Masquerade (Vampires Realm Romance Series Book 10) (33 page)

That was why he had been unharmed. He had gone out to see Ella and had lured her away from her position at the wall, taking her to the lake so they could be alone together. It all made sense now. Deshal wouldn’t have mentioned that he had been with Ella because he wouldn’t have wanted anyone in the meeting to know that he had been sleeping with a guard, even though it was his child. Ella wasn’t even a ranked officer. Deshal would have seen such a liaison as beneath him.

If it wasn’t Deshal who had opened the gate, then had the hunter done it?

Dread settled in his stomach.

“Cara?” Vivek scrambled across to her and raised her off the grass. Her back was slick with blood and it coated the ground around her. She was bleeding out and he could do nothing about it. She must have had a reason to come out into the fight when she had never trained with weapons or even knew how to defend herself against a hunter.

She coughed and blood crept down from the corners of her stained lips. Her eyelids fluttered and then slowly opened, her gaze glassy.

“Cara, why did you come out to protect Deshal? Was it because you knew something was going to happen to him?”

Cara frowned and tears slipped from her lashes, creeping down over her temples. “She said... he wouldn’t... be harmed. Should have... known... she lied.”

“Who? Was it Lorna?” He cradled Cara to him, keeping one eye on Sophis at the same time. She was fighting close to Seth. Ella had rallied and was beside Sophis, half-heartedly battling the hunters. Cara nodded. A chill tumbled down his spine. “Why did Lorna want to kill Deshal and let the hunters in?”

“Revenge... Timur promised... power if she let him... turn her... Lorna said he... lied.” Cara coughed again, causing more blood to run over her lips and chin, and screwed her face up. He could feel her pain and wished there was something he could do for her, even if it was only an end to her suffering. “Daughter... Timur gave more... power to... Deshal... would have... given him... lord on death. Lorna... wants it.”

Cara convulsed against him and Sophis was suddenly beside her. She touched the young vampire’s face and looked at him when Cara stilled.

“What’s happening?” Sophis said and Vivek laid Cara down, looked over his shoulder at the remains of Deshal, and then towards the house.

The sky was lightening again.

“Lorna lied. It wasn’t Deshal who let the hunters in last night. It was her. She is out to make Timur pay in blood for lying to her about how powerful she would be if she let him turn her. Cara said she had promised not to kill Deshal, presumably to keep Cara on her side and so she could keep Lorna’s secret. We need to find Timur before it is too late.” Vivek flinched as the black heavy clouds above them dissipated, bracing himself for the onslaught of sunlight and the burn of it on his skin.

All that happened was a mild tingling.

“Sunset,” Sophis said, her voice full of relief, and he opened his eyes. Hues of gold and pink painted the sky, turning darker by the second.

Lady Prophecy had bought them the time they needed to defend themselves and attack the hunters but at what cost? He looked back over the narrow strip of vampires and hunters towards the wrecked wall of the mansion entrance.

Lord Timur was there, fighting beside Commander Tynan.

Battling Aleksis and Izabella.

Lorna was already close to achieving her goal. With Deshal dead, only Timur stood between her and the power she so desperately sought.

“Seth, remain with Ella,” Vivek said, concerned that she still hadn’t fully recovered from the shock of seeing her lover and sire die in her arms and would be easy prey for the hunters.

Seth glanced over his shoulder at him. Blood soaked the left side of his face, throat and head, turning his sandy hair black. His ice-blue eyes flashed darkly. “I am not going anywhere. I will not leave her side.”

Vivek nodded and then frowned at the look that had been in Seth’s eyes, one that was familiar. He had that same look whenever he was thinking about protecting Sophis. Did Seth have feelings for Ella?

Sophis grabbed Vivek’s hand and tore him back to the fight. He threw himself into it again, battling through the clashing vampires and hunters, stabbing and slashing, driving them out of his way. Sophis cut down any who dared to come near her, leaving them injured for the other vampires to deal with. Together they broke through into the open space around the mansion.

Vivek focused all of his remaining strength and shot across the grass and gravel. Izabella leapt backwards, away from Timur, and Aleksis lunged forwards, driving his stake at the Venia lord. Vivek swept between them, knocking Aleksis’s hand upwards and sending the stake twirling out of his grasp. He swung at the hunter and the man ducked and rolled, coming to stand a few feet away.

