Age of Vampires- The Complete Series

by Caroline Peckham

  Clarice cried out, but I couldn't turn to check if she was alright as I jumped and swerved, miraculously missing the electrical storm that rained down from the heavens.

  Darkness fell again and I found myself twenty paces away from Valentina. The snow had melted in the whole area and charred earth took its place. Valentina's shoulders drooped and I could see exhaustion in her eyes.

  My heart squeezed with realisation. She couldn't keep this storm up. It was draining her.

  I hunted for Clarice and found her nursing a line of blisters up her legs, her pants burned entirely away. The scent of singed skin tangled with the air and a wave of anger found me in response.

  Valentina set her sights on me, drawing her shoulders back as she dug deep for her strength. She lifted her hands and I winced, but nothing happened. No wind, no snow, no lightning. She was depleted. And with a victorious smile gripping my features, I ran to meet her.

  “Montana – here!” Clarice shouted, tossing me something.

  I caught the pistol out of the air and my finger slid onto the trigger. I raised it at Valentina and she fell back a step, lifting Nightmare as she prepared to face me.

  “That's my blade, bitch,” I snarled.

  Her contorted expression told me she was scared. And I hoped it was the last look I'd ever see on her beautiful face as I pulled the trigger.

  Someone dove out of the mist behind Valentina, soaring in front of her like a shield. The bullet impacted with Angelica and she burst to ash around her queen with an echoing wail.

  Valentina used the second the girl's death had bought her, turning and fleeing into the mist.

  I gritted my teeth, powering after her with every ounce of strength I had left. I could feel my bloodlust rising. The demon in me was hungry. And I was going to use its thirst to finish this fight once and for all.

  I dove into the swirling maelstrom, releasing a battle cry as the billowing snow swallowed me whole and I lost sight of my place in the world.

  “Valentina?” I cried, ploughing on with my swords in hand ready to destroy any who had come to hurt my love.

  There was no reply, but the snow suddenly stopped falling from the sky and the battering wind died away to nothing more than a gentle breeze. My heart lurched with concern for the woman I adored. Had she chosen to halt her command over the elements or was she unable to wield them for some reason?

  I charged forward as the blizzard disappeared and the snow settled.

  Valentina shrieked in pain and I cried out as I spotted her battling against the dark haired twin.

  I snarled angrily, racing forward with my swords held ready to destroy this creature who would hurt my love.

  “Magnar!” Julius cried and I spotted him running towards me with his blade raised to intercept me.

  I ignored him, sprinting to help my love but he dove into my path and I was forced to raise Tempest to deflect the blow he aimed at my head.

  I spun towards him, snarling my rage as he swung his sword at me again. He was keeping me from helping the woman I loved and I would happily kill him if that was what it took to get to her.

  “Let’s see which of us is victorious in a real battle, Brother,” Julius challenged and I was forced to parry another strike as he aimed his sword at my stomach.

  “You cannot hope to defeat me, I fight for love,” I growled as I was forced to give him my full attention and I brought both of my blades around to face him, swinging Venom high and Tempest low.

  Julius ducked beneath my first strike and metal collided as he deflected the second.

  “So do I, Brother,” Julius replied as he danced out of reach and twisted behind me. “But my love for you is true.”

  How dare he question my love for Valentina? I would prove my devotion to her by spilling his blood. Then he would see that I cared for her above all else. Even the ties of family.

  Rage simmered in my veins as I lunged for him, hacking my swords down with the full strength of my muscles.

  Julius leapt back rather than parry the savage blows and my blades carved through the snow, colliding with the frozen dirt beneath.

  “Valentina!” Erik bellowed as he shot onto the battlefield in a blur of motion, heading straight for our love as she continued to struggle against the vile twin.

  Clarice sprang forward to intercept him and there was a sound like falling rocks as they collided.

  Julius kicked out at my side as I wrenched my weapons back out of the snow and stumbled away from him, cursing his name.

