A Shade of Vampire 81 A Bringer of Night - Bella Forrest Page 0,25

feet, while the ghouls dared not approach her. Instead, they scrambled backward, whispering among themselves. Some tried to get back to Veliko and the other Darklings, who were now engaged in some kind of group spell.

We only had about ten soldiers standing. Not enough to take these people down, but I couldn’t let them get away, either.

“Valaine, we need to stop them!” I called out, hoping she heard me.

The rain intensified as Veliko’s lips moved. He drew symbols into the wet earth around his feet, and the other Darklings soon joined his chant. The ghouls in their possession shivered and growled, and Veliko took hold of two of their chains, pulling the creatures closer.

Valaine was tackled by two Darklings, but she tore them apart and cast them aside. I couldn’t leave Zoltan. The steel cuffs were worthless if I didn’t hold the monster down. I found the poison capsule in his pocket and tossed it away.

The air rippled around Veliko’s group. The chains he held on to lit up white, as did the ghouls attached to them. It seemed to cause the creatures great pain—they snarled and wailed, clutching their deformed heads with their bare hands. Something was happening, and I doubted it would end well for us.

Chills ran down my spine, goosebumps pricking my skin as the air became supercharged with the strangest kind of energy. Danger loomed all around, and I wasn’t sure what we could do next. The Darklings who’d been left out of the main group were still fighting what remained of our gold guards. Their scythes gave them a dangerous advantage, and I watched helplessly as they cut two of the soldiers down.

Black mist gathered around Valaine, her feral form intensifying as she stalked across the tall grass toward Veliko and the Darklings. The freed ghouls kept their distance. The others whimpered as she approached the huddle.

“Now, brave men! We kill the Black Fever today!” Veliko shouted, and my heart jumped into my throat. The look in his eyes as he watched Valaine approach scared me.

“He’s going to kill her, that fool,” Zoltan spat. “This is such a bloody mess!”

“Valaine, get back!” I yelled, but she didn’t hear me.

The two ghouls in Veliko’s chains glowed an even brighter white as the Darklings continued their chants. The power swelled among them. Thunder rumbled somewhere above. The wind grew sharper and lashed at my face.

I moved to get off Zoltan, intending to pull Valaine back before it was too late. Whatever the Darklings were up to, it was aimed at her. The surviving gold guards tried to get away from their opponents. They, too, sought to protect Valaine, but there wasn’t much we could do. The entire congregation of Darklings hummed unnaturally loudly.

“We’ll be heroes!” Veliko laughed, throwing his head back.

The two ghouls dissolved into white sparks that vanished inside each of the Darklings. Their collective mass glowed, translucent ripples spreading outward as though a stone had been thrown across a lake.

Valaine stilled, breathing heavily. I tried to reach her, but it was too late.

A blinding white light erupted from the Darklings, and it almost swallowed her before a familiar figure dashed through my field of vision and tackled her. As they fell, a shimmering gold shield enveloped them.

I ducked, the white light expanding, eager to consume. I held my breath, listening only to the sound of raindrops all around me. A grunt. A slashing sound. Someone’s entrails hitting the ground. The body following with a thump.

Something growled dangerously close to my face. I kept my eyes shut, praying to all the entities of the universe to help me live through this moment, for there was so much I hadn’t yet accomplished. I prayed that Valaine would survive, too. That familiar figure had certainly taken her out of the death spell’s most devastating path, but I wasn’t sure it had been enough.

“Let go of me, you filthy piece of… Argh!” Zoltan screamed behind me, and I recognized a ghoul’s snarl in his vicinity, along with the sound of bones crunching.

I finally dared to open my eyes, first looking back to find Zoltan in the grass, a ghoul pressing his head down with one foot while he bit into his leg. The Darkling Scholar cried out, but the ghoul refused to let go. A smile twitched at my lips, until I remembered Valaine.

Glancing ahead, I exhaled sharply. The light had faded, and Veliko and his entire cluster had vanished without a trace. The ghouls they’d left behind were