Betrayed by Morgan Rice

“You’re going to need to learn who’s boss around here.”
    “You’re not boss of anyone,” Polly said, “even if you like to think—”
    Cain suddenly reached back and smacked Polly hard, right across the face. It had all happened so fast. Polly was shocked, and Caitlin could see that she was too scared to fight back.
    But Caitlin wasn’t. Caitlin couldn’t control it any longer, and she let her rage overcome her. She heard a guttural growl rise up within her, as she leaned her head back and roared.
    She charged right for Cain, her hands out, going right for his throat. She grabbed it with both hands, and kept charging, pushing him back further and further.
    Cain, in shock, stared back, eyes wide, unable to breathe, clearly shocked that anyone would dare fight back.
    He reached up and grabbed Caitlin’s wrists, trying to shake loose her grip. He must’ve assumed he could, since he must have been stronger than anyone there.
    But he was in for another shock. Caitlin carried a strength which Cain clearly could not understand. He was unable to pry loose her fingers.
    Caitlin finally drove him right down to the ground, landing on top of him, both hands still on his throat, squeezing him to death.
    Cain kicked and struggled, but there was nothing he could do. Caitlin was winning, and she was going to kill him.
    Even in her haze, Caitlin wondered if one vampire could kill another, and the more that she choked Cain, the more she felt that she could. That she would . She had no intention of stopping.
    Caitlin dimly heard a bell ringing again and again, and within seconds, the courtyard was filled with vampires, dozens of them, all crowding around, watching, shouting. The entire coven had gathered to watch.
    Apparently, no one wanted to interfere. Maybe they all would be happy to see Cain killed.
    And so would she. All of Caitlin’s anger,all of her upset, all of her disappointment—towards Caleb, towards her brother—it all converged at once, found its subject in this bully. He had picked the wrong girl to bully at the wrong time.
    If Caitlin was certain of anything, it was that she would indeed choke this boy to death.
     
     
     
     

 
     
    ELEVEN
     
     
    Caleb flew over the Manhattan night sky, Sera trailing behind him, and as he dove lower, flying over the Bronx, he could see, with his vampire vision, the details of what was happening on the streets below. It was mayhem. Humans were fighting humans, stores were being looted, cars were piled up in the streets. It looked as if a war had broken out.
    Worse, Caleb spotted vampires of the Blacktide Coven spread throughout the streets, attacking humans. Humans ran in every direction, from the vampires, from each other, from those infected with the Bubonic Plague, and from the occasional policeman. No one knew who was attacking who, it was clear. And it was also clear that the victors were the vampires. They were feeding everywhere, in a frenzy, on humans. Blood lined the streets.
    Caleb’s heart sank. He felt sorry for the humans, and angry that the other vampire covens would act with such impunity, especially right in his coven’s neighborhood. Clearly, this was all being orchestrated. Surely Kyle must have returned to his coven with the Sword, and now, they must all feel invincible.
    It would only be a matter of time until Caleb’s coven was attacked itself. And by then, Caleb knew, it would be too late.
    Caleb flew over the ramparts of the Cloisters and landed on its wide outer patio, Sera a few feet behind him. She was still there, always on his heels. He never seemed able to get rid of her. She had followed him in flight, all the way from Pollepel Island. He knew that she would. But that didn’t mean he had to acknowledge her.
    She had come to him on Pollepel on a mission to bring him back, and now here he was, and she must have imagined herself to be the returning victor. But he wouldn’t let her claim that victory. He had decided to return on his own