She’d fought the hulking vampire before. She knew she could take him, but there were too many others in the room. Out of the corner of her eye she caught the glint of light on metal, then came the click. Blinding light hit her square in the face. She wasn’t sure what hurt worse – the sting of the light, or the betrayal of her own people, using the weapons of their captors on vampire kind!
She ducked low and swept Tegan’s feet, hoping to knock him to the ground and maybe use his massive form as a shield, but before she could, others dove on top of her. Squirming as best she could, Mira wasn’t able to stop them from pinning her arms and legs. Shrieking like a banshee, she fought hard to move her limbs, but it was no use. There were too many on her, and that damned light was blocking her vision.
“Let’s take her to the prison and put her in her old cell.” Mira didn’t see Tegan’s face, but it was he who uttered the words.
It took four soldiers and Tegan to get her downstairs and into the prison level. She fought and squirmed and cursed the whole way. But as soon as she saw what awaited her, Mira’s voice fell silent.
George and Stryker were bent over a limp Lucian lying on the floor. Blood was in the air, and she knew exactly whom it belonged too.
Tegan pressed a few buttons on the keypad to her cell. She listened to the pattern, remembering the sounds she’d heard so many times.
Once the door was open, Tegan threw Mira hard onto the concrete floor in the cell. She almost trampled the others as she came crashing down.
“How could you turn your back on your people?” Mira shrieked after Tegan.
He turned around and faced her. “You betrayed us by being a human-lover. How many years have we been forced into killing our own kind? How much blood is on your hands? It’s time for payback. Time to show the humans why we’re the top of the food chain.”
“What then? Killing, killing, and more killing? When does it end?”
“When the humans are dead.”
“We were human once, Tegan.”
“Well, we aren’t anymore.”
“Exactly. People can change.”
“Spare me.”
“Spare them. Teach them rather than kill them. Nothing good will come from mass extermination in the name of revenge.”
“When did you become a peacekeeper?”
“I’m sick of killing, Tegan. Peace means no more killing. That’s all I want, an end to violence. I’ve had my fill, and so have you. Look deep inside. Do you really want to continue blindly killing for whatever master you serve?”
“I serve no one!”
“Really? Then why are you at the Council’s beck and call?”
“Our desires are aligned at the moment.”
“And when they’re not, what then? You’ll end up in a cell just like me, just like when the humans turned on our kind years ago.”
“Stop it. I don’t need to listen to any of your nonsense. I have a fight coming up.” Tegan turned his back on her and left with the rest of the soldiers.
Chapter 18
Mira wasn’t sure if her message had sunk in, but she hoped that deep down, she’d been able to plant the seed of truth.
Lucian’s weak groan brought her focus back to him. In the cramped cell there was hardly room to move, but Mira turned on the men, careful not to step on them, and looked with horror at her friend laying limply in George’s arms. So many thoughts and feelings were swarming around inside of her. The sight of Lucian, pale and weak, lying in George’s lap brought tears to her eyes. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d actually cried. “Will he be okay?” The question came out before she’d decided whether she wanted to know the answer.
“Yes.” George held fast to Lucian’s trembling body. “He’s in shock, but he’s healing.”
“What?” Mira’s heart skipped a beat.
“Natasha thought it would motivate you, so she stabbed him and left him here in the cell with us.”
“She wanted me to turn him,” Mira said. “That’s all the Council has wanted since the moment I brought the humans to them. Well, she’s not getting that from me, but what she will get is payment on the blood oath she gave regarding his safety.”
“Yeah. Stryker said you didn’t want him turned.” George’s calm tone was reassuring. “He’ll be fine. He didn’t bleed out too badly before I got to him. I’ve given him small sips here and there to heal, but he won’t turn.”
Relief sent more tears streaming down her face.
She knelt down and pulled Lucian into her lap. Brushing away the hair sticking to his forehead, she found his eyes. Half-closed and unfocused, she could see he was trying to fight the fatigue of blood loss. “Sorry,” she whispered in his ear. “I never thought it would come to this.”
“Guess I should have let you deal with Niko in the streets,” Stryker said. He did not meet her eyes, hanging his head low with shame. “I had no idea this was their plan.”
“No. You’re right. They need to be dealt with in private. The humans, or what remains of them, don’t need to see us all fighting amongst ourselves. They needed to see level heads and a willingness to discuss things. Not savagery!”
“I never thought them possible of such deceit.” Stryker was beside himself with emotion. He looked as if he wanted to pummel the very ground to release his pent-up aggression. “They’ve gone mad with power. The Council has gone too far.”
“The only thing we can do now is eliminate them. Stop the madness ourselves.”
“But I thought you were done with all the killing and war.” Stryker’s tone lacked the sarcasm his words should have held.
A growl rumbled up Mira’s throat as she looked down on Lucian’s ghostly white face. The human was weak, but she could hear his heartbeat. He’d live. “Fighting is my lot in life, it seems.” She’d make them pay first, and then eliminate them.
“Well, no one will be fighting in here,” George pointed out.
“Then we’ll get out.” Mira turned and smiled.
