Embrace The Dawning (The Covenant Series Book 1) (32 page)

Chapter 26

Eva glided slowly across the rooftop, wanting to savor every moment of peace and quiet that she had to herself. It wouldn’t be long before the sun would begin rising over the horizon. She looked forward to the array of colors that would paint the sky just before the sun became exposed. The colors were enough to hold her over until the next Dawning. She raised her head and gazed at the bright stars slowly disappearing among the lightening sky. Only a few more weeks and she could finally feel the sun on her face once again.

She believed she remembered what it felt like to have the warmth of the sun’s rays on her skin, but it had been nearly three thousand years since she actually had. Her memory could not possibly offer her a likeness of the real feeling. Just as much as she looked forward to the feeling of the sun on her skin, she looked forward to seeing Victor. She missed him daily. She imagined Thorne’s pain was no doubt the same for Katriana. At least he had Kayci to love now.

Eva distracted herself from her thoughts by looking to the sky once more and watching the stars disappear. Eva’s joyous moment was disrupted as the sound of several vampires jumping through the air and climbing the stairwell of her private location came rushing to her ears. She held her composure as eight vampires, including Danika, appeared before her.

“Wondering how we found you?” Danika asked with disdain in her voice.

“It doesn’t take much to solve that puzzle, Danika. So which one was it?” Eva asked curiously.

Danika stalked toward her. The other vampires closed in.

“I’m wondering if I should give you the satisfaction of knowing,” Danika taunted.

“There isn’t much time before the sun rises, so save the games, child.”

Danika’s lip curled in irritation. “I like to draw out the suspense. It adds to the fun.”

“Get her,” Danika commanded.

All seven vampires closed in on her with rapid speed. They had her tied and bound within moments.

“Time to go, Eva darling.” Danika’s coven vampires dragged Eva from the rooftop and forced her into a black van. They drove her to a hideous decrepit building that looked as though it hadn’t been inhabited for years.

***

Vladimir’s distress came through his voice over the phone.

“I called to warn you. Danika and her coven vampires have taken Eva. They took her while she was at the Dawning. That means exactly what you think it does. I don’t know who betrayed her and the Covenant, but I will find out. Danika has sent the Covenant a message. She is offering to trade Eva’s life for Kayci’s.”

Adrian nearly crushed his phone in anger.

“Beatrice and I were not willing to agree to the trade, and we know Eva would not want us to agree either. However, Florence, Orrick, and Natalia wanted to turn Kayci over. They are on their way to her house now to collect her for the trade. I know you will want to stop them. Don’t get yourself killed.”

Adrian hung up the phone and swiftly gathered his double-curved blades and attached them to his back. He strapped a sheath onto his shin and tucked the long blade into it before lowering his pant leg. He was out the door within moments.

Adrian chose to save time and not stop at the condo that Thorne had slept in last night. They had arrived back at Adrian’s too late for Thorne to make it home to Kayci’s without risking sun exposure. Now Kayci was unprotected, with three powerful vampires about to show up and demand she go with them. Adrian chastised himself for not ensuring she had some kind of protection with her.

Adrian dialed Vladimir’s number as he sped to Kayci’s house.

“Thorne is at 805 Brickle Avenue. Suite 1406. Bring him to the trade,” Adrian demanded before hanging up.

***

Kayci sensed their formidable presence as they neared the porch. They stopped short of the front door.

“She has verbena at the windows,” she heard one of them say. “I can smell it.”

“As well as a destruction spell on the door,” another announced.

She heard a scuffle outside the door, and then the doorbell rang. Kayci stood still for several moments, debating whether she should answer the door or climb out a back window and try to flee. Her attempt to escape could turn dangerous quickly if they heard her trying to get away. She darted up the stairs and into her bedroom to find her necklace. She wanted every bit of help she could get. She put it over her head as she came down the steps. She opened the door to find Florence, Orrick, and Natalia staring at her. Her nerves exploded.

