A Clash of Storms (A Shade of Vampire #50)(15)

“Good. Azazel’s time is coming to an end, Thadeus.” Patrik nodded. “An alliance is rising. They will strike today. I’m giving you a chance to join us.”

“But he’s powerful! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’d rather fight and die than spend an eternity as his slave, but still, I’m not sure we stand much of a chance.”

“He’s not as powerful as you might think. Not when we know what his power sources are and how we can shut them down.” The Druid grinned.

As soon as the information sank in, Thadeus took a deep breath, his face lighting up.

“Nova,” he puffed out.

“And the volcanoes, too.” Patrik winked. “The Dearghs are with us, my friend.”

Thadeus straightened, a look of determination accentuating his sharp features.

“Where do I start?” he asked.

“Where you always do. Just fight it. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

I then watched as Thadeus tapped into his willpower, currently buried under Azazel’s spell. He heaved and groaned and coughed as the pain got worse. He doubled over, then dropped to the ground in the fetal position. All the while, Patrik encouraged him to fight and get his freedom back.

The Druid muttered something under his breath and touched the Destroyer’s forehead.

“What… What are you doing?” Thadeus grunted.

“Helping you. Soothing your pain,” Patrik replied. His fingers lit up and dispersed a soft white light into Thadeus’s temples.

Thadeus struggled for a good few minutes, his muscles jerking and his bones crackling violently in his snake tail. He turned livid, a sheet of sweat covering his bare chest and arms, while the Druid continued muttering under his breath and helping him ride it all out.

The Destroyer snarled and looked up, his eyes flickering green, his whole body shuddering.

“Come on, you can do it!” Patrik gritted his teeth. “Fight it! Your fellow Druids from Marton are on their way here, Thadeus. They’re coming to fight! That’s it, Thadeus! Fight it!”

At the mention of his Grand Temple friends, Thadeus groaned, then stilled. A bright green light burned out of his body, and he appeared to lose consciousness as his tail split in two and resumed the form of legs. As the green glow died out, Thadeus’s eyes blinked open.

He breathed in and out several times, not moving. The sweat dripped off his forehead and onto the cold, black marble floor. Patrik watched him quietly, crouching next to him. A minute went by. Thadeus finally came back to his senses, looking up at Patrik and then down at his body.

I turned away at that point, my cheeks flushing as I realized I was now standing in the presence of two naked Druids. If only they could find a better way to morph between serpent and Druid, to include clothes…

“I-I can’t believe it,” Thadeus gasped, sitting up.

“You did it.” Patrik smiled.

“I can’t believe it,” the young Druid repeated, as if still adjusting to his new reality. “Thank you, Patrik. It’s been years… I’d nearly lost hope.”

“Azazel may be powerful, but the will of Druids is much older than he is. He might be able to put us on a leash, but he cannot keep us down forever.”

Thadeus stood up, his knees wobbling as he reacquainted himself with life on two legs. I could see parts of them in the mirror on the wall in front of me—just their heads and shoulders, little enough to not feel guilt for spending this much time in one room with two naked dudes.

My heart swelled with joy. Thadeus had regained his freedom and his Druid form. We now had two Druids on the inside, ready to help us dismantle Azazel’s house of cards—because tyranny and destruction would never last in a world where the people had been genetically engineered for freedom and a deep respect of nature.

I listened quietly as Patrik brought Thadeus up to speed with what the alliance had been up to and what was going to happen next, based on what we’d already told him about Jovi and his extraction mission. Soon enough, however, my vision faded away, and I was pulled back inside the glass sphere, where cold reality awaited.



My eyes popped open, and I breathed in, my lungs tickled by the cool liquid. Vita and Phoenix watched me in silence, expressions of concern drawing shadows on both their faces. I slowly shook my head.

“I didn’t get out of the castle,” I said. “But I know where he’s keeping Nova, and I just watched Patrik help Thadeus regain his Druid form. We’re off to a decent start, I think.”

Phoenix frowned and nodded, while Vita sighed and looked out onto the terrace.

“Do you think they’ll be here soon?” she asked, her voice muffled.

“Let’s find out,” I replied, then closed my eyes for a moment. “Telluris Serena!”

Less than a minute later, I could hear Serena’s voice, crystal clear, inside my head. It gave me unspeakable relief to listen to her as if she were standing right next to me.

“Aida! Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m good. We’re good. Still here!” I sighed, then proceeded to update her on Nova’s location and Thadeus’s return.

“We’re just a few miles away now,” she said. “Hold on tight, and tell Jovi about Nova’s location. I’ll see you soon!”

The energy in her tone traveled the many miles between us and filled me up like liquid sunshine. I nodded, tears coming to my eyes. I found it increasingly difficult to control my emotions in this state. The bubble made me feel claustrophobic, showing me the entire world without letting me touch it.