by Iris Walker
Lucidia frowned at him and put her hand on his arm, stopping him sharply. “Hey, I’m on your side here. You’re in a tough spot, but don’t take it out on me.”
His expression softened, and he pulled away, continuing up until they emerged at the main level. Darian was met by several of the royal vampires in charge of security, all of them toting grim expressions. Hugo was the first to speak. “The main balcony,” he said. “She’s here.”
Lucidia exchanged a look of tension with the other vampires, and Darian nodded, walking forward with resounding steps. They crossed the large passageway with its arching overhangs, heading for the massive French doors that had already swiveled open, letting in the burning evening sun. Lucidia watched, looking as hundreds of subjects flocked to the windows to get a glimpse of the grounds behind House Albus. Darian stepped to the edge of the balcony and Lucidia fell in with the other generals, immediately understanding what all the fuss was about. Fausta Ambrose stood on the field, with ten vampires in defensive formation and about thirty wolves around her. Her amber cloak shimmered in the breeze, billowing out around her in waves of silk. Underneath, she wore tight fitting armor, custom made of black metal, linked together with daggers and spikes that gave it a deadly, dragon-scale appearance. Her face was all arrogance, all smug triumph. A flame flared in Lucidia’s gut, her fists clenching at her sides.
Fausta spread her arms out wide. “At last we are here, Darian Xander.”
“Fausta,” he replied, as though it were the name of a type of beetle. “Is this a parlay?”
She let out a venomous laugh. “It is a warning. One that I hope you will heed, now that you have lost your precious weapon.”
“The girl was a liability,” Darian said with a cruel, slim smile. “You saved me the trouble of doing it myself, though your timing was rather inconvenient.”
“In any case, your forces are weak, old man. Your stronghold runs rampant with children and elders, and you stand no chance against me. But I come here not in the spirit of gloating, or cruelty. I come to offer you a way out. You have my solemn assurance that if you concede to me, if you lay down your arms, not a hair on your subjects’ heads shall be harmed. Not a door in House Albus broken, not a flame cast, not a scream heard. I am offering your people sanctuary, so long as they choose to serve me, in exchange for your head.”
“Is that all?” Darian returned with cold amusement.
“Yes, it is as simple as that. Accept your loss, Darian. The world no longer needs you, and they grow weary of your presence. It is time for new leadership, one that gives vampires the respect they’ve always deserved.”
“Be that as it may, unfortunately, I am quite attached to my head, and will not be giving it up any time soon.”
“Whether it is your single head or the thousands that reside within those walls, I do not care. But know this: there will be blood. It is up to you, oh cautious one, just how much is spilt.”
“The blood will come from your side, Fausta. Before you killed your own maker, I had quite a good relationship with Master Salvatore. He told me of your tempestuous moods and your capricious threats. You could have brought me an army of a hundred thousand, but it would do you no good, for you, little girl, cannot wield it.”
Fausta’s eyes flared, her face set in stone. “I give you twenty-four hours to decide. If, by sunset tomorrow, you have not given yourself up, or your people have not thrown you from the ramparts, I will descend, and their terror will be on your soul.”
“I gave up my soul long ago, young țăran. Prepare yourself for combat. You will need all the help-”
“To the trees!” one of Fausta’s wolves shouted. The rear line turned, forming a wall around the others.
Lucidia tensed, her sights moving past the vampire ruler, to the tree line, a hundred feet back. The world was quiet for a moment, nothing but the chirping of cicadas and the steady chill of fall wind. Lucidia peered further, seeing stacks of billowing black smoke, rising from behind the forest. And then, one by one, the bushes began trembling, shivering. She narrowed her eyes, looking for any sign of attack. And then, a war cry, sharp and piercing, cut through the tense atmosphere, followed by another one, echoing out across the field. Darian Xander crouched slightly, just as Fausta had. If it’s not coming from her, and it's not coming from us, then… She didn’t have time to finish that thought as the figures emerged, first five, then fifteen, then fifty. All of them, vampires. They came swiftly, flanking, falling into a V shaped formation and heading straight for Fausta. A wicked song rose up, something in French, going to the beat of their arrogant steps. Lucidia turned slightly, looking at Darian with a gaze of concern. He shook his head, just as uncertain as she was. And then, one by one, glinting pistols appeared in their hands. They froze, twenty yards from Fausta’s formation, and stood tall.