“Danika has taken Eva and is offering to return her if we give her you,” Orrick told her.

“Considering we don’t particularly approve of your existence in the first place, you can imagine our willingness to accept her offer.” Florence sneered.

“Now step out here, or we’ll burn down the house with you in it,” Natalia threatened.

Kayci slowly stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her. Florence and Orrick grabbed her on each side.

Adrian squealed his tires as he turned onto the road to Kayci’s house. He sped into her driveway and jumped out of the vehicle, leaving the door open and car running. His fangs immediately extracted as he saw the fearful expression on Kayci’s face. Florence and Orrick were dragging her to their car.

Adrian growled.

“Take her,” Florence ordered Natalia.

Natalia quickly took Florence’s place as Florence squared off to Adrian.

“I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to kill you, Adrian. This is going to be far too pleasurable for me.” Florence’s fangs extracted as he grinned. “Get her to the location. I’ll take care of him.”

In his peripheral, Adrian saw Kayci kick Natalia in the leg and then uppercut Orrick in the jaw. Relieved to see her putting up a fight, Adrian returned his attention to Florence just in time to see his fist coming toward him. Adrian swung his arm and knocked Florence’s blow away. He countered with a fist to Florence’s thick throat. Florence stumbled back for a moment before quickly recouping and lunging after Adrian. Florence wrapped his arms around Adrian as he slammed him to the ground. Adrian’s breath escaped him, but he still managed to move his head to the side as Florence’s solid fist came at his face. Florence’s fist hit the ground, creating a loud pounding sound right next to Adrian’s ear.

Adrian glanced up for only a second to see Kayci fighting against Natalia and Orrick while they tried to force her into the car. Natalia punched Kayci in the stomach. She collapsed from the blow. As Adrian looked back at Florence, he took a rock-hard fist to the face. Blood immediately poured out of the broken flesh. Adrian took hold of Florence and pulled him toward him and then viciously dug his fangs into Florence’s neck. Florence let out an agonizing growl as he jerked away from Adrian’s bite, his flesh tearing away from his body.

As Florence put space between them, Adrian kicked Florence, knocking him farther away. Adrian rolled sideways and jumped up to a standing position. He extracted the curved blades from his back as Florence charged him. Adrian swiped the blades through the air, only grazing Florence’s arm as he spun and avoided the sharp blades. Adrian turned his body to face Florence, only to receive another blow. Adrian stumbled sideways from the agony in his jaw. Before he could recoup, Florence struck his fist to Adrian’s back. He buckled from the pain.

“Just think of this as a mercy killing, Adrian. You’ll be able to be with your half-breed partner very soon,” Florence taunted.

Adrian pushed through the excruciating pain of fractured and broken bones and swung his arm forcefully as Florence raised his arm to deliver another punch. Adrian’s blade slashed through the air and came down on Florence’s raised arm. The arm severed at the elbow. As Florence’s shock and pain swept over him, Adrian swung the second blade toward Florence’s head. The blade stopped short of severing Florence’s thick neck. Adrian held the blade firmly in his left hand and kicked the back of the blade the remaining way through Florence’s neck. Florence’s body dropped to the ground before bursting into ashes.

Adrian fell to his knees from the aching pain in his face and spine. He dropped the blades beside him and slowly pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He dialed Vladimir.

“Florence is dead. Where’s the trade taking place?”

Adrian dropped the phone on the ground and remained on his knees. He didn’t have a choice. He had to let himself heal before he would be able to drive to the trade location.

Chapter 27

Kayci’s heart pounded so loudly in her ears, she barely heard the comments of the vampires around her. She tried to gain composure over her rising fear so she could concentrate and be logical. Orrick and Natalia still had painfully solid grips on each side of her. They had dragged her into an underground floor of an old factory building. Around her, seven of Danika’s coven vampires impatiently waited. They circled Eva, who was tied securely to one of the building’s structural pillars. Danika’s coven faced Kayci, Orrick, and Natalia with violent stares.

