Warrior (Relentless Book 4)

The dining hall was already full by the time I walked in, and after a quick scan of the room, I located Sara sitting beside Tristan at the back of the room. Our gazes met, and her expectant look told me she’d been waiting for me.

I would have been here sooner if I hadn’t spent the last thirty minutes on the phone with my mother, who was overjoyed Sara and I had finally talked things out. Even the news that Sara and I were taking it slow couldn’t dim my mother’s happiness. Or mine.

I started toward Sara and realized someone was sitting on her left. When I saw who it was, I almost tripped on my own feet. What the hell was Desmund doing here? I hadn’t seen him in years, and the last I’d heard, he was still unstable, yelling at anyone other than Tristan who went near the second floor of the east wing.

After the Hale witch attack, Desmund spent half the last century in confinement at a facility in India. Once he’d recovered as much as he could, Tristan had brought him here to live because they were old friends.

Desmund and I had never been friends, but he’d been one hell of a warrior before the attack. He’d sacrificed himself to save his team from the Hale witch, and you had to respect a man who did that.

He looked well enough now, but no one recovered from a Hale witch attack. And I didn’t like how close he was sitting to Sara, as if they were old friends.

“Hey,” Sara said when I took the chair across from her. She smiled sweetly, and for a moment I forgot everyone else in the room.

“Hey,” I answered, glad to see her smiling. I’d worried she wouldn’t be able to enjoy the dinner without Nate.

“Tristan, Chris,” I said before I turned to Desmund. I noticed his eyes were clear and his clothes and hair were impeccable. He looked very much like the Desmund Ashworth I knew before, with the same arrogant gleam in his eyes. The transformation was startling.

“I’m surprised to see you here.”

He laughed. “As am I, but I am feeling quite like my old self again of late. It’s miraculous really.”

A suspicion hit me, and I looked at the only person I knew who’d fought off a Hale witch. Someone who also had the miraculous power to heal, and who was apparently keeping secrets again.

Sara tried to give me an innocent smile, and failed.

“Is that so?” I said slowly. “I wonder what could have caused it.”

One corner of Desmund’s mouth lifted as he placed his hand over Sara’s. She looked surprised, but she didn’t pull away, telling me they were well acquainted.

“If I could credit it to anything, it would be my charming little friend here. I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed our evenings together.”

I knew Desmund was playing with me, but the sight of his hand covering Sara’s did not sit well with me or my Mori. I bit back a comment, not wanting to ruin Sara’s first holiday here.

“We play checkers,” Sara said quickly. “One of these days I might actually beat him.”

“Checkers. How quaint,” said Celine as she took the chair on my right, reminding me that I needed to have a talk with her about her conversation with Sara.

But not tonight. Tonight I was spending my first Thanksgiving with Sara, and nothing was going to spoil it for us.

Celine laughed. “Although, I can think of much more entertaining ways to spend an evening.”

So could I. After dinner, I planned for Sara and I to spend more time alone together taking it slow. Maybe not too slow. If I had my way, there’d be kissing involved.

“Ah, the beautiful Celine,” Desmund drawled, sounding like his old self. “Did I ever tell you that you remind me of a courtesan I knew once in King George’s court? She was stunning to look upon and much sought after.”

“You flatter me, Desmund. Was she someone of noble birth?”

He took a sip from his water glass. “No, but I believe she serviced a duke or two.”

Sara choked on her water and went red in the face. Without missing a beat, Tristan patted her back while he sought to pacify Celine after Desmund’s well-aimed insult.

“Celine, I have a Beaujolais that would go lovely with this meal. If I remember correctly, you prefer French wines.”

“That would be lovely, Tristan,” she replied in a tight voice.

Dinner went smoothly after that. The wine arrived, and Tristan offered some to Sara. I didn’t try to hide my smile when she turned a little green and waved away the bottle. I had a feeling it would be a long time before she touched alcohol again.

