Bloody Brilliance, page 14
A dark shadow swooped down from the sky, massive wings spread wide. Oblivion landed with an earth-shaking crash, his clawed feet gouging furrows in the earth. He folded his leathery wings and glared at me with glowing red eyes.
“Have you reconsidered, my love?” he purred.
“No,” I said flatly. “But I’ve brought you something.”
I took a deep breath and yelled with all my might. “Caladbolg!”
A massive shape took form in front of me. Scales glinted, claws flexed, wings unfurled—it was Caladbolg in his true draconic form. But only I knew it was only a part of him. The rest of him still lingered inside of me.
Oblivion rolled his eyes contemptuously. “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. You’ve got me! You’re going to trap us. You finally outsmarted me.” His tone dripped with sarcasm.
But I could see the gleam of greed in his expression. He was taking the bait. He couldn’t resist sending a big part of himself to a prison dimension if it meant taking all of Caladbolg with him. That would leave us with no means to beat him on earth at all. Of course he’d jump at the chance.
Oblivion willingly allowed himself to merge with Caladbolg, thinking he could overpower and imprison his brother while leaving part of himself back on earth unchallenged.
It was time to spring the trap. I caught Adam’s eye and shouted, “Now!”
Oblivion’s head snapped around, his eyes going wide with shock. He was just starting to realize this wasn’t all of Caladbolg after all.
As Adam worked his magic and space began to warp and bend around us, I flashed Oblivion my middle finger.
“That’s right, you son of a bitch,” I snarled. “You divided yourself up too many damn times. But your brother only split himself twice. Just enough to kick your ass in prison… where he’ll be your new daddy.”
Oblivion let out an enraged roar as the pocket dimension closed around him.
“You’ll never control me!” he shouted. “I’ll be back! My essence will spread!”
I barked out a harsh laugh. “Yeah, yeah. Hope is always a good thing to hold on to in prison, tough guy. But don’t worry—we’ve got a plan for that, too.”
With a deafening crack, the portal snapped shut. The younglings and Oblivion were gone. The younglings back in Providence with Ladinas, Alice, and the rest of the team, where they were before Adam brought them to Maine.
It was finally over—sort of. I allowed myself a small smile of satisfaction before turning to my companions. We still had work to do.
I grabbed Sebastian, Donnie, Ramon, Clarissa, and Muggs. “We’ve got one last thing to take care of,” I said grimly.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “And what might that be?”
In response, I held out my hands and shouted, “Caladbolg!” A slender rapier-like blade materialized there in a flash of light. I hefted it, feeling its comfortable weight.
Sebastian laughed. “You still have him!”
“For now,” I smirked. “The rest of Oblivion is still inside the wolves. Divided up among all the packs. If I stab the alpha of alphas with this baby, Caladbolg’s power will keep that bastard under control for good.”
Sebastian let out an impressed whistle. “Damn. Using the wolves’ structure of dominance against the dragon bastard. That’s one hell of a plan.”
I flashed him a wicked grin. “What can I say? I didn’t get it from hell. I got it from Heaven.”
Chapter 21
The Chevelle’s engine roared as we sped through the forest, the trees whipping past in a dark blur. I gripped the leather seat, tense. We were headed straight back into the wolves’ territory—and who knew what we’d face this time?
Goliath bounded behind us, chasing Sebastian’s car the whole way. A lot of dogs chase cars—but only a hellhound can actually keep up.
I turned to Sebastian. “Remember, we’re not here to kill them. Just find the alpha.”
He kept his eyes fixed ahead, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. “Got it.”
“It has to be the one who dominates all the other alphas,” I added. “The big boss.”
Donnie piped up from the backseat. “So we’re basically looking for a wolf like me.”
Sebastian burst out laughing, nearly choking on his tongue. I couldn’t help cracking up too. “Right, the alpha of alphas...in what digital world?”
Donnie glared at me, dead serious. “In all of them.”
I shook my head, stifling a smirk.
The Chevelle skidded to a stop at the forest’s edge. We piled out, the night air thick with tension. I took the lead this time, gesturing for the guys to follow.
“No one dies tonight,” I said firmly. “Try not to kill any wolves we don’t have to. We just need to rile these wolves up until we get to the big boss.”
With that, I plunged into the trees, senses primed. Howls split the surrounding darkness. The hunt was on.
I whipped out my wand, letting instinct take over. “Enerva!”
A jet of red light burst from the tip, striking the nearest wolf. It collapsed, fast asleep. I pivoted, firing off more stunning spells in quick succession. Wolves dropped left and right, slumbering peacefully amidst the underbrush.
