Titus nudged me and patted his stakes meaningfully. I took one of mine out, just in case. Enoch glanced at the sharpened wood we armed ourselves with and sniffed. “When we arrive at Asa’s, you’d be wise to tuck those away. He will see them as an act of aggression.”
We wound through the streets and into the countryside where the homes spread out over the land. The sky darkened fast as we walked across the island, the sun disappearing from sight. The moon seemed to be in hiding and the sky seemed black instead of blue. The night was darker than I’d ever seen from the roof of the Compound, but then again, there were no city lights flickering here, only candles with small flames. Maybe the sky always looked this foreboding, and this was the first time I’d seen it the way it really was.
Enoch led us to a large house covered with dark wood slats, surrounded by a tall, stone wall. There were four stories, if you counted the steep tip capping the roof. It might just be tall enough. Titus noted the same, a silent promise in his eyes that said We run if there’s trouble. We run, and then we jump. Together.
Enoch unlatched a tall iron gate and strode to the front door, knocking three times. Someone stirred inside and the door was pulled open. A woman wearing a plain dress and apron looked us over. “Enoch,” she greeted, settling her eyes on him. “Welcome.” Her voice was wary, not warm, but she opened the door and waved us inside.
“Is my brother home?” Enoch asked.
“I am,” answered Asa, leaning against a nearby doorway, looking as roguish as Enoch. His dark hair fell onto his bare chest, and a pair of black as night trousers were all he wore. “To what do I owe the unexpected pleasure of your company?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as they met mine. “Another one?” he asked, cold excitement gleaming in his eyes.
Enoch shook his head. “It’s really her.”
Asa’s eyes raked over me, then combed hungrily over Titus.
“Prove it,” he challenged, jutting his bearded chin in our direction.
“Have you seen Abram?” Enoch inquired.
“My hunter?” he laughed. “I’m afraid I haven’t seen him or one of his lookalikes since I fed on the last one and he decided to die.”
“How do you tell them apart?” I blurted.
Asa smiled coldly. “If their marks didn’t give them away, their scent would. Isn’t that how you knew this was the real Eve, brother?” Enoch tensed beside me. “In any event, I was certain your attack killed him, Enoch. No mortal could have survived that.” Asa glanced from me to Titus. “Where is Terah?”
“Guarding my ship,” Enoch answered.
Asa turned his attention back to his brother. “Did you only come to ask about the hunter, or was there another reason for your visit, brother?” If frost had a voice, it would sound like Asa’s.
Enoch ignored the question. “Where are all the townspeople?”
Asa’s brows kissed. “What do you mean?”
“Have you ventured outside your wall lately? The town is deserted. Even the taverns are empty.”
Asa smirked. “I’ve been rather busy.” A female giggle floated out of the room behind him.
I rolled my eyes. Good grief. The whole island was vacant, but he was too busy cavorting with some tart to realize it.
“You might want to come up for air occasionally,” I quipped. “Your food source is gone.”
Asa stepped forward, blurring across the room so rapidly, my eyes lost him. Enoch stepped in front of me equally as fast, blocking his brother’s path. Asa smiled at me menacingly from over Enoch’s shoulder.
“I see a delicious-looking source of food. Two of them, actually,” he snipped, his eyes glittering. “I should have killed you,” he said to me, as calm as the sea at low tide. “I should’ve ended you when I had the chance.” His eyes darted to Titus. “And you as well. Enoch, I know you are a self-loathing, miserable wretch, but how can you stand the sight of them after what they did?”
I didn’t realize Asa cared about anyone but himself, but either he did and hid it well, or he cared about his brother despite their obvious differences in both morality and opinion.
“She, and he, knew nothing of the scheme,” Enoch defended sternly.
“You trust her word?” Asa scoffed, his brows rising in a challenge. He shook his head. “You really are a besotted fool.”
Just then, the sound of a throat clearing came from behind Titus. We turned to find Abram standing in the lawn below.
“You were looking for me, and now you’ve found me,” Abram gloated.
A serpent of fear coiled in my belly as the yard filled with freshly-turned vampires, including one of Titus’s clones.
Enoch angled himself in front of me, but I pushed him to the side. Asa stepped out onto the landing, watching Abram like a predator watched prey.
Abram wasn’t fazed by the Nephilim; he smiled and spread his arms wide. “To answer your question, Enoch, here is everyone from town. Alive and well, as you can see. The members of your crew were quite tasty,” he added, licking his lips.
“What have you done?” Titus growled, tearing his white shirt and revealing his suit. He pulled two stakes from his holster, wrapped a hand around each, and charged down the stairs. I followed him and Enoch followed me, cursing my stubbornness beneath his breath
“What have I done?” Abram scoffed, letting out a dark laugh. “What did he do?” he accused, pointing at Enoch. “It was he who sired me.”
Abram blurred from sight and reappeared in front of Titus, his face only inches from my friend’s. Titus struck out at Abram, who slid left, easily evading his stake. Titus let out a roar and tried again, and again. He plunged the left stake forward and then the left. “You made a vampire out of one of my clones, you dick!”
Abram barely looked at Titus. He was too busy grinning at Enoch. The look he gave him set my teeth on edge. “You are the one responsible for the monster you’ve created, Enoch. Rest assured, I will defy you at every turn. I will make your life from this point forward a living hell.”
He already was. My fist tightened around my stake. If Titus can keep him distracted, I can strike. I started forward, but stopped when Abram turned to Titus. “Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with now?” In one fluid movement, Abram wrenched the stake from Titus’s hand and launched it at Asa, who batted it away as easily as one did a gnat.
Asa smiled charmingly at Abram, who looked flustered. “I pose the same question to you, Abram. Do you have any idea with whom you’re dealing?”
Asa was on the landing one second, and had his hands wrapped around Abram’s throat the next. Titus screamed at him to stop, but I was frozen in place as I watched the scene unfold. Titus grabbed my upper arm. “Eve, I don’t know if we can get home without him!”
Enoch leapt into action, pulling Abram away from Asa, simultaneously reigniting the fire between them that had almost died out. Enoch tossed Abram into the yard, where one of Abram’s sired vampires helped him stand.
I looked at Titus. “He’s not going to jump with us.”
“Then we make him,” Titus gritted, glancing at Enoch, who nodded his understanding.