She pushed him forward, and he slowly stepped down toward the mass of vampires and other creatures cheering below.
“Remember – no one is to harm him. We’ll take him to the Otherkin leaders at the rendezvous point. Is this clear?” Though she had already warned them enough, one more time wouldn’t hurt.
The crowd grumbled in agreement. Mira really hadn’t expected more than that. She was asking so much of them. And, to their credit, the vampires were all restraining themselves better than she’d expected.
“And how do you propose we get there?” Tegan asked.
“We walk out the front door. We have their Magistrate,” Mira said. “And the Regent too.” She nodded at Lucian.
“We’re not walking the entire way,” Tegan scoffed.
“No, just to the city center to show them we have their leader. Then, we can steal some transports and make our way out in style.”
“Good, because for a second there I thought you forgot what time it was.”
Mira had forgotten, but didn’t want to let on. “No, of course not. We still have a few hours, but we do need to make a good show before we go.”
Stryker, standing at Lucian’s side, grabbed the former Regent’s arm and twisted it behind his back. “Ready to transport the prisoners.”
Lucian grunted in pain, turning an angry eye to the wolfman.
Stryker said nothing, all the while looking as if he were suppressing a smile. Mira was certain he was enjoying manhandling her human friend, but there was no time to worry about it now. They had more important things to deal with.
“Stick together, Move out. And remember... no unnecessary deaths!”
“As soon as we get outside, I’ll send word of our victory,” Stryker promised.
Chapter 11
Jay, the little bird shifter, flitted around them as they proudly emerged from the capitol building. Mira and Stryker took the lead, holding their prisoners for all the city to see. The rest of their band of vampires and shifters casually strolled behind them.
The capitol building might have been emptied of soldiers, but the streets were still alive with humans, thanks to all the sirens that had been going on for hours. To the humans, the sight of their leaders being escorted by savages must have been a truly horrific sight.
Shrieks and screams of fear accompanied many a human running in the opposite direction from their parade through the city streets, but no one tried to stop their march toward the city gate.
“Let our leaders know we are returning with the Magistrate,” Stryker said to the little brown bird. “We’ll take a transport to rendezvous with them shortly.”
Jay trilled something softly and disappeared into the sky.
“I have a working transport... we really don’t need to parade me through the streets.” Magistrate Mathias’s arrogance had not left him despite being a prisoner. He huffed and struggled to keep the pace. Mira doubted he’d ever walked this far in his life. Good. He could use a little exercise, the overstuffed pig.
“We’ll walk to the city center, to show the rest of the humans you are alive, well, and under our control,” she barked at him, shoving him a little harder to quicken his pace.
Though it was difficult, Mira tried to make eye contact with every human they passed by. She wanted them to see that rather than slaughter their leader, she and the rest of the vampires were peacefully walking away with him, driving home the subtle but very important message.
Most humans would not give her a second look, running scared the moment the mass of vampires came anywhere near them. One human, however, did meet her gaze.
Olivia Preston clip-clopped her way toward the parade, in her way-too-high heels, seemingly unafraid. “The prodigal vampire returns to wage war on the city. You always were a troublemaker.”
“And you always had less sense than you should,” Mira responded. “Walk away now, and I’ll leave you with your life. Which is far more than you deserve for the way you and your family treated me.”
“You want to complain of your treatment... do you know what you cost me?”
Mira’s ability to rein in her temper was at its limit. “Final warning.”
“You lost me everything! Your little stunt in the arena. You bankrupted me...my family...”
“What family? You’ve never worn a ring on that finger. Don’t pretend.”
“Details... what does it matter now? I’m ruined. My name is worthless.”
“At least you had something to lose.”
“You want me to deal with her?” George stepped in and put a calm hand on Mira’s trembling arm as the rage within her threatened to bubble over.
