We lurched sideways as Fabian grabbed one of the trees to slow our fall. The sound of splintering wood filled the air but he caught a second branch as the first broke. Then a third.
He grunted in pain as he collided with a thick trunk, shielding me from the worst of the impact as he wrapped his left arm around me again, holding me so tightly that I could barely breathe.
He threw his weight back and we slammed into the ground with him beneath me, the sound of a thunderclap breaking out as his body carved a hole in the earth.
Pain flared through my side and my breath was knocked from my lungs as I was thrown off of him and I lay gasping in the snow as my brain tried to adjust to the fact that I wasn’t dead.
I sucked in air as I stared up at the sky and an enormous crash sounded, followed by huge fireball blossoming through the trees to our right as the remains of the helicopter hit the ground.
I groaned as I clawed at the snow and dirt which surrounded me and I managed to roll onto my hands and knees.
My limbs were trembling too much from a mixture of shock and adrenaline for me to attempt to stand but I had to make sure that Fabian was alright.
I crawled across several inches of snow as the blizzard continued to howl overhead. I found his hand, gripping it in mine as I leaned closer to see his face. He was unnaturally cold but I guessed that was normal for him and the fact that his body was still here must have meant he was still alive.
“Fabian?” I breathed, shifting closer so that I was leaning over him. I reached out to touch his face. His eyes were closed and it seemed like he was unconscious.
I cupped his cheek, shaking him lightly in an attempt to rouse him. My hair spilled over my shoulder and I tucked it behind my ear as it brushed across his neck.
“Fabian?” I said more urgently, looking up to try and make sense of our surroundings.
The blizzard pressed close and it was hard to make out anything about the area aside from the trees which rose up towards the sky on every side. I could just see the orange glow of the helicopter wreckage to my left as it continued to burn.
I opened my mouth to call out for the others but I wasn’t sure if I should. We were still in the grip of Valentina’s storm and I had no idea how close she could be.
Fabian groaned beneath me and I looked down at him again, running my thumb across his cheek as I urged him to come back to me.
“Fabian, are you okay?” I breathed.
His eyes opened and he frowned up at me as he came to his senses again.
My heart stuttered with relief and a laugh left my lips as I shifted back, moving to pull my hand from his face. He raised his own hand before I could and pressed it to the back of mine, keeping my palm against his cheek for a moment.
“You’re alright,” he breathed and the look in his eyes told me he hadn’t been sure that I would be.
I gave him what was quite likely the first genuine smile I’d ever offered him. “Thanks to you.” My heart pounded with gratitude to this monster who I’d thought I hated so much and before I could reconsider it, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him against me in a fierce embrace.
Fabian took a deep breath as he held me against him on the freezing ground and my head spun at the idea that I actually cared about this creature. He was the reason for so much misery that had befallen me while I’d lived in the Realm but somehow I’d managed to discover a sliver of humanity within his dark soul and I found that I wasn’t prepared to see it die.
I pulled back, giving him an awkward smile as I scrambled to my feet. He pushed himself up too, grimacing slightly as his wounds continued to heal. His shoulder hung at an unnatural angle and he raised his other hand as he shoved it back into its socket with a hiss of pain.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he murmured and I gave him a slanted smile.
“Well I guess Idun’s bond did me a favour after all,” I replied, glancing down at the silver cross on my palm.
“It wasn’t the bond,” he said softly and I frowned as I realised he was right. I’d been shielding all of us with the ring so that the gods couldn’t do us any harm while we tried to escape and I was still doing it without even sparing it any attention.
“So why...”
“I didn’t much like the idea of a world without you in it,” Fabian replied with a shrug.
“Really?” I asked, failing to keep the surprise from my face.
I was sure that what he’d done had put himself at a lot more risk than just jumping alone would have. It was perfectly possible that that fall could have damaged his body enough to destroy his heart and end his immortal existence. And despite the desire he’d made clear that he felt for me, I had been sure that it was nothing more than a game to him when the bond wasn’t in place. I was a challenge and he’d wanted to break me.
