“And then I won’t ever have to bite you again,” he added firmly.
“Well it’s a long journey so no doubt we’ll get to do that a few more times yet,” I replied, brushing my thumb across his lips and feeling his fangs against my skin with a thrill of excitement.
Magnar gazed at me in surprise as he finally accepted that I meant it. “In all the ways I might have imagined our lives together I never could have predicted this.”
“Me either. But we might as well make the most of it while we can. And everyone will be pleased that we don’t have to worry about you losing it anymore too. But you owe Fabian an apology.”
Magnar stilled and it suddenly felt like I was in the arms of a statue instead of a man.
“I’m not apologising to that parasite; he had his hands all over you,” he growled.
I looked up at him with a frown. “You know, you were never possessive like this before and I don’t think I like it much.”
Magnar pursed his lips but he didn’t respond.
“I’m not your property,” I added, raising a brow.
“I know,” he sighed. “I just... this body feels more animal than man sometimes. And it's hard to contain my impulses.”
“Well you fought against the impulse to bite me for long enough,” I said. “So I think you can work a little harder to control your asshole impulses too.”
Magnar released a breath of laughter. “I’m sorry I said you were mine like that. I just... the idea of another man touching you drives me insane-”
“You never used to be this jealous. I was tired and he was carrying me, it wasn’t like we were kissing.”
Magnar sighed. “Next time you’re tired, I can carry you.”
“That’s not the point.”
“I know.”
“So you’ll apologise?” I pressed.
Magnar’s mouth fell into a flat line but I refused to release him from my gaze until he nodded.
“Good. Everyone will be relieved that you’ve fed now anyway. It’s not much fun expecting the guy with super strength to lose the plot at any given second.”
“Super strength?” he teased. “Is that what you call it?”
“For want of a better-”
“Silence,” Magnar interrupted me and I fell quiet as I waited to see what he’d heard.
Magnar released me and stalked across the room, gathering his swords as he moved to towards the doorway.
“You know, when you say silence like that, it makes me want to punch you,” I muttered as I followed him, grabbing Fury on the way.
Magnar chuckled softly but pressed his finger to his lips. I strained my ears but couldn’t hear anything as he slipped outside.
Magnar moved swiftly between the shadows in the ruins and I cursed beneath my breath as I struggled to match his pace.
Fury began to grow warmer in my palm and I swallowed against a lump in my throat, hoping that our friends hadn’t come across anything bad out here.
Magnar waited for me with his back pressed to a crumbling wall and I moved towards him as quickly as I could while staying quiet.
I strained to listen again and I stilled as I heard something. It sounded like a crowd of people shouting with excitement in the distance but that didn’t make sense.
“We need to move quickly,” Magnar breathed.
“Okay,” I agreed.
“I mean quicker than you,” he added, his eyes burning with excitement at the idea.
“Oh,” I replied, remembering what it had felt like when Fabian ran with me before and not entirely sure that I wanted to repeat the process. It had left me feeling more than a little dizzy when he’d returned my feet to the ground. “I’m not sure if I-”
Magnar laughed as he snatched me into his arms and I had to resist the urge to squeal as he shot forward into the ruins.
The wind whipped through my hair as I clung to his chest and the world moved past me in a startling blur. I couldn’t make sense of it and my brain spun as I tried to comprehend what we were passing.
I closed my eyes and pressed my face to Magnar’s chest as he chuckled and the rumbling tone of it travelled right through my body where it was pressed to his.
My stomach swooped as he leapt skyward and I couldn’t help but peek between my lashes as he bounded between various footholds until finally coming to a halt on the third floor of a crumbling building.
My heart was pounding as he set me back on my feet and a wave of dizziness passed through me. The sound of the baying crowd was much closer now and fear washed through me as I tried to get my bearings.
I glanced back over the ruins in the direction we’d come from and frowned as I realised how far we’d travelled.
