by Amber Flora
“Don’t let him pay for your sins, Jewel. Vibrant or not he is your son and you can’t honestly tell me you have never cared for your own flesh and blood. He’s a good man, let him have the life he deserves.”
“He is an assassin, a cold-blooded killer just like his father. Once you’re out of the picture he will remember that.”
I wasn’t afraid of dying, I was pissed that I wouldn’t get to finish off Damon and worried about what would happen to the ones I love, but if my story ended here I was at peace with that. Jewel let out a gut-wrenching scream and for a second I thought it was her war cry for the final blow but her hold on me loosened and she stumbled back. I seized the opportunity and jumped to my feet, turning to face her. Shock overcame me when I saw Bonnie standing behind Jewel with a bloody sword. I should have attacked Jewel, finished her off while I had the chance, but I froze. With the shock of Bonnie coming to my rescue and seeing the mother of the man I love dying, I couldn’t do it. Jewel used her last bit of energy to turn and snatch Bonnie. I watched in horror as she stumbled backward toward the abyss, pulling Bonnie with her.
“No! Jewel, stop!” I screamed, running toward them. Bonnie attempted to break free but Jewel was too strong. Before I could stop them Jewel had jumped off the ledge and taken Bonnie with her. Fear consumed me as I ran to the edge.
“Bonnie!”
I couldn’t believe it, she was hanging onto the side, just dangling there.
“Take my hand, I’ll pull you up,” I cried out, reaching for her.
“It’s too late for me, Ashtyn.”
“No, it’s not, just take my hand! I can pull you up, you don’t have to do this!”
“I can never move on from what I’ve done, deep down you know that. Look after them, Ashtyn. Restore Avonya and save our people.”
“Stop this, Bonnie. Cody needs you, Katrina needs you. For Christ’s sake, just take my hand.”
I saw tears rolling down her cheek as she gave me a reassuring smile and let go.
“No!” I scream frantically, searching for any sign of her.
“Bonnie, please! Bonnie!” I cried out over and over into the darkness. I felt a hand on my shoulder and whipped around to attack. Jeremiah threw his hands up defensively.
“It’s okay, Ashtyn, it’s just me. We have go, there’s a clearing to the house. If we want to get in now is our chance.”
“It’s all my fault. They’re both gone and it’s my fault,” I sobbed, trembling.
“Pull it together! Bethany and Katrina are still in there. We have to get to them.”
“I … I can’t … I can’t do this.”
I saw Mac come out of the shadow and I backed up. I didn’t want him near me, not after what I just experienced. He would hate me, they would all hate me, after what I had done.
“Lass, now isn’t the time to be taking some me time. We gotta go, get a move on.”
I shook my head and looked around for somewhere to run.
“Bollocks, what the hell happened to her?” Mac asked, looking to Jeremiah.
“She said someone was dead and it was her fault.”
Mac rubbed the top of his head, trying to figure out what to do with me.
“A lot of people are dead right now, lass, and there are going to be a lot more if ya don’t move your arse.”
“Bonnie!” I croaked, looking to where she had fallen.
Mac’s eyes went wide and I noticed a hint of sadness before he righted himself.
“We all knew the consequences when we came here, lass. There will be time to grieve the fallen when this is all over but now isn’t it. Now ya came here to save Kat and put an end to Damon's tyranny. Are ya going to finish what ya started or you going to be the coward I didn’t think ya had in ya and turn tail and run?”
I ran my hands across my face to wipe away the tears. Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and forced myself to regain my composure. Mac was right. I waited too long for this moment, too many people suffered so we could get here. I couldn’t let them down. I wouldn’t let Bonnie’s death be in vain.
I reached for Mac’s hand and he pulled me into an embrace.
“We will get through this, Macree. It’s almost over.”
