Chapter 37
Itake a step forward, but Julian holds up a hand to stop me. A wicked smile fills his face as he takes in my tortured expression.
“Let’s think wisely about your next step. I wouldn’t want anyone getting hurt now.” Willow cries out as he tightens his grip around her throat, her eyes falling desperately to me.
“Stop!” I scream.
He looks at me with glee on his face as though he knows that he has me exactly where he wants me. My stomach lurches as I take in her too-thin frame and disheveled state. I’ve been spending time living my life in the palace while she has been suffering at the hands of these monsters.
“Just let her go, and we can talk.”
He shakes his head at this.
“The prince is still alive.” He doesn’t seem as angry about this as I expected.
“There were complications.”
He tilts his head, and a smile spreads across his lips.
“You mean your bond?”
“You were right,” Kaia whispers from behind me.
“And before you think to lie, remember that your sister’s life is in my hands.” His eyes flicker down to her, and she flinches when he runs his other hand down the side of her face.
“Don’t touch her,” I warn.
He looks up at me, amusement curving the corners of his mouth. “Then give me what I want.”
“What do you want?”
His eyes stay on me for a moment too long, and it feels like a thousand fingers are touching me, and I hate it.
“You.”
“No.” Kaia’s voice echoes through the space, and he snaps his head in her direction, the amusement still alive and well in his expression.
“Hello, little warrior. It’s so nice to see you again. I truly miss your skill on the battlefield, shame that I cannot keep you for myself.”
“You weren’t there.” But I hear the doubt in her voice, the confusion over his confession of being present for the last war.
“Was I not?” He simply smiles. “You fought valiantly, I must admit. Many of my kin were slaughtered by your hands. The massacre at the Crimson House was a marvel to behold. Such a shame we could not keep you.”
“That’s not possible…nobody knows about that…”
“And yet, I do.” His voice snakes through the space, slithering like a parasite desperate to claw its way inside.
“It’s some kind of trick. Don’t fall for it.”
She shakes her head.
“It’s not a trick. There’s no way he could know.”
“Don’t be ashamed, my beautiful warrior. You did what any great soldier would do. Even when you slaughtered those poor children.”
I turn my eyes to her, and the truth lies there. He’s telling the truth. She growls at him and launches herself toward him, but I grab her around the waist, holding her back.
“He’s goading you.”
But it’s like her mind is elsewhere. His words are like a knife to her chest. I pull her back beside me, thankful for Karius’s strength, knowing that she could overpower me if she had possession of her own.
I’m surprised to find a tear falling down her cheek as her eyes home in on no one but Julian.
“If I come with you, will you leave them all alone?”
He nods. “You have my word.”
“No, Adina, you can’t trust him. He’s a monster,” Willow begs from her place on the ground. That’s the reason I have to come, because I will be damned if I’m going to leave her alone with him. He squeezes tighter around her throat, and her eyes bulge as a spluttering sound escapes her throat.
“Stop it. I will come. I will come with you, just let her go.”
I see the moment that he loosens his grip as she gasps for air and begins coughing.
Seeing her in pain sends a feeling of terror through me.
I need to get her away from him. The other figures haven’t moved this entire time, remaining like obedient statues until their master commands them otherwise. They are like puppets.
“Wait for the others,” Kaia whispers.
“There’s no time.”
My eyes burn with unshed tears as I look down at Willow.
“If I come with you, will you release her and let her go with them?”
He thinks on my words for a moment before nodding.
“I can do that.”
Willow looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, but I know what she doesn’t.
Soon, my connection to Karius will be restored, and when it is, I’ll be able to fight these monsters, and I want her far away from here when I do.
I shift my attention to Kaia, who still seems lost in the memories that Julian conjured up, the pain etched onto every line in her face.
I have no idea what she went through, but I slip my hand in hers and squeeze.
“Look after my sister,” I tell her.
I step forward, Julian’s grin widening as though he’s just claimed the greatest prize in the realm.
I ignore the churning in my gut, knowing that if I leave—if I go with him—it will likely start a war, and the blame will be mine.
But my eyes slip down to Willow again, and I remind myself that everything has been for her.
Every choice, every bad decision has been to protect her.
I may not have trusted the vampires in the beginning, but I know without a doubt that they will protect her while I fight to make my way back to her.
I keep moving and try to ignore the weight of Julian’s stare on me.
Deep inside my gut, I feel the silent churn of Athriel going wild, but I cannot hear him.
I can barely even feel him anymore. I know that he would be demanding that I fight, that I kill everyone here, but the truth is, I don’t think I can.
And sometimes the best way to fight is to submit.
My step pauses as a deep rumble shakes the ground beneath us.
A strong wind fills the area, almost blowing me back to where I was standing beside Kaia.
