“Who?” Magnar asked with a frown.
“Erik Belvedere. That’s why he took her. It’s why they want me too.”
Magnar’s calm facade slipped slightly at the sound of that monster’s name. “How can you know this?” he asked.
“After I took the vow... I don’t know what it was, but it was like my soul broke free of my body. And all I wanted was to tell my sister what had happened. I found her... connected to her somehow and I showed her what Wolfe had done. She showed me some things too. I know that’s what the Belvederes want her for.” I took a deep breath and pressed my palms to the door behind me.
“Dream walker,” Magnar murmured. “That is the gift of your clan. My mother could do such things. She could travel into people’s dreams while they slept and talk with them. Or send them nightmares. I never knew another of your kind to be so powerful but it must be so.”
“It is. I know it was real. He’s going to marry her.” My lip curled back in disgust. The vampires were dead. The idea of being forced to marry one of them set my skin crawling. I’d imagined all kinds of awful things happening to my sister but none so abhorrent as this.
“Why would a vampire want a human bride?” He pushed off of the wall and took a step towards me.
“Because a human can bear him children,” I breathed, the horror of the idea stealing my voice.
Magnar stilled, his brow furrowing as he turned over what I’d said. I felt like a heavy weight had fallen upon my shoulders at the admission. Uttering the words was like confirming their truth. Though I hadn’t doubted the information Montana had passed to me in the brief moments when our minds had connected, I hadn’t wanted to believe it. She was so far away from me, trapped with no hope of escape. For all I knew they could be forcing this marriage upon her today. She could be pregnant long before I ever made it to her and then what? What kind of half-demon creature would she be burdened with carrying? Once he’d put it inside her there would be no way for me to get it out again. What if we got there too late?
“I have never heard of such a thing being possible,” Magnar said eventually. “Are you sure that’s what she was telling you-”
“She saw them with her own eyes. The half-breed children. She showed me.” The memory of their too-beautiful faces and opalescent skin drew a shudder down my spine.
Magnar’s composure broke and he slammed a fist into the wall. I flinched at the sudden outburst as plaster shattered from the wall, crashing to the wooden floor in a heap. The horses snorted in alarm in the kitchen, their hooves clattering loudly on the tiled floor.
He turned away from me and stormed back into the living room. The sound of something heavy falling over reached me followed by the clatter of breaking china.
I edged after him, my heart fluttering nervously as the destruction continued. I peered through the door just as he launched a wooden chair across the room. It shattered against the fireplace, sending splintered wood flying in every direction.
A huge oak table big enough to seat ten people ran along the far wall and he hurled it over, knocking more chairs flying.
Magnar turned around, his eyes landing on the tub of bath water and I stepped into the room, cutting him off before he flooded the place. He stilled as he spotted me and his gaze burned with rage.
“Do their monstrosities know no bounds?” he growled.
I moved closer, feeling like I was approaching a wild beast. He stilled, allowing me to draw near to him and I reached up to lay a hand on his cheek. He took a deep breath as he gazed down at me.
“We can stop this. Right?” My voice was small and filled with fear for my sister. I couldn’t let this happen to her. I had to find a way to prevent it.
“They will pay for their crimes in blood. I will never let them take you, Callie. I swear it on everything that I am. And we will do everything possible to save your sister from them.” Fire swirled in his golden eyes and I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around him.
The irresistible urge to release him filled me instead and my hand fell from his face. My anger at our situation flared as the vow forced me to step away from him.
My eyes fell on the devastation he’d caused and a small, helpless laugh escaped my lips. “You really need to work on controlling your temper.”
“My brother Julius used to tell me the same thing,” he replied as he followed my gaze. “We used to spar when he could see my rage building. It was the best outlet for my less desirable qualities.”
“So you’ve always been this angry then?” I teased.
“My life has given me a lot to be angry about. I can thank the goddess Idun for that. She never tires of testing me.”
I glanced up at him and I could see that chasm of sadness pulling him under once again. My own losses weighed so heavily on my soul that I wasn’t sure how to bear them. I couldn’t begin to imagine how he was coping with all he’d had taken from him.
“And now she’s playing the same games with me... Maybe I need an outlet too?” I’d barely begun to touch on the pool of power my new gifts had bestowed on me but I could feel them simmering beneath the surface of my skin. The idea of learning to use them filled me with longing. It was like an itch I was desperate to scratch; the more I thought about it, the more I needed to do it.
“You want to spar with me?” Magnar cocked his head as he considered the idea.
“I might pose more of a challenge than the last time we tried,” I replied hopefully.
“I’m responsible for training you now. I won’t hold back, are you sure you’re ready?” His gaze roamed over me and I straightened my spine.
“I’m ready,” I replied determinedly. I could feel the memories of so many slayers dancing on the edge of my mind. It was like a well of knowledge just waiting for me to dip into it. It was as though I’d lived a thousand lives and all of them led me here.
Magnar’s posture shifted slightly. It was such a minute change that I was sure I wouldn’t have noticed it before but everything about my senses seemed sharper now. He’d transferred his weight onto his right leg. I could see the attack coming.
