Page 22 of Blood Sings (Beyond the Gloom #1)

I woke up to the awareness of someone watching me.

“Get up, damn you!” Selena’s voice sliced through the fog, yanking me to consciousness like a hook in deep water. I held myself still, refusing to flinch, waiting for reality to settle before taking the irrevocable step of opening my eyes.

Once you admit you’re alive, playing dead becomes a luxury you can’t reclaim.

I cracked my eyelids to find her face an inch from mine, her features twisted with worry and rage. We locked eyes, a silent exchange passing between us as the stench of rotten guts and viscera polluted the air around us.

“You’re not going to die?” she asked softly. Too softly.

My blood pressure started to rise. “Not right this minute.” I grimaced, half-expecting a chunk of space debris to come hurtling through the atmosphere and smash my skull into oblivion.

“That’s good,” she snarled, her tone suggesting anything but happiness. “I was afraid of being robbed of the pleasure.” Her slap stung and snapped my scattered thoughts into focus.

Memories flooded back—the battlefield, Harbinger cutting through the horde like a possessed demon. And myself, foolishly attempting to control him, breaking my promise to Sel.

So much for not letting the Nexus hurt me.

I could still feel the repercussion of the severed link. It throbbed with each heartbeat, as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to my head, then poured acid into the cracks. But even that agony paled in comparison to the crushing guilt. I’d endangered not just myself, but Sel too.

“I’m sorry,” I croaked and tried to rise on my elbows.

A splintering current zinged through my body. My dry throat rattled like gravel, and I bit down hard, each movement sending fresh waves of pain through my skull. The world tipped and swayed, the ground seeming to ripple beneath me like choppy water.

“Don’t ‘sorry’ me,” she spat. “Do you have any idea what it was like? Watching you drop like—like a stone, convulsing on the ground, completely unresponsive? You promised me you’d be careful, you reckless idiot!”

I gulped, and it went down like nails. “I know… I’m so sorry for putting you through that. I just… thought I could control him. His immortal blood, it’s like a fortress around his mind.”

Sel’s lips curled, disgust giving way to anger. “Should’ve let the bastard die. I certainly wouldn’t shed a tear.” She grabbed my arm, her grip bruising as she yanked me up onto my feet. “Now get up before I fucking kill you myself—or the Ignises beat me to it and turn us both to ash.”

I complied, swallowing a groan. The temptation to play possum a little longer was strong, but Sel’s fury was stronger. The mother of all migraines hammered at me, and my Blood Magic clung weakly to the Black Guild’s outliers.

Locking my knees, I was determined not to fall again. My legs trembled, muscles protesting every movement.

“Was this how he harmed his projectors? By pushing them out of his head?” I muttered, more to myself than to her.

“Must be.” She lowered her voice, a tremor breaking through her rage. “You died, A… for five minutes, you were dead cold.”

A twist of fear wound deep inside my belly. My breath struggled past the boulder in my throat. I held her tightly, pulling her close.

“I’m fine. I swear to you I’m okay now.” I paused, managing a weak smile. “I’m a little hungry, though. You wouldn’t happen to have some blood hidden under your coat, would you?”

She squeezed me tight before pulling away. “Here,” she growled, shoving a half-bottle of Hematech-9 into my hands. Where does she even keep them?

I gulped it down like air, feeling strength seep back into my limbs. The synthetic blood coursed through me, dulling the edge of pain and clearing some of the fog from my mind. “Thanks,” I said, licking my lips. “Are we good?”

Selena’s eyes flashed like a glint of a blade. “Not even close.”

I nodded, guilt twisting in my gut. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

The distant roar of battle still echoed around us. I straightened my shoulders, wincing as my spine popped and cracked. We had a mission to complete, and I had a lot to prove—to Selena, to the Black Guild, and to my own battered ego. Plus, I owed Harbinger a piece of my mind… and maybe a swift kick to his thick skull.

