“Why are you here?” The blonde asked calmly, but Leo wasn’t fooled by the woman’s tone. Standing this close, she could feel the ripples of power coming off the blonde. She tightened her grip on the silver ball.
“I am an Eternal and I want to request an audience with the Queen.”
“An Eternal?” The blue eyes held a look of confusion.
The other woman, a beautiful, petite redhead stepped forward, her green eyes suspicious as they roamed over her.
“I have heard of your kind.” Her gaze was fixed on Leo, but she spoke to the blonde. “Many centuries ago, Lecrac decided to inject fresh blood into the Royal Race, but some of the newly-made Royals had trouble controlling their bloodlust. A group of them went on a rampage and attacked a small village in Greece.” The green eyes sharpened and Leo could feel the woman’s senses trying to breach her mental block. “The Clan Royals arrived just in time to stop the massacre. They managed to save a hundred of the fallen, turning them.” The redhead cocked her head slightly as she studied Leo closely. “They were called the Eternals, a hundred warriors; part Royal, but not fully Royal. They were never to convert another being and had to ensure that their number stay consistent; exactly one hundred, no more and no less.”
Leo smiled, impressed. Not many knew of their existence. The redhead must be a high ranking Royal to be privy to such information.
“You are correct, milady,” Leo answered politely.
“Your clan shun the spotlight. What made you wander this far, Eternal?” Now the green eyes were openly suspicious.
“We have had a few fatalities of late at the hands of Mary and her army. I wish to call upon the Queen’s wisdom.” Good comeback, Leo, she praised herself. She hoped the redhead would believe her and not pry any further.
“Does the Queen know that you’ve left the village?”
Hades, they had been as thorough as time permitted in their planning. How could she forget? The Queen authorized all travels from the island. But they hadn’t expected to be under cross-questioning. The idea was simply to ambush and get out before her presence was detected.
“No, I doubt if she knows. But…”
The door suddenly opened and a beautiful, human female stepped out. She raised a sable eyebrow. Leo assumed that this must be the daughter. She’d heard about the Royal couple’s offspring, but had never seen her before. Two more women appeared behind her, both human. This is really getting complicated now, Leo mused. She had to act before the opportunity was lost.
“Mother, what …?” the brunette began to ask, but the blonde quickly stepped toward her daughter, as if to shield her from Leo’s eyes.
Leo swallowed and fingered the ball again. Molan promised it would work. It was time to put it to the test. She crushed the ball between her fingers and dropped it to the carpeted floor. A brilliant light flooded the hallway, blinding them all, but not before Leo saw the rage in the sapphire eyes, then darkness enveloped her.
†
Tahlia roared, enraged, as she flung the guard away from her. Jemima! She glanced over at Pierre and Paloma and saw the alarm in the eyes of both warriors. They had felt it too. Something had happened. She turned to Pierre.
“I will go immediately.” His voice was still echoing although his body had already dissolved.
Paloma nodded at the silent question in Tahlia’s eyes. Yes, duty comes first … unfortunately. This was their only chance to destroy Mary. Both turned back as a new wave of renegades descended on them.
There was no reply.
Still no answer. Her heart pumped erratically, as full-blown panic set in and Tahlia felt the beast rearing inside, clawing desperately at her insides. With her inner turmoil rising, all rational thought slipped and she let the beast free. Her transformation was fast, the beast eager to vent its rage and anxiety. The huge black wolf charged into the throng of renegades, tearing and snapping bones as it ploughed through the enemy.
†
Outwardly, Paloma looked unaffected, as her sword unceasingly slashed through flesh and bone. Her body automatically went through the deadly motions, but her mind was screaming desperately for her wife.
< Inger?>
The silence echoed loud in her mind.
Silence.
A long red tear streaked down her cheek. She had never been this scared in all of her two thousand year existence.
