chapter 19
My memory of my first voyage through the portal had been somewhat skewed. Maybe it was the loss of blood, or perhaps the fact that I had been fighting for my life, but traveling through it a second time was worse. It was horrifying on an entirely different level.
As instantly as the darkness consumed us, our hands were ripped apart and I traversed the terrifying void alone, with only the screams of over a hundred other vampires and hybrids to keep me company. I covered my face even though I couldn’t see a thing and held my breath as I tried desperately to focus. The bond Ronon and I had created was beginning to flicker, and if we weren’t careful there was a good chance we would lose people along the way.
I felt my body tremble as I began to give in to the fear that was rippling through me. I shrieked aloud, joining in the cries of fear that spiraled around me as the invisible chain that held the army together began to snap like a rubber band. They flung back, sending shocks of pain rocketing through me. I cried out again despite myself. I felt weightless, but could sense the tug of the portal jettisoning me to our destination as if through a microscopic tunnel that was compounding my body, crushing me with a bone cracking embrace.
My limbs thrashed about as I tried to break away, but I knew it wasn’t possible. My only hope was to hold on until I made it to the other side.
If I made it to the other side.
I needed to focus. My fingers clenched into fists, my nails digging into my flesh. The screams around me continued, but I no longer allowed them to frighten me. Those screams reminded me of those who depended on me, trusting that I would guide them through this, and I couldn’t let them down.
Finding a sense of calm, no matter how fragile it was, I closed my mind off to what was going on around me and looked within myself. I searched for Ronon, trying to make sure he still held onto the other end of our figurative chain, and at the very edge of what seemed like an abyss, I felt him. It was brief, and fleeting, but it was definitely him.
Sending out more feelers, I looked for the rest of the group trying to make sure everyone was still with us. I couldn’t count each and every one, but I was sure there was still a large number of us. We still had a chance; we just had to hold on a little longer.
A little longer felt more like five seconds. I hadn’t realized I’d even made it out until Arrick was shaking me, calling out my name in an attempt to get me to snap out of whatever trance I’d been in. I opened my eyes, feeling an ache begin to build in my head. I’d been squeezing my eyes shut so tight the muscles in my face felt like they were about to explode.
“Are you hurt?” Arrick asked, sounding concerned.
“No, just give me a sec,” I said, taking his offered hand and standing up. “Did we make it?” I was trying to get my bearings as I rubbed my eyes.
“Yeah,” he replied, not sounding happy that we’d at least landed in the right place.
There was a rattle in my ears, like the screams of the portal had traveled with me and were still repeating in my head over and over, until I looked up and surveyed the sight before me. We’d landed somewhere between the lighthouse and the Château. Nearly half of Titan’s army were collecting themselves, regaining their equilibrium as he barked orders at them to break off into groups. A couple of the detachments were already sprinting for the Château.
“Where’s my father?”
“He’d already left once I came through,” Arrick answered. “I wanted to stay and make sure you made it,” he took me in his arms, hugging me tightly.
“Thanks,” I hugged him back. Over his shoulder I saw the small group he’d formed to go after my mother and I knew I had to let him leave. “Go, find my mother,” I ordered, pulling away from him.
“As soon as she’s safe, I’ll find you,” he said, holding my gaze.
“I know you will.”
He waved the group to follow him and they dashed down the hillside toward the Château. I watched him for a moment, but a moment was all I could spare. I sprinted the short distance between me and Ronon, closing the gap in less than a few seconds. He was surveying his army, making sure they were all in one piece and ordering them to break off into groups of ten.
“Did everyone make it through?” I asked, coming to a stop beside him.
“We’re missing about thirty by my count,” he answered, sounding disheartened.
“Thirty?” I was surprised the number was so high, but there was nothing we could do for them now. The portal would drop them off somewhere eventually, and since it took you to where you wanted to go I imagined most of them would end up back in the Titan region. It wasn’t an entirely bad thing. In case things went wrong, it would be good they had some extra support, but I just prayed we had enough muscle here to stop Baal once and for all.
“Where’s Ana?” I asked, looking around for her. I didn’t even see the soldier who had been holding her.
“From what I heard she took off as soon as she got out. Seems like she’s more accustomed to portal travel than the rest of us.”
I sighed my frustration, but it was just another thing that couldn’t be helped.
Ronon was down to his last group of ten and looked at me expectantly. “What’s the plan?”
“Plan?”
“You do have one, don’t you?” he asked, his tone was as sharp as the blades on his back.
“Yes, I do, I just didn’t plan on them involving you,” I flung the words at him, tired of standing on the hillside. I was ready to make my way to the Château and see the state of things. There wasn’t a roaring fire like before, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t carnage hidden behind the walls.
“You’re not going alone,” his voice sounded deadly. “Now, what’s the plan?”
I opened my mouth to protest, but the ferocity it his eyes shut me up. There wasn’t time to fight, not him at least.
“Well, if Baal really is down there, then I need to make a little pit stop,” I said, turning my sights down the hillside.
“Oh, he is,” Titan said menacingly, as he strode up beside me.
“How do you know?”
“I just do,” he said, with no explanation. “I can feel it.” A low growl rumbled through Titan. Ronon turned to his father, joining forearms for a long moment before Titan bolted toward the Château and seemingly disappeared. Ronon’s shoulders slumped briefly and I wondered if he feared this might be the last time he’d ever see his father again. The last time Titan went toe-to-toe with Baal, it resulted in his mother’s death.
If he was worried, it didn’t show in his impassive expression. He seemed to remain unruffled by the night’s events. I, on the other hand, was barely holding it together.
“Where’s this pit stop of yours at?”
“My bedroom,” I answered, not bothering to gauge his reaction. “You ready?”
He’d barely lifted his head to nod before I rocketed down the hillside. Everything seemed like it had any other night in Naos. The city below was peaceful and quiet, the ocean waves crashed soothingly against the rocky shore; the sound echoing its tranquil melody for all to hear. Even the warm lights of the Château glowed like a massive lantern for all to see.
It wasn’t until I was far enough away from the sound of the waves that I could hear the clang of battle. My legs quickened their pace and I barreled through the side entrance near the outdoor carport. The very same door I’d used when Bennett and I had seen it on fire. It felt like it was years ago when it had only been a couple of weeks.
The side hallway was spookily silent, only the echoes of fighting reverberating to where I stood. Aside from the fallen picture frames, and rumpled carpet, everything looked as it usually did.
I wanted to tip-toe, and sneak up to my bedroom unnoticed, but that was impossible. I knew we would run into some dark vampires long before that happened.
Ronon and his soldiers crept in behind me, tightening their grip on their bladed shields as we made our way deeper. I found the back stairwell and jogged up it, taking two or three steps at a time. The throne room was on the second floor, and the living quarters on the third. It took all my willpower to keep heading upward once I’d made it to the second landing. But, there was something very important in my room that I needed before I faced Baal again. Something that could change the outcome of this battle.
