by Liv Brywood
“This vampire queen—Eleonore—is as dangerous a foe as they come. She’s as fast and as strong as we are—maybe faster. Plus, she has demonstrated the ability to take control of the minds of various creatures, including shifters. I can’t order any of you into battle with such a monster. Instead, I’m going to put it to a vote. Should the pack help rid Bonfire Falls of this menace?”
The pack breaks into discussion among themselves. As I listen in to several conversations, I can tell things aren’t going well for us. The sound level in the room keeps increasing and some of the men are starting to shout.
Kael sticks his fingers in his mouth and a second later he lets out a shrill whistle. The pack members look up and turn their gazes on him.
“Look, I don’t blame any of you for not wanting to fight Eleonore. I don’t want to tangle with that monster either. I want to kick back here in the den, knock back a few beers, and snuggle up with my sweet honey.”
A few hoots go up at that declaration, but Kael holds up his hand for silence. The pack quickly falls into line.
“But you know something? Life’s not always about what you want to do. Sometimes, life is about what you have to do. I don’t want to go to war today, but I also don’t want this undead monstrosity running around Bonfire Falls fucking shit up. This vampire queen is a threat to our way of life, and we have to stop her.” Kael walks among the pack, slapping several guys on the shoulder. “So, are we going to cower here in the den while bears and dragons fight this battle for us? Or are we going to go do what we’re best at—kicking ass?”
“We’re kicking some ass.” A burly wolf shifter stands and rips off his shirt.
The pack hoots and hollers, then engages in a pack howl. It’s haunting, but at the same time strangely beautiful.
In the end, ten of Kael’s warriors volunteer for service. They’re all rough and tumble, rippling with muscle and painted with tattoos. I almost feel sorry for the vampires, but not quite.
Kael remains behind with his pack to go over strategy. Cobalt and I head outside where he shifts into dragon form. I climb astride his scaled back and hang on. Bastian shifts into bear form and heads toward his clan. He’s going to try to get reinforcements while Cobalt and I go to the dragon enclave.
As we descend through the clouds and swoop down toward the center of the dragon clan’s village, many of its citizens look up and wave cheerfully. There’s a sense of unity in the clan because they’re all coming out to greet us.
Cobalt lands heavily in the village square. I leap off of his back. As he shifts back into human form, a slender, drop dead sexy dragon shifter comes to us. In human form, he’s able to shake Cobalt’s hand.
“Copper.” Cobalt pats him back and they briefly embrace. “How have you been?”
“Quite well. Domestic life agrees with me. Are you well?”
“If I wasn’t about to engage in mortal combat with a vampire queen, things would be great.”
Copper frowns and tilts his head to the side, but Cobalt waves his concern away.
“I’ll tell you all about it soon, I promise. Right now, time is of the essence. I need to see Blaze.”
Copper chuckles and gestures behind himself.
“Big guy is at the forge, as usual.” Copper turns his gaze to me. “Aren’t you going to introduce your lovely friend?”
“Copper, Azealia. Yes, that Azealia. Azealia, this is Copper, the dragon village’s resident stargazer and oracle.”
“You have some skill with prophecy?” I arch an eyebrow.
“I do what I can to help the village. Let me know if you want me to read for you.”
“I will.”
Cobalt takes my hand and leads me through the dragon village. We head toward a massive house. A plume of black smoke curls up from a workshop. It’s been ages since I’ve been in the dragon village. It’s nice to see that it’s expanded.
We come upon the forge, marked now by a rhythmic hammering. As we round the corner and enter the open air forge, I spot the blacksmith. His massively muscled back is to us. He raises a hammer into the air repeatedly, bringing it down on a red-hot, glowing piece of steel. It’s the beginnings of a sword and even now I can tell his craftsmanship is extraordinary.
“Working hard, or hardly working?” Cobalt jokes.
The big man turns around. His face is contorted into a scowl until he sees Cobalt.
“Welcome back, cousin.” The big blacksmith envelops Cobalt in a manly hug. Cobalt winces as his back pops several times.
