by Susan Illene
By the end, I was panting and covered with even more blood—most of it on my clothes and hands. It took some effort to keep the bile from rising up in my throat. Some people think the best fighters are the ones who kill without remorse. The day you stop feeling compassion for your enemies is the day you lose your humanity and need to be removed from society. I’d do what needed to be done, but I’d be damned if I let it harden me to the point that I no longer cared.
I looked around to see the rest of the fight was over. Two bodies remained, one of them the man I killed. A few piles of clothes from the deceased vamps littered the ground around us. Lucas had killed two of the sups himself in a flurry of motions that would have been impossible to follow—if there’d been a chance for me to do so. We’d needed it to be done fast in order to avoid damage to the mine. We’d also had to keep sounds to a minimum so Variola wouldn’t catch on to our plan too soon.
Nik grinned at me after surveying the damage and my less than pristine appearance. He didn’t have a hair out of place and only a splash or two of blood on the rest of him. His eyes lit up with amusement as I tried to use part of my shirt, which had remained clean under the jacket, to wipe my face. A few strands of hair had come loose from my pony tail and stuck to my cheeks.
“You’re a right bloody wench aren’t you?” he asked.
I rolled my eyes. His sick sense of humor came at the oddest times, but he did have a way of taking my mind off of things. For a brief moment, the carnage at our feet didn’t seem quite so bad. He put an arm around me and drew my chilled body close.
“You did well.”
I gave him a wan smile. “Thanks.”
Lucas had his usual mask in place. “We’re done here, let’s go.”
He didn’t wait for a reply before turning and heading toward the mine entrance. I broke off from Nik to follow the nephilim, grabbing my flashlight before leaving. It occurred to me the shaft had been much brighter than it should have been during the fight. I vaguely remembered Lucas pushing out his golden glow. He’d dimmed it back down now.
We were half-way through the mine when a new group of sups entered the area. There must have been at least thirty of them and they were about to reach Variola and her crew. I pushed my abilities hard to check the mood in her direction. It had an air of expectancy. She knew they were coming.
I came to a sudden halt. “Wait.”
Both men turned to me. I filled them in on the latest development, hoping it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Our side wouldn’t attack until Lucas flashed over to give the order, but these new guys could mean a change in plans.
Nik frowned and looked at the nephilim. “What do you think?”
Lucas shrugged. “For me, it makes no difference how many underlings there are.”
The pressure on my head grew as I concentrated on further activities outside. Protection spells were being set up that would prevent anyone or anything from breaking through. We were close enough to the mine entrance for me to get a good feel for their parameters. There were two circles, each about ten to twelve feet across. Both would need to be disabled before we could get close enough to attack the individuals inside. Considering their small size and the locations of all the sups out there, the circles were only meant to hold the witches and warlocks while all the others on Variola’s side were left to their own defenses.
According to Nik’s description of the sleep spell, it appeared to be standard procedure for them to make the circles to ensure no one interfered with the magic they worked. Were the extra sups who’d just arrived a precaution or had Variola suspected an attack all along? I told the two men with me what I was sensing.
Nikolas reached out and put a hand on my shoulder. His eyes penetrated mine as I stared up at him. “Mel, I need you to break the nearest circle first. You’ll have to use your blood to do it, but there is no other way. I’ll take Charlie and we’ll keep Variola and her warlocks distracted until you are able to come to us. Can you do that?”
Changing plans at the last minute. I’d grown used to that in the military.
“No problem,” I answered.
Lucas shifted with impatience. “If you two are ready, I’ll alert the others.”
He would be fighting with our main group since he could reduce Variola’s supporters faster than anyone. Now that her side was double what ours was, we needed his strength more than ever. Not to mention until I broke the circles he couldn’t help against the main and most dangerous players. That didn’t add to the pressure on me or anything.
After we nodded our agreement, the nephilim flashed away. Nik and I raced for the entrance, which came up after about a hundred feet. The snow continued to fall in tiny flakes outside, but still hadn’t stuck to the ground. I braced myself for the wind and cold. It didn’t disappoint, striking me as soon as I stepped out.
Variola laughed and clapped her hands as soon as we came out. I froze in my steps. She stood in her circle across the field, but I had a clear view of her.
“I knew you woke him days ago, little sensor,” she spoke loud enough so everyone could hear her. “A smarter one of your kind would have known we’d be alerted as soon as the spell had been broken. Just because we couldn’t find him didn’t mean we weren’t aware he was near. You should have considered all this, but I’m glad you didn’t. Now we can finish this once and for all.”
I’d never considered breaking the sleep spell would alert the witches. I wanted to kick myself for it. My senses had picked up the intent of the magic, but I hadn’t bothered to study all the parameters. Now Nik’s side would pay for that mistake with double the enemies to fight. I had to hope Aniya wouldn’t pay for it too. I lifted my middle finger at Variola before racing toward the second circle.
She sent soccer ball sized flames out as Nik’s forces descended on the field. Instinct made me want to duck, but that was a waste of time. They were bouncing right off me. Poor Nik had to do some impressive acrobatics to avoid them, though.
