Page 2 of Fated In Forever (Nocturne Vampire Clan #4)

RIORDAN GRAVES

W hat in the ever-loving fuck was that ? Blake screamed into the void when the monster-formerly-known-as-Malachi disappeared with Evangeline in his arms.

I was still trying to process what had happened, the pain in my chest at seeing Evie snatched away balanced out by the fact she had to be somewhere safer than the top of this mountain.

And if Malachi didn’t protect her to his dying breath, I’d hunt the bastard down and scorch the skin off his eight-foot frame.

“I don’t know, but Evie’s safe enough with him,” I told Blake, praying I was right.

“Get your head back in the game. We have a situation, remember?” I jerked my head across the ravine, where Ravok and Romulus were perched atop the shattered outcropping of rock. “We have to stop that rift from growing, and to do that, we have to get past those two fuckers. Any ideas?”

Our enemies watched us across the gaping gorge, echoing from the dull roar of the open rift, and how I ached to rip Ravok’s gloating grin right off his face. What the fuck were they waiting for? Were they waiting for us to attack? Or was their magic as exhausted as ours?

“Don’t look at me. The evil sidekick’s impervious to my dragon fire, and I’m nearly depleted anyway.” Eldric muttered, throwing up his hands. “Maybe Blake’s killer shadows or your red demon magic will have more luck.” He gave me the side-eye. “But I doubt it.”

“Maybe you should throw a book at them library-boy,” Blake hissed, “but I’ll bet your aim sucks.”

“Oh, fuck you,” Eldric really did look affronted. “Without me, you’d be…”

“I can’t believe Malachi Draven knows Brendan Thorne,” Nash’s brow furrowed as he shook his head. “Didn’t see that plot twist coming.”

“No way Thorne will have anything to do with Draven, he’s got to be lying.” Blake added with a scowl. “Chances are, he’ll shoot him on sight, the second they reach Laith Castle, and where does that leave Evie?”

“For fuck’s sake, get your heads out of your asses.

” Fiona hissed. “Evie can take care of herself. Riordan’s right, we have to stop that magic from leaking out and making the rift bigger.

” Like mine, her eyes were glued to the sparkling magic leaking into that dark, gaping hole in the clouds.

“I’ll have to get closer to see what we’re dealing with. ”

“I can’t believe we’re here, dealing with these dickheads, when my mate just got kidnapped by a fucking eight-foot monster . Or didn’t you see what I saw?” Blake muttered.

“Oh, I saw it,” Nash muttered. “With my own fucking eyes.”

“Me, too.” Eldric whistled appreciatively. “Did you notice the size of his…”

“For the love of God, don’t say another word.” I snapped. “Malachi and Evie are somewhere safe, we are the ones with the problem. What. Is. Our. Next. Move?” I growled, my patience fraying.

‘I’ve got a few bullets left. And two knives,” Nash patted his almost-empty weapons belt. “But like Lady Fiona, I have to get closer to use them.”

I straightened my aching shoulders, every over worked muscle pulling, my magic running dangerously low. We had to play this smart, and we couldn’t afford any mistakes. “I need viable options. Right the fuck now .”

Because Malachi turning into a monster and the world getting sucked into a black hole had not been on my bucket list for today, and we were the only ones who could stop this disaster from becoming deadly.

Fiona looked thoughtfully between the rift and the leaking magic, “I could— theoretically —put a block on that leaking ley line, which should stabilize the rift. But I need a distraction. If you’re done whining, brother, give me some cover so I can get closer.”

“I told you, I’m out of magic, I used it all saving these two dickheads,” a definitely whiny-sounding Eldric explained, “Couldn’t let his majesty die on my watch, could I?”

“I’ll give you the distraction you need, Lady Fiona,” Nash checked his gun.

“ What are you waiting for ,” Ravok screamed, spreading his arms wide, magic bending the air around him, “Come and fight, you worthless pieces of shit.”

I grit my teeth until they ached. God, I was eager to finish this, to have my boot on this fucker’s throat and stomp .

But revenge wouldn’t stop that rift from opening, and what good was a dead Ravok if we all died alongside him?

