Silenced (7 page)

So many scenarios had gone through his mind, but never did he imagine that Lukas had taken Willa. It all made sense now. The night Lukas had bit Kristoff and made him his new protégé, Kristoff had feared what Willa would think of him. Her disappearance only overshadowed those fears.

Kristoff knew Lukas was a dangerous vampire, uncaring about others, but he didn’t think he was capable of such treachery.

To think, he acted as if nothing was amiss, putting on an act for Kristoff and the world alike.

“You don’t have to give me any details, Willa,” Kristoff said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. He could guess what Lukas put her through. It didn’t matter. The vampire king would be dead as soon as Kristoff found him. The Vampire Nation Summit was in a few months.

He didn’t want to wait that long.

She closed her eyes, and a tear fell down her cheek.

“I’m going to rid this world of him. I swear it.”

When she opened her eyes, an eerie smile came to her face.

“I have a plan,” she said and sat up. “Lukas has no idea what hell is coming his way.”

For a moment, Kristoff didn’t know what to say. The look on Willa’s face—the sinister glint in her eyes almost frightened him. The sweet girl he left behind was still there, but so was a vengeful witch fueled by rage.

A knock on Kristoff’s bedroom door made them both turn toward the sudden sound.

He tensed. Josef was quick, but not
that
quick.

“Lord Dargaard,” Kathy’s voice called.

He detected the shakiness of her voice.

Kristoff stood and put on his pants. “What is it?”

“There is a bit of a problem,” she said.

Something told him there was more than that. “I’m coming.”

“Kristoff,” Willa called, getting up from his bed. She rushed to his wardrobe and searched for something to put on. She put on a pair of his drawstring pajama pants and a T-Shirt. “I’m coming with you.”

The look on her face suggested that he wouldn’t be able to convince her otherwise. He gave a nod and slipped his shirt back on. Kristoff was prepared to protect her with everything within him.

With Willa behind him, Kristoff walked down the loft stairs to the door.

Kathy waited outside, her face red with what looked to be confusion and terror.

“Someone set the Hellhound loose!”

Kristoff’s face paled. “Shit. Brute will kill whoever gets in his way.” His blood chilled at the question as to who would let Brute loose. There were only a handful of his individuals that even knew about his pet, and one of them stood before him with horror in her eyes.

Josef?

The thought sent his heart racing.

“You have a Hellhound?” Willa’s little feet scurried behind him as he took off down the hall.

Kristoff didn’t have time to answer her. He whistled, the shrill sound echoing off the walls of his estate.

Panic began to set in as the sounds of screams started to waft up the stairs from the ballroom.

“Oh god,” Willa said. “Stephanie and Zoe!”

“Don’t worry yet, Willa. They can handle themselves.”

“Okay,” she said. “Why do you have Hellhound?”

“I saved him. Keep up,” he said. He wanted to go faster, but Willa would be left behind. Alone. He couldn’t risk leaving her side again. They ran down the stairs, and a bestial roar sent chills along Kristoff’s skin.

Willa grabbed his arm to steady herself.

“Shit. Shit. Shit,” Kristoff said, leaping over mangled bodies in the middle of the floor. A severed head, half-eaten lay next to its owners well-dressed body. Arms and legs, guts and bone littered his floor.

The blood was unnerving. Delicious human blood wafted into his nose, making him dizzy.

He hadn’t eaten yet.

“Are you okay, Kristoff?”

Willa’s sweet voice drug him from the fever that started to creep over him.

Blood. So much blood.

He clenched his jaw and stood in the archway of the ballroom.

The scene before him was enough to make even the blood of a vampire curdle. Brute, taller than even Kristoff at six foot three, caught a young diplomat by his leg and slammed him to the ground with his jaws.

Then, he feasted from the young man’s torso.

“Brute,” Kristoff called.

Then, the lights went out.