As I came behind the circle holding Noreen and the other female witches, I sensed they were beginning a vicious spell. It would weaken most of the sups on our side if they were able to complete it.
With no time to waste, I dropped the flashlight and used the sharp edge of my sword to cut one of my fingers. The sting made me wince, but I ignored the pain. Blood bubbled up in a sufficient quantity so when it dripped onto the line of the circle, the spell broke right away. All the witches turned to me at once with wrath-filled gazes. I straightened up and backed away. I hadn’t considered no one would be nearby to help me. The muscles in my legs braced to flee, but I stopped myself from moving further. This was no time to turn coward. I’d never been one before and wouldn’t start now.
Noreen held a six-inch silver knife, rather than a sword, and stood closest. I concentrated my efforts on her but took cautious steps to keep all the witches in my line of sight. She attempted to strike out at me in a clumsy move. I stepped to the right and swung at her unprotected side. The blade sliced into her left arm like butter.
She cried out in pain and dropped her knife to the ground to clutch her wound. My sword had cut deep enough that blood poured between her fingers. Noreen gave me a pleading look.
“Melena, you don’t want to do this.”
A part of me wanted to feel sorry for her, but then Matt’s face flashed in my mind. He’d begged in the end and she hadn’t shown an ounce of mercy. She didn’t deserve any either. I raised my weapon once more.
“Actually,” I said. “I do want to do this.”
Even as she tried to back away, my blade cut through the air and into her neck. As with the werewolf, it didn’t make a clean cut, but a second swing finished the job. More blood splattered on me, but I didn’t bother wiping it off. Even with her head removed, the look on her face remained. It was frozen into a grimace with her forehead wrinkled and her nose scrunched up. I couldn’t help but stare at her expression.
The brief moment of inaction cost me. My focus had been to th
e front when it should have been all around. One of the other witches had snuck up from behind. A vicious slice cut into my lower back. I arched away from the sharp blade, but it still penetrated deep into my skin and burned like flames had scorched it.
Breathing through the pain, I turned to face her. It was the same witch who’d tortured me not long ago in Variola’s basement. She’d pulled the upper half of her stringy hair back, but it flew in wild abandon with the increasing wind. The third and fourth witches stood off to the side ready to attack as well.
I took a few steps back, trying to decide how to keep them at bay. From the corner of my eye I saw movement. Derrick raced toward us in full wolf form and leapt up to sink his jaws into one of their necks, tearing the throat out with a shake of his head.
I had to admire the shiny, black fur covering his alternate form. It hid any blood that might have coated him. He made for a pretty, if rather scary, wolf. After extricating himself from the dead witch, he moved to the next. She raised a short sword and eyed him with disdain, but he didn’t look concerned with her bravado. His arrival left me with only one to handle. I focused my attention on her.
She scrunched up her face in fear and clutched her knife in a tight grip. The blade had to be eight inches long, with ridges on one side. My three foot sword could keep it out of reach if I was careful. The weapon sat heavier in my hands than before as I raised it and went in for the attack.
The woman shuffled back, holding the knife in front of her like a shield. I sliced along her chest, knocking her arm to the side. It didn’t do more than give her a thin cut, but she screamed as if it had been much worse. I remembered what she’d done to me in Variola’s dungeon. Her crying wouldn’t save her. My body remembered the pain, even if the physical wounds didn’t exist anymore.
She recovered herself enough to attempt a jerky swipe with her blade, but my sword blocked it. I swung the weapon again for another strike. This time it struck her below the ribs and sunk in deep. Sickening sounds came from her throat as she collapsed to the ground.
It looked painful. I finished her by hacking her head off. It didn’t go any easier than the last two kills, and in fact took longer. I felt tired. After her head finally parted her body, I did a search of the surrounding area. It was just me and Derrick in the immediate vicinity.
He had finished off the last witch and began transitioning to human form. His strength and age made it quick. I estimated two minutes. It took all my willpower to ignore his very nude body as he moved toward me. Holy hell, he had a lot of muscles.
Focus on his eyes, Melena!
“Are you alright?” he asked in a gruff voice.
“I’ve been better,” I answered, swaying a bit. His presence and my blood loss were taking a toll. “Thanks for helping me.”
“Anytime, Sensor Girl.” He gripped my arm. I managed not to let my eyes drop when he stepped closer. There were more important things to worry about than protruding anatomy.
I nodded at the remaining circle. We could see it through the drifting snow. Nikolas and Charlie had found a way around the witch’s protection with their swords. The weapons had my blood coating them and were able to pierce through. They couldn’t actually break the spell, since only fresh blood could do that, but it did give the guys an advantage.
Nik was springing about in lightening fast movements designed to keep Variola and her warlocks on their toes. She and her minions repeatedly tried to cast their spells but were interrupted every time. They had to keep shifting positions to avoid the blades coming their way. Nik had managed to nick them in a few places by the looks of their torn leather. To further frustrate them, Charlie was using his own magic to block the many fireballs they kept shooting out in retaliation. He moved fast for a man of his aged appearance.
