Chapter 72
CHAPTER 72
VALARIC
“ I t is still daytime,” Damar insists. “We must wait until it’s fully dark.”
Standing near the mouth of the cave, I glance outside. The sky is covered with clouds so dark they block the light of the sun as distant thunder rolls overhead and snow falls in thick sheets. “We have plenty of cover.”
“If the storm clears, we’ll be exposed to the sun. We cannot risk—”
“Stay here if you want, but I’m leaving,” I snap. “Juliet needs me and I will not wait any longer.”
“Fine.” Irritation shifts into Damar’s gaze. “I will go with you.”
Without hesitation, I take to the sky. Spreading my wings, I soar out over the forest, searching the woods below for any signs of Juliet and her abductors.
Murderous rage churns deep within. Jonathan has seen his last sunrise this day. He will die for daring to harm my bride.
Movement catches my eyes in the forest below.
“There.” Damar points to Jonathan and his men.
Juliet is in Jonathan’s arms, her hands bound with rope as he carries her to his horse.
Anger blisters through me. All of them will pay for taking my bride.
Folding my wings to my back, I dive toward her abductors. Shocked and terrified cries ring out as the soldiers scatter, searching for cover.
Jonathan’s archers let loose a volley of arrows as the High Elf uses her dark powers, sending sizzling red bolts of destructive magic arcing toward us, but we easily avoid them.
Gritting my fangs, I look at Damar. “No mercy.”
His eyes are black as pitch as he nods in agreement. “No mercy.”
Damar slams into one of the archers, and I crash into the one beside him, sinking my fangs deep into his neck. The bittersweet taste of iron feeds the fire in my veins, coursing through me like lightning.
We turn our attention to the High Elf, but she disappears in a whirl of black smoke. The stench of fear permeates the air around us as the remaining soldiers flee into the woods, scattering like cowards and leaving their Lord behind.
My heart stutters and stops as I turn toward Jonathan. He’s holding Juliet in front of his body like a shield, a knife at her throat.
“Unhand her.” Rage blisters through me. “And I will give you the quick death you do not deserve.
Jonathan’s dark eyes meet mine as he smirks. “I don’t think so.”
A soft whimper escapes her lips as he presses the tip of the blade harder into her skin.
My vision turns red as a trickle of blood runs down her neck. Lightning fast, I rush forward. The world blurs around me as I crash into Jonathan, knocking him away from Juliet.
We tumble to the ground in a tangled mess of limbs, and I sink my fangs deep into his neck. Sharp pain slices through my back as he stabs me with his blade before falling still.
His heart begins to slow as I drain him of his lifeblood.
“Valaric, no!” Juliet calls out. “He’s under a spell.”
I rip my fangs from his neck, and he crumples to the ground.
My lips curl in disgust as I glare at my enemy. I will give him a slow and painful end later. Right now, I must tend to my mate.
Juliet’s wrists are still bound, her face bruised and battered. Extending my claws, I slice through her bindings, freeing her wrists. “Are you all right?” Gently, I cup her face, careful of her injuries. “You need some of my blood. It will heal you.”
“Thank the gods you’re all right, Valaric. I was so worried. I—”
She glances over my shoulder, and her eyes widen. I twist to look back, but she throws herself at me, knocking me off balance. I stumble to the side as a sharp whistling sound slices through the air, and I watch in horror as an arrow pierces her chest.
“No!” I roar as she collapses, catching her in my arms before she hits the ground.
A blur of movement catches my eye as Damar races to deal with the archer hidden in the woods.
I gaze down at Juliet. Blood seeps from the wound, pooling beneath her and staining the snow red.
“No, no, no.” My hands shake as I pull the arrow free from her body and press my palm over her wound in a futile attempt to stem the bleeding.
Fear claws at my chest as her eyelids flutter open and closed. I bite my wrist and hold it to her lips, desperate to save her. “Please.” My pulse pounds in my ears. “Stay with me, my Juliet.”
