“What the hell are you doing?” Julius snatched her waist, ripping her off of it as she tried to claw his fingers from her dress. My mouth parted as I watched.
“I have to go back,” she groaned, then thumped her forehead with the heel of her palm. “No, shit. I don't. Elder, help me,” she groaned, reaching for Magnar with a desperate look in her eyes.
“You will follow us,” Magnar replied in a forbidding tone, his eyes as dark as the tunnel surrounding us.
Callie immediately fell still in Julius's arms, nodding firmly.
My own feet started guiding me back to the ladder and as I gazed down at the cross on my palm, I was sure it was my bond to Erik driving my movements. I forcibly shook off the feeling and joined my sister's side, taking her hand and eyeing the X on her own palm. “It's this. This is what's trying to drive you back to Fabian,” I said in realisation. This strange bond must have been the reason she'd thrown herself in front of the royal brother too.
Her eyes shimmered as she nodded. “Is this how Erik's been controlling you?” she asked, squeezing my hand.
A lump lodged in my throat and Julius raised an eyebrow at me.
I hesitated, not wanting to lie but not wanting to admit the truth either.
“It's making you want to go back to him, isn't it?” Callie asked.
“Yeah...it is,” I said, staying within the lines of the truth. But that's not the only thing making me want to go back.
“I hate them even more now for this. They're in our heads,” Callie growled and rage glowed in her eyes.
I crumbled, knowing I couldn't be honest.
“Yeah,” I muttered, despising myself for lying, but how could I explain to Callie that this mark only solidified my love for Erik? That I'd cared for him long before the wedding...
Callie sighed, seeming to take comfort in our shared predicament.
Julius led us down the tunnels and I kept close to my sister, knowing every step I took was putting more and more distance between Erik and I.
I'd said I'd go back to him, but how could I? What future could we ever really have together?
“How did you get to the city?” I asked, wanting to distract myself from my thoughts. We had so much to say to each other, but I couldn't bring myself to mention dad just yet.
She started recounting her story from the moment she'd left the Realm to when she'd taken the train to New York City and poisoned the blood supply.
When she told me about taking the slayers' vow, my heart juddered in my chest. She was bound by Magnar’s commands. But worse than that, she had sworn to kill the Belvederes. To kill Erik.
When Callie asked about my time in the city, I tried to keep it brief. I didn't mention half of what I should have about my time with the royals. I just couldn't bear to see her expression when I told her how I really felt. That I didn't want them dead like I used to. That some of them weren't all bad.
We walked on until the subject of Dad hung too heavily between us to avoid. I took Callie's hand and a ripple of energy flowed between us. “You were with him...when he died,” I whispered, pain lacing my tone. I didn't need to mention who I was talking about. She knew.
“Yes,” she said on a ragged breath. “And I know it sounds mad, but like I said, I can Dream Walk. I did it with him just before...”
I nodded, my eyes prickling as I waited for her to continue.
“I saw Mom too. They looked happy. I think maybe it was real in some way. I think they're out there somewhere, together.”
A solid lump formed in my throat, but I took an inch of comfort from her words. Perhaps Mom and Dad were together in an afterlife, waiting for us to join them someday. “I hope so.”
Julius led us to the ruins and I was relieved to leave the dank tunnels behind as we resurfaced above ground. It was the thick of night and I guessed it wouldn’t be too long before morning approached.
We came up near a crumbled old playground where a child's swing was moving back and forth in the breeze. I shuddered at the eerie sight, following Julius's broad form as he drew Menace from its sheath.
“Everyone feel for Familiars,” he commanded as Magnar released one of the large swords from his back.
I raised Nightmare, trying to do as he said and Callie eyed it with longing. The blade remained quiet and I hoped that meant we were safe.
“Here.” Magnar turned to Callie, passing him his other glittering sword. He'd taken it back after their conflict over Fabian. I wondered if he didn't trust her after what she'd done.
“Stay close,” he murmured to her, a pit of longing in his gaze. I glanced between the two of them, sensing something much stronger between them than just friendship.
As he walked on with Julius, I raised an eyebrow at Callie.
She rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what I was suggesting. We'd always been able to communicate by looks alone. Clearly she and Magnar were an item. And that made her situation a whole lot worse. She was tied to Fabian. A vampire who I had no trust for whatsoever. Anyone would have been better than him.
Raindrops speckled my cheeks as we walked, but the raging storm had died down enough that it didn't obscure our view anymore.
Julius waved us into an alley between two crumbling rows of buildings and we had to jog to keep up with his ferocious pace.
He didn't slow for a few hours and I was sure we'd long-since passed our old hideout at the bell tower.
When he finally dropped his speed a little, I hurried to his side, running my thumb over Nightmare's hilt. I wondered how long we’d be safe for. Surely the royals would send Familiars after us soon?
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“As far as possible,” Julius said. “I'm not taking any chances. The rain will keep our scent dampened so we'll use it to our advantage while we can.”
Magnar glanced back at Callie and I followed his gaze. She looked so small all of a sudden, like something had broken the strength which I'd seen in her just hours ago. She hugged her arms around herself. Our dresses were sodden and it was taking everything we could to keep the cold out. Walking at this pace was the only thing stopping me from succumbing to it. I wondered if she felt the same.
