Page 171 of Immortal Bastard (The Order of Vampires)

Isaiah roared and shoved him aside. Dane’s back slammed into the stone wall, and the hall went black. “Juniper!”

Her screams silenced and all sound, save his frantic breathing, stopped. His eyes adjusted and he saw the bishop standing at the doorway, Juniper cowering behind him, covering her head, and Cybil’s body crumpled on the floor at his feet.

Isaiah roared and marched forward, crouching to sniff Cybil’s hair. He dragged her body close and sprang to his full height, unhinging his jaw and releasing a snarling growl in the bishop’s face. He held Cybil’s body in his arms when he turned back to Dane, looking so much the way he had in the woods the day he’d killed his mother.

Paralyzed by the sight, Dane could only stare in horror. Was she dead? Had the bishop killed her?

Isaiah’s bare feet pounded down the corridor, stomping over the meager alter and scattering salt into the earth. Dane ducked, expecting a mortal blow when Isaiah snarled and threw his weight into the far wall. He clawed at the stones, ripping down the wall until he hit dark earth.

Filthy talons tore into the packed dirt as he snarled and growled. When he broke ground, moonlight seeped from above. He scaled the terrain, Cybil’s small lifeless body draped over his shoulder, leaving a trail of dirt and rocks in his wake. Then they were gone.

Jagged breath barely filled his lungs as Dane stared wide-eyed at Eleazar. They were all gone. Juniper too.

“Is she dead?” he asked, now hoping that was the case. When the bishop didn’t immediately respond, he shouted, demanding an answer, “Did you kill my sister?”

Eleazar scanned the ruined cells, taking in the damage and not missing a single detail. Dane recoiled at the sharp sense of him penetrating his mind without the anesthetic of compulsion. He sorted through his memories, gathering any explanation for the disaster he’d walked into. Dane jerked when he abruptly pulled out of his mind.

“No. I only broke her neck. She’ll wake in a few hours.”

His breath hitched. That meant Isaiah would have no trouble taking her wherever he desired. And then he could do whatever he wanted to her.

His stomach swilled. They were gone. He’d never find her. She was at the mercy of that monster. This was his fault.

He fell to his knees, a shuddering sob escaping as his shoulders shook.

Dirt ground under the bishop’s boots as he approached. A heavy hand rested on Dane’s back, but his words were anything but comforting.

“You have until tomorrow night to leave. You disobeyed The Council, and I cannot allow you to stay.”

No Cybil. No Grace. Even Juniper was gone. He had no reason to stay. He’d leave Maggie a note and pack his things tonight.

“I’ll be off the farm by dawn.”

Eleazar stiffened, his head turning abruptly as something caught his attention. “I have to go. See me before you leave.”

The dark hall was empty, save the destruction, before Dane had a chance to respond. He collapsed to his hands and knees, defeated in every sense of the word, as he lay his head down in the dirt. What had he done? There was nothing left to do but cry.

Delilah struggled to breathe as she lay in a heap on the ground. Her body a mess of deep cuts, gouges, and bruises. He was too strong and far too powerful for her to combat, but she couldn’t stop thinking about her own parents.

Losing her mother and father had killed something inside of her that she never got back. She couldn’t bear the thought of Christian suffering the same loss and pain. His mother was in that house, and Maddox was going to kill her.

Smoke billowed from the windows as the flames glowed against the dark night. She sensed Adriel inside, but her mind was blocked. Where were the others?

Hands slick with blood, Delilah pushed herself up. She had to stop him. She had to do something to save Adriel.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” he taunted, enjoying the demonic way he goaded her with his powers. After seeing what he was already capable of, Delilah had no doubt he could have easily caught Adriel by now, but he liked tormenting her the way a cat tortured a mouse before killing it slowly.

She needed strength if she was going to help the other female. Another window exploded, and he laughed. Delilah shut her eyes and spread her senses into the surrounding woods. If she moved, he’d only catch her and hurt her more. She believed he was insane enough to kill her.

Christian, where are you?

A cool nose nudged her limp hand, and she lifted her head, breathing in a sigh of relief when she looked into the eyes of a clever fox. The beautiful creature lowered to its belly, crouching closer.