Awakening

Sophie crouched down in the gravel of a ditch and stared at the beginning of the property. She was sure Katie was there. It held the same creepy vibe she’d felt from the vision.

A broken down, wooden fence separated them from the tall, waving grass. From their side, she could see the field meet the lake and beyond that, the farmhouse.

The others hunkered down on either side of her, watching the seemingly peaceful yard with wariness.

“Do you think vampires are really in there?” Morgan whispered to no one in particular.

The girl actually had on a pair of sneakers, something Sophie thought she’d never see. “I hope not. I forgot to bring my wooden stake,” she whispered back, her voice dry. The wind picked up and weaved through the tall grass.

It was hard to believe they were all there, Sophie thought. She glanced to her left and saw Jackson on the very end. His tense body was angled toward Lilli’s, who looked over the grass with an anxious expression.

Tristan was next, his eyes already yellow. Ruth lay in between her and Tristan, providing a small buffer from his intensity.

Sophie turned her head to the right and met Aidan’s gaze. His lips turned up in a half smile and smoke curled from his skin. On his other side was Morgan and then last, Demetri.

“There’s no way to know for sure, Morgan, until we spot some. If we do, just go for the undead heart or behead them.” Ruth shifted in the dirt and brought her binoculars up to her face.

“Go for the undead heart,” Lilli echoed.

Sophie saw Jackson squeeze Lilli’s hand and felt a burst of fondness for him. He wanted to protect Lilli as much as she did. Not in a million years could she see her best friend hurting anyone. It went against her very nature.

“Vampires wake up when the sun goes down.” Demetri stood, the movement full of predatory grace, and started toward the fence.

Sophie forced herself to breathe normally and stepped up to the wooden barrier. The same dark aura that filled her vision was there. It wasn’t thick at the moment, but she knew the closer they got to the farmhouse, the stronger it would become.

Tristan jumped the fence before her, then turned and offered his hand.

The air tingled around them. Did he forgive her for her stupid blunder earlier?

She placed her hand in his. Without wincing, she absorbed the shock where their hands met. He pulled her over the fence, allowing her to brace herself on his shoulders, and then steadied her on her feet before he let go.

Strange how they possibly walked into a den of vampires, close to sunset no less, and she felt safe because he was there.

“This is so creepy.” Morgan walked closer to Aidan. He bravely placed a hand on her back.

They made a line and walked toward the lake. Nothing moved but the grass as they made their way through the acreage. No animals scurried or called out.

Just beyond, Sophie saw the farmhouse. It darkened against the setting sun and swallowed the disappearing rays fervently. Like a harbinger of evil. They neared the lake, and the darkness closed in around Sophie.

Something pulled at her, warning her to turn around and run.

Through their connection, Tristan sensed something wrong, and asked, “What is it?”

The others looked over at her.

“Something’s pulling at me. It’s intense, too. It’s making it hard for me to take a step forward.” Sophie pressed a hand to her chest in an attempt to relieve the pressure.

“It’s a normal protection spell that vampires use to keep themselves safe during the day. It should wear off within the next few minutes since the sun is setting,” Ruth explained.

“Then why aren’t we getting the same feeling?” Lilli glanced around.

Jackson took her hand in his and locked their fingers.

“As Guardians, these types of spells won’t affect you. Sophie is an empath, so she can pick up the negative vibes. It’s merely to keep humans away.” Ruth pulled out her twin katanas and let the blades gleam in the moonlight.

Aidan’s eyes bugged when he spotted them. Sophie had to admit they were pretty impressive. “And why isn’t it affecting you?”

“We are trained to ignore the effects from an early age. Otherwise, we’d never accomplish any of our missions.” Ruth threw an amused look at Demetri.

He peered at the barn and twirled a machete absently in his hands. “We should get moving. Vampires have a built-in radar for their prey.”

The sun dropped lower in the sky, and the pressure eased around Sophie. Demetri led the way around the lake. Tristan walked close beside her, and although she was an independent person and liked to believe she was strong, she felt protected when he was near.

When they passed the lake, blue water gleaming, a different kind of pressure increased.

A warning.

“Something’s coming,” Sophie blurted out.

Demetri jerked to a halt. Aidan moved to the left to keep from running into him. “What is it?”

“I’m not sure.” Sophie concentrated. “It just feels like a warning, but not the same kind from a minute ago. Like a warning from our side.”

Aidan cracked a joke about the dark side having cookies and everyone glared at him. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

Demetri scanned the yard leading up to the farmhouse. His gaze moved back and forth, catching no movement. Even the wind had died down, leaving the grass still.

Morgan shimmered a little and stepped closer to Aidan.

The pressure spiked in the back of Sophie’s mind. Then, it vanished completely.

A raven soared over the farmhouse, the movement easy to spot in a motionless landscape. It circled the group and then swooped down to land a few feet in front of them. It pranced back and forth with its head cocked to the side. The eyes glittered.

“Look at those eyes,” Morgan whispered.

“They’re red. It’s not normal for them to be that color, right?” Lilli’s panic raised her voice.

