Chapter 124
Charlie POV
Daniel shut off the link abruptly, after telling me they would be executing their plan any moment, leaving me feeling like an intruder on an intimate family occasion. Siobhan and Dermot hadn’t moved from the circle they had made with their daughters after they got word from Hyacinth, it almost looked like a prayer circle. They had explained that they were going to be channelling their energy to the barrier, try to keep it up, but it didn’t make me any less uncomfortable and anxious. The suspense felt like torture, as I waited to hear if Daniel survived, just when I thought I was going to snap and scream, I felt it. The floor shook sending us all stumbling and bringing me to my knees, there was what I could only describe as a rumbling noise, and the family in front of me simultaneously gasped as I saw something through the window, green flecks between glitter and sparks fell gently from the sky.
“The barrier fell, it fell! I couldn’t stop it!” Meabh cried, as I pulled myself up from the floor.
“I know my darling, it’s alright.” Siobhan said softly, trying to calm her strong-willed daughter, who looked lost for the first time that day.
“That explosion was much bigger than I thought... I’m not sure they meant for it to be that big.” Niamh said, concerned, but before anyone could respond, we heard snarling and growling. Several vampires tore through the streets, all heading for the cottage, it was almost like nothing else existed to them. We watched in horror as more vampires sped through the streets, all converging on the cottage.
“We have to help them.” Meabh said quietly, looking around at her sisters for their opinion.
“Hyacinth said we stay put. So, we stay put.” Dermot said angrily.
“Dermot?” Siobhan took her husbands hands in hers. “I don’t want them fighting any more than you do, but do you really think Hyacinth and Daniel will survive without our help?” She asked him softly.
“They could die! Charlie could die! YOU COULD DIE!” He screamed, gripping her face, his terror over losing her forced me to look away so I wouldn’t cry.
“I’ll die anyway if the vampires win, we all will.” Siobhan said softly, placing a soft kiss on Dermot’s lips.
“I’m going. At the very least I can help heal some injuries.” Niamh said, walking away from the window and to the door, stopping with her hand on it waiting for whomever else was going to volunteer.
“You are going nowhere without me.” Meabh replied crankily, joining her sister’s side and looking to the rest of the family. Eithne and Cadhla exchanged a meaningful look, before silently moving next to the sisters, leaving just Dermot, Siobhan and I to decide.
“Nobody is going anywhere; we do as Hyacinth asked.” Dermot stated, looking at his daughters.
“I promised Daniel I would stay with Dermot... I can’t break that promise.” I whispered, ashamed that a part of me was relieved Dermot wasn’t going to fight.
“We can’t stop them fighting my love.” Siobhan said softly to her husband, moving in front of him, so the girls were behind her. “If they go, I’m going with them, to protect them.” She said, letting go of his hands and standing in front of her daughters. The women got their eyes from their father, but all standing together, they had the same determined look on their faces, and I could see how much of their mother they had inherited.
“Please don’t do this?” Dermot begged, but was interrupted by frantic knocking on the door. Siobhan and Dermot exchanged a confused look, before Niamh rushed to open it, outside stood around twenty of the townspeople, all carrying crystals, or wearing strange jewellery.
“We saw at least thirty vampires that were scattered around our barrier head straight for the cottage. We are going to offer whatever help we can.” The man at the front of the group stated firmly.
“We were just discussing that ourselves.” Niamh said, turning to her father, the question unsaid, but still obvious.
“You could all die, you know this?” Dermot asked as he picked up his coat, and slipped it on, before moving to a credenza, and pulling out several crystals, he paused before picking up a felt box. He took a shuddering breath and placed it in his pocket along with a couple of the crystals, and handed the rest out to his family. “It wouldn’t be breaking the promise to stay here, he made you swear you would stay safe; this isn’t safe.” He said quietly to me, I put my coat on, thinking about my options.
“I need to know if he is alive, maybe I can help? I’ll stay hidden so I don’t distract him, but I need to know. Be there if he...” I couldn’t finish the sentence, or I would have broken down, so instead I took a deep breath to steady myself, and looked Dermot in the eye, ready for his argument.
“You might want something darker, easier to hide if you don’t stick out like a sore thumb.” He said, indicating to the cherry red coat I had just slipped on.
“I don’t have anything else.” I said lamely, looking around the room for help.
