“You betrayed me,” I whispered.
He pulled his gaze from the group below and gaped at me. “I did no such thing.”
“Then why would Ernesto bring them here? They’ll either turn against him to stand with you, or you’re giving me to them,” I said, trying to keep my pain tucked away.
Braden looked down at the vampires below once again, a frown pulling at his lips. “I have no intention of giving you to anyone,” he hissed. “He must have convinced them that I’m the betrayer, but they wouldn’t take my mark if they believed it. Gordon said he convinced the Russians that Jack could not win.”
The uncertainty in his voice bled through our bond, right beside his contempt. He wanted to trust their loyalty but couldn’t. If we weren’t bonded, I would have to believe Braden betrayed me. But I could feel his doubt and possessiveness. Was that for me or his people?
“Let’s assume everyone’s the enemy until they prove otherwise,” I suggested.
“Good idea.” He turned back to me with a deep furrow between his brows. “I’ll never allow Jack to have you.”
I wanted to ask why, almost needed to, but Dusha’s comment about changing the outcome of our fight haunted me. Maybe I didn’t want to know that badly. Yeah right.
“When this is over, I want to know why,” I whispered.
“When this is over, I’ll tell you,” he said, his eyes searching mine.
“Fair enough.” I looked away, already afraid of the answer.
“They have to fear you,” Braden said, but I kept my focus on the large group below us. “Not me, but you. It’s the only way to make them respect and follow.”
I nodded, understanding perfectly well what he was trying to say. I needed to throw away my compassion and release my darkness. “I get it,” I murmured. “I’ll lay the foundation of the trapping vines now. What’s your plan for Ernesto?”
“He will probably try to eliminate me, leaving you to fight against the rest,” he replied. “I assume your elementals will be helping you?”
“Yes.” I hesitated. Would they?
I can’t believe you would doubt me, Niyol’s voice rumbled through my mind.
You guys haven’t been very nice to me lately, I retorted.
I will always protect you.
I huffed. He didn’t deny his not-so-nice behavior.
The spell to call the vines flitted through my head. I repeated it several times, leaving off the final word that would initiate the trap. I tried to target several areas below us but wasn’t sure if it worked or not. It wasn’t like I’d ever done it before, especially on a crowd this large. When I was little, Cedric had me practice on ants, which was nothing like vampires who could probably dodge the vines.
An overwhelming sense of dread filled me now that I knew what I was facing. Braden and I would lose this fight, especially if Ernesto somehow convinced them Braden was their enemy. We needed to neutralize the boss and find out where the loyalties really were.
“You ready?” Braden asked.
“No,” I replied. “We can’t fight against all of them.” I pointed towards the hundreds of milling bodies. “What will they do if we take Ernesto out of the picture?”
Braden rubbed his chin but didn’t look at me, his focus remaining on the vampires below.
“If you can trap all or most of them, I can immobilize Ernesto,” he replied. “But his forces will react immediately to protect him.”
My thoughts drifted through the fae spells at my disposal and a smile crept across my lips. “I’ll immobilize Ernesto,” I said. “His people won’t be able to attack the prison I wrap him up in. Hopefully, with him out of the way, we won’t have to fight everyone.”
Braden rolled onto his side and propped his head in his hand. “What have you thought of?”
“Something I dreamed about last night,” I replied, pulling my scarf off my head and tying it around my neck. Memories of my dream flickered like an old movie in my mind. There would only be one bleeding tree. Ernesto’s. “Let’s go.”
I jumped to my feet, ignoring Braden’s questioning glare. I wouldn’t tell him. He needed to be just as shocked as the rest of them.
We sprinted down the steep hill, Braden keeping pace with me. I slowed at the bottom one hundred yards from the closest vampire. One of the Russians noticed me and called out something in his native tongue. Dozens more wary eyes fell on us as we skirted the field, but they didn’t attack.
