The Fifth Moon's Wife (The Fifth Moon Tales Book 2)

by Monica La Porta

  Valentine grabbed the steering wheel and gave the control panel a brief look before igniting the engine.

  The crawler lurched forward and slowly journeyed toward the tunnel as Valentine drove with a steady hand over the many rocks strewn throughout the whole path.

  A sense of oppression settled inside the cabin as the absolute blackness lurking ahead surrounded them in an eerie silence. The vehicle’s yellow lights were the only source of illumination in the dark passage, but their reach was limited to a few meters.

  At times, Mirella was jarred by the unpredictable motion of the vehicle, but she kept her gun pointed at the couple in the back.

  “What are you going to do with me?” Rado asked when they were deep inside the tunnel.

  Valentine answered, “I’ll release you to the authorities.”

  Mirella saw the fleeting smirk on the merchant’s face.

  Several minutes later, a feeble beep resonated in the air, and a knowing look passed between Rado and Ronda. At the same time, Valentine softly swore.

  Mirella didn’t turn but kept her aim straight with the help of a second hand. “What is it?”

  “The energy tank is almost depleted. How did you plan on leaving this place?” Valentine asked.

  “I was in a hurry.” Rado snorted. “There was no time to recharge the batteries.” His eyes shone with mischief as he relaxed against the seat.

  Without warning, Valentine brought the crawler to a stop, and in the blink of an eye he exited the cabin and tore open the back passenger door. His hands were at Rado’s throat soon after. “Start talking.”

  A sudden rumble reverberated throughout the tunnel.

  Chapter Thirty

  Valentine heard the noise coming from several meters ahead of them. Whoever was coming through the tunnel system was at least a kilometer away.

  “You didn’t think I would leave without backup, did you?” Rado said.

  Fighting his impulse to erase the grin from Rado’s face, he shoved him back inside with more force than necessary. The man’s cry of pain appeased Valentine’s dark compulsion. A moment later, his hands were still aching to impart a beating, but he was driving again.

  His innate sense of direction told him they were a turn or two from the cave with the collapsed ceiling. He pushed the accelerator and sped the crawler at its maximum speed.

  “I apologize for the uncomfortable ride, kitten,” he said, sparing a smile for his courageous bride.

  Mirella’s arms sagged from the gun’s weight, but she didn’t budge or ask for a reprieve. To relieve her fatigue, she had switched hands and position a few times, but she hadn’t complained once.

  “I’m fine,” she said.

  One look at her pallor and at how her united hands shook was enough to deduce she was anything but fine, but he would never belittle her efforts to look strong and in control.

  “We’ll reach an opening in the tunnels soon,” he explained. He didn’t mention he hoped the crawler was faster than the incoming army.

  How life had changed him in a matter of weeks. Not so long ago, he would have charged ahead to confront his enemy. One or one hundred, it wouldn’t have made a difference to him.

  Now, the small woman by his side was the only deciding factor in every action he took. Anger had driven him into fights more times than he could remember, but it was now a strong sense of protection that made him decide what to do next.

  “You won’t make it,” Ronda sneered.

  Valentine had never beaten a woman in anger, but the courtesan was pushing him to his limits.

  “The Leader will make sure you’ll—”

  Rado interrupted Ronda, shouting, “Would you shut up?”

  It was clear the merchant didn’t want Ronda to mention this leader of theirs, and Valentine wondered why.

  The rumble from the engines was getting closer.

  Valentine pushed the accelerator all the way, forcing the crawler to one last sprint as natural light lit the walls. After driving for kilometers aided only by the flickering yellow lights of the tank, the purple twilight hue was a welcome sight.

  The tunnel abruptly split, and he directed the crawler toward the nocturnal light.

  The ground shook harder.

  The walls opened into a natural window, revealing the Fifth Moon rising over a darkening sky. It wasn’t night yet. Valentine drove to the edge, only to find out they were perched over a steep incline.

  He stopped the crawler. “Let’s get out,” he said to Mirella.

