Blood Sacrifice (The Astral Chronicles #1)

Chapter Thirty-TwoSalvator

Chapter Thirty-Two

Salvator

The recoil from the gun echoed up my arm and into my shoulder. We didn’t have the fancy blasters that Dominic and his team used, but we had designed weapons that held a lot more ammunition and were engraved with symbols that neutralised magical abilities and killed our enemies.

I hit a warlock in the knee, bringing him to the ground, but I knew his magic was gone and he was nothing more than an asshole with a bad attitude. “How much did it take to sell your soul?” I asked, standing over him.

“An animal can never understand true power,” he snapped, trying to drag himself backward.

Aisha nor the other witches knew about these engraved bullets. At a basic level, our wolves knew they were being manipulated and had rebelled, finding ways to segregate information.

I crouched beside him to look him dead in the eye. “Your magic is gone. Even in death my wolf is a part of me. I understand the meaning of true power.”

I watched as he tried to summon a spell without success, slowly standing over him to watch the fear in his eyes as the realisation of his situation sank in. There was a version of me who would have walked away and left him to his fate as a human, but this was war.

“I remember you,” I said in a low voice. “They made us stand and watch while you took innocent lives, robbed children of the years they were to experience. I remember the face of every single one of the warlocks Balor used to slaughter them.”

His eyes widened and he tried to drag his leg in his attempt to escape. “They were a sacrifice to the gods.”

“They were a power hit for a sick bastard with an ego complex,” I replied. “He dragged you all along with promises of untold magical abilities and godlike status.”

“The rest of this chamber is cleared,” Jethro said, appearing beside me. “He’s the last one.”

I could almost feel Jethro analysing all of the guy’s features, knowing he never forgot a face.

“Isn’t he one of the goons who likes to torture little girls?” he asked, taking a step forward.

“Uh-huh,” I replied, nodding my head.

“Sick fucker,” Jethro muttered, his gunshot echoing around the chamber as the warlock slumped back with a hole in the centre of his forehead. “I hate every single one of them. I hate that they leashed us so we couldn’t help those kids. I hate everything that they stand for.”

The dead warlock proved what he was saying was true.

“We need to keep moving,” I replied.

“I have full access to their network,” Tarrack said in my ear. “I’m downloading onto a remote server to trawl through later. Interesting fact of the day is that they have a database of all their operatives and where they are in the world. They are still out there searching for something, and I’m not sure if it’s the priestesses.”

“Keep looking and get what you can before they lock you out,” I replied. An organisation didn’t last this long without having the best people they could find in the background.

“I’ve loaded a few of my viruses onto their mainframe to slow them down,” Tarrack said, and I imagined his fingers flying across his keyboard as he chewed the top of another innocent pen.

“Any information on where Luna was heading?” I asked, leaving my message vague in case anyone was listening.

“Negative. I’m still searching, but it seems that any information about that mission is dark or maybe only accessible to higher members,” Tarrack said. “I’ll keep updating on anything I find.”

My earpiece returned to silence as he closed his mic.

Jethro met my gaze, and we turned in unison toward the exit of this chamber. “I expected a greater resistance,” he said.

“They are amassing further into the network,” a voice said from above us.

I looked up to find Dominic clinging upside down to the ceiling. My back molars ground together and my claws dug into the palms of my hands.

“How do you know that?” I asked, already sure it was true since the crazy vampire had never once steered us in the wrong direction.

“I took the opportunity of you dispatching the last of the assholes to take a look ahead,” he replied. “They have a welcoming committee waiting two chambers down.”

I nodded once. “What about the next chamber?” I asked.

“Empty.”

They were obviously trying to trick us, only they didn’t know about the creatures who could walk on the ceiling.

“Everyone into groups of three,” I instructed. “Watch each other’s backs.” We were about to move forward when Dominic landed on the floor beside us in a perfect crouch before straightening.

“I know this is your mission, but can I make a suggestion?”

I eyed the vampire wearily, imagining a scene from a horror film with blood everywhere.

“The witches made potions before we left,” he continued. “Perhaps my people should be in the first wave, and drop those potions behind enemy lines to distract them before the big, bad wolves come knocking on their door.”

Jethro chuckled beside me. “The vamp is definitely growing on me,” he said. “I like your style.”

Dominic straightened the cuff of his long black coat. “Thank you, a well-tailored suit never goes out of fashion.”