She knew that Tahlia never made promises she couldn’t keep, but Paloma’s biggest fear was not finding them, but being in time to save them. She made a quick head count and noted that only a few renegades remained. But with Mary still alive the battle was far from over. Finding it difficult to remain in her human form, battered by anxiety and thoughts of her wife, she too called her beast to the surface.
The beast was a skilled killer, merciless and vengeful. The two beasts quickly dealt with the remaining guards and simultaneously made a run for the entrance to the castle.
Time was against them.
†
Clarissa wiped her bloody sword on the body of the last guard and turned to find Jonas staring back at her, his face pale.
“Something happened to the women. Pierre went to investigate.”
Clarissa felt her heart clench in panic at the news. Jessica! They were all together. She quickly reached out mentally, her heart beating wildly in her chest.
When there was no immediate response, she turned back to Jonas. If anything, Jonas never panicked, but the look of dread on his face made her fall to her knees.
“This cannot be happening,” Clarissa gasped, the pain in her chest was so great, it caused her to drop the heavy sword. “I … I am not capable of living without her.”
Jonas came over to where she sat, dejected, but before he reached her, a faint sound caught his attention. Clarissa heard the sound too and quickly lifted her head just in time to see two fast moving arrows coming directly at her chest. There was a sudden blur and she felt herself sliding across the cold tile floor until she crashed against the wall. She quickly jumped to her feet, alert and ready for battle. She scanned the long dark corridor and glanced at Jonas. He stood there, his back turned to her and she sighed in relief at finding him unhurt. The next moment his knees buckled and his huge frame crumbled to the floor.
“Jonas!” She rushed over to his side and gently turned him over. She gasped when she saw the two protruding arrows lodged high in his chest. His eyes were still alert as he looked at her.
“They are nearby. Do not be concerned about me. As a Royal, duty comes first.” He closed his eyes for a second. “Find them and destroy them. This is your chance at salvation, sister. Go now.”
“I cannot leave you like this, my brother.” A sob escaped her. She had already lost Jessica; she couldn’t lose Jonas too. He was her family. He was the only one she could truly call her own.
“You have a bigger family than just me, sister. Go, make me proud. Find them and take your revenge.” He reached out a hand and took hers in a steely grasp. “Go now. It is an order. I am still your Prince.”
She nodded and walked over to where her sword lay.
“Please, be alive when I get back, brother. I refuse to lose you too.”
Jonas smiled faintly at her and nodded. “Go now.”
Her senses on high alert, she slowly scanned the hallway, probing every nook until she was sure that nobody lay in wait for her. Not familiar with the layout of the castle, she slowly made her way down the hallway. Her whole body vibrated with anticipation, making her skin highly sensitive to any little movement or change in the air. She suddenly felt burning eyes on her and quickly turned, looking back to where Jonas was lying. Standing over his prone figure were two huge wolves, one midnight blac
k and the other as white as snow.
< Paloma and Tahlia are here now.>
The Calvary had arrived. She turned back and ducked just in time to see a blade flashing before her. She quickly dropped to one knee, at the same time bringing her sword up in a powerful flick. There was a hiss of pain and her assailant stepped back into the shadows. She was just about to pursue the faceless assailant when the door at the far end of the hallway burst open and Trinity stormed through. They made eye contact for a moment, before the redhead turned back and fired off a round of bullets felling four guards.
In the short moment that their eyes had met, Clarissa had seen the same desperate look in the green eyes, which she was sure, was reflected in her own eyes. It was obvious that Gabriella’s well-being was also on the redhead’s mind.
She carefully stepped into the dark shadows, which had swallowed her now wounded attacker, her eyes and ears tuned in finely for any movement or sound. She felt a soft draft coming over her skin and she quickly stepped behind a pillar, cloaking her presence. Nothing happened, but a breeze still blew lightly over her. She slid sideways against the wall, pushing deeper into the darkness. There is an opening somewhere, she thought as her eyes pierced the darkness. She finally saw it, a small hidden opening between the pillars. This must have been the entrance the first wave of guards came through. No wonder it looked like they appeared out of nowhere. Mary was a master strategist.