“Thanks. It’s good to see you, Blaze.”
“And you as well.” The dragon smith turns his golden eyes on me. “And who is this?”
“Azealia the witch, meet Blaze the blacksmith.”
“Charmed.” I put my hand out for a shake. He stares down at his meaty paw and shakes his head.
“My hands are filthy.”
“I’m not bothered by a little dirt.”
“Fair enough.” We clasp hands, and he has the good grace to be gentle. I get the feeling this man could crush me without trying. “So, what brings you to my forge? I sense an urgency which tells me this is no social call.”
“Blaze, you’re a weapons expert. We need something that can bring down a vampire,” Cobalt says.
“A vampire?” Blaze’s eyes go wide. “Those are just legends.”
My heart sinks at his declaration.
“Oh, so you don’t know how to help?” Cobalt asks.
“I never said that. If I remember what my old master taught me during my apprentice days, vampires are can be killed in one of two ways. Either with a stake through the heart or by being burned to death by sunlight. I’ve heard that fire also works.”
“Fire may not be fully effective.” I shake my head slowly. “She survived after over half her body was burned.”
“Hmm.” Blaze holds his chin in his hand as he ponders. “You know, my old master said something about the old, powerful vampires. He said you need to use a stake made of silver and drive it through their heart. Of course, this is only a legend.”
“It’s as good a lead as we have at the present time.” Cobalt cocks his head to the side. “Can you help us out?”
“Give me a few minutes.” Blaze grins and sets to work. In less than an hour, he shows us half a dozen spears with silver tips. “Will these work?”
“I hope so,” Cobalt says. “Thank you.”
“Stay safe, cousin.”
“I’ll do my best.”
After thanking Copper for the spears, I climb back onto Cobalt’s back. He’s holding three spears in each talon. Our flight is short and uneventful, thank the Gods.
When we return to the wolf den, Kael is still discussing strategy with his ten warriors.
“How did it go?” he asks.
“Cooper made silver-tipped spears. It may be the only way to kill a vampire,” I say.
Kael grunts.
“Have you heard from Bastian yet?” I ask.
“Not yet. He can’t carry a phone when he’s in bear form.”
“That’s all right. I can send a signal flame to let him know we’re all assembled,” Cobalt says.
“A signal flame? Won’t that alert our enemy that we’re coming?” Kael asks.
“It’s a magical signal flare,” I clarify. “I taught Cobalt the spell. Only you, Bastian, and I can see the flare because that’s how I wrote the spell. I’ve learned a few tricks over the years.”
“I trust you, Azealia. If you say it will work, then I believe you,” Kael says.
“Thank you.”
“Now excuse me for a moment,” Cobalt says.
Technically I could cast the spell with less effort than Cobalt, but he needs to learn how to control his magic better. He may only be half-witch, but with practice, he will become more adept than most witches who simply rely on their intrinsic skill.
One of Kael’s beefy guards steps out of the line of warriors.
“Ah, I hate to be ‘that guy,’ but—
shouldn’t we be attacking a vampire queen right after dawn? Why are we going at twilight?”
I grimace at the fading afternoon sun.
“I wish we had a choice, but we don’t. The longer we delay, the more time she has to recover. If we’re going to strike, we must do it as quickly as possible,” I say.
“All right, fair enough. I had to ask.”
“Understandable. Now everyone stay silent while Cobalt works.”
I watch Cobalt gather the magical energy into himself. When he’s fully charged, he releases it upward in a pyrotechnic blast that only one other person in the world can detect. The plume spreads out hundreds of feet in the air. It should be visible from any part of the mountain, so there’s no way Bastian will miss it.
Suddenly an answering flare erupts into the night. It’s her, the vampire queen.
"How?" asks Cobalt. "Did I do something wrong with the spell?"
"No." I shake my head. "It's not your fault. It's the bite, the link. Because of that, she’s seen our magic, and she knows we’re coming."
