Blood Ties Read online

  Robin could just make out two figures, tied to posts on the platform. Nausea trembled deep inside her as she recognized them to be Percival and Paxton, the strongblood. Max stiffened, a noise of terror coming from her. She clapped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide at the sight of her strongblood friend.

  Fausta stood tall, addressing Darian with as much ferocity as she could. “You took two of my generals,” she growled. “I gave you a chance to be civil about this, Xander.”

  “Perhaps you should keep a better watch over your ranks,” he said with a cold smile.

  “And perhaps you should do the same,” she returned. Fausta reached her hand out and waited for her soldiers to hand her a massive – literally, a massive – sword. The thing was a work of art, and looked cumbersome and inconvenient in its magnitude, but somehow also held a lithe ferocity that sent a shiver up Robin’s spine. “I want them back, Darian!” Fausta growled. “Until then, this is on you.”

  Lucidia stiffened beside her, leaning over to Reykon. “Is that… Retribution?”

  “I think so,” Reykon murmured.

  Robin nudged him on the shoulder, every muscle in her tense at the sight of Paxton and Percival, bruised, bloody, and being subjected to Fausta’s wrath. “What’s Retribution?”

  Lucidia’s grip on the railing tightened, and Robin questioned how long it would hold up. “Hadriana the Great’s sword is named Retribution. It’s a famous weapon that symbolizes justice for the vampires. It was made so large that only a vampire can wield it successfully, and only the eldest vampires are even allowed to touch it. Retribution was being stored in the halls of House Xander.”

  “Until now,” Reykon muttered bitterly.

  “It’s an insult that she wields it,” Lucidia simmered, her voice a low growl of resentment. Robin’s eyebrows drew together and she watched the sword, seeing its two toned, expertly crafted metal glint against the dying sunlight. The thing was a work of art, but it was also wider than Robin’s head, she was pretty sure, and looked sharp enough to carve a boulder.

  “Let it be upon your head, Darian Xander,” Fausta called with a wicked glint, as she pointed the sword at Percival.

  Robin’s mind went numb as she heard the screams, as she watched them, in anguish. She was gripping the bannister so hard she was certain it was going to crumble underneath her fingers. But still, her eyes were fixed on the vampires before her, ripping them apart, sinister smiles carved onto their death-like faces. And there was Fausta’s boastful smile, her hand outstretched as she presented the scene of terror to Darian and his supporters. Presented, like it was something to be proud of. You and your vampires aren’t as strong as you think, Robin thought, the words venomous as another wave of anger seared through her. She was burning up, sizzling, and she could feel the strength of her abilities underneath her skin as she drew a breath in slowly. Robin was so entranced that she barely felt the hand on her arm. Harley’s piercing emerald eyes drilled into her. “You need to calm down, now.” Robin’s brow furrowed and she glanced down, seeing the edges of smoke drifting away from her sleeves. Her mind cleared and the smell of burning fabric cut into her nostrils, jarring her into reality. Paxton’s screams were still forefront in her mind when she turned, facing the castle and catching her breath.

  “You got it, killer. Just calm down,” Harley said, glancing around.

  “They can’t do this,” Robin muttered bitterly. “She can’t do this.”

  Ezra stepped back, his face a show of cold fury as he huddled around Robin, concealing the curls of smoke from the rest of the crowd. “It’s a power move, Robin. We must stay strong.”

  “We have to do something!” Robin hissed.

  “You got any bright ideas?” Harley threw back. “She’s got thousands of her best soldiers out there. We can barely handle the wolves with our numbers alone.” Ezra shot her a look, and she gave him an angry shrug. “I’m just being realistic.”

  “She doesn’t get to do this…” Robin muttered, the anger settling deep inside of her. Paxton’s screams of pain wandered back into her ears as the roar of her emotions abated, and she squeezed her fists even harder, feeling those rings cut in. She couldn’t let it go. She needed to show Fausta that she couldn’t get away with it, that even though the queen bitch had become accustomed to a lifetime of violence with no consequence, it ended here. They were facing a new future. One of accountability, one of respect, and one of revolution.

