“Sorry to sound callous, but they’ve had plenty of chances,” Chastity softly states. Stroking her daughter’s cheek, she listens to the distant screams of the womb-born. “I can’t overlook them destroying a town and planning on doing it a second time. They’re too unstable, which I know is entirely our generation’s fault. If they were never abandoned in the first place then they wouldn’t be so angry. Yet, there’s nowhere to put them since they’re obsessed with this war. The only chance we have is if Lost can regain control or convince this Eighty to stand down. Really depends on which one of them is in charge.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Mab quickly interjects. She pauses when a local spirit screams in her ear about the womb-born becoming more destructive. “The souls here are complaining about the noise and destruction. Looks like the kids are getting worse in there. I think they found some buried bodies and are ripping them apart. Look, we have no idea what will happen if Lost makes psychic contact with them. I’m leaning towards my brother’s idea of collapsing the ruins and . . . Okay, I vote no on that since I’m being threatening with hauntings and it isn’t like I can get a high priest to perform an exorcism. Not unless the Garians who know about us are willing to help.”
“Threaten the ghosts with bad singing,” Lost suggests, the spark in her eyes showing that she is serious. A wave of fatigue washes over her at the same time that her back rapidly repairs itself. “I want to try and talk to Eighty. I’m still his Princess General and his powers can’t be stronger than mine since I’m older. If I explain to him that my army has gone too far then he should understand. I can promise not to leave them again and we can claim an island far away from everyone. Maybe one with a lot of bunnies and tomatoes. No socks though. I draw the line at those smelly, evil things. What was I talking about again? Oh yeah, this whole war thing isn’t fun anymore and we’re just kids. Why would we want to keep doing something that’s no longer fun?”
Titus walks over to put a large hand on the girl’s head, which seems to disappear in his palm. “I hope you’re right, little hound. Don’t push too hard though. Everyone needs to be responsible for their own actions. If you do convince them to stop and leave for an island, try to stay in contact with us. Regardless of how you were born, all of you are still Dawn Fangs, which means Nytefall is always open to you. Right, Clyde?”
“I would never turn away one of our own,” the distracted vampire replies.
With a wide smile, Lost skips towards the ruins until she is halfway between the ancient wall and Clyde. Placing her bunny on her shoulder, the girl closes her eyes and reaches out to Eighty. She does her best to avoid touching the raging thoughts of the other womb-born out of fear that they will react to her presence. Finding her Assistant Admiral in the center of Kylgirth, she does her best to enter his mind without taking over his body. A shock runs through her psyche when Eighty resists, the sudden invasion catching him by surprise. The fear is quickly replaced by a sense of joy and relief, but his internal words are muffled by the distance and weak connection. Lost takes over his toes in order to create a stronger bond and opens her mouth to speak when one of the seeds in her body bursts. She tries to push the mass out through her mouth, but finds that her psychic link to Eighty has given him full control over the plants. The aggressive roots wrap around her skeleton and sharp tips wiggle out of her skin to plunge themselves into the ground. Before any of the Dawn Fangs can react, the girl is yanked into the dirt and a disturbed path of earth swiftly runs into the ruins.
“Now, I’ve lost all of my patience with those brats,” Clyde growls as his hand slips into his pocket. His fingers run around the rim of his gauntlet and he licks his lips in anticipation of a hunt. “All of you can do what you feel is right. Knock out or kill, it’s your choice. Either way, I’m putting an end to this mess.”
*****
An explosion to the east causes Decker to skid to a stop, which forces Kai and Stephanie to do the same. Looking in the direction of the Kylgirth ruins, the soldier frowns at the sight of smoke rising above the trees. His hand falls to his axe, but only to pat the weapon and feel its comforting energy. He is about to continue on when a blast of fire sails into the clouds, which part and swirl into the form of a giant storm. The dwarf can only imagine the powers that are being thrown around the battle and a part of him wishes he could be there. His foot rises as if he is about to join his old friends, but freezes when he remembers that he has to return to Nyte. Torn between lingering loyalty and solemn duty, the soldier angrily grinds his teeth until the tips of his fangs snap off. The hesitation is enough to give his impatient companions an opening to take him by the arms and drag him along. They only make it a few feet before he shoves them away and goes back to staring into the distance.