The bodies of three dark vampires were lying in mutilated heaps at the landing of the third floor. Their blood oozed and dripped down the steps, making a smile spread across my grave features. Seeing them solidified that Baal had indeed returned, but it also meant we wouldn’t be going down without a fight. There was no way to tell who had killed them, but all that mattered was that there were three less monsters to attack us.
Ronon and his men kicked the dark vampire bodies out of the way as we ran down the hallway of the third floor. They didn’t seem fazed by their graying skin, mammoth size, or their overall gargoyle-like appearance. After seeing a sylph who could blame them? Something told me that the dark vampires had nothing on Titan’s army.
I half expected to find my room in complete chaos. The door crashed open, everything destroyed and probably Bennett and a dark vampire duking it out. But, it was none of those things. I ran up to my door, turned the knob and pushed. Nothing happened.
“What’s wrong?” Ronon asked, his eyes darting every which way like he expected a member of the dark to come barreling toward us at any minute. Seeing his edginess only made me more tense. A dark vampire really could come barreling toward us at any second.
“I think it’s jammed,” I said, ramming my body against the door to force it open.
Ronon pushed me aside, preparing to ram the door himself. “Let me have a go at it.” He took a few steps back, and collided with the door as if it were a brick wall. He staggered, looking offended by the opposing door.
“Let us try,” two of his hybrid soldiers stepped forward, eyeing the door with so much disgust I would have thought they were staring at Baal himself. Ronon stepped aside allowing them to attempt entry.
I eyed the pair, and watched as they ran forward and kicked the door in unison. An audible crack sounded like a bolt of lightning, but it was the scream from inside the room that really surprised me.
“Who’s in there?” I pressed my face against the minute space between the door and its frame. Had one of Baal’s dark vampires locked itself up with one of my friends? Panic ripped at my heart and I signaled for the duo to kick again. They happily obeyed, kicking the door with another loud snap as the door began to give way.
Like before, another cry spilled from my room, as sheer terror was ripped from the lungs of whoever was inside. I kicked at the door myself this time, grunting with effort and shouting threats to whatever dark vampire was dumb enough to hurt my friends. I swore to rip its head off, and as the door broke from its hinges I propelled myself inside ready to bash some skulls.
“Claire?” A quivering voice called my name from a dark corner. A voice I knew as well as my own.
“Liz? Where are you?”
She stepped forward, her face covered in snotty tears. Blood dripped from her nose, and a blood-soaked makeshift bandage was covering her left arm. She looked like hell.
“Are you okay?” I pulled her to me, carefully inspecting her injured arm. “What are you doing in here?”
“B-B-Bennett,” she stammered, shaking with fright as she watched Ronon and his soldiers flood into the room and inspect every nook and cranny as if a dark vampire could hide under a chair or something.
“He left you in here?” I couldn’t keep the heat from my voice. He swore to me he’d look after her.
“N-no, he s-saved me. T-they appeared out of n-nowhere, Claire,” she began sobbing again. I wrapped an arm around her, ushering her to the couch as I rubbed her back and tried calming her down. I needed information from her and it didn’t help that she was stammering like a terrified kitten.
“It’s okay. I’m here now,” I cooed.
“A-and you brought f-friends,” she said, eyeing Ronon suspiciously as he strode up behind me.
“I did,” a laughed escaped me. “Now take a deep breath and tell me what happened.”
She did as I ordered, and seemed to find a sense of calm. One of Ronon’s soldiers handed me a small handkerchief, and I nodded my appreciation. As I dabbed the blood away from Liz’s face she began to recount what happened.
“Portals opened up all over the place. Those nasty vampires started running out like damn roaches, Claire!” Her voice steadily grew into the mouthy girl I’d known my whole life. “I was on my way to show your mother some of my plans for building the new addition when it happened. They saw me coming down the stairs and I ran.”
She took a deep breath, and I nodded for her to continue.
“I barely made it half way up the stairs when they grabbed me. I tried to fight them off, but they were too strong. One of them cut my arm, and I thought for sure I was going to die, but then Bennett showed up. He killed them and then he locked me up in your room and told me not to open the door until he came back.”
“You did good,” I praised her. The fact that a human encountered a dark vampire and lived to talk about it spoke volumes. Liz was a lot tougher than I thought. I couldn’t have been more grateful that I’d insisted she had some training with Eli. Even though she hadn’t lasted more than a few sessions, it had been enough for her to hold her own until Bennett arrived to help her.
“How did you guys get back here in time? Bennett said…”
“Don’t worry about that. We’re here now. Okay?” She nodded.
“What are you going to do?” she eyed our small group, holding the cloth to her nose to stop the bleeding.
“We’re going to kill them,” I answered with deadly resolve. “We’re going to kill them all.”
Liz shook her head like she didn’t believe me. “But there’re so many of them.”
“We have many soldiers spreading throughout the Château. They will not escape,” Ronon said, stepping closer. “You said you needed to get something here. Is this woman what you were talking about?” Liz scoffed at him, flinging daggers with her eyes. He didn’t seem to notice.
“No,” I said, squeezing Liz’s hand to let her know I was still happy I’d found her.
“Then I suggest we continue our mission before we run out of time,” he barked at me.
“Hey! Don’t talk to her like that! She’s a princess!” Liz’s bitchy attitude returned without hesitation, and I couldn’t keep the small laugh bubbling up inside me contained.
“Liz, it’s okay. He’s right; we’ll have to play catch up later.” She looked pricklier than a cactus, but she sat back down beside me. “I want two guards to stay behind and watch her,” I ordered.
The second I finished my sentence, the two who had helped me kick down the door stepped forward. They bowed their heads to me, and marched over to stand beside Liz. She shivered at their closeness.
“They’ll protect you, okay?” She nodded, wide-eyed. “When we leave, board up that door again. Do you understand?”
“Yes, princess,” they replied in unison.
“Ronon, come with me.” I didn’t wait to see if he obeyed, stomping through my bedroom and into my closet. Digging through the stack of linens I dug out the box I had buried there.
As I pulled it out a thumping rattled my bathroom door. Both Ronon and I jumped, ready to pounce on whatever was sneaking up on us. The light of the closet was flickering, but I could easily make out the outline of the bathroom door. The light inside was on and a shadow was pacing back and forth.
Ronon pulled one of his knives free, holding it before him as he slowly stepped forward. The rattling continued again, only this time I saw what had caused it.
“Stop!” I yanked on his shoulder, pulling him back as I rushed to the bathroom door and pulled it open. Louie’s angry face meowed at me as I snatched him up before he scampered away. “Not today, big boy.” I planted a kiss on his head and shoved him back into the bathroom. He’d be safe in there, and I didn’t want to worry about him getting stepped on by a dark vampire, or worse.
“Is that your cat?” Ronon asked.
“Yes, now get over here.” I walked back to where I’d left the box on the floor and took a seat on the chaise. Dropping the box on my lap I looked up at him. He was eyeing the ebony carvings, glaring more and more as he surveyed each one.
