Resolute

by Alicia Rades

  Brad rubbed his head, like he was a little disoriented, but quickly blinked the world back into focus. He shifted, and his body grew to over three times its normal size. Huge antlers unlike any I’d ever seen before sprouted out of his head.

  An elk.

  I reached Valkas just as his foot swung out to connect with the side of Andi’s face. His crown slipped off his head and into Jenna’s hands. My body slammed into his, knocking him out of the litter and onto the marble floor. Before he could right himself, I shifted into raven form and snapped my head toward his face. My beak connected with bone, and I tasted the salt from his skin in my mouth. He screamed again, this time in pain.

  Damn it. That was satisfying.

  But I didn’t get to peck him again before his hands were on me. He pulled me off of him, and I saw that my beak had left behind a deep gash just above his nose.

  “You think I’m that stupid, darling?” he drawled. “I knew you’d come for me eventually.”

  Ronark lunged for Valkas in lion form, but Valkas shot to his feet and threw his hand out. He shoved his fingers into Ronark’s mouth and pulled upward, forcing his jaw open. To my horror, he shoved my body straight into Ronark’s open mouth.

  Panic sent my heart pummeling against my rib cage. The first thing that crossed my mind was to not hurt Ronark. I tilted my head backward and tried to keep my beak from skidding along his tongue. Complete darkness enveloped me, and I couldn’t breathe. When I tried, no air filled my lungs, only the smell of cat breath.

  Jesus, Ronark. Do you ever brush your teeth?

  Speaking of teeth, the sharp bastards were digging into my skin. Ronark coughed, and I went shooting out of his mouth. I spread my wings to slow my momentum, but I still slammed into the wall like I’d been hit by a truck.

  Ronark was already on the move, joining Brad and Andi to help drag Valkas down. But Valkas wouldn’t be knocked down again without a fight. Somehow, against a jaguar, lion, and giant deer, he remained on his feet. Jenna had frozen up, still clutching the crown and staring straight ahead.

  Valkas became so enraged that color began to fill his face, which I didn’t even know was possible with vampires. His eyebrows came so close together that they nearly touched, and he bared his teeth and hissed. All at once, he stopped clawing at Andi’s fur and reached out to wrap his fingers around Brad’s antlers. He twisted, and the sickening crunch of breaking bone filled the foyer.

  Brad slumped to the ground, and his body shrank back into human form. His neck was twisted at an odd angle, and his eyes stared lifeless up at the ornate ceiling. Valkas stared down at him with a satisfied smile as he grabbed hold of Andi’s jaws and yanked as hard as he could. He swung her around and let the momentum take her. Her body slammed into the bannister of the grand staircase so hard that the wooden rungs crumbled.

  At the same time, Valkas kicked Ronark in the gut with so much force he went flying toward the second level. He bounced off the railing at the top of the stairs and went limp as his body plummeted back toward the hard marble floor below.

  It all happened so fast that I’d barely taken a breath before Brad lay dead in front of me and the other two struggled to their feet in pain. My blood boiled as I shifted back into human form. My dress shifted with me, but my hair hung in loose waves around my shoulders since the pins had fallen out.

  I threw myself at Valkas. He didn’t even stumble as I jumped, wrapped my legs around him, and pummeled his face like my own personal punching bag. His elongated fangs cut into my skin, but I didn’t care. Hearing the sound of his nose crunch beneath my fist was so satisfying.

  Ronark righted himself and jumped Valkas from behind, digging his sharp claws into his back. Valkas merely swung his elbow backward. It connected with Ronark’s face, shooting him off Valkas’s back. Meanwhile, Andi had gone for his ankles again, but he kicked her aside like she was nothing more than a kitten playing with his toes.

  “Screw you, you son of a bitch!” I cried as my fist raced toward his face again.

  But it never made it. His hand shot up to block me, and he grabbed hold of my wrist so hard that I thought he might crush bone. He twisted, and my scream echoed off the walls of the foyer.

