Vampire Apocalypse #2 Cataylst (22 page)

The King moved faster, urging Celticad on. He
had to reach the Queen first and destroy her before dealing with
the girl. He didn’t want Sophia to have the chance at more blood.
As it was, he knew Sophia would be more powerful, but it didn’t
concern him. The sound of dripping water filled his ears.

“What do you mean, my Lord?” Celticad asked,
not looking behind him at the smiling King. Waving his massive
hand, he cleared away cobwebs and walked on.

“Just that, Celticad. Your reward is behind
us, trying to spring on us like a spider. Be ready for her,” the
King replied.

Celticad jerked to a stop and spun around,
“The girl is in the tunnel?”

The King nodded, “So it would seem.”

“Should I bring her to you?” he asked,
Celticad’s massive face pinching together as he thought.

The King shook his head, “No, let her come to
us. Just be ready for her, and if the time comes, don’t kill her.
Is that clear?”

Celticad nodded and turned on his heel,
continuing down the slick tunnel at a faster pace. The King
followed behind, hastening his pace to keep up with the large
vampire. They moved through the bricked tunnel, and it wasn’t until
they turned several times, that the pitch of the floor started to
rise. They would come out inside the palace soon.

The King remained at Celticad’s heels, until
they stopped at the end of the hall. The passage was bricked over.
The King was furious. He howled, not caring if Kahli heard him,
“It’s sealed! You idiot, how could you know this was here and not
realized it was sealed off from the rest of the palace!” The King’s
furry flashed in his golden eyes.

Celticad shook his head, “It’s not enough to
stop us.” Celticad ignored the King’s tirade and pulled his fist
back. When he launched it forward, Celticad’s massive hand punched
the brick so hard that it crumbled like dust. The wall shook and
smashed brick fell to the floor like sand.

The King fell silent as the massive vampire
drew back his fist again and let it fly. The wall shook on contact,
and more bricks turned to ash, disintegrating on impact.

The King folded his arms across his chest,
and smiled as the wall began to crumble.

CHAPTER 35

Cole was at the end of the hall when he heard
a loud crack. The wall next to him shook violently, like something
was about to come through. Cole stopped and stared at it, his eyes
wide. Another smash and plaster fell from the wall onto the carpet.
Heart hammering hard, Cole looked up and down the hall before
darting into the adjacent doorway. He pressed his back to the wall,
and reached behind him for the door knob. It was locked. Cursing
under his breath, Cole watched as the wall fell apart and pieces of
plaster and wood went flying in every direction. He closed his
eyes, willing his heart to steady. Whatever the Queen thought was
coming for her on the front lawn wasn’t there. It was smashing
through the wall in the back of her palace.

A final bang resounded and Cole peered around
the door jam. A massive hand came through the wall. Before Cole
could blink, the hand reach around and tore off the surrounding
plaster. Bricks and dust poured into the palace, turning the blue
carpet white. The air filled with white dust. It was like a massive
cloud was trapped inside the hallway. Cole held his breath and
pressed his back against the door.

Two figures appeared. One was huge. It was
the largest vampire he’d ever seen. Taking him down wasn’t even an
option. The vamp would snap him like a twig before Cole was within
reach to stab him with his knife. When the second vampire came
through the dust and rubble, Cole understood. It was the King. He
stepped through the hole looking dignified. He shook some of the
dust from his dark hair and looked up and down the hall
quickly.

“Good job, Celticad. I know exactly where we
are. Let’s find my precious wife, shall we?”

The large vampire nodded and resumed the
lead. They walked up the hall, the way Cole had come. Their voices
drifted back, allowing Cole to catch pieces of the conversation.
“And, then what?”

“I’ll take care of her. You take the rest.
And as for the girl, let her find us. By the time she realizes what
happened, it’ll be too late. The Queen will be dead.” The King’s
voice trailed off and Cole couldn’t hear him anymore.

Peeling himself off the wall, Cole looked at
the hole a few feet from him. It was a way out, a way that the
Queen didn’t know about. If Cole backtracked through that tunnel,
it would spit him out somewhere beyond the palace grounds. He was
certain of it. Glancing up and down the hall, Cole moved swiftly to
the opening.