No, I was a fucking king . Everyone here was my responsibility, and while Ravok was perfectly willing to sacrifice his followers to his cause, I meant to bring every single one of my friends home safely. But…

A wicked, evil grin curved my lips. No reason we couldn’t satisfy our bloodlust and buy Fiona the time she needed to get this situation under control.

“You heard him, Blake.” With a burst of adrenaline, I spun a wreath of fire around my hands before letting the red tinted flames cover my entire body. “Let’s make this fucker eat his words. Fiona, how much time will you need?”

“Is that a trick question? Because it sounded like a trick question,” Eldric muttered.

“Five minutes to get a reading on the source of the leak, another ten to cast a dampening barrier around the area, then hopefully cast a containment spell over the ley line until the rupture can be repaired.”

We could find Fiona her fifteen minutes.

We had to give her that time, because killing Ravok meant nothing if that rift widened, and all that darkness spilled out into our realm. I didn’t know what realm that tear led to, but I knew we wouldn’t survive it.

“Any ideas, Blake?”

“You take the high ground,” Blake squinted across the ravine, returning Romulus’s vulgar hand gesture with one of his own.

“I’ll land to their left behind that pile of rubble, we’ll cast at the same time and pin them down between us, hopefully catching them by surprise.

Eldric, you and Nash are back up. The goal is to give Fiona time to close down that leak. Got it?”

“I’ve got your back,” Nash ran his hand over his shorn hair. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Eldric rolled his eyes. “I already told you…”

“You get your sister out if this goes sideways.” I ordered, measuring the distance between us and those ruins.

“Nash, if Malachi went to find Brendan Thorne, then he and Evie are in Ireland. If something happens to me and Blake, get everyone there and regroup. Tell Brendan everything, have him send in his guards and lock this fucking place down tight.”

“Yes sire.” Nash dipped his head. “Brendan’s a good male, he’ll know…”

The air shifted around us, temperature dropping by about ten degrees, my sluggish instincts bursting to life as two strangers materialized on the stone outcropping, their backs to the ravine as they faced us.

The one with dark hair cocked his head, his bloodthirsty grin growing, power rolling off them in waves.

Fucking great.

My battered body rallied, magic surging, a fresh rush of adrenaline giving me strength I welcomed with open arms. Fire crawled over my prickling skin, the chemical taste of ozone coating my mouth as we sized each other up.

“Fuck,” Blake muttered. We didn’t need more enemies. We already have our hands full.

All around them, the scent of fresh-struck lightning hung in the air, their superior power flooding my veins with wave after wave of force, and goddamnit if my softening knees didn’t start to bend, right along with my will. Motherfuckers.

These two were Ancients. Maybe even Elders.

Obviously Ravok’s allies, some form of reinforcements, called in to help eradicate his little problem— us .

As one, we readied ourselves, weapons sliding out of holsters, magic clogging the air in a haze of fire and shadow, thick enough to choke.

The newcomers were stripped to the waist, splattered in fresh blood, the blond had a darkening bruise along his ribs—a recent injury. No sign of weapons, but they might not need steel. Maybe all they needed was their magic and they would wipe us all out with a single fucking thought .

Shield. Now.

Black shadows and whatever protective spell Fiona was muttering coalesced into a wall between us, sparks billowing inside the writhing darkness, turning the two strangers into foggy outlines.

“Well look what we have here, Wolf,” the dark haired one smirked, madness dancing in his eyes. “A couple of pups…and a witch . A very pretty witch.”

“Watch your tone around my sister, you mad fuck, or I’ll rip your tongue out of your mouth.”

Fiona sent her brother a scathing look that clearly said— I can protect myself , then her flames burst to life around us, a deathly ring of dragon fire hot enough to peel skin from bone.

The newcomers only looked faintly surprised, and cold chilled my ankles as Blake’s shadows spilled across the stoney ledge, reaching for their intended victims.

One brush and they’d be dead, and fuck Ravok .

I glared at them, waiting for them to make their move, trying to keep one eye on Ravok and Romulus. Finally, the blond vampire threw his arm across the other’s chest.

“Stop, Dravin, we came to observe only.”

“That was Nikolai’s order,” the dark-haired vampire snarled, his accent so thick I had to parse out the words. “But while your brother has lost his taste for blood,” His grin turned darker as he licked his lips. “I have not. And I am hungry .”