“No. I will. Hold him.” She pushed the Magistrate into George’s arms. “You.” She addressed her former owner. “Want to know what it is to truly lose it all? Fine.” Baring her teeth, she sank them into the hot flesh of Olivia’s neck. Oh, how she’d dreamed of this day! Fantasized about it for years. Draining the life out of that pampered princess. Feeling her limbs grow weak. Hearing the slowing thump of her heart as her blood pressure plummeted. A dream come true now that she had the fading human growing limp in her arms.
But death was simply too good a fate for her. Just as Olivia’s heart slowed and almost stilled, Mira pulled away. “Now you can truly know what it means to be on the bottom. To have lost it all.” She bit into her wrist and forced the bleeding wound over Olivia’s mouth. Though she was nearly unconscious, Olivia swallowed instinctively. Mira let her drink until strength came back into her limbs and she clung to Mira for support. Once Mira felt those polished nails digging into her skin, she dropped Olivia to the ground.
Wide unfocused eyes met hers. Olivia was beginning to change. Mira spat in her former owner’s face. “Now you’ll truly understand. May luck be on your side.” Mira looked back at the rest of her group, meeting each pair of questioning eyes with determination. “Leave Olivia here,” she ordered. “If she survives the night, she can fend off the handlers and soldiers alone.”
Awestruck, the other vampires looked at Mira as if they’d never truly seen her before. No one dared question her. At that moment, she knew she’d taken leadership of the group. She was the alpha now. She was their leader, their general, and had earned their respect.
“Remind me never to piss you off,” George said hesitantly. “Damn... you’re evil.... In the best way.”
“Evil is all about perspective. She got what was coming to her.” Mira took hold of the Magistrate again and led the march onward toward the city center. The last time she’d been in that place, they’d been nailing her down to a table as an offering to the sun, punishment of the worst kind for a vampire. Death by sunburn. This time, she was there to make a different example. She and her kind were no longer slaves.
“Gather round!” she called. When they reached the city center, Tables for burning vampires were still set out in the city square. A small shudder rolled its way down her back as she remembered the sensation of the wood at her back and the spikes in her wrist. Deep down she felt a little crazy, fighting for an end to this battle between human and Otherkin, but another more savage part of her wanted the same revenge her brethren did. So many atrocities had been visited upon her kind. So many needless deaths.
But more death was just not the answer, angry as she was about it all.
“You okay?” George placed a comforting hand on her back.
She didn’t mean to jump, but the unfamiliar gesture caught her off guard. “Fine. Just anticipating some resistance,” she lied.
None of the humans around were willing to show themselves, but Mira felt the weight of their scrutinizing eyes on her.
“We mean you no harm,” she called out to any who might hear. The audacity of her words gave her pause. How could she prove that when she was holding their leader captive? “You’ve been lied to all these years. People in power have deceived you. We are here to bring out the truth and forge a new peace.”
It all sounded good in her head. Even
her voice sounded sympathetic, a first for her, but still none of the humans lurking around were willing to come out.
Mira nudged the Magistrate forward. “Say something to them.”
He turned a cold eye on her. “You want me to speak for you? Are you mad?”
“Clearly... Just do it. Tell them to come; see we have not harmed you.”
“No. You want to win them over. Do it on your own.”
The desire to rip open his throat was more prevalent than ever. If not for his stench, she might have just given in and taken him. But that wouldn’t have helped their situation either. She was trying to show good will and effect change, not start an all-out bloody war.
Mira turned to Stryker. “Call in the transport. We’ll just have to skip the meet and greet.”
He nodded and whistled to his wolves. The two disappeared into the crowd of vampires.
In the eerie silence of waiting, Mira caught the quirk of Magistrate’s lip. If she didn’t know better, she’d have thought he was smiling, but that couldn’t be the case... or could it?
“What’s so amusing?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He was lying, and she knew it.
“Look to the shadows. Something isn’t right!” Mira ordered.