“You’ve gotta be shitting me,” Lucidia mumbled in disbelief, looking at the grinning idiot standing at the front of the formation. Gunfire crackled out, like rapid hail, smoke filtering up. Fausta and her vampires were gone in a flash, and the attackers descended on the wolves. One by one, they died, twitching from the gunfire as they tried to shift. Lucidia scowled. She’d never seen wolves go down so quickly. Only a few of them managed to shift, running off, weaving with terrifying grace and precision as bullets tracked them.
It was over within a minute, an eerie silence settling once more as the sharp smell of gunpowder wafted through the air. Darian’s ranks remained tense, watching the impending vampires face him. And then, the familiar face bowed, taking one knee. “Master Darian Xander, we have come to offer our assistance in the impending battle,” Zane announced.
Darian straightened up, looking to Lucidia with a guarded expression. “They’re from House Prior,” she said with an incredulous smile, shaking her head.
Everybody piled into the war room, and House Prior’s vampires unloaded pack after pack of glinting weapons. Lucidia picked one up, admiring the metalwork, popping the revolver open and inspecting the rounds. Silver. Pure silver, and as she leaned forward and sniffed, her eyebrows drew together. “How did you get this much wolfsbane?” she asked Zane.
“We had free wolves working side by side our people, and they were gracious enough to lend us the recipe. Landon is… well, he was cultivating it, just to have a backup.”
“Landon was cultivating it?”
Zane let out a long sigh. “Landon was overthrown, just after we took off. Shit went sideways, just like you said it would.”
“Sorry to hear that,” Lucidia said, putting the revolver down.
“Don’t be. The guy had a lot of problems, and I’m sure they’ll figure it out. Last I heard, strongbloods were taking control. Vampires aren’t too popular over there anymore, at least not the ones that followed Landon.”
“Zane, is it?” Darian asked, striding forward and shaking his hand.
“Yes, sir.”
“I am very much grateful for your support,” he said. “We were not under the impression that the world knew of our predicament. How is it you came to find us?”
“We received a distress signal,” Zane said, letting his gaze slip to Lucidia. “Apparently, we’d received a similar one months prior, during the first sieges, but Landon Prior gave us no knowledge. If he had, we
would have come to your aid. It may be too little, and too late, but we’re here now. Besides, a good friend reminded me that you don’t turn your back on kin, no matter the differences in ideology, so it should be Lucidia you thank, not us.”
Darian nodded, and stepped back. “However it is you came to arrive here, I am most appreciative.”
“Distress signal?” Lucidia asked.
A voice on the intercom crackled. “That was me.”
The vampires in the room quieted, scowling at the sound. “Max?” Lucidia asked, looking up at the ceiling.
“Just testing the system out,” she said, her voice obscured by static. “I’ve got eyes, ears, and lungs.”
“Joy,�
�� Lucidia said with a cocky smile.
“I sent a signal out to Georgie, an old associate of mine. He’s-”
“Yeah, I know who Georgie is,” Lucidia muttered.
“I didn’t think it’d take, but hey, no harm no foul.”
“And in this case, the opposite. Your foresight is impressive once again, Maxine,” Darian called.
The intercom cut, leaving them in silence once more.
Zane cleared his throat. “We torched a few of their camps. They’ve overrun pretty much the entire second layer of walls, so they’re hidden from the human world, at the very least, considering they’ve got thousands. Maybe took out a hundred wolves, not including the ones on the field.”
Darian nodded. “I will meet with my generals, and we will devise strategy as quickly as possible. We will take a few hours to prepare our minds. Eat, drink, whatever you must do. Come midnight, we mobilize for war.” A tense silence filtered in, and one by one, they left the war room.
