“Indeed.” Hallia nodded.
“Then we have a deal, the werewolves can seek the Dark-Venators out for vengeance after I reveal to them the source of all this chaos, but they will have to wait for me to seek my own,” Arantay growled.
Brooke had never been more afraid of him.
*
Eskal sprawled across the sofa, the very image of an evil Adonis.
His arms each encircled a different victim beside him. The women giggled coquettishly, both of them hypnotized into calm by his gaze. Eskal’s burnished bronze hair glittered from the hotel room lights, illuminating his icy skin.
Kaymor and his coven were out hunting. Kaymor had forbidden Eskal from doing the same, but naturally, he’d ignored his master.
He leaned to his right, as if to kiss the blonde woman. Her face brightened in anticipation, then froze as his fangs drove into her flesh. He was so swift, his other victim didn’t notice what he was doing to her friend. Moments later he moved back, licking dripping lips.
“Oh, you fine beings offer much more enjoyment than animals,” he purred. “I adore you humans. Soft, warm flesh, eyes full of innocence, you still have your purity, and I mean to suck it out of you.” Eskal snickered wickedly
The brunette looked like she was about to laugh, maybe thinking he was just a rambling drunk. Her expression turned to one of unease as he continued to laugh and laugh.
“And you my precious.” His fingers crept up her chest as he enchanted her with his eyes. “You are a delectable little morsel are you not? A fine banquet for a porcelain prince?”
“What…” she stammered.
When his tracing fingers reached her throat, he sliced her open and revelled in the essence that spilled out. He discarded her body to the floor afterwards and stood up drunkenly, reeling from the pleasure of it all.
Many vampires had their own special gift. Eskal’s was his speed. He was incredibly fast, even for a moroi.
The blonde woman stirred, moaning in agony.
“Ah,” he sighed, “She has strength, you lucky, lucky thing.”
He swooped down and lifted her up, before pressing his ear against her chest.
“Her heart still beats. Oh, I remember what that was like. How it would quicken whenever you were scared or aroused? How delightful.” He dropped the blonde carelessly back on the sofa.
“You know, little one,” he addressed her semi-conscious form. “For those few delicious moments I feed upon you, I manage to feel what it was like to be alive again.”
He slapped her awake.
“I prolong my kills, to further the memory of living. I thank you for these moments,” said Eskal, savouring her look of horror.
Sometimes, he thought the cruelty and torment fed him just as much as the blood. She tried to scream, but then a shadow appeared behind her, taking shape as its hands wrapped around her head and snapped her neck.
Kaymor had returned.
“Enough of your insane games,” he snarled.
Eskal giggled, bending down to cradle the blonde’s head lovingly in his arms.
Three more vampires flitted through the open window and stood behind Kaymor, hissing vehemently at him.
“Hush family, you will awake our sleeping friends,” Eskal crooned, gesturing to the dead girls.
“You are a damned fool,” said Kaymor.
“We’re all damned. I thought you would have surmised as much by now,” Eskal replied.
“Know your place,” Kaymor spat. “And follow my orders.”
“Apologies,” Eskal bowed low. “But I always seem to follow what I desire, regardless of your orders.”
Kaymor took a deep breath and turned toward him, his expression grim.
“Eskal, the day your mother died, she made me promise to keep you alive, don’t make me break that promise. Only my love for her made me turn you into one of us. The plague would have taken you back then, if not for me. I’ve raised you like a son. Don’t make me put you down.” Kaymor sighed heavily. “Maybe it’s time I banish you from the coven.”
“Well,” Eskal drawled. “Maybe it’s time I take over the coven myself. You don’t let us have any fun, old man.”
Kaymor snorted. “The coven won’t follow you. We all know it won’t be long until a hunter, a Venator, or a fellow vampire cuts you down. Maybe that time has come.”
“Oh, you’re going to do it, are you? You’re going to soil your hands with my blood? Well, come on then.” Eskal shoved Kaymor across the room.
“Now, now what’s this? I thought it was vampires versus werewolves in this city, not fanger against fanger.”
Everyone turned to the new voice.
