“Let’s relax until Clyde gets here,” Chastity suggests while stretching. Seeing a flicker of shame and anger on her companion’s face, she giggles and blows a kiss. “We both know he’s coming and he’ll need our help. Both of us are hungry and injured, so it’s smarter to stay here and conserve what little energy with have left. Not unless you have the strength to shadow us out of the castle, but that still leaves the boys here. Face it, sweetie, Xavier has us in a really bad position.”
“Well, if anyone would know about positions, it’d be you.”
“I was hoping you’d take that opening.”
“Don’t make me think of-”
“Hey! Only one shot per customer right now.”
“Stop making this so easy.”
“Oh, you are such a delicious bitch at times.”
With a casual shrug, Mab gives in to her quivering legs and slides down to the floor. She cringes at the stickiness of the stone beneath her and does her best to prevent her jacket from touching the filth. Leaning her head against the bars, she tries to slide her hand into a small shadow. The instant she makes contact, the ceiling hums and bathes her in a blinding light that causes her hair to curl. Driven by a surge of anger, Mab gets to her feet and jumps to punch the enchanted stones, but the blow does nothing to stop the effect. With her eyes hurting and skin crawling, she curls into a defensive ball beneath her jacket until the spell subsides. Peeking out from under her hiding place, she cautiously watches the ceiling and twitches whenever she spots a shimmer on the dark stones. Feeling more drained than ever, Mab struggles to her feet and grips the bars to remain standing. She looks to Chastity for an explanation, but the other woman is still groping blindly in her cell after having looked directly at the initial explosion. A knot grows in the burglar’s stomach when she realizes how long it is taking for her companion to heal what would normally be a minor inconvenience.
“So, what will we do after we get out of here?” Chastity asks as she sits on her bed. Rubbing at her eyes, she can feel the flash-fried lashes crack against her knuckles. “I can go back to the Scrumptious Siren, but everyone else may be in trouble. The boys are going to become Dawn Fangs, which puts our number at seven. That could be enough to defend ourselves, but the rest of you will probably be on the run. Unless my place continues to be seen as a neutral location since I still have a lot of blackmail material on everyone. If that’s the case then I can house the rest of you for a while. Beyond that, the gang will have to find a new hideout to avoid those who will be looking to avenge Xavier.”
“You’re assuming Clyde is going to kill him,” Mab points out with a chuckle. Spotting a cockroach skittering across the floor, she stops herself from pouncing on the bug and eating it for the miniscule bit of sustenance. “Who am I kidding? Clyde will probably tear this entire place apart once he sees what’s going on. Maybe I should have gone with him to Miez Castle instead of coming here alone. The two of us could have snuck in and handled this quickly, but now he’s wondering why I didn’t show up and about to go berserk. I’m probably thinking with too much anger. Do you believe he should do it, Chastity?”
“Personally, I’d like to see him string Nadia up by her own intestines, but I’m being petty there,” she replies as her vision gradually returns. Sensing something edible nearby, she swiftly scoops up the cockroach and pops it into her mouth to help with her recovery. “Do I think he should kill Xavier? Well, I want him to after all of this, but you didn’t ask about that. If I take my emotions off the table, I would say that it could pose a problem. He would have to eliminate the entire inner circle and anyone with devout loyalty to the House of Tempest. From what I can tell, Decker would be included on that list and Clyde might not be able to do that. Not to mention the political upheaval that would inevitably spill into the mortal world. Probably hurt my business too since I’d be seen as a coconspirator, so I guess I wouldn’t be safe. So, the only reason he should kill Xavier is if he’s ready to handle the consequences or simply doesn’t care what happens next.”
