by Tricia Barr
Nearby, the biggest ursa Leif had ever seen was wrestling a vampire. His roaring sounded like thunder, but as strong as he was, he wasn’t fast enough to contain the vampire. The werebear tumbled as the vampire struck its knee, causing the ursa to rumble in pain.
The vampire laughed at the huge form now lying in front of him, snout raised defiantly with teeth bared. Leif remembered the helplessness he’d felt at the battle in La Framboise, but that was no longer a part of him. He could help these shifters face their enemies. And he could save this ursa—a person he didn’t know, but one he knew deserved to live.
Charging the vampire, Leif threw one solid punch, connecting with the vampires cheek and sending him sprawling away from the ursa. Leif gave the werebear a nod, seeing the surprise in his face, then went after the stunned vampire.
“The daywalker who ran,” the vampire spat, rubbing at his cheek. “Leif Villers. I learned all about you in vampire history classes. Besides Draven, no other vampire has ever climbed in status so quickly. But you went soft and ran.”
Leif knew the vampire was talking just to get into his head, but it was alarming to hear that Draven had his history teachers telling his story. He wondered how much of it was true.
The vampire spat after getting to his feet. “Look at you now. Dressed in a shifter military uniform and everything.” He shook his head, looking him up and down with disgust. “To think you fell so far after achieving so much.”
“I’ve been around long enough to know that Draven’s followers are too deep into his vision,” Leif said. He pointed at the injured ursa who had transformed back into a man—likely one of the teachers. “These shifters have done nothing to deserve your malice. Turn away and contemplate your superiority complex. Your existence is no greater than theirs.”
“I think I’ll kill you and as many shifters as I can,” the vampire said. His resoluteness caused Leif to take a defensive stand. Risking a quick glance at the ursa behind him, Leif saw he’d shifted back to human form and was being helped away by another shifter.
When he turned back around, he saw the eyes of the attacking vampire wide in shock. He tried to say something, but it came out a struggled gurgle. Then he fell forward, straight on his face. Protruding from his back was a knife, and standing directly behind him was Leif’s former Initiate.
“Piper!” he cried out with excitement.
The tall, thin woman adjusted her glasses, saluted him, then bent over and pulled the knife from the fallen vampire.
“Hey Leif,” she said, wiping the blade along her torn pants. “Copper knives are extremely effective. I think I’ve found my future career.”
Leif snorted. “Piper Adams, vampire hunter.”
“A far cry from molecular biology,” she said. “Somehow, this is much more invigorating.”
“Forgive me,” Leif said. “Never in a million years would I have guessed at what you’ve become.”
“I had a pretty good teacher,” she said, smiling brightly.
Behind her, a wolf-like hound with ashy-brown fur growled.
“What is it, Jesse?” Piper asked, whirling around.
Leif wondered at their relationship for a moment. Piper hadn’t been at the Dome for too long...
The hound sniffed at the air. “More vampires coming down the corridor. I can smell them.”
“You both need to get to safety,” Leif said, filling the commanding role he felt within his military garb.
“Take a look around,” Jesse said. “There’s no safety to run to. And no offense, but I don’t answer to vampires.”
A trio of vampires rounded the corner. Leif recognized one of them—Rory the dungeon master. Apparently Draven had really scraped at the bottom of the bowl with his army of vampires.
“Well, well, well,” Rory said as he came to a stop, his gelled, spiky white hair shooting off in every direction. “If it isn’t Leif Villers himself.” He wagged a finger at Leif. “You may have had the boss fooled with your little drowning charade, but I knew your true intents ever since you came back to Heritage Prep. Maybe Draven will promote me for my discerning intellect.”
The two vampires behind him laughed evilly.
Jesse’s teeth were bared and Piper took a defensive stance, holding her copper knife horizontally in front of her.
“Three against three, boys!” Rory cried out, charging forward.
Before the attackers made it more than a few steps, the kraken high above boomed like a jet engine firing up, causing the vampires to freeze. A second later, a massive wriggling pillar of blue came crashing down, shaking the ground and squashing the vampires like a dropped rolling pin on dough.
