“Stop talking to her, Hunter.” The other cloaked figure also removed her hood, showing her identity—the woman who had exhibited her speed for the crowd in the ballroom. “Leave her be, you know she’s the queen’s pet.”
“I don’t think that’s going to save her this time.” Hunter squatted down beside Sloan. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled up so hard, Sloan thought the roots would be ripped from her head. “I think this time, she’s killed in the confusion.”
A crack so brutal came from the conflict between Aareth and the rest of the vampires. Both Hunter and Sloan turned to look.
Blood painted the pavement and both sides of the alley in grisly fashion. The five vampires trying to bring down Aareth were having a difficult time. Aareth was shaking one of the vampires in his jaws from side to side like a rag doll, the cracking noise coming from the body as he broke ribs.
“Bring him down!” The Scar screamed, rushing in with the remaining four members of his group. Much as Sloan’s own attacker had done to her, they jumped in and out, slashing with knives and hammering Aareth’s body with fists and kicks.
Aareth bled from a dozen wounds. His dark fur was matted with both his own blood and that of his enemies. It was The Scar who had landed the final blow to the underside of Aareth’s jaw. Aareth dropped the body from his jaws and stumbled back, stunned. At once, the remaining vampires dogpiled on top of him—two controlling his head, while the other two bound his legs with iron bracers they drew forth from within their cloaks.
Sloan focused past the haze that had come with so many blows landed to her skull. She had to make the most of her enemy’s temporary lapse in attention.
Sloan grabbed on to Hunter’s throat with her left hand, and with every ounce of strength in her body, she squeezed.
It wasn’t enough to make her pale-skinned attacker gasp, but it was enough to make him release his hold on her hair.
“What are you trying to do?” Hunter grinned, showing off his elongated canines. “You have no chance against us. Did you think grabbing me around the throat would do anything besides piss me off?”
He grabbed Sloan’s wrist so hard, she thought for sure he would break her bones. With the other hand, he grabbed Sloan’s own throat.
“I wasn’t trying to piss you off,” Sloan gasped. “I just wanted you to let go of my hair so I could reach down with my free hand to grab my sword.”
Hunter’s expression went from one of smug pleasure, to confusion, to terror, as he realized what Sloan was implying. He looked down just in time to see the blade turn red.
With all the strength she could muster, Sloan shoved her blade through the underside of Hunter’s jaw, through his open mouth and skull, and out the top of his head. The mage sword hummed with a hungry glee as it traveled through the vampire’s body.
“No!” The vampire woman with Hunter ran forward, slamming into Sloan so hard, Sloan flew across the alley to crash against the brick wall.
Sloan’s vision exploded with bright lights. She landed on her hands and knees, trying to wrestle her consciousness from the fingers of oblivion. Somewhere, she could hear Aareth being dragged off, still thrashing under his bonds.
“You did extremely well.” The Scar came to stand beside Sloan. He lifted her up by her neck. Her feet dangled off the ground. “I’m impressed, captain. It’s too bad you weren’t selected for the Vampire Project. I have a feeling you would have made one killer vampire.”
Sloan didn’t even see the knife in The Scar’s free hand while a piercing pain unlike anything she had ever experienced took her breath away. All of her other injuries paled in light of this new sensation. Breathing became difficult as warm blood spread over her uniform. The knife slid cleanly out from between her rib cage.
The Scar dropped Sloan to the ground without a second thought.
“You’ll have a few minutes to live before you bleed out.” The Scar cleaned the blade on his tongue. “More, if you try to staunch the flow. But there’s no hope for you. Your wound is life-ending. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. I have a wolf to skin back at the palace. Have a nice afterlife.”
Sloan watched the back of The Scar retreat as he directed his remaining vampires to drag Aareth down the alley. Darkness came for her soon after.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Sloan
“Wake up, wake up.”
Sloan opened her eyes, ready to see what life after death looked like. To her wonder, it looked exactly like the life she just left.
“We have to get you to a doctor.”
