Chapter 30
Droves of armed knights rushed past us to a line of buses at the front of the castle the next morning.
No, they didn’t carry guns, actual armor covered their chests—the ReinheitWolfe shield carved at the center. The leather suits they wore under them were modern, like something pulled out of a superhero movie with plates on their boots too, all blending seamlessly together.
Some carried swords on their backs, the ones who led large groups past us, not giving a second thought to the fact that Hannes and I were butt-ass naked. Boarding the buses, they left one after the other,
“Is Bj?rn back yet?” I asked through our shadow link.
“Not yet,” André was the one to reply. “But Dariah sent us the exact location of Charles Martell’s prison in Cairo.”
“The ReinheitWolfe Force Queen Luna assigned to help us is already headed that way,” Dante added.
Urgency gripped Hannes and me as we exchanged a glance, and taking my hand in his, he rushed us into his home.
“My prince, Princess.” Clearing his throat, the castle manager handed us a pair of robes the moment we entered. He’d been waiting for us.
“Thank you, Wylder. Where are my parents?” he asked while we covered ourselves.
“In the office, finalizing a few details with Countess Dariah.”
“She’s here?” The possibility made my heart race, but he shook his head.
“Over the phone.”
“Please send some nourishment for us to Meine Prinzessin’s room and tell my parents we are here in case they need us.”
“Right away, my prince.”
Aww. My gaze went to Hannes when he called me his princess, and he smiled at me, pulling me with him again.
We rushed up the stairs to my room, finding our mates there, waiting. A legit smile stretched Dante’s lips when he saw my bond tattoo complete, and André pulled me into his arms for a passionate kiss.
“Our tattoos glowed when you claimed each other,” André confessed as he let me go.
“They did?” Hannes glanced at me shocked.
Dante nodded. “It took a while before they dimmed, and we felt a rush of power coursing through us.” Curling an arm around my waist, he pressed me against his chest, kissing my lips too.
“Not that I’m complaining,” I breathed, pulling away from him a bit dazed by their attention. “But why the extra love?”
“We are celebrating you.” Dante glanced at Hannes when I frowned. “You didn’t tell her?”
Hannes shook his head. “That’s for her to discover.”
Dante’s gaze became reverent while he led me by the waist to the large mirror beside my bed.
The moment my gaze settled on it, a new emotion swelled in my chest. A set of soft, blueish-silver eyes glanced back at me, enticing a smile of my own because thanks to Natalia and Starlight, I finally saw myself for who I truly was.
A multifaceted woman—strong, funny, innocent, sensual, proud, resilient, delicate, and determined all at once… just like Hannes said.
For the first time in my life, I felt complete. I was finally the highest version of myself, the one I was always meant to be.
Turning around, I glanced at each and every one of them. “Thank you for being there for me through it all. I love you…”
“We love you too,” Hannes assured for all of them, beaming.
“Do you want me to bring back the blue and purple strands?” Dante’s hand lifted to my hair with the offering, his magic easily taking away the red.
“No.” My head shook as I glanced in the mirror again, finally appreciating the woman before me.
“I love my silver hair. It’s a testament to my unique origins, to the part of my father and mother I carry within.
” Focusing on them again, I smiled, a tear leaving my eyes.
“I don’t need to be anything other than who I am… Though the red was kind of badass.”
“You are badass,” André offered, kissing the tear off my cheek before interlacing our fingers.
“About yesterday…” I sighed. “I know you don’t want me to risk my life, but if you were brought into my life not just to love me, but to protect me, then do just that. Protect me while I fight, because nothing is going to stop me from rescuing my mom. Not even you.”
The guys nodded in unison, determination already shining in their gazes.
“We are sorry we were so blinded by wanting to protect you, we couldn’t see anything else,” André’s gaze dimmed with his words, and he glanced at our mates.
“We will do better,” Dante promised, taking my hand. “We are here for you and for Anastasia.”
“Good. I don’t want to have to spank you all.”
They chuckled at that, and Dante’s hands lifted before me, shadows swirling over his palms until a bundle of leather lay in them.
“Dariah’s gift,” I gasped, seeing a gentle white haze sway over it with my touch before it receded. The same haze that had covered my entire room before I fully controlled my fire.
“It’s ready for you to wear.” Dante’s brows wrinkled. “Well, it will be after you first put it on.”