“We’ve brought the half-breed. Let Eva go,” Orrick demanded.

Danika laughed wildly. “You think I actually intended to let her go?! What a fool. You think you actually have the power to make such a demand? Look around you. There are nine of us and one of you.”

Kayci saw Orrick’s expression turn to confusion. He didn’t understand. Kayci caught on as soon as Natalia aggressively yanked her out of Orrick’s grip and dragged her toward the waiting hands of the eager coven vampires.

Danika grinned at Natalia as Orrick’s eyes filled with understanding.

“Nicely done, Natalia.”

Natalia proudly smirked back.

“Kill him,” Danika commanded.

Kayci could only watch as five vampires swiftly and viciously attacked Orrick. Orrick tried hard to fight back, but he couldn’t match the strength of all five of them. They tore at his limbs and ripped flesh from bone. Moments later Orrick’s lifeless body fell to the dirty cement ground. His ashes slowly spread into the damp, stagnant air.

“One down and four to go,” Danika preened.

Knowing that Danika intended to kill her and Eva, Kayci kicked the nearest vampire, swung her fist at the next closest jaw, and with hands free, pushed the flames to her fingers. Danika’s eyes shot open wide.

“Grab her!”

Kayci let her fear and anger fuel the energy exploding from her core. She grabbed the nearest vampire, said the incantation, and let the flames spread from her hands to the vampire’s flesh. She willed her energy further, pushing the flames across his body. He cried out as the stench of burning flesh rose in the air. Kayci went after the next vampire running from her, only to feel strong, powerful hands grab at her hair. She was whipped backward and held tightly in Natalia’s fierce grip. Several others quickly came to Natalia’s aid.

Kayci threw her fists outward and tried to burn every vampire that approached. She heard Danika shout from a distance.

“Tie her hands behind her, you idiots!”

Firm hands instantly held her wrists tight as a scratchy rope was wrapped around them. She didn’t let that stop her. The moment she felt Natalia’s grip loosen, she kicked hard at her knee. She heard the knee snap and Natalia’s growl of pain. Kayci backed away, giving her the space she needed to force the flames to her hands once again in an effort to burn the ropes.

Natalia turned toward Kayci with a rage-filled expression. She swung her arm forcefully at Kayci’s face. Kayci stumbled sideways from the pain and force of the blow. She tasted the blood on her lip as it spread into her mouth. Another blow came at her abdomen, causing Kayci to buckle over. A third punch shattered her ribs into pieces. She cried out from the excruciating pain.

“You think you can fight a five-hundred-year-old vampire, you weak, pathetic half-breed?!” Natalia drew her leg back.

Kayci took another blow.

“And to think vampires are actually afraid of what you’re capable of.”

Kayci fell to her knees after another fist to her face. Blood dripped to the floor. She was quickly losing consciousness.

“Stop!” Danika demanded. “We need her alive. The others haven’t arrived yet.”

Natalia’s eyes gleamed with anger. Her lip curled as she growled at Kayci. “We’ll finish this later.”

Kayci squinted up at Eva with one swollen eye. Eva stared back at her with a sympathetic expression. As Kayci looked at Eva, she had a strange desire not to fight anymore. A desire quite the opposite of how she felt seconds ago. Then she realized Eva pushed her own thought forward.
Don’t fight right now
was the message. A message Kayci admittedly had to adhere to. Her face and body throbbed with pain, making her too weak to fight.

“What made you betray the Covenant?” Kayci heard Eva ask Natalia.

Natalia’s head whipped toward the direction of Eva’s voice.

“
Betray
seems like the wrong word. In my opinion, I’m helping the Covenant grow to its full potential. The Covenant has become soft, Eva.
You’ve
become soft. We’re losing order amongst our kind. Too many covens are losing their fear of us. Danika’s coven being a perfect example of that.”

