“How very touching,” a low, hateful voice intoned and a second later a dark-haired vampire, taller even than Drake, stepped out from behind the golden bars of the gate. The resemblance between Aleksei and Drake was striking. Drake had inherited his mother’s eyes, but everything else about him was a product of his father’s genes. He and Aleksei could pass for brothers.
Before any of the others could react, Aleksei seized Xander, who was closest to him and snapped the faerie prince’s neck. A deafening hush fell over the room as the enormity of what Aleksei had just done washed over them. Thinking faster than the others, Drake grabbed Enah roughly by her slim shoulders and shoved her behind him, as Quinn reached for Wintyr, pulling him out of harm’s way before Aleksei could get to him. She moved again, sweeping up her sword, which lay discarded near her feet. Quinn wanted to rush at Aleksei and run him through, but something held her back. Aleksei emanated power and Quinn felt the icy hand of fear trickle down her spine as she scanned the room. The faces of her friends were a bitter reminder of just what was at stake.
“Aleksei,” Wintyr was pleading and Quinn heard the pain in his voice as he addressed the man responsible for the death of everything he held dear with respect. “My father is gone. He paid the price for killing Julian with his life. We do not need to carry on fighting. Let us finally end this war. No more innocent lives need be lost.”
Before Wintyr had even finished speaking Quinn knew that he had failed. Trying to invoke emotion in a heartless man was futile.
“Your father would be ashamed of you,” Aleksei sneered, as more vampires swarmed through the gates behind him and around the columns on either side. His words were intended to hurt Wintyr and they struck their target. The Fae prince recoiled, a pained expression passing over him. “I wonder if this new king of yours is as cowardly,” Aleksei mused, running his eyes over Drake. He had obviously been listening for some time before he showed himself, but Quinn wondered if he realised exactly who Drake was. It was apparent, the second Aleksei registered their similarity and he seemed to lose his train of thought as he gazed at the man before him, no doubt seeing Julian in Drake’s features but not comprehending what it meant.
“Aleksei,” Enah’s voice startled him out of his reverie and his eyes widened in shock at the sight of her. “Please,” Enah begged, her green eyes filling with tears. “I loved Julian. He was everything to me and if I could go back and trade places with him, I would.”
“And yet you live!” Aleksei roared, the sound reverberating through the dark hall. The sun had set while Drake was being crowned and now there would be no running. They would face their worst fears. They would stand and fight. “My son is dead, but here you are, safe and sound!” Aleksei continued, his fury at finding Eldon’s daughter alive and well when he had taken Julian from him was like white-hot lava scalding his skin. He had believed her dead, a just reward for Eldon’s sins – an eye for an eye – and it still hadn’t been enough to satiate his need for vengeance. Now, here she stood, perfect, beautiful, and a painful reminder that her love had been the cause of Julian’s death. Unable to control himself, Aleksei took a step toward her, his hands lifting as though he would throttle her, but Drake stepped between them, his lips curling in a savage snarl.
The sight of Drake’s fangs jolted Aleksei even more than his physical appearance had. Where he had expected a faery, stood a vampire. A very old vampire, if Aleksei’s judgement was correct.
“Who are you, boy?” Aleksei sneered.
“Drake is our king,” Wintyr explained quickly, taking advantage of Aleksei’s shock. “He is also Enah’s son... Julian’s son.” When Aleksei didn’t respond, Wintyr quickly continued, “Drake could lead us all into a new era – one without war. Our people could be united under his rule.”
If Wintyr had hoped that learning the truth about his grandson would bring about a change of heart, he had been wrong. Aleksei stared at Drake for half a second, but before he even blinked, Quinn knew that Aleksei would never accept Drake as the Fae had. Nothing but hatred glinted in Aleksei’s eyes as he fully grasped Wintyr’s plan.
“You would challenge me for my throne, boy?” he hissed, his face an ugly scowl. Drake didn’t respond, but Quinn sensed his muscles tensing as he readied himself for battle. She gripped the golden hilt of the sword tighter, glancing over her shoulder at Daniel and giving an imperceptible nod of her head. Behind her, she heard the others pulling Wintyr and Enah away, followed by the sound of stakes being withdrawn from the Guardians’ belts. She didn’t need to turn around to know that Kellan and Freya had drawn their bows. The time had come for their final stand.
