Julius shouted his victory and I looked up just as he plunged Menace into the other twin's chest. As the Biter disintegrated into nothing but dust, I noticed the end of Julius's blade was jagged and broken.
I jogged to meet him, squeezing his arm. “What happened to it?”
“The gods,” Julius snarled, his eyes glinting with emotion.
“They're here?” I asked in horror.
“They're helping Valentina,” he confirmed and my mouth grew desperately dry.
Hatred coursed through my chest. That bitch had Erik somewhere and I was damn-well going to find him. I didn't care if every god in the heavens was helping her, no one, not even the immortal deities could keep me from my husband.
The rain withdrew as we fought and the streets ran red with blood and water beneath our feet. I’d lost sight of my sister in the mayhem but I could only focus on the fight which surrounded me as the Biters pressed close. I was like a shining beacon for them to aim for in the night; my injuries were still bleeding and the scent of my blood drew them after me in a never ending flood.
I gritted my teeth against the pain in my skull from the wound Wolfe had given me but the constant ache was hard to ignore. It was slowing me down, making sounds harsher and my vision kept speckling with stars. The rain had washed his venom from my neck which was something at least.
Fabian stayed beside me, ripping through the Biters like death given flesh. He moved with the speed of the wind and the rage of the deepest pits of hell. It was hard to believe that any of the vampires dared come for me with him by my side but their thirst for my blood clearly outweighed any fear they held for their own existence.
Danielle was still on his other side, guarding his back while he fought, swinging her sword savagely.
Piles of clothes were building up around them and I moved away as they threatened to trip me.
My breaths were heavy and fatigue started to grow in my limbs but I refused to slow my pace, willing my gifts to fill my muscles with as much strength as I could wield.
Despite Fabian’s best efforts to hold them back, many vampires got around him, baring their teeth as their desperation for my blood drove them ever closer.
They were savage, intoxicated by the promise of what lay in my veins and I simmered with unbridled anger as I fought them back.
I swept Fury towards a hulking male as he charged at me, the blade cutting deep into his side a moment before his shoulder collided with my chest.
He fell on top of me, crushing me into the wet concrete as his breath washed over my face. His fangs dipped towards my neck and I slammed my hand into his jaw, grabbing hold of his chin and fighting to force him back.
He pushed down harder and I snarled as I tightened my grip, wrenching his lower jaw sideways until I heard a snap. The vampire reared back in pain, jerking out of my grip and giving me enough space to get my legs up between us. I kicked him off of me, throwing him into more of his bloodsucking friends as I rolled upright again.
Purple lightning arced through the sky overhead and I glanced up at it, wondering what Valentina was up to.
I dropped my gaze to the Biters once more, raising Fury defensively.
The male with the broken jaw glared at me for a moment then turned and fled.
I stared in confusion as the rest of them raced away from us too and Fabian grabbed my arm to stop me following.
“That must have been a signal for them to retreat,” he said as he looked down at me. “The day is ours.”
“Why would they retreat?” I asked in confusion as the Biters sped across the Realm and poured out into the ruins.
“Erik?!” Montana screamed, the anguish in her voice clear.
I turned to look at her as she shot past me, chasing after the retreating Biters with a desperate look on her face.
“What’s happening?” I asked as I pulled out of Fabian’s grip and ran after her.
The clouds broke ahead of us and the sun blazed down, creating a wide wall of light between us and the Biters which the vampires couldn’t cross.
Clarice shot past me and tackled Montana before she could make it to the sunlight. “You can’t just chase after them!” she snarled as Montana tried to fight her off. “Valentina took him for a reason. She obviously wants him alive which gives us time to get him back. If you run after them alone then they’ll just kill you. We have to be smart about this!”
“She took Erik?” I asked, wondering how the hell that could be possible. My heart squeezed with pity for my sister as she continued to fight to get free of Clarice.
“We have to go after Valentina!” Montana shouted, looking to me for help. My grip on Fury tightened as I wondered if I’d have to force Clarice to release her.
I stared about at the bloodstained square and found Julius moving towards me.
“Have you seen Magnar?” he asked urgently and my heart jolted with fear.
“No,” I breathed, spinning quickly to try and locate him.
There was nothing around us but the clothes of the destroyed vampires. A glimmer of gold caught my eye close to the burning town hall and I started running towards it, moving past the shattered remains of a wooden structure.
Julius kept pace with me and I skidded to a halt as I found Venom half buried in a pile of clothes. Julius was saying something to me but I couldn’t hear what it was as my pulse pounded with panic through my eardrums.
Sun Child, the blade growled in greeting as I pulled it from the ground.
“What happened?” I breathed, unsure if the blade could even tell me.
My vision clouded and I was Magnar for a moment. Biters ran at him from every direction and wrapped chains around his arms as pain flared through his flesh. Lightning hit the ground before him, knocking the blade from his grip and I had no idea what had happened next.
I blinked and the vision was gone. Julius was staring at me expectantly and I shoved Venom into his grasp so that he could see for himself before I turned and started hunting for Tempest.
