Lenina leapt off the stage, back into the battle.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ray’s frantic cry followed as Lenina ran across the grass. She ran while her heart screamed in fear and her head pounded at the unfairness of it all. The truth of her father, Kallisto’s rage, her own foolish mission. She ran, knowing if only she could reach Shawn in time, one person, just one, might escape from this terrible night unscathed.
Four long lengths of chain shot passed her, two on the left, two on the right. They sliced through the air clanking and clinking, cutting through the melee like the path of a falling star. In perfect harmony, they split and jerked to the sides, sweeping bodies clear in a passage two feet wide.
Lenina felt rather than saw her father watching. Knew he was the one to help her.
She ran on, watching the chains form a dancing circle around her, moving when she did. As she pressed on, the chains whipped and coiled, slashing at those trying to work their way closer. Soon, a trail of bruised and bleeding bodies littered the ground behind.
A big, black wolf slid beneath the deadly circlet, loping along at her side.
He barked happily, ears pricked forward, mouth hanging open, tail thrust into the air.
Darryl . . .
Seconds later he darted out again, diving at Zoë, all fangs and claws. Though she twisted away, he matched her stride for stride and grabbed her foot between his powerful jaws. While she screamed and kicked, he dragged her away, dancing out of range of her flailing fists.
The chains widened their loop to include Kallisto and Shawn, blocking off all attempts to join them.
They were alone.
Kallisto released her fangs from Shawn’s throat and held him out before her. He swayed like a doll, breathing an uneasy rasp. Both eyelids fluttered but refused to open. ‘Red Fang is an order older than anything you’ll ever know. Our ways are ancient and respected by immortals all over the world. In the space of one night you’ve brought everything we stood for to ruin.’
She raised her hands. ‘I never wanted that. But you must be able to see that things have changed.’
‘Because of you!’
‘Because of Dad. Why won’t you let him help?’
Her lower lip wobbled. ‘I am no longer his daughter—you heard him.’ The words cracked. A tear of purest red slipped down her cheek.
‘I’m sorry—’
‘Your apologies mean nothing!’ Through the agony her rage began to seep through. ‘You’ve taken so much from me, Lenina Miller. I’ll repay that pain tenfold before I kill you.’ She bit Shawn again, drawing his life’s blood into her mouth.
Lenina charged, a tackle that sent her and the smaller god-touched rolling across the grass, in a violent tangle. She landed on the bottom with Kallisto on top.
Shawn slumped on to his face, his breathing low, blood oozing from multiple wounds.
Cold hands with the strength of steel closed about her throat and began to squeeze. Lenina forced her fingers into the tiny gaps, trying to prise her way free. There was no give. The whole time Kallisto leaned forward and whispered into her ear.
‘I’ve killed your human pet. Now I’ll kill you. I’ll watch your body turn to sand. Maybe then Saar will know what it is to feel real pain.’
She rolled them over, straining backwards as she ended up on top. It made no difference.
‘You may be of The Blood, Lenina Miller, but you’re young. I’ll rob you of breath until you faint dead away, then I’ll slice your slender throat. I’ll push a blade through your heart and run the sand through my fingers. But not before you watch the last light fade from your human’s eyes.’
The world began to dim. Foggy darkness crept in at the edges of Lenina’s vision as her head seemed to swell. She groaned, fighting again, rearing back, twisting, scratching, anything to be free of those hands on her throat.
It seemed so stupid after all she’d been through. To die because her human need to breathe lingered in spite of her other vampire powers.
Other vampire powers . . .
Almost as if Saar still lived within her, the words echoed through her mind like an order. Craning her neck, she looked towards the stage, found her father still manipulating lengths of chain around the platform to keep other vampires at bay. She saw his dagger dancing through the air, dipping, slashing, cutting, stabbing.
Though the presence in her mind was gone, the memories were there. The knowledge. The ancient power.
Lenina released her grip on Kallisto’s clawing fingers and extended her hand towards the stage. Ray stumbled in the middle of a kick, his head whipping round to face her. He shouted something, the words lost on the air. Then he put out his own hand, a gesture that mirrored hers.
