by R. L. Perez
There it was. Brielle’s blood still pulsed, though it raced with fear. She was still alive—for now.
Something else tainted her blood. Something dark and fiery that boiled forth. It was foreign to me—I hadn’t tasted it when I’d drunk from her.
It had to be either the firebird . . . or Lilith.
My eyes opened, and I exhaled long and slow. Brielle was a fighter. I had to trust that she could fend for herself.
Movement caught my eye at the edge of the caves, and a vaguely familiar scent stung my nose, filling me with dread and alarm.
Brielle’s parents, Oliver and Desi, strode toward me, their faces set with determination. Rage and fire danced in Oliver’s eyes, so familiar to me. In his eyes, I saw a reflection of myself. My own hatred. My own energy.
I blinked and glanced behind them for their daughter. When I frowned, Oliver answered my unspoken question.
“She’s with Brielle.”
Merciful Lilith. I looked back toward the caves as another boulder crumbled.
Desi stiffened, her face going pale. Her hand reached for Oliver, her eyes wide with warning.
“Did they make it out?” Oliver demanded, gazing around the forest for his daughters.
“I haven’t seen them,” I said gravely.
Desi’s face paled, and Oliver went very still.
Another explosion burst in the air, followed by a deafening crack. The feeble remains of my protective barrier shattered, scorching the air and singeing my nostrils. Magic rippled in the air and poured downward like a falling curtain. The smell filled me with nostalgia—I’d been with Lucia and Ronaldo when I’d constructed the wards. Their magic had helped to build the barrier.
I gripped my swords tightly in my hands as the soldiers and casters shifted their weight, readying for battle.
“On me!” I shouted, raising my sword. Then, I surged forward, a battle cry pouring from my mouth. I felt the pounding of footsteps behind me, the accompanying shouts of my men. The Count’s soldiers and casters rushed forward as well, and when I was almost upon them, I shifted to my bat form. Darkness clouded my vision, and I flitted my wings, pivoting in the air before landing in the middle of the soldiers. My swords slashed three of them before they had even registered what had happened. The clang of metal rang in my ears. Blood poured from their wounds, igniting the fire within me.
Not now, I scolded it. I could feed later. Instead, I drowned myself in the heat of battle. My blood thrummed, and I swung my swords, aiming for shoulders and armpits where their armor was weakest. I felt my fangs emerge as my body sensed the bloodbath around me.
But I refused to break my rule. I would not feast on unwilling victims. Even in battle.
Here, I was a man fighting to protect his home. If I submitted to the monster, I would become something else entirely.
I thought of my brother, so devout in his faith yet so reckless with matters of the heart. I could almost hear him cheering me on from the other side, rooting for my survival.
I will protect our people, Brother.
I sliced my swords through two more soldiers. I sensed a man lunging for me from behind, and I vanished in a puff of black smoke. My bat form lifted me higher and higher, and when I landed, I speared my sword into the soldier’s eye. He fell over, motionless.
Another explosion rattled the ground, and I stared, frozen, toward the caves. My people’s caves—our home—crumbled before my eyes, collapsing inward on itself.
My eyes widened, and a deafening roar filled my chest. I took a step toward the caves as panic pulsed through my veins.
Brielle.
Agony flooded through me in nauseating waves. My instincts barely returned in time to dodge the swinging sword of a nearby soldier. The blade nicked my arm, and I blasted the man backward with a burst of my magic.
A bloodcurdling scream shook me to my core, and I knew without looking that it was Brielle’s mother. Loud crashes echoed behind me, and I whirled to find Desi using her Telekinetic powers to sweep away the rubble of the caves. Her face was red and covered with tears. Oliver reached for her, trying to stop her, but she pushed more boulders out of the way as if she could find her daughters’ bodies among the debris. My blood chilled from the sounds of Desi’s sobs, and for one wild moment, I wanted to join her. To mourn with her.
But Brielle was a fighter. She would want me to fight.
I turned away and slashed my swords again, taking down two soldiers at once.