A few drops of my blood pass her lips.
Damar stands over me, his expression grim.
“It will work,” I whisper. “It has to.”
Despair tightens my chest. Juliet’s face is pale and drawn as she lifts a trembling hand to my cheek. Her luminous green eyes stare up at me as she whispers. “You came for me.”
“You are my heart.” I run my fingers through her long blonde hair, cupping the back of her head. Tears blur my vision as I drop my forehead gently to hers. “I will always come for you.”
“I love you, Valaric,” she whispers. “I—”
Her eyes close, and her head falls back as she goes still in my arms.
My soul shatters in a thousand pieces. Cradling her to my chest, a loud and mournful cry rips from my throat as I roar my anguish to the sky.
Damar rests a hand on my shoulder, his expression pained.
“I gave you my blood,” I murmur as I stare down at her, watching and praying for her eyes to open. “Please, Juliet. Wake up.”
A broken sob escapes me as I wrap her up in my arms and wings. “I gave you my blood.” My voice quavers as I hold her to me. “I—”
I still as my ears detect the faint beat of her heart.
“She needs more of your blood,” Damar says over my shoulder. “Quickly.”
I start to lift my wrist to her mouth, but a sharp voice rings out. “Stop, or I will end her this moment.”
An invisible force restrains me, and I cannot move.
A menacing laugh echoes through the woods. A gust of wind rushes toward us and I snap my head up to find the blood witch standing before me. Talindra glances down at Juliet’s still form in my arms. “Do you want to save her, Vampyr?”
A snarl curls my lips. “Yes.”
Damar races toward her, but she disappears in a puff of smoke, reappearing on my other side.
She narrows her eyes at him. “Try that again, and I’ll make you watch as I kill him”—she gestures to me—“in front of you.” An evil smirk curves her mouth. “Because that’s your fear, isn’t it? Losing the only thing you care about.”
A deep growl vibrates in his chest as he levels a dark glare at her.
She turns her attention back to me. “You summoned me, did you not?” Talindra asks in a mocking tone. Wicked amusement dances in her eyes. “Well, here I am.”
“I summoned you weeks ago.” I seethe. “She passed your test, now let me save her.”
“Oh, Valaric, do not look at me like that,” she tsks. “This was fun, wasn’t it?”
She holds up a purple gemstone, black smoke swirling in the center. It’s a shade stone.
Anger burns through me as she changes into a High Elf and then shifts back into her true Goblin form. An evil grin lights her face. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this little game we’ve played, haven’t you?”
“The curse has been broken,” I state firmly. “Our bargain is settled.”
Her amber eyes flare with anger. “It’s settled when I say it is.”
“That’s not how this works.”
“Tell me.” A disturbing smile curves her lips. “What are you willing to sacrifice so that she may live?”
“Everything,” I answer honestly because I’m sure she already knows this anyway. “What do you want?”
“An open bargain.” She smirks. “Do this, and I will allow you to save her.”
An open bargain is the same as we agreed upon last time. It means she could ask me for anything. It’s reckless. Dangerous. But I don’t have a choice.
Damar’s eyes are wide behind her as he shakes his head.
I clench my jaw as his words repeat in my mind. Sometimes there are no good choices. But still, you must choose. “Fine. You have my word and my bargain.”
“Excellent.” She smiles. “Now, give her more blood.”
Talindra releases the spell holding me in place, and I position my wrist over Juliet’s mouth, allowing more of my blood to pass her lips. Relief courses through me as her color begins to return and the bruising fades from her cheeks.
Holding her to my chest, I glare at Talindra. “What did you do with the others? Where are they?”
“With me, of course. I will release them all, including Juliet as per the terms of the curse.”
Suspicion tightens my muscles. This feels like a trap, another cruel game.
“And what of our new bargain?” I grit out. “What do I owe you now?”
Talindra cocks her head to one side. “I cursed you because I wanted you to love. To know what it feels like to love someone deeply, only to have them ripped away from you.”
