I followed after him, taking two steps at a time. “Come here often?” Bennett asked, taking in the view of the city.
“Only once,” I groaned. I really hoped he wouldn’t ask what I had done here because I didn’t want to tell him. “Should we get started?”
He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, staring out at the sparkling city below. “Huh? Oh, yeah. We probably won’t have enough room up here though. Don’t need one of us flying through this glass.” He knocked on the windowed walls of the top of the lighthouse.
“You’re probably right.”
We headed back to the ground floor and moved the furniture around to make room. The room filled with clouds of dust and dirt, so I propped the door open with a heavy rock.
The secret training with Bennett didn’t turn out to be as interesting as I thought it would be, though the skills he taught me were still useful. The first thing he wanted to teach me was how to escape capture.
Holding me in different positions, he told me how to contort my body to escape or to remove the opportunity for the enemy to strike. I hadn’t known I was so flexible, bending my body in unnatural ways.
“Say you are grabbed like this.” Bennett came up behind me and wrapped his arm around my neck. “How would you escape?”
I easily remembered the maneuver he taught me and latched my hands onto his forearm as firmly as I could. Using every leg muscle in my body, I stepped back, then hooked my ankle around his. I forced his leg forward and my entire body backward, crushing him to the ground. Landing on the hard concrete floor, a grunt escaped him.
“Not bad.”
I rolled over and offered my hand. “We should have brought a mat.”
“Nah, no point. We aren’t going to have one when the real time comes are we?”
“Have you tried talking to Eli? I’m sure he would agree that everyone should be as prepared as possible. As soon as we get word on what’s happening in the Noire region… who knows what could happen.” I still held out hope that things at the Palace were still in order, but the outlook was poor.
“My guess is, if they haven’t heard ‘nothin yet, than that’s our answer.” He pulled two sports bottles out of his pack and threw me one. At least one of us was prepared. “I’m sure that messenger or whatever ain’t even coming back.” He brought the bottle to his lips and chugged.
“He’s coming back,” I growled.
Bennett’s eyes widened in shock from behind the bottle. “I forgot. You two are… what do they call it over there? Blood Mates?”
I crossed my arms. “Got a problem with that?”
“No, it’s just weird. But whatever.” He shrugged and threw his bottle back into his pack.
“Yeah, whatever. We should probably start heading back.” I looked out the window to see if dawn was approaching and my heart tightened in my chest. “Fire!”
“What?” Bennett ran to my side, ramming me with his shoulder. We both stared at the Château in complete shock. It was nearly completely ablaze.
I shoved Bennett out of the way and ran outside as fast as I could. I stopped a good hundred yards from the lighthouse and narrowed my vision. Electricity was firing inside my body.
Bennett halted to a wobbly stop beside me. “What the hell are you waiting for?”
“We can’t just rush in. We need to see what’s going on.” I was trying to be smart about this. If we just went storming in, we’d likely get our fangs handed to us. Literally.
“Damnit! You sound like everyone else. If you want to stand around and watch everyone die then that’s your problem.” He rocketed past me with a throaty growl. He was going to get himself killed. I knew it. No matter how great a fighter he was, there was always someone better.
I followed after him, not allowing my fear or anger to consume me. This was it. The moment we had all been dreading and trying to prepare for - only it was happening a lot faster than anyone had suspected.
I thought about my parents. I didn’t want to lose them. Not now. Not when I had just finally had them in my life. I pushed myself harder, the connection inside me sparking. I didn’t care anymore how hard I exerted myself, how much it hurt to feel the power burning through me. I was going to save them if it killed me.
I pumped my legs faster and flew past Bennett in seconds. He grunted from behind me as he tried to keep up - but he didn’t stand a chance. There had never been a vampire like me before. My abilities could be endless. My fangy smile gleamed in the night as I ran.
I crashed into the wall of heat surrounding the Château. The entire eastern side -where all the meeting halls, training rooms and so on were located - was consumed with flames.
