19. Kali
Chapter 19
Kali
I t was utter chaos.
Ever since we stepped through the door, it had been a whirlwind of fighting, blood, and death. It hadn’t taken long for the vampires to hear us enter, and many had come to investigate. Viggo was walking stiffly at my side, ignoring the vampires trying to get his attention. We were heading to the garage with Shadows ahead and behind me, fighting off anyone who attempted to get close. I hadn’t lifted a finger. They were making sure the vampires couldn’t reach me.
“Halfway to the garage,” Viggo muttered, his eyes darting around. “I’m surprised. The Shadows are holding their own better than I thought. You haven’t been here for more than two months.”
“Your lovely brother has been training us for years,” Rya’s voice dripped with disdain. “Even if we didn’t listen to him, we remember what he taught us.”
Viggo pursed his lips, shooting her an annoyed look before he leaned closer to me. “I’ll meet you in the garage. The keys should be in all the vehicles.”
“Where are you going?”
“You want Zan to find us, don’t you?” he asked under his breath. “I have to go make sure that happens.”
That wasn’t an explanation, but he didn’t elaborate before he strode away, pushing through the bodies until I lost sight of him. Rya took his spot, linking her arm with mine as we jogged through the massive house. My heart pounded against my ribs no matter how hard I tried to control it. My fear wasn’t from the vampires who were dropping around me. Or from not knowing what would happen once I left this property.
It was terrifying to know that Amaros wasn’t just going to let this go. Let me go. I was sure it wouldn’t take long for him to realize that his sons turned against him. What would he do? Kill them? A month ago, that thought never would have crossed my mind. But seeing how Amaros entranced Zan to get his way, proved that his sons weren’t what he cared about most. He wanted to claim power over the humans more than anything.
“Which way?” Rya asked.
I pointed straight. “The doors are past the rotunda.”
“You’re sure?”
I nodded. I remembered the first day I came here and Zan parked in the garage. Back then, I’d been memorizing everything in case I had a chance to sneak out. I never would have guessed I’d be leaving with hundreds of Shadows at my side.
An agonized scream tore through the air, and I glanced to the side as two Shadows tore into a vampire. Red blood splattered on the wall, staining the exquisite art. The Shadows who weren’t fighting were taking the time to destroy anything in their path.
“Can you feel it?” Rya whispered, leaning closer. “The excitement? The vengeance ?”
A rush shot through my veins. “I can feel it. But this isn’t just about getting revenge. It’s to take down Amaros.”
“I know.” A cruel grin played on her lips. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun while we do it.”
“Look out,” a Shadow yelled.
The rotunda doors flew open, and vampires flowed out, some armed with guns. I ducked when bullets began firing in our direction. I grasped Rya’s hand before sprinting past them, tugging her down the hall that led to the garage. Most of the Shadows fell behind to keep the vampires from following.
Ripping open the door, relief trickled through me when I laid eyes on all the vehicles. I recognized a few that PARA used for their convoys, which could hold at least twenty bodies. There were enough that half of us could go in them.
“No one is in here,” Rya whispered. “They’re all fighting in the house.”
“Good. Let’s get what we can from the armory.”
I scanned the room as we walked between the vehicles, looking for the armory door. I finally spotted it and crept closer, surprise filtering through me that there was no lock on it. But then, why would there be? The property was full of vampires who were loyal to Amaros. He was arrogant enough to believe that no one would use his own weapons against him.
I attempted to throw my hearing to keep up with what was happening in the house, and it took more concentration than I was expecting. Maybe that was why I didn’t hear the vampire creeping behind us until a shot rang out. Rya slumped to the floor, her black blood seeping out of the bullet wound on the side of her head.
I whirled around, seeing Jasper darting behind a truck. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I raced after him.
“You think you can betray Amaros?” he shouted. “You’ll learn how we deal with traitors.”
“Come say that to my face,” I taunted, trying to spot him.
Blowing out a long breath, I concentrated until I could hear his heart thumping. But this room was massive, and while I could hear him, I had no idea how to follow it and find him. It was a skill I’d have to learn, and it didn’t help me now. All I needed to do was get close enough to entrance him.