“Make no mistake.” Vivek tightened his grip on the dagger. Aleksis looked down at it and frowned. “I am your opponent.”

Aleksis bent, picked up a fallen sword, and stared him straight in the eye. “So be it. I will kill you, and then your bitch, and then your lord.”

Vivek roared and attacked, clashing hard with Aleksis. There was no way that he was going to die here tonight, and no way he was going to allow Aleksis anywhere near Sophis. He kept part of his senses locked on her, tracking her where she was fighting Izabella with Tynan’s help a short distance behind him.

Aleksis dodged Vivek’s fist, shifting to one side, and Vivek threw a second punch with the hand he held the dagger in. His fist slammed into the side of Aleksis’s head and the man collapsed, hitting the gravel hard. Vivek snarled and brought his dagger down, cutting Aleksis’s back as he rolled away and scrambled to his feet. Vivek straightened, flexed his fingers around the grip of the dagger, and exhaled slowly. Silver lines danced over Aleksis’s form, highlighting him and giving Vivek an indication of the direction he would take. It was clearer than ever with Hyperion’s blood in his veins, his strength flowing through him, and Vivek knew in his heart that he would have his revenge this night.

He turned with Aleksis, keeping his distance, toying with him and waiting for him to make the first move. Sophis came into view again, Tynan fighting at her side, both of them attacking Izabella at once. The female hunter was bleeding badly but she wasn’t alone. The fair haired male hunter had joined her, evening the odds.

Aleksis attacked, swinging his sword back over his head. The silver outlines highlighted his intent and Vivek brought his dagger up to block the attack before it happened and then realised his mistake. A feint. Before Vivek could bring the dagger down again and shift out of the path of Aleksis’s true attack, the hunter had swept his leg around and knocked the dagger from Vivek’s hand. It skittered across the gravel and Vivek threw himself after it. The tip of Aleksis’s sword struck the ground where Vivek had been, showering sparks, and the man let out an inhuman growl.

Vivek rolled, grabbed the dagger, and came onto his feet in time to see Lorna picking up the discarded holy wood stake, her eyes ice-blue and lips peeled back in a snarl.

“Tynan,” Vivek shouted and ran towards Timur where he was walking back towards the destroyed entrance hall of the mansion, readying his dagger at the same time.

Tynan turned and sprinted towards Lorna. She looked at him and dashed forwards just as he swung his sword at her, evading his strike. Vivek ran harder and brought his dagger around, holding it backwards. He was still too far away. Timur turned but he wasn’t fast enough either. Lorna smiled, her hand smoking where it clutched the stake, and then screamed in fury as she brought it down, plunging it into his heart. The tip of a sword shot out of her chest and cut up to her neck, cleaving her open.

Tynan stood behind her, both hands still gripping his sword above his head, his eyes wide with dismay.

Marise and Jascha were there before Vivek could reach him, defending him from Izabella and the fair haired hunter as they broke past Sophis. Vivek turned and found Aleksis close on his heels. He slashed at him, driving the hunter backwards, away from Tynan.

The horror still shining in Tynan’s eyes said it all.

Lorna had killed Timur before Tynan had managed to impale her with his sword and stop her. Lorna wasn’t old enough to survive such a brutal attack. Tynan had not only sliced through her heart, but he had cut up through her neck too, severing arteries. She would have bled to death almost instantly. By law, Tynan now ruled the Venia bloodline.

Sophis forced Izabella backwards, fending her off. The fight between them was fierce and chaotic, a constant clashing of swords. Vivek tried to focus on his own fight but it was difficult when he knew Sophis was in danger. She was stronger now than she had been ten years ago, but he needed to protect her, to keep her safe and he couldn’t ignore that desire. He edged closer to her, luring Aleksis with him. It was dangerous to bring Izabella and Aleksis together again. They were formidable when they fought as one but so were he and Sophis.

Vivek glanced at her where she fought just a few metres from him now, growling with each sure strike of her sword. Aleksis made him pay for his distraction, cutting him across the chest, and Vivek shifted his focus back to his opponent, swiping at him with his dagger and looking for an opening. His gaze darted over Aleksis and then his surroundings, and stopped on a sword lying on the ground nearby. He dived forwards when Aleksis swung at him, hit the ground in a roll, and skidded to a halt next to the sword. He shifted the dagger to his left hand, grabbed the sword with his right, and kicked off, propelling himself upwards and directly at Aleksis.