“You ready for this?” I asked him.
“For what, exactly?”
I didn’t reply. I simply opened the box and listened to his intake of breath. If Ronon had ever looked like he was going to faint, it had been this very moment. He stepped back, wiping his hands on his face as if the images of what lie inside could be forgotten. He was reacting like I’d just opened Pandora’s Box, but in a way, I guess I had.
“What the hell are you doing with those?” Disgust dripped from his voice, and I did my best to hide how much it made me shiver. He still kept his blade free and at any moment he could lop off my head. I just had to remember he was on my side, even though he looked outraged.
“I took them from his minions the last time Baal attacked.”
“And what the hell do you plan on doing with them?” He was stepping away from me like he didn’t trust me.
I pulled the stones from their box, lifting them up and dropping them into my palm. “We are going to be wearing them.”
“Like hell I am!” Ronon shouted, storming away from me.
I followed after him. “You have to, Ronon. I’m sorry, but there’s no other way.”
“No other way? No other way!” he repeated, sounding delirious.
“We can’t face Baal without them,” I tried explaining, walking closer to him to only have him step further away from me again. Liz and the rest of the hybrids were looking at us like we were completely insane, while some of them were working on fortifying the door we’d kicked in.
“And why not?” he asked, completely livid as spittle flew from his mouth. He was as angry as a rabid dog.
“Because you just can’t, Ronon. Trust me on this.”
“Why should I trust you? You’ve already betrayed us once.”
I sighed, sagging my shoulders. There wasn’t time to fight with him. “Fine. I’ll wear them, but you’re going to wish you’d listened to me when the rest of his minions are making you drop to your knees.” At that, I glared at him, looped the stones around my neck and made my way to Liz.
“Do you know where everyone else is?”
“I t-think Robin and Dmitry were in the library when it h-happened, but I don’t know where they are now.”
“Okay. You three,” I pointed to three of the hybrids, who were standing behind the sofa. “Head to the library and save whoever you can. Look for a red-haired vampire named Robin, or a tall blonde male with a scar across his face named Dmitry. They’ll need your help and protection. Bring them back here and anyone else you find. Got it?”
They nodded and looked to Ronon to see if he approved of my orders. He signaled for them to head for the door. “Go,” he ordered, firmly.
The trio ran out of the room, and I turned my lethal gaze on Ronon. I was so sick and tired of people being afraid of the stones. It was the wielder of the stone that was evil, not the stone itself and if he wanted to stay here and throw a tantrum then that was his problem. I was going to save my friends, my family and my city.
I brushed past him as I barreled my way out of the room, looking back to make sure they had securely closed it behind me. The sounds of fighting had grown louder in the hallway and I knew the battle was raging. Smoke was beginning to fill the air, and I held my breath as I raced down the hallway to the back stairwell. A small detachment from Titan’s army was attending to an injured vampire at the far end of the hallway, near the stairs. A pool of blood was growing beneath them. I recognized the man’s face from some of my father’s meetings but I couldn’t place his name. His eyes were frozen and for a brief moment I thought our eyes locked together as I turned to head down the stairs.
Shock struck me like a two ton rock, but I didn’t let it make me falter. A lone member of Titan’s army was brawling with one of Baal’s dark vampires. The beast had the upper hand, and would surely win if someone didn’t step in. The solider buckled under a lethal blow to his head, blood splattering on the wall as it flew from his shattered jaw. The sound of bones cracking made me explode into action.
I was still a good twenty steps above them, but I launched myself from the stairs and descended on the dark vampire. I landed on his back, tucking my arm under his throat like a crazed spider monkey. He was momentarily surprised by my attack, but not long enough. He pitched backward, ramming me into a wall. I thought every bone in my back had shattered with the impact and I screamed in pain, baring my fangs as I cried.
The dark vampire stepped forward, ready to slam me back into the wall again. I tightened my grip around his throat hoping I could suffocate him, but I couldn’t get myself into the right angle. Luckily, none of that mattered.
The fallen soldier hoisted himself off the ground. Blood was streaming from his mouth like an open faucet. It all seemed to happen in slow motion as he reached for the throwing knives strapped to his wrist and launched them at the dark vampire’s face, which was right in front of my own. I ducked my head behind his, using it as a shield as the blades thudded into his skull.
Five blades later the dark vampire was lying at my feet looking like a porcupine. “Are you okay?” I asked the solider as he yanked the blades free, returning them to his wrist. He could only grunt as his visibly broken jaw hung awkwardly. I patted his back and took off down the next flight of stairs; two more and I’d be on the next level. I cursed the architect who designed this building. Who the hell needed such tall ceilings that there had to be four flights of stairs for each level? It didn’t help that the steps were shallow; taking thirty of them to descend what should have only taken fifteen.
I finally rounded the corner of the stairway on the second floor and found myself in utter chaos. It was a total warzone. The twenty foot wide hallway was wall to wall brutality. There were dark vampires, Titan’s soldiers, Naos vampires and Blood Guard everywhere. Every ounce of me wanted to join in the fight, but I needed to get to the heart of the battle.
That’s where I would find Baal.
That’s where I would end this once and for all.
A headless dark vampire skidded to my feet as the battle before me continued to swarm like warring bees. Blood pooled under me, making me feet stick to the ground. I ignored the queasy flip-flop my stomach made and pried the scimitar from its lifeless grip.
Brandishing my new weapon, I jumped over bodies, dodged lethal swings and deadly blows as I made my way down the hallway. I knew exactly where to go. The throne room. It was always the throne room, like it had some invisible target on it saying, “Come on all you evil doers; attack here!”
I hacked, stabbed and sliced my way through the chaotic brutality, helping where I could. Blood was covering nearly every inch of me by the time I skidded to a stop in a gruesome mass of mutilated guts. My arms fanned out keeping my balance as I slid through the wide double doors of the throne room.
The war raging in the hallway was a friendly picnic compared to the macabre scene that exploded before me. The massive chandeliers that had miraculously survived Baal’s first attack had plummeted to the floor in a mountain of broken glass and crystal. Several of them were stained in crimson while others were found to be perfect weapons. Lifeless limbs peeked out from under the once beautiful fixture.
My body was screaming to join the fray, but I picked through the clashing bodies, trying to find just one. Baal.
Eli and his daughter, Kyri, crossed my gaze first. They fought together, doing a dance of death as they savagely sliced at the enemies circling them. The amount of bodies around them made it apparent they could handle themselves.
Next I saw Rennek, fighting valiantly against a dark vampire and one of Baal’s hooded minions. Pain was etched in every feature of his face, and I knew without a doubt that they were using a dark stone to bring him down. He was battling against its power, but he wouldn’t last forever and I couldn’t stand by and watch him fall victim to it.
