A Clash of Storms (A Shade of Vampire #50)(12)

A moment passed in heavy silence as Draven and Jasmine stared at each other. I sensed the turmoil brewing in his heart, the mixed feelings and the inexplicable relief to see her standing there. I did understand where he was coming from. Despite his anger, Jasmine was the only family he had left. He’d grown up yearning for someone to show him the ropes, but all he’d had were invisible wards and the occasional friends he’d made whenever he’d ventured beyond the shield.

As someone who’d grown up pretty much on his own, he was relieved to see he still had family. It hurt that she’d kept her distance but, deep down, I knew he understood her reasons. I did, too.

“I kept an eye on the mansion all these years,” she continued. “I formed an alliance with the White Tribe once Azazel’s armies started burning through their territory up north. They joined me beneath the cloaking spell, and we operated quietly from there, waiting for you to grow up and continue your father’s work. When the protective shield came down, however, I had to come out of hiding. I’m here to help you, Draven. I’m here to lend you my strength. I see you’re finally taking the fight to Azazel, and believe me when I say that I’ve been waiting for this day to come for a long time…”

Draven still had trouble replying. But I could feel his defenses shattering. I knew him well enough to know how his reasoning worked. Past the novelty of a living relative, he was facing a new ally with dozens of succubi under her command. We needed every able-bodied fighter we could get, and the White Tribe was a welcome addition to our alliance.

Most importantly, Jasmine was an experienced Druid.

“I think I should also inform you now that my trusted White Tribe succubi were gracious enough to ambush and burn down the caravan of papers that the Destroyers had been ordered to bring back from the mansion after the shield fell,” she said.

“You kept eyes on the mansion after it fell to the Destroyers?” Draven blinked with surprise.

“I did, yes,” she replied. “There was too much precious information in there, I knew the beasts would have to bring it back to Azazel for him to look through. I didn’t want him to get anything of use to him. Consider it a gesture of good will, on my part.”

I looked over at Malachy and the others, and I could see them exhaling and nodding slowly as they exchanged glances. Draven ran a hand through his hair, then leaned forward.

“At least you got to see this day come,” he finally said.

Jasmine’s eyes flickered black as she fought back tears.

“I miss him, too, you know,” she replied in a trembling voice. “We were inseparable for centuries before Azazel decided he wanted Eritopia all to himself. Almus dedicated his life to preserving Druid principles and peace across the realm.”

“Then it’s time we bring it all back for him.” Draven straightened his back, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

Jasmine cocked her head to one side and put on a charming smile. I’d seen Almus in Draven’s memories, and I had to admit, she was definitely his sister.

“Does that mean you’ll allow us to fight by your side?” she asked with an undertone of humor.

“If you can keep up with us, sure,” Draven replied, then clicked his teeth and gently nudged his horse into motion.

He was the first to ride out. The others followed suit, their horses galloping down the path. The Bajangs, the wards, and the succubi all darted in the same direction, rustling the leaves as they widened their circle around our group.

I trotted closer to her and offered her a hand.

“Need a ride?” I asked.

She looked up and smiled at me. She then took my hand and climbed onto my horse behind me. The stallion neighed, slightly unhappy with two riders, but eventually started racing after the others.

“Thank you, Serena,” she whispered in my ear.

“For what? It’s just a ride!”

“For helping him become the Druid he is today. I see the way he looks at you. It’s the same look that Almus had whenever Genevieve was near him.”

“Oh,” I mumbled, feeling my cheeks catch fire. I guessed we really were that obvious. “Thanks…”

“You give him strength, I can tell,” she said. “I’m happy he’s found someone like you at a time like this. True love blossoms in the face of adversity, after all.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. She was right, so I let her see my smile before I looked ahead and focused on getting my horse to run faster until we caught up with the group. I trotted to Draven’s side, and our eyes met for a moment. My heart swelled at the golden energy that emanated from him whenever I was near.

He looked briefly at Jasmine and nodded, then focused on the path ahead.

We’d gained an ally on our way to Luceria, but the hard part hadn’t even started yet. The castle loomed ahead, black and menacing, with swarms of Destroyers and green fireflies. The drums of war grew louder, as did the sound of a river flowing nearby.

The first real stage of our mission was about to begin.





Aida





We were stuck in glass bubbles, but it didn’t mean we were useless—at least, that was what I’d been telling myself as the hours slipped by. At dawn, I could see the sun rising boldly over the horizon, casting soft hues of orange and pink, quietly announcing the beginning of war. It was time to see what else was happening below.