Page 84 of Sweeter than Honey

Xia frowns. “Did you hear…”

Then suddenly, the hall is filled with curling, red smoke, that seems to rise from out of the hardwood floor. There’s a loud cracking noise, and I wonder for a moment if these are the fireworks that Amrita had planned.

But it’s clear from the expression on her face that this isnotsupposed to be happening.

Screams reverberate throughout the hall as a flash of purple light illuminates the stage, and a figure appears out of thin air. It’s…

“Tudor Thornblade!” I gasp. Dread fills me, and I can’t take my eyes off the stage. It’s the vampire Creator who owns this hotel, looking every bit as intimidating and fierce as he does in the portrait in the lobby. But this version looks even more terrifying. His eyes have a wild, haunted look, and his threadbare cape gives him a malevolent air.

Without wasting a second, his terrible eyes fix on the golden-robed woman on the stage, who clutches her chest in horror at his sudden appearance. In an inhuman blur of motion, he pounces on her.

“Lily, don’t look!” Xia shouts.

I cover my eyes, but I hear the scream. I’ll hear that scream for as long as I live.

Shaking all over, I open my eyes again, and pandemonium has erupted throughout the hall. Red smoke is everywhere, making it difficult to see. Witches have taken to the air on brooms, but withoutthe same playful quality as before. They shoot down gold, purple, and red light from their fingertips. I didn’t realize the full range of animals that shifters could become - there are wolves, panthers, and an enormous white bear, that bares its teeth ferociously at a dark-robed vampire who’s attempting to enter the hall.

“Protect Lily!” Xia screams to Hallie, then she’s off on her broomstick toward the stage. She’s intercepted immediately by another witch on broomstick, who raises fingers twinkling with red magic and almost knocks her off of her broom. Xia retaliates with another wave of crimson light.

I watch with wide eyes, both amazed and terrified.

“What’s going on?” Hallie asks me, breathlessly gazing out over the scene around us.

“I don’t know!” I respond.

“It’s the Lucifer coven witches!” Lilith says, looking down at the red smoke around our feet. “They must have broken your Creator out of the Cave!”

“And vampires!” Arun yells, pointing toward the nearest exit. There are three vampires entering the hall, their eyes shining crimson under dark hoods. They move with a steady, deadly purposefulness. Hallie immediately stands in front of us and creates a forcefield of purple light between us and the vampires. Lilith reaches into her pockets, pulling out a smooth, wooden dagger and a chain of silver.

“Take this,” she tells me, pushing the silver into my hands.

It’s thick, and cold. It feels heavy in my palm. “Whoa, wait a second…I can’t fight vampires!” I tell her. “I can’t even kill a spider!”

“You might feel differently when they’re at your throat,” Lilith says with a grimace, raising a hand up against the forcefield. It glows brighter. “They won’t glamour you before they bite you.”

I gulp, and secure the silver chain around my neck with shaky fingers.

Hallie and Lilith do their best to maintain the magical forcefield around us, but the vampires are strong. One of them forces his body against the red light, trying to break through. Lilith holds her stake up in one hand, her other hand raised up to the forcefield.

“Why is it so hard to maintain the spell?” Hallie shouts to Lilith, her body straining with effort.

“It’s evil magic,” Lilith gasps, looking down to the red smoke around our ankles. “The witches must have cast a spell over the hotel to improve their odds.”

My heart pounds as I watch the vampire’s limbs push against the shimmering forcefield. If he gets through, what’s going to happen?

I’m glad that I told Renata that I love her. If I die tonight, I want to die with no regrets.

But then, an arm reaches around the vampire’s torso, and sinks a golden dagger deep into his chest.

I scream. Blood gushes out of the vampire’s body, and he sinks to the floor, limp. Hallie and Lilith release the forcefield. It dissipates in a cloud of purple light.

Renata bends over the body to pull her bloody dagger out of its chest. I feel sick, and dizzy.

“Lily!” she says, hurrying over to me. “Hallie, Lilith, we have to get you all out of here,now!”

“I have to find my sister and my moms!” Lilith says, her eyes scanning the crowd. “I’m not leaving without them!”

“Get Lily to safety,” Hallie tells Renata. “We can take care of ourselves.”