I dug through the heaps of clothes desperately before the blade was revealed. I snatched it up and the heat of its rage washed over me.
“Show me,” I demanded.
The vision flooded me. I was Magnar, on my knees as Valentina approached. She was scowling, holding a golden chain between her taloned fingers.
“See how the mighty Magnar Elioson bows at my feet,” she said, stopping out of reach.
“You can force me to kneel but I’d never bow to you, whore,” Magnar spat.
Valentina’s chain snaked out and snapped into place around his throat, choking him.
Another vampire kicked his hand, knocking Tempest to the floor and the vision was lost.
“What did you see?” Julius demanded, grabbing my arm so tightly that it hurt.
“Valentina has him too,” I whispered, unable to believe that such a thing could have happened. “She used chains strengthened by the gods. They were around his throat... he couldn’t breathe-”
“Then let’s get him back,” Julius growled and I looked up at the determination in his gaze and found my own strength there too.
This wasn’t the time to fall apart. We had to be strong. And we had to fight for Magnar.
“Okay. Let’s go,” I snarled.
Julius nodded and we took off across the concrete, heading towards the blazing sunshine which lit the carved a line through the clouds.
Fabian was on the other side of the square, talking to the guards who had helped us against the Biters and I noticed Danielle looking our way curiously as we ran past them.
Clarice still restrained Montana and she was sobbing angrily, calling Erik’s name.
“Let her go,” I demanded as I stopped before them, pointing Tempest at her in a clear threat.
“Just wait,” Clarice begged, her arms still locked around my sister.
“That sunlight might weaken you but it won’t make a bit of difference to us,” I growled. “And we aren’t hanging around here waiting
for nightfall. I’m getting Magnar back now and Montana’s coming with us for Erik.”
“You can’t possibly succeed alone,” Clarice protested. “We need to form a plan, go after her united. If you go in there half-cocked you could get both of them killed.”
“We might be willing to work with you for the sake of solving the prophecy but this is about family,” Julius snarled. “And the day I need to ask for help from a parasite will be a cold day in hell.”
“Don’t be fools,” Clarice hissed. “We have the resources, numbers and weapons needed to execute a successful rescue. You don’t.”
I glanced at Julius hesitantly. The idea of leaving Magnar in Valentina’s hands for even an extra second made my blood boil but she had a point. Even with Montana there were only three of us and I was exhausted and injured from the battle as it was. Valentina still had most of her army and we could do with help even if it was from a bunch of bloodsuckers.
“If we wait then don’t go getting any ideas about us being under your command,” Julius spat. “We’re using you, not the other way around. This is purely about getting Magnar back.”
“And Erik,” Montana added forcefully.
“Yeah him too,” Julius growled as an afterthought.
An engine rumbled and I looked up as an armoured truck pulled in through the open gates. Miles leapt from the cab with a rocket launcher over his shoulder, swiftly followed by the dark haired vampire who had been in Erik’s dream.
“Oh shit did we miss it?” Miles asked, his face falling as he gazed about.
I scowled at him as he moved closer, my grip tightening on Tempest as I assessed him. He’d been the one to catch me before I’d been forced into marrying Fabian and I didn’t trust him one bit. His gaze travelled over me and Julius curiously but he didn’t make any move to attack us so I guessed he was up to date on our current alliance.
“Where the hell were you?” Clarice demanded as she glared at him.
“Well...” Miles glanced at the male vampire beside him and shrugged. “We didn’t have our phones with us and I only just got your messages. Sorry. It looks like you didn’t need us anyway.”
“That bitch has kidnapped our brother,” Clarice growled. “Which might not have happened if we’d had your help.”
“What?” Miles asked in confusion and Clarice explained what had happened to Erik and Magnar as Montana moved to my side and took my hand.
“We’ll get them back,” I promised her as she brushed the tears from her cheeks.
“I’m going to kill Valentina with my bare hands,” she snarled and I nodded in agreement.
“We’ll end her just like Wolfe.”
Fabian shot towards us and I took a step back uneasily as the three Belvederes stood opposite me. Our alliance was tenuous at best and Erik had been the one to implement it. I still didn’t trust the rest of them and with him gone I wasn’t sure what to expect from them.
“I’ve organised the guards and they’re going to triple the watch here and make sure the human population are cared for. We need to get back to the castle,” Fabian said, his eyes falling on me, though he didn’t move any closer. I wasn’t sure what to make of him anymore. We’d fought side by side and he'd saved me more than once during the battle but it was hard to say how much of that had been because of the false love he felt for me and whether any part of it was truly who he was.
“Yes,” Clarice agreed, “Let’s go.” She led the way towards the truck that Miles had arrived in and the others followed. I caught Julius’s wrist as they all piled in and Montana glanced back at us curiously but I waved her ahead.
The pain in my head was making me dizzy again but I fought it off.
Julius glanced down at me, seeming to realise I wanted to talk to him without the vampires overhearing. He looped his arm around me as if he’d noticed me needing help and we moved away quickly.
“We need to stay close once we head into their castle,” he breathed, following my own line of thought. “We’re outnumbered and we’ll have to keep our wits about us.”