Several vampires smirked at Natalia’s comment.

“It’s time to remind vampires of how powerful the Covenant can be. If that means the Covenant needs to be reconstructed, so be it.”

“We both know chaos will erupt if Danika is a part of the Covenant. She doesn’t want our existence kept as a secret among humans.”

Natalia grinned at Eva.

“Neither do you, it seems.”

“They’re here,” Danika announced as she took a long, thick blade from one of her coven vampire’s outstretched hands.

She sauntered toward Eva, with the large knife in hand.

“I’ll do it,” Natalia declared.

Danika handed the blade to Natalia as she marched past Danika toward Eva.

Natalia held the blade to Eva’s throat as Vladimir, Beatrice, and Thorne stormed down the steps and into the scene.

Each one of them studied the room and their surroundings. They noticed Natalia holding the blade to Eva’s throat, Kayci’s condition, and the number of vampires in the room, yet they remained regal as they stood.

“Look who’s back from the dead,” Danika mocked as she glanced over at Kayci.

She returned her gaze to Thorne. “A pleasant surprise, honestly. You were always my favorite Covenant member, especially with your insurgent behavior and all.”

Thorne nodded his head and gave an amicable smile of appreciation. “May I ask why you have both my sister and daughter in such dire situations?”

“To be frank with you, Thorne, they’re both ploys in a plan of larger proportion. It’s nothing personal.”

“It will become very personal if any further harm comes to either of them,” Thorne threatened. “Now, Danika, I believe we can come to some kind of agreement. What is it that you want?”

Thorne, Vladimir, Beatrice, Eva, and Kayci looked up when they heard the rustling of movement on the floor above them. The doors to the stairway were being closed and sealed shut. Barricades were being added.

“What I want is for you all to die!” Danika seethed between her fangs.

Natalia held the knife more firmly against Eva’s throat with intention of putting the blade through Eva’s neck, and then she stopped. Her face became expressionless. She moved the blade away from Eva’s neck and charged toward Danika—her own thought to kill Danika brought forward by Eva’s influence. A thought Natalia had reserved for a different time and place.

Danika blocked the swing of Natalia’s arm as Thorne, Vladimir, and Beatrice charged after the coven vampires. The vampires surrounding Kayci left her to help fight Thorne, Vladimir, and Beatrice. Those attacking Thorne were quickly being knocked down. Kayci noticed how much more powerful he was than the others.

Kayci said an incantation and forced the flames to her hands. She watched as Danika and Natalia battled one another for power as the flames slowly melted the rope around her wrists. As soon as the ropes loosened, she rushed over to Eva and began untying her.

Just as Eva was freed, the large, strong vampire that Kayci recognized from the parking garage grabbed the blade that Natalia had dropped. He charged toward Kayci, raised the blade, and swung for her neck. Eva saw the vampire coming for Kayci and instinctively shoved Kayci out of the way. The blade ripped through Eva and grazed the side of Kayci’s neck. The force of Eva shoving her propelled Kayci sideways. She lost her footing and landed on the cement floor. Kayci’s hand grasped her neck in an effort to stop the bleeding. She painfully turned her head to locate Eva. Her eyes found Eva’s body just in time to witness her turn to ash.

“No!” Kayci screamed.

Her chest ached with sorrow. A knot clenched her stomach. The other vampires turned to see the reason for the scream. Several seemed pleased. Thorne’s grief-stricken expression quickly turned to rage. His face contorted, and he whipped his head directly toward Danika. Natalia, no longer under Eva’s control, backed away from Danika.

“Now!” Danika barked at her remaining coven members.

Danika ran quickly toward a camouflaged door clearly set up as an escape route. Natalia followed closely behind Danika’s heels. As Danika passed one of the columns, Kayci heard a device on one of the pillars click.