  They would hike down the cliff. When she couldn’t walk any longer, he would carry her for as long as his legs would let him. He would tame a wild draglet first, and he would hunt for food. Beyond that, he couldn’t think.

  He saw Mirella’s hand lowering the door handle. As he was exiting, he caught a metallic shimmer and immediately turned. In a flash, Ronda hurled herself at Mirella, a knife in her hand.

  Valentine intercepted the blade with his body, shoving Mirella out of the way and off the crawler. He heard the gun hit the ground.

  With a cry, Ronda pushed the knife into Valentine’s chest. The blade was sharp and long, sliding through flesh, muscles, and organs.

  Valentine’s heartbeats slowed. His body started to shut down to redirect blood to the wound. Soon, the wolf would be the only one conscious, but Valentine couldn’t relinquish control over his body. Not yet.

  Mirella’s anguished screams pierced his ears.

  He wanted to reassure her he wasn’t dying, but words didn’t make it out of his mouth.

  One moment Mirella was lying on the ground, the next she was back inside the crawler, fighting Ronda, slapping the courtesan’s hand away from the blade protruding from Valentine’s chest.

  Valentine hadn’t realized the woman was pushing the knife deeper, driving him closer to unconsciousness. That can’t happen, he thought, but every nerve in his body was telling him otherwise. His senses were deserting him, leaving him cold and numb.

  Meanwhile, Rado had managed to free himself. Valentine saw the man’s hand descend upon Mirella. With a last effort, he pushed himself up and ended on top of Rado, securing the man in the back of the cabin.

  “Stop where you are,” Mirella commanded.

  His strength was fast dimming, but he held his neck long enough to look up.

  Mirella was in possession of the gun once again.

  “You’re both dead anyway,” Ronda said, laughing. She said something else, but her words were drowned by the sound of treads rolling over rocks.

  His thoughts were slow and his body felt like lead, but Valentine refused to faint. Underneath him, Rado struggled to free himself.

  Mirella’s hands were on Valentine a moment later. “We must get out of here.” Her voice sounded far away, but he caught the distress in her demand.

  Fear for her safety gave him the extra boost he needed. Propping up on his elbow, he pushed Rado deeper into the seat and hoisted himself up. With slow, pained movements, he slid out of the back of the crawler.

  “Come here,” he said to Mirella. Or he thought he said.

  She was still inside, perched on the front seat, pointing her gun at Ronda, and now at Rado as well.

  Valentine tilted his head. “Out.”

  Without lowering the gun, Mirella exited and stepped up to him.

  He wasn’t sure for how long he could stand before fainting.

  “Valentine—”

  “I’ll be fine.” He smiled at her.

  The air filled with dust particles as the approaching vehicles finally entered the cavern.

  Valentine moved in front of Mirella. By now, only pure will kept him on his feet. His heartbeats were slowing at an alarming pace, and he felt blood rushing from his extremities. His wolf growled, divided between saving his host and defending the mother of their cub.

  A crawler stopped before them. The yellow lights blinded his eyes. He swayed. Mirella’s hand on his back steadied him.

  “Finally,” Rado’s voice
came from somewhere beyond the yellow lights.

  The fluttering of wings reached Valentine’s ears. He was hallucinating.

  When the first bullet hit his head, Valentine didn’t flinch. Instead, he kept himself awake long enough to say, “Spare my bride.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Mirella screamed.

  With his eyes locked on hers, Valentine slowly collapsed forward, until he lay motionless on the ground.

  In the chaos that followed, she refused to leave his side. She knew she wouldn’t be able to stave their enemies off for long, but she kept the gun high, aiming ahead.

  Dust danced in the yellow lights, blinding Mirella.

  Shouts and bullets echoed against the rock walls, confusing her senses. A strong wind blew in from the outside, adding to the bedlam of sounds and scents, and her head spun as she tried to make sense of the scene before her. As if answering her silent prayer, the breeze soon grew into a gale that cleared the air of the dust.

  A man clad in black entered her field of vision.

  Without thinking, Mirella pressed the trigger.

