Bite Me (Shadow Guild: Vampire Bride Book 1), page 16
Ludovic’s voice joined in, booming over the noise. “Today, we gather to gift these souls to the spell that protects this society.” His gaze traveled over the crowd, landing on Mac and myself. Cunning glinted there, and I felt a cold smile tug at my lips.
He was the one. I was sure of it.
And soon, I would know why he’d drawn me here.
My muscles tensed, instinct preparing me to fight. My reaction was unconscious after so many centuries, the response of a predator.
Mac
* * *
I watched as Ludovic spoke, his words flowing in one ear and out the other. He was spouting some mumbo-jumbo about souls and power, and I just didn’t give a shit. The feeling of suffering in the air was too much. It made my stomach turn and sweat break out on my skin.
Did none of these people think this was just freaking insane?
It was absolutely bananas.
I scanned the crowd, looking for just one person who appeared as horrified as I felt.
At my side, Drakon was as stone cold as ever, but there was the slightest tic to his jaw that gave away his disgust. Good. He wasn’t a total monster.
Across the room, I spotted Ben. He was trying to keep a straight face, but his eye kept twitching. Besides Drakon, he was the only person who showed an adverse reaction to what was going on. The rest were one hundred percent monsters—totally fine with everything they were feeling and witnessing—or else, they were really good actors.
My money was on the former.
Finally, Ludovic turned to the coffins and swept out a hand. Fire shot from his fingertips and lit the coffins in a blaze of red and orange.
The scent of burning flesh filled the air, and I tried not to gag.
The chanting that filled the room gained strength and speed, the stones of the church walls seeming to vibrate as magic filled the air. Ludovic’s face shone with an unholy glee as he watched the smoke curl up toward the ceiling. Valerie’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction, and the rest of the members kept their gazes trained on the smoke.
As I watched, it coalesced to form shadowy, faintly human figures.
The souls of the dead.
A shiver raced down my spine.
Somehow, Ludovic and his band of merry monsters had preserved the souls in the bodies, releasing them only now that they planned to use them for their own benefit.
My fingertips itched to chuck an explosive right in his face.
Slowly, the souls drifted toward the ornate wooden doors. My heart thundered as I watched, itching for the doors to finally open.
Next to me, Drakon stiffened. “Almost time.”
We were weaker while wearing the cloaks, but fortunately, I’d never had much magic to begin with. I’d always had to rely on my fighting skills, and they’d come in handy now—those, plus the tiny potion bombs I’d stowed in my pockets.
As the souls reached the door, it glowed a brilliant gold before fading away entirely, revealing a black tunnel beyond. Magic thundered so fiercely that it made the hair on my arms stand up.
“Now.” Drakon charged, heading straight for Ludovic, and I followed.
As if they’d been expecting it, the current members of the society turned to intercept us. They tore off their cloaks, their magical signatures filling the air.
A man on the left transformed into a massive werewolf, his fangs bared in a fierce growl as he charged Drakon. When he collided with the vampire, Drakon threw him to the side like he was a puppy instead of a five-hundred-pound monster, and the creature crashed into one of the pews.
I reached for a potion bomb and hurled it at a fire mage whose name I didn’t know. His hands glowed with brilliant red flames, and we had only a second to defend ourselves from burning alive. The bomb collided with his chest just before he released his weapon, and he went up in a massive fireball.
Despite the cloak that dampened his power, Drakon still moved with incredible grace and speed. He tore out the throat of a sorcerer who tried to hit him with a sonic boom, spraying blood across the crowd.
I headed for Valerie.
The witch stood with her hands raised and her eyes sparking as she chanted in a language I didn’t understand. Massive black vines burst from the ground and gripped me around the waist, raising me into the air. The cloak that bound my magic made it impossible to draw my sword from the ether, and I tried to tear the vines off with my hands. They were too strong, however, and frustration surged through me.
