Chapter 11 ∣  To Kill A Queen

-Locaine

Annika rests with her back up against the stone wall, her knees pulled tightly to her chest as she wraps her arms around her legs. Her face is buried against her upper thighs and knees, trying to make herself as small as possible. I haven't seen her this broken since my father took her away from me. Her soft crying all but silences, her steady heart pounding within her chest as she attempts to calm her nerves.

This is the first time I've been stripped of my innate vampiric power, bringing a new sense of understanding to what I'd done to Annika when I'd taken her away from everything she had known a long time ago. Suppressing her blood magic had been cruel, taking a living part of her away and locking it up is identical to what has happened here.

It's a cold and distant feeling, not knowing whether my coven is alright, or if anyone else is dead at the hands of the hunters. I can't sense anything, and it won't matter anyway, it's not like I can help them. Not with the state that I'm in.

I can't even communicate with Annika...

Orion sighs, standing to his feet as he grips the silver bars, his knuckles going white. Glancing toward Annika's curled-up body and then glancing toward me as I lean against the stone wall, my arms crossed in front of my chest. His eyes meet mine, narrowing them for a moment before saying, "This is all my fault."

"I'm not arguing," I shrug my shoulders. It's true if he hadn't kidnapped my daughter, knowing I would pursue her, NONE of us would be in this situation. Henri, Darius, Eryx...and Rynn would still be alive.

Orion tenses, gripping the bars harder, "It appears that Evie and Lucca have escaped."

"You're assuming?" I ask, unsure of how he knows they have escaped from this underground nightmare.

Orion nods and replies, "It's simple...we'd already be dead by now. It's been at least a week."

"Evie is an excellent hide and seek player..." my words drifting off as I mentally slap myself for not realizing who she was sooner, and even more so for not trying to find her. I was wrong.

Orion releases the bars, taking a few steps to stand beside me, "We can still get out of this."

"Oh really, I'm all ears..." I growl at him. If he's thought of a plan and has waited this long to share it, I'm about to become more pissed off then I already am. I've been doing some planning of my own. Planning how slowly I will rip each limb from Kadessa's body and enjoy her screams of pain as she begs me to stop. As much as I covet each member of my coven, I've known Rynn long before anyone else had joined me.

Enos had introduced us a while back. Everyone had thought that we would end up together, but no, she was the little sister...I wish had been around longer...

She had taken such good care of Annika, accepting her before anyone else had once I had given her the choice of leaving or staying with me.

Rynn's death won't be in vain.

Flynn...

I haven't even stopped to think about her younger brother. They are only minutes apart, twins at birth. His hurt goes far beyond anyone else in the coven with their blood tie.

"Can we try to understand each other?" Orion asks cautiously.

I'm silent for a moment, my eyes shifting toward Annika's still form, "For her sake and Evie's, yes. If we survive this...I am sure we can come to some agreement and understanding."

Orion's features lighten at my words. I don't think he expected me to agree with him. I will do what I must to protect the lives of my family and my coven...for the vampire race. There are those that look to me and find strength in the decisions I make. If I agree to terms set by Orion and myself, they will have to listen...or go, rogue.

"Now," I roll onto the side of my shoulder, leaning against the stone wall as I question him, "what's your bright idea?"

"The blood thinner dart we developed contains Lovenox," Orion begins. I see Annika visibly flinch at the mere mention of it.

"I'm aware of its properties," the regret still hurts, Annika lifting her face from her knees and locking her eyes onto the two of us.

Orion nods and continues explaining, "The dosage will wear off soon, one of the hunters will be back within the next half hour to inject Annika and me. If you can prevent it from entering my bloodstream, I can get us out of this cell."

"Great idea..." I'm impressed that he believes I will ever put myself between a gun and him...not... "...how would we escape from this city?"

"I built this place, I know my way around here better than Enock and Kadessa," Orion seems very sure of himself. If I am to place my life and Annika's life if the hands of a hunter...we will have no choice but to follow him. If he is wrong and we are killed, I will be responsible for the death of Annika.

Annika shifts slightly, one of her legs extending out as she whispers, "I'm afraid, Locaine."

"Little hunter," I want to protect her...a promise I continue to break no matter how many times I reassure her that I will take care of her. She's trusted me one too many times and now her life could very well flicker out if we aren't careful. I tell her gently, "We have to come together and trust. I once gave you the opportunity to prove yourself, trusting you to not use your blood magic against me. For the part I played in Orion's turning, I can never expect him to forgive me, but hopefully, he can tolerate me. I want to trust him."

I know Rynn's death broke her once again, reverting to the slave that she was. It's the first time I see real fear in her eyes. Not even when Ronan had threatened to have her execute me...she'd kept everything locked away. But not now, this has been too much for her.

"Please...don't let anything happen to Evie," a tear escapes her eye, sliding down her cheek as she curls back up into a ball, feeling safe and secure within herself.

I'll make them pay...for everything they've done.