The chateau was nearly abandoned when we stepped inside. I would have thought that Damon would command a few of his soldiers to stay for protection in case we managed to breach his defenses but knowing the smug bastard he probably didn’t think he needed any help. Mac, Jeremiah and I walked through the gloomy halls toward where he felt Bethany’s presence. I held a small flame in my hand giving off enough light so that we didn’t run smack dab into a wall. Following Jeremiah’s directions, I turned right at the end of a corridor and saw a shadow headed in our direction. Mac jumped in front of me prepared to fight when a familiar voice whispered.
“Where the hell of you guys been?” Cody asked, bringing Mac into a man hug.
“Damn good to see ya, lad. I was wondering the same about the likes of you.”
I stepped forward to tell Cody the horrific news about Bonnie when Mac grabbed my arm and subtly shook his head no. I got the hint. Cody’s head needed to remain in the game. Now wasn’t the time.
“Cody, have you seen Herrick?” I asked, praying he wasn’t another casualty on the ever-growing list.
“Not for a while. Ben and I got held up and Herrick took off looking for you.”
“This way,” Jeremiah said, motioning down the hallway. We came to a dead end and I was about to make a comment about Jeremiah's spidey senses being off when he felt around the wall to reveal a hidden latch. Pulling on it, he opened a small door with a spiral staircase leading down.
“After you,” I gestured, holding off the strong urge I had to turn around and head back to the battlefield. War seemed less creepy than a hidden dungeon. Cody intercepted Jeremiah, taking the lead. Mac, Jeremiah and I followed down the windy stairs to the unknown.
When we neared the end of the stairs I heard a fierce battle taking place.
“I’m going to skin you alive! You took her from me, the one thing in my life that was worth living for and you took her.”
Holy macaroni, it was Herrick. He must have thought I was dead.
I ran the last few steps, turning the corner to see Herrick trading blow for blow with a physically scarred Damon. I guess my fireball didn’t miss during our last exchange.
“How does it feel to know everything you dreamed of was ripped away from you? I wish I could have seen the look on her face when she knew she had lost.”
Damon laughed, punching Herrick hard in the jaw.
“Funny, I’ve been thinking the same thing about you,” I said, causing them both to turn their heads.
“You’re … alive!” Herrick cried out.
“Now it’s a party.” Damon smirked before waving his hand in our direction. In a flash a magical barrier blocked Herrick and Damon from the rest of us. Cody attempted to break through and got zapped backward.
“Can you break it?” I asked Jeremiah in a panic. Herrick was alone with Damon and I couldn’t get to him. I knew Herrick could easily cross the barrier but he wouldn’t. He wanted to finish what he had started with Damon.
“Maybe but it will take some time. I need your help.”
Jeremiah held his hands out toward the barrier and began to chant.
“Ashtyn!” Jeremiah shouted, wanting me to join him. I listened for a moment and repeated his words, drawing on his energy.
I could see Herrick and Damon pummeling one another. Each time I thought Herrick had the upper hand Damon would pull a fast one. My chest constricted and it took all my strength to maintain my composure and continue chanting. Herrick finally managed to knock Damon to one knee and get behind him, placing his hands on Damon’s neck and skull. Herrick prepared to deliver the final blow when out of nowhere a Credo soldier sneaked up behind him, stabbing him in the back.
“No!” I shouted, causing the entire compound to shake with my fury. The barrier crumbled and
I ran toward Herrick. Damon snatched me by hair before I could get to him, pulling me back.
“You are poison, Miss. Lane. You seem to get everyone who cares for you killed. Your grandmother, soon your lover, your own mother died protecting you.”
Mac latched onto Damon’s arm, freeing me from his hold.
“Get Herrick out of here and find Kat!” I shouted to Mac as Cody took down the soldier who stabbed Herrick.
“I’m not leavin’ ya with the lunatic, lass,” Mac yelled, looking back at Damon who was hunched over in a laughing fit. Damon really had lost his marbles.
“Dammit, Mac, for once don’t argue with me. If you let him die I’ll never forgive you! Get him out of here now!” Mac looked to where an unconscious Herrick lay.
