Entwined With the Dark (42 page)

"I love you," I whispered as tears streamed down my face, mirrored by his own. "Please don't forget."

And then I was no longer in the eye of the storm, but within it and all hell had broken loose.

A scream tore from my throat before I could stop it. An embarrassing sound halfway between terror and surprise. Despite the imminent closing of the portals, the
Dökkálfa
had appeared. Loud cracks in the air, followed by sparks of bright light and shouts of alarm reverberated around the large Council Chamber we were in. The Queen of the Dark Fairies had arrived with a sizeable entourage and for the life of me I could not understand why.

Why would she risk stranding herself in our realm once the portals closed? They would, within minutes. I could still feel mine and Michel's combined joining Light seeping into the world, seeking all of those portals to Faerie, beginning the process of closing them once and for all. It was what the Champion had wanted, above all else. It was the reason why she had agreed to this ceremony tonight.

The Champion had taken a risk all for the chance - the possibility - of our joining Light being powerful enough to close the accessways to and from
Álfheimr
. Her risk had paid off, but I don't think she had anticipated the
Dökkálfa
turning up at the last second to seek revenge. That's the only reason why I could imagine Sofiq being here, which meant she'd be seeking revenge on me and Michel too. We were the ones who had entered into that alliance with her, ensuring the portals would remain open no matter what.

And we were about to fail, which meant... I'd be taken to
Álfheimr
, to the
Dökkálfa
Royal Court in fact. Something that was about to happen, there was no stopping it now.

But before it did, we had a fight on our hands.

My Svante sword was in my grip before the shimmering air around the fairies solidified. I searched the crowd for my
Tego Texi Tectum
duo, wanting them to be close in order to nullify and fairy magic in the air, but I was already too late. As soon as the fairies had arrived they'd surrounded Sergei and Nataliya, before any of us could get our bearings, could figure out what was actually happening, they'd thrown glittering golden web-like blankets over the top of each vampire. Whatever the strange ethereal fabrics did, they contained my shields and allowed fairy magic to reign supreme.

Lightning crackled in the air, flashing across the ceiling. The large Council Chamber had several pillars supporting the upper floor rimming the edges, but the only other decorations were the three over-sized chandeliers hanging down the centre of the room. The rest of the vast space was filled with battling vampires and
Dökkálfa
. Crystal shattering added to the cacophony of noises filling the air, as a chandelier crashed to the ground pinning three vampire
Iunctio
guards at once. Thunder rolled across the room, mixed in with grunts and shouts and the clang on clang of metal. Sword against sword, dagger against shield, vampire against fairy. Chaos ruled and in the melee I lost sight of Michel and found myself battling a green
Hyrða
guard.

He was dressed in the obligatory
Dökkálfa
black, chain-mail of some description covering his torso, making it difficult for me to land an effective blow. His curved blade swiping out and managing to slash a small gash in my upper arm. In amongst the ozone smell of disturbed fairy air and the singe of lightning, the metallic scent of my blood filled the air.

Ma douce? Are you all right?
Michel's voice rang out in alarm in my mind. He'd smelled my blood, although I couldn't see him and he no doubt couldn't see me, he'd been aware I had been injured. The Bond making our connection that much closer, despite the distraction of a battle raging within these closed walls.

I'm fine, just a flesh wound,
I replied, spinning around the back of the
Hyrða
and slicing off his head. Bile rose up my throat as he crumpled to the floor. Fairies don't disintegrate into a convenient pile of dust like a vampire does when killed. No, you're left with the evidence of your handiwork. Not a pretty sight.

I sucked in a breath through my mouth and turned to face the next attacker. This one blue, not green, so not a
Hyrða
guard, but by the looks of his hooked claws and the razor sharp row of teeth, equally as deadly. Of course, physical mauling is not the only way
a
Dökkálfa
fairy
can kill you.

I struggled to determine what emotion he was feeding off. I rifled through my increasingly
foggy mind to find that emotion he had chosen. It wasn't love, although thinking of my kindred automatically made me feel unbelievable love, but I hadn't been thinking of him right then. It most certainly wasn't hope either. Right now all hope was lost. I couldn't see us winning this, I couldn't see anything other than the portals closing and my captivity in
Álfheimr
. So hope was out.

But I was feeling fear in large enough quantities to entice a member of
Dökkálfa
and also courage was competing for attention too. I am a Nosferatin, a born vampire hunter. I may not be fighting a rogue vampire right now, but I was fighting for my life, so everything that makes me what I am was in full force. Including my courage in the face of probable death. I couldn't stop my courage, it is ingrained in me, it is a part of my very soul. But I could contain, control my fear. And pray
that
was the emotion this fairy fed on right now.

I grabbed hold of my Light, I let it swell inside me, expand and fill me up. It pushed all fear aside, it comforted and encouraged, supported and convinced me that I was capable of taking this fairy fucker down. My Light is more powerful than the Dark, something that took me a long time to recognise. But events have proven again and again just how powerful my Light can be. I don't doubt it now. It is formidable. And a Dark fairy sucking on my fear can go to hell.

The fairy stumbled, shuddered and then quickly slashed down with both his clawed hands. I swallowed my relief at him having been feeding off the right emotion and swung my Svante up to meet his downward strokes. Sparks flew off the blade as his claws slashed against it. A fingernail-down-chalkboard sound ringing out in the space around us. He screamed in fury, having had his meal cut off and his claws clipped, and then flew at me in a blinding rage.