CHAPTER 36

Kahli’s heart hammered harder. A prickling
sensation covered her skin, making her feel colder. The King was in
this tunnel. She stalked him slowly, keeping her distance, not sure
how to kill him when they stood face to face.

Following their tracks in the dust, Kahli
rounded a corner. It was silent for a moment and then she heard a
massive crack. The sound echoed back down the tunnel, making her
press her hands to her ears. Looking wildly around, she moved to
take cover, but there was nowhere to go. The crack came again. The
tunnel shook, and debris rained down on her head. The sound came
again and again, and then it finally grew quiet.

Uncertainty spilled into her veins. Kahli
looked back the way she came, back to the place where Will lay in
the snow. She could double back and drag him away. They could hide
again, but how long would that last? Reggie found them in less than
a day. Even Will didn’t realize how traceable he was. Kahli took a
deep breath and walked on.

She remained crouched, slowly placing one
foot in front of the other, continuing down the hall, expecting to
be attacked at any moment. Breathing steadily through her nose, she
tried to control her panic. Her throat was so tight that she wanted
to scream. This was much worse than fighting a few wolves. With the
wolves she knew what to expect. If she avoided their teeth, she
lived. With the vampires though, the fangs weren’t the only thing
to watch out for. She didn’t even know what powers the King had or
how to avoid them. Maybe it wasn’t possible. Maybe she was walking
to her death. Kahli didn’t care. She couldn’t go back. The only way
to deal with this was to face the monster at the other end of the
tunnel. Killing him would set her free, and then she’d destroy the
Queen and her idiot brother.
He should be on the front lawn by
now,
she thought to herself. Kahli doubted the Queen would
respond the way he hoped, especially since he arrived with an empty
truck.

Kahli stopped abruptly as a sound caught her
ear. Wildly, she looked for a place to hide, but there was nothing.
Holding the frozen stake, Kahli inched forward with her heart in
her throat.
So, it’ll end here
, she thought and moved
forward.

The sound came faster and louder. She stood
at the junction of two tunnels, both equally dark. The dust in the
left tunnel was disturbed. That was the direction the King had
gone. Backing into the opposite tunnel, Kahli hid her body in the
thick shadows. She crouched low to the ground and waited.

As the footfalls came closer, her heart raced
faster. As soon as his head came through the tunnel, she’d spring
on him and stab him in the heart. That would be enough to slow him
down until she severed his head. Kahli breathed slowly, trying to
steal her nerves. Every inch of her felt alive, vibrating with
anticipation. Her skin prickled as she waited, bouncing on the
balls of her feet. It was so dark.

Within seconds a dark head appeared in the
tunnel and she leapt. She could just make out the features on his
pale face. Kahli sprung from her hiding place, her arm falling
fast, but the man turned suddenly, like he knew she was there. The
stake scraped the side of his face, leaving an angry red trail of
blood down his cheek.

The man’s hand flew up and caught Kahli’s
wrist. Smashing it back above her head, he hit her hand into the
wall. It shredded the top of her glove, and cut the back of her
hand. Kahli kicked out her knee connecting with his gut. The man
gasped and bent in half. Kahli’s arm ached, but she was still able
to hold onto the stake. Kahli crouched low. The shadows obscured
her face. She didn’t have a chance to look at her attacker. It was
too dark. It wasn’t until she rushed him and slammed his taut body
into the wall again, that she saw his face.

“Cole?” she gasped, saying his name as the
air was forced from his lungs.

Cole didn’t seem to see her. He was still
fighting; his arm was pulled back, ready to connect with her face
when he stopped mid-swing. Cole held his fist there, hovering in
the air. “Kahli?” he asked, as if she were the last person he
expected to see.

Kahli nodded and shoved him hard, before
stepping back. He gave her space and looked behind them. The tunnel
was empty. “What are you doing here?” he asked, irritated.

“Assassinating the royal family,” she said
casually, like this was a normal part of her daily routine.
Breathing hard, she bent over and put her hands on her waist. Her
hair fell over her shoulders like an orange curtain. It was the
first time she stopped to catch her breath since she ran from
Reggie. Kahli sucked in a deep breath, and asked, “You?”