Clarissa slipped through the opening and came to an abrupt halt. A cluster of memories raced through her mind. She knew this part of the castle. These steps led to the cellar. The place where she’d spent four hundred years in captivity. She had never been allowed in any other parts of the castle, but she remembered this area clearly from that night she had escaped over four years ago. She had used the other exit leading to the servant quarters then.
“Feels like home, does it not?” A voice said behind her and she felt the hair rise on the back of her neck. She was so overwhelmed by the familiarity of the place and its memories that she had forgotten she was stalking an enemy. She heard the faint sound of a sharp blade cutting through air and in her mind she envisioned the sharp blade coming toward her. Using preternatural speed, she whirled around, sidestepping the blade which came dangerously close to splitting her in two.
Her eyes locked with those of Geoff, before she pushed her hand into his chest cavity, going straight for his heart. She saw the fear in her former jailer’s eyes, as he realized that his end was eminent. Clarissa felt her hand curl around the warm organ, as it thumped rapidly in her palm.
She slowly pulled her hand back, as in her mind’s eye she saw the terrified, pleading servants pushed into the cage toward their deaths. She saw herself, a cadaverous creature, starved within an inch of its life, pouncing on them, ripping into them, one by one, while the others trembled in fear as they awaited their turn. To this moment, she could still taste their fear. Their pleas and screams still echoed in her mind. A silent tear trailed down her cheek. To all of you, who had to die so the monster could live, rest in peace. Your senseless deaths have been avenged. This was the closest she would ever come to a prayer. With that she jerked her hand out of the renegade’s chest. Mid-air, his sword dropped out of boneless fingers and clattered to the floor.
“This is for all the innocents you have led to their deaths. Now their souls can seek eternal peace.” Visualizing a flame, she tossed the heart away from her, watching as it burst into flames. Soundlessly Geoff crumbled to the floor in a heap.
She felt a soft prickle down her spine and turned, but not before she felt a sharp, burning sensation in her side. Her movements slightly hindered by the searing wound, Clarissa still managed to push her sword forward. The move was so fast that even Mary, who stood very close to her, blinked in surprise. The renegade princess’ face held a stunned look, as she looked down at the sword which was buried up to its hilt in her stomach. Capitalizing on Mary’s frozen state, Clarissa quickly stepped closer and buried her fangs deep into the renegade’s neck. Mary was the last surviving member of the Renegade Council.
As Mary’s blood seeped into her system, Clarissa accessed a crypt of immeasurable information. Some of the things she accessed from Mary’s memories made her realize just how critical it was that Mary should not, at any cost, be allowed to live a moment longer. Once she was sure she had all the information she needed and had locked it away safely, she stepped back from Mary and looked into her dazed eyes.
“Greet Tristan for me when you see him in hell.” With that she jerked her sword upward and cleaved Mary in two, thus bringing an end to the bloody reign of Mary Huntington. She stepped away from the bloody mass at her feet. It was finally over. Tristan’s dream of a world ruled by renegades was dealt a massive blow with the simple thrust of her sword. She stumbled back to lean against the wall, as she slowly and mentally began to heal herself from four hundred years of pain, humiliation and guilt. She refused to allow Tristan and Mary’s cruel legacy to live through her. She had found her salvation and it was time to look toward the future with Jessica by her side. She stiffened and pushed away from the wall.
Jonas and Jessica!
She made a mad dash to where she’d left Jonas. Trinity stood there waiting for her.
“The others left a few minutes ago. We have to get back to the hotel.”
They both dissolved and streaked out of the castle. Outside, they found a clean-up team from the agency already busy disposing of the bodies scattered in the garden.
†
Molan couldn’t breathe. It was impossible to do so with the unrelenting pressure on his throat. Tiny stars were exploding before his eyes, but still, the pressure didn’t let up. He forced his eyes open and shivered at the rage he saw in the ice-blue depths of the warrior.
