“It was the first question I asked the spirits. It won't hurt the baby,” I reassured him.
“What can we do to help?”
“Keep this from Epi. He'll have a cow.”
A flicker of a smile played across Ben's lips. “Yes, he certainly will. Regardless of that, however, is there anything else we can do to help?”
I shook my head. “A prayer might help.” I finished the sigils on Gabrielle's arms. “If I don't make it back, I want you to promise me someone will kill Archangelo.”
Ben's eyes were cold. “You have my word.”
Gabrielle was studying her arms. “It's like having lots of tattoos. What do they do?”
I pointed out individual sigils, listing them off with their strengths. “Unfortunately you don't have the ability to use the weapons, so they'll only help you defend yourself.”
Gabrielle smiled sweetly. “I have my own ways of attacking, Charlotte.”
Checking with Gwynn, I saw she was ready. “Grab some weapons, we need to go,” I announced.
I marked a pentagram on the floor, placing the sigils for Sfantu Drâghici in the corners. When it was complete I stood up, watching the portal glow and open, filling the armory with golden light.
Gwynn was encircled in Ripley and Acenith's arms saying goodbye and I smiled at Gabrielle, who was eyeing the Portal nervously. “I didn't like this the first time,” she announced apprehensively.
“It might not get any better,” I warned. “I've been using them for a while now, still make me sick as a dog.”
Ben grasped my shoulders and turned me to face him. “Be careful, Charlotte.”
I nodded, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I will.”
I hugged Acenith and Ripley in turn, then went to Misaki. She stepped forward, gripping her arms around my neck. “Bring him back, please,” she whispered against my ear.
“I'll do my best,” I reassured her. “I'll try and bring them all back.”
“Bring my new grand-baby back safely, too,” she said with a little smile. “He or she is going to be the most adored baby in the world.” She looked across at Ben with a gentle smile. “Not many babies are lucky enough to get a wonderful set of vampire grandparents.”
Ben smiled back gratefully, his eyes alight with warmth. “Thank you, Misaki. We would very much like to be considered grandparents to Charlotte's baby.
I turned to Gabrielle and Gwynn, who stood next to the glowing portal. “Let's go.”
Chapter 33: Broomsticks and Cauldrons
I decided portal travel was unquestionably worse now I was pregnant, as I rolled heavily onto the ground outside Sfantu Drâghici. Whether it was the portal itself, pregnancy hormones, or sheer white-knuckle panic about what we were going to attempt, I didn't know, but I felt sick as hell.
“Where are we?” Gabrielle asked curiously, drawing herself up from her knees.
“About a mile from Sfantu Drâghici. It's over there, across the rise,” I explained. “I couldn't risk arriving too close, in case they saw the glow from the portal.”
“That was a good idea,” Gwynn agreed. She was slipping Philaris and Katchet onto her belt and glanced around in the darkness, getting her bearings. “So what's this 'sort of' plan you mentioned to Acenith?”
“The only thing I could come up with on short notice – we're using the invisibility sigil. Keep ourselves hidden as much as possible, only deal with the vampires we have to deal with, until we can recover our men. Portal straight out again from where they're being held. The spirits tell me the invisibility sigil lasts for about twenty minutes, so we need to keep reapplying it, probably every fifteen minutes to be certain.”
Gwynn nodded, pursing her lips. “It's a very basic plan, but it sounds remotely feasible. I've only ever seen the invisibility sigil once; you'll have to show me again. Do you want me to take responsibility for marking Gabrielle's?”
I inclined my head. “I'll need to keep my focus on the spirits a lot of the time. Lucas says I need to keep them corporeal so they can attack ahead of us as much as possible.”
We headed in the direction of the fortress, keeping to the shadows of the tree line. As we approached the bridge leading across the river to the gates, I swallowed uneasily – even with the fearless sigil, it was intimidating to see vampires guarding the gates and standing at intervals along the top of the massive stone walls. There were dozens of them.
“Can they sense us?” I whispered to Gwynn as we crouched in the trees beside the bridge.
