Chapter Twenty-One
Annika
I moved through the shadows, my heart hammering so loudly I was sure someone would hear it. The chaos of the attack still echoed faintly in the distance, but here, near the crypt, everything felt unnervingly quiet. Too quiet.
It was as if no shifters were there any longer. Just the yawning black entrance of the crypt, like a mouth waiting to swallow me whole.
I knew I had to be cautious. This didn’t seem right. None of this seemed right.
I swallowed hard, forcing my legs to move even though my instincts screamed for me to run the other way.
My boots barely made a sound against the cracked stone floor as I slipped down the narrow steps, my pulse quickening with every step. The air grew colder, heavier, until it felt like I was walking straight into a tomb.
Which, I supposed, I was.
The sound of snarls and clashing steel grew louder the deeper I went. The flickering torchlight illuminated the twisted shapes of fighting bodies. I could see shifters lunging, blades flashing. And there, in the center of it all, was Lucas.
He was bleeding, surrounded, yet still fighting. His movements were quick, desperate, but it was clear he was being overwhelmed.
I stepped farther into the crypt, pressing myself against the wall to stay out of sight as I scanned the chaos. My heart clenched when I saw Callum, struggling against two shifters at once, barely holding his ground. The townspeople were trapped, herded into one corner, their terrified faces reflecting the dim light.
And then I saw him. Aurelius.
He stood like a dark god above it all, his presence suffocating. He barely moved, watching the bloodshed with amusement, his eyes gleaming like polished obsidian.
I gritted my teeth, my fingers curling into fists.
I had to do something.
But what?
Rowena’s words echoed in my mind. He will try to deceive you. Do not trust him. Do not let him in.
I sucked in a breath. I couldn’t let fear stop me. Not now.
I crept along the wall, keeping to the shadows as I edged closer. I needed to reach Lucas, needed to let him know I was here… but how?
A sharp cry split the air, and my head whipped toward it. Lucas stumbled, blood trailing down his arm, but he didn’t stop fighting. My chest tightened. I wanted to scream his name, to run to him, but I bit my lip and stayed low.
I wasn’t ready yet. Not until I had a plan.
I pressed my back against the wall, trying to steady my breathing. Aurelius’s gaze swept over the room, and for a horrible moment, I thought he saw me. But then his attention shifted, and he smirked at something Lucas had said.
I exhaled shakily. But no relief found me. I knew I had to stop the bloodshed.
I stepped out of the shadows without any plan, my heart slamming against my ribs as every head turned toward me. The fighting slowed, the chaos dulling as eyes locked onto me, some in shock, others in fear.
Aurelius’ dark gaze pinned me in place, sharp and consuming. The air in the crypt seemed to thicken, pressing down on me as his lips curved into a slow, predatory smile.
“There you are.” His voice was silk over steel, soft but unyielding. He took a step toward me, and my pulse spiked. “I was beginning to think you’d never come.”
The room felt smaller, suffocating, but I stood my ground.
“Let them go,” I said, forcing strength into my voice. “This fight ends now.”
Aurelius tilted his head, his smile deepening. “Ends?” He laughed softly. “No, my dear. It’s only just begun.”
I flinched as his words wrapped around me, but I kept my chin high. “If it’s me you want, then take me. But let the others go.”
His eyes gleamed, hunger simmering beneath their surface. “Oh, I will take you,” he murmured, “but not as a prisoner.”
I froze.
He took another step closer, his presence suffocating. “Don’t you see?” His voice softened, coaxing. “You and I… we’re the same. Power flows in your veins, just as it does in mine. Together, we could remake this world.”
My breath caught. His words slithered into my mind, warm and tempting. The chaos around us faded, and for a moment, all I could see was him. His promise. His certainty.
He reached out a hand. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore, Annika.”
My name on his lips sent a shiver through me, and I hated how my body responded. How the smallest, most desperate part of me wanted to reach back.
No.
I clenched my fists.
“You’re lying,” I said, but the words sounded weak even to my own ears.
His smile softened, his expression almost gentle. “Am I?” He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You’ve felt it, haven’t you? The power inside you… growing, calling out for more. I can give that to you. I can teach you to harness it. To rule, not cower.”
I swallowed hard, my mind spinning.
“Think of what we could do together, Annika,” he said. “Your blood, my strength… we would be unstoppable.”
The temptation hit me like a wave, my knees nearly buckling under its weight.
I could end this. I could stop the suffering, the pain. No more battles, no more fear.
All I had to do was say yes.
No.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Rowena’s words came back, sharp and clear.
He will try to deceive you. Do not trust him.
I opened my eyes and met his.
“No,” I said, this time steady. “I’ll never join you.”
The softness in his face vanished, replaced by something darker. His lips curled back, and his eyes burned with fury.
“So be it,” he snarled.
