A Clash of Storms (A Shade of Vampire #50)(22)

“Well done, Nova!” Thadeus gave her a warm smile, which faded when the Daughter fell to the floor, too weak to get up.

She was pale and fragile, and her trick of breaking Azazel’s hold on Damion had clearly taken its toll on her. I hung the sword on my belt and set the shield aside to scoop her up in my arms, and she rested her head on my chest. Patrik and Thadeus looked at her with visible concern, before Damion’s groans caught their attention.

“What happened?” he asked, peeling his eyes open and wiping the sweat from his face. He glanced at us, blinking rapidly until he realized where he was and what had happened. He noticed his legs and gasped. “Oh! I’m… I’m back?”

Thadeus gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder, chuckling with relief.

“Yeah, you’re back, you whiny bastard! The Daughter helped!”

They all stood up, Damion leaning against Thadeus for initial support, getting reacquainted with his legs. He grinned as he looked down at his toes, while I turned around to shield Nova from the nakedness of now three Druids standing in front of us.

“Are you okay, honey?” I asked her, scanning her face.

“Yes, I think so.” She blinked slowly. “Just tired, always tired…”

The little ruby pendant around her neck drew my attention.

“Azazel uses this to feed off your powers, doesn’t he?”

She nodded her response, clutching it in her little hand.

“He said I’ll feel worse if I take it off.” She sighed.

“He lied,” Damion replied. “It feels worse with it off, but that’s just to convince you to keep it on. You need to destroy it, and it’ll cut off the power link he made to you. I watched him set it all up with a spell.”

A moment passed as we all stared at him. He’d gotten so far so quick, going from the stubborn Destroyer to the helpful Druid in front of us.

“Look at you, so cooperative all of a sudden.” Thadeus smirked, then moved toward Nova and me. He quietly waited for her permission. When she nodded, he took the pendant off and tossed it on the floor.

He raised his foot, ready to stomp it.

“Wait,” I said, suddenly thinking about the repercussions. “Azazel will most likely feel the break.”

“He’s right,” Damion agreed. “Best to wait to break it until she’s out of here…”

“Where am I going?” she asked, half asleep already.

My heart broke to see her so weak, so exhausted, a victim of Azazel’s greed and desperate bid for power.

Damion stepped forward, looking at Nova and me. “I’ll get her out of here,” he said. “Thadeus and I have been looking after her from the moment we were turned. Thadeus can stay here and fight. I’m not strong or brave enough to face Azazel, but I can take her to Mount Agrith. I can take her to her sisters.”

Patrik, Thadeus, and I looked at each other—a brief and wordless exchange that ended in a collective nod. One of my shifters turned into a flying horse, spectacularly large for the size of the room. It reminded me of the proverbial bull in a china shop as it trotted over to the tall window, which was narrow but not enough to keep the horse from getting out of there.

The other shifter padded over to its mate and fiddled with the lock on the window until it was able to open it wide, then looked at me and stepped back. They never ceased to amaze me.

Patrik grabbed the bedspread and loosely wrapped it around Damion’s waist, a glimmer of amusement in his blue eyes. Damion gave him a confused look in return.

“You know, since you’re going to see the Daughters on Mount Agrith. At least make yourself presentable.” Patrik grinned.

“Ah, yes, true…”

“Get on the horse,” I said.

He climbed onto the back of the winged shifter, unable to take his eyes off it. I gave him Nova, whom he held affectionately close to his chest, then recovered my shield from the floor.

“How’d you get shifters to obey your commands like this?” he asked.

“One of Nova’s sisters helped.” I smirked, pointing at the flying horse’s glowing violet eyes.

“Oh.” He nodded, making the connection. He then looked at us, a pained expression settling on his face. “I’ll keep her safe and get her to Mount Agrith, I promise. It’s the least I can do, and not enough to right my wrongs.”

“It’s okay, Damion,” I replied. “Azazel’s hold is strong—you have every reason to be afraid. You’re free now. That’s all that matters.”

“Smash the pendant as soon as I’m over fifty yards away,” he said. “Azazel will sense it. You need to get out of here, too. He’ll be out for blood.”

“Got it.” Patrik gave him a curt nod.

The shifter-horse neighed and moved back a couple of feet. Damion grasped its mane while using his other arm to hold Nova. The creature then ran and jumped through the open window, expanding its wings and shooting upward into the sky.

There were plenty of Destroyers flying around, but none close enough to immediately notice Damion. The shifter was fast, too, covering the fifty-yard distance in just a couple of seconds. I immediately stomped my boot on the pendant, satisfied by the crackling sound. We all felt the pulse emitted by the crushed ruby, and looked at each other for a brief moment.