She stood by the door, a girl with red hair the shade of blood and poisonous green eyes. As she sauntered into the room several more teenagers followed her. All of them were dressed in crimson armour.
Rakarn! Eskal realised with rising excitement.
Kaymor and his coven tensed, ready to fight. Eskal saw the battle-lust gleaming in their eyes.
“Greetings moroi,” the girl smiled lasciviously. “I’m Selina. Relax my friends. My Dark-Venators and I come in peace.”
Kaymor bristled. “What are you doing here? How did you get into our home without detection?”
Selina shrugged. “Sorcery trumps having a nice set of teeth. Now, we have a deal for you. Will you listen?”
The Rakarn behind her spread out, walking around the huge room like they owned it. Eskal noticed two of them, identical twins, gazing around curiously, the look behind their eyes utterly feral.
One of the twins tried to poke one of Kaymor’s vampires for some bizarre reason. Instead, the vampire seized his finger and snapped it.
“Owww,” the boy shrieked. “Rath, look what she did? Heal me Rath, heal me. I’ll kill you, evil pale girl. I’ll carve your tummy out and hang it on my bedroom wall.”
“How do you carve a tummy out? Stupid.” His brother slapped him round the head. “You mean her organs. We’re going to hang her organs up on our wall.”
Eskal’s brethren bared their fangs, as the Rakarn behind Selina unsheathed their swords.
Eskal himself crouched down. He’d been content to simply watch the Rakarn at first. He’d always been fascinated by the sorcerers, ever since he first heard the stories. Now it looked like he’d get to battle them. He wondered how many of each side would die.
“Stand down!” Selina snapped at her Dark-Venators. “Rath, Ragul, stay behind me, you glarqing fools.”
The twins stomped back by the door, sulking. Eskal was finding all this very amusing; the twins were more insane then he was.
“You too, vampire,” Selina turned back to Kaymor. “I told you, we have a deal to offer. All we require is your assistance.”
“What deal? What do we get for aiding Realmers?” Kaymor barked.
“Why, the whole city,” Selina spread her arms wide. “The Rakarn are taking London my new friend. And we’d like you to help us. In exchange we’ll leave London under your control when we return to our own world.”
Kaymor laughed bitterly. “You expect me to believe that? Both Vore and Hallia have been vying for control of London for years. You think you can just swoop in and take it?”
Selina grinned. “The unrest between Vore and Hallia is exactly why, and how, we are taking the city. Our spells have already worked on one lycan. It won’t be long until the war that has threatened to devour this city explodes. We Rakarn have just lit the fuse.”
“Andon,” Eskal said. “That was you, you made him insane?”
“Of course,” Selina beamed. “And we just finished enchanting three other shifters. Soon, they’ll be rampaging through the streets as well, killing everything in sight. Vore’s pack and Hallia’s coven will be set against one another. The streets will be soaked in blood and clogged with corpses. And when it’s all over, we would like to install you and your coven as the one and only power in London. Providing you keep your new alliance to Velkarath.”
/> “Why us?” Kaymor asked. Eskal could tell he still thought this was a trick.
“We have learned how you operate,” Selina smiled. “Both Hallia and Vore keep their forces in check, forbidding any Moonlight race to kill humans. Hallia’s forces only feed on animals or from blood bags. But you, Kaymor, we know you drain your victims dry. As it should be, you’re true vampires.”
Kaymor grinned then. “That we are. Why only eat half a meal eh? But still, we are not careless with our kills.” He shot a look Eskal’s way. “We aren’t monsters, just predators.”
“Exactly,” Selina said, “and once this city is yours you can feed on as many humans as you want. You won’t even have to worry about disposing their bodies. It’s about time humans knew and feared your kind. Why hide in the shadows like rats? Join us, realise your full potential.”
“Yes!” Eskal cried. “Yes, we must help them, Kaymor. Let’s get rid of all the filthy wolves and shifters. More humans for us.”
“No,” said Kaymor, “there’s a reason we have never been so blatant. Being reckless draws hunters, Venators, and others bent on destroying us. The reason I’ve lived so long is because I have been discreet.”
