Page 79

Amari

T he moment the last human stumbles through the door of the sheriff’s station, the street falls eerily quiet.

It’s just us now—me standing in the front with Damon and Kade flanking my sides, staring down this abomination that threatens everything I’ve come to love.

Behind us, the sheriff’s station is packed with terrified humans seeking shelter, their fear almost tangible.

I look at the creature blocking the street—this monstrous spider, easily the size of a small house, its legs spanning wider than a semi-truck.

Its exoskeleton has an unnatural sheen that tells me this isn’t one of Carla’s children or anything born from nature.

This thing was created, forged in some lab to serve a singular purpose: destroy.

Amir stands alone, separated from us by about twenty yards, his posture relaxed as if he’s merely facing a minor inconvenience rather than a monster that could tear him apart. The confidence of a king—or perhaps the arrogance of one.

My gaze shifts between Amir and the sheriff’s station where Carla is helping the last of the humans inside. My instincts scream to get to her, to protect her, but I know that abandoning this position means leaving Amir to face this alone—has bigger consequences.

“We need a plan,” Kade whispers, her eyes never leaving the creature that’s slowly advancing on Amir. “That thing is cloaked in magic—I can sense it.”

“No time,” Damon says, adjusting his cufflinks as if we’re about to attend a business meeting instead of a battle. “It’s moving too fast.”

I glance at them both, my mind racing. The humans are secure, but Carla is still vulnerable. I need to keep her safe, but this monster needs to be dealt with first. And suddenly, I know exactly what to do.

Drawing myself up to my full height, I call out in a commanding voice through the buildings lining the street.

“Medina Shadow! Show yourselves!”

For a moment, nothing. Then, movement—faint at first, then undeniable.

From the cracks in the pavement, beneath sewer grates, behind lamp posts and shop signs, my men appearing like shadows solidifying into shape.

Each one takes position with perfect timing, forming a unified line any military commander would admire.

Carla’s children appear first, spilling from spaces that seem impossibly small for their size.

Tofi crawls to me immediately, her burgundy body marked with the familiar patterns that set her apart, as she positions herself protectively by my side.

I place my hand on her head, feeling the subtle vibration of her contentment beneath my palm.

“Daddy’s girl,” I murmur, a smile touching my lips despite the gravity of our situation.

She taps her front legs in response; her many eyes fixed on the monstrous spider ahead.

Within seconds, the street fills with my soldiers—vampire warriors loyal to the cause, each one prepared to give everything.

They form a battalion in tight formation, weapons drawn, faces hard with focus and readiness.

I hadn’t summoned them at first, hoping to resolve this quietly, but that time has passed.

I hear Amir’s appreciative chuckle from where he stands.

“Marvelous,” he calls back to me, his eyes bright with approval. “Absolutely marvelous, Amari.”

The monster shifts, slamming its massive legs against the street with enough force to crack the stones.

The impact sends vibrations through the ground, and I feel Tofi tremble beside me—not in fear, but in response.

Around me, Tofi, Moria, Kemnebi, and the other arachnids begin tapping their legs in rhythmic patterns, transmitting images between themselves and toward the giant spider.

They’re trying to communicate with it.

The creature pauses, its multiple eyes swiveling toward Carla’s children.

For a moment, hope flickers—perhaps they can reach it, reason with it somehow.

But then the monster rears back, its front legs pawing the air before crashing down again.

A hiss erupts from it, so loud it rattles windows along the street.

“It’s not working,” I say, mostly to myself. “This isn’t a creature born of fate.”

“I’m going to teleport him,” Kade announces suddenly, her eyes fixed on Amir who hasn’t moved an inch despite the creature’s display of aggression.

Before I can stop her, she’s running toward him. The monster turns, sensing her movement. Amir, seeing Kade approaching, snaps his fingers—a gesture that should have eviscerated the creature on the spot. I’ve seen him reduce enemies to ash with that simple motion.

But nothing happens.

Amir stares at his hand in disbelief, then glares at the creature with wariness. The monster responds by shooting a stream of thick webbing directly at them.

“Father!” Kade screams, her hands already raised as she prepares to teleport them both to safety.

