Huddling beneath the snow-shrouded arched bridge that was east of the area they’d materialized, Dominick paused, trying to order his thoughts. It was difficult. Even he—the leader of the Red Army—had trouble concentrating when the hunger filled him.
“Feed!” hissed the pitiful few of his army that pressed close around him.
“Quiet!” he barked at them. They cringed away from him, well aware of what would happen should they become the focus of his wrath. “Wait here,” he commanded. Then he stepped out from under the concealment of the bridge.
The vampyres whose circle had drawn him here were gone.
The humans were not. Foolishly, they were leaving the cars they’d fled to earlier, and had returned to the bloody circle.
Dominick whistled once. The sound split the snowy air. He saw the humans pause and glance around nervously.
But they were human. Their night vision was inadequate, even if the darkness hadn’t been shrouded in thickly falling snow. And soon they continued to gather the equipment they’d dropped, oblivious to their own danger.
Dominick waited until the shadows stirred and the second half of his people joined him. They grouped around him, whispering their hunger. One of them approached.
“General, where are we? What has happened?”
Dominick recognized the lieutenant immediately. Lieutenant Heff was the youngest red fledgling to ever have been Marked—and was also the youngest to have gone through the Change. Barely sixteen, he was also one of the red vampyres who maintained some self-control over the hunger that overwhelmed the vast majority of the Red Army.
“We answered the call of the High Priestess. We are home, but not home. We must feed and get to the tunnels. Gather our weapons. And keep watch for the High Priestess. I believe she may have been taken by the rebels.”
“The High Priestess? Do you mean the one who closed the circle, trapping us here?”
“No. I did not recognize that priestess. We need to find Neferet. She is our only High Priestess.”
“It will be as you command, General. But the soldiers must feed.”
Dominick snarled and backhanded the lieutenant. “Lieutenant Heff, never presume to tell me about my men!” He pointed to the group of humans in the distance. “We feed there.” He faced the milling, whispering horde. “Quietly. Quickly. Feed on the humans. Then we flee to the tunnels from where we will begin to search for our High Priestess.” And we will try to figure out where the hell we are, he added silently to himself. “Lieutenant, you watch our rear. If the rebels return, we have nothing but our teeth and hands to protect ourselves.”
“Our teeth and hands are stronger than theirs,” the lieutenant said.
Dominick backhanded him again. “But they are not stronger than arrows or swords. Do as I command or I will sever your head from your body myself.”
Lieutenant Heff cowered. “Yes, General.”
“Follow me!”
Dominick darted out of the concealment of the bridge and the deep shadows surrounding it, followed closely by those who had been pulled from their sleep and wrenched into this changed world with him. They were almost completely silent. The snow aided them in that, though stalking humans was a simple thing. They had ears, but they did not use them to hear. Just as they did not use their eyes to see into the night.
The red vampyres and fledglings attacked silently, too.
The humans were not silent, though their screams did not last long.
His men were so ravenous that they fell to the feeding, rending arms and legs from living bodies with their bare hands. They did not notice one of the humans had escaped. She actually made it to the van that waited beside Twenty-First Street.
“Do not let her leave!” Dominick growled as he tore hunks of flesh from a warm body.
Five of his men darted after the woman. She started the van. It lurched forward as the vampyres swarmed the roof. They broke the driver’s window and pulled her from behind the wheel as the van ran headfirst into a truck that had just come over the hill at the top of the street. Both vehicles burst into flame. The man behind the wheel of the truck exploded through the front window, which was lucky for Dominick’s men. It gave them someone else on which to feed.
Dominick stood and wiped the blood from his mouth.
Lights were already going on in the homes that bordered Woodward Park. In his world humans knew their place.
This was not his world.
He whistled again. Instantly his small army regrouped.
“Enough! We need to get to the tunnels. Now. We stay as a group as long as we’re not attacked. Should an attack come, scatter. Those of you who are strong enough will make it to the tunnels. Those of you who are not should not be in my army. Understood?”
His men hissed and nodded as they finished gulping down the last of the human flesh. Dominick searched the group and found the lieutenant.
“Heff, stay with me. But if we’re attacked, get as many men as you can to the tunnels. I name you my Second. If I fall it is up to you to complete this mission. Find the High Priestess. She called us here. As always, we live to serve her will.”
“We live to serve her will …” whispered the horde.
Lieutenant Heff nodded solemnly. “Yes, sir.”
“Cloak yourselves with shadow. We run!”
Heff
Kevin Heffer ran, though his mind was in tumult. He’d been asleep, as had the rest of the soldiers, and had awakened as he was wrenched from his bed and spewed in a bloody tide with his brother soldiers into this strange version of Woodward Park.
But that wasn’t why his mind was in tumult. That was just strange. It was the priestess. The one who had closed the circle. He’d recognized her. Of course he’d recognized her.
But how could it have been her? She’s dead!
“Lieutenant, wake the hell up and pay attention! One of the soldiers just took off after a woman in the alley. Get him back here!” The general barked, pointing down a dark side street.
“Yes, sir!” Heff did as he was told. He raced into the street to find one of the more feral of the soldiers bent over a well-dressed, middle-aged woman. He’d already taken a bite out of her shoulder and she was screaming hysterically. He grabbed the red vamp, and tossed him aside. “You heard the general! We get to the tunnels. Now. No stopping.”
The vampyre gnashed his teeth, but cringed when Heff raised his fist, threatening to beat him into submission. “Yesssss, ssir,” he hissed.
“Go!” Heff pointed at the rear of their group, and the soldier sprinted after them. Heff turned to the woman.
“No! Get away from me!” she screamed. She tried to stand and run from him, but she slipped on her own blood and fell heavily to the snowy street.