A Shade of Vampire 84 A Memory of Time - Bella Forrest Page 0,4
faces paler than usual. “It’s starting!” Tristan hissed. They ran toward us as a flash of light burst upward against the protective shield.
My heart jumped into my throat. This was it. The moment we’d all hoped would fail to come. The Darklings had begun their offensive maneuvers against Orvis, determined to get past the cloaking spell.
On our side of the village, they’d all raised their scythes, whispering chants and slashing at the barrier. Every blow caused iridescent ripples to spread out. Soon enough, the entire dome glowed, overwhelmed by the flurry of death magic attacks. They couldn’t see through, so the chances of them figuring out what we were doing were relatively small. It wasn’t a guarantee, but it was the best we had in these circumstances. The tunnel entrance would be sealed once we were all out, anyway.
“What do we do?” I asked.
Rose and Caleb brought the remaining villagers out of their homes and grouped them with the others. Kalla spoke to them, trying to reassure them as best as she could, but the Darklings’ attacks weren’t helping. They were terrified.
“We hold them off,” Seeley said. He handed an extra scythe to Nethissis. “We’ll cover the north gate. Sidyan will take the east with Kelara and Soul—“ He paused, his ears twitching as he listened. The other Reapers were communicating with him, I realized, mobilizing for the defense strategy. “Night and Morning will handle the south, and Widow and Phantom will join you here in the west.”
I nodded, watching Seeley, Nethissis, and Rudolph rush to the north. They brushed past Valaine and Tristan, who finally reached us, almost breathless.
Rose and Caleb flanked Sofia and the boys, their pulverizer weapons locked and loaded, their backpacks filled with everything they’d been able to get from the shuttles. Amal and Hunter came back, carrying several bags loaded with more pulverizer ammo and swamp witch spell paraphernalia. We took a few minutes to distribute the weight around, each of us with a backpack or a satchel ready. Even Thayen and the Visentis boys were given a load to carry.
The more we did to prepare for what would come next, the more anxious I became. The loud bangs erupting from the protective shield startled me. I could see Corbin’s figure between the black stone houses as he continued striking the barrier with one crippling blow after the next. The tension was rising. The air crackled with an uncomfortable mixture of dread and anxiety.
“How are we looking down there?” Sofia called out.
Kemi rushed up, his face and white silk garments covered in dirt. “Start bringing the people down. We’re two miles in.”
Kalon and I stepped back. Kalla and the villagers were the first to descend. About two hundred innocent lives depended on us, and I was determined to make sure they all reached the west coast safely.
Reapers’ scythes glimmered white at all four cardinal points around the village. They released flurries of pulses that burst outward and beyond the protective shield. We all ducked as Phantom and Widow launched their own. The defense worked—each shot threw the Darklings back and broke several bones in the process. On our side, the Knight Ghouls snarled and scratched at the barrier, desperate to get through.
Small fissures formed, gradually spidering across the surface, spreading and deepening as they reached for the top of the dome.
“It’s not going to last much longer,” Sofia murmured, staring upward. Her eyes filled with horror as she clutched Thayen closer.
“Mom, take the boys and go!” Rose said.
“What about you and Caleb?” she replied, suddenly alarmed.
“We’ll be right behind you,” Caleb assured her.
Though hesitant, Sofia did as she was told and nudged the boys down into the tunnel. Their figures became black against the amber lighting backdrop. Moments later, they were gone. The village of Orvis was now empty except for some Vision horses and what remained of our troops.
With all the violence around us, I finally saw the tranquility of the Nightmare Forest. In the absence of Darklings and evil, it was a beautiful yet dangerous place. The sabre tigers and the poisonous vipers, the creatures that lurked between the old trees with sprawling crowns seemed harmless—mere creatures of wilderness struggling to survive and prosper. The Nightmare Forest was not a welcoming place. Not at all. But it didn’t deserve to be soiled by the Darklings’ presence. Heck, the entire planet would be better off without them.
Kalon looked at me, his cold blue eyes set on mine. “Are you ready?”