“J-Jude, we gotta get out of here and warn your dad.” With the majority of the vampire army gathering, it was nearly impossible not to stammer. “Thisis the secret army.”
The Exiles’ hearing must have improved, for a group perked up their ears in my direction, their eyes fixed on both of us. A piercing scream ripped through the quiet as Jude and I scrambled back towards the human army. I glanced back andsaw the Exiles, their teeth bared in snarls, scrambling towards us on all fours like crazed animals. Like Dogs.
Rounding the corner, the imposing gates came into view, and with a sense of urgency, we waved our arms, trying to get Arthur’s attention. The intense thumping from the handful of Exiles behind us indicated others were on their way. The human army ahead of us began sprinting toward us, weapons outstretched, a terrifying wave of shouting and clashing steel. A war cry came from ahead, while a shriek of bloodlust came from behind, heightening our sense of impending danger.
Two sharp gunshots cracked through the air, followed by a heavy thud that vibrated through the ground behind us. I looked over my shoulder and saw the two newly grown vampires who were chasing us were shot dead. Humans, guns blazing, rushed past, spraying bullets at the vampires in the courtyard.
“Now’s the time,” Arthur boomed over the rushing humans. “Protect our families! Protect the human race!”
Doubled over with my chest heaving, gasping for air, Jude put a reassuring hand on my back. “C’mon, let’s see if we can find Gabe. He should be around here.”
My gun’s metal handle was in my hand as I regained my composure. Unicorns were still rushing by me, their white coats a dazzling sight, and I realized there were many more people in the first wave than I expected. From underneath my mask, I nodded to Jude. “Let’s go.”
We turned around and joined the throng of humans running toward the courtyard. Now that the Exiles had time to drink deeply from the gushing fountain, many were at their full potential. Their pale bodies were crisscrossed with long, blue veins like a roadmap, and their fingers ended in unnaturally long claws.
A bloody scene unfolded in front of us. Unicorns shot at the vampires with their guns and also used various other methods todistract them, like smoke bombs and paralysis gas. As much as the vampires may have had the upper hand with brute strength, there was much more white than red.
Dodging the pale skin of vampires and the desperate faces of humans, Jude and I ran through the thick, surging crowd until a massive explosion engulfed us in a wave of heat and debris. A thick, white smoke surrounded us, obscuring everyone within its swirling embrace. My lungs burned as I coughed, waving my arms wildly, searching for Jude amidst the confusing chaos. “Where are you?” The smoke was so thick, I might be standing directly next to a vampire, and I’d have no idea.
A hand wrapped around mine. “Don’t worry, I’m right here.”
A touch to the side of my mask brought a screen to life before my eyes, its glow warm against my skin. Faint outlines of the people around me materialized before my eyes, their features blurred except for the sharp horns on their unicorn masks. We crept forward until a powerful force slammed me to the ground. A vampire was on top of me, its fangs glistening even through the thick fog.
Two deafening gunshots rang out, and the vampire crumpled next to me. Through the deafening scream, I saw Jude beside me, a thin, acrid plume of smoke curling from his smoking weapon. “Th-thanks,” I whispered. “Let’s go!”
We found the courtyard’s perimeter, its rough stone walls beneath our hands as we carefully moved along, escaping the choking smoke. Splashing water and murmuring voices from the Exiles drinking at the fountain reached my ears. Gabe stood in the middle of them, his gun pointed and firing.
This may be the wrong time to say this, but he lookedsohot.
Gabe was surrounded on all sides by vampires, their eyes glowing menacingly in the dim light. It seemed no matter which way he turned, there was another one there. When one vampirefell, two more took its place. Although many bodies were lying at his feet.
I pointed my gun and began running toward him, firing. Gunshots came from my weapon and from Jude, who was directly next to me. Our bullets sailed through the air, reaching both their targets, leaving Gabe to continue his fight.
“About time you guys got here!” he yelled to us with a smirk.
A small, soft blue ball appeared in Jude’s hand as he reached into his pocket and threw it high. It clinked against the uneven stone walkway and exploded, creating another shield of smoke. Through the fog, we neared Gabe, and I grabbed his hand. With a powerful pull, I yanked him from the circle of deadly vampires.
“Where to?” I whispered.
“The vault.” He coughed. “That’s where your dad is.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Jude and I followed Gabe back into Elysium, heading upward to the level where the vault was located: thirteen. Each step we took was heavy with anticipation, our breaths labored. Going from the chaos outside, it seemed odd to hear silence. It made me feel on edge and kept my senses heightened, as if expecting an ambush at any moment.
“There’s a direct elevator to the vault from your father’s quarters,” Gabe explained through heavy breaths. “Just in case there’s an attack, so he’ll likely already be inside.” He increased his speed, taking two steps at a time. “Hurry, I don’t want any of the vampires to find us.”
“Isn’t the army outside?” Jude asked as he trailed directly behind Gabe, our heavy feet echoing in the stairwell.
He shook his head. “That’s the Exiled, they’re the first wave of protection for Elysium. The second wave is hundreds of military-trained vampires. Their training quarters and weapon safehold are on the same level as the vault, so we have to be careful not to run into any of them.”
“Let’s take these off.” I lifted the mask from my face and tucked it under my armpit, as Jude did with his own. A sickeningdread filled me, the pit in my stomach deepening with each step, a feeling I couldn’t shake. What will I do once I get there? I knew I had to take down my father, but I wanted him to admit to everything he did. I needed validation in knowing I was saving the vampires and humans by removing this man from power.
As we reached the bottom of the stairs, we saw an elevator door and two smaller doors on either side of it. A large black metal door to the right seemed to pulse with the echoes of a thousand battle cries, while the golden door across from it remained still and quiet. “Let me guess which one is the vault.” I rolled my eyes. “Could my father be any more obvious?”
“Men’s ego will always be their downfall,” Jude breathed.
Gabe swiped his security card at the glowing electronic screen, hearing a satisfying click as the door unlocked. He gripped the handle with one strong hand, pulling the door open with a loud creak.