Gwynn raised her neck, sniffing the air around us. “We're downwind. They won't pick us up by scent. But we need to keep talking to a bare minimum as we get closer.”
“Seems we're expected,” Gabrielle whispered, eyeing the vampires as she spoke. “Are we going to take them all out?”
“Nice use of the vernacular,” I whispered with a grin. “What do you think, Gwynn?”
Gwynn shook her head, studying the gates. “We have to find another way. We can't just walk up to the gates and knock.”
“I'd heard this is a tourist destination,” Gabrielle hissed. She rubbed her arms and shivered. “Why would anyone want to come here? It gives me the creeps.”
I studied the layout of the walls, the number of vampires guarding them. There were eight in front the gates, standing across the entrance in two rows and others had positioned themselves every eight feet or so along the huge walls, for as far as I could see. “Gwynn's right. I don't think we can get rid of them all, it'll be too obvious if someone comes to check on them,” I admitted quietly. “We've got to find an alternative route into the fortress. Gwynn, your eyesight is better than mine – are they spaced evenly the whole way around the walls?” In the darkness it was hard to tell, but Gwynn's eyesight was a hundred times better than my own.
Gwynn studied the walls vigilantly. “Evenly spaced around the front half, so I suspect they're guarding the entire wall. There are two other entrances into Sfantu Drâghici, both of them involve climbing a sheer cliff face.”
“Shit.” I hated the thought of giving up before we'd even began and despair threatened to overwhelm me. I chewed my lip thoughtfully. “So we need invisibility sigils and a way of getting rid of the eight goons,” I announced quietly. “The gate's our only hope. Do you think the ones at the top of the walls can see the gate?”
Gwynn shook her head. “Not unless they lean over the ramparts and their focus will be further out, watching for anyone coming across the bridge.”
“Wonder how often they check on them?” I mused. “It would be helpful if we knew how soon they'll be missed.”
“Which is why you brought me,” Gabrielle said softly against my ear. “I'll get rid of them temporarily. Mark the sigils we need and then let me do my work.”
I raised an eyebrow, but did as she'd requested, marking the small sigil on her forearm, then on my own. Gwynn watched carefully and nodded. “Got it.” She marked her own arm and I inhaled a steadying breath.
“All right, Gabrielle. What's the plan?”
Gabrielle reached into a small bag she was carrying, draped across her body. She pulled out a small pot of powder, shaking a tiny amount onto the palm of her hand and began to chant in a low voice. “Hic mihi iam, secui yourseloso, thinkom of quispiam, vobis alonum, your postulo est necesse, quod must exsisto dono, when vos reverto, vos mos memor noone.”
She blew gently against the powder in her palm, and Gwynn and I watched in disbelief as the powder formed into a thin stream, drifting across the bridge towards the eight vampires on the gate. It floated along under their noses and we saw them move away from the gates simultaneously, leaving a gap between them in the center. “Go,” Gabrielle whispered. “It will last but a minute or two at most.”
We ran swiftly across the bridge, trying to keep our footsteps silent to avoid detection. I could hear the weapons jangling softly in my rucksack, but feared the pounding of my heart was louder. We rushed through the gateway and Gwynn drew us towards a darkened corner of
a building. “How did you do that?” I demanded in an undertone.
“It's a simple spell,” Gabrielle whispered. “I merely told them to think of something important they had to do, move away from the gate and to remember nothing.” She glanced back towards the gate and I followed her gaze, seeing the men drifting back into position, as though nothing had happened.
“Okay,” I whispered. “Glad I brought you.”
Gabrielle smiled widely and looked very pleased with herself. “What's next?”
I pointed towards the main stronghold, perched at the top of the rise. “Get in there.”
“Release us, Charlotte,” Lucas requested and I responded instantly, closing my eyes and bringing a dozen of the spirits onto the ground in front of us corporeally. Lucas smiled down at me, his eyes tender and I felt the familiar tug on my heart when I saw him. “Follow us, love. Stay close behind. We'll deal with anything in the streets.”