Lights flickered on around her. Beams of pure searing heat. She should have expected as much, but was not prepared for it. Shock rippled through the crowd. Vampires ducked and covered their eyes against the burn. The Magistrate took that moment to squirm from Mira’s grip, but she did not let him get far. His hefty body made for a perfect shield, at least from the front. She gripped him tightly with both hands, digging her nails into his puffy shoulders. “Not so fast.”
Moans and wails merged with a battle cry from an oncoming human hoard. Hundreds of men and women, all bearing the hammer and stake shield on their uniforms, ran into the mass like waves rushing upon the shore.
Lights flashed, blood splattered, and cries of pain broke through the shouting and were quickly silenced.
“Is this really what you want? Send as many men in as you can, Magistrate, we are immortal. Your lights will not last forever.” It was all Mira could do not to rip the man’s throat out herself, but she knew he was better for the cause alive than dead. That was the only reason she hadn’t already snapped his puffy neck.
Despite his precarious position, he let out a cackle. “Our lights will last well beyond dawn, and where will your vampires be then?”
“You think it’s only vampires out there for you to fear? I know you know better than that.” She was banking on it. “Look there.... You see that one doesn’t flinch from your lights. And there... and there...” She pointed to each wolf, hoping that three would be enough to satisfy his fears. He didn’t need to know they were the only ones she’d brought.
He remained silent, but the hard bob of his Adam’s apple as he gulped down fear told her all she needed to know.
“That’s what I thought.” She bent down and whispered slowly in his ear. “Otherkin aren’t afraid of the light.”
Mira had been so focused on the Magistrate she’d failed to notice someone coming up behind her. As the scent of human wafted to her nose, a heavy brick hit the backside of her head. Stars danced in her vision before the world began to spin. Holding on as best she could to reality, Mira fought the pull of unconsciousness. She couldn’t let the Magistrate get away. Tightening her grip, she dug her nails into his skin, breaking it and sending blood rushing to the surface to meet her fingers.
The Magistrate’s painful moan sounded as if it were coming from underwater.
Head aching and vision darkening, Mira turned to see who’d struck her. A hand cocked back, ready to strike, hovered above her. The human it belonged to was a stranger, but he had the determined look of a handler in his eyes.
“Drop him.” The order was loud, but the ringing in Mira’s ears made it hard for her to hear clearly.
“I’d rather kill him and you,” she slurred, fighting past the pain to stay in reality.
“Last warning, leech.”
She really despised that name, but if he wanted to play that way, she’d let him. Mira threw her head forward, smashing into the Magistrate. He fell unconscious from the blow, and Mira felt confident enough to drop his limp body for the moment. When she turned back to face her opponent, blaring light seared her skin.
“I’m sick of these damned lights!” she shouted. Too much pain had overwhelmed her senses, and she was beyond feeling. In the space of a heartbeat, she swiped the weapon away and pulled the man in close. “You people have pushed me too far...” All the years she had wanted to do this: take a handler and drain him slowly, painfully. Just the thought of it brought a smile to her face.
“Let me go... Drop me... Stop!” Fear killed the authority in the handler’s voice. Desperation filled his eyes, but Mira could no longer care. He wasn’t worth saving. He’d never live in peace with vampires... at least, that was her justification as she sank her teeth deep into his neck.
Never had blood tasted so sweet. She took her fill and then some, draining every last drop from the handler, siphoning what remained even after the poor bastard’s heart had stopped. This man represented everything she’d held in for thirty years, all of her aggression and all of her past grievances, and when she dropped his lifeless, used up body on the ground, a weight lifted from her shoulders.
There would be more, sure, but this one sated something deep within her that went beyond simple bloodlust.
Satisfied for the moment, Mira’s senses were sharp, aided by the fresh blood flowing through her. Below her, the Magistrate was not unconscious like he was pretending to be. The pattern of his breath was too anxious. Rapid uneven breaths; yet his eyes remained closed. Crafty bastard, what is he playing at now? Mira wondered.
