by M. K. Dawn
“This rescue was just a side mission.” Darrien pushed his earpiece as he sprinted back to the banquet hall. “Ethan. The heirs are on the move.”
“They’re already here. You need to get up here and fast. Guinevere just arrived.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
As soon as the bullets began to fly, Samantha knew what Darrien had meant by playing hero.
She rushed towards the heirs who had all cowered under their seats, too afraid to move. “Come with me!”
Ivy’s eyes widened. “Samantha? What are you doing here?”
“No time to explain. I overheard some of them talking. This is just a distraction. They are coming after the five of you—saving the Dire Fir bullets for you.”
“What?” Ivy trembled. “We have to get out of here.”
“Come.” Samantha offered her hand. “This way. I know somewhere we can hide.”
They followed Samantha without question, up the back stairwell to the room where the note had told her to bring them.
“What’s so safe about this room?” Nicolai ran his hands through his shoulder-length blond hair.
Samantha locked the door and whirled around to face them. “Nothing. The distraction was to stop the execution and create an opportunity for you to trust me enough to follow me up here.”
“How dare you?” Ivy bared her teeth, but she didn’t move.
“Please.” Samantha waved a dismissive hand in her direction. “Don’t think for a moment you intimidate me.”
Ivy wrapped her arms over her chest. “What do you want?”
Guinevere had ordered Samantha to call out for her the moment she had all the heirs in one place, but Samantha wanted to talk with them first. “All immortals—vampires and werewolves—are on the verge of being annihilated. A coven of witches brought here me. A coven from which our parents—the six chairs of the Immortal Council—originated from.”
“Let me stop you right there.” Ivy lowered her arms. “We know all about the witches. One has been guiding us through this difficult transition.”
Samantha’s heart raced; she was afraid to ask the question burning the tip of her tongue. “What witch?”
“Her name is Guinevere. She helped show us our true nature and the steps we needed to take to rule the world.”
“Guinevere.” That didn’t make sense. “You need to listen. Whatever she told you or did for you; it’s all a lie. She hates vampires—all immortals. They are coming here tonight to cast a spell that will kill us all.”
Ivy leaned back. “What?”
The door flew open and Guinevere glided in. Behind her, a dozen witches followed, Silvaria between them her hands were bound in what looked like leather.
“I didn’t mean to arrive unannounced, but it seems Samantha forgot to call.”
A furious Ivy stormed towards Guinevere. “Why are you here?”
Guinevere moved closer. “I thought Samantha told you.”
Ivy froze. “She lied to us. Told us you came here to kill all immortals.”
Guinevere smiled. “That’s exactly why we’re here.”
“What?” Ivy looked to the others for help, but got none; they were too busy cowering in the corner. “Why would you come here to kill us? You’re the one who showed us our true nature.”
“That,” Guinevere lifted Ivy’s chin, “was a test. I came here hoping you would use what you learned all these years to fight the blood lust, the evil that resonates inside you, but I was mistaken. Your kind has learned nothing. You are still the monsters you’ve always been. It is time to put an end to it once and for all.”
“You’re going to kill us all?” Ivy sank to the floor, a protective hand over her belly. Samantha knew that gesture all too well. And as much as she despised Ivy, it broke her heart knowing the pain she was going through.
“Please,” Ivy’s voice cracked, “I beg for your mercy. We will put an end to all of it. Learn to live peacefully with the humans. I’m sorry we’ve disappointed you. We thought we were doing what we were meant to do—what you told us to do!”
“As I said, it was a test. Evil runs through my veins the same as it does yours—evil passed to us by the Primordials. Once I rid the world of the abominations the God of Darkness created, the God of Light will free us from the darkness and wrap us in her embrace.”
Samantha wanted to plead their case as well, but she thought better, knowing the spell wouldn’t work. The sooner they got this over with, the sooner her friends and the backup they brought with them would be there to put an end to this madness.
“Laras!” Guinevere called, and the man stepped forward. “Tell them to open the storage buildings.”
“No!” Ivy screamed.
Guinevere whirled around. “Change of heart? So soon? Not that it matters. All of you will be dead soon.”
“What’s in the storage buildings?” Samantha muttered more to herself, not expecting an answer.
“Each new generation of vampire created taints the bloodline until they have lost all their humanity. They become rabid; their only concern is blood.” Guinevere’s eyes bore into the five heirs. “They brought hundreds of these creatures here, locked them in those storage buildings for weeks, and once the wall went down, planned on releasing them. They knew the monsters wouldn’t stick around here for long as their sense of smell would lead them directly to what was the human realm.”
Samantha gasped. “How could you?”
Ivy shook her head. “We changed our minds—decided against releasing them.”
The images of the horror they inflicted on the humans tonight flashed in Samantha’s head. “I don’t believe you.”
“No matter.” Guinevere put an end to the conversation. “They will serve a purpose in keeping your werewolves busy.”
“What?” Samantha tried to suppress her surprise but failed.
“You stupid, stupid girl. You don’t think I know what you and your friends are up to? Why do you think we tried to kill them before Silvaria sent them away?” Guinevere took a deep breath. “Again, none of this matters. It will all be over in a few minutes. Now, you two, go join the heirs.”