I stumbled as the floor trembled beneath my feet, the ground rumbling as an earthquake shook the foundations of the building.
Magnar crossed through the exposed concrete shell of the apartment block and I hurried after him as I regained my balance, placing a hand on Fury once more.
The blade was near scalding to the touch and I gasped as it screamed warnings to me about more vampires than it could easily count.
I moved to the arch of a window, drawing close to Magnar as we looked out.
The ruins beyond our hiding place were more intact and rows of buildings still stood, lining streets amongst the rubble.
My heart leapt as I spotted Montana racing towards us along the road with Fabian, Chickoa and Clarice at her side. Erik and Julius shot behind them a second later and fear seized me as horde of vampires chased after my sister and the others.
Magnar released a growl of rage and leapt out of the window before I could even react. He slammed down onto the roof of the building beside ours then started running for the edge of that roof, racing towards the road my sister and the others were fleeing along.
I shook my head in denial of the fear I felt as I jumped out after him, drawing on my gifts as I fell.
My stomach swooped as I plummeted down two floors and I rolled as I hit the hard tiles of the roof below.
I regained my feet quickly and raced after Magnar just as he dropped down into the road.
I skidded to halt as I reached the edge of the building and looked down at the street.
The ground was shaking more violently as my heart fluttered in response to it.
Montana and the others had made it beyond the building I stood upon and they shot around a corner. My sister and the others disappeared out of sight and I looked back towards Magnar with my heart in my mouth. A portion of the horde who had been chasing them were fast closing in on him as he moved towards a rusted truck which was abandoned at the side of the road.
My heart slammed into my ribs as fear flooded me and the man I loved stood alone in the face of that crowd.
With a snarl of rage, Magnar hoisted the truck into his arms and launched it down the street. I gasped as the large vehicle rolled end over end, the sound of metal slamming into concrete filling the air. It tumbled forward, flattening the vampires who were too slow to react in time and blood mixed with ash to stain the ground.
“Come on then!” Magnar bellowed as the surviving feral vampires scrambled to recover from what he’d just done. “Let’s see how you fair against the gods’ latest creation!”
I raced between Fabian and Montana, keeping my hand around my wife's wrist as we ran. Clarice was towing Julius along behind us, giving him an extra boost of speed. The rebels were gaining on us fast and I cursed the world at the injustice of it. We were not going to fucking die here at the hands of a bunch of revolutionaries after we'd been chased from our city, faced a horde of Biters and killed that bitch of a goddess.
Memphis was crying out, leading the front line of his bastard insurgents as they chased after us. Bullets ripped through the walls and tore up the ground around us but we darted left and right down alleys, avoiding the onslaught as much as we could. I'd already taken two bullet wounds, but Montana had avoided injury as of yet. And I damn well intended for it to st
ay that way.
As I spied the road that led out of town, I dragged Montana on, snarling my abject rage at our situation.
The ground trembled beneath my feet, shifting and rumbling.
Just what we need. A fucking earthquake!
The crumbled houses around us shook violently and I spotted one up ahead which was already in disrepair, looking ready to fall apart. We charged past it and I glanced over my shoulder, spotting the group of rebels speeding up behind us. I wished that ruined building would crush them with all my heart. As I thought it, the earth shook so ferociously that I actually got my wish. Half of the group were cut down by tumbling stones and the rest held back, helping their comrades from the rubble.
Julius whooped, but I felt no such relief. They weren't going to be taken out so easily. And I needed to get everyone the fuck away from here as soon as possible. I wasn't ever going to take our safety for granted again.
We sped down the road in the direction of the bungalow we'd taken shelter in. Bullets tore through the air as some of the rebels broke away from their group. Montana cried out and her hand left mine as she crashed to the ground. Pain and fury reared in my chest as I spotted the blood staining her back.
The others sped past me as Clarice cried, “Get her up!”