I couldn't raise my sword in time to prevent the collision, maybe he'd walked through space to get on top of me so quickly, but whatever reason his body ploughed into mine and we went tumbling backwards. My head hit the marble floor hard, flashes of black spots against a bright white background sparked in front of my eyes and a grunt was forced from my lips. My lungs felt crushed, I tried to draw another breath in, but nothing happened. All I could do, in stunned horror, was fend off his strikes. Blood began to pour off my forearms as they met his claws again and again. Pain radiated up each arm and smashed into my head, which had already been throbbing. I felt my vision begin to blur. I knew I only had moments before I lost consciousness and being pulled through the last portal to
Álfheimr
would then be a moot point.

But no matter what I did, I couldn't stop the relentless attack. My arms were shredded and he'd started making progress on my chest. The straps of my Svante's sheath and those on the dress I was wearing directly beneath them were being torn apart and finally he connected with flesh. I screamed as his curved claws wrenched at my skin, the tip of one going deep enough to knick bone. I increased my efforts to fend him off, but they were futile. Strength was leaving me, the world was turning evermore black and time was running out.

I tried one last attempt to budge him with my Light, it blasted woefully pathetically into his chest, but it was enough for me to push him off and scramble backward. But I was only delaying the inevitable. He recovered, crouched ready to pounce. And then a fairy stepped between us and brought down his sword hard.

I watched, clinging on to consciousness with bitter determination. I would see my death coming, I would not seep into the Night without looking my killer in his eyes. The silver of his hair swirled around his perfect facial features like a halo, the grimace on his face one of utter focused resolve. And within seconds he'd killed the blue fairy and spun back to face me.

"Princess," Aliath said as he took in my wounds. He frowned and muttered a word I couldn't understand under his breath. "You need to get out of here, before another attacks. I cannot be seen fighting my own kin."

I blinked slowly at him, trying to puzzle through his words, but they just felt like annoying buzzing mosquitoes in the air between us. They didn't make any sense at all.

"What?" I said unintelligently.

He sighed. "The Queen intends to kill you. If she kills you, then your power being used by the
Iunctio
to close the portals will be no more. No power, no closure of the portals."

His words were making it through the veil of pain, I tried to sit up and groaned in agony. Every inch of torn flesh seemed to scream at me to stop. Aliath slipped an arm around my shoulders and offered some support. He ran a hand over my body, muttered more indecipherable words in Fey and then most of the pain disappeared. I was still bloody, the slashes of ripped flesh now no more than minor cuts.

I didn't thank him, I was in enough trouble not to add debt on top.

"What about the charm?" I asked, letting Aliath help me to my feet. I bent down gingerly and retrieved my sword.

"The charm is irrelevant to her. It was merely an incentive to you and Michel, encouragement for you to keep the portals open at all costs. She would rather your death than your imprisonment in
Álfheimr
." It made sense, but the portals were still closing and if she didn't kill me - here's hoping - then I'd be under her tender hospitable care. Not good.

"Then I guess we kill her," I said and watched as Aliath's face shut down. I frowned at him, but he didn't offer an explanation to his expression, just continued to hold my gaze.

And then I realised why. The battle was still raging around us, like a storm hell bent on total destruction. But the fighting of vampire on fairy was superficial to what was really important right now. Samson, my vampire, was kneeling in front of the Queen, his head back, his arms wide and a mixture of emotions washing over his face.

I took a shaky step toward him and Aliath clamped a hand down hard on my arm.

"He is honouring our bargain, Princess. Do not interfere."

I wrenched my arm out of the Grey Lord's hand, glared at him for good measure and started moving through the crowded room in order to reach them. I would not let Samson sacrifice himself for me. I knew he was holding up his end of an agreement with Aliath. Aliath had already performed his part, so payment was due. But, I had never agreed to this. I wouldn't have, not in a million years. Samson was mine to protect. I had balanced his Dark with my Light. He wore my
Sigillum
, the mark of the
Lux Lucis Tribuo
. He was mine and I would not let him walk this Dark path.

I had to fend off a few attackers, the effort required almost too much. But my Light was blazing and whether it was the fear of what it could do, the shock of seeing it shine around my body, or the fact that it strengthened me and made it impossible for any fairy to land a harmful blow, I don't know. But despite my display of power, my determination to reach Samson's side, the going was slow. Like walking through a huge waterfall, I struggled against the flow and could see, through a veil of distortion ahead, what was happening to Samson and Sofiq.

Samson was pale, whiter than I had ever seen my vampire. His blond hair hung limply around his washed out face, a grimace of pain etched his forehead with deep lines. His chocolate brown eyes flashed taupe and cinnamon. Courage, hope, fear and love displayed clearly on his visage. I knew who he was thinking of, in order to feel all four emotions at once. And if she were here right now, I was certain she would fight to the death to protect him too. Gigi may have had problems admitting her feelings for Samson, but even the Nothus would not have been able to bear what I was seeing right now.

No one could not be affected by his depth of emotion. By the range of his feelings for the girl he desired. I had wondered if one person could feel all four of the emotions the
Dökkálfa
fed from at once, but right now, in front of my very eyes, I saw the truth. True love and the adversities surrounding the achievement of it. Samson felt every one.

And Sofiq, like any
Dökkálfa
faced with a smorgasbord of delicacies, was unable to deny herself a taste. I'm not sure what had happened before I'd become aware of the exchange, but it was obviously enough to distract Sofiq, to allow her to lower her guard. Because even the
Dökkálfa
are not stupid and feeding off all four emotions at once could kill. If Sofiq was worried about lethally harming herself, she didn't show it at all. Greed graced her delicate features. Her silver hair swishing and floating around her head. She raised her hands, stretched out toward Samson and smiled a smile of pure delight. Samson shuddered and collapsed forward onto all fours, panting, despite not needing any air. Sweat dripped off his luminous skin, small tremors shook down his spine.