A Shield of Glass (A Shade of Vampire #49)(44)

I couldn’t chastise myself for such cruelty. We were at war, and I needed to play my part, making sure Azazel suffered massive damage from the inside. Most of his physical strength and confidence came from the inner circle, from the presence of Destroyers. If I could help turn as many of them back into Druids as possible, Azazel would lose another crucial advantage.

“Listen, Damion,” I said cautiously. “I can see you’re struggling with this spell Azazel has on you.”

“Seriously, is there anything you don’t know?” He pinched the bridge of his nose, visibly exasperated.

“Not really.” I gave him a half-smile. “What I’m trying to say is that you can break free from his hold on you. You can break the spell.”

“How? I’ve been fighting against it for years! In the end, I always succumb. He’s powerful, Vita. You have no idea!”

“Think about it this way,” I suggested. “You’ve yet to tell Azazel about the other Druids, despite your forced loyalty to him. Don’t you wonder how that’s possible?”

He stilled, then looked at me, the realization finally sinking in.

“You think?”

“I’m sure of it.” I kept going. “You haven’t betrayed your friends. That strength comes from somewhere, and it means Azazel’s spell has yet to really bring you to your knees. You’ve been fighting it from day one. If you try hard enough, there’s nothing to stop you from breaking free altogether. I mean, clearly the control spell isn’t perfect, otherwise your friends would be dead or slithering around here too, bringing me breakfast and tea.”

He thought about it for a second, before he hissed and clutched his head with both hands. He was in a lot of pain. Azazel’s spell was probably hitting back, forcing him into absolute submission again. He growled and looked at me, fury blazing in his eyes, which flickered green.

“Look what you’ve done! I never should’ve listened to you! You only bring me pain and misery!” He cursed between his teeth and left the room.

I felt sorry for him. Genuinely sorry.

But at the same time, I was pleased. His painful episode was proof that Patrik wasn’t the only one who could fight the control spell. It got me thinking about all the other Destroyers in the castle. Couldn’t they be persuaded to do the same? And if they could, how many of them were strong enough to break free?

One less Destroyer meant one more Druid, tipping the scales against Azazel. I’d persuaded Damion to think about betrayal. What stopped me from finding a way to address the others and push them over the edge?

I narrowed in on my next task—getting Patrik to complete his liberation process. If we made it work, it might give the others the hope and motivation they needed to break free as well.





Serena





Night had settled over the region in deep shades of dark blue, with strips of clouds partially obscuring the moon. The air was crisp and cool, sending shivers down my spine. It was close to midnight, and we all waited on the steps of Stonewall for the other members of the alliance to arrive.

Phoenix, Jovi, and Aida carefully scanned the area, while I stayed behind, next to Draven. Jax, Hansa, Anjani, and the others waited as well, occasionally exchanging words and weary glances. With every hour that passed, we hoped more fervently that we’d see everyone arrive, safe and sound.

Antara was a dangerous place, riddled with Destroyers and green fireflies, as well as incubus scouts sent by Azazel to search for us. We’d managed to keep a low profile here on the east coast, but it was only a matter of time before they found us. Getting the alliance together and drawing a plan of action needed to happen as soon as possible, so we could get our armies organized for an assault on Luceria.

“I’ve been thinking,” Draven said slowly. We’d barely spoken over the past few hours, as he’d joined the training sessions, sparring with Jax and Hansa. “About this issue with Asherak’s curse and how to end it all.”

I looked at him as he gazed out into the distance. There was something in his gray eyes that I hadn’t seen before, a dim sadness flickering in his irises. My chest tightened at the sight of him still suffering over Vita’s visions.

“If we let the Daughter sacrifice herself, Azazel will be vanquished, but we will all die,” he continued. “But if I take on Asherak’s curse and kill him, you can take the pendant away from me and kill me. Its power only works on a Druid. All you have to do is go through with it.”

My stomach churned at the thought. Fury lit me up, my heart shifting into a rapid rhythm as I struggled to keep my breathing steady. I looked away, unable to handle the flurry of emotions coming from Draven—a mixture of pain, resignation, and heartbreaking sadness. He’d come to terms with his potential demise, instead of looking for a way out. It made me so angry.

“Not even touching that,” I managed to say. “Don’t even think about it, Draven.”

“Think about the world you’d be saving if you ended this with me. Your brother will live, your friends will live, all those who fight beside us today will see another day, in a free Eritopia. I’ve dedicated my whole life to this. I can’t let it be me who destroys it and—”

“I love you, Draven,” I said, no longer afraid to speak those words. “And the reason I fell in love with you is because you’re a fighter, and, despite what you may think of yourself, you always see the better path. I am not letting you die—let’s get that straight. We will find another way. You’re the only reason I’m still here and not six feet under a magnolia tree in your garden, Draven. You came through for me when I didn’t even deserve it. I was so petulant and stubborn, I didn’t even understand why you were doing all this. I’m a better person because of you, but I am even more stubborn now, and I am not letting you die.”