A Rip of Realms (A Shade of Vampire #39)(54)

The chanting was replaced by screams. The Acolytes, with deadly speed, jumped up from their positions and turned to attack the oncoming army. Tejus fought his way past another Acolyte; neither side having much time to syphon, they were relying mostly on the weaponry they had. I’d mistakenly believed that the Acolytes weren’t armed—instead, each drew out long daggers from their forearms that had been concealed by the sleeves of their robes. Wielding one in each hand, they launched themselves at the Hellswan guards.

The fight was bloody. The war cries and the high-pitched howls of the injured pierced the air, merging with the ferocious roar of the ocean—and then the throaty laughter of Queen Trina.

Tejus fought off another Acolyte who had attacked him from behind, and ran toward the queen.

She held out her arms to Tejus, almost as if she wanted to embrace him. I watched as he stumbled, almost dropping his sword as the pain of her syphoning tore at him. She continued to laugh, her eyes shining brightly, the dark mane of her hair whipping upward with the wind, making her look more like a vengeful god than a mad queen.

“You’re too late, Tejus!” she cried. “It is done! He will rise—he will rise and end you all!”

Tejus staggered forward, not willing to give in, no matter how excruciating the pain.

“You could have basked in this glory, Tejus – if only you had loved me!” She screeched at him this time, her jubilant mood swiftly being replaced with one of spite and hatred.

Ignoring her cries, he held his sword aloft, determined that it would meet its target. Even from this distance, I could see his face paling and hear his groans of effort as he rose time and time again. Each time she syphoned harder, knocking him back down on his knees.

I can’t watch this.

I took one last look at Benedict and Ruby and then crept around the side of the cove, keeping out of Queen Trina’s sight. There must be something I could do to help weaken her. If she carried on like this, Tejus wasn’t going to make it. I could almost feel the power emanating from her as I approached—she must have been taking her energy from the entity, or the children. I’d never been able to sense another sentry’s power before. The hunger leapt up inside me. My mouth started to water, my stomach knotting itself. Now I didn’t seem to be moving of my own accord, but instead driven by a much more base, primal need to devour the power and energy contained within Queen Trina. It was a heady sensation, and I could feel my own power raging inside of me, desperate to be set free.

I was behind Queen Trina in a moment, standing between her and the children, the sea lapping up against my feet. In the distance, the rest of the army had arrived, guards and villagers clambering down the cliff edge and the fallen rock to join the battle still raging with the Acolytes.

What now?

I couldn’t wait for them. Behind the billowing navy-blue robes of the queen, Tejus staggered to his feet. His teeth were clenched and bared as he fought against her will with everything he had left.

“Today,” Tejus panted heavily, “today you will meet the unhallowed creature that made you.”

She laughed again, raising her arms higher and sending Tejus crashing back down on his knees.

No!

Instinctively, I took another step forward, willing to do whatever it took to stop her. My fingers rested lightly against the hilt of my dagger, and I prayed for the courage to do what had to be done.

“Do you think you can harm me, vile human?”

She spun around to face me. I could tell by her malevolent, victorious smile that she had known I was approaching. She smiled broadly, as if it was all some great joke to her, as if I was nothing but a small inconvenience that would be easily disposed of.

“You don’t have the power,” she continued, almost pityingly.

She stepped toward me, closing the gap between us — close enough that I could smell her fragrant breath on my face and the overwhelming frankincense of her perfume.

“But I’m glad that you have come to try, little one.” She reached out and ran her thumb down my cheek. I recoiled at her touch. “I would have hated it if someone had ended you, other than—”

She went silent, her expression changing from malice to confusion.

I had let my hunger flow freely, latching on to her dark energy – drinking deeply the bitter, putrid taste of the atoms and molecules that made Queen Trina the twisted being that she was.

“How?” she whispered, feeling me syphon off her.

“You know how,” I replied with a smile.

I watched her face twist with hatred as clarity dawned on her; Tejus had given himself to me, had connected us — mind, body and soul. The vehemence of her emotion was instant and brutal.

“He belonged to me!” she screeched, the cry tearing from her throat.

“He didn’t want you,” I replied calmly.

“It doesn’t matter,” she spat, then tried to regain her dead smile, “you will never get the better of me, Tejus will never defeat me!”

She stumbled on the last word, falling toward me – her mouth open in silent horror as she realized what I’d done.

I swallowed, pressing the hilt of the dagger deeper, and then upward to pierce her heart. It had slid in so easily, I almost thought that I’d stabbed thin air.

“You…” she breathed. “How could…”

I released the handle. Taking a step backward, I watched as her hands reached around to cover the hilt, touching it as if she could hardly believe that it was there.