Cody slipped the dagger from his boot. Marcas and Lach were at his back, which gave some comfort, as did the others, whom he considered brothers.

“P-s-s-s-t.” Ronan stood behind one of the old walls motioning to them. “They’re in the mausoleum,” he said, when they reached him.

“How many?” Lach asked.

“Nine, maybe more. They must be using the mausoleum to rest during the day. They’re stronger at night. I don’t know why they’re staying so close to the castle, but it can’t be good.”

“Well, we’d better hurry before they wake up,” Brodie said, looking at the lengthening shadows. “We’re losing daylight.”

“You sure they’re vampires?” Shane asked.

Ronan nodded. “I saw that blond vampire. Nobody touches him. He’s mine.”

Duncan pulled out his dagger, which made a soft ring when he extended it into a sword. “Guess we take their heads, like we did in Druan’s castle.”

“Works every time,” Sorcha said, pulling her dagger from her boot.

“If the legends are right and they’re sleeping, we can grab the book and lop off their heads before they wake,” Niall said.

“Keep one,” Cody said. “We need to find out why they still want Shay.” Just speaking her name made him ache all the way to his bones.

“I’ll keep the blond,” Ronan said. “He should have more knowledge. Quiet now. We don’t know how sharp their hearing is, and we don’t want the neighbors getting nosy.”

“No battle cries, Brodie,” Sorcha said.

“One friggin’ mistake,” Brodie said.

“But outside the Sistine Chapel?” Sorcha said. “I thought that tourist would have a heart attack when you stabbed that old woman.”

“She wasn’t an old woman any more than I am.”

“Shut up, you two,” Ronan said. “Keep to the walls and stay out of sight. We don’t want an audience. Let’s go.” Ronan and Cody reached the door to the mausoleum first. Ronan put his ear to the door and shook his head, to show that he heard no sound. The warriors lined up, swords ready, and Ronan eased the door open. “Damn!”

A hiss came from inside. Ronan rushed in with Cody right behind him. Several vampires had been lounging on the floor and the crypts, not a one of them asleep. They leapt up and rushed toward the door.

Ronan took the head of the one closest, and the vampire fell to dust. Another rushed at him, slamming him against a wall. Cody picked off two trying to get out the door, clearing the path for the others to move inside. A short vampire leapt at him, teeth dangerously close to his neck. Niall batted the thing down, and Cody drove his sword through its heart. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Niall said, and turned to meet another one.

The space was small, making for dangerous fighting. Cody attacked every vampire in his path, taking his anger and frustration out on them so he didn’t have to think about what he had to do.

“Leave some for us,” Lach said, behind him.

The vampires were strong, and quick, but not as fast as they were in the woods. They were, however, escaping.

“The blond just got away,” Shane said. “He has the book.” He turned and cut off a female vampire’s head so fast Cody didn’t even see the blade swing.

Ronan took off after the blond vampire, picking up the bow he had left by the door. Declan headed out after him. The vampires that were left spread out among the priory ruins. Dusk had settled, giving the warriors some cover but not enough if anyone was nearby. “Get them,” Cody said.

“Keep the one who has the book alive,” Faelan called.

Ronan had the blond vampire pinned to a tree with an arrow on either side of the heart. The vampire hissed, bearing broken fangs, his eyes burning with hatred. He tried to pull free, but the arrows were stuck deep.

“I got it,” Ronan said, dodging the creature’s short fangs as he removed the satchel. “Here, I think the Mighty Faelan should hold the book until we can get it to Sean.”

The vampire’s eyes widened. He stared at Faelan, and the blue in his eyes turned red.

“He seems wary of you,” Ronan said.

Faelan took the satchel, opened it, and looked inside. He closed the satchel again.

“Aren’t you even going to look at it?” Brodie asked.

“That’s for Sean to do,” Faelan said.

“They’re all dead,” Marcas said. “What are we going to do with him?” He nodded toward the vampire.

“Take him to the castle,” Ronan said.

“Sure we want to do that?” Duncan asked.

Cody tucked his dagger back inside his boot. “This is our chance to find out what these things are and what they want.” He had to save Shay.

“Whatever we do, we need to do it fast, before someone sees him,” Marcas said. They bound the vampire with so much rope, his clothing couldn’t be seen.

“He looks like a damn mummy,” Brodie said.

“No one in sight except a few kids over by those houses,” Lach said. “They’re not paying attention.”

They loaded the vampire into one of the Range Rovers. “I’ll meet you back at the castle,” Cody told them.

“Where are you going?” Marcas asked, his eyes narrowed.

“I’ve got something to do first.”

