Monique forced her body upright. Her mind was scattered, saturated with the magic she was forcing herself to hold inside. Vincent believed he had blocked her, but she knew her role in Anastasia’s destiny, and had allowed herself to fall victim to him once again.
It was the way it had to be. She had sent the visions to each person who would aid her in the fight, and she was glad to hear that Anastasia had been following the plan that had been laid out for her since birth.
Now it was her turn to fulfill her own destiny.
She winced when her vision swayed as she stood. She had to get to the basement. This was the only time Vincent was going to be gone, and if she didn’t get to them now, everything would be lost.
She took a deep breath and made her way down the long hallway to the elevator.
* * *
“We have to get out of here.” Dakota pulled at his restraints.
“He will slaughter them,” Tony said quietly.
“He won’t win. Ana is still there.”
“Do you honestly believe she would sacrifice us to win? You know as well as I do that she would rather die than have anything happen to us.”
“We have to have faith, Tony.”
“Perhaps I can help.” A weak voice sounded from around the corner, and Dakota looked to see Monique half crawling into the room.
“Monique, what has he done to you?” Dakota’s voice was full of sadness.
“He only believes he is to blame.” She stumbled over to them and fell to her knees at his back.
“What do you mean?” he asked. “What is happening to you, then?”
“All part of my destiny.” She smiled softy and began untying the ropes that held Dakota’s arms behind his back.
When his wrists were free, he stretched and undid Tony’s while Monique tried to catch her breath.
“I will show you where everyone else is being held.” She stood and fell back down. “Maybe, anyways. They are just across the hall.” She pointed.
“Here.” Dakota lifted her into his arms and together the three of them left the room.
Tony pulled open the door across the hall and came face to face with three Pickries.
“What are you doing here!” one yelled, and they charged.
“Isn’t this handy?” Tony grinned and grabbed his sword from the weapons rack. He charged the Pickries as Dakota set Monique gently down and did the same.
Moments later, the traitors were dead, and Tony was unchaining the gate that was holding the prisoners.
“Good to see you both.” Nix slapped Dakota on the back and then bowed in front of Monique. “Sorceress, it is an honor. I have only heard of you through stories my queen has told me.”
“Your queen has the vision.” Monique smiled softly.
“She does, Sorceress.”
“That is a wonderful gift to have, though sometimes frightening as well.”
“She told me as much.”
Dakota lifted Monique again. “Where to now?”
“That drawer.” She gestured to a desk that sat in the corner. “Your portal vials are in there.”
Tony pulled it open and started to throw one of them.
“Wait,” Dakota instructed. “If we go back right now, he will win. We need more help.”
“If we don’t at least warn them, we will have no one to help,” Tony argued.
“Dakota is right. Vincent has an army, hundreds of creatures and humans following him. I can’t imagine you have that many,” Monique offered.
Tony ground his teeth together.
“We need more help, Tony. We have two vials, let’s go get some backup.”
Tony finally nodded and pocketed the vial. “Let’s go.”
* * *
“They’re here,” Argento muttered as Vincent stepped through the trees. She nodded and stared straight ahead at the man who had ruined so many lives.
She choked back a gasp when she saw the massive army that stepped from the trees behind him. They were going to need a miracle.
“Good to see you, Anastasia.”
Anastasia swallowed the bile that rose in her throat at the sight of him.
“I wish I could say the same.” She crossed her arms over her chest and felt Argento stiffen beside her.
“You don’t stand a chance against me, child, it truly is foolish to keep trying.”
“Well, no one has ever accused me of being overly intelligent,” she responded dryly.
Vincent laughed. “I see you haven’t lost your sense of humor, that’s good.”
“What do you want, Vincent?”
“I want many things.” He crossed his arms behind his back and began pacing. The action was so similar to her father’s that it nearly brought a mixture of tears and rage out. “I want this world to fall in line with the rest.”
“Haven’t I already answered that?”
“I will not give you another chance.”
“I'm fairly certain you’ve said that to me before too.”
“Dammit, child!” he yelled, and it was the first flare of anger she could remember seeing him showing while others were around. “This is it, Anastasia. Don’t you see it?” He gestured to the mixture of creatures standing behind him.
Anastasia’s eyes fell on one of the desert beasts, and she cringed when it smiled at her. Yeah, I see you too, asshole.
“This isn’t going to go the way you want it to, Vincent. You murdered my entire family, my friends, and other innocent people and creatures. You are a monster.”
“And what are you? Their ‘hero’?” he scoffed.
“If that means I’m going to kick your ass, then hell yeah.”
“Sometimes people don’t need a hero, Anastasia. You call me a monster? Fine. But I am going to fix what’s wrong with the worlds, so if that makes me a monster, then I guess I am a monster.”
“You are insane.”
“I saved you, didn’t I? If it weren’t for me, you would have never been allowed to use your magic.”
“You saved me? Are you kidding me? You kidnapped me and sent me to live with a man who beat me my entire life!”
“He wasn’t supposed to!”