Then, a burst of fire drew my attention to the caves. The firebird soared from the rubble in an explosion of flames, its mighty roar rumbling in the air and rattling my ears. A collective gasp echoed around me as soldiers on both sides gaped at the magnificent phoenix soaring into the sky.
Then, the Count shouted something to his men, and they aimed their crossbows.
“No!” I roared, shifting and flying toward them. But I was too late. The whizzing tickled my ears as the men fired. I shifted back to my vampire form, following the trail of fire as the phoenix went down. A figure crumpled nearby from the impact, and I rushed toward it.
“Brielle?” I cried, turning the girl over.
It was Angel. Her dark hair was covered in ash and dust.
A war of emotions took over me. Relief that Angel was safe. Terror that it wasn’t Brielle. My gaze found the firebird, whose flames were doused. It lay weakly on the forest floor, moaning and turning its head.
A dozen soldiers surged toward the creature, and I brandished my swords. I’ll take on all of them if I have to. They moved toward me, and I sprang into action. Cut. Slice. Strike. Blood drenched my arms. Men fell. Sharp stabs of pain pierced my skin as I withstood their blows.
They could bleed me dry, but without a stake, I would just keep healing. Keep fighting.
“Enough!” roared a familiar voice.
The soldiers stopped cutting at me and straightened obediently as the Count emerged, parting his men like the sea. His eyes drilled into me, but he glanced hungrily at the fallen phoenix.
“I have worked too hard to be thwarted by a vampire boy who doesn’t know his place,” the Count spat, his jaw quivering. He aimed a rifle at me.
I laughed loudly. “Go ahead. I’ll just get back up again.”
He fired the gun, and pain slammed into my shoulder, knocking me backward. Agony pulsed through me in waves, and my vision darkened. I cried out, clawing helplessly at something in my shoulder.
The Count approached me slowly, his smile smug as he stood over me. “My men created a unique bullet made of wood. The same holy wood used to destroy your kind.” He aimed the rifle at my face. “Tell me, Mr. Serrano. Have you ever been staked in the eye?”
Before he fired the gun, I shifted and flew toward his face, clawing at his skin and his eyes. The Count roared, swatting his hands. I shifted again, slamming my full weight into him as we toppled to the ground. My swords lay forgotten on the forest floor behind me, but I clawed my fingernails into his forehead and eyes. Blood welled from the cuts, and the Count screamed. My body yearned to feast, and for a brief moment, I considered it. This man was the vilest of monsters. Shouldn’t I release my own monster to match him?
My hesitation cost me. The Count slammed the butt of his rifle into my face, and I toppled over dizzily.
The familiar smell of the sea filled my nose, and something whooshed past me. The Count roared in pain as a blade sank into his exposed shoulder.
Relief blossomed in my chest as I turned and found Brielle standing there, her body poised for battle. Fire burned in her eyes, and her body and clothes were lined with scorch marks. Her hair was pulled back in a messy, tangled braid, and she still looked ridiculous in her shift tied together with the belt I’d given her.
But she was still the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“Finish him, Leo,” she growled without looking at me.
In an instant, I was by the Count’s side, holding his head upward to expose his throat. I felt his blood pulsing with fear
. My skin prickled with movement from behind me, but Brielle engaged the soldiers, buying me time. I sensed Jorge and Miguel joining her.
They knew what this moment meant for me.
I bared my fangs and hissed. The Count closed his eyes, his lips trembling. I leaned in and froze, suddenly hearing my brother’s voice.
Don’t give in, Leo.
I paused, only a breath away from the Count’s throat.
Suddenly, light magic tickled the air, and I fell backward in an explosion of blue smoke. When I righted myself, the Count was standing, his eyes blazing. With a jerk, he yanked the dagger from his shoulder, which bled freely. The blade glinted with his blood as he brandished it.
My arms itched to grab the swords on my back, but I knew they weren’t there. Fury boiled in my blood, and I leveled a fierce gaze at the Count.
I didn’t need weapons. I was a weapon.
I lunged, and the Count vanished with a pop. He reappeared behind me and sliced the dagger into my arm. I hissed, whirling, but he disappeared again in a puff of blue smoke.
