“Wonderful,” Elizabeth said with a smile that was pure malice.
“Unfreeze the human.” Volod scowled at Lulu. “Now.”
“Yes, Volod.” Lulu hurried to touch Olivia.
Olivia rushed Volod.
The movement surprised everyone, including Volod.
“I owe you, you fanged piece of slime,” Olivia shouted as she tackled him. “For what you’ve done to my friends.” She hit him at the knees with momentum so hard that he should have been bowled over.
Instead, Volod grabbed her by her hair and jerked her up.
“Try to bite me without teeth.” Olivia slammed her fist into his jaw, snapping his head to the side. Unfortunately his teeth didn’t break.
He grabbed her to him in a rough, harsh movement, bringing her hard against his chest.
“Let go of me, scum.” Olivia kicked and fought, but she was no match for the incredible strength of a Master Vampire.
I lunged forward, trying to get to her, trying to help her. But the bar I was shackled to wouldn’t let me move.
Volod had Olivia pinned to him. In a blur of movement he lowered his face to her neck and bit.
Olivia shrieked. A moment later she went limp in Volod’s arms, just as the Doppler had in mine.
“No.” I sagged against my captors. The hopeless feeling inside me grew larger, heavier.
Volod raised his head and licked blood from his lips then ran his tongue over the two puncture wounds on Olivia’s neck. He tossed her aside, at Elizabeth’s feet.
Olivia landed on her backside. She looked dazed and incapable of speech.
I wanted to scream to cry … to rage … To kill Volod … To truly and finally wipe him out of existence.
Volod turned to me. “You are wondering, of course, how we knew of your coming and of your plans.” He glanced at the crowd of Vampires and Vampire paranorms surrounding all of the frozen paranorms. He made a come here motion with his fingers.
A Metamorph I recognized as Janet strode forward. I frˀforward.owned. It had never occurred to me that Volod had turned Metamorphs. But what did Janet have to do with this whole mess?
When Janet reached Volod, she turned and faced us.
And shifted.
Into John. The Tracker from upstate New York who had led the recon team. The one who had come up with this entire plan, including the timing. We had been set up perfectly by Volod.
We’d had a Metamorph in our midst and we hadn’t even known it. A Vampire-Metamorph.
The world was crumbling and I didn’t know how to stop it. Rodán was dead. Nadia, dead. Other Trackers, dead. Olivia, bitten. Trackers turned into Vampire paranorms. Me, a Vampire.
And now my people were frozen, surrounded by Vampires and Vampire paranorms.
“Yes, you took the bait, didn’t you,” Volod said, “and walked right into my trap with your meager force.”
I fought to keep from slumping with the weight of the feeling of defeat.
“What are you going to do, Nyx of the Night Trackers?” Volod smiled. “When all that you hold dear is being destroyed before your very eyes.”
THIRTY-NINE
I kept my head high, striving for bravado I didn’t feel. No matter how I puzzled it out, I couldn’t see a way to stop Volod.
“Bring up her family and the friends she holds most dear.” The glint in his eye was utterly evil. “I’m not even close to being finished yet.”
Chills rolled through me. He was going to kill my family and friends. There had to be something I could do. But what?
The Great Guardian.
What had she told me? That she was with me even in times where it seemed she wasn’t.
Nadia had just been killed in front of me. My friends were next. It sure didn’t seem like she was now.
Her power was available to me, she’d said. I needed to trust her.
It wasn’t just hard. This was impossible.
Maybe what I needed to do was ask.
Great Guardian, I need you now more than ever. I believe you, but help me to believe more.
“Let’s start with her friends the Manhattan Trackers.” Volod pointed to Desmond, Angel, Joshua, and Ice. “Those four … I know for a fact you work intimately with them.”
I swallowed hard as those I cared about were brought forward. There were just no words for any of this.
When the Sorcerer Desmond and the three Trackers were arranged in the front, Volod said, “Bring up the one who is her father and the one who is her brother.” He looked at me. “You killed my brother. Now you will watch yours die, along with your father.”
