Kerrelyn Sparks: Forbidden Nights with a Vampire

Brynley covered her phone with one hand. "I called my sister, Glynis. She's looking up the phone number for the nearest wolf pack to Mount Rushmore."

"Mount Rushmore?" Yoshi asked. "Big mountain, big heads?"

"We were there," Kyo said. "We have very nice photos. You want to see?"

"We want to go there." Vanda wrapped her whip around her waist and shoved the handgun under the waistband of her jeans. "Do you know the way?"

"Hai." Kyo nodded. "We take you."

"Never mind." Brynley told her sister, and hung up. "Let's go."

For the first trip, the three Japanese teleported Vanda, Maggie, and Pierce. Then they all teleported back. It took them two more trips to transport Brynley and all the boys.

They heard the clashing of swords to the south and ran toward the sound, weaving through trees. The clashing sounds grew louder, punctuated every now and then with a shout of victory or a cry of pain.

Vanda saw the light of a bonfire ahead. She stopped behind a cabin and peered around the corner. Brynley looked over her shoulder.

Phil and the Vamps were completely surrounded and fighting for their lives. A panther was dashing around the perimeter, taking down Malcontents and dragging them away to maul them to death.

"The panther's on our side?" Brynley asked.

"Yes." Vanda narrowed her eyes. "Where did the bear come from?"

"That's Howard," Maggie whispered.

"Sweet Howard is a bear ?" Vanda winced when the huge bear took a swipe at a Malcontent with his mighty paw and ripped the vampire's head off.

"Cool," Davy whispered. "Come on, guys, let's shift."

"Make sure you attack the bad guys," Vanda warned them. "Our guys are in the middle."

"Yeah, they're surrounded." Davy pulled his shirt off. "But not for long."

Brynley and the boys stripped and started shifting.

Vanda grabbed Maggie and ran to hide behind another cabin. "Maybe we can find Robby."

Pierce followed them, carrying his shotgun. "I'm not letting Maggie out of my sight."

A series of howls and war cries echoed through the camp. Vanda peered around the cabin. The werewolves and Japanese had attacked.

The Malcontents, taken by surprise, suddenly found themselves fighting on two fronts. Their line thinned and faltered. Screams of pains filled the air. The grass was littered with piles of dust that were quickly scattered as the warriors trampled over them.

Vanda saw a group of four Malcontents break away and run down a path. She narrowed her eyes. She'd recognized Casimir and Sigismund. They might be escaping, fearing that the battle had turned against them, or they could be going to Robby.

"Let's follow them," she whispered to Maggie and Pierce.

They stayed in the shelter of the trees and followed the path Casimir had taken. It led to a cave where two Malcontents were standing guard at the entrance. Sigismund and Casimir must have gone inside.

"How good are you two with knives?" Vanda asked.

"Very good." Maggie took the knife from her belt. "I've got the one on the left."

Her husband held a hunting knife. "On the count of three." He counted softly, then the knives spun into the air. They landed with a thud in the chests of the two Malcontents.

Pierce's was a direct hit to the heart, and the Malcontent turned to dust. Maggie's victim fell to the ground. Pierce rushed forward at vampire speed, yanked the knife out, and plunged it into the surviving Malcontent's heart. He turned to dust as well.

He handed the knife back to Maggie before they entered the cave. A lit torch was attached to the cave wall every ten feet. They progressed quietly, then halted when the main tunnel divided in two.

"You guys take the right," Vanda whispered. "I'll go left."

"Are you sure?" Pierce asked.

"Yes." Vanda removed the knife from the sheath on her calf and hurried down the narrow tunnel. It grew darker, so she removed a torch from the wall to light her way. The tunnel opened into a room with stalactites dripping from the ceiling. She weaved through the stalagmites. No Malcontents. No Robby.

She heard a moan and whirled around.

"Robby?" She barely breathed the name, hoping the sound wouldn't carry too far.

She heard the moan again. She held up the torch and peered around slowly. There, a narrow crack in the wall. She turned sideways and squeezed through.

It was another room. And there, in the middle, was Robby tied to chair.

"Robby," she whispered, rushing to him.

He lifted his head, and she halted with a jolt. Good Lord, they'd beaten his face black and blue. One eye was swollen, the other one cut above the brow. Blood trickled down.

"Oh Robby." She wedged the torch between two rocks. Bile rose in her throat as she saw the slashes across his chest.

"Hungry," he whispered.

Oh no, she should have thought to bring some bottled blood. "Don't worry. I'll teleport you out of here straight to a supply of blood." There was plenty at the cabin. She could take him there.

She set down her knife, then grabbed at the chain across his chest. She cried out when it burned her fingers. Of course, silver, so he couldn't teleport away. She winced at the burn marks on Robby's chest.

She looked around for something to insulate her hands. Socks? She glanced down at Robby's feet. They were barefoot and bloody. Dammit. Was there no part of this man that they hadn't tortured?

"Hungry," Robby whispered.

"I'll get you out of here." She pulled off her shirt and wrapped it around her hands. Then she unfastened the chain around his chest and neck. She saw his hands, tied with silver behind the chair. They were burned and dripping blood.

He started to shake, and she realized he was fighting a compulsion to bite her.

"Just a little longer, hang in there." She unhooked the chain that strapped his thighs to the chair.

"No!" Robby cried.

"It'll be all right," she assured him.

Something sharp poked her in the back, and she straightened with a jerk, glancing over her shoulder.

Sigismund stood behind her, his sword pressed into her back. "We meet again, Vanda. For the final time."