“Fine, go join the gang if you want,” Kai snaps, his tarp too damaged to be of any use. The weakened spymaster is about to leave when he notices that Stephanie has begun inching closer to the dwarf. “Have you two lost your mind? That battle has nothing to do with us unless it reaches Nyte. Let Clyde and his goons handle the grunt work here. We did our part in getting them to the battle. It’s more important that we reach Lord Tempest and discuss what should be done about Archillious.”
“I don’t think transportation is equal to them saving our lives,” Decker says even though he turns away from the ruins. Removing his own tarp, he picks the bugs out of his beard and scratches at his bite-covered neck. “If you want to go back to Nyte then I won’t stop you. As the one who stole the wagon and oxen, you can say your debt is paid. You can even believe that you owe me since I was the one who brought the blood, which would mean I have the authority to free you from your bond.”
“Should I be questioning your loyalty?” the spymaster asks, his head swimming from exposure to the sun. Backing into a patch of shadows, he relaxes enough to unclench his tightly balled fists. “You swore an oath to your maker. Rushing off to help his enemies could be seen as treason. Where would you go then? Judging by the way Mab was eyeing your throat, I doubt the Dawn Fangs would welcome you into their warm embrace. You’ve killed enough of their people to make them never trust you again. Going to the ruins is suicide since someone there will undoubtedly kill you.”
“Clyde and his people won’t attack me if I fight on their side.”
“You put too much faith in life debts and loyalty.”
“Those are two of the few things vampires can retain from their mortal lives.”
“How can a soldier like you live for centuries and remain so naïve?”
“I have yet to be proven wrong.”
Frustrated with the stubborn dwarf, Kai mutters incoherently and makes himself comfortable on the ground. He nods his head at the sky, which is darkening as the cloud-fringed sun touches the horizon. Gesturing for his companions to sit down, the spymaster hopes that the hour before nightfall will allow them to see he is right. Not wanting to meet Decker’s steely gaze, he pays more attention to Stephanie, who has gone back to being unnaturally quiet. Kai scratches his head as he tries to remember the last time the calico spoke with her usual confidence or argued a point with him. Taking in her appearance, he can see that the tufts on her ears are thinning and there are two kinks in her tail. With the woman still wearing her itchy tarp, it is difficult to make out her figure, but he gets the sense that she has become gaunter over the last few hours. For a moment, he finds that he is worried about the other vampire, which makes his stomach turn and gurgle.
“I’m going to regret this waste of time,” Kai mutters to himself. Picking up a nearby pebble, he tosses it into Stephanie’s ear to get her attention. “You don’t look very well. None of us have eaten a true meal in a few days, but you’re wasting away. Did Archillious’s poison do something else to you? If so then I’m worried about that powerful ritual you did in the wagon. If you didn’t have the strength for it then you should have done something simpler. Last thing I want is to be stuck explaining why Lady Sylvan’s most trusted confidant has been
reduced to a dry husk. Push yourself too far and the sun will turn you into powder, Mistress Talon. Doesn’t happen very often, but a severely weakened vampire is as fragile as a glass goblet.”
“I assume that’s your attempt at showing concern,” Stephanie hisses from under her makeshift cloak. She smiles when Decker chuckles, the expression revealing a single, blackened fang. “I haven’t eaten much since we left Nyte and Archillious’s attack hit me harder than it should have. Since I tend to have more blood in my body than most vampires, I don’t believe I’m in any danger. In fact, I agree with Decker that we should go to the ruins. We’re already involved with this womb-born problem, so I think we should see it through to the end. Know that I would never force you to join us on a journey that scares you.”
