Blood Solstice: Part Three in the Tale of Lunarmorte by Samantha Young Page A

brief moment to enjoy the little power she
had over the formidable vampyre.
    “ She’s right.” Caia nodded. “We’re taking the pack back
first.”
    “ That gives us less time to gather the families of the Council
and the MacLachlan pack.”
    “ How so?” Jae glared at him.
    “ Because Marita must be checking in with her guards that
surround the pack. What happens when she checks in and she gets no
answer?”
    Jae
curled her lip sardonically. “What… you can’t muddle their trace
with that little masking trick of yours so that she thinks
everything is OK?”
    “ Uh…” Reuben stopped and scowled at her. “Yes. I can do
that.”
    Jaeden
chortled at her little victory. “Not so much with the smarts, are
you?”
    “ I’ve just been given very trying news. Marion was a good
person and a portentous ally. Forgive me if I’m not thinking
straight.”
    At the
mention of the witch they all tensed, waiting for Caia to react.
She glared at the vampyre. “The big bad vampyre, who would
sacrifice his own children for this war, actually feels
grief?”
    His dark
eyes narrowed, and quite suddenly he looked nothing like a young
gang leader and very much like a dangerously old being that could
rip them all apart in seconds. “Don’t provoke me, Caia. I am not in
the mood.”
    Caia
stared back stonily. “Neither am I. So let’s move.”
     
    7 –
Ambushed
     
    Birds
twittered and squawked in the trees, insects buzzed around her
ears, and the wind rustled every piece of foliage its fingers
brushed against. Her pounding heart provided the back drumbeat to
their musical surroundings and as her pale hair got caught gently
in the breeze Caia was sure the guards surrounding Lucien’s must be
able to hear and see them hiding in the sullen cover of the woods.
She glanced back at Laila and Vil who had refused to be left alone
at Ryder’s apartment. Caia had given into their wishes because she
was sure she may need Vil at some point. For now, however, she had
them hiding behind a couple of trees, further back from herself and
Jaeden.
    “ Where is he?” Jae hissed, her hands clenched into
fists.
    Caia
raised a finger to her lips to shush her, her eyes telling her to
be patient.
    “ It’s done.”
    They both
jumped, startled, and turned to find Reuben inches from Caia. She
stepped back, uncomfortable with his nearness. The guy was possibly
the most unnerving person she had ever met. By ‘it’s done’, they
both knew Reuben meant he had successfully manipulated each of the
five guards’ trace, so that if Marita tapped in to see if
everything was alright, she would find nothing but a mixture of
bored thoughts and loyal determination to do a good job. Moreover,
he was masking the trace of the entire pack so Marita would think
they were still under guard. Caia almost shuddered in apprehension
at the thought of the vampyre’s seemingly unlimited
abilities.
    “ OK.” Caia nodded, drawing a breath. “Are we
ready?”
    After a
successful attack on Midnight magiks in similar surroundings a few
weeks ago, Caia had assumed her nerves over going into battle again
would be few, but it seemed she still had enough butterflies in her
to open a riotous farm. Jae nodded militantly and quickly began to
strip. Reuben was watching her avidly. Rolling her eyes Caia
reached up and grabbed him by the chin, forcing him to look away.
He grinned unabashed, and turned his attention to her face. She
tried not to squirm under his penetrating gaze but she would give
anything to know what was going on in the vampyre’s mind. At the
cracking of bones Caia felt a rush of unexpected envy. She used to
love the feel of the change, the burning, the breaking and bending.
Now she changed so fast all she ever felt was a quick flush of hot
energy. It left her with that irritating feeling one has when your
back aches and you know if you could just crack it you would be
satisfied.
    Something
wet touched her hand and she looked down to see Jae nuzzling