Page 167 of Immortal Bastard (The Order of Vampires)

“It’s me.”

She stilled at the sound of Dane’s voice, and relief washed over her. What was he doing here at this hour?

“I found the key for the restraints,” he whispered, creeping into her cell. “But you have to help me.”

He pulled the blindfold off her eyes, and she blinked as her vision adjusted to the shadows. She looked through the heavy metal bridle at him, desperate to have this horrific contraption off of her head.

“Promise you won’t make me regret helping you.”

She’d do anything to be out of this cell. With no way to speak, she mumbled an incoherent promise and nodded.

“Turn around. The lock’s in the back.”

She shifted on the cot as he fit the tiny key into the lock at the back of her head. The moment the metal loosened, she opened her mouth and started to cry. Her jaw ached as the piece that depressed her tongue withdrew. She breathed in a full breath and coughed.

Her skin was chapped and raw where the bridle had compressed her face over time. Later, she would fear permanent scarring. For now, she was solely focused on escaping.

“My hands.” Pure urgency shook her voice as she feared someone would catch them.

The moment he sliced the rope around her wrists, blood rushed into her fingers. She wrenched the bridle off her neck and threw it onto the ground and stood.

“Wait!” He caught her arm.

Her gaze snagged on the rifle leaning against the wall outside of her cell. She looked up at Dane.

He was strong, at least a foot taller than her. She was weak and injured. He’d catch her if she ran.

“I need a favor.”

Her throat was ravaged from disuse. “What do you want?”

“I know you have powers.”

Of course he wanted the one thing she couldn’t give. “I can’t—”

“You can. I saw you use them a few weeks ago. I just…” He glanced to the end of the hall where the chains rattled. She didn’t know what was down there but after years of hearing the snarls and screams, she didn’t want to find out. “I need you to watch my back.”

She hesitated, and looked back at the gun. Dane wasn’t like the others. She didn’t understand why he was here, aside from the girl he visited each night. She’d gathered it was his sister, but in all the time Juniper had occupied these cells she’d never heard the girl do more than screech and growl like a possessed animal.

“Please, just let me leave.” Her bare feet shifted over the dirt floor. “You said you’d help me.”

His stare bounced between her, the cellar door, and the far end of the hall. “I am helping you.”

She looked past him to the open cell door. “What are you doing with the gun?”

“I’m going to kill that thing in the last cell.”

She staggered back. “You’ll get us both killed. You can’t kill them. Don’t you know that? A gun isn’t enough.”

“I have to try.”

“You’ll fail. They can only die from decapitation, heart extraction, and fire. Bullets won’t do more than hurt them.”

“If I aim for his heart, I can blow it clean out of his body.”

“Have you ever shot a gun before?”

“No.”

They were going to die. “You’re more likely to hit a rib. You’re only going to piss him off. What if he gets out?”

“That’s where you come in.”

“What the hell am I going to do?”

He glanced at the unlit torch on the wall. “You’re more powerful when you’re afraid.”

“That’s not true.” She’d been terrified and unable to protect herself for two years. “Don’t do this, Dane. This place…it’s evil. We should both run.”

“I have nowhere to go.”

“Me neither.” She thought about how he took care of her that horrible day when they burned her feet. “We could run together.”

He hesitated and, for a moment, she remembered what hope felt like. Then he took it away.

“I need to do this. If I die, I die. All I want you to do is keep him away from my sister.”

“How?”

“However you can.” He left the cell, leaving the door open wide. “Then you can do whatever you want. I won’t tell anyone you escaped.” He grabbed the rifle. “Make the blanket and pillow look like you’re still asleep.”

She quickly did as he asked, afraid he would change his mind and lock her inside. As soon as she had the threadbare quilt and pillow molded in the shape of a body with the bridle peeking out the top, she rushed out of the cell.

Her feet hit the floor on the other side of the bars and another ripple of hope teased through her. Freedom.

She almost abandoned him and his foolish plan, but then she looked in his trusting eyes and cursed under her breath. He freed her. She couldn’t betray him.

“I brought you this.” He unloaded his pockets, revealing bullets, a feather, matches, a bottle of water, a pouch of salt, and a rock. “Did I forget anything?”