Chapter Fifteen
KYELLA
I groaned as I considered our current problem. It seemed the highest concentration of human’s being used as shields were at the castle’s doors, exactly where we needed to go.
Breathing in deeply, I glanced at my men, silently questioning how we were going to tackle this problem. Getting through them would prove harder than I wanted, and we did not have the time to delay.
Hurry, Empress! I cannot guide you further, but he was in the throne room during my last inspection. A bigger threat is presenting itself that I must focus on—I can feel Lazarus’ energy and need to search for him while you handle Malakai.
“Shit,” I hissed with a heavy breath at the mention of the possibility of the old vampyre god being nearby. “Barnabus is leaving to search for Lazarus. Malakai was last seen in the throne room—we need to get there. Now.”
Foolishly, Lazarus hadn’t been on my mind at all, not with my focus on saving lives and ending Malakai’s. I was simply trying to face one threat at a time for now, or else it would feel overwhelming and unattainable, so I put it out of my mind for now.
“Let me try something,” Dakath muttered before walking toward the humans who held shaking swords pointed in our direction. “Guard our backs,” he instructed, yelling the command over his shoulder.
Elijah and Kolvar had already turned to do exactly that, so I kept my gaze on Dakath, unsure of if this was going to blow up in our faces.
If he needed any help, I would be there in an instant.
I had no idea what his plan was and was still concerned over him falling into trance not long ago, but I would trust in him as he would me.
I barely contained a strangled cry as he sheathed his long sword and held his hands up to the nervous group of humans.
“We do not wish to hurt you,” he stated in a very calm, yet strong, voice. “We just spent the last few hours evacuating the nearest villages that would accept our help. They told us how you were forced to come here. You are not our enemy.”
Some of the human men immediately sagged in relief, lowering their swords ever so slightly, though a select few remained guarded, albeit shaking still.
“The humans that aren’t fighting for Malakai are being slaughtered by his vampyres,” Dakath acknowledged, likely highlighting their fear and why they were so shaky.
“I’m sure you know that too, so I’m going to ask you very quickly to help us all get to where we need to be.
It could save your lives. Do you know if there are guards behind that door? ”
At first, I thought no one would answer him, but one young man slowly pushed his way forward to speak. “Not to our knowledge. Everyone was ordered to defend either the harbor or perimeter of the castle.”
That was a small miracle that I would take gratefully.
The battle still raged on around us, and our time crunch was only highlighted by the sounds of Kolvar’s and Elijah’s grunts as they faced attackers behind me. Tightening my grip on my daggers, I glanced back to ensure they had it handled as Dakath engaged the humans blocking the doors.
“I need you all, as a group, to back toward the doors slowly as we advance,” he explained.
“Being fearful of vampyres will make this look normal, but ensure you keep your weapons raised toward us as you protect the door. Once you are upon the doors, open them and rush inside. We will follow directly behind you, so immediately begin to shut the door after all of you make it in.”
“We need to go!” Kolvar growled as he pierced the heart of his opponent before kicking on his chest to dislodge him from his weapon, sending the vampyre crashing to the ground.
Whipping my head back to Dakath, I was pleased to see the humans doing as he instructed. As soon as I heard the large doors creak, I yelled, “Let’s go!” to my men.
Putting on a quick burst of speed, I sheathed my daggers as we crossed the threshold while their last members were entering the castle. Using our speed and strength, we rushed to help close the heavy doors as shouts of alarm sounded from the outside.
“Grab the beam!” I shouted, my eyes locking on the massive wooden block nearby.
My three men groaned at the weight of it, which at least meant that it would not be easily broken. The doors heaved against my shoulder as I gritted my teeth and dug my feet into the floor along with the humans who helped to hold it shut against the opposing forces.
Finally, the beam was navigated into its metal holdings against the door, helping barricade us in for now.
“That won’t last for long if they get enough vampyres,” Elijah warned, his mind clearly turning with possible solutions. “If we want a fair shot at taking Malakai out, these have to stay closed.”
