I fought the urge to hyperventilate as I watched the female vampire rise to her feet, dripping in Kaylani's blood. My eyes welled with tears looking at Kaylani's pale face, permanently distorted into a look of dread. If Kaylani is dead, then what happened to Lucah? I feared the worst. Meanwhile, the vampires continued to speak amongst each other.
"Cairn, you said we would be able to harness their magic if we drank from them." The female accused shrilly. "How do I know this curse that destroys them won't do the same to me?"
"Don't fret Isabela, it appears to only be a way to protect their precious magic." Cairn remarked. "Who would have thought they would sacrifice themselves so nobly?" He upheld his arms in a grand gesture with a wide smile of intrigue.
"I don't understand. Why are these witches reacting differently than the ones we caught in the outskirts?" The female questioned.
Could they be talking about the students that had gone missing? I thought.
"From what I've seen tonight, it seems those humans were not true mages. Their abilities just don't match up," Cairn pondered. "Which must be why they turned without expiring like these ones. But they lost their magic in the process." The vampire played with Kaylani's body again with his foot. I stared in disgust at his remorseless behavior. So they had captured and turned those students into vampires. Their akri was too weak and unstable, their knowledge too little for it to pose any threat of converting to dark magic as they transformed. I shuddered, wondering what became of them after the fact.
"Isabela, do me a favor and communicate to the rest that I'd like to spare at least one. Perhaps we could take them back with us and get acquainted better." Cairn beamed mischievously. The vampire called Isabela made a sound of distaste, but she bowed her head and ran off in the opposite direction. The male stood with his back turned towards me, and I waited for him to also move away.
"You know, it's quite rude to eavesdrop." He said chidingly, still facing the opposite direction. My blood ran cold and my heart thumped loudly in my chest. How long had he known I was here? The vampire slowly turned towards the wall I was hiding behind. I could hear his footsteps getting closer.
I quickly got up from my crouch and burst into a sprint into the opposing neighborhood, winding my way through the different streets. Bloodied bodies laid in every corner and I had to jump over them several times to avoid tripping.
I ducked into a house where the door was bashed in, making sure there were no creatures lurking in the dark before crouching in its shadows. I waited. Minutes of intense quiet passed before the vampire spoke aloud.
"I know you! You're the fiery little girl from earlier." He crooned. "I thought you were dead but my, what a pleasure it is to see you again!" I could hear the loathsome smile in his voice and I clenched my fists, aggressively collecting my akri. There was another moment of silence.
"Please come out, I will not hurt you." He pleaded. His voice was close. I could hear his footsteps coming up the street once more, slow and steady. He was toying with me. I tensed my muscles, preparing to attack when he came for me.
"Though… I couldn't say the same for your friend. You should be proud though, he was quite the formidable foe."
No.. This monster is just trying to get in my head. I told myself, trying to rein in the pure panic that his words struck in my heart. The vampire finally set foot inside the house where I was hiding. In a second, I engulfed myself in flames and charged at him head on, allowing my inner turmoil to set my akri ablaze. His eyes widened with surprise and twisted excitement. He swerved out of the way, the edges of his coat singed by my akri. When I pushed him back enough to clear my exit, I ran and didn't look back. I had to find Lucah. I had to make sure he was okay, and I would not let anything stop me before then. Shockingly, the vampire didn't pursue me further either. A part of me bitterly wondered if it was because he wanted me to see Lucah's demise.
My lungs burned as I ran through the desolate roads leading up to Lucah's neighborhood. The smell of fire lingered in the air, and I saw charred debris scattered everywhere. The bodies of humans as well as vampires littered the street. Cautiously walking by the body of a vampire, I saw the silver glint of a stake from where it impaled the chest of the creature and condemned it to certain death. The stake was a sign that sorcerers and mages had to be nearby.
Walking closer to Lucah's house, the air around me became thicker and heavier with smoke. I covered my nose with my arm and sleeve, pushing onward anxiously.
Then in the veil of smoke, I made out a tall robed figure. With my heart pounding loudly, I ran towards the person. Hearing me approach, Hester turned to face me. His bleak eyes suddenly flashed with outrage at the sight of me.
"What are you doing here? It's not safe!" He yelled.
"Hester please," I gasped, exhausted from running. "Tell me Lucah and his family are alright."
Just like Jace had done, Hester clenched his jaw tightly and his expression became stoic. Tears stung the corners of my eyes as my heart shattered. Standing in front of us was Lucah's house, reduced to ashes. I couldn't bring any words to my mouth and blankly stared at the empty space.
"The vampires had split up in the beginning, wreaking havoc before immediate detection." Hester began, breaking the silence. "Lucah's family was caught in the crossfire early on. By the time a group of mages were able to intervene, his parents were killed by b'hemah and his brother was in the process of turning."
Hester observed me carefully for my reaction. However, my face remained impassive, hiding the sharp pangs of sorrow attacking me from the inside. He sighed and continued.
"We had to eliminate Alexi, among several others. It seems the vampires are desperately trying to harness akri, or create a vessel capable of controlling or withstanding it."
I stayed silent, waiting for him to deliver the final blow.
"Lucah…" Hester trailed off hesitantly. My head snapped up, eyes filled with fear. "He was helping a family retreat to safety when he was attacked by a pureblood."
I clenched my hands so hard that my knuckles turned white. "Where… where is he?" I said between my teeth, fighting my imminent emotional collapse. Hester peered at me and I wondered if he could see how unstable I was right now.
"The Crest detained him as it was meant to. He is at rest now." Hester replied tersely, his voice devoid of any emotion.
"Hester, where is he? I have to see him…" I grabbed Hester by the arm tightly and broke into a sob. "He could be like me where he's still alive after the spell of the Crest wears off! M-maybe I can heal him." I stuttered in desperation.
"It's too late, Naveah. Your situation was a rare exception, a miracle even. But any akri you use on Lucah's body would be considered necromancy and is absolutely forbidden." He said sharply. "We must retreat back to the Grand Tower now. You are at the greatest risk right now out of all of us."
I was hardly listening, clinging onto the slim chance that Lucah could be alive somewhere out here. Before I could act on it though, I felt my legs suddenly feel weak and buckle beneath me. My eyelids became heavy and beckoned to close no matter how hard I tried to keep them open.
"Hester… stop..!" I mumbled angrily, realizing that he was using a spell to subdue me. "Lucah…"
I felt Hester catch me as I fell forward, and everything faded to black.