The sound of a key unlocking the prison door brings me out of my thoughts, my eyes leaving Annika and scanning Orion. He arches his brows, wondering if I will protect him from the hunter. The Lovenox won't do anything to me that the undiluted silver isn't already doing.

A female hunter appears in the doorway, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her, sliding the key into the lock. Now she's locked herself in with the beasts, let's see how long she can fight us off.

"Awe...she's crushed," the hunter walks toward Annika. My body goes rigid as I see her hand reach for the gun that is in the holster at her thigh. She pulls the gun out, coming to stand directly in front of Annika and stating, "Perhaps she should just die...she's already broken."

My heart skips a beat, pushing away from the stone wall and stepping toward the front of the cell, my hands wrapping around the cold silver.

"Rae," Orion's voice echoes from behind me, drawing the attention of the hunter, her eyes locking with his own, "don't do anything you're going to regret."

"If I really wanted to kill her..." Rae's hand swiftly goes to her opposite thigh, removing the second gun from a holster and pointing it directly at Annika, "...then I would shoot the vampire queen with this gun."

"Rae, please reconsider," Orion is trying to reason with her. I've seen the way these hunters reason, without a second thought, pulling the trigger and ending our lives. We aren't the ones that took one of their hunters away...they took my Evie, they started all of this.

Rae narrows her eyes on Orion and states, "You are the one who turned your back on us. You wanted all the purebloods killed...here the vampire king sits in the same cell with you. Yet, you allow him to live. I don't see how we can get along with them with the power-hungry purebloods roaming amongst us. You were the one that told us that. Enock and Kadessa have just made us realize exactly what we have to do."

"I was wrong," Orion admits, his voice teetering as he attempts to draw her attention away from Annika.

Rae scoffs at him, turning her eyes toward Annika and adjusting the gun, the sound of the safety clicking off makes my blood run cold. My eyes widen, Rae lifting the gun to be level with Annika's chest. Annika's head rises slowly, her eyes meeting with the hunter who is about to end her life.

"Your death will cause the vampire king to go mad," Rae giggles, the evil within her words causes my body to crash against the silver bars, reaching toward her.

The gunshot rings out, Orion's heart stopping for a moment as my own skips a beat, watching as Annika's eyes go wide with shock.

Rae's wrist is entrapped within a male figure's strong grasp, her arm lifts straight up as the gun points directly toward the ceiling. The smoke billows out of the barrel of the gun, Rae's heartbeat increasing tremendously as she looks upon the face of the one who had thwarted her plan to execute Annika.

"I'll tear you to pieces before I let you kill my queen..."

That's Killian's voice.

Rae nervously attempts to raise her free arm, but Killian's other hand snatches her wrist, her bones shattering instantly as he contacts her. Her scream breaks Annika out of her stupor, her sudden cry causes Killian to snap Rae's hand that's suspended in the air. Both guns clatter to the ground, Killian throwing the hunter against the far wall.

Out of nowhere, Zak scoops up the guns, aiming them both at Rae as she tries to push herself off the ground.

"I don't know which is which...so I wouldn't test me," Zak's voice holds a hint of danger to it, causing Rae to shrink back against the wall in defeat. His body appears as though it's gone through hell, whatever strength he has is pushing it to keep Rae at bay.

Orion's voice startles me, "Cristela?"

"Orion!" A female hunter appears from the secret entrance that Enoch had used to throw Orion off guard when they had betrayed him. Her breathing hitches, collapsing to the floor before she can reach the bars that Orion and myself stand behind.

Her ribs are broken.

She coughs, and the blood hits the dirt floor before she can hide it.

Punctured lung. Killian's blood can only heal minor wounds...she's hiding the true pain she is in.

"Cris?" Orion questions. She draws a shaky breath, but she can't form any words. Killian walks towards the cell Annika is in, unlocking it and letting my little hunter rush out and embrace him in a warm hug.

"Thank you..." Annika's voice is soft. Killian had always protected her. I put my trust in him with both Annika and Evie...he's gone above and beyond protecting them many times over. Here he is, rescuing us when all other hope has faded away.

Killian slips her the key, leaving his arms to step toward our cell, placing the key into the lock and pulling back the silver bars. My arms are around Annika, pulling her close to me, "I almost lost you again..."

"Cris?" Orion asks again, on his knees and placing his hands on the hunter's shoulders. She coughs again, pain crossing her face as she catches herself with her hands, forcing her body to not collide with the floor.

"Cris!" She falls against him, her eyes lifting to his as she whispers, "W-w-we f-found y-y"

Her words stop, her coughing taking over her once again. Annika places a hand on my face, bringing my attention to her as she pleads me with her eyes.

**

-Evicka

Once we reach the tip of South America, we are finally able to move at a much quicker pace. It was nice spending the alone time with Lucca. I hadn't realized how much the feuding between the races had put a strain on everything around me.

I can't consider the way we live as a 'normal' life, but it is all we have, and we'll fight to preserve it. I haven't really thought about it but accepting terms between the hunters and we will also help the humans. The killings have decreased, but there are still many that take place.

