by Aneesa Price
Soon, Anais was left with just Conall, Sophie and Arianna. Anais gave Arianna the go-ahead to help teleport the girls. There were more than was evident when they’d first been in the room through the girls eyes. A mental exchange with the girl confirmed her suspicions that there’d been an unusually high intake of captives over the last two evenings.
“We have to move, Anais,” Conall motioned towards the door.
Anais nodded, watching the last of the captives leave with Sophie and Arianna. Now, Anais thought, we kick some ass! She linked in with her Coffin Girls and found them unhurt but fighting danger with their newly honed magick like old pros. It gave her courage and conviction to kick Akeldonna’s ass even more.
“Raulf,” Anais sent a mental call.
“Yes?” was Raulf’s response.
“We’re in the corridor and it’s clear,” Anais answered. “Come get your chow.”
A collective noise of howls were heard invading the factory as werewolves, furry and furious, stormed every visible entry point, followed closely by Niul, Sylvain and the fae warriors.
“We’ve found the wolves,” Sylvain kept them updated. “Raulf, they’ve been chained. I’ve broken the links and Niul’s done some healing on superficial wounds but they don’t look good.”
Anais remained tuned in to the mental conversation. If Raulf needed her, she’d be there as would Conall. The two had started off as competitors and had done a three-sixty over the last few days turning their relationship into an unexpected bromance. Anais had tried to pry the reasons for it from both of them and had gotten no pleasure. So, she’d shrugged it away; it was better than playing referee.
Anais heard an anguished howl. She nearly turned towards the sound, ready to help, when Sylvain apprised Conall and her of the situation.
“All’s good,” came Sylvain’s voice. “Raulf did his alpha thing and the she-wolves have been turned animal to help them heal. We think they may have been be-spelled – magick tranquilizers. My warriors are getting them out and back to the hollow.”
“Thank God,” Anais sent back. “Merci, cher.”
“Yes,” Conall agreed tersely. “As much as I know there’s evil in this world and understand the need for balance in all things. It pissed me off when innocents are harmed.”
“There’s no need to explain that to me or to apologize for that belief,” Anais stated as they continued down the corridors. “I think that it’s admirable that you are so principled. There’s courage, not naivety in that.”
Conall suddenly stopped short, blocking Anais’ progress.
“What?” she asked.
“In there,” Conall answered, waving an arm to the door on their right. “Something’s in there.”
“Vampires?” Anais asked. “We haven’t seen much of the enemy yet, only the captives.”
Conall shook his head, “I don’t know. Maybe it’s their sleeping spot. I feel magick though, a protection spell.”
Anais and Conall linked their magick and worked swiftly together to undo the protection spell. The random thought crept into Anais mind that she was getting practical witch training from the Ivy League version of magickal tutors.
They were soon joined by Niul and Sylvain. Marie and Rose came up behind them. Rose was pumped, as was evident by the fireballs she threw from hand to hand, armed and ready to obliterate their enemy on site.
“What the hell?” Anais pointed at a crowd of stupefied men and women following her friends. They looked like they’d gotten up on the wrong side of the grave. Their clothes were ragged, dirty and their skin mottled and grey.
“Fucking zombies,” Marie muttered with disgust. “The bitch had to go and fuck with the dead. I’m so going to stake her and poof her to fucking eternity. We found them caged and moaning. Now, thanks to the necromancy, they think they’ve found their mamma.”
Anais shook her head in disbelief. “We can’t have them following us. There are masses of them. Marie, you have to send them back to the grave.”
“Don’t know how,” responded Marie, glowering with frustration.
“Okay, give me a moment,” interrupted Conall, squeezing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “Okay,” he repeated, “Marie, can you control them?”
“Uh-huh,” Marie answered, “look.” She them made the zombies march up and down the corridor.
“That’s good,” Conall nodded with relief. “Your choice – we can send you back to the plantation with them now or we can use them as additional fighters now and then, when we finish this, we can help you send them back to the earth.”
“What?” he asked when Marie glowered at him. “Do you have a better idea?”
