Chapter 169

Ian chuckled. “Perhaps I was wrong. Dear girl, how could a hybrid entity like your Francium have turned you? Did you not consider it? Do you even remember your turning?”

I shuddered at the thought.

“I… choose not to remember it.”

“Oh please, it is not something you could choose to forget.”

“He choked me…”

“And then?”

“I woke up.”

He sighed heavily. “Must you be coy about this? Or perhaps are you hiding it from Francium. I assure you, now is not the time to be reticent.”

“That’s all!”

Ian huffed. “I am not asking you how he killed you. That is irrelevant. I am asking about your turning. You were called, Claire, by the Goddess. She told you something, did she not?”

Claire went silent, but I knew the look on her face. She knew exactly what he was talking about. What could the Goddess have told her? Why hadn’t Claire told me about it? Why hadn’t she told Francium? He looked just as shocked as I was.

“Point proven,” he said. “Your turning started long before Francium delved into choking or your encounter with Damian.”

“Damian… said something about his father.”

“Yes, a vampire warrior, a devout soul through and through. He planted in Francium a gift of magic. Between all your… conjugal visitations and your… mate bond you were turned as a method of protection for Francium, slowly due to Francium poisoning himself before you met, but turning nonetheless. Your death just quickened the process. Your ferocity is directly related to the poison’s effects on Francium’s life.”

Claire and Francium looked at each other.

“What does that mean?” Francium asked.

“It means that other than your broken heart if Claire was to die or be weakened, the bond between you would no longer be able to keep you alive. Your body would deteriorate within a few hours at most.”

I couldn’t believe it. Claire turned pale, and her lips trembled.

“Thus, you should be careful. Let us refrain from any more adolescent acts of rebellion that may result in your death, young Claire. A vampire, even a hybrid such as yourself, can live for centuries with the proper amount of self-preservation.”

I grit my teeth. He sounded so gentle with her. Nice. He never talked like that to me and I was his actual niece! It shouldn’t have mattered that I was a werewolf and she’s a vampire.

He turned to look at me and chuckled. “You finally angered him enough to shut you up. Impressive.”

I glared at him, but my voice wouldn’t come. The weight of Candido’s power was still settled so heavily on me.

Cillian walked between the jeeps. “He is coming.”

“Delightful,” Ian said. “Do try to stick to the plan, Candido. I would hate to have you be killed before I have gotten all the use I can from you.”

He vanished and Candido set his jaw. He looked down at me then away, standing and giving orders for everyone to get ready to pick up the pace and go south. I didn’t know exactly what was south from this area, but I couldn’t believe that Candido wasn’t going to release me from whatever order he’d given me.

He didn’t even look like he was going to undo the cuffs on my arms. Then, the jeeps cranked up and headed out. I heard the rumble of other vehicles headed our way. Gunshots were fired. Then, the jeeps seemed to tip and wobble.

“Fuck, they shot out the tires. Open fire at will. Given them cover!”

He turned to me as a machine gun was mounted and fired behind us. He kneeled and turned me around roughly, undoing the cuffs.

“Do not leave this jeep unless you absolutely have to.”

I couldn’t say anything still. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to I was so mad. But he jumped out of the jeep and rushed towards a jeep behind us. A wave of fire went out giving the jeeps cover it seemed. I saw him and a few others fighting off the vampires heading towards them, spearing through them as the machine guns provided cover. How many were there?

How many more were there around or running towards us? Was this just a small portion of Damian’s forces?

My gut turned. How many of these people had been werewolves of Red Moon? Of Full Moon? Classmates?

Candido roared, and his human form gave way to his golden wolf form, yet he didn’t back down from the fight. He pushed and snarled. He clawed at them and fought with the others giving him cover by fire, but the vampires just kept coming. I couldn’t understand why he didn’t just kill them all, burn them all to ashes the way he had before.

He was powerful enough, healed enough to do it.

“We’re good!” Someone yelled.

Candido howled. The sound was filled with warning. The jeeps cranked up as he sent another gust of wind toward them and ran alongside the jeeps. He leaped into the bed of the jeep beside me, rocking it slightly and lay down, panting. This close, I could see the dirt and blood in his fur from where the bullet had grazed him earlier. His fur seemed dark in places, but I turned my gaze back to the rest of the caravan.

“Keep driving,” he barked out stiffly. “You’ll hit a ridge. Tell the other jeeps to be ready for it. Load every gun. I want them gunned down if at all possible…”

He lowered his head, resting on his paws, wheezing softly.

Where were going? Why were we leading them? Where were we leading them?

We turned and the forest seemed to shift around us, leading us somewhere. Damian’s forces continued to follow us, screeching each time they were hit with a silver bullet and bursting into flames. We were going somewhere. Candido didn’t move, lying still, panting, and seemingly trying to get his bearings. He shuffled around, peering between the frame jeep.

“On the right!” He growled. My jaw dropped.

His voice was so clear, even in his wolf form. If I had any doubts that he was powerful, they were gone now. I knew that it took a lot of power to do that, but then why wasn’t he helping?

“Now!”

A great wall of stone seemed to rise behind us, trapping a group of vampires in with us. Gunshots echoed. I heard snarling. Candido leaped from the jeep to join the fray, tearing through the vampires, but there were so many of them. What was the plan?

I didn’t see Ian or Cillian, but when gushes of light swept around, cutting through the vampires, pinning them against the walls. I knew they were there.

Something hissed above me. I jumped aside as the vampire descended on me. I rolled to the end of the truck bed and tumbled out of it as the werewolf manning the machine gun attached to the jeep fired at it.

It hissed and came after me. I turned and ran towards Candido, uncertain of my strength. Uncertain of anything, then Cillian appeared, catching it, and tossing it against the great stone wall. It stuck to the wall, still snarling.

He looked down at me. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head.

“Good. Do you not have a weapon?”

I swallowed and shook my head. My dagger had been taken.

He pulled a dagger from his belt and gave it to me. “You should not be at war without a weapon… even if you are a princess.”

The dagger was still warm in my hand as he walked past me. I was shaken at the warmth that seemed to float around him. Again, I felt connected to him somehow and I didn’t know what to do with that.

Was it because I was still upset with Candido that the feeling felt stronger?

I buckled the dagger on my hip, sliding the belt through the loops of my jeans before turning back to where all the fighting was happening.

The last gunshot was fired and it seemed like at least fifty vampires were glued to the large stone wall. Cillian and Ian looked up at the wall of stuck vampires. They stood together saying nothing for a long time.

“He’s gotten… tenacious,” Cillian said.

“As do many who have the time to let their greed fester,” Ian replied. “It almost feels like a waste.”

I wanted to ask what they meant, but I couldn’t.

Then, I heard some scream. “I need a medic!”

I turned hoping that it wasn’t Candido who was injured, but it wasn’t. Candido turned stiffly towards the cry. I rushed after him. Was it Claire? Francium? Someone else I knew.

“Get me a damn medic!” Vanessa cried, her voice tight and desperate, but no one moved.

The smell of blood and silver filled the air. Candido shuddered, his fur rippling before he collapsed on the ground next to Vanessa as she held Gilgamesh to her chest and cried.

“Just hold on,” she said, pressing her hand to the wound.

“Mom…” he gasped. “Don’t… Silver…”

Gilgamesh was Vanessa’s son?