Vampire Blood (Vampire Bite #2)

Chapter Eighteen

Lucas

The screams of the townspeople pierced through the chaos, but all I could focus on was Annika. Her eyes burned with defiance, and she gripped the dagger in her hand.

I hated the idea of pushing her away, hated myself for even suggesting it. But I had no choice.

“You have to hide,” I said, voice low but firm.

Her chin lifted, and fire flashed in her eyes. “No.”

“Annika—”

“I’m not leaving you!” She took a step closer, her free hand curling into my shirt. “You can’t ask me to just stand back and do nothing.”

My heart clenched, but I didn’t have time for tenderness. Not now. I grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to meet my gaze.

“If they take you, it’s over,” I said, my voice hard. “Do you understand that? Aurelius will rise. Everything we’ve fought for, everything we’ve bled for, will be destroyed.”

Her lips parted, and for a second, I saw the fear flicker beneath her fury. She knew I was right, but she didn’t want to admit it. Neither did I.

“I won’t let them take you,” I said, softer this time. “But I can’t protect you and fight them at the same time. You’re the key to all of this, Annika. If you fall into their hands, we lose. Everyone loses.”

She swallowed hard, tears shining in her eyes, but she didn’t look away. “Promise me,” she whispered. “Promise me you’ll come back.”

I cupped her face, brushing my thumb over her cheek. “Always.”

Her breath hitched, but she nodded. “Okay.”

Relief warred with guilt as I let her go. “Kael!” I barked, and he was there in an instant. “Get her somewhere safe. Don’t let her out of your sight.”

Kael nodded, but I didn’t miss the tightness in his jaw. He didn’t like it any more than I did.

Annika lingered a moment longer, her hand brushing mine before Kael pulled her away. I watched her disappear into the smoke, my chest tightening with every step she took.

I moved slowly, stealthily. I knew that I couldn’t take them head on. I had to be smart. I remembered Rowena’s words.

Keep your head. Don’t let your anger make you reckless.

I moved past lying bodies, past smoking houses. I took a few shifters out silently, without making any noise, but I knew better than to gloat. That was nothing. Just a drop in the sea.

That was when I found Callum pinned beneath the wreckage of a collapsed wall, blood streaked across his face and dirt caking his clothes. He was barely conscious, his chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths.

“Callum!” I dropped to my knees, shoving debris aside with raw desperation.

His eyelids fluttered. “Lucas?” His voice was a rasp, weak but alive. Relief surged through me, but I didn’t let it slow my hands.

“I’ve got you,” I said, prying away the last chunk of stone trapping his legs. He gritted his teeth, hissing in pain as I worked.

His leg was twisted unnaturally, and crimson seeped through a tear in his pants. Damn it. He wouldn’t be walking out of here on his own.

“Stay with me,” I ordered, hooking my arms under his shoulders and hauling him upright. He groaned, but he didn’t fight me. Good. He still had fight in him.

“Should’ve let me die,” he muttered, his voice half-lost against my shoulder.

“Not a chance.” I adjusted my grip and started dragging him toward cover. “You’re too stubborn for that anyway.”

We staggered through the rubble-strewn street, the sounds of fighting echoing all around us. My muscles burned, but I didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop.

“Annika?” Callum croaked.

“She’s safe.” I didn’t know if that was true, but I needed him to believe it. Needed to believe it myself.

He coughed. A wet, ugly sound. “You always—” He cut off with a grimace. “You always come back for me.”

“Yeah, well.” I glanced down at him, forcing a smirk despite the ice in my veins. “You make it hard not to.”

We reached a half-collapsed building, and I eased him down against the wall. His breathing was worse now, but his eyes stayed sharp, pinned on me.

“You’re not going back out there alone,” he said, the fire still burning behind his pain.

“You’re not in any position to stop me.”

He grabbed my wrist, his grip surprisingly strong. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

I pried his fingers loose, but I couldn’t meet his gaze. Because I knew I already had.

“I’ll be back,” I said, stepping away before he could argue.

And then I was gone, slipping back into the chaos.

The streets ran red. Smoke stung my eyes, and the cries of the wounded rang out like a death knell. I pushed forward, blade in hand, cutting through the chaos, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough.

I spotted a group of townspeople cornered near the smithy. Three men and a woman were shielding a child. The rogues circled them like wolves, snarling and snapping.

No time to think. I lunged.

The first one fell fast, my blade slicing across his throat, but the others turned on me in an instant. Claws and teeth flashed. I dodged, barely, feeling hot breath against my neck as I spun and drove my dagger into another’s gut.

Blood sprayed, but there were too many. They kept coming.

“Run!” I roared at the townspeople. “Now!”

They hesitated for a breath before scrambling toward the alley. A shifter lunged after them. I threw myself in his path, slamming him to the ground. My knife found his heart, but not before another tackled me from behind.

