25. Bistrita

Chapter 25

Bistrita

I hold my love to my chest, her face pressed against the beating of my heart. Mine now for an eternity after giving her the lifeblood that flows in my veins, that as a pureblood provides an eternity of life. Destiny had a plan whether I believed in her or not.

I hold her fiercely for a moment, but as the sound of the rogues invading from overhead grows louder, I let her go. "Take these two into the trees and hide them safe," I tell Silver, who does not hesitate to do as I've asked immediately. As much as they want to help, she has just transitioned, and Taylen may be weaker than she feels. I know because I too am not a hundred percent, only fueled by the need to put these fuckers in the ground, once and for all.

The masters disperse in the night, taking our places in the shadows of the huge tree trunks, low hanging branches, and bushes of the forest floor, waiting as the group descends to make our attack. A large dark shadow descends from a high tree, floating lower and lower until almost touching the ground. He calls out in a deep voice I'd recognize anywhere. "Descallia, it's Magnus. We've brought help in our effort to get the last of the rogues," he says as his feet touch the ground and others surround him in solidarity to our cause.

Overmaster Descallia steps out from behind his tree, his long black cape flying backward slightly in the breeze, his red eyes brilliant against the backdrop of the blackened night. He walks toward Magnus and extends a hand. "I hoped you had survived back at the mountain but feared you may have been hurt when I did not hear from you, my friend."

Magnus nods. "We found more rogues and took them out, but we are here now. Do you know where the bastards have burrowed in at?" he asks, looking out into the distance at the Carpathian Mountains.

Descallia growls, deep and low. "When we find them, they will die a slow and painful death. There can't be more than a handful of them left. Our intel says ten at worst, including Lucas. They're hurting, they know they can't win this war, but still, they want the key. They want what they always want. Don't they, Magnus?"

Descallia's oldest and dearest friend nods in agreement. "We have been friends for a long time, Descallia. We've always known we were going to need to move the key again, at one point. The witches and rogues have gotten too close to the key. Perhaps it's time to safeguard it again, before the rogues find it and completely destroy everything you've worked for all these years. Without it, they do not have the means to rise up. With it"—he shakes his head—"it means they take everything. The time has come to move it, to safeguard our future again, my friend. We need to be swift and get to the key."

The Vade Mecum passage Chara read to me swirls around in her mind, over and over again from her place in the trees, as though she's speaking just to me. Overmaster's closest and dearest friend will forge an alliance with the rogues to bring about a change in the hierarchy of all the vampires, with the intent to return things to the way they used to be." As though Chara can't let it go, and if it weren't clear when she first told me, it becomes crystal clear and confirmed without a doubt at this very moment.

Yet, the way Magnus stands, his right hand held straight down with his palm facing behind him, as though a signal for others, holds me back.

He's waiting to see if Overmaster Descallia has figured out his betrayal. Signaling to Lucas or others in the wind to wait, until he knows his deception is secure and he can get Descallia to lead him to the key.

The purebloods' key…

The key that holds the fortune to our very existence has provided us with the wealth and power that the rogues, witches, shifters, and Lucas want. Magnus is the friend, of that I have no doubt, but Descallia has to see it; he has to realize it before it's too late. It can't be something we're wrong about, without proof, after centuries of friendship.

I give our men the signal, no words needed to be ready to strike. The minute that fucker moves an inch toward our overmaster, he will be lying dead in a pool of black blood, with a three- centuries-old stake in his dark-souled heart.

But our future queen has ideas of her own.

Lucianna walks out from her position behind a large oak, draped in a dark hood covering her hair, but with green eyes all aglow. The masters' eyes and senses are all on heightened alert to safeguard her in a moment's notice. Every single one of us would gladly exchange time on this earth, allow ourselves to be turned to ash for centuries to keep her safe and by our Overmaster's side.

The glow of the moon shines down, catching the upturn of her lips as she smiles at Descallia's closest friend. "Magnus, you surprise me with your resilience, with your commitment to our cause and relentless effort to get Overmaster Descallia to divulge the whereabouts of the key."

His eyes narrow, but he gives her a conciliatory nod. "I didn't expect you to be here with the others. I thought perhaps your mate would have safeguarded you somewhere."

Lucianna laughs, a melodic lilt to her voice that I've never heard before. "In case you ordered your men to stake me again? Just like your attempt to kill the future of the vampires and devastate your closest friend centuries ago? At least this time you've come to do the dirtiest of work yourself, no?"

His face tightens in anger. The red of his eyes flares, and the position of his right hand changes. I watch carefully, but still no Lucas and the rogues. I wait to see how this plays out, knowing without being told that Overmaster Descallia and Lucianna are in the driver's seat, but more on guard now than ever, as I wait to attack and defend our overmaster and future queen.

