Raven Mask (Camren) Book 2

Chapter 32

I tossed the pizza bag over my left arm, leaving my right hand free to go for the stake or, if need be, for my gun. I'd parked the Tiburon on the street corner, and the others had ridden with Shawn. They wouldn't make their move until I was done taking down the vamp at the door.

As casually as I could I followed the sidewalk to the steps in front of the porch. Climbing them, I unzipped the bag. It'd make it easier to go for the stake if the vampire got suspicious and tried to kill me before I could say anything. Considering the strong smell of pine that leaked from the bag, I was pretty sure shit would hit the fan if the vampire got a whiff of it. I had to be quick, very quick. It was quick or dead.

I paused at the door, taking a deep breath to steel myself, then knocked lightly. Vampires have excellent hearing. I wanted only one vamp to answer the door. It wouldn't accomplish anything if they all came running.

One of the double doors opened to reveal the same vampire I'd tormented earlier. His features contorted in confusion.

"Pizza?" I said, trying to sound cute and utterly harmless. Lady knows, there isn't enough Xanax in the world to truly accomplish that, but I tried.

"We didn't order any—"

With speed known to most lycanthropes, I slipped my hand inside the hot bag, wrapped my fingers around the damp stake, and thrust it into his heart, putting my entire body into the motion. He stumbled backward.

His breath wheezed out as he slipped to the ground. Quietly, I used a hand on his shoulder to keep him from falling with a loud thud.

"Pizza..." His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, gasping silently. It wasn't like in the movies. He didn't dissolve into a batch of dust or instantly decay. He just died.

"Not bad," Shawn whispered. "You're pretty fucking fast. I barely saw you."

I took it for the compliment it was. "Thank you," I said, wiping the blood on my borrowed T-shirt.

Dinah ducked into the doorway, touched the vampire's forehead, and murmured something I couldn't understand. A warm breeze of power trickled over my skin.

"They will not see him."

"I can see him," I said.

Her smile was grim and dark. "You were watching when I cast the spell. The only thing a vampire may notice is the smell of blood."

"One down," I murmured. "Eleven to go."

"We should split up," Shawn said.

"Vanessa and I will go find the Count," Lauren said, "as that is where our battle lies."

"Mila," Shawn said, "who do you want to go with?"

"I think you should go with Normani," I told Shawn. "I have faith she'll keep your ass alive."

"I can take care of myself," Dinah said. "I don't need you to babysit me."

"Dinah. This is not the time, nor the place. I want you to come with me."

She looked like she was ready to argue when I shook my head. We split up into three groups. Normani and Shawn would go through the main part of the church with Lauren and Vanessa to fight the vampires there. That was where most of the vampires were, according to Normani. Dinah and I would search for the kids. Some of them might've been changed, but we would see how many were redeemable.
Redeemable. It wasn't a pretty thought.

First, we had to find where they were keeping them. Normani had seen the ones that were changed in the main part of the church, but she hadn't seen anyone that looked like Jacob Whitesides. That was either really bad news, meaning he was dead, or he was being held prisoner somewhere. If it were a choice between two evils, I'd prefer he was unharmed and locked up somewhere.