“If it isn’t the pretty little mage and the traitor,” a deep voice echoed across the valley with a Spanish accent. I recognized the man who stepped away from a group of six men, none of whom carried Braden’s tattoo. It had to be Ernesto. “I wondered if you would show up or run back to save your partner.” His eyes raked up and down my body, making me shiver. “Logan refused to talk despite the hours of torture he endured, but I bet your mage isn’t that strong.”
I took a deep breath, trying to contain my grief. He was baiting me, and I wouldn’t lose my head before we even started. Whatever. I welcomed the red haze encroaching on the edge of my vision and the tingles running along my skin.
“Arrogance is a common fault among men of power, right after stupid,” I said.
Ernesto hissed at me, his fangs dropping over his bottom lip. “You confuse confidence with arrogance, little girl.”
“Nope, pretty sure I hit the nail on the head,” I snapped. “Only arrogance fueled by stupidity would make you think these men and women would follow you and not their true leader.”
“You think you could lead a vampire clan?” He tilted his head back and laughed.
I chuckled. “See. Stupid.” I pointed at him and glanced at the vampires shifting around us. “Do you not see the elder vampire standing next to me?”
Ernesto’s eyes narrowed and his claws elongated. A trickle of fear washed over me as his shirt strained against his transformation. “I see a dead vampire,” he hissed.
Logan’s battered face interrupted my vision, quickly followed by memories of our time together.
“Then you’re blind and stupid.” The red haze from my darkness surrounded me. Nothing I said would change his mind. The only resolution was death, which I would gladly give.
The spell I wanted rolled through my mind and the earth erupted at Ernesto’s feet. He leapt into the air, but the reaching vines caught him ten feet off the ground and started their slow embrace. They didn’t need me to finish their task.
I shot my hand towards the crowd of vampires, igniting my traps. Yelps of surprise echoed across the valley, followed by growls and howling rage. The closest group of Ernesto’s men attacked. Braden jumped in front of me already in full vampire form. His long claws raked across the throat of his first victim and he plunged his other hand into the heart of the next.
I choked back the bile in my throat as he ripped out the beating muscle and threw into the fray. “Holy shit, you’re vicious!” I gagged and felt my vines weaken. “No, no, no!” A moment of panic engulfed me. I didn’t know how to tie off the spell. Cedric taught me to create the vines, then poison them. I only knew how to kill these people, not just hold them still.
“Niyol!” I screamed. “How do I do it?”
“I cannot tell you,” he replied, appearing at my side.
“Then you better be ready to fight, dammit.”
“Always, princess.” His humanoid form disappeared, splitting into a dozen tornados circling the vampires.
“You know we aren’t killing them!” I bellowed.
His hollow laugh filled the valley immediately followed by a clap of thunder. Show off.
An agonized scream drew my attention to the fight behind me. I turned just in time to watch Braden rip the head off another vampire. My stomach rebelled again, and I barely held on to my hamburger from earlier. Another clap of thunder rolled across the skies, then an eerie silence fell over us. Six dead bodies laid at my feet and a gore-covered Braden stood beside me, a true contradiction of characters. One minute he could
be so refined, then a bloody vicious monster.
“I can’t hold the trap,” I whispered.
“Then let them go,” he slurred past his fangs. “I need more violence.”
“Okay, sure,” I mumbled, then turned back to our foes, surprised that no one had moved. There was no way all of them got caught up in the vines. But maybe, just maybe, I was lucky enough to grab Ernesto’s people, leaving Braden’s free. I was never that lucky, but I couldn’t let them go, not until we knew where their loyalties stood.
Fully transformed vampires surrounded me, the deep gouges in the vines a testament to their futile efforts to escape.
“You have two choices!” I yelled, trying to project my voice and hoping they all spoke English. “Leave when I release this spell or die protecting the piece of shit caught up in my little pet.” I pointed to the vines that wound themselves into a thick tree, encasing all but Ernesto’s head, shoulders, and one arm. “The tree is created for one purpose. To draw life from its host, never killing it, just feeding from it for eternity. Your leader will keep his immortality as a slave to my tree.”
