19. Bistrita

Chapter 19

Bistrita

The minute that line goes dead, I call Gregor, who assures me he's been let out and has an army of vampires following Chara's trail. Only knowing he's much closer to her than I and will do whatever it takes to bring her back safely keeps me from going insane.

Even still, my chest pounds with fear like it's never known, yet if I don't stop the rogues and what they're trying to do right this very moment, they will take over. Chara and Natalia will be the first on their list of casualties because Lucas has proven time and time again what a vengeful bastard he can be and nothing is going to deter him from his deed, until he meets death in the eye.

I stay on the line for precious moments. Still, no amount of assurances as Gregor and our vampires race through the streets and into the Slobozian region will put my mind at ease until they have Chara safely back in my arms.

My only salvation is that Slobozia and his vampires are on their way to us and can help cut them off at the pass. "Keep me apprised," I growl, sliding my phone into my pocket as I make my way back to the group waiting for me in the cavern that until today no one other than the vampires has ever known about.

My boots scuff against the black marble of the cavern floor, and the dim light casts a glow against the red walls, with only the spread black wings of the Descallia emblem to claim the space for our own. The ruby eyes of the bat and gold-tipped wings are intended to be deceptive at best, and anyone reaching the depths of this cavern will believe they have stumbled upon the rumored treasure that centuries of thieves have tried to steal.

My eyes take in the witches, who never in a thousand or more years would I have ever thought would be standing in one of our caverns, a sanctity that only those within our inner circles are privy to, but it's a small secret to give up one den, if it allows us to destroy our foe.

The witches' fingers are all snapping with electricity, and Lucianna's eyes glow green as she stands by our overmaster, surveying the group. One to another she looks, eyeing the witches' stones, which have turned bright green and are turning brighter. She turns to Silver who stands on her other side, and their eyes meet before she turns back to the group. "They're here," our future queen says. "The trap worked; they've come to get our key."

Overmaster Descallia's eyes harden. "They may fly into our domain, but they will not ever leave." It is not a statement but a command by a fierce overmaster who has had his fill of the filthy and vile rogues, who want to end us.

The witches fly into the corners of the cavern, producing an eerie bluish hue that mingles with the glow from Lucianna's eyes as it spreads throughout the carved-out stone of the mountainside. The vampires take our positions, waiting in anticipation of the vampires who century after century continue to try to take the key to our power, and with it, our ability to reign supreme in the underworld, while we continue to keep the bloodthirsty vampires at bay.

The rogues fly in, red eyes blazing and fangs descended, expecting only to find Overmaster Descallia and the elusive golden key inscribed with the only clue to where an amassment of wealth lies stored deep underground. Or so the rumor was told and spread by those who wish it to remain a mystery for centuries more to come.

Instead, a barrier of righteous vampires follows in behind them, creating a solid and impenetrable wall of wrath, while sealing them into the cavern to face the fate of every single one of us who will do what it takes to bury them in the ground.

"A trap!" one of the rogues yells, but it is far too late for him. Overmaster Descallia does not send his troops into a battle he is not willing to fight himself. With one deep swing of his long sword, he wields a powerful arc, sending the surprised vampire's head rolling onto the cavern floor. Master Oradea is quick with the stake. There can be no mistakes, no rogue vampires to rise again; we end them this time, and this time we end them for good.

Descallia drives it hard and fast through the center of the rogue's black-hearted chest.

But there are so many yet to fight. Two swing swords of their own directly toward my chest. I step back avoiding one, while swinging out of the way of another in order to take a jab of my own, but these two are skillfully matched. I take my time, watching their eyes, listening for that breath that tells me exactly when they plan to move. I sidestep and swing, slicing into one while decapitating another.

I reach for my stake fallen to the floor, but in the time it takes me to battle the other, he's already risen and joined the fight for more.

The witches have been watchful, staying in their perches, safe and secure as their masters have asked them to do, but the number of rogues that swooped in to attack were far greater than we anticipated, and the witches are getting antsy.

The cavern is filled with rogues and righteous purebloods, both fighting for power, but only one fighting on the side of right. The glint of gold from the vampire wings and the knowing ruby eyes give us all strength. The rogues are in our sacred territory, ours to defend, and with every swing of the sword, every gouge of a well-placed dagger, and every stake driven through the heart of our enemies we get a little closer to a hard-fought victory.

The rogues do not give up easily and put us to the test, arc after arc of the sword, metal clanking with metal, and then with skin and bone, slicing skin and tissue like butter as we send them to the floor in a mangle of bloody carcasses that are doomed to an eternity in hell.

When the last of the vampires are staked, the witches send a ring of electricity around their bodies and light it on fire. Lighting them up exactly as we planned. We watch them burn, every single last one of them turned back to ashes and never to rise again.

I glance down at my phone, heaving a sigh of relief reading the note that Gregor has Chara safely back in the panic room, but the one from Trentino makes my blood boil with rage as I read it out loud. "We have word from the boots on the ground. Lucas isn't coming. Instead, he sent all of his rogues, only keeping two trusted guards with him. But he's been spotted moving east."

Taylen scowls. "I thought for sure he would come for Natalia." Natalia nods. "I actually thought so too. I was psyched up for it to happen," she says, as Master Oradea places a protective arm around his mate.

"They went after Chara instead. She made it easy for them by leaving the panic room, but she's safe now. Lucas has managed to elude all the soldiers again. Spotting him and catching the fucker are two totally different things. Slobozia helped Gregor get Chara back or he would have been here sooner. If Lucas is heading into his territory, then we will find him.

Overmaster Descallia looks grim as he takes in the burning carnage, knowing that it will be necessary to destroy one of our most treasured caverns now that its location is known by so many of the vampire soldiers, witches, and crime families. Lucianna sighs, looking around, taking in the staring eyes of the Descallia emblem. Overmaster walks to the emblem and uses his dagger and a tool on his belt to loosen the golf ball size rubies that currently function as eyes.

He pockets them and gives the witches a nod as he leads our group out of the depths of the cavern and into the crevices of the mountain where we deftly make our way uphill, through the crags in the surface, until eventually we see the light of the moon.

A loud explosion and billow of smoke rise from the base of the mountain's crevices, spilling onto the mountain range floor and into the air around us. Overmaster shakes his head. "This was one of the first of our caverns to be completed. It's been in the mountains untouched, not found by others for centuries. It saddens me to see it turned to ash, but maybe their demise was always going to be on our hallowed ground. We have won a huge victory and battle tonight. The shifters and rogues have seen the end they deserve."

The masters all look to each other because not one of us believes it will be over and done with until Lucas is brought down, and right now, the evil bastard is still in the wind.