“Yes,” Selina nodded, “the war between Hallia and Vore will draw Venators, vampire and werewolf hunters too. But we Rakarn will kill them all. Once your coven owns London, there won’t be a force of vampire hunters strong enough to depose you.”
Kaymor paused, thinking hard.
“Hmm, I have thirty moroi in my coven in total. Not enough to dethrone Hallia or Vore. But, if they’re busy battling one another… Yes, I’ll do it. We will work with you Rakarn. London will be mine.”
Selina smiled brilliantly. “Glad to hear it.”
Chapter 33- Don’t Disturb Dozing Giants
Evan hurtled through the portal, clutching Emillia’s hand tight. After several moments of stomach-dropping falling, accompanied by blinding lights of all colours, he was spat back out to solid ground again.
A gigantic jungle surrounded them; a breathless tropical forest whose colossal trees rose so high, he couldn’t see their tops. It was a dark, primitive place, filled with an unnatural hooting and cawing. Evan could only imagine what types of creatures lived here.
It wasn’t the stifling heat or never-ending height of the trees that so unnerved Evan; it was the darkness. The trees were black, except for the leaves. They were laced with gold; like spider webs imprinted in the foliage.
He looked up, but the branches and heavy gloom obscured the sky. He spotted owls roosting high above. Their feathers were a dark green, and they sported two heads joined together by one giant beak.
Sintian palmed the hilt of his mace, staring around suspiciously. Bane took out his own blade and cut a path through the leaves and vines that cluttered every inch of space.
“I thought Padrake said this gnomish world wasn’t a demon realm.” Sintian said, watching a two-headed owl flutter between the trees.
“It isn’t a demon realm, just a dangerous one.” Bane grinned wickedly. “Why, is little Sintian scared of a few monsters?”
“No! I look forward to destroying as many as I can.”
“Good,” said Bane. “What about you Evan, you ready to kill?”
“Only if I have to,” he replied.
Both older boys laughed.
“Right,” Bane said, holding up Brisnik’s map in front of him. “Follow me, rookies.”
Evan sweated copiously from the sweltering humidity as they walked. Whilst Bane carved a path through the foliage for them, he noticed the animal sounds getting closer.
Despair leaked into Evan’s mind as they travelled. So far, the mission hadn’t exactly gone well. Emillia was putting on a brave face, but Evan could tell she was shaken up from having a gun pointed at her head. He wasn’t entirely sure if he could rely on Bane and Sintian to help them if they got into any trouble. He or Emi could get seriously hurt. They also had no idea what the cultists were like. What if they’re too powerful, or too many? And who led them? They should’ve asked Brisnik for more details, but Brisnik had forced their hand.
Stop worrying, Bane and Sintian might be cruel, but they wouldn’t purposely let you come to serious harm.
Despite his bizarre mood swings, and overall personality, Evan thought he could trust Sintian when it mattered. He’d helped out him and Jed in the battle, and he had just saved Emillia.
But with Bane he’d only heard the horrible stories Joelle had told him. He wasn’t sure who was worst out of his two companions, and what they could be capable of.
A half hour passed with little event. They struggled with the heat and overcrowded vegetation, but they didn’t encounter any creatures, aside from the owls. They travelled in silence, except for Sintian, who occasionally muttered about the lack of monsters to kill.
As the minutes dragged by, Evan noticed the trees around them were beginning to thin. Slowly, like a dark curtain being drawn carefully aside, the jungle opened into a vast clearing.
A mountain loomed before them, with a cyclopean tower at its peak, carved from the same black and gold stone of the jungle’s leaves. This had to be the temple of Quantem.
Even from far away, Evan felt a primordial power resonating from the building. The tropical trees rose so high they hung over the temple like a protective dome. A natural path led through the clearing, sliced through the mountain and snaked the way to the tower. Between the clearing and the path at the bottom of the mountain, a black river churned sluggishly, devoid of sound. Fortunately, an old stone bridge stretched across the river, but it was awfully narrow.
