Fuck, he preferred the treacherous parkour or the Tarzan leaps, or even the rocket-propelled sun bomb to this. As if that hadn’t been enough to prove he was both vampire and hunter.
The craving lurched in his gut, like hitting the brick wall of indecision. Didn’t matter if the challenge was to resist… he couldn’t refuse the drink any more than he could have sat at home while the rest of the team took on Tromos. Desperate, knowing he was too far gone with hunger, he dipped his hands into the fountain.
Perfectly warmed, viscous blood trailed down his cupped hands, trickled out of the corner of his mouth, and down his chin as he consumed.
Fire brewing in his belly, he stumbled back. Uselessly blinking away the fatigue that washed over him like a tsunami, he dropped to the ground. Underneath him, the ground shook, vibrating his aching skull.
***
A peaceful dappling of rain tapped in the distance, echoing down the granite halls, but the floor underneath her was bone dry. The walls were scorched, as if a wildfire had rocketed through here, two, maybe three hours ago. No charred body. He’d made it this far.
As she moved along the burnt hall, she caught the scent of blood. Glancing down, she found his supplies scattered across the floor.
Another earthquake shifted under her feet, rattling the cave. She braced her hand against the wall to stay on her feet. And then it eased again.
Tromos was stirring.
Looking ahead, she saw an amber glow casting shadows in a cavern. As she neared, she saw an illuminated vessel. Fat drops of rain fell from the domed ceiling. Beneath…
Bennett.
Another quake sent rocks dropping from the ceiling. She ran to reach him, to drag him to safety, but the opening to the cavern collapsed before she could reach it.
Utter darkness. Silence as the dust settled.
The boulders covering the entrance were too heavy to even budge as she strained to clear the path. He was unreachable.
Closing her eyes, she inhaled slow and steady. The ominous scent singed her nares, but behind her, another, familiar, evil scent.
Calloway.
In the distance, she could hear the team progressing through the labyrinth, closing in and running full-out since the quake. Scraping her knife into the ground, she signaled Bennett’s location. Only the hunters would be strong enough to reach him now.
Making her way back into the maze, she followed the path from the map. If Calloway reached Tromos, if Milan was right, he could transport him to the surface before the team could stop them.
Turning fast, she rounded another bend.
Skidding to a halt, she stared ahead.
Calloway sauntered toward her. He clapped his hands together, his smile wide and toothy. “You’re not where you’re supposed to be. I guess I have some housekeeping to do. But that can wait. I should thank you.”
“Be careful, you may get crushed under the weight of that massive ego. Are you thanking me for escaping, or for finding you?”
“I suppose in part, for finding such an ideal hunter for me. Apparently, your selfless lover was bent on risking himself even without bait. Unexpected. I had known this one to be foolishly noble, but I had not anticipated he would be so arrogant.” A small tremor shook the room. Calloway smiled wider. “And it appears he has succeeded. Tromos is rising from his slumber.”
“And Bennett will kill him before you can reach him.”
“Slim chance. According to the prophecy, he is already dead.”
An aching hollow filled her chest. Bennett had been lying there, lifeless, out of reach, with the scent of Tromos’ blood radiating off him. His cheeks had been flushed with fever. Not dead, but on his way. Standing straight, she cocked out her hip and flicked her tongue over her sharp canine. “Sure about that?”
He glanced down the hall behind her. “If you will excuse me, I have work to do.”
“Can’t you hear? They will reach him soon.”
“I had hoped at least a few would be taken care of at the house. No matter. Tromos will walk over them as he did so many before the demon hunters imprisoned him.” Calloway shrugged carelessly.
“Vampires imprisoned him,” Adair fired back.
