Corrine looked less tense at mention of Mona. “All right. I’ll do my best.” She looked again at Ibrahim. “So, will you come with me?”

He sighed. “All right.”

“Good job vampires are easy to feed,” she muttered. “I suppose I’ll have to cook something for us witches though, and the twins.”

“You’d better hurry,” I said glancing back up at the clock to see ten more minutes had passed. I prayed that Kiev and Mona wouldn’t arrive early.

Corrine grabbed Ibrahim’s hand and they vanished.

I sighed heavily and sat back down in a chair. I drummed my fingers on the table, watching my hands closely, hoping to detect any sign of change.

But another hour passed, and Derek’s large hands showed no signs of shrinking even in the slightest. I stood up and started walking around the chambers of the Sanctuary, trying to distract my mind. But it was impossible to stop thinking about the time.

A second hour passed. And then a third.

I was surprised that Corrine and Ibrahim hadn’t returned by now. I had expected the lunch to last one to one and a half hours at most. This could mean only two things: either the lunch party was going exceptionally well, or most horribly wrong.

Sweat formed on my brow as I made my way back into Corrine’s dining room and resumed my seat at the table.

Leg hair. I should have pulled a damn leg hair.

Finally, Corrine and Ibrahim reappeared in the kitchen. My stomach dropped on seeing the expressions on their faces.

“What happened?” I said, leaping to my feet.

Corrine walked up to me and held my hand.

“Vivienne’s had another vision. I tried to delay this as long as possible, but you need to return to Derek now.”

“But—”

Corrine ignored my protests. She gripped me and we both vanished.

Chapter 11: Caleb

“We’ll take the leader down last,” Anthony said. “It’s only right that his pain be prolonged.”

The five men resumed aiming their guns as Anthony once again entered the cage. He dragged out Demarcus. I couldn’t bear to watch this time, but Demarcus’ cries were enough to tell me that they were no less merciful to him than they had been to Frieda. I winced at the sound of gargling, and the final tearing of flesh.

The sun was now treacherously high. Its rays singed my right shoulder. I tried to huddle closer into the shade, but all of us vampires remaining had the same idea.

One by one, Anthony came in and pulled out the rest of them. Someone from the crowd kept insisting that Anthony was ending them too soon, and since Anthony obliged, my wait was prolonged.

By the time my last companion’s head had been mounted on a stake, my skin was on fire. I’d torn off my shirt, trying to cover myself with it. But the fabric was torn and thin.

The gate creaked open for a final time as Anthony stepped inside, his heavy boots thudding against the cage’s metal floor.

He reached down and gripped my hair, placing the barrel of his gun against the base of my neck. He dug the metal in hard, forcing me into standing position. As I stepped out of the cage, the morning sun blinded me. I had to squint, and even then it was all a blur. Anthony tore away the shirt from my hands, and now the sun hit my bare chest. My body erupted in agony, as though a thousand daggers were piercing me all at once.

He pushed me down on my knees. A chain tightened around my neck like a collar. They were going to humiliate me before killing me, watching the life drain out of me as I lay helpless as an animal.

No.

I may die this morning, but not like this.

I forced my eyes open and scanned the edge of the cliff. I couldn’t imagine I’d survive the fall. But I preferred to take my own life rather than have these hunters take it from me. Of course, I might end up with a bullet lodged in my back before I ever made it off the cliff. But it was worth trying. It wasn’t like I had anything to lose.

I didn’t have any semblance of a plan. My adrenaline took over.

I took a deep breath, my heart hammering in my chest. Just as Anthony had finished sharpening the stake and the men had begun to approach me to pin me down, I sprang up, slamming my elbow backward and catching Anthony square in the jaw. My sudden motion knocked him off his feet. I had a few split seconds before they started firing bullets. I reached Anthony just in time. Gripping his neck, I held him before me as a shield as I backed away, closer to the edge of the cliff.

Men tried to run up behind me but I was too fast. I’d reached the edge of the cliff too quickly. There was no way they could fire a bullet without hitting Anthony. Anthony tried to struggle against my grip, but without his weapons, he was no match for my strength—even with the sun’s torture. I extended my claws and dug them against his neck.

“Stop struggling, or I’ll slit your throat,” I growled into his ear.

He chuckled dryly.

“So what’s your game plan, vampire? Pray tell. Once you kill me, there will be nothing stopping these men shooting at you. And even if you don’t kill me, there’s only so long you can stand here with me before the sun cooks you alive.”

He was right, of course. I doubted I’d last more than an hour, at most, standing here with the sun beating down on me. Ten men now stood armed and ready to shoot the moment I gave them a chance.

Attempting to calm my racing heart, I pushed Anthony to the ground in front of me. A symphony of bullets erupted. Facing the sun and the edge of the cliff, I kicked with all the strength my legs could muster and dove. Bullets grazed my skin just as I fell.