Conversation at the table inevitably came around to Council talk. One of the older members had just found his mate after six hundred years on this Earth, and he wanted to step down to spend time with his new mate. Now people were wondering who was going to be invited to take his place on the Council. If Tristan knew who the choices were, he wasn’t saying.

The meal was almost over when Ben came to our table and spoke quietly to Tristan.

Tristan frowned and stood, looking slightly perplexed. “Please, excuse me. Something needs my attention. I’m sure I’ll be back before you finish your pie.”

He walked out, and I turned to meet Sara’s questioning gaze.

“The rest of the world doesn’t take a holiday when we do,” I told her. Although, it wouldn’t hurt the Council to go one day without talking to Tristan.

She nodded, but didn’t resume eating. Less than a minute later, she laid down her napkin and stood. “Excuse me.”

I stood, along with Chris and Desmund. “Is everything all right?” I asked her.

“Yes. I just… I need to check on something,” she said hurriedly. “I’ll be back in a little bit.”

Celine made a sound. “She’s fine, gentlemen. She doesn’t need an escort to go to the ladies’ room.”

Sara smiled at us. “She’s right. Please, finish your dessert.”

Reluctantly, I sat. I’d known Sara long enough to tell when something was bothering her. What I couldn’t figure out was why she was concerned about Tristan leaving. I knew she wasn’t going to the restroom, and I could think of no other reason for her to suddenly excuse herself.

I looked at the others. Chris had gone back to eating his pie, and Desmund was swirling his glass of wine thoughtfully. Neither of them looked concerned. Maybe I was overreacting.

“So Desmund, how did you and Sara become such good friends?” Chris asked. At the other warrior’s raised eyebrow, he shrugged. “It’s no secret you like to keep to yourself…or did.”

“I was keeping to myself when she decided to invade my library one night. I tried to convince her to go somewhere else and read, but she didn’t take the hint.” He smiled fondly. “She kept coming back, and I found myself quite taken with her.”

Chris grinned. “Knowing you both, I can only imagine how your first meeting went.”

Desmund’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “She called me Lestat and told me I smelled old and musty.”

Chris and I laughed, and Desmund joined in. I pictured Sara standing her own against him. She would have given him as good as she got. A girl who befriended trolls would not be cowed by a surly warrior, even one as bad-tempered as Desmund.

Later, I’d get her to tell me how she’d healed him when our people had tried unsuccessfully for centuries to heal Hale witch victims. What she’d done was nothing short of –

I sucked in a sharp breath as a wave of pain and grief washed over me.

Sara.

I leapt to my feet, sending my chair skidding away from me.

“What –?” Chris started to ask, but I was already running for the door.

The front door was open, and I ran outside. At the top of the steps, I stopped and stared at the scene below. At the bottom of the steps Sara, Tristan, and Ben stood facing a white van parked in the driveway. Beside the van, Nate stood in front of his wheelchair.

Nate took a step away from the chair and raised his arms. “Look, I can walk again. Aren’t you happy for me?” he asked Sara.

The horrible truth hit me as Tristan and Ben moved quickly to grab Nate and hold him between them.

Nate merely smiled and flashed his new fangs at Sara. “I have a message for you from the Master. Eli was his favorite and he was very upset to lose him. The Master thinks it’s only fair that, since you took one he loved, he should take someone you love.”

Sara staggered, and I was behind her in an instant to catch her before she fell.

“I’m here, malyutka,” I said as another blast of pain hit me.

She tensed and tried to pull away, but I wrapped my arms more tightly around her.

“It’s me, Sara. I’ve got you,” I said softly. I wasn’t sure if she even heard me, but she stopped struggling and stood quietly in my arms.

“Nikolas, it’s good to see you again.”

I raised my eyes to the man I’d come to respect and think of as a friend. Sorrow filled me. “I wish I could say the same. I’m sorry this happened to you, Nate.”