Not expecting such a complicated answer, the burglar shakes her head and turns away to stare at the bodies. “Our old friend is proving to be crueler than I ever imagined. He despises the Dawn Fangs for no reason other than fear, which makes him a threat. I don’t think I’ll ever truly understand how he could turn against us so quickly and I get mad trying to figure it out. Still, you have a point that killing him outright might make things worse. It could make the other vampires believe that we really are a danger and they’ll try to hunt us down. We’d be hunted outcasts with enemies all over Windemere. Okay, we need to break out of here and meet up with Clyde. Can’t wait around like a bunch of limp-wristed damsels instead of the powerful creatures we really are. Any idea where Titus and-”
Before Mab can finish her question, Kai’s unconscious body is sent hurtling down the dungeon hallway. The vampire crashes through the far wall, which collapses on top of him until only a flailing leg is exposed. Cracking his knuckles, Titus walks into view and calmly tears the door off his sister’s cell. He turns to do the same for Chastity, but finds that Luther has already picked the lock and is walking with the half-blind vampire clinging to his arm. Reaching into the satchels at their sides, the two men pull out blood bags that are about to pop at the seams. The hungry prisoners begrudgingly allow themselves to be fed the first few sips before grabbing the meals and greedily slurping at the precious liquid. Everyone repeatedly glances at Kai, who remains trapped beneath the rubble and has stopped moving. When Titus draws one of his swords and moves to finish off the spymaster, Mab quickly catches him by the sleeve and gently pulls him back.
“You’d have to dig him out first and we don’t have the time,” she whispers, her mouth full of blood. She shudders when her heart suddenly stutters and regains its strength, the fresh blood clearing her head enough to push the faint voices away. “Not really sure he’s worth the effort anyway. Kai is a sniveling bastard at times, but Chastity said he doesn’t despise our kind like Xavier. Keeping him alive might help us in the future as long as he doesn’t hold a grudge. So, is there a plan or did you finally remember you had a sister?”
“Of course we have a . . . had a plan,” Titus replies, meeting Luther’s worried gaze. He points his sword at the trapped vampire and flashes his fangs in anger. “We were going to sneak down here and slip out of the castle, but Kai was following us. Didn’t notice him until we got to the top of the stairs. A lot of activity started the instant we got to the dungeon, so we can’t go out the secret passage or any of the other obvious exits. We’re not entirely certain the scrambling is in response to us, but it’s best to assume we’re the targets. Before you ask, Bob said he had something important to get and ran off.”
“It better not be another damn horse,” Chastity mutters before having a few more slurps of blood. A dress is held up to her face, but she gently pushes it back to Luther. “Thanks, but I’ve had some bad luck with new clothes lately. Best to stay in these rags until I get home. Did you hear anything about Clyde?”
“A few whispers about him wiping out the giants,” the forest tracker says, his sickles already in his hands. Taking the lead, he breathes a sigh of relief when he spots Bob coming down the stairs with a large bowl held over his head. “Looks like we’re all here and we don’t have any time to wait. The front door is heavily guarded in preparation of Clyde’s arrival and the tunnels are clogged with guards. Xavier is ready for anything, but I think we can escape by jumping out of a high window. There’s one that overlooks a large pile of abandoned holy weapons, which will help to slow our pursuers. It will hurt a lot, but they aren’t strong enough to kill us as we wade through. What are you carrying, Bob?”
“That smells like-” Mab begins to say before the bowl is emptied over her head. Covered in a potent collection of perfumes, the burglar can only stare at her drenched body and the pool that is spreading around her feet. “What in all of Windemere are you doing, Bob? How am I supposed to sneak around when
I smell like the aftermath of one of Chastity’s orgies? Where did all of this stuff come from?”
Bob pouts and bows his head, the apologetic elf momentarily distracted by his reflection in the colorful puddle. “You smelled like corpses, so I wanted to make you feel better. Nadia had all of these perfumes, but I didn’t know which one you would like best. So, I poured all of them into her heirloom wash basin. Don’t worry because your nose will stop working soon. Maybe we’ll get lucky and anyone tracking us by smell will think you’re Nadia. I should probably just say I’m sorry and promise not to do that again.”
“Good idea,” everyone says as they head for the stairs.
“Should I keep the bowl?” Bob asks while holding it over his head. When nobody answers him, he throws the priceless basin at Kai’s leg and watches the heirloom shatter against the limb, which is left bending an unnatural angle. “That was all me, Stavros! Make sure to tell Lady Sylvan about this because I want full credit. Thanks! Hey, guys, wait up! I have grudges against me now too.”
