Age of Vampires- The Complete Series

by Caroline Peckham

  “Stop!” Valentina shrieked, her eyes scouring the crowd as she searched for me and I remained hidden amongst them. “Wait! Please!”

  Magnar swung Tempest at her and she cried out in pain as the blade carved into her flesh. Erik leapt on her next and I returned her to her human form just before his teeth ripped into her skin.

  The rest of the crowd surged forward, snarling, screaming, stamping and biting as they all clamoured to destroy her.

  Valentina’s pain and terror washed over me and I hopped up onto the stage, willing everyone away but me as I approached her broken form.

  “You,” she hissed as she spotted me and I smiled darkly, allowing her wounds to mend so that she could clamber to her feet.

  Standing this close to her, her nudity was clear beneath the flowing blood she’d imagined into a dress and I sneered in disgust as I forced her into the rags she’d wanted me to wear. The filthy brown garment was little more than a sack and I made her hair hang limp and greasy around her face too.

  “Is that really necessary?” she snarled, plucking at the rags as I focused on making them as itchy as possible.

  “Is what necessary?” I asked innocently. “This is how you always look to me.”

  I could feel the strength of her will fighting against my own but it was like the beating of a moth’s wings against the inside of my fist. She gave up abruptly and scowled at me as she folded her arms.

  “Fine,” she snapped. “You should enjoy having this power over me while you can but remember that nothing here can truly hurt me. Dreams don’t fair so well against storms in the real world.”

  “I’m not afraid of you,” I replied evenly. “You hide behind your gifts. Without them, you’re nothing.”

  Her face stayed impassive at my words but I felt her flinching internally. She didn’t like to be called nothing.

  “You should look in the mirror, little girl,” Valentina replied. “What are you but a pathetic human dressing up as a slayer?”

  “Well if you want to be accurate, I’m a countess,” I said, playing into what I knew would anger her the most. I imagined my crown into place on my head and her eyes flashed with lightning as she looked at it. “You spent a thousand years begging for a crown and they handed me one even though I never wanted it,” I taunted.

  “Your crown is purely for the sake of appearances. You’re nothing more than a walking womb to Fabian. Once he’s filled your belly with a child he’ll have no more interest in you. You’ll be cast aside just like his other wives,” she growled.

  “I doubt it. Idun made sure he loves me.” I held out my left hand, showing her the partnership rune which bound me to Fabian and her eyes lit up as she smiled.

  “Just as she made sure Erik and Magnar love me,” she replied and I had to work hard to stop my face from betraying how I felt about that. Her eyes glittered and I was sure she wasn’t convinced by my act.

  “What do you want with them anyway?” I asked. She may not have wanted to reply but I pushed my will against hers until she was forced to reveal her answer. No one could lie to me while I visited their dreams.

  Magnar and Erik appeared before me as I watched her memories of them. I saw Magnar as Earl of the slayers, avoiding her, ignoring her, refusing to fulfil his promise of marriage. She was owed a crown. She was destined to be his wife and lead their people at his side but he refused her. Humiliated her. He rejected the offer of her flesh time and time again while taking other women to his bed. Their people whispered about them. About her. And over time the love she’d been offering him turned to a poisonous kind of obsession. He’d pledged himself to her. He owned her and she owned him. And if he refused to follow the goddess's guidance on that then she would just have to bend him to her will.

  Her mind swung from Magnar to Erik and his treatment of her was altogether different. I saw them tangled together between sheets and under the stars. He took pleasure in her body and whispered promises while he did so. But when he wasn’t lost in the moment he pushed her away, offering excuses instead of a crown.

  “I’m giving them more than they ever gave me,” Valentina hissed. “The chance to have power by my side.”

  “Beneath your heel you mean,” I replied. “And what pleasure can you gain from their supposed love for you if you’re forcing their hands? Surely your victory is hollow if they don’t truly want to do it?”

