An End of Night (A Shade of Vampire #16)(17)

I nodded. “In the end, Lilith will thank me for it. As will generations of witches in the future.”

Chapter 11: Rhys

I looked around the silent wood. It had been a while since I had last been here. Still, I knew exactly where to go. I launched into a sprint, whipping through the trees until they thinned and gave way to the foot of a large gray mountain. I had chosen this spot specifically because it was one of the least densely populated areas of the werewolf realm. I began my climb and stopped halfway up.

I pulled myself up on to a ledge and stared directly ahead of me at the rocky wall. To all appearances, this wall looked no different from the rest of the mountain. There were also plenty of ridges like the one I was standing on. The small octagonal mark inscribed in the center of the wall assured me that this was the right one.

I walked up and placed my palms against it. I pressed my right ear against the cool stone and listened. Then, when I uttered a charm, the wall gave way, swinging backward. Dust and small rocks loosened and fell on me as I stepped into a small cave. It was dark and musty—empty but for a long casket lining one wall. Manifesting a flame in my palm to shed light, I headed for the stone container. It was freezing cold to the touch—as it should be. Loosening the two clasps that held down the lid, I pulled it open.

My eyes widened, my mouth drying out.

It was empty.

What?

I looked around the cave again, half expecting to see the vampire stepping out from the shadows. Confusion fogged my brain.

Where is he?

How on earth could he have escaped?

There was no sign of any efforts to break out of this cave, and there were no holes or crannies that he could have escaped through. Besides, I had put him to sleep. How would he have even woken up?

None of it made any sense.

I could only assume that I had been careless in casting my spell upon him, and somehow he had gotten the wall to open. I had been a more inexperienced warlock at that time, after all. I had not yet undergone the sacrifices that had shaped my powers into what they were today.

Sweat formed on my forehead. Lilith was waiting for me to return before starting the ritual. I couldn’t keep her waiting much longer. I had to find this vampire.

At least I knew the first place that I needed to look.

If Magnus had indeed woken up and escaped, he would have been incredibly weak. It would have been a strain just to make it down the mountain. I couldn’t believe that he would’ve left this realm without werewolves coming across him. They would have detected the scent of a vampire from miles away. At least I knew for sure that he was still alive, otherwise Lilith would be gone by now. I just had to find him.

I rushed back down the mountain and through the woods toward the nearest werewolf habitation. It was still early morning, and most likely they would all still be in their wolf forms. It didn’t matter to me either way. I would get what I needed from them.

Approaching a more densely populated area, I could already smell wolf in the air. It wasn’t long before one of the beasts came into view. It was a mother and cub, bathing in a nearby stream. I remained within the shadows, drawing nearer and nearer. I had made sure to cover up my scent with a charm before I even entered this island.

By the time the mother noticed me, it was already too late. Brushing the cub aside, I leapt onto her back, wrapping my arms around her throat and bringing her into submission.

She thrashed beneath me, but I only closed down on her windpipe harder, until she couldn’t breathe at all.

“Listen carefully to me, dog,” I hissed into her ear. “If you ever want to see your child again, you will take me to your chieftain.”

“Run!” she choked to her cub.

The small wolf, his eyes lit with panic, began scampering away. Still holding onto his mother, I summoned him back toward me.

“Don’t mess with me,” I said, my voice soft and dangerous. “Take me to your chieftain now.”

Chapter 12: Rose

Before attempting to enter the realm of the werewolves, we headed back to the Tavern. Ibrahim and Corrine made us appear back on the beach, outside the walls lining the island. We hadn’t stayed long enough in The Cove for my mother, Kiev and Mona to recover. But now that we were out of danger, we laid them all down on the beach where Ibrahim and Corrine could work on them without worrying about another attack.

Our first priority was bringing them to consciousness before treating those who had been wounded during the fight. Now that Corrine and Ibrahim had removed the poison darts from their flesh, the process was faster. After only a quarter of an hour, my mother finally sat up. I wanted to leap at her, but I held myself back. Her eyelids were half closed as she looked around, frowning and looking bewildered. Her dry lips parted.

“Mom,” I said.

Her eyes fixed on me, widening.

“Rose,” she croaked.

She attempted to get to her feet, but her legs were still shaky. My father picked her up in his arms and kissed her.

“You’re safe now,” he said. I walked over to them. My mother reached down and touched my face, then pulled me closer so that she could kiss my forehead.

Kiev and Mona were now waking up too—both looking just as confused as my mother.

“Wh-Where am I?” Mona stuttered.

“You’ve just woken from a stupor induced by poison darts,” Corrine explained.

Kiev groaned, clutching his head.