Jackson pushed her behind him. He glanced at Tristan, his avenging angel face shining through.

Sophie recognized the stupid little bird from the church. “It’s the one we saw when we met Demetri and Ruth, remember?”

“It is!” Aidan’s hands started to flame.

Tristan growled low in his throat when two more ravens landed beside the first. They cawed and hopped around. Dirt and grass flew.

Demetri and Ruth readied their weapons.

Tension surrounded the group.

The deafening sound of flapping wings filled the air. From behind the farmhouse rose a flock of ravens so large, it blocked what little light was left.

“Holy….” Aidan’s mouth fell open.

Sophie wanted to finish his sentence for him, but her mouth was too dry. In small areas of the flock, the birds attacked each other as they bumped feathers.

“Oh, my God!” Morgan shimmered next to Aidan before solidifying again. “They’re coming right for us!”

The flock dove.

“Down!” Demetri yelled. He pushed himself and Ruth to the ground.

Sophie hit the grass and groaned. Tristan landed next to her, pulling her in toward his body. The ravens flew right over them, feathers brushing her skin. She rolled onto her back and stared. The ravens rose back into the sky.

Tristan pulled her up by her arm and pushed her closer to the girls. Fur quickly sprouted on his arms and face. His jaw elongated, and he added two feet to his height.

Sophie watched him transform into a massive black bear. It never ceased to amaze her that his body had the ability to reinvent itself at just a thought.

The ravens took another dive at them. Tristan roared and batted them away like flies. The large, black paws knocked the birds to the ground in threes.

Scores of them slipped past Tristan. The feathers touched Sophie’s skin, and she cringed.

The ravens swarmed them, cawing. Sophie tried to fight off panic when all she could see and feel were black feathers.

A talon nipped her arm, and she cried out. Someone shoved her into Morgan, who latched on to her arm.

The swarm picked up speed. The circle of feathers closed in on them. From her other side, Lilli grasped her hand and turned her face into Sophie’s shoulder.

Sophie could sense the guys’ closeness, even though she couldn’t see anything but the birds. Ruth and Demetri were behind them, not able to use their weapons on the birds for fear of hurting someone.

Just when she thought she was about to have a complete claustrophobic meltdown, the air heated up. Short flashes of light flared up a few spaces in front of them.

The smell of burnt flesh and feathers filled the air.

Morgan wheezed and coughed.

Sophie could make out Tristan, Jackson, and Aidan in front of them now. Tristan worked on getting as many targets as he could with his massive paws. Aidan threw fire balls into the swarm, destroying more. Jackson threw up parallel invisible walls, forcing the remaining ravens to tunnel into Aidan’s fire and Tristan’s paws.

Finally, it was clear again.

“That was horrible.” Lilli’s voice shook, and her widened gaze took in the lifeless bodies of the birds strewn about the ground. Jackson hugged her to him.

Aidan and Tristan gave each other a high-five. “Yes!”

“Cool it, hot stuff,” Morgan said. “We need to rescue Katie quietly.”

Demetri stood, staring at the farmhouse and beyond. Sophie shivered at the stillness on his face.

“You said Katie was being kept in the barn?” Ruth asked. They started toward the house.

“Yes. From the pictures and my vision, there’s supposed to be one around the back.” Sophie couldn’t help but stare at the farmhouse and its broken windows and crooked shutters. Evil and darkness surrounded it, making even the most desperate of small animals willing to take their chances outside. Her heart sank at the thought of Katie being held by whatever supernatural creature gave off these vibes. Her hands shook slightly. What if there were really vampires there?

The barn was nestled beside a corral that circled near the woods.

Sophie inhaled quickly. It was just like the one from her vision.

Demetri reached the barn doors first, which were open and uninviting. The shadows beckoned for only the stupid or recklessly brave to enter.

Sophie wondered which category they fell under.

They stood behind Demetri, listening for movement beyond the doorway. None came forth.

The wind creaked through the slatted walls. Demetri and Ruth walked in, immediately swallowed by the darkness.

Sophie slowly followed. Lilli had a samurai-like death grip on her arm. Morgan was behind them, and the guys headed up the rear.

Sophie focused on breathing. She thought she might choke on her dread.

Demetri stopped a few feet inside the barn. “Aidan.”

Aidan brushed past them. When he reached Demetri, he lit up his hands and allowed the fireballs to float in the air. The light expanded out five feet around them.

Ruth peered into the darkness beyond. Her katanas hung loose in her fingers, but her shoulders tensed.

Sophie wasn’t so sure the light made things any better. Sure, she could see, but it just made everything seem starker. Scarier.

What used to be stalls were now torn to pieces and covered in blood. Sophie fought the urge to vomit when she saw a half-eaten hand lying on one of the bales of hay. She paled as she saw other body parts sticking out of saddles and hanging from the tack board.

The others gagged.

“There should be a watchdog vampire close by,” Ruth told them. Jackson and Tristan flanked the girls. “They usually have one lackey who stands guard. There could be more depending on which queen is in the nest.”