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33

LUKE

The wards of MistHallow collapse around us like gossamer threads dissolving in acid. I extend my consciousness outward, scanning what remains of the protective barriers. What I find chills my ancient blood.

“Six minutes,” I announce, opening my eyes. “Perhaps less.”

“How can you tell that?” Dante asks.

“Call it a hunch,” I respond.

Felix works frantically with the chalice, his fingers tracing the complex symbols etched into its surface. Dante remains at Gaida’s side, her hand clasped in his, whispering encouragements though her consciousness battles elsewhere.

Constantine circles the chamber, his eyes narrowed as he studies the ancient runic patterns carved into the walls. His presence here is unexpected but potentially valuable. Few creatures are as strong as he is, and we need all the help we can get.

“Brief me,” he says, all business now as another tremor shakes the chamber, sending dust cascading from the ceiling.

I lead him towards where Gaida lies. “The Blood Queen’s consciousness awakened within Gaida following Mashtar’s destruction. Her power grows exponentially with each passing hour. She seeks reunification of all worlds.”

“And the current situation?” Constantine gestures vaguely upward, where reality fractures above us.

“Multiple worlds bleeding into ours. The barriers weaken with each passing moment. Complete collapse is imminent without intervention.” I point to the chalice in Felix’s hands. “That vessel once contained a creature named Draken. We believe it can be modified to extract and contain the Blood Queen’s consciousness.”

Constantine examines the chalice from a respectful distance. “And you are sure you can do this modification?”

“Yes,” Felix says without looking up. “I am recalibrating it to resonate with the Blood Queen’s specific frequency using Gaida’s blood as the conduit.”

Constantine raises an eyebrow, impressed despite himself. “Clever. But the power required to perform such an extraction...”

“Will be substantial,” I finish for him. “That is where you come in.”

He understands immediately. “You need an additional power source.”

“Three anchor points,” I confirm. “You, myself, and Felix. A triangulation to stabilise the extraction process while Dante maintains his connection to Gaida’s consciousness.”

“Empath?”

I nod in confirmation.

Constantine considers this, weighing risks and variables with the calculation of a being who has survived countless apocalyptic events. Finally, he nods. “And Gaida?”

“If we succeed, Gaida should remain largely herself, though forever changed by the experience,” I explain. “If we fail...”

“The worlds end,” Constantine concludes bluntly. “Along with all of us.”

Another violent tremor shakes the chamber, this one lasting longer than previous disturbances.

“Positions,” I instruct, moving toward the north point of the chamber. “Felix, continue the preparations. Constantine, take the eastern point. We need to reinforce these wards before they fail completely.”

As Constantine and I take our positions, I extend my senses again, feeling the complex web of protective magick that still clings to the chamber walls. Originally designed to contain the Blood Queen’s energy, these ancient wards now struggle against forces they were never meant to withstand.

I channel power into the failing barriers, careful to maintain precise control. The runes carved into the stone respond, glowing faintly at first, then with increasing brightness as Constantine joins his considerable power to mine. It feels familiar, working on the same frequency. It’s how I knew Felix was from the same world. It simply tastes the same.

A tactical concern gnaws at me as I work. The amount of power required to maintain these wards while simultaneously performing the extraction ritual approaches dangerously close to what a vampire body can safely channel, even one as ancient as mine. Push too far, and I risk not only failure but the destruction of my physical form.

The same applies to Felix, whose newly turned vampire body lacks the centuries of conditioning mine possesses. If he attempts to channel too much power through the chalice during the ritual, he could quite literally incinerate himself from the inside out.

I catch his eye across the chamber, a silent communication passing between us. He understands the risk. The slight nod he gives me confirms his willingness to accept it.

Constantine, sensing our exchange, speaks without turning his attention from the wards. “I can handle the majority of the ward maintenance. Focus your strength on the extraction ritual.”

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“Trust me, there are few things I’d rather do than fail this. My wife would kill me.”

I chuckle slightly and accept his offer, gradually shifting my focus from the perimeter wards to the central altar where Gaida lies. The symbols carved into the stone surface beneath her are responding to the Blood Queen’s energy,

Dante moves aside reluctantly as I approach, his eyes never leaving Gaida’s face. “The convulsions have stopped,” he informs me, voice tight with concern. “But her temperature keeps rising.”

I place my hand on her forehead, feeling the unnatural heat radiating from her skin. Through this physical contact, I sense the titanic struggle occurring in her consciousness. The Blood Queen’s ancient power battles against Gaida’s surprisingly resilient will.

Then I sense something unexpected. A third presence, familiar yet changed.

“Draken,” I murmur in surprise.

Dante’s head snaps up. “What?”

“I sense him, or what remains of him. Within her consciousness.” I focus more intently, trying to understand this impossibility. “He appears to be helping her fight the Blood Queen’s influence.”

“How is that possible? He was destroyed with Mashtar.”

“His physical form, yes. But consciousness is more resilient than most understand, particularly for beings as ancient as Draken.” I withdraw my hand, frowning thoughtfully. “The chalice contained his essence for centuries. Perhaps some fragment remained connected to it.”

“Will it help or hinder our efforts?” Dante asks pragmatically.

“Impossible to say. But Gaida needs every advantage she can get right now.”

Felix approaches, carrying several small vials of prepared ingredients. “The boundary between worlds has grown too thin. I can sense at least seven distinct realities overlapping with ours within this chamber alone.”

“Seven of thousands,” I mutter as a section of the wall beside us briefly transforms into what appears to be living crystal before reverting to stone. The air shimmers with potential transitions, reality itself becoming increasingly fluid.