A dark vampire lashed out at me as I began my sprint to defend Rennek. I whipped my scimitar in a wide arc, dragging a deep gash across the dark vampire’s chest. It shrieked in pain, but I didn’t give it another look. I kept my sights locked onto Rennek, not even glancing toward Eli and his daughter as I ran past them. I swung my blade back and forth as I ran, feeling like I was battling my way through a dense forest made up of monsters. There was hardly any room to move at full speed, so I had to hack and slash my way through.
I shouldered my way past several blood guards who were desperately trying to keep several more dark vampires from crashing down on Rennek. It had obviously been Baal’s plan to take out as many of our bravest defenders as possible.
Their eyes registered recognition, and renewed hope as I flew past them to save Rennek. He’d fallen to his knees, crumbling under the power of the stone. The hooded figure was drawing close. Close enough that he could have skewered it with his great sword, but his will was breaking.
Behind the hooded minion stood the dark vampire, its eyes were gleaming at the sight of victory and its mass of jagged teeth were peeking through a sinister grin. My legs carried me over the bodies on the floor as I watched the dark vampire raise its blade high above his head. Rennek remained on his knees, looking up in horror and not being able to do anything about it.
I hadn’t realized I was doing it until my throat began to burn and the scream of rage that had exploded within me released itself. But they couldn’t hear me, not over the roar of battle.
The blade began its descent, and I knew I only had seconds before Rennek would be dead. I jumped over a fallen blood guard who was crying uncontrollably as he desperately attempted to hold in the vital organs that were falling out of his severed middle. Bile rose up in my throat, and pain thrashed wildly inside me. The agony in his eyes almost stopped me, but I couldn’t let it. It was painful to realize, but nothing could save this poor fallen vampire now. He didn’t deserve to go out like this, and I wished I could comfort him in his final moments, but those final moments could mean the lives of so many others.
They were only steps in front of me now as I circled around to attack from behind. Their backs were facing me, and Rennek’s figure was revealed in the space between the two of them. I willed for him to just look at me, to see that I was coming for him. That I was trying to save him, but all he did was stare up at the blade that was flying toward him. A lone tear ran down his blood stained face, and he closed his eyes.
With one, powerful swing I severed the heads of the hooded minion and dark vampire. My chest was thundering with heavy breaths as the bodies dropped to the floor to lay beside their severed parts. For what felt like an hour I was too afraid to see if I’d saved him. I just stared, wild-eyed at the gory mess at me feet until I heard my name.
“Claire?” Rennek was blinking at me, using his sword as a crutch to lift him from his knees.
I jumped into his arms, almost knocking him over in my excitement. I couldn’t have been happier if he were my mother. Rennek and I had never been close, but to know that I’d saved him gave me hope. It replaced the doubt I had about whether or not I could save anyone at all.
“Where is he?” I asked, pulling away from him.
He shook away the last of the haunting effects of the stone and pointed at the far end of the room. He knew exactly who I was asking about.
I kneeled down, flipping over the body of the headless minion. My fingers searched through the pool of blood until I found what I was looking for. The stone was dripping with blood, and I lifted it up as I faced Rennek.
“Put this on,” I ordered. He lurched back, but the expression on my face kept him from moving again as I looped it around his head. The stone clanged again his armored chest.
“What?” He lifted the chain with the edge of his knife.
“I don’t have time to explain. Just listen, and trust me.” He nodded. “It might not be much, but this stone could help protect you against any other dark stone. I want you to seek out and kill anyone wearing them.”
“What do you want me to do with the stones of those I kill?” He asked, sounding like the warrior I’d always known. He had the experience to know that in a battle like this you didn’t ask why. If someone told you something was going to save you, then you just went with it. Wasting time asking for explanations would just get you killed.
“Give them to someone and have them do what I have asked you.”
“Yes, princess.”
He grasped my forearm tightly, and then darted back into the fray, fighting his way to the next hooded minion. I wasn’t sure if the stones would really work for him or not, but I hoped that my belief that they’d cancel each other out was true. I kept saying it was the wielder of the stone that mattered, maybe knowing we were in the midst of battle would make a difference. It would make them fight for us. If we could take down all of Baal’s minions, we could turn the tides of war.
Bennett found me as I fought my way toward the back of the room. He looked absolutely ghastly. He was shirtless, and his ivory skin was dripping was scarlet. But, what surprised me most were the two stones that dangled from his neck, resting in the crevice of his pec muscles.
“Claire!” he called my name as he slashed at a dark vampire who darted past him. I ran to join him, fighting my way to his side. “I’m up by twenty-four. You’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” he boasted, pressing his back to mine as he swung his fist into the face of a dark vampire. It staggered back only a step, before twirling to backhand him across the face.
With our backs pressed against each other, I leaned forward, allowing Bennett to lean awkwardly back and miss the attack with hardly an inch to spare. We locked arms and I anchored him as he rammed his feet into the dark vampire’s chest. Our strength added to the force he had put into his kick, sending it tumbling backward. The beast landed in a heap on one of the chandeliers. Before it could get up, a solider in Titan’s army landed on its chest, sinking a dagger into its head.
The guard whirled around and I recognized her as the ruby-haired fighter who had awed me with her skills. Our eyes met briefly and then she was swallowed up by the battle around her.
“Have you seen my parents?” I asked Bennett, as we both fended off blows from our own attackers.
“I saw Arrick and a bunch of big dudes fleeing with your mom,” he answered with a grunt, as a punch landed in his gut. He recovered quickly, kneeing the dark vampire in the abdomen, before finishing it off with an uppercut.
Relief washed through me with the knowledge that my mother was okay, but it was short lived. A fist colliding with the side of my skull brought me back to reality. The fight wasn’t over yet. I blocked the next swing then backhanded the dark vampire with enough force to knock a few teeth out. Sadly they weren’t the fangs.
Spitting at me, the dark vampire threw another swing. I blocked it, but it used that as an opportunity to latch onto me and spin me into a deadly embrace. Thick arms snaked around my throat. I thrashed around, feeling my windpipe buckle under its crushing strength. If I didn’t get out soon, I’d suffocate. Bennett was scrapping with a rather nasty dark vampire. Its arms were much longer, making its reach hard for him to avoid. He was trying to get to me, but I knew I’d have to save myself.
I continued to struggle, though I knew there was no way to wiggle my way out of this. I parted my legs to brace myself and attempted to launch the dark vampire over me and send him crashing to the floor. I heaved forward, but nothing happened. Despite my strength, the dark vampire was too big and too strong. Baal had sent much more formidable opponents this time around. Were we stronger than he thought, or was the first attack just a test of our strength?
Bennett managed to snag the bladed shield of a fallen Titan soldier, ramming it into the gut of his attacker. The dark vampire grunted, swaying back and forth before yanking the shield out of its stomach. It clattered noisily as blood gushed from the wound, but the dark vampire pushed forward, swinging its blade in wide arcs.
The arm around my throat tightened, and the world around me started to fade. I thrashed around harder, clawing at his arms. I even tried reaching for my scimitar that had dropped from my grasp, but I couldn’t grasp it. Not seeing any other options, I reached my thumb back as far as I could and shoved it into the dark vampire’s eye, doing my best to gouge it out.
