Chapter Thirty Four

 

I slammed up a ring of demon shielding around the pair of us to keep her from attacking my family and dove right at her.

Yeah, I was ready. She wasn't exactly hard to read.

Instead of attacking her directly, I let my vampire do it. Called to her as I had before, this time ready to grab onto her as she emerged.

Batsheva fell as I dodged, landing on all fours, turning to roar, glowing with the magic of the clan. But she doubled over when she tried to rise, my vampire pulling free again, leaning toward me as I reached with the spirit magic of the Hayle family and connected with her.

Only for a moment before Batsheva stuffed her down again. But enough I knew this was going to work.

Over and over Batsheva struck at me, while over and over I called out the essence to come back to me. Panting and sobbing her rage, the Queen finally collapsed to the ground, writhing as the clan power fought against the essence of the vampires for control. I let the shielding drop and turned to Demetrius who stood and tossed something shining toward me. The crystal landed in my hand as if magicked there, the power of it pulsing with my vampire's energy.

The essence she'd filled it with. Time to end this. For the last time I called her.

She rose from Batsheva who shrieked her denial, but drawing on the energy she'd stored in the crystal, amplified by the sorcery I had at my command, the essence stepped outside of Batsheva's body, her spirit body snapping with a loud crack as she severed the connection.

I turned the hungry crystal on Batsheva, drawing out the clan magic, trapping it in the stone, feeling it flood with power and the life force controlling the clan as Batsheva withered and aged, her body shrinking, deflating, until she was a wrinkled old woman, arms and legs flailing around her.

“My clan,” I said with great satisfaction, “drain her.”

They hardly needed the invitation. Her screaming faded to a whisper and then to silence until they backed away, wiping lips wet with blood, the mummified form of their former leader staring up at me.

As I'd looked. Only she wasn't invincible.

“Wrap her in rags,” I said. “Make sure she can't escape.” I looked up and met her eyes, my vampire, the essence.

She glowed perfectly white, though bits of red and gray clung to her edges. I remembered Trill's warning and opened my power to her. “You're in pain.”

“I am free,” she said, voice a song, welcoming my help as the bits burned away in sparks of sparkling light until she was once again clean, untainted. “And I am grateful.”

She turned and faced the vampires, Margaret who had joined Mom and the family, Pannera. The essence raised her arms as though to embrace us all before speaking.

“We must prepare for war,” she said. “The Brotherhood connives to turn us against one another while the ones who can save us struggle alone. It is time to work together, to set aside petty grievances and old rules that no longer serve a purpose.” Nice gut shot at Margaret and the whole vampire system. Looked like it hit right on target. “The time is coming when we either stand together, or fall alone. That is a choice you each must make.” She turned back to me, her female shape sharpening as she focused, and I found myself smiling.

She looked like me.

“I've made my choice already,” she said, drifting toward me. “I choose Sydlynn Hayle. I just hope you're all as foresighted.”

No one protested, not even Pannera. Good thing. Wouldn't have done her any good.

Heart aching and full of longing, I opened my arms and welcomed my vampire home.

 

***