Aleksis turned towards him and Vivek snarled, knocked his sword aside with the dagger and barrelled into him. They hit the gravel a few feet behind Sophis but she didn’t stop to look at them. The fair haired hunter was back, fighting together with Izabella. Sophis needed his help if she was going to defeat two enhanced hunters at once but he had his hands full with Aleksis.

A dark haired slim man dressed all in black appeared beside her, an elegant sword held tightly in his left hand, and struck at the fair haired hunter, driving him away from Sophis. Her sire. Sophis barely spared him a glance before she was fighting as one with him against Izabella and the male hunter. Vivek struggled to keep his focus on his fight against Aleksis, relieved that Sophis now had someone to assist her but jealous at the same time. He didn’t want her sire anywhere near her, not when the man seemed intent on making her leave the guard to join him in his adventures across Europe.

The hunter rolled backwards, flipping Vivek over him, and landed astride his hips. Vivek dropped the dagger and blocked Aleksis’s sword with the flat of his own before it could reach his throat. He pressed his right hand against his blade, using both hands to counter Aleksis as he pushed his body weight down on the sword, driving it slowly towards his neck. Vivek’s arms trembled under the pressure. Aleksis had grown stronger in their time apart.

But not strong enough.

With a roar, Vivek launched both hands upwards, sending Aleksis flying backwards. He snatched the dagger off the ground, landed hard on Aleksis’s legs before he could attempt to regain his feet, and plunged the short blade into his stomach. Aleksis cried in agony and lashed out at Vivek, smashing his fist hard into the side of his head. Vivek shook off the pain and shoved the dagger upwards until he hit Aleksis’s ribcage. He yanked the blade out of him and brought it down hard, burying it to the hilt in Aleksis’s heart. The hunter instantly stilled.

Vivek didn’t pause to take in the victory. He pushed upwards, grabbed the sword from the gravel, and ran to Sophis. The scent of her blood and her sire’s filled the air around her fight against the two hunters. Vivek snarled, fury fuelling him as he propelled himself into the midst of the battle, and used Sophis’s attack on Izabella as an opening to kill the male hunter. Just as he brought his sword down to attack Sophis and force her away from Izabella, Vivek cut upwards with his own, slashing the man from hip to shoulder in a diagonal line. The man went down, his scream garbled, and Vivek turned and came around behind Izabella.

Sophis was there before he could attack, her sword claiming the head of the hunter that had almost taken his life a decade ago. Izabella’s body dropped to the floor, blood pouring from her neck, and Sophis stood before him, her uniform jacket littered with cuts that exposed bleeding wounds beneath. Her shoulders slumped and her fingers uncurled, the sword falling from them. Her sire ran a glance over her, looked at Vivek and nodded before turning away and moving off into the battle. He didn’t need to worry. Vivek would protect her with his life.

Sophis stared down at Izabella’s corpse and then over her shoulder at Aleksis’s, and then slowly turned her head towards him. She stared into his eyes, her own ice-blue and shining in the fading light of sunset.

“Is it really over?”

Vivek looked around them at the massacre. Vampires of all bloodlines were helping each other finish off the few hunters who were foolish enough to have remained. Chasing them towards the walls and cutting them down. Other hunters fled the grounds, heading back to the safety of the city. Werewolves snarled and growled at each other, licking their own wounds and those of their comrades. The area around the mansion was already clear. Vampires of all bloodlines and ages tended to their injuries, some pausing to watch the other vampires still fighting the hunters in the distance and some stealing what blood they could from the dead hunters to help themselves heal.

Seth was escorting Ella through the bodies that littered the grounds, leading her back towards the house with his arm around her shoulders, supporting her weight as she limped. Other guards he recognised as those from his team and Sophis’s were following them, weary and tired, bloodied from battle but alive to fight another night.

He nodded.

It was over.

But for some, the nightmare was only just beginning.

Vivek looked back towards Tynan. Timur and Lorna’s bodies were already ash on the ground, drifting away in the breeze. Tynan was staring down at the grey dust, his gaze distant and troubled.