  “Oh I’m getting plenty of pleasure from it,” she replied, her eyes flaring wickedly and I watched in disgust as her power made each of them kiss her in her memories. Thankfully it didn’t go further than that and I could only hope that it stayed that way in the real world too.

  “How are you doing that to them?” I growled, unable to keep my anger from my tone.

  Valentina didn’t want to show me but my power over her dream tightened and I forced the truth from her. A black choker appeared on her neck with a huge red ruby hanging from it. The jewel blazed with some dark power and even this dreamed up version of it sent a tremor of fear rolling through me.

  “Idun wants me to wield this power. My path is true,” Valentina said. “Magnar was always destined to be with me. You were just another distraction to pass the time, but believe me when I say he’s forgotten all about you now. He knows that I am his one true love. And the next time he sees you he will cut your head from your shoulders and gift it to me happily.”

  My heart fluttered in desperate denial of her words and I had to bite back on the angry response I wanted to scream at her.

  “Idun is as deluded as you are if you think what you’ve made him feel for you is love,” I spat.

  “What would you know about love?” she asked darkly. “Your lifetime has existed in little more than a blink to me. I have walked this world for over a thousand years and I have waited for my time to rise. Finally my devotion to the goddess has been rewarded. And it will take a hell of a lot more than a nobody like you to take it away from me again.”

  I opened my mouth to respond but pain shot across my cheek, pulling at my attention in a way that made me lose my train of thought.

  I shook my head, trying to clear it as the pain came again.

  “Cat got your tongue?” Valentina asked with a smirk and I could tell she thought that she’d gotten to me.

  I scowled at her, ready to reply but the pain raced through my cheek even more fiercely and I was struck with the feeling that I was falling.

  Everything faded away from me and I gasped as I crashed out of the dream.

  Julius slapped me again and I flinched awake as my eyes snapped open. He was leaning over me, staring into my face with a desperate urgency as he fought to wake me up.

  “Finally!” he growled, grabbing me roughly and dragging me to my feet.

  “What’s happening?” I asked in confusion as I stumbled, trying to release the last dregs of the dream and pay attention to everything that was going on around me.

  Miles and Warren were locked in a fight by the door to the barracks and the sounds of gunfire rang out violently.

  Julius shoved Fury at me as he raced forward, pulling Vicious from its sheath and I hurried to follow him. He cut down a vampire who was battling against Miles, leaving only one more enemy remaining in the room.

  Warren bellowed with rage as he drove his fist into the chest of the female vampire and she dissolved, giving us a momentary reprieve as gunfire sounded outside and he took cover beside the door.

  As I drew closer to the doorway, Miles caught my wrist and dragged me back so that I didn’t look out.

  “They have us penned in,” he whispered low enough for his voice not to carry to the vampires outside. “Heavy firearms.”

  “Who does?” I asked in confusion.

  “Turns out the vampires at this base are Biters. They waited until we were split up to attack.” He flinched back again as more gunfire rang out. My mind swam with the possibility that Valentina’s followers had already reached this far. How many of the vampires in the country were secretly Bite
rs just waiting for this chance to rise up?

  “I thought you could heal from anything?” I hissed, removing my arm from his grip.

  “Not if a bullet hits his heart,” Warren growled fiercely from the opposite side of the doorway.

  “So what do we do?” I asked.

  A beat of silence passed between us as no one came up with an answer.

  “Just give us the mortals and you can go!” a deep voice shouted from outside. “We only want their blood!”

  Warren’s gaze met mine and I tightened my grip on Fury as I waited to hear their response. This was what it really came down to. Us or them. Miles hadn’t given me much reason to trust him or mistrust him so far and I guessed I was about to find out if he’d really stand at my side when it counted.

  “How fast are you with that blade?” Miles breathed, eyeing Fury in my palm.

  “Fast enough,” I replied, pulling on my ancestors’ knowledge as my gifts flooded my limbs.

  “Well let’s find out shall we?” He nodded towards the door and I caught on to what he was suggesting.