  She swallowed hard and yanked Chadwick and Reykon’s arms, shooting Lucidia a look to follow them as she strode away from the crowd and back into the castle. Ezra glanced to the field, hesitantly following them. “We must wait for Master Darian to decide how to proceed.”

  Lucidia growled in frustration, slamming her fist into the stone column. “Fausta’s losing it. She’s going to act, soon.”

  “She’s got something planned…” Reykon said, shaking his head. “I don’t know what it is, but she’s too confident about this whole thing.”

  A moment later, the doors slammed open and Darian walked forward, steps tense, like a lion ready to rip something apart. The generals stayed put, forming a barricade around the courtyard, eyes intent on Fausta and her soldiers.

  Robin made eye contact with him. “I’m so sorry. I was the one that wanted to take her vampires, and-”

  “This is not your fault,” he said gravely.

  “But I made you take them! What’s done is done, but…” she drew in a sharp breath. “I can help. I know how we can stop her.”

  Chapter 16 Deception

  Lucidia

  This is such a bad idea, she grumbled, trudging through the woods with their little party of warriors. Her mind was screaming to help Paxton, to be on the front lines with Darian and the rest of the royals, but when Robin revealed her plan, and Reykon agreed that it would work, she had no choice but to follow. All the same, it wasn’t a very good plan, because it meant that she, Reykon, Robin, Zane, and Ezra were skirting the outer walls of the stronghold, trying to go undetected by the massive army of wolves and vampires that Fausta had at her back. Another bolt of fury plunged through her mind. Fausta, the sadistic dictator, wielding Hadriana the Great’s sword as though she had an ounce of worthiness to even grasp the handle. Retribution was a sword of mercy, a sword of honor, and a sword of integrity. Fausta had none of those, and she had a god complex to boot. When a third tree branch smacked Lucidia in the face, she let out an angry huff. “How much further?” she grumbled.

  “We’re approaching the breach,” Ezra replied, crouching as he advanced, as silent and stealthy as he could be (which was a helluva lot). Lucidia peered through the woods, the cover of darkness just creeping around them even though the sun wouldn’t set for at least an hour. She spotted the first megalithic chunk of gray stone, scattered on the forest floor from the section of wall that Fausta had blown to smithereens. She’d used this one breach to fill these woods with wolves and cut off Darian’s entries and exits. Smart, Lucidia couldn’t help but think. Ruthless and smart.

  But even the smartest people could be tricked.

  Her feet crunched against the gravel and debris as they snaked their way through the woods. Robin was in front, her disguise still in effect, walking next to Reykon. Larger chunks of rock settled closer to the actual wall, which loomed with the trees and cast an ominous shadow on everything. Lucidia stepped to the side, coming up next to Zane, peering at the burning embers of an abandoned camp about thirty yards ahead of them.

  “Where are they?” Robin asked.

  Zane glanced around, sniffing the wind. “They’re gone. Haven’t been here for a while, though…” he cocked his head to the side. “She has a few reinforcements still hanging back.”

  “How many?” Reykon asked, his eyebrows crunched together in confusion.

  “A thousand or so,” Zane replied. “As long as we’re quiet, they won’t be bothering us.”

  Lucidia moved up, stepping next to Robin and putting a hand on her arm. “Are you sure
about this?”

  Robin’s piercing blue eyes shone even through her disguise, and she gave a fierce nod. Lucidia’s mind whirled as she saw glimpses of Calliope, the terrifying caster, and more subtle features of her own father on Robin’s face. “We have to try.”

  “How does it work?” Lucidia asked.

  Robin fixed her eyes on the forest straight ahead, towards Fausta’s gruesome display. “I have no clue. I’ve never tried it on purpose.”

  “Great,” Zane muttered, shaking his head.

  Ezra took a step forward. “Do not discredit it. I have experienced the pull myself. Whether or not you can control it, the allure isn’t something to be trifled with.”

  “Thanks, Ezra,” Robin mumbled, pulling in a shaky breath. She brought the phone up to her ear, her eyes on the ground as she waited for the caster to pick up. For a moment, everyone was tense, silent. “Do it, Chadwick.”