I stood in front of my wife, gazing at the five lessers led by Memphis as they charged up the road toward us. My upper lip peeled back as anger consumed me. Something pounded in my blood, a strange kind of energy that sent a wave of heat into my veins.
The ground quaked more aggressively as I stepped toward them, ready to rip them apart. Bullets tore past me, so close I knew I was seconds away from death.
The ground shuddered and a fierce cracking noise exploded through the world as the earth moved before me. The road shattered as a huge tower of rock shot upwards from the ground between us and them.
I couldn't understand what was going on, but somehow I knew in the depths of my soul I was making it happen.
I blinked away my confusion, bellowing my anger at any who would seek to hurt us. Valentina had her claws in these freaks and I’d make them pay the price for ever assisting her.
A great boom filled the air as the pillar of earth split apart and dirt and rocks tumbled everywhere. In place of the huge mound, a chasm opened up, swallowing everything around it. Houses, rusted cars, vampires.
The rebels' screams raked against my eardrums and a sick satisfaction filled me as they tumbled into the dark, the ground eating them up.
Someone caught my hand and I trembled as I turned to face Montana beside me, her wounds almost healed.
“What happened?” she gasped, turning her gaze to the devastation before me. Half of the ruins had fallen and dust swirled into the sky in a never ending spiral.
A shout caught my ears and I spotted Memphis dragging himself out from beneath a mountain of debris.
His eyes fixed on me and more of his people crawled out of the devastation like ants.
Montana tugged my hand, but if I could destroy them with this savage power, I had to. I called on the heat in my blood again but instead a fierce pain gripped my throat. I was drained, suddenly so desperate for blood that it beat into my body like a war drum.
Montana forced me to move and I staggered as I followed her, rasping as the need in my throat grew unbearable.
I clung to her hand. The only thing keeping my thoughts aligned was her and if I let go, I feared I'd fall into the dark pit of the thirst.
Gunshots rang out again and my head pounded as the noise drilled into my skull.
Blood hit my nostrils and I lost my grip on Montana's hand. The others had taken shelter in a building up ahead and Clarice was standing in the doorway, gesturing for us to hurry.
I followed Montana up to the door, but that wasn't why I was going there. Blood was in the air, calling to me, the need thumping through my body until I started to forget why I was here.
My thoughts swam as I stumbled into the house and my eyes locked on a single target. His heartbeat thrummed in my ears like the rush of wings. I lunged at him with all my strength, throwing him back against the wall and the whole structure shuddered.
“What the fuck!” Julius cried as I pinned him in place, my fangs bared as I eyed the thumping pulse at the base of his throat.
I leant forward to take what I needed but strong hands pulled me back. Julius started hitting me and my thoughts clunked back together.
“Stop it!” Montana leapt on Julius to stop the onslaught of his fists, but I didn't care, I relished the pain, hitting the floor beneath him as blood leaked from my split lip.
Clarice stepped over me, reaching into her bag and holding out a bottle. I gasped, snatching it from her, my nails tearing her hand open in my desperation to reach the contents. I poured the liquid into my mouth and fell into ecstasy, a fire igniting in my chest and building, building, building.
I released a groan, dropping the bottle beside me and thumping my head back against the floor.
Fabian and Chickoa were barricading the door in my periphery, a wooden dresser pulled into place in front of it.
I shut my eyes to block out the world, furious with myself. I'd been trying to save us and had ended up nearly killing one of us instead.
“That thirst thing is fucked up,” Julius growled and a deep part of me wanted to apologise but I couldn't bring myself to do anything but lay there.
Someone brushed their fingers over my face and I opened my eyes to find Montana leaning over me, her face constricted with concern.
“We need to get to Magnar and Callie,” Julius growled. “Let me out there.”
“Don't be a fool,” Fabian snarled at him. “There's too many of them.”
“There's less now after that earthquake,” Clarice said with hope in her tone. “Do you think Odin's helping us?”
