“I’m fine. When this is over, you can take me home and cover me in bubble wrap.”
“Don’t tempt me,” Winter said, but there was something of his old self in his voice again, as if he’d regained his bearings. He released Fox and took a step back. “Get going. We need as many nighttime hours as possible.”
With a final nod, Fox darted away from Winter and started jogging in the direction of Luke’s house. As soon as he hit the sidewalk, he glanced over his shoulder to find the SUV still parked in the nearly empty lot but no sign of Winter. He smiled and picked up his pace. Winter was with him. He couldn’t see him, hear him, or even sense him magically, but Fox knew it in his heart. Winter Varik was jogging alongside him in the world of the dead. Winter would not leave him to face this insane plan alone. His own guardian angel.
After four blocks, Fox’s shirt was sticking to him, and he was starting to pant. Had he really gotten this badly out of shape? He’d never been a runner, but he thought hiking in the Rockies had kept him in shape. Well, maybe it had been a few months since his last hike. Work had been busy, and he’d been spending a lot of time with his gaming systems.
“Okay,” Fox huffed. “After this, we’re getting a treadmill. Or maybe one of those stationary bikes with the tablet. This is ridiculous.” Fox wanted to smile, part of him dying to know what Winter thought of him making plans for the loft.
There wasn’t any sound other than the rushing cars and trucks, but Fox imagined Winter was chuckling beside him.
By the time he was less than a block from Luke’s place, Fox’s face was throbbing in time with his pounding heart, and he was covered in sweat. The air had stayed warm and sticky that night, helping him to look an utter mess when he reached the vampire outside the plain-looking house with heavily covered windows.
For a second, Fox wished for some sign that Winter was still right there. Just a noise or a little touch. Something to reassure him, but Winter couldn’t risk it. Fox only saw the one vampire, but they couldn’t be sure there wasn’t another keeping watch.
Pushing for one last burst of energy, Fox waved one hand in the air at the vampire standing guard outside the front door. “Damon! I ha-I have to get back to Damon!”
The vampire was a huge monster with broad shoulders and thick chest. His dark hair was long and braided down his spine. Several ugly scars marred his face, making him appear even more ferocious. The glowing eyes and fangs definitely weren’t helping either. Fox wanted to dig his heels in and run in the opposite direction, but that wasn’t an option. He had to keep moving forward.
“Please, help! Need…Damon…” he panted. At least the breathlessness was mostly real.
The vampire stiffened suddenly and blinked, the glow disappearing. “You the witch?”
“Yeah.” Fox stopped in the front yard, his hands on his hips and head thrown back as he gulped in air. The breathlessness and trembling now had more to do with fear than exertion. They’d officially entered the point of no return. There was no turning back from his plan now. “Escaped. Don’t…don’t let the Variks find me.”
The vampire grabbed his arm and dragged him up the three porch stairs to the front door. “You need to talk to Luke. Call Paavo.”
Fox made sure to stumble in the doorway. He made a whole mess of getting inside the house, acting as if his legs were completely giving out while throwing the door open wide. The vampire didn’t quite know what to do with him and seemed about to carry him inside when Fox finally regained his feet. He could only pray that those extra seconds helped Winter get inside the house with him. At the very least, Fox was sure all eyes were on him, so no one would have noticed Winter in the first place if he had been standing right there.
The vampire kept his hand clamped on Fox’s sweaty arm as he pulled him along the hall to the living room. The windows were covered, and the walls were painted a painfully bright white. Some lunatic had opted for modern decor. Everything was rather sparse and cut at weird angles. The chair he was shoved into was hard and uncomfortable. There was a surprising amount of orange, sort of like he was swimming in an orange Creamsicle.
“Stay!” the vampire commanded, pointing at him.
Fox was sorely tempted to bark at him and shake his ass, but he swallowed the comment. “Can I have some water, please?”
The vampire ignored him as he hurried away, shouting for Luke. There were more footsteps around the house. Both male and female vampires appeared in the open doorway to stare at him. No one looked friendly. He tried to smile and wave, but no one waved back.