Chapter 484: Escape
I ran. I had no choice, no recourse. I could have fought, of course I could have. But even if I won, Pannera would have attacked me next for the power of the essence, law or no law. Especially after our little conversation about me taking the throne should I win.
Even my vampire essence wasn't strong enough to take on two Queens.
But I knew better than to teleport. Instead, just as Celeste's hissing whisper faded from her lips, I reached deep, drew my demon as far to the surface as I could and tore open the veil.
I felt Celeste's hand on my neck as I tumbled forward into the narrow gap, barely big enough for me to squeeze through. Her grip slid, released as the veil slammed shut behind her.
I hoped she lost a finger.
Only problem was, my demon was now out of power and able to muster only enough to reopen the veil and toss me out before she lost consciousness. I staggered into the darkness, surrounded by trees, stumbling over a pile of rocks and to the edge of a very, very high cliff.
Panic drove me back from the edge to clutch at the trunk of an evergreen, panting and crying from fear.
-I'm falling and falling, the mountain passing to my left, the city of Ostrogotho growing larger on my right, heading for the Parade at terminal velocity while I fight to breathe-
It took me too long to recover, far too long, especially when I looked up and saw the castle on the next ridge, so close they would be on me in moments.
If they could track me.
I had no doubt they could.
"Ready to accept my help yet?"
I spun, found Ameline standing at the lip of the brink, looking down over the edge without fear. I hated her so much in that instant I lashed out with my vampire power. Would have pushed her over the edge if she hadn't stepped back and to the side in time my attack missed.
"I take that as a no." Ameline shrugged, jacket creaking under her black cloak. "Don't say I didn't offer." She paused as I felt the subtle compression of air displacement. A vampire. Two, more and more, all around me. Not on me yet, but they would be soon.
"You're sure?" She smiled and I lost it.
"You'd better run," I snarled. "Because when I clean up these miserable excuses for vampires I'm going to come after you."
Ameline laughed before touching her fingers to her forehead and bowing a little. "I'll be waiting."
She shuddered into shadow and vanished just as the pale, ghostly figures of Batsheva's vampires drifted into view, floating faces, shoulders, and claw-like hands glistening white in the darkness, closing in on me.
I begged my demon to wake, felt Shaylee prodding her with her own level of desperation, called up my family magic to feed her. But it was no use. She'd given me everything she'd had.
It wasn't nearly enough. But not her fault, not Shaylee's or the power of my witchcraft. Not my vampire's either. I'd failed them all because I just didn't think I could lose.
There was still teleportation. I let the vampire out. Time to blow.
"Stop." Batsheva's voice echoed from the trees as she drifted forward, Celeste on one side, Piotr on the other.
And everything stopped.
Oh, I tried. The vampire in me tried. But we were frozen, locked in place, no amount of help from Shaylee or my magic able to free me from that command.
Familiar faces appeared from the black, coming to stand beside me.
"Right to death," Batsheva snarled. "You're no longer welcome, Pannera."
The vampire Queen turned and met my eyes. "I told you this wouldn't work." She shook her head. "You little fool. You've doomed us all."
Thanks for the kick in the hee-haw when I was down.
"I will not abandon our only hope against the Brotherhood." Sunny stepped in front of me. "Or my friend."
"I won't leave my niece to be killed for your revenge and because you want to steal her power." Uncle Frank joined her, one arm around her shoulders.
"And I." Sebastian came to my side, reaching for my hand. "I owe her my soul."
Maybe if he'd let well enough be, things would have turned out differently. Because Pannera didn't seem to oppose Sunny and Uncle Frank's support of me. But the moment Sebastian touched me, jealousy crossed the Queen's face and sealed my doom.
"This is vampire law." She slashed the air with one hand. "My clan is ordered to leave. Immediately." She turned from my uncle, my friends. "All of you."
Sebastian's hand tightened on mine, his face contorting in pain. I pulled against his grip, freeing my hand before shoving him back. "Just go," I whispered, unable to speak louder for fear I'd beg him to say. "Please."
Pannera would kill them, I had no doubt. And since it was clear I was going to die in the next few minutes, no way was I taking three people I cared about with me.
Uncle Frank staggered from the weight of the order, reaching for me, but I stepped back, focusing on Sebastian. "Just take him and go!"
Sebastian, longing and agony on his face, grasped Uncle Frank's arm and shuddered into shadow.
They were gone.
Sunny turned to me, her own pain clear, but somehow resisting the order the best.
"I love you," she whispered. "And I will die with you. I can't leave you alone."
I hugged her, desperately. "I can't bear to think you died because of me. Please, Sunny, if you really do love me, follow your orders."
Okay, just to be clear here, I wanted her to stay. Hell, yeah. Would have caved in about half a second if she'd lingered any longer. She made it hard enough as it was to be brave when I just wanted to howl for my mommy and make her fix this.
My job. There had to be something I could do.
"You will leave," Pannera snapped, right in Sunny's ear. "Now."
My friend flickered, face twisting in pain. Fought it. And vanished.
Pannera spun on Batsheva. "This was your plan all along," she spit her fury at the other Queen. "You had no intention of sharing the power. You manipulated me into challenging the witches and put my clan at risk." She slashed at Batsheva's feet with her power. "Don't think I will ever forget this. Or think for a moment we are done."
"I order you to leave my territory," Batsheva said with a sweet smile, "and never set foot it in again or there will be war between us."
Pannera stepped back from the pulse of magic joining Batsheva's words, sparing me one last flat, empty look before she, too, teleported away with the rest of her clan.
Leaving me alone.
In the dark forest.
With death.
Batsheva's smile didn't waver.
"Drain her," she said.
***