I whispered to Gwynn and Gabrielle and we began to work our way slowly along the street, our footsteps feather light against the cobblestones. We walked past the darkened shopfronts and reached the end of the building. Across the cobblestones, the door marked 'Administration' was guarded by three heavyset vampires.
Gwynn caught my arm and motioned towards an alleyway, inclining her head towards it.
Lucas nodded his approval and followed in the direction Gwynn was headed, she'd turned away from the main buildings and was creeping towards a set of double doors which were located at the end of the alley. These too, were heavily guarded and I frowned. “Is there another way?”
Gwynn stopped and thought for a moment. “There's a small doorway to the east of the stronghold. I'm not sure where it goes.”
“It's no good, Charlotte. Too close to the guards' quarters,” Lucas cautioned. “Follow me.”
“Lucas says it's too close to the guards' quarters,” I whispered to Gwynn. “But he has another way.”
Without comment, the two women followed as I walked behind Lucas. He guided us in the opposite direction, into another narrow alleyway beside the castle walls. We hardly dared to breathe, terrified someone would hear us and sound the alarm. “There. See that grating in the ground? It will take you to the floor below ground level.”
Gwynn touched my arm. “Another invisibility sigil.”
With a nod, I pulled the Hjördis from my pocket and marked my skin. When Gabrielle and Gwynn were both marked, Gwynn and I cautiously pulled the grate away and placed it down silently on the cobblestones. Lucas ordered Lyell and Galen to guard the entrance, before he and the other spirits jumped into the dark hole beneath the street. “All right, Charlotte. It's safe for you to come down.”
One by one, we dropped into the opening, vaulting lightly to the ground below. We found ourselves in a stone hallway, similar to the one which led into the Drâghici throne room. “Ask Lucas what level we're on,” Gwynn whispered.
“Two levels above the dungeons.”
Gwynn nodded when I passed on the information, and we set off again, walking cautiously in the oppressive silence. We came across a group of four vampires, rapidly dispatched by Lucas and the other spirits. I forced myself to retain concentration, to ensure the spirits remained corporeal. It was difficult when I was also trying to keep every sense heightened for others approaching.
Gwynn quickly established our exact location and we made our way down one flight of stairs, gradually working towards the center of the structure. I was confused as we walked through a myriad of similar hallways, with nothing to distinguish one from the other. Gabrielle walked by my side, her fingers in the small bag she carried and I wondered what other magic she could do. I found out soon enough, when we came across a large group of younglings. It would be too risky for the spirits to attack them and too noticeable for such a large crowd to disappear.
Gabrielle muttered beneath her breath, focused intently on the younglings, who were jostling and snapping at each other. “Vos auditus a sanus, commodo vado quod reprehendo upstarsus, suus in rofo, U hebto reprehendo thire, For ullus testimonium.”
Lucas nodded his approval as the group turned as one, and headed towards a stairwell, their faces blank.
“I told them they'd heard a noise on the roof. They've gone to check on it,” Gabrielle explained.
“How do you do that?” I questioned.
She winked and shrugged nonchalantly. “It's just a simple cauldron and broomstick thing.”
I grinned, turning my attention towards Lucas, who was motioning us forward. “Charlotte, hurry. You must be out of here before daylight breaks.”
Our progress was excruciatingly slow, despite Lucas's entreaties for swift action. The Drâghici appeared to be expecting a rescue attempt - the closer we got to the dungeons, the more guards obstructed our path. Lucas and the spirits were constantly working, killing two or three vampires at a time. The bigger groups were dispatched with a concerted effort by all of us. The bodies of those we'd killed remained where they'd fallen – there wasn't time to hide the bodies.
The nearer we got to the dungeons, the harder it was to get past the myriad of guards. A chill rippled up my spine when I heard groans and screams coming from in front of us. My concentration faltered and Lucas turned to me, his image wavering. “Keep focused, my love,” he urged me. “Don't lose us now.”
Gwynn gripped my hand and I realized her fingers were shaking as much as mine were. We continued to creep along the narrow hall, ominous with its rock walls and burning torches providing the only light. They cast eerie shadows on the rock surrounding us.
