“Our parents are going mad,” she spoke directly to me. “They're ransacking the village. They say someone is coming for us. And they're looking for something they say will appease them,” she said, her beautiful features pinching.
“Who's coming?” Kyla asked, equally baffled.
Clarice shook her head. “They speak of the gods. And they have a fear in their eyes like I've never seen.” She quickened her pace to a jog and I hurried after her through the trees, the chaos in the village sounding from up ahead.
I took the lead as we arrived amongst the first houses and Kyla scampered off, not wanting to be seen with me. It didn't matter though, Clarice had been right. The place was mayhem. No one was paying attention to us.
Miles sped out from the nearest house, jogging toward me half dressed. “Erik, my father's gone insane. All of them have.”
I gripped his shoulder. “What do you mean?”
He pointed across the camp and I spotted my father tossing a woman's things out of her house into the dirt.
“Father!” I shouted, sprinting toward him and sheathing my sword.
He was in a frenzy, muttering to himself as he broke apart a jewellery box and rifled through the contents.
“Stop.” I grabbed his arm, yanking him back and his elbow smashed into my nose.
I stumbled, fury snaring me. “What the hell are you doing!?”
He turned to me with a mad glint in his eyes. Eyes the exact iron shade of mine. “Where is it? Andvari demands it. He's found the gold. He knows what we've done.”
“What have you done?” I growled, grabbing his shirt in my fists.
He tried to shove me off, but I wouldn't let go. Over his shoulder I spotted Earl Haver in a similar rage, his oldest wife Talia on her knees beside him as they smashed apart a supplies box.
Their son Fabian was next to them, staring around the madness. His eyes locked with mine and I released my father, marching toward him.
Miles and Clarice kept pace with me and I spotted their own parents interrogating a group of children by the remains of the fire.
“Fabian, what's happening?” I asked.
“Our parents have scorned the gods,” he spat, terror marring his handsome features. “They say they stole Andvari's gold. Hid it in a mountain to the east. Now he says a piece of it is missing.”
I shook my head just as fire bloomed to life in one of the houses. My fucking house.
I stormed toward it, hearing a cry from inside. Ripping the door open, I squinted against the roaring flames and hurried inside, lifting my shirt to cover my nose.
“Erik!” cried my younger sister and I turned over the table she was hiding beneath, dragging her out by the arm.
She clung to my side as I hauled her out into the fresh air. “Did you start a fire, Meredith?” I demanded, checking her over to make sure she was alright.
Her hair was singed and her skin was flecked with ash but apart from that she was remarkably okay. She gazed up at me with a fierce expression. “No, it started out of nowhere, Erik.”
“Fires don't start themselves. Why were you even in there?” I asked, glancing over her shoulder as the small wooden structure I'd called home for years went up in smoke.
“Mother sent me to look for gold.” She shook her head, shrugging her small shoulders.
Some of the village people appeared with pails of water but I knew it was too late. The roof was was already caving in. Anxiety gripped me as I sensed this was the least of my worries.
I held onto Meredith's arm, scouring the village for my mother. I spotted her on her knees, weeping on the ground, her ebony locks in a mess around her shoulders. “Please give us more time. I know where it is.”
At her words, the parents of my friends stormed towards her. My father was quick to follow and I kept Meredith close as I jogged after them.
My mother was a strong woman. I'd never seen her like this, openly crying and speaking to someone who wasn't there.
“Mother, are you alright?” I asked, pushing past Miles' father and dropping to my knees.
She lifted her chin as I rested a hand on her arm. “Erik...you must find what he seeks. You must.”
“What are you talking about? Who is seeking what?”
“The...ring.” Mother convulsed, falling into the dirt, her eyes rolling up into her head. My stomach clenched with fear and Meredith wailed.
My father barrelled past me, dropping to her side and cradling her in his arms. “My love, is Andvari close?”
“He's here,” my mother rasped. “Stop, please stop Andvari,” she choked, jerking again in my father's arms.