Pain exploded in my ribs as I hit the ground hard. I rolled, grappling with the weight pinning me down, but claws raked across my arm, tearing deep. I roared, head-butting the bastard before throwing him off.

I staggered to my feet, chest heaving. The townspeople were gone. I could only hope that they were safe, but the rogues closed in.

I swung wildly, catching one across the jaw, but another barreled into me, knocking the blade from my hand.

I hit the ground again, this time with a knee pressed to my chest and claws digging into my throat.

“Look at you,” the shifter hissed, breath reeking of blood. “So noble. So pathetic.”

I thrashed, but his grip held. My vision blurred at the edges.

Annika’s face flashed in my mind. Her eyes. Her smile. Her fire.

I let out a guttural snarl and pushed back with everything I had, throwing him off balance for just a second, but it wasn’t enough.

I was dragged through the streets, blood caked in my hair, limbs weak and trembling, but my mind… my mind was sharp. Every step, every scrape against the rough stone, was agony. But it didn’t matter. I couldn’t afford to show weakness.

They threw me in front of their leader like I was nothing more than an animal. He stood tall, his presence suffocating. His smirk stretched across his face, a twisted thing full of malice.

“All hail the great Zaros!” Our enemies chanted until their leader lifted his hand and silence followed momentarily.

“You should be proud,” he said, his voice a silk-lined razor. “You’re about to witness the fall of your precious town, vampire prince. All of it, yours for the taking. And your sweet Annika…” He laughed, a cruel, echoing sound. “She won’t be far behind. She’s the key, after all.”

I clenched my fists, fury bubbling up, but I held it back. I needed clarity. I needed to think.

“Don’t get too cocky,” I spat, blood dripping from the corner of my mouth. “You still haven’t won.”

He tilted his head, stepping closer. “You think this is a fight you’re winning? I’ve already won, Lucas. All that’s left is the final touch.” His eyes gleamed, hungry and unblinking. “And Annika is the final touch.”

Something inside me snapped.

I lunged forward, but they kept me back, binding my arms tightly behind me. They wouldn’t let me move, but I didn’t care. I could still feel her. Her fire, her strength, her determination. And that was enough to make my blood boil, to keep me pushing against the inevitable.

“You will never have her,” I growled. “You can take this town, destroy everything you want, but you will never have her. She’s not yours.”

His eyes darkened. “You think so?” He stepped back, motioning to the chaos around us, the shifters securing the townspeople, the smell of burning homes. “It’s only a matter of time, Lucas. You’ll see. She’ll come to us. Just like the rest of you will. She has no choice. She’s one of us now.”

“Shut your mouth.” My words were barely more than a growl, but I was close. So close.

He only laughed. The sound twisted through the air like a curse.

“Time will prove me right.” He turned away, gesturing for the others to pull me up. “You’ll be in the square with the others. Watch as your town crumbles, your precious Annika falls and we all welcome the great Aurelius. It’s already decided.”

I struggled against their grip as they dragged me through the square, my heart pounding against my chest. I wasn’t broken yet. I wouldn’t be.

“But enough talk!” he shouted. “Take them!”

People huddled together as shifters and rogue vampires surrounded us all, dragging us through the streets.

“Where are you taking us?” I demanded to know, but Zaros had no intention of responding.

His words echoed in my head, taunting me.

It’s already decided.

We were walking for a long time, when the ruins appeared. I knew then where we were.

They shoved me into the crypt, the cold stone walls pressing on every side. The damp air smelled like decay, like the weight of centuries of death. I could hear the others being thrown in behind me. Familiar voices, the soft cries of people who had once been safe in their homes were now reduced to captives in this forsaken place.

I didn’t want to look, didn’t want to see the fear in their eyes. But I had to. I had to know who was still alive.

I scanned the room, heart sinking as I spotted Callum, his face bruised but determined. He caught my eye, and for a moment, I saw the spark of recognition, the promise of something unbroken between us.

Zaros loomed over us, sneering. “I hope you all enjoy your last moments in the light. Because once Aurelius rises, this will be nothing more than a distant memory. Your homes. Your families. Gone.”

I clenched my fists. “You don't know her. You don't know Annika. She won’t let that happen.”

He stepped forward, towering over me. “You really believe that? You really think this little witch can stop it? She’s weak, just like you.” His voice dripped with venom. “Aurelius will rise, and all of you will bow before him.”

I glared at him, the words bitter on my tongue. “Not if I stop you first.”

Zaros’ laugh was cruel, and it echoed through the crypt, making the stone walls feel even more suffocating. “You’re already too late.”

I didn’t care what he said. I didn’t care what he thought. I would do whatever it took.

I turned away from him, my mind racing. I needed to find Annika. I needed to protect her. And I needed to get us out of here, out of this damn crypt, before Aurelius rose.

But first, I had to survive. And that was something I was damned good at.