I heard Brielle shout something, but I couldn’t make out her words.
The Count reappeared and hurled his dagger, but I shifted to avoid it. In my bat form, I flitted higher and higher, out of the Count’s reach. He murmured a spell, and a jet of blue fire soared toward me. I barely dodged the flames as they scorched my wings.
I vaguely registered Brielle as she, too, uttered a spell. The scent of her light magic filled the air and swarmed around the Count. I shifted back to my vampire form and stood before him, cocking my head.
The Count smirked at me and then stiffened. He glanced around, wide-eyed, until he found Brielle grinning smugly at him.
“What did you do to me, you filthy whore?” the Count roared, stepping toward her.
In one quick motion, I spun him around and wrapped my hand around his throat. Rage pulsed through me so powerfully it made my limbs quiver. I shoved him until he was pinned against the trunk of a tree. He reeked of light magic and fear. The smell of his terror only made me smile.
My fangs longed to bury themselves inside him, but I remembered my brother’s words. Don’t give in.
Clinging to my brother’s voice, I slammed my forehead against the Count’s, rendering him unconscious. Then, I took his bloody dagger, raised it high above me, and buried it into his throat.
“That’s for my brother,” I hissed. I tugged it free, and blood soaked the earth. I raised it again and slid it across his throat. The Count slumped over, collapsing to the ground. He gurgled and choked and then went still, his blood pouring from him like a river.
“And that’s for my sister.” My voice sounded hollow in my ears, my blood singing with satisfaction.
For the first time in my life, my hunger for blood was absent. My body and soul rejoiced as one, reveling in my act of vengeance. My vampiric needs were silenced.
Ronaldo was right. The man within me had taken over the monster. And I’d won.
44
Brielle
I’D FELT NIX’S PAIN. Her agony. When I’d come to, she was gone. I couldn’t even feel her fire within me. Her presence.
I only felt cold and empty.
But I’d woken in the heat of battle, so I couldn’t stop to search for her. A soldier slashed his dagger, and I ducked to avoid it. I kicked him in the chest, and he stumbled backward. I dropped to the ground, sliding my legs under his until he crashed to the ground. With a grunt, I kicked him in the head and snatched his dagger.
Then, I saw Leo and the Count. Though I knew Leo was more than capable, I couldn’t help myself.
I owed the Count all the pain and suffering he’d caused me.
So, I hit him with my dagger, buying Leo some time. Then, I’d uttered a spell to freeze his powers, just like I had with the Jumper from the Council before he’d thrown me through the portal.
And when Leo ended the Count’s life, I felt a stir of emotion within me. Horror. Disbelief. And a small sliver of satisfaction, knowing he wouldn’t be around to cause any more harm.
“Brie!” a voice shouted.
I glanced up and found Angel fighting a soldier armed with a long sword. I surged forward, but before I got there, Angel twisted the soldier’s arm around and buried the sword in his neck. The man fell in a pool of blood.
Breathing heavily, Angel looked up and met my gaze. Fire blazed in her eyes, making her unrecognizable. All I could do was stare at her speechlessly.
“Brie, are you hurt?” Angel asked, hurrying toward me.
I blinked and shook my head. My gaze roved over her form. Aside from a few scorch marks, she looked unharmed. “You?”
“I’m fine. The phoenix covered us with her wings when we escaped the cave.” Her mouth opened and closed. “I—I can’t believe you did that, Brie. That you summoned her. That she saved us.”
A soldier lunged for us, and we both ducked.
“We’ll talk about it later,” I said, slicing the soldier’s leg with my dagger. He howled and fell over while Angel embedded her sword in his throat. I stared as my sister took another man’s life with ease—and it made me wonder what else she was capable of.
Something heavy collided with my head, and I stumbled backward, blinking stars from my eyes. A soldier wielded two swords and slashed them toward me. I dodged, but one of them cut into my side. I gasped, staggering backward. Dropping to the ground, I spun and buried my knife in his kneecap. When he fell, I slit his throat.