Terraknight’s voice roared through our mental link, making Selena stiffen beside me. “Hummingbird, Ember, northeast. Distract and retreat. Second unit, hold position. Rogue Limuses and Glacies incoming.”

A flurry of responses followed. Each determined voice solidified my resolve. But one look at Sel’s vicious glare doused my enthusiasm like a bucket of arctic water.

“Don’t even think about it,” she hissed, threatening me with her lethal forefinger. “He almost—no, he killed you, Aurora. And you want to help them? They are not our allies. I refuse to put my life and yours in danger for these traitors.”

I gnawed at the edge of my lip, searching for words that wouldn’t sound like weak excuses. “I don’t think he meant to hurt me like that. When I slipped into his mind, he reacted like… like it spooked him, turned defensive. Sel, I’m not sure if he understands what being an original means.” Like he didn’t know what happened during the Blood Pact. Harbinger had stopped it just as I’d brushed his mental walls.

Her onyx eyes drilled into me as if trying to peel back my scalp and read my thoughts directly. She let out a long, strained breath. “Fine. One more chance. But if he so much as twitches wrong, I’m taking him down myself.”

“And I won’t lift a finger to stop you. Let’s split up—you take Hummingbird and Ember, I’ll check on the others .” I avoided giving specifics, but Sel’s parting look told me she wasn’t fooled.

She melted into the shadows, her floral scent trailing behind her.

I started north and hugged the buildings. My hand kept twitching toward the Astral Visor nestled in my hair, but fear stilled me. The thought of Harmonizing with Harbinger again made me sick, but I needed eyes on what lay ahead.

Oh, to hell with it. He’s not the only outlier in Black Guild.

“Initiate Transpection via Terraknight,” I muttered.

The holo-screen whooshed over my eye, and I found myself staring at Harbinger’s back—his very naked, muscled back, glistening with sweat. Great. As if this night wasn’t complicated enough.

He turned to face Terraknight, and my pulse did a rebellious little dance. Every line of his body broadcasted danger and power. Not the mindless brute force of the varcolacs or the refined might of purebloods, but an intelligent, stubborn strength. It manifested in the set of his broad shoulders, the turn of his head on his solid neck, and the angle of his square jaw.

His body tensed, muscles flexed, hands poised to grip and crush. His eyes, alert and radiant with the electric amber glow of his wolf, missed nothing. I could easily picture him centuries back, sword stained with blood, striding alone onto a drawbridge to defend his castle against a horde of invaders with that exact look on his face.

Ice-cold dread gripped my body. Somehow, I knew that before sunrise, I’d end up face-to-face with him. And if we fought— really fought—I wasn’t sure I could win.

No, scratch that. After seeing his magic and the way he used it in battle, I was sure I couldn’t win. He’d kill without blinking.

His voice, calm and commanding, reached me through Terraknight’s linked hearing-sense. “Black Guild, cease fire and spread out.”

The outliers obeyed, scattering into the shadows. Only Terraknight held his ground. As they moved, I felt an alarming tug on my magic.

The Ignises… They were gearing up for another assault.

A piercing screech split the air from the northeast. Before I could blink, a colossal tide of lava erupted, bisecting the road. Sixty feet high and twice as wide as the street, it annihilated everything in its path.

The attack missed Harbinger and Terraknight, but the collateral damage was catastrophic. Buildings crumbled, cobblestones exploded, and thick, black smoke choked the air.

My Blood Manipulation flared in warning—another pull, this time much closer, stronger. I skidded to a halt, squeezing my eyes shut to focus on the threads of life around me.

Almost a dozen Ignises stood motionless, gathering power for another strike. I delved into the outliers’ minds, mapping their positions and combat status. Two were available.

It was now or never.

“Projector Tepes to Pearl and Gale,” I called out. “I’ll stop the Ignises. Seek cover across the road and eliminate the group to your southwest.”

