Chapter 28

The sky teems with fire, with bat-like creatures burning, falling from the sky. It's like I've been dropped into a horror film. Their screams as they die cause my entire body to tense up.

"What are those? Are those vampires, too?"

"Harbingers," Hyadum grunts. "Bad news."

We're jogging towards a mass of people, soldiers, it looks like. As we get closer, I recognize some of the Westshear guards, who let out a ragged cheer at seeing us, though it's quickly diverted by the fire in the sky.

Fire that's flowing from a small, dark-haired woman in front of the army.

"Another Starbound." Hyadum's voice holds a note of wonder.

"That's a cool power," I say.

Hyadum's fingers tighten on my waist, and when I look up, he's smiling down at me. "I would think it is a hot power."

I can't help a little snort, and despite the clear danger presented by the bat-things, I feel so safe in his arms. With him holding me, smiling down at me, I can't hold on to the fear any longer.

The fire in the sky dies, and the creatures scatter, disappearing into the dark bloom of night settling on the horizon.

"Is it over?" I ask. My eyelids droop. I'm so tired.

"It is for you," Hyadum says.

"That's not what I asked," I mutter.

"No," he says, tucking me closer to his chest. "The blood drinkers are waiting for a signal. Look."

He sets me down on my feet, and I lean heavily into him, dizzy. I can make out a huge figure at the front of the vampires, a man wearing a white crown that glows faintly.

"Fucking Ragnar," I murmur. "He would let us go to kill us all now?"

"I would not be surprised if it was some kind of a ploy," Kaus says from behind us.

"I would," I tell him. "He was a prisoner as much as I was."

"You do not know the blood drinkers like we do," Arietis says.

"Cass, no," a shrill voice cries, my ears perking up at the sound of it.

"Ali," I say, and it comes out a hoarse whisper. I strain, squinting into the dark that seems to surround the gates of Avleim, my vision blurred, thanks to staring at the inferno in the sky only moments ago.

And then I see her, the woman my sister is screaming at to turn around. She moves like an athlete, her arms pumping as she runs straight for Ragnar, straight for the Butcher King. Red hair flows behind her, as bright as blood. One hand clutches something that sparkles in the dying evening sun. A knife.

Is she insane? Does this one woman think she stands a chance against the vampires? This is suicide. Somewhere in front of me, my baby sister is screaming for her to stop.

I can barely make out Ragnar's face, but shock ripples across it, and then a vicious smile curves his cheeks up. The battlefield is fully silent, the only sound the pounding of my heart in my ears, and I hear her snarl across the distance.

She leaps forward, clearing the space to the king in an impossible jump, launching herself at him. He opens his arms wide, like he's going to give her a massive hug, the hint of fang against his lip the only sign of the danger he presents. Well, that, and the mass of armored vampire warriors surrounding him.

"To your knees, false king," the woman screams, fury in every line of her body. She plunges into the king's body, and he rolls with the impact, his arms closing around her. I stand up on my tiptoes, trying to track what's happening, but it moves too quickly. In one moment, she's on him, tackling him to the ground, and in the next, he's caught her, and then they're both lost in a shuffle of vampires retreating into the city walls.

"Fuck," Kaus says. When I look back, he has a bemused expression on his face. "She didn't strike me as the murderous type."

"Who is she?"

"Another Starbound, come from Earth, same as you," he says, frowning. "I suppose we should plan another extraction. Stars-damned idiot."

"No," the dark-haired woman says, walking towards us. "Cass left a note with me this morning, saying not to look for her, that she's been training for this her whole life. I thought it meant she'd gone off with one of the men… but I guess—" she waves at the city gates, looking as perplexed as Kaus. "I guess she meant she was going to try to take out the Butcher King on her own."

"And she'd been training to kill a vampire her whole life? On Earth?" I say. My head's swimming. It makes no fucking sense, and at this point, I'm not real sure if I'm hallucinating or what.

"I'm Danielle, by the way." The woman smiles at me. "You must be Mina."