“How much longer?” I ask.

“The chalice calibration is nearly complete,” Felix reports. “But I need a moment with these final components. The formulation must be precise.”

I nod. “Take the time you need. Constantine and I will maintain the wards.”

As Felix returns to his preparations and Dante resumes his vigil at Gaida’s side, I step away to check the status of the protective runes inscribed in the chamber floor. The pattern remains intact, though the energies flowing through it flicker with increasing instability.

“We have to talk about what happens if this fails,” Dante says suddenly, his voice ringing out in the otherwise silent room.

“Don’t,” I growl at him. “This will work.”

“And if it doesn’t. Gaida was specific. She will probably kill us when she finds out we contained the bitch instead of destroying her.”

“That is not an option,” I snarl, turning to him, fangs drawn. “Get that idea out of your head before I remove it for you.”

“What, the idea or my head?” he growls back, facing off with me.

“Both.”

“Gentleman. I don’t think this is the time for a pissing contest. And for me to say that, you have to know that it really isn’t a good time,” Constantine drawls.

“We do this,” Felix says. “If it comes down to destroying the bitch, we will have her essence trapped in the chalice. We find a way to destroy the chalice.”

“You hope,” Dante says.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you want us to kill her,” I grit out.

I get what’s coming to me, and I let him have his moment. He slams me up against the unforgiving stone wall.

“Because she was willing to sacrifice herself,” he growls, inches from my face. “She was ready to die to save everyone. Do you understand what that cost her? What it’s costing me to honour her wishes instead of taking the easy way out? I want her to live more than anything in this world.”

I push him off me with enough force to send him stumbling back. “Then act like it.”

We glower at each other for several long moments until Felix moves between us, the chalice glowing brightly in his hands.

“It’s ready,” he announces, his voice cutting through the tension. “Stash your dicks and either get on board with this plan, or get out.” He stares at Dante.

“I am on board,” Dante grits out. “But we haven’t even discussed the alternative. What if this releases the bitch completely? What then?”

“Your negative attitude won’t help,” Felix says. “Intent is every?—”

“I know,” he yells. “Fucking hell, I know ! I want to protect Gaida from that bitch to make sure that she never rises again and tries to use her. How sure are you that this will work? Really? Truly?”

His gaze darts between me and Felix.

“As sure as we can be,” I state. “It’s not like we have ever done anything like this before.”

“Why do I think that’s not good enough?” he says bitterly and turns away from us.

But that’s the thing with Empaths. They are always willing to feel what the rest of us try to hide.

I glance at Felix, and he shows me his fear that Dante is right for about a second before he crushes it.

“I am on board with trying to save Gaida,” Dante says. “My intent is pure. But so is my loyalty to Gaida. You weren’t in there with us. You don’t know…”

I go to him and place my hand on his shoulder. “No, we weren’t. It must’ve been the hardest thing you’ve ever had to face.”

“It was. I won’t let her down.”

“Then let’s stop fighting about what might happen and see if we can fix this without losing her.”

He nods, and I step back, satisfied that he won’t try to purposefully ruin this. I shouldn’t doubt him. I know he loves her, and he is the most loyal creature I know. He thinks he is doing right by abiding by her wishes, but I will not lose the only woman I have ever loved, ever could love, because we didn’t try hard enough to let her live.

Dante’s head snaps to the side, and I know he got all of that. I let him.

We form a triangle around the altar, with Felix at the apex, holding the chalice. Dante kneels behind Gaida’s head, placing his hands on either side of her temples, preparing to anchor her consciousness during the extraction.

“The process is straightforward but dangerous,” Felix explains, voice steady despite the tremors shaking the chamber. “I’ll use the chalice to create a vacuum of sorts, specifically attuned to the Blood Queen’s consciousness. Luke and Constantine will channel power through me to maintain stability.”

“And I keep Gaida grounded,” Dante finishes.

“The chalice is receptive to the recalibration,” Felix says, gesturing to the subtle shift in the patterns etched into its surface. “These markings are realigning themselves in response to proximity with Gaida.”

“An encouraging sign,” I observe. “What remains to be done?”

“The final step is blood attunement,” Felix explains, producing a ceremonial silver blade. “We need Gaida’s blood to serve as the conduit for the extraction, creating a channel between her consciousness and the chalice.”

Another violent tremor shakes the chamber, this one nearly knocking us off our feet. Constantine gestures sharply, reinforcing the wards to prevent further collapse, a red cloud of power that settles over our heads.

“We have to hurry,” I say. “The chamber cannot withstand much more of this instability.”

Felix nods, holding up the silver blade. “The chalice is ready for blood attunement. We need a small amount from Gaida to complete the preparation.”

The final piece falls into place. Now we face the true test, a desperate gambit against forces that have existed since before recorded history. Success means salvation for Gaida and potentially all separated worlds. Failure means the end of everything.

I make a silent vow as Felix approaches Gaida with the ritual blade. Whatever happens in the next few minutes, I will not lose myself in the process of saving her. Too many times, throughout my long existence, I have sacrificed pieces of my humanity in service to greater causes. Not this time. We will save her without becoming the monsters we fight against.

“Constantine, maintain the ward integrity. Dante, stay connected to Gaida. Be ready to guide her consciousness when the moment comes.”

Felix raises the blade, his expression solemn with the weight of what we’re attempting. “The chalice is ready for blood attunement. May whatever gods exist in these fractured realities grant us the strength to succeed.”