Curious, I took off my robe and slipped myself into the pants and top with the corset on top, immediately feeling disappointed. It didn’t fit me. At all. I mean, I should have seen that coming, but I was so excited when Dariah gave the fight suit to me.
I was much taller than our Vampir Mother, and definitely not as curvaceous. No one was. Her tiny waist and voluptuous hips were enviable.
Then the shadows swirled over my body without Dante’s guidance. The sleeves stretched to reach my wrists, the leather tightened around my smaller hips while the legs elongated, and the waist adapted to my softer curves.
When it was over, the shadows disappeared, leaving the suit perfectly molded to my body. I couldn’t stop my gaze from returning to the mirror, focusing on the way the suit tightened my ass, and the corset gloriously lifted my boobs. Even the boots adjusted to my calves and feet.
“Okay, fine. I am extremely badass.”
The guys’ chuckles reached me, and I turned to find André holding something too. “If we are going to do this you need to be at your strongest.” Two bags of donor blood were in his hands. “That means feeding.”
A determined breath filled my lungs before I nodded, preparing myself. Until now, I’d only done what André and Dariah called spiced drinks. That was, aside from drinking from Dante the very first time.
Opening the first one, André slipped a straw through the opening and handed it to me. Without hesitation, I took the first sip, the unexpected, pleasant taste filling my mouth. Smiling at him relieved, I began to drink freely.
Visible relief left my mates too.
It was much different having blood within a drink that concealed its flavor, or in the throes of passion, than drinking it like this. Still, this was part of me.
“Do you need to drink too?”
“No. I prepared last night.” Taking the empty bag from me, André handed me the second one.
I narrowed my eyes at him, receiving a crooked grin. They knew me too well. “What about you?” My attention went to Dante.
“I spent the night in the Twilight. I’m ready for anything.”
“We should change.” Hannes nodded to our mates, and I sat on the bed, enjoying my power drink while they left for their respective rooms.
The only thing I hated about this place, was that it was gigantic. I wished their rooms were right next to mine like again.
Once done, I threw away the empty bag and headed for the bathroom while renewed energy rushed through me.
It caused my body to tingle, making me feel invincible.
Grabbing one of the hair bands on the vanity, I pulled my hair into a high ponytail.
I didn’t want to have to fight with hair in my eyes, so I made sure it was super tight…
and then the air suddenly trembled behind me.
Bj?rn blinked into the room, and horror gripped my being when I glanced at him through the mirror. He wasn’t the Golden Fae, he was the dark side of him, but that was not what made me whirl around, running toward him.
Blood dripped from deep gashes along his black torso, one of his horns was broken, and his arms shook… carrying my unconscious Dad.
Bj?rn dropped to his knees, settling my dad on the lush rug before collapsing himself.
“Dante!” I desperately shouted through our shadow link, my hands trembling as I reached both Bj?rn and my dad, kneeling before them.
The state of my dad’s body was dangerously close to the memory of Arnoldt’s attack.
“It’s okay, Dad. You are going to be okay,” I cradled his face, tears gathering in my eyes at the sight of him.
Dante appeared in the room, horror capturing his face at the sight.
“I need André!” I screamed, watching him disappear into the darkness. I knew André could feel my pain, I knew he was on his way, but our rooms were so fucking far away here, and Dante couldn’t use his shadows to bring him.
I couldn’t wait anymore. My dad was on the brink of dying.
Wiping the tears off my face, I pulled my sleeve up and sank my fangs into my wrist—my Vampir mate wasn’t the only one with powerful blood here.
Carefully, I lifted my dad’s head to my lap, pressing my bleeding wrist to his mouth. “Drink, please. Drink!” I begged, and then took a dep breath, hardening myself. This wasn’t the time for tears.
Next to me, a strange noise left Bj?rn’s chest, he was struggling to breathe.
No! My heart lunged to my throat.
Ripping my other wrist open, I angled myself to reach him. Thankfully, he began to drink the instant the first drop of my blood fell into his mouth.
Dante reappeared then. “He’s almost here!” Still, dread and fear captured his expression when he saw me feeding them both.
“Help Bj?rn!” I urged when the door slammed against the wall, André and Hannes rushing toward me.
