Page 21 of Master Slobozia

I fly away from the consulate, hoping against hope the bait will work. He hesitates for a beat but then takes chase, giving me the time I need, the precious time that may be the only thing to keep the masters safe.

I focus hard, my energy to communicate weakened by the flight, but Slobozia has to hear me, he has to. Yet he doesn’t, no one comes, and Silver is drawing near. I focus again, afraid that after how I ended us, he’s shut down the path of communication forever. I wouldn’t blame him, but still, I have to try.Slobozia, Silver is a traitor. Here at the consulate. In the sky. Will hold him off, get the masters out.It’s all I can manage, all the energy I can expend, if I’m to fend off the battle of the swords heading toward me now at breakneck speed and save the masters from a devious and vengeful end. Instead of dying at the hands of the traitor.

But Silver flies fast, closing the distance between us, leaving no doubt in my mind that he is ready to take me out and get back to his business at hand, wiping out the masters. My long sword is drawn in my right hand, with my trusty dagger still in the left. The minute he comes close, I soar into the air and spin, causing Silver to do exactly as he should, give chase. But it’s that instinct that fails him now, because while he’s charging full speed, I stop and turn, wielding the long arc of my sword and slicing the monster deep across the arms and chest.

His fangs descend and his eyes redden as he howls in pain. “Bitch!”

I eye him carefully, awaiting his next move while trying to garner time before he strikes and hoping to gain just a fragment of energy back before I have to attack again. But even if it kills me, I will keep taking jabs at him, keep slicing him a little bit at a time or with one well-placed blow to keep him from hurting the masters.

He recovers faster than I had hoped, but it’s enough time to get my breathing back in sync and focus on the deviant bastard in front of me. His eyes flash bright red though, and a mental note of some of his moves in the past, when we thought he was fighting for the vampires, but really was a traitor in our midst,float through my mind. If he’s going to light something on fire with those eyes, better on me than on that building, better that I’m the sacrifice and that our world can go on.

I swallow hard when he charges, those heated eyes ready to do their worst in the darkness of the night.

Chapter 22

Slobozia

My mind wanders from the discussion as Descallia reinforces the need to strengthen our group’s structure and security, and tighten our relationship with the syndicate families and the witches.

All things I should pay close attention to, but all I can think about is Taylen. The beating of her heart thumps in my chest as though she’s right in the next room and not many miles away at the club. Something is wrong, seriously wrong. My chest tightens with her angst and her fear. My jaw tightens with resolve, already deciding to go find her when Taylen’s voice floats through my mind, clearer than any words she could have spoken at all.Slobozia, Silver is a traitor. Here at the consulate. In the sky. Will hold him off, get the masters out now!

All discussion stops immediately as I push back my chair, toppling it over in my haste to stand.“Everyone outside, out, scatter now,” I yell, and not one of the masters or Descallia himself question my lead. When one is in trouble, we are all in trouble. They know that seconds in a crisis situation mean the difference between life and death.

Descallia and I bring up the rear, ensuring each and every one of us is out. “Separate,” Descallia roars into the night, causing the masters to fly apart, foiling any attempt at killing us all together in one fell swoop of a deviously set plan. I point to the sky. “There!”

My cape flies back, and Descallia places a hand to my shoulder. “Watch and see. Taylen is strong and capable. She sees you, and that the other masters have gotten to safety. Give her this moment, this chance to prove herself, unless she asks for your help.”

It’s the very same thought that I had moments ago, but standing still while the other part of my heart is at the end of a pointed sword, meant to run her through, is excruciatingly painful to do. My chest beats hard, but I calm slightly, feeling a little better as all of us slowly float closer, surrounding the battling two with a ring of vampire masters who will never allow him to escape whether Taylen bests him or not. But still, doing nothing but loving and hoping she is strong enough not to need my help, or the aid of the witches, Lucianna, or Embry, who have appeared and joined our circle, is something nothing can prepare you to do.

Taylen’s eyes flash red, and her heartbeat strengthens, as though given courage and tenacity by the ring of us all, safe and outside of the building that could have gone up in flames, and free to scatter in different directions if the need should arise. That was her mission, to keep the vampire masters safe and she has already proven herself capable without another swipe of that sword, but my dark-haired beauty has been provoked, and she lifts her elbow and gives her enemy a nod.

Taylen is not afraid. “Do your best, traitor,” she taunts, circling in the air, her eyes ablaze, keenly intent on her enemy as he circles in the night. Only his arrogance won’t allow him to be beat by a woman who completely foiled his attempts at amass casualty of masters. He has to stay and prove his worth by besting her, instead of disappearing into the dark. But arrogance will be his fate, because Taylen is not likely to forgive or forget his intent as suddenly he strikes.

My fearless beauty is ready for him, her heartbeat is steady and strong, gaining strength instead of anxiety from our presence. She waits, and my heart almost stops, watching as she allows him to close the distance, far too close for my liking.

I suck in a breath, my cape flapped back in the wind and at the ready because I will not allow her to be killed this way, but the minute it’s too close, the nanosecond right before I would have taken off, she flips herself in the air and lands behind him, and drives her sword right into the back of his neck, severing the arteries to his brain, while the masters open fire with a ring of stakes, hitting him from all directions, rendering him incapable of escape.

My love waits as I reach her, swooping her into the air, flying high above the others, just cradling her in my arms for a very long time, before tilting her chin and kissing the softness of her lips. “Mine.”

A tear falls from her glassy eyes. “I thought I ruined it between us, thought it was over for good. I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you, didn’t trust you. I know what you did, that you ended it and sent her away.”

I hold her to me, knowing there will be plenty of time to talk, to ensure the scars and trust issues do not leak into our relationship in the future, but for now, the silent beating of our hearts, united together and beating as one is all that we need to know.

I keep her protected underneath my arm as I fly us toward the others, aware that she will need nourishment soon. “Light him up ladies,” Descallia roars. The flaming green of the witches’ stones, the same color as Lucianna’s eyes, turns as red as fire.“We’ll be happy to do the honors,” Raven says as she, Willow, and Madria torch the traitorous vampire.

Embry watches in somber quiet as the witches light him on fire and Silver turns to ashes underneath the power of their stones and disintegrates to nothing but dust. Lucianna turns to them. “Thank you for making sure that we were here, that the path of the stones led us here tonight to be with the group. The witches and the stones have united us in our path to a better world now that evil has been killed.”

Everyone nods, congratulating Taylen on a battle well fought, thanking her for saving their very lives, and everyone joins in except Embry. The purple light usually so bright in her eyes has completely diminished. “I’m not sure what to say except thank you for making sure the two men I completely trusted in this world were brought to justice and cannot hurt us again.”

Embry flies into the night by herself, and Raven starts to go after her, but Lucianna holds her back. “She just needs some time. It was a shock after everything she went through with Lucas. She and Silver were friends. Her trust in everyone and herself has been shaken, but time heals everything, even if we don’t quite feel that today.”

Chapter 23

Taylen

Ilook in the full-length mirror, tucking the sash of the high-waisted and daringly low-cut dress into place before appraising the slinky sandals on my feet. It’s hard not to smile. The dresses my friends and I have selected to wear for the transition ceremony are daring and bold. A far cry from other transitions where they may have been far more subtle. After the battles we have all been through, we deserve a little harmless fun and nightlife.

The door opens, and my eyes meet Master Slobozia as he enters the bedroom. I try hard not to bubble over with excitement. In less than half an hour, I will be at my mate’s side watching my transitioning friends accept their right into our life.

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