by Megan Duncan
I kneeled down, flipping over the body of the headless minion. My fingers searched through the pool of blood until I found what I was looking for. The stone was dripping with blood, and I lifted it up as I faced Rennek.
“Put this on,” I ordered. He lurched back, but the expression on my face kept him from moving again as I looped it around his head. The stone clanged again his armored chest.
“What?” He lifted the chain with the edge of his knife.
“I don’t have time to explain. Just listen, and trust me.” He nodded. “It might not be much, but this stone could help protect you against any other dark stone. I want you to seek out and kill anyone wearing them.”
“What do you want me to do with the stones of those I kill?” He asked, sounding like the warrior I’d always known. He had the experience to know that in a battle like this you didn’t ask why. If someone told you something was going to save you, then you just went with it. Wasting time asking for explanations would just get you killed.
“Give them to someone and have them do what I have asked you.”
“Yes, princess.”
He grasped my forearm tightly, and then darted back into the fray, fighting his way to the next hooded minion. I wasn’t sure if the stones would really work for him or not, but I hoped that my belief that they’d cancel each other out was true. I kept saying it was the wielder of the stone that mattered, maybe knowing we were in the midst of battle would make a difference. It would make them fight for us. If we could take down all of Baal’s minions, we could turn the tides of war.
Bennett found me as I fought my way toward the back of the room. He looked absolutely ghastly. He was shirtless, and his ivory skin was dripping was scarlet. But, what surprised me most were the two stones that dangled from his neck, resting in the crevice of his pec muscles.
“Claire!” he called my name as he slashed at a dark vampire who darted past him. I ran to join him, fighting my way to his side. “I’m up by twenty-four. You’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” he boasted, pressing his back to mine as he swung his fist into the face of a dark vampire. It staggered back only a step, before twirling to backhand him across the face.
With our backs pressed against each other, I leaned forward, allowing Bennett to lean awkwardly back and miss the attack with hardly an inch to spare. We locked arms and I anchored him as he rammed his feet into the dark vampire’s chest. Our strength added to the force he had put into his kick, sending it tumbling backward. The beast landed in a heap on one of the chandeliers. Before it could get up, a solider in Titan’s army landed on its chest, sinking a dagger into its head.
The guard whirled around and I recognized her as the ruby-haired fighter who had awed me with her skills. Our eyes met briefly and then she was swallowed up by the battle around her.
“Have you seen my parents?” I asked Bennett, as we both fended off blows from our own attackers.
“I saw Arrick and a bunch of big dudes fleeing with your mom,” he answered with a grunt, as a punch landed in his gut. He recovered quickly, kneeing the dark vampire in the abdomen, before finishing it off with an uppercut.
Relief washed through me with the knowledge that my mother was okay, but it was short lived. A fist colliding with the side of my skull brought me back to reality. The fight wasn’t over yet. I blocked the next swing then backhanded the dark vampire with enough force to knock a few teeth out. Sadly they weren’t the fangs.
Spitting at me, the dark vampire threw another swing. I blocked it, but it used that as an opportunity to latch onto me and spin me into a deadly embrace. Thick arms snaked around my throat. I thrashed around, feeling my windpipe buckle under its crushing strength. If I didn’t get out soon, I’d suffocate. Bennett was scrapping with a rather nasty dark vampire. Its arms were much longer, making its reach hard for him to avoid. He was trying to get to me, but I knew I’d have to save myself.
I continued to struggle, though I knew there was no way to wiggle my way out of this. I parted my legs to brace myself and attempted to launch the dark vampire over me and send him crashing to the floor. I heaved forward, but nothing happened. Despite my strength, the dark vampire was too big and too strong. Baal had sent much more formidable opponents this time around. Were we stronger than he thought, or was the first attack just a test of our strength?
Bennett managed to snag the bladed shield of a fallen Titan soldier, ramming it into the gut of his attacker. The dark vampire grunted, swaying back and forth before yanking the shield out of its stomach. It clattered noisily as blood gushed from the wound, but the dark vampire pushed forward, swinging its blade in wide arcs.
