“There's something coming through the fucking portal!” William shouted.
I spun on my heel and nearly collapsed in relief when Holden and Striker appeared, fully armed with weapons and ready to defend us. They were followed by Ripley, Ben and Nick.
“Guess what, Lott? The portal is a two-way highway,” Striker said casually, flicking a Philaris across the room to impale one of the vampires. He assessed the situation swiftly and issued orders to the others. “Holden, Ben, start evacuating our guys. Nick, Ripley, you're with me. Let's get these bastards pushed back, give ourselves some breathing room.”
Nick paused as he passed me, his grey eyes flashing with anger. “You've definitely earned that ass kicking this time, Lott. We'll talk when we get out of this mess.”
Matt already had Goren slumped over his shoulder and I wondered at the courage of my father, carrying the weight of the unconscious man against skin which had been so shockingly tortured. Ben took Goren from him and slipped back through the portal, yelling for us to hurry.
“Go, Charlotte! Get out of here!” Lucas shouted. “We'll return when you are safely back in Zaen.”
“Gwynn!”
William yelled at his wife and I spun on my heels to see Gwynn standing in front of Arawn. I watched in fascinated horror as Gwynn fisted her hand and suddenly shoved it into Arawn's chest. She manipulated her arm and withdrew it slowly.
She was holding Arawn's heart.
Time seemed to slow down as I watched Gwynn toss the heart into the roaring flames in the fireplace and then, with a tiny smirk on her lips, the petite redhead launched herself at Arawn, gripping his head and ripping it from his shoulders. Blood gushed from the opening where his head had once been, spraying across the room in a macabre splatter. Gwynn threw the head of the vampire into the fire, bursting into hysterical laughter even as blood flowed down her face.
“Gwynn!” Striker's voice was an angry roar as he battled two vampires who'd burst into the room. “Holden! Get her out of here now!”
Striker's anger and the sound of his voice seemed to break through Gwynn's apathy, reaching her as none of us had been able to. With a shake of her head, she smeared the blood across her face with her hand and ran to Arasinya, picking up the Fae woman and disappearing through the portal before anyone could react.
William spared me one pained glance, then limped across to the portal and slipped through.
Holden picked up Conal and I heard him yelling for us to run, but I was caught up, throwing orbs towards the vampires who were now pushing into the dungeon.
Holden ran through the portal with Conal still shouting and I stumbled backwards, fighting vampires who were getting ever closer to our position. I pulled Philaris and Katchet from my belt, throwing them haphazardly and kicked out at one vampire, my boot catching his chest and hurtling him backwards. Striker, Ripley and Nick fell back, lined up with me as we struggled to get back to the portal.
“Hold on to me! Everyone, quickly!” Gabrielle caught hold of my arms and I reached out to Nick, grabbing hold of his wrist. Striker and Ripley both gripped Gabrielle's arm with one hand, while continuing to fight the vampires with the other. I heard Gabrielle chanting and an eerie green light surrounded us, creating a glow in the dungeon. I didn't understand what was happening, until some of the vampires broke through the last blockade of spirits and pounced. Whatever Gabrielle was doing had created a shield and while she retained contact with us, it provided protection. The vampires slammed up against the barricade, but couldn't breach it. Together we launched through the portal, leaving Sfantu Drâghici behind.
Chapter 35: Craziest
We fell out of the portal, still clinging to one another and for the first time since I'd set out I felt the cold, vaguely comprehending the fact that we were laying in the snowy courtyard of Zaen. The portal closed and I caught sight of Epi creating a closing sigil, preventing anyone from coming through behind us.
The scene around us was chaotic, Jerome was directing triage teams and Conal was being carefully loaded onto a stretcher. William was sitting on the ground, holding Gwynn in his arms. Matt was being supported by a medic while Misaki clung desperately to his hands. Both Arasinya and Goren were being attended to, Tibor hovering anxiously beside them.
For a few seconds I lay stationary, Gabrielle's arms wrapped around me while I tried to absorb the surreal scene.
“You okay, Lottie?” Striker got to his feet and eyed me carefully, searching for injuries. I nodded, overwhelmed by the past few minutes and how close we'd gotten to being captured. With a brief nod, he turned away. “We'll talk later; I'm going to find my wife.”