I grumbled something incoherent, unable to voice the insane possibility rolling through my mind. That I'd done that. That I was somehow capable of seizing power over the earth. As if I was a...
My mind spun to Idun. I'd drunk from her. Her golden blood had washed down my throat, mouthful after mouthful.
I caught Rebel's hand, sitting upright and she gazed at me intently.
“What is it?” she asked, clutching my shoulder.
“I took powers from Idun,” I announced, looking around at the others, knowing how crazy I sounded.
“What the hell do you mean?” Fabian growled as gunfire pelted the wall outside. He thrust his shoulder against the dresser covering the exit to keep it in place.
“I drank from her,” I said. “The ground...I think I can move it.”
Everyone stared at me in disbelief and irritation prickled my skin. I pushed myself to my feet and moved to a window across the room, gazing through a crack in the shutters.
“I can do it again but I needed blood after the last time. It drained the fuck out of me,” I said.
“Oh you think?” Julius balked, touching his neck as if I'd actually bitten him.
“If what Erik says is true, he can't be blamed,” Fabian said in a dark tone.
I shook my head, grunting my frustration. “I didn't say that.” I glanced at Julius, the apology hovering on my lips but my pride not letting it out. I was so knotted up inside, like every emotion I held was more forceful, more potent. I could barely look at Rebel since we'd left the farm. Guilt swallowed me up every time I got near her. Even now, as my gaze slid to her beautiful, adoring eyes, the pain grew bigger. I was supposed to protect her. I'd made a vow to do so. But she'd come closer to death in my company more times than she ever had in her life.
She could have died at Idun's hands because you got careless.
A wave of pain crashed against my chest as my brother's face came to mind. Just before he'd died. I was teetering on the edge of losing it again. My rage was blazing inside me with nowhere to go.
“Let me out,” I demanded, moving toward the barricade.
“Are you insane?” Clarice b
it at me, grabbing hold of my arm.
“I'm fed, I can handle myself,” I insisted, shoving Fabian out of the way.
“Erik, it's suicide!” Montana shouted, her eyes shimmering with fear as she moved forward to stop me.
A torrent of bullets ripped the window shutters apart and everyone hit the floor. I started running, diving toward the open space and landing in the yard on the other side of the window. Memphis stood there with a rifle in his arms, his face set in a sneer. I avoided the bullets with a burst of speed, weaving left and right to close the distance between us.
Everything that had happened swelled up inside me. Miles, Warren – that bitch Idun!
I ground my teeth, desperate to let this anger out. I needed to. I had to try and shake it from my bones.
The soil shuddered and cracked beneath my feet. The dead grass on the ancient lawn sprang to life, growing green and long, spreading out and forming vines that tangled around Memphis's legs.
He turned his gaze to them in horror, trying to shake them off. I brought him to the ground with a ferocious punch and fell onto him as the earth sank beneath us.
I threw my fists into his face, over and over. Seeing Valentina beneath me, Idun, Andvari, every Biter who'd tried to kill us. Bone crunched and blood spewed beneath my knuckles.
The ground sank so deeply around us that we were in an eight foot pit, the earth pressing in on all sides. The mud started piling on top of us and I willed it to choke him, to drive into his mouth and flood his lungs, his gut. He flailed wildly, coughing and spluttering as I held him down and the dirt filled his body.
When all I could see was pain in his eyes and the bitter regret of ever crossing me, I finished him by ripping into his chest and squeezing his heart until he turned to ash.
I knelt in the dirt, coated in muck and blood, the rage in my heart not even remotely lessened.
My shoulders shuddered and I buckled forward as the grief found me, ripping a hole into my chest so wide I was certain it was the only thing I’d ever feel again.
My muscles swelled and tensed as the writhing power of my gifts combined with my new abilities as a vampire. Callie’s blood fuelled me like nothing I’d ever experienced before. It flooded my body, charging my limbs with a euphoric feeling unlike anything I’d ever known.
Age of Vampires- The Complete Series Page 173