Chapter 22

Mátyás

It takes a moment for what's happened to register as the dust settles, but I'm up and on my feet seconds later. I smell them before I see them, and my insides tense. They shouldn't have made it through our wards.

"Kiara, run to your room and grab the bloodstone. It will shield you from them. They won't be able to find you." I grab her arm and pull her to her feet, righting her dress and shoving her behind us. Elek and I are still naked, but that doesn't matter. Nothing does except for taking these fuckers down as quickly as possible.

The first cluster of them burst through where the explosion hit, and I let my beast rise to the surface. Black scales decorate my arms as I give myself over to the darkness that runs through my veins. Wings sprout from behind my back and span the length of the room. Black horns arc out the sides of my head with tips sharp enough to filet flesh from bone.

A small gasp of shock escapes Kiara as she takes in the beast who runs in my blood for the first time. I don't have time to worry about her thoughts. She'll come to accept him as she has us.

The Lycans freeze where they stand. Those amber eyes take me in as their snouts turn up in the air, sniffing for danger. They're in their animal form, which makes them as tall as us, but we're deadlier, especially when they pose a threat to our mate.

Several members of our coven have begun filing into the room with their preternatural speed and straight into the fray of the fight. Putting us at a better advantage, but I'm still taking no chances with Kiara's safety.

"No. I'm not leaving either of you. Let me stand next to you both and fight." She attempts to pry herself free as I lash out and slice my talons into the first Lycan. Blood seeps from his wound as he drops to the floor.

"Your powers aren't strong enough yet. You'll be no match for them until we complete the bond." Elek reminds her, shaking his head as he takes out another Lycan in a similar fashion, but Kiara is stubborn.

"You're always asking me to trust you. Trust in me to stand next to you and fight. Don't ask me to run like a coward." From over my shoulder, I see her hold her chin high as her determination bleeds through the faintest tether of our forming bond.

"Fine." I won't make her feel less than us in my need to protect her. "But, if something happens to Elek or me, you do as I said and run as far as you can, but you do not look back. Are we clear?"

She opens her mouth but hesitates to answer, and we don't have the time for her to be difficult right now.

"Is that understood?" I repeat with a firmer tone as I use my razor-sharp nails to take down another Lycan.

"Yes." She gives a slight nod of the head.

"Good. Stand between me and Elek because you are their target. We move as one." I step to the side and strike down another mutt as she occupies the open space.

Mátyás!Elek growls his disapproval of my decision as his beast comes out to play. His gray scales climb up his body to his face as he releases his matching wings and horns. We may not be angels like our fathers, but they did gift us with the ability to resemble those from Hell.

Who do you trust to protect her more right now since we have a traitor in our midst?

Elek snarls but relents, knowing that I'm right. The only way they could have gotten past our wards is if someone let them in. We can't afford to trust anyone else with her safety.

Having made my point, I focus on taking down any that cross my path. We could use our speed and take them all out faster, but that would leave Kiara behind and vulnerable, and we won't allow them to get near her.

Sebo rushes up next to us, his favorite sword in hand. It's forged from the purest form of silver given to us by the Goddess Theia herself and extremely deadly to these bastards. His blond head glances at Elek's beast and gives him a slight nod.

The four of us stand our ground, acting as an impenetrable wall. They come from out of the opening one after another, and we take them down as fast as they appear.

It's a bloodbath. Bodies and piles of ash from where vampires once stood litter the floor. The stench of blood and death wreak in here. One of the Lycans slashes his claws over our tapestries as if he's trying to erase us from history. Another comes up next to him and lights our fabric on fire, filling the room with smoke.

Kiara coughs from the lack of oxygen next to me, but she doesn't stop fighting. She calls on her magic, but she's too far from the earth for it to help her. A few small vines creep in through the opening of the wall and tether to the feet of a row of Lycans that are trying to approach us, but she's unable to hold them off for long. They snap right through them and keep coming at us.

"Shit." Sweat drips down Kiara's forehead as her body trembles. The power is becoming too much and takes its toll on her. "Ligare," she shouts, pushing herself past the brink of exhaustion.

More vines crawl along the stone floor and tangle up in the feet of the Lycans headed our way. These ones are thicker, but even they are no match to hold them right now.

Mátyás, something isn't right. The silver should be affecting them, but they're still alive.Ysabel's voice breaks through my head.

Shit. The ones we killed are starting to stand back up like nothing happened.

I stab at another Lycan, but the silver doesn't do anything to him. She's right. Something else is at play here. A sense of unease settles in my gut at what I suspect is happening.

When I glance over at Kiara, she looks worse. Her skin is now pale, as if her life force is being drained. It's a wonder that she's still standing.

I'm so busy keeping a watch on her that one of them manages to get the jump on me. He slashes his claws out, slicing into my chest. I stumble back a step but fight back with a hit of my own.

He flies into the corner of the room, and I'm on him before he can get up. My talons slice into his furry flesh until he's nothing but a sea of red.

When I stand, I see Farkas enter the room. His amber eyes glow as the sides of his mouth curl into a sly grin, showing off his elongated teeth. He walks in with a purpose as he heads straight for Kiara.

I call Elek to stop him, but we've been corralled to opposite corners of the room, leaving Kiara vulnerable. When I realize what they've done, it's too late. Even with my supernatural speed, I won't reach her in time.

"Kiara!" The distance won't stop me from trying, but another pair of Lycans block my path.

Farkas lifts her unconscious body higher up on his shoulder as he steps through the opening, but not before giving me one last smirk.

I run after him, but there's an invisible force stopping me from getting through. My talons swipe out to breach it, but it's no use. Then the trees part and sunlight peeks through. Flames erupt over my scales, but I refuse to give up. Nothing matters more to me than getting to my mate. I try one more attempt to break through the barrier, but I can't. Then, a vibration snakes its way up my arms and into my chest as a jolt of magic electrocutes me. The force of it knocks me several feet back.

It doesn't take me long to recover. I'm back on my feet in a matter of seconds, but I'm so focused on Kiara that I'm not paying attention. A wooden spike punctures through my chest from behind. The sharp sting of it slicing through my skin barely registers as my head slams against the stone. This wouldn't ordinarily be enough to subdue me, but the magic that's infused with that barrier is seeping into my skin like a poison.

"Mátyás!" Elek's face appears above me as he kneels at my side. He's back in his human form. His ice-blue eyes water as he takes in my injury. He pulls the spike out and throws it behind him.

My body jerks from the pain as blood gushes out of the wound. I try to speak, but I can't. It feels like a vise is gripping my chest, preventing me from forming words.

Elek runs his hands over my body as István appears at his side. Those hazel eyes of his are categorizing my wounds. His face is pinched tight with worry.

"His wounds aren't healing." István's face hardens. "It has to be wood from a Baobab Tree."

"You need to feed." He holds his wrist up to my mouth.

"I'll do it. I'm his mate, and he can only feed from me." Elek shoves his hand away.

István clenches his jaw but steps back to give Elek the room he needs.

I'm too weak to feed myself, so Elek sinks his teeth into his wrist and presses it to my mouth. Blood coats my tongue and trickles down my throat, but something is wrong. I should feel the pain of my flesh melding back together, and I don't.

"Come back to me, társam!" I hear Elek shout, but my injuries, mixed with the magic poisoning me, have my vision swimming. My eyes grow heavy as fire burns me from within.

As the shadows overtake me, my last thought is of Kiara. I have failed her.