A Shade of Vampire 13: A Turn of Tides (14 page)

O
ur attempt to
kill the ghoul didn’t quite go according to plan. Although we never really had a plan so much as a few harebrained ideas thrown together during the few minutes Erik and I had spent exchanging hurried words in the closet.

We didn’t know much about ghouls other than what we’d gleaned from the snippets of conversation we’d overheard in Corrine’s quarters before we’d left The Shade. We’d learned that they switched between subtle and physical forms at will, and it was only while in their physical form that they could be killed. Severing a ghoul’s head was the way to end it, according to Patricia, and its neck was the most fragile part of its body.

The problem was, most ghouls’ victims witnessed their insides spilling from their stomachs before they ever got within four feet of the creature’s throat.

I’d gotten it into my head that—since the ghoul had emerged from the jewelry box—perhaps closing the lid would help to get rid of it. Since it was the least violent idea we had on the cards, I thought we might as well try it first. Erik agreed.

As it turned out, the motion only served to draw its attention toward the two of us. Its frightening amber eyes shot our way as it drew away from Mona and floated toward us.

Erik ripped the mirror off the wall and smashed it against the ghoul. It let out a low hiss as it moved backward, then disappeared from sight.

“Where did it go?” I stammered, looking around wildly.

Erik’s harried breathing was loud in my ears as he reached for my midriff and pulled me closer to him.

“Duck!” he yelled, pushing me down.

I didn’t even know where the ghoul had reappeared, or which direction to duck in, but I threw myself beneath the bed, hoping that would save me.

Why isn’t Mona waking up? Could this be the ghoul’s influence making her sleep so heavily?

I would have shouted for her, but I didn’t want to give my location away. I crawled to the edge of the bed and looked up to see Erik reaching for the curtain rail and yanking it from the wall. The ghoul was now in its physical form again as it attempted to lash out at him. Erik held the rail in front of him and drove it against the creature’s stomach, forcing it backward to create a safer distance between him and those menacing black nails.

I crawled to the other side of the bed and stood up. I was about to reach for Mona’s shoulders to shake her when Erik yelled again. “Watch out!”

The ghoul had noticed my attempt and came gliding toward me. Grabbing the nearest thing to me—a bed lamp—I chucked it at the ghoul’s face. It dodged the object easily and my attempt only seemed to rile it up further.

“Mona! Wake up!” Erik bellowed as the ghoul’s sharp hands gripped for my ankles. It lifted me up in the air, hanging me upside down like a piece of meat. I screamed and thrashed about in its grasp as its nails sped toward my chest.

What followed happened so fast I could barely comprehend it.

The ghoul’s hold on my ankles loosened and I went tumbling down onto the bed. Erik had leapt up and grabbed its feet, attempting to pull it down to the ground—while a cloaked figure had just entered the room.

Kiev?

As Erik weighed the ghoul down, Kiev leapt onto the bed and, springing onto the bed, extended a clawed hand for the ghoul’s throat. He missed, but I wasn’t about to let Erik’s attempts go in vain. Before the ghoul could evaporate once again, I jumped up and latched onto his lower legs too. With the two of us dragging the creature downward, we were faster in pulling it to the ground. By now, I couldn’t help but wonder why it hadn’t disappeared. From the surprised look on Erik’s face, he was wondering the same thing.

Perhaps it can’t manifest its subtle form if another physical body is holding onto it…

This time, when Kiev lurched forward again, narrowly dodging the ghoul’s nails, he caught its throat within the claws of his right hand and dug in deep. There was a sickening squelch as black blood streamed down Kiev’s wrist. In one final motion, Kiev ripped off the ghoul’s head. Its skull rolled onto the floor, its body still shaking as blood spilled out of it.

The three of us stared at each other, panting.

It was only now that I realized something was odd about Kiev’s appearance. Very odd. When he pulled off his cloak to wipe down his right hand, both Erik and I gasped.

“Y-your arm!” Erik swore, rushing over to his brother. “What the hell happened to you?”