Chapter 20
Azealia
We follow her fireball to an old, abandoned building on the side of the mountain, deep in the woods. This place has an aura of death and decay, fitting for Eleonore and her horde. In its glory days, it might’ve been a ski chalet or a resort. I don’t recall seeing it before I went into my self-imposed exile, but then again, I never really left Bonfire Falls until after everything happened. It’s a shame I never saw it before it fell into ruin.
Dead ivy clings to dull brick walls. I see the brown, prickly remnants of a hedge maze. The great building’s many windows are either cracked, boarded up, or gone entirely. When this is over, I’d like to read the bones of this place. Energy radiates through the ground. I can sense the vampires, but I also sense something else entirely. Residual energy from a long and happy life. My life has been quite long, far longer than the lives of any who once lived here, but I’m willing to bet they were happier. My happiness is new, still in its infancy, and Eleonore is trying to take it all away. Well that’s not going to happen.
“Points of entry?” Cobalt asks as he lands. I hop off his back and head toward where Kael’s standing with his pack members.
“Likely underground. All obvious entrances are boarded up and have been for at least a few years,” Kael reports.
“We’ll go in the old-fashioned way,” I say. “Through the front door. Eleonore’s powerful enough that she’s already sensed us. We may as well confront her head on.”
“If she hasn’t sent her forces to attack, it’s likely a trap,” Kael says.
“Of course, it is,” I reply. “She didn’t live this long by rushing into battle. She outsmarts her foes; she doesn’t outmuscle them.”
“What do you suggest?”
“We have no choice but to walk into her trap. Stay vigilant. Assess the lay of the building quickly so you can use it to your advantage.”
“How do you suggest we get in?” Cobalt asks.
“Break it down.” I point at the heavily bolted wooden door.
A good fire spell would do the trick too, but I’m going to need all my strength to fight Eleonore.
Five burly wolves have the doors open within seconds. We spill into what was once a grand foyer complete with dual swooping staircases and a chandelier clogged with cobwebs. There are four stories of rooms and hallways, not to mention whatever might lie beneath us.
As we comb the likely hiding spots, we’re forced to split off into smaller groups. The hallways are simply too narrow and too numerous for us to search together.
When we come to a junction of hallways, something catches my attention. A thread of energy invisible in the air.
“Go on ahead,” I urge the others toward the opposite hall. If this magic is what I think it is, it’s better that I’m alone when I confront her.
I close my eyes and focus on the energetic signature. It’s ancient and wrong. It belongs to Eleonore. She’s nearby and she’s alone.
As I walk away from the group, I cast a quick spell to keep the others away from this side of the estate. I love them too much to let them walk right into danger. The others can deal with the lesser vampires. The fight with Eleonore herself is mine and mine alone.
At the end of the hallway, a set of double doors shimmers with malevolence. Back when this place was taken care of, the door handles would’ve gleamed like gold. Old portraits in ornate frames flank the doorway. They’re covered in dust and cobwebs, but I can still make out the faces of the subjects. A grand lord and lady. I must be at their bedchamber.
I laugh softly to myself. Of course, Eleonore would choose a place of luxury and leisure to hide. I should’ve guessed straight away. I throw the doors open. Dark energy whooshes out of the bedchamber. The whispers of long-dead spirits lift my hair.
Eleonore lounges on the plush bed, right at home among the grime and decay. Although half her skin had been burnt off in the cave, she’s managed to recover. I waste no time. I launch a fire spell at her. She shimmers out of sight and reappears beside the bed.
“How rude,” she tuts. “That’s not how this works.”
“How does it work then?”
I launch a fireball. She throws up a protective shield. Flames lick at her dress, but it doesn’t bother her one bit. She extinguishes my magic with a cold chill. My breath freezes and hangs in the air.
“We’re supposed to banter. Spar with words before we spar with our powers. You should join me. Let me tempt you with all of the wonders of the night.” Her voice is deep, seductive, and almost too late, I realize she’s trying to cast a spell on me.
“Not interested. I’d rather kill you,” I yell as I break the tenuous bond between us.
“Fine You’re boring anyway.”
