38. Brody

38

brODY

" Q uies. Lenio. Delinio. Resido. Quies. Lenio. Delinio. Resido. Quies. Lenio. Delinio. Resido. Quies. Lenio. Delinio. Resido. Quies. Lenio. Delinio. Resido." My eyes close as my words grow lower and lower. Once they take effect, I redirect my chanting. "Prensio. Captura. Tenere. Prensio. Captura. Tenere. Prensio. Captura. Tenere. Prensio. Captura. Tenere. Prensio. Captura. Tenere."

The telltale sound of the key entering the lock echoes around the room as my words die off. It takes all of my strength to pry my eyes open enough to check the room before a sense of satisfaction washes over me. It doesn't last long, not when the plan isn't entirely foolproof, but it's what Adrianna wanted, so it's what I will provide.

The shackles that lay against the wall now encapsulate each of our wrists as our bodies lay limp on the floor. Vallie steps into the room and the giggle of glee that vibrates off the walls is exactly what I was hoping for.

This dumb bitch is going to get what's coming, and I'm more than happy to be the one to give it to her if necessary.

"Uncle, I can't believe it," she sings with glee, clapping wildly as my heart rate slowly thumps in my ears.

"I told you, Vallie. Power is ours for the taking."

"I know, but my father said that too, and look what happened to him. He didn't make good on a single promise, unlike you," she squeals. "She's completely passed out and at my mercy. It's like the best birthday present I could ever receive, and it's six months away!"

My goodness, she's insufferable.

Just as my spell was designed to do, the grogginess begins to ease from my limbs as I groan. I mustn't be the only one coming to life from the heaviness of the magic because she sneers, but it's not aimed at me.

"Raiden!" she yells unnecessarily, and I manage to pry my eyes open again in time to watch her march in his direction. The vampire chained to the wall sneers up at her with pitch-black eyes, a venomous aura engulfing him.

"Fuck off," he grunts, shuffling to sit up and lean back against the wall.

"You don't get to speak to me like that. Not anymore. Tell him, Uncle," she preens, flicking her hair over her shoulder as I groan.

She really isn't dead, and that's fucking disappointing.

"Your uncle can fuck off too," Raiden snaps back, and Vallie inches forward, swiping the back of her hand across his face.

My gaze darts to Addi, but she remains flat out on the floor. I can't decide whether it's a good thing or not, but either way, Vallie isn't making this any easier for herself.

"That's Councilman Drummer to you."

"I didn't like the last Councilman Drummer. I can't see that changing with this one, but thanks," Raiden snorts in response, eyes narrowed on the pair.

I chance a look at Cassian and Kryll, who are now propped up against the wall again, hands in metal cuffs with their eyes fixated on our girl. Our unmoving girl.

I can sense the worry oozing from them, but I keep my mouth shut.

Drummer steps forward, baring his teeth as he crouches in front of Raiden. "My brother was a fool. He never could live up to me. Now, he definitely never will. I'll make sure to thank that bitch before I slaughter her," he bites, making Raiden tug at the cuffs holding him in place.

His stare spins my way for a split second, silently pleading with me to undo my magic, but it's too late now, and it's probably for the best. It makes this all look more real and appealing to them.

As if sensing my thoughts, Vallie laughs, tossing her head back as she holds on to her uncle's shoulder for support. "Don't talk about the little half-breed like that. You'll make my Raidy all mad," she says with a fake pout, wagging her finger in Raiden's face as she speaks.

Her taunting is unbearable. I couldn't tolerate it in the dining hall when Addi launched at her. Now, it's even worse.

Give them the upper hand. Give them the upper hand.

Addi's words repeat in my mind, holding me in place as I trust in her plan.

If our girl can hear the shit being said, she does nothing to react, which is better character than I expected because I was sure she would charge at her the second this dumb bitch opened her mouth.

"What do you want, Vallie?" Raiden asks, pushing up to his feet as the chains clang together. Vallie takes note of the metal in place, a smile spreading across her face.

"I want you, Raiden."

"Really? Right now?" Cassian grunts, earning a death stare from the wicked vampire herself, but her attention quickly snaps back to Raiden.

"Uncle, let me keep this one. The rest can perish," Vallie states, fluttering her eyelashes at the man as her grin spreads from ear to ear.

