10. Callie

It took the entire next day for us to travel the remaining distance to the blood bank, and with the short hours of daylight due to the harsh winter, the sun was already beginning to sink towards the horizon by the time we spotted it through the trees.

Magnar had been quiet once again, though the silence had felt different today, less tense, more…comfortable? No, I wouldn’t have gone that far, but there was a line that had been struck out between us now. I didn’t fight against the feeling of his arms surrounding me where we sat together on the horse, not after having his mouth between my thighs and his fingers inside me. That seemed pretty pointless after what we’d done. There was still tension between us, but it had shifted. Or perhaps it was simply my take on where it would lead that had shifted. Hard to say. Especially when his grip around me tightened and his hands rested on my thighs where he held the reigns.

I stirred uncomfortably as night began to fall around us. I doubted I’d ever be able to feel truly at ease after dark even with Magnar by my side. It was like it was built into my psyche to head inside and stay there once the sunlight faded.

My skin prickled uneasily, and I leaned back against Magnar, stealing some heat from his huge body and fighting off the thoughts of his mouth on my skin, his voice rough with command and my utter complicity with his every order for once.

We hadn’t said a word about what we’d done together since waking this morning, but Magnar was less than subtle in his own smugness. I wanted to call him out on that shit, but honestly, I was just glad my legs had remembered how to move when we’d gotten up to leave at dawn and had chosen to cling to what pride remained to me. Besides, we’d both taken what we wanted from one another, so I wasn’t going to start worrying about it after the fact.

None of that even seemed to matter now anyway.

My breath stalled in my lungs the second I spotted the blood bank through a parting in the trees, my heart thumping harder with every breath as the foul sense of the place crept over me. It was like the air was tainted here, the silence so thick within the forest that I had to assume even the wildlife had decided to vacate this place, wanting nothing to do with the shadows cast by that imposing building.

“You really think we can get my family out of there?” I asked quietly, a mixture of excitement and terror filling me as we found ourselves at our journey’s end. They were so close now, all I loved and cherished in this world. The only things that mattered to me at all.

The stallion’s chest rose and fell steadily beneath us as he cooled off after the long ride, the mare further back carrying our bags, secured to us with a long line of rope.

Magnar had stopped the horse within the trees, keeping us out of sight from any guards who might be on watch outside the menacing building. The mare sidled closer, nuzzling her companion affectionately, the two of them quieter than they had been all day, as though they sensed the darkness here too.

The blood bank was solidly built with red bricks that had faded and stained over time. It spread away from us out of sight over one level, the windows high and unreachable, no door visible from our position. Dad said it used to be a factory before the Final War. Hundreds of humans would have worked within those walls. Now it was a place where all mortals dreaded ending up. It was the final destination on our way to the stomachs of the vampires. The place they took you when the only reason to keep you breathing at all was the blood running through your veins. I doubted any human who had entered it since the vampires’ rule began had made it out alive.

Tall, white chimneys stood at either end of the menacing building, the one on the right belching black smoke into the darkening sky. An acrid stench filled the air, and I tried not to think about what they were burning, fighting against the bile that rose in my throat. Everything about the place made me want to turn and flee in the opposite direction, but I steeled my resolve, pushing those fears back with all I had. I couldn’t waste time on pointless emotions. My family needed me, and I’d do whatever it took to help them.

I swallowed a thick lump in my throat as the reality of what we were planning pressed down on me, the imposing building seeming to mock every plan we’d made and scorn every thought I’d let myself believe in over the way this reunion would go. How the fuck were we supposed to get my family out of there?

“Are you sure we can do this?” I breathed, not out of fear for myself, simply out of the knowledge that if we failed, then that was their only chance gone. It was all or nothing.

“I will get them out or die trying,” Magnar swore.

“Less of the talk about dying,” I grunted, trying not to take his words seriously.

I knew what we were about to attempt was all kinds of insane and death was only one of many terrible possible outcomes. But if there was the smallest chance of getting my dad and Montana out of that hell hole, then I had to try.

Magnar twisted his fingers around a lock of my hair that had fallen forward to hang near my eyes, tugging it back over my shoulder so he could lean in and speak straight into my ear.

“Death doesn’t frighten me, drakaina hjarta,” he rumbled, his stubble grazing my skin, rough words sending a shiver through to my core. “Valhalla waits beyond this plane of flesh and fury. But I will dance with violence this night and deliver you what I promised.”

He bit my neck, and I sucked in a sharp breath, my fingers knotting in the stallion’s mane. My skin came alive beneath his touch and my heartbeat stammered with surprise as my blood heated. A blush crawled across my cheeks at the casual intimacy of the gesture. Magnar didn’t seem to have any reservations about touching me. He simply acted on whatever impulse took him, claiming what he wanted without apology for it.