Cole’s chest rose and fell sharply. Sweat
clung to his brow. It looked like he had a long night as well. Cole
shrugged, like it was nothing, “Somehow I ended up in charge of the
vamp’s blood bank—all of them. Cassie wouldn’t leave anyone
behind.” Anger flashed across his eyes as he thought of Brent, but
he pushed the thought away. Cole never thought he’d be doing this.
“So, I’m trying to find a way out that won’t get the rest of them
slaughtered on sight. It’s not like they’re the most athletic
group.” Cole jerked his thumb back the way Kahli had come. “Where
does this lead?”

“The garden at the South wall,” she said
quickly, “but there are vamps looking for me in the hills if you go
that way.” Everyone was looking for her.

Cole pressed his lips together tightly and
swore. After a moment, he looked at Kahli and told her, “The King
knows you’re following him.” He told her because he didn’t know
what else to do, what else to say. Cole lifted his hand to his face
and smeared the blood from his cheek. It mingled with the sweat and
made a scarlet arc on his cheek. Cole could still feel the sticky
warmth sliding down his face where Kahli cut him. He lifted his
fingers away, the tips red with blood, “You could have killed me,
you know.”

“I seriously doubt it,” she muttered. Kahli
learned Cole was strong during the Purging, but up until that
moment, she had no idea that he knew how to fight, too. Holding up
her hand, she said, “You practically tore my arm off.” Blood
dripped down her white sleeve, wrapping around her arm like red
ribbon. Kahli was so tense. They both stared at each other for a
moment. “Is Cassie okay?”

“She is,” he replied, still angry, “no thanks
to you.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that you messed up everything, for
everyone. If I don’t get them out of here tonight, they all die.”
He pointed behind him. Every muscle in his body was corded tight,
ready to pop. “It might be too late already. They’ll be executed if
the Queen is killed.” Cole’s voice dripped with disdain. “This is
your fault.”

Kahli wanted to punch him again. Instead she
tried to push past him, “I don’t have time for this,” but he
stepped in front of her.

“You can’t go that way. You’re walking into a
trap. You’ll get yourself killed and Cassie won’t have time to get
the others out of the palace.” He folded his arms, refusing to let
her pass.

“Move, Cole.” She commanded, stepping closer
to him, expecting him to back away.

“Over my dead body,” he said it with complete
certainty.

Kahli gnashed her teeth at him, growling, “As
much fun as that would be, I can’t kill Cassie’s brother. Now move
or I’ll make you.”

Cole didn’t respond. He stood there in the
tunnel, blocking her path into the palace, arms folded firmly
across his chest. His brown eyes were narrowed to slits, “Make
me.”

Kahli screamed and threw her shoulder into
Cole’s stomach. Cole took the hit, doubling over and spinning to
alleviate the blow. Kahli used her momentum to push past him, and
nearly did, but Cole reached out and grabbed her wrist. His bloody
fingers wrapped around the exposed skin between her glove and her
sleeve. That’s when it happened. Kahli screamed, her wrist burning
like her skin was on fire. Cole gasped, flinging her wrist from him
like she was poison. They both gulped air as they swore. Cole
looked at the palm of his hands, his eyes widening, as Kahli looked
down at her wrist.

The remains of the Section 8 runes were gone,
burned away. The pale white scar from the wolf’s fang zigzagged
across her smooth skin like a bolt of lightning. And as she stared,
something else began to appear. Under her skin, a line spread
slowly, burning bright. It was like the blood runes on Will’s
chest, how they appeared under her fingers when she touched him. A
flaming pattern formed, spinning in slow circles, and lifted to the
surface, burning the mark into her skin. Kahli clutched her arm,
trying to stop the scalding pain. When she lifted her gaze, she saw
Cole grasping his wrist, looking at his palm like he wanted to cut
it off.

Tilting his head back, he pressed his eyes
closed. Kahli could see something branded on his palm, the bright
red lines still glowing like wisps of a flame. It was her family
crest. It was burned into the center of his palm. Kahli couldn’t
breathe. She staggered back from Cole, clutching her wrist, too
afraid to look. Before she had a chance to think, Cole’s angry gaze
met hers. He grabbed her wrist, his bloody hand curling around her
arm. Flipping her wrist over, he looked at the mark with disgust.
Cole dropped her arm, and turned on his heel, thrusting his hands
into his hair like he was going to scream and pull it out.