  Lucidia looked to the trees, scanning for any sign of the massive magical barrier that would protect their vampires from Robin’s magnetism. She quirked an eyebrow. As far as she could tell, nothing had happened. Robin brought her hand down, slipping the phone back in her pocket. “Okie dokie,” she muttered.

  Lucidia couldn’t help but shoot her a look. “What did you just say?”

  “What? Like alright… you know, okie dokie.”

  “We’re about to go into battle, and those are your parting words? Nobody even says that,” Lucidia said with a tense laugh.

  “I have never heard it,” Zane commented.

  “You want me to say ‘for king and country?’,” Robin grumbled. “It’s not my fault you guys live under a rock. Can we get on with this before I change my mind?”

  “Be my guest,” Lucidia chuckled.

  Robin drew in a deep breath. “Ezra, Zane, you ready?”

  The vampires nodded at her. Lucidia glanced to Reykon, their burning red magic brimming underneath the surface in case they had to restrain their own people. She nodded to Robin, a strong, steady motion. “Here goes nothing,” Robin said, taking the first ring off. The image of a strongblood dissolved, shimmering away like dust, and bringing forth the familiar face of her sister. Robin looked fierce, strong, and beautiful. Lucidia had almost forgotten how striking the red birthmarks truly were but seeing them afresh brought it back. She remembered the first time she’d seen those marks, on a baby, crawling up her chubby little arms. Now, they were deep crimson, and thrummed with unrivaled power. Her blonde hair had been pulled up and cascaded in a ponytail behind her. She wore black tactical gear, entirely uniform, save for the simple band of metal perched on her head. Let’s hope Chadwick’s armor works as well as he thinks it does, Lucidia prayed, deepening her stance and fixing her eyes on the forest just as Robin took the second ring off.

  Robin

  After making sure the ring was secure in her pocket, she scoured her mind for any sign of control over the magnetism she had around vampires. It wasn’t until she looked at Zane that she realized it was working. Ezra was strongarming the other vampire, pulling him back, jerking him into reality. His burning red eyes were manic as he struggled to gain control of himself. Robin stiffened, on guard, watching him closely.

  “Hey!” Lucidia barked, walking up to Zane. “Knock it off.”

  He grunted, falling to his knees and drawing in a shuddering breath. “Jesus… Jesus Christ.”

  “At least it’s working,” Lucidia muttered.

  Robin focused her attention on the tree line, feeling every pulse of buzzing energy in front of her like a bonfire of activity. She concentrated, focusing on them, taking a step forward. The longer her mind lingered on them, the more clearly she felt their power, and the more she could feel herself reaching out to them. She cast a glance back to the vampires behind her and searched for that link, for that subtle rope drawing her to them. She felt it briefly and homed in on it before letting it go. Robin gasped slightly as the pulses of heat behind her vanished. Zane straightened up, his eyebrows crunching together. “What happened?”

  “I think I can…” Robin faltered, looking back to Fausta’s people. “I think I can control it. A little, at least.”

  “Good,” Ezra said, walking out in front of them. “We will need that if this is to work.”

  Robin nodded and let the magnetic pull simmer in her mind. They advanced, Robin’s feet crunching against the forest floor, a deep, rusty orange from all the fallen leaves. Robin hadn’t even considered what month it was, but now, in the crisp forest, she realized just how deep into fall they were getting. Aptly, a shiver raced up her spine. As the trees thinned, she was able to see the first gaps, and the dark blanket of grass that stretched beyond them. Here we go, Robin thought. Fausta had her vampires, and she had her fear-tactics, but Robin wondered just how long those perfect soldiers would stay in formation when faced with her. She clenched her fists, feeling those pulses of warmth grow closer and closer, until their group of warriors broke the tree line, a hundred yards from Fausta’s display of violence. The magical barrier that Chadwick had surrounded the stronghold with loomed purple, crackling with supercharged magic, like a beacon in the night. Robin hoped that there were no satellite photos being taken. But she had way bigger fish to fry. She turned her attention to the real threat.

