kill him.
“We should take him back to the others.” Desmond walked up to the opposite side of me. “They need to see that he’s dead.”
I nodded slowly. “Yes. They do.”
“Grab my arms.” Colin glanced from me to Desmond before he crouched and gripped Volod’s ankle with his hand.
The moment Desmond and I each had a hold on Colin, we flew through the transference. In a breath we were back at the spot where Volod had slit Nadia’s throat and lined up my family and friends.
Devastation.
A bloody battlefield. Beheaded and staked Vampires were lying everywhere. But not just Vampires—a couple of Trackers and Vampire paranorms were also dead …
Desmond having jammed their guns obviously stifled what little firepower the Vampires had possessed over paranorms. The Vampires were no match for us without their weapons.
But there were no Vampires still living. They were all dead. Volod had no chance when the Vamp paranorms turned on him.
No mercy to the Vampires. They had deserved none.
I saw my father and brother with the Drow warriors. I was never so grateful as I was at that moment to see them okay.
It occurred to me then. The Great Guardian had said my blood would be sacrificed. It was. I was now a Vampire. My people are my blood, and their blood was sacrificed also. Rodán’s blood. Nadia’s.
With my heart in my throat, I turned to Colin, buried my face in his chest, and cried. I cried real tears.
Other Trackers started coming up. Angel touched my shoulder and I turned and hugged her. “Volod is dead, Nyx,” she said.
Then Angel turned to the Trackers walking among the bodies and repeated loud enough that her voice carried across the battlefield. “Volod is dead!”
A shocked silence was followed by cheers. Applause and shouts so loud that goose bumps broke out along my arms.
Through the sadness I felt, there was an overwhelming relief. We had won. We stopped the great evil, and miraculously there were few of our own who had fallen in the last battle. I had to focus on the victory. We won. We won.
I hugged Colin again. He knew it was best just to hold me. He needed to say nothing. The strength of his touch said it all.
With the back of my hand I wiped the tears from my eyes then turned to Desmond, Ice, Joshua, and Penrod. And hugged each of them.
Colin, Desmond, and I stepped away from Volod’s body so that anyone who wanted to could come up and see.
“Yes.” I released my hold on Colin and raised my hands for quiet. “Volod is finished. He’ll never terrorize humans or paranorms again.”
More cheering. I rubbed my arms as chills continued to roll over me.
Everyone who still lived started hugging. At first paranorms and Vampire paranorms stood separately, but eventually they joined and embraced, too.
A lump rose in my throat when I saw Max take Lawan into his arms and hold her close.
Olivia came up in front of me and I hugged her. “Never thought I’d be even partially related to a Vampire.” Olivia rubbed her neck where Volod had bitten her. She patted me on the shoulder. “I’m ready for steak, bloody rare.”
I appreciated her attempt at a little levity in the midst of so much tragedy.
The crowd grew quiet and I turned to see that Leticia had joined us. She had been regal as a paranorm. As a Vampire paranorm, she was even more so. She had her hands raised and motioned for quiet like I had.
“Thank you for your trust in the Vampire paranorms,” she said. “We wish only to coexist with our brethren.”
Murmurs traveled through the crowd, mostly of approval.
“Vampires have been able to survive on synthetic blood all of these years,” she continued. “Vampire paranorms will do the same. We do not wish to drink the blood of our brothers and sisters. We wish only to be accepted for what we were made to be, which was not of our choice.
“We of the former Paranorm Council will surrender our positions to paranorms who will vote in new leaders. We ask, however, that you allow Vampire paranorms one seat on the council, to represent those who wish to live in peace with our brethren.”
Leticia stepped back and Armand took her place.
“Vampire paranorms have proven they have a place among paranorms.” Armand swept his gaze from one fighter to the next. “We will work closely with our brothers and sisters.”
The paranorms and Vampire paranorms across the battlefield applauded.
Armand looked to me and