Evan’s hand strayed to his sword hilt, whilst Bane moved to inspect the surroundings.
“Doesn’t look like there’s any guards around,” said Bane. “We can just cross the bridge and enter the cultists home.”
“Isn’t it strange that there’s no guards,” Evan asked.
“The temple’s in the middle of nowhere and I’m betting this jungle is incredibly easy to get lost in.” Bane shrugged. “We’ll use the Bodyblend spell whilst we investigate how many cultists there are, and who their leader is. Camouflaging ourselves with Bodyblend will drain our sorcery pretty quickly, but less than an invisibility spell would. I doubt any of you are strong enough to make yourselves completely invisible, anyway.”
Bane was right, but Evan wasn’t about to let him know that.
“Who cares how many there are?” Sintian growled. “I say we kill them all.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Bane replied. “We need to know what we’re up against first. Don’t do anything unless, I say so. Understood?”
Sintian nodded, but muttered darkly to himself as he did.
“C’mon then,” Bane ordered, striding across the old wooden bridge first.
Emillia followed next, stepping lightly as the wood creaked beneath her feet. Sintian was right behind her, scowling at the water, as if its murky depths had offended him.
Evan was last to begin crossing. As soon as he took his first step on the bridge, the dark water behind him parted and a terrible behemoth emerged, looking to bite his leg clean off. He yelled in horror, seeing the monster in the corner of his eye at the very last second and diving back to the shore.
The monster was a crocodile the size of a jeep with scarlet scales and two heads. The demon-croc crawled out of the river toward him, jaws opened wide. Evan didn’t use magic or his sword, but stupidly kicked out at one of the croc’s heads instead. Why the hell did I do that? His mind screamed.
The demon’s jaws snapped down, claiming the tip of Evan’s boot when he wasn’t fast enough to move out of the way. Screaming, he hacked at the monster’s mouth with his sword, whilst frantically hurling a stream of emerald fire with his other hand. The demon shook his head, spinning Evan’s body across the ground. As the flames ate into the brute’s flesh, it relinquished its hold, only for his second head to come back for another bite. Unfortunately, the monster’s jaws clamped down this time on Evan�
�s skull.
He felt the demon’s teeth puncture his skin and heard something crack. Blood filled his vision. He heard Sintian and Bane shouting and Emillia screaming hysterically, but all he saw was the inside of the monster’s mouth. He wanted to cry with agony, but he was silent. Gut-wrenching panic filled him. The monster’s tongue slathered over his nose as its teeth pricked either side of his head. The demon started to turn, preparing to roll like an alligator would. If he did, he’d snap Evan’s neck, if the teeth didn’t puncture his brain first.
Suddenly the monster’s maw relinquished its hold and Evan was pulled to freedom. Squinting through a stream of blood, he saw Bane had wrenched the croc’s mouth open, transmuting his hands to metal and probably using temporary super-strength too.
Even with Bane’s added strength, the demon was stronger. It snapped its jaws back down and would’ve chomped Bane’s hands off if he hadn’t yanked them away just in time.
Emi lunged forward, striking both demon heads in quick succession. The beast let out a lion-like roar and shook its heads violently, forcing both Emi and Bane to jump out of its way.
Evan tried to scuttle away himself, but the crocodile shot forward for another attack. Its impossibly large teeth were a second away from mangling Evan’s legs when a powerful blast of poison engulfed its body.
Whilst Bane and Emillia swooped down and dragged him out of reach, Sintian jumped atop the croc, jabbing at its back like a maniac and using his free hand to cast more poison.
The demon writhed and roared again, retreating back into the water. The writhing toppled Sintian from its back too, but Bane yanked him to safety.
The water behind the demon croc exploded as another leviathan rose from the deep. This demon was a colossal green shark, with two vaguely human arms.
Evan knew they were done for. There was no way they could fight this new horror. But before any of them could do anything, the bigger demon opened its gargantuan mouth and chomped down on the croc beast, biting it in half. Moments later, the mutant shark descended back into the river’s depths, taking the croc with it.
Moonlight War- Act II (The Realmers Book 3) Page 6