Chapter 79

The secret passage led to the stables where three horses stood in stalls. Daphne figured it was luck. She took one horse, stroking its head to keep it calm before leading it out of the stables around the side of the building. Mamie shifted into her wolf form first. The other two followed suit and they crept around the building carefully until they reached the forest.

“Which way do we go?” one of them asked.

“West.” Daphne said, “We should be close enough to see the canyon. Help me up.”

Mamie gave her a hand so she could climb a tree nearby. It made her think of her childhood in the forest. These trees were different from the ones near her cabin, but she found her footing and pulled herself onto the lowest branch before climbing higher as Mamie and the women kept watch. She pushed the branches apart and looked into the night, scanning the skyline until she found the dark figures, like a smudge of darkness against the starry sky, in the distance.

It seemed they were heading in the right direction.

Or a moment, she wondered why the passage would lead out to the fastest path into werewolf territory. It was just another oddity that made her think that the werewolf and vampire races had once been closer than they were now.

She wondered if once there had been another couple like her and Arthur: a vampire and werewolf torn between their two races. It seemed like something out of a story.

She descended carefully. Mamie helped her to the ground.

“That way,” Daphne said, “It’s closer than I thought, maybe a day’s run?”

They sighed with relief. A day’s run was much better than they had feared.

“We should get going.”

Daphne nodded and mounted the horse. They took the clearest path through the forest as quickly as possible. She knew it wasn’t as fast as they would be if they were running alone, but it gave them time to keep aware of their surroundings.

Something darted through the trees ahead of them.

“Vampires up ahead,” Daphne said.

Mamie and one of the other women growled and ran ahead. The vampires seemed to stop just in time for Mamie and the woman to tackle them and break their necks.

“We don’t have time to burn the bodies,” Daphne said.

Mamie nodded in agreement and she tore the vampire’s limbs off. The other woman did the same. They threw the pieces into the forest and Daphne tried not to be sick at the scent of their blood in the air. It was so sharp it burned her nostrils.

They continued, careful to listen for anyone else when one of them spoke up.

“Someone’s behind us!”

Daphne’s heart lurched, “How close?”

“I don’t know,” the other said. “But I don’t want to find out.”

Daphne urged her horse to run faster, “If we can make it to the canyon with enough distance between us we can use the flat land to our advantage and go at full speed.”

Her heart thudded hard in her chest. Her body ached from the jostling of the horse and the lack of rest, but she stayed focused on the path ahead. She didn’t want to fall behind, and if the horse’s ankle broke on a stray branch, they would have to leave her.

She didn’t think that Mamie would agree to do that.

“I think we lost them,” one of them said. “They don’t sound so close anymore.”

Daphne wasn’t sure about that. She didn’t let up the pace as something told her that it wouldn’t be that easy.

“Up ahead!” Someone yelled loud enough that Daphne could hear it.

Mamie cursed, “Faster, they’re catching up!”

“I can’t hear them.”

“Vampires,” Mamie said, “They’re sending vampires ahead, likely because they know the forest better.”

Daphne urged the horse to run faster hoping to lose them. She heard nothing but her own heart and their collective breathing until a horse neighed nearby and she heard the wind shifting around. She felt their approach more than heard it.

“Just behind us!”

One of the women screamed as something hissed and she heard the scuffling of bodies in the dirt. How had they caught up to them so quickly? Had they been underestimating the speed of vampires all this time?

“Keep going!” Mamie shouted. Daphne didn’t look back as her eyes started to burn. She passed Mamie as the other woman screamed and the scuffle of a fight filled the night.

Her heart swelled with hope as the sight of the canyon seemed to grow closer. She thought they would make it. Her heart thudded in her chest, the wind whipped past her, howling in her ear.

“Stop them!” Someone cried behind them.

“Keep going, Daphne!” Mamie yelled. She looked back, her heart clenching at how far Mamie sounded.

“Mamie!” She cried as a vampire leaped from the trees. The air heated, something sounded like it cracked and the man screamed in agony as his body burst into flame. Mamie darted aside as his burning body fell to the ground.

“Magic!” Someone cried.

“Stop her!” John yelled, “Don’t let them reach the canyon!”

Daphne turned back as her vision shimmered and rocked. She felt nausea rising as the world began to spin, but she kept hold of the reins.

“Daphne, focus! Keep going!”

She felt herself falling as she tried to fight back the dizziness. The horse jerked and skidded to a stop as a vampire leaped in front of her and took hold of the reins. The horse jerked as the dizziness took over, throwing her from the horse.

“Daphne!” Mamie cried as Daphne hit a tree and groaned. “Get away from her!”

Mamie roared leaping at the vampire near Daphne as she fought to clear her vision.

“Get back on the horse, Daphne! You have to get back to Arthur!”

Daphne nodded, stumbling and running across the clearing to get to the horse. She hauled herself onto the horse, gritting her teeth against the pain and urging the horse to run.

“I’ll be right behind you!” Mamie yelled. Daphne glanced back as Mamie ripped the head of the man from his shoulders and ran after her.

Her eyes burned thinking of the two women. She apologized to their memory, wishing that they hadn’t been sent at all, but she didn’t turn back.

The horse neighed as a vampire appeared in front of her. She urged the horse to jump over the man and keep going before a force slammed into her carrying her off the horse. The horse kept running through the forest as she was jostled and bound tightly against a warm figure.

“Daphne!” Mamie called. Daphne turned as a vampire leaped on Mamie and they began to tussle.

She fought viciously, tearing off a chunk of his shoulder before he backhanded her and another vampire restrained her. She shifted back into her human form trying to break free of his hold, but she was overpowered and Daphne slumped in the grip holding her. Despair and hopelessness weighed down her shoulders.

A horse neighed nearby and she watched John as he approached. His eyes were flashing with anger. The other two women seemed barely conscious in the grips of the vampires.

“I have been more than patient, Your Highness,” John said. “It seems my kindness is wasted on you, just like your mother.”

“You’re insane,” Daphne said, “Let them go! You have me. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

“I may have considered it before,” John said, sneering at her, “But not now. I can see that more drastic measures will have to be taken. Let this be a lesson to you about what your stubbornness will get you!”

Daphne’s stomach roiled as he turned. She struggled against the hold around her. It was firm and warm, almost gentle in its strength and oddly comforting. She looked up to see Owen looking down at her.

“Turn them.” John said, glaring at Daphne, “Leave the smallest one for last.:

Mamie gasped in horror and started to fight in earnest. The other two cried out as the vampires holding them hissed and sunk their teeth into their necks. Daphne’s stomach lurched and she struggled against Owen.

“No! No! Let me go!” Owen held her tightly as the two women went limp. The vampires pulled back and bit their arms before pressing them against their mouths. They thrashed before screaming. The vampires let them go, wiping their mouths with cruel smirks. Mamie shrieked as the vampire held her still and forced his blood into her mouth. Blood filled the air. Daphne watched Mamie thrash and seize on the ground.

“Mamie!” Daphne cried, tears streaming down her face.

“A werewolf can’t become a vampire,” John said softly as Mamie’s horrific screaming started to die down and she fell still. “They’re little more than puppets after the change.”

“Mamie?” Daphne asked as Mamie’s head turned and her eyes remained staring into nothing.

Her body sat up stiffly and she looked at Daphne.

Daphne sucked in breath after breath, but her lungs were on fire. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think.

Then, a man laughed from nearby sending a shock of terror through her.