But Scarlet wasn’t about to run. On the contrary. She wanted vengeance for Polly. So instead of turning around, Scarlet ran forward, right for her attacker. And Ruth ran right beside her.
Scarlet ran until she was about twenty yards away from him, just as her attacker was standing, rising to his full height. With no time to lose, she quickly took a knee, pulled back her bow, inserted an arrow, and took steady aim. She aimed for his left eye.
He saw her, but before he could react, she had already let the arrow fly.
It was a perfect hit. It went right into his eye, knocking it out clean. The arrow lodged in his head, and the man shrieked in agony, grabbing at it, trying to pull it out. Scarlet was shocked at what she had managed to do: she only wished it had been a silver-tipped arrow, and had killed him on the spot.
But the man didn’t die, or didn’t even collapse. Instead, she watched in horror as the man reached up and yanked the arrow right out of his skull. He threw it to the ground, and, with one eye socket bleeding, scowled directly at her.
He broke into a sprint, heading right for her, just as the sky was blackening with a swarm of vampires, getting closer. Scarlet knew, at that moment, that she and Ruth were finished. There was no point in her even trying to run, because she knew she wouldn’t make it. So instead, she stood her ground bravely, chest and chin up, waiting to face her attacker head on.
Scarlet suddenly felt hands around her, and the next thing she knew, she was being picked up by someone from behind, lifted up into the air. The person picked her up with one arm, and picked up Ruth in the other. The person was the fastest she had ever seen, and in the blink of an eye, Scarlet and Ruth were soaring in the air, being whisked away from the vampires chasing them.
Only after they were a good distance away, did Scarlet summon the courage to look up and see who it was who was carrying them, who had saved them from sure death.
She breathed a breath of relief as she recognized him.
It was the man from the beach, the man who was in love with her Mommy.
It was Blake.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Sam had been having one of the best days of his life. He had been riding on cloud nine since the night before, enjoying himself every minute of his big sister’s wedding. He was so happy for Caitlin and Caleb, and so overjoyed that their wedding had been such a success. Finally, after all the obstacles between those two, Sam was ecstatic to see them together, permanently. It brought a sense of relief to him, as it also made him feel there was now someone else in Caitlin’s life to watch over and protect her.
As if all that had not been enough, it had also been the most incredible night of his life with Polly. He kept reliving the moment in his head, again and again, when he’d asked her to marry him.
Her expression. Her response. Her hugging him. He had felt her joy coursing through him, in every pore of his body, and at that moment, he had never felt so right in the world. He knew he had made the perfect decision, and was so looking forward to spending the rest of his life with her.
Sam had awoken this morning with a new bounce in his step. He was determined to celebrate his engagement to Polly, to formally announce the news to everyone later that day, and to make this a beautiful day and night for her. Now, it was their turn.
Sam decided that he’d make it really special: he would go out and hunt himself, personally, for the biggest and fiercest boar he could find. He would bring it back, and they would celebrate with a feast, and a night of drinking and games.
And now, here he was, relaxed and refreshed. He had spent the morning alone, out in the woods, hunting. The hours alone outdoors had provided him a sense of tranquility, and had allowed him time to process everything from the night before, and to enjoy it all again. It had grounded him.
He enjoyed quietly tracking and listening for game.
After hours of searching, of walking quietly, deep in the woods, Sam suddenly heard a twig snap.
He stood perfectly still, and a moment later, the biggest and fiercest boar he had ever seen, its tusks sharp and curled a foot-long, charged right for him. Sam relished the battle.
He waited, then, using his vampire skills, leapt over it at the last second. The boar turned and charged again, and this time, Sam stepped to the side, dodging it, enjoying the sport, taking his time before killing it.
The boar was enraged. It charged Sam again, and this time, Sam jumped on its back, reached down, and prepared to snap its neck.
But it did something which caught him by surprise: the animal managed to spin its head around, and to gorge Sam with its tusk, slicing his arm. Sam, shocked, cried out in pain. He was stunned.
Ever since he had become a vampire, no animal had ever managed to put the slightest scratch on him. Nothing could ever come close to matching his speed or strength. Sam, furious, quickly snapped its neck, and the two of them went tumbling to the ground, the boar dead.
But Sam was shaken. He didn’t understand what had just happened, how it was possible. How could he be even the slightest bit vulnerable?
Thinking it over, he realized that what had just happened was impossible. It must have been a supernatural occurrence. It was the universe, sending him a sign. An omen. But of what?
Sam didn’t like it. It gave him an ominous feeling, a sense of foreboding. He felt as if the universe were hinting that something terrible was happening somewhere. Sam stared at the huge animal, lying there on its side in the grass, dead, and he no longer wanted to bring it back. It felt to him like a reminder of a bad omen.
Sam left it where it was. He slowly backed away from it, wondering.
The sky suddenly darkened, thick clouds gathering on the horizon, and Sam felt a cold breeze brush his face. He turned and headed back down the path, feeling it was time to return.
The more Sam walked, the more he felt it: something was wrong. Worse, he began to feel that something was wrong with Polly. Danger.
Sam broke into at a sprint, then leapt into the air, flying for all he was worth. He broke out of the woods and into open sky, and the more he flew, the more his senses screamed to him that something was very, very wrong. It was like a beacon, calling to him. It practically screamed at him to hurry to the lake.
Sam flew even faster, faster than he even knew was possible, tucking his wings in, diving through the air, until moments later, he was circling over the lake. The lake was still, and as Sam circled it, at first he saw nothing wrong.
But then, as he circled again, he saw a lone figure, lying on a desolate strip of sand. Sam dove down towards it, wondering who it could be.