Sloan focused on the voice. It was Cherish, the young girl she had met before the fight.
“I saw everything.” Cherish pushed a empty paper bag against Sloan’s wound. “Come on, we have to get you help.”
“I’m past help.” Sloan didn’t try to regain her feet. She knew what a wound like hers meant. “There’s not a doctor in New Hope who could save me now.”
“So what, you’re just going to give up?” Anger filled Cherish’s voice. “What about all that motivating stuff you told me? Was that all lies? Do you want to live, or do you want to die? You decide that, no one else.”
A light bulb went off in Sloan’s mind. The chances of it working were minimal, but at this point, she didn’t have a whole lot to lose.
“Help me up.” Sloan motioned to Cherish. “Is that the hamburger bag you’re using to stop the bleeding?”
“Yep.” Cherish herself nearly fell helping Sloan to her feet.
The pain upon standing was the worst Sloan had ever felt. Her breathing came in short, wheezing gasps, and every second was accompanied by not only numbing agony, but also a consciousness that worked against her to drag her back into the blackness.
“The palace.” Sloan winced, trying not to put too much of her weight on the girl. “Do you know how to get there? I mean, the back entrance through the garden.”
“I do.” Cherish leaned down to gather Sloan’s sword. “We can stick to the shadows. Let’s go.”
Sloan and Cherish made their way down the blood-soaked alley. Although the street on which the battle had taken place was located in the business district, a handful of people still dared to look out their windows, a few even brave enough to peek around a corner. No one besides Cherish had offered assistance.
The next few miles were ones Sloan didn’t remember, having faded in and out of a conscious state. The only thing on her mind was putting one foot in front of the other. She knew if she could do that enough times, she had a chance of making it to the palace.
“You’ll be all right. You’ll be all right,” Cherish repeated like a mantra. “We can get you to the palace.”
Sloan didn’t say a word. It wasn’t that she didn’t agree with Cherish; she just couldn’t spare the extra effort without either falling over or passing out altogether.
Time proved Cherish right. Staying in the shadows, they somehow managed to avoid running into any patrolling soldiers. Likewise, the citizens they did come cross were either too busy talking to one another or wrote Sloan off as a drunk being aided home by a younger sibling.
Soon, the back of the palace was in front of them. A black, wrought iron gate guarded the queen’s garden before opening up to the palace itself. The same moon that had witnessed the fight earlier still shone bright, unhindered by the few clouds roaming the night sky.“You saved me tonight.” Sloan pushed herself off of Cherish. She wobbled on her feet under the pressure of the pain pouring over her body from her right side. “Cherish, thank you. I owe you my life.”
“I can go with you,” Cherish said, trying to take Sloan’s arm again. “I can help you.”
Sloan’s eyes wandered to the two soldiers standing guard by the gate entrance. It was impossible for Sloan to tell what they had been ordered to do once they came in contact with Sloan, if anything at all. Was it simply The Scar and his vampires who had been eager to kill Sloan in the process of capturing Aareth, or was there a standing order to kill S
loan on sight?
Either way, there was only one way to know for sure.
“You’ve done more than your part tonight.” Sloan winked at Cherish. “But I may call on you soon. Will you be ready?”
“I will.” Cherish’s eyes widened in wonder. “Anything you need.”
“Perfect. Go now. I’ll come find you when this is all over.”
“Do you promise?”
“You have my word, Cherish.”
“All right, then.” Cherish turned to go. “And thanks again for the burger.”
Cherish vanished into the night, back down the path they had taken to reach the palace. A trail of blood marked the way.
Sloan tried not to think of how much blood she had lost in the process. One thing was certain, she felt weak and cold. If the guards on duty did not welcome her, she was out of luck.
As she limped closer to the two guards, familiar voices drifted to her on the wind.
“And then I told him that if he didn’t move out of his mother’s house, I was going to leave him.” Private Pia breathed a heavy sigh. “I mean, we’re not kids anymore. Is it too much to ask? I can’t support us both on a private’s salary.”
