A Clash of Storms (A Shade of Vampire #50)(58)

It was over, and I felt like I could breathe again.

I’d been so close to losing Draven. So close to losing this battle. But I hadn’t. We had stood strong and trusted each other to do the right thing, even when it all seemed to tumble down a path to certain death.

We were finally free.





Serena





“What about the pendant?” Anjani asked, looking down at the gold snake with ruby eyes left on the floor. It didn’t move anymore. The green flicker was gone, but there was still something about it that gave me the creeps, as if there were some Asherak residue inside it, lurking and waiting to fall into the wrong hands again.

Viola picked it up, analyzing it as she wrapped the broken chain around her fingers. She pursed her lips and glanced at Draven and me.

“There is still something in it,” she said. “Something dark and evil. I think Asherak’s soul returned to it. He cast a powerful spell on this object, something the other Druids couldn’t break thousands of years ago.”

The thought made my blood freeze.

“I thought he burst into nothingness when I expelled him.” Draven frowned, bringing his arm around my waist and instinctively pulling me closer in a protective gesture.

“I think that was just a reaction to his expulsion,” Viola said. “Like one last try to hang on, which obviously backfired. His soul is in here, but the snake isn’t moving anymore. I think his spirit is now once again dormant, rejected by the last host.”

“So what do we do with it?” I asked. I didn’t feel comfortable with that thing anywhere near me or Draven. It made my stomach churn.

“The Druids never asked the Daughters for help with Asherak’s pendant. They tried to destroy it themselves and failed,” Viola replied. “I will take it to Mount Agrith and toss it into the water that created us. The primordial liquid may be able to destroy it. If not, at least it will be lost at the bottom of the mountain, where no living creature could ever reach it.”

She turned to Phoenix and kissed him gently, touching his face with a reassuring smile.

“I’ll be back soon, I promise,” she said slowly.

Phoenix sighed, then nodded.

“I’ll be here.”

Without another word, Viola closed her eyes and dissipated into a pink mist right before our eyes. She scattered with the wind, off to put Asherak’s soul somewhere so far and deep that it could never be found again.

It felt as if a massive weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

Draven took my hand, and we both walked over to the edge of the platform. We’d all heard the fighting, the explosions and the shouting and wailing, but we hadn’t gotten to see the outcome of the allied forces’ siege, as we’d been busy with our own war up here.

Thick columns of smoke billowed from where explosions had taken place. The ground had been split here and there, and thousands of incubi lay lifeless in the tall grass around the castle. Silver blood glazed the hills and trickled down into the river.

Destroyer corpses, returned to their Druid forms, were scattered all over, while the traps that the imps had set also held Druids, free of Azazel’s spell. I counted about forty of them in total. The throngs of incubi that had turned against Azazel once the allied forces had besieged the castle were huddled into heavily guarded groups, cluttered on the side of the main road leading into the castle. I used my True Sight to get a better look, noticing the worried and regretful looks on their faces.

Hansa came to stand next to me, gazing down.

“They may have turned against Azazel,” she said. “But they will answer for their crimes and treason. The Destroyers had an excuse, after all. Or, at least, most of them did. But the incubi were given a choice, and they still sided with Azazel. We’ll have to interrogate all of them and find out where they truly stand. Chances are that those who sided with Azazel in the early days are those most likely to betray Eritopia again.”

“And the same will be done with the Druids,” Draven added. “We have truth spells to determine which of them had pure intentions and which ones joined Azazel willingly.”

I nodded slowly, then resumed scanning the battlefield below. The castle’s fa?ade had been marred by explosive projectiles, but the structure and most of its walls were still intact, leaving room for localized repairs and restoration work.

The allies were celebrating, hugging and shaking hands and roaring with delight as they were reunited with the many prisoners still pouring out from the dungeons. The Dearghs had come to a halt, giant, quiet statues overlooking the castle and its bloody hills, their eyes simmering orange. Draven took my hand and squeezed it gently.

“They’ll be okay,” he said. “We’ll reignite the volcanoes once we restore some basic order here. They’ll come back to life, except for the Dearghs who sacrificed themselves in turning the fiery mountains off. Unfortunately, they are gone for good…”

I then glanced over to Zeriel and Tamara, who were standing in the middle of their garrisons. The Lamias and Tritones had joined forces, overpowering Luceria’s defenses on that side of the castle. They had been laughing, but stilled as they looked up and saw us. The whole crowd erupted in a massive cheer as they brought their hands, their shields, and their weapons up.

The allies banged metal against metal in a rhythmic beat that made me shudder. I felt overwhelmed with pride and sheer awe at what we’d accomplished. They had every reason to celebrate. They’d earned their freedom, and they’d lost many loved ones in the process.