Hansel, Boaz thought as he closed the door again. The van screeched to a stop, and Hansel jumped out.
“Is it really happening again?” Hansel asked as he came to a stop in front of him.
Boaz nodded. “Yes.”
“How? How did this happen?”
Boaz quickly explained what Blade had seen in his vision. “It’s already starting. Three young witches got infected from the blood Brett took from Alexander.”
“Fuck,” Hansel said. He went quiet for a moment, then looked at Boaz. “Are you alright? You’re not blaming yourself for all of this, right?”
“I’m fine,” Boaz said quickly, turning back toward his truck. “I need to go help set up camp at the monastery. Are you coming?”
“Later. I want to talk to Manlius, find out what he needs help with,” Hansel said.
“Okay, I’ll see you later,” Boaz said.
He got into the truck and drove toward the monastery. His hands tightened around the steering wheel as he tried to hold back the guilt and heartbreak that was slowly eating away at him.
“Fuck,” he muttered, tears burning in his eyes.
Chapter 31
Alexander
Alexander looked around him as the snow came down harder, the forest growing increasingly difficult to see. He didn’t want to call off the search, but he might have to. Moving blindly through the forest would be reckless.
He couldn’t afford to get hurt. Not again. Not when another infection could cost them everything.
He drew in a slow breath, exhaustion weighing heavily on his body. He had been out there for two days straight, with no sign of the vampires.
Doubt was starting to creep in. The possibility he had tried not to consider was becoming harder to ignore. Maybe they were too late. Maybe the vampires had already made it to Claremore.
He had hoped it wasn’t true, but now he was being forced to face it.
Greer appeared beside him, and by the look in his eyes, Alexander already knew the news would not be good.
“What is it?” Alexander asked.
“Mason was just at the castle. He managed to track the vampires from out of town,” Greer said.
“How bad is it?”
“Really bad,” Greer replied. “They massacred their entire family and fled.”
“How many were there?” Alexander asked, already dreading the answer. The demons were killing without even being present. They were losing this war before it had even truly begun.
“Six,” Greer said. “Do you think six of them might be able to open the veil?”
“There might be more,” Alexander said. “I was injured before, remember?”
“Fuck,” Greer said. “We should go to Claremore then. Staying here won’t help anything. Maybe we’ll get lucky and intercept the vampires before they’re swallowed by the underworld.”
Alexander nodded. “Go and brief Roland and Mason. Tell them to bring everyone. We’re going to need all the help we can get,” he said, looking around. “I never imagined I would leave this place so soon.”
“Don’t say that. We’ll win. No one is dying this time,” Greer said.
Alexander gave him a wry smile, then disappeared.