“Look after them, okay?” She placed a hand upon his shoulder. He nodded as he looked at the ground. “Don’t forget if no one comes for you in three days’ time, take them to the place Dharean showed you. You will be safe there.” He nodded again. “Stay safe.” She turned and walked away from the vampire. It was time.
*
Dharean watched as his mate approached. She had closed her mind to both him and the vampire. He could only imagine the turmoil brewing inside of her.
Armin and the pups carried the cot with Taraema. Slowly he watched as they progressed until they disappeared in a copse of trees.
“She is troubled,” the vampire observed next to him. Dharean barely spared the blood drinker a glance. “We must do everything in our power not to upset her further. Remember our truce.” The vampire’s statement almost sounded like a warning.
Dharean turned to him slightly then, still watching the sway of Allantra’s hips as she came closer, and replied, “Do not bait me.” He took a deep breath before he continued, his voice low. “We must not falter, you and I.” The vampire didn’t respond.
Allantra reached them, her face blank of all emotion. Dharean knew she was trying to focus on what was coming and not the emotional upheaval of having to leave her mother. Or even the fact that the very crux of this war landed on her slim, beautiful shoulders.
“I’m ready.”
He knew she wasn’t. He could still feel the doubt within her. She didn’t feel she had enough control over her power and, truth be told, Dharean wasn’t sure either. But he trusted her. Trusted with that iron will of hers she would do what was necessary when need be.
Minn, Claudium, Masque, and the twins joined them. Each had a grim but determined look upon his or her face. Dharean could sense Masque was hiding something, but he couldn’t figure out what. If they survived this, he would get to the bottom of it.
“Let’s go over the plan one more time,” Dharean stated.
*
Khaelen listened intently as they went over the battle plan. Still his mind was on other things. Allantra. She had the look of complete concentration as Dharean went over the plan. Even though she blocked him, he could still feel her fear, her insecurity. And in spite of it all she didn’t back down, didn’t give up. It was one of the things he loved most about her.
And what if they were victorious? His gaze traveled to the Noir Brujo. Could he spend a lifetime sharing the woman he loved? He could never leave her, and he certainly couldn’t let the shifter have her. Yes, he would spend his life sharing this woman. His life without her would bring back the cold, the emptiness, the loneliness. It was but a small price to pay.
Khaelen sighed inward. Dominica was powerful, but so were they. It could be done. They would do it. Khaelen stepped forward and begin to fine-tune the details.
* * * *
Dominica stood at the opening of the caverns, allowing her grin of pleasure to surface. They were here hiding like the spineless slugs that they were. She could feel the entrance was warded with a trap of some sort. It was simple, yet … there was something about it that made it hard to crack. But she would, and every sniveling creature inside would die by her will.
She turned away from the cave, flipping the pages of her book with a seeming carelessness. This had to end soon. She was tired of playing with these fools. It was time she wiped them out, returned to the Civil Lands, and cleansed it of its foul blood. She snorted at the absurd thought of an integrated Council. That would never happen. Not while she was alive.
“Let’s see,” she muttered to herself. “What shall I send their way to keep them occupied while I work on this ward? She held the book in both hands as she mentally flipped the pages. “Ah.” She sighed with pleasure and stopped the pages from flipping. “Easy enough to do.”
A human lackey interrupted her thoughts. “Mistress, our scouts have seen the vampire rebels and the shifters headed this way.”
“Are you concerned?” Dominica queried, lifting an eyebrow in question. “Because I am not. When I become concerned, then so shall you, human.”
The human remained standing before her, saying nothing, and Dominica let out a huff of annoyance. “Now what?”
“My men and I are wondering when you shall bestow the Eternal Gift upon us. We have marched alongside you for days and you have not mentioned it.”
Dominica bit her lip in anger. Unfortunately she needed the damn humans about as collateral, food and allies until she conquered the Civil Lands. Then she would herd them like the cattle they were to be bred and dined upon. But right now she needed the skin sacks to urge other humans to fight for her cause. Domination of the Civil Lands. She couldn’t have given them a better purpose for their measly lives.
Never would she turn them. They were not worthy and, to be truthful, humans couldn’t be turned. It was a myth propagated by the vampires in order to entice the humans to serve them willingly. A willing slave could be trusted more than a forced one. “You know the rules. Once we are done here I will turn each and every one of you. I need you all to fight by my side. But first you must prove your worth. The gift I wish to bestow cannot be given lightly. You understand that, don’t you?”
“Yes, but if you could just give my men an example. Say, turn me, to show good faith.”
Ah, but here it was, human nature at its best: greed, selfishness. This human didn’t want her to turn him as an act of good faith. He wanted his prize. He wanted to rule over his fellow humans. He was already the walking dead; he just didn’t know it yet. Then an idea came to her. She snapped the book closed and turned her attention fully on the human.
“Go get your men, all of them. You are right; it is time I turned all of you. You would make much better fighters if you were no longer human. Your frail existence makes you a weakness to me. Go get them; it’s time you all got your Eternal Gift from me.”
As the human scurried away, Dominica laughed to herself. Indeed, she would give them an Eternal Gift. One that would make them definitely hard to kill.