Every fiber in Samantha’s body screamed something was about to go terribly wrong. Why had Ethan and Darrien not come to put an end to this? Even though they knew the spell would not work, the Stone of Decadence still removed the magic from all it was used against.
“On your knees, all of you.”
They complied.
From her pocket, Guinevere pulled out a purple stone no bigger than her palm and closed her eyes.
Samantha saw a chance to lunge, but Silvaria caught her arm and held her back. “There’s nothing you can do. They’re too powerful.”
Guinevere held the stone high in the air and began to chant in a language Samantha didn’t understand. The stone glowed as purple tentacles reached for its victims.
A strand wrapped around each of the heirs’ arms and in a split-second Samantha’s blood boiled beneath her skin. She screamed and begged for death, the pain too much to bear. With each pulse of the strand, she could feel the magic leave her body. Her senses dulled. Her eyesight weakened. Every breath became a struggle. Her heart beat so quickly she was sure it would break her ribs.
Then as fast as the pain materialized, it was gone. Samantha crumbled to the floor, gasping for air. For a heartbeat she thought this might be it—the worst was over—as a familiar calmness she could not place swept over her body.
“Don’t be fooled,” Guinevere whispered. “Death will come soon enough.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
“Let us out!” Ethan pounded on the door from inside the room they’d been holed up in since the party began downstairs. An hour had passed since Darrien left when they’d heard gunfire from the courtyard. Ethan had tried the door then, wanting to check out the situation to ensure they had initiated the fight, not the other way around.
It was then he discovered someone had locked the door from the outside. He used all
the strength he could muster in his human form to break it open. When that didn’t work, he and Evie rammed the door a couple times together. Still, it didn’t budge.
Through the walls, they could hear muffled screams. They were running out of time.
“Screw this.” Evie moved to the middle of the room. “I’m going to shift.”
“I was just about to say the same thing.” Ethan gave her the space she needed. “Ladies first.”
Evie closed her eyes, but nothing happened. She shook out her limbs and straightened her body. “Come on.”
Ethan could feel her frustration. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.” Evie rolled her neck. “I’m trying but it’s not working.”
“Let me try.” They switched places. Ethan focused all his energy into the shift, but like Evie, nothing happened. “It’s like there’s a barrier I can’t break through.”
“The witches must have cast a spell to prevent us from shifting.” Evie looked over at Tito. “Should we untie him? Maybe the three of us can break down the door.”
Tito tapped his foot. “You’re going to have to untie me eventually. Unless you’re planning on leaving me here.”
“Verdict’s still out,” Ethan sneered.
“What are we going to do?” Evie paced the room. “We have to get to Samantha. We have no idea what’s happening or how long it will take for Guinevere to perform the spell.”
Ethan spun around the room at all the equipment The Forsaken had brought along. “There’s got to be something in here we can use to bust open the door.”
They rummaged through the bags. Ethan came across dozens of guns and a shitload of ammunition. “We can try shooting at that door. Maybe we’ll hit whoever’s casting the spell.”
“Or,” she held up a small bottle labeled ‘explosive’, “we can blow the door open.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Tito struggled against his restraints. “You don’t know anything about that. It could kill us all.”
Evie froze. “They’re not screaming anymore.”
The silence was more terrifying than their shrieks.
“Give me the explosive.” Ethan snapped his fingers. “We have to find out what the hell is going on.”
“Catch.” She tossed him the canister.
“Are you fucking kidding me!” Tito yelled, shielding his face the best he could with his hands still bound.
Ethan rolled his eyes, catching the container. “Relax. You’re immortal.”
“Vampires made that. You have no idea what’s in there. Or what damage it could do to our kind.”
“You know,” Ethan caught the lighter Evie threw to him, “you’re not the badass I thought you were.”
“There’s a reason I’ve survived this long.” Tito stretched his arms, tugging at the rope. “Can you at least untie me before you bomb the place?”
Ethan lifted his chin to Evie. “Go ahead. And see if you can find some cover.” With a single strike, a flame burst from the match. He lit the twelve-inch fuse and bolted to the far corner of the room, behind the antique sofa Evie had dragged over.
The closer the flame got to the end of the fuse, the more Ethan second guessed the idea. “I’m not sure about this.”
Evie jerk her head to him. “What! A little late—”
The door swung open and Darrien rushed in the room covered in blood. “Lets—” his eyes dropped to the bomb. “What the—”
Faster than Ethan’s eyes could track, Darrien grabbed the bomb and threw it out the window. The explosion rocked the building to the point Ethan thought it might collapse.
“I leave you alone for an hour and you almost blow yourselves to pieces,” Darrien said. “What were you thinking?”
Ethan didn’t have time to explain. He bolted out the room and into next one, skidding to at a stop before a lifeless Samantha. He checked her neck, a weak pulse drumming against his fingers. “Samantha, wake up. It’s over. You’re safe.”
Silvaria moaned and struggled to her knees. “It’s too late. Guinevere used to stone against us. She siphoned all of our magic.”
“You said it wouldn’t work!” Ethan screamed.
