by Meg Anne
“Perhaps it’s time to begin tonight’s entertainment.”
Both Helena and her double’s brows lowered over suspicious eyes. Whatever Rowena thought entertaining was surely anything but.
“Brace yourself,” Kragen said.
“You as well,” she replied.
For their part, the doubles remained silent while the crowd broke out into excited chatter that did little to reassure Helena.
“Do you think Reyna has found them yet?” Kragen whispered, eager to get away from the overzealous crowd.
Helena shook her head; there was no way to know until the Night Stalker found a way back into the room.
The sound of a door opening pulled everyone’s attention to the dais. Two servants clad entirely in black brought in a child that was visibly trembling.
“Is that—” Kragen started to ask.
“That bitch,” she seethed before he could finish the question. It was the child that had shown them into the ballroom. Helena knew then that Rowena had purposely given the boy that duty so that Helena would recognize him in this moment.
“Bring him to me,” Rowena purred.
Helena and Kragen watched with wide, horror-filled eyes as the sobbing child was dragged to a slightly elevated platform just beside Rowena.
“Let me show you what my so-called corpses do for me,” Rowena taunted, her colorless eyes staring down Helena’s twin.
There wasn’t time to draw in a breath before Rowena unleashed her power, the tainted Spirit magic twisting from her hand straight into the chest of the little boy. His back arched on a soundless cry as Rowena’s mouth fell open and she began to feed off his essence. There was no other way to describe it. Within seconds of her power hitting him, the boy began to emit a dull white glow that Rowena quickly inhaled. The more of the glow that Rowena took in, the slower the boy’s movements became until all he could manage were a few sluggish twitches of his fingers.
Nausea had Helena’s stomach roiling. This was too far. No matter the plan, Helena could not stand by and watch while an innocent child was being tortured.
Rowena’s head tilted back with a sexual moan of pleasure, and Helena snapped, losing hold of her disguise entirely. Shocked gasps filled the room at the sudden appearance of a second Kiri. Rowena’s head flew back up, annoyance at the interruption clear in her sneer. Kai-Soren whispered something in her ear that had Rowena’s head turning toward where they were standing.
“Helena,” Kragen warned.
Power surged through Helena, her rage adding to her strength despite how much she’d already pushed herself. With minimal effort, Von and Helena doubles began to appear throughout the room. There were four new sets of imposters between one heartbeat and the next, and several others by the time she was done.
Rowena’s eyes wildly scanned the room, trying to determine which of them was the real threat. “Kill them all!” she finally screamed.
Helena didn’t waste any time. “Now!” she shouted to Von through the bond. Their window to gain the upper hand was rapidly closing, if they had any hope of salvaging this mission, they had to act now, Generals or not.
If he was surprised to hear the fear and fury in her psychic voice, he didn’t comment on it. “Get back to me, Mate,” he ordered.
The doors flew open and Shadows began to pour into the ballroom, intermingling with the other partygoers. Helena didn’t waste breath coordinating with Kragen. They’d already discussed their plan ad nauseam, and they’d fought together enough that they were already on the same page. Their first priority was to get out in one piece, but on the way, they were going to take out as many of their enemies as they could.
Throughout the ballroom, guests lunged at the various doubles, many of whom had no clue what was happening. Helena hadn’t had a chance to establish any sort of enhanced connection like she had with the first duo. They tried to defend themselves against friends and family members that no longer recognized them, all while proclaiming their innocence.
Helena held no sympathy as she watched the first couple fall. Everyone in the room had stood by and watched as an innocent child had his life-essence drained from his body. They could all burn.
Not wanting to pull too much attention to themselves and the strength of their combined power, Kragen and Helena used a combination of fists and magic to clear a path as they moved toward the double doors in the back of the room. They worked together to make quick work of people who were clearly not fighters, their physical attacks rarely landing while the ones that did lacked any real power. Those that chose to rely on their magic lobbed colorful orbs that bounced off Kragen and Helena’s shields only to fly back toward the attackers. Based on the complete lack of offensive and defensive skills, magical and otherwise, it was clear Rowena intended to use these people purely as fodder.
