A Ride of Peril (A Shade of Vampire #46)(43)

Bijarki frowned and took a step forward, pointing the crossbow at the first incubus’s forehead.

“You know my father?”

“We served under Boovar of the Strandh Clan for five hundred years. Five hundred years of loyal and flawless service. Yet he saw fit to toss us aside, as if we’re worthless little worms!” the incubus said, gritting his teeth.

“You’ve been discharged, then,” Bijarki concluded.

Both incubi nodded.

“And you need the gold.”

They nodded again.

“I have no gold to give you, but I can offer you a second chance, if you’re willing to fight like loyal soldiers for me,” Bijarki replied, putting his crossbow away.

“We don’t work for traitors!” the first incubus hissed.

Mira slapped him over the back of his head, making him slump forward.

“The only traitors here are you two worthless rats!” she barked, fury sparking in her eyes. “You, who seek to serve the monster that is tearing our world apart. Not Bijarki, not the one who stood up to Azazel’s reign of terror!”

“Why are you wasting your time with these insects?” Una asked Bijarki, aiming her arrow at the back of the second incubus’s head.

The metallic tip poked his skull, making him squirm.

“We can finish them off quickly,” she added.

“Please don’t,” Bijarki raised his arms in a peaceful gesture. “They have information we might need. You can kill them later. For now, they’re still useful.”

Una shook her head and took a step back, then nodded at both her sisters. They put their bows and arrows away, while Anjani and I kept our crossbows focused on the incubi. We glanced at each other, and I noticed the shadow of a smile passing over her face. We made a pretty good team.

“As you wish,” Una replied. “Then let’s move on to the next order of business. What business do you have at the river, Bijarki?”

“We’re here on behalf of the last Druid standing against Azazel. We seek an alliance with the Lamias to end that monster once and for all,” he said.

The Lamias’ eyes flickered black for a second, their lips stretching into three smiles.

“You mean to tell us there is still one Druid out there who hasn’t turned into a filthy and sterile Destroyer?” Lira asked, her voice sweet as honey.

“Sterile?” I asked.

“You think we’d be in this predicament of utter extinction had we been able to bear our offspring from Destroyers?” Una replied. “Whatever Azazel does to them, they can no longer seed new life. We’ve tried. They like our bodies, but they cannot help us conceive, so we keep our distance.”

That was a very interesting development, one I was sure Draven would want to hear. It meant that he was the only real Druid left in Eritopia. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy, being one of the last of his kind.

“Where is this Druid?” Una asked with newfound interest.

“Right now, I believe he’s about to rescue Sverik from Azazel’s dungeons and gain tremendous tactical advantage in the upcoming war,” Bijarki replied.

“I wouldn’t rush into trusting that two-faced bastard,” Una said with disgust. “He’s as loyal as a snake, good as long as there’s something in it for him.”

“No one is rushing into anything, but he is our only hope to gain the support of rebel troops scattered across Eritopia,” Anjani interjected.

A moment passed as the three Lamias nodded and looked at each other, as if communicating with no words.

“We’ll take you to the River Pyros,” Una eventually said. “Our mistress will want a word with you.”

Bijarki took a bow, smiling at them.

“You are too kind. Thank you.”

“You are quite famous around here, son of Boovar,” Lira noted admiringly. “He sided with the enemy, but you chose to fight and defend these lands. We have a soft spot for rebels, you see.”

“I’m flattered and grateful,” he said, looking at Anjani and me.

“Don’t be,” Una cut in. “If our mistress is unhappy with the terms of your proposed alliance, if either of you makes the wrong move or tries something against us, we will slit your throats and bleed you dry, regardless of your rebel fame.”

The chilling statement came out in a polite tone, accompanied by a dry smile that sent shivers down my spine. I took a deep breath and kept my guard up, my senses flaring and picking up the scents and heartbeats of both hostiles and potential allies.

“Rest assured, that will not be the case,” Bijarki replied bluntly.

“We shall see,” Una shot back, then pointed at the incubi. “Since you decided to keep these rats alive, you get to keep an eye on them till we get to the camp.”

We looked at the incubi, who wore the most desperate of expressions on their faces, their wide gray eyes begging us for mercy. I groaned and fetched two lines of rope from my horse’s saddle, handing one to Anjani. We both moved to tie the incubi’s hands behind their backs.

Bijarki nodded. “Like I said, we’ll spare them for now. They have information we may need.”





Phoenix





I was upstairs in the attic with a couple of pillows and the Daughter. I figured I’d keep her close and comfortable since she had a peculiar habit of passing out when I had a vision. I let her relax on the pillows, while I prepared myself.