Trina glanced between the two men, horror tightening her throat at the thought of being at the King’s mercy. “Merrick?”
She’d willingly offered him her blood, so why did he appear to be considering the deal. He had a plan, and Trina had a feeling she wasn’t going to like it.
“Release the boy, and we’ll talk.”
The King sighed and shook his head. “Now why don’t I believe you?”
“Taking me will only land you more scars.” Each place her blood had torn through him had left behind a tangle of knotted scars. She touched her shoulder, pleased she hadn’t been the only one left with a reminder of their meeting.
The vampire stepped forward as if to strike her.
And walked directly into sunlight.
The sun’s rays didn’t affect him…that was if you discounted the way his skin went translucent enough to see the muscle and bones beneath. His once-pretty face was destroyed. Pockmarks riddled his jaw, his lips twisted so they didn’t line up anymore.
She couldn’t resist a taunt. “I bet it makes luring your victims much harder now. If you weren’t king, I wonder if you would even be able to survive.” Merrick’s hold tightened like he wanted to strangle her.
The King smiled, his face twisting into a grotesque mask that made the muscles bunch underneath the skin. The vicious coldness in his eyes turned her stomach liquid.
“You want the boy?”
A sharp sting of fear lashed through her at his question. Trina swallowed, knowing it was a trap, but she couldn’t stop herself from answering. “Yes.”
“He’s yours.” He dropped his arm and shoved Drew, knocking him on his hands and knees.
Then he tossed the knife next to Drew’s hand.
Trina would’ve shot forward if Merrick hadn’t held her back. Of course she knew it was a trap, she just didn’t care.
As Drew scrambled to rise, he grabbed the knife, one hand to his throat to cover the wound that still sluggishly dribbled blood. He turned, backing away from the vampire.
The King leaned against the wall as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
Something wasn’t right.
“Kill the shifter.”
Drew spun around, his eyes widening comically as he took an unsteady step toward Merrick and lifted the blade.
His panicked gaze met hers. “I can’t stop.”
Trina’s attention flicked to the King to see him absently touch the worst of the scars. She’d taken away his most prized possession, so now he was going to take Merrick from her.
Terror swamped her, and she wanted to rage at the King. He’d taken everything from her once. She refused to let it happen again.
Trina stepped in front of Drew. She could save him if given the chance. “You exchanged blood with the vampire, but that doesn’t mean you’re his servant. You’re a strong witch. The magic won’t let you become enslaved.”
“How?” Drew continued to advance, his feet dragging as he tried to resist.
“Call up your magic.”
As soon as the air grew charged, Drew sucked in a startled breath and whimpered, his shoulders hunching. “It hurts.”
Trina wished she could help him but knew he had to do this himself. “You are not the same boy who screamed in fear at the sight of shifters when we first met. You survived the witches. You survived the human streets. You will survive the vampires, too, do you hear me?”
He nodded, but sweat already darkened his hairline.
When he continued to resist the command, the King ventured closer as if he’d never seen one of his puppets disobey before now. Merrick quickly countered the movement, protecting her back, and the two faced off. Though she was desperate to see what was happening, she was afraid to look away and lose Drew.
“I want you to go over to Eden and break that chain.”
“What?” His voice squeaked, his concentration wavering. A trickle of blood ran from his nose as he struggled for control. “But neither Merrick nor Dorian could release her.”
“You took vampire blood, the blood of a king. You can break his spell.”
Drew took a step to obey, and the King straightened, a frown on his face as if he no longer found it amusing to see Drew disobey. “Halt.”
Only Drew didn’t stop. He lifted a hand over his shoulder and flipped him off. Body hunched in pain, Drew shuffled forward and dropped down next to the chain. Dorian was immediately at his side.
“Go.” Merrick nudged Trina. “I’ll buy you time. The rest of you, find a way out.”
Before Trina could protest, the King moved in a blur of speed while Merrick was distracted. A brush of air was all she felt when Merrick vanished from her side.
The bodies collided with an audible thump, but neither man went down. The two leaders grappled in an even display of strength, their muscles shaking under the strain.
Somehow, she ended up on the wrong side of the fight, separated from the rest of the group. She pressed her back against the wall, inching along to get out of the way.
Until the wall behind her moved.
The damned door they were searching for was disguised by a thin stone veneer. No wonder they didn’t spot it. It was just like the one they’d entered through.
And someone was trying to get inside.
Trina eased away without a sound. As a vampire entered, one foot over the threshold, she threw her weight against the door. The man screamed when his skull became crushed between the slab of stone and the heavy wooden frame. He stuck his arm through the opening for better leverage and managed to free his head. But then the door slammed, firmly catching his arm. Despite her weight, he pull on his arm, the skin scraping from forearm to wrist, peeling off a thick strip of flesh.
If he managed to get free, he would easily overpower her.
Merrick must have seen her predicament and head-butted the King. The vampire’s grip lost its purchase, and Merrick slashed the King’s throat. Blood welled, but the vampire refused to relent, striking out with his boot.