“You can borrow one of mine.” Siobhan said, retrieving one from a cupboard, and handing it to me, it was a thick wool lined, navy coat, with a fur lined hood.
“Thank you.” I said taking it, removing my own coat and putting hers on.
“Much better, anyone need anything else before we go?” Dermot asked, and I had to repress a snort, he sounded like a dad checking the kids had everything before they went on a trip. Instead of a rag tag assortment of people who were going to have to learn to fight like an army on the short walk to the battlefield. When no one replied, the sisters started filing out of the house, their mother behind them, and Dermot indicated with his head for me to go before him. Outside the townspeople were discussing something in hushed tones.
“What’s going on?” Meabh asked, with an impatient tone.
“We were just wondering... if Dermot should lead us, until we find Hyacinth.” The man who had knocked the door said sheepishly. “It’s not that we don’t believe in your leadership Meabh, it’s just that Dermot is the only one with actual fighting experience.” He begged her to understand, but I could tell she was hurt.
“Let’s just get a lay of the land before we decide anything.” Dermot announced from the doorstep. “And if you run into a vampire, use protective and defensive spells, repel them, do not take them on in combat until we know what works!” He moved through the group to his daughter. “Prove yourself today and they will look to you in the future.” He said softly to her, making me smile as he embraced her and moved towards the front of the group, her hand in his. Together they led us through the streets, one or two people joined us from their homes as we made our way to the cottage, but many more just watched from their windows, scared looks on their faces. We didn’t see a single vampire, they all appeared to be at the cottage, the sky was getting darker as the clouds gathered and the sun slipped lower. The darkening streets, and growing noises of snarling and growling, killed the soft chatter within the group, the fear was heavy in the air, almost like the mist from our breath in the cold air was carrying it. We got to the outer wall of the cottage grounds, and the noise was deafening, with the battle sounds and rain, it was like an impenetrable din, enveloping us. Niamh slipped a dagger into my hands from the back of her pants, it was simple and yet ornate. The handle was wooden, polished and moulded, so it was comfortable in the hand. The blade itself, had intricate carvings, from the tip, down the centre of the blade, but it had no other embellishments, making the etchings that much more noticeable. I nodded my appreciation, before we snuck, one by one, onto the grounds. We were crouched down at the front of the house, while some of the others snuck around the house, scouts, ready to report back, if they made it that was. I heard a scream, and without thinking followed it to the left side of the house. I saw Daniel, and what must have been one of the Alphas in his arms, bleeding profusely, before Siobhan pulled me back around the house.
“What were you thinking?” She shrieked, as she dragged me back.
“I didn’t, I heard a scream and I reacted.” I tried to explain, but even I didn’t understand what I had done.
“What did you see?” Niamh asked, as we returned to her and the rest of the group.
“One of the Alphas is injured, badly, and Hyacinth is fine, still flinging some kind of light orb spell at the vampires.” Siobhan replied, pushing me roughly onto the floor, before crouching behind one of the rose bushes.
“How badly?” Niamh asked making her mother frown in confusion. “How badly was the Alpha hurt?” She asked, urgently.
“I don’t know. There was a lot of blood.” Siobhan said with a sad sigh, without a word Niamh leapt up from her hiding spot and ran around the house, the same way I had. Siobhan growled in frustration, as Dermot and Meabh came from the other side of the house.
“Where’s Niamh?” Dermot asked his wife.
“Trying to get to one of the injured Alphas to heal him.” Siobhan said with a huff, and Dermot’s eyes shot to me.
“Not Daniel, but I don’t know his name.” I quickly added to reassure him.
“Okay.” He said, pushing his many questions to the back of his mind and focusing on the information he had. “The vampires seem to all be around the back of the house, and towards the east side of the house.” Dermot explained. “We need to get around the house, or we could end up trapped between the outer wall and the house, when the vampires attack.” Dermot said softly, as people gathered around us. “Niamh, thank the goddess you’re alright.” Dermot said with a relieved smile, before his face dropped. “Daniel.” He said lowly, my body spun around before I even processed what was happening. He was stood, naked, splattered with mud, blood, and something black, and tar like in appearance, his hair and beard completely dishevelled, and still he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. My legs moved as my brain was still struggling to catch up, I ran into his arms, jumping to wrap my arms around his neck, and my legs around his waist.
“Daniel.” I moaned, as I felt his skin on mine, our lips finding each other as he pulled me closer.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