A blast of power surged from him, like an invisible force slamming into me. I staggered back, barely managing to stay on my feet. My pulse pounded in my ears, but I didn’t look away. I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.
Behind him, the chaos reignited. Shifters and rogue vampires swarmed the townspeople, their cries echoing through the crypt. I caught glimpses of Lucas, bloodied but still fighting, with his blade flashing as he cut down another attacker.
My chest ached at the sight of him. I needed to get to him, but Aurelius stepped closer, blocking my view.
“You’re strong,” Aurelius said, his voice a low purr. “But not strong enough.”
His words sent ice down my spine, but I refused to show fear. “You’re wrong.”
He laughed, sharp and mocking. “Am I? Then prove it.”
I braced myself as he lunged.
His speed was terrifying. One moment he stood several feet away; the next, he was right in front of me. I barely managed to dodge his grasp, stumbling to the side. My heart raced, but I forced myself to focus.
I wouldn’t win this fight with strength. I had to use what I’d been given… what I was.
I reached for the magic inside me, the ancient power Rowena had helped me unlock. It stirred, sluggish and heavy, but I pushed harder.
Aurelius lunged again, and this time, I didn’t run. I stood my ground and thrust my hands out.
A surge of energy exploded from my palms, slamming into his chest. He staggered back, a look of surprise flashing across his face.
I didn’t give him time to recover. I called the magic again, pouring every ounce of strength into the attack. Light erupted from my hands, bright and searing, and Aurelius roared as it hit him.
But it wasn’t enough.
He fought through it, stepping closer, his eyes blazing. I felt my strength waver, my knees trembling.
“Do you feel it yet?” he hissed. “How your power drains you? You can’t win.”
I gritted my teeth, pushing harder even as my vision blurred. “I won’t stop.”
He smirked. “You don’t have to.”
Before I could react, he raised his hand and suddenly, I couldn’t move.
An invisible force pinned me in place, and my magic flickered out.
“No,” I gasped, struggling against the hold, but it was useless.
Aurelius stepped closer, his gaze devouring me. “You should’ve accepted my offer.”
Panic rose in my chest. I thrashed, but it was like being trapped in stone.
“Let her go!”
Lucas’s voice cut through the chaos.
Aurelius turned, and I caught a glimpse of Lucas as he charged.
“No!” I screamed, but it was too late.
Aurelius moved faster than I could see, and Lucas was suddenly on the ground, groaning in pain.
Rage ignited inside me, and I reached for my power again. This time, it answered.
I didn’t think. I let it take over, raw and untamed, surging out of me in a blinding wave of light.
Aurelius staggered back, his hold on me shattering.
I dropped to my knees, gasping for breath, but I didn’t stop. I pushed the magic outward, surrounding him in light.
His screams filled the crypt as the magic wrapped around him, burning through his skin.
I felt it, the spell working, the mixture of Rowena’s herb and my blood taking hold.
But it wasn’t enough.
Not yet.
Tears blurred my vision, and my body trembled with the effort. “Stay down,” I whispered through gritted teeth. “Stay down!”
Aurelius writhed against the magic, his roars shaking the walls—but slowly, he weakened.
And then he fell.
The magic bound him to the ground, his body limp and smoldering.
I collapsed, my strength completely gone. My breaths came in ragged gasps, and my vision swam.
Lucas was there in an instant, his arms around me. “Annika!”
I looked up at him, my body trembling. “He’s not dead,” I whispered. “Not yet.”
Lucas’s jaw clenched, and his grip tightened.
“Then we’ll finish this,” he said. “Together.”
We stood up, his hand gripping mine so tightly it almost hurt. But I needed it. I needed that anchor to keep me standing as the last threads of magic wove around Aurelius, sealing him within the crypt once more.
I opened the vial of blood I held on me, releasing it into the air. It intertwined with the light emanating from me, locking him in a cage of luminosity. The spell pulsed through the air, vibrating in my bones, and I could feel the weight of it locking into place. Final. Unbreakable.
Or so I prayed.
Aurelius’s screams echoed, raw and guttural, but they were weakening. The power we’d unleashed, Lucas’s strength and my blood-fueled magic, was more than even he could resist.
His eyes snapped to mine. That burning, terrible gaze pinned me, and I froze as his voice sliced through the air, rasping and cold.
“This isn’t over,” he said.
The words slithered inside me, coiling tight.
“You can’t stop what’s coming,” he hissed, his lips curling into a smile that sent ice down my spine. “You’re just the beginning, Annika. The key.”
The light flared brighter, cutting him off. His scream turned into a wordless howl, and then—silence.
I gasped, the sound loud in the sudden stillness. My knees buckled, and Lucas caught me before I hit the ground.
“It’s done,” he said, his voice rough, but I heard the relief in it.
I wanted to believe him.
But before I could say anything to that, it all went black.