The bronze weapon shot towards her point first, curving easily through the gaps in the crowd. It slammed into the grass near her face, blade sinking three inches into the earth.
As her fingers closed over the hilt and yanked it free, the familiar sense of ownership sang through her skin, enlivening her, lending strength. She sliced down with it, aiming the point at Kallisto’s chest. At the last moment she twisted her wrist, plunging the blade into Kallisto’s stomach instead.
The choking hands loosened.
Lenina took a huge gulp of air. It seared her throat and lungs but that taste of sweet, sweet oxygen was the best she had ever experienced. The gap was all she needed to tear free of Kallisto’s grip, though not without sacrificing several strips of skin. She rolled across the grass, an awkward backwards motion that landed her beside Shawn. She scrambled to her knees and pulled him into her lap, checking his chest for signs of movement.
His eyes were closed, his face pale. The long lengths of his dreadlocks were matted with blood and sticky red choked each of the bite marks on his neck and wrist. His chest lifted a tiny fraction, then stilled.
‘Shawn?’ She slapped his cheeks. ‘Shawn!’
Kallisto pulled the dagger from her stomach. She chuckled. ‘Yes, girl, he’s dead. And now it’s your turn.’ She released the dagger but it didn’t fall. Instead it moved with a mind of its own, stabbing into Lenina’s injured thigh.
Lenina screamed as the blade began to twist. Blood bubbled from the horrendous wound, bright and sweet smelling. Tears flooded her eyes. Panting, she grabbed the hilt and held on to stop it twisting further. Blood slipped between her fingers, until the weapon was almost impossible to hold. She clung on.
‘I know you’re hurting.’ Lenina gasped through gritted teeth. ‘But this isn’t the way.’
‘I see you two steps from death and I am satisfied.’
The blade twisted again, and Lenina knew it would keep carving unless she got it out. She pulled. Strained. A wave of weakness washed over her, then faded back like waves on the shore. Shrieking, she jerked the dagger free. Blood scattered into the air and over Shawn’s face.
Lenina staggered. Dizziness swept in and out.
Her legs wobbled and dumped her on the floor beside Shawn. He still hadn’t moved.
He’s dead too. No, no no!
Her hand twitched on the dagger hilt. Released.
‘That’s right,’ Kallisto whispered. ‘Accept the futility of your fight against me. Know you have already lost. You may have Saar’s memories and strength, but you don’t have his real power. You wouldn’t know what to do with it if you did.’
Shawn’s eyes snapped open. He stared blankly at the sky then screamed, a bone chilling note that went on and on. He thrashed across the ground, heels drumming the grass. Bubbles of white froth poured from his slack mouth while stinking black ooze dribbled from his nose and ears. His eyes rolled and glowed white for three startling seconds before winking back to normal.
Oh, God.
Horrified, Lenina scrambled back.
Seconds later, Shawn sprawled on his back, panting at the paling sky.
‘Shawn?’
He jerked around, watching her as though he had no idea who she was. His eyes narrowed, then grew dista
nt. The scream started low at first, soft and barely audible. But as the seconds ticked on, his voice rose to a keening wail and he pressed both hands to the sides of his head. ‘What’s happening?’
Lenina closed her eyes. The aura of his panic lapped over her, seeping into her mind until she could feel it pressing up against her own.
Laughter from Kallisto stopped her answering. ‘Perfect. Now, when I crush him you will not only see, but feel.’
A metallic clank dragged her eyes open. The circle of chains was gone, all four lengths lying on the floor in a loose ring around her.
No . . . not all four.
A fourth chain still moved, snaking forward and wrapping about Kallisto, binding her arms to her sides. When she opened her mouth, the last few links crammed between her lips.
‘Enough, Kallisto.’ Ray picked his way slowly through the scatter of dropped bodies, limping with one hand clutching his leg. ‘All of you! We’re done.’ He didn’t shout but every vampire present froze as he spoke. Many of the wolves took longer to still but a loud growl from Darryl’s black wolf form did the same job.