To my right, Drakon fought off a fae. I noted with dismay that the prospective members had joined the current ones in protecting Ludovic and his horrible chamber—all but Ben, who appeared at my side with a silver dagger glinting in his hand.
“Catch.” He tossed it to me, and I snagged it out of the air.
Quick as I could, I sliced away at the vines. When they dropped me, I yanked a potion bomb from my pocket and hurled it at Valerie. It hit her squarely in the chest and exploded in a burst of blue light. Satisfaction seethed through me as she dropped like a sack of potatoes.
“Why are you helping me?” I demanded.
“You’re the only normal one here,” Ben said. “This shit is too weird, and I’m getting out.”
“Can’t blame you for that.” I threw another potion bomb and realized that my stash was running severely low.
“Coming with?” he asked.
“I’ve got to get into that chamber. Can you create a distraction on your way out? Buy us some time to grab Ludovic and get in?”
“I can try.” He raised a hand that glowed with brilliant blue flame. “Illusion.”
“Thanks.”
He nodded and turned to leave. Within seconds, the walls of the chamber appeared to have caught fire. I could even feel the heat. If I hadn’t known what he planned, I’d have been terrified.
The society members panicked, turning their attack into a retreat. They charged toward the exit, abandoning their efforts to defend the society. Only Ludovic stayed at the front.
“Come on, Drakon! The fire isn’t real,” I yelled, and raced toward Ludovic.
Drakon dropped the mage he’d just killed and ran after me.
Ludovic glared at us, flames growing in a circle around him. Fire burned in his eyes as he raised an arm to hurl a blast in our direction, but Drakon was too fast. He plowed right through the burning circle and gripped Ludovic in a choke hold, then dragged him through the fire and toward the chamber door.
Ludovic struggled, gripping Drakon’s arms with blazing hands. It had to hurt like hell, but Drakon didn’t even flinch.
I sprinted after them, following Drakon through the chamber door as Ludovic fought every step of the way.
As we passed through, I could feel the souls flowing around us, entering the dark tunnel that vibrated with misery and power. My cloak fell off my shoulders, somehow broken by the magic of the tunnel. Drakon’s disappeared as well.
“Take us to the prisoner,” Drakon demanded.
Ludovic just laughed, a maniac’s insane cackle. “You're too late.”
His body began to glow, a brilliant orange fire seeming to fill him from the inside. His skin blazed a faint orange, and I could see the flame racing through his veins.
“Let him go!” I shouted. “He’s going to blow.” I’d never seen magic like this, but it was clear as day that shit was about to hit the fan.
Drakon chucked Ludovic’s body away from him just in time. The man’s form lit up in a massive ball of fire, leaving only a charred stain on the dark stone ground.
“Holy fates.” I stumbled backward, my gaze on the mark. “He just…died.”
Frustration flashed in Drakon’s eyes before he turned to go deeper into the tunnel. “Come on.”
I followed, a chill of unease racing across my skin. This was all too weird. It had been difficult to get in, but once we’d made it, Ludovic had just given up.
What the hell had that been about?
The despair in the air distracted me, seeping into my mind and soul until it felt like I might not be able to keep going. The souls that flowed around us didn't want to be making this journey, and it was impossible to ignore their misery. The sensation was similar to being around phantoms, and the psychic and physical tolls were heavy. My footsteps began to lag, and my breath came with effort. “This place—” I couldn’t keep going. It was too much. Too heavy.
“We’ll destroy it.” Drakon appeared at my side, wrapping an arm around my waist. “I’ll destroy it. You should leave. Get out of here.”
“Hell, no.” I could draw my potion bag from the ether now, so I did. Just reaching inside to withdraw a bomb made me feel a little better, and when Genevieve appeared at my side, that fixed me up even more. The familiar’s power flowed into me, giving me strength.
“We’re almost there,” I said, gaining enough strength that I no longer needed to lean against Drakon. “I can feel it. Let’s keep going.”
Finally, we reached the massive cavern at the end. The sight within made me gasp.