The human who stepped forward to Dakath earlier spoke up once more as he brushed the dark hair from his eyes. “I will stay here and fight them if they break through. You helped our families when you didn’t have to. I will repay that debt now.”
My heart constricted at his valiant display of his character.
“As will I,” a man with a speckled red and white beard added as he stepped forward.
And just like that, each man who previously stood in fear of us, shaking and forced to serve their Emperor, showed that they were in fact courageous and strong. It was beautiful, the way our strength bolstered when we fought for who and what we loved…What we believed in.
“It’s too dangerous,” Dakath quickly rebutted, shaking his head. “It’ll be their slaughter.”
Glancing in the direction of the throne room at the end of this long corridor, a plan began quickly formulating in my mind.
It was necessary that these doors remained shut, to give me the time to find Malakai and face off with him without help coming to his aid.
Without a doubt, the humans couldn’t hold the door shut or face off with a unit of vampyre guards if they managed to break through.
I needed my men to stay behind to help them and give me a fighting chance, but I wasn’t sure how to ask them to let me face Malakai alone. I didn’t want them to think I didn’t need them—because I did. But these men needed them more.
Elijah seemed to be on the exact same page as me, though. I let out a strangled breath of relief as his words echoed through the hall.
“We will stay here and help you defend the door. We will fight beside you if any of these soldiers break through the door or come around from the other hallways,” he announced before his emerald eyes swung to land on me. “Go find him, Kyella. End this.”
I knew this wasn’t the time to get choked up, but damn was it hard when I was faced with the determination and love burning in his gaze as he told me in such few words that he trusted me and believed I could do this without them.
He believed I was strong enough to face my abuser and end this pain and suffering for all of Malakai’s victims.
It was a heavy emotion, but one I needed to get me through this.
“I love you all,” I breathed out, making eye contact with each of them before quickly turning on my heel and sprinting down the long hall.
As I raced toward the room and closed my hands around the hilts of my daggers, I couldn’t help but remember the memories this room had bestowed upon me.
How my heart had raced when I thought I was steps away from freedom as I cowered in this room moments before making a break for it.
How Malakai had beheaded my guard before introducing Tristan to me.
How I’d been shackled to that damn throne as his Lords fed upon me, covering my arms in bite marks.
Countless horrors that this room produced in so many memories.
I would be the first to create a good memory within the confines of those cursed walls: Malakai’s death.
A snarl of disgust and pent-up rage emitted from me as I kicked the doors open, using the momentum of my speed and strength to crack through whatever flimsy lock held them closed from the inside.
The doors slammed against the walls as they sprang open, and I rushed in, zeroing in on the hunched figure near the throne at the back of the room.
The long, greasy curls of Malakai’s hair gleamed beneath the flickering light of the innumerable candles lining the walls, illuminating the room as clearly as if daylight streamed through a window.
His head snapped back at my entrance, lips curled, and fangs extended as he tried to look as menacing as possible to whoever dared enter.
It was fascinating to see such an ugly sneer on his face, showing Malakai in the seconds before his face morphed into the mask I’d so quickly come to know over my years here.
A false smile plastered over his face as he widened his eyes and threw his arms out in welcome.
“You’ve returned to me, just as I knew you would! ”
The second his voice washed over me, nausea pooled in my stomach and my heart thumped all the way up in my throat. It felt as if I was glued to the floor suddenly, unable to take a step toward him.
Presenting his back to me once more, he continued to shove gold from a hole in the ground beneath his throne into the bags sitting open in the seat of it.
He didn’t even regard me as a threat.
Did he think I was too weak? Too soft to end someone’s life? Or did he truly think he’d brainwashed me so thoroughly that I wouldn’t think to raise a finger to hurt him?
His blatant disregard was the exact shock I needed to snap me out of my momentary stillness. Grabbing the thick wood used to barricade the door, I snapped it into place to hopefully fend off any guards that might come to help him.
A feral growl fell from my lips as I launched myself across the room toward him, pulling my arms back to get enough momentum to shove my daggers through the back of his neck and decapitate him.