“Why can’t you send us back to the hollow?” Marie questioned.
“The hollow won’t accept such dark magick,” Sylvain stated. “It will deny them entry and you for as long as you remain connected to them. I’m not an expert on necromancy but from what I’ve heard, they’ve aligned themselves to you now. You’re their anchor to the earth until you send them back.”
“Fine,” agreed Marie, “I don’t have to like it but I’m not going to the plantation to stay alone with a bunch of zombies – even if they mean me no harm. That goes way over my creepiness comfort level. But,” Marie halted their progress with a lifted finger and firmness in her tone, “note that I have huge issues with abusing the dead. I was raised to respect the dead.”
“So noted and admired,” said Conall. “Now, let’s get going, we’re wasting time here.”
They went through the door together, Conall leading the way. A ball of light, conjured by Conall, lit the way ahead, casting shadows that loomed larger than life. Because they weren’t sure of what was down there – or how much space there was to hold the zombies, Marie opted to stay above with them and a few fae Sylvain called, to keep her company.
“Y’all weren’t going to have fun without me, were you?” teased a seven foot, wolf with Raulf’s eyes.
“Don’t be such a dog, Raulf,” retorted Anais earning mental chuckles from the rest.
“It’s a basement or storage area of sorts,” Anais noted when they’d gotten to the end of the narrow, concrete stairs.
“No,” responded Conall, “it’s the engine room. A good place for our delinquent vamps to hide.”
“Ah,” answered Anais, “I see what you mean. How archaic!”
“It doesn’t surprise me when they’re into their ‘organic’ feeding,” Conall commented.
“It just dawned on me, gentlemen,” Anais said, “a girl could do worse than be stuck in an abandoned factory surrounded by vampires when she’s got a bunch of hot men like you backing her.”
“Amen to that, sister,” piped Rose, smirking at Conall’s frown.
Niul grinned, stating, “I’m not going to acknowledge that compliment, Anais, as your Conall will be having my hide. But you’re doing well to annoy him – angry brings out the fighter in him.”
Anais joined their laughter when the object of their teasing sent her a look that promised sinful retribution.
“Let’s stake some vamps, shall we?” Conall asked.
They made quick work of the vampires. Poofing them, as Marie would say. The noise of the fight upstairs had lessened considerably.
“They’re alright,” Raulf notified them. “The guards are nearly all taken care of and the building’s clearing.”
“At least the obvious parts,” interjected Rose while she sent coffins up in flame. “I wonder what else is hiding and where after seeing this vamp hidey hole.”
“I know I volunteered for this job,” V came in through their mental link, “but it sure as hell is no fun being left out of the action.”
“I know,” concurred Marie, “just be glad you’re not a zombie-sitter.”
V chuckled at Marie’s grumpiness, “You win. I’m going to go cozy up to our undead guests – I’ll leave the dead to you.”
Marie let out a stream of cusswords at V’s goading.
Anais’ rebuke never left her lips. She felt herself go completely still. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, couldn’t communicate with them. Anais felt something prick her mind.
“That’s right, Anais,” Ayden’s voice intruded on her thoughts. “Glad to have you in my power once again.”
Anais was baffled. “What was he on about? And how was he controlling her.”
“Ah, such arrogance,” Ayden taunted. “Fortunately for me, your witch magick is still new to you and you’re as easy for me to control as I did when I bound your powers.”
“You did that?!” Anais roared at Ayden, itching to get her hands around his throat. But she couldn’t move or speak. She was powerless and remained under his full control while he laughed at her.
“That’s right, my little spitfire,” Ayden continued to goad her, “you’re mine again. Oh, what I could do with your blood and that of your lover. Such poetic justice, that I get to take back what was taken from me from Conall, the Goddesses ‘blue-eyed boy’. And you’re going to help me do it.”
Conall was staring at her, lifting a brow in enquiry at her motionless stance. He wiped the last of the vampire’s blood off his sword on the hem of his shirt. “You alright?” he asked.
“I’m okay, love,” Anais responded involuntarily, feeling her face form a smile. “Just winded, that’s all.”
