Chapter 100

Arthur woke up alone in the clearing. The humans of the village seemed to be all asleep and the only people awake were vampires. He struggled to his feet. Blood had dried and crusted on his skin. It seemed that he’d transformed back to his human form. Daphne’s blood still hung in the air, but it was old as if it had been at least a day since she’d been taken.

He expected agony from the amount of blood smeared on his skin, yet he didn’t have any open wounds. It was almost as if Daphne had treated him.

His heart sank at the thought of Daphne before he approached a tree to climb it, hoping to get a sense of where the castle was, yet he could see nothing but darkness and more trees. With a huff, he leaped down from the tree and transformed before following the scent of Blade, Rex, and the others. They had headed back to the canyon. He found them in a small camp just inside the canyon’s mouth, off the path that would lead them back to the werewolf kingdom. Many were cradling injuries, but they weren’t as bad off as the patrol team had been when they had been ambushed by rogues.

By his count, everyone was still alive.

“Is everyone alright?” Arthur asked, looking at them.

Rex approached him, warily, “Your Majesty… are you…?”

Arthur looked away, “I am. I apologize if I hurt anyone.”

“You…” Rex glanced behind him to where Blade was curled up against the wall of the canyon, seemingly asleep.

“We should return to Sharp Armor,” Rex said. “Those… werewolves had been turned. It’s clear that the vampires mean war.”

Arthur shook his head, “No, that’s not true.”

“What else would you call it?” Someone hissed in the dark. “They tried to kill us all with our comrades. Tom is right, they’re abominations.”

Arthur clenched his jaw, “I’m not saying there won’t be a fight. I’m saying that Daphne–”

He broke off as Blade stirred, standing in the shadows under the faint light of the crescent moon. His eyes were vacant. Arthur’s heart clenched as he remembered that Mamie had been among the crazed werewolves and he had ripped her head from her shoulders in a fit of fury.

“Blade…”

He looked away from him and walked past, “I have no interest in fighting for the kingdom.”

Rex gasped, “Blade–”

“I have to think of my son. He’s the only…” Blade’s voice cracked. “He is all I have now.”

“Blade, I…” Arthur swallowed. “I’m so sorry.”

Blade turned, his eyes flashing red with a growl, “Don’t! Don’t pretend to care when you killed her!”

Arthur winced at the pang of guilt as Rex stepped forward, “Blade, that’s not true–”

“Don’t excuse it, Rex!” Blade growled. “Don’t excuse his madness!”

“She was going to kill Daphne,” Arthur said evenly. “I… If there was another way–”

“She wasn’t going to kill her–”

“She was turned–”

“She recognized me!” Blade cried, his voice wet and furious. He let out a shuddering sob, “She knew me. She didn’t attack me. I saw it. I felt it and you killed her, Arthur. You killed my mate. How am I meant to follow you into battle?”

Arthur swallowed, “I can’t say that’s not true, Blade. I can’t say that she didn’t recognize you. I can’t even say that I didn’t kill her.”

“Arthur–” He lifted a paw to tell Rex to be quiet. The man fell silent as he met Blade’s gaze.

“Somewhere in there, Mamie might have still been alive, but she wasn’t in control… None of them were. If they hadn’t been killed, all of them, it would have ended up like the attack on Sharp Armor and we might all be dead.”

Blade’s jaw trembled and he turned away from him with a hiss.

“Excuses,” he seethed.

“What would you have me do, Blade?” Arthur asked, “I know there is no way to make it right, but if you just think about it, you’ll understand that Mamie was beyond saving.”

Rex swallowed the wounded sound that threatened to escape him at Arthur’s words. He’d known Mamie since they were children. He knew Blade’s love for Mamie and how deeply this wounded him, but he couldn’t disagree.

While it was brutal, it was necessary for their survival and mercy to Mamie’s memory. She wouldn’t have wanted to live like that any longer than she had to and she wouldn’t have wanted Blade to continue pining away for her in the hope that she could regain control.

Arthur swallowed and turned to the rest, “Blade will stay behind with his son. When we return, we’ll make preparations for the war…”

“You think they’ll attack?”

Arthur eyed the man, “If you’re right and the attack was intentional, then they know that we aren’t dead and are likely gathering their forces…”

And if Arthur was right, there was more danger in the vampire nation. There was a faction that didn’t want there to be any sort of peace. They would blame the werewolves for the breakdown in the peace talks. Maybe they were poisoning Daphne’s mind against him.

He shuddered and turned towards the path through the canyons, “Let’s get going.”

The alphas staggered to their feet carefully and followed Arthur out of the canyon. The night was cold around them, but quiet. He didn’t sense anyone or anything nearby. Blade would not speak to him or anyone else as they walked back to the werewolf lands and through the forest.

They made it back to Sharp Armor as the sun was rising. The others went to the infirmary as Arthur went to announce the turn of events. As he expected, people were furious, but their anger didn’t reach him. His thoughts were on Daphne and if she was alright.

“We’ll go through the neutral zone as soon as we have enough warriors,” he said looking up to the sky. “We need people trained within the next two weeks at most, but preferably earlier.”

People went silent at his words and scrambled in every direction to get ready. Arthur let out a solemn sigh before wandering towards the house he and Daphne used to share. He lay down on the hill overlooking the training field and thought back to Nicole and Daphne in the carriage. Daphne had been bleeding heavily, but why? Nothing had hurt her. Had an older injury opened? Was there something else wrong with her? Maybe she was sick.

If she could use the power of the Royal family to compel werewolves, was there a chance that she could use the healing aspect as well? He hoped so.

The werewolves called in every warrior that could be spared from every pack in the kingdom to their aid. It took them nearly two weeks to gather everyone, but when they were gathered, Arthur led them through the forest towards the neutral zone. In the distance, he heard the sound of horses.

He turned his head away from the canyon and led them towards the sound. It seemed they hadn’t planned to come through the canyon, but to blindside them by coming past where Owen’s old hideout was. They reached the borderline in time to see the vampire legions in the distance.

“There… are a lot more of them than we expected,” Tom said.

Arthur could only guess why that was, but it wasn’t important for the moment. He led them forward as he could make out more distinct forms. Sat astride a horse, barely two rows of soldiers back was Nicole, dressed in dark armor. Her cloak billowed in the coming evening light. To her left was a figure he didn’t readily recognize. Her golden eyes burned across the distance beneath the gleaming silver open-top helmet on her head. Her hair was bound in a high ponytail of gleaming black hair.

Her armor gleamed silver, glowing almost like burning blood in the fading sunlight.

“Who is that?”

“The queen,” Tom said with a haunted tone. “Only the vampire queen wears silver armor.”

“That’s Daphne?” Rex asked.

“Daphne,” Arthur breathed in relief, seeing her alive and seemingly well.

Her eyes narrowed, her brow furrowed as she drew a bright, gleaming sword that was inlaid with glowing crystals. Tom gasped.

“T-That’s impossible.”

Each gem grew brighter as her expression grew fiercer. Nicole drew her sword, a gleaming silver blade.

“What is it, Tom?” Rex asked.

“That sword…” Tom said, “It’s the last vampire queen’s sword. It’s magical.”

“What does that even mean?” Rex asked. “I thought witches were all gone.”

“The royal vampires are said to still have magic,” Tom said. “And clearly it’s true.”

Arthur frowned. He hadn’t had a word for the swirling lights or the way the fire had sprung up in the clearing, but magic seemed to fit. Did that mean Daphne had learned how to use magic? Had Nicole taught her?

Light crackled around the blade in Daphne’s hand and he heard her voice like a scream from far away and couldn’t believe it.

“Charge!”