Age of Vampires- The Complete Series

by Caroline Peckham

  Three Elite were caught in the line of fire, scattered to ash. The battle split apart in a panic and I spotted Fabian and Clarice tearing the stragglers limb from limb.

  “Again!” Danielle cried, but the final Elite was too close. He leapt above the cannon and I lost sight of him on the screen as his boots slammed against the metal exterior.

  I took Nightmare from my lap, scrambling out of my seat as adrenaline flooded through me. A blood-curdling scream sounded from above and I cried out in fear as I hauled myself out of the hatch.

  A sword swung at me and I ducked away just in time. A piece of my hair floated down before my eyes as the Elite stabbed at me again. I rolled backwards, tumbling off of the tank and crashing to the ground.

  I righted myself, hurrying around the tank and spotting Danielle on the ground several paces away in a pool of blood. Her own sword was sticking out of her stomach and she was struggling to pull it out.

  The huge male Elite jumped down from the tank and ran towards her at a fierce pace.

  My heart dropped dramatically.

  I charged forwards as the Elite reached her and stamped his foot down on her chest. She clawed at his legs, desperately trying to right herself. He angled a handgun down at her face and terror scored through my body.

  “No!” I screamed, diving onto his back.

  Use me, Moon Child! Nightmare cried in my ears.

  I drove my blade into his neck, my teeth clenched tight. Blood spurted and he swung around violently to try and throw me off.

  Danielle pulled her sword from her stomach, pushing herself backwards as she clutched the gaping wound. I needed to buy her time to heal.

  The Elite caught hold of me and threw me over his shoulder.

  I tumbled across the ground, the back of my shirt ripping open as it dragged against the concrete.

  When I came to a halt, I rolled onto my knees, pushing my hands to the tarmac as I propelled myself toward him at a furious pace. The Elite aimed his gun at Danielle again as she tried to kick his legs out from under him.

  Panic scorched my heart.

  I was three paces away.

  Two paces.

  One.

  I leapt into the air with a cry of effort. A gunshot rang in my ears. Dust swept over me as I collided with my target. Nightmare's sharp tip sliced through his back all the way to his heart.

  His remains exploded around me and my feet hit the ground. I blinked heavily, wiping the dust from my face with my sleeve. I stared down at the two uniforms beneath me with a horrifying clarity. Danielle was dead, her remains cascading through the air around me.

  A lump of guilt rose in my throat. I hadn't been fast enough. I hadn't made the right choices.

  The world fell eerily silent around me and I wasn't sure if I was locked in the eternal seconds following her death or if the battle was finally over.

  I took a heady breath as the ash from my latest victim swirled around my legs and I was given a momentary reprieve from the fight. Miles and Warren had kept close to Julius and I during the battle, helping to stave off the flood of Biters who were sent into a frenzy by the scent of our blood. I guessed I’d been wrong to doubt their devotion to our alliance.

  Fury burned hot in my hands, demanding more death.

  Feed me Sun Child. Cut, slash, stab, bleed!

  Fabian was locked in battle with Kingston but before I could get any closer, the general made a fatal mistake and Fabian ripped his heart from his chest, crushing it in his fist with a savage smile.

  Kingston exploded into a cloud of dust and Miles, Warren and Clarice slammed through the remaining Biters before I could draw close enough to help.

  I looked about at the heaped clothes which surrounded us as the freezing wind stole their ashes and raised goosebumps along my exposed flesh.

  Fury sighed in disappointment and I couldn’t help but smile a little at the bloodthirsty blade.

  Fabian sped towards me in a blur of motion and I backed up a step as he stopped before me.

  “You’re alright?” he asked, his gaze slipping over me in assessment.

  “Fine,” I replied with a sigh as I pushed the ring’s influence over him again so that he could be released from his concern for me. He shook his head as his love for me slipped away and his pupils dilated.