I ignored the ooze as my thumb squished through his eyelid, smooshing it into a gooey mess. His hold on me released as he gripped his face. I crumbled to the ground, gasping for breath. I wanted to rub the throbbing ache at my throat, but it would have to wait till later. I needed to take out this beast while I had the chance. The shield that Bennett had tried to use to kill who he was fighting was still lying on the floor. I stretched, reaching for it with the tips of my fingers.
Closing my hand around severely sharp steel, I clutched one of the blades and dragged it toward me. The flesh of my palm sliced open like butter as fresh blood dripped from my grip. I hissed at the shock of the pain, but I kept pulling until it was close enough that I could reach the security of the handle on the back side.
Forcing myself up, I lifted the shield above me and brought it down into the dark vampire’s chest. It protruded like a giant metal shard, and he collapsed in a dead fall, dying instantly.
Knowing Bennett was still struggling; I pressed my foot on the opposite side of the fallen vampire’s chest and yanked the shield free. Bennett’s attacker was cornering him. Holding the shield in front of me, I ran at full speed, shoving the dark vampire off him. The shield clattered away as we both tumbled to the ground, but Bennett was quick to pick up my scimitar and ram it into its heart.
“That was close,” he commented, pulling my blade free and handing it to me as I lifted myself up.
“Too close.” I gave Bennett a brief hug, before pulling away. “I want you to go back to my room and protect Liz. I left some guards there, but I’d feel better if I knew you were there too. I know she would to.”
“I can’t, Claire,” he said, dodging a spear as it flew across the room.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not going to let you fight him alone.”
“I won’t. Now go!” I yelled, pointing toward the colossal doors of the throne room. I could see him struggling to obey. He and I had been through a lot together, and it had become like second nature to defend each other and fight side by side, but right now I needed him to defend those I cared about.
“Please, Bennett.”
“Fine,” he relented. “But, if something happens to you…”
“Nothing will happen to me.” I gave my friend another hug and then pushed him away. He gave me one sad look, before shoving his way through the throng.
Ducking, and darting behind bodies I snuck over to a far wall. The majority of the fighting was in the center of the room and I managed to make headway by traveling along the side of the throne room, making my way forward. At about three quarters of the way there, I spotted Titan’s mammoth frame atop the rostrum that held the thrones. My father’s throne still stood, but my mother’s had been knocked over.
The flurry of battle had broken away from the area Titan was fighting, giving him and his opponent room to battle. I wasn’t about to let him have all the fun.
Climbing up the side of the platform, I was finally free of the crowded skirmish behind me. Pulling myself to my full height I saw that it wasn’t just Titan fighting Baal, but my father, too.
Baal’s bone-colored flesh seemed to glow in the fading light of the last chandelier. Dark veins pulsed under his skin, his muscles flexing as he shifted with the speed of a hummingbird. He brandished a deadly sword in each hand as he struck out against Titan and my father, blocking their every attack.
I stood back watching, waiting and calculating how I could step in and end this once and for all.
Steel cracked like lightning against steel. Baal dodged my father’s swing, as he swirled with the speed of a tornado, dragging his blades across my father’s back, deep enough to cut bone. He lurched in pain, his cry echoing in my mind with such severe intensity I felt I had cried out myself.
Baal had drawn first blood, but it would be his that would be the last to fall.
Titan advanced with renewed fury, knocking Baal back as he tried to block my father from further attacks. Blood was dripping down his back, making a puddle at his feet, but the look in his eyes told me he wasn’t giving up, even though the crippling pain was contorting his features.
Baal recovered from Titan’s onslaught, somersaulting backward to get some distance between them. Unwilling to allow him to escape once again, Titan gave chase only to be knocked away by a dark vampire who had been standing on the sidelines. It looked like a bull charging into Titan, smashing him against the wall and stealing the breath from his lungs with an audible grunt.
My father stood as best he could, curling his back like an old man and struggling to lift his sword as Baal rocketed toward him. The gashes on his back ripped further with his effort to stand his ground, but I knew he wouldn’t be able to move fast enough. Baal had death in his eyes and he was headed for my father.
With a scream ripping from my lungs, I shoved my father out of the way as Baal’s blade pierced my flesh. I staggered back in shock, looking down at the sword that was sticking out of my chest. Confusion seeped into my mind, and I wondered how it had gotten there.
I lifted my hand and pulled the sword free, dropping it to the floor. Hot blood poured down my chest, and the pain exploded in my senses. I wanted to cry out, but all I could do was let out a gurgle as blood dripped from my lips. I heard my father calling my name, and the sounds of battle slowly began to become clear.
I knew where I was.
I knew what had happened.
“Put pressure on the wound,” a voice ordered my father.
I saw his face hovering over me, and I wanted to smile at him but for some reason my face wouldn’t move. His eyes were panicked, fearful and full of agony.
“Why did you do that?”
“He was going to kill you,” I whispered to my father. It made perfect sense to me. If someone you loved was in danger, then you saved them. I winced as my father pressed harder against my wound, but I could feel the pool of blood growing around me. My time was running short.
“You bastard!” I heard the voice scream beside me, and I turned my head to see Titan fall to the ground. Ronon was swinging his deadly blades in a reckless attempt to avenge his father.
It all became suddenly clear to me that Baal couldn’t be destroyed in combat. He was too strong, too fast. There had to be another way.
My father watched helplessly, unwilling to leave my side as Ronon went rigid. Baal lowered his blade, and shoved him aside with disinterest as four hooded figures came into view. I swallowed back the curse in my mouth. If only Ronon had listened to me. If only he’d trusted me and worn one of the dark stones. I caught his gaze, and the memory of the sad boy sitting at his mother’s grave came into view.
Baal blocked my father’s blows as he fought to protect my broken body. The wound had been deep, but it was the blood loss that was truly weakening me. Without blood, my body healed much slower and that meant a much higher risk of dying from the injury. Baal must have sliced through a major artery. I could feel my life force draining out of me.
His claw-like hand reached for me, but was yanked back as my father pushed the tip of his sword into Baal’s side. He didn’t have the strength to push it in fully, but it had been enough to distract him. I rolled over, and over till I was falling off the side of the stage. Those who were fighting moved away as Baal jumped down before me. The injury my father had caused was already healing, and he smiled at me with a wicked grin as blood dripped from an almost invisible wound.
“It’s so nice to see you again,” he said, with eerie pleasantness. “Such a shame I have to kill such a pretty thing.”
“Get away from her!” several voices shouted from behind, as strong arms wrapped around me, dragging me away. I lifted my head up to see Arrick, Robin, Dmitry and Bennett standing defiantly against Baal. As happy as I was to see them, I was just as afraid. I didn’t want them to get hurt, they could still escape. They could run away.