This late at night, most everyone would be in bed. Or so I hoped.
“Follow me!” I shouted to Bennett, and took off just as soon as he caught up with me.
Through the roar of the fire I could hear shouting, screaming and growling. The Dark was definitely here.
“What’s the plan?” Bennett asked.
“I’m going to save my parents and kill every member of The Dark that I see.” The word kill felt alien in my mouth and was wrapped in malice and rage. Until becoming a vampire I had never wanted to kill anyone or anything - but right here, right now, it felt right.
“Sounds good to me.”
We sped to the front entrance and burst through the doors. It was eerily quiet. Smoke hung in the air. I remembered the first night I had walked into the Château and how I felt like an intruder. Now I was defending it as my home.
The echo of screams close by rattled in our ears, and I could see Bennett’s body tense. I never would have imagined that he would be the one to stand by my side when the war came crashing down on us, but I was grateful to know that he could handle himself.
We ran in the direction of the screams to find a servant lying on the floor of a hallway, blood pooling around her. She was cowering in fear as her life pulled away. She stared blankly at the ceiling as Bennett knelt over her, feeling her pulse. I recognized her face. She was the maid I had scared the first night I had come to Naos. I had always meant to apologize to her and never had the time. Now I never would.
“It’s too late for her,” he said, looking up at me, blood soaking his knees.
I growled, baring my fangs in rage. “There has to be something we can do for her.”
Bennett stood up and clutched my shoulders with incredible force. “We need to focus on the ones we can help.”
I grunted and took off for the upper floors. I didn’t know where to go first, so I just let my instincts lead me. We ran up two floors, clutching the railing to propel us even faster upward.
On the landing of the second floor, I could see the doors of the ballroom had been yanked from their hinges. Movement inside caught my eye and I signaled to Bennett.
“I see it. You ready?”
“I’m ready,” I said. There was no doubt in my voice.
The intensity of the fighting, nor the pools of blood that reflected the golden décor of the room weren’t what surprised me. I pushed back the sensation of shock and only a sharp breath escaped. The members of The Dark didn’t look at all like I had imagined. No nightmare could have prepared me for the evil before my eyes.
They were close to seven feet tall, with thick muscled bodies and dark graying skin like flawless yet decaying flesh. Their mouths were an entire row of fangs and their eyes were bright red. Their hideousness only urged my desire to kill them even more.
Vampires and Blood Guards fought savagely in the ball room. Their movements were swift and fluid, but they were outnumbered. I looked to Bennett for one solid instant before we bolted into the fray.
A younger vampire lay on the floor, growling under a beast. Her stomach was a soggy, bloody mess. I knew the beast was going to land a killing blow on her, and so did she. The girl screamed in rage, accepting her fate like a true warrior.
I swallowed hard and made my move. This was my chance. This moment would define the rest
of the night for me. If I could take this one monster down, then I could take them all. All I needed was to taste their blood just once.
The beast raised its hand to strike her down. A glint of silver flashed. A thick blade was clutched fiercely in his grasp. I knew I couldn’t go for his weapon. There was no way I could take it away. So, I had to do the only thing I could think of.
The girl’s eyes flashed in fear for the first time when she saw me rushing toward the beast. Her head shook in warning, trying desperately to make me turn back. For me, that wasn’t an option. His back facing me, his attention on her, I jumped upward. A scream of rage bubbled out of me, foaming my mouth.
I slammed my hands onto the sides of the beast’s head, and with my body completely connected to my power I unleashed it into him. Searing heat burned the flesh of my fingers, but still I held on.
It toppled backward, swaying unsteadily. Brightness began to seep from his skin like a hand covering the bulb of a flashlight. It screeched a sharp cry and my lips upturned in a victorious grimace as the animal inside me was freed. With my fangs barred and power burning through me, I snapped the beast’s neck, dropping him to the floor.
