by Lyons, Rene
“I’m scared, Constantine.”
Her admission cut clean through him. “I know, elf. Trust me when I say this night will not be your last. We’ll get through this. I promise.”
He’d sacrifice himself and every member of the Order to ensure that vow.
“I trust you.”
God’s blood, her words brought to the forefront something in him that Constantine couldn’t readily identify. He swore his heart kicked to life. That, and the oddest sensation of terror, which he’d known only one time before—when the first lick of the flames had touched his flesh.
That fear ate away at him as they neared the small henge that stood in the center of a clearing in the center of the forest. The tall bleached stones, which gave off a subtle energy all their own, bore runes running down them. Almost as if she were acting on instinct, Constantine watched Lex walk toward a stone. Her lips moved but no words sounded out. Yet he heard them in his mind. A Druid rite had replaced her Catholic prayer.
“Ah, we’re here. I see you can feel it, Lexine. The magic of this place is part of you.”
Julian let Lex go. Constantine tried to tell her not to run, that she’d never get away from them on her own, but her mind was closed to him. He knew it was not by her own accord. His connection to her was severed. The magic had taken over inside of her.
Isobel, Constantine noted, was moved into the henge. “Put her there, near Ansuz.”
Constantine didn’t know much about the Druids, but during their time at Lowel, he had heard certain words. Ansuz was one of them. It meant knowledge, wisdom, and was the rune of the First.
Lex continued to walk toward one of the stones as if she were in a trance. It was her rune. Dagaz. And as soon as her palms flattened against the stone her eyes closed and she threw her head back with a gasp.
Julian rushed to her and took her by the shoulders. He led her away from the stone with a tsk. “Now, now, Lexine. We’ll have none of that.” Then to his men, “Position them where I instructed. Lenora at Sowilo. Put the Templar at Tiwaz. He’ll take Madeline’s place. We’ll be short Angelina, but you, Fredrick, will step in for her.”
The older Mackenzie brother gave Julian a curt nod. He ushered a catatonic Lenora to her appointed stone. Daria sauntered toward her lover. She cast a long, hard glare at Lex before she draped herself on Julian.
“And me, my love? Do I stay with you until we start?”
Julian pushed her away, careful not to let go of Lex. “No. You go and take your place at Uruz. If I need you I’ll summon you.”
Given the murderous expression that passed across Daria’s face, it seemed the bitch was none too pleased at being cast aside.
Julian looked at the sky and then back at Lex. By now, she seemed to have snapped out of her stupor. She looked to the others being forced into their positions for the ritual. When Julian took hold of her chin and made her look at him, a wealth of disgust emanated from her and hit Constantine like a truck.
“There is plenty of time before the ritual needs to begin. Plenty of time indeed.” Julian looked Lex over. Constantine, a sword leveled at his jugular, fought against his fury. Julian’s hands settled on Lex’s breasts, and though Constantine saw how hard she tried to prevent it, Lex began to cry. “Watch now, Templar, as I take your woman’s body and then take her blood.”
Unable to hold it back any longer, blind rage had Constantine lunging for him. The renegade moved out of the way with a laugh, dragging Lex with him. Isobel yelled for him to stop, that Julian was purposely provoking him. The blade Ian held at him scraped across his neck, opening a shallow cut. He paid it no heed. He let out a battle cry and rushed Julian as he tried to bite his way free of the ropes around his wrists. He skidded to a stop when the coward placed Lex in front of him, using her as a shield.
“Constantine. No.”
Constantine stopped dead at those two whispered words from Lex. Blood seeped from his neck and his wrists as he stood as still as death itself, his gaze locked on Lex. Her beautiful blue eyes were tear-filled. Her body, draped in long white robes, shook. The gentle wind lifted her cloud of black hair, billowing it around her ashen face. He knew, in that moment, that how she looked right then would stay with him for eternity.
Julian smiled at him with cool satisfaction. Constantine narrowed his eyes on the vampire, giving him a silent warning of the pain awaiting him in the very near future. “Temper, temper, Dragon. Give it free rein again and I’ll hurt her.”
“Hurt her and I’ll make your death take centuries.”
A hit with the hilt of a sword had Constantine letting out a low rumble of fury as he cast a menacing look out of the corner of his eye at Ian.
Julian tsked and cocked a brow arrogantly. “Oh, I don’t think so. This night belongs to me.”
Isobel went to move, but her guard lifted his sword at her. The tip of the blade ceased her movement. “I wouldn’t be too cocky if I were you, Julian. This night is far from over.”
In a fit of rage the renegade strode over, dragging a struggling Lex with him. His palm met Isobel’s cheek in a hard slap. She took the hit that snapped her head to the side with the grace of a queen. She straightened her shoulders and turned back to him, meeting his frosty glare with one of her own. Constantine now knew why Isobel had survived as long as she had. Her strength and pride knew no bounds and had caused her to endure through the ages when so many of their kind had perished.
“By the time dawn comes you’ll all be dead and I’ll be unstoppable.”