“And we need to stick together when it comes to going after Valentina,” I replied in a whisper. “The only thing they care about is getting Erik back. Even Montana will focus on him. So we have to make sure Magnar is our priority.”
I was so afraid for Magnar that it was making my chest ache. What did Valentina want him for? And why had she taken Erik too? It couldn’t be anything good and the longer she held them the worse it could get. She could be torturing them as we spoke.
“Don’t worry,” Julius replied. “I’m well aware of what it will come down to in the end. We’ll look after our own first. Just as I’m sure they will.”
I smiled up at him fiercely and he wrapped his arms around me, placing a kiss on my forehead. I leaned against his chest, stealing a moment in his arms to let the panic have me. A tear squeezed from my eye and I took a shuddering breath before banishing the feelings of dread again. It wouldn’t help Magnar if I fell apart. I had to be strong. He needed that so much more than he needed my tears.
Julius released me and caught my chin as he inspected the wound on my temple. “How bad is that, honestly?” he asked and I could tell he knew I’d been trying to hide my pain.
“Bad,” I replied. “But a bit of rest should be enough to shake it off. I’m just a little dizzy.”
“Alright. But tell me if it gets any worse,” he said seriously and I nodded my agreement.
We jogged back to the truck and I noticed Montana sitting in the cab with Miles and the other vampire. I smiled at her reassuringly as she looked down at me and I followed Julius around to climb in the back.
He offered me his hand, helping me up so that I could cover my injuries more effectively. I released him and lowered myself onto a bench which ran along the side of the covered space. I only noticed I was sitting next to Fabian as I slid along to make room for Julius and I shifted uncomfortably as he scrutinised me.
Clarice and Danielle were sitting on the bench opposite us alongside some other vampires I didn’t recognise. Most of the guards were staying behind to defend the Realm.
“I thought Magnar was the one I had to be jealous of,” Fabian muttered irritably, glancing at Julius as the truck started up and Miles drove us towards the castle.
“Oh don’t worry,” Julius replied for me. “You’ve got plenty to be jealous of me for. I’m better looking than you, better built, stronger, funnier, more interesting-”
“More full of yourself,” Clarice added.
“So you’re not disagreeing with anything else I said? Just pointing out that I know it,” Julius replied with a smirk. “And I’ve told you to stop staring at me like that, parasite. My pants won’t just disappear because you wish they would.”
I sniggered as Clarice glared at him and a wave of dizziness washed through me.
“I wouldn’t screw you if you were the last man left on Earth,” she growled.
“That would sound so much more convincing if you weren’t drooling,” Julius replied dismissively. “But don’t get too excited; I like my women to have a heartbeat.”
Clarice seethed and I couldn’t help but be impressed with how unaffected Julius was by her anger. If one of the Belvederes was looking at me like that then I’d have been trembling.
I ran my fingers along Tempest’s hilt, stealing some strength from the blade. My thoughts turned to the warrior who owned it again and fear danced along my veins. I’d return the sword to Magnar right after I plunged it through Valentina’s heart.
The injury to my temple was sending a slicing pain through my skull and I closed my eyes as the truck bounced along the road. My body was battered and bruised from the battle and unlike my undead companions, I needed time to recover.
“Are you alright?” Fabian murmured, leaning closer to me so that I felt his breath on my neck.
I shifted away from him until I bumped into Julius. “I’m fine,” I muttered, refusing to admit just how bad I felt. But the pa
in in my head was starting to throb and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could manage to fight off the effects my injuries.
Julius glanced at me, seeming to notice my strength waning too. He pulled me under his arm and glared at Fabian, warning him back.
“You just keep your attention fixed on your own kind and I’ll look after mine,” he growled.
“Can’t she just heal like you do?” Fabian asked him anxiously.
“She’s Clan of Dreams so it’ll take her a little longer, that’s all,” Julius snapped, closing the subject.
I shut my eyes so that I didn’t have to look at them anymore and the pain in my skull lessened as I blocked out the light. I was sure I’d be fine soon enough. I just needed a bit of rest to regain my strength before going after Magnar.
I hoped Valentina knew what was coming for her now. Because I wouldn’t stop hunting her until I finished her eternal life for good.
I didn't stop trying to escape as the truck tore along a road, bumping wildly over broken stone and crumbled mortar. I'd received more wounds thanks to my attempts and the chains were so tight, blood was pouring from my wounds. The injury Callie had given me mere days ago was split open again and I ground my teeth against the agony it caused.
The sun had been left behind at last as I moved away from the extension of Valentina's powers, but even with my strength intact I couldn't break free of my binds. I focused my attention on the surrounding ruins instead, certain we were heading into the destroyed half of Brooklyn. I counted every turn, committing it to memory. The second these chains were released, I'd fight tooth and nail to escape. If Valentina wanted me dead, I'd have been reduced to dust by now. But that was a fatal mistake. Because if she thought she could hold me alive, she was going to pay for that stupidity in her own blood.
Age of Vampires- The Complete Series Page 122