“Hey, you’re preaching to the choir over here, girlfriend.” Sergeant Harrison shrugged his massive shoulders. “I’ve only just begun to get my life together. You can’t let people pull you down. It’s just so hard ending relationships, because you want to help them, but not at the cost of losing yourself in the process.”
“I know, right?” Pia shook her head. “I hate adulting. Can we just go back to being kids?”
Sergeant Harrison had his back turned to Sloan. Sloan saw Pia peek over his shoulder as she caught sight of something moving in the dark.
“Halt! Who—Captain Sloan?” Pia dropped her rifle. She moved past Sergeant Harrison to Sloan’s side. “What happened?”
The concern in Pia’s voice told Sloan all she needed to know. There was no hunt for her going on at the moment. The Scar and his vampires had just decided to kill her because she was there, not because the queen had ordered her death.
“Help me.” Sloan slumped against Pia’s shoulder. Once again, she felt lightheaded. “Take me to the armory.”
“The armory?” Sergeant Harrison limped over to her side, taking her other arm and wrapping it around his shoulder. “You need a doctor. We should take you to the infirmary.”
“You have to trust me.” Sloan sagged between the private and the sergeant, wondering how she had ever walked without their help. “I need to see Edison at the armory as fast as you can take me there.”
“All right.” Sergeant Harrison exchanged a nod with Pia. “The armory, it is. What happened to you?”
Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sloan knew she had been asked a question. The loss of blood had addled her thoughts so that her focus was on Sergeant Harrison’s limp. The limp she had given him before she left to hunt the beast in Burrow Den.
Sloan’s head sagged. She was being half-carried, half dragged. Her right arm was over Pia’s neck, her left wrapped around Sergeant Harrison’s. The scene around her changed from the outside dark to bright mage lights inside the palace.
For whatever reason, Sloan could only think about the Sergeant’s knee.
“I’m sorry,” Sloan mumbled. Blood poured out of her mouth.
“What?” Pia asked.
“I broke his knee.” The words came out of Sloan’s lips like she was drunk. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“I’ll be fine.” The sergeant grabbed Sloan tighter as the trio hurried forward like some kind of six-legged amoeba. “I deserved it. In a weird kind of way, it was a wakeup call for me.”
Sloan wanted to say more, but she was fading quickly.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Sloan
“Get her on the table.” Edison’s voice brought Sloan out of her haze-like state. “What happened?”
“I don’t know.” Pia’s voice was on the verge of panic. “She stumbled up to the back gate. She said she only wanted to see you.”
“I’m a inventor-slash-scientist, not a doctor.” Edison looked at the wound with a grimace. “That looks painful.”
Sitting up on the steel table where she had been placed was out of the question. Instead, Sloan gathered herself. She opened her eyes, taking in the scene around her. On her left, Pia and Sergeant Harrison looked on, worried. On her right, Edison and Elwood did the same.
“Sloan, are you awake?” Edison leaned toward her. “Are you alive, Sloan?”
Sloan grabbed Edison by his shirt collar and drew him in close.
“The Phoenix Serum … I’m past anything a doctor can do.” Sloan’s words were broken and twisted. Her heart rate slowed to a dangerous pace. “Vampires. The Vampire Project.”
Sloan’s grip on Edison released.
“She’s dying!” Pia yelled. “You have to do something!”
“Okay, all right, okay.” Edison ran to a worktable, one of many in the massive warehouse-like room. “I have an idea, but it hasn’t been tested. I can’t promise anything, Sloan. I’ll need your consent.”
Edison ran back to her side with two long needles. One was filled with amber liquid, the other with blue. Edison jumped on top of the table, looking down at Sloan. He shook his head, wearing a grimace as if thinking the outcome of his actions were not favorable.
“Sloan, I’m going to inject you with Phoenix Serum and the elixir we used to create the vampires.” Edison swallowed hard. “It’s the only thing I can think of. We have a chance, if the healing properties of both liquids act together to heal your body.”
“Do it,” Sloan managed.