Kiev took in a rasping breath and gave Erik a dark look as he staggered toward Mona on the bed. “Let’s just say my hatred of witches has matured somewhat in the last few hours.”

A
n unexpected sensation
broke through the nightmare I was trapped in. Something brushed against my lips. When my eyelids flickered open, I thought I’d just entered into another dream.

I was staring into a pair of hooded green eyes… Kiev’s eyes. His cold hand was against my cheek as he kissed me deeply.

I reached my hands up and flattened my palms against his chest.

If this was still a dream, it was the most vivid I’d ever had. I was suddenly scared to shatter it. Scared to wake up. Scared to verify it was indeed a dream.

The love of my life was holding me and kissing me like I was the only woman in the world. Even if this was an illusion, it was a welcome escape from the hell that was my reality. A reality that would return full force the moment I woke up.

Reaching my hands into his thick dark hair, I closed my eyes and began returning his kiss.

“I love you,” he whispered, his voice husky.

The words sent pain searing through my chest.

You have no idea how much I wish you did, Kiev.

Tears welled in my eyes and began to spill down my cheeks as I sat up and knelt against him, still afraid to open my eyes.

As I pressed my weight harder against him, he groaned, causing me to open my eyes again. Pain was etched across his face and as I lowered my gaze to his shoulders, I gasped. Where his left arm should have been was a bleeding stump.

I leapt back on the bed, rubbing my eyes, and took in the full room for the first time. Abigail and Erik stood in a corner, watching us, and on the floor a few feet away from them was the headless corpse of… a ghoul.

“Wha-What happened?” I croaked, even as understanding began to dawn on me.

Kiev reached out the only arm he had and caught my hand, pulling me back down to his level. I noticed for the first time then just how sick he looked. He was shockingly pale—far too much even for a vampire—a sheen of sweat covered his skin, and his whole body was trembling.

“I never stopped loving you,” he wheezed, “that’s what happened.”

Oh, no.

No.

Realization crashed down on me like a ton of bricks, winding me completely.

Guilt shattered me into a thousand pieces.

Falling to my knees, I fell apart.

“I’m sorry,” I choked. “I’m so sorry.”

Kiev’s firm grip closed around the back of my neck, forcing me up to look at him. “Stop, Mona. It’s not your fault.”

I bit down hard on my lip, glancing once again at his horrific wound.

“What happened to your arm?” I rasped.

“It doesn’t matter,” Kiev growled. He forced me back down on the bed and leant over me, closing his mouth around mine once again. “I’d readily sacrifice my other one if it meant being able to see you again.”

His words sliced me deep. As if the guilt of doubting Kiev and leaving The Shade wasn’t enough to bear, now I was responsible for this abomination of an injury.

“No!” I cried, gripping the sides of his face. “Why, Kiev? Why? Why did you allow yourself to get hurt like this!” Anger camouflaged my grief, and I wanted to shake him for putting himself through this for me.

“Shh,” he said, tears beginning to glisten in his eyes. “I need to ask you something.” He crawled off me, drawing me up into a sitting position on the bed as he stood up on shaky feet.

I cried out as his legs gave way beneath him and he crashed to the floor.

I threw myself at him and cradled his head in my lap, my tears streaming down onto his face. Erik and Abby hurried to my side. “He’s lost too much blood,” I said, my voice trembling. Panic coursed through me as I hovered my palms over his wound. I was about to start uttering a charm to stem the blood flow and close up the wound when Kiev groaned, forced himself into a sitting position and began attempting to stand up again. I gripped his arm, trying to pull him back toward me.

“Kiev! You have to let me stop the bleeding!”

“Wait,” he coughed, gripping hold of the bed post and straightening. “Sit here.” He patted the mattress next to him.

“Kiev—”

“Please. Just… sit here.”

I jumped up and did as he’d requested, once again attempting to pull him toward me so I could treat him. He brushed me away.