Caught off-guard by the ritualist being on his side, Decker shakes his head in disbelief for a few seconds. “This is unexpected. If you want to come with me then I won’t stop you. Once the sun goes down, Kai should be able to reach Nyte on his own. I was stationed at Kylgirth long ago, so I know a secret entrance that is only a mile from here. We can sneak into the ruins and come at the womb-born from the-”
“My reasons have nothing to do with debts and old friends,” the calico says to stop her companion’s rambling. She yawns and rubs her eyes, her fingers coming away with several of her lashes. “These new Dawn Fangs are important to the future of Nyte and Nytefall. They might be the ones to decide which kingdom survives. Lady Sylvan and Lord Tempest need to know what has happened to them, especially since they have proven to be a threat. I want to put their minds at ease by reporting that everything has been taken care.”
“If that’s the case then you two better move quickly,” Kai points out as a streak of lightning arches over the forest. He whistles at the sight of ice and fire coiling in the air only to be shattered by an unseen force. “That battle isn’t going to last much longer. Either Clyde will snap and kill everyone or the womb-born will overpower him. Both endings work for me. I’ll let Lord Tempest know that you two decided to make sure things were settled. Good luck and come back alive because I require people to argue with when advising our leaders. Otherwise, I’m never sure how right I am.”
Stephanie and Decker roll their eyes at the grinning spymaster, who stretches his legs into a fading sunbeam. Hearing a series of explosions, the cloaked vampires hurry down the hill and disappear into the trees. Feeling his strength returning, Kai casts the only scrying spell he ever bothered to learn, which creates a ball of smoke that one can easily overlook. With a short puff, he sends it after his companions while he becomes invisible and pulls out a map to choose the best location to wait for their return.
“Not a chance I’m going back to Nyte looking like a coward,” he mumbles to himself.
*****
Standing atop a tightly packed collection of trees, Lost and Eighty watch the battle that rages across the ruins. Restrained by the vines growing from her body, the girl can only look ahead at where Chastity and Luther are defending themselves on a slanted rooftop. She can hear rapid explosions behind her and picks out heavy footsteps, so she awkwardly bends backwards to see Titus and his rear-guarding phantom on a bridge. Womb-born scream as they are slashed by his blades, the non-lethal wounds causing agony due to his blood’s Chaoswind nature. They recover quickly and continue their assault, but are repeatedly driven back by Mab darting through the shadows. Legs are severed and spines are snapped as she darts through the mob, but the injured constantly feed off their friends to heal within minutes. Bodies are sent flying from a crumbling dockyard, which seems odd within the landlocked ruins. Vampires retreat from the area while a red haze drifts into the air and the source slowly moves through the streets. Glancing at Eighty, Lost notices that he is fascinated by that part of the battle and his fangs have grown down to his chin.
“That’s Clyde and he’s going to kill you,” she mentions, hoping to scare her friend into surrendering. Thorns sprout from the vines, but she bites the plants in retaliation for the small amount of pain. “Don’t be rude. I’m telling you this because it isn’t too late to give up and work with them. Our war was a bad idea. It can bring so many enemies down on our heads, which isn’t what it was supposed to be about. Honestly, I don’t even know what we were planning on doing after the first battle. Please tell the others to stop fighting.”
“I knew you had become weak, but I didn’t think you would betray us,” Eighty replies with tears in his eyes. Waving his hand towards the east, he commands a squad of stealthy womb-born to rush Titus and Mab. “That’s why I gave everyone those seeds. If our Princess General could leave our army and give up on our goals then anyone could. With my powers, I made sure nobody could abandon and betray us. Isn’t that what our war is about? Making sure we can never be hurt again?”
“Yes, but . . . I . . . Life doesn’t work that way,” Lost says, her attention falling to where her mother is struggling to defend herself. A blast of pink blocks her view until Chastity rushes out of the dissipating fog. “I was angry and scared for most of my life. Nobody knew it because I was being silly. As a kid, it made sense that you could wipe out those who could hurt you and avoid pain. I’m too old to think that way anymore, especially since I’ve done so much damage to you. All of this is my fault because I went along with the war idea and I made all those stupid promises to the Utukku. Have the others surrender and I can fix this. All I need is time, an island, and forgiveness.”
