Chapter 12

Chapter

Twelve

Eleanna

T he frostbitten wind howls like a banshee as we approach the dark silhouette of my stolen home. I can barely distinguish its ancient spires through the thickening fog, but the sight of that loathsome banner—Catarina's mark—sends a venomous chill through my blood.

"Bitch," I hiss under my breath, the familiar burn of hatred igniting in my gut.

Beside me, Alexandru stands as an unyielding pillar of strength, his silver eyes reflecting the pale winter landscape like twin moons. Nicolai and Marianne flank him, resolute and grim, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords. The rest of Alexandru's garrison, a legion of nightmares made flesh, stand ready behind us, their anticipation for the coming battle almost palpable in the frigid air.

"Today, we reclaim what was usurped," Alexandru says.

His jet-black hair moves slightly with the wind, framing his face in a savage portrait of our purpose here. A surge of ruthless determination courses through me at his words.

As soon as the gates of the castle groan open, Catarina's army spills forth like vermin from a sewer. They march with weapons gleaming, their clanking armor a clamor of impending doom. And for a fleeting moment, the world holds its breath.

"Fuck them all," I spit out, gripping the hilt of my sword until my knuckles turn white. "They'll drown in their own blood before they take another day from us."

"Let's tear them apart!" Marianne roars, her blonde hair a wild mane around her warrior's face.

Nicolai nods once, his dark eyes burning with a fire that could rival the sun itself.

Our garrison steps from the twilight, ferocity within their glowing eyes.

"Queen Eleanna," Ivan says, his figure a steadfast presence beside me. His dark eyes meet mine. "We'll take back what's rightfully yours."

My throat constricts with the weight of my vengeance as I nod, my hand still tight on the sword that thirsts for Catarina's blood.

Marianne strides forward, her stance unwavering despite the biting wind that lashes at us like an enemy's whip. "We won't fail you, General," she says to Alexandru.

From the thickening fog, a figure emerges, commanding the space before her army like a dark queen. Catarina, with her smile a slash across her face, cruel and confident. She raises her hand, revealing The Darkened Pulse, a talisman pulsating with the wretched magic.

"Your little rebellion ends today, you foolish vampires!" Catarina's voice carries over the battlefield, dripping with malice. "I am almighty and immortal."

"Immortal, my ass," I snarl under my breath.

The heart-shaped talisman throbs with a sinister energy, and I know it's the twisted source of her power. My own heart beats a furious rhythm, aching to shatter that cursed stone and watch her invulnerability crumble.

Alexandru narrows his eyes as he takes in Catarina's display of power. "We will end this today," he says, low and menacing. He turns to me, his silver eyes filled with determination. "Prepare yourself, my beloved."

My pulse races as I nod, my fingers clenching into fists at my sides. "I'm ready."

"Charge!" Ivan's command erupts from him like a war cry from the old gods, and the vampire legion unleashes.

Steel screams against steel as I lunge into the fray, my blade cutting through the icy air. The two armies strike with the force of colliding tornadoes, and the world narrows to the pulse of battle, to blood and vengeance.

"Die, usurpers!" A vampire from Catarina's ranks leaps at me, fangs bared, sword aiming for my heart.

But I'm faster, crueler—I've been honed by betrayal and loss. I sidestep, and with a vicious twist, I drive my sword through his chest. His eyes dim as he crumples, his lifeblood staining the snow beneath us in a river of red.

I turn just in time to see Alexandru engage two vampires at once, his movements an untamed supernatural force of accuracy and power. His silver gaze is like ice, his black hair a shadowy mane framing his warrior's face.

"Fall to darkness," one of his opponents snarls, swinging a mace with brutal force.

"Never!" Alexandru parries and thrusts, silver flashing.

The clatter of metal echoes as his foe stumbles back, only to be swiftly decapitated by a single, fluid motion. The severed head hits the ground with a thud, rolling away as its body collapses.

"Filth," I spit out, turning to face another pair of enemies who dare challenge me.

They circle me like vultures, sneering and snapping their jaws.

I can't help but smile—a wicked, sharp thing. "Come on then, taste your mortality."