Arrick tucked me in his arms, pressing his wrist against my lips. I bit into his delicate flesh without hesitation. Hot energy poured through me as I drank his lifeblood. I held back, not wanting to weaken him, and drank only enough to stop my wound from bleeding. It was still open, and fresh, but it no longer drained me. The taste of his blood was intoxicating and for an instant I felt my eyes gloss over as the urge to drink more tried to take hold. I forced it down, swallowing hard as my eyes skewered Baal.
I clutched onto Arrick, licking his wound closed as he pulled me up. I could feel his body shudder against me. I had controlled myself, but I had needed a lot of blood to heal myself even a little. Bennett stepped forward, but Baal didn’t give him a second glance as his minions leaped from the stage, landing in a tight group behind him. Their power hit my friends with incredible force, and even with the stones I was wearing I could feel its severity. Robin cried out, and Dmitry tried comforting her through his own groans of agony. Hearing her weeping was almost more than I could bear.
Arrick and Bennett were not as intensely affected, and I glanced over to see the stone dangling from Arrick’s neck. Hope washed through me. Bennett must have given him one. They weren’t completely impervious, but the brunt of the power was at least at bay.
For now.
My idea had worked, anyone could use the stones. I had been right all along. The souls trapped in them wanted revenge, and given the opportunity they’d work for whoever was standing against Baal.
At least a dozen more hooded figures entered the throne room, corralling the remaining soldiers with the power of their stones. I watched in horror as their faces twisted into horrifying grimaces. Rennek’s face caught my attention, I could see he was fighting it as best he could, but there were just too many. It terrified me to see how many stones Baal had created, how many lives he’d extinguished and souls he’d trapped.
Arrick and Bennett stepped in front of me, their feet moving like they were stuck in tar as they blocked me from Baal’s advance. I looked at them, then at my father who was pulling himself across the stadium to reach me. I wasn’t going to let anyone else get hurt trying to protect me.
“I see you’ve discovered another use for my stones,” Baal commented almost casually, his piercing eyes flicking across my two protectors. “At least you’re not all complete idiots.”
“Save it for someone who gives a crap,” Bennett growled. Baal raised his brows, amusement pulling at his features.
“I must applaud you all for your efforts.” He lifted his hands, offering a few weak claps for show. “I truly didn’t believe you’d convince my old friend to face me. And to think I thought I had to travel all the down to the old world to see him. Thanks for saving me the trip.”
Baal’s smile made my blood boil, and I pushed my way past Arrick and Bennett. I was afraid of him, afraid of standing up to him, but I was more terrified of what would happen if I didn’t.
“Claire,” Arrick tugged on my arm to pull me behind him, but I yanked it away.
“We’re full of surprises,” I taunted him. He smirked at my outburst. “How about you stop hiding behind your beasts and your stones, and fight us like a real vampire!”
He snarled at me, flashing toward me as his claw-like hand rose to strike me down. I went rigid, waiting for the impact I knew was going to come but as I closed my eyes nothing happened. I peeled them open to find Arrick clenching onto Baal’s forearm with a death grip, blocking the blow. Bennett was shielding me with his arm, ready to shove me out of harm’s way.
I was ready to tell them to step down; that I would fight Baal on my own, but as I opened my mouth Baal ripped his arm from Arrick’s grip as the other collided with his skull, splattering fresh blood across my face. Arrick soared across the room, falling to the floor like a sack of rocks.
My heart lurched, and my knees buckled but I had to stand firm. I couldn’t back down. I might die tonight, no, I probably would die tonight, but at least I would go down standing up against Baal.
Bennett attempted to pick up where Arrick left off, but Baal knocked him away with a swift kick to his chest. The echoing sound of bones cracking made the hair on my neck stand on end. Bennett definitely had some broken ribs. I could hear his faint wheezing as Baal closed the gap between us.
“I’ve been waiting for tonight for a long time,” he said, his rancid breath burning my senses.
My hands curled into fists at my sides. I wanted to strike him, to dig my teeth into his neck and make him experience the centuries of pain he had caused.
“You might win tonight, but we’ll never give up. Ever.” I threw the words at him even though I knew nothing I said would have any effect. Baal was a heartless monster.
“I disagree,” he stepped forward, dragging his sharp nail across the flesh of my cheek causing a ribbon of scarlet to bubble to the surface. I bit my tongue to keep from flinching. I didn’t want him to see any kind of reaction from me; it would only give him satisfaction. “Your death will be the crushing blow, and the final seal on my victory. Three regions will fall and it’s all because of you.”
His words made me tremble, despite how much I was trying to hold back. He had triggered my greatest fear. I’d always felt I carried a cloud of bad luck with me wherever I went, and the sad thing was; it was true. It had been me all along that brought all this misfortune to all I cared about. Maybe if I had never been born none of this would have happened.
“Naos will crumble after the death of their king and their beloved princess. And Titan will burn to the ground under the desert sun they love so dearly.”
“You’re wrong.”
“Am I? Tell me, who will stand against me when no one is left alive?”
“You can’t kill us all.” I tried to sound strong, but I honestly wasn’t sure I believed myself. From the way things looked, Baal could very well kill all of us.
“Of course I can. Though… it would be a pity to see such a marvelous creature like you go to waste.” His fingers caressed my lip, making bile rise up in my throat. “How about we make a deal?”
“I’ll never make a deal with the devil.” I recoiled, as his eyes raked over my body.
“Oh, I beg to differ. What if I promised to keep your lovely friend alive?” He strolled over to Robin as she shuddered in Dmitry’s embrace. My body exploded in anger as he picked up one of her ruby locks and twirled it through his fingers. “Perhaps, you prefer to keep your Blood Mate?” he asked gauging my reaction as he glanced at Arrick’s unconscious body. “Choices. Choices.”
To me there was no choice. I loved them all, not one more than the other, and life without any one of my friends wasn’t a life I wanted to live. I could never place one of their lives before the other.
“No,” I squared my shoulders, pulling myself up to my full height.
“No?” He rounded on me.
“No,” I repeated.
“I think you’re missing the point here. I give you something you want, and you give me something I want, but I do love your arrogance. Standing up to me when you have no hope of winning. It’s very appealing,” his last word slithered from his lips.
“What do you want then? Naos? Titan? Noire? You’ve made it clear you take what you want. What do you need me for? Do as you must, but just know that in the end you’ll suffer for what you’ve done.”
“You’re right. I do take what I want, and I will. I simply thought things would go much more smoothly if you were willing.”
“Willing?” The word sent a chill up my spine.
“A creature such as yourself is very rare. Imagine the power we could wield together! With you as my queen we could rule forever!”
“You want me to come with you?” I couldn’t keep the disgust from my voice. I’d rather die a thousand deaths than stand by his side one second.
Suddenly, he clamped his hands around me, pulling me to him. His lips crushed mine with incredible force, as his cold sandpaper flesh scraped against my chin. I jerked against his body, squeezing my lips shut and refusing him entry.
