"Hai." Kyo nodded. "We take you."
"Never mind." Brynley told her sister, and hung up. "Let's go."
For the first trip, the three Japanese teleported Vanda, Maggie, and Pierce. Then they all teleported back. It took them two more trips to transport Brynley and all the boys.
They heard the clashing of swords to the south and ran toward the sound, weaving through trees. The clashing sounds grew louder, punctuated every now and then with a shout of victory or a cry of pain.
Vanda saw the light of a bonfire ahead. She stopped behind a cabin and peered around the corner. Brynley looked over her shoulder.
Phil and the Vamps were completely surrounded and fighting for their lives. A panther was dashing around the perimeter, taking down Malcontents and dragging them away to maul them to death.
"The panther's on our side?" Brynley asked.
"Yes." Vanda narrowed her eyes. "Where did the bear come from?"
"That's Howard," Maggie whispered.
"Sweet Howard is a bear?" Vanda winced when the huge bear took a swipe at a Malcontent with his mighty paw and ripped the vampire's head off.
"Cool," Davy whispered. "Come on, guys, let's shift."
"Make sure you attack the bad guys," Vanda warned them. "Our guys are in the middle."
"Yeah, they're surrounded." Davy pulled his shirt off. "But not for long."
Brynley and the boys stripped and started shifting.
Vanda grabbed Maggie and ran to hide behind another cabin. "Maybe we can find Robby."
Pierce followed them, carrying his shotgun. "I'm not letting Maggie out of my sight."
A series of howls and war cries echoed through the camp. Vanda peered around the cabin. The werewolves and Japanese had attacked.
The Malcontents, taken by surprise, suddenly found themselves fighting on two fronts. Their line thinned and faltered. Screams of pains filled the air. The grass was littered with piles of dust that were quickly scattered as the warriors trampled over them.
Vanda saw a group of four Malcontents break away and run down a path. She narrowed her eyes. She'd recognized Casimir and Sigismund. They might be escaping, fearing that the battle had turned against them, or they could be going to Robby.
"Let's follow them," she whispered to Maggie and Pierce.
They stayed in the shelter of the trees and followed the path Casimir had taken. It led to a cave where two Malcontents were standing guard at the entrance. Sigismund and Casimir must have gone inside.
"How good are you two with knives?" Vanda asked.
"Very good." Maggie took the knife from her belt. "I've got the one on the left."
Her husband held a hunting knife. "On the count of three." He counted softly, then the knives spun into the air. They landed with a thud in the chests of the two Malcontents.
Pierce's was a direct hit to the heart, and the Malcontent turned to dust. Maggie's victim fell to the ground. Pierce rushed forward at vampire speed, yanked the knife out, and plunged it into the surviving Malcontent's heart. He turned to dust as well.
He handed the knife back to Maggie before they entered the cave. A lit torch was attached to the cave wall every ten feet. They progressed quietly, then halted when the main tunnel divided in two.
"You guys take the right," Vanda whispered. "I'll go left."
"Are you sure?" Pierce asked.
"Yes." Vanda removed the knife from the sheath on her calf and hurried down the narrow tunnel. It grew darker, so she removed a torch from the wall to light her way. The tunnel opened into a room with stalactites dripping from the ceiling. She weaved through the stalagmites. No Malcontents. No Robby.
She heard a moan and whirled around.
"Robby?" She barely breathed the name, hoping the sound wouldn't carry too far.
She heard the moan again. She held up the torch and peered around slowly. There, a narrow crack in the wall. She turned sideways and squeezed through.
It was another room. And there, in the middle, was Robby tied to chair.
"Robby," she whispered, rushing to him.
He lifted his head, and she halted with a jolt. Good Lord, they'd beaten his face black and blue. One eye was swollen, the other one cut above the brow. Blood trickled down.
"Oh Robby." She wedged the torch between two rocks. Bile rose in her throat as she saw the slashes across his chest.
"Hungry," he whispered.
Oh no, she should have thought to bring some bottled blood. "Don't worry. I'll teleport you out of here straight to a supply of blood." There was plenty at the cabin. She could take him there.
She set down her knife, then grabbed at the chain across his chest. She cried out when it burned her fingers. Of course, silver, so he couldn't teleport away. She winced at the burn marks on Robby's chest.
She looked around for something to insulate her hands. Socks? She glanced down at Robby's feet. They were barefoot and bloody. Dammit. Was there no part of this man that they hadn't tortured?
"Hungry," Robby whispered.
"I'll get you out of here." She pulled off her shirt and wrapped it around her hands. Then she unfastened the chain around his chest and neck. She saw his hands, tied with silver behind the chair. They were burned and dripping blood.
He started to shake, and she realized he was fighting a compulsion to bite her.
"Just a little longer, hang in there." She unhooked the chain that strapped his thighs to the chair.
"No!" Robby cried.
"It'll be all right," she assured him.
Something sharp poked her in the back, and she straightened with a jerk, glancing over her shoulder.
Sigismund stood behind her, his sword pressed into her back. "We meet again, Vanda. For the final time."
CHAPTER 23
Vanda glanced at her knife on the ground. She'd never get to it in time. And she couldn't unwind her whip in time either. She let her shirt drop to the ground, then she curled her hand around the pistol she'd wedged under the waistband of her jeans.
Sigismund grabbed her suddenly, pulling her back against his chest. He swung the sword around and pressed it to her neck. "I should have killed you years ago. Jedrek insisted on doing it himself, but he's gone now. You and your nasty friends will pay for his murder."
Vanda held her breath, afraid the sword would cut her throat if she so much as inhaled.
He pinched the sword tighter against her neck. "Maybe I'll have some fun with you first. I always did want to f**k you, you know."
He grunted in her ear. His sword clattered to the floor. Vanda spun around.
Sigismund was a pile of dust. Her sister stood there, staring at his remains, a sword trembling in her hand.
"Marta?" Vanda whispered.
"I-I'm finally free," Marta whispered in Polish. Her gaze lifted to Vanda. She dropped her sword with a clatter.
Vanda took a deep breath. "You saved my life."
Marta's eyes filled with tears. "I killed our little sister. I didn't mean to. I didn't want to." She looked at the pile of dust. "He controlled me for so long." With a sudden cry, she stomped on his dust. She stomped and stomped, crying, "I hate him! I hate him!"
"Marta." Vanda grabbed her by the shoulders. "It's okay. We're together now."
She blinked through her tears. "Can you forgive me?"
"Yes." Vanda pulled her tight and hugged her. Marta was trembling in her arms. "Can you help me get Robby out of here?" She released her sister and moved behind Robby to unfasten the chains around his wrists.
Marta stood still, staring at Robby with tears running down her face.
"Robby!"
Vanda heard Angus shouting in the cavern room. "We're in here!"
The Scotsman squeezed through the narrow opening. He halted when he saw Marta and lifted his sword.
"It's okay, Angus. She's with me." Vanda released the chain binding Robby's wrists, and he slumped forward.
Angus rushed forward to grab him. "Och, Robby, my lad."
"Hungry," Robby whispered.
"Of course." Angus fumbled in his sporran and pulled out a bottle of blood. He ripped off the top and put it up to Robby's mouth.
Robby guzzled it down.
"How is the battle going?" Vanda asked.
"'Tis over," Angus replied. "The Malcontents dinna like being skewered by us and mauled by wild animals. They teleported away. Where did those wolves come from?"