Chapter 467
In front of me, all three of my protectors went rigid for a second, and I felt a tightening in my abdomen before I heard the same popping, whooshing sound we’d heard at Stonehenge. They must’ve sensed it before it happened, having been in there and anticipating it so many times. I just sensed a shift in energy. A glance to my right told me the portal was opening near where Cadence was positioned, Elliott behind her looking like he was ready to catch a baseball. A patch of sky began to shimmer and vibrate dangerously close to the edge of the cliffs.
Moira was engaged now. I threw my shield. These Vampires seemed like fresh recruits or recluses who’d never harmed a fly before. Our team was making short work of them. If need be, I’d let Heather take over so I could help with the portal, but I didn’t think that would even be necessary until Ashley asked, “What’s that?” over our IACs. I picked up her visuals and then had to turn around. An object in the sky was headed our way fast.
We all knew what it was before anyone answered her. It was a dragon. And she wasn’t happy. So much for no distractions.
“Heather, can you go ahead and throw the shield?” I asked, anticipating that I may be needed elsewhere.
“You got it, sister,” she replied, and the guys stepped in front of her, not that we were anywhere close to the approaching Vampires.
Cale said, “We’ve got her, Cadence. You do your thing.” But the few Guardians and Hunters standing over to the right of Cadence’s detail wasn’t going to stop that dragon. She bore down on us, fire shooting out of her mouth, and Cale, Hannah, Aurora, Margie, Grant, and Ashley all opened fire on her, making her shift her attention but not give up.
Something odd was happening with the portal. It seemed to be fully open now, which meant the clock was ticking. But it wasn’t stable. It was lurching around, and weird noises were coming from inside of it like the sound of large rocks hitting the ground. I heard Cadence ask Elliott if he knew what it was, but he said he’d never heard those sounds before. Neither had Jamie.
Christian fell out of the sky about the time Cadence was about to ask a follow up question. He was covered in blood and black soot, and Elliott plucked him out of the air just as he was careening over the edge of the cliffs, tossing him backward onto the ground. I wished Elliott would’ve let him fall.
He was in rough shape, even worse than when I’d taken my claws to his face. Jamie’s blue light hit him quickly. My sister started a barrage of questions. “Where’s Aaron? What was that sound? Is Hines okay?”
It seemed so weird to care about Hines’s health, but if he died before Aaron got out, we’d have to do this all over again. Christian’s answer was hard to understand, he was breathing so hard, even after Jamie had healed him. “He’s coming.”
“Is Hines still alive then?” Elliott asked.
“He was.”
I didn’t like that answer. Christian should’ve stayed in there and let Aaron come out. The fact that he was here and Aaron wasn’t, made me hate him even more, something I wouldn’t have thought possible.
“We had to use grenades to clear a path, and it brought the ceiling down.”
It didn’t sound promising. I looked around, wondering what in the world we could do. The Guardians were keeping Holland at bay, try as she might to hit Cadence with her fire. She seemed to be leaving me alone—for now. There had to be someone else I could throw in there. I thought about picking Christian up and sending him for round two.
My sister was up to something. I noticed a split second before Jamie and Elliott clamped down on her shoulders. “Nope,” Elliott said.
“Not happening, girlfriend,” Jamie agreed.
She had been trying to go in after her fiancé. I couldn’t blame her. I would’ve wanted to do the same thing if it were Brandon in there all alone. I didn’t catch the rest of their conversation, but I know they were reassuring Cadence if he didn’t get out this time, then we’d try again. But one look at the shape Christian was in told me Aaron wouldn’t get a next time. We had to do something now.
Cadence came up with a solution at that moment. “Cass!” she shouted at the same time she demanded Cale and the others hold their fire. She was climbing Elliott and Jamie, and I knew exactly what she was up to and what she wanted me to do. If it worked, it would be the ultimate revenge.
Without the gunfire, Holland was able to go where she liked, and Cadence was a glaring target now, waving her arms and shouting at the dragon about how she’d thrown her baby in the portal, how she’d killed Carter. Holland came swooping down at her, aiming with her talons, and I immediately grabbed hold of her with everything I had.
She fought me, of course. But she doesn’t have the same sort of powers that I do when it comes to moving objects. And, she was so furious at Cadence, she couldn’t focus. As quickly as I could, I moved her over to the portal opening, which was already shrinking back into nothingness.
Right before she disappeared inside of the opening, Holland shifted back into her human form. At the top of her lungs, she screeched, “Cadence Findley! I will be back! And I will destroy you!”
The portal seemed to want her. It sucked her in the same way a certain friend of mine devours Cheetos. In a blink, the Vampire Queen was gone. The portal seemed satisfied and finished stitching itself together.
It occurred to me that we’d just thrown a madwoman in there with our Leader, something completely cruel. But she was gone, which was impossible to believe.
