Slay Alive

Chapter 17

seventeen

I keep my eyes on the shadow as I run. Whatever it is, I’m going to get to it before it gets to Tamsin and the others. The shadow moves faster until it’s sprinting, claws tearing into the stone road. Dread hits me square in the stomach when I see just how big the grooves in the cobblestone path are. Almost the length and width of my hand. I almost falter at seeing that but I force myself to keep moving.

If something happened to Tamsin because I was too scared to stop it, I’d never forgive myself. Even if this thing is Godzilla, I’m going to throw hands to protect the other hunters. I make it to the top of the hill and almost sob in relief when I see the thing run towards Stargazer Plaza.

“Thank fuck,” I whisper and lean over to brace my hands on my knees to catch my breath. I might be super powered now, but the night is taking a toll on me after throwing down with a bunch of vamps earlier. I don’t know if I’d be able to catch whatever I’m chasing if it had gone left to the Silver Gardens. I take off again after it but when I get to Stargazer Plaza there’s nothing to find. In front of me the plaza glows with the swirling and changing light of the gemstones inset into the stone of the plaza. Light shifts through the stones, painting a dreamy mirror of the stars overhead.

I look down and see the glowing gems slowly shift. If I wasn’t looking as closely as I was, I’d miss the almost imperceptible movement that mirrors the night sky constellations. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen but I can’t stop to look at it. When I catch up with this shadow I’m going to kick it’s ass for ruining my first look at Stargazer’s magic.

I slow and scan the area for clues. Ahead of me I see the telltale broken stone of the monster’s claws. It definitely came this way.

I’m in the middle of the plaza now. “Where the fuck are you?” I mutter, squinting to see beyond the plaza’s gemlight surface.

“Behind you,” Cade says and I scream.

I whirl to face him dagger out. “That’s it! I’m putting a bell on you.”

“Sounds kinky, hunter but I’ll have to decline.”

“What the fuck are you doing here, Cade?”

“Could ask you the same thing,” he says and walks towards me. “But if you must know, I'm just out for an evening stroll. I like the quiet.”

“Uh-huh.” I look around the plaza and there’s no shadows moving. It’s totally empty except for Cade and me. How did he get here so fast? I didn’t hear anyone behind me when I was tailing the shadow.

What if he was already here?

My mind starts to race. Everything in this world is upside down but tonight Riley started acting like Riley. What if Cade is finally showing his true colors? What if he has something to do with the shadow? I know it wasn’t him, it was too big, too… wrong looking, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t working with it. The timing of him being here is too neat.

Something isn’t right.

I take a step back from him when he comes closer. “Funny you taking a walk here when I’m tracking an unidentified target.”

Cade snorts. “Unidentified target? You know, I thought it would take longer than a day for you to get brainwashed but it looks like you fell right in line like a good little hunter.”

“What are you talking about?” I don’t lower my dagger. It’s not as useful against Cade as a stake but it’s something and I’m keen on not revealing my hand that I think I’m going to have to fight Cade. It wouldn’t be the first time that I gave him the upper hand by acting too fast. I swallow hard and force all those other failed moments out of my mind.

That was a game. This is real life.

This time counts.

“You’re talking just like them now. Do you hear yourself? Or is that all a part of your long game, huh? Give us all the wide-eyed innocent routine to get our guards down?”

Cade starts to move, just a step to the left and then another. I move with him because I know what he’s doing. He’s circling me. Motherfucker. He’s looking for a clean shot at me.

I lift my dagger a little higher. I swear to the gods, if he tries me, I’ll cut his head off. “Are you speaking the same language as me because I gotta tell you, I do not understand the fucking words coming out your mouth.”

“All it took was one patrol to gain their trust, yeah?”

“What are you doing out here, Cade? Answer me now and fast because I’m not in the mood for games.”

Cade moves to the left and I know he thinks he sees where to strike. “What do you think I’m doing out here?”

I move with him. He’s not getting me this time. “At this point, acting like a dick.”

“I really wish I’d been right about you, Bonnie.”

That’s the only warning I get before Cade moves. He’s fast. Good thing I’m fast too. When he swings, I block the hit and kick him square in the chest. He stumbles back a few feet. When he looks at me the gemstone light shines on his face and I freeze. I’m not facing off against Cade Graves. No, that’s the civilized vampire that walks me home and banters with me. That I eat chicken skewers with.

