Daybreak, BK 4 of the Lightwalkers

XXXXI - Sin

I followed Lex into Charlie's pub and found it in shambles. There were six shifters fighting Sasha and Emilio with every once of their power. Some had changed, but they stood no match as Lex joined the couple with a grim expression.

Scanning the crowd, I thought quickly. While I knew there was no running from Christina and the magic of her stupid collar, this was a prime opportunity, I only had to grab it.

Out of the corner of my eye, amongst the chaos, I found what I was looking for. I flashed across the bar, moving with the speed only my kind had, and took my target to the ground.

Charlie let out a frightened yell and fought back, struggling to escape my grip. I shook him, trying to get his attention. When he looked up at me, his fear melted into confusion.

I leaned in, hoping the others would think I was only toying with the man.

"Run upstairs, I'm going to chase you."

"Why-"

"Go!"

He fled my loosened grip and I stumbled forward with a feigned blow to my stomach.

With a hiss, I followed as he ran up the back stairs to his apartment. I caught up with Charlie in his living room, the sliding door to the balcony over the back alley open. He turned to me, a flash of metal in his hand.

"Stay back! I don't know what the hell is going on here, Sin, but I will put this through your heart if I have to."

Raising my hands up between us, I eased forward. "I don't want to hurt you, Charles. I'll help you escape, but I need your help in return."

Even in my ears, the sound of my voice came terribly close to pleading and by Charlie's stunned expression, I knew I must look as pitiful as I sounded.

"What- what the hell is going on here? You vampires attack my pub - kill my friends-"

"It's not the Court, and the vampires downstairs are enslaved. They're being controlled."

The noise from downstairs grew dim. The task must be done. I glanced around and grabbed a pen and torn envelope from a side table.

"Enslaved? What the bollocks are you going on about?"

I scribbled a phone number and Samera's name on the envelope. "Call this number. Tell her what happened here. Tell her about me." I shoved the paper at him. "Please, Charlie, you're the only one who can do this for me."

He stared at me, confused.

The cloth wrapped around Christina's collar was growing warmer against my skin. She was looking for me and it would only be a matter of minutes until she or Lex found me. And as much as I wanted to trust Lex, I couldn't be sure he wouldn't tell Christina anything she might ask.

I rushed at Charlie, pushing the paper into his hand even as he brought the knife up to defend himself. The silver blade burned as it slipped into my side, but not as bad as I'd feared.

"Christ, Sin!"

I dropped to a knee, gripping the wound as Charlie took a step back onto the balcony. "Go, quickly."

The front door banged open in the hall behind us, though when I glanced that way, I couldn't see who was there from this angle. Charlie was gone when I turned back to the balcony.

"Sin?" Lex's voice was worried, panicked almost.

"Here," I said, my voice barely a rasp. I sank farther down to the dingy carpet, trying not to breathe as the pain in my torso grew. Charlie wasn't half bad with a knife. He'd gotten me between the ribs, and if the blade had been longer, I would have been dust.

Lex placed a hand on my back as he knelt down next to me. "Are you hurt?"

I straightened, pulling my hand away from the wound to show him the blood. "A silver blade."

My words slurred together, and I cursed the gods that made me this way. I was so tired of the pain, I almost wished Charlie's knife had found my heart, at least then I wouldn't have to go through the poisoning effects yet again.

"Come on, before she burns the place down looking for us." Lex slipped a hand under my arm and hoisted me up off the floor in one easy tug. I glanced at the balcony door as he draped my arm across his shoulders. As he turned us to the stairs that would lead us back to Christina, I sent a prayer to the Grand Sire that my message would find Nickolas quickly.

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And that, I think, is the end of Daybreak, Book 4 of the Lightwalkers. I was thinking that there was one more chapter, but the story tricked me XD. 

I'll be taking a few months to get Book 5 plotted and drafted. I'm hoping to start releasing chapters of that in early summer 2022. Until then, please check out my other works here on Wattpad, or if you like vampires, you should check out my American Blood series on Kindle Vella! (Link in the comments!) 

THANK YOU FOR READING <3<3<3