  Robin took it all in. She watched the line of wolves, pawing at the ground, their breath hot against the crisp air. She saw Fausta’s vampires, standing at attention like perfect chess pieces, immaculate soldiers made of stone and fury. And she saw the wretched lump that used to be Paxton, collapsed on the platform as Fausta held that ridiculous sword of hers. She wanted to crush Fausta like a soda can. She wanted to feel the vampire queen underneath her boot, struggling for life. Robin wanted fear.

  But she’d settle for utter chaos.

  Nobody had noticed them yet as they moved further onto the lawn. For a moment, it felt utterly ridiculous that she was having to get the enemy’s attention; she’d never even considered that to be a problem. What would she say? Hey, jerk? That probably wasn’t a good option, Robin decided. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and focused on the sea of vampires before her. Energy roiled in her veins as she slowly turned up that influence, that magnetic pull she had deep in her mind. Like wind sweeping over a plain, she felt her draw soaring towards them. Everything was silent, and for a moment, Robin panicked, wondering if it had even done anything. And then, they started twitching. It was subtle at first, a tick of the head here and there, until the first vampire turned towards them. Like flies dropping, more and more developed a dazed, confused expression. Their movements became rigid as they fought instinct, as they tried with every shred of willpower to stay in formation. The older ones could actually pull it off. Robin watched them, felt the buckets of power they had underneath their skin. They were as calm, cool, and collected as ever. But the younger ones began staggering towards her, fangs out, like feral animals. Fausta’s own scowl was deep as she barked a command at her vampires, her ruby eyes blazing in fury at her own ranks. And then, in a tense moment, Fausta’s gaze followed theirs and locked onto Robin.

  Robin was expecting fear. She was expecting to cower back, just as she had when she’d seen Magnus and the vampires that had attacked them in Texas and Darian Xander when she’d woken up from her magical coma. She expected to submit, to concede, or at the very least, to stammer. But there was none of that as she saw the fear in Fausta’s eyes. Fear that Robin was still alive, and that she hadn’t seen it. Fear at her own short sightedness, her own foolish pride. “Miss me?” Robin yelled, her words echoing across the field.

  Fausta’s fear melted into rage as a tight smile curved across her lips. “I should have known. Rats have a way of slipping through the sewers.”

  Robin gave a single nod to Reykon, her hand trailing on his and squeezing it before she stepped out in front of the group and addressed the army. “This is your only chance, Fausta. Surrender.”

  Fausta’s crystal clear laugh was shrill as it cut through the tense silen
ce. “He sends me a child to make his demands,” she crooned, letting the massive broadsword trail across the platform as she took each step with regal prowess. The rest of the royals smiled with her, a rumble of laughter racing out among her ranks. “I am glad you are here, Robin. I was so disappointed that your life didn’t end at my hands… it will be good to correct that travesty.”

  “Have it your way,” Robin said, swallowing hard and deepening her stance. She felt for those pulses of energy, those young, reckless vampires that felt more volatile, targeting them first. One by one, they staggered out of line, muscles corded as her scent drove them crazy. Fausta’s head ticked back, to the first one, stumbling past her with a rabid expression. Pure rage obscured her features as she lifted the massive broadsword and swung it down on the soldier’s neck. It looked like someone had popped a Lego man’s head off, with how easily Retribution cleaved through flesh and bone. A shiver of apprehension danced in her mind, but she pushed it away. Fausta could only swing the sword if she had enough energy to do so. That was where Robin came in. Robin forced herself to take a few more steps, to face the queen and put enough distance between herself and her companions that Fausta wouldn’t be able to immediately reach them.

  “Decapitating your own soldiers is a pretty crappy way to win a war,” Robin called. “Although I’m no expert.”

  Fausta turned her cold gaze to Robin, a lethal smile cutting across her face. “Then I shall settle for your head.”

  Oh, shit. Now Robin felt that fear, and she felt it hard. She dug her heels in and watched as the vampire queen stalked towards her. The black body armor glimmered underneath her cloak like tar, clinging to her body. She looked like a damn superhero. She’s just a vampire. Just a vampire. You can handle vampires… Robin thought, her heartbeat spiking up. The queen smiled, no doubt sensing the fear that Robin was fighting. The tension surged as Fausta zoomed up to meet her, appearing five feet from Robin with a burst of wind. Robin stiffened, defensive, but managed to stay strong.