Their responses came quickly. Gale’s confident reply, “Roger. On it,” followed by Pearl’s melodious, “Ready when you are.”

“Wait for my signal.”

I pushed my magic outwards across the ruins of Sibiu, my scent—vanilla orchids and pennies—thickening the surrounding air. The world faded into pulsating threads of energy, outliers glowing faintly blue amidst the viscous darkness of the Stalkers.

Fixing on the motionless Ignises, I slammed my consciousness at them like a juggernaut. I invaded their minds, seizing control of their blood, and halted all functions.

If storms could bury villages under snow, I was an avalanche, unstoppable and all-consuming. Their empty minds collapsed under my assault, offering no more resistance than tissue paper.

But even as I breached their defenses, I realized with horror that I was too late.

Two had already launched their assault.

Their magic fizzled out under my iron grip, but the lava was already hurtling toward me.

Heat seared my eyelids, muscles locking in primal fear. Panic set in, bitter and choking. A dribble of warm liquid trickled over my lips, the fruity coppery tang of HemaTech-9 too familiar.

Every instinct urged me to run, to save myself. But I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.

If I let go now, the Ignises would attack again. And next time, it might not be me in the crosshairs. It could be Selena, or Pearl, or any of the Black Guild members who, despite everything, I’d sworn to protect.

Selena is going to kill me if I don’t die first, I thought hysterically.

“Now!” I screamed, raw desperation tearing at my throat. Agony pierced through my head like a blazing bolt of lightning, but I dug my heels in.

I’d failed before. I wouldn’t fail again.

The oily threads vanished from my mind as Pearl and Gale struck down the Ignises. The air sizzled, scorching hot, as if I’d stepped into an oven.

Lava only feet away from consuming me whole.

Tears trailed down my skin, evaporating almost instantly in the blistering heat. Too hot, then—

Cold water lapped at my ankles, rising quickly past my chin. I’d never admit it, but in those last moments, I’d surrendered. With pride, knowing I was giving my life to defend my country.

Holding my breath, I slowly opened my eyes… and choked on brine, the salt burning my throat. A thick sheet of ice-cold water stood between me and certain death.

“Pearl, you saved me!” I sent her a mental squeak.

Her smile was warm even through the Harmonization. “You’d do the same.”

The world beyond Pearl’s bubble glowed like a sunrise. I tilted my head, seeking the moon for orientation, and willed my heart to settle. We still had hours until dawn. Inside, it was hot but bearable. For the first time, I felt… mortal. I felt the sacrifice of all the mortals who’d died for the Republic.

The lava receded with a hiss, and the bubble burst. I gasped, coughing and sputtering.

Gale’s giggle rang out from above, “Here you go, Projector,” as a warm breeze caressed my skin, drying me off.

“Thanks,” I managed, running my fingers through my tangled hair.

A guttural sound rumbled from the bottom of the chasm and vibrated through the ground. The stench of sulfur and decay hit me like a fist to the ribs. I stumbled back, hand pressed against my mouth. Never again would I take immortality for granted.

Refocusing on the holo-screen, I spotted Terraknight balancing atop a wall, moving with a grace impossible for his massive frame. I sprinted toward him, trying in vain to avert my gaze from the bodies littering the pavement.

Nebulas lay among the fallen Ignises, their gray skin covered in oozing boils. Mounds of Glacies bled dark crimson rivers, painting the cobblestones. My stomach lurched and tried to crawl sideways.

“Terraknight,” I projected, “three dozen Ignises incoming from the next block.”

He acknowledged with a grunt, then dipped and spun, narrowly avoiding a barrage of ice shards.

I didn’t breathe until he disappeared into the ruins, then I raced after him. Dracula’s statue loomed in a courtyard, its white marble incongruously pristine amidst the destruction.

My blood magic placed Terraknight fifty yards away, but I heard two heartbeats.

A figure emerged from the shadows. Someone else had beaten me to him.