The arm around my throat tightened, and the world around me started to fade. I thrashed around harder, clawing at his arms. I even tried reaching for my scimitar that had dropped from my grasp, but I couldn’t grasp it. Not seeing any other options, I reached my thumb back as far as I could and shoved it into the dark vampire’s eye, doing my best to gouge it out.
I ignored the ooze as my thumb squished through his eyelid, smooshing it into a gooey mess. His hold on me released as he gripped his face. I crumbled to the ground, gasping for breath. I wanted to rub the throbbing ache at my throat, but it would have to wait till later. I needed to take out this beast while I had the chance. The shield that Bennett had tried to use to kill who he was fighting was still lying on the floor. I stretched, reaching for it with the tips of my fingers.
Closing my hand around severely sharp steel, I clutched one of the blades and dragged it toward me. The flesh of my palm sliced open like butter as fresh blood dripped from my grip. I hissed at the shock of the pain, but I kept pulling until it was close enough that I could reach the security of the handle on the back side.
Forcing myself up, I lifted the shield above me and brought it down into the dark vampire’s chest. It protruded like a giant metal shard, and he collapsed in a dead fall, dying instantly.
Knowing Bennett was still struggling; I pressed my foot on the opposite side of the fallen vampire’s chest and yanked the shield free. Bennett’s attacker was cornering him. Holding the shield in front of me, I ran at full speed, shoving the dark vampire off him. The shield clattered away as we both tumbled to the ground, but Bennett was quick to pick up my scimitar and ram it into its heart.
“That was close,” he commented, pulling my blade free and handing it to me as I lifted myself up.
“Too close.” I gave Bennett a brief hug, before pulling away. “I want you to go back to my room and protect Liz. I left some guards there, but I’d feel better if I knew you were there too. I know she would to.”
“I can’t, Claire,” he said, dodging a spear as it flew across the room.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not going to let you fight him alone.”
“I won’t. Now go!” I yelled, pointing toward the colossal doors of the throne room. I could see him struggling to obey. He and I had been through a lot together, and it had become like second nature to defend each other and fight side by side, but right now I needed him to defend those I cared about.
“Please, Bennett.”
“Fine,” he relented. “But, if something happens to you…”
“Nothing will happen to me.” I gave my friend another hug and then pushed him away. He gave me one sad look, before shoving his way through the throng.
Ducking, and darting behind bodies I snuck over to a far wall. The majority of the fighting was in the center of the room and I managed to make headway by traveling along the side of the throne room, making my way forward. At about three quarters of the way there, I spotted Titan’s mammoth frame atop the rostrum that held the thrones. My father’s throne still stood, but my mother’s had been knocked over.
The flurry of battle had broken away from the area Titan was fighting, giving him and his opponent room to battle. I wasn’t about to let him have all the fun.
Climbing up the side of the platform, I was finally free of the crowded skirmish behi
nd me. Pulling myself to my full height I saw that it wasn’t just Titan fighting Baal, but my father, too.
Baal’s bone-colored flesh seemed to glow in the fading light of the last chandelier. Dark veins pulsed under his skin, his muscles flexing as he shifted with the speed of a hummingbird. He brandished a deadly sword in each hand as he struck out against Titan and my father, blocking their every attack.
I stood back watching, waiting and calculating how I could step in and end this once and for all.
Steel cracked like lightning against steel. Baal dodged my father’s swing, as he swirled with the speed of a tornado, dragging his blades across my father’s back, deep enough to cut bone. He lurched in pain, his cry echoing in my mind with such severe intensity I felt I had cried out myself.
Baal had drawn first blood, but it would be his that would be the last to fall.
Titan advanced with renewed fury, knocking Baal back as he tried to block my father from further attacks. Blood was dripping down his back, making a puddle at his feet, but the look in his eyes told me he wasn’t giving up, even though the crippling pain was contorting his features.