He grinned. “Don’t be. I’ve never felt so whole or so strong.”

Seamus and Niall arrived, and Nate stood quietly as they placed thick iron cuffs on his wrists. The twins cast pitying glances at Sara before they began to lead her uncle away.

“What…will you do with him?” she asked brokenly.

“What do you think they will do?” Nate jeered at her, and I felt her stiffen. “You are vampire killers, after all.”

“We will question him about the Master,” Tristan said vaguely.

“And then?”

He looked at me, and I could see how much it weighed on him to say his next words.

“He will die. I promise it will be quick and…”

Sara sagged in my arms, and I held her against me. “Let’s get you inside.”

She shook her head weakly. “No, I need… I need to be there.”

“It won’t happen today,” Tristan said gently. “It usually takes a few days to get them to talk. He won’t hold out long without…sustenance.”

A shudder went through Sara. I wanted to tell Tristan to stop, but she needed to know why she couldn’t be there. She was suffering enough. There was no way I was putting her through the horror of seeing her uncle starved and screaming for blood.

Desmund appeared beside us and spoke to Sara with uncharacteristic tenderness. “You are turning blue from the cold, little one. Let Nikolas take you inside, please.”

She nodded, and we turned to the steps where everyone from the dining hall was gathered. Sara faltered, and I moved to pick her up and carry her inside.

“No,” she whispered, gripping my hand instead.

I led her inside, and the crowd parted for us as we passed. I planned to take her to my apartment, but she moved toward her floor as if on autopilot. When we entered her room I expected her to cry, but she curled up on her side on her bed, hugging her knees. She shivered violently, and I grabbed the quilt at the foot of the bed and covered her. I watched her helplessly, and I would have taken her pain into me if I could.

A soft knock on the door heralded Tristan’s arrival. He entered and looked at the small form huddled beneath the quilt.

“How is she?” he asked in a low voice.

I stepped outside to talk to him.

“She’s in shock.”

Worry darkened his eyes. “Should we send for a healer?”

“All they can do is sedate her. I’ll take care of her.”

He dragged a hand through his hair. “God, if I had only known. This will kill her.”

“No, it won’t,” I said fiercely. “I won’t let it.” Nate’s death would haunt Sara for a long time, but she was a survivor. And I’d be beside her every step of the way.

“Is there anything I can do?” he asked desperately.

“Find out what he knows and end it quickly,” I said in a low voice.

The longer Nate was alive in this state, the longer it would be before Sara could begin the grieving process. I wouldn’t extend her suffering one minute longer than necessary.

He nodded grimly. “I’m on my way to see him now. I wanted to check on her first.”

I didn’t envy him his job tonight. He’d formed a friendship with Nate over the last month. Now he had to interrogate and most likely torture the vampire that used to be his friend.

As soon as Tristan left, I pulled out my cell phone and called the one person who could help Sara through this. Roland was her best friend, and he’d known Nate his whole life. As much as I wanted to be the one she turned to, she needed Roland more now.

“Nikolas?” Roland said slowly. “Did you dial the wrong number?”

“No.” I lowered my voice. “Something has happened.”

“What?” he demanded. “Is Sara okay?”

“Sara is okay, physically at least.”

His voice rose. “What the hell does that mean? What happened to her?”

“What’s going on?” asked a voice in the background that I recognized as Peter’s.

I let out a deep breath. “It’s Nate. He just showed up here as a vampire.”

“Oh, fuck no!” he cried. I heard him repeat what I’d told him to Peter. “Did you…?”

“We have him locked up for now, but we’ll kill him in a few days.”

“Oh, God. This’ll destroy her. She’ll blame herself.”

I stared at the closed door to her room. “That’s why she needs all of us now. Can you come here?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “It might take us a day because of the holiday.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll send our jet to pick up you and Peter in Portland,” I told him. “I’ll have someone call you to let you know when to be there.”

