BloodSworn (28 page)

Wood on the hatch behind them splintered but held. If they
couldn’t open it, the vampires were going to tear it apart.

“Well, since I can’t work earth magic worth a darn, let me
give this stuff a try.” Trina hurried to Drew’s side, and his relieved smile
broke her heart.

They were running out of time.

Trina cast Drew a worried glance. His face was alarmingly pale,
the strain to remain in control weakening him. She feared pushing him past his
limits. If he lost his hold, he could go after Merrick again, and the others
would do whatever it took to protect him, even if it meant killing Drew.

“If I can crack the magic, I need you to be ready to break
the chain. It will hurt, and I’m not sure it will even work. Are you sure you
want to try?” Her conscience wouldn’t allow her to risk the life of one person
to save another, even if one of them was her sister.

Drew tightened his lips in determination. “It will work.
Just tell me what you need done.”

“I’m going to use my blood to take care of the spell. Just
be ready for my signal. The lack of magic should send the knife right through
the delicate links.”

“Are we concerned about the blood in the air anymore?” The witch
with the broken arm cast a nervous glance at Trina as if she were a walking time
bomb that could go off at any minute.

Judith snorted and nodded to the half-mangled door. “They
already know we’re here.”

Trina palmed her knife and sliced her hand quickly before
she lost her nerve. And received a quick flash of pain for her trouble. Blood
welled from the cut. Not giving herself a chance to question her logic, she
grabbed the chain. Agony shot up her arm so strong she nearly lost her hold. Burning
skin scorched the air.

By the time she was done, half the skin of her palm was
gone. Her arms felt leaden as she threw her magic at the chain. A kaleidoscope
of red and gold shimmered around the dark cloud. Instead of repelling it, they
fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. The combined magic settled into the golden
chain, and she’d swear she heard the magic unlock with a click.

“Now!”

Drew didn’t hesitate and slashed down. The instant the blade
connected, he screamed, a tormented sound that made the back of her throat ache.
 

Unable to bear it, she yanked him away, catching him in her
arms when he tipped sideways. “Drew?”

In answer, he rolled over and heaved. Once the contents of
his supper splattered to the floor, he collapsed.

“It might be better this way.” Eden removed the chain from
around her ankle and tossed it away.

Trina glared at her sister, outraged at her callousness. “Don’t
you dare.”

Dorian stepped forward. “She meant that he won’t have to
fight the vampire’s pull while he’s unconscious.”

Trina was sure that was not what Eden intended at all but
let it rest. She had more pressing concerns at the moment.

Dorian waved to the shifter behind her. “Carry him.”

She reluctantly released her hold on Drew and followed
everyone to check on Merrick’s progress.

After so much magic, she expected to be drained. Instead, it
gathered under her skin until her body felt too large. She was taking in too much,
but at least her mangled palms were already healing. The sting of it was worse
than the numbness of the burns.  

Merrick tossed a granite bench the size of a couch against
the wall with an effortlessness that made her want to just sit and stare. The
door where they entered stayed stubbornly sealed, but the stone blocks next to
it crumbled under the destructive force.

There was just enough room for them to wedge through.

“One team up front who can still fight. Judith and I will bring
up the rear.”

“That would be me.” Eden stepped forward, her magic all but
crackling in the air around her. Dorian drew his blades and followed behind
her. The injured witch went next, Drew and the shifter then Judith. Trina
scurried to catch up to the others then turned to watch Merrick fit his large frame
through the too-small opening, scraping his shoulders in the process.

As they hurried through the passageway, Trina heard the door
to the arboretum splinter. Fear for Merrick crawled over her skin, and she
whirled. He shoved her around and pushed her forward. “Move your ass.”

They ran through the castle, soon scrambling down into the
suffocating underground. They spilled into the circular room of the living
crypt, and Trina’s heart pounded nearly out of her chest. The instant they
entered, the scratching started up again, worse than ever. The tenants were more
alert, sniffing the air.

Judith lifted her sword, studying the glint of light on the
metal as she spoke. “We’ll never reach the surface before they catch us. We
need to set up a defensive position here, where we’ll have more room to fight.”

Trina glanced around along with the others, but there was
nothing in the room besides those damned coffins.

She rubbed her brow, a reckless plan forming that could get
people killed. Merrick tipped her chin up. “You thought of something.”

“It’s risky.” More people gathered around her in a tight circle
as they watched the entrances, exits and coffins.

Judith smile. “So far we have nothing. Speak.”

“Break the chains on the coffins.”

Eden snorted. “They would kill us before the other vampires had
a chance to catch up with us. We’d be vampire kibble.”

Her sister’s criticism stung. Merrick looked ready to smack
Eden as well. Trina ignored them both and spoke to Dorian. “Your witch said it
herself. The insane will eat whatever they run across.”

“How do we get them not to follow us?”

Understanding flashed and Eden beat her to the answer. “A
hell of a lot of magic. The starving vampires will seek the easiest route, the
more ready food supply. Given their aversion to magic, we just need to put
enough of it between us and them to make them think twice.”