*****
Their escape is short-lived when the gang goes through a familiar door and the entire wall disappears. Finding themselves standing in the middle of the main hall, they move into a tight pack and stare at the hundreds of soldiers. The warriors quickly move to surround their enemies while others march out of the upper doorways to protect the stairs. Light glints off exposed fangs, all of them dotted with blood from a recent feast. The tension is broken when Stephanie claps her hands and waves from atop a stuffed moose head that sits above the entrance. She purrs as she gestures to make the fake wall reappear and dissolve, the effect startling some of her own men. Instead of dropping to the floor, she climbs to the ceiling and walks towards the far window. Before she leaves, the ritualist spins her tail and awakens a pair of casters, who had been sleeping beneath a portrait of Xavier. Fully rested and ready to fight, the robed vampires take their positions at the top of the stairs and conjure their first volley of spells. None of the obedient warriors bother to move away, their magical orders being to destroy the Dawn Fangs regardless of the danger.
With a terrifying roar, Titus charges with his twin claymores held out front and knocks several swordsmen away. At the same time, Mab drops into his shadow and reappears at the top of the stairs to rip out one of the caster’s blackened hearts. The completed lightning spell still goes off and merges with the other vampire’s ice blast, but the attack flies high to destroy the front door. The wreckage sails into the crowd outside and those nearest to the explosion are knocked down, their eyes remaining open and turning pure white. While Mab pounces on the other caster, Bob charges with his lance locked in the crook of his arm. Having enhanced his strength, the elf drives an entire line of soldiers into the far wall. Swinging his weapon with ease, he bats people away and eventually begins spinning in place to keep them at bay. Begrudgingly leaving Chastity to toss guards around with her telekinesis, Luther protects Titus’s flank and saves his friend from getting overrun. Unlike the others who have gone wild, the forest tracker remains calm and focuses on crippling blows designed to sever limbs. Within minutes, the gang has spread out across the main hall and the guards are struggling to contain even one of the aggressive escapees.
The castle shakes when a troll is released from a nearby guest room, the two-headed creature attacking whatever is in its path. Claws with obsidian-like tips shred bodies and wide feet crush anyone who has fallen to the floor near the beast. Having no interest in vampire flesh, it throws the guards around and roars at the horrible smell. The troll tries to blend into its surroundings like a chameleon, but its skin cannot match all of the moving figures. Feeling exposed and vulnerable, the creature becomes more frantic and charges at whatever it thinks is the biggest threat. Titus hears the predator coming and spins around to swing over Luther’s head, his blades meeting the mosquito-like noses with echoing clangs. While his friend handles the guards, the powerful warrior pushes against the troll and tries to ignore the numbing cold that runs through his body every time he is cut. With a high-pitched screech, the twelve-foot-tall creature slams its heads onto Titus’s shoulders and drives him to his knees. Before it can bite his arms off, a lance pierces it through the back and Bob hurls the creature with all of his strength. Everyone stares as Mab leaps and bounces off the wall to catch the troll on her claws. Flipping around the flailing predator, she lands at the top of the stairs and drives the monster into its own shadow. Shaking the oily muck from her hands, the Dawn Fang immediately eviscerates the nearest guard, which causes the fight to erupt once more.
“Guess I’m a little late to the slaughter,” Clyde whispers from the front door. Seeing that nobody is listening, he casually walks into the room to begin smacking soldiers into the walls and ceiling. “So, should I assume that we all know what’s going on? Xavier was manipulating the Duragians and everyone else to grab power? Not really sure what you guys learned since you’ve been here, but it has to be close to what I know. Okay, I get it. All of you think this isn’t the time or place for a reunion and chat.”
“Actually, all we know is that Xavier was torturing Mab and Chastity,” Luther replies when he gets closer to his friend. He throws a sickle into the head of an approaching enemy and nods as Clyde tears the weapon down the man’s body. “We believe Xavier hates the Dawn Fangs because he sees you as a threat to his rule. Considering what you just said, I can see how he came to that conclusion. If he was manipulating you then he would fear retaliation. There are still things we don’t understand since our only priority was to get out of Nyte.”
