The Sacrifice (2 page)

“Would you just pick a ball and hit
the damn thing!”

 Prince
Cygan’s fingers scrubbed across the day
’
s growth of stubble
on his jaw line. “If you fought like you play pool, I
’
d
give some serious thought to switching you to another fighting team.”

Kam
glanced up from lining his shot; a characteristic smile quirked the corner of
his mouth. “Then who
’
d save your royal ass every time you get in a
tight?”

Miles
looked at Cy, and his brows pulled together. “I could
’
ve
sworn it was Kam we pulled from beneath those feeders the other night.”

“Yeah,
he has short-term memory loss, one too many kicks to the head. Guess we better
cut him some slack,” Cy looked around the pub for a waitress. Not a one in
sight. “I
’
m going to grab a beer. Finish that game so we can
get on with our rounds.”

Cy opened the door leading out of the
game room and entered the main part of the pub. Alcohol, sweat, and lust filled
the air. Ladies night. Scantily clad women lined the walls like trophies
waiting to be taken home by whomever they deemed most worthy.

Lust
bombarded Cy as a slew of eyes with heavy liner focused on him. He waved his
hand through the air and the lust stopped—at least the wanting directed at him.
The ability to control a human
’
s mind had its advantages, but could be a dark and
murky place. It definitely was not somewhere he wanted to hang around for long.

Maggie, a large busted human with
flaming red hair, owned the pub and was bartending tonight. Heavy lines on her
face were proof of far too many years in this line of work.

“Hi,
handsome. What
’
ll it be?”

“Just give me a house draft, please.”

She grabbed a frosted mug and pulled
the tap.

 “Things been calm around here,
tonight?”

“It
’
s
all good, long as you and your boys come around occasionally to help keep these
yahoos in line.”

Cy took his beer and handed her a
twenty.

Maggie
patted a nine millimeter pistol holstered on her right hip and grinned.
“Between y
’
all and Bessie here, I don
’
t
get much trouble.” Her southern drawl was slow, characteristic to people who
had lived their entire lives in the Appalachian Mountains surrounding
Asheville, North Carolina.

Cy
’
s
cell vibrated against his hip. He dug the phone from his pocket. It was Oz,
probably calling to give him their nightly assignment.

“Hey
man, what
’
s up?

“One
of our scouts spotted two feeders downtown.” Oz
’
s deep voice boomed
in Cy
’
s ear. “The feeders transported to several sites
around town before the scout lost them.”

“Shit.
That
’
s not good.” Cy lowered himself onto a bar stool.
“Do you think they know we have a class of females coming in tonight?”

“If
they
’
ve located our compound, I
’
d
bet my life on it. I hope none of the girls came in early to sight-see.”

 “Where was the last place the
feeders were seen?”

“On
South Spruce Street, but I
’
ve already sent four teams of Protectors to cover
that area. Take your team and start on the west end of Patton, and work your
way toward them. I
’
ll send more guys your way. And Cy, just in case
Vind
’
s in town, watch your back.”

“
Will do.
” Cy rolled his shoulders against the tight muscles in his neck.
Damn my brother! It
’
s past time to bring this war to an end. Three centuries of fighting
Vind
’
s army is enough.

Cy had enjoyed living in Asheville,
but if Vind had found this compound, they would have to change locations again.
If feeders got their hands on a compound full of trainees, their once bright
futures would become nothing more than misery and eventual death.

As
Cy approached Miles and Kam, a blonde with long hair strolled toward them; her
black leather mini-skirt and cowboy boots revealing a pair of long, shapely
legs. Kam
’
s eyes tracked her as she sashayed up beside him.

“Don
’
t
even think about it, Kam,” Cy warned.

The
blonde looked up at Kam, batting her lashes. “
Hello,
” she purred.
“Would you like to play pool with me?”

Kam
’
s
arm circled the girl
’
s waist and pulled her body against his. “Oh,
honey, I really want to play with you, but pool has nothing to do with it.”

The
girl beamed a smile as if she
’
d sunk the 8-ball.

Dang,
that boy
’
s libido will be the death of us all.
Cy slipped into the girl
’
s
mind and willed her to forget they were there.

As she peeled herself off Kam and
walked away, he glared at Miles. “What did you do that for?”

“I
didn
’
t do it,
”
Miles said,
“but I should have. We have things to do tonight.
None of which includes you whoring your way through every female in the place.”

