Fatal Sight (Harbingers Of Death Book 2) by LeAnn Mason (universal ebook reader txt) 📗

with long whiskers protruding from the soft flesh. I jumped, letting out a short shriek, nowhere near my normal banshee decibels, thankfully.

“Torgny! You startled me.”

The massive horse didn’t respond — he couldn’t. He just kept pace beside me, hooves sinking into the packed sand while his dark head and sleek neck bobbed in my periphery. I lifted a hand, tentatively placing it on his neck as we walked. He didn’t toss it off, so I kept it there, letting his warmth and solidity, his silent strength guide my course.

Closing my eyes, I listened to my breath and his, to our steps in the sand, to the waves. “Mom,” I whispered. “Where are you?”

Spray caught my cheek, and I flinched. Cold water hit my shins and I peeked open an eye, wondering if Torgny had let us wander deeper into the water where the waves could splash.

Blackness met my vision, and for a moment, I panicked, stopping my steady strides. The sound of the water stopped too. With dawning realization, I patted my palm against the object on my left. The smack that echoed surely didn’t match the sound I’d expect from an impact against the dense flesh of a living horse. More to that of a rough, hollow tunnel.

My breath picked up, and I grinned, gripping the ring tight in my hand.

I picked up my pace, though it was a slow and harrowing effort in knee-deep sewage water. Nonetheless, I eventually met with the metal grate at the end of the curve as I expected.

This time, I knew what to do and breathed out, closing my eyes and imagining that barrier losing its solidity, then stepped through. Of course, it was I who was not solid, but the trick worked, and once again, I slipped through to the other side.

I rushed to the center of the room and picked up the candle, then waded toward the bed, my heart in my throat. As the light grew on the small gray lump huddled on the bed, so did my trepidation.

“Mom?” I whispered, my heart in my throat. It was beating heavily, thumping a dull rhythmic thud in my ears. “It’s me, Aria.”

I didn’t know if she could hear me; last time, she’d seemed to at least sense me. Could banshees interact with each other in visions? Or had she had a vision that I would see this moment in my own? This was getting dangerously close to time-travel chaos. Did she know that I was seeing this point in time now? Whenever now was... All my previous visions had been in the future. Was this also the future? Or was she really here, right now, where I could come find her?

Reaching out a hand, I willed it to be solid. I wanted — needed — to touch her, to know she was alive and really within my grasp.

The grate overhead swung open, and I jerked into the shadows before remembering that no one could see me.

I watched as the assumed vampire descended, a limp body slung over his shoulder. “Lookie here. A new roommate for ya,” he sang in a cold, biting tone.

Jumping down the last few rungs, his dark boots splashed heavily into the water, sending droplets flying to every corner of the cell. He bounced the limp body on his shoulder a few times then slung it onto the bed.

“Fresh from the mainland.”

It landed sprawled half on top of my mother, who didn’t move, and I rushed forward as if I could help pull her from under the heap instead of having my hands slip right through.

I froze, staring at the pale, heart-shaped face topped with a pixie cut of red hair. Blood seeped from a wound on Ember’s temple.

“Got two more where that came from, too. They’ll be here shortly.”

“No!” I screamed.

“Aria?” Concern was palpable in Seke’s distant yell.

I launched up from where I’d fallen in the sand, stumbling into the surf. Torgny moved toward me, and I braced myself against his sturdy rump as I heaved air into my lungs, hands dropping to my knees. My eyes were wide and wild as they lifted to focus on Seke and Gunhilde who were running across the sand in response to my call of distress.

“What did you see, child?” the valkyrie pressed. “Was Enid there? Did you find out where on the island she’s stowed?”

I shook my head. “No… but...” My words were punctuated with gasps, tight lungs frustratingly oxygen deficient. I spat out the relevant information I’d gleaned. “They’ve got Ember, Cole, and Raven. Or... at least, they will.” My brow furrowed as I tried to figure out the timing of my vision.

“What?” Seke stepped forward, his expression slamming into captain-mode.

“The vamps. I guess the team found them… or vice versa.” With that, I sprinted down the beach toward the clubs to find my team, not sure if we were too late.

26

People threw me dirty looks as I bumped and cajoled my way through the crowded thoroughfare, some making sure to voice just how rude I was. I didn’t care, I had a singular focus. Well, three, technically, and they didn’t have time for me to be careful and polite in finding them.

Looking at the signs and into the windows of every establishment, I hoped something would jump out at me. They hadn’t given us the names of the clubs they were going to hit up, and even if they had, they’d planned to visit more than one.

Don’t get caught. The mantra pounded like thunder through my skull as my urgency increased. “Don’t get caught. Don’t get caught.”

“Aria, slow down. Caution is prudent right now,” Seke urged, catching up with long strides. “We cannot afford to draw attention to ourselves, especially you. You don’t think vampires will recognize a banshee if she’s tearing up their hunting grounds?” He’d caught up to me and swiftly stopped my frenzied march by wrapping me in steady arms, pulling my