Chapter 25
Slaver Town, Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The guards had shot Ivanna with another tranquilizer dart. While she hated the grogginess, she was grateful that they’d stopped using lead bullets. They had shot her so many times during her imprisonment that she would be surprised if she still had any of her original brain matter. Her energy was severely depleted, and she wasn’t healing quickly enough to fight the drugs. None of them had heard of a pharmaceutical working on a Therian, but they couldn’t deny the effectiveness.
She peered around the dark dungeon in which they’d been chained. They’d left their captives no potential weapons, and the cuffs prevented them from changing to a form that was better equipped to fight free. The position she was chained in prevented Ivanna from seeing the others, but she could smell them. Niletean was alive but badly wounded and unconscious. Dakota and Valter had survived the ambush, but given their ragged breathing and thready heartbeats, she didn’t know if they would make it through the night. They didn’t heal bullet wounds as quickly as she did, and the drugs worked better on them.
Ivanna assessed the situation and formed plans to free them, discarding them just as quickly. They couldn’t do anything in the cuffs, which essentially reduced them to human power levels. She recognized the magic from the table Nadya had kept her bound to for decades. Stretching her senses outward, she tried to connect with Niletean’s mind and help him overcome the drug’s effect.
Niletean, wake up! she sent. I need your help to get out of here. The others are too damaged.
She heard a sound to her right as he stirred and figured they were bound about six feet apart. “What?” he slurred.
In your head!she snapped.
Where are we?
In the slaver town. We were captured during the ambush. You’re drugged, and we’re all injured. Krish and Deniz didn’t make it. I’ve been trying to come up with a plan to get us out of here while you were napping, but you’re too damned far away for what I wanted to do.
Their conversation was cut off by the roar of a furious dragon. Ivanna sighed in relief and slumped against the wall. It hadn’t been a dream. She’d really connected with Ash, and the vampire had sent the calvary.
She searched for the dragon’s mind. Luca?
To her surprise, she touched the mind of the berserker wolf alpha. Och, Ah’m nae the king. Sorry, lassie. Viktorija sent us to free you. She refused to let Luca leave.
That sounds like her,Ivanna replied. What are you going to do?
The king’s lady vampire requested we “rain hellfire on those slaver bastards,” and Ah hate to disappoint a lady.
Screams erupted outside, and Ivanna smiled. Good. She wanted them to burn. The wait felt like an eternity before Euan in berserker wolf form tore the heavy door off its hinges. He strode across the dank room and tore the chains out of the wall to free the captives. Other Therians filed in behind him, retrieving the injured and unconscious bear and moose shifters as Ivanna and Niletean got to their feet.
Euan shifted to human form so he could speak and offered Niletean a hand. “Yer cousin is proper fashed about ye.”
As they walked outside, Ivanna marveled at the size of their rescue force. Viktorija had sent seventy dragons and as many other Therians.
“That flight was incredible,” Euan gushed.
Looking at the defeated slavers, Ivanna realized that something was wrong. “Is this all of them?”
Euan nodded. “It is.”
Her heart sank. “They’re attacking now. There were hundreds here, and there are maybe fifty now? We need to get back to the palace.”
Mosier Home, Enfield, New York, Monday, January 7, 2013
Ash was exhausted after the visions and the stress of not knowing whether the people she cared about were alive. She still got tired during the day and decided to take a nap while she waited for news from Luca. She desperately hoped she’d gotten the information to him in time to make a difference. He’d lost so much already.
Her mind swam with thoughts of Luca and the others as she drifted into an uneasy sleep. At first, her dreams were ordinary, featuring her and Luca in scenes that had nothing to do with war. Things changed without warning.
Ash’s surroundings lost their hazy, dreamlike quality, and everything came into sharp focus around her. She didn’t know where she was, but she could smell fresh-cut stone over the blood.
Oh, my God. This is the new palace.
She fought the panic that threatened to overwhelm her and focused on committing every detail of the vision to memory. To her horror, rubble and bodies covered the floor in every direction. Turning around, she searched for anyone or anything she recognized. The first corpses she knew were Sasha’s and Anya’s.
After rounding a corner, Ash screamed when she saw Kittania’s severed head resting on an axe blade driven deep into the stone wall above her corpse. Feet away, Viktorija’s broken body lay in a pool of blood, her chest splayed open beyond any hope of healing.
The sounds of fighting drew her attention, and she ran that way, praying she would find Luca alive. She skidded to a stop when she saw him in the courtyard, facing an army of vampires and Therians. He loomed over them in dragon form, fighting with everything he had.
He lashed out with his spiked tail, talons, and teeth and bathed the enemies in dragon fire, then called the lightning that was his unique magic. There were too many for him to fight alone. No matter how many foes he eliminated, another wave attacked.