  “And why are you still running around with no clothes on?” Fabian asked with a snarl. “You are my wife and no one but me should see you like this-”

  “So give me that divorce and it won’t be your concern anymore,” I snapped, pushing past him as I moved towards my sister. I was half tempted to strip naked just to spite him but I figured I’d rather not have him see any more of my body.

  “Valentina’s followers are everywhere,” Montana breathed hopelessly as she pulled me into a fierce hug. “Nowhere is safe from them.”

  I looked about at our group and noticed that the Elite who’d saved my life was missing.

  “Where’s Danielle?” I asked, my gut clenching as I guessed the answer before anyone could tell me.

  Montana shook her head sadly and I was gripped with an aching regret at her loss. It was so strange for me to feel bad about the death of a bloodsucker. But she’d saved my life. Fought by my side in Realm A and acted almost... human. Aside from my sister I hadn’t really let myself see the vampires like that. They were so different to us and the hatred I’d held for them for so many years was hard to put aside. But if I was willing to see Montana as the same person she’d always been then I couldn’t deny that the vampires couldn’t all be bad. Yes, they had the bloodlust to contend with but that didn’t mean they all gave in. And I had to stop blindly seeing them all as monsters until they proved me wrong. They were just… people. Good and bad exactly the same as if they had a heartbeat.

  Miles dropped down, taking up Danielle's sword with a heavy frown. “She was my sireling,” he said with emotion glittering in his eyes.

  Warren slid an arm around his shoulders. “She died trying to help us.”

  “Goddammit,” Miles snarled, kicking the base of the helicopter with a metallic gong.

  “How long will this take to charge?” Julius asked, moving closer to me in a protective stance.

  “About four hours,” Fabian replied, frowning down at a cellphone in his grip. “Which is cutting it close because that traitor, Kingston, made a call to Valentina.” He tossed the phone to Clarice and she eyed the call list with a look of fury.

  “By the gods, there are rebels everywhere we turn,” she breathed, tucking the phone into her pocket.

  “Maybe we should just take a truck?” Montana suggested, pointing to a row of them on the far side of the base.

  “It won't be fast enough.” Miles shook his head. “Four hours wait will be worth it if we can get airborne again.”

  “That's a big if,” Julius snarled.

  “It's all we've got,” I said, gripping his arm in an attempt to calm him and he released a heavy sigh.

  I gazed down at Danielle's uniform with a frown.

  “She saved me once,” I whispered.

  Montana took my hand, clearly not sure what to say. Her fingers laced with mine and the closeness of her offered me a sense of calm.

  Four hours felt like an eternity to wait. And part of me wanted to demand we stay there and fight Valentina when she arrived. But I knew we couldn’t face her yet. We needed a plan to save Magnar and Erik from her clutches but while they were blinded by her power over them we couldn’t risk getting too close to them. Not while they were so determined to hurt us.

  “I found out how Valentina is controlling Magnar and Erik,” I said, turning to look at the others as Montana’s grip on my hand tightened. “Idun gave her a necklace filled with the power to control the hearts of men. She’s wearing it but if we could get it from her, destroy it-”

  “Cutting her head off would solve two problems then,” Julius said enthusiastically.

  “But we’d still have to get past my brother and yours,” Fabian growle
d. “And her storm magic as well.”

  “Ever the Debbie Downer,” Julius grunted.

  “But if we can just destroy that necklace-” Montana began.

  “Just?” Fabian asked incredulously. “Knowing about that necklace doesn’t change anything. We still can’t risk going after them. We’re outnumbered and outgunned.”

  “He’s right,” Miles agreed. “We have to run again. For now.”

  Disappointment filled me but I knew they were right. Getting that necklace was just as impossible as killing Valentina for the moment. But I was going to figure out a way to do both just as soon as I could.

  I chewed my lip as the wind twisted around us again and a shiver raced along my skin.

  “I can make sure the chopper is charged,” Warren said confidently. “We should gather supplies and get ready to leave as soon as it’s done.”