"Vallie, I?—"

"I'd rather you kill me first and feed me to the fucking vermin that runs rabid in our kingdom than have to spend another fucking second in your presence," Raiden interjects, every word etched with truth as he looks at her with utter disdain.

Vallie rears back, a gasp on her lips as her hand lifts to her chest. The demure action quickly turns rotten as her hands ball into fists and her teeth extend into sharp points.

"Fuck you, Raiden. You never deserved me," she lurches toward him, nails ripping into his t-shirt as she pulls him closer.

She opens her mouth unbelievably wide, inching closer to his neck as I start to panic. I turn to Addi, hoping the magic has worn off, but she's out cold.

Fuck.

I yank at my chains, muttering the chant under my breath to undo what I did, getting the same sense of panic from Cassian and Kryll too. I mutter faster, the chant burning my tongue with every pass.

A flutter of a breeze is all the warning the room gets before a bright light fills the space. It's blinding, mesmerizing, and fucking stunning. A scream rips from Vallie's chest as the projection of light narrows to Raiden and Addi launches herself through the air.

Barreling into Vallie, they fall into the far wall with a thud. Drummer lurches back, crouching as he shields himself from the blinding light. He's already stood on the other side of its shine; he knows the abilities that can accompany it.

Yanking at my chains again, the metal gives no freedom for me to move, turning my chants faster as stress starts to rise through my bones.

"Let them think they have the upper hand by giving them the upper hand. If my magic sees one of you in danger, it will bubble to the surface to protect you. That will catch them off guard and we can decimate them."

A plan. A solid-yet-uncertain plan, depending on how you look at it. And right now, it's not looking great.

"Come on, Brody," Cassian grunts, dealing with the same issue as me. I don't answer, though; I can't break my spell, otherwise, it will take even longer.

Movement out of the corner of my eye pulls my attention as my chants continue, and I turn just in time to see Addi gain the advantage, slamming Vallie against the wall with rage.

"Get this fucking mutt off me," Vallie yells, hysteria echoing off the walls as she snaps her teeth threateningly at Addi.

My nostrils flare with anger as I remember the time Vallie sank her teeth into my woman. The rage it creates inside of me is like an inferno for my magic, and a moment later, the metal splits at my wrists and falls with a clatter to the floor.

Charging toward the pair of them, I forget about Drummer until it's too late. His arms hook around my legs, toppling me to the ground. I manage to catch myself with my hands, saving my face from disaster, but the second I take to compose myself is used against me.

A sharp pain explodes in my ribs, a hiss rasping from my lips as he shoves at my side, knocking me to the floor. I blink, my vision blurry as I stare up at the vampire pinning me in place.

He wrestles my arms beneath his legs, pressing down with a ferocity that can't be reciprocated. The burning at my side is hot yet cold, a dampness coating my skin, but I can't see what's happening. The world spins around me as I try to focus myself enough to think of a chant, any chant, but everything turns to jelly, including my mind.

The blow to my face that follows is the final disarming move needed to unravel me. In my haste to get to Addi, I left myself completely vulnerable, and now I'm helpless. The momentum snaps my head to the side, my vision worsening, but before I can take a breath, another blow follows, then another, and another.

Another sharp pain, another burning sensation laced with hot and cold chills, and still, I can't do anything. He relents, offering me a pointless reprieve as my watery vision settles on a familiar blonde braid. My pulse thunders in my ears as my mouth falls slack, the feel of another slice at my abdomen sealing my fate at the exact moment I watch Vallie fall to her knees. Her face is about as beaten as I expect mine to be, but Addi doesn't pin her to the floor like this. Instead, she wraps her legs around her neck, tightening them like a vice as she holds on tight to the chain bolt above her head.

A battle cry rings in my ears from her victorious lips as darkness shifts into my vision, tainting the corner of my eyes. She's going to bury this bitch, once and for all, while I edge closer to my last breath too. Seeing her shine like this will be worth it; I'll gladly give my life.

I should have fought harder; she deserved more from me, but I was helpless.

Contentment weighs over me as the world goes still. A numbness drapes across my skin, the pain etching through my limbs drifting to nothing as crimson droplets blur my vision. Screams and shouts turn to murmurs in my ears, nothing registering as I slip into the delirium that I can only describe as post-orgasm bliss. But without the pleasure. I'm floating, but there's no joy in anything I'm feeling. Definitely not post-orgasm bliss.

