37. Montana

My eyesight quickly adjusted to the pressing darkness, but it did nothing to ease my anxiety. I searched the faces of my friends as I tried to work out what was happening.

A crash sounded somewhere downstairs and Julius drew his new sword. Callie darted to the bed and took Fury from under her pillow and I bit my lower lip, feeling vulnerable without Nightmare.

“Shit,” Clarice swore, curling her hands into fists.

“Could just be a power cut?” Miles offered but Warren shook his head.

“Don’t be an idiot,” he muttered.

“I’m not. I’m being optimistic,” Miles said.

“Shh,” Clarice hissed, turning her head.

I strained my hearing and the sound of voices filled my ears. I pushed the door open into the corridor.

“-this way,” a deep voice reached me and a tremor crept down my spine.

My eyes darted to Erik’s bedroom along the hall and I sped toward it, fear fuelling my movements as I darted silently inside and grabbed Nightmare from my bed.

I ran back to the hallway, finding my friends gathering there.

Clarice pressed a finger to her lips and I swallowed hard as I tip-toed toward them.

A door banged downstairs and I stiffened, sharing an anxious glance with Callie.

“Biters?” Julius mouthed to us, but no one had an answer.

“How could they get in here?” Fabian whispered on a breath.

“The emergency exit tunnel,” Clarice hissed. “Valentina knows where it is.”

“Fuck.” Miles wrung his hands together and Warren placed a palm on his shoulder.

“I’ll look upstairs,” Erik’s voice carried to us and relief slammed into my chest. It wasn’t the biters. He’d gotten away.

I gasped, breaking into a run as I headed in the direction his voice had come from. I sprinted downstairs into the dark hallway, sensing the others following me.

“Wait-” Clarice hissed at me, but I couldn’t stop.

“They must have escaped,” Callie said eagerly as she sped to my side, hunting the dark corridor ahead of us.

A door flew from its hinges as we passed it and my heart lurched into my throat. A swarm of biters fell on Julius and the others in a rush of motion. Chaos descended and fear fell over me in a wave.

Callie turned in alarm, but the cross on my palm was begging me to reunite with Erik. If he was close, I could get to him. And he could help us.

“Go!” Julius yelled and Callie swore as she ran after me.

“Magnar?!” Callie called as we kept running, desperately searching for our men.

I followed the ache in my palm as it guided me into a bedroom. The door slammed behind me and I wheeled around as my sister crashed into it on the other side. Erik stood before it naked from the waist up and I was so relieved to see him that I didn’t stop to question why he’d shut the door. I flung myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck just as a click sounded the door locking. “Are you alr-”

He punched me so hard, my head spun. I crashed into the bed and a gasp escaped me as Nightmare clattered away across the floor.

“It’s me!” I cried in alarm as he yanked me down the mattress by my ankles and locked his hands around my throat.

I stared into his eyes, his expression dark and for a moment I could have sworn his irises glimmered with green light. Confusion spilled through me followed by a sharp stab of terror.

I tried to prise his hands off of me, but he swung me upright and threw me across the room. I flew through the air and hit the wall hard, crashing to the floor with a groan. Pain ricocheted through my body and fear consumed me. I righted myself, shaking my head as I tried to work out what was wrong with him. It was like he was possessed.

“Erik, stop,” I begged as he came at me like a charging bull. He collided with me, pinning me back against the wall with a feral snarl.

“My wife wants your head,” he growled, and anger sped through me.

“I’m your wife,” I demanded and he slammed my head back against the wall in response. Plaster crumbled and white lights exploded before my eyes.

What’s happened to him?

He tossed me onto the floor and I pushed myself to my knees with a groan, trying to regain my senses fast. Erik followed quickly, kicking me back to the floor and dropping down to kneel over me. I grabbed hold of the nightstand, trying to pull myself free but he bashed my head into the floorboards. Pain blossomed through my skull and I tried to align my senses as I fought against his hands.

Callie’s screams called to me beyond the door as she threw her weight at it again and again. The wood was splintering but I didn’t know if she’d get to me in time before Erik killed me.

I had to fight.

I had to get up.

I pushed my hands against the floor, rearing backwards as I tried to force him off of me. He was so strong but he moved back enough that I managed to roll beneath him. I slapped him hard across the face in an attempt to break the spell that bound him.

“It’s me. Rebel!” I cried and he snorted a laugh, his expression cruel and unforgiving.

