Chapter 36 #2
I stopped, air seizing in my lungs when I noticed the moonlight reflecting off sharp metal scythes. Hooded figures silently slipped out from the trees, descending on Istvan’s men, their figures swiftly cutting down people before they even knew they were dead.
They were the stuff of chilling nightmares.
Death’s elite soldiers.
Necromancers.
“Mo-mom?” I croaked, picking out her slight frame and scythe, twirling and slicing through bodies, making her way to Istvan. Morgan fought right by her side.
Eabha’s head jerked to me, but I couldn’t see anything but darkness under her hood.
No emotion or life could be sensed from her, though I felt her eyes piercing me.
There were no words, but I still seemed to understand.
They had been with me the whole time. Watching.
Protecting. Waiting. It wasn’t Eli and Ember who led Istvan and Kalaraja to us.
It was the necromancers. They knew where the necromancers went, the nectar was.
My mother turned away, her sole focus on Istvan. They had stopped it from slipping into the wrong hands. It was their clan’s creed, their mission—to protect the nectar at all costs, and once again, I failed. Not able to keep it safe, and now they were here to save us from catastrophe.
Their entrance gave us the moment we needed. Our group seized the opportunity without hesitation and charged the enemy without hesitation.
“Attack!” Markos demanded, his men lurching at us. “Get the nectar!”
Warwick knocked Killian out of the way, getting the nectar farther out of Istvan’s grasp, as he lunged for the guards coming at us.
Pandemonium broke out, magic pumping through my body, calling for my own invisible soldiers.
A flash of lightning danced in the sky as wind sliced through the trees, knocking into Istvan’s men.
My spirits attacked his troops, my mind focused on Istvan as I cut through some of his army, but my energy waned trying to concentrate on fighting and controlling the spirits.
“Burn it down to the ground!” Istvan screamed out the order, motioning to the house as he grabbed Rosie, dragging her with him, using her as a shield to protect him from any shots headed his way.
Istvan’s troops moved in, lighting torches, some with bows and arrows on fire, shooting them off onto the roof of the house or straight through windows.
Screams of terror and death rang in the sky as fire gnawed at the house, consuming it quickly. The wind I was creating only spread the fire quicker.
“There are still people inside!” With a child on her hip, Rebeka screamed, helping a few patients who weren’t well enough to walk on their own. Kids were crying, and people ran in and out, trying to save anyone still inside as gunfire sprayed through the air.
Kitty was getting people out of the house, hiding the more vulnerable from the fight.
The sound of the engines turned over, the tanks moving, jerking my head toward them. What was left of Markos’s group climbed into their armored cars, their wheels spinning over the gravel.
“Hanna! No!” Scorpion’s voice thundered, cracking through my heart. I whirled around to see him, his expression trying to hide the desperation he was feeling. “Please. You don’t want to do this. Not again.”
Hanna stood only yards from us, her face blank, but her blue eyes were filled with turmoil as her body leaned toward the faux-fae leaving.
“Look at me, little viper. Only me.” Scorpion spoke calmly as the world around us was literally on fire. “I know you’re still there. You can fight it. You are stronger than them.”
A sob hitched her throat, her head bowing.
“Hanna. Do not take your eyes off me,” he urged, jerking her chin back up.
“I need you, little viper. Focus on me. Remember how it felt earlier when I was inside you. The connection between us.” He inched closer to her like she was a feral animal.
“I know you’re scared and tired. And don’t want to fight it anymore, but please don’t give up. ”
“I-I can’t.” Her shoulders sagged.
“Yes, you can. You are fierce and strong, and you don’t back down from anything.” He inched even closer to her.
“I’m not her anymore. I am not one of you. He’s turned me into a monster.” She sounded resigned. “I just want it all to end.”
“No,” he growled. “You think I care if you’re fucked up?” His own ire shot back at her. “What I’ve done, who I am . . . I’m a fucked up, broken mess too.” He took another step toward her. “It’s why we work, Hanna. Why you need me as much as I need you.”
She shook her head, a tear sliding down her face. “You say that now, but what if I turn fully into one of his freak monsters? You saw them. They’re mindless killers. My brain is going to dissolve and bleed out my nose. I’m going to die.”
“We don’t know that.”
She gave him a look.
“Well, sweetheart, I will build you the most luxurious crate, feed you steak dinners, and hope you’ll let me rub your belly from time to time.”
A sobbing laugh came from her.
The vehicles started to pull away, ripping her attention from Scorpion to the troop leaving. The one that called to her, but she didn’t belong to.
She belonged with us.
Her feet went in their direction, her body starting to follow.
“No.” Scorpion leaped forward, his hand clamping down on hers, yanking her into him.
She struggled against him, a cry baying out, but Scorpion wrapped his arms tighter around her, holding her to him as Istvan’s caravan rolled out, leaving death and destruction behind.
“Dig deep, little viper. Hold on to anything you need to keep you here with me. Just stay with me. Forever.”