Father turned to me, his eyes wide with terror. “Son, gather the men and saddle the horses. We must run.”
“Are you mad? What's happening?” I reached forward and took Mother into my arms. She slowly stopped fitting and finally fell still, opening her eyes. Her gaze shifted over my shoulder and she gasped in horror. “No...he has come.”
“Who?” I growled, but my question was answered by an ominous voice behind me.
“I have. Your god is here. Bow down to me.”
I turned, finding a man behind me in brown robes which were so long they brushed his bare feet. His eyes were blank and nearly white; his hair was a dark tangle of weeds and his face was a hollow but beautiful thing.
Fear crackled through me as I absorbed the sight of him. This was no man...
He raised his arms and a harsh wind seemed to blow from his fingertips, forcing my entire village to their knees.
I clutched my mother tighter, looking for Meredith and spotted her between Miles and Clarice. Their own siblings had appeared too, the three blonde men holding swords as they were forced to the ground.
“Who are you?” I breathed, though I knew in my bones that he was a deity; his body gave off a powerful atmosphere that sank deep into my bones.
“Andvari,” he purred. “Do you not even recognise me, human?” His hand whipped out and my mother was wrenched from my arms, rolling violently across the earth. Panic seized me as Andvari advanced on her. He reached out a hand and she seemed to choke, writhing on the ground beneath him.
“Stop!” I roared.
Andvari turned to me with a cold smile. “Son of traitors. Your mother and father have deeply wronged me. What is the name of the boy who would stand against a god?”
My throat tightened as I rose to my feet, sensing my father crawling closer to me on the ground. “Erik Larsen,” I said firmly, though a tremor burrowed through to my core. “What is it they've done?”
“Not just them, Erik Larsen,” Andvari snarled, his gaze shifting to others in the village. Miles, Clarice and Fabian's parents all cowered on their knees, their faces haunted with guilt.
“They have stolen from me,” the god continued, pointing at each of our parents in turn.
“We gave you back the gold!” my father cried. “We just need a little longer to find the final piece.”
“Your time is up,” Andvari snarled. “You have wronged me too deeply. I shall find it myself.”
“No – please!” begged Miles' mother, Neela, her golden hair hanging in a sweaty mess down her back. “One more day, that's all we ask!”
“You think returning the ring to me would be enough?” Andvari slashed his hand through the air and Neela's head wrenched sideways, her face marked with a red palm print.
Earl Haver hurried forward with a sword in his hand and Fabian strode behind him looking equally forbidding.
“You wish to fight me?” Andvari mocked, punching the air and forcing them to the ground with his power.
Fabian and his father collided in a tangle of limbs, scoring a path through the dry earth.
My heart tripled its pace as I tried to decide what to do. How could we face a god? We were only men and he was all-powerful.
Clarice ran to her parents' sides, shielding them with her body.
“We will do whatever you want,” Miles said, pulling his brother and my sist
er behind him. “Just leave our families alone.”
Andvari started laughing. “Such loyal children...” His gaze snapped to my father. “I believe we can come to some arrangement here.”
“Yes, anything,” Father said, staggering upright.
He clutched my arm, trying to force me behind him but I wouldn't budge. I spotted my mother gaining her feet and my heart lifted a little at knowing she was alive.
“Bring all of your children to me, Viking scum,” Andvari commanded and a painful silence followed.
The people of my village were still on their knees, but weapons were in many of their hands. One word from the Earl and I knew they'd fight Andvari to their deaths. But that word never came. Earl Haver shakily ushered Fabian and his older sisters toward Andvari.
“Father?” Fabian questioned, but Haver didn't answer, grinding his jaw.
Coward.
Fabian moved toward Andvari with his siblings and slowly, Miles, Clarice and their brothers came forward too, urged on by their parents.
Meredith hurried toward me and I clutched her in my arms, turning my gaze to my mother. Fear pounded through me. I couldn’t let anything happen to my family.
“Please don't hurt them,” Mother begged, but Andvari ignored her, directing us all to stand in a line before him.