Baal recovered from Titan’s onslaught, somersaulting backward to get some distance between them. Unwilling to allow him to escape once again, Titan gave chase only to be knocked away by a dark vampire who had been standing on the sidelines. It looked like a bull charging into Titan, smashing him against the wall and stealing the breath from his lungs with an audible grunt.
My father stood as best he could, curling his back like an old man and struggling to lift his sword as Baal rocketed toward him. The gashes on his back ripped further with his effort to stand his ground, but I knew he wouldn’t be able to move fast enough. Baal had death in his eyes and he was headed for my father.
With a scream ripping from my lungs, I shoved my father out of the way as Baal’s blade pierced my flesh. I staggered back in shock, looking down at the sword that was sticking out of my chest. Confusion seeped into my mind, and I wondered how it had gotten there.
I lifted my hand and pulled the sword free, dropping it to the floor. Hot blood poured down my chest, and the pain exploded in my senses. I wanted to cry out, but all I could do was let out a gurgle as blood dripped from my lips. I heard my father calling my name, and the sounds of battle slowly began to become clear.
I knew where I was.
I knew what had happened.
“Put pressure on the wound,” a voice ordered my father.
I saw his face hovering over me, and I wanted to smile at him but for some reason my face wouldn’t move. His eyes were panicked, fearful and full of agony.
“Why did you do that?”
“He was going to kill you,” I whispered to my father. It made perfect sense to me. If someone you loved was in danger, then you saved them. I winced as my father pressed harder against my wound, but I could feel the pool of blood growing around me. My time was running short.
“You bastard!” I heard the voice scream beside me, and I turned my head to see Titan fall to the ground. Ronon was swinging his deadly blades in a reckless attempt to avenge his father.
It all became suddenly clear to me that Baal couldn’t be destroyed in combat. He was too strong, too fast. There had to be another way.
My father watched helplessly, unwilling to leave my side as Ronon went rigid. Baal lowered his blade, and shoved him aside with disinterest as four hooded figures came into view. I swallowed back the curse in my mouth. If only Ronon had listened to me. If only he’d trusted me and worn one of the dark stones. I caught his gaze, and the memory of the sad boy sitting at his mother’s grave came into view.
Baal blocked my father’s blows as he fought to protect my broken body. The wound had been deep, but it was the blood loss that was truly weakening me. Without blood, my body healed much slower and that meant a much higher risk of dying from the injury. Baal must have sliced through a major artery. I could feel my life force draining out of me.
His claw-like hand reached for me, but was yanked back as my father pushed the tip of his sword into Baal’s side. He didn’t have the strength to push it in fully, but it had been enough to distract him. I rolled over, and over till I was falling off the side of the stage. Those who were fighting moved away as Baal jumped down before me. The injury my father had caused was already healing, and he smiled at me with a wicked grin as blood dripped from an almost invisible wound.
“It’s so nice to see you again,” he said, with eerie pleasantness. “Such a shame I have to kill such a pretty thing.”
“Get away from her!” several voices shouted from behind, as strong arms wrapped around me, dragging me away. I lifted my head up to see Arrick, Robin, Dmitry and Bennett standing defiantly against Baal. As happy as I was to see them, I was just as afraid. I didn’t want them to get hurt, they could still escape. They could run away.
Arrick tucked me in his arms, pressing his wrist against my lips. I bit into his delicate flesh without hesitation. Hot energy poured through me as I drank his lifeblood. I held back, not wanting to weaken him, and drank only enough to stop my wound from bleeding. It was still open, and fresh, but it no longer drained me. The taste of his blood was intoxicating and for an instant I felt my eyes gloss over as the urge to drink more tried to take hold. I forced it down, swallowing hard as my eyes skewered Baal.