“Okay. Tell Sara we’ll be there as soon as we can.”

I hung up and called Claire to ask her to arrange for the jet to pick up Sara’s friends in Portland. Then I turned off my phone and entered the room again.

Kicking off my shoes, I lifted the quilt and lay down behind Sara. She whimpered when I curled my body around hers, and the sound tore at my heart.

“I’m so sorry, Sara,” I whispered against her hair.

The nightmares began an hour later. All I could do was hold her as she tossed fitfully and called out for her father and Nate. In the early hours of the morning, she cried Nate’s name and began to sob uncontrollably against my chest. I rubbed her back and whispered soothing words to her until she quieted again.

The sky was light when I eased her out of my arms and left the bed. She was finally sleeping soundly after her restless night, so I hoped she’d sleep for a few more hours.

I hated to leave her, but there were things that had to be done. Nate’s arrival last night proved the Master knew Sara was alive and at Westhorne, and he wasn’t playing around. We had to find out what Nate knew, and then we had to come up with a plan to keep Sara safe.

I met Jordan in the hallway. She was carrying a covered tray, and she came up short when I stepped out of Sara’s room.

“I thought Sara might be hungry,” she explained.

“She’s still asleep, but she might want some food when she wakes up. Maybe you could stay with her while I take care of a few things.”

“Sure.”

I opened the door and closed it behind her. Then I went in search of Tristan, who was in his office, looking like he’d been put through the wringer.

“How’s Sara?” he asked as soon as I entered.

“She had a rough night, but she’s sleeping now. Jordan’s with her.” I sank into one of the chairs in front of his desk. “Did you find out anything from Nate?”

“No, and I don’t think we will. It looks like he was compelled by a much stronger vampire, his maker most likely.”

I nodded. The vampires knew we’d question Nate, and they wouldn’t have wanted to take a chance of us learning something important from him. He’d been nothing more than a way to hurt Sara since the Master couldn’t get to her.

“They know where she is,” I said.

“Yes.” Tristan rested his arms on the desk. “We might have to consider moving her to a different location.”

“So you think it’s no longer safe here for her?” I’d asked myself that question a number of times last night, but I wanted to hear his thoughts.

“No stronghold has ever been breached, and we’ve added extra security since Sara came. This time yesterday I would have said she was absolutely safe here. Nate changed that.”

I sighed wearily. “I’ll talk to her about it in a few days. She can’t handle anything else now.”

“You’re right.” He let out a ragged breath. “She was so happy to see Nate, and then he stood up. God, the look on her face. It’ll haunt me forever.”

“That’s what they wanted, to cut her as deeply as possible. It’s going to take a long time for her to heal from this.”

It was hard enough for her, knowing that Nate and her friends would age and die, but for Nate to go this way. This never should have happened.

My hands clenched the arms of my chair. “I should have known those bastards would go after Nate to get to her. I promised Sara they’d both be safe, and I failed them both.”

Tristan shook his head. “We failed them. I was so happy my granddaughter was here I didn’t do my duty as a warrior. I should have left someone in Maine to watch over Nate until we caught the Master.”

“And now Sara and Nate are paying the price.” I rubbed my jaw, which was covered in a day-old beard. “I’ve never seen her like this, Tristan. I don’t know what to do.”

“Be there. That’s all you can do. The bond will help. She has a strong connection to you, and it will let her know she’s not alone.”

He clasped his hands. “Claire told me you sent for the werewolves.”

I frowned. “Is that a problem?”

“No. I’m glad you did it. Sara talks about them like they’re family, and she’ll need them, especially after Nate’s gone.”

“About that.” I leaned forward in my chair. “I want to give him a proper burial. I know that’s not how we dispose of vampires, but this is Nate.”

“I agree.” He wrote something on a notepad. “I’ll arrange for cremation, and we can have a celebration of life ceremony here.”

“She’ll appreciate that.”