I looked up and found Angel sparring with Riker.
My heart jolted in my chest. Riker burst forward, wielding an athame. His face was pale and sweaty, but his eyes were determined. I knew he would kill my sister.
I hurried forward, ignoring the stabbing pain in my side, when Angel suddenly went rigid, dropping her sword. Her limbs quivered and her mouth fell open. Her eyes rolled back until they were all white. Even Riker stilled in surprise.
An ethereal voice poured from Angel’s lips. “On this day, a choice will be made. A threat will emerge, powerful and afraid. Darkness will rise and cover us all. And then her magic will make us fall.”
My blood chilled, and I stared at my sister in disbelief. It was almost exactly the same prophecy Riker had uttered when he’d had that vision. The same day we’d kissed.
Riker’s face drained of color, and I knew he recognized the words. His gaze slid to me, and for a moment, the three of us just stood there awkwardly while the battle raged around us.
Then, I lunged for him. Angel remained upright, her body quivering. I had to protect her until she woke from her vision. I slammed my shoulder against Riker’s until he stumbled backward.
“Brielle—” he said, but I didn’t let him finish. I kicked him in the shin, and he bent over. I jerked my knee up between his legs, and he howled in agony before collapsing.
“Stay away from my sister,” I growled.
“I . . . can’t,” Riker rasped.
I stiffened. “What’re you talking about?”
Riker sucked in a breath and looked up at me with pained eyes. “The Count. He bound our magic together. We have to fight.”
“The Count is dead,” I said, glaring at him.
Riker shook his head. “But his spell . . . will keep going. He used demon blood. As long as the demons live, the spell carries on.”
My brows furrowed. He’s lying. But even as I thought this, I knew his words had truth in them. Why else would the Count keep those demons alive in his dungeon? He couldn’t possibly have suspected all of them of being Nightcasters.
“Brielle,” Riker said urgently, staggering to his feet. His eyes burned with urgency. “If the Count is dead, then we’re all in danger. He included a failsafe in the time loop. If he dies—”
A deep rumbling shook the ground. Riker and I collided and tumbled to the ground. Light exploded in the midnight sky like fireworks. I looked up, my eyes wide. A bloodred smoke curled in the sky, spreading like an infection. The crimson shadows bled farther a
nd farther until the entire sky was consumed by redness.
Horror chilled me to the bone. “What the hell is that?” I whispered.
“The failsafe,” Riker said in a grim voice.
I stared at him numbly. “What does it do?”
“The time loop will collapse on itself. Obliterating the city.”
My heart dropped to my stomach. As if the Count were right next to me, I could almost hear his reasoning for this: If I don’t survive, no one will.
Curse that bastard.
I had to find Leo.
I darted away from Riker, weaving through soldiers and demons who had stopped fighting to stare in horror at the bloody sky. Where is he? Where is he?
“Brielle!”
I turned and found Leo running toward me. A long, jagged cut ran along his jaw, and his wild, curly hair had come loose. He held a sword in each hand, and for a moment, I stared at him, overwhelmed by the fierceness of him—clad in armor, wielding swords, sporting injuries. His face was taut and determined. He looked like a soldier. A man defending his people. Not at all like the sneaky vampire I’d first met.
Leo pointed skyward. “The spell?”
I nodded. “It’s the Count.”
Leo swore and raised a hand to his forehead. “I feared this would happen.”
I stepped toward him. “What do you mean?”
“I hoped that with the Count’s death, the curse would be broken. But I knew it was a possibility he’d built in a reaction to his death.”
“You knew this might happen?”
Leo leveled a hard gaze at me. “Save your judgment, Brielle. Did you write the spell? The countercurse?”
Something within me jolted as I remembered jotting down Latin phrases with Angel. That had felt so long ago. I reached behind me and pulled out the folded sheets of paper I’d stuck in my belt.
“Here goes nothing,” I muttered.
“Wait,” Leo said, drawing closer to me. He raised a hand to the cut on his face and rubbed his jaw until his fingers were smeared with blood. Then, he pressed his bloody hand against my side—my injury.