Hairs on the back of her neck tingled. She felt the break of air near her, but before anything could strike, a male groaned behind her. She turned, meeting the brilliant fangs of Stryker as he held a handler one-armed up in the air. In his other hand was a UV torch.
“How do you like them?” Stryker asked before bludgeoning the handler with his own weapon. Stryker’s first hit dented the human’s skull with a sickening thud, and he was dead before the second hit landed.
“I could have taken him,” Mira said, watching Stryker toss the lifeless body to the ground.
“Just say thank you.”
She met his eyes, wondering what he meant by that. She could have taken the human easily enough. She’d have thanked him on her own, but hearing him practically demand it of her rubbed her the wrong way.
There was a smile behind those amber eyes, though, that helped disarm her. Mira felt a snarky smile of her own raising the corners of her mouth.
“Even warriors need someone to watch their backs.” Stryker’s tone softened.
“Yeah, right... thanks,” Mira said, and turned back toward the Magistrate, only to find that he’d managed to roll away and disappear into the crowd while her back had been turned. “Shit! He’s gone.”
“I’m on it.” Stryker dove into the crowd of brawling people.
Mira scanned from her position, hoping to catch a tiny glimpse of him, cursing herself for letting Stryker distract her from her duty. Another thought suddenly struck her. Where was Lucian? Surrounding her was a mass of bloody, writhing, fighting bodies. Even with her own enhanced senses, Mira had a hard time deciphering who was who. The only thing she could tell for sure was that handlers were wearing black.
“Mira.”
She heard her name being called out over the fray. Scanning the crowd again, she tried to spot the man searching for her.
“Mira!” The voice took on a frantic tone.
There, to her left. She saw Lucian. And behind him, the Magistrate had the blade of a short sword – her sword – at his neck.
Where and how he’d managed to grab it was a secondary thought. Getting to him before the Magistrate slit his throat was most important, and that was going
to be tricky.
Stryker had spotted him too, but just like a wolf, he was lying in wait for the right time to strike.
Mira met the Magistrate’s eyes, daring him to make a move.
The Magistrate, sword at Lucian’s throat, slowly backed away from the fighting hoard.
Using her eyes, Mira tried to communicate with Stryker, telling him to follow close but not to attack. She wasn’t sure he’d gotten the actual message, but Stryker slowly prowled through the fight towards the Magistrate.
More aware of her surroundings than she must have looked, Mira quickly side-stepped a blow from behind. Another handler, foolish enough to try her, met a quick end. Not wanting to waste any time or energy, she snapped his neck and dropped him to the ground.
The Magistrate was getting close to an alleyway nearby. He’d cleared the fight and still had Lucian by the neck. She stalked into the crowd after them, making quick work of any human that came across her path.
“You’ll never make it out alive if you harm him,” Mira warned, as she found the mouth of the alleyway. “Drop the weapon and let Lucian go. Don’t be a fool. You know I have you outnumbered here. Your handlers are all dead or dying now. How long do you think you’ll survive out there, on your own?”
He hesitated. It was merely a heartbeat, but that was long enough for Mira to strike. Using all the speed she could muster, she was on the bloated human before he could contemplate making a move. She gripped the hilt of the sword and simultaneously pulled it away and pushed Lucian down. With a spin, she disarmed the Magistrate and brought the hilt of the weapon down on his head, knocking him out for sure this time. “Stupid human.” She spat at his unconscious body, lying like a blob of putrid flesh on the ground.
“Hey!” Lucian’s enraged tone failed to garner the response he must have wanted, and when he put a hand on Mira, she almost took it off.
“Don’t leave my side again if you want to live. You hear me?”
“I don’t...”
“Your value at the moment is in information and directions. Don’t wander off in this mass of shit.” She waved behind her at the simmering battle still claiming its last few victims. “You can’t fight. You’re not Immortal. You’re as good as dead.” Mira hadn’t truly meant to insult, but her stress levels had reached a height she could hardly fathom. It was one thing for her to worry for her own life, but protecting others... that was a whole new game. One she was being forced to play.
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