Chapter 130 Oh, Hail the Sun
Ryker reached out and grabbed Lyra, pulling her into his chest with a force that knocked the wind out of her.
He didn't care about the blue tint of her skin or the blood on her face. He just held her. Lyra clung to his leather jacket, her fingers digging into the material. She was shaking.
"Ryker, we have to go," she gasped against his chest. "They're right behind me. Seraphina,I bit her. I hurt her badly. The King is coming. There are so many of them."
Ryker didn't waste a second. He pulled back and looked at the dark line of trees across the river.
He could see the fast-moving shapes of vampires. He swung his leg over his bike and patted the seat behind him.
"Get on," he commanded. "Hold on tight. I’m going to drive us straight to hell if I have to, but I’m not letting them touch you again."
Lyra climbed onto the back of the bike, wrapping her arms around his waist as Ryker kicked the engine into life.
The roar of the bike echoed loudly as he slammed it into gear. The tires spun, throwing gravel into the rushing river below, and then they were practically flying.
He drove like a madman, the bike screaming as he pushed it over the bridge and onto the open desert road.
Behind them, the sounds of the chase began. Ryker could hear gunshots and see arrows whistling past them as they drove.
"They're gaining!" Lyra shouted over the wind.
The night sky was a deep purple but in the distance, a thin line of grey was starting to show on the horizon.
The sun was coming, but it was moving too slowly and the desert was wide and flat, offering no cover.
"We have to be faster!" Lyra cried out. She looked back and saw at least fifty vampires.
"I can't push it any harder!" Ryker yelled back.
An arrow whizzed past his head, missing his ear by an inch. Another thudded into the side of the bike’s frame. Ryker swerved the bike left and right, zigzagging across the sand to make them a harder target.
He felt Lyra’s grip tighten around his middle.
"Hold on, Lyra! Don't let go!"
The gunfire intensified and the vampires were shooting randomly now, desperate to hit the tires or the riders.
A bullet grazed Ryker’s shoulder, tearing through his jacket, but he didn't even flinch. He was focused on the road ahead, but he knew they were in trouble.
The vampires were faster on this terrain than the bike could be with two people on it.
Suddenly, Ryker slammed on the brakes. The bike skidded in the sand, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
"What are you doing?" Lyra screamed, her heart in her throat. "Don't stop! They’re right there!"
"Get off for a second," Ryker said hurriedly.
He didn't wait for her to move. He jumped off and grabbed her, flipping her around. Instead of putting her back on the seat, he sat her on the metal fuel tank right in front of him.
He forced her to hunch down, wrapping his large body over hers like a shield.
"Tuck your head lower," he told her. "Hold my back. If any bullet hits anyone, it’s hitting me first. I’m not letting them get a clear shot at you."
Lyra did as she was told, her butt pressed against the cold metal of the tank, her arms reaching around his waist to hold onto his belt. Now, Ryker was the one facing the back, his broad back exposed to the rain of silver.
He kicked the bike back into motion, driving with one hand and holding her steady with the other.
A sharp crack rang out, and Lyra felt Ryker’s body jerk. He let out a muffled cry of pain, but he didn't slow down.
"You’re hit!" she cried. "Ryker, you're hurt!"
"It doesn't matter," he gasped, his teeth grit so hard she could hear them grinding. "That bullet would have hit your spine if I hadn't moved you. Just stay down."
She looked back through the gap under his arm. The vampires looked mindless. Their faces were twisted with a vicious hunger as they smelled the blood from Ryker’s wound.
They were gaining ground fast.
"Can we outrun them?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"I don't know," Ryker admitted. "I'm weak, Lyra. Fighting those witches took a lot out of me. I can't take on fifty of them alone. If they catch us, I’m going to stop and distract them. You take the bike and run. You head for the IronFangs border."
"No!" Lyra shouted. "I'm not leaving you! Ever since you came back, it’s been nothing but war and running. If we have to die, we’re dying together. I’m not going back to a life without you."
"Don't be stubborn!" Ryker roared, swerving to avoid a ditch. "You are the Luna! You have to survive!"
"I’m your wife first!" she yelled back.
The chase went on for miles.
The grey on the horizon was turning to a pale orange, but the sun was still hidden behind the distant mountains.
The vampires were only twenty yards away now. The lead hunter was raising a silver blade, ready to leap onto the back of the bike.
Ryker saw the familiar markers on the road that led to the IronFangs territory up ahead. He knew Dax and Cassian would be somewhere around the gate with the night patrol, but they weren't close enough yet.
"Lyra, listen to me!" Ryker said and slowed the bike just enough. "Go. Run toward the desert road. Find Dax. Tell them the vampires are bringing war to our doorstep. They need to prepare the pack. Go now!"
He shoved her off the bike. Lyra tumbled into the sand, rolling several times before coming to a stop.
Ryker didn't look back; he revved the engine, turning the bike around to face the oncoming horde alone.
Lyra scrambled to her feet. She began to race toward the desert road, her hybrid legs carrying her faster than any human.
But after a hundred yards, she stopped. She turned around and saw Ryker standing by his bike, pulling a heavy handgun from his holster, ready to face fifty vampires by himself.
She thought about her life. She thought about the dark room in the vampire city and the cold touch of the Blood King. She realized that living without Ryker wasn't living at all.
She turned and raced back to him, her feet kicking up sand.
"What the fuck, Lyra!" Ryker yelled as she skidded to a halt beside him. "I told you to leave! Get out of here!"
Lyra grabbed a jagged stone from the ground and bared her fangs. "It’s us against the world, Ryker. You told me that. I’m not going anywhere."
Ryker looked at her, and for a second, a sad smile touched his lips. "You really are a pain in my ass."
They stood side by side, bracing themselves for the impact of the fifty vampires.
The lead hunters were closing in and Ryker pulled Lyra behind him slightly.
But then, something strange happened.
The vampires suddenly stopped running. They began to hiss, covering their eyes and looking frantically at the sky.
Some of them turned around and began to sprint back toward the shadows of the distant woods.
"What's happening?" Lyra asked, her heart racing. "Why are they stopping?"
Ryker looked up. He squinted as a beam of light broke over the top of the mountains.
A single ray of golden sunshine hit the desert floor, flooding the place with light.
"The sun," Ryker whispered. "The sun is shining."
It was like a wave of fire hitting the road. The vampires who were caught in the light began to scream.
Their pale skin began to smoke and crack. One vampire, who had been only feet away from them, burst into flames, his body turning to ash in seconds.
The others scrambled, pushing each other out of the way to get back to the darkness of the valley.
Those who weren't fast enough fell to their knees on the desert road, their bodies slowly smoldering as the sun rose higher and higher.
Soon, they both watched in shock as the air became filled with the smell of burning flesh and the terrified shrieks of the monsters.
Ryker watched them for a moment then he reached into his belt and pulled out his gun, checking the magazine.
He looked at the vampires who were still struggling on the road, trying to crawl toward the shade of the rocks.
"Let's finish these rats off," Ryker smirked and marched forward.