  Time slowed. Nothing happened for a moment that stretched forever. Then the man looked down at his midriff. As if baffled, he stared at her.

  Mirella watched him fall on his knees. Behind him, another man appeared. Her finger was faster than her thoughts.

  The second man was down before she realized she had shot again. Time sped up. She didn’t let anyone come close to Valentine. She pressed the trigger several times until the gun clicked empty.

  An animal roar startled her. She looked around, unsure of what she had heard. Her senses were playing tricks on her mind.

  “Blessed Bride?” someone called.

  In her confused state, Mirella thought the voice sounded familiar, but the cave was filled with so much noise, she couldn’t be sure of anything.

  “Blessed Bride?” the same voice repeated.

  It couldn’t be. “Dragon?”

  A large shadow cut through the haze and reached her. Towering over her, the Solarian High Lord gave her a worried look. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Valentine—” She couldn’t finish the sentence, but moved to show Valentine behind her.

  Blood gushed from the wound in his chest and the hole in his forehead oozed a darker, more viscous fluid.

  “He’ll be fine,” Dragon said with mere a look, his hand over his chest. On his leather jacket there were several cuts, and the worn material was shiny in places, smeared with maroon strikes.

  “You’re wounded.” Mirella’s eyes went to the Solarian’s hand pressing the leather against his body.

  “It’s superficial.” Dragon looked over his shoulder and turned to confront an attacker who had snuck upon him, wielding a knife.

  The fight was short. Dragon chopped the man’s arm with his hand, sending the knife to the ground, then threw the attacker at the next man who came barreling toward him. The dragon shifter made short work of the man’s attempt to overpower him. His punches ended the skirmish before the next enemy could touch him.

  Mirella scampered to retrieve the weapon, then ran back to Valentine, who lay still and pale.

  Bullets flew as men battled all around her. Illuminated by the pale light of the Fifth Moon hovering far away in the sky, bodies wrestled at the other end of the cave, surrounding a single fighter.

  “Is the Blessed Bride safe?” a man called from the midst of the combat, while the commotion moved toward the center of the chamber.

  Mirella recognized Gabriel’s voice at once.

  “She is with me,” Dragon shouted. “Valentine is down.”

  The purple light of an electric saber cut the air. Cries and curses followed a whirring sound. Gabriel emerged from the crowd surrounding him for a moment, then he was pulled back into the fight.

  Slaying and maiming men in its wake, the saber opened a path as the vampire advanced to the front.

  With the corner of her eye, Mirella saw Ronda stepping away from the melee and inching toward one of the crawlers idling with the lights on. Rado reached Ronda and shoved her inside the vehicle, then entered after her and took the wheel.

  “Don’t let them get away.” Mirella tugged at Dragon’s shirtsleeve, pointing at the crawler that was just starting to move.

  Dragon looked down at Mirella, then at Valentine. “I can’t leave you alone.” As he spoke, a bullet whistled close to his head. He looked up just in time to see Gabriel cut down the man who had fired.

  Nobody else came forward and the fight ceased at once. An eerie silence filled the place. Carnage lay in every direction.

  “Stop them!” Mirella said to Dragon, who only left when he saw Gabriel sprinting toward them.

  “Are you okay?” Gabriel asked when he reached Mirella. Brandishing the saber before him with both hands, he swept the place with his piercing eyes as if he expected more trouble.

  “I am, but Valentine was shot—”

  “He’ll be fine,” Gabriel repeated Dragon’s words.

  She indicated the wounds on her husband’s chest and head. Fear finally caught up with her and her whole body shook. “How can he be fine?” she shouted, tears streaming down her face.

  “Trust me,” Gabriel softly said. “He’s a werewolf.”

  Ronda’s shrieks drew their attention.

  Dragon had stepped in front of the crawler and halted the vehicle with his bare hands. Then without missing a beat, he reached for the driver’s door and ripped it open, extracting Rado, who banged his head against the metal frame. After throwing the man to the ground, Dragon reached inside and grabbed Ronda by the lapels of her gown.