“I should warn you that I, in no way, can be held responsible for the outcome.” Edison shook his head again. “This is beyond my—”
Elwood barked something in high-pitched gibberish.
“There’s no need for that kind of language, Elwood.” Edison took a deep breath. “My God, man! Do you kiss your gnome mother with that mouth?”
Edison leaned over Sloan. Both needles hovered over her still frame.
“Okay. One, two…” Edison paused.
“She’s dying!” Sergeant Harrison’s panicked voice filled the room. “She doesn’t need a countdown.”
“I was doing it for me.” Edison plunged both needles into Sloan’s heart. Without hesitation, he pushed the plungers down with his thumbs.
The closest way Sloan’s mind could make sense of the feeling coursing through her body was a mix between being stricken by lightning and having her blood replaced by liquid caffeine.
“Ahhhh!” Sloan sat bolt upright on the table, throwing Edison from his squatting position above her.
Every part of Sloan’s body vibrated with energy. She now knew how her mage sword must feel as it hummed with power. Breathing that had once come in short, painful gasps was now easy, quick, plentiful. The searing agony that had coursed over her head and torso was replaced with a sense of calm.
Elwood was the first to break the spell of silence. He pointed a chubby finger at Sloan’s side, and something unintelligible came from his mouth, though it sounded like he was saying “loella” to Sloan.
Sloan followed his gaze to the slash in her uniform. The black fabric was soaked in her own blood. Without hesitation, Sloan removed her top. Somehow, she already knew what she would find.
The white tank top she wore under her uniform was painted in crimson red. A section of cloth that had been sliced open by The Scar’s knife showed new pale, pinking skin underneath.
Sloan looked up into the wide eyes of Private Pia and Sergeant Harrison. Edison picked himself up from the spot where he had landed.
“Well, no one rush to see if I’m all right. I’m fine.” Edison dusted himself off and walked over to Sloan. “We definitely need to do some tests to see how the Phoenix Serum in combination with our vampire super-soldier elixir is going to affect your body.”
A howl echoed through the room from som
ewhere outside. Edison and Sloan exchanged a quick look.
“You know?” Edison cocked his head to the side. “Because I know. But I was the one who ran the test. How do you know? Is it … is it Aareth?”
Thus far, Sloan hadn’t said a word. Her mind had been racing to keep up with the changes her body had undergone. Hearing Aareth’s name wrestled her into action.
“I don’t have time to explain any of this.” Sloan jumped off of the table. She caught sight of her sword in Sergeant Harrison’s meaty hand. “Edison, you have to destroy the rest of the vampire elixir. When you’re done, get Doctor Livingston and Commander Brookhaven. Meet me in three days, in Term. If I’m not there by then, disappear.”
“What are you talking about?” Edison’s eyebrows shot up. “It’s possible the combination of serum and elixir could have caused you to hallucinate. Are you high?”
“I’m fine, just trust me.” Sloan accepted her sword back from Sergeant Harrison. “I need you two to find Jack and the Ahab sisters. Tell them the same thing—Term, three days.”
The massive armory doors opened in tandem. The queen walked in, followed by The Scar and his remaining four vampire super soldiers.
The room fell quiet. Everyone except Sloan kneeled in the queen’s presence. Sloan almost did, as well, it so ingrained in her nature to show respect to her queen.
The queen wore a simple white dress, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her face was still as Sloan remembered it: kind, sincere, and above all, trustworthy.
“You may all rise,” the queen began. Although she spoke to everyone else, her eyes never left Sloan’s. “Captain, I understand you’re confused right now. When you didn’t return after your meeting with Doctor Livingston, I feared he had twisted your mind.”
“Tell me it’s all a lie.” Sloan found a part of herself hoping the queen could somehow make sense of everything for her. She wanted her to say that Doctor Livingston was a liar. “Tell me it’s a lie, and then tell me why you’re working with an assassin who tried to kill me, along with the rest of your vampire soldiers.”
The Complete Vampire Project Series: (Books 1 - 5) Page 34