Chapter 13 Remembrance
Robin
She slowly woke up, cold, dusty air slipping into her lungs. Her eyes picked out Reykon next to her, conversing with Darian, Chadwick, and Ezra. Harley stood at the door, a constant vigil.
“They shot me. They shot me,” she muttered, her voice rising in intensity. “Vampires I can handle, even strongbloods, but bullets? They freaking shot me…”
Reykon was at her side in an instant. “How do you feel? Are you okay?”
She nodded and sat up, resting her head against the freezing stone wall behind her. This certainly wasn’t the majestic castle she remembered. “Where are we?”
“The catacombs,” Ezra said.
“That’s a little morbid,” she groaned, pressing her fingers to the spots where she remembered feeling the bullets rip through her. They were entirely closed, but they still felt sore to the touch. She glanced up, scanning the room. “What happened?”
Reykon was the first to speak. “After that asshole shot you, he killed himself, but we were able to figure out that he was a spy. He’d been here since the beginning. Fausta ordered him to shoot you, and then she showed up, giving her demands. She’s declared war by sunset tomorrow, so we need to make sure you’re healed by then. She thinks you’re dead, Robin. We can use that, because when you’re strong enough, whatever move you make will knock her off balance.”
“Oh, I’m making a move,” Robin muttered. “That’s for sure.”
“Then we’ve gotta get you some juice, stat,” Harley chimed in. “Sunset’ll be here before we know it.”
Robin shook her head. “We can’t… what about all the kids? Where will they go?”
Darian’s lips pressed into a thin line. “We will do our best to secure them.”
She glanced to Reykon with a concerned scowl. “That’s all we can do,” he said. “They’ve got the entrances and exits covered.”
Robin nodded. “What are the chances that she’ll get into the castle?” A hush went over the room, eyes turning down to the floor. “Great.”
“Now, the focus is you,” Reykon said, slipping his hand in hers. “Take some energy, just a bit.”
“From you? No, you have to fight.”
Darian stepped forward. “You are our hidden weapon, Robin. It is imperative that you are at full strength.”
She scowled. “Absolutely not. I’m not taking a single drop from anyone in this room. We can’t afford that right now.”
“Then what do you suggest?” Ezra asked.
Robin drew in a deep breath. “If anybody deserves to be drained, it’s Fausta’s goons. Do we have any prisoners? Any spies?”
“She’s been exceptional at keeping her ranks tight,” Ezra said. “But we have been watching for droves of scouts. We might be able to take a single sentry, if fate permits.”
Darian nodded. “Take a few of the Prior vampires with you. Bring back as many enemies that you can find, but do not give any indication as to our motivations.”
Ezra nodded, and left. Reykon was deep in thought, and Robin put her hand on his arm. “Are you okay?”
He nodded, his eyes fixed on the floor. “Just thinking about what Cassandra said, trying to figure it out.”
“What happened… with Reed?”
Reykon let out a long breath. “It’s not a very cheery story.”
“We are not in very cheery times,” Darian said bleakly.
Reykon let out a tight laugh. “Fair enough. Reed and I were friends, ever since childhood. We grew up in the palace together, nearly inseparable. There was an attempted coup, one of Magnus’s royal vampires had amassed a few of the other masters and stormed the castles. It was the night of the Blood Moon Ceremony, so nobody was expecting any of it. Thousands dead, in the blink of an eye. We were all on the defensive, so we fled back to the castle. It turned out that they’d been smarter than we thought, and they’d managed to target all the high-ranking leaders first. At the time, Reed and I were just coming up on fifty. For strongbloods, that’s pretty young, considering training ends at thirty-five. House Demonte was built like an onion, through and through, so that even when you got to the castle, there were areas that would shut down, become walls. Magnus fled with his most trusted, whoever was left, and some of the humans and strongbloods. They locked themselves in the farthest reaches of the castle, Magnus’s panic room. It’s a suite that almost nobody knew about.”
“Some of our people had managed to flee from the field, but couldn’t make it back to the castle, so they were lying low and we had no way of contacting them. Magnus and twenty-three subjects, ourselves included, were the only ones left in the castle. And Reed and I, the freshmen that we were, ended up being the highest ranking strongbloods there.”
