Chapter 7
Seven
RONAN
T he sun has set, but I’m too tired, and Mum hasn’t come to wake us yet.
I hate getting out of bed when it’s so cold outside.
I burrow deeper under the blanket, moving closer to Connor, my younger brother.
He’s curled up like a ball, clutching his favorite toy, a miniature wooden sword I carved for him.
I’m drifting back to sleep when the screaming starts, followed by the sharp stench of wood burning. I sit upright with my heart stuck in my throat. Smoke billows in through the cracks in the door.
I shake my brother. “Connor, wake up. There’s a fire!”
“What?” He rubs his eyes, not quite awake yet. He’s only four and not aware of the danger.
“Hurry! We have to find Mum and Dad.” I jump to my feet and help Connor do the same. We’re wearing only our sleep shirts, but there’s no time to look for our boots or coats.
We manage to run out of the house, but the horror that greets us makes us stop.
Soldiers on horses are brandishing their swords and cutting down whoever gets in their paths.
From the corner of my eye, I see two familiar forms. Mum and Dad, lying in the dirt.
They aren’t moving. My ears are ringing with a persistent sound.
I don’t need to move closer to know they’re gone.
A lump gets lodged in my throat, and I can’t breathe right.
My entire body seems to freeze, making it impossible to move.
A desperate scream echoes in the smoky air, jolting me from my growing panic.
I can’t despair now. I have to keep Connor safe.
“We must run!” I yell, dragging him with me.
Everything around us is chaos, disorienting me.
I don’t even know what part of the village we’re in now.
Giant flames devour the thatched roofs, collapsing them inward in showers of orange sparks.
Folks are running instead of fighting, and their screams cut through the roar of flames while cattle bellow from the stables.
“We have to?—”
Someone collides with Connor and me, sending us to the ground.
I try to get back on my feet, but I’m shoved in the mud face-first. Every time I attempt to move, I’m pushed down into the earth until I can barely breathe.
This is like being caught in a stampede of wild horses, and if we don’t get up, Connor and I will be crushed.
We won’t die in this manner, but we can’t run away from the danger if our bodies are broken.
Summoning all the strength left in me, I push myself back onto my feet and look for my brother. He isn’t next to me like I thought.
“Connor! Where are you?” I shout, desperation clutching my heart in a vicious hold.
I search for him, not caring now about the madness around me.
Smoke carries the sour scent of timbers reduced to char, mixed with the sweetness of burning straw and something foul underneath.
Death. That’s what the stench is. The slashing continues, and now and again, I spot mangled bodies, half buried in the mud.
“Conn—” A coughing fit cuts off my words. My eyes sting, and I taste the bitterness of the ashes on my tongue.
“Ronan!” I finally hear his voice in the distance.
“Connor, I’m coming!” I run forward, hoping I chose the right direction.
But I don’t get far. A black horse blocks my path. The rider is a huge male, wearing black armor and a long cape. “Get out of here, lad. Run to the hills!”
He has a strange accent, but that’s all I get from this brief encounter. He engages in battle with another soldier on a horse and disappears from view. I hear blades clashing, but that sound is soon swallowed by the cacophony of destruction.
I see Connor’s shape emerge from the smog.
He spots me and starts running. I’m running too, half blind from tears.
When the distance is nothing but a few steps, a shadow emerges behind Connor as if out of thin air, and then the blade of a sword cuts through my brother’s neck.
It happens so fast that he doesn’t have time to scream.
“No!” I cry.
All the noises fade into the background, muffled.
The sound of my heartbeat pounds in my ears.
Connor’s tiny body falls as if everything is happening at a snail’s pace, and then a raw scream erupts from the pit of my stomach, clawing its way out of my throat.
I fall on my knees and attempt to put his body back together.
A male laughs, a wicked sound that ought to chill me to the bone, but all it does is fill my heart with rage. I look up, glowering at the evil male who killed my brother.
“You’re next.” He walks over slowly, unfazed.
My heart is pumping so fast that I fear it’s going to leap out of my chest. I look for a weapon in my vicinity, anything I can use against this monster.
“No one is coming to save you, boy. Any last words?” He lifts his sword, ready to deliver the killing blow.
A burning fence collapses next to me, and the heat from the smoldering debris singes my skin. It’s like an answer to a prayer.
“Fuck you!” I grab a piece of glowing orange wood, mindless of the burn on contact, and throw it at the monster in front of me, hitting him in the face.
He steps back, roaring with fury.
Heart racing, I spring to my feet, still carrying Connor’s body, and run.
“I’m going to get you, vermin! You’re going to beg for a quick death.”
I’m not afraid of dying. Now that my entire family is gone, I have nothing to live for. But I won’t give that arsehole the satisfaction of killing me. I can’t hope to outrun him, though. I have to find a hiding place.