I didn’t even give the body another look before running to the injured vampire girl. “Get out of here!” I ordered.
I turned back to the fight and saw that Bennett had taken a member of The Dark too. Just a few more and the fight would be more even. I didn’t know what I had done to the first one, but somehow using my power to kill him didn’t consume my energy like it had when I was in the lighthouse. In fact, I felt even more powerful. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I didn’t have time to figure it out.
With two of The Dark lifeless on the ballroom floor, it only further empowered the ones who remained. Their shrieks stabbed through the air like daggers of sound.
Bennett and I teamed up, heading to take down another beast. This time, thought, we weren’t quick enough; it threw the limp body of a vampire across the room like a rag doll. Even though I hadn’t recognized them, my heart still ached and my taste for revenge grew greater.
A clang of metal followed by a mighty bellow drew my attention. It was Renek, in the middle of a circle of The Dark. Blood covered his face and his armor was slashed viciously, but still he fought on. Not the slightest hint of fear was on his face.
I froze for a single moment taking in the scene again, scanning the bodies and battles just like Eli had taught me. I needed to learn my enemy, understand them so I could predict their moves. A significant difference became instantly apparent. The Dark fought in packs like rabid wolves, but the vampires and Blood Guard did not. They were beating us by sheer numbers, and singling us out.
Bennett and I weren’t enough. I needed to think of a way to unite us all. I breathed deep and focused my will as I weaved a fiery ribbon of rage, power and courage. I hadn’t used this power of emotion since coming to Naos and I wasn’t sure if anyone would understand, but I had to try. As soon as they connected with it they would be empowered, or at least I hoped they would.
Bennett was struck in the face, and he fell backwards, sliding across the room. Racing now, I finished the ribbon as I watched him lift himself. Blood poured from his mouth. I held onto the ribbon, wrapping its invisible power around me like a shield, and ran to him.
“Are you okay?”
He shook me off. “I’m fine. He’s just going to be sorry he did that.” He readied his stance to leap toward the beast, but I held him back. Bennett looked at my hand around his arm, clearly surprised by my effortless strength.
“Watch this!” Heat burned anew within me as I ripped the ribbon into a dozen pieces and blasted them through the room. Glinting ghost-like and with sheer power, the pieces rocketed to every vampire and Blood Guard in the ballroom.
I watched as each one simultaneously closed their eyes. A second later they opened them and a sparkle of my power twinkled within. I could feel each of them, connected to me like tendrils.
Bennett’s body beside me stood taller and I slapped him on the back. “Come on!”
Everyone followed my advance as we charged at the confused members of The Dark. We leapt onto our enemies, ignoring their shrieks and tore at their throats. No longer were they fighting for their lives, but for everyone’s.
As the last beast was vanquished, an eerie calm fell over the ballroom. The moans of the injured and dying filled my ears, but I couldn’t stop here. This was not the end.
I looked toward Renek, our eyes locking. He knew what had to be done and nodded. I knew I could count on him to get everyone out to safety and secure the area.
Breaking my connection and allowing the ribbon to fade, I ran from the ballroom. I still needed to find my parents. With any luck, I wasn’t too late.
“What was that thing you did?” Bennett called after me.
I didn’t have time to explain it to him. All I could do was run and fight.
Chapter_13
Bennett followed behind me without a word and we took down enemies as we headed for the throne room. It was a symbol of power in the Château. The members of The Dark would most definitely be headed there. That’s what they wanted most of all, and I couldn’t imagine another place in all of Naos where they would think to find it other than to take the thrones from the King and Queen.
A member of The Dark flew up behind Bennett, catching him by surprise. I turned back to look at him. I wanted to stop and help, but I didn’t want to take any longer finding my parents.
He saw the struggle in my eyes and smiled. Bennett spun inside the beast’s grasp and drew his body low to the floor, only to pop back up and latch onto the monster’s throat. Moments later he slammed the lifeless beast to the floor.