Conall raised another brow at the endearment and Anais felt a fraction of hope that he’d suspect something untoward. That vanished though when he grinned. “A kiss to make it better,” he said and leaned in to kiss her.
Anais felt her mouth move against his, her lips lock and tongue twine and twist in the kiss. It should’ve been sensual but it felt intrusive. This was not her kissing Conall; it was that bastard, Ayden, doing it. Anais felt the rage build up in her while Ayden let out a hail of laughter at her displeasure.
“Now, let’s go find, Akeldonna and Ayden,” Anais felt herself murmur against his lips. Fuck, she thought – it’s a trap.
“That’s right, Anais,” Ayden chided, “I told you you’d bring them to me. Now, come on, be a good girl. We’re waiting.”
By ‘we’, Anais assumed he meant Akeldonna and him. Fuck! Double fucking fuck!
They all made their way up the stairs and through more corridors. A quick kick at the doors revealed a few more captives whilst they made their way through the maze of what must’ve been a factory built on and on over decades. Raulf and Sylvain called for assistance and the fae and wolves took the petrified captives away, teleporting them back to the hollow.
“We’ve been through the whole factory,” Raulf commented. “Where the fuck is he?”
“Aye,” nodded Niul, “and Akeldonna.”
Anais felt herself point at another door. It was at the end of the corridor. “Well, sugar,” she drawled. “That’s the last one up there. If they ain’t in there, then they’re gone.”
Anais led them towards the door, feeling her heart sink with every step. Ayden was an ancient, master of magick and Akeldonna was even more ancient and powerful. What chance did they have against that? “Mon Dieu,” she thought, “I’m leading us all to our death.” She felt herself choke on tears that Ayden wouldn’t allow her body to shed.
“Now, now, Anais,” derided Ayden. “No need for melodramatics. I promise that your death will be swift. You won’t have to witness how I torture your friends.”
“You fucking bastard!” Anais shouted back at him, aware that she was leading her friends to their death. “You leave them alone. I’m a vampire and a royal witch. Take me and let them go!”
“Now why would I do that?” Ayden asked. “I’m going to have all of you in a moment.”
“Fuck you,” was Anais’ inarticulate response. “Then may our blood choke you.”
“Be nice,” Ayden growled, “Or I’ll kill you last and make you watch the rest die.”
Anais ranted and raved, even as she felt herself step through the door with Conall following behind. Good, whatever they had waiting would hit her first.
Anais didn’t have time to assess her surroundings as Conall grabbed her, his hands scorching her arms as he sent a wave of magick towards her, ending Ayden’s control over her.
“He’s all yours, love,” Conall shouted to Raulf, pointing to Ayden who stared at them, exuding malice.
“Got it, sugar,” Raulf answered.
Yay, thought Anais. They’d picked up on Ayden’s verbal slip-ups.
Swarms of Akeldonna’s guards crept out of various openings leading to the cavernous room and heading straight for them. Anais caught a flash of fang.
“Vampires?” asked Anais. “Shouldn’t they be asleep?”
“Yes,” responded Conall, “but they’re not vampires.” Conall sent tendrils of his magick to Anais, linking with hers. “See,” he said, “the colors are the same as your magick when it was bound and turned on you. They were witches whose magick turned dark before they turned vampire.”
Anais didn’t have time to process what had just happened as a battle ensued. They were fighting Ayden, Akeldonna and a dozen of vampires in a vast room that had been transformed from what must’ve been a factory storage area to an upmarket wine cellar cum lounge. There was even a tasting area to the one side, the same type you’d find in a wine tasting room of a vineyard. Bottles of Akeldonna’s ‘premium brand’ drinks lined the walls. They even had fucking labels!
Anais grabbed one of the dark red bottles, and accessed the rage she discovered when she’d fought V. She smashed the bottle against the wall splattering some poor witch or were’s blood everywhere.
“You imbecile! That took months of work!” Akeldonna shouted at her. “I’ll have your blood as a replacement.”