  “That parasite has you caught in a spell but once we’ve turned her to dust and destroyed that necklace you’ll be free of it,” Julius promised.

  “May the gods spit on your soul,” I spat at him. “You are no brother of mine.”

  Julius’s face fell into a grimace at my words and he stepped back as I drove Venom towards his heart.

  I swung my swords around, forcing him back further beneath the power of my fury as I sought to end his miserable existence.

  Metal clashed again and again but he held one sword while I welded two. It was only a matter of time before one of my strikes broke past his defences and I smiled darkly as he fought to hold me off.

  Julius growled his frustration at me as he stepped back again but I’d sparred with him many times and it struck me that his retreat was a little too easily won. I stilled as I realised his withdrawal was designed to lead me further from Valentina.

  “You still love me, don’t you?” I asked him and his brows raised in confusion as I halted our fight momentarily.

  “Of course I do,” he said, his sword dipping slightly.

  “Then I’ll hazard a guess that you won’t stab me in the back.” Before he could respond, I turned and ran from him, charging towards my queen once more as he yelled out angrily, giving chase.

  “Duck!” Erik bellowed and I threw myself forward into a roll just as he launched Clarice over my head.

  She collided with Julius and I released a dark laugh as I sprang to my feet and closed in on Montana and my love.

  They struggled against each other and suddenly the twin raised a pistol, aiming it straight for Valentina’s head.

  Valentina screamed and the gunshot rang out harshly as the bullet slammed straight through her skull. My heart stilled as the brightest red blood splattered the snow, staining everything around her as her body crashed to the ground.

  Montana jumped forward, snatching a blade from Valentina’s still hand. She raised it, ready to plunge it into her heart and finish her immortal existence.

  The world stopped spinning. My heart stopped beating. Everything I cared about in this forsaken world was about to be ripped away from me and for a moment I was frozen in the horrifying second before it happened.

  I screamed my rage at the injustice I was seeing and threw Venom forward with all my might.

  The heavy blade spun through the air before slamming straight into the vile twin who sought to hurt my love.

  She was thrown back, screaming in agony as she was impaled upon my blade and her blood stained the snow beneath her.

  “Montana!” Julius bellowed in panic behind me. But I had no interest in him or her. My eyes were set on the destroyed face of the woman I coveted.

  I ran to her, slamming Tempest back into its sheath as I scooped her into my arms.

  Julius sprinted to help Montana as Erik engaged his sister once more and I took my chance to get Valentina away from them.

  “Erik!” I bellowed and he looked up, spotting our love in my arms as his face crumpled with pain. “Hold them off while I get her to safety!”

  “I’ll give my life to save her!” he cried in response and I turned to flee just as the rest of the Belvederes and Callie arrived.

  I charged away from them, Valentina’s blood coating my left side as I held her close and her body fought to recover from the devastating wound.

  The airplane sat ready on the runway, its engine running just as my love had required. She’d shielded it from
the force of her blizzard and as I closed in on it, the snow beneath my boots disappeared.

  I could hear Erik fighting our enemies behind us with the ferocity of his kind as he kept them from pursuit. A steely determination filled me as I increased the distance between my love and those who sought to harm her.

  I would die before I’d let them kill her. But it looked like I might not have to.

  I shoved Clarice away from me and she span through the air before impacting with the Earth. I bared my fangs as the rest of our enemies joined the battle. Fabian held Callie in his arms and I snarled my fury that both twins still lived.

  I turned toward the wounded one, her dark hair pooling around her in the snow as she pulled Magnar's huge sword from her stomach. I marched forward and grabbed hold of her hair, dragging her up before me and she screamed in pain as I clutched her wound. I presented her to the group, warning them off.

  Miles eyed me with darkness in his gaze and I scoured the land for his husband, unable to spot him.

  “Let her go!” Callie yelled, leaping from Fabian's arms and sprinting toward me.