20
Mac
* * *
The enormous cavern was easily the size of a football pitch, and the ceiling soared high above. Shelves covered the rough stone walls, each packed full of jars that glowed with magic. Some of the contents were dark and some light, the essence of powerful old spells and magical objects that had been captured in glass. But worse, many of the jars were filled with souls, and it was their despair that I could feel. I had no idea how I could tell, but I could. I was sure of it.
And none of this magic wanted to be here. It vibrated against the jars, filling the air with a faint hum. Though magic wasn’t alive, it did decay, becoming more unstable with time.
We’d planned to blow this place up, and fortunately, there was plenty of fuel in here.
My gaze drifted to the ground, where I spotted several skeletons. They littered the ground, their bodies in various states of decay.
No. Oh, no.
Not Drakon’s friend.
My heart raced as I searched, and my gaze finally landed on a body that looked like it was in better shape. Drakon charged toward it and fell to his knees. I followed, my heart in my throat. Genevieve stayed close at my side, silent for once.
When I reached them, I realized that the person was still alive.
Oh, thank fates.
It was a man, nearly as tall as Drakon but not as muscular. Chains bound him to the stone floor, and Drakon tore them out of the ground with his bare hands.
The man moaned and twitched.
“Wake up, Dorian.” Drakon grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him upright, but his friend was too weak.
Dorian. I’d never known his name, but it suited him. He had a kind face and wise eyes. Ancient-looking eyes, despite his youth. So unlike Drakon.
I plunged my hand into the potion bag and retrieved a healing draft. “Here, Drakon. Take this.”
He popped it open, then poured the liquid down Dorian’s throat. The man sputtered and coughed, but his eyes opened, and color returned to his cheeks.
“Drakon?” He blinked, confused. “I thought you were gone.”
“I got out. Now come on.” He dragged his friend to his feet.
I could feel the man’s gratitude as I stepped back, spinning around to look for the best way to lay my explosives. This place was going up in flames, no matter what—I just needed to figure out how.
As I turned away from Drakon, I spotted another figure. He appeared out of nowhere, an air of menace vibrating around him, and I got a good look at his eyes as he neared.
Ludovic.
But no—he looked different. It was just the eyes that reminded me of Ludovic. Otherwise, he appeared younger. Slimmer and dark haired, with sharp cheekbones and a gaunt frame.
“Drakon, someone is here.” I reached for a potion bomb.
“I wouldn’t bother.” The newcomer’s voice sent ice down my spine. “It would just be a waste of your energy.”
He raised a hand and flicked it toward us. Suddenly, I felt my limbs bound by invisible rope. Panic flared as I struggled, trying desperately to break free. I might as well have been bound in iron.
At my side, Drakon and Dorian were in the same position, frozen solid while standing upright. Genevieve was nowhere to be seen. Smart badger.
“Who are you?” Drakon demanded.
“He’s Ludovic,” I said. “Look at the eyes.”
“Of course I’m not Ludovic.” A cold laugh escaped his thin lips. “At least, not entirely. He was just one of my shells.”
His shells? Whoever this was, he had to have been pulling the strings the whole time. “What the hell are you?” The strangest sense of familiarity raced through me, so weird it made me itchy. “What do you want?”
“Why, you, of course.” He smiled, his eyes cold and snakelike. “It took a long time to lure you here.”
Me?
Not Drakon?
“What the hell are you talking about?” Drakon’s voice whipped through the room.
The man turned to him. “Thank you for your service. You did well bringing her here.”
Confusion and rage lit Drakon’s face as he strained against the man’s magical bonds. I hadn’t thought anything could hold Drakon, and yet, this man was. I could feel his power on the air and realized that he was drawing it from the jars around him. Somehow, he was siphoning magic off and using it for his own purposes.
Exhausted, I stopped struggling against my bonds. There was no way I’d break them as long as the man had all of this power to draw from, and I wanted to know what the hell was going on here. After all, I’d only just figured out that my past wasn’t what I’d imagined, and he appeared to be the one with the answers.