“I warned you,” I remind her. “When you asked me to turn your mate, I told you he could die. Not everyone survives the transformation.”
“So you said,” she replies venomously. “Did you truly think I did not know what she was to you, Vampyr?” My blood runs cold. “I knew before you, that she was your Fated One.”
Talindra continues. “The ones before her meant little to you. So I cast a spell to find your true mate—your Fated One. I did not expect it to actually work.” She huffs out a sinister laugh. “Imagine my surprise when it did.”
The witch shrugs. “You should thank me, you know. After all, I’m the reason you found each other.”
Anger sears through me as all the pieces fall into place. I glance at Jonathan, lying in the snow, barely alive but still breathing. “Juliet said he was spelled.” I look at Talindra. “It was you, wasn’t it? You bewitched him and made him attack Juliet. Both then and now.”
“As soon as I discovered her, I began to work on him.” An evil smirk twists her mouth. “It started with little changes to his personality here and there.” She shrugs. “He was so easy to manipulate.”
“You will pay for harming my mate,” I grit through my fangs. “I swear it on the old gods and the new.”
“You’re no match for one of my kind.” Her eyes flash with anger. “No, you will not have your revenge. Instead, you will suffer. Greatly.”
She looks at Juliet. “I thought of having you turn your beloved, so you could suffer as I did. But then I realized that she might actually survive the transformation. So instead, I have decided to free her and the others as promised.”
An uneasy feeling churns in my gut as I wait for her to continue, unsure if she is offering a twisted form of mercy, or perhaps another layer of her curse, designed to torment me further. Whatever it is, I refuse to allow her to control us any longer.
My thoughts turn to the Oathrend blade hanging from my belt. The prince claimed I would need only to draw blood once. The blood witch is fast, but so am I. I swore one day I would end her. And today, I will keep that vow.
“Why would you do that?” I need to keep her talking so that I can pick my moment and strike. “Why offer freedom after all this time?”
“You no longer have to worry about the others.” The witch snaps her fingers. “They are now back home,” she announces with a chilling calm. “Free to live their lives with no memory of you or their time here.”
Juliet’s eyes open and she looks up at me. “Valaric?”
“Can you sit up?” I ask, praying she says yes. I need my arms free for what I must do next.
She nods and I carefully help her. Damar walks over and helps her to stand. His eyes meet mine and then drop to the blade at my belt, already understanding my plan.
“Despite what you believe, I am not entirely cruel,” Talindra continues. “I will give you the opportunity to say goodbye to each other. Something I did not have with my mate.”
A malicious gleam enters her eyes. “For our new bargain, I will return your bride to her family. And it will be as if she never left. All her memories of you”—she grins—“and of your time together, will be gone. You have until the next full moon to convince her to love you again. And if she does not, you will lose her forever.”
Cold fills me. “No.”
Juliet inhales sharply. “You cannot do that!”
The witch’s expression softens into a grotesque semblance of sympathy. “My dear, I am freeing you from your bond to a monster. You can live a normal life with a human man.” She gestures to Jonathan. “As you should have. I’ll heal him and you may return together, and it will be as if you never left home in the first place.”
The witch turns to me. “You wanted to be free of your curse… to save your lovely human bride. Well, this is how it works.” Cruelty reflects in her amber eyes. “You have until sunrise to bid your bride goodbye. Enjoy this time I’ve given you. Your people have long lives. You will have many years to grieve the loss of your mate, Vampyr.”
“I won’t leave him,” Juliet states firmly.
“Oh, my dear, do you think you really have a choice?” Talindra cackles. “How delightfully na?ve.”
Lightning fast, I pull the knife from my belt. The enchanted blade shimmers with magic as I swing in a wide arc and bring it down to bear.
The witch twists to one side, but not fast enough. I watch in triumph as the blade nicks her right shoulder before she knocks it from my hand, sending the blade tumbling to the snow.