“I think that should still be the plan,” Titus interjects as another troll is released. Roaring at the beast, he readies himself for its attack, but Chastity charms it into fighting on her side. “I’m feeling a little useless here and these guards keep coming. Think the boys and I can transform now to help with our escape?”
“You could get killed as it happens, but I do have the vials,” Clyde admits before flipping the containers out of his sleeve. Darting through the crowd, he plants one on each of his friends and returns to his original spot. “Inner pocket for you two and back pants pocket for Bob. This is entirely your choice, so I won’t say anything else about it. Right now, I want to get my hands on Xavier. As you said, there are still some questions that need answering. Haven’t decided on if I’m killing him or not too.”
Mab leaps out of a guard’s shadow to land among her friends, the burglar’s face covered in blood. “I’m going with you. That isn’t up for debate and it might give me a chance to get my claws into Nadia. I don’t care about their reasons, but I refuse to be denied some revenge. At the very least, I’m taking all of her jewelry and shredding every pretty dress that high society snob owns.”
“Why do you smell like one of Chastity’s orgies?”
“They locked me up with rotting bodies and Bob tried to help.”
“Surprised anyone is still standing with that stench around.”
“How do you know about Chastity’s orgies?”
“Oh, we’re not getting into this now.”
“As if we need to focus on beating these children into the ground.”
“Can we not do this in front of our enemies and friends?”
“It was a simple question.”
“Try a backhanded accusation in connection to an old grudge.”
Clyde and Mab stop arguing when the others clear their throats and point at the decimated guards. Most of the dead and unconscious are around the pair, their frustration with each other having been taken out on those foolish enough to stay within reach. The survivors can still be seen sprinting out of the castle, the sunlight having slowed them down and caused the severely injured to pass out in the street. Only the charmed troll remains, but Chastity hops onto the beast’s shoulder and whispers an order for it to go rampaging through the entire first floor. As they watch the predator smash through the nearest door and hear the screams of hiding servants, the gang gathers in the center of the room. Titus
, Bob, and Luther waste no time drinking the vials of blood, all three falling to their knees from a shock of pain. The sensation passes within a minute and they stare at their bodies, the temptation to run into the sun making them inch towards the door.
“Go for it,” Clyde suggests with a grin. Catching a distant whisper, he heads for the stairs and leans against the railing. “You three and Chastity have two choices. Both require that you get out of Nyte. If you want to hide in the wilderness and wait for us then do it. We’ll find you once we’re done here. Personally, I’d rather you start traveling towards Miez Castle. Gregorio is there as well as a bunch of people who were kneeling before me. That’s a conversation for later because I figure we’re all in this together.”
“I think we’re going to wait down here,” Titus states, driving his sword into the floor. He whirls around when a mirror image of himself appears against his back, the solid creation remaining in a position to guard his rear. “That’s strange, but I’ll figure it out later. Our job now is to hold this escape route. Leaving means you two can get trapped and then we’ll have to mount another rescue. Pretty sure we’ve all done enough of those today. Besides, some of us might want to get into a fight and see what we’re capable of. I feel like I could lift the entire castle over my head now.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Mab points out as she joins Clyde at the stairs. She pauses when she sees a brief scowl on his face, the expression fading when he looks into her eyes. “Are you still angry about what I said? Okay, I’ll stop and leave most of it in the past. Chastity helped me out in the dungeon, so I’m willing to let the grudge weaken. Hey, are you listening to me? What’s gotten into you, Clyde?”
“Stay out of what’s about to happen, Mab,” he whispers in the hopes of keeping the others in the dark. Creating an illusion to hide their conversation, he turns his back on their friends and heads up the stairs. “We have to make a stop before we face Xavier. Shouldn’t take too long, but it could get messy. All I ask is that you don’t get physically involved.”
Loyalty Page 31