Fighting him only made him strengthen his efforts. His grip tightened around me as he plucked me from the ground, forcing my body to press up against his chest. The sensation of his muscles touching me made me want to vomit. Crumbling under his formidable strength, his tongue breeched my lips, sliding into my mouth like a serpent. I jerked back, choking on the putrid taste of him.
For a moment I thought I was going to throw up, I could feel the urge coiling inside me, but then another sensation began to blossom, distracting me from the taste of decaying flesh that was assaulting my mouth. The stones that were hidden under my shirt started to burn, and I knew what I had to do. Maybe it was the stones showing me the way, or maybe it was a last ditch effort to fight, but I had to give it a try.
Going against every fiber of my being, I wiggled in Baal’s embrace. My tense muscles relaxed, and I clenched my eyes shut as I allowed my tongue to mingle with his. My acceptance made him shudder, pulling me tighter against him and groaning his pleasure. I snaked one arm free, feigning to rub it along his bulging chest until sneaking it into my shirt. Grabbing the stones, I noticed they felt different. They were no longer, smooth or round, but long. Under my fingertips it felt sharp as if it had morphed into a jagged crystal.
I closed my fingers around one of the transformed stones, yanking it off the chain around my neck. With my lips still locked in the fetid kiss of my greatest enemy, I stabbed the edge of the stone into his chest.
Baal was the one to jerk back this time. He shoved me off him, and stared at the stone that was sticking out of his chest. The skin around it was branching out like spider-webs of burgundy and black with incredible speed as a tendril of black smoke curled up from the stone.
A blood-curdling scream tore through the throne room. For a moment I thought it came from someone inside, that the minions or Baal’s dark vampires had decided to restart the battle, but it hadn’t. The scream had come from Baal, or rather, the stone in his chest.
“What have you done?” his words were full of venom and fear as he plucked the stone out of chest like a festering thorn.
The scream shrieked even louder, black smoke falling from the wound down to his feet before dying away. I watched in awe as he dropped it, allowing it to clatter around his feet. The obsidian color of the stone was completely gone, leaving a crystal clear shard in its wake.
I drew my eyes back to his chest. The wound wasn’t healing. In fact, the web of burgundy black covered the entirety of the right side of his chest, oozing out and dripping down from the wound in thick globules.
He stepped further away from me, wiping at the wound as if he could smear it away, as if clawing at his own flesh like a rabid animal could somehow halt the advance of whatever was consuming him. He retreated into the crowd of minions behind him, and they huddled around, worry painting their faces.
It all seemed unreal as I watched him begin to panic. Had I truly managed to harm him, or was I just imagining it? The throbbing heat from the rest of the stones I carried told me it was real. A wave of relief washed over me, but not just because I had found a way to hurt him, but because the relief wasn’t my own. I knew, without the shadow of a doubt that I had released the soul that had been trapped in that stone. Somehow, someway, attacking Baal with it had fractured the magic that had encased the soul inside.
I’d wanted a way to defeat Baal, and I’d also hoped I could someday find a way to save the tortured souls he’d trapped. I never would have imagined that the two could be connected.
Pulling the remaining stones from the chains around my neck, I fisted two in my hands as I marched over to Baal. His minions were attempting to heal him, offering him their bare wrists to feed from but I wasn’t going to give him the chance to regenerate. I had three stones left, and I was going to make them count. He clamped onto their wrists, as vibrant crimson dripped from his lips. His minion cried out as he drank, until he threw their arm away and latched onto another. He’d devoured three and still he wasn’t healing.
Barreling my way through the small group of minions, I snatched as many stones as I could reach from around me. They cried out in protest, but Baal ignored them giving me the chance to crash forward. I had a stone in each fist. They began to burn and contort in my hands, changing into shards as I descended them toward his chest. As if they were daggers, I plunged them into his body without hesitation.
Instantly, webs crawled across his flesh faster than Baal could tear out the stones. A scream full of misery and anger exploded from each stone. They were finally free, and I prayed that whatever might be left of that soul could finally find peace.
His minions tried shoving me away, but I wouldn’t let them. With every one that closed their fingers around my arms to stop me, I pulled the chain from their neck and rammed it into Baal’s body. Screams burst forth one after another. I almost hesitated from simple shock that he wasn’t fighting me, but the horrified yet vacant look on his face told me that whatever was happening to his body on the outside; was even worse on the inside. His eyes were flooding with scarlet, the limitless black pools draining away.
Soon his gathering of minions had crumbled to a puddle of whimpering vampires, completely distraught by the loss of their stones. It was strange how the power of the stones worked on them, making them attached at an alarming level. I didn’t know how it worked, but I was just glad that didn’t happen to me. Maybe they were each connected to the stones like Ana was. Maybe they knew the souls that were inside. It almost made me feel sorry for them.
I stepped away, turning to face the crowd behind me as the sounds of scuffling broke through the fading scream of the last stone. When I’d destroyed the stones near Baal, it had lessened the effects on those who had a small level of protection. Rennek had gathered himself, and those he’d managed to help get stones. They’d seen what I had done and were gathering stones themselves and running toward Baal to destroy them once and for all. The hooded figures weren’t putting up much of a fight anymore, even with the stones. I guessed seeing their master lying helpless on the floor made them lose their nerve.
Several of the dark vampires were still fighting, but most were fleeing; running through the open throne room doors as fast as they could. Eli, his daughter, and several of Titan’s army gave chase, and I knew they wouldn’t get far.
Letting Rennek lead the group to destroy the rest of the stones, I ran for my father. He was lying unconscious on the platform, his arm hanging over the side. One of Titan’s guards caught my attention and I waved him to me. Latched onto his belt was the small animal skin of blood laced with wine. It wasn’t much, but it would help my father heal a little. I seized the canteen from him, before sending him to check on Arrick for me.
I poured the blood into my father’s mouth, coaxing his throat to help him swallow. His eyes fluttered open, and I clutched his hand to let him know I was by his side. He tried to talk but I shushed him. Everything would be explained later, now he just needed to heal.
“Is he okay?” Arrick asked, coming to my side. The right side of his face was swollen and bruised, and blood was streaming down all the way to his neck.
“I think so.”
“What happened?” He tried looking toward the crowd of guards gathering around Baal.
“It’s a long story,” I told him. “Keep an eye on him for me.” Arrick nodded and I got up, making my way toward Baal.
The sight before me was almost more disgusting than Baal kissing me. His body had turned completely black, smoke wafting off him like he was a dying ember. His flesh had sunken down to his bones, making him look like a fleshy skeleton. Rennek had lining up behind Baal. He looked dead, but his chest was still rising and falling.
“What should we do with him?” Bennett asked, kicking the remains of Baal’s foot.
“I know not,” Rennek answered. “We’ve destroyed all the remaining stones.” He gestured to the pile of stones beside Baal. They’d fallen of their own accord, no longer having enough flesh to keep them in place. Each of them had lost the murky blackness that was once the trapped soul inside, leaving them clear and sparkling like diamond shards.
