“There are still ways, you fool. Bring him to me!”
The vampires at either side of my father reach for Timót, but with equal deftness he steps back, grabs them by the arms and throws them to the ground. In the same instant, Darius has released me and is on top of the fallen attackers, keeping them away from Timót.
The king glares at his son, surprised and appalled by his actions. “What are you doing?”
“He’s only taking precautions,” Timót says, his wand aimed at the king. “As he knows what comes next.”
Right on cue, an ear-piercing roar echoes through the room. All faces turn upward in time to see dozens of nose-diving dragons fly through the opening in the dome, swarming the temple.
My eyes immediately shoot back to Rain, completely exposed in the center of the chamber. Vladimir stands next to her. I see terror in his eyes as more beasts flood in through the open ceiling. As the vampire king moves out of the center of the room, I sprint to the altar, practically throwing my body over Rain in case a burst of fire is about to hit. As soon as she’s wrapped in my arms, someone lifts me and starts to carry us away. I expect to see Darius, or perhaps Timót. Instead I’m shocked to see Emerus rushing me off to the sidelines. He tucks us into a small recession in the stone wall, out of the reach of the dragons and hopefully unseen by the vampires.
“The child cannot die like this.”
Adding the qualifier “like this” takes away from the kindness of the gesture, but I’ll take what I can get. Emerus flashes away from me, presumably to save himself.
I look above to see that Timót has mounted his dragon, but the creature stays on the ground, marching over to the three Ancients who are pinned in the corner. A few vampires run to their defense, only to be lit on fire by the scorching dragon breath. There’s a strange moment where the elderly vampires seem to accept their fate and bow their heads. I wonder briefly if Timót might spare them, but that thought dies more quickly than the Ancients as a stream of fire erupts from the dragon’s mouth and consumes them.
While the undead relics flail, Timót turns his attention back to the altar where Rain had been. The look on his face is one of unbridled power. His plan has worked and his life is eternal. He believes he’s the most powerful man to ever grace the universe… and there’s a chance he’s right.
He steadies his wand and aims it at the altar--an ancient piece of stone built for the sole purpose of staging my baby’s death. In this moment, I’m one-hundred-percent team psycho dad.. I want him to wreck that goddamn thing. Don’t leave anything behind but dust. And then take that dust and make it more dust until it’s microscopic. Then scatter that to all the worlds so this monstrosity can never be rebuilt.
“Elpusztítani teljes,” he yells, and a ripple of red light bursts forward and into the stone. There’s the briefest pause before the altar explodes into tiny particles, floating into the surrounding space and coating everything nearby in tiny flecks of debris.
Good goddamn riddance.
Timót gives one last look at the spot where the altar used to be, admiring his destruction, before turning back to find his next target--King Vladimir.
The vampire leader has been carefully dodging flames and alluding fighters, but making no move to escape the fray. His fangs are out, looking longer than ever, ready to kill anything that comes near.
“I’m sorry things haven’t gone quite to plan, Vladimir.” My father approaches the king, his dragon ready to do its worst. I wonder if someone as powerful as Vladimir might be able to survive a blast of dragon fire. The way his eyes keep jumping between Timót and the giant creature’s nostrils makes me think he’s not feeling too confident.
“What shall you do?” Vladimir asks. “Run off with the child? Hide away until the vampires find you? Don’t think for a second that we won’t.”
“But whatever for?” Timót says with a laugh. “You’ve no altar. No Ancients to perform your rituals. Your poor interpretation of the prophecy has no chance for fulfillment.”
The king snarls, taking a step closer to my father and the dragon. Maybe I was wrong about him being afraid. Maybe nothing can kill this old monster.
“Altars can be rebuilt,” he hisses. “Songs from old lore can be rediscovered.”
Timót nods, a pompous smile on his face.
“That’s all true. Perhaps things will go exactly as you say. But you certainly won’t be around to see it.”
His face turns from cocky to crazed as he wrenches back on the reigns around the dragon’s head and a massive swath of fire circles around the king. I watch as Vladimir stands in the fire, his body not moving. He’s either invincible or welcoming death, and I won’t know until the flames subside.
But that might never happen.
The dragon continues to scorch the king, moving closer as the hot blue fire wraps around the vampire. Now I can hear Vladimir’s screams, though his body is unmoving. The dragon leans closer still, now practically on top of its target. Timót keeps his grip on the rains, not letting up at all.
With their faces inches apart, the dragon fire finally stops. I hold my breath as I wait to see what’s become of the king, but I’m never given the chance. In one swift, gruesome motion, Timót’s giant creature takes the vampire king into its mouth, its colossal teeth shredding charred flesh and crunching through old bones.
No more wondering about the vampire king.
I duck back into my hiding place as Timót looks around the room. I’m not sure how much more killing he wants to do before he starts searching for me.
The vampires have largely fled from the room. The fiery attack has forced them away, and only a few fighters remain. I glance around, looking for Darius, and while I can’t see him, I feel him more strongly. I feel less anger, and a sense of calm. The timing feels odd, what with dragons everywhere breathing out fire and ending the previously endless lives of vampires.
Where are you?
I don’t know why I ask, because I hate him. Still, something about the change has me wondering enough to ask. I’m not sure I’ll get a response, so when I hear the words, and the voice that puts them in my brain, tears of hope and joy burst out of me.
He’s with us, love. We’re coming for you.
Chapter Four
Zev.
Oh my God, Zev.
I hug Rain closer to my chest, my tears spilling onto her little head, my heart pounding through my ribs.
They’re here. And Darius is with them? Confusion and anger war within me, even as an actual literal war is waging all around me.
I slink as far into the wall’s recession as I can to keep my baby and myself safe. My magic is still weak from the feeding Darius did, giving me yet another reason to forgive him never. He fed to disarm me. His intention was to weaken me. As my baby lay on the sacrificial altar, he sought to make me powerless.
Wait for us. Stay safe.
Zev’s voice breaks me from a spiral into despair. Having my wolf mate so close gives me hope I didn’t have a few minutes ago. I can feel his presence in my mind, in my heart, and it renews my strength and helps heal a little of the pain caused by Darius.
Or at least it helps me avoid falling into pieces at the very worst possible time.