Jocelynn Drake - Dawnbreaker

Now, after five plus centuries, I found myself once again standing in the shadow of Machu Picchu, and I was terrified. The Sanctuary Lodge was the only hotel within walking distance of the Incan ruins. Most tourists were shuttled in from Aguas Calientes after making the long trek from Cuzco. So far the government had limited all development in the immediate area in an attempt to preserve the region and its history. But I was sure that would all change soon. It was becoming a hot spot for tourists, and the country was looking for ways to take advantage of the growing interest.

Stefan and I parted ways when we hit the road. I felt only a moment’s hesitation when my foot touched the soil outside the lodge, but there was no power waiting to steal into my frame. Cynnia had given me back a sense of balance among the various powers in the air. The earth still tingled, vibrated, and roared with energy, but it was no longer trapped within my frame. The earth energy pulsed through my body, causing my bones to ache and a pain in the back of my head to throb, but it was nowhere near the pain I had experienced earlier at the Palace of Knossos or at the flow at Ollantaytambo.

As Stefan headed south to the ancient trail, I felt a good portion of the nightwalker horde follow him, along with their human guardians. Those that remained watched tense and silent from the shadows. They were uneasy about being near Danaus or Cynnia. Much to her chagrin, Shelly had been left behind at the lodge with the instruction to head straight back to Cuzco at first light and then on to the United States without looking back. She had done a good job in watching over Cynnia while Danaus and I were otherwise occupied, but she was in no way capable of handling the coming fight. Despite her protests, my conscience simply wouldn’t allow it. And I knew Danaus wouldn’t allow it either.

As I stepped through the tourist entrance, I pulled the Browning and Glock from their resting places beneath my arms, wishing I could actually clutch the sword still strapped to my back. Their cool weight felt surprisingly good in my hands. The guns might have lacked style and finesse, but they were still a deadly force. With them, I would take back control of my life one bullet at a time.

The trail up the side of the mountain was narrow, forcing us to walk in single file. I took the lead, followed directly by Cynnia and Danaus, who held a scimitar in one hand and a short sword in the other. He was also carrying a gun holstered in the small of his back, while an assortment of blades were strapped to his body. He hummed with barely controlled energy. I wanted to snap at him to bring it back under wraps, but I bit my tongue. Usually, the warmth of his energy was soothing, but tonight it was just a reminder of how my night would end, blanketed in his powers as they tried to rip me apart.

We proceeded slowly up the trail. The only sound in the cool night air was the crunch of gravel beneath our feet. I glanced up at the black sky and frowned. No moon shone above me. I never realized how lonely the night became without her there, throwing down her sweet, silvery light. The region was pitch-black except for a faint glow of firelight coming from the top of the mountain. There was a stir of magic tingling in the air, but not enough to indicate that the naturi had begun the spell.

Danaus suddenly grabbed my shoulder, halting me. He stood very still, his brow furrowed in concentration. Gazing behind him, I found the other nightwalkers watching him intently as well.

“Naturi?” I asked, my eyes slowly sweeping around us. We had just entered the lower agricultural sectors. There were a series of plateaus that had once been used for planting corn and other vegetables for the inhabitants of Machu Picchu. Little vegetation grew there now, just deep, thick shadows.

“No, but—”

“I know,” I said. I could feel them too. They were coming.

As if on cue, the first wolf lifted its voice in song, baying at the moonless sky. The werewolf was soon joined by a chorus of his brothers and sisters, their forlorn cries filling the air. I didn’t allow myself the luxury of scanning to see if Alex was among them. If she was there, I knew I’d sense it a second before I killed her.

Quickly returning my guns to their holsters, I drew my sword. The bullets weren’t coated in silver. Without it, being shot would only piss them off. At the same time, the shadows lunged, converging on my little army.

“Mira?” Cynnia nervously said, staying close to my back as I continued to turn, searching for my approaching attackers.

“Can you control them? Can you stop them?” I demanded.

“I’m wind naturi,” she snapped at me, grabbing ahold of my shirt as a shadow shifted close to my right. “I can’t control animals.”

“Not even a little?”

“Not at all.”

“I’m not going to protect you up this entire mountain if you can’t show a little resourcefulness!”

Low growls from both sides rumbled in the silence and then it began. A shadow jumped at me, but I sidestepped it, swinging my sword as I moved. I clipped its side, earning a sharp cry as it hit the ground hard. As it tried to regain its four paws, I slashed downward, removing its head.

I spun, slicing at a Mexican wolf with ruddy gray and red fur. Its sharp fangs and strong jaws were aimed at my throat. Dropping to my knees, I grabbed Cynnia’s shirt and pulled her to the dirt as well. The wolf overshot me, landing on the other side of the trail in a spray of dust and gravel. He was quick to turn and make another run at me. I tried to dodge him again, but my foot caught on the body of the wolf I had killed moments ago, trapping me. The creature clamped down on my left arm with its teeth and nearly pulled me to the ground. Twisting, I plunged my sword through its ribs and into its lungs. With a yelp, it released me, pulling a chunk of flesh with its teeth. It tried to back off so it could heal from the wound I inflicted, but I was already there, removing its head.

The cut in my arm still throbbed, but it was healing. The flow of blood down it was stopping and would soon dry. I had nothing to worry about. I couldn’t contract lycanthropy. Vampires were immune to the disease. Unfortunately, the scent of my blood on the air would attract more werewolves. I walked a little way up to the path, pulling Cynnia along as I went, trying to put a little distance between Danaus and me. The path was too narrow to allow the wolves to encircle us, but it also kept the nightwalkers trapped. Our fighting was hindered as we struggled to not hurt our allies.

Screams and gunfire filled the air. Most of the humans had been equipped with night vision goggles and automatic weapons. The spray of bullets was slowing down the werewolves a bit, forcing them to heal. The extra second allowed the vampires to pick the lycans off more easily, but in the end the humans were being torn to shreds. They should have never been brought. Like the lycans, they were only a distraction.

With a grunt, I eviscerated a wolf that lunged for my throat, its bowels spilling onto the ground. It howled once in pain before I took its head off. Behind me there was a brush of energy. Dropping to the ground suddenly, I rolled up the path a couple of feet, dragging a stunned Cynnia with me as best I could. Keeping her safely behind me, I stood with sword at the ready. The wolf that had launched itself at my back landed in the spot where I’d stood moments ago. It snarled and was about to lunge when Danaus drove his short sword through the creature’s neck, severing its spine and piercing its throat.

“Showoff,” I called, my bloody hands still tightly gripping my sword.

“They’re coming,” he said. With a jerk, he pulled his blade free, and the body of the wolf collapsed in a lifeless heap on the ground. By morning the mountain would be covered in naked human bodies. A part of me wished I would live to see the next day just so I could hear how our massive public relations group would spin this one.