One of my stakes is buried in the pile of soccer mom at my feet. And despite my improvement with wielding them, I can’t call wood to me like metal. My hand itches for the other stake tucked in my clothes, but my knives are closer.

“Ava,” Roman says softly. “I want you to run.”

I don’t quite register what he’s saying at first. My hand’s almost to the knife at my wrist.

“Ava, run,” he says again.

My head’s pounding with my heartbeat. Roman is more powerful than me. I’d probably just get in the way.

The guy in the blue plaid shirt grins. “I’d probably listen to your friend.” He sniffs the air.

And then they all move at once. It happens so fast that all I can do is focus on one. I pick the goth girl since she’s barreling toward me like a meteor. She hits me at top speed, and I crash backward into the fence so hard my teeth clank. Her hands pin my shoulders, and I catch the briefest smile on her face before her teeth slam into my neck.

My whole body goes cold except for that one burning spot. I try to push off the fence on instinct. Run. Run. Run, it says. How is she so strong? I try not to let it, but the memory of my mom crushes me like another weight. How long did she struggle?

And then she pulls back. Her gaping mouth is wet with my blood. Her hold softens. I finally snag a knife from my wrist and plunge it into her side, but she’s already turning to dust. Roman’s stake clatters with her to the ground.

He’s standing right in front of me, and his eyes are panicked as he glances at my neck. He reaches for it, like he’s actually going to take the time to heal me right there, but the other vampires aren’t dead.

One is on the ground, pushing a broken leg bone back into place, and I’m pretty sure I’d hurl if I weren’t in shock. Another stands, plucking a stake from his chest that must have just missed his heart. He lobs it over the fence. The woman pulls two knives from her throat and rubs a hand over the blood like it’s nothing.

I push Roman’s hand away from me. “There’s no time.”

“You’re right,” he says, and then he grabs me and moves me so fast, I don’t even know what’s happening until he pushes me through the exit turnstile.

“No!” I scream. I try to push back through, but it’s designed to be one-way.

“Sorry about this,” he says, and I can’t help but think he’s apologizing for dying while I watch.