  Valkas grabbed my ass and shoved me up against the wall, pressing his hips into me. His wild eyes roamed my face, and he inhaled my scent. I used my free hand to claw at his face, but he grabbed that one too and held it above my head. When I dropped my legs from around his waist, I just hung there, gasping for breath as his chest pressed against mine.

  “So feisty,” he said in amusement. “Just the way I like it, darling. You would’ve made such a nice queen if you’d meant anything you said.”

  “I suppose you didn’t either.” I caught Jenna’s eyes for a moment, and I knew I had to keep him talking.

  Valkas shot me that evil smirk he was so famous for. “Of course not, my dear. I always planned to change you myself. I’ll let you rot away in my dungeons. Without blood to sustain you, you’ll be as good as dead, but death will always be just out of reach.”

  The thought twisted my guts. No doubt he’d make sure I couldn’t kill myself, either. Unless I ripped the bars off my cell and sent them through my own heart, there’d be no escape. But I’d have to be strong enough to do that first, and I didn’t think Valkas would allow me to become that strong.

  He leaned in close, sending his cold breath to rush across the corner of my jaw. “I did plan on waiting until we were in the ballroom, to make a spectacle out of it. So symbolic. The anniversary of the night I escaped this island would be the same night I escaped my one and only threat. It’s the only reason I’ve kept you alive this long. But I’m done waiting. Let’s get this over with.”

  His lips connected with mine, as if he owned me, as if he wanted me in that way. His tongue felt like a creature from hell inside my mouth, and he tasted like the dirt at the bottom of a sewage drain.

  Suddenly, his body went still. His mouth left mine, and he slumped to the ground, freeing me. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief when I saw Jenna standing there, the point of the crown embedded in Valkas’s back.

  I spit and wiped my mouth. “Really?” I complained to her. “You couldn’t have stabbed him sooner?”

  She stared at me with wide eyes. “I-I froze up.”

  We didn’t have time to waste. I dropped to Valkas’s side and began patting him down. Jenna quickly joined me in the search for the dagger, while Andi and Ronark ransacked the litter. I pulled off his shoes, and Jenna checked his hips for signs of a sheath. We checked every inch of his body, but it wasn’t there. We both looked at each other hopelessly.

  I cursed under my breath. “How long will he be out?”

  “I don’t know,” Jenna said in a rush. “Usually when you ram a sharp object through a vampire’s heart, they don’t bounce back from that.”

  “Not long, I reckon,” Ronark said, wiping blood from his nose and coming up beside us. “He heals faster than the other vamps, too.”

  “Well, the dagger isn’t here!” I cried, patting him down again.

  Andi’s shoulders dropped, like we were hopeless, and Ronark looked completely confused.

  “But I thought—” Ronark started.

  The sound of several pairs of footsteps down the hall reached our ears.

  “Oh, shit,” Jenna said, glancing behind herself. “We have company.”

  I looked down the hall just in time to see the six vampires from earlier, along with Rogers, sprinting our way. Jenna and I shot to our feet beside Ronark and Andi, ready to take them all on, just the four of us against seven.

  But we never got the chance. Rogers pulled a small round glass vial out of his pocket and chucked it into the foyer. It shattered at our feet, sending a puff of red smoke straight up at our faces.

  That was the last thing I saw before a putrid scent entered my nostrils and everything went dark.

  19

  I blinked my eyes open to see thin red fabric draped above my head in a d
imly lit room. I blinked rapidly, trying to remember how I’d gotten there. It all came back to me in a rush, and I shot upright in the bed I was lying on.

  The sound of someone clicking their tongue came from across the room. I glanced around frantically for signs of my sister, Ronark, or Andi, but I was alone in Valkas’s room. I didn’t know how long I’d been out, but it felt like less than an hour.

  Valkas stepped forward out of the shadows. “Rachel,” he said with a frown. “I can’t tell you how disappointed I am that you ruined my Awakening Ball.”

  “Where are my friends?” I demanded. “What did you do to us?”

  “The potion?” Valkas asked with a shrug. “Just a little magic to knock you out. It’s a complicated little concoction, but it sure comes in handy.” An evil grin spread across his face.