My mind churned, my stomach twisted. I thought I was going to throw up.
He must have seen everything written across my face. “Yes, bitch. I know all about you and the ones you care for.”
John—Janet—pointed toward the back row. Volod sent several of his Vampire paranorms to get them.
My father looked so regal and proud in his frozen glory. He stood straight and tall, his muscles clearly taut with what I knew to be suppressed violence.
Tristan, a kind soul but a powerful warrior, had his bow and arrow in hand. The diamond arrowhead glinted in the orange lightning that continued overhead.
When their rigid bodies were set next to me, Volod let his gaze slide over the other frozen paranorms.
“There.” He nodded in Colin’s direction. “The Dragon. I want him next.”
I caught my breath.
“Who do you choose to die first?” Volod said. “Your family, your friends, or your Dragon?”
I jerked against the cuffs. I tried to use my elemental powers again, put all my focus into my air magic to unlock the cuffs. I felt nothing. I felt naked without my powers.
And so helpless. I felt so helpless.
Colin was brought to the front and the sickness in my belly increased.
“Your Dragon will be next,” said Volod. “And I will keep them all frozen. Each will be completely aware of what is happening.”
Volod put his hands behind his back and swept his gaze again over the frozen paranorms. “I have no reason to have any of these unfrozen.”
I wanted to beg but I knew it would do no good. He’d enjoy hurting them even more.
He moved his gaze back to me. “I will kill them. All of your Trackers and your visitors from afar will die today. I already have all the Vampire paranorms and powers that I need.
“And I have no need of you except to watch you suffer through your last moments.”
One of the Vampire paranorms who had carried my father to the front said, “You told us we would feast tonight and turn many.”
“Shut up.” Volod narrowed his gaze at the one who had spoken. “You Vampire paranorms were created to serve me. There will be others. I want every one of these Trackers wiped out.”
“Don’t you understand?” I raised my voice to be heard over the wind as I spoke to the Vampire paranorms. “Volod will kill you all when he has finished using you. I have been turned, too, but I will not fight for his gain.”
“Shut up or I will have you frozen again,” Volod growled.
“Volod killed Rodán and Ӏd RodánMonique,” I shouted. “I was there when both were murdered.”
A rumble rose from the crowd.
“Freeze her!” Volod screamed to Lulu.
Lulu was wide-eyed, looking from Volod to me to the crowd.
The Vampire paranorm who had spoken up shouted, “I, too, saw Volod murder Rodán.”
Volod grabbed a sword from the Vampire Shifter next to him. He raised it and swung it at the outspoken Vampire paranorm. The being’s head flew out in front of the crowd and rolled to a stop.
Silence.
Then someone shouted, “You killed Mark.”
Another—then another—started yelling.
“You killed him!”
“You went back on your word!”
“Nyx is right.”
“Volod said they would be turned, not killed,” said
another.
“Volod has tried to fool us,” a Vampire paranorm growled. “We won’t stand for this.”
“What Volod is doing is wrong.” It was Leticia, the chief of the Paranorm Council. “Volod is going to slaughter all of these paranorms. We are seeing his true intentions here. Being a part of the murder of all of these helpless paranorms—this is not what we are or who we are. They are our brothers and sisters.”
“None of that is the truth,” Volod shouted, but beings in the crowd only yelled louder.
“Freeze them,” Volod ordered Lulu. “All of the rebellious ones.”
“Don’t do it,” someone yelled. “Unfreeze our brother paranorms instead.”
“Do what I instructed you to do, Lulu.” It was clear Volod was using his mental control over Lulu. I could see her shake and tremble and try to fight him off, but she mentally wasn’t strong enough. She wasn’t meant to be a fighter. Soothsayers in general were fragile compared to Trackers.
“Yes, Master,” she whispered.
Lulu stepped forward and raised her hands.
“Do it, Lulu,” Volod shouted. “Now!”
A wooden missile flew out from the crowd.