I probably would have growled something at him in any other circumstance, warning him back, maintaining the distance I’d always kept so clearly around myself. But I leaned into him instead, letting my eyes fall closed for the briefest moment as I enjoyed the roughness of his mouth on my skin and took the opportunity to stamp on my fear for good. It wouldn’t help me. And I needed to stay focused.

My mind travelled back to all we’d done last night, and I bit my lip to stop myself from turning to face him, from taking more from him and stealing another of his lawless kisses.

But he wasn’t mine and I certainly wasn’t his. One night of surrendering my flesh to his command didn’t change what we were to one another. A means to an end.

With the cold light of dawn had come the truth we’d both been closing in on from the second we’d met. Each moment we spent together was bringing us closer to the time when we would part. Every brush of his skin against mine since then was filled with the promise of goodbye, no matter how sinfully perfect some of those touches might be.

His hand travelled to my throat, his grip tightening until it grew hard to draw breath and I stiffened in his hold.

“There is nothing to fear in death,” Magnar breathed, his grip flexing and my blood heating. “It is the natural way of things. In death, we are reunited with those we have loved and lost. I have many people waiting for me there. I am not afraid to join them when my time comes.”

He released me, as though trying to prove just how closely we walked the line between life and death at all times, but I raised my chin in defiance of that statement.

“Well, I’m not ready to face it yet,” I replied.

We’d reached the final intersection of our differing paths, and if everything went to plan, we would go our separate ways before the sun rose tomorrow. Death could let us pass until then.

Magnar released my hair, letting it fall against my neck again as he shifted back, moving out of my personal space and letting me breathe without the intoxication of him filling my lungs. Apparently, he hadn’t forgotten either. And he hadn’t changed his mind.

“I will do my best to stay alive then,” he agreed, before dismounting and holding his hands up to help me down.

I gave in for once, allowing my pride to take the hit as I slid from the stallion’s back and let Magnar catch me, his powerful arms taking my weight easily, my body pressing to his as he placed me on my feet. The setting sun made the ink on his bronze skin darken with hidden meaning, that power which always surrounded him thickening until I considered whether he was right about the gods watching over him, wondering if they were paying attention now.

“I never thanked you,” I forced myself to say. I held his gaze, wanting to speak these words to him even if they cut my pride to shreds and made the anger inside of me flare up once more. But it wasn’t really aimed at him. It was the injustice of all my family had endured every damn day because of those fucking bloodsuckers. “For saving me the day the vampires took my family captive. At the time, I was so angry that I couldn’t see what you’d done for me. Regardless of your reasoning, despite only being your bait. If you hadn’t stopped me from running to them, then I’d be stuck inside that building now too. And we’d have no hope at all. Whatever happens tonight, I need you to know how much I appreciate it. If anything goes wrong, then I just want you to know-”

Magnar stopped my rambling with a kiss that set my skin on fire. He crushed me against him, his fingers tangling in my hair, and I lost myself in his strong arms.

The kiss was all heat, passion that raged beyond the flames that had ignited between us last night and spoke of a truth far more potent than simple lust. He claimed me with the rake of his tongue against mine, the press of his mouth and the bite of his teeth as he drew my bottom lip between them and tugged almost hard enough to hurt. That kiss was air in my lungs and the scent of freedom on the wind, it was a thousand possibilities that had never been mine before and a defiance of the fate life had dealt me. But it was goodbye too.

I stood on my tiptoes and pushed my body against his, feeling the firm press of his muscles as his hands fisted in my hair. And I let myself steal that small moment just for my own.

All too soon, we broke apart and Magnar trailed a hand down the side of my face, brushing his thumb across my lower lip.

“I was alone before I found you,” he said roughly, his fingers tracing the mark on my arm, and a knot formed in my stomach at his words. “And no matter what happens tonight or tomorrow, no matter where our journeys take us now, I am not alone in this world anymore. The slayers will rise again. My destiny can be rewritten.”

My lips parted to reply, but I didn’t know how to form the roiling storm of emotion zipping through my body into words. I slid my hand from his neck down to his chest, laying it over his heart which pounded beneath his fighting leathers.

“I was alone too,” I said eventually. “I was like a butterfly in a jar, staring out at a world which should have been mine to claim, unable to fill that longing for freedom in my chest. There were only ever two people who made it into the jar with me. I locked it up tight against everyone else, and I thought that meant I was strong, but really, it just meant I was isolated. So I was alone too. I just didn’t realise it until now.”

Magnar leaned in once more, pressing his lips to mine in the barest brush of a kiss before stepping away.

