Focus on you, Alina. Trust them.
Dev’s command was an eerie similarity to that of my instructor growing up, and it hit home, stealing my breath away. However, there was no way I could put myself first anymore. I wasn’t capable of forgetting about my friends and family around me in the midst of battle like a robotic soldier. I don’t know if I ever was truly capable of that, but was that a bad thing really? I’d give up my life to save those I loved a hundred times over.
Drake!I shouted through our bond, seeing a fourth figure come through the doorway, raising a gun in his direction.
At this point, I didn't know what the hell our enemies had up their sleeves, but anxiety churned in my gut with the thought that whatever was in the gun might be a hell of a lot more damaging than a regular bullet.
Suddenly, there was a shout, and I felt a hard blow to my head, but I fought through the daze of it, running on autopilot. Slamming my shoulder into my attacker's stomach, I took advantage of them doubling over and slammed my knee up into their crotch, hoping they had a set of balls to crush.
A grunt came from the person, and I called Devorare to me as they slumped, feeling the trickle of blood on my forehead from the blow they’d delivered. She appeared in my hand, glowing brightly in the dark room and illuminating the scene enough for me to see clearly.
Don’t hesitate—these people aren’t here to befriend you.
Swiping her through the neck of the attacker who was slumped in front of me, I whipped my head around to search out the fourth intruder with the gun.
Get down!I yelled once more through the bond as I saw Drake running toward the figure who now pointed toward Lincoln’s unconscious body. Was he going to get in front of that fucking bullet for Lincoln?
Time slowed around me.
No. I would not let any of them be injured.
Devorare’s thoughts became mine at that moment, and I gave in, pointing the burning sword toward the man at what felt like triple the speed he was moving as Drake tucked and rolled to the ground. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew to trust my connection to Dev. With a roar, I pushed the energy glowing around the blade toward him. Red flames shot out, faster than lightning, and engulfed him in an inferno, the smell of charred skin and hair filling the room. Within seconds, his screams tapered as he fell to the floor.
Move to the next. He’s going to die.
Flicking my attention to Andrei, I found him pinned to the ground, and the figure restraining him was pulling a gun from beneath their robe. I couldn’t shoot flames at them, knowing Andrei was in the direct path.Fuck.Charging toward them, my hand shot forward to grab the person’s wrist, sending the aim of the barrel toward the ceiling as I sliced through his neck with Dev.
Andrei bucked the last intruder off of him, before moving to pin him. The sound of the intruder’s neck filled the room in the second before the sound of tearing tendons and crunching bone met my ears. Andrei screamed as he ripped the intruder’s head clean from their body.
I glanced around as Drake flipped the light to the room on. Thankfully the smoke had dissipated, because my lungs were burning despite our enhanced ability to not need as much oxygen.
Is the air safe?
Yes, it should be clear now, Comoara.
A deep, gasping breath fell from my lips before I inhaled big breaths of fresh air.
Doing a quick scan of Andrei and Drake, I breathed in a sigh of relief to see them injury free, save a few cuts on their faces that were already healing. Letting Dev disappear, I ran to Lincoln and fell to my knees, pulling his face into my lap.
“Lincoln,” I murmured softly, tapping his cheek gently to try to pull him back from unconsciousness.
Andrei came to my side, dropping to his knees and resting a hand on my shoulder. His silent presence provided me a grounding strength, allowing me to not immediately spiral into the worst-case scenario. I needed to feel like he was never going to leave again when things got hard, and this was a step towards repairing that broken faith.
“Lincoln!” I yelled this time, as he laid prone and unchanging. “Wake up, you bastard!”
Drake’s voice cut through the panic that began to grip me. “He’ll be okay. I recognized the scent instantly. It’s a harmless gas only meant to knock people out, and it should wear off soon. I’d like to go check on Lo,Comoara,but I’ll be right back. Andrei, do not leave her side.”
My gaze snapped to Drake, panic jolting through me in an electric current, just as he disappeared out of the door.
Holy shit—Lo. In the frenzy, I completely forgot that Lo was in the castle with us. With her being in a separate wing, it was easy to sometimes think we lived in different homes entirely.
Brushing Lincoln’s hair away from his forehead, I leaned into Andrei’s side, needing his strength. My body was shaking now that the adrenaline had worn off.
How the hell did your flames kill that vampire? I thought beheading was the only method.
This is why I had to ensure I ended up in the right hands, Alina. My power is beyond that of a normal soul weapon. I needed to be wielded by someone who wouldn’t abuse the power and think of themselves as judge, jury, and executioner. It’s why you had to become a vampire first, to see the other side.
Her words were heavy, but they made sense. This was a huge responsibility to carry, holding the only other method of killing a vampire that was known.