I stepped closer, empty stones cracking under my feet like glass. What should we do with him? We didn’t really have a choice; he had to die. In a way it felt wrong killing a creature that was lying helplessly before us, but he wouldn’t have shown us the same mercy. Letting him live would only give him the chance to escape. I wouldn’t let that happen.
Bennett held a blade in his hand and I gestured for him to hand it to me, but to my surprise there was one stone still dangling from my hand. I’d thought I had destroyed them all, but I was clutching onto it with a grip so tight my knuckles were white. Prying my fingers open I glanced at the stone and then at Baal. His eyes were fluttering around, but he wasn’t registering anything that was going on.
I lifted the stone, readying to slam it into Baal but it wasn’t changing like the others. This was the last and final soul, after this they’d all be free and Baal would finally be dead once and for all. A gust of wind flew past me and the stone was yanked from my grasp.
“What the…”
Ana had blown by, coming to a stop just an arm’s length from Baal. “I won’t let you destroy it,” she growled.
“Are you crazy? This could all be over!” I shouted, stepping closer to her. “If we let him live he’ll kill us all, Ana. You might think he’ll let you live, but he won’t. And he won’t bring Luka back either!”
“It’ll never be over! We’ll make you pay for what you’ve done,” she shrieked, a portal exploding open behind her.
“We?” I looked to her, and then to Baal. How could he possibly help her? His body was nothing but a smoldering husk.
The guards around Baal readied their weapons, unsure if they should continue guarding Baal or go after Ana. I raised my hand to halt them. I didn’t want her getting away with that stone.
Her eyes skewered me with unyielding hatred, as she looped the chain around her neck. She rubbed her fingers lovingly against the stone, and that’s when I knew what she meant. That stone held Luka’s soul. Of all the stone’s that had been destroyed, how could his be the only one that survived? We hadn’t been sure if his soul was truly inside, but now I had no doubts. Maybe he’d even used some kind of hold over me to keep me clutching on to him until Ana arrived. Either way, this could be very bad.
My eyes grew wide, and I jumped forward to stop her but she was too quick. Keeping her eyes locked onto mine, she fell backward; falling into the darkness of the portal. An eerie cackle burst from the portal.
“Claire, no!” Bennett screamed, snagging me by the ankle as I attempted to dive through the portal after her.
“Let! Me! Go!” I tugged on my leg to get away from him, but suddenly there were several hands on me, pulling me away from the portal. “What the hell are you doing? We can stop her!”
“It’s over, Claire. It’s over,” Bennett repeated, pointing his finger to where Baal was lying. I turned my head to find he had vanished. There was nothing left but a pile of black ash atop broken crystals. I should have been rejoicing, cheering our victory but all I could focus on was that last stone.
The one that got away.
“She got away with the last stone,” I told Arrick, as he strode forward with my father under his arm.
“Don’t worry about her. She can’t do anything to us.”
“But…” He might have been right, but it worried me to know she could be hiding anywhere with dark magic. In truth, we didn’t really know what she could do. There had been a time when I’d almost felt sorry for her, but that time was gone. We’d underestimated Ana. We’d thought she was just one of Baal’s servants, but her hatred for me could be all the power she’d ever need.
“Is it over?” Robin asked, shuffling up behind me as Dmitry sheltered her under his arm.
“It’s over,” Dmitry answered, taking in the mound of ash where Baal had lain.
“Is everyone okay?” my mother asked with authority as she strode into the room, followed by a few snake guard who looked like they’d gotten into a fight with a pack of wolves. They were each carrying larges boxes.
“Mother!” I looped my hands around her waist happy to see she looked completely unscathed. Arrick and the guard had done well. I was so grateful to see she’d been protected.
She kissed the top of my head, before holding me at arm’s length to survey my injuries. “You’re hurt.”
I shrugged off her worry, there were those injured worse than I was. “I’ll be fine, but father and Titan have been seriously injured.”
“Bennett!” my mother called out his name, making him snap to attention. “Attend to Cathair and Titan. Nicolae has brought supplies.”
“Nicolae? Is he here?” I asked, looking around.
“He just arrived, and at precisely the right time,” she answered. She glared at Bennett to obey her command and he jumped in place.
“Yes, my queen.” He bowed his head before leading one of the guards away. Arrick guided my father after them, allowing him a moment to drop a gentle kiss on my mother’s lips.
“Robin, Dmitry, can you two make sure the rest of the cases get distributed to all who need it?” I asked, hoping that giving them something to do would make them feel better. Dmitry seemed grateful, but Robin still looked petrified. When she wouldn’t respond, I took her under my arm allowing Dmitry to get to work.
“I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t shown up,” my mother commented, taking in the ruins of the throne room.
“I’m just glad we made it in time.” I tucked myself under her arm, holding onto Robin with the other. Rennek had begun ordering the remaining guards to form groups and sweep through the building and the city, killing any stragglers that might still be lurking about. A line of servants streamed into the room, carrying more and more cases of blood. Nicolae had kept his word. He might not have had the vampires to fight beside us, but he had the donors to heal our wounds. That was good enough for me.
The severely injured guards were being cared for by the group led by Dmitry. They were handing out small stainless steel canisters of blood. It would be enough to heal any minor injuries and sustain them until things could get organized. Leona soon strode in with Liz by her side. I smiled broadly, pulling my best friend into my arms for a bear hug.
“Is he dead?” she asked.
“Yes, he’s dead,” I answered, stroking her hair. She pulled away, a look of relief calming the worry lines on her brow. My mother wrapped her in a hug next, and I watched, smiling at them.
Leona nodded in our direction, marching her way toward my father and Titan. My father was looking better; he was sitting up and talking to Arrick who was nodding repeatedly. Ronon had made his way over to his father, kneeling over him as Leona approached. I watched as she pushed him out of the way and went to work on healing Titan. I wasn’t aware of the extent of his injuries, but I sent up a small prayer to Nyx that he’d be okay. That we’d all be okay.
We’d done it. The battle we had feared was finally over, and we survived. But, it wasn’t what I thought it would be. There were no cheers of victory. It felt good to know Baal was dead, but it had come at a cost. Many had lost their lives tonight, and we would honor their sacrifice forever.
I cast my eyes through one of the many shattered windows, watching the horizon begin to give way to the sun. Beautiful shades of red and gold were blossoming before me, as a tear rolled down my cheek. I pushed aside the fear I’d felt for so long. No longer was Baal hunting us. No longer did the Titan region have to live in hiding. We’d worked together, and overcame the impossible. Ana might be out there somewhere, but for now I would embrace our triumph. Those I loved were safe, and all human kind would be safe too. What more could I ask for?
Arrick joined me, pulling me into his strong arms as I snuggled against his chest. Our lips met, mingling with the tears trailing down my face. I knew I couldn’t have done it without him.
“I love you, Arrick.”
“I love you, too.”
The End.