E
VERY HAIR ON Willa’s skin stood on end. All of the lights went out, and yet the screams didn’t cease.

Thundering footsteps filled her ears as Brute ran in the darkness toward them.

The footsteps ceased, and Brute’s growl came from the dark right before Willa’s face. She could smell his hot breath and feel the heat on her face.

A menacing growl froze Willa in place. She was too afraid to run.

"Don’t move a muscle, Willa," Kristoff said from beside her.

“Kristoff,” she said, her voice wavering. Willa wished her eyes would hurry and adjust to the darkness. The thought of summoning light came to her, but she feared to startle the Hellhound into attacking her.

“Brute,” Kristoff called. “Go home.”

Without hesitation, the Hellhound gave a loud bark that vibrated along the walls and floors. He ran back to wherever home was. Willa’s heart thumped as she listened to his footsteps pounding on the hardwood floor.

It took Kristoff wrapping his arms around her to break her from her frozen stance. She let out a breath of relief. It wasn’t over yet. The screams had died down to cries for help and painful sobs and groans of agony.

The sight of those mangled bodies would haunt Willa forever.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Willa said, swallowing.

Now that Brute was gone, she lifted her hands, palms up. Dim light emitted from her hands, casting a soft glow around her.

“I'm all right.” She turned back to the ballroom, holding her hands out in front of her. “Stephanie! Zoe!”

“Willa,” Zoe’s shouted from somewhere toward the front of the room.

Willa ran toward her voice.

“Stay away!”

She skidded to a stop at Zoe’s warning. The command of her voice was enough to frighten anyone into submission.

Kristoff was right beside her.

Willa’s eyes zeroed in on Zoe standing there, bodies laying on the floor all around her, frightened party guests seeking cover or escape.

“Josef?”

A gasp escaped Willa’s lips. She covered her mouth at seeing Josef hovering in the air before Zoe, caught in her Cast of Discord. Josef flailed and fought her power, and yet his voice was muted as if he was in a soundproof bubble. Willa had only ever seen that vampire twice in her life, and each time he had a kind smile on his face. Now, his eyes were wild with rage.

Zoe’s fierce gaze turned to Willa and Kristoff. Her hazel eyes now glowed in the dim light of Willa’s power. “This piece of filth has some explaining to do,” she said.

That’s when Willa realized what was going on and it turned her blood cold.

Josef was a spy for her greatest enemy.

Z
OE LOWERED JOSEF to the ground. Still encased in her Cast, he tried to run but bounced along the air shield.

Zoe held up her gown’s skirt and went down to a knee.

Josef watched her, contempt in his eyes.

Where was the handsome, charming man whom she encountered at the tube back in London? It was all an act.

Damn, that Lukas. He ruined everything that was good. No one was safe from the dangerous game he played.

Zoe’s voice lowered. “Listen, vampire. I am letting you live. It is a privilege only extended because I need answers. Do you understand?”

Josef glared at her, and then his eyes went to Willa.

Where was that evil before? The look he gave Willa sent chills up her neck.

Willa’s heart beat so loudly that she could feel its pulse and hear it in her ears.

“Where is Stephanie?”

Willa’s eyes widened. Her mouth fell open at hearing Zoe’s question. What all had she missed? She’d let her guard down for a moment, and now her cousin was missing. Tear-filled eyes scanned the room.

Josef’s chuckle broke her from her thoughts.

Before she could think her actions through, Willa threw out her hands, sending red fire to the vampire that dared harm her blood.

The fire slowed at Zoe’s air shield, but like a constant hurricane wind, it pushed through and sent Josef far into the wall at the other end of the room.

Kristoff darted to the fallen vampire, grabbing him by his hair. Willa followed behind, slowly, ready to end his life with another powerful Cast.

“Careful now, Willa,” Zoe called, calmly. “He knows where Stephanie is.”

“I won’t kill him,” Willa said, her hands balled into fists. Two girls ran from beneath one of the tables, their heels clicking along the floor as they shot toward the front door.

