Breathing Fire (Heretic Daughters #1)(48)

Dom had been just a teenager when it happened. I had comforted him in his grief. He had run to me when he learned the devastating news, and it had broken my heart to see his anguish. I had wept for him, the first time I had wept since I was a small child. It had been too much, to see a perfect boy who deserved his perfect parents, lose everything in a senseless act of brutality.

We’d had to run again shortly after that, as a too young Dom had started to become too attached to me. He had been impossible to deter or resist almost the second he’d turned eighteen. The only way to deal with his relentless pursuit had been to leave. He hadn’t found me again for decades.

After that horrible war, the bulk of the druids’ attention turned to the growing threat of the necros, whose sickness spread like wildfire. I’d assisted with many of their raids, but this was one of the biggest druid forces I’d seen gathered for such an attack.

“Druids!” It’s voice was like a mix of dead tortured things sewn together, some screeching, some singing discordantly. The core of the voice sounded almost human, deep and menacing, with a strong punch of power that raised the hair on the back of my neck. “You trespass here. You thought to burn us in our sleep? Well, we are ready for you!” He screamed at the end. A legion of unearthly screams cheered his words. If all of those voices were more than illusion, we were vastly outnumbered.

In spite of myself, I felt a tremor of terror move through my body. I willed it away, knowing fear was one of their greatest weapons.

“Sounds like we won’t have to fight over kills,” Christian’s voice rumbled into my ear. He was directly behind me, almost hugging my back. I couldn’t imagine it was comfortable for him, since I had a massive double-bladed battle-axe strapped there. We were surrounded by druids in various animal forms, using the magic of their beastcall. Many were over-sized wolves, cougars, and other cats. The more powerful druids were mostly bears or tigers. They were the strongest and most coveted forms. Some were armored, others preferred to fight unencumbered, covered only in their fur. More still kept to human form, either by preference or necessity. All of those ones were heavily armed and armored.

We were one of three units flanking the settlement. Our unit was assigned to the west side. Dom led us, poised at the front line. It seemed foolhardy to place your leader at the front, but I knew from experience that Dom would allow nothing else. The druid leader’s battle prowess was a matter of greatest pride to them all. Sloan, Dom’s 1st Lieutenant, led the group to the north, poised to charge the front gate, and Cam, as 2nd lieutenant, led a large force that would be taking the east. A much smaller force was stationed on the outskirts of the complex, in position to catch any runaway necros. Lynn and Caleb had been roped into joining that crew, which was led by Collin, Dom’s 4th Lieutenant. I hadn’t liked the separation, but we cooperated, since we all figured we’d raised enough hell already that evening. They might not invite us to any more of these parties if we were more trouble than we were worth.

“You think because you are Born Other it gives you the right to rule the Created?” The chilling voice wailed again into the night. It seemed to be slithering around us now. There was no way to tell which direction it came from. “Tonight we will show you who has the strength to rule! Necros, tonight we will feast on druid blood!” A chorus of unearthly cheers rent the air.

“Who speaks?” Dom’s voice bled into the night. His voice held all of the power of the necro leader’s, but was so much more compelling. Where the necro leader’s voice made terror race down your spine, Dom’s inspired submission. Every druid around us knelt on the ground when he spoke. The few of us who weren’t druids were the only ones still on our feet. I could see that he retained his human form, but his voice had gone beast.

“I am the necro King!” the thing screamed.

“I recognize no necro King!” Dom roared back. “The necros have named no King! If you want to be king, you will fight! No King sneaks off in the dark after the fight begins. I am the druid King, and I will lead the charge! I will burn this city of abominations to the ground! Fight me now if you want to call yourself a King!”

“I think not.” The voice slithered around us again. “But you will die tonight, Arch. My people will make a banquet of your flesh!”

“Take your best shot. Coward!” Dom roared. I shivered watching him, a little awed. Power literally poured off of him in visible waves. I’d never seen him quite like this, at his full potential for power. He was like a beacon to the other druids, his power a thing to behold. I doubted another druid, alive or in the past, could touch his powerful command. Not even his Uncle, the European Arch, who had ruled for centuries, was his match.

I wondered if all the blood I’d given him was responsible for any of it. I still didn’t know the full effects of what our blood did for the drinker. Could it be responsible for a permanent increase in power? I wondered about this, not for the first time.

I had put my blood into his drink many times over the years we’d been together. I had felt an almost uncontrollable urge to feed him my blood. Lynn and I had discussed it before, this urge to give our blood to the ones we wanted to protect. Though, unlike Lynn, I had no urge to give mine to anyone but the closest of friends. So far, that had only ever been Christian, and Dom.

Dom had even caught me at it once.

I had been in the kitchen of our shared apartment. Just thinking of that place in passing made me sigh with longing and regret. I still dreamed of it, our apartment in Denver. It had been ours, the place we shared with so much freedom. It was small, a downtown pad, with only two bedrooms. But it had been perfect. Many of the best memories of my long life had happened there. I would have stayed there forever if I’d thought it was possible.