Merrick stumbled but didn’t go down. Trina had seen enough. He would get himself killed trying to help her. “So help me, Merrick, if you don’t watch your own back better, I’ll come over there and kick your ass myself.”
Then Judith was there, her arms crossed, a little smile on her face as if enjoying Trina’s predicament. “Having some trouble?”
She was almost glad to see the she-wolf. The vampire had nearly freed his arm when Judith slammed her shoulder against the door. The vampire screamed, and they watched as his amputated fingers fell to the floor.
A roar rang in her ears, and she jerked her head up. Both of the men’s clothes were in tatters, blood staining the fabric. Each bled profusely, but they also healed amazingly fast.
As the shifters and witches gathered around the fight, the King seemed to realize that he was outnumbered and cut off from support. He hissed at her in some garbled words, vaulted ten feet to the balcony above and disappeared.
When Merrick crouched to follow, a slight burn of magic warned that if she lost sight of him, she’d never see him again. Trina threw her arms around his waist and clung to him with all the fear in her soul. “It would be suicide.”
“He’s injured. He’d be easy to track. I can stop him from coming after you again.” He easily untangled her arms, and panic crawled up her throat.
“It’s almost dark. The guards are waking, I can hear them scratching at the door. The chances are that you’d never reach him before they tore you apart. If you want to keep me safe, get us the hell out of here.”
Merrick wanted to rage at being denied. He almost ignored her pleas in favor of vengeance…until he scented her fear. It calmed Beast enough for him to realize she was right.
Now that the battle was fading from his mind, he heard fists pounding on the door. The assault reverberated through the room. “When I said find an exit, I meant one that didn’t have a hoard of vampires on the other side.”
Judith rolled her eyes. “So
me help here would be good.” She was losing the fight with the door. Inch by inch, her feet slid across the floor. An arm reached through and swung wildly in her direction. Without blinking, Judith pulled out her knife and pinned the arm to the door.
The vampire yelled and pulled. The knife sliced through flesh as he withdrew, and black blood dripped down the door. Trina ran over to a statue that was a few feet away and pushed. Merrick quickly joined her and the naked woman that had to weigh half a ton crashed to the floor in front of the door.
Judith rolled away then gazed up at them as she straightened. “This won’t hold them long. Whatever you’re going to do, you need to decide now.”
Drew spoke in a panic as if the order was directed at him. “I can’t break the magic.”
Dorian squeezed Drew’s shoulder then looked at Trina. “The magic doesn’t burn him, but he doesn’t have the training to unravel the spell. The magic is tainted somehow.” He held up his hands.
Both palms were blistered and weeping, angry red and blotchy white welts cover his fingers, the edges of the sores blackened. “I can’t guide him without touching the chain, and I’ve not yet been able to break the spell.”
Wood on the hatch behind them splintered but held. If they couldn’t open it, the vampires were going to tear it apart.
“Well, since I can’t work earth magic worth a darn, let me give this stuff a try.” Trina hurried to Drew’s side, and his relieved smile broke her heart.
They were running out of time.
Trina cast Drew a worried glance. His face was alarmingly pale, the strain to remain in control weakening him. She feared pushing him past his limits. If he lost his hold, he could go after Merrick again, and the others would do whatever it took to protect him, even if it meant killing Drew.
“If I can crack the magic, I need you to be ready to break the chain. It will hurt, and I’m not sure it will even work. Are you sure you want to try?” Her conscience wouldn’t allow her to risk the life of one person to save another, even if one of them was her sister.
Drew tightened his lips in determination. “It will work. Just tell me what you need done.”
“I’m going to use my blood to take care of the spell. Just be ready for my signal. The lack of magic should send the knife right through the delicate links.”
“Are we concerned about the blood in the air anymore?” The witch with the broken arm cast a nervous glance at Trina as if she were a walking time bomb that could go off at any minute.
Judith snorted and nodded to the half-mangled door. “They already know we’re here.”
Trina palmed her knife and sliced her hand quickly before she lost her nerve. And received a quick flash of pain for her trouble. Blood welled from the cut. Not giving herself a chance to question her logic, she grabbed the chain. Agony shot up her arm so strong she nearly lost her hold. Burning skin scorched the air.
By the time she was done, half the skin of her palm was gone. Her arms felt leaden as she threw her magic at the chain. A kaleidoscope of red and gold shimmered around the dark cloud. Instead of repelling it, they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. The combined magic settled into the golden chain, and she’d swear she heard the magic unlock with a click.
“Now!”
Drew didn’t hesitate and slashed down. The instant the blade connected, he screamed, a tormented sound that made the back of her throat ache.
Unable to bear it, she yanked him away, catching him in her arms when he tipped sideways. “Drew?”
In answer, he rolled over and heaved. Once the contents of his supper splattered to the floor, he collapsed.
“It might be better this way.” Eden removed the chain from around her ankle and tossed it away.
Trina glared at her sister, outraged at her callousness. “Don’t you dare.”
Dorian stepped forward. “She meant that he won’t have to fight the vampire’s pull while he’s unconscious.”
Trina was sure that was not what Eden intended at all but let it rest. She had more pressing concerns at the moment.