The stake buried itself in Lulu’s heart.
Volod took a step back in shock.
The guards holding me let go.
Shouts and gasps filled the air as all of my people were set free from the spell.
Immediately Colin was at my side, using Dragon fire to melt and disintegrate my cuffs and the spreader bar and cuffs at my ankles without touching my flesh.
“Get them!” Volod was shouting to his Vampires and Vampire paranorms. “Kill them all!”
Colin jerked me back by my arm with the others. We were trapped. A hundred and twenty of us surrounded by over 250 of Volod’s Vampires and Vampire paranorms.
Through a lifetime of training and from instinct, the Trackers and Dark Elves moved in sync. We put our backs to the center, now facing all Volod’s forces so that we were in huge circles within circles.
Someone shouted, “The paranorms and the paranorm Vampires are brothers. Death to the true Vampires!” Other voices joined in.
Cries and the sound of battle reigned as Vampires and Vampire paranorms started fighting each other. I saw Lawan, Gentry, and members of the former Paranorm Council attacking Vampires.
Armand’s magically enhanced voice shouted, “Kill all Vampires. Do not kill the Vampire paranorms.”
Our people didn’t hesitate. Heads were flying, bodies falling.
My attention had never fully left Volod and Elizabeth. “Christopher!” Volod was shouting. “Take me out of here. I’ll give you anything you have ever wanted. I’ll make you a leader.”
Christopher, an obviously traitorous Vampire paranorm, hurried to Volod’s side and grabbed his arm. Volod reached for Elizabeth’s hand.
“No way, you fanged bitch.” Olivia’s shout came from just feet away. In the next instant, Olivia was flying at Elizabeth, driving her to the ground before Volod could grasp her hand.
Elizabeth screamed and clawed at Olivia. But my friend and partner had the element of surprise.
Olivia raised her hand, a stake in her fist.
Elizabeth tried to shove her away, but Olivia had momentum and fearless determination on her side.
She drove the stake into Elizabeth’s heart.
“Take that, Vampire bitch,” Olivia growled. “Red looks good on you,” she added as small trails of blood leaked from around the stake.
“Get me out of here!” Volod screamed again.
I dove for my weapons belt and jerked a stake out. Just as the images of Volod and Christopher started to waver, I flung the stake.
It pierced Christopher in the heart.
They vanished.
“No!” I shouted.
“He can’t be far,” Colin said. “Christopher died. Volod would have fallen out of the transference.”
My neck burned where Volod had bitten me. “Yes. He’s near.” I picked up my weapons belt and slung it around my hips. “We have to find him.”
A battle raged around us. Paranorms worked side by side with Vampire paranorms to eliminate the Vampires.
“Where do we start?” A crawling sensation ran up and down my arms as a sense of urgency nearly overwhelmed me. “We have to get to Volod before he escapes.”
“Look.” Desmond came up beside me. He was studying the forest to the east of us. I followed his gaze and in the moonlight I saw a thin, silvery trail. “That’s it,” he said.
“A trail of bread crumbs?” I stared at the wispy rope of silver. “You’re sure?”
“Must be.” Desmond looked from the trail to me. “It’s the magical signature of a Fae being. Christopher was Fae.”
Colin took my hand and Desmond’s upper arm. In a blink we were standing in the forest, silver light floating like fog around our feet.
“It’s Christopher.” Desmond was kneeling beside a body. “Just as we thought, he’s dead.”
“Footprints.” Colin was studying the ground. He nodded to the east. “That way.”
Colin went ahead of me, then paused and came back. “Lost the trail. He’s got to be here somewhere, though.”
Desmond joined us. “Likely falling out of a transference wasn’t an easy thing to go through. He could be hurt.”
“If only we’re so lucky.” I would truly be surprised if Volod was actually injured. “We need to split up.” I said. Colin looked like he was going to argue, but I didn’t give him time. “If you come across him, just shout.”
The bite on my neck was burning even more. Volod couldn’t be far.
