Chapter 34
PHAEDRA
“Scouts put them here,” Jamison says, putting a pin in the map. “Mercer and Caron have the panels, and they’re leading the vampires straight to us. If Frederick and his army continue to follow Mercer’s tracks at their current pace, they’ll be here in two hours. Let’s go over the plan again.”
“What’s the count?” I murmur to Mathias.
“A little over a thousand compared to our eight hundred.”
I shiver, and he pulls me in front of him and wraps both arms around me.
For several minutes, I listen to Jamison and the other leaders detail the plan. Flank positions. Aerial. Tactics to break up the hordes vampires tend to attack in. The best use of those with magic.
“Where am I?” I ask when he finishes.
Gatlin taps his chest. “Aerial with me. You’ll be the eyes in the sky, helping Jamison and the others shift resources where needed. Let’s say, Daegan is surrounded. We relay that to Maverick, and he moves in a team of demons to help him.”
“And you need everyone with magic or superior strength on the ground fighting,” I summarize, realizing I’m one of the weakest links here. That’s hard to admit, but compared to those gathered here, my ability to fight off a horde of vampires is limited.
He grimaces but cautiously nods as if he expects me to throw a fit. When I don’t, the three of them collectively let out the breath they’re holding. Right now, it suits me to wait and see where I can help instead of forcing them to put me into the field at the start.
“Where’s Hawthorne?” I ask, surprised he’s not here.
“Running an errand,” Mathias murmurs.
Jamison flicks a look of annoyance at the two of us, but when he sees how we’re standing, he raises a questioning eyebrow. I smile. I guess Mathias hasn’t gotten around to telling him we worked things out between us.
“Does anyone have any armor or protective gear I can wear? Didn’t have time to grab any on the way out the door.” They chuckle.
A tall man in the back drawls, “I’ll cover you.”
Jamison’s eyes narrow. “She’s taken. Get your own.”
He must be a little slow because he asks, “By who? The vamp?”
Jamison straightens. “Me.”
Gatlin crosses his arms. “Me.”
Mathias snarls at him. “Me.”
“And me,” Hawthorne states firmly, coming up to stand beside Mathias.
My face heats, but I can’t help the smug satisfaction I feel in hearing them claim me publicly. As someone who’s been alone for such a long time, it still boggles my mind that they’re mine. It also makes me a little afraid. If I’m too happy, will the gods take it all away?
Jamison looks at the rugged watch on his wrist. “Commanders, it’s time. Move out and prepare for battle.”
I slip from Mathias’ arms and stride over to the map. Phone in hand, I snap pictures, making sure to memorize exactly where everyone is, but especially those I care about most.
“Coming in hot,” Mercer’s voice comes over the comms.
She volunteered to lead the vamps on a merry chase across England to us. Popping into towns with the panels, showing them off, then popping out, then renting a car to drive the last thirty miles.
A cloud of dust follows her closely.
Jamison raises his hand. Mages on the left and elves on the right fire up their magic.
Hawthorne stands with the elves. Magic and staff in hand.
Shifters, demons, and the rest make up the middle of the field, ready to meet them head on.
Gatlin’s palm is up in a hold signal. We won’t take to the sky until the first wave of vampires hits the front.
Mercer drives right into one of those translucent portals and disappears.
Frederick’s order to stop is a roar, but the vampires are already too close. They hit the ranks and immediately engage with our army.
Gatlin and I take to the sky along with the other gryphons and a few shifters like Daegan’s dragon. They repeatedly dive bomb—snapping off heads, burning them to a crisp, or grabbing two or three in their massive talons and tossing them in the air.
A massive portal opens to the left of the vampires, and Bennett comes running out, magic firing in a remarkable show of power. A large number of humans enter with him, increasing the enemy’s numbers by at least a hundred.
I immediately relay this to Jamison and bite my lip, knowing he’ll want to take him on himself. He signals to someone in the ranks, and Charlie steps forward and assumes command.
Bennett stops and smiles broadly when Jamison’s magic intercepts his.
They circle each other, magic flying, and everyone gives them a wide berth.
Except the humans. One in particular raises his gun and points it at Jamison.
I open my mouth to warn him, but Marjorie tears into him with her vampire teeth and drinks him dry. A dry husk, he drops to the ground.
Guns fire after her, but she’s too fast for them to hit. She whispers into the ear of another vampire, and the two of them speed through the ranks of humans, teeth and nails flashing. One by one, they too drop to the ground.
Fire erupts in a circle on the ground, and Gatlin streaks across the sky to get us closer. Wind lifts me a few inches above his back, and I dig my heels in and hold on tightly. He slows and banks, letting me look at the scene below.
A lot of the elves are down. Hawthorne’s circle of fire is the only thing keeping the horde of vampires from getting to the rest. I relay the information below, and Charlie immediately directs Maverick and his demons to assist.
In a breathtaking move of ingenuity, the demons literally rise from the fire and launch themselves at the vampires. Hawthorne bends, hands on knees, to catch his breath, and a vampire leaps, taking him to the ground.
Gatlin screeches, and one of the other gryphons immediately moves in and plucks the vampire off Hawthorne. Sharp talons shred him to pieces as he rises back into the air.
Daegan’s roar echoes across the valley, and I immediately grip Gatlin tighter.
He races across the sky toward the dragon, and we find him on the ground, his body riddled with bullets.
Quickly relaying the information to his second in command, I pull the gun from my holster and fire at the humans, forcing them to take cover.
Daegan’s pack moves in, teeth and claws tearing into them, while Daegan begins the arduous task of healing his body. Blood and tissue gush out of holes followed by the bullets as he gets rid of them.
The ground is littered with bodies from both sides. Magic striking magic brings my attention back to Jamison and Bennett. They’re well matched. Shards of ice become bullets. Dirt whips into tornadoes. Dragons made of water swipe at the other with massive tails.