“No, Julian. By dawn you’ll be in Hell.”
“We shall see, now won’t we, Isobel?”
She leveled a look of cold determination at him. “The gods will protect us and you will fail.”
Julian looked amused by that. “Where are they, then?” He stepped back into the center of the henge. He released Lex, who again, seemed to be drawn to the Dagaz rune. As she shuffled toward it, her arms outstretched, Julian opened his arms wide and looked around. “Why aren’t they here now? And you.” He grabbed Lex back. She looked at him, all of her fear in her eyes. “Where is your God? Why isn’t He here to deliver you from death? He doesn’t care about you, Lexine. He doesn’t care you’re going to die tonight. He abandons us all. Isn’t that right, Draegon?”
“Fuck you, you miserable piece of shit.”
Julian smiled coldly at him before he turned his attention back at Lex, who continued to fight his hold on her. Constantine watched as the vampire ran his hands down the length of Lex’s arms. She shivered and tried to wrest herself away from him.
“Get your hands off of me.”
He brought his face close to hers. Close enough that Constantine went to rush him again. Ian, quick as lightening despite his large size, moved in front of him and put the tip of the sword at his throat. Isobel ordered him to stop. Lex’s beseeching gaze froze him in mid-step.
“I love you.”
The impact of her declaration hit Constantine directly in his heart.
Julian forced Lex to look at him. Constantine watched as the fight went out of her. Just like that. It seeped from her and left her with a broken will.
“You’ll do anything I want you to. Do you understand me?”
A weight crushed down on Constantine’s heart when Lex nodded. Her compliance infuriated him and had him pulling at the ropes, despite how they cut into his flesh, in a bid to break free of them and take out Julian.
Whether Lex meant to do it, or if it was her body going into overdrive, Julian screamed and jumped away from her. His smoking hands told Constantine that Lex’s power had surged through her and burnt him. If he didn’t know Julian was going to make her pay for that, he’d cheer on her daring.
As it was, when Julian stepped back to her, Constantine knew the shit was about to hit the fan. “That was a stupid thing to do, girl.”
He cracked her across the face caused Lex to stumble. Constantine roared, his fury exploding when he saw Lex’s blood. He pushed past Ian when Julian slic
ed Lex with his dagger. Lex leapt back, out of range of the blade just as Constantine reached them. Ian tried to grab him, but Constantine sidestepped him. He fisted his bound hands together and knocked Ian to the ground.
Isobel tried to fight her way free of the renegade holding her but it was clear she was no match for his strength. Lenora finally broke out of her stupor and let out a battle cry that rivaled even Constantine’s and attacked Malcolm. She jumped on the Scot’s back and sank her fangs deep into his throat. He howled and tried to shake her off, but with her arms and legs wrapped around him, and the death of her twin fueling her, he wasn’t about to get her off of him.
Daria made a mad dash for Lex, who gained her feet and tried to move out of the henge. Constantine saw all of this as if in slow motion. He leapt over Ian and grabbed for Julian, thinking to take the renegade down and reclaim his sword. Ian, however, wasn’t inclined to stay down for very long. The Scot jumped up and caught Constantine in the back with his blade.
Daria slipped a blade from her boot, caught Lex and pressed the knife to her throat. Lex stilled instantly. Julian moved out of reach, just as Constantine was forced to face Ian. Constantine used the renegade’s blade to his advantage. He waited for the perfect moment to lift his hands and have the blade cut through his ropes. Granted, the blade cut more than the ropes, but the deep gash up his right arm was a small price to pay for his freedom.
The rope hit the floor and Julian shouted out a warning as he wrested Lex away from Daria. “End him,” he demanded of Ian.
“I’m going to send you to Hell, Templar.”
“Come on then,” Constantine taunted. “Let’s get this done.”
Just before Ian attacked, Constantine saw Malcolm manage to get Lenora off of him and subdue her with a well-placed punch. He drew his sword and sliced her across her stomach.
“I look forward to sending you to the devil, Templar.”
“You first.”
Ian must have believed he had the advantage since Constantine had no weapon. Obviously the vampire had never fought a Templar before. Besides, his lack of weapon could easily be remedied with a well-timed attack.
With his gaze locked on the dagger sheathed at the Scot’s right hip, Constantine attacked. A punch to Ian’s face stunned the renegade long enough for Constantine to be able to pull free the dagger. Ian stepped back, but was too late. Constantine had possession of the dagger and went on the offensive.
Though a dagger was usually no match for a sword, in Constantine’s capable hand it evened the odds. A slice to the renegade’s right hand had him hissing with pain and giving a pathetic jab of his sword. Constantine sneered and cut the bastard again. He would have gone for the throat and ended the fight right then and there, but Ian had obviously anticipated that and protected the area.
Constantine was about to try for the throat again when he heard Lex’s scream. The bloodcurdling sound cut through the night a second before cold steel sliced down his back. It seemed another renegade had joined the fray.