Dorian waved to the shifter behind her. “Carry him.”
She reluctantly released her hold on Drew and followed everyone to check on Merrick’s progress.
After so much magic, she expected to be drained. Instead, it gathered under her skin until her body felt too large. She was taking in too much, but at least her mangled palms were already healing. The sting of it was worse than the numbness of the burns.
Merrick tossed a granite bench the size of a couch against the wall with an effortlessness that made her want to just sit and stare. The door where they entered stayed stubbornly sealed, but the stone blocks next to it crumbled under the destructive force.
There was just enough room for them to wedge through.
“One team up front who can still fight. Judith and I will bring up the rear.”
“That would be me.” Eden stepped forward, her magic all but crackling in the air around her. Dorian drew his blades and followed behind her. The injured witch went next, Drew and the shifter then Judith. Trina scurried to catch up to the others then turned to watch Merrick fit his large frame through the too-small opening, scraping his shoulders in the process.
As they hurried through the passageway, Trina heard the door to the arboretum splinter. Fear for Merrick crawled over her skin, and she whirled. He shoved her around and pushed her forward. “Move your ass.”
They ran through the castle, soon scrambling down into the suffocating underground. They spilled into the circular room of the living crypt, and Trina’s heart pounded nearly out of her chest. The instant they entered, the scratching started up again, worse than ever. The tenants were more alert, sniffing the air.
Judith lifted her sword, studying the glint of light on the metal as she spoke. “We’ll never reach the surface before they catch us. We need to set up a defensive position here, where we’ll have more room to fight.”
Trina glanced around along with the others, but there was nothing in the room besides those damned coffins.
She rubbed her brow, a reckless plan forming that could get people killed. Merrick tipped her chin up. “You thought of something.”
“It’s risky.” More people gathered around her in a tight circle as they watched the entrances, exits and coffins.
Judith smile. “So far we have nothing. Speak.”
“Break the chains on the coffins.”
Eden snorted. “They would kill us before the other vampires had a chance to catch up with us. We’d be vampire kibble.”
Her sister’s criticism stung. Merrick looked ready to smack Eden as well. Trina ignored them both and spoke to Dorian. “Your witch said it herself. The insane will eat whatever they run across.”
“How do we get them not to follow us?”
Understanding flashed and Eden beat her to the answer. “A hell of a lot of magic. The starving vampires will seek the easiest route, the more ready food supply. Given their aversion to magic, we just need to put enough of it between us and them to make them think twice.”
“Even if we cast together, we still don’t have enough power to cover everyone, not with this quantity.” Dorian mentioned the only spoke in the plan.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Trina smiled at the irony. “I’m the scepter. Wield me.”
Chapter Thirty-one
“No.” Merrick would rather tear apart each vampire one by one than allow the witches to use Trina in that way. No one seemed to care that she’d only just come into her powers and was therefore vulnerable.
That it hurt her to do magic.
Trina looked determined despite the cost to her, and that pissed him off more.
“My magic is built to be used by others. What better way than to save our lives.” When Trina touched his arm, he nearly said to hell with everyone else. They deserved no less for their treatment of her. The only thing that stopped him was Trina.
She wouldn’t leave them behind.
Judi
th moved to the opening, widening her stance as sounds echoed from beyond her. They were in the tunnels. “If you’re going to do something, now would be the time.”
Merrick cupped Trina’s chin, tipping her head back. “It’s too dangerous.”
“So is facing off with a bunch of vampires. This is the better plan, and you know it.”
That didn’t mean he liked putting her in danger. “No blood or I call this off now. The vampires would be on you in seconds.”
Trina traced his jaw and relished the feel of him under hands, the slight stubble prickling her sensitive hands. It gave her the courage she needed, and she shoved him. “Go. Be safe for me.”
With a little growl, Merrick stalked off to help smash the caskets, barking orders as he went. “Don’t release them. Damage the coffins only enough to allow vampires to struggle free and move to the next. Watch your neighbor so you don’t inadvertently trap them behind the lines.”
The four shifters looked so inadequate, a sliver of doubt about her ability to perform magic eroded her confidence. But what she said to Merrick was true. This was their best bet if they wanted to survive.
Nothing could happen to Merrick.
She couldn’t survive another loss.
Trina stood behind Eden and Dorian, clenching and unclenching her hands. Drew, the shifter carrying him, and the injured witch had already fled down the tunnel. It was time. She took a deep breath and nodded. “When we give the word, release them.”
Judith cast a look of regret down the tunnel before she finally abandoned her station and walked to the nearest casket. She pulled back her sword like a baseball bat and waited.
“Are you sure you’re able to handle the influx of magic for that length of time?” Dorian asked the question, but they both knew that neither of them had a choice. If she failed, they would all suffer.
They might die, but she wouldn’t get off that easy.
“I’m just the mule. If you can do your part, I’ll do mine.” Their lack of confidence in her made her feel inadequate. And she wasn’t the only one at risk. Witches didn’t cast together as a rule. One wrong step could destroy their ability to use magic.
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