But his actions made me wonder if I’d missed something much purer about his intentions. Maybe he was just looking for someone to see beneath his bullshit and find a real, human connection.
Fabian shrugged and I could feel him putting up walls again as he turned his gaze towards the fire which blazed between the trees. I could almost sense an overly suggestive remark coming and I caught his hand, forcing him to look at me again before he could utter it.
“I’m glad you aren’t under the ring’s influence now,” I said. “So that I can be sure that this is the real you I’m looking at. And I’m really glad that you’re alright.”
His eyes roamed over me like he was expecting me to follow up with some kind of sarcastic remark but I didn’t want to taunt him or snap at him anymore. Weirdly, I was pretty sure I just wanted him to be my friend.
“Thank you, Fabian,” I added before he could be tempted to say anything else. “I won’t forget that you saved my life.”
Fabian stared at me for several long seconds before a smile finally pulled at his mouth. And it wasn’t teasing or flirtatious or sarcastic or anything else. It was simply a reflection of the pleasure he felt at my words.
“You’re welcome, Callie,” he replied softly.
I sped through the trees, slowed only slightly by the snow beneath my feet. I shoved through dense foliage, following the howls of the coyotes ahead of me.
“Julius!” I called, needing to be sure I hadn't imagined hearing him before.
“Montana! Over here!” Clarice's voice came in response and my thoughts spiralled as I darted out into a clearing. How was she here? Had she fallen too?
The coyotes were circling the area around two figures on the ground, snarling and snapping. Clarice was kneeling over Julius who was unmoving on the earth beneath her. My heart tugged frantically at the sight.
I froze at the edge of the trees, terrified of finding out he was dead.
Clarice lifted her head, gazing around at the animals surrounding her as if seeing them for the first time. Her uniform was ripped and torn and her golden hair tumbled about her like a waterfall with twigs and leaves sticking out of it. She hissed at the coyotes, baring her fangs. They assessed her, tilting their heads and inching closer, eyeing up Julius for their next meal.
“Get out of here,” she snarled.
They watched Julius intently; I could smell the divine sweetness of the blood in his veins and had no doubt they could too. I bared my own fangs at them, raising the gun in my grip.
The coyotes glanced between us, their heads dropping as if they sensed we were a danger to them. Miraculously, they backed down and darted off into the woodland.
I couldn't make my feet move as I stared at Julius's still form. “Is he..?” I choked on the last word, unable to say it. Between the howling wind and the groaning branches, I couldn't hear his heartbeat. But what if there was no heartbeat to hear..?
“He's fine,” Clarice breathed and her words sent relief spilling through me. The tension in my muscles trickled away, allowing me to run forward.
“I jumped out and caught him. I took the worst of the injuries, but he hit his head on a branch,” Clarice said, her
tone frank but I spotted a glimmer of emotion in her azure eyes.
I gazed at her in surprise, noting the blood that clung to her bared flesh where she must have been injured.
“Thank you,” I gasped, dropping to my knees and wrapping my arms around her. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I leant away, another pang of horror gripping my heart. “What about the others?”
“I don't know,” she murmured and my shoulders stiffened with fear.
I looked down at Julius, eyeing the large cut on his forehead. “We need to get to them. How are we going to wake him up?”
Clarice reached out to him and pinched his nose tight. After several seconds his mouth opened and he gulped down air, his eyes wide.
He smacked her hand away then threw a palm to the welt on his head. “Fucking ow. Are you trying to suffocate me after I just survived that fall, Parasite?”
Clarice pursed her lips, getting to her feet and backing away without a word.
“She saved you,” I revealed, falling forward to hug him. “She jumped out after you. Don't you dare start insulting her, she's the reason you're alive.”