“The rest of the masters had no idea what had taken place,” Darian muttered. “We’d entered the treaty that would have forced our assistance, but Richard Kenley was a cunning master, and he cut all communication from the castle.”
Reykon nodded. “At first, Reed and I went on supply runs, started mapping out what portions of the castle they’d taken over. We came up with sketches, zones where we couldn’t go, and others where we could. He had about a thousand men occupying House Demonte, and it was on total lockdown, nobody in or out. Reed and I were young idiots, and we started joking about what we could do. So we decided to play tricks on them, mental warfare, just to freak them out and make them think they weren’t alone. Things like notes, dropped from the bannister, talking about a specific vampire sitting in a specific spot. I hate to say it, but it was fun at first, a distraction from the situation. And then, we started brainstorming ways to cut his people off, to take them out one by one. We moved quickly and quietly, everything intentional and done with the utmost precision. For forty days, this went on, until the last day, when Richard’s people received reinforcements. Reed and I got cut off, and… he didn’t make it. Not long after that, House Mantell and House Xander arrived and executed the mutineers. We came out from the panic room, and Magnus called those hiding to join him.”
“Magnus also appointed you to his inner circle,” Darian hummed. “It was quite a strange sight, such a young subject being credited with the victory of such a formidable vampire. I will never forget the day.”
“I didn’t do it alone,” Reykon said flatly. A lull set in, thick and heavy.
“Why do they always go for the kids?” Robin muttered, shaking her head.
“Weak prey,” Harley said.
Reykon’s eyebrows pulled together. “Robin, hang on. What did you say?”
“Everyone keeps telling me about sieges. It’s horrible, it’s like they target the children first.”
Reykon nodded. “They do… they absolutely do…”
“What are you thinking, buddy?” Chadwick asked.
“You can conjure up images, right? Like that thing you did on our wedding night, your dancing partner?”
Robin remembered the strangely realistic figures, dancing around, making it look like a bustling p
arty. She also remembered how weird it was when she walked through one of them.
“Yeah,” Chadwick said. “No problem.”
“And you can make a teleportation arch...”
“Yes,” the caster hummed, “but listen, there’s only so much I can do. Teleportation really takes it out of you. I could only keep the door up for Darian and Lucidia for a matter of seconds. There’s no way I could do both.”
“What if you had an essence vial?” Robin asked, looking at her hands, at the bright red birthmarks.
“Do we have an essence vial?” he asked.
“We have me,” Robin said. “Wouldn’t it work the same? If I just sort of… left the gate open and you focused the energy when you needed it?”
Chadwick shrugged. “I have no clue.”
Reykon nodded, his brain running through every option. “Let’s say it does work. Let’s say Ezra brings back a few vampires, and Robin’s able to channel them into you. What kind of capabilities are we talking about here, Chadwick?”
Chadwick’s eyes lit up, a wicked grin on his face. “If that’s the case, then we could have a lot of fun.”
Lucidia
The thick, billowing smoke choked everything out as they carried wolf after wolf to a pile by the bonfire. Darkness had fallen, and the stars peeked out, glimmering against the sky. Most of the vampires from House Prior had elected to sit out here, bringing several bottles of something or another.
Lucidia stood up, wiping the sweat from her brow. Zane sauntered over, laying an arm across her shoulders, handing her a shot of vodka. “The dead don’t care if their bodies are here, or there, you know…”
“I care,” she grumbled, downing the shot in one go. “This is how their pack would do it.”
Zane flashed her a crooked grin. Lucidia took another long swig and then poured it on the top layer of wolf bodies, going up and down the line until they were all doused.
“Waste of perfectly good libations,” Zane teased.
“Yeah, yeah,” she said, striking a match and holding it in front of her for a single moment, watching the concentrated destruction, before casting it onto the pyre. Lucidia watched the flames lick at the fur, watched the fire transform them once more, before turning away with a long exhale. “I’m gonna go check on them.”