Tristan finished writing and pushed his chair back. “I’m going to see Nate again. Do you want to come with me?”

“Yes.” The last thing I wanted to do was see Nate as a vampire and chained to a wall. But I owed it to him and to Sara to be there.

The cells and interrogation rooms were located in the lowest level of the main building, and they were specially constructed to contain even the strongest vampire. The stone walls and floor were two feet thick and reinforced with silver mesh. There were no windows, and the only door was warded by an ancient Druid spell.

Ben was standing guard when we got there, and he smiled grimly at us as he took a set of keys from his pocket and unlocked the door to the cells.

“What’s it been like down here?” I asked him.

“He’s screamed for blood a few times, but other than that he’s been quiet.”

We stepped into the hallway that housed the cells and closed the door behind us. We’d only taken a few steps when Nate’s voice came from the cell at the end.

“Tristan, back so soon? And who do I smell with you? Nikolas, maybe?”

“Hello, Nate.” I stepped up to the barred window and flipped the light switch to illuminate his cell.

Nate stood chained by his hands and feet to the back wall. He smiled and rattled one of his chains. “When you asked me to visit, I had no idea the accommodations here were so grand. I should have come a lot sooner.”

“I wish you had,” I said regretfully.

Seeing him like this doubled the weight lying on my chest. Nate had been a good man, a loving father to Sara, and he never should have come to this end.

“Well, I’m here now.” He licked one of his fangs. His eyes were the coal black of a new vampire, and they glittered with hatred.

“I was hoping Sara would come to visit me. Where is my dear little niece?”

“Busy.” If I had my way, she’d never see him like this.

He sighed dramatically. “And I was really looking forward to spending some quality time with her, talking about the good old days. Maybe she’d give me a taste of that fine faerie blood. I hear there is nothing like it.”

My jaw clenched, and I reached for the door handle.

“Don’t.” Tristan laid a hand on my shoulder. “He’s trying to provoke you.”

I dropped my hand and stared at the creature that used to be Nate Grey. It had his memories and his body, but it was nothing like the man. Prior to today, I’d never known anyone before they became a vampire. I’d never thought about the person they’d been, or how much of them was left after the demon took over their body. It was clear to me now that nothing of them remained.

“What happened to you?” I asked him.

He laughed coldly. “I should think that’s obvious.”

“Yes, but I bet you want to tell us all about it.” If there was one thing I knew about vampires, it was how arrogant they were. They loved to talk about themselves. And the younger the vampire, the cockier they were.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” he taunted. “I didn’t tell Tristan the ten times he asked me. Why would I tell you?”

I shrugged. “I figured you’d enjoy telling us how you became strong and whole again.”

“Like you care. You just want to know who she was.”

“She?”

His mouth closed, and he scowled at me.

“A woman, huh? Bet she was beautiful too.”

He remained silent.

I wet my lips. “It’s kind of dry down here, isn’t it? You must be getting thirsty by now.”

“I’m fine,” he lied as his eyes took on a hungry gleam.

“We have a few pints of blood upstairs in the medical ward if you change your mind. I’m sure it’s not as good as blood fresh from the vein, but it’ll still taste pretty damn good going down.”

He swallowed convulsively, his eyes dipping to my throat.

I continued to taunt him. “I heard new vampires have to drink twice a day. When did you last have blood? Definitely over twelve hours ago. I have a feeling you’re going to get mighty parched in the next few hours.”

The vampire said nothing.

I looked at Tristan. “I think we’re done here.”

“I want to see Sara,” Nate said.

“I want my friend back,” I called over my shoulder. “Looks like neither of us will get what we want.”

“I know her. She’ll want to see her uncle before…well, you know.”

“You know nothing about her, vampire,” I said more calmly than I felt. “And you’re not her uncle.”

“Maybe not, but I might be more inclined to talk to her. If she asks me nicely.”

Tristan motioned for me to go back to the outer room.