Helena spun to dodge another clumsy blow when she noticed the first of Rowena’s Generals enter the room. Seeing where her eyes were focused, Kragen gave her a quick nod and used his bare hands to snap the neck of the person she’d just dodged. The lifeless body crumpled, but neither spared it a final glance as they stepped over it and toward the next person. Less of the partygoers were daring to approach the duo, sensing that they were the least easy of the targets.
Brawls were still taking place throughout the ballroom, all while the haunting music continued to play.
“I guess fighting can be set to music after all,” Helena commented dryly, launching a ball of Fire at the closest Shadow.
Kragen grinned, picking up one of the candelabras to swing it into the face of another.
Helena’s Shadow became a pillar of fire, its arms swinging wildly as it tried to extinguish the flames. It was a futile gesture. Her magical flames made quick work of the rotting flesh, but still the creature tried to save itself. Helena used Air to shove the burning Shadow into two others, knocking all three of them over in a pile of smoke and flame.
They were more than halfway to the door, still surrounded by hundreds of Rowena’s guests. For her part, Rowena was throwing bolts of power into the crowd, not caring who they hit. Helena shook her head in disgust. The woman’s callous disregard for life never ceased to amaze her. She valued nothing but power, everything else was simply a means to an end. Even the lives of her children.
Helena quickly scanned the room, her eyes searching for any sign of the Night Stalkers. Reyna and her people had to be close, especially with one of their targets finally in sight. Using him as her guide, Helena turned her focus back toward the General, who was busy launching acidic orbs toward the nearest of the doubles. Whatever the orbs made contact with immediately began to erode. As a result, there were massive smoking holes in the nearby floor and walls—not to mention the bodies—that were hit.
She called her power to her, preparing to neutralize him, when the air just beside the General seemed to ripple. If she’d have blinked, she would have missed the sight of Reyna’s golden dagger cleanly slicing through his neck. The General blinked in shock before falling to the ground.
Reyna looked up, her face an impassive mask as her eyes found Helena’s across the room. She shook her head, indicating that they had not found any of the others. Helena jerked her head toward the door, wordlessly communicating that it was time to go. Reyna turned into a blur as she complied.
So far they’d been lucky, and none of their group had been caught by Rowena’s people, but they were pushing that luck each time they used their power. With one of Rowena’s Generals removed, they’d gotten what they’d come for, at least to some degree.
Voices began to cry out as the battle raged on inside the ballroom.
“Greyspire is under attack!”
“The castle is ablaze, My Queen!”
“We are surrounded!”
Behind them, Rowena let out a blood curdling scream as she realized what had happened.
“It’s time to go!” Helena shouted, gripping Kragen’s arm as they set off at a dead run. “We need to get to the others.”
They made for the door, hurdling over corpses and through the gaps in their race for the exit. Kragen used his bulk to smash into any obstacles, not allowing anyone or anything to slow them down. Helena followed close at his heels, sparing only a second to check behind her. What happened next felt like it happened in slow motion.
From her place on the dais, Rowena’s eyes spotted the fleeing Helena. Her lips twisted in a snarl, and she threw an orb of pulsing black light at Helena. Helena tried to dodge but could not entirely escape the ball of corrupted power. She flew back, her body slamming into something hard. There was a loud crack and the feeling of liquid warmth rushing down her neck before the world turned black.
Chapter Ten
“Now!” Even though Von had been waiting for the command, the sound of her panicked voice had adrenaline flooding his veins. The need to protect overwhelmed him, but he couldn’t afford to distract her from whatever she was dealing with inside, so he did his best to rein it in.