Muggs joined in, calling upon the trees themselves to harass our foes. Ancient oaks and pines creaked to life, snaring wolves in their gnarled branches or tripping them with roots that burst from the ground.
Goliath did his part, too. He wasn’t a werewolf, but as a canine of a sort, he sensed the way we needed to go. As if the alpha released some kind of pheromone he picked up on.
We pressed deeper into the forest, following Goliath’s lead, leaving a trail of snoozing canines behind us. The sounds of battle faded as we neared the heart of their territory. An unnatural hush fell over the woods.
Then we saw him. A massive wolf, easily twice the size of the others, stood waiting in a moonlit clearing. Smaller wolves flanked him on all sides, hackles raised in defense of their leader. His fur was jet-black, eyes burning crimson in the shadows. Power and menace rolled off him in waves.
Adrenaline surged as I stepped into the clearing, twirling Caladbolg in my hand. The blade glinted in the moonlight, hungry for battle. As a rapier, he was easier to wield. Much more my style.
“Cover me,” I said, never taking my eyes off the alpha. His lips curled back, revealing dagger-like teeth. My friends fanned out behind me, wands and weapons at the ready.
With a feral grin, I charged, my boots pounding the earth. The alpha bounded forward to meet my advance, jaws snapping. I leapt, Caladbolg flashing as I swung with supernatural speed. The blade sliced across the wolf’s shoulder in a blaze of golden light.
That was all it took. One strike.
He howled in pain and fury, but the cry changed into one of shock as the magic took hold. Caladbolg’s energy surged into the alpha, setting his fur aglow. Black fur turned to shimmering gold as the dragon’s power possessed him. His eyes burned like twin suns.
I landed in a crouch, my eyes meeting his. I knew those kind eyes. They were the same ones that looked at me kindly in that heavenly nightclub. “Thank you,” I said to the wolf, knowing Caladbolg stared back at me. The alpha threw back his head and let loose a bone-chilling howl.
All around the clearing, wolves emerged from the shadows, answering their leader’s call. The packs united as one. Caladbolg had claimed dominance over them all.
I rose, my wand in my opposite hand, and the hand that held Caladbolg before empty. “It’s done. Let’s get going before more wolves show.” We slipped away under the cover of night, leaving the wolves to puzzle over their new alpha. Caladbolg and I had won the day, but greater battles lay ahead. The burden of destiny is mine to bear, for good or ill. Such is the life of an ancient vampire witch.
We sped through the dark forest in Sebastian’s red Chevelle, the rumble of the engine nearly putting me to sleep—and as a vampire, I didn’t strictly need to sleep at all. But after all we’d been through, the idea of catching a few Zs sounded nice.
Lost in thought, I barely registered Donnie’s sudden exclamation from the backseat. “Shit, I didn’t check in with Mom at midnight!”
Sebastian met my eyes, his expression mirroring my false concern. Sebastian turned back. “So, Donnie. What do you say you hit the road with me for a bit? I hear there’s some crazy shit going down in Denver right now. What do you say?”
Donnie took a deep breath. “I think that would be... awesome!”
I laughed. “No gaming on the road trip, you know.”
Donnie shrugged. “Maybe it’s time I put my talents to better use. Thank you, Sebastian. You won’t regret it. I’ll be like Batman to your Robin.”
Sebastian laughed. “Right. Something like that.”
We pulled up to Donnie’s house, and he hurried inside, moving with the closest thing to preternatural speed a chubby guy could muster. Martha was sitting there in the kitchen, curlers in her hair, a lime-green mask spread on her face. The look she was giving Donnie said everything.
“I’m thirty, Mom,” Donnie said. “And I just helped save the world. So drop it. I’m not your little boy anymore.”
Sebastian and I exchanged surprised looks. Donnie was growing up in front of our eyes! Sure, it took him thirty years to exert his independence, but at least he was getting there.
That didn’t assuage Martha’s wrath. She was harping at him as he made his way down to the basement to change his clothes.
All I could do was laugh. Fight off some nasty werewolves, no problem. Face your angry and overbearing mother? Well, Donnie had a long way to go. I could only imagine how she’d respond when Donnie told her he was going on a “hunting trip” with Sebastian.
I found myself standing alone with Sebastian on the stairs of Donnie’s porch. “Thanks for everything, Sebastian.”
He studied me with those intense, dark eyes. “You could stay. Wait out the sun here.”
