A Meet of Tribes (A Shade of Vampire #45)(35)

I told them about his exchange with Serena and his decision to invade Earth next out of psychopathic spite, just to get some kind of revenge against Serena, against all of us for opposing him and throwing wrenches into his wheels at every possible turn. No one said anything for a while. I couldn’t blame them. I, too, had trouble coming to terms with the possible future. The horror was difficult to fathom.

I shuddered as I thought of my parents, grandparents, family, friends, and the rest of the creatures of Earth who would be faced with the wrath of Azazel if he made it to that point in the future. If he were to win.

“The Destroyers wield incredible power,” Draven said, his voice soft as if treading slowly. He was most likely aware of what impact this vision had on me, on all of us. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they did manage to escape from Eritopia at some point. We need to make sure that the Daughters don’t end up changing their minds. It’s the only way I see Azazel leaving this world.”

“You think the Daughters would drop their defenses and let him spread out like a disease into other worlds?” Serena asked.

“Based on Vita’s vision, it seems like they would. We will have to dig deeper into the future and figure out which events would lead to such an abandonment. After all, they do serve Eritopia.”

“So, what do we do next?” I asked, no longer willing to sulk and worry about my Oracle transition or the nasty visions. The game had changed.

It was no longer just about Eritopia.

“You all need to rest for a while,” Draven replied. “You’ve done incredible work, and we’ve made substantial progress. Afterward, we’ll have to define a new plan and further investigate the string of events that will lead to that last vision of yours, Vita.”

“Needless to say, the stakes have been upped,” Serena added and straightened her back, pulling her shoulder blades closer together. “With Azazel potentially invading Earth, it’s clear that we cannot, under any circumstances, allow him to destroy Eritopia. He must be stopped.”

She spoke to all of us.

My gaze shifted from her to Aida, then Jovi, Phoenix, and Field. They all shared the same expression. Their resolve had changed. Concern no longer marred their features. Instead, I saw determination and a youthful viciousness I’d only seen during GASP trainings.

It took me another minute to realize that I was feeling the same way. Even if I were to go blind and whatever else the Oracle transformation brought down on me, I had a job to do. It was written in my genetic code, it was a part of my ethos. My family had spent generations protecting those who could not defend themselves, maintaining peace and unity between the most extraordinary of species.

There was no way we, their children, would be lesser beings than that.

I took a deep breath and took Serena’s hand in mine. “I think it’s time we start living up to the Novak name, don’t you think?”

She gave me a self-assured smile, the kind that exuded the confidence and bravery we would all need on this mission.

“You’re damn right,” she said.

She didn’t know it yet, but I had a feeling that Serena would soon be the force of unity between us all. She had the strength and determination needed to lead.





Serena





We’d all shifted quickly from shock and dismay to solid determination.

Vita’s vision of Azazel destroying Eritopia and preparing to invade Earth had gutted me, and judging by the looks on Phoenix, Vita, Field, Aida, and Jovi’s faces, it had had the same effect on them.

We were made from the same cloth. We were raised to stand up and fight for what was right. And given how personal it had become, thanks to Azazel’s future decision to invade our world, we seemed to have finally found our resolve. He had to be stopped, no matter what the cost was.

However, we still had a long way to go from acknowledging these emotions to putting them into practice. Most importantly, there were plenty of unknowns still in the equation.

The last Daughter of Eritopia was with us, but we had no clue what she could do and how we could persuade her to stay by our side once her sisters claimed her. I knew, deep down, that the Daughters of Eritopia were of a single mind, in a way. Phoenix’s vision of them on Mount Agrith had confirmed that suspicion already.

Our Daughter might be innocent and quiet now, but she might turn against us in the end. Or worse, she might leave us to be with her sisters and no longer interfere in Eritopian affairs.

The thought weighed heavily on my shoulders. I watched my brother’s fingers fiddle with one of her reddish pink curls, lost in conversation with a creature who had the potential to wield godlike powers.

The one thing that gave me hope that the last scenario might not come true was Vita’s third vision. I had a feeling that the Daughters could be persuaded to get involved if they believed in Azazel’s potential destruction of the very world that gave birth to them. I figured they might decide to stand their ground, if persuaded early enough. I’d have to talk about this with Draven soon and go over options. I certainly wasn’t ready to consider seeing the Daughters again, especially after what they had done to the Druid.

Our Oracles were slowly but surely coming into their own. However, time wasn’t on our side, and the incubi’s treachery had diminished our chances of a solid alliance against the Destroyers. We had to delve into the unknown and interact with creatures otherwise best left in the darkness just so we could gain some form of advantage in the battlefield.