“I’ll come back for you,” he said, placing his hand gently on my shoulder before rushing to Herrick. As gently as they could he and Jeremiah grabbed Herrick and took off with Cody in search of Kat.
“It’s just me and you now, Damon. Isn’t that the way you wanted it?”
“I used to, before you turned me into a monster,” he pointed at his disfigured face.
“I just made the outside match the inside. What did you mean about my mother?” I growled, circling him.
“Oh, did I forget to tell you? Must have slipped my mind, how I choked the life out of her all those years ago. The high priestess of dream realm died begging for her life to a half-blooded outcast.”
My palms began to burn as the flames rolled from my fingertips, igniting me like a human torch.
“That’s impossible. You were nowhere near her when she died.”
Damon grinned maliciously. The scar on his face from our last encounter made him look more dangerous than ever.
“Not physically, but your mother kept a dark little secret. When I found the piece of the letter she left behind I searched high and low for Deandra and discovered the truth that she hid from everyone, even your father. Your mother was like us, the righteous high priestess was half-wizard.”
“News flash, psycho, this isn’t a revelation to me,” I growled, allowing the energy to flow through me, feeding the flame.
“Then you’re not as bright as you like to think you are. What can wizards do that dreamwalkers can’t?”
For a moment I thought he was just talking to buy himself time for reinforcements to show, then the weight of his words smashed into me.
“She slept!” Damon tapped his nose to show I was catching on.
“Your mother could hide her little secret in dream realm, there was no need to sleep but once she went into hiding in human realm she couldn’t prevent it. All I had to do was do a little digging. When I found out that Deandra was half-wizard I had a suspicion that she might eventually sleep. All I wanted to do was find you. I promised her you wouldn’t be harmed, she just needed to tell me where you were, but she was a stubborn, selfish little bitch, just like you. I’ll admit I got a little carried away when I wrapped my hands around her neck and began to squeeze but I was so angry with her for keeping you to herself. You were supposed to be my queen, the one person who would understand what I had been through and would want justice for the crimes against our kind. By the time I realized what I was doing it was too late. I had killed the one person who could lead me to you. Luckily for me, your dense uncle never figured it out. He assumed she died from complications during your birth. Killing Deandra was a setback in my plans but I knew if I was patient enough our time together would come. Especially since mommy dearest wouldn’t be around to protect you.”
My blood began to boil and the flames grew brighter expanding past my hands, beyond my arms.
“Deandra, Victoria, Bonnie, Jewel! All dead because of you! The lives you ruined on your ridiculous quest to get revenge on the wrong people. Your uncle, the soldiers who are under your command, those are the ones who wanted you dead. Yet you want to destroy the world because your own people turned against you. Ser’ie was jealous of you and Deandra. He wanted the power that flowed through your veins. You were … are, more powerful than he could even dream possible. You could have been on the side of good. We could have worked together to make this world a better place but you never wanted to be accepted. Your vengeance is the only thing that makes you feel alive. You were never an innocent child who was turned away from the world. You were born a monster just like your uncle and you’re going to die never knowing what it’s like to be loved.”
I launched a fireball at his head. Damon countered with a gust of wind that quickly snuffed it out. I tried again and again; he managed to block it.
“You think you can beat me? I have decades on you, little girl. Before this night is over I will kill everyone who tried so hard to protect you. I will drag your lifeless corpse before them and show them just how far love gets you in this world.”
Damon swirled the air around us, creating a twister that flew me backward, crashing me into a wall. I fell to the ground as my head pounded from the collision.
“You’re forgetting one thing, Damon,” I said, rising to my feet.
“And what might that be princess?”
“If you play with fire, you’re bound to get burned.”
The flames consumed me, igniting every inch of my body. I could feel the raw power coursing through me, traveling through my muscles and veins, making us one. My soul was the flame that burned with the need for justice. I was the goddess Themis tipping the unbalanced scales.