  “Damn Valentina,” Miles growled. “We haven’t had to run from anyone like this since...” His gaze fell on Julius and the slayer laughed loudly.

  “Since the mere thought of my brother and I had you crapping your pants?” he taunted.

  Clarice hissed irritably and Montana shifted quickly to stand between them.

  “This has to stop,” she urged, glaring at Julius. “We’re a team now. We have to work together and put an end to this hatred.”

  “We might be working together but we’ll never stop hating each other,” Fabian snapped. “So get over it Montana.”

  Julius shrugged unapologetically and Montana released a frustrated breath.

  “Let’s see what supplies we can find,” Clarice suggested, taking Montana’s arm as she headed away from us.

  “I’m coming with you,” Julius said, turning to follow them. “You parasites know nothing about human food and I’m not eating raw potatoes because of your ignorance.”

  Clarice didn’t seem particularly happy about his choice to follow her but she made no comment to stop him.

  Miles and Warren started to work on the helicopter and I turned away from them, returning to the barracks so that I could change into some warmer clothes.

  I chewed on my lip as I headed inside, my mind churning over what I’d learned in Valentina’s dream. Mostly I’d just given myself more to worry about as the memory of Magnar kissing her filled my mind. I simmered internally at the thought of her using him like that. I’d cut her heart out myself if I could only get close enough. But with him standing between me and her it was unlikely. I couldn’t hurt him. It made her untouchable.

  I tossed Fury onto Julius’s bed, wanting a reprieve from its constant anger at our proximity to the vampires. For now my fate was tangled up with that of the Belvederes but strangely I wasn’t too worried about it anymore. They’d proven that I could trust them in battle and so long as Fabian kept his distance and didn’t follow through on his threat to try and turn me then I was safe from them. At least for now.

  A black uniform was folded in a box on the floor and I placed it at the foot of my bed before pulling off the lacy pyjama top.

  “At this point I’m going to assume you don’t know I’m here,” Fabian murmured and I gasped as I clutched the uniform to my chest before turning to glare at him.

  “What the fuck?” I snarled angrily and he raised an eyebrow at my aggressive tone.

  “Well I thought you were just ignoring me but as much as I’d like to believe you’d put on a strip show just for me, it doesn’t seem likely. So I thought it would be gentlemanly of me to point out my presence before you revealed anything else.” He was almost finished changing into one of the uniforms himself and he was slowly buttoning it over his muscular chest as he looked at me.

  “A gentleman would turn his back,” I snapped.

  “If you insist.” He turned around slowly so that he was facing the wall and I glowered at him as I quickly changed into the uniform, fastening the buttons to my chin before I allowed him to look at me again.

  “What do you want?” I demanded.

  “I have a proposition for you.”

  “I’m not really interested, Fabian,” I muttered. “The only thing I care about right now is getting Magnar back.”

  His lip curled at the mention of the slayer who held my heart but I didn’t react to it. I was sorry that Idun had placed the bond on him but it really wasn’t my problem. And even now, when the ring’s influence had fallen over him and he was shielded from his false love for me, he still persisted to call me his wife. So he really had to take some of the blame for his situation upon himself.

  “Not even if I’m offering what you asked for?” He stalked closer to me and I folded my arms as I waited to hear what he was going on about. “A divorce?”

  My heart lifted a little at his words. “Really?” I asked hopefully.

  “On one condition,” he said and my gut tightened in response. I should have known he wouldn’t release me so easily.

  “Anything,” I replied, hoping he could see how desperately I wanted to be free of my vows to him. It was the last restriction left on my freedom and I wanted it gone more than anything.

  “Oh I hope you mean that,” Fabian said with a dark smile.

  He reached out to touch me, his fingertips brushing against the top button of my uniform and I stepped back as I realised what his condition was.

  “Not that,” I growled.