Too late. The web hits them both, encasing them instantly. I watch in horror as Amir struggles against the restraint, his powers seemingly nullified. Kade’s magic flickers and dies within the cocoon-like structure, her abilities dampened by whatever substance the web contains.

Within seconds, they’re completely encased in a web-cage, rendered invisible from the outside.

“Now!” I shout, and my army surges forward.

I lead the charge, Damon, right beside me, our vampire speed turning us into blurs as we converge on the monster.

My fifty strongest men fan out behind us, creating a perimeter around the creature.

Carla’s spider children scramble across buildings and leap from rooftops, attempting to attack from above.

The creature swings one massive leg, knocking three of my men through the front window of a shop. Another leg stamps down, missing Damon by inches as he rolls away, coming up with his fangs bared.

I leap onto the creature’s back, digging my fingers into its exoskeleton, trying to find a weak point.

Its hide is tough—unnaturally so—and it bucks beneath me like a wild stallion trying to throw its rider.

I hang on, slamming my fist repeatedly against what I hope is a vulnerable spot near its head.

The monster shrieks. It spins, trying to dislodge me, while simultaneously shooting webs at my men. Two more vampires are caught, instantly cocooned and rendered helpless. Another tries to free them, only to become stuck himself.

Tofi scrambles up the creature’s back legs, reaching me in seconds. She sinks her fangs into the monster’s hide. The creature screeches again, this time in pain, and violently jerks to the side. Tofi hangs on, her venom pumping into the beast.

The monster finally manages to reach back with one of its legs, hooking Tofi and flinging her off its back. She sails through the air, her legs flailing.

“Tofi!” I abandon my position, launching myself from the creature’s back and catching her before she can slam into the street. The impact sends us both rolling, and I curl my body around her protectively.

When we come to a stop, I check her over quickly. She’s dazed but alive, already struggling to get back to her feet. One of her legs hangs at an awkward angle—broken.

“Easy, girl,” I murmur, but she’s having none of it. She stands protectively in front of me, facing the monster that’s now turning its attention our way. Despite her injury, she hisses defiantly, her front legs raised in warning.

My gaze shifts to the web cocoon holding Amir and Kade, then back to the sheriff’s station.

Carla is in there. My need to protect her wars with my duty to save the king and Kade.

I know I should get Carla out of here—take her and run far away from this madness.

But if I don’t help free Amir, there might not be anything left to run to.

I look at Damon, who’s taken cover behind a storefront, assessing the situation with the tactical mind that’s kept him alive for centuries. Our eyes meet, and a silent understanding passes between us. He’ll hold the line here while I go for Carla.

“Tofi, get out of here,” I tell her, pushing myself to my feet. “Go to Mommy.”

She doesn’t move, her broken leg trembling as she holds her position. She taps her remaining legs rapidly, sending me a clear image: NO!

“Tofi—”

Before I can finish, the monster charges. I move without thinking, placing myself between Tofi and the oncoming threat. The creature brings one of its legs down, and I brace for impact.

The pain is excruciating as the pointed tip punches through my back and erupts through my chest. Blood floods my mouth as I’m lifted off the ground, impaled like a butterfly pinned to a display case. The monster raises me high, my body dangling helplessly in the air, blood dripping below.

Through the haze of pain, I hear Tofi’s distressed screeching, see Damon’s horrified expression, feel my strength ebbing with every heartbeat that pumps more of my blood out of my body.

“I’ll die for you,” I manage to choke out, looking down at Tofi who’s frantically circling beneath me, her broken leg forgotten in her distress.

Then, a voice—one I’d recognize anywhere.

“LET GO OF MY MAN!”

Carla stands in the middle of the street, her face a mask of fury, her hands clenched at her sides. All of her children immediately turn toward her, even weak, injured Tofi, responding to her call.

The monster pauses, its attention diverted to this new threat. It flings me off its leg with a casual flick, and I crash to the ground, the impact jarring the wound in my chest. Despite the agony, I push myself up on one elbow, desperate to see Carla—to warn her, protect her, something.

But the look on her face stops me cold. This isn’t the Carla who hides in shadows. This isn’t the woman who shrinks from confrontation.

This is a queen.

“I can put up with a lot of shit,” she says, her voice clear over the battlefield the street has become. “And I have, for centuries.”