  I exchanged a look with Julius, wondering if I was really mad enough to put my life in the hands of a Belvedere. But we’d already passed that point by now and I had to hold faith in our strange alliance.

  I gritted my teeth and nodded in agreement to Miles who smiled widely in response.

  “Alright!” Miles called. “We’re bringing them out.”

  “Don’t try any funny business,” a response came.

  Miles drew me closer to him, holding my hands behind my back and concealing Fury from view between us as he pushed me outside. Warren followed, pretending to restrain Julius in the same way.

  The cool winter air kissed my exposed skin and the freezing concrete bit at my bare feet.

  We walked into the open and I shivered as I began to doubt the sanity of coming out here.

  A group of eight soldiers surged out of cover, aiming rifles at us cautiously. A few of them lowered their guns, reaching for me eagerly as we drew closer.

  My heart pounded adrenaline into my limbs and my grip on Fury tightened as it sang songs of battle through my ears.

  Cut and stab and swipe and bleed, feed me what I truly need...

  Miles’s hold on my wrists was so loose that he was barely touching me. We were surrounded and the Biters lowered their weapons as they reached for me and Julius.

  As the first of them got close enough, I released a snarl of rage and swept Fury around, slamming it straight between his ribs.

  Miles burst past me so quickly that my hair was sent flying as he slammed into the rest of the Biters. Warren and Julius leapt forward to help him as a gunshot went off and I released a scream at the sudden violent bang.

  A Biter came for me but I was ready for him, matching his blows with counters of my own as we danced away from the others. It was a constant struggle for the upper hand as the Elite matched my movements but I finally got beneath his guard and slammed a foot into his chest.

  Julius was waiting with Vicious held high and the Elite shrieked as the blade pierced his heart.

  I glanced around at the empty space in astonishment, wondering how everything had descended into chaos again so quickly. The sound of fighting around the corner drew my attention and we all exchanged a look of understanding before we turned and raced to help.

  “Just in here.” Kingston directed us into a large metal warehouse, opening the door for us.

  Clarice walked inside and I followed, trying to get my thoughts in order for what I was going to say. Would these soldiers listen to me? Would they fight for me? Head after Valentina and cut her down just because I was technically a royal now? If I could get Fabian to come around to the idea, maybe I could make it happen.

  Rows of metal seats stretched toward a back wall with a door at the centre of it. My brow furrowed as I took in the empty space.

  “Where are the-” Clarice was cut off as Kingston slammed the door behind us, locking it from the outside as he left us alone in the cavernous room.

  “Hey!” I spun around, taking hold of the handle but it wouldn't open. Kingston slid several more bolts into place as I rammed my shoulder against the steel. Panic gripped my heart in an iron fist. I turned to Clarice with a dawning comprehension filling me.

  “Valentina is our true queen!” Kingston shouted through the door.

  “You piece of shit.” Clarice pushed me aside, ramming her shoulder against the door. “Open up!” she commanded, but Kingston only laughed in response.

  “What do you want?” I snarled, unable to believe Valentina's rule extended this far. She'd gotten into the minds of so many of the Belvederes’ people. We’d run from one rats’ nest into another.

  “The de-fanged are hungry for revenge, your highness,” he called from beyond the door. “We saved every one we found in the area.”

  “Shit, the whole base is compromised,” Clarice whispered to me, clawing a hand through her long hair. She slammed her foot into the door and a metallic gong rang out. The door dented but didn't give.

  A shiver darted up my spine as a rattling, sucking noise sounded from the other side of the room. I turned to find the door at the far end wide open with a hunched figure standing there. Her head was shaved and her eyes were deepest green. Drool slid down her chin as she gazed at us, reaching for something behind her back.

  “Do you remember me?” she tilted her head as she zeroed in on Clarice, producing a handgun from her waistband.

  Clarice took a defensive stance and I followed suit as the hairs on the back of my neck rose to attention.

  “Diana?” Clarice guessed.