Ignoring the agony exploding up his back, Constantine spun to face the renegade who’d cut him. Much to his surprise it was Daria. With a vicious growl, Constantine used his dagger on her, slicing her across the chest. She screamed and fell onto her back in a bloody mess. The dagger dropped from her hand, Constantine retrieved it and came to stand over her. Ian ran him through his upper left thigh. He paid it no mind. She attempted to get away from him but Constantine was faster than her. He impaled her throat and gave the blade a hard jerk to the right, widening the cut he’d already inflicted on her.
Daria burst into dust as Constantine went to use the daggers on Ian. As he fought the Scot, Constantine heard Isobel begin a low chant. It was followed by Lenora’s scream. Lex’s gasp came a second later and then silence, broken only by the sound of his fight with Ian.
Believing Lex might have been hurt, Constantine spared a sideways glance at her. It registered in his mind that she was unharmed a moment before Ian’s blade pierced his chest just below his heart.
As Constantine slid slowly to the ground, Lex screamed and tried to wrest herself from Julian’s bruising hold. She used her power to burn his hands and force him to release her. He did, but before she could reach Constantine, he’d grabbed her again. She was slammed against his chest and a blade poised at her ribs.
“Do that again and I’ll kill you, power or no power.” It was a threat Lex took to heart.
She didn’t doubt he’d do exactly that.
A soft weeping had her giving a quick glance at Isobel, who lay in Lenora’s lap. Her daughter cradled her as she wept tears of blood. The mother of The Order of the Rose was in much the same state as Constantine. The Viking-looking renegade had run her through the stomach to stop her chanting. It worked. Her words died on her lips as she slid to the ground in a puddle of her own blood.
“End him.”
Lex screamed in protest of Julian’s cold command and struggled to break free of his hold. The tip of the blade pierced her and she sucked in a hard breath.
“Please... ” The Scot lifted his sword high. “Please don’t do this.”
“Wait,” Julian ordered.
The disgruntled Scot lowered his sword. Lex’s relief knew no bounds.
“Lex, no. Don’t you beg that bastard for my life.”
Lex ignored Constantine’s voice in her head. To save him from Hell she’d do anything—risk anything—even her own soul. She’d not stand idly by and watch him be destroyed, especially not before his oath to God was fulfilled.
Julian smiled at her whispered plea. “Will you be a good girl and behave or do I have to make good on the threat and kill the Templar?”
“I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t hurt him anymore.”
“The bastard is going to kill me anyway, woman.”
“I won’t let you go to Hell,” she countered.
“Lex, goddamn it, don’t you do this.”
Since she wasn’t listening to the orders he yelled in her head, Lex didn’t understand why Constantine thought she’d listen if he physically yelled them at her.
“Shut up, Dragon,” Julian snapped. “We’ll leave him alive. For now. After all, we do need him for the ritual.”
“Thank you, God.” He heard Lex silently pray.
“I told you not to beg for me.”
“I love you too much to watch you die.”
Not that she had a choice in the matter. Given the blood he was rapidly losing, death might come to claim him regardless of what she did to counter it.
Though it took great effort, he gained his feet. He bled past the hand he had flattened against the wound on his chest. “They’re going to kill me anyway.”
“Did they stab you... ?” She didn’t finish the thought and was terrified of the answer. If they’d stabbed him through the heart he was as good as dead.
“No.”
Whatever Constantine might have said was cut off when Julian brought his hand to her throat. Lex knew a brief moment of fear when his hand tightened and her air was constricted. He lessened his hold and she dragged in a gulp of air.
“It’s time.” Lex’s fear returned. “Let us begin, shall we?” Julian drawled.
Panicking, Lex didn’t realize her power began to surge within her. It forced Julian to release her. Growling, be used his body to back her up until her back hit the Dagaz stone.
“I warned you about that.”
Self-preservation kicked in and Lex threw her hands up when Julian reached for her. “I didn’t do it on purpose.”
His hand ran down her hair. A long moment passed before he spoke to her. “No, you didn’t. The time is upon us.” His smile was deadly. “How does it feel, Hallowed, to be so close to death?”
Terrified, that’s how it felt, though she’d never admit as much to him. “Since I don’t plan on dying, I couldn’t tell you.”
“Such spirit in you. Fate chose you well, Lexine.” His hand caressed her check almost lovingly. “I had ho
ped we had more time with each other. I would have loved to sample the fire burning in your body.”
Oh, she was going to make sure he’d sample it, just not in the way he thought.
Lex willed the power inside of her to rise to the forefront. The burn began deep in her core. It hurt her heart as it spread through her, burning her from the inside out. She started to sweat. It dripped from her as the power of the Daystar built to a feverish peak. She glanced at Isobel, whose blood stained the ground around her and Lenora, who still wept silent bloody tears as she held Isobel’s limp body.
Calling on the powers that lay dormant in the earth, the elements awakened around her. Lex turned her face to the sky. The magic of the night flowed through her. She vaguely heard Julian call her name, demand her to look at him, but she was too far-gone in the power. She couldn’t fight it back if she tried. It surged, not just by her will, but by the very nature of what this night was.
