Page 58 of Vampire Blood

He tilted his head, stepping closer. “You think this is a fight you’re winning? I’ve already won, Lucas. All that’s left is the final touch.” His eyes gleamed, hungry and unblinking. “And Annika is the final touch.”

Something inside me snapped.

I lunged forward, but they kept me back, binding my arms tightly behind me. They wouldn’t let me move, but I didn’t care. I could still feel her. Her fire, her strength, her determination. And that was enough to make my blood boil, to keep me pushing against the inevitable.

“You will never have her,” I growled. “You can take this town, destroy everything you want, but you will never have her. She’s not yours.”

His eyes darkened. “You think so?” He stepped back, motioning to the chaos around us, the shifters securing the townspeople, the smell of burning homes. “It’s only a matter of time, Lucas. You’ll see. She’ll come to us. Just like the rest of you will. She has no choice. She’s one of us now.”

“Shut your mouth.” My words were barely more than a growl, but I was close. So close.

He only laughed. The sound twisted through the air like a curse.

“Time will prove me right.” He turned away, gesturing for the others to pull me up. “You’ll be in the square with the others. Watch as your town crumbles, your precious Annika falls and we all welcome the great Aurelius. It’s already decided.”

I struggled against their grip as they dragged me through the square, my heart pounding against my chest. I wasn’t broken yet. I wouldn’t be.

“But enough talk!” he shouted. “Take them!”

People huddled together as shifters and rogue vampires surrounded us all, dragging us through the streets.

“Where are you taking us?” I demanded to know, but Zaros had no intention of responding.

His words echoed in my head, taunting me.

It’s already decided.

We were walking for a long time, when the ruins appeared. I knew then where we were.

They shoved me into the crypt, the cold stone walls pressing on every side. The damp air smelled like decay, like the weight of centuries of death. I could hear the others being thrown in behind me. Familiar voices, the soft cries of peoplewho had once been safe in their homes were now reduced to captives in this forsaken place.

I didn’t want to look, didn’t want to see the fear in their eyes. But I had to. I had to know who was still alive.

I scanned the room, heart sinking as I spotted Callum, his face bruised but determined. He caught my eye, and for a moment, I saw the spark of recognition, the promise of something unbroken between us.

Zaros loomed over us, sneering. “I hope you all enjoy your last moments in the light. Because once Aurelius rises, this will be nothing more than a distant memory. Your homes. Your families. Gone.”

I clenched my fists. “You don't know her. You don't know Annika. She won’t let that happen.”

He stepped forward, towering over me. “You really believe that? You really think this little witch can stop it? She’s weak, just like you.” His voice dripped with venom. “Aurelius will rise, and all of you will bow before him.”

I glared at him, the words bitter on my tongue. “Not if I stop you first.”

Zaros’ laugh was cruel, and it echoed through the crypt, making the stone walls feel even more suffocating. “You’re already too late.”

I didn’t care what he said. I didn’t care what he thought. I would do whatever it took.

I turned away from him, my mind racing. I needed to find Annika. I needed to protect her. And I needed to get us out of here, out of this damn crypt, before Aurelius rose.

But first, I had to survive. And that was something I was damned good at.

Chapter Nineteen

Annika

We ran through the trees, the shadows closing in around us. My breath came fast, shallow, but it wasn’t from the exertion. It was guilt. A heavy, suffocating weight pressing against my chest with every step. I couldn’t stop thinking about Lucas, about leaving him behind. About leaving all of them behind.

Branches scraped against my arms as we pushed deeper into the forest. Kael moved ahead of me, his steps quick and sure, but I stumbled. My thoughts kept pulling me back to the town, the screams, the fight. To Lucas being dragged away.

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