My lips twitched at his comment because everyone knew Jethro had not been referring to his clothing. “Okay.” I waved the magic users forward. “The first wave of attack will be magic. I doubt they’ll be expecting that since all our witches were assholes and liars.”

One of the witches stepped forward, placing a backpack on the ground. “We packed some spells that were neutral and can be adapted to a situation,” she said. “What do you need?”

From the time Luna walked back into my life, I had slowly realised that what I thought magic was capable of was nothing like the real situation.

Dominic pouted, his hands rubbing his chin as he contemplated her question. “Fear is a powerful emotion and can paralyse the strongest warrior in battle. I think maybe we need to start with that. I remember a spell from a few years ago that can make a person see their worst fear manifest in front of them.”

My eyebrows rose as I listened to the exchange.

“Yeah, we can incorporate that,” the witch replied. Other magic users moved forward to prepare the potions they had with them. “Can I suggest something that will freeze everyone’s otherworld abilities? It means we need to stay back for a few moments until it dissipates, but the wolves will be unaffected if they are already in their moon form.”

“My men?” Dominic asked.

“If they are already in their moon form also, then their strength and speed will remain,” she replied. “The spell will contain everyone to their current status, so if the warlocks are not currently engaged in a spell, they will be powerless, and lycans will be trapped in their human form.”

“That sounds terrifying,” I said. “Remind me to never piss you off.”

Her grin transformed her features. “These are basic spells that we can easily incorporate into these potions. You should see some of the magic Luna and the higher-level witches can accomplish.”

There was too much about my mate that I didn’t know, entire lifetimes with her that I had missed because of the evil that lurked in this place. Anger burned in my chest so hot it scalded my insides. My wolf clawed his way to the surface. He wanted to destroy everything in his path, reclaim what had been taken from us. I wanted to turn back the clock and experience life with her, to walk the Earth and grow old together. Instead, war had been my playground, and violence my language until death meant nothing to me.

For the first time in forever, I felt real fear because Luna was out there and vulnerable without me to protect her.

This underground world was the only thing keeping me from being with her to keep her safe from the enemies hiding in the darkness.

While the witches manipulated the potions, the vampires turned into their moon form, their facial features sharpening, nails elongating into talons, and fangs descending. They were deadly predators who would strike fear into the hearts of anyone who came face-to-face with them.

Dominic took a handful of potions, nodding as he listened to the witch who had been working on them. My mouth fell open slightly as I watched him leap from the floor, spinning midair to allow him to use his talons to cling upside down to the ceiling.

“There’s a reason we didn’t see them in the past,” Jethro said from beside me. “We were standing on the ground, and they were scurrying around the ceilings above us like demented bats.”

I creaked my neck from side-to-side, my wolf clawing his way to the surface ready to do battle. My canines ached in my gums and my nails transformed into claws. After countless years of war and bloodshed, I had avoided allowing my wolf free for years until I was able to look at myself in the mirror.

To get to our mate, I released the tattered remains of my humanity.

My vision lightened as my wolf took over, my pulse pounding in my ears. Jethro transformed beside me, others in my pack becoming black dire wolves inside the chamber as we allowed our beasts to emerge. The walls vibrated as our growls filled the air, the sound of claws scraping on stone floors as wolves made their way toward the exit.

“When the spells activate, everyone will be frozen in their forms, but I don’t know for how long as it depends on how many are in the room, and how powerful the creature is,” the witch said. “We’ll be following behind you with prepared potions and spells.”

I nodded once to indicate I understood.

Faints screams echoed from somewhere in the distance, an indication that the vampires had reached their targets and had engaged the enemy. I pushed my way through until I was at the front of the group, and I led the charge.

Adrenalin spiked in my veins, a heady aphrodisiac that screamed for the bloodshed of my enemies. My feet pounded on the ground, creating a drumbeat into battle. When they had discovered we had breached their underground city, they had amassed to ambush us. There was a reason Balor had selected the dire wolves as his personal guards. We were vicious in a fight, and didn’t stop until either we were dead or our enemy slaughtered.

I sensed my pack behind me, the sound of their heartbeats reminding me of the reason we were here today.

Vengeance.

Our enemy had used magic to suppress and control us; they had castrated our wolves, and left us vulnerable. They fought with dishonour and cowardice in their soul.

The sounds of screaming intensified the closer we came to the chamber where they had been waiting for us, the scent of blood tainting the air as the vampires led the first wave of the attack.

