Chapter 73 - Battle [Part 2]

MAXINE

Seleus is unstoppable. He rides through the battlefield, stepping on vampire bodies, and decapitating as many as he can along the way. I hold on to him for dear life shooting rays of light from my palm to any vampire daring to approach us. Though my attention is locked elsewhere.

We reach the northern part of the valley and my eyes widen at the sight of Rey, dropped on the floor on his side - no longer in his wolf form – with a big dark red stain on his ribs. Seleus goes straight ahead to collide with a new wave of vampires that was approaching, his staff at hand and ready to strike. I wait when he rides closer to Rey and jump from Seleus' back. However, the landing is not what I thought it would be, colliding with the hard ground, rolling for a few metres until I stop.

My head spins as I plant my hands on the ground – watered with thick blood – trying to stand up. The air is heavy with the smell of iron, sweat and the trees. I run towards Rey even if my body resists the extra push I give it. Every muscle screams, my body has reached its limit but I still have a battle to give. Rey's eyes find me when I crash to the ground in front of him with my knees, hands reaching out to hold him. His crystal blue orbs have lost their shine and his eyelids are half open. He's exhausted.

"Rey, please talk to me," I whisper with tears falling down my face. I cup his face in my hand and he leans towards it. However, the natural heat emanating from his body now is almost gone and terror fills my heart. My hands trace the side of his body finding the blood stain that has become larger now. I gasp in shock. There's a long cut, coming from the back and expanding to his right side. Even with the fast recovery of the wolves, he won't be able to heal soon from this. If he ever manages to recover and not…

A knot forms in my throat and tears run faster from my eyes. A sardonic laughter echoes that makes me jump on my feet and turn. Vincent is standing a few steps away, his eyes fully covered by the darkness reflecting from his damned soul. His fingers are dipped in blood with large nails on their tips.

"I told you, princess. I'll make sure you watch when I give him the final hit." His lips curl up into the cruellest smile I've ever seen.

Rey's breath is weak but I still can hear it from my back. Vincent is the one who did this to him, my gut is certain. The blood boils in my veins, and the rage fills every cell of my body. Something ignites inside me as I feel the heat of energy flowing like molten lava, expanding to every edge of me.

"I'll stop you, Vincent! Whatever it takes!" I yell wrath at him. Bringing one leg in front and stretching my arms to my sides, palms turned to fists, I brace myself for what is to come.

He lets another run of laughter that causes only my anger to reach sky-high. "So naïve…do you really think you have a chance? Do you think I'll let someone like you get stronger and I won't do the same?" his face turns suddenly serious. "Let's get on with it." He moves his hand in the air and turned idly his head.

A sudden burst of air blows around. Vincent's body stiffens and bringing his hands to his sides he opens the palms tight. With his eyes shut, he starts mumbling incomprehensible words. The wind gets wilder around us, creating circles with us at the centre. An eerie whisper echoes, carried by the wind. Vincent takes a deep breath and then something dark floating in the air appears before is lost in Vincent's nostrils as he breathes in. And the air vanishes.

Utter silence falls and it is then that I realise what may have happened. The vampires fighting all around are now lifeless corpses laid on the ground. Could it be? The dark smoke Vincent breathed in seconds ago, could it be their souls?

His eyes shot open, and I take a step back. The darkness covering his entire eyes now has a yellow thin line in place of the irises. It reminds me of a twisted version of a cat's eyes. His chest panting, shoulders moving up and down as his nostrils dilate. "Let's begin." He whispers and launches forward.

I shoot light rays but he's too quick to hit. He dodges them with such ease like they're stuck in time when he moves. Before I know it, he's directly in front of me, his fist colliding with my jaw. I feel weightless as I fly in the air backwards before I land harshly on the ground. I take sharp breaths as I open my eyes and see the moon directly above me. I haven't been so faithful lately but something inside me is praying to the silver goddess to endure this. My thoughts are unexpectedly cut off by Vincent's frame looming above me. His nails scratch my flesh as he grabs me by my shirt, lifting me all the way up. I feel like a doll hanging in his grip.

"Don't fight it, Maxine." The sound of my name coming from his lips feels like poison in my veins. "Soon, your pain will be over." He smiles, and large fangs make their appearance covered with blood. He drags me closer to him his mouth slightly parted, prepared for the lethal bite. The energy flows within me again, ready for release. When he's close enough to my face, I lift a hand to punch him but all I manage is to grab his face with my palm as energy flows out of my body.

A scream of excruciating pain hits my ears and I collapse on the ground as he lets go of his grip on me. Vincent takes a few steps back, his hands on his face, still screaming. A cry of rage is let between gritted teeth and my eyes are shot wide open at the view of his face when he lowers his hands.

The print of my hand is plastered on his face. However, anywhere my skin came in contact with his, is burnt, so deep that the scull appears. All of a sudden a wave of hope washes over me.

"YOU!" Vincent screams outraged. "I planned to do this quickly but now, I'll make sure you die painfully and terribly slow!"

With this, he launches forward again. I hardy dodge his first attack but then his strong hand wraps my throat, pinning me down to the cold ground. I feel my body crashing under the pressure of the ground below and Vincent's body on top of me. His long nails cut my flesh, allowing fresh hot blood to drip from the sides of my neck. The view of his face so close to mine fills me with disgust. His left eye remains barely attached to the skull.

"Any last words?" he whispers close to my ear before his tongue licks the side of my face. And just like that, Vincent has given me the chance I wanted.

My hands jolt forward, landing on his head while I press them tightly pushing myself to release the energy from within. A flash of strong light emerges making him lose his grip on my neck, allowing me to take a sharp breath. I push him back trying to get free from his thighs holding me down. But he's not moving. Before he can react further, I shoot him a light ray to his chest. Then another. Again and again. Vincent moves frantically, and I take a glimpse of his face. His eyes are burned out. Though he's still attacking like an animal in frenzy.

Without a second thought, I hit him with the last string of strength hidden in me. He falls back and I jump on top of him, grabbing his neck with both hands. I don't have any other option. This is all I've got. No plan, just instinct and raw rage. His hands manage to make numerous cuts on my flesh as he tries still to attack me. I try to avoid getting hit on the face and ignore the pain he causes in the rest of my body. Closing my eyes momentarily I feel the connection to the energy within. The heat flows all around me, emanating from my body like the air heated instantly as it blows on hot metal.

Bright light and heat shoot out from my palms as I push myself to get a hold of his neck. Vincent's mouth falls open screaming loud directly below me and his hands collapse to his sides. I don't stop, until only the bone of his spine has left between my hands that after a few seconds snaps in two detaching the head from his body.

I quickly stand up and get away from him, preparing myself for any sudden attacks or in case he resurrects. I watch in horror as a dark smoke like the one I witnessed moments ago lifts from his lifeless body and hovers directly above him. The eerie whisper sounds again, only this time it's only Vincent. Whispering my name. My sight starts to blur, exhaustion has finally struck me. My limbs cannot hold my weight anymore and tremble, threatening to let go any second. The smoke twists and turns in the air and the whisper is getting louder. The last thing I remember is stretching my right hand up in front of me and waves of light emanating from me, covering everything in bright white light.