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  “I’m starting to think Helsing never expected our infiltration to truly remain an undetected presence,” Thedryk quipped.

  “If either of you believed this could be done in a way that did not trigger some alarm, then you were only fooling yourselves.” I stepped forward between the two and pressed on, hearing small puffs of laughter and disbelief intermingled from the two men.

  We reached the backside of the castle. Thedryk and I needed to scale up the wall to the garden on the second story, while Duval would enter through the first level entry into the kitchen.

  “See you soon.” Duval quirked a quick grin and one raised eyebrow before disappearing inside the doorway, a warm light dipping in and out as the only indicator of a visitor.

  I puffed a sigh into the cold night air, a white cloud floating out and above us both. “Why couldn’t we have gone through the kitchen?”

  Thedryk only smiled knowingly at me, his dark green cloak, which seemed nearly black in the night, covered his head, and my burgundy one protected my face from a rising wind that trickled past.

  “No time for complaints, my love.”

  I cast a sideways glance his direction.

  “We have Felicity waiting for our arrival and she was never known for her patience.”

  We climbed the ruddy surface of the castle wall, plenty of stones unevenly distributed giving us proper hand and footholds as we shimmied up.

  “Yes, we can’t keep her waiting…” It had been here, in this castle. This was where we were destined to fight. Why didn’t I recognize it then? I had heard the others all in the castle…where else would they have been? I considered the young girl, Theresa and Luken, Thedryk not quite by my side but nearby. My heart seized. Was he hurt in that vision? I realized many visions had shown Thedryk in some danger, some degree of being wounded, but my focus had always remained on Felicity. “But then why take such a roundabout way?”

  My question was carried away with a sudden billowing gust of wind that cut across the side of the castle. I looked down, realizing we were nearly forty feet from the ground.

  “What was that?” Thedryk tried to ask over the pressing wind.

  I turned to look at the direction the wind had been blowing, opposite Thedryk, to find a sudden onset of dark clouds devouring the clear sky. When I whipped my face back towards Thedryk, I found he had climbed up right next to me and was wrapping his right arm firmly around my waist.

  “HOLD ON TO ME!” His voice still sounded distant, though almost directly in my ear.

  I did as he demanded without a second thought. My burgundy cloak was taken up in the wind, making it dance wildly all around us both. My cloak and his slapped one another, pushing off and being forced together again. Thedryk kicked up and off the wall, as hard as he could, and we shot over, crash-landing through the glass enclosure of the garden.

  Large panes split and shattered beneath our force with a curtain the only cushion for the fall, and the wind that was so cutting carried large flakes of snow into the greenery. Part of me felt a sudden panic: we had to cover the window; the plants would die. Another sensed what was coming. More creatures. We had not been subtle in any degree and had given a clear indication of our entrance. The sound of footsteps swept across the floor in the room beyond the doors.

  “Oh, how kind,” Thedryk remarked as he stood extending his hand to help me up. “They’ve come to greet us and provide us with warm drink. Do you think there will be a dance?”

  I looked at Thedryk a moment, not fully prepared for such banter at the moment, before taking his hand and accepting the assistance. “Thedryk…”

  “Do say you will give me the first dance.” Thedryk still held my hand and was slowly pulling me in, my pupils dilated, heart skipping a beat as the memory surfaced of my first dance. My only dance, as Kareese. It was before the demons had commenced their attack, I was barely fourteen, and my mother had insisted on hosting a ball to lift everyone’s spirits. Recalling the memory in this moment, I recognized it for what it truly was. The only ball I would experience in my lifetime as Kareese. Eliza and Zachariah had received word just days before, though I did not find out until two days after the ball, of demons being found on the outskirts of our lands.

  My chin gave a slight quiver, the memory of the ball so vivid as I recalled Thedryk so young himself, only four years my senior and asking me for the first dance. My first dance. It was the only time in that life I had felt beautiful, both as a female and as a young lady.