They charge, weapons drawn, but they're nothing compared to the inferno burning inside me. I block a strike, then another, my blade lethal. With a swift kick, I send one staggering back. The other lunges, but I'm ready—my sword arcs up, slicing through his throat.

He gurgles, clutching at the gaping wound, then falls. His body hits the ground with a finality that echoes in my bones.

"Is this all you have, Catarina?" I scream into the night, my voice hoarse with fury. "Your army falls like wheat before the scythe!"

A soldier charges at me, his axe raised high. I sidestep, letting the blade whistle past, then thrust my sword deep into his chest. He gurgles, red bubbles frothing from his lips, eyes wide with shock. Yanking my blade free, I don't give him the luxury of watching his life bleed out. Another takes his place, and I meet him head-on, our swords clashing with a sound like shattering glass.

"Die, you fucking cowards!" I scream, slashing and parrying with lethal precision.

Each move is a guarantee of pain, each blow the harsh sound of battle. I am a whirlwind of fury, each strike fueled by the loss and rage coiled tight within my heart.

I focus on the enemy before me, trying to push through to where Catarina stands with that smug smile plastered across her face.

"Come on, you bastards," I taunt, grinning wickedly as I dispatch one vampire after another. "Is that all you've got?"

The battle rages on, no end in sight, the air heavy with the copper tang of spilled blood. We fight as if possessed by demons, every swing, every lunge proof of our undying will.

"Queen of Sagori!" someone jeers, coming at me with a broadsword. "Your reign ends here."

I parry his attack and kick him in the stomach, sending him reeling back. "I've only just begun, fucker," I growl, lunging forward to drive my blade through his heart.

Our two armies strike with the ferocity of ancient hatred and rebellion, metal striking metal like a grim spectacle of the struggle for life. My blade sings through the air, finding its mark in the flesh of Catarina's soldiers. Blood sprays, hot and vibrant, tarnishing the snow beneath our feet in the color of retribution.

Marianne swings her broadsword with preternatural skill, severing limbs and heads with each pass. "Die, you bastards!"

The taste of battle's thick on my tongue, and the screams and echoes of iron is a perverse melody that spurs me on.

"Eleanna, look out!" Alexandru's warning slices through the din just as an enemy soldier lunges at me from behind.

With supernatural speed, I spin and thrust my sword deep into his chest, feeling the life ebb from his body with a satisfying jerk.

Our swords meet in a vicious conflict, and with every life I claim, the closer I come to my vengeance. Catarina's forces falter under our relentless assault, but The Darkened Pulse continues pulsing ominously, a reminder of the true threat that looms before us.

"Keep fighting!" Ivan roars, his loud voice echoing over the field.

I raise my blade in the air. "For the Sagori!"

Blood and fury, a cardinal flow, washes against the stones of my lost castle as I stand among the fray. Catarina's madness- driven army collides with ours, vampire against vampire, in an unholy rivalry destined for destruction.

"Push forward!" Alexandru's voice is a clarion call above the din.

His silver eyes are bright with battle lust, and his form is a blur as he cuts down enemy after enemy. Nicolai and Marianne flank him, their blades swift, sure, and unforgiving.

I feel the rush of air as a rogue vampiric soldier lunges at me, fangs bared, seeking my blood. With a swift parry, I drive my sword through his heart, his body dissolving to ash before it even hits the ground.

But through it all, Catarina's talisman thrums with power and pulls at my attention like a siren's call. There she stands, shrouded in the glow of its eldritch light, her eyes wild. She tears through our ranks with the ease of a tempest, her laughter a twisted melody amid the screams of the fallen.

Another of her minions comes at me. Our swords connect, sparks flying from the impact as we test each other's strength. His mistake. With a vicious twist, I disarm him, then follow through, my blade slicing across his throat.

"Advance! Advance!" I shout to Alexandru's soldiers, urging them on.

His garrison cuts a swathe toward our enemy. We move as one, a relentless surge of vampire might in this eternal night, the crunch of snow beneath our boots mingling with the wet sounds of combat.

"Die, you turncoats!" Nicolai shouts. The insult's flung from his lips as he engages a lieutenant of Catarina's guard. They trade blows with a ferocity born of centuries-long feuds, the clangor of their struggle a confirmation of the hatred between our houses.