Another loud bang rang in my ears, and suddenly there was a searing pain flaring up my side. Gritting my teeth, I pressed my hand to the wound, stumbling the next couple steps. The pain traveled, making every cell in my body burn. I choked out breaths, my lungs constricting.
“These new bullets that we took from PARA are laced with hawthorn,” Jasper stated when he stepped into view. “Smart of them. Look how fast it brought you down.”
I fell to my knees, fear lighting through me when he sauntered closer, his eyes gleaming with cruel triumph. This pain was far worse than when the hawthorn was shedding from my tattoo. Zan popped into my head as I remembered how he took the pain away last time. He wasn’t here to help me this time.
Blood gushed from the bullet wound, and there was a black puddle beneath me. Jasper stepped in front of me, raising his arm. He backhanded me across the face with enough power to knock me to the floor. I caught myself on my bloodied hands, letting out a cry when he kicked me in the ribs, causing the wound to open even more.
The hawthorn was wreaking havoc on my body, and I realized I needed to get the bullet out. I spat out blood from Jasper’s hit while trying to climb to my feet. He let me get to my knees before fisting my hair and throwing me back onto the cement.
“I’m under strict orders to keep you alive,” he admitted grudgingly. “But he didn’t say anything about not hurting you.”
He reached down and grabbed my jaw roughly, forcing me to look at him. It was the moment I’d been waiting for, but I was too weak from the hawthorn to even attempt to entrance him.
“I’ve been with Amaros for decades,” he growled, looking at me with loathing. “Yet, he won’t tell me why some Shadow is so fucking special.”
Before I could respond, Viggo came up behind him and drove a stake into his back. Jasper’s eyes bulged as he dropped his hand from my face. The wooden weapon must have hit his heart, because he immediately fell to the floor, already dead.
“The bullet has to come out.” Gia’s voice had me turning my head in surprise. She crouched down next to me, her eyes dropping to the wound that was still dripping blood. “I’ll help her. Go get the weapons, Viggo.”
Viggo hesitated, his gaze staying on me. “I promised Zan that she’d be okay?—”
“And she will be,” Gia cut him off. “I’ll help.”
Viggo mumbled something under his breath as he walked away, but I didn’t catch it since Gia plunged her fingers into my bullet wound. I screamed in pain, shoving her away before collapsing back onto the blood-stained cement. The hawthorn was still coursing through my system, and Gia was making it so much worse.
“I need to get it out.” Gia shot me a firm look. “I know it hurts, but it won’t get better until the bullet is out. If you don’t let me, it could take a while for it to come out itself.”
“Fuck,” I breathed out, forcing myself to stay still when she got close again. “Okay, okay. Just hurry up.”
I braced myself when she poked two fingers into the hole again, and I squeezed my eyes shut, attempting to focus on anything other than what she was doing. A door slammed, and footsteps came closer. Lots of footsteps. Looking over my shoulder, the tension left me when I realized it was the Shadows.
“Oh my god,” I shrieked when pain spasmed from whatever Gia was doing.
“I almost…” she trailed off her voice tight. “Got it.”
I jerked in anguish when she pulled her fingers out. She dropped the bullet onto the floor, and I stared at it covered in my black blood. I’d been shot . Yet, here I was, already feeling my body healing just like it did when Zan had given me his blood. It was just another reminder that I wasn’t human anymore. After drinking blood, fighting against Viggo, and all my senses changed, it shouldn’t be a surprise. But it was.
“Come on,” Gia said gently, grabbing my hands and hauling me to my feet. “You’ll heal fast now.”
“Thanks,” I muttered. My legs were shaking slightly, but the pain was already dissipating. Lifting my shirt, I looked at where the bullet entered to see the wound was already closing back up.
“So quick.” Gia shook her head and smiled. “Your transition is the fastest I’ve ever seen.”
“Faster than my mother?” I couldn’t help but ask.
She paused. “She was born with black blood, Kali. I’m not sure how her transition worked.”
“We have to go,” Viggo called out as he threw an armful of weapons into the backseat of a truck. “There is another building on the property with hundreds more vampires, and there’s a tunnel. I’m sure they’ve already heard what’s happening.”