Then, a dark circular mass forms right in the middle of where the impures are all standing, and for the first time, they all move, hurriedly clearing the area as thick black clouds spill from its edges.
A sharp double-sided blade cuts through the shadows before flying through the air like a boomerang, the sharp whip of the wind following its path.
It happens so fast that I’m not even sure what is happening until four of the impures become unsteady on their legs and their heads slide from their shoulders and fall with a thud to the ground.
Their lifeless bodies hit the ground moments later, and from the darkness Ivana emerges, a fierce scowl carved into her face.
She raises her hand, catching the shadow weapon with ease as her gaze sweeps outward.
But my heart only lurches when I see the deadly figure that steps out behind her, his eyes searching the space until they land on me. I might be crazy, but for a fleeting moment relief softens his features—before the stony mask returns, the one that promises death.
Karius.
Power thrums inside my very being at his proximity, and I feel it charging up my veins like lightning.
He came. Julian lets out a loud growl, and the remaining impures come to life.
One runs at Ivana, its movement more beast than human as it charges on all fours in her direction.
She sticks out a hand in front of her just as the creature reaches her, casting a smaller shadow portal.
The creature lets out a strangled howl as it skids against the ground in a bid to stop, but it’s too late; its momentum carries it straight through the dark mass of shadows.
She snaps her hand closed, and the circle disappears.
She lifts her hand in the air, casting another shadow portal several feet above her.
She doesn’t even look up as the same creature appears from the mass, falling from the sky toward her.
She lifts her blade, and the creature screeches as it’s impaled, the sharp tip piercing its heart.
She drops the corpse to the ground before spinning to fight another running in her direction.
Julian shouts out in anger, his voice thundering through the sky as his eyes turn the same dark black as the others.
He throws Willow to the ground as though she is nothing, and then all chaos breaks loose.
Creatures charge toward Ivana, bearing sharp teeth that seem to elongate as they gallop closer to her.
More race toward where Kaia and I are, but we stand our ground.
Before they can reach us, a dark shadow figure forms before us in the shape of a soldier.
It stretches out its hands, plunging them into the chests of the creatures and ripping their hearts out with ease before throwing them to the ground. The two impures fall dead instantly.
My eyes turn to find Karius as he whips his sword through the air with deadly precision, twisting just in time to slice the sharp blade through the throat of an impure charging at him. He’s controlling his shadow soldiers without even breaking a sweat.
“Shit,” Kaia says from beside me, and I follow her gaze up to the decrepit buildings before us and find at least fifty more impures perched on the jagged, broken edges, ready to jump into battle at any minute.
“Karius,” I scream out. He catches my attention for a mere second as I point to the others readying to attack. He says nothing but continues his assault on the ones on the ground.
Ivana clashes with two creatures that lunge at her, her strikes swift and lethal.
She moves so fast that she’s almost a blur, and I realize that she didn’t even show half of what she’s capable of in the training room.
Another impure leaps down from its perch above, landing behind her, but she doesn’t see it.
I’m about to scream out when a shadow blade swipes across its neck, taking it straight off its shoulders.
My eyes land on Ajax, and I can’t help but smile.
“You look happy to see me, Red,” he says as he lifts his hand, and a flurry of shadow arrows flies through the air, sinking into the chests of several creatures.
“I am,” I cry. “Your powers are back.”
He nods. “Your boy, Finn, isn’t too bad. Hold tight. He’s on his way with a dose for you both.”
He vanishes into the press of bodies, while Julian stays rooted, hidden behind the shield of impures he commands, sending more forward to die as the others are cut down.
“We need to kill him,” I tell Kaia.
“With pleasure.”
Just then, Piper stumbles into the mass. Her eyes widen as she takes in the chaos before us.
“What the…”
I look down and find two vials clutched in her hand.
“I’m sorry about what happened to you,” I say, taking her by surprise.
She nods. “It’s not your fault, Adina, and I’ll be ok. Let's just kill these things once and for all, and talk about it when we get home.”
Her words make me laugh, and a beautiful smile breaks out on her face.
“Agreed,” I say.
“Drink these, they don’t take long to kick in,” she says, shoving the vials into my hand. I pass one to Kaia before downing the yellow liquid myself. I try not to heave as the acrid taste burns the back of my throat.
“What the hell is in this?” I ask as I feel the tingle throughout my entire body.
“Does it matter if it brings your powers back?” I turn to find Finn standing with a smile on his face.
“You can’t be here. It’s not safe.”
He holds up an empty vial and shakes it in the air. “Don’t worry, beautiful, I’m juiced up.”
I shake my head, but the moment is short-lived when I see one of the creatures swinging its extended black claws through the air, aiming straight for Piper.