Willa watched them, her mind racing. Stephanie. I am sorry.

It was her fault. Stephanie never wanted to come. What would the twins think when their mother didn’t come home?

“What happened, Zoe?”

Zoe stood back up. Sorrow-filled eyes met Willa’s. “Not long after you left, Josef returned. Stephanie and I were talking to that actor she pointed out earlier. We had a few drinks, and in the middle of passed appetizers, that beast came crashing through the party, killing everything in sight. I broke my cover trying to save some of the people, and when I turned my back, I heard Stephanie’s scream.”

Zoe’s voice cracked. She closed her eyes and took in a sharp breath. “I was supposed to protect the both of you.”

Willa stepped to her, pulling her into an embrace.

“Someone took her. They used one of those brace bracelets,” Zoe said. “I haven’t seen one of those used on a witch since the Inquisition.”

“Did you see who took her?” Kristoff’s question brought their attention back to him and Josef.

“Does it matter?” Josef grinned. “Lukas will have her by morning.”

Willa stormed over to him. “What does Lukas want with Stephanie?” Visions of Stephanie crying in the back of some dark van, tortured and humiliated enraged her.

Another chuckle nearly sent Willa over the edge.

“Silly girl,” Josef said. “He doesn’t want her. He wants you, and he will kill everyone you love until he gets you back.”

Silence filled the room. She heard nothing. Saw nothing.

The walls felt as though they were closing in on Willa as she stood there. No one existed at that moment. Red hot rage threatened to make her explode and destroy everything in the vicinity.

She fell to her knees, squeezing her eyes shut. Her breaths came out fast and labored. Zoe put a hand on her back, and Willa flinched, willing herself to resist letting the surge of power free.

Calm down
, she chanted inside her head.
Calm down.

“Willa,” Kristoff called.

The blood drained from her face when she opened her eyes. Josef let out a cry as Kristoff stuck Josef in the heart with a piece of wood from a broken table.

Before their eyes, Josef’s body crumbled and turned into dust, dust that littered the floor and faded within seconds.

She flickered a look up to the vampire she loved.

“We don’t need him. I know where Lukas is.”

All around her were dead bodies. Her nose twitched at the smell of their souls. She sucked in a breath of the intoxicating scent.

She looked down at her hands as they began to shake. Her palms started to itch with a hunger that she’d never revealed but knew Kristoff would understand. She could relate to the vampires in more ways than one. Immortality was expected of a witch that had reached Grand Caster Elite status through experience, pure birth, and sacrifice. But this—what fought to escape each time death was near, was...unique.

Falling to her knees, she tossed her head back as tall black shadows stepped from her body, multiplying as they did their work. She shook with need, whimpering at the anticipation.

There was one thing that separated Willa’s Caster abilities from Stephanie’s, Zoe’s, and countless witches all over the world. One that hadn’t existed in centuries until Willa was born. One ability Lukas had used against her for so long.

Now, she would use it for more than her escape from him.

Willa would use it against him.

Willa’s blue eyes glowed a bright gold as she lifted both arms.

“Thank you for this gift,” she whispered to the spirits that guided her, and the shadows that served her.

Each soul from every massacred human and vampire that surrounded her was claimed by her shadows, and brought back to her in a funnel of power that absorbed into her pores. She hissed at the sensation that filled her.

Damn, it felt better than sex.

When she opened her eyes, Zoe and Kristoff stared at her in silence, their eyes wide as they watched her glow intensify to a nearly blinding light.

Once it faded, Willa cracked her neck and stood.

A satisfied smile came to her face as she hovered above the ballroom’s floor.

The vampire king of the West may have captured the queen of the witches once before. But he would now pay the price.

With his soul.

“Let’s go.”

––––––––

The End

* * *

The second installment in the Silenced series will be released this spring.

Thanks for reading!