Unperturbed, Aleksei continued as though he and Drake were the only two people in the room. “Do you really think you can defeat me?” he hissed, spittle flying from his lips, “Me? I have laid waste to your City! I have slaughtered thousands and yet you think you can defy me!” His voice rose in an unearthly demonic screech.
“If I must,” Drake replied calmly.
Quinn moved back to stand beside Drake. She lifted the sword and Aleksei finally seemed to notice her. His eyes fixed on the red tattoo emblazoned on her wrist. “A Faery and a Slayer,” he taunted, “am I supposed to be impressed?”
“You talk too much,” Drake drawled, shooting out his arm. He curled his hand in a slow fist and then withdrew it. Quinn gaped as Aleksei seized his throat, his eyes bulging. He opened his mouth but no sound came out as he mouthed vile, obscene accusations. “If you don’t have anything nice to say you shouldn’t say anything at all,” Drake continued, but he opened his palm and, a second later, Aleksei made a choking sound. “You’re lucky you’re family or I might not be so lenient.”
Quinn was impressed but she pressed her lips together to keep from saying so. Wintyr had warned Drake that he would possess the full power of the Fae’s magic, but he had also said it would take time to harness it. She hoped that Drake wasn’t bluffing. She wished she knew if he had stopped choking Aleksei intentionally, or if he had simply exhausted his magic for the time being, because, if this was the full extent of his power they were in a lot of trouble.
“You’re going to die, boy. Your magic is no match for me, just as your grandfather’s couldn’t save him. You’re already dead. You, your mother, your Slayer and everyone else who stands beside you.”
The Cathedral was now swarming with Aleksei’s vampires, but, even as Quinn weighed up the size of his army, she heard footsteps pounding up the marble steps outside. The next minute Lenora, the wolves, the gypsies and even more members of the Fae streamed into the Cathedral, weapons at the ready.
“Oh good, we’re not too late,” Lenora drawled clicking her neck and sizing up the opposition. “I’ve just spent the entire day in the trunk of a car. A little killing might make me feel better.”
Quinn could only stare at the allies who had come to their aid, despite being told otherwise. This is why they were different to the vampires, Quinn thought to herself. The vampires acted on Aleksei’s instructions, ruled by fear. These people had specifically disobeyed Daniel’s instructions to be here. They would fight because they were family, and because no matter what, family stuck together.
Not even a moment later, as if to prove her point, Austin and Piper sprinted inside.
“Sorry we’re late,” Austin panted.
“You shouldn’t even be here,” Daniel hissed, “the Fae magic was only released a few hours ago.”
“Yeah, well, we weren’t exactly on the farm when it happened,” Austin shrugged.
“The herd is safe,” Piper added, shooting a petrified glance at Daniel.
Quinn felt tears of gratitude prick her eyes that so many had come to help, but she had a horrible premonition that most wouldn’t survive this night.
Chapter 35
“Enough!” Aleksei roared, jerking out of his momentary shock. Quinn was surprised he had lasted this long without attempting to kill anyone. Aleksei made his move, lunging for Drake, and as he did so, his army mob
ilised. The Guardians sprang into action along with their own supporters, and, just like that, the battle began.
Quinn swivelled as vampires swarmed around her. Once again, their hesitancy to bite her proved to be a massive advantage. She fought back-to-back with Drake, meeting every opponent with the same sense of calm. There would be no more planning, no more second chances. This would be their final stand and, one way or another, it would all end tonight. She was acutely conscious of the deadly duel behind her as Drake and Aleksei faced off, but she forced herself not to turn around. Drake could handle himself. The others needed her protection.