Kayci immediately stood up. Blood covered the entire left side of her body. She felt weak in the knees and fatigued. She ignored the feeling and focused her concentration on pulling every bit of energy she had from her core.

She heard another click from the device—the release of a timer. A loud crack ripped through the room. Concrete particles and flames exploded into the air. Beatrice and two of Danika’s coven vampires who were closest to the bomb instantly went up in flames. Kayci heard their cries of agony as she continued to force the energy out of her.

Thorne and Vladimir rushed toward Kayci as another loud crack exploded on a second pillar. Kayci held her hands up high and pushed away the flames that were rising toward her, Thorne, and Vladimir.

“Head toward the stairs!” Vladimir shouted through the cracking and snapping of flames and debris.

A large piece of concrete whipped past Kayci’s head and hit Vladimir’s shoulder. He fell to the floor and moaned from his broken shoulder. Thorne quickly lifted Vladimir from the floor and pulled him in the direction Kayci headed. Kayci could feel her energy beginning to wane. She hoped she could hold the flames at bay long enough to get to the door.

***

Adrian heard the deafening explosion and witnessed parts of the floor collapsing as he entered the first-floor doors of the empty warehouse. Danika, Reece, and Natalia were racing toward him, clearly trying to escape the chaos. When they spotted Adrian, Natalia and Danika split apart and ran off. Reece bared his fangs and came right at him. Adrian did the same as he charged at Reece.

As they rushed at each other, Adrian raised his arm to his side and clotheslined Reece, knocking him to the cement floor. Reece landed with a resounding thud. Adrian immediately pressed his boot onto Reece’s neck with all his weight. Reece choked out a gasp as Adrian crushed his larynx. Before Reece could push Adrian off, Adrian pulled one of the blades on his back from its sheath and forced it down on Reece’s neck with every bit of strength he had. Adrian sprinted after Danika as Reece’s ashes lifted into the air.

Adrian quickly caught up to Danika, grabbed her from behind, and tackled her to the ground. As soon as she hit the ground, she immediately began squirming and kicking at Adrian. Her fangs extracted as she brought her face in close, trying to bite Adrian’s neck. Adrian clamped his left hand around Danika’s jaw and pushed her fangs away from him as he used his right hand to press down on her shoulder. He brought his head down on Danika’s neck and tore into her flesh. He pulled his head back, only to sink his teeth into her flesh once more.

Danika let out a high-pitched cry as blood poured onto her and the ground. She pulled one of the blades from Adrian’s back. As Adrian heard the blade separating from its sheath, he jumped off Danika. The tip of the blade sliced across his chest as he stood up straight. Adrian growled with fury.

His wrath quickly rose with each forceful strike she aimed toward him. Adrian followed the unskilled maneuvering of the weighted blade in her hand. When she swung again, he waited until the blade forced her arm to the left, then he grabbed her wrist and bent it as far as he could until she released the blade. With Danika’s wrist firmly in his grasp, he forcefully kicked her knee, snapping it sideways. She screamed before falling to the ground. Adrian quickly retrieved the fallen blade.

“Adrian, you can’t kill me. I made you!”

Adrian’s eyes gleamed with anger. “I told you to
never
come back.”

Adrian held the blade in both arms as he swung it through the air. The blade cut through flesh and bone, severing Danika’s head from her body. Adrian watched as the ashes drifted into the air. A brief feeling of sorrow and guilt swept over him. The feeling dissipated as he turned toward the warehouse to find Kayci.

The explosions had ended, but the flames and falling debris continued to surround them. With her energy now fading, the flames threatened to engulf them, the heat pressing against her skin. Vladimir and Thorne grimaced with pain as the flames licked at their skin, burning the flesh away. Trepidation and hope overwhelmed Kayci as she heard movement behind the doors at the top of the stairway. She heard loud cracks of someone cutting at the wood, and then the doors swung open. Smoke billowed out, masking the vampire that stood there. Then she heard his voice.