I missed her next words as cold bloomed in my chest. “Vampires!”

Nikolas and Chris turned around at the same time to stare at me just as something slammed into us from behind. We jerked forward violently in our seats. Shouts filled the SUV as it swerved toward the edge of the icy road before Seamus got it under control.

My stomach and chest hurt from the seat belt, but I twisted in the seat to look behind us as a large white van with tinted windows and a crumpled grill came at us again. Emma let out a terrified scream, and I pulled her against me to shield her as much as I could. Jordan covered Emma’s other side, and the three of us clung to each other as the other vehicle plowed into us.

“Jesus Christ!” one of the twins yelled as we skidded across the shoulder and flipped down the embankment.

Chapter 23

The SUV rolled over twice and landed hard against a large tree at the bottom of the ten-foot drop. It was lying on the passenger side, and I found myself hanging by my seat belt over Emma and Jordan.

“Sara?” Nikolas released himself from his seat belt and reached for me. “Are you hurt?”

My whole body ached, but I didn’t think anything was broken. “No.”

“Stay with Emma,” he said as he helped Chris to his feet. Then he pulled up the seat he’d been sitting on and the two of them grabbed swords. Seamus and Niall were already jumping through the front driver’s window with swords in hand. Within seconds, Nikolas and Chris were out of the vehicle and speeding up the embankment.

A scream tore through the air.

Jordan climbed over the seat and withdrew a sword from the weapons stash. “Help Emma,” she said before she followed the others.

More screams. Shouts.

“Emma, can you move?”

“Yes.” There was a click and she fell against the side window. She moved into the cargo area to give me room.

I braced my feet against the seat in front of me as I reached for my seat belt buckle. It wasn’t enough to hold me, and I tumbled to the other side. Groaning, I climbed into the back with Emma, who stared at me with eyes glazed over from shock.

“Sara,” she gripped my arm tightly and cried over the sounds of fighting above us on the road. “Please, don’t let them take me again.”

“I won’t.” I silently prayed I could keep that promise.

We were sitting ducks in the overturned SUV. If I was going to defend us, we had to get out of this thing. I tried to push open the cargo door, but it was wedged against a tree.

Scrambling into the back seat, I grabbed a dagger from the remaining weapons and slammed the hilt into the passenger side window. The window shattered on the fourth blow and glass sprayed over the snow, leaving about eighteen inches of space between the door and the ground.

“Follow me.” I squeezed through the opening. Emma came behind me and we pushed through the snow and trees. Snow fell thickly around us.

I came up short when I heard another vehicle approaching. Tires screeched. More shouts filled the air. I shoved Emma behind a clump of snow-covered underbrush. “Stay down.”

A figure appeared at the top of the embankment, and his eyes narrowed on me. His lips curled to reveal long fangs.

The vampire came at me like a mountain lion pouncing on its prey. He hit me before I could react, and I flew backward into the snow with him on top of me. My head banged against a tree, and the weight of him knocked the wind from me. I struggled to breathe as he rose up with a triumphant gleam in his eyes. Instead of attacking, he jumped to his feet and slung me over his shoulder. I was too dazed to fight him or call out before he plunged into the trees.

He was old, and he moved fast. We were a half-mile away from the SUV before I was able to catch my breath and summon enough power to bring him to his knees.

He dropped me, and I rolled a few feet in the snow. I rose up on my hands and knees, but he was on me again before I could stand. The blow to my face stunned me, and I was helpless when he pressed me facedown into the snow. I choked on the fresh powder, and panic filled me as I fought for air. I struggled to throw him off me as blackness closed in.

“Not so strong now, are you?” he spat, his claws digging into my back through my jacket.

My body grew heavy. Soon I’d be unconscious and completely at his mercy. In desperation I let power flood my body and heard his hiss of pain.

Suddenly, the weight was gone from my back. I tried to move, but my body refused to cooperate. I heard the sounds of fighting as if they came from a long tunnel. A vampire screeched.

Someone rolled me over. I coughed as I sucked air into my starved lungs.

“Sara!” The fear in Nikolas’s voice made my eyes fly open.

“Nikolas,” I rasped.

He stood, lifting me into his arms while still holding his sword. “It’s an ambush. I have to get you out of here.”

“What about the others?”

“It’s you they want.”

“But Emma –”

The words died on my lips as five vampires materialized in front of us. Nikolas lowered me to my feet and pulled me behind him. There was no way he could fight off five mature vampires and protect me at the same time. Power flowed to my hands until they glowed, casting an eerie white light over the small clearing we were in. Five pairs of eyes turned to me.

Nikolas blurred and one of the vampires screeched when his severed arm landed in the snow. Four of the vampires began to circle Nikolas. The fifth one came at me.

The vampire hit me so fast I was momentarily stunned. Claws raked my throat, and I spun off balance. He grabbed for me again, and as soon as his hand closed over my arm, I turned my body into his and brought my other hand up to his throat. He bellowed at the power in my touch, and backhanded me so hard my head snapped back and I saw stars. He could have killed me with one blow, but he struck only hard enough to stun me. The knowledge that he wanted me alive drove my fear to an even greater height, and I screamed as I lunged for him again. This time my hand slammed into his chest. He let out a strangled cry and fell face-first into the snow.