The walk back seemed to take forever. Muscles cramped and burned with every step. My stomach growled and burbled while supernatural hunger clawed at my sanity. I wanted to run, but I also didn't want to waste what little supercharged energy I had left if the vampires showed up again. I reached the tomb where Dad was imprisoned and looked inside. He groaned. The girl next to him was brushing the hair from his eyes and begging him to wake up. She saw me and shrieked. Then she realized it was me.
"Did you see where they went?" I said.
She nodded, a wild look in her eyes. "They were screaming like crazy and running so fast they kept slamming into stuff. It was like the Devil himself was chasing them. I'm pretty sure they're gone."
"Good. Let me see if I can break you out of there."
Her eyes widened in hope. I took out the horn and placed it in the gap between the padlock and the hasp. I gripped the base of the horn and jerked. The metal groaned. I jerked again and the latch gave way a little more. I adjusted the horn, braced my feet, and pulled long and hard. The padlock screeched and popped open. After pulling it off, I yanked the door open.
Dad groaned and peered at the girl through cracked eyelids. He jerked away. "No, I won't do it," he said in a weak, groggy voice. "Let her go."
"Dad, it's me," I said, kneeling in front of him.
His eyelids fluttered open. "Justin? How?"
"Don't worry about it. I'm gonna get you two out of here."
Dad sniffed and wrinkled his nose. "Brimstone. We're in terrible da…" He trailed off and his head lolled.
I tugged where the chains were bolted to the wall but I might as well have politely asked them to release my dad. I didn't have enough strength left in me to do anything. I looked at the girl hungrily. The demonic hunger clawed my insides and demanded food. But I couldn't do it. I was so hungry that I might lose control. She seemed to sense the predatory intent in my stare and cringed against the wall like a rabbit facing the wolf.
I tore my gaze from her and looked at the padlocks securing the chains. They were old-timey padlocks, but thick. Even at full strength, it would be hard to rip them open.
Elyssa's lock picks.
I unzipped her pack and dug through it until I found the little pouch with the tools in them. I didn't have the slightest idea how to use them. I dumped them out onto the wooden floor of the tomb and sorted through them until I found one that looked like a skeleton key. I grabbed it and jammed it into the lock. After twisting and fiddling with it, the old mortise lock clicked and the padlock popped open.
I pumped my fist. "Yes!"
After a few minutes I had freed the two prisoners. The girl cried gratefully but didn't go quite so far as hugging me when she saw the ravenous look in my eyes. The hunger bordered on unbearable but I had too much to worry about to give in. Dad was too weak to walk on his own and too heavy for the girl to carry. Elyssa was still unconscious as well.
"I hate to do this," I said to the girl, "but I have to leave you here with them."
"Can't you take me with you?" she asked. "Please. I've been trapped here for days, maybe weeks."
"There are more vampires upstairs. If I try to lug two people with me, I'll be too weak to do anything but watch as they finish us off." My stomach made a loud almost mournful noise. "Plus, I'm so hungry right now, I don't think I can resist much longer."
"You eat people?" she said in a whimpering whisper.
I laughed despite the situation. "No. I feed on emotions."
"I'm feeling very emotional right now."
"I know. But in my condition, I might also have sex with you and drain you of everything."
She cringed even farther away. That simple prey-like movement increased my desire to pounce and take her. Every demonic fiber in my body demanded it. I closed my eyes and tried to collect myself. Elyssa was depending on me. My dad was depending on me. Feeding on this girl would help me save them. Maybe I could control myself. I stepped toward her, her hot essence cowering just feet away from me and tugging me like gravity. Her sacrifice would save those I cared about the most.
You're a monster.
"No!" I shouted, backing away from the girl. "I'm not a monster."
"You don't look like one," she said in a quavering voice. "None of them did."
I shook my head violently, as if that would clear it. It only made me dizzy. "You stay here," I said. "I'll go for help."
She whimpered but nodded. I held up a finger, indicating to hold on a minute, and jogged over to the spot Elyssa and I had lost our swords. I grabbed them and brought them back to the girl. She took one of Elyssa's sai swords and held it with both hands. I put Dad and Elyssa in the back of the tomb, away from the door, motioned the girl back in, and shut it.
"Remember, the vamps can see in the dark, so stay in here until I get back."
"I can't believe this is happening to me," she said as fresh tears trickled down her cheeks. "I can't believe vampires are for real. And they're not even as beautiful as Edward."