I see a half-collapsed stable ahead. It’s badly charred, but not in flames, so it will do. I slide Connor through a small opening first, but before I can follow him, I’m yanked back and tossed into the air like a piece of rotten meat.
I land on my side, and something snaps. “Ugh!” Excruciating pain shoots up my arm, making me dizzy. I clutch it against my stomach as I slink backward.
The monster who killed Connor is smirking as he approaches. His eyes glow crimson, and his partially open lips reveal long fangs. My fangs are on display too, but they’ll be of little help against a male three times my size and carrying a sharp blade.
He laughs. “I’ll have fun making you scream, you little bastard.”
Movement in my periphery draws my attention. The tall male who was riding the black horse before is charging toward the vampire in front of me. The monster turns and assumes a defensive stance.
“Raphael. I should have known.”
“Kurgan.”
The male called Raphael attacks. He’s just as big as the enemy.
It doesn’t take long to notice they’re equally matched in skill and strength.
I’m transfixed by the fight, unable to move.
I should run away, but Connor is in the burned stable on the other side of the two males fighting to the death. I can’t abandon him.
Too focused on what’s happening in front of me, I don’t notice someone approached me from behind until they grab me by the hair and pull me up.
I yell, and Raphael looks in my direction.
Kurgan takes advantage of his distraction and knocks Raphael’s sword away.
I can see it already—the fight will end with Raphael’s death, and it’s all my fault.
A hiss cuts through the air, followed by a thump.
I’m suddenly free, and the arsehole who was holding me is on the ground, struggling to breathe.
An arrow pierced his throat. I should finish him off while he’s incapacitated.
He’s dropped his sword—I could use it to cut his head off.
But my attention diverts to the fight. Raphael is on his knees, looking up in defiance at Kurgan.
“Any final words, Your Majesty ?” Kurgan asks with glee.
Your Majesty?
“Rot in hell,” Raphael grits out.
“You first.” He raises his sword high, angling the blade so he can cut Raphael’s head off just like he did to Connor.
No!
I grab the discarded sword, and with a battle cry, I charge. Kurgan turns toward me, surprised, but then the malice returns to his evil gaze. I know he’ll strike me before I can reach him, but I don’t care.
Suddenly, his chest explodes in a shower of blood and torn muscle, and protruding from within, a clawed hand holds his heart. Kurgan’s mouth slackens, and his eyes round. A moment later, his body topples forward, and behind him, Raphael stands, clutching the heart.
Raphael has a gash on his forehead, and his right arm is bleeding from a deep cut, but he looks invincible to me.
“Th-thank you,” I say.
“No, thank you , lad.”
I notice then that the screams have stopped, and the only noise around us is the crackling of fires that haven’t gone out yet.
“Did you win?”
He glances around, and a deep sorrow seems to overtake his features. “No, not by a long shot. I’m sorry we were too late.”
My chest becomes heavy once more. I think about my parents and Connor. Hot tears pour down my face, but I don’t want Raphael to see me crying, so I dry them quickly and return to the place I hid Connor.
Raphael follows me, and when I pull Connor from the hiding place using my good arm, he drops into a crouch next to me.
“What was his name?”
“Connor. He was my brother.”
“And your parents?”
“They’re gone too.” I drop my chin, trying to hide the tears than won’t stop falling. “I couldn’t save them.”
“There were too many of them, lad. But you fought bravely, and you saved my life. I’ll be eternally grateful for that.”
I glance at him. “Are you a king?”
He nods. “Yes.”
“Can I join your army?”
King Raphael narrows his eyes, studying me with intent. My stomach tightens. Maybe he thinks I’m too small and weak to join his army. But the idea of being left behind makes my throat tighten. I can’t stay here. “I’ll be your most loyal subject. I’ll do anythi?—”
He places a hand on my shoulder. “I’d be honored if you joined my army, lad. What’s your name?”
“Ronan. Ronan McLaren.”
“I’m King Raphael Della Morte.”
My eyes round. I’ve heard that name before. “You’re the king of vampires.”
“That’s correct. Come now. We can’t linger here. The enemy forces will regroup.”
I clutch Connor’s body tighter against my chest. “I can’t leave Connor and my parents like this.”
The king’s face softens. “No, of course not. We will give them a proper burial, but I’m afraid we can’t do the same for the rest of your village. I’m sorry.”
I look over his shoulder, taking in the sight of what’s left of the only place I’ve ever known. It’s unrecognizable now.
“I understand.” I get up on shaky legs. “Perhaps the fire will rage on.”
“Perhaps. Where are your parents?”
“They were slain near our home, but…” I glance around, my panic rising. “I’m not sure which direction it is now.”
“We’ll find them.” He squeezes my shoulder, and the fear goes away. “You’re safe now, lad. You have my word.”