Chapter Twenty-One
“What is she doing?” Allantra asked in a low voice as they watched the hundreds of humans gathered around the demented vampire.
“I don’t know, but it can’t be good,” Dharean answered. His tattoos had taken on a disturbing, but familiar, sensation. He concentrated hard, but she was somehow managing to block his probes.
Dharean kneeled on all fours and felt the ground. He could feel the impurity deep within. His land was being tainted with her evil. He could no longer abide that. Dharean closed his eyes and let his wizard senses take over.
Blood soaked into the ground. An animal bled. A sacrifice. Dharean concentrated on the blood following its path backward into the animal. It was alive, barely. He entered the mind of the beast and took over its senses. Trying to hear and understand what the beast heard.
The wards on his skin began to shift and roil. Indeed, it was a dark ritual. He saw many of the humans already had begun to stumble away from the circle. What was Dominica doing to them? Could he undo her evil? He wondered if he was too late. A roar split from his lips as his hands dived into the soil so powerfully his arms were immediately in the ground up to his elbows.
Allantra jumped from the sudden display of anger. Khaelen put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The other vampires stood motionless, watching with rapt attention. But Dharean paid no heed to any of them. His anger pulsed in the air.
*
From his lips words tumbled so fast and intricate it was hard for Allantra to understand him. The air around them began to heat. Just as quickly as the air heated, it cooled. Allantra watched in fascination as the tattoos on Dharean’s arms began to rearrange themselves.
“What’s happening?” Allantra whispered to Khaelen. He said nothing at first as he watched the wizard with grudging admiration.
They watched as power plowed through the earth toward Dominica and her league of humans. In seconds the ground exploded in the center of the cl
uster.
“At last, I believe, a little retribution,” Khaelen finally answered with a smile. No sooner had the words left Khaelen’s mouth than Dharean let loose a battle cry.
“Deal with that bitch!” Dharean yelled. “Everyone, get ready. It’s time.”
*
Dominica was violently thrown back by the unexpected blast that erupted from the ground. One side of her face was badly burned and skin hung loosely from her cheek. Her humans, not yet fully turned, fell to the ground. Now they were truly dead, unable to be turned, unable to fight in battle. She let out a cry of rage as she saw many of her other flunkies fall like flies around her.
She probed the area and it took but seconds to pick up the powerful signature of the shaman shifter. She could feel the presence of the other vampires. But the one that irritated her more than any other was Masque. She could feel him here, though he blocked her from his mind. The coward!
It was only a small victory for the shifters, indeed. For Dominica had what she needed. She had enough walking dead to keep the small group of rebels at bay while she broke the ward. Then she could kill every remaining pureblood shifter inside down to the smallest babe. There would be no trace of the vile species left, and Masque would be one of the dead.
“Kill them all,” she ordered them through stiff lips. The undead humans all seemed to turn in unison toward the group; then, en masse, they rushed forward.
*
“Shit.” Claudium uttered the one word for them all.
“I don’t understand. What are they?” Allantra looked at the advancing horde, wondering what she was missing.
“Ah, young one,” Minn said, stretching her limbs as she prepared to fight. Her hands ended in the claws of a badger. “They are an old nuisance. No one has performed this spell in hundreds of years, for it is dangerous to do so. They are the walking dead. Hard to kill, since they are already dead. My advice to you is, if you engage one, take the head from the body, or destroy its brain. If you don’t, they will keep coming, for they feel no pain.”
“And lucky for us,” Khaelen added, “they’re fresh so they have all their reflexes and fighting skills.”
“But they still die—” Braelius began.
“—like a human, no?” Draelius finished.
“Yes.” Claudium smiled as he watched Minn stretch.
“We can handle this,” Masque said quietly, his curved claws twitching in anticipation.
“Word of caution,” Minn said as the inhuman enemies got closer. “Don’t let them bite you. If you do, they will absorb some of your own power and use it against you.”
“This just gets better and better,” Allantra muttered.
“Remember the plan,” Dharean reminded them. “Allantra, Khaelen, we have work to do.”
*
A thin sheet of power separated them from Dominica. She taunted them from the other side that housed the entrance to the caverns. It had been a long time since Masque had seen his mate. She was still beautiful, but like a snake, very venomous. This is what his betrayal had wrought.
He watched as the three went to a small pocket of trees that protected them from getting ambushed from behind. They were determined to get behind the protective wall. Yes, well he knew the plan, but he had made an addendum that no one else knew about. Not even Dharean. It was time he paid for his betrayal. Masque diverted his attention to the enemy that came his way. His plans for now would have to wait.
*
“So this is it.” Allantra took a deep breath and tried not to look at the sadistic vampire on the other side trying to figure out a way to get to the shifters. Her once beautiful face scarred and bleeding, she seemed to take no heed of it. She held a book in her hand. The pages flipped madly as she searched for a counter to the ward.
“Little one, you will do well,” Khaelen assured her.
“Just stay focused. Trust Khaelen to keep you safe,” Dharean added as he looked Khaelen directly in the eye.