"I am," I say, offering a hand to shake. My manacle bracelet jingles slightly as she shakes. "Nice powers. You're from Earth, too?"

"Yep. I've been here the longest."

"She used her power in the dungeon," Kaus interrupts.

Hyadum grunts in affirmation as Danielle's gaze sweeps over us, frowning.

"Oh?"

"She used her powers? Goddamnit, Mina." Ali's striding towards us, caught somewhere between a disapproving frown and clear excitement at seeing us.

"Oh my God, Ali," I say, and fresh tears begin streaming down my face. Then we're running for each other. I hold her close, then hold her at arm's length, examining her. She's covered in a thick layer of dirt and spattered with blood, but other than seeming exhausted, she's not injured. "Are you okay?

"Are you?" she retorts, squinting into my face. "Euphoria? Manic mood swings?"

"What?"

"Hyadum said you hadn't mated yet," she explains, raising her eyebrows. "If you accessed your powers without anchoring yourself to him, then you're going to get really, really sick."

"Don't tell me you did it," I groan. "Ali, I've been worried to death about you, and now you're telling me you endangered yourself?"

"Are you fucking kidding me right now, Mina? I'm telling you you're going to have to fix yourself because you did the same thing, and all you can think about is lecturing me? Sis, I'm not a baby anymore. You need to take care of yourself." Ali scowls at me.

"Mina," a weak voice calls. "Finally."

Lana. Ali and I both turn towards the sound of her voice. She's being carried by an enormous blond man, grinning at us. She's filthy, too, and blood crusts on her nostrils and down her chin, like she's had the worlds' worst nosebleed.

"Lana," I choke out. My heart can't handle it.

"Did I hear Ali say you used your magic?"

"She did," Hyadum growls.

"Listen, Mina, I'm so fucking happy to see you," Lana says, and despite the deep purple circles under her eyes, she looks it. "But you shouldn't have done that."

Irritated, I cross my arms over my chest. "I did what I had to do."

"You're going to pay for it… unless…" Ali says, her nose wrinkling. Lana shoots her a look.

"Listen, Mina. I would love nothing more than to sit here and catch up on everything that's happened over the last few weeks. But you need to take care of this right now, or you're going to be super sick. I mean, you're a nurse, but you've never seen anything like magic poisoning."

Exasperated, I throw my hands in the air. "And how, exactly, would you suggest I prevent getting sick?"

"Ask him," Ali says, jerking her head at Hyadum. "And then when you two get done with your magical dicking down, we're having our goddamned girls camping trip, after all."

Magical dicking down?My brain doesn't compute that.

"I brought wine," Danielle says. "Just in case we had reason to celebrate." She grins at me. "I mean, if you want it to be sisters only, that's fine, but?—"

"All former Earth girls are welcome," Lana says. "You're not getting rid of us that easily."

"Poor Cass," Danielle says, looking over her shoulder at the closed castle gate. "Why the hell would she do something like that?"

"We cannot worry about her right now," Hyadum growls. "She chose her path. We can only wait to see what happens next. In the meantime, let's move out from here. Mina and I will meet you at your camp tomorrow."

Arietis hands him a pack, attaching another to a fresh horse. "Supplies," he says. "Enough for tonight and tomorrow. There's a hunter's den not far from here. Do you remember it?"

"I do." Hyadum grips his elbow, and the two men look each other in the eyes. "Thank you, my friend."

"No one is going to tell me how I prevent getting sick? Is there a shot I need? A special plant to chew?"

"I mean, I wouldn't recommend chewing it, per se," Ali says, and for some reason Lana dissolves into laughter, brought up short as she winces and clutches her head.

"Rest for you two," the blond man says, pushing Lana forward. I realize I haven't met their mates. Jesus. They're mated. I don't have time to, either, seeing as how Hyadum scoops me up and sticks me on the horse, mounting up quickly behind me.

I don't even get the chance to ask him what the hell is going on before we're galloping away from the crowd of people.