  Thedryk brushed back the loose strands dancing wildly about my face as the wind continued to pour in through the new opening. “We must have a ball, in your honor, after all this mess is done.” The doors’ handles started to shake, pounding following to the creaking and submission as the creatures broke through.

  We each watched the scene unfold as I remarked, “Seems these aren’t quite as intelligent as the others, can’t even open a door…”

  “Easy prey,” Thedryk echoed my sentiment as we split apart on opposite sides, splitting the group apart. Six creatures barreled through in an uncoordinated manner. As I pulled my daggers free and dropped one creature and wounded another, I caught a glimpse of Thedryk swinging his spear out, the trident-like end clapping as each level snapped into place and crippled one creature, splitting open the legs at the knees. The roses, peonies, lavender, and other green plants divided us, but the smell that came from the creatures filled the space, eliminating the sweetness that had been present for years.

  After my daggers had been discharged I had my sword in hand, its handle firm in my grip as though it had always been there. The two remaining creatures changed their course. Rather than rushing ahead after the first they stopped, looking to one another silently, then to the body just a few feet before me, and then their eyes rested on me. Something had shifted in the moments since the forced entry of breaking down the door; these two seemed more aware than the first, than what I had assumed.

  “Thedryk,” I called out, suddenly aware of the trap. It was too late as I heard Thedryk’s voice cry out in pain. “Thedryk!” This time I shouted in fear, imagining him mortally wounded.

  “It’s all right, Neva,” Thedryk hastily responded. “Just don’t let your guard down. They aren’t as stupid as we thought.” His sentence ended with a commotion of movement beyond the taller plant life.

  Trees being grown within the garden shook and were jostled from whatever was happening beyond. As I looked past the two creatures that stood before me, they grew weary of waiting, or saw an opportunity, both bolting forward in motion to either side of me, trying to overwhelm me. But Thedryk’s voice caught my attention, the overwhelming feeling to move, to get to him shed away all caution and concern for my own life. Within a breath of a moment, I gauged the slight difference in distance and pushed off with my right foot, carrying my blade from below up into a high arc, nearly decapitating the creature to my left. Then, with all the speed and force available to my body, I pivoted as the body was knocked away, and pushed off from both feet, launching myself directly towards the one that was still mid-air heading to the spot where I had stood, and cut the creature in half along its body as I carried the blade upright and straight through.

  I had seen the first creature’s eyes, dumb in its surprised confusion. This time, I felt the blade easily slip through the tissue and organs that had become fetid remains within and roughly through the spinal cord. It was a swift, grating tremble that ended just as quickly as it had begun.

  I wasted no time in reviewing the bodies. Instead, turning once more with all my force, I lunged forward to become a projectile across the expanse of the forested garden. Thorns from the rose bushes attempted to slow me, cutting at my skin-tight clothing and cloak, but they were nothing as I broke through the tall strand of trees and leaves, finding Thedryk slumped against a wall, all three dead creatures scattered around him. I gasped at the claw marks along his face, a bite mark at his neck, and a deep wound nestled into his left side that was closer to a g
aping hole.

  Thedryk panted. “I guess they were hungry.”

  “Holy God.” I felt my stomach churn at the sight and smell. Thedryk’s fresh blood was upsetting, but at least it smelled better than the corpses that littered the garden. Steadying myself mentally, I stepped forward and began inspecting the wound. “What did they do to you?” I was truly mystified, equal parts horrified.

  Thedryk writhed in pain, though he stifled his cries. “Oh, a little of this, and a little of that,” he responded through gritted teeth.

  Giving him a scolding look, I continued, “I believe this will heal, with time. Did they remove your insides?” My face pulled in tight, my eyes squinting as though it would help me understand the innards of the human body.

  “We have to keep moving. This will heal.” Thedryk began pulling himself up with his spear. “Hand me that curtain, will you?”