I stepped forward and kissed his cheek. “My team needs me. I’ve got a lot to make up for.” I squeezed his hand. “You really are my hero, Sebastian.”
Sebastian’s blush deepened at my words. Though he towered over me, his bashfulness made him seem almost boyish.
“Until we meet again,” he said gruffly. Clearing his throat, he pulled me into a quick, fierce hug. His breath stirred my hair as he murmured, “Take care of yourself, Mercy. Stay good.”
I returned the hug just as tightly, breathing in his scent of leather and steel. We’d only known each other a short time, yet I sensed our paths were meant to cross.
“Keep fighting the good fight,” I told him as we parted. “And I hope you find Angie.”
He nodded, his eyes bright with emotion. Then, with a last lingering look, he turned and went inside to join Donnie.
I watched him go, knowing I’d likely never see him again. But our brief time together had changed me. Strengthened me.
I reached down and scratched Goliath behind the ears. He leaned into it. I looked at Ramon, Clarissa and Adam. “You guys coming back to the Underground with me?”
“I can get us home,” Adam said. “Besides, I need to gather up the Redcaps. Can’t leave them running around Maine causing problems.”
“And I don’t really feel like the Underground is right for us,” Ramon said.
“But I’d really like to spend some time…” Clarissa shifted a little between her feet. “You know, maybe you could teach me a few things.”
I smiled at the young, oddly constituted family. “I’d love to. I’ll be in touch, alright?”
“Sounds good!” Clarissa exclaimed.
With Goliath at my side, I turned to my other progeny, my ‘middle child.’ Then again, I had a lot of children now. Those younglings were still a problem—and now they really were my responsibility. But the sunrise was rapidly approaching. They’d pose another problem for another day. “Alright, Muggs. Let’s go home.”
The End of Book 5
To be continued in Bloody Merry
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Also By Theophilus Monroe
Gates of Eden Universe
The Druid Legacy
Druid’s Dance
Bard’s Tale
Ovate’s Call
Rise of the Morrigan
The Fomorian Wyrmriders
Wyrmrider Ascending
Wyrmrider Vengeance
Wyrmrider Justice
Wyrmrider Academy (Exclusive to Omnibus Edition)
The Voodoo Legacy
Voodoo Academy
Grim Tidings
Death Rites
Watery Graves
Voodoo Queen
The Legacy of a Vampire Witch
Bloody Hell
Bloody Mad
Bloody Wicked
Bloody Devils
Bloody Gods
The Legend of Nyx
Scared Shiftless
Bat Shift Crazy
No Shift, Sherlock
Shift for Brains
Shift Happens
Shift on a Shingle
The Vilokan Asylum of the Magically and Mentally Deranged
The Curse of Cain
The Mark of Cain
Cain and the Cauldron
Cain’s Cobras
Crazy Cain
The Wrath of Cain
The Blood Witch Saga
Voodoo and Vampires
Witches and Wolves
Devils and Dragons
Ghouls and Grimoires
Faeries and Fangs
Monsters and Mambos
Wraiths and Warlocks
Shifters and Shenanigans
The Fury of a Vampire Witch
Bloody Queen
Bloody Underground
Bloody Retribution
Bloody Bastards
Bloody Brilliance
Bloody Merry
More to come!
The Druid Detective Agency
Merlin’s Mantle
Roundtable Nights
Grail of Power
Midsummer Monsters
More to come!
Sebastian Winter
Death to All Monsters
More to come!
Other Theophilus Monroe Series
Nanoverse
The Elven Prophecy
Chronicles of Zoey Grimm
The Daywalker Chronicles
Go Ask Your Mother
The Hedge Witch Diaries
AS T.R. MAGNUS
Kataklysm
Blightmage
Ember
Radiant
Dreadlord
Deluge
About the Author
Theophilus Monroe is a fantasy author with a knack for real-life characters whose supernatural experiences speak to the pangs of ordinary life. After earning his Ph.D. in Theology, he decided that academic treatises that no one will read (beyond other academics) was a dull way to spend his life. So, he began using his background in religious studies to create new worlds and forms of magic–informed by religious myths, ancient and modern–that would intrigue readers, inspire imaginations, and speak to real-world problems in fantastical ways.
When Theophilus isn’t exploring one of his fantasy lands, he is probably playing with one of his three sons, or pumping iron in his home gym, which is currently located in a 40-foot shipping container.
He makes his online home at www.theophilusmonroe.com. He loves answering reader questions—feel free to e-mail him at theophilus@theophilusmonroe.com if the mood strikes you!
Theophilus Monroe, Bloody Brilliance