Jethro had reached my side as we raced the last few metres down the corridor to reach the chamber filled with a small army. My wolf was in full control, his claws tearing through flesh and bone as he carved a path for those coming behind us. None of us knew how long the warlocks would be rendered useless, so every second counted.

I felt the tickle of magic against my fur as the aerosol of the potions reached me. My human side felt smaller and unreachable, my wolf dominant as the potion locked us in our beast form. Normally, I changed between my two forms in battle to utilise my hands to wield a sword or gun. Today, I fought as a dire wolf, my weapons teeth and claws.

My muscles bunched as I leapt forward, grabbing a wolf on the other side that had attacked a vampire. Our bites could kill the other species if it broke the skin. I tossed him through the air, his body impacting the wall with a resounding crack. Jethro sped in from my left, and ripped his throat out before moving on.

I had forgotten the beautiful dance of battle, or maybe I had tried to block it out as my wolf took full control of our dynamic. This was the language he understood, the artistry as blood splattered up the walls, and claws dug into the stone floor when enemies tried to stand their ground.

Our witches reached us, tossing premade potions through the air. The glass bottles smashed on the ground, and different-coloured mists emerged to surround wolves and warlocks. Purple mists rose into the air, forcing their way down the throats of our enemies. They held their throats and they collapsed to the floor, desperately trying to gulp in breath. Pink mists wrapped around wrists and hands to hold them in magical handcuffs. Green tendrils emerged from where some of the bottles had smashed, ensnaring those who tried to run past.

I recognised a warlock who was trying to hide behind others, using them as a barrier to protect himself. I stalked forward, my hackles raised, and head low. I paced after him as he sneaked behind the others like a rat searching for cover. Seeing the route he was taking, I swung around to come face to face with a warlock whose magic was starting to return, sparks emerging from his fingertips. My jaws snapped closed and his hands dropped to the ground, his scream echoing in my ears. He couldn’t use his fingers to manipulate magic if his hands were detached. I pushed him out of my way and followed the other warlock, cutting him off as he tried to open a hidden entrance in the wall. It was half open when I lunged forward, spinning him around to face me.

His eyes widened in recognition as he stared at me. He was another of the ones who had tormented the sacrifices before they took their lives. They thought we hadn’t heard them begging for their lives while they jeered at them, and pleasured themselves. I had made a vow a long time ago when I was freed from the shackles of my servitude: I would hunt every single one of the sick bastards down and preserve the precious oxygen of the world by stopping them breathing it.

My head canted to the side to study him as he desperately tried to summon his magic, but he was still impotent from the potions released by the vampires.

He held his hands up. “I have power, I can give you anything you desire.” His voice was pitiful, his mannerisms disgusting me since he hadn’t allowed others to beg for their lives.

My lips pulled back to show my canines, a growl rumbling from my chest.

“Filthy fucking animal,” he snapped, trying to kick me with a sorry-assed ninja move.

I swiped him with my front paw to demonstrate the move, my claws slicing across his chest to leave lines of mutilated flesh. A spark of magic flashed from his fingers and a gleam entered his eyes as he grasped the last of his hope and tried to attack me. He was too late, and I was too pissed to worry about whatever spell he was trying to conjure. I lunged forward, grabbing his arm in my teeth and shaking my head until it dislodged and I flung it across the room. He screamed, his other hand trying to grasp his shoulder as if he could manifest another arm. I pushed him back until he landed on the ground, and closed off the last of my humanity as my wolf took charge.

A ribcage protected the heart, lungs, liver, and stomach, but it left your intestines vulnerable. My claws dug deep, eviscerating the warlock even as he tried to create an energetic bubble around himself to protect his body. I showed him the same mercy he showed the sacrifices all those years ago.

He stared vacantly at the ceiling, blood oozing from his mouth. I waited for the moment when his death would pay penance for all those deaths so long ago. It didn’t because the dead didn’t come back to life, and all I could hope was that at least one ghost from those sacrificed was released from wandering the wastelands of Purgatory seeking justice.

I returned to the battle, lunging forward again and again until the numbers of our enemies began to dwindle, and the floor became a lake of blood. Slowly, my wolf began to ebb and my humanity returned. I refused to look at the mangled flesh and broken bones.

War was brutal with the survivors carrying more than scars. There were some images that never left you, some truths when they were revealed that you would never forget, and some horrors that left deep marks on your soul.