A Shade of Vampire 84 A Memory of Time - Bella Forrest Page 0,77
her knowledge, but other than that, he was just a frustrated little wisp who liked to cause pain for his own gratification. You people have been worshipping a fraud for too long.”
“Mind your words! He gave us power! He helped us hold on to our immortality!” Ramus gasped, looking as though I’d just insulted his mother’s cooking.
“He taught you how to keep my sister in an endless cycle of suffering because you were all too scared of dying and moving on,” Soul growled. “You participate in a glorified form of torture against the Reaper who gave you eternity.”
The Whip shuddered, shrinking under Soul’s burning gaze. “Forgive me.”
“Spare me your empty words and help me set things right. Everything you and your people have done has been to the detriment of the universe itself,” the First Tenner replied. “Maybe—and I’m making no promises here—when all this is over and Unending is free, she’ll take pity on those who assisted in her liberation. Because I am already feeling sorry for any fool who thinks they’re going to keep getting away with this.”
“I will tell you everything you need to know,” Rasmus said. “Like I said, just get me out of here. Please!”
Kelara cursed under her breath just as Soul walked toward the Whip. “Crap. No, Soul, wait!” She grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him back. “Look by the fireplace!”
Soul frowned but followed her concerned gaze. We all did, and we all saw it. A broken glass bauble, its shimmering pieces slowly melting onto the wooden floor into a peculiar substance, inches from the fireplace. A faint streak of smoke persisted in the air above it before it got sucked into the fire. The iridescent liquid evaporated, leaving nothing behind.
“What was that?” I asked, immediately alarmed.
“A signal. Ramus must have broken it as soon as we crashed through his door,” Soul said, lifting his smoldering gaze and focusing it on the Whip. “You’ve been stalling this whole time. You son of a—” Words couldn’t encompass all the nasty things Soul thought about this guy, but it was too late for any form of retaliation. We were no longer on our own inside the cabin.
One by one, a dozen Darklings appeared out of thin air. The thirteenth was Danika, still wearing mechanical prosthetics for hands, her scythe glimmering. Joining them were six Knight Ghouls, each one bigger and scarier than the last, strings of drool hanging from their gaping jaws.
“Ramus, you idiot,” I growled, my blood running cold.
“What can I say? I’m loyal.” Ramus chuckled. “And a very good actor.”
“Not really. We were just too hopeful for a break,” I replied. “You’re a sweating mess, and your desperation was over the top. I should’ve seen this coming.”
“Well, you’re seeing it now,” Danika interjected with a flat smile. “Did you really think I wouldn’t fool you a second time around? Come on… whatever your name is.”
“You planted Ramus here,” Amane murmured, reality finally sinking in. It came with troubling implications, since we’d gotten our intel from Petra Visentis. “Petra, she… she sent us.”
Danika laughed. “Right. I’m aware.” She pointed her scythe at me. “Merizio Furalis!”
I was already calling out to Derek via Telluris in my mind, knowing Danika might hit me with death magic if she heard me. His voice was just coming through, when a pulse left her scythe and hit me smack in the middle of my forehead. I nearly fell backward, watching as the pulse ricocheted into Amane’s head, then Trev’s, both of them wincing from the pain. Silence followed, as we all realized she’d cut off our Telluris. “How’d you know?” I asked, genuinely baffled. “I didn’t say a word.”
“I know how Telluris works. This felt like the right time to cut you off, before you yammered on to Derek about our little rendezvous. Let’s keep this just between us for now.” Danika giggled.
“Yeah, that’s not going to work on us,” Kelara replied, but she looked worried, and the Lady Supreme was quick to catch up on it.
“What’s the matter, Reaper? Can’t reach your friends?” She laughed. “The cabin and its entire surrounding area is warded now. We made sure of it. So, like I said…”
“I am loyal!” Ramus repeated himself. “I am loyal to the Spirit Bender. My life means nothing if he isn’t alive to save us. I give myself willingly to our cause!”