‘This fight is over. Unless you want me to start killing.’
Only then did Lenina realise that the bodies weren’t bodies at all, but living, breathing god-touched. Many of them moaned, clutching at bloody legs or limp arms, but each of them was alive.
Kallisto’s eyes burned with rage and the links creaked as she strained against them. One broke. Then another, and another until she was shaking her arms free and pushing the remnants off her body. ‘I should deny you,’ she spat. ‘Mercy has no place in the middle of a battle.’
‘Is that really what you think?’
‘It is the truth. Show mercy and your enemies will rise up to thwart you. Is that not what Mosi did?’
Ray’s eyes narrowed. ‘Fine.’
An instant later Kallisto screamed as blood gushed from her nose and ears. Fat red drops leaked from her eyes like tears. She crashed to her knees, whimpering, writhing, bleeding.
‘Daddy—’
‘Get your friend.’ His tone allowed for no argument.
Skirting Kallisto’s contorting form, Lenina grabbed Shawn by the elbow and heaved him upright. He clung to her like a child, still trembling, still flinching at every sound on the air. His nostrils flared.
‘I’ve got you, Shawn.’
She felt his surprise as he looked at her. Watched the wonder fill his eyes as he looked at her for the first time with fresh, god-touched eyes.
Ray addressed the crowd. ‘We’re done. Look at Kallisto, your First.’ Ray stepped back to show her off, but with her wailing and thrashing, she was hard to miss. In that moment she looked far more like a frightened child than ever she had. ‘I did that and I can do that to any one of you. I choose not to.’
At last she stopped screaming. Kallisto trembled as she stood, wiping wet, red stains off her face and mouth. Her eyes faded to black, but even anger couldn’t sustain her for long. She sank to her knees with her hands in her lap, softly, silently weeping.
Silence.
Ray nodded and walked back to the stage. When he reached it, Grace leapt down and threw herself into his arms, stroking his head, kissing his face.
With a firm grip on Shawn’s hand, Lenina limped her way through the stunned crowd, stopping at the bottom of the stage. She acknowledged her mother’s raised eyebrow with a nod. ‘I’ll be okay.’
A low growl came from behind. She spun around. Stumbled back.
The black wolf stood two feet away, legs spread wide, head dipped low, teeth exposed.
Lenina held her breath.
Now, outside the heat of battle, she was able to get a good look at him.
Larger than any real wolf, the top of his head stood level with her ribs. His legs were long and heavily muscled while his fur was long and shaggy. Paws the size of side plates thumped the earth while his plumy tail waved like a long, thick brush. A wad of blood choked the inside of his left ear. More wet stains matted the fur down his right side.
Ray leapt down from the stage and stood between them, his eyes faded to black. ‘The choice wasn’t just for Red Fang. Don’t make an enemy of me.’
After a pause Darryl tossed back his head and howled. Strangely beautiful, yet chilling on the ear and the shivers down Lenina’s spine worsened when other voices answered in a similar manner.
‘Good.’ Ray relaxed and beckoned Grace to join him on the grass. When she did, together they drew Jordan to the edge of the platform so Ray to pull him into his arms. ‘Let’s go, Chuck.’ Before he managed more than a handful of steps, Bomani shoved her way through the stunned crowd.
‘Wait, Lord Saar. I will join you.’
‘I’m not a lord,’ he said without turning.
‘Saar, then. Or Ray if you prefer.’
‘I do.’
‘“Ray” it is.’ She hurried after them, pushing her way through the crowd to get close. ‘I’ll admit you were hard to follow in the past, but I’d rather be with you than against you.’
Yameen watched warily, his face a mass of gore. A hole yawned on the side of his head, a bloodied lump of red jelly showing where his ear once was. ‘I too will join you.’ He tossed down the two steel daggers he held. ‘The prophesy is not as I expected, but I promised to follow you, Saar. I will continue to do so.’
One by one, more vampires began to stand and join the group behind Ray. By no means was it a large amount, but Lenina caught a glimpse of surprise in her father’s face. And misery in Kallisto’s.