“You’re no one,” he snarled, rising to his feet and slamming his boot into my ribs.

I was thrown across the floor, crashing into the legs of the bed. He came at me once more and I moved fast, crawling under the bed and making a bid for the door.

His boots slammed down in front of me as I tried to escape on the other side and I started backing up, releasing a murmur of fright. A glimmer of gold caught my eye and I spotted Nightmare on the floor beside me. I grabbed it, clutching it to my chest, but how could I use it against him? I couldn’t hurt him. But if I didn’t, he might kill me.

Erik tipped the whole bed up, sending it crashing into the wall across the room. I screamed, leaping to my feet and trying to run past him. He caught me by the hair, yanking me back and my scalp flared with pain. I clawed at his hand and aimed a kick at his knee, determined not to use my blade. He roared in anger, releasing me and I darted for the door once more. My fingertips brushed the handle, but he caught me by the waist, dragging me back against him as he locked an arm around my stomach.

He was so powerful, even with my vampire strength I didn’t stand a chance against a royal. I stamped my foot down on his but he didn’t react. I lifted Nightmare with a flare of horror ripping at my heart, but my hand trembled and my grip loosened. I couldn’t use it. I wouldn’t.

I clawed at his arms instead as he brought his hand up to my chest and dug his nails into the skin. He was trying to tear my goddamn heart out.

I kicked and yelled, gripping his wrist to try and stop his fingers from carving their way into my flesh. I threw my head back and caught his chin, making him stumble from the collision. His grip eased and I ducked out of his arms, backing up toward the door.

He grimaced at me, hounding forward like a hungry beast, his head cocked to one side and his eyes wild.

I picked up a chair, smashing it across his head, but it shattered around him and he didn’t so much as wince. I caught the door handle behind my back, fumbling with the lock.

Erik sped toward me and a harsh kick splintered the door. I lurched forward into his arms as Callie broke into the room and she looked between us in confusion as Erik held me in his grip.

“Fucking hell, I thought you were in trouble,” she said.

“I am,” I gasped and Erik launched me into a wall.

My heart soared into my throat as I collided with it. With a surge of fear, I scrambled to my feet just as Erik lunged for Callie.

“No!” I screamed, diving onto his back as he tried to get his hands on her.

She evaded his attack with a curse of alarm, backing away and pointing Fury at him. I eyed the bloody bandage over his shoulder and jammed my fingers against it.

“Argh!” he cried.

“Run,” I commanded Callie as Erik caught my legs and yanked hard so I fell upside down. He dropped me, stamping on my arm.

Pain flared through the bone as he reached for me and I tried to bat his hands away with my free arm. He grinned cruelly, taking hold of my jaw and squeezing tight. Callie smashed a fist into his face and he stumbled aside allowing her to pull me upright. I could tell she was trying to avoid using Fury and I was overwhelmingly grateful to her for it.

She started dragging me out of the room and I heard Erik take chase as we fled.

“What’s wrong with him?” she cried as we sped along the corridor, hunting for the others.

“I don’t know,” I replied. “We have to get help.”

A din of battle reached my ears, but as we rounded into the hallway where it took place, Magnar stepped in front of us with a triumphant smile. I saw the same strange look in his gaze that Erik had and tried to tug Callie back. She shook me off, reaching for him, but he backhanded her so hard that she hit the floor.

“No – stop!” I tried to push him away as he reached for her, but his strength was immeasurable. He shoved me back, sending me stumbling away and panic swept through my veins.

Erik came at us from behind and I turned to intercept him with fear flickering inside me.

“Erik, please listen to me,” I said, raising my hands to try and hold him off.

Callie released a pained noise, but I couldn’t turn to help her as Erik closed in on me. My death shone in his eyes with a primal intensity.

“Our queen wants you dead,” he growled then lunged for me.

I ducked under his outstretched arms, aiming a sharp kick for the back of his leg. He stumbled, but quickly rounded on me once more, cutting me off from my sister.

I caught sight of Magnar forcing her to the ground and terror poured through my veins. We were in an impossible situation. Facing the men we loved. We couldn’t hurt them. But they could hurt us.

I wasn’t going to die here like this, my own husband turned against me.

I screamed in fury, darting forward to meet Erik’s attack. I had to disarm him. But I didn’t think I could do it on my own. Maybe if I held him back long enough his siblings would get to us in time to apprehend him.

“Clarice!” I cried above the sound of the battle. “I need you!”