“And all I want is our war.”
“Why can’t you give up on that?”
“Because it’s the only way to get what we want.”
“No, it isn’t!”
Nearly losing his temper, Eighty swings his arm and stops his fist an inch from the girl’s head. “Do you really think we can survive with people like Xavier, Archillious, and Clyde out there? Just look at how violent and territorial they are. You might think that man killing our friends is different from the other two, but he’s worse. We’ve heard the stories. One step out of line and he’ll kill you. None of us want to live as slaves to such a monster. Those of us born instead of turned need to take over Windemere if we want to be safe and free. Ruling the world was always how our war would end and you knew that. Again, I ask how we can reach that goal with monsters like Clyde running around?”
Lost manages to free her right arm, but the vines around her chest and throat immediately tighten to prevent her from moving. She beats on the plants, which grow denser and seep a numbing poison. Strengthening her legs, she attempts to kick out of the tangled mass below her waist. Woody spikes erupt from the branches below to impale her feet and curve over to prevent the vampire from pulling herself free. Unable to escape, she has her bunny charge Eighty and bite at the boy’s ankles. A simple kick sends the animal sailing across the ruins where it slams into the dome and flops into the remains of a butcher shop. Enraged by the assault on her pet, Lost thrashes and screams with enough force to rock the trees. A punch to the stomach knocks the fight out of her tired body, which slumps forward enough that she becomes stuck staring at her own feet.
“I really didn’t want to do that,” Eighty whispers, kneeling to look Lost in the eyes. He wipes at the tears on his face, which his fingers absorb through his wood-like nails. “Why don’t you understand what we’re feeling? Our parents abandoned us and then we found you. Living in the woods and learning about being a vampire with you is what made us happy. We didn’t want that to end, which is what the adults would have forced upon us. Our desires might not make any sense to the old ones, but we’re not old and complicated like them. You’re not like them at all, Lost. That’s why we aren’t angry about you abandoning us. It hurt at first, but then we realized that you had to find what you were looking for. None of us ever wanted to see our parents again like you did. It would have been wrong to stand in your way since we’re friends and we wanted you to come back willingly. Aren’t you happy to have come back to us since you saw how horrible the real world is?”
; “Seems the only horrible parts she ran into were her own mistakes,” Clyde says as he lands behind Eighty. His right hand is locked within his blood-drinking gauntlet, which fuels the vibrating blade that he raises over his head. “Lost created Archillious, the womb-born army, and you without knowing what she was doing. I’ll have to consider that later, but right now you’re my problem. Personally, I’d much rather kill you here for all the trouble you’ve caused. Only reason I’m still talking is because I heard Lost begging you to stand down. For her sake, I’m going to give you one more chance to surrender and release the other womb-born from your seeds.”
“Or you’ll do what?”
“There goes your chance.”
Restraining his bloodlust enough that he retains control of his body, Clyde rushes forward and swings his sword at Eighty. The boy dives into the trees and tries to come out under the stronger Dawn Fang, but is swiftly kicked out of the clump of forest. Branches cling to his body and swing him back to the trunks, which he merges with in order to control the plants. Eighty gets annoyed at the casual and almost lazy way that Clyde destroys the woody limbs that reach out of the thick canopy. Turning one of the outer oaks into a suit of armor, the womb-born clambers to the top and rushes the older Dawn Fang. Gnarled spikes sprout from his fists, which swiftly regenerate whenever they are lopped off. Feeling like he is being played with, the frustrated womb-born fires a barrage of stakes that his enemy avoids by moving behind him in the blink of an eye. The attack strikes three of the flying vampires, who were about to dive at Luther and are now plummeting to the ground. A single punch to the back knocks Eighty out of his armor and he nearly sails off the trees, his hand gripping a branch at the last moment. He scrambles to his feet, but cannot think of a way to escape the approaching sword. The boy is about to fire spears from his fingers in the hopes of landing a fatal blow before he dies when the weapon is blocked by an unseen barrier.
Lost (War of Nytefall Book 2) Page 27