My skin grew cold without him, and I watched as he moved to gather supplies from the bags on the mare’s back, readying for our next move, the culmination of all we’d done until now.

I turned away from him and walked towards the tree line, keeping my footsteps silent as I looked out at the blood bank again.

I needed to focus my mind on what we’d come here to do. Dad and Montana were in there and it would take everything I had to get them out. Perhaps more than I had. Either way, I would give it up willingly for even a chance at success.

Goosebumps swept over my skin which had nothing to do with the freezing wind. I didn’t need to put a hand on Fury to know there were vampires nearby. I could feel their presence like a breath on the back of my neck, like eyes gleaming in the darkness.

Despite the undeniable fear that coursed through my veins, I was also filled with hope. Montana and Dad were so close. I’d never gone a day without seeing them before, and it had been so long. My whole world had changed in every imaginable way since we’d last been together. But now we were finally here, and if by some miracle this plan worked, then I might truly be able to live my life in freedom. Such a thing had been nothing more than an impossible dream such a short time ago and now it was almost within reach. We only had to take it.

“They have familiars watching the area,” Magnar said softly behind me. “We need to remove them before we can approach.”

“How do we do that?” I asked as my gut plummeted.

The last familiar I’d tried to destroy had easily gotten past me. If these were anywhere near as slippery as that rat had been, then I didn’t rate my chances against them.

“We can’t head out into the open with them watching, so we’ll have to draw them to us,” he said, the challenge rousing something in his tone that reminded me he’d been born for this, the thrill of the fight lighting him up before it had even begun.

“Won’t the vampires notice us killing them?” I questioned, my unease growing as I looked up at the branches overhead, hunting for any sign of the ungodly creations.

“Likely not. The connection the vampires maintain with the familiars isn’t constant. The vampires set them tasks, then leave them to it. If the animal sees or hears something the vampire would want to know about, then they use the connection between their minds to send a message. We will need to kill the creatures without being seen. Sudden and swift. In all likelihood, the vampires controlling them won’t know anything about it until it’s too late. Unless we get unlucky and they choose to contact the creatures themselves at the precise moment when we strike, we should be safe.” He gave the building one more sweeping glance, then beckoned me further back into the trees.

I turned away from the view and followed him, making sure to keep my footsteps silent. I didn’t want to take any chances this close to our enemies, and I begrudgingly accepted the fact that Magnar’s insistence on me practicing this had been worthwhile.

Magnar led me to a small clearing and handed me the flashlight we’d taken from the store. I waited while he moved around the area, inspecting the trees and vegetation until he’d found what he was looking for.

“I want you to hide here and point the light back towards the building. Once I’m in position, start flashing it on and off. That should draw them to us, and I’ll take care of it from there.”

I nodded in understanding as I looked down at the little flashlight in my hand. I knew the plan made sense, but the idea of drawing those creatures towards us felt more than a little insane.

I ducked down into the bushes and waited while he took cover behind a towering trunk opposite my hiding place. Magnar pulled Venom into his grasp and held it ready, falling still. In the diminishing light, he was little more than a silhouette to me, and I knew where to look for him. Hopefully that meant the creatures we hunted wouldn’t stand a chance.

I took a deep breath and flicked the flashlight on and off again.

I waited a few moments then repeated the process. Seconds dragged into minutes as I continued to flick the light on and off and we waited, and waited...

Soft snuffling reached my ears as something approached, and I flicked the light off, leaving us in total darkness once more.

I held my breath, the faintest padding of paws drawing closer through the undergrowth.

A large, grey rabbit hopped into the clearing, looking about curiously. I almost doubted that evil could lay inside such an innocent looking creature, but Fury burned at my hip in recognition of what resided within the animal, any doubts banished by the blade’s certainty.

The rabbit hopped closer, ears back, nose twitching-

Magnar appeared like little more than a shadow at its back, his movements so swift that he delivered a fatal blow before the familiar could so much as turn, cleaving through its small body and striking its heart with a precision that made my pulse leap.

The vampire’s slave dissolved into dust before my eyes, and Magnar quickly moved back into the cover of the trees.

The second familiar arrived a moment later in the shape of a rat. I glared at the creature, noting the little white mark down the centre of its nose. It wasn’t the same familiar that had eluded me in the tree days ago, but it still made my stomach twist with irritation. Magnar dispatched it as quickly as the first, and I started flashing the light again.

It took a few minutes before the third familiar approached. I almost didn’t notice the huge bird as it swept through the trees. The owl landed silently on a low branch not far from my hiding place, then twisted its head back and forth, searching for the source of the light.

Luckily it had landed in such a way that the trunk of a tree blocked Magnar from its sight, but there was also no way for him to approach the owl without it spotting him.

