Chapter 189

I whirled on Candido. “You heard that, didn’t you? She doesn’t—”

“I understand,” Candido said with a nod. “But it’s not going to happen that way.”

My jaw dropped, before I could say anything. He leaped from the jeep to another.

“We’re shifting into the Delta formation. Set-Up. You have five minutes before they’re on us.”

He leaped down from the truck and kneeled. He pressed his hand to the ground. The jeep I was on shifted forward. A metal shield lifted with just a few holes big enough for rifles to aim through. Estella set up several more guns in a row to shoot through the shield.

Why hadn’t they used this before in the clearing? Then we wouldn’t have had to be separated. They should have done this before. I bet if I had known about it and had been there to help plan we would have been using the shields from the start and that ambush would have gone a lot differently.

“Hedy,” Candido said. “Get in the jeep and stay out of the way.”

“I can help! I’m your partner! Your mate, you should—” He opened the door and walked off. I went after him and Falcon appeared, glaring at me.

“You should have been on the jeep,” she said stiffly. “Get in the jeep.”

I sneered at her. “I haven’t even told Candido what you did to me.”

“No need. I’ve already told Armageddon and I’ve been authorized to knock you out this time if need be.”

I glared at her. “I don’t believe you.”

“Would you like to test it?” She asked lifting her fist.

I looked back at Candido as he climbed into another jeep and took a place behind a rifle. It wasn’t in the same truck as Estella which was at the front of the formation. I looked back at Falcon.

“You’ll regret treating me like this when I’m luna.”

She snorted as I got into the jeep. She shut the door behind me and I crossed my arms looking around at all the injured people that were inside. Some of them were werewolves that seemed not quite right. Were some of them turning? Where had Candido gone with Estella?

The jeep lurched forward and rattled us around. The caravan drove off the road and into the forest leading the oncoming forces after us. I crossed my arms as the vampires streamed after us. I saw them running alongside the caravan, chasing and being bounced back or shot down as we rolled.

It was so obvious that we were leading them into a trap. I would have come up with a smarter way to do it.

“How much further?” Someone asked through the radio. I turned around to watch the woman respond. I couldn’t tell if she was pressing a button on the side or what she was doing, but she replied.

“A bit further. Is Moth alright?”

“Moth here. I’ll be fine. Starlight patched me up.”

“Good—”

An explosion shook the air. The jeep I was in swerved and careened off the road, running into the barrier that surrounded us as the ground shook. The barrier cracked and broke, letting the jeep slide down the side of a steep hill.

“Landmines!”

“For fuck’s sake! They turned on us. Plan B! Fire at will!”

The jeep skidded down the road, but whoever was driving steered us back up the incline quickly to rejoin the rest of the group. The barrier reformed as gunfire sounded through the dark. Vampires shrieked, loud and furious.

“Claire!” Estella yelled. I looked up as Claire climbed up and I felt the air shake. My head felt like it was being pressed into a vice.

What was happening? I tried to cover my ears and ignore whatever Claire was doing.

How had she gotten powers? Was this because she was a vampire now? It was the only explanation that made sense. Vampires shrieked and went silent around us. Then gunfire fired again and the jeep rattled and sunk on one side.

I reached for the radio the woman had as the jeep kept rolling, wobbling.

“Give it here. I have to tell Candido that they’re attacking the tires!”

“He can see, you idiot,” she said calmly. “And you’re not in any position to be giving any orders.”

“I’m Pandora!”

“You were Pandora,” she said coldly. “Do you know who was Pandora before you?”

I glared at him.

“Candida,” she said. “And if she could see you, she’d be ashamed. Sit down and shut up.”

“Incoming!” Someone yelled through the radio.

“Brace!” I heard Estella scream as something big and bright flew towards us from above. A shield of golden light shot up overhead, stopping it and shoving it back. It exploded with a loud boom and a burst of fire that set the trees around us on fire. The air grew hot and the fire raged, chasing us through the trees.

“Why would vampires set fire to the trees?” I asked. “They have to be planning something.”

“Moth, can you re-direct the fire?” Estella’s voice came through.

“I can try,” he said, sounding strained.

“Don’t bother,” Candido said. “They’ve already cornered us.”

I looked ahead and saw the broad side of a cliff shimmering into existence.

“An illusion of that size…” Estella whispered.

“Armageddon’s been hit!” Someone yelled.

“We’re outflanked,” someone else yelled.

“Fuck. Helios, drive into the center of the formation—”

The jeep jerked and tipped over as the earth shifted and tumbled us over. I tried to hang on, but I couldn’t. I went flying.

“Helios, come in!” Estella yelled. “Status!”

“We’re being separated!” Someone replied. I heard the jeep’s wheels skidding against the slippery stone. A flare went up from the jeep. The rock separating the jeep from the rest of the fight crumbled and broke. I scrambled towards the jeep as it rolled up the stone. I climbed after it, struggling to go after it. As I tumbled over the edge. I saw the rest of the caravan, huddled inside of a golden barrier filled with cracks, barely repelling the bullets. Candido was on the other side with his hands pressed against the solid rock. It looked like he was trying to melt it.

“You’re too drained,” Estella said.

“There’s no other option. Just buy me time. Moth, help me.”

Estella growled and turned around. “Moth, give support to the barrier.”

She wrapped something around her hands and pressed her hands to the stone just beside him and the molten rock started to reform. My heart lurched.

No. There’s no way that they had the same powers. The things around her wrists started to glow. I could see the light around her wrists as if she was drawing it out of the air and pressing forward, carving through the stone.

I slipped down the side, then someone’s hand fell on my shoulder. A chill went up my spine as I found myself frozen and silenced. I couldn’t even cry out for Candido. A warm puff of hair ghosted across my neck where that other vampire had bitten me.

“So nice of you to make yourself so easily stolen.”

I tried to pull away from him, but he pulled me back through the hole in the wall. Claire turned in my direction just as I was pulled down and away from the rest of the fight.

I landed hard on the other side. Damian stood over me, smiling down at me. He eyed me, dragging his gaze over my body. I could practically feel his gaze as if he was running his hands over my skin. My stomach turned.

“Hmm… If I had known you were going to dress like a virgin sacrifice, I might have worn something a little more in style,” he chuckled. “Maybe a long dark robe?”

“Stay away from me,” I said, pushing myself away from him. “Stay away from me. Candido—”

“Is likely going to die soon. I wouldn’t worry about him.” He looked up as the sound of gunfire grew louder. “But even if he doesn’t, I don’t much care about that.”

He darted forward and wrapped a hand around my throat. I kicked at him and tried to push him off, but he was so much stronger than me. He blocked every move, jamming the heel of his palm painfully into my shoulder and pinning me down with ease.

“We have unfinished business, little Hedy,” he glared at me. “Rest assured that I will have every bit of power that I deserve.”

“Candido! Candido!” I cried.

Couldn’t he hear me? None of this would have happened if he had just paid attention to me like he was supposed to. If I survived this, I was going to make sure that he wouldn’t be able to look at Estella ever again.

My lips twitched as I thought about it. He would mourn me. I knew he would. He’d never marry that woman. He’d never have a luna if it wasn’t me. They might have had a past, but we were already bonding. I died, the bond would drag him just after me.

Maybe this wasn’t how I imagined having him to myself, but I would take it.

As he sunk his teeth into my neck, I wondered how long it would take before I saw Candido again.