She caught sight of the wolves, banded together and creating an archway toward the doors, through which Monique was escaping into the night with Jonas right behind her. Quinn knew better than to believe the girl was fleeing. Monique was fetching her primary weapon. Glancing up at the high, domed ceiling, Quinn realised they needed to get outside into the ruined remains of the City itself. The Orochian was an effective weapon, but he could do nothing unless his targets were visible and exposed. If he tried to breathe his fire into the Cathedral he would kill them all.
Daniel, who had also seen Monique’s departure, had obviously come to the same conclusion and he and Quinn started mobilising their people, forcing them toward the gaping holes where the stained glass windows had once been. There was a massive opening behind the Rose Gate, through which Quinn could see the fountain of youth and she backed up slowly, heading toward it, although every step away from Drake pained her. Her plan worked, however, and her pursuers followed. Prowling a wary circle around her they tried to find an opening to attack her without using their fangs. It didn’t take long for one brave vampire to come up with a plan. Lifting an oversized boulder of marble from the floor of the Cathedral, he ran at Quinn, no doubt hoping to smash her head in. The plan was as foolish as it was foolhardy, but Quinn admired his gumption. Unfortunately for the vampire, raising the boulder exposed his entire chest and it was the easiest thing in the world for Quinn to spear his heart with the sword.
“Anyone else got any bright ideas?” she asked the group of vampires converging around her and she could have sworn she heard Austin chuckle behind her.
The other Guardians took their lead from Quinn and Daniel, and soon everyone but Drake and Aleksei was out in the open air. Quinn caught glimpses of the two through the opening as she fought, but she could not make out who was winning, or if either was injured. She could only pray that Drake was winning. She couldn’t see Wintyr or Enah anywhere, and, despite getting the vampires outside, there was no sight of the Orochian.
On and on Quinn fought, her arms never growing tired, her body never failing her. She struck with precision and deliberation, aiming to kill, not wound, and dozens of vampires fell to her sword. It took a while before the vampires came up with a new plan. Quinn almost laughed out loud when a large, muscular blonde with tousled hair and red lipstick declared suddenly, “I don’t believe she’s the Slayer. What proof do we have?” With that, she threw herself on Quinn, sinking her fangs deep into the tender flesh in the hollow of her collar bone. Quinn was so surprised she almost dropped the sword.
“Well that worked out well,” she drawled, as the blonde disintegrated, leaving a grey streak down her arm. Her neck stung slightly and her arm was bruised where the vampire had dug her nails in to hold Quinn in place, but other than that she felt fine. She was healing already and the vampires were now so hesitant to touch her that she had plenty of time to recover. She used the breathing room to check on the others, her eyes skimming the anarchy around her.
The other Guardians were not faring as well. Piper had taken a devastating blow to the head and was being dragged out of the fray by Lenora, who took action against Piper’s attacker with venom. Tristan was doing nothing of value. Instead he ran through the crowd calling Avery’s name. Despite all his shortcomings, Quinn had to admit that, in his own twisted way, Tristan really did love her sister. Quinn could see Avery a few yards to the left, holding her own against a group of vampires. Avery fought dirty, the darkness in her allowing no compassion or honour to influence her. It was effective, if a little disturbing. Daniel and the other Hunters were wreaking the most havoc, fighting as a team, and setting their foes up for failure, but Quinn noticed that Braddon was their weakest link, his fear for his daughters overriding his focus.
Unfortunately, valour was not a vampire strong suit. Realising they couldn’t kill her easily, the vampires started moving away, opting for targets that were easier to dispose of. As the crowd around her thinned, Quinn began swinging the sword. If they wanted to give her a clear line, she would use it to the best of her ability. She rotated on the spot, the sword arcing higher and higher as she decapitated vampires left, right and centre. They tried to leap out of the way, but Quinn was too quick for them and soon she was almost knee-deep in ash.
Bursts of light lit up here and there as the Fae fought with their recently returned magic. Quinn was surprised though, that their flashes of light didn’t kill the vampires. They seemed, rather, to stun them and, as Quinn stepped over the immobilised body of a vampire on the ground, she wondered just how long the magic would hold. It wasn’t the wisest strategy, but then again, the Fae were a peaceful nation and she couldn’t expect them to kill, even if in self-defence. Quinn quickly drove her sword through the vampire’s heart. The Fae might not have it in them to kill, but she would do anything in her power to protect the people she loved.