“We need another invisibility sigil,” Gwynn said quietly.
“Archangelo will sense you soon and we're close to Arasinya. Don't use another invisibility sigil now,” Mom urged.
“Wait. No more invisibility sigils, Archangelo will know we're here soon anyway and when we get to Arasinya, she'll need to be able to see us,” I murmured. Judging by the knots in my stomach, the fearless sigil wasn't working. A quick glance confirmed it had faded and I quickly drew a fresh one. I was calmer immediately and watched Gwynn replace hers, while I drew a new one on Gabrielle.
We tiptoed along the passage, getting closer to the excruciating sounds of torture. It was heartbreaking to hear and I blinked back tears, sending up a silent prayer for luck to be on our side.
“Arasinya is in this cell,” Lucas motioned towards a door on our left. “Get her out first.”
I studied the door while the spirits stood guard around us. It had a huge aged padlock on it and Gwynn stepped forward. “I can do this.”
She gripped the padlock between her hands and used preternatural strength to tear it open, breaking the heavy metal between her hands. Gwynn eased the broken remains from the latch and cautiously pushed the door open. The room was dim, lit only by a stub of candle sitting on the floor and I motioned to Gabrielle to hand me one of the torches. The smell in the room was vile, a combination of stale air, bodily fluids and the odor of an unwashed body. I raised the torch and saw a ghostly pale woman crouched in one corner, her aquamarine eyes wide with fear.
“Arasinya?” I took in her disheveled appearance with a quick inspection. Her clothing was filthy and ragged, her hair tangled and dirty. Her skin was bruised, the injuries standing out in stark contrast against the sickly pallor.
“Yes.” she whispered hoarsely, her throat sounding painfully sore.
“We're here to rescue you.”
Gabrielle and Gwynn stepped forward, helping Arasinya to her feet and supporting her weakened body between them.
Arasinya stumbled, her legs scarcely able to carry her weight. “Goren, my husband, he's been gravely injured,” she croaked. “They are holding him too.”
I nodded, peeking out of the doorway to see Lucas scanning the hallway. He smiled and beckoned us forward. “We're going to get him out.”
“You are the angel? Nememiah's Child?” Arasinya rasped, as Gabrielle and Gwynn gently urged her into motion.
“Yeah.”<
br />
I glanced back at Arasinya in the brighter light of the hall. She looked terrible, close to death, and I wondered just how badly she'd been tortured by the Drâghici.
“Charlotte, Archangelo will sense you at any moment. You've got to move quickly!” Lucas warned. “Don't try to break the lock, use an orb to smash the door down. It will bring the other vampires, but we'll hold them off until you can portal back to Zaen.”
“Stand back,” I cautioned Gabrielle and Gwynn. I drew a Katchet from my belt and grasped it in my right hand. With my left I threw an orb towards the door, watching it shatter the heavy wood. Dust and debris flew around us and as soon as the way was clear I rushed through the open doorway, trying to establish exactly what we were dealing with.
Two vampires rushed me, teeth bared and their eyes crazed. I couldn't throw a spirit orb, the force of it would throw them onto Matt, who was hanging from shackles against the wall. Instead I held up my hand, flexing it into a fist and the two vampires flew towards one another, their heads cracking together with an explosion of noise similar to a crack of thunder. Their bodies slumped to the floor and I grimaced as I heard more vampires heading towards the room we were in.
“I told you she would come,” Archangelo announced. He had his arm wrapped around William's neck, palm pressed against William's jaw. “One more step and I will rip his head from his body,” he warned coldly.
Lucas lunged but Archangelo increased the pressure on William's neck. “Tell your pet to back off. I can see him; I know what he's doing.”
Lucas came to a standstill, sending a worried look in my direction. He backed away from Archangelo and joined the other spirits who were preparing to battle the incoming vampires and keep them from entering the dungeon.
I glanced around the room, assessing the situation and questioning what I could do to prevent Archangelo from killing William. Gwynn and Gabrielle came in behind me, supporting Arasinya in their arms.
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