Page 53 of Medium
Can influence their surroundings so no one observes them or those they are with
CHAPTER 13
SHANE
I’d been watchingthe fog intently when five vampires ran out, heading toward us. But Ms. Jackson sent a stream of flame at them, and they veered toward the path to the main house.
Ellis hitting the limit of our bond had almost jerked me off my feet.
The vampire that grabbed him had to have come from the opposite side of the clearing from the others. When I looked up to see him carrying Ellis and Manny toward the trees, I yelled and sprinted after them, the combat mode making me almost as fast as the vampire.
Clementine shouted a warning, but I ignored her. Rory followed behind me. He kept up well, so maybe Mediums had a combat mode too.
But even though I’d started out close behind the vampire, the gap between us became wider and wider. No matter how I pushed my muscles, reminded my body that this was our mate, I still couldn’t run at his speed.
And then there were two vampires, running side-by-side, still at the same insane speed. The second one took Manny fromthe first. She shouted something, and then just casually tossed him to the ground. I didn’t see the blood until he rolled over, clutching his belly.
Ellis screamed Manny’s name.
Fuck! I had to decide. Ellis, I knew, would want me to help Manny. But...Ellis.
Rory yelled, “Get Ellis!”
Thank fuck. I raised a hand in acknowledgement and continued running. When I passed Manny, he was losing the battle to keep his guts inside his body.Fuck. My breath sawed in and out of my lungs, the muscles in my legs burned, and I really had no chance of catching the vampires who had Ellis, particularly as they were entering the woods, but?—
I yelled and tumbled face-first to the ground. My chest felt like it was on fire as the wheel of magic I shared with Ellis tore apart, and my half recoiled into me. I curled into a fetal position and tried to breathe through the agony.
“Shane!” Rory shouted.
“I’m... okay,” I gasped out. Not in a million years would I be okay again. Regrets flitted through my head, and I stifled a sob. Crying was a waste of time right now.
Ellis was gone, at least taken, possibly dead. I wanted to believe he was still alive, like the ghosts had told Rory about Thomas Baird. But our bond was severed, so I couldn’t tell. My body jittered with the need to run after him, but there was no point. They were too far ahead. I could only try to help Manny now.
Rory was muttering to him to hang in there, so I dragged myself upright and staggered over to them. I fell to my knees next to Rory at Manny’s side.
Rory had his shirt pressed to Manny’s stomach. It was solid red with blood. More blood covered Manny and the grass around him. His eyes were closed, and he wasn’t moving.
Tears dripped down Rory’s face. “Please, please, please live.”
I yanked my t-shirt over my head and handed it to him, but I didn’t think it would be much help. Rory nodded and added my shirt on top of his own.
A vampire skidded to a stop next to us. I jumped to my feet, getting between him and the two on the ground. The vampire raised his hands, one of which was holding a bloody sword.
“Hold up there,compadre. I’m Simon. I’m here to help. I killed four of those assholes. Thedèideag dìoncan vouch for me.” He pointed toward the center of the clearing, and I saw Ms. Jackson, Pia still sitting on their back, galloping toward us. Clementine and Levi jogged after them on foot. “So can Cal and Greg. Cal gave me this beauty a few weeks ago.” He held up the sword, which I realized was a replica Klingon weapon, like the one Cal said he’d let the “friendly vampire”, as we’d been calling him, have after the first vampire fight.
Cautiously I stepped aside. The vampire—Simon—shoved the sword into the ground. He was tall and thin, and he sparkled like a Wonder.
He knelt beside Rory at Manny’s side. “How bad is it?”
Rory swallowed. “I can see his intestines.”
Simon grimaced.
A shadow covered us. “Let me down!” Pia shouted.
Ms. Jackson shrank from her dragon form into the tiger. Pia slid off her back and ran over to Manny. She knelt next to me, across from Simon. “Can you help him, mister?”
