Chapter 25

 

 

Brent ran down the stone stairs from the kitchen in the Old House, into the basement that had stretched out into a huge cavern, much like the one he’d been kept in before.

“It’s like déjà fucking vu,” he muttered.

Toryn clapped a hand on his shoulder. “At least this time, you’re fully charged and ready to go.”

“Didn’t take much last time,” he replied.

Tyrone sobbed in a corner, staring toward a hallway, but he made no motion to move. Brent did feel sorry for the guy. He was a damned mess, and Amelia did need to fix his mind. She was the only one who could do it.

And then he noticed the dead redhead in the corner. Leanan. Shit, that was going to hurt Jordan. He finally got his life on track, and losing Leanan might set him back.

Gina was nowhere in sight, which was a huge problem. Then he saw Dominque, a leprechaun. “Dominque, come here.” All they needed was her luck on their side. She didn’t have to do a single thing, just be nearby.

She stood up and walked over. “Christian followed Amelia. I wanted to keep an eye on Tyrone. I don’t know where Gina is. She disappeared before the chaos.”

He nodded. “Don’t worry about that. Right now, I need a little luck. How squeamish are you?”

A nervous laugh bubbled up. “Not at all. I just don’t like violence.”

“You’re going to see plenty of that no matter where you are, but if you think bad thoughts about the vampires who are going to attack, it would help a ton.”

“What are you doing?” Mike asked, giving Dominque a dubious look.

Brent smirked. “Luck is on her side. Bad things happen to those who wrong her. We just need her with us, keep her surrounded, and hopefully, things will be a little smoother because the shit is about to hit the fan.”

A vampire darted out of his hiding spot in the corridor and shadows reached out, winding around the poor bastard, then filled the bleeding wounds on his arms.

“Fucking abyss, it’s already hit the fan. Come on.” Most of those who came with Brent would help the captives first. A few would go with Brent.

He hurried to the commotion in the hallway.

The newly-tainted vampire slipped and fell on his ass like he stepped on a banana peel as another vampire slipped on blood and fell on top of him.

Preston shot a fireball their way, and they burst into flame.

Dominque gasped.

“Sorry, girl. We need your help if we’re getting out of this,” Brent murmured.

“Anything to get back to Dane,” she promised.

Down the hall, Eamon and Amelia fought twin giants. Niall and Nolan. Huge, hulking figures with blond hair and blue eyes. There was one difference. Their eyes were pure black. No hint of color or whites.

One of them swung at Amelia, but she burst into shadow, blowing past to reform behind him. She gripped his chin and twisted his head around so violently it went more than 360 degrees. He fell, face first, his muscles twitching, but he wasn’t going anywhere, and until someone could fix his neck, he wouldn’t.

Eamon moved toward him.

Amelia shook her head. “He’s not himself, and if we stop Inuala, he’ll be fine.”

“You’re sure?” Eamon asked.

She nodded. “I only plan to kill those I must.” Then she flowed past Eamon as a shadow and reformed as Nolan did. She swung him around, and he slammed face first into the stone wall.

Eamon cursed in his native tongue, and Brent couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up. After all these years, he should have realized women were just as capable as men.

Another bloody vampire jumped from a hidden door, clawing toward Amelia.

Eamon caught the woman around the throat and shoved her into another wall.

“Break her neck,” Amelia ordered as she slipped past Eamon and kicked in the door at the end of the hall.

Eamon snapped her neck as four more vampires came out of hiding, blood dripping down their clothes, but Inuala’s spell echoed down the hall.

“She’s started,” Brent shouted.

Eamon’s mouth popped open as he met Brent’s gaze. “You?”

Brent tipped his head. He’d been a servant in Eamon’s castle. He wanted to get close to Oriana to kill her in the beginning, but he’d fallen in love. Eamon knew who he was.

“Inuala’s brother,” Eamon added.

Brent’s brow arched. He hadn’t believed Eamon knew. “Aye.”

“I should have known.” Defeat stared back, and for once, Brent wasn’t jealous. “We need to protect her. Inuala will kill her if given the opportunity.”

“Maybe you should stay out here, where Inuala can’t use you to finish the ritual.”

A vampire burst into flame as it ran toward Eamon.

Eamon winced, but nodded to the chamber. “I don’t care what happens to me. I only want her safe and happy.” He shifted into a giant wolf and charged past Brent, taking down another vampire. He tore at muscle and bone.

Brent shook off the shock and ran to the room. He skidded to a stop beside Amelia, who fell to her knees, shouting a spell he didn’t recognize.

Power flooded the room, reverberating against the walls. Light spilled from the ceiling, dampening the shadow as vampires screamed down the hall.

 

* * * *

 

Amelia rushed past Eamon, sensing Brent getting close. She didn’t want to distract herself. She had an idea of what needed to be done because she’d already seen a dozen vampires taken over by black, shadowy tendrils. It was Crom’s essence, and she had no damned clue if that was a permanent thing or not.

She only knew that Eamon had the same thing happen when he became what he was. But he was human at the time.

Gina lay on the table, her back bowed while darkness twined around her, moving like snakes. Her mouth stretched wide, though no sound came out. Inuala chanted the spell to bring Crom Cruach into the world.

I need your help, Badb whispered urgently in Amelia’s head.

What are you planning? Amelia asked.

To share Gina’s body. I won’t interfere with her life, unless something like this happens again. But if I fill the hole in her soul, Crom Cruach cannot.

How was she supposed to make that decision? Gina was no sorcerer. She didn’t know how to stop an entity from taking control. Amelia’s first incarnation barely managed to keep Crom Cruach at bay.

Amelia, I do not make this suggestion lightly. Either I do this, or Crom Cruach enters this world and destroys everything you know.

Well, she could figure out a way to banish Badb later if this turned out to be a mistake. For now, she needed to end the biggest problem at hand.

What do I do? Amelia hoped like hell she wasn’t about to regret this decision.

Call Crom to you, and once I’m in Gina, I’ll tear him out of you, she answered.

Vampires can’t be possessed once we change, Amelia answered.

Most can’t. You can. Hurry.

“Fuck me,” she muttered, walking farther into the room. She had a feeling this was the worst idea in the history of ideas, but what were her options?

She repeated the words Badb provided. The spell was unlike anything she’d ever heard, but magic rolled through her and spread out. Light filled the room and the darkness swirled and flowed into Amelia.

Balling up the darkness, she rolled it tight, locking it away in her chest. Crom screamed through her head, anger boiling, rising, but she shut him up with a second spell she chanted through her head.

Badb whispered, Your friends are coming. The time is now.

Time for what? Whatever, she continued the spell, rolling Crom Cruach tight, and she started to understand. She was collecting his essence, pulling it from the vampires, preventing him from taking hold of Gina.

Inuala screamed in frustration and looked up.

“You!” she shouted and burst into a hundred shadowy birds, flying straight for her.

Light flashed around her with Christian’s shout. Brent was beside her, throwing energy at the swarm of birds. Then a giant wolf rushed past her, catching one bird and crunching it before attacking another, and another.