A bright light blurs the remainder of my vision, forcing my eyes closed. The moment they shut, a spark of color dances across the back of my eyelids. I watch, enthralled by its movements, each swoop across my lids becoming slower and smaller, and understanding dawns on me.

With every loop, my heart rate slows. With every twirl, my body falls weaker. With every shimmer, my own spark dies out.

Despite the pain, I know my consciousness is waning. I also know it's all okay.

To have been loved by her for five minutes is better than never to have been loved by her at all.

I'm certain a smile quirks the corner of my mouth, joy clinging to me as my breaths become even more labored.

The world shifts, though my eyes refuse to open. Darkness lures me in despite my curiosity about the outside world. The smell of sunshine, a scent I have only noticed around Addi, drifts around me like a beacon telling me it's time to go—to bathe in that scent for all of eternity.

I give in, exhaling slowly as my body becomes completely weightless. Then I wait… and wait… and still, the smell lingers in the air, but the promise of the afterlife remains just out of reach.

Trying to delve deeper into myself, I reach out for the tiny spark that barely flickers in my vision, but as I chase after it, it grows bigger. Only to fade again the moment I get close to it.

"Don't you dare fucking give up on me, Brody." Addi's words ring in my ears, luring me closer to the darkness as I chase after the spark, desperate to hear her voice again. I dive, deeper and deeper, until something presses against my face, prying my eyes open as I choke on a breath.

Bright eyes look down at me, the glimmer of blonde hair framing her face, but the blistering light that shimmers behind them makes it harder to see anything. But I don't have to see to know it's her.

My girl.

My Dagger.

"Is it working, Kryll? Tell me it's fucking working," she snaps, a ghost of a smile dancing over my lips as I bask in her anger. I still feel like I'm floating until the touch of her delicate fingers gripping my chin firmly. "Don't you grin like that. When you come around fully, I will rain Hell down on you for panicking me like that."

My lips spread wider, the dream I'm engulfed in lighting me from the inside out.

"We need to act now, Addi," Cassian grunts. Streaks of blood mark his face as he huffs, glancing down at me with a look of concern that's far too mixed with inconvenience for me to relish in his worry.

"Do it now, Kryll," Addi yells, and a moment later, the telltale sound of Kryll's dragon echoes in my ears. The ground shakes beneath me, the walls crumbling in dismay as fire issues forth from the dragon.

I don't feel the heat, not even a little, as a glowing dome shines around me.

A breath grows stronger in my chest, quickly followed by another and another, until the pain ricocheting through my body comes to life once again. I manage to roll over, a grunt falling from my lips as I stare in disbelief.

From the dome to my Dagger and back again, I repeat the sway of my gaze over and over before settling on my girl. She heaves a sigh of relief as the fire blooms on the other side of the shield and she drops to her knees beside me.

She catches a glimpse of me out of the corner of her eye, and her lips purse. Despite the fury I sense in her, she leans in close, stroking a hand down my cheek as she speaks. "You're in so much trouble, Brody. So fucking much."

"Trouble sounds better than death," I rasp, earning the smallest smile from her taut lips.

"You say that now," she muses, rising to her feet before she offers me her hand.

I frown as I take it, lurching to my feet as I try to catch up with what the fuck just happened. I was dead. I felt it. My body, my face… nothing is different. Only the remnants of crimson stains on my t-shirt confirm something was wrong.

"He stabbed you with poisoned blades," Raiden offers, pulling me from my thoughts as I blink at the stains, nodding as if that makes perfect sense.

"What else did I miss?" I ask, scrambling to understand a single thing, but I come up blank every time.

"Let's get out of here before the place burns down. Then, if you're lucky, she might offer you an explanation before she kills you herself." He smothers a hand over his mouth, trying and failing to hide his snicker as I shake my head in disbelief.

"She's not going to kill me," I grumble, swiping a hand down my face, only to smear more blood over my skin.

"Are you sure about that?" he retorts, pointing at the woman in question, and I gulp.

She looks mad. Real mad. But I already told her I'll take her wrath over death. I'm right where I'm supposed to be, where I always will be. I'm just about to say it when the ground shudders and an explosion sends us flying through the air.

I hit something hard with a thud, the darkness creeping in faster this time as everything goes black, leaving only one thought on the edge of my mind.

It's definitely too soon for death jokes.