. He stepped over to where Serus stood and peered over the edge. Cody lay face down, half buried in rocks with only his shoulders and head free.
Working his way carefully downward, Goran cleared a path until he crouched beside Cody and placed a hand on his head. His boy was alive but unconscious with a huge boulder pinning his wing down, just as Tessa had said.
He winced. That had got to hurt. First things first. The rock had to go. After that, they’d need to find a place to hole up and let the two kids heal. Enough was enough – for all of them.
“Serus, give me a hand.” With both of them on either side of the boulder, they might be able to lift it up.
Serus jumped down, careful to avoid Cody’s legs, and crouched into position.
Goran looked at him. “We’re going to have to lift it straight up and off to the side. So you’ll have to jump at the same time I lift off – got it?”
Serus nodded.
Goran started the countdown. “Three. Two. One…”
With muscles bulging, backs straining, and their faces twisted with effort, both men finally managed to pick the boulder up off the ground. Below them, Cody groaned. Goran hoped that was in relief and not because they’d hurt him in the process of helping him.
Now that the rock was up, they needed to get it clear. At the count of three again, he unfurled his wings and slowly lifted. Serus jumped up and sideways. At the last moment, the boulder tipped to the side.
“Watch out!” Goran gave a hard shove, and the boulder rolled over to crash on the pile beside them. Rock shards flew in all directions.
Goran rushed back to Cody’s side.
His son coughed, lifted his head and coughed again. A plume of dust rose up into his face and set him off on another coughing fit.
Goran reached down and helped Cody into a sitting position. His damaged wing stretched limply on one side.
“Shit.” Cody’s face twisted in pain. “Now that is not good.”
Goran braced Cody’s shoulder, then, after a long look at the damage, popped it back into place.
Cody roared.
Goran winced. “Sorry, son. Your shoulder was dislocated. Now we can get your wing to fold back up.” He reached over and used just enough force to get the job done. He firmly refolded the injured wing. Cody’s shoulders hunched and he pulled free from Goran’s grasp, gasping loudly.
“It should be able to heal now. The good news is that it’s not broken.”
When Cody didn’t answer, he squatted in front of him. Sweat beads rolled off Cody’s forehead and a pulsing twitch pounded along his jaw. Goran gave him a couple of minutes, then asked quietly. “Are you okay?”
Cody lifted his head and gave him a short nod. “I will be.”
Cody?
*
He glanced around to find Tessa standing behind him. Tessa. I’m fine. Or I will be. Are you okay?
She nodded. My leg is damaged, but I’m alive. That’s what counts.
Pride and joy surged through him as she stood, injured herself but worried about him. She was such a warrior. You are so right. I’m going to be fine. Although I won’t be taking you for a flight around town any time soon.
She laughed, the sound bouncing through his mind and making him smile. Using his hands to push himself up, he slowly straightened. Once back on his feet, he took a deep breath and gazed around at the devastation. Rocks, dirt, and clouds of dust everywhere. Hearing a sound on his left, he turned to watch David, Ian, and Jewel approach.
“About time you woke up. All you’re doing is sleeping on the job.” Ian reached out to hit him, realized his fist was aimed at his injured shoulder, and swerved away at the last moment.
Cody glared at him. “Yeah. Thanks for missing me.”
Jewel kissed him gently on the cheek. “I’m so happy to see you alive and well.”
“Almost well.” Cody straightened and shrugged gently, barely holding back the grimace of pain. “With any luck, I’ll be fine in a few hours.”
“And that brings us to the next item of business. We need food and rest. A place to stay in until you two heal and we can recharge. Doesn’t have to be too long, but we have to make sure it’s enough that we can fight our way out of here,” David said with a pointed look at Cody’s wing.
Cody nodded. “Damn good idea.”
“Tessa can’t move without help,” Serus pointed out. “Goran, can you carry her back to the tunnel opening? We’ll scout ahead and see what we can find.”
Goran nodded. “Give me a minute to move the two of them over.”
Cody snorted. “I can get over there on my own. Go get Tessa.”
With an assessing glance at his son, Goran lifted up and headed toward Tessa.
Stubborn.
He grinned at Tessa’s voice in his head as he made his way slowly back to the tunnel. Maybe. But I can walk. You can’t.
True. Her disgruntled tone made him chuckle. He caught their friends looking at him strangely. He dropped his smile and shrugged at them sheepishly. “Sorry. Inside joke.”
“You really can talk to her, can’t you?” Jewel asked.
He nodded. “It’s weird. And fun.”
“Sounds like it,” Jewel said.
Serus stepped up and said, “Talk when we’re back at the tunnel.”
Cody straightened, hating the damage his body had sustained. It had been a tough week. As long as he wasn’t floating ash, he was good with it. But that tunnel appeared to be a long way away.
In a quiet voice, Jewel asked, “Are you okay? Do you want a hand?”
He hid his grin as he gazed down at the tiniest vampire he knew. “I’ll be fine. But thanks.”
David smirked at him. “I could toss you over there.”
“You and whose army?” Cody scoffed. “You can barely drag your sorry ass around without trying to lift mine.”
The gentle wrangling continued as they made their way to the tunnel entrance. The whole way, Cody had tried to talk to Tessa, but she’d closed a door between them. Up ahead he watched his father land and stand almost protectively in front of her.
Was she more badly injured than they’d thought?
Tessa?
I’m here.
His breath wooshed out. You disappeared. I wasn’t sure what happened.
You were worried? Her smile rippled through his mind. No need.
Then why did you leave. It’s like you shut me out.
I did.
Silence.
Why? He asked cautiously. But inside, frustration built. Why would she do that? And how did she do that? He had no idea how to leave her mind at all.
Because the pain was so bad I didn’t want you to hear me screaming.
Oh shit. Are you that badly hurt?
My leg. It might be healing, but it sure doesn’t feel like it.
