I raised my chin, then marched over to Aaron, Octavian’s voice echoing in my brain. Strut like you belong here.
Without words, we followed Aaron through the tunnels, past the other guards at the entrance, who had already recovered, and back into the big room with the many doors and pillars.
“You got what you needed?” Aaron finally said, turning to me.
“We did. How did you know?”
A smile played around his lips. “I know Allard. He’s not one of the Elders, so he can only follow their orders, maybe walk the line a little sometimes. If he went directly against them openly, he would lose his position. I saw he agreed with you, trusted you, despite the batshit crazy plan you made.” The elementalist laughed. “I figured he’d find a way to help you by bending the rules a bit.”
“So… you’re helping us? Despite my… creative plan?” I hesitated. “What about the Ring?”
“If I can, yes. We have to find a way to stop this madness, even if the others don’t see it. We need to work together against this unknown threat, not start a war with the vampires.”
His eyes darted to Octavian, filled with uncertainty for just a moment. But the vampire nodded sternly, and the elementalist seemed to ease up a little.
“Allard’s key has an entrance near mine, I’m maybe three blocks away. Let’s get out of here and meet up to discuss our next steps.”
With that, the elementalist disappeared in a swirl of colorful magic, leaving us alone in the dark, musty, and silent hall.
“Well that was… unexpected,” Octavian eventually broke the silence.
“I think we can trust him, though. He’s not as… slow and rigid as the other Elders,” I replied. I barely knew him, and I certainly wasn’t sure of my judgment, but right now, it seemed like we needed every ally we could get.
Especially since, as he had said, our plan was nuts. So maybe we had just found the missing piece to stopping our mysterious attacker before they would unleash hell on the city.
I put my hand on Octavian’s shoulder, then pressed my thumb on the vault key. As expected, its magic came to life immediately. Somehow, they must have managed to restrict the magic to work only in certain locations.
The world around us twisted and turned as we teleported out of the vault. My head felt dizzy, blood was droning in my ears, but I could hold my balance. Next to me, Octavian wasn’t doing as well.
Despite his vampire senses, or because of them, maybe, he stumbled, then leaned against the wall for support. “Did I already mention that I like our vault better?” he mumbled.
I chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, we won’t have to go down there again for a bit. But the next part of the plan isn’t going to be any more fun, I fear.”
We still hadn’t decided on anything specific, only the general structure. Somehow, we were going to lay a trap by making the book appear unguarded. I thought about calling a contact of mine, a kind of black-market smuggler. I could tell him we had the book for sale. News would spread amongst those who might care. But I didn’t know if our attacker would hear about it. Instead, we might have to deal with a whole lot of other scum that we really didn’t have to time for.
“Stop being such a baby and stand up straight, boy,” a familiar voice cut through the air like cold steel. “Your job is not done yet. We’re going back in.”
Octavian jerked away from the wall, standing up straight and letting his arms fall to the side, almost like a soldier on parade. Fear flickered over his face, visible for only a short moment, but I was sure I saw it. His jaw clenched for a second, then eased up as he forced a smile on his face that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Mother,” he said without emotion in his voice. “How wonderful to see you.”
“Stop it with the pleasantries. We’re here for the vault. Lead us in, son” she responded coldly.
Without her voice, I might not even have recognized her. She had swapped her fancy dress for armor, a set that looked like it was straight from a book. She wore dark leather pants and a leather corset, coupled with black lace covering her upper chest up to her neck. A red crystal necklace was around her neck, and a blazer-like jacket, reinforced by the looks of it, covered her arms and back. Only her hair was similar in a tightly knot bun.
The two daggers hung at her side, with curved, jagged blades that proved that she meant business. She was not here for diplomacy. A fact supported by the dozen vampire guards behind her. They were “only” guards, but I knew that even they were a force to be reckoned with. They had at least one or two years of intense combat training, and the vampire’s strength and speed made them even deadlier.
Then his mother’s cold voice cut through the air again. “What are you looking at me like that for, boy?”
She scoffed and took a step closer. She was still a dozen paces away, standing just at the entrance of the alley, but I could feel her presence press against us. “Give me the key. I know you have it.”
“Actually, I have it,” I heard myself say, words coming out of my mouth without even checking in with me first. “And there is no way in hell you’re getting it.”
I knew I shouldn’t interfere, and I certainly wasn’t looking forward to a showdown between me and her. I would rather fight the demon vampire again. But I couldn’t help it, especially since Octavian seemed to always lose all sense of pride and confidence around her.
“That’s it, boy, you’re coming here right now.” She scowled at me with contempt, then gestured for him to come to her. “You’ve been spending too much time with these non-vampires, you’re even starting to trust them with things. Time to go back to your true self and show them who’s the boss in the city.”
It was clear that she meant the vampires, and ‘show them’ really meant ‘slaughter them until they remember.’
Octavian sighed in defeat, his eyes falling to the ground, filled with sadness and embarrassment. Then a small furrow appeared on his forehead, and he looked at me. His jaw clenched, and his head straightened up again. The sadness in his eyes disappeared, replaced by determination and… pride?