As if on cue, Ernesto screamed. Several branches shot into the sky, deep red flowers blooming at their tips. Soft murmurs drifted across the field, and I gave my attention to my captive audience.
“What about this scenario do you think humans will accept?” I asked. “Do you really believe they’ll tolerate our strength or magic? Have you not lived in this world long enough to realize they’ll do everything in their power to destroy us?”
Ernesto screamed again and more blooming branches erupted around him. I tried not to cringe with his agony.
“Humans kill each other over everything,” I continued. “They hold back their nuclear weapons as threats, but if they see this...” I pointed at the vampire clutching the vines at his neck, realizing I’d also let my monster loose. I dropped my clawed fingers. “Do you think they’ll hold back?”
More mumbling rippled through the group, but no one answered. I hadn’t expected anyone to.
“I’m releasing you,” I said. “Anyone who chooses to remain neutral should shift now, or I’ll assume you want to die.”
The vampires closest to us shifted back to their human form. Low growls erupted in the center of the group, and I stood on my tiptoes trying to see what was happening. It sucked to be short. A pair of clawed hands wrapped around my waist and boosted me into the air. Damn vampire. I wouldn’t thank him now, but he’d hear about it later.
Twenty or so vampires in the center remained. Everyone else had transitioned back to human. Ernesto’s faithful, I thought. I could hardly be mad at them for their loyalty even if it was misplaced.
“Put me down.” Braden lowered me back to the ground and I strolled towards the remaining vampires. “Göksu?” I asked, hoping the elemental would join me.
“Yes, child,” he said, swirling into his humanoid form and walking with me.
“Can we create a little chamber for our friends?”
“Of course.”
His form fell into a puddle on the ground, widening as a wave of water surged towards the small group of Ernesto’s men and women. He disappeared beneath their feet and they shifted uneasily in the vines still holding them. A burst of water rose from the earth and a dome imprisoned them.
I released the vines and held my breath, knowing the others could easily overwhelm me if they wanted. No one moved, almost as if they were afraid the vines would suddenly reappear. I turned in a slow circle, returning the gaze of hundreds of eyes looking back at me.
“I’ll leave their fate in your hands,” I said, pointing at Ernesto’s clan. “They brought you here thinking I would kill you. Your boss convinced me it was a bad idea.” I looked over at Braden and shook my head. He was human again but also covered in blood and gore. “You need a shower.”
Several chuckles erupted around me.
“It was worth it,” he said, a grin playing on his lips.
Ernesto’s scream interrupted the moment, and I forced myself to look up at the tortured vampire. My vines covered all but his face and the arm reaching into the air above him. I couldn’t let him suffer like that, even though it’s exactly what the spell intended. I closed the space between me and the tree, splaying my clawed fingers on the tangled vines. Blood dripped between them covering my hands and running down my wrists. How did I go from a starving woman barely surviving to this monster? It was who I was but not who I wanted to be, destiny be damned.
I took a deep breath and mentally recalled the spell, stopping the vines’ progress. Then, I took a step back so I could see the vampire held by my tree. Ernesto glared back at me. If looks could kill, I’d be dead a hundred times over.
“I’m willing to make a deal,” I said, pausing to see if he would answer.
“I’m not making any deals.” He spat a thick glop of blood at me. I stepped to the side, avoiding it, and wrinkled my nose.
“Tell me where Jack is staging his reveal.” I made it a soft command, hoping he wouldn’t feel it. “I’ll give you a quick death rather than an eternity of torture.”
“I ain’t telling you nothing!” he yelled, then pointed his free hand at the vampires behind me. “Traitors! All of you. We are destined to rule and you’re giving it away to this half-breed.”
“If you were destined to rule, the elementals would not be fighting against you. Now tell me where Jack is staging his reveal.” This time, I made the command more forceful and watched him flinch.
His eyes darted to Braden then back to me. “You let her command you?”
“Tell me now!” I yelled, putting every bit of magic I possessed into the demand.