Julius stilled in my arms and I lifted my head, finding a war contained within his eyes. “No way. I don't believe it.” He sat upright then groaned woozily, clutching his head.
Clarice moved to the edge of the clearing as snow beat down on us from above. “I don't care what you believe, you just need to get up and help us find the others.”
Julius stared at her in confusion and I rose off of him, taking his hand to guide him to his feet. I noticed Clarice was walking with a slight limp and realised how badly injured she must have been in that fall.
Why had she jumped after him? Did she actually care about him? I'd never seen anything but animosity between the two of them so that was hard to believe.
Whatever her reasons, I had the urge to hug her again but I fought it off, knowing we needed to get moving.
A loud boom sounded in the distance and we all stiffened at the noise. A red light illuminated the sky in a dramatic flash and my heart tore apart. The helicopter must have crashed and I was terrified of what that meant.
“Callie,” I breathed as tears pricked my eyes.
Julius laid a hand on my arm. “She'll be alright,” he said, but he didn't look convinced.
“Come on, we have to get to the crash site,” Clarice urged, heading off into the forest as fast as she could with her injury.
We hurried on through the trees and anxiety scored a path through my chest.
Julius moved ahead of me, taking hold of Clarice's arm to get her attention. She didn't look at him, marching onward with a steely determination.
“You didn't actually jump out after me, right?” Julius muttered. “Maybe you fell too and I used you like a magic carpet to land safely?”
“Whatever,” Clarice said, her tone terse. “I don't care what you think.”
“By the gods...” Julius murmured as we picked up our pace. “You really are obsessed with me.”
Clarice turned so fast I had no time to react as she pinned Julius to a tree by his throat. He reached for Vicious at his waist, but she grabbed his wrist to stop him.
“Shut your damn mouth, slayer. I saved you because we're allies, alright? And we need you to bring down Valentina. Once she's dead, I won't hesitate to rip your pretty head off.”
“You think I'm pretty,” he choked out against her fierce grip.
“That's what you heard in what I said?” she snarled.
I grabbed hold of her arm, trying to prise her off of him. “We have to go! Our families need us!”
Their eyes swung to me and their argument fell away in a heartbeat.
Clarice released Julius and he stumbled as he moved after her, clearly affected by his head wound.
We moved on through the woods in silence and Julius kept staring at the back of Clarice's head as if he couldn't figure out what was going on.
I took his hand, giving him a firm look that told him exactly what I thought of his reaction to a Belvedere saving his life.
He sighed, shaking his head as if he was lost.
As Clarice healed, she started jogging and I found my body strong enough to keep pace with her. I knew I was weakened though and the scent of Julius's blood called to me like a dream. I willed away the urges growing in me, refusing to accept them. I’d never drink from my friend.
Julius darted after us, though his movements were slightly clumsier than usual. He quickened his stride and fell into step with Clarice shoulder to shoulder.
“Why?” he growled.
“I told you why,” she breathed. “Just forget about it.”
“How am I supposed to forget about it?” Julius demanded and I edged closer to them, worried this would descend into a fight again.
“I don't know, just do what you do best and continue to hate me,” Clarice insisted. “It would make this a lot less awkward.”
“How am I supposed to hate you after you saved my life?” he blurted then fell quiet as if he hadn't meant to say it.
“Well, maybe you can't,” she muttered. “Since you saved my life back at Realm A, I've found it a little harder to despise you.”
“Oh I see. This is tit for tat,” Julius announced as if that idea gave him some peace of mind.
Clarice fell quiet and the air thickened with unspoken words.
I was glad they’d stopped arguing at least. We needed to find the wreckage. Find Callie. We didn’t have time to waste.
The edge of the forest came into view, and as we reached it Clarice dropped down behind a large boulder, waving frantically for us to follow. The faint thumping of footfalls carried to my ears and I hurried down beside her with Julius in tow. I gripped my gun, trembling as I stared out across the field of snow before us.