  He was right. I wanted him to remain here and rest, but I could not force him to abide my wishes; I knew that well enough. Pulling the curtain from the floor, I shook free the glass shards, taking a few brief moments to inspect for any remaining shards that might have been embedded. When I was confident it was shard free, I turned to Thedryk, not releasing the item.

  “Please, let me do this, at least,” I implored but did not wait for a response. I split the curtain in half with my sword and wrapped Thedryk’s midsection, tying it off firmly. Thedryk gave a cough but had no complaints as I finished my handiwork.

  “Get your daggers back.” Thedryk motioned to my right leg, barren of its companions. “We need to head below.” Nodding, I turned back around and made my way to my side of the garden. As I wrested my dagger from the first creature, I noticed the other two had not moved, though the one I had split in half was not dead, either. Its arms flailed lightly above the ground, the revolting red and black seeping from its mouth. It had managed to land on its back side, at least the top half had.

  I walked over to the creature, examining it as its eyes fell upon mine. “Kill…me…” The words were strained but spoken nonetheless. In my shock I took a step back. I knew some could speak, but not of a conscious desire such as this. Someone inside, there still had to be a remnant of whoever this creature was before. Taking steps back towards the creature, this time standing to its side, I angled my sword and looked down to discover it had been crying. I cut my sword down as an executioner without hesitation. No one deserved to live in such a state, nor should they have to die more than once. I chose mercy.

  Thedryk had been waiting just behind the broken doors, watching from around the corner between splintered patches. “It appears they were the only hosts up here.”

  “Thedryk, you should find somewhere safe to wait. I can handle the rest from here,” I pleaded, though I knew he would never agree.

  He ignored my request. “I wonder how the others are faring. I haven’t heard anything beyond our own rocky entrance.”

  I clenched my teeth together, trying not to let anger in when all I wanted in the moment was not to see Thedryk die in front of me. “Then you follow me.” I stepped through the splintered remains, my sword pointing to the ceiling. On the other side of the door, I found the table and chair I had sat in not so long ago, reading the letter from Piper that gave me the nudge I needed to seek out the answers on my own. Behind me rustled Thedryk, stumbling through the doorway and hissing my name as he followed.

  “Neva.”

  Returning the favor, I ignored his imploring.

  “Wait!”

  A small smile crested my lips as I slowed only slightly, giving Thedryk a chance to catch up without further opening his wounds. Sounds from below stopped me entirely, scuffling and gurgling howls that were cut off. In their early stages. Thedryk had reached my side and gripped my arm, holding me back from any advance.

  I whispered, “That must be Duval with Alana and Benjamin,” as I tried to wrench my arm away.

  “We still have to take our route.” Thedryk dared to allow his voice above his hissing whisper, but only barely. “Stick to the plan to ensure everyone’s safety.”

  Turning my head, I looked down to the curtain-wrapped blood stain that continued to spread, my visions enlightening what was ahead. “I doubt there will be any safety ensured tonight.”

  Thedryk dragged me to the right where a door waited, taking me farther away from the sound of several feet traversing below. A waft of sulfur carried up the open stairwell we passed on our way, reaching us just before we crested the doorway, along with a scent of pine.

  “Wait!” But we were through the door and shrouded in darkness, leaving me to be pulled along with Thedryk as I felt him guiding me through multiple turns.

  “Watch your step,” he whispered as I felt his arm and hand pull down, allowing me to gingerly take each step, learning their standard height and depth. The stairwell we had entered curved wide, leading us beneath the upper levels of the castle as we picked up speed with the familiarity.

  “Thedryk.” As I spoke, the words made me nervous as they echoed in the dark hollow before us. “I…I thought I smelled Zachariah.”

  Thedryk stopped quickly, causing me to run into his solid frame. “We both know that cannot be.” He began moving once more. “Essence of his specter can be found in all corners of this place.”

  With that I kept my concerns to myself, internally scolding myself for even suggesting such a possibility.