“In Egypt,” he grunted.
“Tell me where.”
His lips drew into a thin line and he growled.
“Tell me,” I whispered, feeling the red haze creep into my vision once again.
“Just south of Alexandria.”
My thoughts immediately went to Kellen’s family. Did they know? Were they involved? All questions for later.
“When?” I demanded.
His hateful scowl deepened. “A week,” he replied. “He’s been gathering his forces for months. You’ll never stop him from draining Cairo’s blood.”
Again, my thoughts went to Kellen’s cousin. How did he not know about an army of vampires, ogres, and goblins? Now wasn’t the time. I raised my bloody hand and a single vine rose with it.
“Your quick death for cooperating,” I said.
The vine shot forward with my hand and pierced his heart. His howl turned into a choking gurgle. I brought up my other hand and wrapped a second vine around his neck, slicing through it with ease. His head fell from his shoulders and rolled down the twisted vines, landing on the ground at my feet. His hate-filled eyes stared back at me while blood poured from his severed neck. My stomach rolled, but I refused to be sick in front of all these vampires.
“What do you want to do with his clan?” I asked, turning to Braden.
“I’ll take care of it,” he replied, closing the space between us. “Take the time you need, but don’t go far.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Göksu. Niyol. Let’s go.
A splash of water and low growls signaled my water elemental’s disappearance. A gust of wind picked me up and carried me into the trees. Niyol sat me down on a fallen log, facing away from the violence I could still hear below me. Göksu knelt in front of me and wrapped his hands around mine, washing away Ernesto’s blood.
“You did well,” he said.
“I feel awful,” I mumbled. “We’ll have to do this all over again, won’t we?”
“I’m afraid so,” he replied, pressing his healing warmth through my skin. “Only next time, the lines will already be drawn.”
I leaned forward pressing my forehead on his shoulder. “Please take this pain in my chest,” I whispered.
“I would if I could, dear child,” Göksu whispered back. “Only love can f
ix a broken heart.”
“Then it’ll be broken till I die.” I pushed away from him and stood. “I’ll never allow anyone to use my heart against me like that. Never again.”
“If we succeed, you’ll not have to worry about it,” Niyol stated. “The imbalance is rare. When we’re done, you should be able to have a normal life.”
“Seriously?” I backed away from both of them, nearly falling over the log behind me. “I’m bonded to a vampire who made an oath to turn me into one of them. How the hell can I have a normal life?”
“You don’t have to kill Jack,” Niyol replied.
“Really? You think the queen will accept that?” I asked. “She won’t allow me to exist and you know it.” They exchanged glances, and I rolled my eyes. “You know what. Forget it,” I said. “You keep saying you’ll do everything you can to protect me, but there’s always a little string dangling at the end, keeping you from doing just that.” I turned my back on them and looked towards the now quiet field. “I’ll finish this because it’s the right thing to do. Then I’ll talk to the bitch myself.”
Braden stood in the middle of the large group of vampires, obviously talking, not fighting. Had they already dealt with Ernesto’s people? Did all of them have to die? It didn’t matter. I’d given that decision to Braden. I couldn’t second guess it now.
I strained to hear brief snippets of the conversation, but not enough to know what he was saying. Which was stupid. I needed to hear what he told them, not sit here and wallow in my self-pity.
I sprinted halfway down the hill until their voices became clear, then stopped and sat down in a bed of dry leaves.
“Gather as many as you can and meet me in Cairo,” Braden said. “Send all reports to Gordon about timelines, allies, and whatever else you can find out.”
“Will she be coming with you?” someone asked. I couldn’t miss the hesitation in her voice. Was it fear or anticipation?
“Yes,” Braden replied. “She is our greatest ally but not the only one. We aren’t alone in this fight. Having the elementals on our side will help secure our victory.” He glanced up the hill at me but only for a moment. He knew I was eavesdropping, but they probably didn’t. “It proves Jack is wrong.”
Elemental's Domain Page 17