“Told you it might save someone’s life,” Bennett said as he ran to my side. I couldn’t help but smile. The Snake had turned out to be an incredible move after all.
As we ran, I prepared myself for what was to come. I could only imagine that the force inside the throne room would be much bigger than what was in the ballroom. They would probably have sent their best fighters there too, to ensure victory. That’s what I would do.
I was ready to fight. Ready to hear their shrieks rip through my head and to see the blood of my loved ones gleaming on the throne room floor.
Two guards, bigger than the members of The Dark in the ballroom and almost twice as thick, were posted at the doors to the throne room. I was right. This was definitely their target and I’ll be damned if I would let them capture it.
Roaring in unison, we hurtled for them, eyes locked ahead. We wanted them to think that, to be confident that they knew what we would do. When we saw them smile, knowing they would take us out, we quickened our pace and dove under them as they leaped toward us.
It took a few steps for them to slow their pace, realizing their swings had missed our heads. That was the chance we needed. Together we jumped on their backs. Bennett stabilized our weight, placing his hand on my back to balance us as I slammed my hands on top of the two guards’ heads.
My power beamed through them like it had the first beast and when I was sure it had done its damaged we snapped their necks, letting them crash onto the ornate rug on the floor. It was a hideous sight. I felt like a savage animal, yet a heroic heroine all at the same time. I would save my parents. I knew I would.
I was ready for a gruesome sight as Bennett shoved the throne room doors open. I was ready for the pain of seeing my parents lying dead from their attackers. Maybe preparing myself for the worst would make whatever was about to happen be more bearable. Or at least I hoped. As always, my life as a vampire, was never what it seemed and never gave me what I expected.
Five colossal members of The Dark shadowed the room from its dim candlelight. Their gray bodies pulsed with muscles as they turned to face us. There, dangling in the death-like grip of one of them, was my mother.
Blood was dripping down her dress and hitting the marble floor with a heart breaking echo. A painful rage wa
s plastered on her flushed face.
The beast that held her turned his evil gaze onto me. His dark, wiry hair was soaked in sweat. A bone-chilling smile crossed each of their faces, but to their surprise I smiled right back.
“Let her go!” I growled. My voice grew deep and menacing. I could feel my vocal chords vibrate with the sound. I stepped forward defiantly and yanked my arm away as Bennett tried to hold me back.
The tallest of the beasts stepped aside to reveal my father hidden behind his meaty legs. He was lying on his side, a lifeless look in his eyes. I narrowed my vision to him and searched for signs of life. If he was dead, there would be no coming back from this. I would completely unleash the beast within me and tear every one of these monsters to pieces.
But for a fleeting moment my father seemed to focus his eyes on me, registering my presence - and then he gurgled. It was all the confirmation I needed. He was alive and I was going to make these beasts pay for what they did to him.
“It’s about time you arrived. I was thinking I would have to wait all night.”
My eyes flicked rapidly to the beast sitting on the throne. I hadn’t even noticed him sitting there. He filled my father’s massive throne completely. His long dark hair, hung in waves around him. I knew instantly this was their leader. He wasn’t bigger than the rest, but there was something in his eyes that the others did not have. His gray skin was marbled with shades of red, and black veins pulsed beneath his flesh. The anger I felt wasn’t enough to keep fear from coming. I could feel tiny cracks breaking inside me.
“What do you want?” I stepped forward again. Bennett didn’t follow me this time.
The leader of The Dark laughed deeply. It echoed throughout the room and sent shivers across my skin. “I want you, of course.” He smiled widely, flashing his rows of pointed fangs, blood dripping from his lip.
He flew to a stop in front me before I could even blink, causing me to fall backward in surprise. “Didn’t you know I was coming?” He walked casually, eyeing my mother as she dangled in the grasp of her captor. With a single pointed nail, he caressed her cheek.
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