A moment later, she heard a scream and turned to find Freya cowering over the body of Harlan, Anaise’s husband. The thought of Velkan having lost his father was heart-breaking and Quinn lost her temper.
“Stop stunning them!” she roared, seizing Freya by the shoulders and shaking her. Freya still had her bow at the ready, but her quiver was full. It astounded Quinn that the Fae would kill with their arrows but that they wouldn’t use their magic for the same purpose. “You have to kill them!” Quinn continued. “Your magic could be the only thing that can save us. For Eldon’s sake, Freya, use it!”
“We’re trying!” Freya gasped, her face a mask of fear. “It’s just not working!”
“What?” Quinn hadn’t even considered this. She assumed the Fae were intentionally holding back. “What do you mean it’s not working?”
“We draw our power from the royals,” Freya explained, “from Drake, in particular.”
“He hasn’t tapped into his full power yet,” Quinn gasped, horrified.
“Maybe,” Freya said, “or maybe he hasn’t really tried.”
Quinn’s face pinched into a hard, tight line at the implication. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that either he’s not strong enough to do this, or,” she tore her eyes from Quinn’s and stared straight at the ground, “or he doesn’t really want us to hurt them.”
Quinn opened her mouth to deny it, but, as she did, Freya’s eyes widened as she stared at something over Quinn’s shoulder. Leaping to her feet, Freya nocked her bow, letting her arrow fly. It whizzed over Quinn’s head and she turned to see a vampire fall just behind her.
“We’re not afraid to use our magic,” Freya insisted, gazing down at Quinn, her chest heaving, “we just don’t have it yet.”
“You’ll get it,” Quinn spoke with utter conviction. “Wintyr said it would take time for Drake to absorb it all. Just hang on and stay alive until then.”
She stayed with Freya for a while after that, terrified that something might happen to her. Quinn couldn’t bear the thought of Sage growing up without a mother. Even so, it wasn’t long before they got separated. The vampires had finally wised up and realised that, if they couldn’t bite Quinn, they could at least take her down by force and she was suddenly bombarded with adversaries, all attacking at once. Quinn fought violently against them, knowing that if they managed to pin her hands she would be in serious trouble. The stakes at her waist could just as easily be used to stake her own heart as a vampire’s, and Isaiah was proof that t
he sword could kill her. If her enemies got their hands on her weapons, she was as good as dead. Suddenly fighting for her life, Quinn lost track of the others. She didn’t even have time to check on what was going on around her, but she did hear Daniel shouting instructions from time to time. She felt a blessed relief when his voice rose above the sounds of the fighting, ordering the Hunters to help her. Quinn’s opponents had been getting dangerously closer to pinning her down and Daniel’s aid couldn’t have come a moment sooner.
“You looked like you could use a hand,” Daniel said, as he staked a vampire who had been sneaking up on her left.
“Indeed,” Quinn smiled gratefully.
Oliver was the first Guardian to fall. It was inevitable that many of them would not live to see the end of this night but his loss was no less painful for that knowledge. Oliver screamed as two vampires overpowered him, sinking their fangs into his neck and Quinn’s own scream pierced the night air. She saw the glint of his wedding ring as he fell and the thought of Mrs Winchester crucified her. There would be no happy reunion. Oliver would never get to say goodbye. Instead, his wife would spend the rest of her life wondering what had happened to him. Quinn felt the responsibility of his death bearing down on her. He had been untrained and completely unprepared and yet she had brought him here. Vowing that she would find his wife and she would thank her and tell her that her husband had died a hero, Quinn moved forward. She ran toward the two vampires who had bitten Oliver, determined to avenge him, but Austin was too quick for her. His stake blossomed through the chest of the first vampire and a second later, Piper followed suit with the second. Unnoticed by either of them, Quinn witnessed Austin squeeze Piper’s hand before they turned back into the battle, the adoration on Piper’s face plain to see.
Guardians of Summerfeld: Full Series: Books 1-4 Page 99