“Wait,” he repeated. “I-I’ve already waited too long for this…” Furrowing his brows, he reached into the back pocket of his pants and pulled out a small leather pouch. His arm was shaking so badly, it was a wonder he didn’t drop it.

My eyes widened as I stared at the object. “Kiev?”

Lowering himself to the floor, he knelt on one knee. He breathed heavily as he perched the pouch on his kneecap. He fumbled with the fabric for a few moments before his gaze raised to my face, his intense eyes boring into me.

“This… this isn’t the way I would have chosen to ask you,” he breathed, “but sometimes things just can’t be delayed any longer.” Knocking the pouch away, he opened his palm to reveal a delicate sapphire ring. “Will you make me the happiest man in all human and supernatural existence… and become Mona Novalic?”

I clasped a hand over my mouth.

Streams of tears turned to rivers.

Falling to my knees on the floor next to him, I gripped his hair and crushed my lips against his.

“Is that even a question?” I gasped.

His lips curved in a dark smile. “Well, now I’m one-armed, I thought I ought to check I’m still good enough for you…”

“A four-armed god couldn’t satisfy me the way a one-armed Kiev could,” I said, half laughing, half crying.

His hand travelled down my arm and clutched my right hand. Resting it on his knee, he slid the ring onto my finger. Then he kissed me again. And again. And again. If I hadn’t held up a finger to his lips, I was sure he could have continued all night.

“If you don’t mind,” I said, drawing away from him, “I’d like to make sure my future husband will still be alive for his wedding.” I placed an arm around his waist and helped him lie back down on the floor. “Erik,” I called. “Hold your brother down while I work. This might hurt a bit and I can’t have him squirming too much.”

Erik was quick to assist, and after several minutes of intermittent groaning from Kiev, I’d managed to close up the wound. At least no more blood was spilling from him, but he still looked frighteningly pale. He was injured too badly for his body’s natural healing capabilities to be able to heal him quick enough. I held out my forearm to Erik and ordered, “Cut me.”

Erik looked at me reluctantly. “Are you sure—?“

“No, don’t cut yourself,” Kiev said, trying to sit up.

“Shush.” I placed a hand over Kiev’s mouth and pushed him back down. “You don’t have any say in this matter.” I glared at Erik. “Hurry up, or I’ll have to do it myself.”

He extended a claw and sliced through my forearm. I barely winced. Placing my legs either side of Kiev’s waist, I lowered myself onto him and held my cut against his mouth.

“Drink, my love,” I whispered, planting a kiss on his forehead.

I was relieved when he stopped putting up a fight and sucked my blood. It wasn’t dangerous for him to drink from me anyway. Witch blood wasn’t nearly as addictive as human blood, and it wasn’t hard for Kiev to control himself around me.

He stopped after five gulps.

“Drink more,” I urged.

He shook his head. “That’s enough to keep me going.”

I wasn’t convinced, but as he brushed Erik and me away and stood up, it was clear that it would be a battle to get him to drink more, and we had to move.

I looked around the wrecked chamber once again, my eyes settling on the severed head of the ghoul.

“How did you three even manage to get to The Sanctuary by yourselves?” I asked.

“We had another witch’s help,” Kiev muttered. “Patricia.”

“Where is Patricia?” Erik asked.

Kiev grimaced. “She… fell behind.”

I barely had time to let his words register and mourn over the loss of the witch when the front door slammed.

“Hurry,” I hissed, placing an arm around Kiev’s waist. “Erik, Abby, hold on to me. We need to get out of here.”

“Wait, where are you taking us?” Kiev asked, just as I was about to vanish us. “Corrine and Ibrahim are being kept as prisoners here. We need to save—”

I couldn’t let him finish his sentence as a group of witches stormed into the room. Before any of them could utter a single curse, we disappeared from the room.

I knew where the prison was. I’d visited there a few times in my life, so it wasn’t difficult to make us reappear there.

To my relief, the dungeon was empty as we manifested. “Where are they?” I asked.

We followed Kiev as he stalked down the corridor. He stopped outside of a double cell.