***

Shay stood at the French doors, looking over the driveway. The night was beautiful. It should have been like a thousand others, but it wasn’t. Both vampires and an ancient demon were after her for God knew what reason, the same demon who killed her parents and tried to kill her as a baby. Michael the Archangel had told her she was assigned to destroy the demon. Twenty-six-year-old Shay, versus a nine-hundred-year-old demon, and vampires, one who marked her for God knows what. Not a normal night.

From what she overheard of the meeting, Cody wanted to take on Malek, but the others were trying to talk him out of it. Shay wouldn’t let him do it. A warrior couldn’t destroy a demon as powerful as Malek, unless the warrior was assigned; otherwise, he would die. She wouldn’t let Cody die. The whole thing seemed ridiculous. Cody, a seasoned warrior, revered by his clan, killer of an ancient demon, couldn’t touch Malek, but Shay, with no experience whatsoever, who never killed anything except Ellis and one vampire, was expected to take down a demon who was nearly a thousand years old. What was it about God working in mysterious ways? Maybe he was bored and wanted to stir things up.

On the other hand, she wasn’t a complete weakling. She killed that vampire at the cabin, and Cody claimed she’d moved just as fast as the vampire had. Maybe she should have gone to Beauly Prior with the warriors. They were powerful, but their talismans didn’t work against vampires.

She watched the dark shadows of the guards, pacing first one way, then another, bodies alert, watching. She glanced at her watch. Cody and the others had been gone for two hours. The warriors suddenly halted, and Shay heard vehicles coming down the driveway. She watched as two Range Rovers parked. The doors opened, and the warriors piled out. She searched for Cody, but he wasn’t there. Had he been injured?

She ran downstairs and met Bree in the hallway. “They’re back,” Bree said. “And they’ve brought a vampire.”

“Where’s Cody?” Shay asked.

Bree frowned. “I don’t know. He didn’t come back with them.”

“He’s okay?”

“No one was hurt.”

“Bree,” Faelan called, and Bree moved away.

Shay held on to the wall for support, breath wheezing through her lungs as she remembered the look on Cody’s face, the desperation in his kiss, urging her to remember that he loved her.

He was going after Malek alone.

***

“Shay, darling, how are you?”

Shay stepped inside the adjoining rooms that her aunt and Matilda shared. “Good. How’s Matilda?”

“The most somber I’ve seen her. The vampire thing really shocked her.”

“She believes it was a vampire?”

“We tried to convince her otherwise, but I think she knows.”

“I have something to say to you, Nina. I should’ve said it years ago, but I was so focused on my pain, I didn’t stop to think about how much it hurt you when I left. I’m sorry. I know you were trying to protect me. You always wanted what was best for me.” Although attempting to kidnap Jamie was a little extreme. “You gave up your way of life to help me, and I never considered that. Please forgive me.” Shay wrapped her arms around her aunt. “I’ve been so selfish.”

“No, you haven’t.” Nina stroked Shay’s hair. “We took your life from you. We just didn’t have a choice. Or maybe we did. I’ve wondered so many times over the years whether I should’ve told you.” Nina’s eyes moistened. “When you came into my life, I thought my world had collapsed. My husband had died a few months before, and I had nothing to live for. Until you. You became my life.” Nina hugged Shay and kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry about everything. Not telling you, trying to kidnap Jamie so you could be with Cody.”

“Nina,” Matilda called.

“She just found out about Nick’s death. I feel so terrible.”

“About Nick?”

“It’s our fault he’s dead.”

“How is it your fault?” Shay asked with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

“We hired him to stalk you.”

As it turned out, it had been Nick’s idea. On Nina and Matilda’s last visit, Nick had overheard them at the pub discussing the dilemma of Cody and Shay. Nina was certain they belonged together. Being a romantic at heart, Nick hatched the scheme to frighten Shay into coming home. He said that was the only way Cody and Shay would know they belonged together, and he offered to do the job. Of course they insisted on paying him for his stalking time.

After consoling Nina, Shay took a long look at her aunt’s face, committing the soft brown eyes, the short gray hair, and kind face to memory. She wished she could tell her about the past, all about it. If she survived, she would, but there wasn’t time now for the questions it would bring. She said good-bye and made her way to Cody’s room. She lay on his bed and closed her eyes, letting his scent roll over her as a lifetime of memories flashed by, from toddlers to teens, laughing and bandaging each other’s wounds. From making love in the hayloft to the time spent at the cabin, and here, when she told him she loved him. All the moments that comprised their lives. Cody was her world. He always had been. She wouldn’t let him make this sacrifice.