“Even if we cast together, we still don’t have enough power to
cover everyone, not with this quantity.” Dorian mentioned the only spoke in the
plan.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Trina smiled at the irony.
“I’m the scepter. Wield me.”

 
Chapter Thirty-one

“
N
o.”
Merrick would rather tear apart each vampire one by one than allow the witches
to use Trina in that way. No one seemed to care that she’d only just come into
her powers and was therefore vulnerable.

That it hurt her to do magic.

Trina looked determined despite the cost to her, and that
pissed him off more.

“My magic is built to be used by others. What better way
than to save our lives.” When Trina touched his arm, he nearly said to hell
with everyone else. They deserved no less for their treatment of her. The only
thing that stopped him was Trina.

She wouldn’t leave them behind.

Judith moved to the opening, widening her stance as sounds echoed
from beyond her. They were in the tunnels. “If you’re going to do something,
now would be the time.”

Merrick cupped Trina’s chin, tipping her head back. “It’s
too dangerous.”

“So is facing off with a bunch of vampires. This is the
better plan, and you know it.”

That didn’t mean he liked putting her in danger. “No blood
or I call this off now. The vampires would be on you in seconds.”

Trina traced his jaw and relished the feel of him under
hands, the slight stubble prickling her sensitive hands. It gave her the courage
she needed, and she shoved him. “Go. Be safe for me.”

With a little growl, Merrick stalked off to help smash the
caskets, barking orders as he went. “Don’t release them. Damage the coffins
only enough to allow vampires to struggle free and move to the next. Watch your
neighbor so you don’t inadvertently trap them behind the lines.”

The four shifters looked so inadequate, a sliver of doubt about
her ability to perform magic eroded her confidence. But what she said to
Merrick was true. This was their best bet if they wanted to survive.

Nothing could happen to Merrick.

She couldn’t survive another loss.

Trina stood behind Eden and Dorian, clenching and
unclenching her hands. Drew, the shifter carrying him, and the injured witch had
already fled down the tunnel. It was time. She took a deep breath and nodded.
“When we give the word, release them.”

Judith cast a look of regret down the tunnel before she
finally abandoned her station and walked to the nearest casket. She pulled back
her sword like a baseball bat and waited.

“Are you sure you’re able to handle the influx of magic for
that length of time?” Dorian asked the question, but they both knew that
neither of them had a choice. If she failed, they would all suffer.

They might die, but she wouldn’t get off that easy.

“I’m just the mule. If you can do your part, I’ll do mine.” Their
lack of confidence in her made her feel inadequate. And she wasn’t the only one
at risk. Witches didn’t cast together as a rule. One wrong step could destroy
their ability to use magic.

Without the magic, you were just human. 

Wanting to keep her word to Merrick, Trina called up the
magic without using her blood. It rose faster than ever before, the raw power
easier to grab, almost like it was thicker underground. The vampires probably placed
their castoffs down here to weaken them, their own version of a prison and
electric fencing.

Eden and Dorian practically glowed with power. Tiny
particles danced and swirled in the air as they worked. Dorian cast with quick and
brutal efficiency, spinning a thin rope. Eden took the delicate magic and wove
it together in the form of an intricate web, a grace to her movements that was
beautiful to watch. Both moved in perfect rhythm, and Trina realized they’d
done this before.

But they were much too slow, burning through the magic too
fast. They weren’t using the ready magic just waiting in the room. It didn’t
settle on Dorian and Eden the way it did her and the shifters. No, they pulled
it out of the walls and floors.

As the magic sparked and burned in the air, Trina realized
that they couldn’t access it.

But she could.

She touched each shoulder and peeled away the protective
covering on her skin. Magic floated down, coating the three of them in seconds.

Eden’s eyes widened at the burst of direct power, and the web
tripled in size. For the first time, Trina believed their crazy plan might
work. She turned to Merrick and nodded. “Do it.”

The instant the words left her mouth, the shifters went into
action. The noise was deafening as they quickly destroyed the caskets, moving
from one to the next.

Judith struck one a little too hard and didn’t see the chain
unravel. The vampire flung up the lid, wood cracking when it smashed into the
confined space of the tomb, giving him only inches to crawl out. The creature
was pitiful, mewling sounds of hunger escaping his throat as he slipped free. The
body was a skeleton with skin stretched over it. The clothes were rags, dating
from at least fifty years ago.

He sniffed the air like an animal, his shriveled eyes wild.
Then he caught the scent of the nearest source of food and moved toward it in
an awkward, stumbling run.

“Judith.”

Acting on instinct, Trina threw a dose of magic in the
vampire’s face. He barely reacted, only slowing him down slightly. He continued
to advance as Judith spun with the grace of her animal counterpart and then
smiled. “Finally. Something to kill.”

The vampire was either too slow or too intent on ripping out
her throat to notice the blade winging toward him. The sword entered his skull
at the temple, cleaving half way through the face before he stopped.

Judith put her foot against his chest and shoved, freeing
her weapon. With a nod of thanks, she moved onto the next casket. Trina would
swear she heard her humming.

Arms and legs worked free from their graves, dragging the
rest of their bodies to freedom. It was a haunting sight that she wouldn’t soon
forget.