I relay this information to Charlie, hoping he can figure something out, but he tersely informs me that they’re covered up with vamps. I tap Gatlin on the neck, and he sends out a series of screeches. Two nearby gryphons move from the center of the field toward Charlie and his mages.
Silver glints in the afternoon sun, arcing out from the center of a small group of vamps. Most of it is a blur, but for a brief second, I see Mathias. Swords swinging, he and three other vamps are taking out any who approach.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Marjorie go down, tackled by another vicious-looking vamp. They roll in the dirt, weapons slashing repeatedly, and I look around for anyone to help her, but everyone’s fighting for their lives.
“Gatlin, get closer,” I yell, pointing in her direction.
He moves in, and I take out my gun, point it at the vamp, and call out softly into the comms. “Marjorie, get his head up.”
She immediately shoves a hand under his chin and thrusts upward. He pops into my sight, and I pull the trigger. Dead center. It stuns him enough for her to finish him off.
A shot from below grazes my arm, and I cry out.
Damn it. Gatlin’s head jerks around, and he eyes the ground for a second before arrowing straight toward the man who’s still firing.
Bullets strike Gatlin, but his gryphon hide protects him, and they bounce off.
The man turns to run, but Gatlin’s large talon reaches out and grabs him.
He screams for his friends, but they’re too busy fighting off other predators. Gatlin squeezes him to death, then drops his tattered body to the ground.
“Keep it steady,” I tell him, needing to bandage up my arm. Using the knife at my waist, I cut off one of my sleeves, then tear it into strips. Using my teeth, I wrap it around my arm, then tie it tightly. With the amount of magic in the air, it should heal quickly.
“Done,” I tell him, reaching forward to grip his neck again. “I haven’t seen Mathias. He’s supposed to be near the front.”
Magic explodes on our left. A ball of fire building and building between Jamison and Bennett. Boom! It explodes, sending them both flying.
Gatlin halts, wings flapping as we watch, our fear rising.
I stare at him, unmoving and still, refusing to think the worst. “Jamison, talk to me. Raise your hand. Come on.”
Six excruciatingly long seconds later, Jamison raises his arm. I exhale loudly, but Gatlin’s screech has me immediately turning to find Bennett. He’s on his feet, staggering toward Jamison.
“Get up, get up, get up! Now, damn it,” I yell into the comms. “He’s almost to you.” Bennett’s hand rises, and a ball of magic flies through the air. In horror, I watch it fly straight toward Jamison. “Shield!”
A weak, almost translucent shield appears, then disappears a second later. I continue to scream at him to get up, but I know he can’t. Gatlin’s flying as hard as he can to reach them, but I’m scared we won’t make it in time.
Suddenly, a magical baseball bat appears and connects with Bennett’s ball of magic, sending it flying into a group of nearby vampires, incinerating them on the spot.
An opaque shield appears around Jamison. Charlie steps up to him and hauls him to his feet. He sways. Charlie tilts his head back and forces a potion down his throat.
We come to a halt above the two of them, and I wrinkle my nose at the strong smell of sulfur in the air.
I look over at Bennett, and he’s staring at me, fists clenched in anger.
Gatlin puffs up, obviously not liking his response.
Spears of magic streak through the air at us.
In a vertical maneuver, Gatlin flaps his powerful wings, sending both the spears and Bennett tumbling backward.
We hover, waiting for him to get up.
“We’ve got this,” Jamison’s voice comes over the comms, and I breathe a sigh of relief. He and Charlie take position, and Bennett’s smile falters. He shoots me a murderous glare, then turns to face his opponents.
There are screams and roars all over the field.
Casualties are stacking up. Hawthorne’s battling two vampires, brandishing staff and fire simultaneously.
Daegan’s up and flying, fire pouring from his mouth as he incinerates the downed vampires to keep them from rising again.
Maverick and his crew are appearing and disappearing all over the field, leaving bodies in their wake.
I search from sword to sword, trying to find Mathias. His dark hair and lean build blend with the enemy vampires, making him hard to find. Scanning the field, I skip from one blur to the next, but none turn out to be him.
Frederick. I stop. Surrounded by his own men, he’s shouting orders and pointing in front of him.
I follow his finger and see horde after horde converging on three vampires in the middle of a circle.
My heart stops. It’s got to be Mathias. One of the vamps goes down on one knee, still fighting, and the crowd around him yanks him into the horde. Fire erupts as they burn his body.
“Mathias is covered up. Can anyone get there? Front lines.”
Frantically, I search the field, but everyone’s already fighting two or three. “Gatlin!”
He alerts the other gryphons, and three of them swoop down and grab several of the vampires surrounding Mathias, but they’re immediately replaced with five more.
“Get closer,” I tell Gatlin, who looks back at me with his sharp eagle eye. “He’s not going to last much longer.”
Gatlin veers to the right, and I realize he’s going to set me down and go back to help Mathias.
“Stop. We don’t have time.” I crane my neck to mark where Mathias is and tap Gatlin’s neck.
“Set me down here.” Gatlin shakes his head, and I slip my leg off, barely holding on with my hands. “Set me down, or I’m going to let go.”
He screeches loudly, but hovers there for a second, trying to decide what to do. A vampire takes a running leap and jumps up and onto his back. I scream. He drops ten feet, and the second he gets close to the ground, I let go.
Blood and mud squish under my boots. I grab the gun from my holster and run, shooting everything that comes at me.
One clip down, I quickly load another. Switching the gun to my left hand, I stop and pick up a small sword from the ground.
Shoot, swing. Shoot, swing. My goal is to incapacitate them and hope someone else comes along to finish the job.
I slowly make my way toward Mathias. That is… until Frederick steps in front of me.