I stand my ground as another wave of enemies surges forth. Blood coats my hands, a visceral reminder of the price of this war.

"These fuckers shall pay dearly for every inch they take," Nicolai growls beside me, his eyes ablaze with the same unyielding spirit that torches my own resolve.

"Damn right," I say, the power within me surging.

The battle rages on, an endless torrent of violence that knows no respite. Catarina's forces are relentless, but we will not yield. Not now. Not ever.

"Come forth, Catarina!" I bellow into the fray, my voice carrying over the battlefield. "Face me, you coward!"

At my challenge, she emerges from the throng of her minions, the talisman hanging around her neck pulsing with a sinister light. Instability gleams in her eyes—an instability that has consumed her utterly, driving her to usurp what's rightfully mine.

"Eleanna," she hisses, her tone dripping with venomous delight. "How eager you are to die."

"The reaper would never dare claim me before I rip out your deceitful heart," I say.

We circle each other, two vampires locked in a turbulent waltz, as we search for an opening. The air crackles with the tension between us, heavy with the promise of bloodshed.

"Your arrogance will be your undoing!" Catarina's words are empty against my resolve.

"Your delusion has already undone you."

I lunge, fangs bared, sword aimed at her blackened soul. But she's far too quick, the damned talisman granting her enhanced unnatural speed. She sidesteps, and I taste nothing but bitter air.

"Pathetic," she sneers, launching a counterattack that I barely have time to parry.

Alexandru appears at my side, his silver eyes blazing with fury.

"Keep her busy!" I gasp, panting and gathering my strength.

With every close encounter, the cold kiss of steel is narrowly avoided as each fighter parries with desperate actions.

"Go fuck yourself, Alexandru!" Catarina spits, engaging him with a whirlwind of strikes.

His movements are a blur of supernatural power. "Happy to oblige after I've dealt with you, bitch."

I watch them fighting, using the brief respite to focus my wrath. Alexandru fights with a relentless determination, each impact of his sword sends shivers down my spine, as he fells enemies left and right.

"Is that all you've got?" Alexandru growls, dodging a vicious thrust.

"Let's see how you fare without your head!" Catarina's laughter is a grotesque sound within the symphony of violence.

The snow is smeared in gore and casualties, the ground a macabre shade of red. With every heartbeat, I swear I will see Catarina fall. This castle will be reclaimed, and her life will be the price of her betrayal.

Then, in fleeting moment, Catarina's sword, ablaze with the power of her talisman, meets Alexandru's with a force that resonates through the battlefield. She feints, and he takes the bait, his defense momentarily lowered. With a triumphant howl, she delivers a savage blow, and I can only watch in horror as Alexandru is sent hurtling across the snow-covered ground. He lands with a sickening crunch, his body folding upon itself.

"Alexandru!" My voice is a feral scream, tearing from my throat.

I'm moving before I realize it, rage fueling my limbs. I tighten my grip around the hilt of my sword, the familiar weight a foreshadowing of vengeance.

"Come on then, you harpy!" Catarina's eyes are wild, her scowl dark as she beckons me with a crooked finger.

"Harpy? I'll show you true brutality!"

We meet head-on with the force of two blizzards converging. Her talisman glows with magical malice across the snow. I swing with all the strength centuries have granted me, but Catarina sidesteps away, her laughter a mocking chime.

"Is this the best the Sagori queen can muster?" she taunts, her blade swinging dangerously close to my flesh.

"Your head will look better on a spike than on your shoulders!"

Our swords clash again, sparks flying from the contact. But it's useless. Her talisman-fueled might is overwhelming.

I risk a glance at Alexandru. He's struggling to rise, his eyes clouded with pain. My heart tightens, but my resolve hardens.

I refocus on Catarina, watching her every move, predicting the fray that she's so adept at leading. But it's a feint within a feint, and before I can react, she's on me, her movements a blur of lethal beauty.

"Eleanna, always too slow!" Her voice is serpent's hiss, and her laughter cuts deeper than any blade.

Then, in a movement so swift it seems to defy possibility, Catarina's hand darts forward, not with her sword, but with something smaller, more sinister—a poisoned dagger, its black blade infamous even among our kind for its cruel efficiency. She stabs me in the gut with the sharp edge, and pain explodes with me. The poison, known for its slow and torturous effect on vampire physiology, courses through me.