“No,” he said firmly, his voice booming across the alley with confidence. He smiled at me, then suddenly took my hand before turning back to his mother. “It’s not weakness, it’s strength. Trusting others and working together makes us stronger, Mother. And whatever schemes you have planned, I want no part in them.”
The expression on her face made my day. The first word that popped into my mind was “flabbergasted.” It wasn’t just shock—it was utter disbelief. But it quickly gave way to disappointment. Deep, deep disappointment. Then anger.
Uh-oh.
“It looks like you need a reminder of who you are, and where your loyalty lies. Family first, always. Or have you forgotten, boy?” she hissed, seething hatred in her voice.
“Maybe this time we put the city first. Stop all the fighting over nothing,” he rebuked her, still standing by my side.
Tingles rolled over my body as he spoke, and pride welled up in my chest. He stood by me. Not just on a mission, not just against crazy vampires who tried to kill us. But to his mother, who had controlled and suppressed him all his life. As I looked at the fire that was burning in his eyes, I wanted him to take me in his strong arms and kiss me so badly. If his mother wasn’t here, I would have pulled him in without hesitation.
But she was here, and that kind of ruined our moment.
“I’m ashamed to call you son, boy,” she spat out, then pointed at us. “Take them down and bring me the key.”
Disbelief hit me like a slap in the face. Had she seriously just ordered an attack on her own son? I got that she didn’t care much for me, and probably wouldn’t even blink before killing me, but I just couldn’t believe that she would watch her son get beat up by her vampires.
Maybe he was right. Maybe a loving mother who died was better than a hateful mother who lived. I gently pressed his hand, but he barely seemed to notice.
His mouth t
wisted into an angry snarl, but behind the anger, I could see sadness in his eyes. Despite everything, she was his mother, and it couldn’t be easy for him to feel her disregarded like that.
But before he could say anything, the vampires sprinted at us, drawing jagged daggers and short swords.
Shit.
I quickly took a step to the side so we wouldn’t be in each other’s way, then drew magic into both my hands and blasted the first two vampires back as they leapt at me. I wasn’t sure how far they would go, if they were willing to kill me or just knock me out. I didn’t want to use my daggers yet, but if I had to, I would not hesitate to kill. If it was going to be me or them, I’d always choose me.
Next to me, two vampires jumped at Octavian as well, slashing at him with their swords. He didn’t even flinch until the very last second. He suddenly spun out and ducked and dodged both hits. He twisted and turned, then suddenly appeared behind them and smashed their heads together brutally.
They dropped down immediately, their bodies limp. My eyes jumped to the vampire behind him, who was dashing at Octavian with his dagger raised. Octavian looked at me, at my eyes, then spun around, his fist already in position. Instead of plunging a dagger in Octavian’s back, the vampire ran straight into his fist. His feet were still going forward as his head was thrown back, resulting in an almost graceful backflip that ended with the vampire’s face crushing onto the street, his nose cracking in the process.
But I had no time to see if he would stay down, as three more were already running at me. I dispatched the first with a blast. Just like the previous two, he was already getting back up seconds later. I dodged the blow from the next vampire, but the third thrust her sword right at my belly.
They weren’t pulling any punches, I realized, fear welling up in me.
This is it, then. Kill or be killed.
I twisted to the side just in time, and the blade scratched over my leather jacket and top, leaving a small line of blood on my belly. I could feel the sting, but it was more the pain of realizing how close they had come than the actual cut.
No way I could hold back. I wouldn’t make it out of here alive.
I drew magic into my hand again, but this time, I punched the attacker’s chest with my open palm just as I released my magic. To an outsider, it must’ve looked like I was some powerful far-eastern monk when the vampire was thrown back against the wall before crashing down and collapsing there, all with a single punch.
The corner of my mouth twitched with satisfaction, ten but then a fist hammered into my back. Pain exploded in my spine, and I stumbled forward, right into another vampire’s punch. I tried to twist away again, but he still hit me in the shoulder hard enough to send me spinning to the ground.
Using the momentum to roll further, I barely dodged a sword slashing down toward where my head would’ve been just a moment ago. I jumped up and spun around, kicking the vampire who had sneaked up behind me before. But he quickly reminded me that they were not common street thugs.
He caught my kick—which should have sent him flying—without even flinching. Instead, he held my leg, then twisted it painfully. Pain shot up through my hip, and I was forced to the ground. He was stupid enough to let my leg go, though. Improvising, I shot magic out through my hands which were firmly on the ground. I pulled my legs in as I was jerked upward by the force of my magic, and managed to backflip behind the vampire.
It was completely improvised, but I wished somebody had been filming it. Almost in slow motion, I sailed through the air, drew my dagger, then landed behind the vampire. A moment later, I buried my blade in the vampire’s back. I followed up with a front kick that sent the vampire stumbling right into another’s arms and brought them both to the ground.
Three steps from me, Octavian was locked in melee combat with two vampires. Both slashed and stabbed at him with their daggers, while the unarmed Octavian dodged and blocked, trying his best to keep up with the four blades that kept coming at him with inhuman speed.
