The Dark Gifts Birthright (19 page)

Excitement was rampant in the air. All who
labored were charged with the anticipation of battle. A new
camaraderie that had never existed before enveloped the vampire
nation. Even the witches laughed and joked with those that had once
been mortal enemies. On that third night, everything was in place.
The spies eradicated, the hungry masses fed, the magic mastered,
and the leaders in place. It was time.

Chapter Eleven

And Then There Was Blood

Tightly strung as a violin string waiting to
snap, the supernatural soldiers were prepared and full of hope.

“Be certain everyone is synchronized, each
must open at the same time.” Michael said as the Big Jon and Micah
were about to leave.

“Will do.” Jon answered as he turned to
Callista. “You ready?”

“Whenever you are.” She answered.

Michael stepped towards him saying, “Jon, be
certain the others understand how vital the timing is. Each company
must gain access and take possession of it immediately.”

“I will convey your concerns to the
others.”

“If just one level fails...”

He ran his hand over his mouth as if holding
back words before answering, “Calm down. Your nerves are
showing.”

“I know. Carry on then.”

Closing her eyes, Callista raised her hands
and a ball of blue light appeared growing in size until even the
largest of men could pass though. He watched three enter before
withdrawing to seek out Cass.

Although Big Jon had his own worries, he
handled the stress well. His clan was tasked with taking the
primary entry tunnel and holding it. Theirs would be the most
difficult task of all, as the majority of the renegade army was
encamped outside that entrance, as well as the Unnamed. An entire
coven of witches would enter with them and immediately place
non-entry spells. This should keep the scores of vampires on the
other side of the entrance and fortify the walls above them.

Minerva would stay behind with Liz, Angie,
and Jenna. She’d open a portal to the safe room once the others had
cleared that tunnel. Cass and Michael would take down Monroe. If
the intel received was accurate, he’d taken up residence in the
chambers of the Eldest. Once he was overthrown, Michael planned to
work his way up through the tunnels helping any that needed him
until he reached Big Jon’s group.

Precisely at the stroke of midnight, portals
opened. One by one, they stepped through prepared to fight to the
death. Heavily armed and ready, the strongest went first. They
entered in total silence, quickly taking out any that were near
them.

It was all rather disappointing for those
that infiltrated after. There weren’t many renegades to overcome.
The majority of the levels were taken before the last of the
companies even stepped through the portals. Something was wrong.
Scores of vampires should have been roaming those levels. Less than
fifty lay dead, and not one Unnamed among them. Monroe was nowhere
to be found, and none that were found were old enough or strong
enough to have been on his newly-founded Council. The fortress was
taken, the battle over, before Liz and the others arrived with
Jenna.

When the first blast was heard, Michael and
Cass had just entered the chambers of the Eldest and discovered it
empty. The fortress rocked with the force of the explosion. Then
just seconds after the first blast, another, then another. The
tunnels filled with thick smoke, impeding their vision. Tunnel
walls shook over and over again, like a great earthquake had set
its mind on destroying every last stone. Michael’s mind was set in
hunt mode. As soon as the first blast resonated through the
fortress, he latched on to Cass’ arm and dragged her from the room.
“We have to get out of here. It's a trap.”

She followed him blindly as they ran through
the smoke-filled tunnels, screaming,
“Retreat! Get out!
Ambush!”

The dungeon below them must have caved in,
because chunks of floor in the lower level began collapsing all
around them. Heavy beams that held the stone ceiling and earth
above began to crack and split with the pressure of the newly
undistributed weight of the walls. Fire licked and hissed through
holes in the tunnel floor, devouring the tapestries and pictures
that adorned the walls. They made it three levels higher, all the
while screaming at those within to make portals and retreat. Many
had been crushed by falling rock and earth. Blood flowed from
mutilated bodies into sticky pools on the floor, making it hard for
them to run. It was a total massacre.