Ripley and Nick got to their feet and Nick scowled down at me. “This isn't finished, Lottie, I'm so angry I could throttle you. What the hell where you thinking?” He brushed his fingers through his hair in frustration and when Ripley placed a hand on his shoulder, Nick shrugged him off angrily. For a moment he looked as if he was going to say more, then he shook his head and stomped off. Ripley offered me a weak smile, then he was nearly knocked off his feet as Acenith leapt into his arms, smothering him with frantic kisses.
Crowds of people were milling around, helping with the wounded, some assisting Gwynn and William to their feet and I jumped when Epi laid a warm hand on my shoulder.
“Child, are you all right?” Blinking rapidly, I sat up straighter, hoping the stomach-churning nausea would fade. I nodded at Epi, cringing inwardly in preparation for the verbal onslaught I expected.
He stunned me when he wrapped his arms tightly around me instead. “I should be angry with you,” he muttered gruffly, “but instead I'm so very proud, Child.” He pressed a kiss against my cheek.
“We wouldn't have made it without the guys,” I admitted.
Epi waved his hand in dismissal. “No matter. You got back safely, and retrieved our men.” He patted my arm. “I must confer with Tibor regarding Goren and Arasinya.” He rushed off, his boots sinking in the heavy snow.
I got to my feet, exhaustion beginning to tug at my body. I held a hand out to Gabrielle, helping her up from the ground. “Are you okay?”
Gabrielle grinned. “I'm fine. Nauseous from the portal, but otherwise…” She glanced around at the chaos surrounding us. “Guess we did it.”
I smiled softly. “Only just. And I couldn't have done it without you.” I pulled her into an impulsive hug. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome.” She inclined her head towards Conal, who was being carried away on a stretcher. “Go see how he is,” she suggested.
I nodded, taking off after Conal, who was being carried carefully by two men. I caught up with them and gazed down at Conal anxiously. He looked terrible, and I wondered if he could recover from the torture he'd been subjected to in Sfantu Drâghici.
Conal caught my hand in his, lifting my fingers to his lips to kiss. “Sugar, you are either the craziest woman I've ever met… or the bravest.”
“It's a tossup,” I grinned, despite my fear.
“Don't look so worried, Charlotte. I'm going to be fine,” he muttered. “Just fine.” His eyelids drooped and his head slumped to one side. I raised anxious eyes to the man at Conal's feet. They lowered the stretcher onto the snow and Jerome appeared, checking Conal's pulse, opening his eyes and waving a small torch over them.
“It's okay, Charlotte. We'll get him fixed up. He's just passed out,” Jerome said. “He's in a tremendous amount of pain, I'm amazed he's remained conscious throughout the ordeal.” Jerome squeezed my shoulder. “Let's get him inside the hospital, make him comfortable and start healing his injuries.”
I followed them into the hospital, filled with activity after our sudden return. Someone draped a warm blanket over my shoulders, and I was grateful for it. Another person pressed a cup of hot coffee into my hand, which I was even more grateful for.
William was lying on a hospital bed, drinking a bottle of blood whilst Marianne treated his burns with a Hjördis. Gwynn glanced in my direction, and offered me
a tiny smile. She was sitting on the bed beside William, wiping blood from her face with a damp towel, the crimson red creating a stark contrast against the white material. I had a flashback to what she'd done to Arawn and a trickle of unease crept up my spine. I would have to deal with what she'd done, but for now, I had more pressing issues to cope with. With a brief nod in her direction, I hurried to catch up with Conal.
Jerome directed the men to place Conal in an empty bed by the window, and I watched as they transferred him, taking great care to avoid causing him more pain.
Rowena met me at his bedside and wrapped me in a tight hug, her face pinched with worry. “Are you okay?”
I nodded, my eyes fixed on Conal while Jerome catalogued his injuries. “Can you check on my Dad?”
“They're bringing him in here now,” Jerome said, directing one of his staff to cut the remains of Conal's combat pants from his legs.