“That’s as much as I could get out of him last night, except for the fact that his maker was a female,” he said once we were out of earshot of the vampire. “He keeps asking to see Sara.”

I crossed my arms. “That’s not going to happen. I won’t let that thing torment her for one second more than it already has.”

“I don’t want that either, but he’s right about her. She’s going to want to see him before he dies.”

I opened my mouth to object, but he spoke first. “You know Sara. No matter how much pain she’s in, she’s going to need to say good-bye to Nate. We can’t stop her from seeing him if she wants to.”

My stomach twisted at the thought of her in the same room with the vampire, and the pain it would cause her. Khristu, hasn’t she been through enough?

“She’s not going to see him without me,” I said in a tone that brooked no argument.

“Or me,” he replied. He looked at the door to the cells. “I’m going to move him to one of the interrogation rooms. He’s a lot thirstier today, so I might get something out of him if I tempt him with blood.”

His expression of distaste made it clear how he felt about working on the vampire again. Last night could not have been easy for him.

“I’ll do it,” I said. I wanted to go back to Sara, but Jordan would stay with her. It was important that we find out what the vampire knew, and it wasn’t fair to put that on Tristan.

“We’ll do it together,” he said gratefully. “I don’t know how long you could be alone with him before he goaded you into killing him.”

“You’re probably right.”

He opened the door again. “Let’s get this over with then.”

* * *

I stood on the front steps as the black Expedition pulled up with Niall behind the wheel. The front passenger door opened, and Roland jumped out. Peter climbed out of the back seat, and the two of them went to the rear to grab their large duffle bags.

The SUV drove away, and the boys turned to me.

“Welcome to Westhorne,” I said, walking down the steps. “Thanks for coming so soon.”

“Thanks for calling us. We would have been here last night if we could.” Roland hefted his bag on his shoulder. “Where’s Sara?”

“I think she’s walking her hounds.”

When I’d gone back to her room earlier, I’d found a note from Jordan saying Sara had gone to the menagerie. I’d called there and Sahir told me she had taken Hugo and Woolf out. I didn’t worry that she’d go far. Plus, Tristan had doubled the patrols last night.

Peter glanced around nervously. “Oh yeah, the hellhounds.”

I smiled and pointed to the door. “You can wait in the main hall while I go find her.”

Roland shivered. “Thanks. It’s bloody cold in Idaho.”

I left them in the hall and started across the snow-covered lawn until movement near the river caught my eye. I headed toward the small figure strolling aimlessly along the bank, looking so pale and lost that my heart ached for her.

She stopped and turned toward me as I drew near, and her sad eyes warmed as her mouth formed a ghost of a smile. I took her in my arms, letting my body warm her chilled one as we stood quietly for a long moment.

I pulled back to look down at her. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m okay,” she lied bleakly.

I took her cold hand and started back toward the main building. I hadn’t told her about her friends coming because she needed a happy surprise.

“Come, I have something for you.”

“What is it?” she asked with mild curiosity.

I squeezed her hand. “I know nothing can take away your pain or undo what’s happened. But if you could have anything else right now, what would it be?”

Without hesitation, she said, “I’d want –”

“Sara!” shouted Roland as he tore around the corner of the building.

“Roland!” A sob tore from her throat, and she threw herself at her friend who hugged her as if they hadn’t seen each other in years. As soon as Roland let her go, Peter wrapped her in a hug.

“How did you guys get here?” she asked tearfully when Peter had set her on her feet again.

Roland’s smile faded. “Nikolas called me last night and told me you needed us. He had a private jet pick us up in Portland this morning. He told us about Nate. I’m so sorry, Sara.”

She pressed her lips together and nodded.

“I’ll let you three catch up.” Seeing them together, I knew her friends were exactly what she needed now.

Sara caught my hand as I turned to leave. “Thank you,” she said hoarsely as a tear escaped and ran down her face.