I turned to join her but Magnar beat me to it, dropping his voice as he spoke to her.
Her eyes warmed as she looked up at him and I left them to it, sensing they wanted a moment alone.
Julius threw me a dark smile. “So, that mark on your palm must be causing you a lot of trouble.”
I scowled at his jibing. “Yep.”
“I will cut off Erik Belvedere's head so you're rid of this cruel bond then.” Julius's eyes glittered with mirth.
I frowned darkly and whispered, “Don't say anything to Callie.”
“On your head be it,” he murmured then picked up his pace again. “I do not wanna be around when the truth comes out.”
I hurried to keep pace. “It won't.”
“Sure,” he said airily, halting at an intersection before taking a left turn.
I gritted my teeth as Nightmare poured heat into my veins.
I sighed, glancing back at the others to make sure they weren't listening. “We need to talk about the prophecy-”
He held up a hand to halt me then waved his arm in a sharp signal to Magnar. Taking my wrist, he dragged me into the nearest building.
“Don't you listen to your blade?” Julius hissed as Magnar and Callie sped into the ruined building opposite us.
I glanced down at Nightmare, realising it was warning me of something.
Julius pressed his finger to his lips, forcing me against a damp wall. The rush of large wings sounded overhead, followed by a soft cry.
Familiar, Nightmare whispered.
Julius took his bow from his shoulder, edging beneath a hole in the ceiling. He placed an arrow against the string, gazing up at it intently. He released it and I caught sight of the eagle just before it tumbled into dust.
I let out a breath as Nightmare fell quiet again. Julius
gave me an intense look. “When Nightmare connects with you, it is trying to tell you something. Pay attention.”
I bit into my lip, feeling berated. “Okay,” I muttered.
My shoulders started shuddering from the cold. Since we’d stopped moving, the tiny piece of warmth I'd held onto from walking had abandoned me.
Julius strode toward me with a frown, shrugging out of his dark jacket and handing it to me. “Take it, no questions.”
I pulled it on and the heated sleeves were a blessing. “That's the second time you've given me your clothes,” I said, recalling the robe he’d given me once.
His mouth pulled up at the corner. “Yes, if I continue to do so, perhaps you'll have me naked one day.”
“Julius,” Magnar growled as he ducked his head through the doorway. “Stop flirting and start walking.”
My cheeks flamed as I followed Julius out onto the quiet street. Callie eyed my jacket with a glimmer of interest and my gaze fell to her bare shoulders. No goosebumps lined her skin. It hit me that she was a slayer now and the cold obviously didn't bother her in the way it did me.
As I walked amongst the group, I felt suddenly adrift. They were united by their vow, their blood, their cause. And I held a secret in my heart which went against all of that. One which I would more-than-likely have to take to the grave. If Julius didn't spill it first...
Three more hours passed and I could sense dawn was close. My feet ached as Julius finally guided us toward a tall building with a balcony jutting from the side of it. One half of the structure had fallen down, but the rest seemed fairly intact.
“We'll stop here. It's the highest building around so we'll be able to keep a lookout,” Julius announced.
My hair was plastered to my cheeks and I was exhausted right through to my bones. Annoyingly, none of the others looked as bedraggled as I felt. I guessed that was another slayer gift. I was so tired, I almost wanted to take my vow just so I could feel a little less like the walking dead.
We moved inside and I took in the frosty but fairly dry space before us. A cold wind drilled through a hole in one wall and Julius moved past it, heading up a stone stairway.
We followed, rising four levels and finding ourselves in a much more appealing room with floorboards and even some old furniture dotted around the space. Magnar strode to the opposite wall, pushing a door open and revealing the balcony beyond it. “Good. This will do. Two of us can keep watch and two of us can fetch supplies.”
I didn't like the idea of remaining here in the cold. The sooner I found some dry clothes, the better. Julius seemed to be on the same line of thought as he scrutinised me. “Me and Montana will go. She needs to get out of those clothes. And I'm just the man to help her.”
I rolled my eyes, but a breath of laughter escaped me.
Magnar pursed his lips, looking to Callie who had stepped out onto the balcony, not seeming bothered by the gust that whipped her dress around her legs. He nodded to us, grabbing a wooden chair and breaking it as he started to build a fire. His expression was achingly sad and I wondered if this burden on Callie weighed heavily on him too.
“Bye Callie,” I called.
She didn't seem to hear, lost to her own thoughts as she stared out across the ruins. My heart broke for her as I followed Julius back into the stairway.
We'll be alright, Callie. We'll figure out a way to fix everything.
I moved out of the shelter we’d found within the building and headed into the shifting wind outside. The remains of a crumbling balcony jutted out before me. Its left side had been blasted away in the Final War but to the right it remained intact.
The rain had finally stopped and a cool breeze blew in with the dawn. The sun was just about to rise and though it hadn’t crested the horizon yet, the sky was beginning to lighten to a pale blue in the distance. Above my head, I could still see the last stars glimmering. I wondered if Valentina planned on letting the sun shine over the city today or if she’d draw in the clouds again once it came up.
