A Clash of Storms (A Shade of Vampire #50)(42)

“Viola!” I gasped.

She smiled and touched the glass between us. The sphere disintegrated, and the water surrounding me collapsed with a loud splash as I fell to the floor. I coughed hard, readjusting my lungs to breathing air, then sprang to my feet and took her in my arms.

I held her tight, my body shuddering at the feel of her skin against mine. I hid my face in her rich, reddish pink hair, then kissed her deeply.

“You’re back,” I croaked as I looked at her, cupping her face in my hands.

She touched my obsidian cuffs. The restraints were instantly pulverized, the black dust gathering in the wind. I was finally free to use my sentry abilities.

“My sisters and I felt it when Nova left the castle,” she replied gently, as swords clanged behind us on the platform. “Azazel was keeping a protective spell over Luceria, and we couldn’t find out where exactly he was holding her. The moment she left, however, I rebelled because Azazel had lost all the leverage he’d had against us. They didn’t want to come, but I had to help. I had to see you…”

Viola trailed off as she reached out and touched Aida’s bubble. The glass vanished, and Aida fell flat on her face, wheezing as the water spread out on the black floor.

“Good grief, you’re incredible,” I said, then pointed at Jovi. “He needs help—he’s dying, Viola!”

She nodded briefly before rushing over to Jovi.

I heard a grunt come from Field, and a shiver of fear ran through me as I watched him slide across the floor to one side, too fast, as two Destroyers slithered after him. He’d been hit on the head, and was losing consciousness, unable to stop himself from drawing dangerously close to the platform’s edge.

Aida sprang to her feet and leapt after him. The water that had spread out on the floor helped her slip faster, as she landed on her belly, and she managed to grab his legs. But now they were both at risk of falling over the edge.

I quickly looked ahead and noticed two large pillars framing the open space through which Field and Aida were going to fall off the platform, based on their trajectory. Summoning as much energy as I could, I threw out two powerful barriers, one after the other in quick succession.

The invisible pulses released in an arch. They crashed into the pillars and knocked them down, one on top of the other on the edge of the platform, just as Field and Aida slid and rammed into them with a heavy thud.

They both moaned from the pain, Field snapping back into consciousness and Aida holding her shoulder, while I found myself stunned by my first targeted and angled double barrier. I figured our dire circumstances had brought out the best in me, but I couldn’t help but think that Viola’s presence might have helped, too.

I instantly turned and pushed out another barrier, this time aimed at the two Destroyers coming after Field and Aida. It knocked them back, enough for the shifters to jump them and finish the job. Destroyer blood sprayed from their headless necks, glazing the black stone floor.

Viola pulled the sword out of Jovi’s stomach, then instantly covered his wound with her bare hands, her fingers glowing pink while she worked to heal him. I heaved a sigh of relief as I watched Jovi’s breathing begin to regulate, the border between life and death growing more distant. She touched his face gently, and said something to him with a reassuring smile. Jovi stared at her for a moment, then nodded.

A hiss to my right made me snap back to the dangerous reality, and I immediately pushed out another barrier to keep a Destroyer away long enough for me to grab one of the fallen hostiles’ swords and enter the fray.

My blood simmered, and my heart beat frantically in my chest. My Viola was back, and I was finally getting my chance to defend my friends, my sister, and all of Eritopia.

I roared with all my might as I launched myself at the Destroyer, my blade eager to slice up some oversized snakes.





Jovi





My vision cleared as I heard Viola’s words echo through me.

“You’re strong, Jovi,” she said gently. “You will survive this.”

I nodded, almost as a reflex, and looked up at her. She smiled, hope glimmering in her violet eyes, and I realized the pain in my stomach was gone. I looked down and noticed the broadsword that Azazel had driven into me was discarded on the black stone floor, its blade coated in my blood.

I’d thought that I was hallucinating when I first saw her, my dying haze playing with my senses and taunting me with hopes of salvation. But as it all came into focus, the truth became palpable.

My heart swelled with relief as I realized that Viola was, indeed, kneeling next to me, and that I hadn’t imagined everything. She’d managed to pull me out of the darkness into which I’d been descending, healing my wound with her life-saving power.

“I can’t express just how good it is to see you,” I mumbled.

The sound of Destroyers hissing and grunting, swords clashing, and shifters growling grew louder around me, as reality quickly came back into focus. We were up on the platform. There was fighting going on between us and Azazel’s Destroyers.

I moved to get up, but my muscles felt like stone, unyielding and tight. My eyes widened when I remembered Azazel’s blood spell. Viola had saved me, but it seemed that she hadn’t removed his toxic control. I glanced at him and noticed his sneer as he threw me a glance over his shoulder. He still had a grip on Serena, assessing the rest of us while in a standoff with Draven, and he still controlled me.