The thought chilled me, but I plowed on, the desire to understand driving me beyond my fear. “Why are you familiar to me? What do you want?”
“Why wouldn’t we want you, Daughter of the Arcane Order? What a coup it would be to have the heir of our rival society. You will be the most magnificent addition to my collection yet.” He gestured toward the jars, and my heart plummeted.
He’s going to put my soul in there.
The thought made my heart ice over and my muscles go liquid. If he hadn’t been holding me up with his magical binding, I’d have fallen to my knees.
As much as I wanted him to provide answers about the mysteries of my past, I was suddenly a lot more interested in getting the hell out of here.
But how? We were trapped.
A distraction, that’s what we needed. But Ben was gone, and there was no way he’d be coming in here. And this bastard was far too powerful for us. As long as he had all this magic at his disposal, we didn’t stand a chance.
My mind racing for a plan, I tried to keep him talking. “You sacrificed your entire society just to trap me here?”
“Entire society? Hardly. Those was just some of the members, all part of an elaborate ruse. You were too strong to take outside of this chamber, so we had to lure you here.”
“With Drakon?” I glanced at him, realizing that he seemed to have more range of movement.
He was breaking free.
Holy fates, he might actually manage it. I just needed to distract Ludovic for a little longer. “But what about—”
“Enough questions.” Ludovic’s face darkened. “We can’t have you stalling for time, can we? Trying to concoct a little escape plan?”
Damn it. “Well, I did consider going willingly, like a lamb to slaughter, but—”
Drakon broke free of the bonds and charged Ludovic, moving so quickly that he was a blur. As the vampire collided with Ludovic, the cretin’s magical hold on me broke. I plunged my hand into my pocket, grabbed my last transport link, and hoped my crazy new plan would work. I’d stashed it there in case we needed to make a quick getaway, but I couldn’t leave before I’d destroyed this place and Ludovic.
That didn't mean I couldn’t bring backup to me.
Quickly, I hurled the transport link to the other side of the room, managing to make it land behind Ludovic. He was still struggling with Drakon, and there was a chance he wouldn’t notice it.
As the golden cloud burst upward, I hissed, “Genevieve!”
The little badger appeared at my side. You rang?
“Go through the portal to the Shadow Guild tower. Bring my friends. If you can’t speak to them, you can speak to their familiars.”
Genevieve saluted and disappeared.
I prayed the badger knew how to get there, then turned to see Ludovic wrestling with Drakon and his friend.
Should I go for Ludovic first, or should I lay the bombs that would ignite the magic in this place and destroy it? I circled around the fight, trying to decide. Ludovic was so focused on Drakon and Dorian that he didn’t see me…or my friends.
On the far side of the room, they appeared through the portal—Carrow, Eve, Beatrix, Seraphia, and Quinn. They’d all arrived so quickly that Genevieve must have found them in the Shadow Guild common room.
They raced up to me, eyes wide.
“Do we take him out?” Carrow’s gaze narrowed on Ludovic as he fought Drakon and Dorian.
“No. Only I can do that.” I could feel Ludovic manipulating the power in the air like he was controlling wind currents. Something deep in my gut told me that only I stood a chance against him. “We need to lay fuses and bombs to destroy this place.” I handed her the bag I’d packed for the job.
She nodded and took it.
As my friends raced away, Ludovic harnessed the power in the air to throw Drakon and Dorian off of him. They shot across the room and skidded over the stone floor. Ludovic’s eyes burned with rage as he raised his hands and directed some of his magic at the vampire and his friend.
Their bodies stiffened as the bindings wrapped around them once more, but Ludovic didn’t seem to notice me. For the moment, at least.
Two could play at this game.
I drew a stunner from the bag at my side and hurled it at Ludovic. It slammed into his back, exploding in a blast of green dust. He barely flinched, but it gave me time to charge him.