“No eating,” the blond admonished. “My brother was very clear.” Dravin just snarled back, feral gaze fixing on each of us in turn.

Who the fuck are these two? Blake braced himself, shadows coating the ground beneath us. Who is Nikolai?

No fucking idea. I measured the blond, who appeared steadier, unlike the other one, who might be actually be thinking about eating us . I thought they were with Ravok, but now I’m not so sure. But we need to shut down that ley line, and now these two assholes are in our fucking way.

“You want a fight? We’ll give you one.” Blake’s shadows swept across the rocky ground like a river of death, reaching for their next victims, when a wave of the blond vampire’s hand sent them melting away like harmless mist.

Elders? Blake asked, spooling up more magic. Whoever they are, they’re powerful as fuck.

“You are allies to the ones who came to Laith Castle, looking for Brendan?” This Wolf spoke slowly, enunciating every word, as if he was not familiar with our language. “The small female, and the…” he struggled for words, “large male?”

“We are.” I admitted, while Blake hissed out a curse. I recalled my fire, the wall between us collapsing. If these two were as old as they appeared, our magic wouldn’t stop them, even on our best day, which today certainly was not.

Besides, they seemed to be waiting for confirmation we weren’t the enemy. “You’re from the Shadowsend Clan? Friends of Brendan Thorne?”

“We have come from Ireland.” The blonde’s gaze was fixed on the sky, “This is worse than we thought. Nik will want an immediate report.”

“My king asked you a direct question. Do you know Brendan Thorne?” Nash demanded, keeping his guns aimed at their heads. “Did he sent you to help us?”

Wolf turned his attention to me, his eyes flaring slightly with a regard that wasn’t nearly as unhinged as his friend’s. And even so, the weight of that stare made my knees buckle.

“Brendan Thorne is a friend. We were sent here to observe only, not engage.” The blond explained carefully, “I am Wolf, this is Dravin, and we have come on behest of my brother, Nikolai, who…”

“Is my mate safe?” Blake growled, shoving past me. “Did you see Evangeline?”

“She is meeting with Brendan as we speak. Fear not, your mate is perfectly safe.”

“Thank you for that,” I dipped my head so neither of them would see the relief in my face and misconstrue love as weakness.

“Evangeline is…well, she means everything to us.” I didn’t know who this Nikolai was, but a fresh wave of gratitude swept through me. We needed allies and given the intensity of the magic rolling off these two, they could hold their own against Ravok.

“Calling in reinforcements won’t save you.” Romulus called, his hands cupped around his mouth. “Give us back the traitor and the Silverwood, and we’ll let you walk away.”

Wolf froze in place, his shocked gaze flying across the wide ravine to where Ravok stood, hands loose at his sides.

For one strung out second, they all stared at each other—Ravok, Wolf and Dravin—the color draining from their faces, the stone ledge beneath our feet rumbling, loose rock spilling down into the deep ravine.

“That cannot be.” Wolf whispered, his hands dropping limply to his sides. “He cannot be here.”

“Er ist tot, mīn brōthar, er mag niomanlīh leben.” Dravin growled, and even though I didn’t understand a word, I read his body language perfectly as he began to dematerialize.

There was a history between these three, and Ravok was about to get a dose of his own medicine.

Some of the weight slid off my shoulders, at the idea we weren’t alone in this battle .

That not only was Evie safe, she’d managed to secure us allies.

“Nein, Dravin, ni scalt thu sie fihtan, bī dir bleib.” Wolf shouted across the void at Dravin, already reforming on the opposite side. I expected him to cast magic, but instead, he launched himself at Ravok like an animal, ripping and shredding with teeth and claws.

“There’s your distraction, Fiona,” I said pragmatically. “Let’s go make the most of it.”

Wolf had already vanished, Blake right behind him, then Fiona and I dematerialized across the chasm, landing on the furthest edge of what remained of the castle, directly beside the leaking stream of magic.

My teeth ached from the sheer amount of magic around us, a bone-white Fiona clutching her temples as she raised one hand to the sky, the rift growling right back, belching darkness out like brimstone.

“Do what you can,” I told her, turning to face Ravok.

“We’ll buy you as much time as possible.”