His hand snapped out, primed to grab my arm but I twisted away from him before he could catch me, my ancestors guiding my feet.
A faint frown crossed his face and I couldn’t resist the urge to smirk at him.
“You’re asking for it now,” he growled and a thrill raced down my spine.
He lunged towards me again and I leapt back, avoiding him. I laughed as my gifts came to me as naturally as breathing. The smallest smile brushed across Magnar’s lips too and he hounded after me.
I backed up once more but I collided with the couch. Before I could fix my mistake, Magnar caught me. I expected him pin me in place and tell me what I’d done wrong but instead he lifted me clean off of my feet and threw me over it.
I let my gifts guide my movements as I tried to recover from the shock and managed to roll, regaining my feet as I made it to the other side of the room.
Magnar vaulted the couch as he followed me and I backed up quickly.
“Wait.” Fear raced through me as he drew closer; he was so much bigger than me and I was starting to think I’d been hasty in suggesting this. I held a hand up as I tried to escape him but he only laughed.
“You said you wanted to spar,” he reminded me and the look on his face told me he had no intention of backing off.
“I do, I’m just not sure I can-”
He darted towards me and a scream escaped my lips as I twisted away from him and tried to run. The room was cluttered with broken furniture and I jumped over the remains of a desk before grabbing a chair and holding it between us.
“Stop,” I begged. “I’m not ready-”
Magnar snatched the chair and launched it away from us. It shattered against the wall and I gasped as he smiled like a wolf about to eat me whole. My heart was pounding with a mixture of fear and adrenaline. He was enjoying this. He caught me again and slammed me back against the wall.
I ducked aside then twisted forward, my hand curling into a fist. My knuckles connected with his jaw and his head snapped back from the impact.
“Sorry,” I gasped as I uncurled my fist and held my hands up in surrender. “I didn’t mean to, I just let my gifts take over and...”
Magnar started laughing. He brushed a thumb into his mouth and it came out stained with blood. My eyes widened with surprise. I shouldn’t have been strong enough to do that.
“Good. Stop trying to resist them and stop apologising. You’re going to want to hurt me by the time we’re done anyway.”
“What?” My eyes widened in surprise. “You’re not angry that I hit you?”
“You’re going to have to hit me if you want to learn anything and I’m going to have to hit you too. That’s how this works.”
“What?” I squeaked. He was over a foot taller than me and his arms held more muscle than my legs. I was pretty sure if he hit me I’d die.
“You’re stronger than you used to be. You can take it.” His eyes danced with amusement and I could tell my momentary respite was over.
I took a deep breath, trying to dispel my fear and reached for my gifts. The memories were too much all at once but I didn’t need to hold them all within my mind. It felt like opening a channel and letting the water flow. My posture shifted as I drew in the information I needed.
Magnar still held the advantage while my back was to the wall and I could tell he wasn’t going to relinquish it.
“Ready?” he asked.
“No,” I lied. I ducked low and aimed a punch at his kidney. He moved aside to avoid the blow, giving me the chance to get away from the wall.
I turned back to him and managed to get my arm up as he aimed a punch at my head. My forearm rang with the impact of knocking him aside but I was already moving on. I aimed for his face and he batted my fist away. Our movements got quicker, matching blow for blow as neither of us managed to land a hit.
Energy danced along my limbs as my abilities swept through me, guiding my body. A swell of excitement built in my chest. I was holding my own against him. I was doing it. I’d embraced my slayer blood and I liked it.
Sweat began to trickle down my spine as I danced out of reach once more. I could feel a smile pulling at my lips. Every move I made came to me like I’d done it a hundred times before. It was as though I’d spent my life training to fight like this, learning every move until my limbs practically worked without thought. I was so fast. I was so strong. I was an unstoppable-”
Magnar’s fist connected with my face and I was thrown to the ground. Pain flared through me like I’d been hit with a sledgehammer. My breath was forced from my lungs and the back of my head slammed into the wooden floorboards.
Before I could react at all, he was on top of me, his fingers encircling my wrists as he pinned them above my head. His weight immobilised me and his long hair fell forward as he peered down at me.
“Do you yield?” he asked.
I couldn’t move. I could barely breathe as he crushed me into the floorboards. My mind spun from the injury to my head and I could taste the blood which ran from my nose into my mouth. My gifts slipped away from me again as the floodgates closed.
“Yes,” I breathed. “You win.”
He smiled at me and I could see that he’d enjoyed that as much as I had... at least until the end. “Next time I won’t go so easy on you.”
Old habits died hard and I remained in the bedroom much longer than necessary, spending a nearly sleepless night there.
As I dressed for the day in jeans and a black shirt, I realised Erik had been right. I did need time alone. It was how I coped with things best. Pacing the fences of the Realm had always brought me clarity. But now I had more than one reason to leave the room. I wasn't just going to burn off this anxiety, I was going to find Nightmare.
I opened the door into a bright corridor with light wooden floors. I moved along it and soon found a narrow staircase. Heading down to the ground floor, I stepped into an expansive kitchen-dining area. The walls were cream and the carpet was a soft hazel. I walked toward the large fridge with a scowl, tugging it open. My brow creased in surprise. There was no blood there; it was packed solid with food.