I bit my lip as I tried to decide if I should take it on. I was the only one able to reach it without being seen first, but after my failed attempt with the rat, I was terrified of missing again. If the creature got a warning about us back to its master, then any chance we had of making it into the blood bank and saving my family was gone.

I had a clear shot though. And as the seconds ticked on, I could almost sense Magnar’s frustration, trying to work out the best way to handle this.

I was the answer, I just had to trust myself. So, I held my breath and eased myself upright, taking my first, tentative step towards the bird.

It ruffled its feathers as it scoured the clearing again and I took the opportunity to close in on it from behind. The branch it had chosen for a perch was low enough for me to reach from the ground, and I silently unsheathed Fury.

The blade hummed excitedly as I closed in on my quarry. Strike fast and true, it urged eagerly, and I let its excitement guide my arm as I swung the blade.

The owl began to turn and I leapt at it, driving the knife straight into its back, the strike dissolving it into dust before its eyes could find me.

I allowed myself a wide smile as I took cover again to wait for the final creature to come and investigate our trap.

Minutes dragged on but nothing arrived. I willed Fury to use its gift to search for any signs of another familiar approaching, but it couldn’t sense a thing.

Eventually, Magnar stood and beckoned me to join him. I left my hiding place and made my way over to him in the clearing as he placed Venom over his shoulder.

“Nicely done.”

My lips twitched at the touch of praise, but I just shrugged, letting him go on.

“The final creature has moved away, but I am confident it remains unaware of us. We’ll have to risk it returning while we’re exposed, but there is little more we can do to draw it out without raising too much suspicion and bringing the vampires to us too,” he said, his brow low with irritation, but he was right, we couldn’t wait here any longer in hopes of it heading back this way.

“Okay, so what now?” I asked.

“Now?” Magnar asked, and the way his mouth lifted with amusement let me know that whatever his plan was, I was going to hate it. “Now it’s time for the Belvederes to learn of my return,” he growled, the threat and promise in his eyes telling me the prospect of that excited him far more than it terrified him. “Let’s make sure they know I’m coming for them.”

A fierce smile lit his features, and I stole a little of his courage as he led the way through the trees back towards the blood bank.

I already knew what my role would be once we made it inside. While he fought and killed the vampires we found, I had to release any humans they held captive. We’d stay together so that he could protect me and clear a path to my family. Fury would help me when I needed it, and I trusted Magnar to keep me safe after all we’d been through together. I might have been his bait, but I didn’t expect him to leave me in the trap once it had sprung around his real prey.

We made it to the edge of the trees and hesitated in the safety of their shadows.

The sun was sinking beneath the horizon and darkness loomed in earnest. This was it. The time the vampires held dear. We were attacking their stronghold during the hours when they held the most power. I didn’t question Magnar’s decision to go in at night, but what I would have given for a blazing summer’s day to aid us.

The moon had appeared in the sky, low and fat, a shining silver ball to take the place of the sun. Mom had always called me her sun and Monty her moon, so I tried to take the sight of it as a sign that Montana was close, waiting for me within those walls, ready for me to come for her at last.

Not long now, Monty. I smiled as I pictured her face pinched in irritation at the nickname, and I hoped to be seeing it for real very soon.

“Draw your blade. Keep close to me,” Magnar instructed, and I pulled Fury into my grasp again. His bossy bullshit might not fly with me most of the time, but in this situation, I was willing to nod and obey every note of instruction he offered.

Yesss, Fury sighed in anticipation. So many. So close.

I swallowed a lump in my throat as I drew on the blade’s enthusiasm to try and banish some of my own fear. Of course my little pocket psycho was thrilled to find a whole army of vampires waiting for it. Mortality really did take the edge off of the excitement for me though.

“Fear is a weapon you can wield,” Magnar said, catching my eye with his golden gaze which blazed with a mixture of determination and anticipation. “It is nothing more than your own desire to survive. The very essence of mortality. The things you’ll be fighting in that place are already dead. They know nothing of what it is to live anymore. And they know nothing of love. The power you hold simply through the intensity of your feelings towards your family is far greater than their desire to cling to a life which was lost to them long ago. Use that power against them and they will fall before it.”

My heart skittered at his words, my resolve building.

“You fight for the freedom of your family,” he continued. “And you will succeed at all costs.”

“I will succeed,” I echoed, needing the power of the words to get me through this.

What we were about to do wasn’t about me. It was about them. The vampires had taken my family from me once, but I would die before I let them keep them from me.

I felt the power of that determination rise through my blood like a tide and the slayer’s mark on my arm tingled in anticipation.

I wasn’t afraid. I was ready. And heaven help any bloodsucker who stood in my path.