  “Dina!” she hissed and bloody spittle flew from her mouth. “Do you know how many dayth I roamed the ruinth alone?” She raised her gun, aiming it at Clarice's face.

  “You were outcast for your crimes,” Clarice said in a deadly tone, not seeming remotely concerned about the gun pointed at her. But I sure as hell was. “You bit a Courtier. You got what you deserved.”

  My heart juddered at her words and my hands curled into fists. This vampire had drunk from one of the girls brought to the castle in the past. I recalled the fear of first arriving in the city. I'd been helpless once, but not anymore. Although...I didn't know if I was fast enough to dodge a bullet.

  “We half the right to bite,” Dina growled, revealing the gaps in her mouth where her fangs had once been. “But now you'th taken efen that from uth!”

  I clenched my jaw as a flood of cold dripped down my spine.

  “Us?” Clarice breathed and dark figures loomed from the room behind the girl, stepping out of the shadows. Five of them in total. Four men and Dina.

  I released Nightmare from my hip with a feral growl parting my lips. The vampire side of me was close, ready to lend me the power I needed for this fight.

  Dina moved in a burst of speed, slamming her hand against the wall and flicking a light switch. We were plunged into darkness and my eyesight didn't adjust quickly enough.

  A bang resounded through the air and someone crashed into my side.

  It took me half a second to regain my vision and I found Clarice pushing me along, a bloody graze on her arm marking the path of the bullet.

  Another gunshot sounded and Clarice and I broke apart as the bullet hit the door behind us, punching a hole through it.

  “Move fast!” Clarice commanded me and I started running as Dina kept firing, adrenaline surging into my blood.

  We had nowhere to go but toward them. But it didn't matter; I just had to get that damn gun out of her grasp.

  Dina had her sights set on Clarice, releasing shot after shot as the royal moved like the wind to avoid death. The other Biters remained behind the wild girl, waiting to see if she killed Clarice.

  I seized my advantage, powering toward her to take her out. She swung the gun at me a second too late and I collided with her, knocking her back into the men flanking her. One of the males smashed a fist into my head and my vision swam wi
th bright lights. He shoved me through the door they'd come from and I crashed into a metal rack as I found myself in a storage room.

  I scrambled upright and the huge vampire took hold of my throat, baring his teeth at me.

  “Fucking royal thcum,” he snarled, throwing me to the floor again and kicking me in the ribs. I gritted my teeth against the pain, snatching hold of his foot as he tried to kick me again. I tugged sideways to pull him off balance, then darted between his legs to escape. Springing upright, I turned in a blur of motion and slammed Nightmare into his back with a yell of fury.

  Yes, kill, rip, end this beast of the night! Nightmare screamed its encouragement.

  I twisted it sharply and the vampire burst into a cloud of ash which scattered to the floor onto his uniform.

  Someone grabbed my hair and I screamed as I was flung out of the room, sailing across the warehouse. I crashed into a row of chairs and pain ripped up my side. I fell in a heap, pushing myself upright and tossing the chairs aside as I dug my way out of the pile. Fear tugged at me but I couldn’t stop. I had to move. I had to fight.

  Clarice was battling two of the males, moving like a queen of death as she dodged their attacks and landed two impossibly fierce punches. The first found one of their hearts and the second snapped bones, sending the victim rearing backwards.

  Dina's eyes whipped to me as she pushed bullets into her gun with fumbling fingers.

  “No,” I snarled, speeding toward her to get that weapon out of her hands. I raised nightmare with a scream of defiance and bullets slipped from her fingers, making a tinkling noise as they hit the floor at her feet.

  “Fuck,” she swore, backing up. She had a couple of chambers filled as she snapped the barrel shut and raised the gun.

  My death stared at me from the dark barrel.

  I tried to lurch aside but I was too late.

  A click sounded and I flinched. The barrel rang empty again. She pulled the trigger once more and I lurched aside as the gun fired. The bullet hit Nightmare and it was wrenched from my grip, skittering across the floor. I released a panicked yell as I dove into the air and fell on her.