Magnus growls, sending animals scurrying and birds squawking in the trees. "What is this nonsense?" he demands, glaring at Lucianna but then diverting his attention to Descallia. "What is your mate talking about? Perhaps more of your attention should be focused on keeping her in line where she belongs, than chasing rogues with your men?"

Overmaster Descallia growls so fiercely that dried leaves fall from the trees. Animals that thought they were safe in their recently found hiding places scurry with haste along the forest floor as the skies open up and lightning strikes with a thunderous clap.

A streak of purple illuminates the sky, making its way toward us. All the witches eye it with wonder, all their stones glowing the same bright purple. The figure floats to the ground, her bright purple eyes blazing as her feet settle beside our future queen, and pulls the hood from her eyes.

Magnus seethes. "You fucking little traitor!"

Embry takes a step forward, unafraid of the dark and powerful vampire.

Magnus lunges, but Embry is well trained and quick. She flips into the air and lands on a low hanging branch right above us, giving herself the superior position in battle. Her purple eyes flame bright and brilliant with silver all around them. "No, you, Magnus, you are the traitor. A traitor to everything the vampires hold dear. And now, I have proof." She holds something square in her hands. "This is what I found in his room when I was finally left alone long enough to search," Embry says.

Master Descallia's eyes burn deep and red, his fury boiling right below the surface for all of his masters and everyone to see. Lucianna gives Embry a nod, her eyes glowing with green brilliance, mingling like a kaleidoscope with the purple light of Embry's eyes and the witches' stones that cast a steadfast glow.

Embry holds out a half charred yellowed piece of parchment paper and places it in Overmaster Descallia's hand. "I'm sorry to be the one to deliver this news to you, but I knew you would want the truth, as well as proof in hand before I returned. Otherwise, I could have gotten away sooner. I just didn't want to return until I could clear my name. We would have expected it from others."

Our overmaster does not say a word. He takes the parchment from Embry's outstretched hand, unfolding the document twice to expand it to its full-page size. He is outwardly quiet, but every master who has worked for him in the past few centuries knows exactly what this means, and so does his mate, who stands beside him in his grief. Another betrayal, and this one from the man who has meant the most to him throughout the years.

Descallia turns to Magnus. "You are the one who had Anna killed, you had my mate staked and would have had her burnt to nothing but ashes if I had not gotten in your way." He holds Lucianna close. I have no doubt from fear of losing her again for another few centuries. "You did not anticipate Anna's return to me and this life through Lucianna, did you, bastard?"

Magnus glares toward Embry, and his fangs descend. "You traitorous little bitch. Hanging onto Lucas, listening to every word he said just to bring it back to the same disloyal vampires who stole our heritage and decimated everything that the vampires ever held dear!"

Embry's eyes flash, and her hood whips from her purple hair in the night's breeze. "The only vampires who wanted the life you still offer are those who have been brainwashed by you and people like Lucas. The power you seek? It's evil, dark, and antiquated, just like you, asshole. Vampires no longer have to terrorize and mutilate to get the blood they seek."

Magnus growls so fiercely that the night owls screech in return, but they are not the only ones to have heard. Dark rogues with flaming bright red eyes descend in the night, heading straight toward Descallia, but with no Lucas at their helm.

Every master is ready for the attack and willing to defend the purebloods' way of life and the key to our treasures with our very existence and will abide by our carefully laid plan. And it will take patience that is hard to keep in check.

I wait, but it takes much more control and effort than I would like to maintain a perfectly still stance while they get closer to our leader and future queen. And it is painstakingly difficult to wait until all of the dark-souled rogues are securely on the ground. But the masters have prepared, and we do not plan to let them call the shots or take another step now that we have the elevated position and the element of surprise.

"Now," I yell, unleashing the wrath of our trusted lords and masters hidden in the trees. They unload their trusty swords, arcing and slicing through the night, while the syndicate boys watch from afar with weapons drawn just in case one of the fuckers makes it through the hell of flesh-cutting steel that is raining down on them with no chance of letting up.

I nod to the witches who await my command, and without a word, they commence with the plan to ensure the evildoers will never bother us or them again.

Their eyes meet, and the light from their stones creates a ring of fire that encircles the rogues, as each of the masters and I send a centuries-old stake right through the center of each of their dark-souled hearts. Eleven rogues left, including Magnus, and now, ten will turn to ash in a pool of their own greed and betrayal as we watch the light go out of their eyes and the reign of terror that has lasted for centuries die a slow but absolute death. Leaving only one to hunt. Lucas.