Michael screamed telepathically for Liz to
get out. Neither of them could link to Big Jon or his clan. Michael
and Cass tried to clear every level making sure that no one was
left behind. Fire roared around them. Screams in the distance
echoed through the haze, but only the dead could be seen as they
hurdled over them, still running like the wind.

***

Last to arrive, Liz and her entourage entered
the tunnel and were through the door in seconds. It had just closed
when the explosions began. Minerva hurriedly lit the torches after
the first blast echoed through the fortress. The room shook as if
some giant had lifted it right out of the fortress to carry it
away. Jenna screamed, “Away! Away! We have to leave now!”

Liz tried to calm the frightened child, but
two more blasts shook the room and Jenna's hysteria worsened. None
of them knew what to do. There was no one at the camp to protect
the girl, and the explosions might be from the battle that had to
be in full force by now.

Angie let out a yelp. “My mother is here, she
says we must go…now! The fortress is wired to explode, they plan on
burying us all inside!”

Immediately, Liz reached out to Michael’s
mind and saw that he was on his way up through the tunnels with
Cass. She saw the fire and the smoke, and the walls and floor
tumbling in around them.

“Gran, take Jenna and go back,” she said as
she passed the child to Minerva.

“I am not going back. I will not leave my
family or coven to die.”

“Gran, please! I can’t leave Michael down
here alone and we can’t risk Jenna.”

Angie rubbed her temples as she listened
intently to the conversation in her head. Her eyes grew wide and
she screamed, “No! I’m coming.”

Before Liz could stop her, she was out the
door and running down the hallway. Liz gave Minerva one last
pleading look before following her.

As the fourth blast rocked the fortress, the
ceiling of the secret room began to collapse.

***

Even with supernatural sight, Liz could
barely see through the tunnel. Faint light glowed from torches
burning dimly through the thick smoke. Somewhere in the distance
ahead, she heard Angie screaming for her mother. She stumbled on,
following the sound of the girl’s voice and calling out after her.
In the back of her mind, she could hear Michael yelling at her to
get out, and although she tried to reply, he did not seem to hear
her. His mind was so frenzied with fear for her and the others that
she couldn’t get through.

Another explosion rocked the fortress. This
time, it knocked her off of her feet slamming her against the wall.
She felt the heat rising up through the tunnel floor below. The
sound of roaring fire and cracking wood was all she heard. No
Angie, no Michael, no one at all. It seemed that the entire
fortress was empty, only the dead were left, and they weren’t
talking. For a moment, she remained still and tried to link to any
that had survived.

Abruptly, William appeared franticly before
her. “Come quick. Angie is trapped beneath fallen rock in the next
tunnel. I can’t get it off her, I don’t have the strength.”

Liz moved like lightening to where her young
friend lay. Pulling the large stone off her, Liz cradled Angie in
her arms. Too late, she realized that without Minerva there to
create a portal, they would likely die in this place. The fortress
rumbled as each level began to collapse. Liz tried to calm her mind
and take control of her emotions. She’d died before. This time
might be less painful. She listened to the rumbling stone and
hissing fire and waited for what was to come.

In the distance, she heard a distinctly
different sound. Water rushing, rolling and smashing through the
tunnels, down into the caverns, filling the fortress. It was the
dream. The dream they had overlooked after Cass’s arrival. Death
summoned; they were all going to die.

***

Michael and Cass had finally made it up to
the fourth level where Liz and the others should have been, had
they still been in the fortress. Everyone must have received the
message to get out, as they hadn’t run into anyone living in the
last two levels. The smoke was thicker here, whirling in waves of
blacks and grays. But the floors were still intact, even though
there were several places that the roof above had caved in. They
found the secret room full of displaced earth and the door hanging
by one hinge. Cass sent out one last call to any that had survived
to retreat, and jumped them both back to the camp.

