Chapter 196
It was the first time I thought someone might care about my life as they should since I would be luna, but the look on her face said she didn’t care what I did.
“You’re supposed to make sure that doesn’t happen. I’ll be queen and luna, you know?”
She rolled her eyes and hustled onto another jeep, and grabbed another gun. Shiloh and Messiah join the efforts to fight while Ian was maintaining the shield that was keeping everyone alive.
Where were they before when we were being ambushed? This is what I meant by it was their fault. If they were real allies, they would have been here helping us. If they were really here to help us, they would be helping us from the start, not just when it seemed like a good idea for them. I’d have to talk to Candido about getting rid of them altogether. We were werewolves. We didn’t need the help of vampires. We should be trying to kill them too.
Then, I saw Damien coming out of the forest with a large group of vampires that ran at the wall. The jeeps started to retreat into the cave towards me, and I climbed onto one of them as it continued to back up. Shiloh and Messiah followed us back into the cave. The other side of the cave opened to another section of the forest where the rest of the injured were already starting to run and disappear into the forest.
Another wall went up as more gunshots rang through the air. I looked back and saw vampires descending from the trees and bouncing off the wall behind us. Then I looked over to Ian, who was seated casually in the truck bed where Estella stood, still firing at the vampires coming towards us and following Damian.
“He’s here for me, Candido! Don’t let him take me.”
Ian let out a loud sigh. “If you have nothing of use to say, please just shut up.”
“He is here for me,” I cried. “He tried to drain me before!”
“And you allowed it,” Ian said. “You put yourself in a position to be drained. What you hoped to gain from a quick death, I don’t know, but rest assured, as you are now, your death would have served no purpose other than to alleviate my irritation with your continued existence.”
I gasped. I couldn’t believe he would just say that to me. Did he care all about my feelings? The trucks picked up speed as we got out of the cave but on the other side were more vampires. We were blocked in and surrounded, but the barrier that Ian had cast was much stronger than the one that was cast by Estella’s team.
“Why didn’t we just go through the caves to Lunae?”
Ian ignored me, scanning the battlefield as the sound of bullets filled the air, and more vampires died. I couldn’t believe there were so many of them. Then I realized not all of them were vampires. Some of them were werewolves. Instead of turning to ash, their skin turned black, and they collapsed to the ground.
“Ah, that makes sense,” Ian said. “I suppose we’re getting closer to the end than I thought. Good.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“But not close enough,” Ian said as if he hadn’t even heard me.
“I asked–”
“I’m going to take down the barrier you’re going to have to prepare for hand-to-hand combat.”
Estella turned back, wild-eyed. “You have got to be kidding me! Now?”
“In opportune, perhaps, but necessary.”
“Your Highness, I really—”
“He is close by,” he said, cutting her off. “It is the best chance we have, and besides, I’m not worried about you making it out alive. And I know that if you survive, Candido will as well.”
I went still. That couldn’t be true. If I died, Candido wouldn’t survive. His and Estella’s lives weren’t tied together.
“What does that mean? You–”
“What about all the injured?” Someone else asked. “There’s no way they can fight them.”
Ian scoffed. “I will make a concession for them, obviously. Enough werewolves have died over the last few hours, but I do have to go, so it would be best to make this quick.”
Estella groaned and turned back. “Fine, but at least leave us, Messiah and Shiloh!”
“Granted,” Ian said and turned. “Messiah, Shiloh, make sure none of these werewolves that we actually tolerate end up dead.” He turned to look at me. “If she dies, that’s fine. Preferable even.”
“You’re being really, really mean to me for no reason,” I said. “If I die, so does Candido.”
He snorted. “The list of reasons I have to not care about your feelings, your existence, your life, your wants, and goals is far too long to list out right now. And I highly doubt Candido will mourn your death for long at this point.”
My jaw dropped as he stepped into the air.
“There are better things I could be doing with my time. Estella, on my signal.”
He drifted into the air above the group as Messiah and Shiloh moved to opposite sides of the battlefield.
“Reform the right flank!” Estella yelled. “Injured in the middle!”
“Gunners on the left side!” Candido yelled. “Combat with me!”
My jaw trembled as I realized The terms they were using were very different from anything that Moonshadow had in their records, and I didn’t know what to say, but I couldn’t let Estella just take my place. I couldn’t just sit here quietly as if I had no part to play in this battle.
“We need a barrier on this side!” I yelled. “Put it over here!”
No one was listening to me.
“I said—”
“Shut up!” Someone yelled at me as people started reorganizing.”
“Armageddon,” Falcon started.
“Not now, Falcon!” Candido yelled back. “Armor up and fall in!”
Based on what was happening, Estella wanted certain members of Moonshadow to go right and back up Shiloh while other members of her group would go left and back up Messiah. Candido split our forces between the two groups and went to join a group of them on the front lines leaving Estella to man the rifles and command the rest of the people with guns. I got out of the truck bed and followed him.
Estella could stay back and be a coward and hide behind a gun, but I would stand with Candido until the end.
“Now.”
The golden barrier shrunk, no longer covering the entire area but the few trucks that were still functional and held the gunman. The vampire surged forward. Some of them shifted, and I realized that those people were werewolves, probably werewolves that were hooked on the same drug that Francium had been taking. None of them were armed with guns.
Members of Moonshadow pulled out daggers and swords, and I realized that I didn’t have a weapon. I drew closer to Candido, knowing he would protect me and I would watch his back. I wouldn’t need a weapon so long as I could use my strength.
Candido didn’t even seem to notice that I was nearby as he ran forward, leaving me behind and calling the rest of the group on this side of the battle forward. It was like something out of a movie. the sound of swords clashing and tearing through bodies running through the air, and the scent of blood grew stronger. But Candido cut through the vampires that were rushing towards us.
I tried to follow, but I quickly lost track of him in the crowd. Vampires surged around them, rushing towards me. I looked around frightfully, looking for Candido.
“Candido, help!”
I tried to fight one of them off, but he tackled me to the ground. Before he could sink his fangs into me, his head exploded, and he turned to ash. I looked back toward the trucks trying to figure out who had helped me, but no one was looking my way. A great burst of thunder rang through the air, and lightning struck down, lighting the area up. It didn’t last as long as the last one, but it was still very impressive. I wondered when Candido would start using his elemental power again.
If he did the way he had back at full moon, the way he had to protect me, if he focused on that, I bet he would be way more powerful. Powerful enough to end this battle.
Another vampire came, and this one struck me across the face before I could try and run. I cried out for Candido, but I didn’t see him coming. I didn’t hear him call back for me. They ripped up my dress and dragged their claws across my skin, and the scent of my blood filled the air. I felt dizzy again because I had already lost so much blood. Then several rounds of gunshots fired in my direction, and each of the vampires who would have been about to kill me turned to gusts of ash.
“Get behind the barrier!”