The huge tentacle writhed like a worm, as if it were its own living-breathing entity. The suction cups on the side facing them pulsed in and out, a thick translucent goo spilling from them.
Piper’s knife clattered to the wet ground. “That’s... disgusting.”
Leif looked overhead to see what the shifters had used to cut the massive sea creature’s arm off, but couldn’t tell. What he could tell was that the kraken was shrinking like a sponge drying out. As it grew smaller, it plummeted to the wet ground in front of them, landing with a splat next to his still-writhing tentacle.
Kneeling on one knee was the human form of the kraken shifter, with no smart clothing to cover his body.
“Oh my!” Piper squealed, throwing her hands to her mouth, staring on at the well-toned shifter. His every possible muscle was flexed, and Leif wondered what the shifter had to do to keep up such an incredibly toned and fit body. At the top of his head sat a mass of blue dreadlocks, the same color of his kraken tentacles. Leif swore they were moving all on their own. The shifter also sported a blue beard that looked like blue algae crawling down the sides of his face and surrounding his lips.
His eyes had been closed during his landing, but they flashed open and stared directly at Leif.
The shifter looked back at the tentacle behind him. “That hurt,” he said with a deep voice that sounded so unnatural—almost as if he were speaking through a bubble. He turned back around and analyzed Leif. “The siren commanded me not to kill vampires. So why do you stand defensively in front of shifters?”
“Because he’s not one of our vampires.”
Leif’s eyes left the kraken shifter and rested on the new threat stepping into the room.
“Beatrice,” hissed Leif.
She casually walked over to the naked shifter, and he stood as she approached. She traced her finger down one of his shoulders, over his bulging bicep, then intertwined her fingers with his. His golden eyes glared at Leif, his teeth gritted with rage.
“Octavius, meet Leif,” Beatrice said. “The last man to hold my heart.” She slid a hand into the pocket pouch at the front of her soaked hoodie, then withdrew the object Leif valued the most in the world—the thing he’d do just about anything for. Holding it up, she said, “And I hold his heart.”
“Give that back,” Leif demanded, taking a single step forward and staring at Beatrice, pleading for her to do as he said. “Please.”
“He’s so attractive when he begs,” she said, as if narrating a story to the kraken. “But he doesn’t know that I’ve found a better eternal being. He doesn’t know that you have been commanded to be my love by Draven’s voice.”
The kraken’s features softened as he looked down at Beatrice, standing nearly twice her size. “If you ask it of me, my sweet water, I will crush him for his insolence.”
She gave Octavius an endearing look. “I think not, Octavius. That duty is mine.” She handed Gemma’s brooch over to the massive shifter. “But why don’t you hold on to this while I take care of him?”
Octavius nodded, removing his large hand from hers to take the pin. Raising it above him, his blue dreadlocks opened up and he placed the emerald brooch within. The snaking hair swirled back into place, hiding the precious piece of jewelry.
Anger blossomed within Leif. He needed Gemma’s brooch. It was his onl
y chance at bringing her back. If he had to, he’d tear Octavius’s head off to get it back. But it looked like he’d have to get through Beatrice first.
“You make everything so much harder!” he yelled. “You always have!”
She moved away from Octavius and faced Leif. “It didn’t have to be this way, Leif. We could have lived out a normal life together, petty humans in a world meant for vampires. But you gave me no choice. And as far as choices go, I’ve given you countless chances to come with me, to run away and live our lives the way we were meant to all those years ago.”
“I’d rather die than ever be at your side,” he hissed.
Beatrice smirked, cocking an eyebrow. “And that is your last choice.”
“Piper, Jesse, run,” he muttered, readying himself for Beatrice’s oncoming storm. “This fight isn’t for you.”
“What about the kraken?” Jesse said.
“Run!” Leif growled.
He heard their footsteps splash away.
With mockery, Beatrice said, “The great Shifter Protector. What a waste.”
