Time wasn’t on her side, though. Before she could recover, there were three more Vampires baring down on her, two musclebound brutes and a woman who reminded her of Aurora because she was huge and probably just as strong as the men. “Did someone call in the brute squad?” she said as she regained her footing.
“We are here to destroy you,” the woman said through clenched teeth.
“Not today,” Cadence replied, though she didn’t feel quite so confident that that wouldn’t be the case when one of the men grabbed her right arm, her stabbing arm. She reached for her Glock and fired directly into his face, but it did no good, and the other man easily disarmed her as the woman stepped in.
She knew this move. She’d performed this move a hundred times before, though the two people she usually worked with were not here. The two men were intending to hold her arms while the woman grabbed her neck and twisted—until it popped off. Her hands were useless right now, and the woman had an evil look on her face as she moved in. This wasn’t good.
Cadence checked her IAC to see if there was anyone nearby who could help, but Job’s people were still on the periphery, Ashley was tied up with two of her own brutes, and Cassidy was in the middle of beheading a monster herself with two more headed her way.
She had to use her legs. They were the only weapon she had left. With all the strength she could muster, she pulled her feet up off of the ground and kicked in both directions at the same time, landing blows in the groins of both of the males holding her arms. Both of them staggered backward, groaning, but neither lost their grips, and though it seemed to amuse the woman in front of her, it did Cadence no good.
“I’m on my way, Cadence! Just hold on a few minutes longer!” Job shouted in her head.
Cadence didn’t think she had a few minutes longer. She attempted to try her trick again but didn’t even get her feet off of the ground before two large sneakers planted both of them to the ground, one on either side.
“Cadence!”
Cassidy had noticed her sister’s predicament. She was in the middle of shooting the crap out of the Vampires flying at her own head, and while that was pushing them back, it wasn’t stopping them.
Cadence didn’t know what to say. When she’d come up with this plan a few hours ago, this wasn’t exactly how she’d thought it would go. It was clear Holland was giving these goons everything she had. Otherwise, she didn’t think they could be so strong. The woman moved into position, reaching for Cadence’s head, and struggle as she might, Cadence couldn’t free herself or get out of her way.
Her talons were just about to make contact with Cadence’s cranium and chin when the woman went flying backward, slamming into a tree. It was distraction enough. Cadence pulled her arms together as hard as she could while ducking and backing up, and the two remaining Vampires’ heads slammed into each other. They let their grips go, and she was able to free her arms. She immediately pulled her Glock and opened fire at close range on both of them. It weakened them just enough that by the time Job arrived, they could each take one and cut through their thick necks.
Meanwhile the woman had returned, though she was staggering like a drunk. Cadence kicked her in the gut, sending her backward to the ground and then pounced on her, slicing through her chest cavity with a renewed energy nearly dying had kindled in her. Job moved on to help Cassidy, and once the mammoth woman was ash, Cadence sprinted over to Ashley, ramming her own head into the side of a Vampire who had Ash backed up against a tree, sending him flying across the open field. He landed in front of Trina who only took a few seconds to end him.
Holland’s numbers were dwindling, and a few of the Vampires who hadn’t been quite as inspired to jump into the fray began to attempt to sneak away. Job sent his people after them, making sure everyone was aware that no one should get away, and Cadence spun around in circles for a minute, trying to determine if there was anyone else present she could kill.
Satisfied that the rest of the team had everything under control, she sought out her sister who was standing in the center of a pile of ash, a knife in one hand, her other hand straight out in front of her. A second later, her Glock struck her palm, and she holstered it. Turning to smile at her sister, Cass asked, “You okay?”
“Thanks to you,” Cadence replied, wrapping her arms around her little sis. “You sure know how to fling a Vampire.” She kissed her sister on the top of the head, more thankful now than ever that she hadn’t stopped Cassidy when her sister pulled her stunt to go through with the procedure that gave her the ability to levitate things, and people, and Vampires.
“Well, I could hardly let them decapitate you. I don’t want to be the one to tell Aaron you’ve literally lost your head.”
“I don’t blame you.” She hugged her sister one more time and then they walked over to Ashley who was sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree.
It was evident she needed to catch her breath, and she was still bleeding. “This is a hell of a lot easier when we have Guardians,” she said between pants.
“You’re telling me.” Cadence decided she wouldn’t take a risk like this again, leaving any Hunters without Guardians, as she had tonight. But she wanted to draw Holland out. If she had been there, she was certain the queen would’ve showed herself. Why she hadn’t come was beyond Cadence’s understanding. At least they’d managed to destroy most of what she had left of an army in the Northern Hemisphere.
“Come on, let’s get to the airport,” Cadence suggested, hoping the SUV was still drivable. She had no idea how hard it had hit that tree.
Cassidy offered her hand and pulled Ashley to her feet. The blonde swiped at her forehead with the back of her hand, and Cadence noticed she was shaking a little. It was hard to blame her for being upset. None of them wanted to leave there without the people who’d arrived in West Virginia with them, but Cadence’s list of things to do was a mile long, and she couldn’t leave Ashley behind, even if she insisted. Job had enough on his hands without having to babysit the grieving Hunter.
Ashley didn’t say anything, though, just walked to the car, her head down. Cass wrapped an arm around her, and Cadence was proud of her sister for being so strong. The thought did cross her mind that the only reason Cassidy was so cooperative was because she was looking forward to getting back to Kansas City—and ripping Christian’s face off again.
The engine was still running when they got to the car, which was a good sign. And there was no fluid or steam coming out of the hood. It looked like the car had just rolled into the tree and sat there—for a really long time, idling with the radio playing softly.
Cadence shook her head and climbed inside the driver’s side, putting the car into park so her sister and Ashley could get in without incident. Once everyone was buckled in, she shifted into reverse, dug her way out of the mud a little, and headed back across the open field, refusing to look back.