"Feel the embrace of eternal sleep," she whispers.

More searing pain rolls through me, spreading like wildfire from the wound. The poison begins its insidious work, sapping my strength and dulling my limbs. My sword falls from my grasp, clattering against the stones, useless.

"Alexandru!" My voice is a choked gasp, the world beginning to spin and darken at the edges.

Suddenly, his arms catch me as I crumple. His presence is an anchor in the darkness engulfing me. "Hold on, Eleanna, stay with me." His voice seems distant, muffled by the roar of blood in my ears.

"Sweet dreams, Queen of Ravens." Catarina mocks me, her silhouette looming over us, a specter of doom as the battle rages on around us.

The cold seeps into my bones, the winter air no longer held at bay by my supernatural heat. The sounds of the battlefield—the boom of swords, the cries of the dying—fade to a hollow echo in my fading consciousness.

"Fight it, Eleanna!" Alexandru's plea is desperate, his grip on me tightening.

But the darkness is relentless, pulling me into its icy depths, even as I struggle to stay above its crushing waves. My mind races, thoughts of revenge, alliances, and survival tangling in a mess of fear and rage.

"Alexandru..." I whisper. "I'm too weak to fight."

"Looks like your queen has fallen," Catarina says, her triumph as clear as the bright winter moon above.

Alexandru starts to stand, to kill our shared enemy, but I hold onto him with what little strength I have. It's not the time.

"Go, please," I whisper. "Save yourself and what's left of your troops."

"Retreat!" Alexandru's command is a guttural roar, one that I feel rather than hear as my senses betray me. His eyes meet mine, silver pools of anguish. "I can't lose you, Eleanna. Not now, not ever."

But Catarina, that cunning bitch, knows the moment to strike. Her guards swarm us and pull me from Alexandru's arms. My limbs are leaden, my mind foggy with the poison coursing through me. I'm screaming on the inside, but no sound escapes my lips. The guards, five of them, hold Alexandru back as he struggles to free himself from their tight grip.

"Take her," Catarina snarls as her talisman pulses with a sickening glow. "Let the general watch his queen fall."

They drag me away, each step farther from Alexandru a descent into despair. The castle gates loom over us, mocking reminders of the power I once held. Through blurred vision, I see our forces—my forces—overwhelmed, decimated. The stench of blood and gore saturates the air, a testament to the battle's ferocity.

"Alexandru!" My heart screams his name even if my voice cannot.

The fortress I spent centuries fortifying now becomes my prison. They drag me inside the castle and down the winding, narrow staircase to the dungeons below. The dampness and cold make me shiver. In a place meant for traitors and enemies—not a queen—they toss me into a dungeon cell.

"Fuck you," I spit at the guards, my voice barely above a whisper.

But they only laugh, and the sound grates against my skull as the heavy door slams shut, sealing my fate.

Despair clutches my heart with icy fingers. I'm alone, trapped by stone walls and iron bars with this slow-acting poison in my veins. In this dark hour, I question everything—the war, my reign, my choices. Most of all, I doubt the bond between Alexandru and me.

What are we if not two warriors caught in an endless struggle for power?

"Damn you, Catarina," I curse under my breath, my words lost in the silence of the cell.

The chill seeps into my skin, but it's nothing compared to the brutal realization that creeps into my soul.

Alexandru, my fierce and relentless ally, may never breach these walls to rescue me.

"Love and redemption." I'm so foolish to even believe…

Such luxuries have no place in a world ruled by bloodshed and betrayal. The taste of defeat is bitter yet familiar. It isn't the loss of the battle that cuts the deepest; it's the potential of dying alone and the loss of Alexandru's bed.

Pain racks my body as the poison works, but it only propels my resolve instead of smothering it. I will not succumb to Catarina's twisted disloyalty. I am Eleanna Cordon, Queen of the Sagori vampire family, Mistress of Ravens, and this is not where my life ends.

This isn't over. It can't be. Not while I still draw breath. Not while revenge burns within me like an eternal flame.

As I think this the world wavers and turns dark.