The warlocks’ faces reflected fear and frustration as they stumbled about the circle. Variola did her best to stand apart from them. It amazed me that the three magic users didn’t shove each other out of the way to save themselves. A few of their fireballs had stung Charlie and Nik when the shaman couldn’t block them in time, but neither of the men looked badly hurt from them. The singe of their clothes was the only evidence they’d been touched at all.
“I’ve got to go break that,” I told Derrick.
Regret reflected in his eyes. Protecting me was one thing, fighting against his leader was another. The werewolf nodded and let go of my arm.
“Be careful.”
“I will,” I answered him before stumbling away.
Variola’s circle laid half-way across the open clearing. The wound on my back pulled with each step, sending shots of agony through me. I had to work my way around mutilated bodies and piles of dust from vanquished vamps. Their scattered clothes fluttered in the wind and snow. A few small fires had broken out, giving the scene an eerie illumination. The smell of smoke reached me, but it didn’t cover the much stronger scent permeating the air. Blood and death left a distinct foul odor you could never forget.
The fight was coming to an end, but over a dozen of Variola’s minions were still left standing. Those among Nik’s supporters, who were still alive and uninjured, continued to battle it out. No one appeared more savage than Lucas.
His short blond hair was plastered with blood and his face and hands were coated in it. The dark clothing he wore hid the rest. He had a disturbing look of pleasure on his face as he fought the vamps. They were lucky if they got one good swing of their blade, which he easily blocked, before he thrust his hand into their chests and removed their still beating hearts.
Silent terror reflected from their faces as they stood frozen before him. They couldn’t even flinch as the force of his sword cut through their necks and sent their heads flying dozens of feet away. He moved with predatory grace onto the next adversary without a backward glance. Nik’s words returned to haunt me “If he wanted you dead, Mel, you’d be dead.” A shudder went through me. If I hadn’t believed his words before, I did now.
I dragged my eyes from the enigma that was Lucas to focus on the circle I’d finally reached. Charlie kept Variola and her crew distracted while Nik directed me to a specific spot.
“Break it there.”
I nodded and moved toward it, wanting to get this over with. The line was wide. It would require even more of my blood than the last one to sever it. Variola and her warlocks eyed me with malicious intent and shuffled closer to my position. They stopped less than three feet away with their blades poised to strike. Nothing like having powerful enemies staring you down to make your job more difficult.
Lucas appeared at my side. He took an aggressive stance that had the witches hesitating to come any closer. I had faith he could keep them back. He didn’t look all that friendly with the blood covering him and the dangerous gleam shining from his eyes.
All my wounds had stopped bleeding except for the one on my back. I ran my hand across it to get the fresh blood I needed and came away with more than enough. My head grew light at the sight of it.
Falling to my knees, I pressed my wet fingers to the circle, running them across the thick line. It broke with an electrically charged snap. Derrick ran up and pulled me out of the line of attack, thankfully having found a pair of pants from somewhere, while Nik and Lucas moved in to engage. They dispatched the two warlocks with a few speedy slices of their swords, but Variola took off running.
The fear leaking from her told me she had no desire to stick around now that she had nothing and no one to hide behind. The more evil and cruel a person is, the less likely they are to tolerate being on the receiving end of retribution.
Lucas called out to her with a heavy note of compulsion in his voice.
“Stop.”
She ground to a halt, straining against the pull of his compulsion with her back arched in an awkward position. She was a strong sup, and might have been able to fight it off if not for having wasted so much of her power earlier on spells and fireballs.
“Come to me,” he ordered with even mo
re strength.
Almost a minute passed while she attempted to struggle against the command, her body jerking as she resisted. In the end she turned around and walked back with the short, stilted steps you might expect from a zombie. Nik and Luc waited with their arms folded, wearing almost identical bored expressions. They didn’t look to be in a hurry now that the moment of truth had arrived. I didn’t have that luxury.
Derrick supported me with his arms, but I hardly noticed. My vision was blurring and nothing appeared clear to me. The werewolf tightened his hold when he took in my weakened state.
“Nik…Lucas,” he called out, “she ain’t holdin’ up. You two need to fix her before it’s too late.”
My eyes were now closed but my hearing continued to work fine. I heard Lucas curse under his breath. In what seemed like a flash, Nik kneeled beside me. I managed to crack my eyes open to watch him as he cut his own wrist. He held it to my mouth. Everything in me wanted to reject the offer, but I took it. Aniya needed me. If it required me drinking vampire blood to save her, so be it.
I pressed my lips to his wrist and grimaced through the first swallow. My initial reaction was to gag, but I got it down. A little more and it was no longer so awful. Maybe vampire blood was an acquired taste that took a few tries before it became more palatable. The spicy flavor transformed into something similar to honeyed mead, which made no sense because I’d never had honeyed mead, but that was the beverage that came to mind. I wanted more. No wonder some humans became addicted to this stuff.
Nik had to pull me away after what must have been close to ten swallows. I licked my lips, missing the taste already.
“You’ve had enough.” The corner of his lip turned up.
I shifted in Derrick’s arms in embarrassment, which made him chuckle.
“Not to worry, Mel, you’ll be fine. I’ve got other parts of me you can suck on once you’re in better shape if you like.”