“Their cause is greater than Draven’s,” Leif replied. “You’re misguided.”
She stepped closer, laughing cruelly. “At least I dream bigger than a tiny selkie trinket.”
Gemma. Leif’s entire existence was for her. And as small as her brooch was, the love he had for her was grander than anything in the world. Not even the size of the kraken could compare. On top of everything, Kenzie had told him the pin was his only chance of getting Gemma back.
Leif closed his eyes. For you, Gemma.
He heard Beatrice before opening his eyes, and by the time he did, he sidestepped, sending her crashing right on by. Breathing in, Leif used the very thought and memory of Gemma to fuel him, rather than his hatred for his enemy.
Beatrice was back up, throwing jabs at a rate he’d only encountered a handful of times. He managed to block most of them, but she connected with several blows that felt like a hammer striking his body. Still, he kept his focus.
“You’ve been practicing,” she said, gritting her teeth.
“I’ve actually been imprisoned,” he replied, ricocheting more fierce strokes away. Left, right, left, right, jump, sidestep, lunge.
With the ball of his hand, he slammed her forehead, causing her to get out of her rhythmic jabbing. Jumping forward, he kicked her in the chest, sending her sprawling in the shallow water.
His mind held onto the day he’d asked Gemma to marry him, with her sincere resounding acceptance.
Beatrice got to her feet, trying a kick of her own, but Leif caught her attack with his hands and twisted, a jarring crack sounding from the movement. Beatrice screamed in agony, nearly pulling Leif out of his thoughts of Gemma, but he forced himself to remember a shady summer day when his love had surprised him with a picnic in the orchard.
Leif cut the distance between them, not wasting any time to allow for Beatrice’s broken ankle to heal. Pulling her out of the water, her blonde hair framed her harrowed features.
“Please, Leif, have mercy,” she begged.
“You’ll just keep coming back for me,” he said. “Over and over and over. It stops tonight.”
She punched him, but they were half-hearted strikes that didn’t hurt enough to bruise. Tears mingled with the water she was soaked with from the lake. “You already killed me,” she sobbed. “All those years ago when you let me go, you killed me. I’ve tried so hard to come back, my every vampiric moment hoping you’d come back to me.” She wept bitterly, and Leif realized for the first time that what heartache he’d suffered in losing Gemma, as well as his attempts at bringing her back—Beatrice had experienced the same with him.
Leif loosened his grasp on her wet clothing, staring into her haunted, sad eyes. He’d broken her long ago. And Beatrice had returned the favor. And then her expression changed from cold sadness to fiery anger, and with a speed he couldn’t deflect, she grabbed him by the head.
Tears were still streaming down her pale cheeks as she gritted her teeth and said, “You should have killed me, because I can no longer keep living knowing you’re alive and not mine to have.”
Leif gripped her arms and pulled, trying to escape her vice grip. But he couldn’t. Her determination was too much, and he felt his neck begin to pop, the pressure building—promising a quick death.
And then he heard Gemma’s voice so clear, it was as if she were there by his side. I love you. Now end this, once and for all.
The words rejuvenated his body and cleared his head. Her voice returned Leif’s resolve, and he grabbed Beatrice by the waist, then tripped her legs out from beneath her. Together, they toppled to the ground.
Out of the corner of his eye, just next to him, he saw red resting in the shallow water—like the color of Gemma’s hair. In one quick movement, he grabbed the copper knife—something that would have scalded his hand before Kenzie’s brilliant enchantment had brought on his immunity. With both hands high above, he plunged the blade into Beatrice’s chest, right through her heart.
She didn’t scream. She made no sound. But her brown eyes revealed a beautiful agony that stabbed back at Leif. And then they went lifeless.
He sat next to her, breathing hard. He wasn’t tired, not physically, anyway, but the ordeal had been exhausting.
And then he heard running behind him.
The kraken. How could he have forgotten? Turning to spot the massive shifter, he found Octavius running the opposite way. He was escaping from the fight, and he still had Gemma’s brooch.