  My prey was coming right to me. And my queen would praise my name when I told her of their deaths. They had wounded her, damaged her beautiful face and I couldn't let anyone live who'd done such a thing.

  “Erik -please!” Montana yelled in my arms.

  I gripped her throat, preparing to tear her head off as her sister pounded towards us. Fabian sped after her with a shout of warning. My upper lip peeled back and they slowed their approach. Callie lifted her palms to try and stop what I was about to do.

  I wrenched Montana's head sideways and she released a panicked scream as I started tugging with every ounce of strength I had.

  “No no no!” Montana begged, clawing at my hands, thrashing and kicking. With an almighty yank, I tore her head from her shoulders and her body slumped to the ground at my feet.

  “You fucking asshole!” Callie roared, speeding toward me. But I was ready to do the exact same thing to her just as soon as I finished the vampire twin. I dropped down to rip her heart from her chest and grinned wildly, knowing how much it would please my love to bring her this news.

  Hands grabbed me from behind and I swore as Warren made his appearance, dragging me backwards and throwing a solid punch into my temple.

  My vision swam and I bellowed my rage as I turned to intercept him, driving my knuckles into his gut.

  He jerked away with a hiss of pain and I swung at him again, catching him in the jaw.

  Warren stumbled and I advanced on him, but several hands caught hold of me from behind. I fought my way free, my sights locking on the plane up ahead as it started moving down the runway.

  My heart dropped dramatically as I realised I was going to be left behind if I didn't get on the jet. I started running flat out, emotion pouring through me at the idea of being parted from Valentina.

  I couldn't bear it. Even though I knew leaving the twins alive would hurt her, being away from her wasn't an option.

  My feet hit the runway and I upped my pace, desperation lancing through me. I heard footfalls pounding after me and anger snared me.

  “Catch him!” Clarice yelled and I snarled as I forced myself faster.

  They wanted to take me from Valentina. And I wouldn't let that happen.

  I reached the tail of the jet, moving so fast the world was a blur. Someone threw the door open at the front of the plane and I spotted Magnar hanging out of it and shooting a machine gun over my head.

  Bullets sprayed through the air in response from our enemies, peppering the metal of the plane. I leapt forward with a burst of energy, catching the bottom of the doorway. Magnar tossed the gun over his shoulder, holding out his hand. I took it as he held onto the edge of the door with his free hand, his muscles bulging and ripping through the material of his sleeve.

  I slammed my feet to the side of the plane, forcing myself upwards. He hauled me inside and we crashed to floor in a tangle of limbs. I rolled onto my back, sighing my relief.

  “Shut that door!” Andrew bellowed from the cockpit as the plane began to lift into the sky.

  “Get up,” Magnar growled, jumping to his feet and slamming the door. The jet rose into the air and my stomach rose with it. We'd gotten away. But that wasn't good enough. We were supposed to have killed those fucking twins and secured that ring. And now Valentina was injured and my heart couldn't take the immensity of our failure.

  I rolled onto my knees, standing and following Magnar through the plane to where our love lay on the sofa in a growing pool of blood. A bullet hole sat between her eyes and a line of red trickled down her perfect face.

  I fell to my knees beside her with a groan of agony. Magnar brushed his fingers into her hair with a sigh of regret.

  “How long until she heals?” he begged of me.

  I gently rolled Valentina over to check the back of her head. A clean exit wound had ripped out a chunk of her godly hair. But that was good. We didn't need to dig the bullet out. So it was only a matter of waiting until she found enough energy to heal.

  “She's tired,” I whispered. “She needs blood.”

  Magnar took his sword from his back, slashing it across his arm, ripping open his sleeve and cutting into his flesh. He lifted his head with pride as he placed the wound to Valentina's lips.

  The scent of his blood called to me like a prayer and I shut my eyes as I waited for Valentina to have her fill. When I was sure she'd swallowed enough blood I looked to Magnar pleadingly. “Brother, I am desperate for nourishment.”