I kept my hand around Meredith's as I took my position, glaring at Andvari, brushing my fingers over the sword at my hip.
Andvari eyed me curiously, seeming to sense my indecision. I slowly drew the sword, pointing it at him. “We haven't wronged you. And I will fight to the death if you lay a hand on any of us.”
“A pointless threat. You would be dead before the tip of that blade was a yard from my chest, boy.”
I ground my teeth. “I am no boy,” I spat. “I have twenty eight years in this life and I will give up all of them to end you.”
Andvari eyed me with interest then chuckled softly. “Go ahead.” He stretched his arms wide and I felt Meredith tugging on my shirt.
“Don't,” she begged and I turned to meet her deep blue eyes, shining with strength.
Fabian lifted his own sword, gritting his teeth as he threw me a nod.
At once, we moved, a silent decision flowing between us. I charged forward with a bellow tearing from my throat, my sword lifted high.
Andvari twirled a finger through the air and my legs moved of their own accord. I lost all control as I turned and aimed my sword at Fabian instead. He cried out, parrying the blow at the last second, stumbling from my ferocity.
Andvari moved us like puppets, raising his hands in the air and crashing them together. Fabian swung his sword, trying to slice it into my side. I darted back to avoid the blow, my hands forcing me to strike at him again. I fought back with all my might as Andvari made me lift the sword above my head. Fabian came at me again and I kicked out his legs so he hit the ground, bringing the sword down in a deadly arc.
“No!” he yelled and I cried out for Andvari to stop.
A millimeter from Fabian's face, my arms jerked to a halt.
Andvari smiled broadly. “Back in line,” he hissed.
I shuddered as I reached down, pulling Fabian to his feet. He gave me a grave look, turning to rejoin his siblings. As I moved, a sharp tug pulled the sword free from my hand. I spotted Fabian's flying through the air too and Andvari caught each of them in his outstretched palms.
With a ring of laughter, he raised them above him and they began to melt from the blade down, dripping to the ground in a mess of molten iron.
Andvari surveyed us with a cool expression, tossing the hilts into the remains. “Enough of this. It is time penance was given.”
He circled his hand through the air and a wicker basket seemed to weave itself from nothing until it hung from his arm. A glimmer of gold winked inside it.
“I have thought long and hard on this punishment,” Andvari said with a dark smile. “And today I have decided I will not punish those who have wronged me...it will be their children who pay the price.”
My heart juddered in my chest and I pulled Meredith closer.
“No!” Mother cried, but Andvari forced her into the dirt beside my father.
Our parents struggled to get up, but it was futile.
My mouth grew dry and a shudder ran through me as I tried to figure out how to act. Andvari was impossibly strong. There was no way to fight him.
Andvari's fingers trailed over the basket and he plucked a round object from within it. A golden apple was clutched between his long nails and I eyed it with unease.
“Idun's apples were quite difficult to come by. But not all of these are the fruit of the goddess...” He smiled broadly, walking forward with an ethereal grace. He held out the apple to me with a smirk. “Take it,” he commanded and I reluctantly reached for the golden fruit, knowing I had no choice.
It seemed to shine with hidden rays of the sun, its skin unspoiled and gleaming. When Andvari handed the next one to my sister, I lurched out and tried to knock it from her hands. Andvari flicked his finger in my direction and my arms locked tight so I was unable to reach it. Anxiety tangled with my veins.
“Meredith, don't eat it,” I ordered under my breath and she gave me a small nod, her eyes twinkling with tears. My chest crushed at the sight. I was unable to help, to do anything to stop this.
When all of us had an apple, Andvari watched us with mirth in his gaze. “Eat,” he commanded, but none of us moved.
Our parents started screaming, begging for mercy, but a wave of Andvari's hand silenced them.
The village was terrifyingly quiet and nothing but the summer breeze rustling the leaves sounded around us. The sun was low on the horizon, turning the sky to a dusky blood-red. I wondered if it was the last sunset I’d ever see.
