“Who trust you and look up to you.” Alec was really laying it on thick. His normal undertones of animosity were gone.
She had to suppress a laugh. “You’re joking, right?”
“They owe you allegiance.”
“They owe nothing to anybody. They’ve been paying for years. You want fighters, you ask them... nicely.” She wasn’t going to let him sweet talk her, and made damn sure to avoid eye contact with him to ensure there was no way he could meddle.
Michael stood and walked over to Mira. “We hoped you would act as a liaison. They know you. Come, join us here and let’s discuss.” He pointed to a vacant cushion on the ground near where he sat.
Mira wasn’t in the ‘sitting and chatting kum ba yah’ mood. She needed to make her point and move on. Standing firm in her spot, she addressed the group. “Why must we fight? Surely there’s a way to find peace without more bloodshed. Michael, was it not you who said that all you wanted was an end to the hostility between our two groups?”
Michael nodded. “Yes, but to end the hostility we must snip out the elements that are feeding the lies about our kind.”
“Don’t sugar coat. There is no ‘snipping’ here.” Emotion colored her voice more than she had wanted it to. “You are planning war. You know who fights wars? The grunts. People who have no real opinion but who are told when and where to fight for their leaders. Are you going to stand next to your warriors and risk death on the battlefield?”
“We’ll have no choice. By tomorrow they’ll seek us out.” Alec’s smile turned truly wicked. For the first time she saw what could only be the demon inside of the man.
Eyes wide with fear of the unknown, Mira was almost afraid to ask. “What have you done?”
“We’ve forced their hand.”
Roseanna, Alec’s Otherkin partner, opened her mouth to speak, but before the words could escape her lips, Alec hushed her with a look. Mira had noticed on quite a few occasions that the female had been all but mute in their gatherings; something she would have to focus on later. Alec’s revelation had a lump of fear forming in her chest.
“How exactly have you forced their hand?” she asked tentatively.
“Without power and water, humans cannot live. They’ll either flee their city or meet us head on to reclaim what they’ve lost. And we will be ready either way to take the city.”
Mira tried to force down the lump. They had riled up the humans, that was for sure. But had they considered the fallout? “You’ll not have your vampire warriors if they decided to fight you during the day.”
“Vampires can fight inside.” Alec pointed down to a map lying on the ground in the center of their circle. Next to that was a set of blueprints. Niko and Katerina were both busily poring over the layout, talking amongst themselves. They glanced up and nodded at Mira, and then immediately went back to the blueprints.
“As you have probably guessed, our shifters are plotting the best defense of the outside, while you and your kind will guard the inside. If the humans should meet us during daylight, they will still be defeated. “
Fighting indoors, in an enclosed environment. That was just asking for trouble; but if the sun was out, there was nothing else to do. What a terrible plan.
“And what of the Magistrate?” she asked, wondering what more terrible ideas they had in store.
Now it was Natasha’s turn to respond. “Don’t concern yourself with him. He’ll be given the same treatment that he gave to our kind. Justice will be dealt.” Fangs glistening with hunger, she looked more than eager to dole out that punishment.
“You mean revenge.” If anyone was going to exact revenge, it really should have been Mira and her vampire brethren. They had been the ones to suffer at his hands. But that was an argument for a different day.
“Call it what you will.”
“We’ll come back to that. His punishment should really be something public, and not just for the sake of my brothers in arms, but for the humans too.”
“You do what you do best – fight. Let the Council handle the important matters.”
It was all she could do to bite her tongue and not his head off for a comment like that. Of all the Otherkin, Alec rubbed her the wrong way most of all. She sensed the hatred was equal between them both. Unlikely allies for the present; but for how long, she wondered?
The Magistrate issue would have to be dealt with later, and she made a mental note to come back to it if they survived the next battle, but the war that was about to begin had to take precedence. “I will fight. Not for you, though,” she sneered at Alec, but made sure not to maintain eye contact. “And my kin will fight too... because you have forced their hand. They will do it for survival. I did not free them so they could be slaves to different masters.”
Natasha held up a perfectly manicured finger. “Ah, but Mira, they are fighting for their freedom. That is far from being forced to kill each other in the arena.”
“Only someone who has never been there would say that.” She doubted the pampered vampire had ever fought more than a bad hair day in her immortal life.
Sirens went off outside. A moment later, a loud blast shook the tent they were standing in.
“Well, you were right about one thing: they came looking,” Mira muttered, and turned for the exit.
Outside, sirens blared. The enemy was close. Scurrying people darted in and out of the camp, some frantically grasping at weapons and others looking as if they were hoping for a safe place to hide. An uneasy feeling tiptoed up Mira’s spine, settling at the base of her neck with a nagging ache. She took a deep breath. No matter what she wanted, peace was always one more battle away.
There was no time for moral objections. Mira sprinted down towards the tents her comrades had been assigned.
“Find a weapon, boys. Time for a fight,” she said, entering the tent with as much arrogant importance as she could muster.
“I’m assuming the sirens mean we have company.” George’s tone failed to hide the anguish behind his eyes.
