Chapter 33 #3
André’s light blade swung towards the last one as he staggered, trying to escape back into the cave. The sharp light sliced him in two, the pieces crumpling to the floor. Limping, I ignored the pain and ran my way into the cave with my two mates flanking me.
The dim space was large and bursting with Vampiri inside, along with three asshole shifters—Ryker and two more, but darkness partially hid them from me, not letting me see their full faces.
Was that all that was left of his pack?
By a swift count, I realized that about fifty cult followers surrounded us, definitely outnumbering us.
Welcome to my ambush…
Stupid smirks spread over all of their faces, thinking we had fallen into their trap.
“Welcome,” Francoys, the Punisher of the Martel Dynasty spoke, walking out of what appeared to be a second alcove in the back. “I have to say, we didn’t expect so many of you to accept our invitation, but I appreciate that you kept it interesting.”
He didn’t expect so many of us, but he sure brought enough crawlers just in case. I guessed they were expendable, so it hadn’t cost them anything. No one mourned roaches.
“We are going to have to teach you proper manners,” Hannes answered, perfectly composed. “Just so you know what an invitation is supposed to look like.”
Francoys bitterly chuckled, playing along, and I used the distraction to gather all the information I could about the dim space.
I immediately noticed my mother wasn’t anywhere near us, not that I could see, but there was a large part of the space that was shrouded in darkness. The alcove in the far back, where he’d been when we arrived.
Using my enhanced hybrid gaze, I let my vision extend toward the alcove while André said something sardonic.
The silhouette of what appeared to be a statue of some sort rested against the end of the hollow space.
There was a post or a tree trunk behind the statue too, though I couldn’t guess why, and two more people near it.
There wasn’t an ounce of light back there, so I couldn’t see their faces but that would have to do.
“And that’s how I know you have no idea what you are doing.” Hannes’s voice pulled me back to their back and forth.
Francoys’s lips twisted with the insult, telling me playtime was over. “I am the Punisher—”
“You may call yourself that, but to me, you look like a follower, not a leader,” André shrugged, casually pushing his hands into his pockets. “You probably only know how to torture people and such. Thug work.”
“First rule of war,” Hannes interjected, calling Francoys’s ire-filled eyes toward him.
“Know who your enemy is… You said you didn’t expect so many of us.
Your “target” has three mates, dude, and I’m the motherfucking ReinheitWolfe Prince, next in line for the throne of the original Wolf Shifter race. ”
Ryker growled at that, and my gaze snapped toward his tattered face. Hate burst from his eyes as he bared his canines at me. Beside him, two hunters stood but I only recognized one of them—Boden.
Ryker had truly scraped the bottom of the barrel after all of the other Hunters were killed for coming after me. Boden had been the worst, unable to even hunt a rabbit.
Hannes laughed when surprise cut through Francoys’s face. “Did you really think she would come alone? Only a quarter of my army is out there right now, obliterating those roaches you use as soldiers.”
“You are probably the same idiot who sent those three men to our New York apartment to kill us.” André did air quotes on the last part, giving me more time. “I’m Prince of the Dracul Dynasty, able to wield the sun, and her last mate is literally a reincarnated Greek God.”
Every single one of the Martell Cult’s followers stiffened, glancing at each other as if taken aback. I found it odd that a certain unrest entered their gazes.
A loud boom reverberated outside, making the entire mountain shake, more rocks cracking and falling around us.
“Sorry, that’s actually him killing your Witch right now,” André confirmed.
Undiluted rage spread over Francoys’s face, his temper flaring so easily. Except, that didn’t help my plan. I needed everyone to remain where they stood.
“I’m tired of this chitchat.” Exaggerating my limping, I took a few steps forward—so I was closer to accessing the center of the cave when needed. “I want to see my mom.”
Forced laughter left Francoys, trying to recover control of the situation, though his haze lit up when he noticed I was hurt. “You are in no position to demand anything.”
He lifted a finger, and the crowd of Vampiri moved closer to us, the Martell cult followers asserting Francoys’s power.
“I’m not demanding. I’m surrendering.”
Hannes and André went rigid behind me, their shock and dread slipping through our link.
“The hell you are!” André hissed, but I ignored him.
“What the hell are you doing?!” A dangerously low growl began in the back of Hannes’s throat at the same time, echoing throughout the cave and reminding us how closed up this space really was.
All attention flew to them, the uncontrolled reactions of my mates helping me.
The Vampiri all around us tensed in response, becoming visibly on edge. Their eyes jumped from Hannes to André nervously, probably expecting them to pounce.
Their reaction told me two things—although they outnumbered us, they didn’t seem prepared to fight the kind of powers André and Hannes had. It also told me they’d no idea what those powers were until now.
Wait. Did they think they were just going against a regular Vampir and a shifter?
The current fear they were trying to repress because of my mates, actually helped me—if it kept their attention on André and Hannes instead of me.
This was so going to work.
Not that I was overconfident or anything. I wouldn’t dare to underestimate the Ancient Vampiri they were fighting to awaken. I just needed to stop them from doing it… but one thing at a time.
Noticing their unrest like I had, Francoys hissed loudly. The sound echoed all through the cave, reaching the hallow in the back and reminding his cult followers of his power over them. The men and women straightened, baring their fangs at me and my mates.
“You wanted my blood, I’m here to give it in exchange for my mom’s life,” I declared, bringing everyone’s eyes back to me. “I don’t care about kingdoms, Vampiri clans, or Shifter packs. I just want her to be safe. Please let me see her.”
“Surrendering?” Francoys scoffed. “Do you expect me to believe that your mates—?”
“I lied to them. Tricked them so they would get me here, in front of you,” I interrupted him.
“Hannes and André are only here to take my mother home with them. Then, I’m all yours.
” Crossing my arms over my chest, I casually shifted my weight to my other side to ease the pain off my leg.
“If you don’t believe me just look at them. ”
The question echoed in my mind, but I didn’t answer.
His crimson eyes snapped toward my mates, immediately recognizing the tension seizing their bodies, their anger, and their shock at what I said.
Francoys nodded, falling for it. “I will bring her out, but they have to swear they will not attack when you surrender yourself.” He turned toward a woman on his right. “Noèle, tune in and tell me if they lie.”
André and Hannes immediately looked at me, but I couldn’t afford to turn back.
Pressing the button on her power band she turned it on and walked closer to us. First mistake.
“We are not going to attack,” Hannes growled.
“I will not attack when she surrenders.” André gritted through clenched teeth.
Since the other power bands didn’t work on us, I assumed that hers wouldn’t either. Just in case, I wasn’t planning on surrendering so my mates were telling the truth.
The woman nodded at Francoys’s, and he seemed to relax, half-looking over his shoulder. “Bring her out!”
It was my turn to go rigid. Every inch of my form contracted as I noticed the shadows shift in the hollow of the alcove. The two silhouettes I’d seen began to move toward us, leaving only the statue back there.
It was show time.