A Ride of Peril (A Shade of Vampire #46)(52)

“Sverik?” Draven asked as he reached his cage first.

“Indeed. Who’s asking?” he replied bluntly.

“I am Draven, and these are my associates,” he nodded toward Hansa and me. “We’re here to help you.”

“You’re a Druid,” Sverik squinted, pursing his lips. “Thought your kind was extinct, fully degraded into those snake-tailed abominations.”

“As you can see, I’m still here. You can consider us critically endangered but not gone yet. We need your help, Sverik.”

“How could I possibly help you? You might have noticed I’m in a cage.”

“Bijarki and Kristos were allies of mine. We have a plan to defeat Azazel, but with Kristos gone, we need your help to rally the remaining troops left on Calliope against the Destroyers,” Draven replied.

“So, you’re the one responsible for my brother’s death, then, along with that bastard Bijarki?” Sverik muttered with disgust.

“Kristos chose his own path. He rebelled. He couldn’t swear fealty to a monster who only wishes to burn everything down, and you know it. Help us. Avenge him.”

A moment passed before Sverik spoke again, giving me enough time to look around and make sure there weren’t any Destroyers coming. We were clear for the moment.

He sighed. “What do you need from me?”

“Your presence. Your voice. You can help us gather the rogue incubi left hiding in the jungles. We’ve formed an alliance with the Dearghs, we’ve reached out to the Lamias and other succubi, and there are plenty of us out there who can fight and bring this bastard down,” Draven replied. “We need to come together.”

“Fine. Just get me out of here. My father betrayed me, allowing Azazel to throw me in this cage. I owe that old fool nothing. He wouldn’t listen anyway.”

Draven nodded then muttered something under his breath, his finger on the lock. Sparks flew from the keyhole, and the mechanism clicked. He pulled the lock apart, throwing it on the floor, and opened Sverik’s cage.

The incubus climbed out and stretched, his bones cracking. Grindel saluted him, and Sverik smiled, shaking his hand. He then looked at the Druid, Hansa, and me.

“It’s strange enough to see a Druid still standing, and of succubi and incubi I’ve seen enough, but you, my dear, you are something else entirely.” He gave me a lascivious smile, unleashing his incubus nature over me.

My spine tingled, and my head felt light. I was unable to resist his naturally twisted charms. My body betrayed me, while my mind screamed and pounded against my skull. I felt horrible stuck in between and gripped Draven’s hand in response.

“Stop it, or I will leave you here to rot,” Draven spat, gritting his teeth.

Sverik paled, and I immediately regained my senses. He bowed and put on an innocent face, complete with puppy dog eyes.

“My apologies. I didn’t realize,” he said sheepishly. “I’ve been in here for too long.”

Draven ignored his apology. “Where do we go from here?”

Sverik nodded, putting on his more serious face. He reminded me of Bijarki just a little, just as playful and nonchalant, despite the grim circumstances. Before he opened his mouth to give us an answer, a swish startled me.

Three spears shot past us, missing my shoulder by inches. They all pierced Grindel’s chest. The incubus yelped and fell backward, writhing in pain and foaming at the mouth.

My blood froze, and my inner-sentry was instantly turned on. Our fight for survival and escape had just begun. We all ducked, looking around to find the source of those spears. My stomach shrank into a tiny ball as I saw three Destroyers hissing and slithering toward us, swords in their hands.

They were massive and bloodthirsty, but nevertheless I stood up and channeled the energy I’d previously syphoned from Draven to push out the strongest barrier I’d ever been able to conjure.

The pulse shot outward, knocking them on their backs. It gave Draven and Hansa enough seconds to pull out their crossbows, load them, and shoot poisoned arrows at the monsters. They hit their shoulders and chests.

The creatures groaned and seemed to be in pain, but it wasn’t enough to kill them. Instead, they continued their advance, closing the distance between us.

I took another step forward and latched on to one of the beasts’ minds, taking a deep breath and pushing for control. The golden fire coursing through my veins gave me surprising strength as I subdued the Destroyer and forced him to his knees. He dropped his sword on the floor with a loud clang.

Draven muttered something under his breath again, presumably one of his spells, putting his palms forward and launching spheres of blue fire at another Destroyer. The flames bit into its thick skin, sizzling through the flesh. It was enough to bring it down but not enough to kill it.

Hansa pulled her sword out and charged the third one, eager to exact some of the revenge she’d been planning against the Destroyers for what they had done to her sisters.

His sword cut through the air.

She dodged his hits and moved swiftly around him, slashing at the monster. With a lunge, she jumped up with a twist and beheaded him.

The Destroyer’s head rolled on the floor.

She landed on her feet, breathing heavily. A smirk stretched her lips. Dark splatters of blood smeared across her face and chest.

My Destroyer was slowly inching toward me, despite my strong mind control.