“You performed one magic trick, escaping that first time... however will you manage it again?” George asked.
Stryker looked on at her with confusion.
“Five digits... when I was imprisoned here it was ten. Tegan is not so smart if he thinks I don’t remember keytones. How many years have I been listening to them?” She smirked and reached her hand through the bars. The silver stung her skin, but she wasn’t about to let that stop her. The keypad was awkwardly positioned. She had never tried to enter the keys herself. The tones she knew well enough, but the placement of the keys was difficult for her fingers to press. She hit a few buttons at random, noting the sounds and listening for a response to incorrect entries. She’d hoped for something, any indication, that an entry was accepted or rejected, but she heard nothing.
“Lucian... wake up.” Mira bent down and gently shook him. “What can you tell me about the locks?”
He groaned, but his eyes refused to open.
“Five digits should be easy enough,” she mumbled, trying to recall the tone she’d heard. “But if I enter it wrong, what will happen?” Reaching her hand through the bars again, she tried to duplicate the tone. Nothing. No soft click of the bars unlocking nor any harsh beeps of rejection. “Is there something else that I’m missing?”
George looked down at Lucian. His breathing was too shallow for consciousness. “He’s probably going to be out for a while.”
“Give him more blood!” Desperation sharpened her tone.
“I can’t give him too much. You know what would happen.”
George was right. Mira remembered the botched transformation she’d been a test subject on. The painful howls of the human they were experimenting on were almost too much to hear. She couldn’t do that to Lucian. Too much blood at this point would poison his body rather than heal it.
She said a silent prayer to her gods and tried again. This time she felt around the keypad before pressing the buttons. Four rows of square keys, three keys acros
s, except for the bottom row which only had two. But one was longer than the other. An enter key, maybe? Mira took a deep breath and tried the tones again, this time finishing off with the longer key.
The locks shifted, she heard the soft click she’d been longing to hear and the door slid open.
“Let me never doubt you again,” George smiled.
“We need to get out of here and get reinforcements.” Mira looked to Stryker. “Can I trust you?”
For a moment, he looked hurt, but he did not say anything to confirm it. She hadn’t meant to insult him, but so many had betrayed her trust in the last two days, it was almost an involuntary question now. To his credit, Stryker simply nodded. “Lead the way.”
“George, stay with Lucian and protect him. I’m putting an end to this bloody war!”
“Do what you have to do.” George winked at Mira. “I’ll take good care of him for you.” Of that Mira had no doubt. She never needed to question George’s loyalties.
Chapter 19
She wished she had Lucian with her as she and Stryker made their way again through the maze of cells, corridors, and winding staircases. Even after their recent escape and rescue, she still found herself getting turned around at almost every corridor.
Stryker kept quiet as they ran. She wondered if she’d insulted him with her earlier question of trust.
She hadn’t meant it. She did trust him. He’d become her friend. And maybe more than that... though she wasn’t sure if she was ready to admit it.
“Sorry for what I said back there.”
“No need to apologize. My people have wronged you just as much as the humans. I wouldn’t trust me either.”
“But I do,” she said, and truly meant it. “I know you’re trustworthy.”
“I’m honored. I will not break that trust like my people have. I give you my blood oath on it.”
Those Otherkin and their blood oaths! It was a dangerous thing to make one to Mira; she was not hesitant about collecting. Though there was no worry she’d have to do that with Stryker. “And you have mine.” Before things got too touchy feely, Mira rounded a corner and finally found a doorway she recognized. “Now let’s go take down the Council.”
“Do you have a plan?” Stryker cautiously asked.
Through the doors, Mira recognized the smell of the arena. They had to be just below it, near the stables. All she needed to find now was the elevators to take her up to the Elite box.
“No.” Not unless ripping a few throats out counts. “I’m winging it.”
They entered the stables, and Mira walked straight to the weapons room. Normally it was guarded by handlers, but since they’d been taken out, the weapons supply was all hers to plunder. She grabbed an old favorite sword and pointed Stryker to the wall of weapons.
“Take what you need.”
His eyes lit with childhood excitement at the sight of all the weapons. “I’m more of a hand to hand guy, but I won’t say no to a few of these.” He pulled a set of throwing knives from a shelf and pocketed them.
“Five Council members left, and two of us. Should be an easy fight.” Stryker’s tone was fairly calm, given what he was proposing.
Mira, however, burned with rage. Behind the weapons room was a door Mira had never ventured through. Given that it was used by the humans only, she expected more tunnels and mazes, but found something so much better. An elevator.
Luck was on their side for a change, and Mira felt a small bit of hope rising through the anger and rage as they made their way toward the elevators and up to the Elites’ box.
Inside, the Council – what remained of them – would be sitting, enjoying the show as vampires were massacring humans in the arena below.
“I have you covered. Just point me at someone you want taken down.” The humor behind his words failed to lighten her mood.
“Be prepared to kill. Unless you take issue with the death of your leaders.”
“They ceased to be my leaders when they turned on me.”
Confusion creased her brow.