  “Where are my friends?” I repeated in a calm tone, letting him know he couldn’t intimidate me.

  Before I could process it, Valkas’s lips curled over his teeth, then he jumped forward and landed at the edge of the bed. He pressed his palms to the mattress and loomed over me.

  “What did I tell you about asking questions?” he spat.

  “I want to know where my friends are,” I rephrased.

  Valkas’s hand cracked against the side of my face. “You will show me respect!”

  Despite the burning ache across my cheek, I forced my breath to follow a calm, steady rhythm. I couldn’t let my impulsive emotions get to me right now. My friends depended on it.

  “You should just kill me already,” I suggested coolly. “Get it over with.”

  Valkas straightened his spine and cracked his knuckles. “Kill you? I don’t run a charity, darling. Killing you would be an act of mercy.”

  Yeah, and then I’d just be back for him in my next life.

  I chose my next words carefully, trying to draw information out of him. “I don’t get what I’m doing here. I thought you wanted to change me.”

  Valkas smiled proudly. “Oh, I will, darling. But there’s something I want to show you first. Something that won’t have quite the impact after the change.”

  Before I could respond, Valkas grabbed me by the wrist and yanked me off the bed. Pain shot through my shoulder, but I bit down my cry.

  “On your feet,” Valkas snarled, tugging me upward.

  I got to my feet as fast as I could and stumbled after him. Valkas moved quickly down the hall, so fast that I had to sprint to keep up with him. I thought we were headed for the main foyer, but instead, he pulled me down another hall and to a door at the end. The door opened to a dark, narrow stairwell. I used my free hand to grab on to the railing to keep from falling down the stairs, while Valkas dragged me by the other wrist.

  I didn’t know how many stairs we descended, but eventually, we came to a stop at the bottom. The air was cool and damp.

  Valkas led me into a long, narrow hall lit by the occasional sconce. Stone walls rose on either side of us, making me feel closed in, like I was walking through a cave. The sound of distant groaning filled the air. I wanted to ask where he was taking me, but I kept my mouth shut.

  We reached a T at the end of the hall, and he pulled me to the right. I gasped when I saw what lay on the other side of the wall. A single sconce lit up rows upon rows of bars that ran from the floor to the ceiling. There must’ve been at least a dozen cells, each one barely large enough for a person to lie down in.

  And most of them were filled with people.

  “Come,” Valkas commanded.

  We moved by the cells so quickly that all I saw were shadows inside. I heard gasps from the prisoners, but I couldn’t place their voices.

  Valkas stopped at the end, the one where the pained groans were coming from. He grabbed the back of my shirt and shoved me forward. I caught myself on the bars and stared into the cell, trying to make sense of the shadow I saw curled up in the corner. A man clutched his stomach, writhing in pain. He wore only jeans. Through the darkness, I could see the long, straight wounds on his back darkened by blood, as though he’d been whipped.

  Suddenly, the man threw his head back and let out a piercing shriek. My heart crumbled into a million pieces as the sound of Venn’s anguished cry echoed off the walls of the dungeon. It felt as if someone had ripped into my chest, pulled my heart out, and smashed it with a meat tenderizer. I didn't think I'd ever felt so horrified in my life.

  I whirled on Valkas. My hands fisted in his shirt, and I shoved him up against the stone wall. “What did you do to him, you bastard!?”

  At the sound of my voice, Venn went wild in his cell. He let out a loud howl like a wolf and jumped at the bars, shaking them violently. His eyes caught in the light, and I just barely spotted the silver in them before he fell into a ball at the floor of his cell and went silent.

  I couldn’t feel my limbs as reality struck me like a cold, piercing stab to the gut. Venn was changing. Into a vampire. I didn’t want to accept the truth, but it was sitting right there, staring me in the face.

  When I finally began to feel my fingers again, I turned my gaze back to Valkas. He wore a proud smirk on his face.

  “Do you want to kill me now?” he challenged with a smile. “Now that your boyfriend is a vampire? He won’t reincarnate. All vampires are damned.”