Spurred on by the threat, Anais broke more bottles and then used it to stab an oncoming vampire in the heart. She threw away her sword, choosing the bottles over the silver to puncture and decapitate the vampires as they headed towards her with deadly intent; finding poetic justice in it.
Blood spurted before vampires vanished into ash as they worked their way through the room. Niul and Sylvain were fighting a mass of the dark witch-vampires. Conall, never far from her, was swinging the sword all around him as though it was an extension of his arm, stabbing and vanquishing vampires where it met their hearts. And Raulf was trying to obliterate the enemy as he purposefully made his way to Ayden. Marie was surrounded by zombies with the only indication of her presence being her cussing as she tried and failed to get the zombies into fight mode. As irritating as the zombies were to Marie, Anais took comfort that there were enough of them that it would be hard for the vamps to get through to her friend. A vamp tried to breach the zombie barrier and Anais cringed at the screams that tore from his throat as the zombies tore him apart until they got to his heart and he was transformed into ash. Anais kept going, accessing the rage to recharge her energy levels.
But the more they fought, the more vampires flooded into the room, filling it and making the fight harder.
“We’re outnumbered,” shouted Rose, using the sword Sylvain had lent her to stab at an attacking vamp.
“We don’t retreat,” replied Conall. “We’ll do this.” Anais felt Conall’s magick link with hers and Niul, strengthening them. He was taking magickal energy from the witch community and feeding it to them. A risky endeavor.
Sylvain shouted for him to stop. “I’ve got this, my friend,” Sylvain bellowed. Then, he released his fae power. He was once again, everything that comprised her desires and most treasured dreams rolled up into one bundle of manliness. His blonde hair gleamed gold and his eyes reflected jewel promises of endless pleasure. Anais felt the pull towards him that she’d felt the first time she’d seen his true form. But she fought it the way he’d taught them and saw that Raulf, Niul and Conall were doing the same.
The witch vampires, facing the face of fae for the first time were powerless against that allure. They stopped whatever they were doing and moved towards Sylvain like mindless zo
mbies. That gave them all the leverage they needed and they used the opportunity to slaughter the dark witch-vampires as Akeldonna screamed in frustration. Through her independent bonds with Marie and Conall, Anais felt magick move through her as she fought a vampire. Fuck! Talk about multi-tasking.
Conall send power through her to Marie, his lips moving wordlessly as he used her as a conductor for the necromancy skill. It wasn’t dark magick; the magick light that poured into the center of the crowd of zombies was colored like the grey of dead, of soulless ash. Anais felt Marie’s shock as the magick hit her.
“I don’t have much necromancy skills, Marie,” Conall shouted over the noise of swords and anguish. “See if you can use what I gave you.”
There was no response from Marie as she contemplated the spell. Then the zombies parted, revealing Marie sporting a scary grin. It was pure anticipatory evil. Anais suppressed the shudder at her friend’s darker – or greyer – side. Marie was closest to Raulf and she sent her zombies to the wolf’s aide, commanding them to slaughter the vamps.
“I’ve got you now, you fucker,” Raulf’s alpha roared, as he leapt at Ayden who was standing on an elevated area at the end of the room.
Next to Ayden was Akeldonna, standing up, hands clenched in front of her self-appointed throne. Anais and Conall both charged at her. Conall got their first. Anais tried to step in as ancient vampire met ancient witch. Conall might have the sword and the magick but Akeldonna had ambition laced with the ruthlessness of pure evil. Anais watched with baited breath. At times, they were so fast that they were blurry even to her super-vision.
Akeldonna managed to hit Conall in his Adam’s apple and Anais watched in horrified stupor as Conall went down. Akeldonna was on him in an instant only to be thrown off as Conall, shirt tattered, blood dripping from scratches, threw her off. Suddenly, Conall had the upper-hand. Anais witnessed the royal magick glow from him, blinding to the eye of an ordinary being.
“A lovely bit of entertainment, isn’t it my dear?” A voice behind her whispered. “So nice of Akeldonna to arrange this; she’s so good to me.”