I charged toward Damon at full speed; his countless attempts at a counter attack were useless. I was a burning ball of pure energy that couldn’t be extinguished. He began backing up in a feeble attempt to escape. I reached him in a matter of seconds, placing my hands on his shoulders. He screamed in agony as the fire torched his insides.
“Killing me won’t end this! Your fate is sealed, Ashtyn,” Damon cried out as the flames consumed him.
“Maybe but from the ashes the phoenix will rise.”
I threw my head back as the inferno consumed us, burning everything around me to ash.
Chapter 20
Jeremiah led the way toward the cells as Cody and Mac carried an unconscious Herrick. As they turned the corner, they could hear the screams and shouts of the lost women from behind their bars. Bethany was in the first cell they approached clinging to the bars as tears fell from her eyes.
“Bethany! Thank the gods!” Jeremiah cried out, running toward her.
“Jeremiah, what took you so long? I’ve been trying to reach out to you for weeks.”
“I’m so sorry, Bethany. Damon has been blocking our link. I never stopped searching.”
Cody left Herrick with Mac as he joined Jeremiah to help free his sister.
“Bethany, where are the other women?” Cody asked, he could hear another woman screaming down the long row of cells, but it was still eerily quiet.
“There are only a few of us left. A lot of the girls never returned once Damon took them. He never kept us close enough to one another to interact. I think one of the girls left is a vampire. I saw them bringing in a couple of blood bags the other day.”
Fear struck Cody as he worried that Katrina was not one of the survivors.
“I’ve got this, go look for Katrina,” Jeremiah said, placing his hand on Cody’s shoulder.
Cody didn’t need to be told twice. He turned to Mac, giving him a nod before racing down the hallway in search for Kat.
When Cody reached Kat’s cell, he was surprised to see her sitting quietly on her cot just staring at the bars.
“Kat, can you hear me?”
He watched as she blinked a couple of times and tilted her head to the side, staring at him intensely.
“Dakota, is it really you?” she said in a mere whisper.
“It’s me, Kat, I’m going to get you out of there. We’re going home.”
Katrina rose from her makeshift bed, looking around the tiny cell.
“I … I knew you would come for me,” she said as her eyes welled up with tears.<
br />
“Of course I would. I will always come for you, Katrina. Are you injured?” Cody asked.
“No, not really. I just want to go home. Please take me home, Cody.”
Cody pried the cell door open and ran to Katrina, wrapping his arms around her and running his fingers through her soft blonde hair. Her tears were abundant now as she stood there in his arms with her head resting on his chest.
“I will get home, Katrina, I promise. I will never let anyone harm you.”
Cody kissed the top of her head, saying a prayer to the gods. He would never be able to repay them for bringing her back to him.
“Eh, a little help here!” Mac shouted, dragging Herrick’s body toward Cody and Kat.
“What happened?” Katrina gasped.
“The Credo happened, lass. Think you have it in ya to do a little healing?” Mac asked, looking down at the vibrant.
“Absolutely not, we just rescued her. I’m getting her home. Find another healer,” Cody growled to Mac.
“Dakota, I’m fine. I am not leaving him here to die,” Kat said, walking toward Herrick and kneeling in front of him.
“Kat … ” Cody tried to argue.
Katrina put her hand up to shush him.
“We’re all going home.”
Herrick awoke to a sweet little blonde hovering over him with a concerned expression.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he said, rising off the cold concrete floor.
“Feelings mutual. You gave us quite the scare.”
Katrina offered her hand to help him up.
Herrick looked around to see Cody, Mac, Jeremiah and who he assumed to be Bethany eyeing him suspiciously.
“Are you good, chief?” Cody asked, giving him a once over.
“Appears so. Kat’s one hell of a healer. Where is Ashtyn?” He figured she had run off to rescue the other prisoners.
“You needed a healer. Finding Kat was a priority,” Cody tried to select his words wisely.
“Where is Ashtyn?!” He screamed, causing Kat to jump.
“It’s your fault! If ya hadn’t tried to kill Damon yourself we wouldn’t have left her there alone to save your sorry arse,” Mac spat.