To Hell and Back (Hellcat Series Book 4) (41 page)

“
What’s happening?” she whispered, and suddenly Athena was
rushing by them, towards the tight knot of Magi.

Benedict veered away from her and joined their group. “It’s
Irene,” he said in a low voice. “She poured too much into the
protection spell. Her heart is failing.”

Gabi was too numb to feel any more grief.

Benedict continued, “I think we should go now. They won’t want
us here any longer than necessary.”

Julius nodded. “The Elders?” he checked, obviously wanting to
be sure the Magi had everything under control.

“
One is dead; the other is severely weakened,” Benedict
assured him. “He’s being taken back to a secure location, but he’s
not expected to make the morning.”

“
All right,” Julius said. “Let’s round up everyone not Magi
and get out of here.” Before he’d finished speaking, Alexander was
at his side. He too looked pale and tired, and he was looking
anxiously towards the group where Athena stood, head bowed, her
shaky keening joining the others.

Gabi let Julius take her and Razor back to the Estate’s
medical unit, where Ian was on standby to treat the injured. He
X-rayed her knee and ankle, pronouncing her ankle fractured and her
knee dislocated with tears to the surrounding tendons and
cartilage. She would be in a cast for at least two weeks and on
crutches for another week after that. Vampire blood was good, but
even that had its limits. Soft-tissue damage healed much quicker
and easier than bone and cartilage. Painkillers administered, her
other cuts and bruises cleaned and treated, Ian insisted on putting
her on a drip to bring her electrolytes back to normal levels. Then
he helped her remove Razor’s armour and treated a few minor burns
on the cat’s tail and ears; he was otherwise unharmed. Julius left
her to find a Feeder, refusing to take from her even if Ian
would’ve allowed it. Ian put a temporary cast on her leg, promising
a more modern version if she went to see him at the hospital the
next day, took the empty drip bag away and removed the drip needle
before leaving her to go and take care of some of the wounded
Werewolves.

Gabi simply lay in the quiet, collecting herself for a few
minutes. Wrapping her head around the fact that they’d overcome the
Dark Ones. The cost had been terribly high, though. She didn’t know
the final tally of dead and seriously injured, but those she knew
of were bad enough. Soon it wasn’t possible for her to rest quietly
any longer. She grabbed her crutches and hobbled from the medical
wing.

The second Vampire she’d stopped had been able to direct her
to where she wanted to go. On the far side of the Estate, set away
from the rest of the cottages and apartments, was a squat,
unadorned building. Inside that building was an underground bunker
that Gabi had known nothing about. The underground vault was
secured by foot-thick metal doors and contained four small rooms,
each complete with a bed secured to the floor, a small washbasin,
and a viewing window of steel-reinforced, bulletproof
glass.

If Gabi had had the slightest inkling of how harrowing the
first few days of the Turning were, she might have made a different
choice for her friend. Mac hadn’t been Mac at all. The sight of the
raging monster inside the tiny room had brought tears to her eyes
as surely as seeing him at death’s door. Wild, unshaven, his
clothes torn and streaked with blood and grime, Gabi hadn’t quite
been able to believe that this crazed creature could ever have any
visage left of her friend. He’d screamed and ranted, her presence
on the other side of the steel walls, the scent of her blood,
sending him into a mindless frenzy of bloodlust. Fergus had bodily
removed her, carrying her up the stairs when she’d been unable to
tear herself away, appalled at what she’d done to him.

Outside, in the cool crisp air of impending sunrise, Fergus
had explained the process, promising her that Mac would become more
himself as time went on. Never exactly the same but, with patience
and mentoring, a close facsimile.

She was more than a little angry with Julius for not
explaining the harshness of the Turning to her, even though she
knew there simply hadn’t been time. She collected herself enough to
thank Fergus for what he’d done, both for Mac and for her. Then she
puffed out a breath and planted her crutches in the grass, heading
determinedly back towards the mansion. She had to push her anxiety
about Mac to the back of her mind; there was something she really
needed to discuss with a few people, and it could only be with a
very select group.

The sun was already fully in the sky, too late for any other
Vampires to still be conscious, when Gabi led the way to Julius’s
office. She was getting more nimble on her crutches and had even
managed the stairs without stumbling.

“
Alex, are you sure you’re okay?” she checked as the men found
seats. Julius at his desk, Kyle fell into a chaise longue near the
window, and Alexander took one of the other office
chairs.

“
I’m fine, Hellcat,” Alexander assured her, “even though it’s
a pretty novel experience.” His ascension to Master level brought
several advantages, not least of which was the ability to stay
awake during daylight if he so chose. “Now what’s with the secret
meeting?”

Gabi hadn’t taken a seat, the cast on her leg made sitting
uncomfortable, and she needed to pace anyway. The men waited while
she collected her thoughts, listening to the tap of her crutches on
the carpet.

“
Mariska is only just pregnant,” Gabi finally said into the
tense silence. “We know that the babies are probably Gemini’s, and
Athena suspects they were conceived during dark sex rites to add to
the power pool they were all drawing from,” she explained,
regurgitating what Athena and Benedict had been discussing before
Julius and the others had arrived at the Source. “We also know that
they used Vampire blood as part of those rituals.” She drew in a
deep breath; there was a slight hitch in it. “Have you considered
that Mariska may well have consumed Vampire blood after the time
that she conceived?” She fell silent, letting the revelation sink
in. Before anyone could answer her, all three men turned their
heads towards the closed door.

After a second Julius said, “It’s all right. It’s just one of
the Werewolf staff, a cleaner, walking past. Even if she overheard,
it wouldn’t mean anything to her. She’s moved away now.”

“
Holy mother of God,” Alexander finally whispered. “Those
babies could be Dhampirs.”

“
Magus Dhampirs,” Kyle inserted, his voice
strained.

“
One light, one dark,” Gabi confirmed. “And what exactly will
a Dark Magus Dhampir be capable of?”

No one spoke; only fate and the gods would know the answer to
that question.

EPILOGUE

Caspian could barely contain the excitement that rippled
through him. The inexorable pull of daysleep dragged at him. He
wouldn’t be able to resist it for much longer, but now he didn’t
need to.

With a sigh of relief and renewed expectation, he released his
hold on the Werewolf female. His gamble had paid off spectacularly.
He no longer needed to kowtow to Julius. He didn’t need Gabrielle;
she was a lost cause anyway, so good riddance. He was already
fixated on his new ticket to Master level. What were a few more
years to a Vampire?

He just wished he could be in two places at once, be a fly on
the wall to witness their faces, hear their cries of anger when
they found that the Maleficus had made her escape. She was good at
escaping, and he was good at disappearing. He didn’t think it would
be hard to persuade her to leave with him. They had a common enemy,
after all, and where else did she have to go? He allowed himself to
drift into the daysleep truly happy for the first time in many,
many years.

I hope
you have enjoyed this fourth instalment of the Hellcat
Series.

If you
would like to keep up with what I’m writing and when the next
instalment is due, connect with me at one of the following
links;

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Sharon-Hannaford/244568828958484

www.hellcatseries.com

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5626833.Sharon_Hannaford

Twitter @shazfly

I humbly thank you for your continued support.

Sharon.

Other books by Sharon Hannaford
:

A Cat’s
Chance in Hell (Hellcat Series Book 1)

All Hell
Breaks Loose (Hellcat Series Book 2)

A Cold
Day in Hell (Hellcat Series Book 3)