Deliverance by Adrienne Monson Page A

passive and ambivalent.”
    Huffing, Nik said, “You may think that’s what you’re telling the world, but I can see that you’re somber. I can’t blame you, though. You lost your childhood too early.”
    Samantha straightened. “I think I’ve done pretty well considering what I’ve seen.”
    “Yes, you most definitely have,” Nik agreed. “What I meant was that I’m sorry you were thrown into our world, and especially at such a young age.”
    Deflating under his praise, she glanced out the window into the empty night. So far, she hadn’t seen any other cars on the freeway, and the lighting from the lampposts lining the road gave off an ominous ambience. “You’re too nice to me,” she said softly. There was a long pause. Samantha could feel tension building up in the small space between them.
    “Samantha,” Nik started. “I never—”
    A jarring crash interrupted him and Nik’s window shattered, spraying slivers of glass everywhere as Samantha was slammed into her door. The car slid to the side of the road and tilted a little before bouncing back down.
    For a moment, time seemed like it didn’t exist. There was just a fine mist of dirt slowly descending in the dim light outside and Samantha’s heart beating painfully with adrenaline. Cold air seeped into the car, and she felt it go straight to her bones.
    Just as suddenly, time came back to its normal pace and she could move. With trembling fingers, Samantha shook glass shards from her hair and tried to see past Nik, who was working to get the engine started again. The vampire glanced out his window, and Samantha could see the car that hit them. It was all the way on the other side of the freeway, which made Samantha realize that they were on the wrong side, facing what would be oncoming traffic if anyone else were driving right then.
    Their attacker’s headlights turned on, blinding her. She heard the other vehicle’s engine rev and knew that it was heading toward them again. Chest tight with fear, Samantha glanced back to check on Liam. The boy was sitting, and blinked at her with a calm, enigmatic expression that he tended to have at the oddest times.
    Nik quickly pumped the gas pedal and turned the ignition. The car roared back to life and peeled out onto the road again. Samantha’s head flew back into the headrest, her neck muscles straining against the whiplash.
    Within seconds, the car that hit them and another vehicle caught up to them and drove parallel on either side of Nik’s rental. The cars moved in simultaneously and squeezed into the rental, preventing Nik from maneuvering away. Metal crunched and screeched.
    Two of the passengers from each side were climbing out the side windows and crawling over the roof to their car. It looked like they were trying to board them while speeding down the freeway.
    “Vampires,” Liam said.
    Nik tried to slam on the brakes, but since they were so tightly wedged, the car didn’t even slow down. Sparks erupted by Samantha’s door, and then the side panel stared to dent inward. The stench of burning rubber and smoke assailed her nostrils.
    A blonde woman dropped onto their hood from the car closest to Samantha, slamming her fist through the windshield. A burst of glass sprayed both passengers in the front and left a large hole where the vampire’s fist went through. The woman grabbed Samantha by the front of her shirt and Samantha screamed. Her seatbelt kept her from being flung through the windshield but it felt like she’d have a bruise over her torso for weeks.
    Samantha punched the woman’s forearm, but it didn’t seem to affect her. While she tried to slap and hit to break the woman’s grip, Nik moved in her peripheral vision. With his pants leg already pulled up, he pulled a long dagger from a strap around his calf and, keeping his gaze on the other vampires on his side of the car, flicked his hand in the direction of the vampire attacking Samantha. The woman’s arm severed just above her