Page 42 of Siege of Blood and Betrayal

It’s not my world anymore.

I’m not the best fighter for the job. He knows it. I know it. And he deserves—no—heneedsthe best. Especially now.

The more I think about it, the surer I am that I need to speak to Jack to find out how to gift the Sacred Squire powers to another because I don’t want them and if Zane’s right and Huntley had nothing to do with the attack, he deserves to have them.

After all, Huntley wants to stand at Zane’s side.

So, I’ll do what needs to be done to honor the dead and find out what we can about the vampires who attacked, and then I’ll speak to Jack and find out how to end this.

Part of me feels guilty that I’m going against Da’s dying wish, but a bigger part of me knows he wouldn’t want me to spend my entire life angry and hurt.

My father’s decision had to be a knee-jerk reaction because he wasn’t sure who to trust.

It had to be.

CHAPTER TEN

Huntley

Ipause midway up the ladder, tilting my head to listen. Above me, muffled voices off to the left mark the locations of our enemies. That’s where the tables are, so that makes sense. But where are the children?

Dante said the last time he reported his progress, the burgundy-haired bitch had them seated in the corner over by the serving buffets.

If that’s still the case, this plan should work.

Behind me, Jaxon shifts impatiently. I shoot him a quelling glance down the ladder.

Stealth over speed.

My earpiece fires to life, and Dante’s whisper speaks into my ear. “Ready when you are. Is everyone in position?”

I glance to where a half-dozen members of our clan are waiting silently in the tunnel. The fathers of the children are ready to fight, the mothers are ready to receive their young to make their escape.

“Ready.” I meet the expectant gazes of the others and nod. “Here we go.”

A thunderous boom shakes the rafters above, followed by shouts and snarls.

I spring the latch of the trapdoor, surging upward to emerge behind the long buffet that serves a hundred people at any meal. In a crouch, I shift away from the opening of the tunnel, pressing flat against the buffet as I position myself to see the back corner of the dining hall.

Shouts and snarls fill the air as Dante and Link clash with the enemy vampires across the room. They’re going on about how fucked up it is that the eight of them are still sitting around drinking our booze and terrorizing our children when the two of them are hungry and have been elbow deep in the bodies of family and friends for hours upon hours.

Theeightof them, he said. Perfect. Thanks, Dante.

No one notices our silent arrival.

At the end of the buffet cabinet, I peek around the corner and scan the room. The children are huddled by the wall, a lone vampire standing guard over them.

His back is to me, his attention focused on the argument.

Glancing back, I hold up a finger for Jaxon and the others to signal them to wait. Slowly, silently, I rise from my crouch and race across the thirty-foot open space.

The guard’s focus is solely on the melee and, in the blur of movement, I’m behind him with an arm wrapped around his throat. If he were a true-blood, his heightened senses would’ve picked up my approach… but he’s not.

A sharp twist, a crack, and his lifeless body slumps in my hold. The snap of bone is lost in the shouts of the others and so are the few whimpered cries of surprise from the children.

As the children recoil, I soften my gaze and press a finger to my lips. Then, with a jerk of my head, I direct the shellshocked children toward their fathers.

In a scramble, the older kids help the younger, and everyone hustles to get behind the serving station. Jaxon guides them to the trapdoor, and one by one they are lowered into the tunnel below by their fathers.

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