“Get back to me, Mate!” He purposely used the tone he’d used with his men, the one that did not allow room for argument. He also gave the same order he’d have given any in his command: complete the mission and get back. It was a default mode that allowed him to focus on what he had to do, and not the mind-numbing fear he felt at the fact she had willingly walked back into that prison without him.
That was also the reason he’d used the title. It was a not-so-subtle reminder of her vow to him. She had promised him a life. Together. And he damn well intended to collect on that promise.
“Let’s go!” he called in a loud whisper, knowing the Talyrians would hear him without problem.
He felt Midnight’s muscles bunch and shift beneath him as the beast readied himself for flight. In less time than it took to draw in a breath, the Talyrian launched his powerful body into the air, his dark wings momentarily blocking the moon and throwing them all into darkness. They covered the distance from the cliffs to the castle quickly, Starshine’s bright body acting as the beacon the others were waiting for as she flew close beside him.
The Talyrians were deadly predators, especially at night. The sound of their flapping wings almost entirely silent as they cut through the sky. Despite their size, and various coloring, their prey wouldn’t know they were under attack until they felt the fiery breath of the Talyrian as it was upon them.
He loved his Daejaran Wolf, but there was nothing quite like flying through the sky on the back of such a powerful being. Between himself and Midnight, Von knew without a doubt that the Talyrian was the deadlier of them, and even his power paled in comparison to the Talyrian Queen. The fact that there were eight other Talyrians flying behind him filled him with confidence. The Shadows may have them beat in sheer numbers, but the Talyrians more than made up for that in raw power. It was a balanced fight at last.
They completed their circuit, the rest of the army now braced for what came next. Von channeled his rage, letting out a battle cry he knew would leave him hoarse for days after. Answering cries met his ears as the Chosen launched their attack. He recognized Ronan’s deep growl, and even Effie’s high-pitched shriek. All of them had lost something to this power-crazed bitch. It was time to return the favor.
The Talyrians roared, the combined sound so loud the windows of the castle rattled and shattered under the assault. Their fierce challenge was met instantly as bodies began to pour out of the castle.
Von stiffened in surprise. Even from his perch on Midnight, he could tell that those were not Shadows. The men moved with a precision that the Shadows’ stumbling lurch, despite its speed, made impossible. Each new wave moved into position behind the front line, creating a wall that encircled the castle. For their part, Ronan’s men remained cloaked by the Night Stalkers’ and Storm Forged’s combined efforts.
He nudged the Talyrian, signaling that he wanted to get closer. Midnight swooped down, breathing fire along the outer wall of the castle, causing it to go up in flames. The orange light cast an eerie glow on the field, but also helped Von notice what he’d missed.
Von hissed, outrage lifting his lip in a silent snarl. Endoshans. Their unique fighting leathers and curved blades were the only proof he needed of their betrayal. He wished for Helena’s abilities then, wanting to rain down fire upon the backstabbing traitors. Sensing his desire, Midnight roared before aiming a jet of flame toward the closest of the Endoshans.
That was all Ronan’s men needed. The Endoshans shouted in surprise as the Forsaken released their hold on their magic and thousands of the Chosen took shape before them. It was not long before the sounds of war met his ears.
The screams of the Endoshans were silenced only by the roar of the Talyrians and their resulting death. Nothing had prepared them for this battle. Outmanned and outnumbered, the Endoshans refused to retreat even as waves of their brothers were lost to Talyrian flame. They were warriors; casualties were expected. The Endoshans regrouped, pressing together as they faced off with the Chosen army.
One of the Endoshan’s silver blades sliced through a Storm Forged’s armor. The woman fell to her knees, screaming in agony. Poison. Von had heard tales of a lethal poison the Endoshan warriors used on their blades but had never felt its sting. The woman’s cries faded away as she slumped on the ground, dead.