  At irregular intervals the steps would reach a plateau, and I was becoming anxious for the landing we would finally stop at, until we reached what I assumed was the bottom. Thedryk didn’t move for several minutes with me waiting, holding my breath, afraid to breathe any sounds that could give us away. My mind had already run wild with what waited beyond the door when a scuffling occurred. Thedryk gently squeezed my hand he had been holding onto for guidance. A quick, firm warning to remain where I was.

  If I had been watching an hourglass, the sand would have been frozen in a state of flux, no passage allowed in either direction. As the unwelcomed guests passed, Thedryk cracked the door open, revealing a passageway I wasn’t familiar with, but the scent that carried through the crack identified we were close to the sparring room. Releasing my hand, Thedryk moved along the wall, signaling it was clear and for me to follow. The light was strangely dim for the area that I began to recognize as we entered; the shield had been completely removed from an archway we approached. I pressed the back of my hand to my nose, the smell overwhelmingly pungent the nearer we drew. Then came the sound of Felicity speaking aloud, no other voice responding though she gave answers to an unknown party.

  “How is he even here?” Thedryk crossed the opening as Felicity turned her back, each of us standing and watching from the shadows of the hallway, listening to her one-sided conversation. She was pacing rapidly, her sleeveless top was black to match the still draping skirt that was cut out in the front and center to reveal skin-tight leggings. The black sparkled under the dimmed lighting. Her skin was pristine; even the arm where Helsing had shot her was clear of any markings.

  “Yes, I can handle her…No, don’t interfere. You gave me this to handle, and I have done as we discussed. Everything is in place.” Felicity had become irritated and extremely animated as she raised her arms and flailed them around, before bringing them in tight with clenched fists.

  “When you have returned you may do as you please, but until then you will have to rely on me, as you have done for centuries now. Do not forget the loyalty I have given you.” We saw no one else other than Felicity in the room. She huffed a frustrated sigh in the air. “Arrogant…” She paused and turned to where we had been hiding. “Oh, so you have finally made it, Neva. Thedryk.” She spoke Thedryk’s name as an afterthought.

  Drawing my sword, I stepped through the archway into the room, my nerves tickling and blood boiling. From inside the fold of Felicity’s gown, she pulled free her sword which had been hanging along her right thigh; the hilt of the blade gripped within her slender hands appeared to be misp
laced.

  “Who were you just speaking with, Felicity?” Watching her movements, I slowly made my way towards her, arcing out wide and slowly closing the gap with her deep, red eyes watching me.

  The rouge of her lips had faded to the soft pink I had seen in the visions; her skin was even lighter than the visions had revealed. The blue and green lines of her veins were dominant along her throat, collar bones, down to her décolletage.

  That wicked smile crept up from the corners of her lips, revealing the unbearably white teeth, long and perfectly tapered to a needle’s point. “You shouldn’t worry about that, Neva. I promise you will not live long enough for it to matter.”

  Felicity shot forward, knocking me back, and my only option was to block the oncoming assault. As I raised my sword to block her initial striking blow, I heard Thedryk cry out, and from farther away came a frustrated cry from Eliza. I dared a quick glance to Thedryk to find him defending himself, spear halfway extended, against two of Felicity’s creatures.

  “Ah-Ah-Ahhhh!” Felicity carried her blade along mine, sparks glinting between them as she slid her blade down and away, raising it with blinding speed and bringing it down once more.

  My only response was to block and parry her attacks as her next attacks came faster than the ones before, leaving me reeling. Felicity threw herself into a spin, twirling silver, black, and white that I dodged first, then parried as three thrusts, left, right, then center, forced me to take several steps back as more sounds from around carried through the passageways. I lost my focus. Alana’s and Benjamin’s warrior-like cries haunt the tunnels leading to our present location, an explosion sounds in the background followed by Helsing’s commands that I cannot clearly understand. In milliseconds, barely registered time passes before I twitch at the sound of Eliza and the young girl nearby, just as my vision recalled, and I recognized that it was Amelia and not Lucy. Lucy was dead, her remains left with Xavier.