“Mira, you’re one of us. The fact that you were incarcerated for most of your immortal life does not change that fact. The Council swore to protect us. Burning with light weapons, caging behind metal bars, these are things that humans do. They’ve turned on you... and me. Now, their actions condemn us all. They’re not my leaders anymore.”
Sweet as his words were, Mira had no time for sentimentality. “Good. Then be prepared to remove them from power, by whatever means possible.”
Rage overtook her desire for peace, and her mouth watered at the prospect of tasting more Otherkin blood.
Guards were posted at the entrance to the Elite box. Two of them, and from the sound of footsteps in the hall, there were another couple on patrol.
She sized up the stationary males. Not vampires by the looks of them; their skin was too dark. They might be shifters, ones who were out in the sun quite a bit, by the looks of it. Tanned skin, toned muscles. They’d be quick, and probably strong, but she doubted they would pose much of a threat to her.
“You know them?” she whispered to Stryker.
“Marrok and Cyphur. Hawk shifters. Niko’s kin. They’re fast and excellent with hand to hand combat. Watch the claws.”
Her eyes darted to their hands. She should have noticed before – their nails were not only long, but also talon-like with a slight hook to them.
“I bet I’m faster. I have the one on the right; you take the left.”
“Don’t kill them. They’re good guys. Just following orders.” Stryker’s tone was more concerned than she was comfortable with.
“No promises.” She didn’t wait for him to say another word. Darting across the hall, she was already heading toward her prey. Sliding into him like a ballplayer, she took the first soldier down before he had a chance to retaliate, but when he hit the ground, rather than slump to the floor, he rolled just out of her reach.
Impressed with his agility, Mira smiled as she dodged his claw-like nails. He swiped at her wildly as he backed toward the door.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mira saw the swift blur of Stryker tumbling with his solider.
She refocused on her quarry, meeting his piercing stare. Not smart enough to be afraid, the hawk shifter narrowed his eyes as if he could by shear will force her to surrender.
It took all her strength and resolve not to tear out his throat. Putting her supernatural speed to good use, she threw her shoulder into his chest, knocking the wind out of him, and then dragged his coughing body to the ground before mounting him and pinning his arms down.
“You’re a good man from what I hear. I am not your enemy... unless you make me so. Remember that when you wake up.” She threw her head hard into his, knocking the soldier unconscious. Her own head throbbed from the blow, but not nearly as badly as the soldier’s would when he woke. She listened for sound of his breathing before lifting herself up and turning toward Stryker. He was still wrestling with his soldier, neither one really looking like their heart was in the fight.
“There’s no shame in yielding when the person you’re fighting is on the right side of the war.” Mira approached the pair and looked down at both. Stryker had gained the upper hand for a moment. On her approach, both men went still.
“I have orders.” The soldier’s words sounded rehearsed rather than from the heart.
“I’ll give you better ones,” Mira replied, and extended her hand.
“They’ll have my head...”
“And I could have your neck. Either way, bad luck for you. But I’m not here for you. And I’m willing to bet you’re not here out of choice.”
“What would you have me do?”
“Go home.”
The soldier looked perplexed.
“This war with the humans has to stop. And that will only happen when this madness stops. Go home, sleep with your wife, make lots of little hawk-shifter babies. Leave the fighting to me.”
“But the Council...”<
br />
“Will have nothing more to say after I go in there.” Mira’s fangs practically hummed with anticipation as she imagined taking their blood and ending this new reign of terror.
He seemed to understand, taking her outstretched hand and allowing her to lift him up.
“For appearance’s sake, I’d rather you knocked me out like Marrok.”
Mira head-butted him before he could say another word. She managed to catch him before he completely crumpled to the ground, and left him in a heap.
Stryker cleared his throat. When Mira looked at him, he was pointing toward the sound of footsteps heading their way. “Probably two more. Do you want me to wait here for them?”
“I might need you inside with me.”
“Then let’s get moving. I’m sure the Council already knows you’re out here.”
“I’m sure Natasha and Michael do, at the very least. They’re probably listening to this conversation through the door as we speak.” Mira threw her shoulder into the door, bursting it open.
Chapter 20
“Guards!” Natasha shrieked as Mira stepped through the shattered door.
A hand appeared in front of Mira’s face. On instinct, she grabbed and pulled its owner down and threw her free elbow hard between the soldier’s shoulder blades. Before he crumpled, she fisted a hand into his hair and yanked his head up. “Stop wasting others’ lives and deal with me directly.” She looked into the frightened soldier’s eyes. “You don’t want to fight me, do you?”
The soldier did not respond verbally, but his eyes screamed, “No!”
She threw him down, hoping he’d be smart enough to stay there.
Two other soldiers in the room halted in their tracks. Smart, Mira thought. Her reputation had its perks. No one wanted to fight with her.
“You’ll deal with me one on one, Natasha.” Mira fisted her hands, readying herself to fight. “I’ve come to collect on your blood oath.”
Natasha’s eye twitched ever so slightly. There was fear there that she did not want to admit.
“And when I am done with her,” Mira said, “I will deal with the rest of you.” She purposely made eye contact with the remaining members of the Council.
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