The Last of the Twenty: Broken Pawns

Chapter 49

They were suddenly overwhelmed. The moment Delilah turned against them the swarm of the enslaved fought with an entirely new level of ferocity. The fallen bodies of their brethren did nothing to deter the rest of the swarm. No longer content to attack as individuals, the vampires developed a sudden pack mentality. They came for or five at a time against a single target, jumping on the backs of wolves and vampires alike.

"Delilah!" Ethan screamed out, trying to get to her.

She looked at him coldly from above Keith's body, suddenly lunging in the air straight for Ethan. Other vampires ducked out of her way as she ran at him with marked determination. They collided violently, Delilah clawing at Ethan's face and biting at his neck while Ethan did everything he could to restrain her. They grappled on the ground for several agonizing seconds before Delilah suddenly pulled herself away from Ethan and disappeared into the crowd of the enslaved.

Ethan felt his heart shatter like glass. He fell to his knees and stared after Delilah, desperately seeking her out amongst the attacking hordes. A heavy weight crashed into his back and pushed him to the ground. Ethan nearly pushed the vampire off, but it was joined by another, then another. Several sets of powerful hands grabbed hold of his limbs and held him down, preventing escape. That's when Ethan felt the pain of several sets of fangs sinking their teeth deep into his flesh...

...

The sight of Keith's body nearly broke Kelly's will to fight as more and more vampires clawed their way out of the ground. By then there must have been at least fifty or more of the glowing-eyed demons. They charged at her from every direction, grabbing at her arms and legs in an effort to pull her to the ground. That's when she looked up and saw Nadia bent down, cradling Keith's head in her lap. Tears streamed down her face as she watched the battle around her, most of the vampires seeming to ignore her altogether in their attempts to subdue the rest of their small group.

The sight gave new life to Kelly's determination. She may have failed both Raymond and Keith, but she could at least help in saving Nadia. Kelly screamed with rage and tore her limbs free of the vampires' grip. She fought with the ferocity she had the first time she had seen Ethan standing in Raymond's kitchen. Using her speed as her advantage, Kelly ducked and dodged, jumped over and around the vampires that tried to gain control of her. One by one they were pushed back or fell, giving Kelly hope that she would be able to get to Nadia and pull her out of the fire raging around.

Suddenly she was bowled over by a vampire more than twice her size. She tried to twist out of his grip but he held her tightly as more and more sets of hands latched onto every part of her, dragging her down. Nadia sat several feet in front of Kelly, Keith's limp body still cradled in her arms. All Kelly could see was the sight of her own failure.

...

Everywhere around Daniel his companions were falling. Ethan and Kelly were held to the ground, covered in vampires. Wes and Dillon were holding their own, but were surrounded by more enemies than either would be prepared to fight. Gabriel killed one after another, fighting like a man possessed, but they just kept coming. When one would fall two more seemed to take their place. It was like trying to fight the tide.

A vampire jumped on his back and tried to crush his head with a stone. Daniel bucked him to the side and tore his head off just as another bull rushed him in the side. Then another grabbed hold of and bit into his back leg painfully. Daniel barked out in pain, he could feel himself slowly being overpowered as more vampires joined in the fight against him. They had walked into a hornets nest.

With a final desperate effort Daniel reared back and howled, a long, powerful war cry that rattled the teeth of the vampires surrounding him. They backed up in surprise for a moment, giving Daniel enough time to howl again, this time joined by his brothers as they fought for their lives.

The howl was answered.

Arh-woooo!

Somewhere on the mountain another wolf matched Daniel's war cry, then another, then another. One by one the cries went on, becoming louder and louder as they came closer to the battle. They were everywhere. Completely surrounding the peak of the mountain, the howls raged on in a tremendous thundering that froze the enslaved vampires with momentary fear and confusion. Had Daniel been in his human form he would have hollered out in relief, but as it was he and his brothers joined their chorus to form a single, monstrous cry of war.

His trip to the mountain earlier that day hadnot been in vain, the packs were coming!