“Where are Goren and Arasinya?” I questioned. My mind whirled with a dozen thoughts at once, but they were fractured and chaotic and I couldn't pin anything down for long. “Arasinya says Goren was poisoned with lemon juice, we have to find a way of treating it.”
Jerome frowned and caught the eye of one of his staff, speaking to the young woman when she hurried over. “Goren and Arasinya are being brought in. See if Epi can give us guidance on how to deal with lemon poisoning in an Elf and pass the information on to Doctor Madison.” She hurried off towards the doorway and I turned my attention back to Conal. One of the nurses was placing an IV line on a pole beside the bed and Jerome located a vein, skillfully placing a needle into the back of Conal's hand. “Come over here, Lottie. You can hold his hand while we work,” Jerome murmured. “And for God's sake, sit down. You look exhausted.”
“I can't hold his hand,” I protested tiredly. “Archangelo broke his fingers.” I slumped into a chair Rowena found, leaning forward so I could watch Jerome work. Now that Conal's pants had been cut away, I could see where his legs had been broken. The skin on his right shin was red and inflamed, the lower leg swollen to more than twice its normal size. The left leg was worse, the vampires had snapped it midway up his thigh and the bone had broken through the skin and was oozing a hideous-smelling fluid. “We need x-rays in here,” Jerome snapped, “and we need to add intravenous antibiotics to the IV immediately.”
“Will he be okay?” I asked anxiously.
Jerome clenched his jaw as he surveyed the damage to Conal's legs. “I can't promise anything.”
Rowena knelt on the floor beside my chair, clasping my hands and we were joined by Ben, who stood behind me and gently massaged my shoulders. “Are you okay?” he said.
“Fine.” I watched Conal anxiously, willing him to wake up again. I didn't like him being unconscious like this, it was making me even more apprehensive. What if he died? What would I do without him?
“Charlotte, how on earth did you manage to get them home?” Rowena asked.
“We had assistance, the spirits dealt with a lot of the vampires.” Even now, they were gradually returning to my mind, their soft murmurs comforting. “And the cavalry arrived at the last minute and saved us.”
“You kept the spirits corporeal for all that time?” Rowena questioned.
I frowned. “It wasn't long. A couple of hours, I guess.”
“Charlotte, you've been gone for more than ten hours. I believe that's a new record.” Ben glanced towards the window, where dawn had broken across the horizon. “Archangelo?” he questioned, his voice barely audible as he gauged my reaction.
I shook my head, a tiny movement which spoke volumes. Already I'd had reports from the spirits, with Lucas confirming that Archangelo had regenerated. He was being treated for the multitude of wounds he'd suffered, but he would live to fight again.
Ben's fingers stilled on my shoulders for a minute, before he inhaled deeply, shaking his head and returned to his gentle ministrations. “Please don't frighten us like that again. We thought you were gone forever.”
“I probably would have been, if you guys hadn't turned up.” I assured him quietly, my gaze fixed on Conal. “I had no choice, Ben – I couldn't live without him.” I turned so I could see Ben's face. “How did you know you could come through the portal in the opposite direction?”
Ben glanced at Rowena and they exchanged a pointed glance, before Rowena spoke. “They didn't, Charlotte. It was a calculated risk.”
“And you let them?” I was incredulous, couldn't believe they'd stepped through the portal without knowing if they would even survive the trip.
“We needed you back, Charlotte,” Ben said. “Without you, the whole of Zaen is at risk.” He shrugged. “We should have gone with you in the first place.”
Rowena hugged me again. “Don't you ever do this again, Charlotte. You are not expendable to Ben, or to me. If I'd know what you planned to do—” She shivered. “I would never have let you go.”
There was a flurry of activity in the doorway and Matt walked in under his own volition, followed by men carrying stretchers with Goren and Arasinya. Doctor Madison followed close behind, deep in conversation with Epi and Tibor and I assumed they were discussing a way to counteract Goren's poisoning.
Matt saw me and winked, limping across the room to lean down and kiss me. Misaki was following him and I could see the immense gratitude in her eyes.
“I'm so proud of you, baby,” Matt whispered huskily. He looked shocking, he was pale, his face badly bruised, one eye swollen shut. Someone had thrown a blanket over his shoulders, but the horrible crisscross of burns and cuts on his chest were visible beneath the blanket. “You'd make an outstanding Marine.”