Shutting the fridge, I moved to the wide basin and poured myself another glass of water, drinking it down in a few gulps. I placed the glass on the side, listening to the quiet space, wondering if there were any guards lurking close by.
I moved through the comfy living area, passing by a huge TV and through another empty hallway. At the far end of it was a colossal bookshelf covering the entire wall. My mouth parted as I approached it, running my fingers over the leather spines, my heart longing for all the words inside them. So many stories, so many promises. I'd only had a handful of books to read my entire life and I'd often imagined what it would be like to have access to more.
I dragged my mind back to the task at hand and reached out to Nightmare with my mind, trying to sense its presence in the house. Perhaps it wasn't here. Maybe it was back in the castle or even somewhere else in the city. But as I focused, a very faint feeling told me it was somewhere nearby. I shut my eyes, willing my mind to connect with it, but wherever it was, it was too far away to speak to me.
I sighed, moving on through the house, playing hot and cold with the blade as I tried to narrow down where it was. My path always led me back to the bookcase, but it wasn't there.
I gave up and headed to the front door. A small, frosted window allowed the daylight in from outside, creating a circular pool of gold around my feet. I reached for the latch and turned it, unsure how far my freedom really extended.
The door opened and a soft breeze caressed my cheeks.
“Good morning, Miss Ford.” A guard stepped into view, making me jump. She had a large sword strapped to her back. Her face was a vision of soft angles and her eyes were almond-shaped and glowing with warmth. “Count Erik has asked me to keep an eye on you.”
“Of course he has,” I muttered, folding my arms. Just as I'd suspected, I was no more free now than I had been before the choosing ceremony. “He also said I'm not a prisoner anymore.”
“You're not. It's entirely for your protection. After the attempt on your life the other night, the Count wishes for you to be given the highest security on offer.”
“And that's you?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. She was slim, slightly taller than me but held hardly any of the intimidation some of the other vampires did.
She chuckled softly. “I assure you, I am one of the finest bodyguards in the New Empire. Count Erik sired me himself.” She inched closer with a playful smile. “I'm adept in all forms of combat, I have served the royals for four hundred and eleven years and not one vampire has crossed me and survived the interaction.”
My brows lifted. “Oh.”
She beamed. “My name's Sabrina. Would you like me to show you around the garden, Miss Ford?”
“No, that's fine.” I moved to step past her but she barred my way.
“I'll have to follow you. I can remain twenty paces behind if you'd prefer, but those are Count Erik's orders.”
My lips pressed together. This was my new way of being chained, I was sure of it. I'd been a mutt in a cage and now I was upgraded to a dog on a leash.
I sighed. “And what if I want to leave the garden?” I inquired, eyeing the large sword on her back.
She shrugged. “I'll come with you. You have a car at your disposal.”
I pursed my lips, figuring I couldn't exactly drive myself anywhere anyway. “And what if I want to leave the city?”
She laughed softly. “To go where?”
“I don't know...back to my Realm?” I suggested, wanting to see how far I could push Sabrina.
“Well you need a passport to travel out of the s
tate, Miss Ford. You'd have to ask your husband-to-be to organise that for you.”
I pursed my lips, feeling like she was countering me on every move with annoying grace. “And will Count Erik be informed of wherever I choose to go within the state?”
Sabrina nodded. “Of course. But only if he requests the information. He isn't spying on you, Miss Ford.”
“Montana,” I corrected, growing annoyed with the formalities. I wasn't nobility. She was just doing as she'd been told by Erik.
“Er...” Sabrina seemed unsure.
“Please don't call me Miss Ford,” I insisted. “Montana, okay?”
“Okay,” she said, nodding firmly. “So Miss Montana-”
“Cut the Miss,” I said. “Just Montana thank you.”
Sabrina nodded, her eyes flashing with concern. “Okay...Montana.” I could tell how uncomfortable she was about this. She was probably going against Erik's wishes, but if she was my bodyguard I wasn't going to have her talking to me like I was one of the royals.
I glanced into the garden, my heart sinking as I realised I didn't want to walk if I had to be escorted the whole time. But maybe Sabrina could be of some use. I just needed to work out a way to get her help without her figuring out my real intention.
“So, Sabrina...Erik hid a gift for me in the house,” I said, faking a bright smile as if I was enthralled with the game. “I've been looking all over for it, but I can't find it.”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh how romantic.”
“Yes, but I think he's taken the game a little too seriously because I can't find it anywhere. Do you have any ideas where he might have hidden it?”
“Hm...” She pursed her lips. “Come with me.” She jogged into the hallway, heading toward the bookcase which encompassed the far wall. My heart sang as she paused in front of it. I was sure Nightmare was near and maybe Sabrina had the answer.
She gave me a mischievous smile before taking hold of a red leather book and tugging it backwards. A click sounded through the air and a secret door swung inwards at the centre of the bookshelf.
“It's his favourite place in the house,” she whispered with a glint in her eyes.
Age of Vampires- The Complete Series Page 50