“You were there. I have no doubt about that. You were flying near a tree-line of oaks, I think, maybe not even far from here. But, yes, you were in the field.”
He nodded, then to Finn, he pathed, I’ll be with the Guard here.
Ending the communication, he drew Samantha away from the apex and like water sliding off a slick surface, the power drained away from her. He marveled at all of it.
He took her by the shoulders. “I don’t want to go but I won’t be far. The oaks are a clue. There are a few groves scattered around my realm, but I can’t be far from you right now.”
Her smile faltered. “Good. I’m nervous, too.” But she drew in a deep breath and added, “I’ll walk you to the front door.”
By the time Ethan said good-bye, he felt in his bones that leaving Samantha right now was a big mistake. But he had a job to do and the vision had been clear; he’d been with his men, where he should be.
Yet even as he, and six additional Guardsmen, began measured sweeps high in the air over the immense oak grove, his house, and the nearby Guard House training camp, a red wind arrived coming from the east. He alerted one of his Guardsmen to keep watch on all other fronts and the remaining five to form a front battle grid with him against the approaching Invictus wraith-pairs. At the same time, he pathed Finn who said he’d send reinforcements on the double.
As he lined up with his men, he opened his battle frequency and felt his powerful war vibrations attach to each man beside him and down the ranks. Electrical currents pulsed heavily as together they created the fortified energy-shield.
A high-shrieking sound arrived as the Invictus attacked.
And the battle was on.
Energy released from palms, flipped up from wrists. Blue and red streams flew everywhere, striking the energy field and creating small bursts of fireworks, resulting in tears in the field.
At the same time, the Invictus threw blades of different kinds, which hit the web often and sometimes increased those tears, which made sustaining the field even more difficult.
Ethan, as a mastyr vampire, however, had the ability to seal up the breaches and worked his power down the line, both directions. Enough tears, and the Invictus could pass through, which was why, without his support in a battle, one day and with this level of organization and discipline, the Invictus would break apart the field and get through to their goal. A lot of realm-folk would die, including Guardsmen.
The Invictus wraith-pairs could overtake a Guardsman caught alone, the attack savage with physical weapons of all kinds; short-swords, daggers, hatches, spiked ball-and-chains and each pair tended to favor a different kind of weapon.
Ethan’s training of his men had become increasingly varied through the years, and especially in recent months.
So basically, before Samantha, he’d worked seven nights a week in order to make sure he was available to sustain the linked battle-shield.
He sent his power now, both directions, mending tears and at times covering a wounded Guardsman to protect him from further injury until he could recover from a quick blow.
But an axe whirred by his head and as he sent another flow of power to seal the resulting breach, something new intruded. From nearby he felt the presence of the dark fae force. Samantha had indicated she was near, but now Ethan felt her vibration as well.
He needed to get this battle over and done with and back to Samantha as soon as possible.
She was in danger.
*** *** ***
Samantha stood at the edge of the conservatory, but didn’t quite know how she’d gotten there. She felt oddly dizzy.
All the Guardsmen were outside engaged in a battle she could hear at a distance, so she knew she was safe.
Several lanterns, placed around the lush, crystal enclosed gardens, kept the space in a soft glow, although Samantha’s fae vision could have managed the dark easily.
Her legs felt almost fatigued as she moved into the room. Of course, it didn’t help that she’d basically switched from days to nights. No wonder she was tired. And her heart was sluggish again. Ethan would require another supply soon, especially because he was battling.
She just felt tired and another wave of dizziness assailed her. Then she felt it, the presence of the ancient fae entity, not far from her now. And as she turned to scan the conservatory, the room began to spin. She didn’t understand what was happening to her. She felt very confused.
Suddenly, unexpected images of the previous battle at the Guildhall fairgrounds suddenly burst through her mind, playing one after the other.
She pushed her hands to either side of her head, trying to make the images stop, of Ethan falling, of Guardsmen getting hurt, of the Invictus shrieking as they attacked, of the blue and red streams of light, of a certain acrid, smoky scent in the air.
“Stop,” she called out.
“She’s had enough.” She heard a man’s voice, which seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it.
Just as quickly, the images slipped away and her mind was once again free.
Samantha opened her eyes. The room no longer spun, but she could see strange waves all around the perimeter. Something was wrong.
Really wrong.
“Samantha?”
She turned slowly, her head muddled and thick. A man stood in front of her now, a vampire, a mastyr vampire.
“Remember me?”
She looked up at him. “Mastyr Ry?” She smelled his blood need and her heart pounded in her chest.
His nostrils flared and his lids lowered to half-mast. “Goddess, your blood smells like heaven.”
She knew she shouldn’t do it, but she felt compelled as she opened her arms and eased her head to the side, exposing her throat. These were not her arms, her throat, her desires. She knew the dark fae force manipulated her, but she couldn’t do anything else.
Ry’s fangs emerged, pulling back from his lips. His jaw trembled, then he struck. She felt blissful as he pulled on her vein, drawing sustenance into his starved body. She was fulfilling her most profound purpose in life. But this wasn’t Ethan.
Not Ethan. The words left her mind but went nowhere.
She didn’t want to feed Ry but she couldn’t help herself.
She had to contact Ethan, had to find him.
Ry opened his personal frequency and began pummeling her chest and abdomen trying to get to her faeness. It would take so little to complete the bonding. She understand that now, that it was just a matter of her will, of acquiescing, of saying ‘yes’, and she’d belong to Ry.
Where was Ethan?
Her mind felt so loose and disjointed. The images of the previous battle at the Guildhall hovered at the edges of her mind, but she forced them away.