Anger shot up through me. They were not about to harm my Octavian. I didn’t even have to draw magic from my well—it flowed into my hand almost on its own, mixing with my anger before I released it. The air shimmered, then one of the vampires was hit as if by a wrecking ball. I heard his bones crack before he even hit the wall. They cracked again, louder this time, when he did. He collapsed, but he seemed alive, so I didn’t waste another thought about broken bones. He was a vampire: what didn’t kill him only stopped him for a couple days at most. Also, I had more pressing matters.
From the corner of my eye, I could see another sword already slashing at me. It was too late to dodge, so I threw up a small barrier around my body and was just barely able to pump enough magic into it to block the attack.
The sword bounced off me, much to the vampire’s surprise, and I returned the attack with a punch in his gut. But I left my side exposed for a second, and I felt a fist crashed into it immediately. Against attackers that fast, there was no room for error.
I stumbled back and saw Octavian go to the ground as well. This battle was not looking good. Over our heads, clouds had gathered, thick and black, like just before a thunderstorm. I wouldn’t put it past the vampires to have something to control the weather, so they would have darkness on their side on demand. While they had no magical abilities, using ancient artifacts was not beyond them.
They didn’t become stronger in the dark, but they had near-perfect night vision, even able to see heat, like the predator they were meant to be. But normal people, we didn’t see shit in the night. We might have a chance during the day, but in darkness, we had no chance. At least I didn’t. For Octavian, it didn’t make a difference.
I cursed as I stumbled back a few steps and pulled more magic from deep within me. Using both my hands, I created wide waves, letting the first crash into the three vampires coming after me, and the other into the vampires leaning over Octavian, ready to kick or stab him while he was down.
I felt my magic dwindling—the waves just strong enough to throw the vampires back. It was enough to buy us a second, enough for Octavian to get up and rush to my side. But not enough to turn this battle around.
At once, the three vampires, who had already recovered from my blast, started moving. Fangs exposed, daggers and swords in their hands, they came at us, fast and deadly.
The air boomed as thunder rolled across the city, deep and growling like an ancient bear, sending goosebumps down my spine.
But just in time with the thunder came the lightning. Almost in slow motion, I could see it arc down from the sky, splitting up like a trident, then crashing down into the three vampires. The sight was burned into my eyes. Everything brightly lit up for a split-second, then plunged into darkness as the lightning faded.
I quickly blinked, trying to regain my vision before another blade was stabbed at me. But nothing came. The three vampires lay on the ground just a few feet before me, their clothes and hair smoking. I didn’t know if lightning was enough to kill a vampire, but they certainly were out of combat for now.
When I saw the other vampires stare at something behind us, pure fear in their eyes, I realized we were not alone anymore.
“Anyone else wants to try?” a voice shouted behind us. As I turned around, I saw Aaron marching toward us, his hand raised to the sky, just as another wave of thunder rolled over us, lightning cracking between the clouds.
The vampires took another step back, looking at their leader for commands. Octavian’s mother hissed and pointed at the newcomer. “Take him down!”
The vampires hesitated, but then their fear of his mother won over the fear of literally being hit by lightning. Once again, I wondered how Octavian had become a decent human being when he had been raised by a woman like that.
The vampires hesitantly advanced, snarling, holding their weapons in front of them as they stepped closer. Another wave of thunder rolled over us, and the air was filled with electricity. The static flowed around us in the air, and I
could feel the hair on my neck and arms stand up.
Aaron stepped past us to get between the vampires and us. Six of them were fanned out, closing in on the elementalist, ready to strike as one. Their daggers and swords raised horizontally. Their stances like vipers before the bite.
The elementalist had his hands in front of his chest, fists closed and palms facing inward. He stood motionless, waiting for the vampires to act.
With incredible speed, they dashed at him, closing in like snakes. But before they reached him, the elementalist opened his fists. Lightning crackled around his hands, arcing between his fingers, jumping from one hand to the other for a brief moment. Then he fully stretched his arms out and released the lightning.
Six arcs searched forward, crackling full of energy as they hit the vampires. With the sound of a single clap, the lightning jumped between them for a moment before dissipating. With their hair standing up and smoke rising from their hands and clothes, the vampires fell down one by one.
“This is fun!” The elementalist shouted and raied his hands to the sky cheerfully. “I think I will hit you next, ma’am,” he shouted, staring at Octavian’s mother in challenge. Thunder rumbled over us again, and vibrations rolled through the ground a moment later.
She stretched her fangs forward and hissed, but then spun around and disappeared into the night without another word. The other vampires looked at each other for a moment, then dashed after her.
Aaron looked after her, tsk-ing as he shook his head. “They are getting bolder every day. She must be a special kind of crazy, to openly engage an Elder.”
“She definitely is,” Octavian chuckled dryly. “She’s my mother.”
Aaron’s mouth fell open before he quickly stammered. “Oh, I’m… sorry.”
“No, it’s all right. It is what it is,” Octavian sighed. His expression was neutral, his mouth twisted into a slight smile, but he wasn’t fooling me. I could see the glimmer of sadness in his eyes, the pain through his mask.
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