I called to my air and earth elements as I jogged through the trees. I sent out tentacles of magic, searching the forest ahead of me for Volod.
My magic wrapped around something so evil my stomach cramped. I stopped short. The evil vanished. Volod had raised a shield to hide himself from my magic.
I ducked around bushes and trees, searching. Ahead I heard footsteps. Without pause, I jumped up, grabbed a branch, and swung myself up into a tree. I silently ran along large branches and jumped from tree to tree while Volod’s shoes slapped against leaves.
I couldn’t call out to Colin and Desmond without alerting Volod. I’d let them know when the time was right.
In moments I was above him. He looked over his shoulder as if knowing someone or something was after him. I kept him in sight as I continued following him through the treetops.
My heart pounded. Blood thrummed in my veins. The Drow half of me thrived on the chase. The thrill of the hunt was on.
When I was directly over Volod he came to a stop. I paused, judging the distance from the tree to his head.
I crouched to jump.
Volod shot his gaze and his arm up.
And shot a bolt of power at me.
“Bitch!” His power slammed Ӏower slainto me with so much force I flew from the branch, back against the tree trunk.
I cried out from shock and pain. My chest burned from his magic.
Volod shot another burst of power from his hand.
I pulled a glamour and moved just in time to avoid getting hit.
Splinters flew from the tree trunk. Several buried themselves in my biceps, and one in my neck. I winced but held back a cry of pain.
Volod looked for me but my glamour was too strong.
He sniffed the air. “I can smell you. I can smell your blood.” His voice was low and dangerous. “I can feel you. You’re still mine to command, Nyx.”
I got to my feet and pulled out the splinters, gritting my teeth from the pain.
“Come out and play,” he said then shot a burst of his power in my direction.
I barely dodged it and barely maintained my glamour. I drew my sword. I’d have to come out of glamour to fight him, but I’d kill him. This time I’d do it right.
Sword in hand, I charged him. I let my glamour drop just as I raised my sword.
Volod threw up a
shield. I hit the shield hard and bounced off it, landing on my backside.
I vanished again behind a glamour. I’d play cat-and-mouse with him a little more. He’d have to drop that shield to try to harm me with his power.
Slowly I walked in a circle around him. He sniffed the night air and turned in the same direction I was moving.
“Avanna,” I murmured to cleanse myself of the blood. He was tracking me just by the smell.
I continued moving, but he paused. When I was behind him, I raised my sword and dropped my glamour.
“You’re dead,” I growled.
Volod whirled, his hand ready to send power at me as he dropped his shield.
I stepped into his space, swinging my sword.
His power hit my sword so hard that I lost my grip on it. It flew from my hands and clanged against a stone on the forest floor.
I grabbed a stake from my weapons belt and charged him, my arm raised with the stake in my fist.
Volod blocked me with one arm and sent his other fist into my gut.
Air whooshed out of my lungs. I stumbled back.
He dove for my sword and grabbed it before I could reach him.
Volod swung the sword at me. I ducked and somersaulted backward out of reach.
My breathing was coming harder now as adrenaline pumped through my body.
I clenched the stakӀched thee in my left fist. With my right I drew a dagger. I missed my Dragon-clawed daggers, but this would do.
Volod lunged for me with the sword. Instead of backing up, I tucked myself in a ball and somersaulted forward.
I felt the dangerous flash in my eyes as I came to a stop and shouted over the wind, “This is for Rodán!” I jabbed the dagger into his belly and opened it up.
Volod cried out, clearly in pain as he instinctively grabbed his belly. I surged up and slit his throat. “And that’s for Nadia.” Blood gushed from his wound and sprayed me.
“This is courtesy of me to you.” I rammed the dagger into his chest and impaled his heart, twisting the blade. “For everything you’ve done.”
Volod went instantly stiff. Then in what felt like slow motion, he rocked on his heels and fell to the forest floor, landing on his back.
I stood over him, staring down at the eyes that could no longer see the trees they were staring at. The cruel mouth that would no longer give orders that would destroy lives.
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