“We’re not done fighting for our freedom. One last battle awaits.” Mira hated having to say the words. Lies, all lies. She knew she’d just traded in one master for another. But, in order to survive to fight the political battle another day, she had to muster her people to fight the physical battle this night.
Expecting to hear the groans and complaints from the weary warriors, she was shocked when one by one, those who were in the tent rose, ready to fight.
Her chest swelled with pride. Though no one said it, they respected her and would follow her into battle without question. She was their leader.
More vampires poured into the tent as the sirens continued, looking for answers and instructions. Mira gave the same speech to them.
All except Tegan. He scoffed at her request to take up arms. “I didn’t sign up for any of this.”
“None of us did. We’ve all been screwed. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“At least you admit it.”
“Much good it does. We still have to fight if we want to have our freedom.”
“Always one more fight...”
“Yeah. And whining about it like a baby doesn’t change that fact. Find whatever motivation you need – revenge, whatever – and get out there and defend this camp.”
A loud boom shook the ground, followed by painful cries. It was enough to snap both warriors to attention. Tegan picked up his weapon. “This isn’t over between us. I’m not your pawn, you hear me?”
“Never said you were. Fight me later. But now, we have a job to do. Get out there and fight as if your life depends on it... Because it just might. I’ll be right behind you.” She’d join the fight soon enough, but needed to find her humans first.
“Not good enough.” Tegan snatched her hand as she was leaving the tent. “You fight with us.”
“Release me. I’ll be there in a moment. I just need to check...”
“If you want these men to follow you to the grave, then show th
em what kind of leader you are.”
“Last warning. Release my arm before I pull yours from the socket and beat you bloody with it.”
“Let her go, man. We have a fight at our door.” George stood tall and closed in.
“I just want the human-lover to show us who is most important to her. I know she’s running off to check on that Elite.”
Mira snarled and threw her arm back, twisting out of Tegan’s grip. Before he could react, she pulled his arm up behind his back. “You know what’s important to me? Peace. I’m sick of fighting: you, humans, everyone! You want to be a petty little crybaby about this, then leave. No one wants you here. Otherwise, get out there and help us win this stupid war. I’ll be right there behind you all.”
Tegan grunted. Mira took that as his acquiescence and released him. She turned to George. “I promise, I’ll be right behind you. I just need to make sure Lucian is safe.”
“I understand. Go.” George, always level-headed; she knew he truly did understand.
Mira bolted out of the tent, but not before she heard Tegan’s grumble of “Human-lover” under his breath.
She made a mental note to make him pay for that comment later.
Though Lucian had been close behind her when she went to the command tent, she had not seen him since she’d gone inside.
There had to be at least a hundred tents in their encampment. He could be anywhere, even out fighting. Assuming, though, that he’d not gone too far, Mira headed back toward the command tent. Like the rush of flooding waters, everyone in the camp was heading out to meet the battle head on, but she fought the current.
Behind the command tent, two Otherkin stood guard over a smaller tent. Everyone else in the camp was rushing away; why weren’t they?
Intuition told her that she’d find him there, so she walked straight up to the taller of the two guards. “I need to go inside.”
“No, you don’t.” The male was confident, and he met Mira’s eyes with no sign of apprehension.
She wasn’t falling for that again.
“Your tricks don’t work on me, but mine will certainly work on you.” Mira cracked her knuckles and simultaneously licked her fangs.
A silent battle was being fought behind the Otherkin’s eyes. He quickly glanced to his partner, as if looking for help.
“Do you know how many I’ve fought and killed bare-handed in the arenas? I don’t want to, but if you don’t let me, I will kill you to get inside that tent.”
The soldier’s shoulders slumped. “We were given orders...” She could tell he didn’t want to fight but couldn’t disobey his masters either. She wondered if their mental tricks went as far as complete compulsion.
“I’m sorry,” she said with a sigh, and then threw a lightning-quick right cross, connecting with the guard’s jaw.”
His head snapped to the side and he dropped without so much as a groan. He’d be down for the count for a while, but she could still hear his heartbeat. He’d survive this.
Blinding light flashed in her face. She’d hardly heard the click of the UV torch being turned on, nor expected such a thing from her own kind. Hissing in pain, she swatted blindly at the light. “What the hell?”
“You are not authorized,” he said with far less conviction than someone in his position should have.
The light seared her skin and burned her eyes. No matter how many times she’d been punished with this in the past, she still had not developed an immunity to its sting. Hurt brought rage. Rage made her even more deadly. Squeezing her eyes shut against the pain, she tried to lunge forward, but before she could get far, something hard and heavy came down on the back of her head.
She dropped to the ground and instinctively rolled to the side to avoid another hit from whatever it was that had clubbed her. Ears ringing and a massive headache developing did not improve her mood. She hadn’t wanted to kill the guards before, but now this one was just asking for it. She’d enjoy his healing blood when this fight was over.
“Come no closer, vampire. You are not authorized.”
“You, sir, are a dead man,” Mira promised, pain urging her on.