Ash’s heart constricted when she realized Luca was losing, and there was no one left alive to help him.
Someone shook her, and Ash jerked awake with a jolt. She sat up straight, gasping from the horror of her vision. It felt the same as the one she’d had about the fight with Nikoli. Her dreams were not that clear.
Calm down. It hasn’t happened yet. There’s still time.
Dani looked concerned. “Holy shit, dude! What the fuck happened? You were screaming.”
“Vision.” Ash jumped out of bed and scrambled for her phone. She called Luca, but he didn’t answer. Growling in frustration and worry, she texted him. “They’ll attack the palace in force.”
Running toward the room where Eiko was staying, Ash shouted, “Change of plans!” to alert the others.
After she burst through Eiko’s closed door, she woke the witch. “I had another vision of something that hasn’t happened yet. The new palace is under attack, and if we don’t do something, Kittania, Viktorija, and Luca are going to die, along with who knows how many others!”
Eiko was instantly alert and got out of bed. Ash had planned to build a name and reputation for herself in the supernatural world before she returned to Russia, but things had changed. Luca and their people were in danger. Between what she had seen and what Ivanna had shown her, Ash knew he would die if she didn’t do something.
When everyone was awake, they gathered in the living room, and Ash explained what she’d seen. She had to get back to Russia now and was open to suggestions for the fastest way to do it. She turned to Eiko. “Could we portal directly to the new palace if we pooled our power?”
The witch nodded gravely. “Not without risk. We will both be exhausted at the end of the journey, though you can feed to regain your strength. I will be unable to work the higher magics.”
Ash couldn’t sacrifice Eiko. “But… No, that’s not acceptable.”
Eiko held up a hand to stop her. “Ash-san, I am an old woman. If this is how I move on to the next adventure, I will know I went out…how do you say it? Kicking ass and taking names?”
Ash hugged her. “Thank you. I love you.”
Eiko nodded. “I love you too, dear. Don’t count me out yet. I will go prepare what we need. You should say your goodbyes now.”
Dani was crying. “I have to stay here, don’t I?”
Tears stung Ash’s eyes. “I hate this, but we are pushing it already.”
“Damn it! I know that, but it feels so fucking wrong,” Dani protested.
“I didn’t say I was just leaving you here, dumbass. I expect you to be waiting for a ride at the Tilichiki Airport in about twenty hours. Pack your shit and get to Russia.” Ash turned to Uuka. “You’ll stay and keep my parents safe?”
“Of course.”
She didn’t want to say goodbye, but every second she waited, Luca would be that much closer to a certain death. She had to make it in time.
She had to.
Dani hugged her and cried into her shoulder. “I love you, Ash. Your ass had better survive this fight and be there to meet me.”
“I’ll come back. We haven’t had our adventures yet.” Ash smiled and winked.
That made Dani laugh. “I’m not sure I can handle any more adventure.”
“Yeah, right, Indiana Jane.” Ash turned to her parents, who looked worried. Her expression told them she would take out whoever had dared to attack her people. “I love you both so much,” she said, hugging each in turn. “You know I have to do this, right?”
Melinda nodded and smiled through her tears. “I do, sweetheart. I just can’t help but worry. It’s a mom thing. I want to pack a bag and fly out with Dani.”
“Turning into a vampire couldn’t keep me away from my family, and I sure as hell am not letting those piece-of-shit Therians stop me. I will be back,” she assured her parents.
“My little warrior,” Brian squeezed his daughter. “I couldn’t be prouder of the woman you’ve become, even if you are a bit bloodthirsty.”
“I’ll come back. I promise.” Ash turned to Uuka and the rest of the panthers. They had become good friends, and they were all worried about her.
“Travel safely, Ashlynn,” Uuka told her. “We will keep your family safe. You protect our king.”
The rest of the warriors wished her luck and hugged her.
Eiko came back into the room. “It’s time.”
Conjuring portals was still new to Ash, but she was confident in Eiko’s skills. If the witch said Ash could accomplish it, she believed her. Eiko began chanting, and Ash joined her as she finished the spell and then repeated it. A ball of light formed between them, growing and stretching until it was big enough to step through. They stopped chanting, the purple light from the swirling portal illuminating their faces.
Ash looked at the others one last time before she stepped through.
Even sharing the burden, the wave of physical and mental exhaustion that hit them was staggering. Eiko fainted, and Ash struggled to remain conscious. Ash didn’t recognize anything in the immediate area, but she caught a glimpse of towers nestled among the mountain peaks high above.
After resting for a few minutes, Ash regained some of her strength. Eiko devoured a protein bar after she came to. Worried, Ash asked, “How are we going to get into the palace? I can’t just walk through the front door. If the battle hasn’t started yet, they will attack me on sight.”