Relief partially filled me, but it wasn’t enough to erase the distress. Dropping by his side, André took over healing Bj?rn.
Dante just stood there, staring at Bj?rn in shock. As if it was impossible that anything was capable of leaving the dark side of him in that perilous state.
Apparently, there was.
“Dante, snap out of it!” I barked, my heart slamming against my chest.
Swiftly giving me his attention, he knelt in front of me.
“Dad’s not drinking. Help me.” I watched my blood fill my dad’s mouth until it dripped out of one side, forcing me to pull away.
Closing his eyes, Dante began an ancient chant, placing his hands above my dad’s chest. Magic exuded from him, helping wake him up. Within a few seconds, my dad’s mouth closed, swallowing the mouthful of my blood even when he coughed.
Thankfully, when my wrist returned to his lips, he began to drink on his own. His startled gaze suddenly lifted toward me.
“It’s okay. My blood can help you heal, like Mom’s and André’s does. Just drink.”
Trusting me, he slowly nodded.
I watched my dad’s wounds begin to close, although it happened too slowly for comfort.
There were so many and so strange. What looked like a mix between a bruise and a burn repeated down several parts of him, and the way the edges of his skin were ragged, the cuts so deep… I’d never seen anything like it.
Were they caused by a weapon or evil magic?
Doubling the effect of his healing shadows, Dante left one hand on him and placed the other on Bj?rn’s chest to help mend them both.
My attention shifted, noticing Bj?rn was recuperating much faster.
I almost asked if my blood wasn’t enough, but I instantly stopped myself.
If it weren’t enough, our enemy wouldn’t want to drain me and use it to wake one of the most dangerous Vampiri Ancients, so he could make humans submit to him and rule over the world.
I focused on my dad, taking a settling breath, and smiling at him when he was strong enough to hold my other hand to his chest. It was finally working.
The door opened again, and Hannes rushed in, placing Isis on the ground, next to her mate. He’d carried her here to help her reach him faster.
Tears escaped her when she saw Bj?rn, her trembling hand swiftly reaching for his and lifting it to her chest.
“You are almost healed,” she assured, but instead of relief, dread and urgency captured his expression.
“Turned… a-another,” he muttered, letting go of André’s wrist, but my mate brought it down again, silently insisting he continued drinking.
“Another what?” Isis frowned.
“Turned—” A fit of coughing seized him.
“Drink first, speak later.” Isis nodded encouragingly, masking the worry coursing through her.
With a weak nod, Bj?rn obeyed. Within a few minutes, the light returned to his eyes, and he transformed back into a man. His hair went from slate gray to golden blond, except it was matted to his head with blood on one side. Glancing up, he took a deep breath, as if life was returning to him.
We all exchanged a frightful glance. What could have possibly hurt them both like this?
None of us had the answer.
Dad abruptly tried to move, and I realized my blood had finally overcome the worst of it. Or so I thought…
Lucidity returned, and he reached for one of the wounds in his chest, pulling out a long, twisted claw from his heart, and tossing it aside.
It looked remarkably like Bj?rn’s claws when he was the dark side of him.
“Did they make you fight each other?” Isis asked, dismayed, while the rest of us shared her shock. She was referring to the power bands the Vampiri assholes wore to replicate abilities. “Was it compulsion they used?”
My dad shook his head when Dante helped him sit up, but he pulled my arm with him and continued drinking. I was happy to give him as much as he needed.
After several minutes, the hue of his skin returned to normal. His eyes filled with life, and a bout of strength reached him, so he finally let go of me. “That’s enough. I don’t want to weaken you.”
“No. You don’t—”
“Thank you, my love,” he insisted, kissing my hand.
Hannes and I helped him stand, and Dante handed him a set of clothes he’d fetched for him.
“I never thought I’d ever see another,” Dad murmured, lost in his troubling memories while Hannes helped him get dressed—he was still too weak to hold his own. “I didn’t think it was even possible.”
“What isn’t possible?” Isis pressed.
“What did you see?” My skin knit back together as I held my father’s disbelieving gaze.
“They turned another…” Bj?rn pushed André’s wrist away and stood too, but unlike my dad, he seemed fully healed.
“What?” André asked yet again, none of us understanding.
“Another F—” My dad coughed.
Bj?rn’s expression became chilling. “They created another me.”