She moved with lightning speed, diving at his ankles and knocking him off balance before he could aim another hit at her. The UV torch fell from his grasp and rolled away. He scrambled to get it, but she was already on him. Not even giving him a chance to say his last words, she dove at his neck. Hot, fresh blood soothed the aches and pains of her fresh wounds. Her ears stopped ringing almost immediately, but the headache would take a little longer to subside. Though she’d promised death, she left the soldier alive, though too weak to move. They all might want to paint her as a killer, but she was far from it.
Lucian sat just inside the tent, tied to a chair, next to the Magistrate. She’d expected as much for that pompous overfed Elite, but not for Lucian. He’d been promised sanctuary! She wondered about the fate of Curtis and Sarah. She hadn’t seen them since they’d parted ways in Caldera.
Before she could step further into the tent, another blast of searing light stole her vision.
“I had a feeling I’d see you in here sooner or later.” She couldn’t see him, but she knew the voice. Alec.
“You made a promise.” Mira’s rasped, pain stealing her voice.
“Yes, I did give my blood oath. But the thing is, you’re not a resident of Caldera. You are not one of my people, so... I’m afraid the promise is actually worthless.”
Her eyes twitched, struggling to stay open and still avoid the bright light.
“You see, I need assurances that you and your people will fight.”
“What do you think we’re doing, you bastard?”
“But you are here... go out now and fight. No harm will come to your human if you do.”
Every word out of his mouth was a lie. There was no way she was leaving her friend here with him now. “No harm will come to him no matter what I do.”
“That’s not entirely true. I have a blade at his throat right now. If you turn around and leave, I’ll not use it to slice open his throat. However, if you so much as take a step in the wrong direction, I will not hesitate to end him.”
“Then you’ll have broken your blood oath.”
“And I’ll have to kill you as well, so no one will know of my transgression.”
“Empty threat.”
“You think I can’t kill you?”
“Oh, I’m quite sure you can’t. But I’d love to see you try. Put down the weapons and let’s fight as nature intended, hand to hand and fang to... Well, whatever you have.”
Alec chuckled. “You assume I would fight fair. How sweet.”
Her first instinct was to use all of her supernatural speed and hope she could get to Alec before he sliced through Lucian’s throat, but doubt held her back. He’d anticipate something like that for sure.
It took all the strength she had inside to keep herself calm as she addressed the Otherkin leader. “Kill him, then.”
“What did you say?” The shock in his voice amused her. She only wished she could see the look on his face. If not for that damn light...
“Do it. He’s your guarantee that I’ll get my vampires to perform... so kill him. We’re done fighting other’s battles. And then I can have the pleasure of killing you.”
Alec lowered the UV torch, allowing Mira to see his hand clutching the knife at Lucian’s throat. “I think you’re bluffing. I know how much this one means to you. You’ll do anything to ensure his survival.”
“He’s human... for him, death is inevitable.”
“You love him. You’d turn him eventually.”
Love? Did she love him? That was such a foreign word to her. She cared for him. She could not imagine him not being part of her life, but was that love? Maybe. Again with those messy feelings. She didn’t have time for them to cloud her thoughts. “I’m not going to debate with you. Kill him or don’t, that’s your choice. I will not be commanded by the likes of you or anyone else anymore.
”
He hesitated for the briefest of seconds, but it was enough for Mira to spring into action. She was on Alec before he could take the deadly swipe with his blade. Grabbing him at the wrists, she snapped his arm back, crushing it in her hand. With the grace of a dancer, she spun the little man around, still keeping his knife hand in check, and drew it right up to his own carotid artery. “I never trusted you for one second.” She bent down close to his ear. “For the record... my people were already out fighting your war. You’d have known that if you were in the battle too, instead of cowering behind others.” She slit his throat cleanly and dropped the blade to the ground.
The once-proud Otherkin leader gurgled and groaned as the life drained from his body. All the while those hate-filled eyes stared up at her, condemning her for her actions, until the light finally left them.
When his body went still, she left him on the floor and used the knife to cut the ties around Lucian’s arms and legs.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Lucian said.
“Actually, I did. He would have never let there be peace. The others, maybe; but this one never showed any sympathy for outsiders... even my kind.”
“Thank you.”
She turned on him, rage coloring her words, angry for all the blood on her hands. “Don’t ever thank me for killing someone.”
Chapter 15
From one fight to the next, Mira rejoined her brothers in arms on the battlefield, a seemingly endless stream of displaced hanger and hatred ending only with the swing of her sword.
The battle raged all night. Not a single soul had escaped the fight. Signs of it were everywhere. Mira looked down at her hands. Blood and gore coated her sword, and her fingernails caked with dirt and grime. It was the arena all over again, just on a larger scale. Faces of all the humans she’d had to destroy added to the others already haunting her dreams.
“When will it end?” she screamed
As the sun began to lift over the horizon, Mira saw more than just her own horror: the utter devastation that is war.
The Otherkin were claiming it as a victory, but how could anyone celebrate such utterly pointless slaughter?
Revolution Page 10