Sure enough, there lay Corrine and Ibrahim, apparently half asleep. I blasted open the gate and hurried inside. There was no time to wake them up. Gripping both of them by the arm, I ordered Kiev, Erik and Abby to hold onto me. Once I was confident they were all holding me tightly enough, it was time to go back home… back to The Shade.

I
was worried
about the sun burning Caleb as we travelled. I glanced up over my shoulder at Bella. She was so large, she cast a long shadow over Caleb at the angle we were currently flying, but that might not be the case for long. I eyed the thick waistcoat she wore over her dirty smock.

“Bella,” I said. “Can you remove your waistcoat and use it to shield Caleb once the sun starts reaching him?”

She nodded and grunted. “Okay, Miss Rose.”

“Thanks.”

The sun’s rays weren’t quite reaching him yet, but for whatever reason, she removed her waistcoat and held it over him now like an umbrella. It was just as well, I supposed. It gave Caleb and me some privacy, with her wide face no longer looming over us.

I caught Caleb’s eye. He was looking tense as ever. It was torture, not being able to say anything meaningful to him when there were so many questions burning in both of our minds.

I placed my hands over his, which were holding the dragon’s scales on either side of my waist, and bent my head back so I could reach his throat. I placed a kiss against his rough stubble, and he slid his right hand up to my navel while his lips lowered to caress my cheek.

“I trust you, Rose,” he whispered, his breath cool in my ear.

I gulped, feeling guilty that he should trust me when I didn’t even trust myself.

“I want you to turn around to face me,” he said. “Just hold on to me. I’ll keep you from falling.”

Slowly sliding my right foot from where it had been wedged between the dragon’s scales, I placed my arms around Caleb’s neck as he swiveled me round. He ran his palms along my bare legs, positioning them over his thighs, before resuming his grip on the dragon’s hide. I gazed into Caleb’s beautiful eyes, relishing the feeling of privacy Bella was affording us.

“Now I can kiss you better,” he said softly.

My spine tingled as he dipped his head toward mine. He caught my lower lip, sucking on it gently before moving to taste my upper lip. I ran my hands along his torso, feeling his taut muscles beneath my fingers. He tensed suddenly and raised his head, once again looking me in the eye.

“I can’t lose you again,” he breathed.

I wanted to tell him I couldn’t lose him again either. But instead I just nodded, afraid to respond with the dragon’s ears so close to us.

He bit his lip, as though he was about to continue saying something.

“What?” I asked.

There was a long pause before he finally drew in a deep breath. Then he spoke the words I’d been aching to hear ever since he’d first kissed me at The Shade’s port.

“Whatever lies ahead… I just need to tell you… I need you to know…” His voice caught in his throat. “I love you, Rose Novak.”

I gaped at him, speechless. Blood rushed to my cheeks.

My hands were trembling as I reached for his face.

“And I love you, Caleb Achilles,” I choked. “With every beat of my heart.”

He exhaled sharply and his arms closed around me, drawing me into a tight—almost crushing—embrace. I buried my face in his neck, tears of joy leaking from my eyes and moistening his skin. His eyes were glistening too by the time we met each other’s gaze again. He began dragging long, tender kisses across my face and neck, cherishing every part of me he could reach.

We broke away only once Bella lifted our shelter and peeked down at us. Her eyes widened before she quickly replaced the waistcoat.

“Oops, sorry,” she mumbled. “Heard weird sounds. Didn’t know you were doing… that.”

I giggled. “It’s okay, Bella.”

The dragon’s body rumbled as he spoke to us. “It seems we have arrived,” he said.

Caleb helped me turn round to face forward again so we could both take a look at where the dragon was indicating. I didn’t know these waters well, especially not from this aerial view, but Caleb appeared to recognize the area, since he’d navigated to the island more than once before.

“Rose, since you’re with us, if we fly right into the barrier, will we get through without problems?”

“I think so,” I muttered. “There’s only one way to know for sure, I guess.”

“So fly right ahead, dragon,” Caleb said, his grip tightening around my waist.