They grabbed me too fast for me to react. I struggled out of their grasp, desperate to free myself.
“Let go of me!”
One hefted me above his shoulder as if I weighed nothing. Fear and anger spread through me.
“Rose!” Javi’s panicked voice echoed.
My head bounced as they took off. “Javi!”
Dizziness swept over me, I clenched my eyes shut. My ears rang as they ran. Too fast. Too fast for the others to catch up. I flailed, kicking with all my might, but the shifter’s grip was like steel. There would be no escaping.
“Stop! Where are you taking me? Put me down. I’ll walk.”
They didn’t listen.
Pain blossomed in my head. Questions raced in my mind. Why were they bothering with me when they had a chance to escape the prison? Where were they taking me and why? Nothing made sense.
“Tell me where you’re taking me,” I demanded.
“Prisoners,” one grunted.
“Go right. We’ll avoid them,” the one carrying me answered.
A chill crept over my skin. These shifters weren’t prisoners—they’d come specifically for me.
Why?
My head spun as they darted down a dark hall. I pounded my fists against my captor’s back, but he showed no sign of feeling it. Rage uncoiled inside me. I was so over being imprisoned and attacked.
“Wait. Vampire.” My captor halted.
I winced as my head bounced against him. The smell of sweat and fur filled my nose, making my stomach roll.
“Human? What are you mutts doing with her?” an accented voice spoke.
My eyes widened. It was the vampire from before.
The shifters snarled.
“Mind your own business,” my captor answered.
Air whooshed in my ears. I glanced up to find the vampire standing before me, his face dimly lit in the moonlight.
The shifters spun around, making my head spin once more.
“You know she’s a Luna Negra witch. I don’t think her coven would appreciate you… eating her.”
My heart leapt into my throat.
The shifter laughed. “We don’t plan to eat her.”
“We were hired to bring her back. Back to the coven.”
I sucked in a breath. The witches.
“Hired? Since when did your kind take jobs from witches?”
“Since they made an offer too good to refuse.”
“Shut up, Kyle,” my captor snapped.
Kyle? What a strangely common name for a monster.
“And what was that, Kyle?” the vampire pressed.
What was he doing? Was he going to stop them or not?
“Stay out of our way, bloodsucker,” my captor snarled, moving away.
Air swooshed and a roar echoed beside us, but I couldn’t see anything in the dark. Did the vampire attack? Hope flared inside me. I started kicking and punching as hard as I could, determined to get out of the iron grip.
Something struck him, making him bend and loosen his hold on me. I struggled, renewing my efforts to get away. He hissed, dropping me to the ground.
I scrambled to my feet and started running. I glanced back to find the two shifters attacking the vampire. Guilt filled me. He saved me. I couldn’t just leave him. I squinted against the dark, looking for a weapon.
“Not as slow as you thought we’d be, huh, vampire?” one of the shifters sneered.
He hissed. “What did those witches do to you?”
“Made us stronger and faster.”
“Spellwork.”
The shifters laughed. “No. Something better.”
I stood listening, my heart racing. There was nothing I could do for the vampire, but I didn’t want to leave him.
Before I could decide, light flooded the room, making my eyes burn. I covered them, trying to adjust to the brightness. Voices surrounded us. I blinked away the pain as everything came into focus. Guns fired and shouts echoed. I threw my hands over my head and dove away from the sound. When the shots stopped, I lowered my trembling hands and looked up. A group of armed men and women surrounded the shifters and vampire. One man stood off to the side, his dark eyes drilling into me.
Tío.
22
“Get them in cells. Now,” a woman’s sharp voice commanded.
The guards rushed forward. In a blur, the shifters and vampires darted away. Someone chanted something and a guard came forward. She slammed a round object on the ground. The whole room trembled. My ears popped. I moved back, not knowing what the hell was going to happen next.
As one, the guards advanced, shouting a string of words at the creatures. The vampire dropped to his knees, clutching his head. He glanced up, murderous eyes meeting mine. I could almost read his thoughts. If he hadn’t tried to save me, he would have been long gone before the guards came. He would be free.
I watched as they surrounded him, my heart dropping to my gut. His pained hiss made me cringe. This was my fault.
The shifters were still standing, snarling at the guards. Guns fired at them, the sound deafening as they struck flesh. They staggered under the attack but wouldn’t fall. Whatever the GRIMMs had done made them slower, but the bullets did nothing to them.
“What the?” One of the guards stared, stunned.
“What are you doing? Take them down,” the woman snapped.
More chants echoed and more guns fired. The shifter’s bodies jolted and jerked under the onslaught. A bright orb landed between them, exploding into a burst of colors. They fell to their knees, snarling. Spots dotted my vision and a dull ache started in my head.
“Use the net,” the woman shouted.
Three of the guards rushed forward, throwing a giant chain-link net at them. The shifters roared as the metal fell on them. More guards advanced—ten of them to hold the net down as the creatures struggled. A loud sizzling sound echoed in the room followed by the pungent smell of burnt flesh.
Bile rose in my throat. I looked away, unable to stomach any more.
Tío strode toward me, mouth drawn into a thin line. I could read the silent fury in his eyes.
“Rose.”
“Tío.”
His eyes snapped to my bracelet. I stiffened. Was he going to use it? Here in front of everyone? My fists clenched.
Don’t.
“Come,” he commanded.
My legs moved toward him against my will. I glared at him. I stood