‘Fools.’ The smaller god-touched wiped blood from her cheeks and chin. ‘You would leave me to follow this shadow of our once great father? I hope you choke on your choice.’ She called after Ray. ‘From this day forward Red Fang will never be whole. You have destroyed the single greatest power the world has ever seen, all for the sake of . . . her.’
Lenina flinched as the hot gaze swept over her. She wanted to speak, but nothing she could think of seemed appropriate. She chose to follow her father.
Kallisto’s damning voice rang in her ears as she walked. ‘Know this, Lenina Miller, he will use you as he once used me. His nature cannot be so changed that he forgets what he truly is. Saar, son of Yafeu, is a soldier and a captain. He commands, others follow.’
Chapter Thirty
As they left the garden, the first golden fingers of dawn crept over the horizon. In the paling night, the soft twitter of birds formed a low accompaniment to the rustle of marching feet through the damp grass.
At the front Ray marched with his head high and his son held tight against his chest. Grace gripped his arm, trotting to keep up with his powerful strides. Behind, Lenina walked with Shawn, one arm on his shoulder to guide him. He seemed unable to focus, his gaze constantly flitting across the grass, the trees, the house, the crowd of god-touched bringing up the rear. More than once he opened his mouth but no words left his lips.
Leaving the grass, the group crunched across the white gravel towards the cars, lining the driveway.
Bomani and Yameen stopped, sharing wary looks. ‘What should we do Lor—Ray?’
‘I’ll contact you.’ Ray shifted Jordan in his grip and spoke in hushed tones. ‘Spread the word as far as you can. Before Kallisto. Make sure people know exactly what happened here.’
Twitching the tails of her headscarf like a nervous tick, Bomani gave a sketchy half bow then beckoned a small cluster of men and women to follow her. Within moments the opening and slamming of car doors filled the air. One by one Yameen instructed his followers into cars, many of them cramming into vehicles clearly designed for a smaller number.
They drove away quickly, churning up gravel in little white geysers as they sped away into the growing light.
Ray kept walking, towards the rear of the line of cars surrounding a tall white fountain with a statue of child-cupid in the centre.
Lenina faced Shawn. ‘You okay?’ She frowned as he flinched and batted at the air. ‘Come here.’ A light nu
dge shifted him towards the fountain where she dipped a hand into the cool water. The clear drops slid down the back of her wrist as she used her moist palm to wipe dried blood off his face.
He shivered. ‘I keep hearing things. Like buzzing, or talking. Everything’s so bright.’
‘All of your senses are stronger now.’
‘Am I dead?’
‘. . . No.’
‘I’m a vampire?’
‘Yes.’
He sucked in a deep breath, held it, then released through pursed lips. ‘This can’t be real.’
‘I’m sorry. I know this isn’t what you wanted.’
‘You know nothing about me.’
Her stomach clenched. Before the tears could fill her eyes she turned away, staring at the fading glow of golden lights within the house. ‘Actually I do. That’s the problem, I know everything.’
Shawn drew his hand away. ‘Why am I so weak? I thought changing was supposed to fix everything?’
‘You need to give a tribute first . . . before you get the powers.’
His shoulders hunched against his ears. ‘Drink blood?’
Ray’s wave saved her from answering. He held open the door of a black family car with a wire mesh between the rear and middle seats.
Grace took the front passenger side while Lenina helped Shawn into the back, still avoiding his gaze. Jordan lay behind them beyond the mesh, wrapped in a scratchy red blanket that stank of dogs. Ray took the wheel.
As he drove along the gravel path, dark shapes followed on the right and left, flitting in and out of the trees lining the road. Half a mile away from the house a buckled pair of wrought iron gates showed where the others had made their exit. Instead of passing through, Ray stopped the car and peered into the darkness. He growled.
‘Chuck, take the wheel. Drive away in two minutes, whether I’m back or not.’ With no more explanation, he popped open his door and climbed out, vanishing into the trees on the left.
The silence in the car was thick enough to cut.
‘What is it?’ Shawn peered through the windows.
‘Someone’s out there.’
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