I do not need to tell you—
She is my heart. I will keep her safe.
Then we understand one another.
When it comes to her safety, we always will.
Dharean nodded in satisfaction as he took Allantra by the hand and led her closer to the transparent wall blocking them. “I know this will require much. Think of our allies and direct your energy to them. I will seek our allies first. I will take from you what I need so do not worry about me. Once I have secured our allies I will join all of you.”
Allantra pulled back her shoulders in determination. She could do this. She had to. Allantra kissed them both. “Let’s do this. Let’s get this asshole.” Both men smiled at her.
*
Khaelen looked to see Masque fighting several of the undead humans on his own. The Blood Twins were fighting several yards away from Masque. “I must jump into the fray.” Then he was gone.
Dharean looked at Allantra once more before he closed his eyes and fell to his knees. He concentrated until his spirit left his body and he traveled down deep into the earth. The deeper he went, the blacker it became. He kept his mind focused, trusting every one of his comrades to do their job.
Farther he went into the earth until he came upon hard surface and knew he was on top of the den of the Shadow Demons. He floated down into their nest. At first the feeding demons did not see him. But then a growl softly floated in the air amongst the sounds of bones breaking and screams from people being eaten alive. One demon floated toward him, its eyes glowing in anticipation. “I ssseee sssomething sssweet,” it whispered as it came closer to Dharean.
*
Blood poured down his chest. None of it, thankfully, was his. He popped in and out, making sure the undead couldn’t surround him and overwhelm him. He was the only thing keeping Dharean and Allantra safe. Allantra supplied them all with the necessary energy to fight so many. Dharean was looking for a way to not only stop Dominica from getting into the caverns, but getting the people out to fight. Neither of them told Allantra of the more dangerous part of the plan. She had much on her shoulders as it was. She didn’t need to worry. It was a tricky situation.
The undead kept coming, never stopping until his blade separated their heads from their bodies. He wanted to look around to see how others were faring but the undead gave him no respite. His blade separated two heads at once as he delivered a mighty swing.
*
Masque bled badly from his shoulder. One of the undead had managed to score him with its sharp nails. Without the ability to teleport like the vampires, he and Minn fought back to back, trying to diminish the amount of undead coming Khaelen’s way.
With Allantra feeding them so much energy he’d never felt so alive, so powerful in his life. He would fight until no one but his allies stood victorious. His sharp, curved claws sliced through a skull and he pulled the brain out and threw it to the ground. The body fell seconds later. Masque turned to see three others quickly heading his way.
*
Claudium and the Blood Twins went into a bloodlust as they fought. How long had it been since they were allowed to unleash their power?
While it was true Claudium’s power was useless against the dead, he knew his fighting skill more than made up for it. At times he was amazed at the almost choreographed violence of the twins. They worked as one. They had to win, though it was so few against so many. But as every warrior knew, the fight wasn’t over until the enemy was dead. Claudium swiped the legs out from under an undead. As it hit the ground, Claudium stomped the head into pieces until the brain oozed out almost like a liquid onto the ground. Smiling in satisfaction, he turned to his next opponent.
*
The strain was getting to her. Never had she experienced such a pull upon her energy. It was hard to focus with Dharean so still in front of her. Was he alive? Did the Shadow Demons somehow find a way to subdue him? What of Khaelen?
They had all agreed a mind link in this phase would prove too distracting, dangerous even. Her mind tri
ed to wander to her mother, and she struggled to keep focused. So many lives here and in the Civil Lands rested on how well she could keep up her end of the struggle. What if she failed?
She could feel her concentration slipping and the energy began to stagger and hiccup. Panic took hold as it seemed she was about to fail them all. Sweat poured down her back and the stone on her forehead seemed heavy. She was losing it! She was failing!
No! she screamed in her mind. But the reality of it was different. She doggedly tried to concentrate only to have her mind plagued with panic and insecurity. Her eyes flew open and she knew in that moment she had cut off every one of her team from much needed energy.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Dharean felt the flow of energy began to slacken; then it was gone. If he didn’t seal the deal with the Shadow Demons soon, he would be their next meal. Something unreadable crossed the face of the Shadow King. He had been down here long enough trying to persuade the king to send a league of his demons to the surface. They were a suspicious race.
“Are you not aware of what goes on above your domain?” Dharean added a note of surprise to his voice. He knew it would rankle the Shadow King. Dharean shrugged. “You are of no use to me, Shadow King, if you are not in control of your own domain.” Dharean turned then, knowing he had to leave as soon as possible.
This spell required much energy and while in the throes of a battle he didn’t have time to rest. He needed to get topside as quickly as possible. His heart pounded in sickening worry. Not for himself but for Allantra. What could have happened to her to make her falter? Did their lines fall so quickly? Was she hurt?
“Wait, Noir Brujo,” the king said, the words ending on a hiss. “Sssomething is troubling me.” Its dark, shadowy body floated ominously around Dharean’s shadow spirit. “You ssay there is much to feed upon topside.”
“There is.” Dharean waved the shadow away as if it were a nuisance. He had to go; his energy was draining fast. “See for yourself.”
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