On the other side of the field in a thick group of trees, a fire was raging where the wreckage of the helicopter must have been. My heart squeezed with fear as I gazed at the sight.
“They got out,” Clarice whispered. “They would have jumped.”
I nodded, but how was it possible Callie survived that?
Clarice pressed a finger to her lips and I remained silent as two figures darted into view.
Erik and Magnar were a hundred paces away, but I would have known my husband's silhouette anywhere. Talons dug into my heart and emotion welled inside me as I gazed at him, framed by the fire blazing in the woodland. Julius took hold of my arm as if he expected me to run to Erik. But he wasn't himself. And if they saw us, it would only start a fight I couldn’t bear to face.
“Perhaps they're all dead,” Magnar suggested hopefully as they continued to run in the direction of the crash. It must have been a few miles away on the flat plain stretching out before us, but it wouldn't take them long to get there.
“Let's hope so, Brother,” Erik said as they increased their pace and headed out of earshot.
If Callie and the Belvederes were alive, they could be hurt. Weak. And they wouldn't be ready for an attack.
“Valentina's exposed away from them,” Julius growled. He pointed in the direction Erik and Magnar had come from. “If we can get close, we could finish her.”
Clarice's eyes widened as she nodded. The idea lit a hungry fire inside me. That bitch needed to pay for what she'd done.
“We have to warn the others first,” I breathed, not allowing myself to consider they might be dead.
“And how are we going to do that?” Julius hissed.
Clarice started patting down her uniform then smiled as she produced a cellphone from her pocket. “I took it from a soldier. Fabian has one too.”
“Call him,” I urged, taking hold of her arm and squeezing.
She nodded, dialling a number and holding it to her ear.
A persistent ringing noise reached me on the line and I fell entirely still as I waited, desperate for him to answer and give us news of my sister.
“Clarice?” Fabian's voice sounded through the speaker and I tense
d, suddenly fearing what he was about to say.
“Oh thank the gods,” Clarice sighed. “Is everyone alright?”
“Yes, we're all okay.”
“What about Callie?” I demanded, my nails digging into Clarice's arm.
“I jumped with her; she's fine,” Fabian said and relief sped through me, lightening my weighted heart.
“Julius survived too.”
“Well that's good I suppose,” Fabian muttered and Julius scowled.
“We're on the edge of the forest,” Clarice went on. “We've just seen Erik and Magnar heading toward the wreckage, but that means Valentina isn't protected. We're going to head her way and see if we can intercept her.”
My shoulders trembled with the mere idea of it. I wanted her head. Her heart. Her blood spilled across the snow she'd brought down on the world. But were we capable of taking her on in our current state? I was exhausted and an ache was growing in my throat, demanding blood.
“Alright we'll keep them busy while you attempt it,” Fabian said.
“Be careful,” Clarice said.
“Good luck, Sister.” The line went dead and I gazed across the dark field as the wind whipped up and the smoke changed direction, coiling toward us.
An acrid tang of burning plastic and scorched metal filled my nostrils and my nose wrinkled in response.
“That should help hide your scent, slayer,” Clarice said. “Let's move.”
“We should stay in the trees,” Julius said and a renewed strength filled me. We could do this. We had the upper hand. It was three against one, even if we were weakened.
Julius reached for Valentina's sword at his hip, leaving his broken sword, Menace, in its sheath. “Let's go hunt ourselves a witch.”
Fabian led the way through the forest toward the flaming wreckage and I kept close to him as the storm continued to howl around us. He was limping slightly and I could tell that he was trying to cover up the extent of his injuries as his immortal body fought to repair them. The snow was beginning to pile up and it was already drifting into banks.
Fabian stilled for a moment, cocking his head towards the trees before suddenly upping his pace. I hurried after him, jogging to match his speed and the snow crunched beneath my boots. I pulled my collar up around my neck and was glad of my gifts as they fought to protect me from the biting cold.
Age of Vampires- The Complete Series Page 139