But the spell was going much too slow even with her help.
The vampires would be free long before they finished the web.

They had only one chance, and they were failing. She saw
Merrick punch his fist through a casket with effortless strength. He was
focused on his task, methodically moving from one coffin to another.

She refused to lose him after she’d just found him.

Trina cradled her injured hand in her palm, the wound almost
healed. Drawing her blade, she rationalized that she hadn’t really given Merrick
her word.

The tip of the blade cut deep, and she forced it deeper
until she was satisfied with the smooth flow of blood. The pain was shocking.
You’d think she’d cut off her hand. She pushed her thumb against the cut,
digging into the injury to prevent it from clotting too fast.

Blood spilled into the air with a cloud of bright red magic,
flickering like a wick of a flame.  

The scent put the vampires into a frenzy, injuring
themselves to escape the coffins in order to get to her.

Their urgency increased her own, and she placed her
uninjured hand back on Dorian’s shoulder. His whole body bowed as the magic eddied
about him, coating his whole frame as if he stood in a spray booth. The direct
touch had to be painful, but he didn’t stop casting. They both knew she had no
choice. She prayed Merrick would understand.

The magic and blood loss drained her faster than she
expected. The web was almost completed. She gritted her teeth, locking her legs
when they wobbled. She just had to hold out for a little longer.

The second vampire finally broke free from his imprisonment
and headed directly for her and the spilled blood.

He ran full tilt at the magic in a loping gait, slamming
into the barrier.

A scream of pain and denied hunger ripped from his throat. A
web of red welts covered his face and hands, the lines shoved nearly a
centimeter into his skin.

A sound from the opposite side of the room had him wheeling
about, looking for an outlet for his rage and the maddening pain.

At the entrance of the tunnel stood a vampire with a
triumphant smile on his face. It was short-lived when the caged vampire flung
himself at him. The two tore at each other. One might have more strength, but
the other had the desperation born of years of suffering.

“Trina?”

She looked away from the savage battle to see Merrick standing
over her, his expression so fierce that she winced. He ripped his shirt and
bound her wound, his silence so bitterly cold that her throat thickened with
tears.

“Time to go. The web is already weakening.” Once he tied off
the bandage, he picked her up and moved rapidly down the tunnel. Dorian and
Eden followed swiftly behind them.

Unable to bear the tension between them, she started babbling.
“You have the worst case of white knight syndrome that I’ve ever seen.”

Merrick snorted. “And you’d do anything to get my arms
around you.”

Though Merrick joked, the fury in his eyes didn’t abate one
bit. She was pathetically grateful that the majority of it didn’t seem to be
directed at her.

Screams resounded down the tunnel as vampire fought vampire,
and she ducked her head to shut out the sound. It saddened her that so many
died, even if they were vampires. It was so worthless.

“It’s not over, is it?”

Merrick didn’t answer for a while. “As long as someone knows
about what you can do, you’ll never be free of this.” He kissed her forehead,
his lips lingering a bit too long.

They reached the surface in silence, the fading sunlight
welcoming after the oppressive darkness. She breathed a sigh of relief to finally
be above ground then stiffened when she smelled blood. She twisted about,
searching for Weston. The belch of bullets gave away his location as he tore
through the zombie type humans marching toward him.

Her first instinct said run. The small army so little
resembled humans that even the doctor in her was repulsed.

Merrick carefully set her down then walked over to stand
next to Weston. He bent slightly at the waist and a roar ripped from his throat.
The primal sound shook her down to her bones. The attackers had the same
response as well, scrambling over one another to get away as they took off
running.

This scruffy Merrick with the torn, dirty shirt and overgrown
hair was far different from the meticulous Leo she’d first met. At the roar,
she felt the lion in him…the rage and the need to hunt and protect what was
his.

Judith stopped at her side, her smile smug. “Only a few shifters
can manifest in their human form. The sound triggers a primordial fear in the
humans, superseding their vampire programming. It won’t last for long. When the
adrenaline wears off, the vampire junkies will be back. We need to be gone
before then or they’ll delay us until nightfall when the vampires come out to
play.”

Trina was surprised the woman lowered herself to speak with
her at all given her attitude toward humans, but how else would she get in her
digs that Trina wasn’t good enough for their alpha.

She was beginning to wonder if she wasn’t the worst thing
that could’ve happened to Merrick. Unwilling to follow that line of thought,
she focused on what she could do to help.

Half a dozen bodies peppered the ground. She walked to the
nearest one and crouched. The putrid smell of death rose from the corpse’s lips.
Her clouded eyes said it was much too late to be of any help.

The scraggly hair was matted. Bruises and puncture marks scattered
along her neck made her skin looked like tenderized steak. Her cheeks were
sunken until the facial structure of her bones stood out in stark relief. Besides
severe starvation and malnutrition, Trina suspected the girl had been dead the
instant she became addicted to vampire venom.

None of the other bodies were in much better shape. They
resembled a cast from a zombie movie. Pus seeped from the wounds of one, his arms
and throat a massive infection. Bile burned the back of her mouth at the
thought of someone biting into that.