Kam frowned at Cy. “Come on, you knew
it was ladies night, and my all night buffet is open!”

“Well, I just shut it down.” Cy
pointed to their usual table in the back. “Oz just called. I need to fill you
two in.” At the table, he turned his chair around and straddled it. He killed
half his mug as Kam stomped toward the table.

“Boy, you need to practice a little
patience and self-control,” Miles said as they took a seat.

A
sarcastic burst of laughter escaped Kam. “It
’
s not my fault you
’
re
too old to play all night.”

Miles
shook his head. “No, I
’
m choosey. I realized long ago I don
’
t
need to nail everything on two legs to be happy.”

“Cut the crap, ladies. You can argue
about whose dick is largest, later.” Cy put a stop to their banter, or else
they would be at it all night. “Right now, we have a problem.”

Kam
’
s
sullen look vanished.
“
A feeder problem?
”

“Yes.
Two were spotted a few blocks from here. For feeders to appear on the same day
trainees are arriving is not a coincidence. Vind could already know our
location.” Cy ran his hands through his hair. “Oz is dispatching everyone
downtown. Once the feeders are apprehended, he
’
ll call everyone in
for an emergency meeting to discuss our next move. Until then, we
’
re
covering the area west of downtown.”

Miles
and Kam were two of his best Protectors. Between the three of them, if feeders
were still around Asheville, they
’
d be either dead or in custody before midnight.

“I
hope you two brought snacks.” Cy used their catch phrase for, ‘are you fully
armed with weapons?
’

“
I don’
t leave home without them,”
Miles said.

A
devious grin crossed Kam
’
s face. “I felt extra hungry tonight.”

“Okay,
let
’
s do this.” Cy drained the rest of his beer.
Keeping the innocent safe was the last promise he
’
d
made his dying father. And one he never intended to break.

***

One hour and four bars later, their
search ended. A large feeder sat in a dark corner of the bar, drinking from a
girl straddling his lap. He had them shrouded, so humans would only see two people
making out.

His
bald friend leaned against the wall nursing a beer. He watched the patrons with
a predator
’
s eye, no doubt in search of his own meal. As his
gaze landed on them, he blinked and his head jerked back.

Kam
burst into laughter. “
Boys, I
don’
t think he expected us.
What say we seriously curb that asshole
’s appetite?
”

Cy
narrowed his eyes, directing his gaze on the guy feeding from the girl. In
order to boost their high, they would enter a victim
’
s
mind and paralyze them, while doing nothing to control their rising fear. The
bastard would be juiced-up on endorphins, and that would leave him as strong as
a mule, and about as stupid.

“That
one
’
s mine,” he said as he strode forward.

The
bald feeder, who resembled Mr. Clean with fangs, pulled his friend from the
girl
’
s neck. The guy lunged from his chair, carelessly
allowing the girl to hit the floor. The jolt snapped her out of the trance and
she bolted beneath the next table on her hands and knees.

“Gentlemen.” Cy kept his tone as
casual as if ordering a drink. “You need to join us outside.”

The
guy who
’
d fed on the girl stalked around the table,
stopping only inches from him. “Why would we do that? I don
’
t
give a damn about these…pathetic…little…
humans.
” He spat the
last three words in Cy
’
s face.

Cy
swiped spittle from his face and shook his head. The bastard believed he was
safe inside a bar filled with humans. “Now, why would you go and say something
like that?” In one fluid move, Cy buried his fist deep into the feeder
’
s
gut, bending him double, and then circled his arm around the feeder
’
s
neck and transported him to the alley behind the bar.

Once
they materialized outside, the feeder staggered backward. Cy pulled a knife
from his belt and buried it to the hilt in the guy
’
s
chest, knocking him to the ground. The scent of blood filled the alley as it
gushed from the wound, and his eyes widened. He jerked the blade from his body,
sprang to his feet, and then flung the knife toward Cy.

As
Cy blocked the blade with his arm, it sliced the sleeve of his leather jacket.
The knife skidded across the pavement out of the feeder
’
s
reach.

Fury
flashed across the guy
’
s face, and he pulled a gun from beneath his coat.

In
an instant, Cy plucked another dagger from his belt and sent it straight into
the center of the guy
’
s neck. His attacker hit the ground with a loud
thud.