Chapter 98

Kadeem

Kadeem’s heart clenched with dread as he watched Ardal go limp. Her skin drained to a chalky white and her eyes rolled back in their sockets.

His grip on the children tightened in an effort to contain them while trying to remain composed himself. Erbao squirmed out of his grasp and shot towards Ardal.

Kadeem lunged after him, grabbing hold of his shirt just before he would have reached her. The little boy, though brimming with angry tears, had no choice but to comply with his grasp.

"She's holding for now," Rayburn said grimly. His fingers remained pressed to her artery while he held her legs propped up with one arm.

'Lucky for you,' Kadeem thought, ready to berate Rayburn, even as his chest heaved with the speck of relief.

But their reprieve was fleeting.

No sooner were the words out of Rayburn’s mouth when the sound of wild, feral animals ripping through the trees thundered towards them.

“You've got to be kidding me," Kadeem hissed, shooting an angry glance up at the starry sky.

He barked orders at the kids to hide in the juniper bush where he'd found Ardal and Rayburn. They scrambled to the hiding spot with faces so twisted in anguish and fear, it would have broken his heart if he'd had a spare second to think about it.

A russet-brown wolf and one the color of embers emerged out of the darkness, their glowing eyes glinting through the black night. They slowed in sight of Kadeem and Rayburn, sauntering forward as they snarled and snapped their jaws.

Kadeem's primal instinct to protect rose up within him, igniting with it an inferno of anger, like a backdraft he had no chance of containing. His claws extended and a feral growl rumbled from his throat.

"What should I do,” Rayburn cried out, looking desperately from Ardal to the wolves.

"Be a doctor! Just keep her alive!"

Kadeem exploded into action, erupting into a flurry of white fur as he charged headlong at the advancing wolves in a stunning blur of speed.

The first wolf stumbled back as Kadeem lunged forward and clamped down on its neck with his iron jaws. Kadeem’s rage fueled his reactions faster than thought. He felt his teeth sink deep into its soft flesh.It thrashed wildly in an attempt to escape, but Kadeem held on, refusing to let go even when the second wolf began a futile assault.

It bit into Kadeem's back leg with a force that should have snapped it, but Kadeem clung tighter onto the first wolf instead, shaking its neck until he heard it pop and it slumped in his hold.

He dropped it to the ground and spun around as a loud snarl cut Kadeem’s ears, followed by a yelp and strangled cries. Rayburn's small gray wolf was being mauled by the ashen hunter.

Kadeem launched himself onto the attacker, taking it down to the ground as it fought savagely against him. It managed to slice its claws into Kadeem's chest, digging into him like carving knives.

The pain was searing and a bright fury took hold of him. He shredded the creature without mercy, the stench of copper stinging his nose, until there was nothing left save for a pile of fur, tooth, and bone.

He shifted quickly to check Rayburn, who was bleeding profusely. "You son of a bitch," he spat out, scurrying to apply pressure to his most serious wound. "You'd better be okay."

Rayburn's form solidified and he gave a weak smile. "I'll be alright," he mumbled, eyes darting to Ardal. "Keep her legs lifted and keep her warm."

"No time for that," Kadeem shouted, hands leaving Rayburn's injured side as the doctor clutched his bloodied torso.

"C’mon kids,” Kadeem yelled, stooping to scoop up Ardal’s body from the ground. Fear raced through him. How much longer till the silver in her bloodstream drained the last remaining dredges of her life?

He urged them ahead, carrying Ardal in his arms. He ran as fast as he could, barely managing to keep her body balanced with his arms while Rayburn limped beside him, trailing a splatter of crimson behind him.

The kids worked their small feet as best they could. Lottie and Milo whimpered, Silas remained silent, and Ezra and Erbao tried to help their siblings along the way.

All their efforts seemed useless when Rayburn stumbled and collapsed to the ground with a groan. "I can’t," he said softly, "I’m slowing you down. Just leave me here –"

"Get up," Kadeem growled, spinning around to face him. "You're a doctor! She needs you!" His jaw clenched and his fists balled, ready to drive his anger into motion.

"We should turn back," Rayburn said suddenly. "You won't like it, but I know of a way to save her."

"No way," Kadeem snapped, unwilling to go down the rabbit hole with this deadly trickster. "We are getting her to a hospital!"

"It won't be quick enough," Rayburn shouted back desperately. "It's already too late..."

Kadeem’s blood boiled over. Seething, he enunciated every single word, “Get up, before I drag you to that fucking minivan!”

“Kadeem,” Rayburn begged. “Look at her!”

Kadeem inhaled sharply. Ardal was dead weight hanging in his arms, breathing was so shallow it was barely perceptible. The silver had spread like wildfire through her veins.

“You’re not going to make it,” Rayburn said. “If we even get her to the car alive, we still have miles to drive through the woods before we even get cell reception to call for help,” he panted. "And then we'll still be out in the middle of nowhere - God knows how far away from an ambulance or a hospital!"

Kadeem's heart stopped as reality came crashing down. His throat closed.

Rayburn met his eyes and spoke with all the calm compassion of the doctor he was, even as his own face was draining to a ghostly pale hue, his undershirt soaked in red.

“Lay her down so I can keep an eye on her pulse and do CPR if it comes to it. Let the kids hold her and keep her warm, and you should prepare yourself to say goodbye.”

Kadeem pictured the magic that had shown through the trees days ago, willing himself not to explode at this sniveling, lying, conman, mortally wounded at his feet.

He bellowed with rage, his eyes blazing. "But what else," he demanded. "You said you have a plan!"

“You didn’t let me finish,” Rayburn said, his breathing coming out in labored gasps. “If you really want to save her, run towards the mountains to find Mingan, my sister. She may even be on her way now,” he panted.

Kadeem's mind began to spin, but he looked at Ardal’s face, so close to death.

Gently, he laid her down onto the grass and tried to ignore the sobs of her children as they rushed over to try and wake her up, their calls to her like a dagger through his soul.

“Kadeem, Mingan's a vampire,” Rayburn said, leaving Kadeem as gobsmacked as a cartoon coyote, struck with a giant church bell, his mind vibrating in stunned stupidity.

“Don’t hurt her,” Rayburn said, as his eyes filled with tears. “And she’s never sired anyone before. She’s just a child. You’ll have to help her -“

“No,” Kadeem said, glowering at Rayburn. He could never consent to that. She would never want it. He would cradle her in his arms and say goodbye instead. Tears welled up in his eyes for the first time in years.

“What do you have against vampires?”

The voice was like liquid ice.

Kadeem, Rayburn, and the children all jumped, startled at the colorless face in front of them, razor-sharp fangs gleaming in the moonlight.

Rayburn's face creased with fear as he gulped, "M-mother."