The mere thought of her sent a spike of anger through me. She’d betrayed her people, sold me out to Fabian and now it seemed as though she’d betrayed the royals too. What was she planning? What was her motivation? Surely it was all driving her towards something but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out what.
In the distance, beyond the sprawling ruins, I could just make out the river which led on to the sea. My lips parted as I looked at it; yet another of my dad’s stories finally coming to life before my eyes. I wished he could see me now. I hoped that wherever he was he knew that I had finally begun to see the world, just like he’d wanted me to.
I lowered myself to sit on the cold floor and hung my legs between the railings, looking down at the drop below my high heels. My right shoe was covered in blood and mud, the white lace ruined beyond all chance of recovery. But strangely, my left shoe was still fairly clean. A few spots of blood stood out across the toe but that was it. It reminded me of one of Dad’s stories about the girl who’d lost her shoe and found a prince.
Now I had a royal looking for me too, promising me the world and happily ever after. Literally. Seeing as he planned on killing me and bringing me back from the dead so that I could stay by his side for the rest of time. It was less of a fairytale and more of a nightmare.
I touched the crown which still sat upon my head and wondered if Cinderella had ever felt like its weight was too much. I pulled it off and twisted it between my fingers, frowning at the diamonds which shone dimly in the light. What a strange thing to give me. I’d been nothing more than a bug beneath their shoe my whole life and yet now they wanted to pretend I was something special. Place a crown on my head and call me a Countess just to disguise the ugliness of their true intentions.
I dropped the crown beside me, turning away from it so that I didn’t have to keep thinking about it.
I leaned forward, looking down at the drop below my feet. We were four floors up but I wasn’t afraid; my gifts would allow me to survive that fall. It was strange to think that making a single promise had granted me such power. I’d gone from a helpless girl, destined to live my life under the vampires’ rule to a warrior capable of ending them. If only it really were so simple.
The breeze swept around me again, pulling at my hair and raising goosebumps along my bare arms. Despite my gifts helping me resist the cold, the sodden dress and low temperature were beginning to take their toll on me and I shivered. The dress was ruined but I had nothing to replace it. It was torn and filthy. A beautiful thing destroyed.
I held my left hand out in front of me and traced the star on the back of it with my fingertips. One half of my soul was bound to Magnar. I turned my hand over and traced the cross on my palm. The other half bound to Fabian. So where did that leave me?
Stuck between two mortal enemies while waiting for them to destroy me.
I was tied to so many rules and commands that I could barely count them anymore. This form of freedom wasn’t very liberating.
I was unable to be with the man I knew I wanted, unable to even speak his name. And even if we could have been together, he could control me with a single command. I was powerless with him.
My thoughts drifted to Fabian and a surge of longing raced through me. I gritted my teeth as I rejected it. I hated his dark eyes which were so deep that I could get lost in them... right before I cut them out of his face. The thought of his stupid, perfect smile made me ache for Fury. I had no idea where my blade was now and I missed it like I’d lost a limb. I was caught between wanting to kiss Fabian and kill him while unsure if I really wanted either.
This was all Idun’s fault. What had I done to deserve such a curse from her?
Malicious bitch.
If there was a way to kill a goddess then I’d be sorely tempted to find out how.
I wanted to scream my rage at the ruins before me but as we were on the run I guessed that wasn’t the best idea. I settled for grabbing a lump of broken masonry from the wall bes
ide me and hurling it out into the ruins instead. I threw it with all my strength and watched as it soared away from me, much further than I should have been able to send it. It clattered into the rubble and I reached for another, launching it after the first to see if it would go any further.
The third brick I grabbed jabbed into my finger and I hissed in pain as blood bloomed and I dropped it beside me. I quickly sucked on my finger, scowling at the jagged rock before wondering if it could be exactly what I needed.
I picked it up again and held it above my left palm as I glared at the cross which bound me to Fabian. If I couldn’t fight off the desire to be with him then maybe I could cut it out of me.
I took a deep breath as I touched the sharp edge to my skin and psyched myself up for what I was about to do. It was going to hurt like hell. But if I was lucky it’d pay off.
I can’t do it, I can’t do it. Maybe I should just go back and find Fabian? If I hurried I could be kissing him within a matter of - just fucking do it!
I pressed down and pain flared through my palm just as a hand landed over mine, dragging the brick out of my grasp. I blinked up at Magnar as he sat beside me, turning the piece of masonry over in his hands.
“That won’t work,” he said quietly.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything, that could make this better but I was at a loss for words. I knew the sacrifices he’d made to end the Belvederes and I’d thrown myself in the way of him fulfilling that destiny.
The inch of space between us was like an uncrossable abyss. It was filled with pain and loss and so many unspoken words that I had no idea how to even begin to bridge it.
“I’m sorry,” I breathed because it was the only thing I could say that was entirely the truth. It was the one thing I could stand behind and know I was feeling for myself without any input from deities, or vows or curses.
“For which part of it?” Magnar rotated his arm back and launched the rock out into the ruins. It landed so much further away than mine had that I could barely even hear the clatter as it hit the ground.
Age of Vampires- The Complete Series Page 79