“No!” he said, jumping to his feet, bolting through the watery mess of the Dome. Leif didn’t get far before he heard a scream nearby.
“Leif! Help!”
It was Piper. Leif skidded to a stop, turning back toward the way he’d come. He didn’t even have to think about it. Piper needed him, though his heart threw a regretful thought toward the retreating kraken. Maybe he could make this quick.
She called out to him again, although her tone was weaker. Turning the corner Jesse and Piper had taken before Beatrice attacked, he slipped inside a training room of sorts. Sparks were flying from electronics, spraying the watery floor and causing a series of hisses. In the darkness, Leif could see the still form of Jesse in his shifted form. He hoped the hound was still alive. Several feet away, a female vampire was hunched over Piper, who had stopped calling for help. The vampire was slurping loudly, and Leif could see his fangs embedded in Piper’s neck.
Briefly, the vampire pulled away. “There we go, nice and quiet-like.”
Piper was reacting to the venom, its soothing serenade drawing her into a dreamlike state.
“That’s it,” the vampire cooed. “You won’t even realize your death has come as I drink you dry.”
Fortunately for Leif, the vampire hadn’t noticed him yet, and he couldn’t just stand and watch his friend die. He bolted over the slick, watery floor and grabbed the vampire by the shoulders, tearing her away from Piper and throwing her directly at one of the sparking electronics.
The vampire screamed with surprise until she impacted the broken device, at which point the electricity stole her voice. As she fell to the ground, she spasmed, steam rising from her body. Leif didn’t hesitate. In one swift bound, he was at her seizing form, and in one precise movement, he tore her head from her shoulders.
It made him sick—he was no killer. But he couldn’t let Piper get every last drop of blood sucked out of her.
Looking away, he tossed the vampire’s head away and ran back to his former Initiate. Her sandy blonde hair was swimming in the pooled-up water on the floor. Piper’s pupils were dilated.
“Leif,” she said dreamily, drugged by the venom swimming in her veins. Slowly raising her hand to his the side of his face, it hardly held any warmth. “You’re here.” She brought her hand back to her neck where the fresh fang marks were. “I think I got bit.”
Leif chuckled. “Yeah, you did. But you’re safe now.”
He hel
d Piper close, and movement to the side ripped his attention away. Jesse was shifting back to human form, and after he was done, he groaned as he slowly got to his feet.
The shifter’s eyes landed on him, then looked over at the beheaded vampire.
“She was waiting for us,” he said, rubbing at the top of his head. “I took a pretty bad blow.” Jesse’s eyes landed on Piper and he seemed to forget his own pain as he ran over. “Oh, no! Is Piper okay?”
It warmed Leif to see the boy’s concern for Piper.
“I’m fine,” she said, swinging a hand lazily in Jesse’s direction. “Have I ever told you how hot you are?”
Leif grimaced and looked at Jesse. “She might be a little bit under the influence of vampire venom. But she’ll be okay.”
Jesse seemed to take her compliment well.
Leif looked back down at Piper and realized that the kraken had gotten away with Gemma’s brooch. Leif had chosen to save a friend over chasing after Octavius. And further, the shifters still needed him.
Though his heart ached at the thought of losing her again, Gemma would have to wait a little while longer.
Chapter 55: Myreen
Myreen continued to attempt to hold off the vampires, alongside Ms. Dinu in her dragon form and Mr. Coltar who had gone full ursa and was demolishing vampires left and right. But she felt hollow after Kol’s abrupt departure.
She hadn’t put much thought into her decision to become a hybrid—not that she’d had much time to think about it anyway. It was literally what she was created for, and she felt in her heart that it was the right move. It was the only way she could be equal to Draven and more capable of defeating him.
But she never considered how her friends—Kol especially—would feel about it. Of course Kol would have issues with her being a vampire. His family had a long-standing hatred for vampires, and Kol had been tortured for days by the most powerful vampire of all. Now, after everything they had been through, she faced losing him for a sacrifice she had to make.