As they stepped into the camp, it was as if
they had entered an old war movie. Injured fighters lay everywhere,
some barely alive. Minerva ran to them nearly hysterical. Angie,
Liz, her mother, and sister, had not returned to the compound. No
one had seen them. Other camps started to report in through
portals, and the news was not good. Too many had died in the
fortress. Although many made it back alive, some of those still
might not survive.

Michael and Cass argued. Michael demanded she
create a new portal and send him back to find Liz and the
others.

“It’s too dangerous, Michael. We can’t afford
to lose you, especially now.”

“Too dangerous? Would it be too dangerous if
Jenna was missing? Would you keep me here then?” Michael watched
Minerva who had collapsed to her knees. He walked over and kindly
helped her up. Tears streamed down her face as she searched his
eyes. “Help me,” he begged.

“I cannot.” Minerva looked down in shame.
“Cass is right. Without you, this has all been for nothing.”

“You’re not going and that’s final. I’m
Eldest and leader, my decision--”

Michael cut her off. “You’re the leader? Your
decision? Now you suddenly decide, after thousands of years, to run
the show? We were fine without you! We managed to take care of
ourselves without your precious leadership skills.”

Just as it appeared that Michael and Cass
were about to make their argument physical, another portal opened
and water came gushing through. Liz’s mother, Marie, and her sister
Abbie, stepped out, soaking wet and covered in grime. Next,
Gregorio exited; two limp bodies slung over each shoulder. Athena
was the last to step through. Disheveled and face lined with fear,
she immediately took possession of the smaller of the two
bodies.

Minerva’s hand covered her mouth as she
fought to stifle her tears. “Oh, thank the Gods,” she said as she
hurried to Marie and Abbie.

Michael gently took Liz in his arms. “Father,
I—“

Gregorio smiled as he placed his hand on his
son’s shoulder. “It was a valiant effort. Would that I could have
contacted you. We were almost too late.”

Both girls were unconscious, but for the most
part unharmed. After Athena placed her precious package into the
care of another, she, Gregorio, and Cass stood in awkward silence
as they watched the others scurry around. Many long centuries had
passed since they’d met face to face.

“Hello my love,” Cass finally said as she
moved to embrace Athena.

“I knew you would come for us,” Athena
whispered.

“Once you were missing, nothing could have
kept me from it.”

With the exception of a smiling Gregorio, no
one there had any idea of what was going on. Cass never had
explained to any of them how she knew Athena and Gregorio. She
released Athena and quickly moved into Gregorio’s arms. “Well
done,” she murmured.

Gregorio returned her greeting with more
emotion than Michael had ever observed in his father before. “It
has been far too long, Mother.”

Everyone within hearing range stopped and
stared. Gregorio looked around and in true Gregorian form, said,
“We have work to do people, there will be time for explanations
later. Get busy, the injured require tending.”

Chapter Twelve

The Unwilling Mother

While the others treated the injured, Michael
stayed at Liz’s side, holding her hand in his while running fingers
through her hair with the other.

Minerva placed a hand on his shoulder. “She
is going to be fine. She only has a bump on her head.”

Michael nodded but didn’t look up. His eyes
stayed focus on Liz. “I should have never left her undefended. I
should have known there would be some sort of trap.”

“Stop beating yourself up. You couldn’t have
known. None of --”

“Thirsty,” Liz groaned, her voice harsh. Her
tongue darted out and licked her lips.

Michael sighed. A smile played at the corner
of his mouth. “Hush, my love. It’s going to be okay. We'll get you
something to drink.” He leaned over and brushed his lips against
hers. They felt dry and rough. Her skin still had the bluish hue of
an injured vampire. He looked at Minerva. “Please get her blood.
The freshest, warmest you can find.”

A nauseated look came over Minerva’s face.
She set her mouth in a thin line as she turned and hurried from the
room.

Liz’s lids flew open, and she tried to sit
up, but Michael stopped her. “Angie! Where is Angie?”

“She is fine. Stop moving around. You’re
weak. You need to rest.”

“How did I get back here?”

“Athena and Gregorio found you.”