I wiped the wetness away and gave her a tender smile. “I’ll be close if you need me.”

I had to force myself to leave her, even though I knew she was in good hands. All afternoon, my thoughts returned to her, and I worried how she was doing. It had to be unbearable, knowing Nate was close by and waiting to hear when he was going to die. The sooner we took care of that, the better. After working on him for two hours, I was sure we’d gotten all we could from him. Keeping him alive was only prolonging Sara’s pain.

That evening, I ate a quick meal in the dining hall, keenly aware of Sara’s absence. As soon as I finished, I headed for her room to check on her. No one answered my knock so I went to Roland’s room, which was right across the hall from hers.

“Hey, what’s up?” he asked.

“Is Sara with you?”

“No. She was tired after dinner and went to lie down for a while.”

I went back to Sara’s door and knocked again. When there was no answer, I opened the door and looked inside. The bed was rumpled, but there was no sign of her.

Worry gnawed at me and I headed back downstairs. Maybe she’d gone to the menagerie again. She seemed to find comfort in being with the hellhounds.

I reached the first floor, and nearly collided with Tristan in the main hall.

“Nikolas,” he said in a rush, and his fearful expression set off alarm bells in my head. “Ben just called. Sara knocked him out and locked herself in with Nate.”

I didn’t wait to hear what he said next. My heart pounded against my ribs as I sped down to the lower level. I burst into the outer room and found Ben sitting on the floor, still looking slightly dazed from the jolt Sara had given him.

“She’s in there,” he said weakly, pointing at the door to the cells.

I tried the door, but it was locked. “Where are the keys?”

“She took them.” Ben rested his face in his hands. “What the hell did she do to me?”

Tristan caught up to me, carrying the other set of keys. He unlocked the door, and the two of us ran to the cell at the end of the hallway.

The cell door was locked, and inside the room, Sara stood a foot from the vampire that was still chained to the wall. The vampire’s cocky sneer had been replaced by a look of fear. I understood why when I saw blue sparks move through Sara’s hair.

“Sara, no!” Tristan shouted. “Whatever you’re planning to do, you have to stop.”

“I’m going to kill a vampire,” she replied thickly.

Tristan gripped the bars in the window. “Listen to me, Sara; you don’t want to do this. Killing a vampire is one thing, but if you kill Nate, it will haunt you forever.”

“He’s not Nate. He’s a monster,” she said as her hair began to float around her shoulders.

“Yes, he is, but you will see only Nate’s face when you remember this,” Tristan told her. “Nate would not want that for you.”

“I –”

“Sara, open the door,” I said in a gentle but firm voice.

Her hands began to glow in response. The vampire shrank away from her, his eyes wide with terror.

She laid her hands on his chest, and he screamed.

Grabbing the keys from Tristan, I fitted one into the lock. I had to stop her. No matter what she said, she would never come back from killing Nate.

The door swung open and I moved toward Sara, only to be hit by a blast of power unlike anything I’d felt from her. I slammed into the wall by the door with enough force to make my ears ring.

I opened my eyes and was nearly blinded by the brilliant white sphere that now encased Sara and the vampire.

“Jesus Christ,” Tristan uttered as I got to my feet.

“Sara.” I started toward her, and I made it two feet before I came up against a pulsing wall of energy that burned me the longer I pushed at it.

Tristan grabbed me by the shoulders and dragged me backward out of the room. “Nikolas, stop. You’re only hurting yourself.”

I pulled out of his grasp. “She’s in there with a goddamn vampire. I have to get to her.”

Turning back to the room, I tried to look at the ball of light, but it was like staring into the sun. I couldn’t see Sara or the vampire, and that scared the hell out of me. All I could do was stand here helplessly and imagine the worst.

“Sara’s doing this, whatever it is,” Tristan said.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the sphere sent out another pulse that pushed us back several steps.

Then it was gone, leaving Sara and the vampire lying motionless on the stone floor.