The face that looks back at me is a monster.

It’s the Nightstalker’s eyes that I stare into. He bares his fangs at me and rushes me. I only just manage to side step him, but I’m not so lucky on blocking the spinning kick he lands on me. I fly forwards and hit the ground so hard the dagger I’m holding bounces out of my hand. I hear the knife slide away from me and swear. My fall could have been worse if I hadn’t broken it with my face. Fuck, Cade hits like a mack truck. I wince and roll onto my back and kick myself up to my feet.

I wipe the blood off the side of my busted lip. “ I knew you were evil. You’re too fucking pretty not to be.”

“You’re one to talk, hunter. Coming in here with those pretty brown doe eyes. You fooled me but that’s over.”

I square up with Cade. I’ve got a habit of falling for the wrong guy. In this case, he’s a vampire, which makes things complicated but whatever. Nightstalker or not, I’m going to kick his fucking ass. We move around each other, each of us looking for a way in. The dancing light of the plaza flashes purple, then gold, then green. It paints our skin a kaleidoscope of light and color so beautiful that it makes my chest fucking ache.

“It didn’t have to be like this. We were supposed to be on the same side,” I tell him. I hear the sadness in my own voice. It weighs down my words and I feel tired. Like my bones are made of lead but it’s only for a split second. The lights go gold again and I steady myself. I can do this.

He’s not going to win this time.

“I’m not letting you kill me. Not again,” I tell him. I sprint forward and kick. I catch him on his thigh and spin away before he can grab me. When I face him it’s to the sight of his fists, but those punches I block easily and land one of my own on his side. Cade grunts with the hit. I force myself to ignore it. I don’t care if I hurt him.

I know what the Nightstalker will do to me if he wins.

Cade catches my arm and a second later I’m airborne. “Oh shit!” I tuck my chin and ready myself to break my fall. I do but my shoulder aches when I hit the ground way too fast. I roll forward, stumble to my feet and deliver a roundhouse kick to Cade. It sends him stumbling to the side just enough that I catch him with an uppercut.

My punch sends the vampire I’ve been crushing on back a few steps. He raises a hand to his bleeding lip and smiles at me. “I knew it would be like this with you.”

A thrill runs through me at his words. We’re both panting. I’m sweating and my muscles burn with the sweet sting of adrenaline. I can still feel the ghost of his hands on me. Even if it was from fighting there’s no denying that I’m keyed up and it’s because of his traitor vampire ass.

“So you’ve been thinking about this?”

“Haven’t you?” Cade asks. “I’m a vampire and you’re a hunter. This is the natural order of things, ain’t it? You and me. Going at it until it’s just one of us left.”

I swing and Cade blocks the punch easily. When he swings I dodge the strike and duck under a right hook. When I rise, I’m not fast enough and Cade’s hand is there waiting for me. He grabs me by my neck and pulls me against him.

I grab his wrist to pry him off me but I can’t break his hold. I pull at his hand but it’s no use. His grip is like iron. Except when I twist in his grip and take in a deep breath I realize I’m not choking. Cade flexes his fingers on either side of my neck. He’s holding me, not cutting off my air.

“Every hunter has a death wish. They crave it. You’re no different, are you?” he squeezes. “Admit it, Bonnie. “

I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. He’s right. I do. I don’t even know when it happened. Maybe it was when I met Cade or came to Briarwood Hollow. Maybe it was happening earlier than that?

Cade’s hand tightens and I know that yes, it did happen earlier. All those years when I was with Preston. All the time I felt myself growing smaller and smaller and looking for a way out without knowing it. Everytime I stayed out too late, impulsively losing myself in the night without a thought for tomorrow or tested my limits with one too many drinks. Everytime I fell asleep playing Fangs Are Forever, desperate for a way out.

I wanted and dreamed and searched for this moment.

And now that it’s here, literally holding me by the throat, what am I going to do about it? Am I going to run? Fight to stay free of it? Or am I finally going to fucking give in?

The thread of reason that I’ve clung to finally snaps and I do what I fucking want.

I give in to the darkness.