I should've known she was Team Edward. "Pretend they're kidnappers if that makes it easier. Kidnappers with night vision goggles."
She nodded. "Okay." Some of the fear in her eyes diminished. "Thinking of it like that kind of helps, actually."
I ignored the desire to roll my eyes and grabbed my sword from the floor. It felt heavier in my hand than I remembered it, probably because I was almost spent, both naturally and supernaturally. My night vision dimmed and brightened as I walked. My heart hammered at the thought of losing myself in the pitch black. Was I running on a quarter tank? Less? If I ran into any vampires, I'd have to rely on fear and intimidation. A fight would be suicidal.
The spiral staircase went on forever, although between trudging and listening for sounds of impending attack, I wasn't exactly running. I reached the door to the main sleeping chamber and peered inside. The power was back on and the lights hummed overhead. Sexy and I Know It thundered from the speakers since Dance Central had turned back on with the power. Otherwise, the place was empty.
I tried to dash but ended up trotting across the room, thanks to my weary legs. I reached the long staircase leading up to the first floor. Shouts echoed from above but I couldn't make sense of them. I heard a feline roar and then a scream. The moggies must be inside, I realized. I huffed and puffed my way up the stairs and peeked into the hallway. Two vampires, Felicia and one of the males, an Asian-looking guy, were circling a large black panther, their eyes wary.
"Who the hell let a panther loose?" the male asked.
Felicia shot him a scornful glare. "It's not a panther, you idiot. It's a felycan."
"A what? I'm new to this crap. I don't know what a felycan is."
"A werecat, you moron."
"Oh crap. Like a werewolf? Those things are mad strong. Maybe we should run away."
Felicia's scornful look turned thoughtful. "I think you might be right this once."
They turned to flee when a bright flash popped in their faces. Their red eyes rolled into the backs of their heads and they collapsed in a heap. Shelton walked over to them, whistling a cheerful tune as he secured them with silvery-looking zip ties.
"Shelton, Stacey, I need your help," I said as I hobbled toward them.
"Holy crap, kid, you look like hell," Shelton said.
Stacey morphed in mid-stride and rushed to me in all her naked glory. "Where are your father and Elyssa?"
"I was too weak to carry them up. I need help."
She cried out with a high-pitched mewling that hurt my ears. A moment later, the moggies padded into view. One bled heavily from a gash in its shoulder.
"Oh, my poor dear," Stacey said, examining the wound.
The moggy rumbled a reply and rubbed against her leg.
"He is so brave," she said, her eyes misting. "They will go with you to retrieve the fallen."
"Take these," Shelton said, pulling some leather straps out of the man purse he wore over his shoulder. "Strap them to the moggies." He handed them to me while doing his best not to stare at Stacey's nude form.
I gave the moggies a doubtful look. "Are they strong enough to carry people?"
He chuckled. "If you'd watched them in action tonight, you wouldn't be asking."
I thought back to the moggy that had almost killed me and shuddered. Yep, they were strong enough. Something small, black, and furry did a figure-eight between my legs. Nightliss looked up at me and meowed.
"She smelled danger and came to warn us," Stacey said. "We would have been down sooner, but were stalled by several vampires."
"Speaking of which," Shelton said, "you've gotta hurry. Some of them escaped and I wouldn't doubt they've placed calls to whoever's in charge of this place. We might be able to whip a few youngsters, but not a horde of them."
I summoned my remaining strength and hobbled down the stairs. Shelton and Stacey took up positions outside. It took the better part of fifteen minutes to make it all the way back down to the tomb. The girl saw me and almost hugged me then shrank back at the last second. She'd probably remembered what I'd said about having sex with her while I sucked her essence dry. When she saw the moggies she screamed and jumped on my back, her arms in a death grip around my neck.
"They're with me," I said. "Now help me strap on Elyssa and my dad." I pried her loose.
I put Elyssa and Dad stomach-first on the backs of the moggies then used the leather straps to fasten them. The big cats took off like they weren't carrying anything, leaving me and the girl behind. She stared into the darkness ahead and shivered.
"Please don't eat me," she said in a plaintive voice.
"Stick close. I can see in the dark."
I had to give her credit. Despite the constant trembling in her hand, she didn't scream once. I couldn't imagine being led through a pitch black crypt with a soul-sucking demon spawn as the guide. When we made it into the light of the sleeping chamber, she cried with relief and hugged me.