Eleonore darts forward with inhuman speed. Before I can react, her marble-like hands seize my throat. From elsewhere in the manor, I hear fighting. Vampire hordes must have ambushed my forces. I’m not worried. They can handle themselves. I just hope the silver tipped spears are enough to kill the vamps.
I summon fire to my palm and press my hand into her face. She shrieks. Her skin browns under my touch. She releases my throat and I dart away. Bloodlust transforms her eyes into molten pools of lava.
Rage makes people sloppy. If I can find a way to use her anger against her, I may be able to get the upper hand.
“I’ll kill you,” she shrieks as she charges toward me.
I run, but she’s faster. Our combat becomes a strange game of tag until we reach the top of the swooping staircase. I miscalculate where she’s going to strike next. I lose my footing and grab for anything that will keep me from falling. My hands close around her wrist. She jerks off balance and we both go tumbling down the stairs.
She hits the marbled foyer first. Pairs of battling forces are locked in combat around us. Her vampires and my shifters fight as if their lives depend on it. And they do. Ultimately this is a fight between good and evil. I have no doubt that Eleonore will burn Bonfire Falls to the ground if she wins. I can’t let that happen.
While I’m panting for air, I spy one of the pack members driving a silver tipped spear through the heart of a vampire. The undead creature crumbles into ash, then disintegrates before her. I’ve never been so proud in my life. She’s like the daughter I never had.
I glance over Eleonore’s still body toward where the rest of the shifter forces are decimating the vampire army. What they lack in numbers, they make up in skill. Eleonore clearly didn’t anticipate how many people we could rally to fight against her.
“How few followers you have,” I taunt her as she stirs.
“These are cannon fodder. You haven’t seen anything yet.” She levitates to her feet; I quickly leap to mine.
As we square off, she brings her hands together. A shockwave emanates from her core. More creatures of the night pour in from the windows and other shadowy places.
I rush forward in an attempt to disrupt her
summoning spell. She strikes me across the face. Stars explode behind my eyes. I crash into the banister, shattering the rotting wood.
As soon as I recover, I use magic to snap off one of the banister poles. The wooden end splinters into five sharp little points. I swing it at Eleonore, hitting her in the ribs. It’s like striking a marble statue. The wood snaps in half. She hisses. Her gleaming fangs glitter in the glint of moonlight shining through a broken window. I launch a pure wave of energy at her. She flies backward, smashing an old table. I’m on top of her before she can get up. Somehow, she gets her foot underneath me and shoves her heel into my stomach, knocking the wind out of me.
As I take in harsh, rasping breaths, I summon a lightning spell. It’s not as effective as pure fire, but it keeps her from getting to close while I recover my breath.
“I expected more from you.” Her voice is shrill and tinged with madness. She grabs a wooden dowel from the staircase and swings it at me before I can react. I take the hit to my shoulder. It’s enough to disrupt the flow of magic.
Sensing her opportunity, Eleonore darts forward. She’s nothing but a blur as she crashes into me. She pins my wrists to the floor.
“All that power.” She presses her nose into my neck and inhales deeply. “I can’t wait to make it mine.”
Her fangs scrape against my neck. I can’t get my hands free. I can’t access my magic like this. After everything, I can’t believe this is how it will end for me.
A loud bang echoes through the grand foyer. Something has blown both entryway doors clean off their rusted hinges. The sound distracts Eleonore. I steal a glance as well.
Bastian has arrived. He looks as if he’s been through hell, but he immediately joins the fray, tossing vampires out of his way as he rushes toward me.
In the chaos, I manage to free my wrist from Eleonore’s grasp. Seeing Bastian kicking so much ass renews my power. My body seems to reawaken. It’s not just my energy that’s coursing through my veins, it’s the energy of my lovers as well. I blast Eleonore across the room.
While she recovers, I gather enough power to perform the most dangerous spell a witch can attempt. As I struggle to hold onto the magic, Eleonore stands. She’s oblivious to what I’m doing. I slip between the worlds before she even realizes what’s happening.