“Ronan!” Von warned, just in time for his friend to dodge another of the deadly blades. Ronan jumped up, lifting his knee and slamming his booted foot into the other man’s wrist, shattering the bone and knocking the blade away. The man dropped to his knees, his limp arm cradled against his chest as he stared up into the face of death. Whatever he saw in Ronan’s eyes caused his shoulders to slump in defeat moments before Ronan’s blade swooped down to finish the kill.
Von continued to watch the battle from above, his eyes scanning the field but rarely straying from the castle doors for longer than a few seconds at a time. Where are you? He did not send the thought, but the longer he went without seeing Helena safe and whole, the greater his panic. The only thing keeping him sane was the fact that he could still feel their bond pulsing between them.
There was a loud crash and Midnight reared back, causing Von to slip down his back. He gripped the Talyrian tighter with his thighs and buried a fist deeper into the silky mane.
“Easy boy,” he murmured, twisting his head to see what had caused the noise. As he watched more of Greyspire’s outer buildings fell victim to the inferno, although it wasn’t clear whose fire had started it.
From his vantage point, Von could see Timmins’ group working to push the blaze away from them and toward the swarm of Shadows that were beginning to pour onto the field. It was hard to keep track of everyone after that, the bodies below him starting to all blend together under the dirt and blood.
A sharp tug along the bond left him gasping.
“Helena!”
There was no answer, only an endless stretch of silence.
His vision swam, and the metallic taste of blood began to fill his mouth. Von lifted a hand, surprised to find that his head was intact. Given the intensity of the pain, he thought it had been completely bashed in. Understanding dawned and his blood ran cold, terror clearing his mind of everything around him except for his connection to her.
“Answer me, Mate.”
Still nothing.
Circling above a battlefield while on the back of a flying dragon-cat that was spouting jets of fire was hardly the time or place to try this, but he didn’t care. Von closed his eyes, focusing on the golden tether that bound him to his Mate. Helena had explained how she had once found him while he’d been lost to the Bella Morte by following the strand until it led her to him. He was certain that his approach was not nearly as refined as hers, but by focusing on his visual representation of their bond, he instinctively understood what she had meant. It was similar to sending her a thought, except it was his awareness and not just his words that he directed to her.
He could feel the moment his consciousness left his physical body. There
was a sense of weightlessness followed by the feeling of trying to force himself through a barrier of hot honey. It was not entirely unpleasant, but it required an intense focus to push himself through to the other side.
The first thing he felt was the pain. It was as if a white-hot blade had been driven straight through his skull.
“Mira!”
“V-von?” a tired, young-sounding Helena asked.
“Helena. Can you feel me?”
“Mmm,” she murmured. He recognized the sound as the same one she’d make when rolling over to burrow deeper into his arms in the morning.
“Stay with me, Helena. You can’t rest right now.”
“Why? I’m so sleepy.”
Von scrambled to make sense of her words under the weight of the pain. He was no healer, but if he had to guess, it was like her conscious mind was protecting itself by diving deeper into herself.
“Darling, you have to fight now.”
That got her attention. There was a sizzle of awareness and then a sharp cry of pain.
“It hurts!” Her voice was more aware, but no less childlike. He needed to reach the Vessel.
“The Chosen are depending on you. They need their Kiri, and I need my Mate.”
He could feel her struggling to awareness, and when she flinched away from the pain. “It’s too much.”
“What do you need?” But even as he asked, he knew. She needed to heal herself. Whatever injury she’d sustained was keeping her from knowing how to access her power and do it herself.
Von took a deep breath, hoping what he was about to do wasn’t going to kill them both. He was only partially aware of his physical body and was mildly surprised he hadn’t already fallen off Midnight. Focusing on the center of his power, he began to draw as much of it to the surface as he could. The process was similar to pouring water into an empty glass and trying to fill it all the way to the top without losing a drop, except that the glass could expand and so you are also trying to keep it from popping. It was a bizarre juggling act he’d rarely had an opportunity to perfect. So much of how he used his power had to do with short bursts of energy.