  My hands shook in the collar of his shirt. “You asshole,” are the only words I managed to get out.

  I wanted to lash out, to punch Valkas in the face and drive a stake through his heart and do whatever I could to show him just how angry and upset I was… but I knew it wouldn’t do me any good. There was no way to make Valkas pay for what he’d done.

  I stared at Venn lying on the cold floor, shaking. I urged to wrap him in my arms and tell him that everything was going to be all right. But I knew it would be a lie. There was no coming back from vampirism.

  My breath wavered as I dropped Valkas’s collar and stepped toward Venn’s cell. “Venn,” I whispered lightly, reaching out for the bars. “Venn, I’m so sorry.”

  He just lay there, curled in a ball and taking heavy, shallow breaths. It was like he couldn’t hear me.

  “Venn,” I whispered again.

  “That’s enough,” Valkas snarled.

  He grabbed the back of my hair, pulling so tightly that I felt several strands pull loose. He yanked my head backward and dragged me away from Venn’s cell. It was only when he forced my eyes off Venn that I had a chance to look at the shadows in the other cells. My stomach bottomed out as various familiar faces took shape. What were they all doing here? Was this some sort of sick illusion?

  “In you go,” Valkas sneered. He swung the door open to the cell beside Venn and shoved me inside.

  My palms slapped against the floor. By the time I scurried to my feet, Valkas was already securing the lock on my cell.

  “Have fun watching the show.” Valkas laughed maniacally as he started back down the row of cells.

  As he distanced himself from me, my gaze scanned the dimly-lit dungeons in horror. Across from Venn’s cell, Sondra hung from the wall in shackles. Her face was covered in bruises and dry, crusted blood, and her head hung to the side with her eyes closed, unconscious.

  In the cell next to hers, a girl with long red hair knelt at the bars of her cell, staring at me with sad eyes. There was dirt caked in Fiona’s hair, and her clothes were tattered and torn. Her usually bright eyes looked hollow, and her lips were dry and cracked. Ryland sat on the floor of his cell with his arms crossed, leaning up against the wall and looking furious. Beside him, Teagan paced her cell with her hands balled into fists. They had the same worn look to them as Fiona had, as if they’d been starving down here for days.

  I looked to the cell next to mine and saw my sister shooting me a sympathetic expression. Ronark was locked up in the cell beyond hers, and Andi was in the one next to his.

  Everyone was here, and it was all my fault.

  “You guys—” I started, but Fiona cut me off.

  “You don’t have to say an
ything, Rae.”

  “Bullshit!” Teagan snapped.

  A lump rose to my throat. “Tea, I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t call me that,” Teagan growled. “I’m so not in the mood.”

  I glanced to Ryland for explanation, but he just narrowed his eyes at me. It was like he was so mad he couldn't even speak to me.

  “Rachel, are you okay?” Jenna reached through the bars between us to take my hand.

  I squeezed hers back and glanced to Venn. The sight of him shivering on the floor next to me was unbearable.

  “I’m fine,” I told her, because it was my go-to response. Honestly, it felt like someone had poured red-hot coals into my chest cavity.

  From across the dungeons, Teagan scoffed. She threw her hands up. “Of-freaking-course you are.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, growing irritated. Shouldn’t she be happy I wasn’t dead by now?

  Teagan walked to the end of her cell and gripped the bars, staring daggers my way. “Ryland was right about you.”

  “Excuse me?” I gaped at her. After everything we’d been through, she was turning on me?

  Ryland growled and shot to his feet. “Don’t you dare talk to her like that. This is all your fault.”

  “I never meant for any of this to happen,” I said honestly. I dropped Jenna’s hand and rose to my feet.

  “That doesn’t matter,” Ryland insisted. “You’re the reason the Soulless came after us. You told them about us and where to find us. We didn’t even get close to Matias before they captured us and dragged us here.”

  I felt like I could hardly breathe. “How long have you been down here?”

  “A week, maybe,” Fiona said calmly.

  I gasped. “Have they fed you anything?”

  “A little.” The way Fiona said it suggested it wasn’t much.