A Shade of Vampire 77 A Fate of Time - Bella Forrest Page 0,40

on it. Something happened inside him, something that had an instant effect on the weapon—it surprised him as much as it did us. Energy rippled outward from Phyla, and light glowed through the symbols carved along Eirexis. It looked different than the last time he’d used it, but we could all feel the power surging through Taeral and through each and every one of us.

My limbs tingled as I beheld a quite active-looking Thieron in Taeral's hands. For a moment, hope dared to brighten my field of vision, and I allowed it to swoop through me, for the prospect of victory was not as dim as I'd thought.

"Attaboy," Soul said, grinning like the devil.

“I’m not sure what I just did,” Taeral replied, staring at the blade.

“You opened yourself up to it,” Soul explained. “There’s more Death in you than I thought.”

I would’ve loved to ask a couple more follow-up questions, but with annoyingly good timing, Brendel reached us. She landed with a thud on the edge of the platform, her orange fire so intense that it obliterated everything it touched. The rocks blackened beneath her. My throat burned from the excessive heat she emanated. There was something about her, I realized… something different.

Her humanoid figure formed, and only then did I see her eyes for the first time. Two white slits that hated everything they encountered. "You've wasted a lot of my time already," she said. "It's time to give up, Taeral. You will never find Death."

"Shouldn't you be out there preparing for the ritual's completion, then?" Taeral replied. Thieron glowed in his hand, and Phyla seemed to revolve in the blade, casting light reflexes all around it like a magic disco ball. It was beautiful and scary at the same time. "How am I still a threat to you?"

Brendel took a step forward. The other Hermessi landed on the side of the mountain behind her, making their way up with sluggish, fiery moves. There were fewer of them now, though, and I wasn't sure whether anyone else had noticed. Brendel had consumed some of the Hermessi who'd joined her on the Fire Star, during our Zetos mission. Maybe none had dared to take their place. We already knew many of her allies had fled after the Hermessi children were taken from Yahwen.

"Her forces are dwindling," I said, eyeing her nervously. "Her allies are scarce."

Taeral smirked. "Yeah, figured that out when I saw them come in. I would've expected an entire party, not a small posse."

"I don't need an army to destroy you," Brendel retorted.

One by one, fiery energy figures emerged behind her—some white, some blue, some green or orange. Despite the dramatic entrance, I had to admit, I wasn't exactly… overwhelmed. Nevertheless, I hadn't been touched by Death, and neither had Varga. Or Riza. Herakles. Raphael. Amelia. Nethissis. We were still vulnerable, and we could still be killed. That was what Brendel was banking on—taking us out first.

She couldn’t kill Taeral, Lumi, or Eira, but she could wipe out the rest of us. She could keep Taeral distracted from finding Death long enough for the ritual to be finished.

"Thieron is complete, as you already know," Taeral said. "If I managed to break you into little pieces with just two-thirds of it, imagine what I'll do with the full Thieron."

"I doubt you'll get to enjoy any of it, Taeral. Nothing can stop the ritual now," Brendel replied.

"Only you can," I said to him. "Tae, it's why she's here."

Kabbah joined Taeral's side, sneering at Brendel. "Sister, I'm amazed. Your persistence is incredible."

"And you're still not powerful enough to defeat me. I've only become stronger since last we met," Brendel replied.

"At the expense of how many Hermessi? I can't remember how many you gobbled up, you mindless abomination," Kabbah hissed. "Can you not see how far off the deep end you've gone?!"

"She cannot," Seeley interjected, his dark, starry gaze fixed on her. "She's getting help from one of the First Ten. She is breaking all the laws of the universe in order to get what she wants."

Brendel scoffed. "I do whatever I must. Determination is one of the building blocks of the universe, Reaper. You know nothing of it."

"So it's true, then," the Soul Crusher replied. "The Spirit Bender has been helping you."

"For about five million years now. He and I share a common agenda. Well, parts of it, anyway," she said.

I found it intriguing that she was so open to talking now. Then again, her primary objective was to keep us