"I think we're near the old mansion," Lucca brings me out of my thoughts as Erebus, Isabella, and I run as fast as we can to get to my parents and Orion. He's right, we are passing through Hollywood, California as he speaks. I still haven't considered it my true home, as I've always been a wanderer with Killian, moving from different homes for him to keep me hidden from the world. I was raised a nomad and I think that helped, as I had no strings attached, no roots really per say.

Erebus asks, "I haven't heard anything of Enos or Theo..."

I'm silent for a moment before glancing over to him and stating, "It's complicated...I'd rather my father explain it."

It's strange traveling with other vampires. I've always taken off on my own, my stubbornness almost got me killed multiple times. That's why I'd agreed to stay with Lucca. I found strength within him and I knew I did the same for him.

Erebus just nods his head and focuses his attention back to the ground quickly moving beneath our feet. He's been right since I had forced myself to cut off my connection to the blood magic, I have felt close to one hundred percent. If I can just get through this without any more incidents, everything will be okay.

Lucca, I'm growing tired.

His hazel eyes meet mine, sidestepping toward me and lifting me into his strong arms, keeping me close to his chest. I smile, burying my face into his shirt and absorbing the scent of sandalwood. My long white hair shrouds me from the danger that I know lurks, our distance gaining on the last known location of our coven. We won't reach Dyer, Washington at least for another couple of hours, so, there is nothing left to do but relax and close my eyes.

Lucca's steady heartbeat is slowly putting me to sleep, the warmth of his body encircling me like a blanket of protection.

**

-Lucca

Evie drifts off to sleep, the tension in her body releasing as she sinks into my chest. Surprisingly, I pick up the connection to the coven in Oregon and I decide to try my luck.

Michael?

Lucca?! You're back?

I know they had thought our mission was a waste of time, going after Erebus was like chasing after a fairytale, a mythological creature...but, weren't we all considered fantasy at one point?

Yes...and we found Erebus, we're on our way back to Dyer, Washington.

Wait, what? You managed to track him down?

Yes and no. Once we landed in Antarctica, he found us, leading us back to his place of residence shrouded in mystery.

I'm surprised...but glad nonetheless.

Where are you directing the coven?

We can meet you at Dyer, Washington within the hour.

Good, we're going to need a strategy. I don't want to lead everyone into their little shop of horrors, but we need to figure out a way to draw the hunters to the surface.

"We're going to meet up with the coven where we last relocated," my eyes meet with Erebus, Isabella pushing off from the ground and landing in between the two of us. She looks concerned, not sure exactly what Evie and I are getting them into.

"You're positive that the one leading them wants this to end?" She questions.

I contemplate my response before saying, "The ones currently leading them betrayed their true leader. Once we figure out what to do about them, Orion wants peace. It is the two rangers we have to worry about, Kadessa and Enock."

"Erebus...what if they don't listen?" Isabella is frightful, seeming as though she's about to reconsider the efforts we are making.

Erebus turns his attention on his beloved, "If the rangers truly are the ones stopping this peaceful union from taking place...then we take them out. They have already killed members of their coven and threatened to execute Locaine and Annika, then we must eliminate them."

I'm glad he's on our side. Evie is right, this could work.

**

Bypassing the trees and coming into the clearing of Dyer, Washington, Evie had risen from her sweet slumber, her energy revitalized. She will need every ounce of strength...not to fight, but to stop her compulsion to aid with her blood magic.

Her blonde-haired best friend, Kenzie, has her back toward us but quickly whirls around as our pace slows. Coming to a halt near the group of vampires, I place Evie gently on her feet, the crowd starting to form around us. It's then, that I almost forgot that we are running with a very old vampire, his mere presence causes the coven to shake slightly.

"Everyone," I command their attention, Michael and Kato moving through the throng of vampires as their eyes widen, seeing Erebus in the flesh for themselves, "this is Erebus and Isabella."

The sudden murmur amongst them breaks out, understanding that with age, a vampire becomes more powerful. Erebus is by far one of the very first purebloods to walk this Earth and seeing him is placing a renewed hope in their hearts that this world can change...for the better.

Kenzie steps close to Evie, their eyes connecting as they envelop themselves in a silent conversation. I furrow my brows, glancing around the large group. Killian is nowhere in sight.

Evie? Where's Killian?

Evie turns her face away from Kenzie, her eyes searching mine.

He went to protect my mother and father...

Kenzie hasn't been able to contact him?

No, not since they said their goodbyes before he went underground.

Do you think...

I don't, he couldn't have been caught.

Or, maybe he could. I can feel his presence now. It was once flickering in and out, but now I am completely aware of it.

It feels like someone pulls on my heart, the energy, and heat racing to the center of my chest. Evie and Kenzie both wince and clutch at their chests, feeling exactly what I am.

"Lucca?" Erebus asks, his concern clearly written across his face as the rest of the coven is displaying similar symptoms.

Lucca...he couldn't have...

He did.

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Ascension of the Hunters by K. A. Young.

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