My victory is short-lived as the witch disappears in a swirl of smoke and then reappears behind me.
Claws and fangs extended, I spin to face her, and then charge toward her with lightning speed. Just as I reach her, she disappears again. She reappears before Damar and grabs Juliet, yanking her away from him, and using her as a shield.
Dark blood seeps into the sleeve of her dress, spreading down to her right arm. Her other hand is wrapped tight around Juliet’s throat.
Anger rips through me, and I’m tempted to throw the knife, allowing it to seek out and strike its target. But I’m not entirely sure I trust the magic of this blade. If I’m wrong, Juliet could be hurt. Or worse.
“Let her go,” I demand. “Now.”
“Why should I?” Talindra grinds out.
Fear threatens to overwhelm me as the witch’s claws pierce Juliet’s tender flesh. A trickle of red blood runs down her pale skin. “I’ll give you whatever you want. But please, let her go.”
“No,” the witch hisses, her eyes blazing with fury. “I’ve decided this is more fun. To see the tortured look on your face, Vampyr.”
Panic claws at my chest. “Let her go, and I’ll do whatever you want.”
A chorus of growls fills the air around us, echoing from the forest. My nostrils flare as I detect the scent of the wolves nearby.
Eben steps out from the trees, his dark russet fur bristling with anger as the rest of the pack closes in behind him.
“Call off your dogs,” the witch snarls, her grip tightening on my bride.
Damar begins to move around the side, his steps careful, calculated. The witch's attention shifts to him, her eyes narrowing. “Stop, right there,” she commands.
Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, I rush forward with vampiric speed and pull Juliet away from the witch’s grasp. Without hesitation, I hurl the knife with my free hand.
The blade sinks deep into the witch's chest with a sickening squelch. Her eyes widen in shock, her breath hitching as she stumbles back.
Black blood gushes from the wound, her face contorted in pain and rage as Talindra crumples to the ground. She points a clawed finger toward me, her voice a venomous rasp. “You think this is over, but it’s not. The bargain does not die with me. You will regret this, Vampyr.”
She levels a hate-filled glare at me a moment before she disappears in a swirl of dust, and the bloody knife drops to the snow.
Juliet is curled on my lap in the study as we wait for nightfall, praying the witch’s curse died with her, despite her threat.
In the hallway, I can hear Damar pacing back and forth as we wait out the clock.
“The sun will set soon,” Juliet says, blinking back tears. “We have less than an hour before—” Her voice breaks as a tear slips down her cheek. She crushes her lips to mine in a kiss full of desperation and longing.
When we finally pull away, I drop my forehead gently to hers. “The witch is dead. She could have lied about the curse surviving her.”
“I know.” Juliet cups my face with both hands. “But if the curse still remains, I need to tell you something.”
“What is it?”
“Do you remember what I told you when Prince Raine threatened to return me to Aralon?” She pauses. “I said I would find a way back to you.”
Her green eyes stare deep into my own. “You are mine, and I am yours, Valaric. It doesn’t matter if she takes my memories. You are part of me. My heart will still remember yours.”
She takes my hand and presses my open palm to her chest, directly over her claiming mark. “We are one heart and one soul. I will remember you because I know you. And I will know you because we are the same.”
Another tear slips down her cheek, but I gently brush it away with my thumb. I allow my gaze to travel over her lovely face, committing it to memory.
“Promise that you will come for me when I am gone.” She draws in a shaking breath. “Find me. I will remember you”—she places her palm to my chest, covering the pendant that hangs around my neck—“Valaric Greyvale, First Knight of the Shadow Blade, my husband and keeper of my heart.”
“You have my most solemn vow,” I whisper in reply. “I will find you. I swear it.”
I pull her to my chest, holding her tight. The sun dips below the horizon and she disappears, vanished from my embrace as if she was never here.
My heart stops and I gaze down at the empty space and whisper. “I will come for you, my ashaya. I swear it on all that I am.”