We’re doing everything imaginable to ready ourselves. And yet, when the time finally comes, I worry we’re not prepared at all.
The Fade Marshes are drenched in an unforgiving night.
Even in summer, I shiver as we traverse the bogs. I carry with me the chill of the sleeping world of Tempost to what will hopefully be the final battle to determine its fate. The four of us move in armor that I’ve carefully designed for strength and speed. A difficult combination to achieve using mostly metal. But blood silver is unique. I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of its power. I could’ve made so much more if I’d had months, or years, to prepare for tonight.
We come to a stop at the edge of the ruins. Drew has tidied his camp, just as I told him to during one of my visits during the past week. Our arena is clear of obstruction.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he says, pushing away from the wall he was leaning on.
“It’s only been a few days since you last saw me.” We’ve been running back and forth between the two worlds now that we have an easy passage through the boundaries of the Fade.
“It is painfully boring out here.” He shrugs. “Is that for me?” Drew points to the armor that Ventos is carrying.
I made two types of armor leading up to tonight. The kind Drew and I have magnifies power. It’ll work with our blood to become stronger—the protective barrier I made for Ruvan gave me the idea of using blood magic to create powerful armors. The other kind is what my covenant is wearing. I used my own blood—human blood—in their armor to help mask their presence as vampir. If I’m right, they’ll be invisible, or mostly invisible, until Tersius is right upon us.
“Yes. It should fit.” I help my brother into his armor. It fits, for the most part. But his measurements have changed slightly since I was last crafting for him. He’s lost weight. I remind myself that when I sent him here—sent him away from Midscape but not all the way back to Hunter’s Hamlet—I knew we were both making a sacrifice. Things weren’t going to be easy for him. But it was hopefully a short-term struggle for a long-term gain. “There you go.”
He adjusts the armor and says nothing of the places where it could be a little tighter. My brother doesn’t want to be seen as weak, either. A stubborn trait we certainly share. “Do you have the elixir?”
I retrieve a small obsidian vial from my pocket. Callos isn’t out fighting with us, but the preparation he gave us is going to prove invaluable. “Made from your own blood.”
“I wonder if it’ll taste different than a fresh cut.” Drew accepts the vial.
“Knowing you, it’ll be more bitter with aging,” I tease.
“You realize we have the same blood, right? Any insult you give me is on yourself as well.”
“I have it on good authority that my blood is quite sweet,” I counter and immediately realize what I said when Drew goes still. I can almost hear everything he wants to say but doesn’t. I shouldn’t be reminding him that I’ve let vampir drink from me. Even if he has figured it out, or assumes as much, it’s something entirely different to present him with the information so plainly. I try and move past it quickly. “Do you have any questions about what you need to do?”
“Being the bait is easy enough.” Drew continues to stare at the vial in his palm. He’s scared. Even after all the fighting he’s done and all the training he’s had, battle is never easy.
I rest my hand on his shoulder. “This armor will protect you. And we’re here, waiting. We have him outnumbered; we’ll strike fast and true. This all ends tonight, not with a drawn-out battle but a targeted attack. You’ll be back in Mother’s kitchen eating fresh, hot rolls from the baker before you know it.”
Drew huffs softly and gives me a tired smile. “You know, I always knew you were incredibly tough. When did you start letting the rest of the world see it?”
“I had some good advice that maybe I should choose my own destiny.”
“Who told you that?” He looks rather smug.
“Some people I trust.”
Drew’s smugness fades a little at the plural. I just give him a confident smile and say nothing more. We’re going to have much to discuss when all this is over. That much is certain.
“We’ll be waiting,” I say encouragingly.
My brother starts off into the marshes. I squint to keep my focus on him for as long as I’m able. But eventually the night and the fog consume him.
“All right, let’s get in our places.” Ventos is the one to return us to reality. Otherwise we might have continued to stare at the hunter turned vampir ally until Tersius arrived.
The three other members of the covenant and I position ourselves around the ruins—behind the crumbling walls and nearby trees. We each hold an obsidian vial. The waiting is the worst part. My muscles begin to ache from tension. A strange and overwhelming urge to scream, just to break the silence, struggles in my throat.
But I keep still. I wait. And I continue to run over the plan we’ve been working on all week. My knuckles are white from clenching my vial, palms sweaty, when I finally feel it.
CHAPTER44
There’sa sudden and sharp buzzing coming from the direction Drew left in—the direction of Hunter’s Hamlet. He’s drunk his elixir. I know the rest of them feel it too because I see them each open their vials. And if we all can feel it, then hopefully Tersius will sense Drew as well. He’ll come, lured by the opportunity to tie up a loose end.
Tersius will never know what’s waiting for him.
