My worry for the boys grew the longer we sat there. "What happens when Ash gets killed instead?" I had to keep believing they'd all be fine.
"He won't. Ash never fails when we tell him to kill someone. He's a much better killer than your vampire. Older, has more practice, and all that. He's even killed a vampire for us before. Cassidy shouldn't be an issue."
Alex acted sure of himself. I felt sick. And yet...Doc had managed to scare them enough that they had left him and Ed and Allan alone for several years before I showed up. I was sure the werewolves were no slouches in a fight, but it was specifically Doc that they were afraid of.
I just hoped if Ash found the guys, they were all together and could help each other fight.
Chapter 24
Ash
Go kill the vampire, Ash. Go kill the dogs, Ash. Go do this, go do that. If he ever managed to slip his bonds, the first person he was going to kill would be Alex. The bastard didn't even have the decency to explicitly phrase his orders. Of course, Ash knew what Alex meant. Unfortunately, his sloppy wording left him with choices. Except… he didn't want choices. He wanted to mindlessly follow orders and not have to think. Not until he was free. Which would be exactly never if the Andersons continued to have their way.
He rubbed at his wrist and tried to ignore the burning pain from his restraints.
If it were a normal evening, his prey would be at their cabin. He suspected they knew the Andersons had Sofia by now. Cassidy and his dogs weren't dumb by any means. Instead of taking a car straight to the cabin, he decided to head through the woods in the general direction of Cassidy's place.
He didn't attempt to be overly stealthy, just enough that it wasn't completely obvious he was being noisy. Maybe they would come to him.
"You know, I still haven't figured out why you serve them."
Ash spun around, swearing. Where had Cassidy come from? Currently, the vampire leaned casually against a tree, arms crossed over his chest as he stared at him.
"No choice." He shrugged as if it were of no consequence but held up his arms so that his sleeves slid up, revealing the gold cuffs that bound him.
Cassidy winced. "That looks painful."
He shrugged again, though he kept his senses open for the werewolves. They had to be close.
"Unfortunately, as much as I'd love to share life stories. I have to kill you all. Nothing personal. Orders."
"They do have her, right?"
"Yes. She's fine for now." He knew the vampire wanted that information and had no reason not to give it to him. Annoyed with his entire life, he sighed and raised his hands, bending magic to his will and blasting a spell at the vampire. It was particularly effective against them, bending sunlight into soul penetrating stakes.
Cassidy disappeared before the spell got anywhere close.
A whisper of breeze warned him at the last moment, and he spun and caught Cassidy with straight energy to the chest.
The blow shoved Cassidy backward into a pine tree, snapping his head back. He grunted, and Ash again tried the stake spell. The pine tree splintered as the force of the spell slammed into it. Cassidy had again vanished before the spell could connect.
He hadn't expected him to recover so quickly.
Again, the faintest of whispers alerted him to the attack. Cassidy was good. The last vampire Ash had fought was nowhere near as stealthy. The demon put his arm up, blocking the blow, and Cassidy's forearm smacked into his and shoved him backward a step. The vampire was now armed with a long knife glowing with sigils.
He knew it would hurt him. He almost welcomed it. Almost didn't block when the vampire dropped the blade into his other hand and thrust. At the last moment, self-preservation took over and he twisted, feeling the knife edge burn along his stomach, barely snagging as it sliced through his shirt and drew a thin line of blood.
The vampire took a breath, noticing the blood. His eyes blackened completely, and he growled. "I know you don't have a choice, really makes me not want to kill you."
"You should, if you can," Ash replied, falling back. Cassidy was quicker, and closed in. Ash knew he would eventually lose without resorting to magic. "I can't go against them, and you're their enemy."
Cassidy vanished again.
Ash looked around, listening, trying to find any hint of the vampire.
This time, he didn't have any warning. The vampire pressed against his back, the long knife held to his throat with one hand, the other pinning one of his hands to his chest.
Ash grabbed the vampire's knife hand with his free one, but he couldn't budge Cassidy's grip. He clamped his hand around the vampire's muscular forearm and squeezed, digging his nails in until he drew blood.
The vampire still didn't budge.
"I really don't want to kill you," Cassidy breathed on Ash's neck. "If anyone dies, it should be your captors."
"Trust me, I agree. Unfortunately, Alex isn't going to rescind his orders, so I'll have to keep trying until one of us is dead." Ash jerked forward. While he couldn't actively try to kill himself, he could try to get away, and if the knife happened to slip...
Unfortunately, Cassidy moved with him and only drew a tiny bit of blood. The vampire had to be loving that. Demon blood only a breath away.
"What exactly were your orders?" Cassidy's breathing had quickened.
"Go kill the vampire and his pet dogs," Ash replied. He could cast a spell back in Cassidy's face to get him to let go. Maybe even strike enough of a blow to disable the vampire long enough to kill him.
"I'm not a vampire, Ash, and Ed and Allan aren't dogs. Someone is giving sloppy orders."
He tensed. Technically, Cassidy was right. But that meant he'd have to make a choice. Damn him.
He jerked forward again, and Cassidy
