Chapter Seven

I t wasn't long before Clyde, Esmerelda, and Harlan arrived. With the weather subsiding, they flew as bats to the cavern. As the sound of footsteps echoed through the cave, Pearl and Maverick turned to see all three approaching, their faces a mix of anticipation and concern.

"Did you find it?" Clyde asked.

Maverick nodded. "I think so. But just in case, be prepared for anything."

They all tensed and took a step back from Maverick, readying themselves for a fight. Pearl had her revolvers. The vampires crouched to attack. Maverick stepped forward, holding the amulet aloft. As he approached the cave wall, the symbols on the amulet began to glow, pulsing with an otherworldly light. Maverick pressed the amulet against the rough stone, and suddenly, the wall shimmered and rippled like water.

A mystical doorway appeared before them, its edges shimmering with an ethereal blue light. He inserted the amulet into a small, circular depression in the center of the doorway, and with a soft click, the door swung open, revealing a hidden chamber beyond.

The gang members stepped forward cautiously, their eyes widening as they took in the sight before them. Piles of gleaming gold bars and coins filled the chamber, stacked neatly on wooden shelves and in sturdy chests. It was the stolen treasure from the US Mint.

Esmerelda ran her fingers over one of the gold bars, her expression thoughtful. "One of the outlaws must have been a witch, or hired one to create this space," she mused. "It's the only way they could have hidden the gold so completely."

Clyde nodded, his eyes never leaving the treasure. "And now it's ours," he said, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and disbelief.

Harlan turned to Maverick. "So how are we dividing this? Equal shares for everyone?"

Esmerelda shook her head. "Maverick's the one who solved the clues and led us here. He deserves a larger cut."

Harlan frowned. "We all took the same risks to get to this point. It's only fair that we split it evenly."

As the gang members began to argue, their voices rising in the confined space of the cave, Maverick held up his hands. "Let's just get this gold back to the mine where we can guard it, and then we can talk about divvying it up."

Pearl tugged Maverick's arm as the rest of the gang left again in bat form so they could return with horses and maybe a wagon. "You're coming back with me, to the Pinkertons, right?"

Maverick looked torn, but in the end, he nodded. "A deal is a deal. But first, I need to settle my affairs."

It pissed her off, but she understood that neither one of them was in a position to do a long ride back to Pinkerton headquarters tonight.

"Can we talk? In private?" She wanted to settle the uncomfortableness between them. She wanted to show him the tattoo and see his. She wanted to have him hold her and tell her what all this meant.

"Not now."

Gritting her teeth in frustration, she loaded up her saddlebags and led her horse out of the cavern. A glimpse of a yellow flash had her whirling with her pistol. But it was just a wolf, staring at her in the moonlight. It was enormous, but seemed to be alone. After they stared at each other for what seemed an eternity, the wolf loped off. Shaking her head, Pearl let out a relieved breath that she didn't have to shoot it.

Once the rest of the gang got back, she helped them load up the gold. Then she mounted up for the long ride back to Maverick's hideout. It was a struggle not to fall asleep in the saddle. She absently rubbed the rose tattoo on her wrist and wondered if Maverick knew he had a new tattoo and what it looked like.

They were about halfway to the abandoned mine when gunfire exploded all around them. Pearl felt a searing pain in her shoulder, and she was knocked back off her horse. It galloped in a panic away from the loud sounds. Maverick was at her side in an instant, his eyes wild with fear and rage. He tore a strip of cloth from his shirt, pressing it against Pearl's wound to stem the flow of blood. Fast as a flash, he carried her behind a large boulder for cover.

"Keep pressure on that," he said, and then went into mist form.

Through a haze of agony, she saw that there were several men firing from cover, but with the vampires in mist form, there weren't any targets. Aside from her, that was. Pearl kept her head down and emptied her revolvers. Her aim was off because of her shoulder, but she managed to keep the varmints away from chasing after their horses.

When everyone was out of bullets, it was the vampires' turn. The outlaws tried to run, but they were no match for Maverick's gang.

They moved like a force of nature, a blur of speed and power that left the outlaws reeling. One of the men raised a stake, but Maverick was faster, wrenching the weapon from his grasp and turning it back on him with a snarl.

Clyde grabbed one of the men by the throat, lifting him off the ground with a roar of rage. The outlaw's feet kicked frantically, his face turning purple as he struggled for air. Clyde's grip tightened, and with a sickening crunch, the man went limp.

Harlan was a tornado of motion, his fists and feet striking with devastating precision. He ducked under a wild swing from one of the outlaws, then came up with an uppercut that sent the man flying backward, his jaw shattered.

Esmerelda was a whirl of red hair and sharp fangs as she leapt into the fray, her eyes glinting with a savage joy. She seized one of the outlaws by the hair, yanking his head back to expose his throat. Her teeth sank into his flesh and he screamed, his body convulsing as she drained him dry.

Maverick fought with a ruthless efficiency that bordered on art. He was a hunter, a predator, every move calculated to inflict maximum damage. The outlaws never stood a chance against him, their fists and silver blades bouncing harmlessly off his skin as he tore through their ranks like a hot knife through butter.

One of the outlaws, a big man with a scar down his cheek, managed to get in close, his stake driving toward Maverick's chest. Maverick caught his wrist, his fingers digging into the man's flesh with crushing force. The outlaw howled in pain, the stake clattering to the ground as Maverick twisted, the bone snapping like a twig.

Another outlaw, desperation etched on his face, lunged at Maverick from behind, a jagged piece of rock clutched in his fist. Maverick spun, his fist connecting with the man's jaw and the man toppled to the ground, unconscious.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the battle was over. The last of the outlaws fell, his throat torn out by Esmerelda's fangs. Maverick rushed back to Pearl's side, cradling her in his arms as he examined her wound. The bullet had gone clean through, but the loss of blood had left her weak and dizzy.

"We need to get her back to the hideout," Esmerelda said.

Maverick nodded. He lifted Pearl gently, carrying her easily as he vaulted onto his waiting horse.

"Harlan, go after the missing horses. Bring them back to the hideout."

"Are you going to let me drink your blood again?" Pearl asked.

Clicking his tongue, Maverick kicked the horse into a slow trot. "No. It's too dangerous. I'm afraid it'll trigger the mate bond."

"And you don't want that?" she asked, the pain in her shoulder forgotten in lieu of this new pain.

He shook his head. "No. It's better this way."

It didn't feel better. It felt worse. Pearl tugged her sleeve down so he wouldn't see the new tattoo. She cuddled in close, holding on to him. It was of little comfort, but it was all she had.

They barely knew each other. Pearl barely knew anything about vampires. Tomorrow, she'd send a telegram to Sarah and give her an update. Maybe Sarah knew more about the vampire bond and if it was breakable.