“Eat!” Andvari demanded once more, raising both hands. My arm lifted under his power and the urge to bite into the fruit overwhelmed me.
I battled as hard as I could, but my shaking hand raised and the gleaming apple met my lips. Meredith sank her teeth into her own, her eyes clouding with fear.
No, don't eat it.
I was forced to take a bite and the sweetest juice I'd ever tasted seeped over my tongue. I chewed through the soft pieces, unable to stop, intoxicated by the flavour.
As I swallowed, Andvari's power released me and I threw the apple to the floor. Meredith discarded hers beside mine, but it turned ashen grey and rotted away before our eyes.
She fell forward and I caught her with a cry of fear, dropping to my knees as I held her.
Others were falling down too, but I could only see my sister, my heart tearing in two.
“What have you done!?” I roared at Andvari, but just his cold laughter came in response.
Meredith jerked in my arms and foam spewed from her mouth. Her eyes rolled back into her head and blood joined the mess around her lips.
My throat tightened and a pain took over me unlike anything I'd ever felt.
My body spasmed and I was certain death was coming for me too. I turned to find that Clarice, Miles and Fabian were the only ones still alive. The rest of our siblings were dead at their feet or trembling in their arms. Clarice screamed her pain as she clung to her brother and Fabian stood in shock, taking in his fallen sisters.
A force struck me like nothing I'd ever felt before, causing me to buckle forward. Electricity coursed through my veins and thrummed through my muscles, leaking a powerful energy into my body.
My mouth ached; my canines grew and sliced into my tongue. A hundred scents flooded me, everything from the camp fire to the earthy smell of the dirt beneath me. Sounds grew louder, pounding into my skull. A scream tore through the air, making me wince with the sharpness of the noise. Andvari had released my village from his spell and chaos descended around us, but I couldn't turn my head to learn why.
Above it all was the slow, dying thump of my sister's pulse. It called to me. Surrounded me. Meredith fell still in my arms and I lay her on the earth, crawling
away from her, battling the horrifying sensation taking over my body.
The grief wouldn't come. I was taken hostage by a growing need at the base of my throat. I desperately wanted something. I hungered for it.
My vision shuddered, growing keener until the world before me was alive with colour. One colour stood out amongst it all. Red. Blood was flowing from Neela's neck. Miles was atop her, ripping into her throat with his teeth. His own mother. As the scent of blood hit my senses, a tingle ran through my jaw. I lost myself, spiralling down into a dark pit within me.
The people before me suddenly meant nothing. I rose to my feet and ran toward a man with ebony hair. He tried to scramble away but I caught him by the throat and pinned him to the ground. My instincts told me what to do and I wrenched his head sideways, biting into his neck until blood poured into my mouth.
Nothing existed to me but that taste. It was metallic and so sweet, I couldn't get enough of it.
I drank until there was nothing left and the man stopped begging. As he fell still, he muttered to me, “My boy...I'm sorry.” For a second, I half-remembered who he was. A thousand memories of my father hovered on the edge of my senses. But in moments, they fled again, leaving me in this hungry state with a single need I had to sate.
I sped through the village, ripping out throats, drinking from everyone I caught. I killed without care. And I was so fast, no one could evade me.
I tore into a girl with auburn hair and skin as white as pearls. She called my name and begged me to stop, but I didn't know myself. I didn't have the will to stop and I didn't care to either. All that mattered was blood.
When the girl lay still beneath me, I lifted my head with an animal-like snarl, sniffing the air for my next prey.
I must satisfy this need. I must drink every drop of blood I can find.
The camp was burning around us, smoke billowing from the houses and coiling toward the red sky. Andvari walked amongst us, bringing the village to ruin as every man, woman and child was cut down around him by me, Clarice, Fabian and Miles.
Soon, the four of us were the only ones still living. I stood above my final kill with blood soaking my clothes and dripping down my chin, gazing across the devastation. No breath moved through my lungs, no guilt reached my heart. I was nothing but a monster in the aftermath of a frenzied slaughter.
Age of Vampires- The Complete Series Page 24