  He nodded stiffly, holding out his arm and I fell on the wound, ravenous as I drank from him. The taste of his blood sparked a fierce hunger in me. Its delicious sweetness rolled over my tongue and captivated my senses.

  When Magnar deemed I'd had enough, he shoved my head back to extract my fangs from his skin.

  He lifted Valentina, dropping down to sit beneath her and cradling her head in his lap.

  I held her hand, remaining on my knees before her like the worthless dog I was.

  “We failed her,” I choked out, looking to Magnar.

  “We must make this right,” he said with a heavy weight in his eyes.

  “She can beat me for days, starve me, rip me limb from limb and leave my pointless body to bake in the sun,” I said, resting my forehead to her arm.

  “We will offer her anything she needs to sate her rage on us,” Magnar agreed. “I would die a thousand deaths just to see her smile again.”

  “I would die ten thousand deaths,” I countered, squeezing her lifeless fingers.

  Magnar grunted his annoyance, but said no more.

  We waited in silence as the jet's engine hummed around us, the world seeming to grow darker without Valentina in it.

  Eventually, she stirred and I wiped the blood away from the healed skin on her forehead. She blinked heavily and I sank into the dark depths of her gaze.

  Her mouth lifted with hope. “The twins?” she begged and I could have cried with how much I didn't want to reveal the truth to her.

  “Still alive,” Magnar breathed. “We are so deeply sorry, you cannot even-” Valentina turned and struck him so hard, his head wheeled sideways.

  She scrambled out of his lap and aimed a sharp kick at my side. I fell backwards, clasping my hands together as I gazed up at her. “Do whatever you want to us. We must be punished.”

  She gazed between us with her upper lip curling back, then turned away to face the line of windows. “I can't even look at you both right now, how could you let me down like this?”

  I crawled forward, taking hold of her legs and hugging them to my chest. “Please, my love, do whatever you want with us to sate your anger.”

  She kicked me off of her, stalking away and opening a cabinet at the front of the seating area. She took out a bottle of port, ripping the cork out and guzzling down the contents. She slammed the empty bottle back into the cabinet then rounded on us with a furious glare.

&nb
sp; “Get him on his back,” she instructed Magnar and he lunged toward me, forcing me down to the carpet. I went willingly, falling still as I waited for Valentina to hurt me. I needed her to. I wanted her nails to rip my skin and bite into this body which had failed her so deeply.

  “Open his shirt,” Valentina commanded and Magnar ripped it open, revealing my naked chest to her. She smiled keenly as she gazed down at me then placed her sharp heel on my stomach. She stepped onto me and I bit down on a cry as the heel of her shoe sliced into my skin. She walked forward, placing her weight down on her other heel so it cut into me. Magnar held me in place, but he didn't have to. I wouldn't have moved even if she’d planned to rip my heart out. It belonged to her anyway, so she could do whatever she liked with it.

  She continued moving up my body, her whole weight pressing down on me as her heels stung me again and again. When she reached my chest, she pressed the toe of her shoe to my face and forced my head sideways as she dropped her weight onto that too.

  “Apologise,” she snarled.

  “I'm sorry,” I breathed, relishing the pain she gave me for what I'd done. “To the deepest pit of my soul, I am sorry.”

  “Good,” she hissed, stepping off of me and looking to Magnar.

  He didn't need to be asked, he shredded his shirt and fell to the carpet beside me as he awaited the same torture. I rose up onto my knees, pressing my hands down on his shoulders to ensure he didn't move.

  Valentina eyed us with a glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes. “We won't fail again, will we boys?”

  “No, my love,” Magnar promised.

  “I swear I will give you their deaths,” I said.

  Valentina nodded, kicking her shoes off and jamming her foot down between Magnar's thighs so he groaned in agony.

  “When we land, I am taking you both to my bed,” Valentina announced. “But you will be bloodied and repenting before that time, do you hear me?”