* * *
Vincent entered the house he had helped acquire for its occupants. He knew he needed contacts in every world, and it had proven a simple task to push this particular man to the top. He had been knee-deep in gambling debt, but had possessed a sharp mind. All Vincent had to do was manipulate the man’s life and background and he was able to put him front and center in a law firm. Now he was able to keep eyes on any crime in the area, and silence those who might tell a story Vincent wasn’t ready for the world to hear.
He had already sent Brutes to Seattle, and was working on getting them in every other world. He had searched city to city for someone like Mitch Carter, and when he had finally found him, it had been as if he had been directed to Seattle for a reason.
“Nice to see you, Vincent. What can I do for you?” Mitch asked as he stood from behind his desk.
“I have a job for you.”
“I am in your debt. Anything you need.”
Vincent held out Anastasia. “Meet your new daughter.”
Mitch regarded her with disgust. “You want me to raise that thing?”
Vincent nodded. “Where is Monica?”
“Monica!” Mitch yelled, and within moments, she appeared. “Take that thing.”
Vincent handed Anastasia over. “How are you enjoying Seattle, my dear?”
Monica smiled. “Much better than Terrenia. They have running water here, and the kitchen is fascinating to me.”
Vincent returned the smile and looked back at Mitch. “Under no circumstances is any harm to come to this child. I will return for her when I need her, but you are to keep her safe until I arrive.”
“Yes sir,” Mitch agreed, and Vincent could see the disdain on his face. Anastasia would be safe here, though—Mitch was too afraid of Vincent’s wrath to allow anything to happen to her.
“You will raise her as your own. I have gotten you a new house, one on the other side of town and in a neighborhood. You will be next door to a cop, and I want you to work to get him in your pocket. He is a respected man and could prove to be a worthy ally.”
“And if he refuses?”
Vincent shrugged. “Then business as usual. Just don’t bring attention to yourselves.”
“We won’t.” Monica smiled. “I will go to the store and get everything we might need for this one.” She ran her finger down Anastasia’s cheek.
Truth be told, she was the reason Vincent had brought Anastasia. Monica had been a respected wife and mother in one of the villages on Terrenia when she lost both her husband and son in a Brute raid. After that, her mind snapped and she began sleeping with men at random to try and get pregnant, desperate for another child.
When Vincent found her, she was lying in the mud and praying for death. She was the perfect woman to ensure no harm came to his niece.
“Care for her as if she were your own,” Vincent said directly to Monica one last time before he stepped through another portal.
* * *
“He wasn’t supposed to lay a hand on you. Monica should have ensured it.”
“Oh, you mean the woman who allowed me to be beaten within an inch of death for my entire childhood?” She felt the switch in Argento’s emotions and knew he was feeling the same rage she was at her words. It was more than she would have preferred to share with everyone, but Vincent needed to hear it.
“I chose him because I believed Monica would protect you.”
“And why is that? Did you threaten her family too?”
“Actually, I was responsible for their deaths. You see, her village was the victim of one of the first raids I did. It was sloppy, and nearly everyone was killed.”
“Wait.” Anastasia shook her head. “Monica was from here?”
Vincent smiled. “So it seems you don’t know everything. Yes, she was from here. I chose her because she was desperately searching for a child to replace the one she had lost that night.”
“So you though giving her your kidnapped niece was a good idea.”
“I meant to protect you.”
“Don’t act for a second like you give a shit about me.”
“We are family.”
“Not anymore. I’m not sure we ever were.”
Vincent felt the rage building in his chest at the familiar words. “You are just like your father. You will die just as he did.” He waved his hand and his eyes widened when he realized he wasn’t going anywhere.
Yes, way to go, Grandma! Anastasia smiled. “What’s the matter, Vincent? Magic not working right?”
“What have you done?”
“Nothing much, we just wanted to make sure you stayed a bit longer than your usual trips.”
Vincent conjured up a ball of flame and thrust it at her, and she jumped to the side so it missed her. She watched as he retreated into the ranks of his army.
“Attack!” he yelled, and continued pushing through them as they ran for Anastasia and her group.
“Hold your form, don’t let them in the gate!” Argento called as they all unsheathed their swords. They greeted their enemy with the piercing sound of metal on metal.
Anastasia fought her way through the crowd towards where Vincent had disappeared. Her eyes widened when she saw the Brutes at the back loading large guns. Using a small amount of magic, she disabled them. Luckily the pull wasn’t enough to cause her any dizziness, so she fought on and prayed for a miracle.
“We’s missed you, little one.” She stopped in front of one of the desert beasts.
“Wish I could say the same,” she said with a grimace. “Did anyone tell you that you stink?”
He growled and charged. Anastasia dodged and ran her sword into its back. It fell to its knees and turned to sand when it hit the ground. “That’s a new one,” she muttered, and dove back into the fray of battle.
“Watch out!” Selena called, and Anastasia dodged the blade of a Brute. Selena threw a platinum-coated blade at it and it struck it between the eyes. Anastasia couldn’t help but be impressed. “Told you I could fight,” Selena said, and ripped the blade out of the dead Brute.
Anastasia continued battling as she pushed through, searching for Vincent. She wasn’t sure how long Carmen could hold the block, and she didn’t want to risk him getting away. Not before she had the chance to pay him back for all he had done.