Eiko smiled. “Silly child. We make portals, and the palace’s magical defenses are still down. There are no witches there to prevent us, and even if there were, I’m more powerful than most. My lineage goes back five thousand years, and we get stronger with each generation. There isn’t much they can do to stop me—well, provided I know the spell being used. I cast the portals in this palace, so I can tie into that magic without using my reserves.”
Ash slapped her forehead. “Duh. Sorry, I am a little on edge. If witches get stronger with every generation, will I be super strong, too?”
The older witch chuckled. “Not to worry, dear. Relax, I’ve got this portal. I have gotten my second wind. You need to save your energy. As for your strength, we don’t yet know how far back the witches in your family tree go, but we’ll look into it.”
Eiko easily opened the portal since the palace was so close. When Ash stepped through, she smelled Luca and looked around anxiously, hoping to see him. He wasn’t there, but they were inside the new palace.
“Between us, our senses should guide us around most of the enemies inside without being seen,” Eiko suggested. “I’m not as weak as I thought I would be.”
They made it through four halls without running into anyone, then sensed Viktorija coming around a corner and froze.
“Ash?” She looked stunned. “What the fuck are you doing here? They’ll think you’re attacking if you’re found!”
Ash brushed her concern aside. “This is more important. I had another vision, and it couldn’t wait. The palace is going to be overwhelmed.”
“What!” she exclaimed, shock raising the volume of her voice. “When? By whom?”
Eiko pulled them into an empty room, and Ash explained what she’d seen.
Viktorija paled when she heard about the rest of her family dying. “There’s no way around it. Luca needs to hear this now. That damned bloodsucking bitch must have formed an alliance with our scumbag slaver. Because the gifts just keep on fucking coming, she can make daywalkers now, so we can’t even count on the sun.”
Ash nodded. “We know she’s had scientists experimenting on vampire and Therian blood for years. It’s possible that was how she did it. I can’t imagine her having a witch as powerful as Eiko to work the magic for her.
Eiko cleared her throat. “No other witch can create a vampire since my ancestor created the spell, and she bound it with her blood. The only witch capable of turning a vampire into a daywalker is me, and only by using my blood. If she is walking in the sun, something else has happened.”
“Well, that’s damned comforting.” Viktorija snorted.
“Can you take me to Luca?” Ash asked the dragon warrior.
“Yes. You’ll be safer with my escort anyway. Let’s go.” She turned to Eiko. “Are you coming with us?”
“Not yet. I’m limited, but I will do what I can to bolster the magical defenses. There’s only so much I can do alone, but if I mask how many we have, perhaps the attacking forces will underestimate the number of defenders here.”
Ash and Viktorija nodded and wished Eiko luck. Then the dragon pushed the vampire out into the hall.
“He’s on the second level. That’s where the war council meets. They’re waiting for word about the mission we sent to rescue Niletean and Ivanna.”
Viktorija threw open the doors of the council room and strode inside, holding Ash by the arm. Dozens of Therians turned to them, their gazes narrowing in suspicion and disgust at the sight of a vampire in the palace.
Except Luca. He stared at her, his eyes wide with surprise. The energy in the room changed when he focused on her as if he were trying to convince himself he wasn’t really seeing her.
Guards left Luca’s side and flanked Ash, but Viktorija blocked their way.
“Stop!” She protectively stepped in front of Ash, and the guards froze. “I am the captain of the King’s Guard, and I would never bring a threat into my brother’s presence.” She pointed at Ash. “This vampire is the reason Luca is the king and we aren’t still being crushed under Nikoli’s boot.”
Silence met her announcement.
“She saved the king’s life when everyone else failed to protect him. If she had not sacrificed her human life to become a vampire,” she pointed at Luca, “he would be dead, and Nikoli would still be alive. She is his ally, so attacking her is attacking him.”
When it was clear that she was done speaking, the room erupted. Everyone spoke at once, asking questions and making demands. Viktorija let them go on for a minute, then shouted, “SHUT UP!”
When the room was silent again, she continued. “Ash brings us warning of an attack on the palace. Her visions saved Luca’s life before, warned us about the danger Ivanna and Niletean were in, and brought her here now. She’s never been wrong, and I trust her.”
Everyone stepped back as Ash stepped forward. Nervously, she waved. “Hi. I’m Ash. Until recently, I was human. I knew most Therians would hate me for what I became, but I couldn’t allow your people to fall if I could do something, so I turned.
“I am not one of Nadya’s children. I am the first of my bloodline. I have not turned anyone, and I don’t plan to. I want to help the Therians, or the good ones who support Luca, so, I’m asking all of you to give me a chance. I have seen what happens here today if you don’t, and I promise the day will end with Nadya on that throne, not Luca.”
The room buzzed as they talked. She caught Luca staring at her with pride in his eyes. Finally, everyone turned to her.
That’s Therian for “keep talking,”Luca sent.