“We can take them,” a Shadow called out as others went in and out of the armory to grab more weapons.
“You surprised these vampires,” Viggo snapped. “Don’t be arrogant.”
I nearly snorted. He had no room to talk, but I didn’t say anything as everyone began piling into the vehicles. A low groan caught my attention, and I looked to see Rya slowly sitting up. I ran to her, helping her to her feet. She wiped the drying blood off her forehead as she cursed under her breath.
“You’re lucky the bullet went straight through,” Gia said, giving her a once over. “It wouldn’t have been fun trying to get it out.”
“Who are you?” Rya hissed in a weak voice.
“She’s fine?—”
Viggo cut me off. “She’s coming with us.”
“A vampire.” Rya sniffed in Gia’s direction. “One of Amaros’s. She can’t come.”
“Yes, she can,” I said firmly. “She won’t betray us.”
I could feel the stares of the Shadows who were listening, but I didn’t break my stare with Rya. She was nervous, and I couldn’t blame her. I also didn’t have a reason to prove that I could trust Gia. Only a feeling. She’d known my mother. She took the fall for Zan when he and his brothers snuck me off this property as a baby. She kept those secrets for years, and I somehow knew she’d keep mine.
“First, him.” Rya shot a glare toward Viggo. “And now her. Vampires aren’t loyal to you, Kali.”
“She is,” I replied tightly.
“Time to go,” Viggo shouted. “Half of you in the vehicles. The other half go with Rya.”
No one moved at his order. Instead, they all looked at me. The knots tightened in my stomach. I hoped I wasn’t walking all these Shadows to their death. I jerked a nod, and everyone began rushing.
“Gia, you ride with us.” Viggo opened the back of a large van. “There’re no windows back here. You’ll be fine until the sun goes down.”
“You have the map?” I asked Rya.
“Yeah. We’ll meet you there.”
“Be careful.” I gave her a quick hug, surprised at how quickly I’d come to care for her. “Don’t go near any main roads.”
She pulled away, grabbing a gun that a Shadow handed her. With half of them following her, she headed toward the basement where the other exit was. Viggo had drawn a map for it, and I hoped she didn’t have any issue getting off the property.
“Ready, Kali?” Viggo asked, opening the passenger door for me. “Let’s get the fuck out of here before the other vampires get here.”
Even with the noise, I heard more than a few grumbles. The Shadows didn’t trust Viggo. I was sure they’d try to kill him in a heartbeat if I allowed it. But I wasn’t sure we would have even gotten this far without him. He wouldn’t turn on me, not when he knew that Zan wanted me safe.
I climbed into the van, and Viggo started the engine. Hums of other vehicles filled the air, and I stared out the window as Viggo began speeding toward the exit. He was in the lead, and all the other cars followed until we were outside. My foot bounced as we drove down the driveway.
“Is there anyone watching the gate?” I asked.
“Yes.” He didn’t seem nervous about it, so I stayed quiet.
Soon, the large wall came into sight, and I frowned when I saw the gate was slowly opening for us. My head snapped to the side as I stared at Viggo.
“We have a couple humans who live here under entrancement that Amaros doesn’t know about,” Viggo explained gruffly. “One of them was already standing guard today. The other is already heading out to wait. We have a spot a few miles from here we always check in case we want to send messages to each other. Pax and Zan will know where we’re going before they reach the property.”
I bit my tongue, but Viggo must have seen my expression because he let out a curt laugh.
“Now isn’t the time to judge me about using humans for my bidding. It’s the only way to give Zan the message. Unless you want him to be stuck with Amaros after we’re gone.”
“No,” I snapped. “It’s still not right.”
“Are you going to change it, Kali?” He glanced away from the road to look at me. “Do you want the world how it was? When vampires lived in secret and humans ruled everything? Because you’re on our side now.”
“Whatever I’m going to do, it’ll be better than whatever the hell your father has planned.”
We lapsed into silence, and I sagged in the seat once we were officially off the property. I had no idea what exactly I wanted to do. But Amaros wouldn’t get what he wanted. PARA wouldn’t either. I just had to figure out how to change it all.