Chapter 219

Almara’s Pov

Finally, we come to the outskirts of the Vampire territory. My feet are swollen and my back is killing me, but above all else, my skin crawls. Something is off, every fiber of my being is screaming at me to turn back.

It’s like my heart is in a tug-of-war match. My motherly instinct wants me to turn around and protect the life I’m growing inside me, but at the same time, I have to go get my other child.

Fortunately, I’m not alone in this feeling. Instinctively, our pack has grown tighter together. Everyone is moving slower and chooses a spot to secure their eyes on and keep focus. We move quietly, discreetly.

Roman is positioned in the front, carefully guiding us forward. The plan is to wait here until Robert calls us, or something happens and we call for him. I get the feeling the second option is more likely to occur.

A place for cover would be nice, but of course, there isn’t any. The land leading up to the vampire territory is just like the vampires themselves, vacant and empty.

Though what seems to be permeating the seemingly deserted land is the ominous feeling of being watched weighing on us from high above. I cast my eyes upward and see nothing.

No trees for bats to be lurking in. Not even a star trying to glimmer through the dusky sky.

“Almara, duck!” I hear Charlie shout, but before I can respond my head explodes with a heat spreading across my face. I lose my vision for a moment and my ears are ringing, but I sense commotion happening.

I barely have time to orient myself when I see a black blob coming quickly at me, enveloping my entire line of vision. In a matter of seconds, I realize we’re being ambushed. I try to brace or prepare myself and get ready to go full in for an attack with everything I have.

Then a rush of wind brushes past me and the black blob is plummeted to the ground by Charlie. In this sudden change of events, I’m able to see that the black bob is some type of familiar in the form of a monkey.

To my horror, the familiar extends his neck further than seemingly possible, I imagine each vertebrae popping as the ravenous beast is stretched out far enough to sink his teeth into Charle’s neck despite being pinned to the ground.

Charles lets out a howl and I want to tear my eyes away, but I can’t. I’m pinned to the ground, digging my claws into the earth behind me trying to ground myself while also completely stuck in terror.

The familiar bites down harder and blood spurts out from Charles whose eyes are paralyzed to a bleak nothingness. It seems to last an eternity, but eventually and subtly the life force is sucked out of Charles.

His gaze drops lazily to the left, his pupils staring lifelessly into mine. The monkey lets him drop and turns back to me.

Rage cracks through the stunned surface. I’m on my feet and letting Lily take over. The familiar leads across the air readying itself to land on me, but not before I catch it by the neck with my paw and slam it to the ground. Instantly it’s back on its cracked and decaying feet, hardly phased by the sudden blow.

I crouch down low and prepare for its impact. We remain circulating one another for some time, the background noises flood my ears. The one that replays over and over is the howling for Robert, yet there’s no reply.

The monkey charges at me, this time staying low, and manages to run directly under my feet as I leap over it, then its tail shoots up and causes me to trip on my landing. I land with a thud, and while it didn’t hurt, I know the delay in preparedness is in its advantage.

I roll onto all fours and don’t immediately see the monkey, but I do see a blood bath. More of the soldiers are toppled over, unmoving and unresponsive. My time as a trained nurse tells me there’s no helping them.

Suddenly, the urge to flee from this territory becomes imminent. If I want any chance of saving either of my children, I have to get out of here. Now.

I lock eyes with Roman. He’s hovering over a mangled familiar’s body, blood dripping from his bare teeth. He nods like he’s in complete agreement that we have to get out of here.

He howls out a signal to those remaining that we need to retreat. I see a body twitch on the ground in response to Roman’s call and my heart breaks. I dash over to him, almost forgetting that I need to be cautious.

I stand over the soldier and drop down next to him, rolling him onto his back. I gasp at the size of his wound. I know instantly there would be no point in trying to carry him. Trying to lift him would kill him.

He breathily croaks out some words and I lower my ear to his mouth. “Go,” he says to me and I know that took all his strength, I know those are his last words.

I have to make the very hard decision to let his body slump back onto the dusty ground on the vampire territory where he will die, surrounded by no one but the corpses of his fellow army men.

I take off sprinting, narrowly missing the monkey who takes off running after me. Luckily, speed is in my favor. I run until I’m almost positive that I’m flying. I’m only dimly aware of the others in my pack around me.

I know Roman is and I think only two other soldiers; Cody, and Zack. I want to turn back and look for Cathy, she has to be here right? I didn’t see her lying on the ground. Then again, it was hard to see anything beneath all the blood spilled everywhere.

We keep running long after we know we’ve lost the familiars. We only stop when we reach a wooded area. We dodge into the forest opening and go deep among the trees.

For a while no one says anything. I fall to the ground and stare at the dark, lush grass for a while, hypnotized by it as if staring at the vitality and greenness of the grass will undo all the death that’s happened not just back there but over the course of these months.

“Where’s Cathy?” I hear myself ask. No response. I look up from the grass and all I see are faces that look like they didn’t hear me, lost in their own worlds. “Cathy?” I ask again, louder, more desperate. Still, no one speaks, only Zack manages to look me in the eye.

“Cathy?” I repeat her name, but I don’t know for what purpose. Her name keeps rolling off my tongue and tears spill from my eyes.

“We’re going to get her,” Roman says, his voice in my ear only then making me aware of his proximity. He has a comforting arm around my shoulder.

“Where is she?” I ask again and close my eyes, knowing I sound like a broken toy.

“I don’t know,” Roman says his voice hard and cutting to my heart. “I didn’t see her body,” He says. “She could be alive and taken captive,”

“Why?” I ask though it’s a question only the moon goddess could answer.