  Dragon treated the courtesan with more kindness as he pushed Ronda beside her lover.

  “Spare my life, High Lord,” Ronda begged, kneeling in a supplicant pose.

  Rado whimpered, “Take me with you,” nursing his head with shaking hands.

  “Do you think that Master Lobo will be merciful after you kidnapped his bride?” Dragon asked, distaste in his voice as he stared at the couple. He then signaled for Gabriel to cover him while he briefly entered the vehicle. The crawler shook under his weight. “This should be enough,” he said when he came out with the seatbelts he ripped from the backseats.

  Dragon tied Ronda and Rado, making sure their hands were secured behind their backs, then linked them together with a third seatbelt. “Valentine will decide what to do with you as soon as he wakes.” He pulled them up. “You’ll both ride with me.”

  At that moment, Valentine emitted a choked rattle, commanding Mirella’s attention. His chest rose once, then stilled.

  “Valentine!” She hugged him, pulling him up to her lap. “Breathe,” she commanded, but he slumped in her arms, like a rag doll.

  “Mirella—” Gabriel touched her arm. “I promise. Valentine only needs to rest.”

  “How can you be so sure?” She rocked Valentine, pressing his beautiful face against her chest, caressing his back.

  “Because he has come back from worse,” Gabriel answered.

  Concerned with Valentine, Mirella didn’t at first detect the distant noise of airbike engines, but it became louder and louder until the booming roar was the only sound she could hear.

  “We left a message for Martali. He’s coming with the cavalry,” Gabriel explained.

  Judging from the thunder that made the whole cavern tremble, Martali had summoned an army. The first airbike entered the cave through the natural opening into the plains. After a short pause, it rode directly toward Gabriel.

  “I came as soon as possible,” Martali said, after turning off his bike’s engine.

  Gabriel grimaced. “We held the fort, but Master Lobo needs immediate assistance.”

  “We’ll transport him back to the manor right away.” Martali looked around, taking in the mayhem. “The survivors will be interrogated by us first, before releasing them to the Royal Guard.”

  With a curt nod, Gabriel said, “I’m pretty sure Master Lo
bo wants to speak with his ex-courtesan and Avener Rado.”

  The rest of the motorcade entered the chamber, coming to a halt behind Martali, who raised his fisted hand and barked orders his men hastily carried out.

  In a matter of minutes, all the guards lined up the survivors and swept the house, where they found a few men hiding.

  “We’ll use their crawlers to transport the dead to Adris,” Martali explained. “I’ll personally escort the Blessed Bride to the manor while Master Lobo rides in the aircar.” He pointed his chin at the large vehicle hovering outside the cave.

  “I won’t leave my husband. Where he goes I go.” Mirella cradled Valentine in her arms.

  He hadn’t stirred, and she could no longer feel his pulse. Despite all the reassurance she had received that he would survive the ordeal, her fear would not assuage, and she felt sick with worry. She could barely breathe, and her stomach hurt for keeping her emotions in check.

  “That’s okay,” Gabriel said, motioning for her to move aside. “Let me take him to the aircar.”

  Reassured, Mirella kissed Valentine’s forehead, then opened her arms as Gabriel bent over to hoist Valentine up.

  “Be careful,” Mirella couldn’t help but say.

  Valentine dangled lifeless from atop Gabriel’s shoulder, his head hitting the vampire’s back at every step. She hurried after them, not wanting to be separated from Valentine longer than necessary.

  “Ronda and Avener Rado will ride with me,” Dragon said when Martali approached him.

  “All yours.” The head guard turned and went back to his men.

  Passing before Dragon, Mirella remembered to say, “Search them for weapons.”

  “Already did.” Dragon bowed to Mirella, then grabbed the merchant by his elbow and jerked him forward, dragging along the courtesan attached to him by the short leash. “Carellian doesn’t like squeamish riders, so sit tight or you’ll find yourself at the bottom of a cliff.” He brought his free hand to his mouth, pressed two fingers to his lips and whistled.

  The sound of flapping wings preceded the sight of a large draglet hovering before the natural window.