I grinned tiredly. “Thanks, Dad.”
Matt's eyes lit up. “You don't know how much I love it when you call me Dad.”
One of the nurses directed Matt toward another bed and Matt winked at me. “Better go get fixed up.” He paused for a moment, his eyes focused on mine. “What on earth possessed you three girls to come rescue us? It was so dangerous.”
“Isn't the Marine motto to never leave a man behind?” I questioned. “I couldn't leave you guys there.”
Matt pressed another kiss to my forehead, then inclined his head towards Conal. “He'll be okay, baby. He's tough. Quite possibly the toughest man I've ever met.”
I looked back at Conal, smiling wistfully. “I hope so.”
Matt patted my shoulder. “I gather you like the guy.”
I smiled at him. “Yeah, Dad. I like the guy.” I watched as the nurse caught Dad's arm, entreating him to come with her and then returned to watching Conal.
Nonny dashed into the room with Amoux, and they hurried across to where Conal lay.
“Will he be all right?” Amoux questioned, her black eyes brimming with tears for her son.
“I hope so, Amoux. We'll treat his injuries, heal the broken bones. My biggest concern is the infection, unfortunately the Hjördis can't treat it,” Jerome explained.
Amoux turned towards me, her expression filled with gratitude. I'd never had a lot to do with her and the nature of my role meant there was never time to get to know people. I had secretly wondered if Amoux resented me for my complicated relationship with Lucas and Conal. Tonight though, there was nothing but appreciation in her eyes. “Thank you, Charlotte. Thank you for bringing my son back.”
I inclined my head, the movement making my head ache violently. “You're welcome.”
“We thought all hope was lost when they voted against rescuing them,” Nonny added, eyeing Conal with both love and worry. “I knew you wouldn't accept their decision.”
“I couldn't,” I whispered.
“Charlotte?” I hadn't noticed Gwynn's presence until she stood in front of me, her brow furrowed and her eyes downcast. “I wanted to apologize.”
I shook my head tiredly, not prepared to handle the fallout of Gwynn's decisions tonight. “Not now, Gwynn.”
“It was the best thing to do,” Gwynn persisted. “The Consiliului has been redu
ced by one member. We're better off with Arawn dead.”
I heard Rowena's sharp intake of breath and Ben's hands again stilled on my shoulders. “Arawn is dead?” Ben asked.
“Yes.” Gwynn's attention never left my face, her expression determined. “Charlotte, I did what I thought was best—”
I'd had enough. My back was throbbing, my arm stung where the scalpel had sliced through the skin. I was exhausted and my head was thumping. I stood up, facing off against her. “Gwynn, you jeopardized us all! Not because you were doing what you thought was best, but because you wanted retribution against Arawn for what he did to you! Don't try and justify what you did. Instead of helping us, you decided revenge was more important.” I swayed on my feet, beyond furious at Gwynn for her actions. “Leave me alone, Gwynn. Just go away for now. I need some time away from you.”
Jerome glanced over at me, his expression filling with concern. “Ben, let's get Charlotte onto a bed. Did you sustain any other injuries besides that gash on your arm?”
I shrugged weakly. “I took an orb to my back. I'm okay.”
Rowena was horrified, lifting her hands to her mouth. “Charlotte! The baby—”
“It's okay, Rowena, honestly. I'll be fine, it wasn't even a full hit, it glanced off me.” The truth was I didn't feel fine. I couldn't seem to stop shaking and the ache in my back was getting progressively worse. My head pounded as though someone was smashing it with a sledgehammer.
Ben scooped me into his arms and Gwynn stepped out of his way when he threw her a stern look. “Into bed with you.” He walked across to an empty bed and Rowena pulled the covers back so Ben could lay me down.
Jerome bustled over, his brow furrowed. “Why the hell didn't you say something? Are you in pain?”
“A little,” I admitted. Laying my head against the soft clean pillow was a relief. I motioned towards Conal. “Help him, please?” I whispered. A portable x-ray machine was being set up over his legs and Amoux was standing by his side, brushing her fingers through his hair.
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