“I … If you … let me go … I could … try and see … what went wrong,” he forced through a bruised throat.
“Too late, old man.” The warrior’s voice was eerily calm, even as her grip on his neck tightened. “You have just signed my death warrant.”
Molan clawed at the vice-like grip around his neck. The warrior was huge and incredibly strong and she had him by the neck, his feet dangling at least a meter from the floor. He could understand her rage. He, too, almost fainted from shock when they all appeared in his chamber instead of the Queen’s mate alone. Gellar, his old friend had sworn to him that the crystal would work and he had trusted him. Now, he had to pay the price for trusting his friend unreservedly. How he regretted the promise he had made to seeing the prophecy fulfilled.
About two centuries ago, he was called to the deathbed of his longtime friend and mentor. Saddened by the news of his friend’s imminent death, he had rushed from Greece to be at Gellar’s side. In between painful bouts of coughing, Gellar had told him about the curse of the Outlanders, a noble, but fast diminishing race. In his 900 years of existence, Molan had heard of the Outlanders, but had never actually met one. Thus, when Gellar mentioned the elusive race, he was captivated. Then the prophecy followed. Though intrigued by the tale, he was still skeptical about what he had heard. But when Gellar handed him the crystal, Molan couldn’t help but pledge his word and life to guarantee the execution of the prophecy.
Hopefully, all was not lost, despite the position he found himself in now. All he had to do was convince Leo to spare his life so that he could salvage the situation and hopefully save both their lives. Time was of the essence here. The cosmos had granted them this slight window, the thirteenth hour as was stipulated in the prophecy, to achieve their goal.
“Killing him will not buy you time, you know.” A cool voice said suddenly and both Molan and Leo turned to the owner of the voice.
Standing with her hands on her hips, her eyes blazing with fury, the Queen’s consort glared at them. Upon their appearance in his chamber, Molan at least had the presence of mind to quickly cast a blocking spell to prevent the Royal vampiress from contacting her deadly mate. Now they were all trapped behind an impenetrable,
but invisible cage.
When the woman spoke, Leo’s grip had loosened slightly. Grateful for the distraction, Molan quickly slipped out of the warrior’s grip. Leo glanced at him and he could see that she was debating whether or not to finish what she had started or whether to pay attention to the irate Royal. The ice-blue eyes dulled unexpectedly. Molan was relieved and a little worried by the warrior’s sudden change in posture. Gone was the confident, almost arrogant posture that sometimes grated on his nerves. The warrior’s massive shoulders sagged and she threw herself into a chair, staring into space. At least she wasn’t threatening murder anymore, Molan thought as he carefully made his way over to Jemima. He smiled warmly.
“Milady, I apologize for the inconvenience, but I promise to return you all as soon as we are done here.”
“I have no idea what you are planning to do with us, but you should know that you have brought the wrath of our mates upon your heads.” This time it was the redheaded vampiress who spoke, her green eyes glittering like emeralds in her heart-shaped face.
“Mates?” Molan blinked as his eyes slid over the five women.
“Yes, mates as in more than one,” the redhead snapped sarcastically.
Out of the corner of his eye, Molan saw Leo slowly come to her feet. She stepped closer, her gaze intense as she looked at the group of women.
“When you say mates, who exactly are you referring to?” Leo asked slowly. Her ice blue eyes were dark as she studied the women.
The redhead smirked suddenly and Molan couldn’t help but feel a slight shiver run down his spine. This didn’t sound good. Not good at all. The Queen alone was a deadly adversary, but if more Royals were involved then … By Hades, he doubted if he would be able to save Leo and himself after all.
“My mate is Pierre Lafayette. Amongst the humans you have the mate of the Assassin and …” She didn’t get to finish her sentence, because Leo threw her hands up and turned to Molan.
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