  “Just once,” Fabian persisted. “Give yourself to me and let yourself feel what it’s like to be with me instead of him. And if that isn’t enough to convince you to stay mine then I give you my word that you can have your divorce.”

  “No.”

  “I can hear your heartbeat you know,” he breathed. “I know it grows faster when I’m close to you like this. Why fight what your body so clearly desires?”

  “It’s not desire that makes my heart race around you,” I replied. “It’s fear.”

  “You know you don’t have to fear me.” He reached for a lock of my hair and I stilled as he twisted it between his fingers, shifting further into my personal space.

  “Last night you were threatening to turn me into one of you,” I replied icily. “So of course I have something to fear from you.”

  “I was upset,” he replied softly, still toying with my hair.

  I slapped his hand away but he caught my wrist instead.

  “I’ve told you not to touch me,” I warned. Though with Fury on the bed and with him penning me in like this I wasn’t so sure how concerned he’d be about that threat.

  “Yes, you’ve threatened to kill me multiple times but you’re yet to even try it.” He smiled at me like that was all the proof he needed to keep pressing forward.

  “Only because I need your help. We have to solve the prophecy and get Magnar back. Once that’s done I’ll gladly gut you,” I promised.

  Fabian chuckled. “You know your anger towards me would only make this more enjoyable. Think about how good it would feel to use all that pent up frustration and take it out on me. Magnar certainly isn’t going to be able to blame you for it anyway. After all, Valentina will have had her way with him by now. So if you still want him after you’ve had me, he would have to forgive you too.”

  I snatched my arm out of his grip and shoved him back.

  “Anything that’s happening to Magnar isn’t his fault,” I replied, refusing to face the prospect of what he was saying. “And any anger I feel about it is directed at Valentina, not him. You’ve gotta think pretty little of me if you really believe that I’d screw you out of revenge. And if you have nothing else to say to me then I want you to get out of my way.”

  “Well the offer stands,” Fabian replied. “When you decide to change your mind.” I could tell that he really thought I would and I ground my teeth in outrage.

  I slammed my palms into his chest, forcing him to stumble back. I snatched Fury from Julius’s bed and whipped it up between us.

  “I’m guessing that you haven’t heard the word no very often or something,” I growled. “But I can’t be any
clearer about this. I’m not interested. And if you never divorce me then I don’t care; I’ll just live in sin with the man I love.”

  I turned and stalked away from him before he could reply. I had no idea what was going on in his head to make him think that hounding after me in this way was going to work but I’d had enough of it.

  I withdrew the ring’s influence from him and as I pulled the door open, I spotted him sinking down onto my bed and pressing his face against my pillow.

  I clenched my jaw and headed outside again, gazing up at the stars which peppered the sky.

  I released a breath of frustration and a cloud of vapour billowed from my lips as I tried to regain my composure.

  My boot fell on something hard as I stepped over a heap of clothes and I stooped down to investigate it. A shiver crept along my spine as I pulled a heavy rifle into my hands and I lifted it higher with interest, looking through the scope towards the helicopter.

  “I’d prefer it if you didn’t aim that at us, little slayer,” Miles called and I lowered the rifle as I looked up at him.

  “I don’t know how to use it anyway,” I replied.

  “That makes it worse, not better,” Miles said and a smile hooked up my mouth.

  “Is this any use?” I asked, moving closer to him where he was sitting just inside the helicopter so that I could hand over the weapon.

  “It’s worth taking with us,” he said. “You want a lesson in modern firearms?”

  “Hell yes,” I agreed with a grin.

  Miles pulled a piece of the gun off, inspecting it for a moment before clipping it back into place.

  “You’ve got eight rounds here.” He hopped out of the helicopter and handed me the weapon. “Aim it at that building.”

  I lifted the rifle higher, looking through the scope at the warehouse he’d indicated.

  Miles wrapped his arms around me, repositioning my grip on the weapon. I stilled as the coolness of his chest pushed against my back but there was nothing threatening in the way he held me.