“The spell will not spread, but I couldn’t stop her.” Silvaria lifted her bound hands. “She suppressed my magic. I’m so sorry.”
“Here,” Evie kneeled down beside her, “let me get that off of you.”
Silvaria held out her hands. “It doesn’t matter now.”
“What does that mean?” Ethan choked on the words. He knew the answer, but he needed to hear it out loud.
“Samantha returned to the last moments of her human life. The moments before her death.”
Ethan scooped Samantha in his arms and rocked her back and forth. “No. This can’t be happening. Do something. Someone! Please!”
“Darrien here.” He paused speaking into his earpiece. “We’re upstairs. Samantha…Guinevere…we didn’t make it in time.” He paused again. “What did you just say? Get your ass up here now!”
Evie looked up to Darrien. Ethan hadn’t even realized she had taken hold of Samantha’s hand. “What is it?”
“Oliver.” Darrien raked his fingers through his sticky hair. “The vial Samantha brought—the one from the Immortal Sacrament. They’ve created an antidote. It’s untested, but they believe it will work.”
“Can we get it in time?” A sliver of hope held back his tears.
“It’s here. He’s on his way. He should be here—”
“I’m here!” Oliver hollered, vial in hand.
Ethan laid Samantha back on the ground. He opened her mouth and his stomach dropped. “She’s not breathing.” He checked for the thrumming under the skin of her throat. “No pulse. We have to give it to her now!”
Oliver wiped a tear from his cheek. “It won’t work. Not if she’s…if the poison…”
“Don’t say it!” Ethan rose to his knees. With the heels of his hands on her chest, he started compressions. “No. Come on, Samantha. Evie, a couple of more and you give her two breaths.”
Evie didn’t argue, breathing into Samantha's mouth, her chest rising and falling.
Ethan checked her pulse. “Again.”
They alternated until sweat poured from Ethan’s forehead.
“Ethan,” Darrien placed a hand on his shoulder. “You can stop now. She’s gone.”
“No,” he pushed him away, the thought of him giving up on her too much to bear, “I can bring her back.”
Darrien seized Ethan’s arms. “Let her go.”
Ethan stumbled back in the arms of Darrien. “I know, brother. I know all too well.”
He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be. They had been through so much, and for it to end this way…
Evie took Darrien’s spot, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing. “I’m so sorry.”
He pulled out of her arms and fell beside Samantha’s lifeless body. “I can bring her back.”
“No,” a woman said from the doorway, “but I can.”
A stunning woman with ebony skin and short black hair graced the room.
“Grandmother?” Silvaria croaked.
The woman wasted no time with introductions, falling to her knees alongside Samantha. “Some room.” Euphenia patted Ethan’s hand. “Please. You can trust me.”
In her eyes, Ethan knew her words were true. He kissed Samantha’s hand and scooted back.
Euphenia placed a hand on Samantha’s chest, over her heart. “Wake now, child. It is not your time to die.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
The crisp voice of a woman jolted Samantha awake, but she didn’t dare open her eyes. She fought for breath as if her lungs had been deflated. Everything around her felt wrong. She clawed at the ground, desperate to free herself from the weight holding her down.
“What’s wrong with her?” a voice whispered. It was one she recognized from a distant memory.
“She’s fighting the resurrecti
on and her newfound mortality. The world will look different, sound different. Feel different. I would say give her time, but I believe time has run out.” A hand swept across her face. “Open your eyes, child.”
Samantha’s eyes flew open against her will. The world shifted in and out of focus until familiar faces came into view.
She went to sit up, but gentle hands held her to the ground.
“Take a few minutes.” Ethan smiled down on her. The familiar voice.
Samantha’s head fell to the side.
“Shit.” Darrien ushered people to the door. “We have to get out of here, now!”
“What’s going on?” Ethan asked but didn’t move from beside Samantha.
“Those storage buildings out there.” Darrien pointed to the window. “They were full of some crazed vampires. The wolves have been fighting them, but there are too many.”
“Guinevere called them rabid.” Samantha forced herself to sit. “The heirs brought them here; the witches released them.”
“It is what happens to vampires when the bloodline lacks humanity.” This was the women who had spoken to her, brought her back from death.
“It’s you,” Samantha whispered.
She tipped her head. “Euphenia.”
The windows shattered before Samantha could ask her the questions that lingered in her mind. Lightning illuminated the night sky.
“Storm rolling in?” Evie asked.
“No.” Silvaria helped Samantha off the ground. “Guinevere. She knows the spell has failed. Grandmother, you have to go.”
“Can you take us with you?” Darrien helped Euphenia stand, her legs wobbling beneath her.
“I’m sorry,” she dropped her head, “the resurrection spell drained most of my magic.”
“Guinevere cannot know she’s alive.” Silvaria hugged Euphenia. “Go. Now. We’ll be fine.”
Euphenia brushed a strand of hair from Silvaria’s face. “Break the stone and it will release your magic,” her eyes flickered behind Samantha, “but their fate is sealed.”
Samantha spun around and found the bodies of the five heirs, their lifeless eyes staring back at her. As much as she hated them, her heart clenched at the sight.