I clutched onto Arrick, licking his wound closed as he pulled me up. I could feel his body shudder against me. I had controlled myself, but I had needed a lot of blood to heal myself even a little. Bennett stepped forward, but Baal didn’t give him a second glance as his minions leaped from the stage, landing in a tight group behind him. Their power hit my friends with incredible force, and even with the stones I was wearing I could feel its severity. Robin cried out, and Dmitry tried comforting her through his own groans of agony. Hearing her weeping was almost more than I could bear.
Arrick and Bennett were not as intensely affected, and I glanced over to see the stone dangling from Arrick’s neck. Hope washed through me. Bennett must have given him one. They weren’t completely impervious, but the brunt of the power was at least at bay.
For now.
My idea had worked, anyone could use the stones. I had been right all along. The souls trapped in them wanted revenge, and given the opportunity they’d work for whoever was standing against Baal.
At least a dozen more hooded figures entered the throne room, corralling the remaining soldiers with the power of their stones. I watched in horror as their faces twisted into horrifying grimaces. Rennek’s face caught my attention, I could see he was fighting it as best he could, but there were just too many. It terrified me to see how many stones Baal had created, how many lives he’d extinguished and souls he’d trapped.
Arrick and Bennett stepped in front of me, their feet moving like they were stuck in tar as they blocked me from Baal’s advance. I looked at them, then at my father who was pulling himself across the stadium to reach me. I wasn’t going to let anyone else get hurt trying to protect me.
“I see you’ve discovered another use for my stones,” Baal commented almost casually, his piercing eyes flicking across my two protectors. “At least you’re not all complete idiots.”
“Save it for someone who gives a crap,” Bennett growled. Baal raised his brows, amusement pulling at his features.
“I must applaud you all for your efforts.” He lifted his hands, offering a few weak claps for show. “I truly didn’t believe you’d convince my old friend to face me. And to think I thought I had to travel all the down to the old world to see him. Thanks for saving me the trip.”
Baal’s smile made my blood boil, and I pushed my way past Arrick and Bennett. I was afraid of him, afraid of standing up to him, but I was more terrified of what would happen if I didn’t.
“Claire,” Arrick tugged on my arm to pull me behind him, but I yanked it away.
“We’re full of surprises,” I taunted him. He smirked at my outburst. “How about you stop
hiding behind your beasts and your stones, and fight us like a real vampire!”
He snarled at me, flashing toward me as his claw-like hand rose to strike me down. I went rigid, waiting for the impact I knew was going to come but as I closed my eyes nothing happened. I peeled them open to find Arrick clenching onto Baal’s forearm with a death grip, blocking the blow. Bennett was shielding me with his arm, ready to shove me out of harm’s way.
I was ready to tell them to step down; that I would fight Baal on my own, but as I opened my mouth Baal ripped his arm from Arrick’s grip as the other collided with his skull, splattering fresh blood across my face. Arrick soared across the room, falling to the floor like a sack of rocks.
My heart lurched, and my knees buckled but I had to stand firm. I couldn’t back down. I might die tonight, no, I probably would die tonight, but at least I would go down standing up against Baal.
Bennett attempted to pick up where Arrick left off, but Baal knocked him away with a swift kick to his chest. The echoing sound of bones cracking made the hair on my neck stand on end. Bennett definitely had some broken ribs. I could hear his faint wheezing as Baal closed the gap between us.
“I’ve been waiting for tonight for a long time,” he said, his rancid breath burning my senses.
My hands curled into fists at my sides. I wanted to strike him, to dig my teeth into his neck and make him experience the centuries of pain he had caused.
“You might win tonight, but we’ll never give up. Ever.” I threw the words at him even though I knew nothing I said would have any effect. Baal was a heartless monster.
“I disagree,” he stepped forward, dragging his sharp nail across the flesh of my cheek causing a ribbon of scarlet to bubble to the surface. I bit my tongue to keep from flinching. I didn’t want him to see any kind of reaction from me; it would only give him satisfaction. “Your death will be the crushing blow, and the final seal on my victory. Three regions will fall and it’s all because of you.”