Page 42 of Fated In Forever
“What a gift you have brought me,” he said, stretching his arms wide. “More bones to join the ones already down here,andan Elder. I cannot wait to taste your magic. I do hope you fare better than your brethren.”
Nikolai simply dipped his head and took a step forward, so he and I were shoulder to shoulder,
Go.Find Evie.I told Riordan.Take Nash and Brendan with you, then keep going until you reach the next cave in. We’ll hold this fucker off.
Riordan opened his mouth to argue, but Nash pulled him away. Finn slapped the satellite phone into my king’s palm, whispered some final instructions, then shoved him and Brendan into the darkness.
I sensed Rohr slip away, past the tumbled pile of stone,off into the dark, but his flames still burned, brighter now as Romulus’s shadows—my fucking shadows he stole—faded.
“Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of,” Finn growled.
Romulus tilted his head. “I think not. You see, this mountain is a tomb. Or rather, it is about to become yours.” He raised a hand, and the tunnel behind him collapsed with a roar, sealing that exit off in a storm of dust and stone that would have choked the air out of our lungs, if I hadn’t thrown up a wall of magic and sealed us off.
“That’s fucking handy.” Finn spun one of his knives on his finger. “How do you want to do this?”
“He’s stronger than he looks, and the bastard can mimic your magic, so as soon as you cast, he’ll throw your power right back at you, so make sure you have a clear shot.”
“Well, see, my magic’s more up here.” Finn tapped his temple with a wink. “I’m more of a stab and ask questions later sort of male, as Ash likes to point out.”
I gave his knives a pointed look. “He can glamour weapons, too, real enough to cut. Do not underestimate him, or you’ll end up dead.”
“I will bring this mountain down on your heads,” Romulus’s voice was cold as he shredded through my shadows with a blade of some sort of luminescent magic. “And bury you all.”
“I’ve only ever met one other vampire who was a mimic,” Nikolai noted with faint curiosity as a cloud of gritty dust swept over us. “He can reproduce the effects of any magic? Even your shadows?”
“In disgusting detail.” I assured him, sending another wave to seal off the opening so we could breathe again. “He’s unbeatable, because he’s too adaptable. The closest wecame was Eldric’s dragon fire. He didn’t seem to be able to reproduce that.”
“Because he’d need the right blood.” Nikolai said cryptically. “Why did we leave Eldric back at the castle?”
“Because he’s a giant pain in my ass and usually of very little help.” I muttered.Just like you, as it turns out.I swore Nikolai’s lips turned up in a smile and it occurred to me that perhaps Elderscouldread even the best shielded mind and perhaps Ishouldkeep my thoughts to myself.
Romulus grinned. “Let us get this over with. I missed my Master’s ritual last time, dealing with you lot, I have no wish to miss Malachi’s punishment a second time.”
He raised his hands, but we struck first. There was nothing between us but dust filled air, and my aim was perfect, a sharpened cloud of death spiraling right for his heart, along with Finn’s knives. Three deadly, perfectly aimed weapons. No chance of evading the blow.
Romulus flicked his hand.
And mimicked them all.
Shadow swallowed shadow, I ducked as a knife whizzed past, Finn cursing as a copy of his blade clattered onto the rocks behind us. “That fucker.” We tried another tandem attack, but every spell, every strike, every tactic we used, he turned against us.
“I was made for this,” he said, stepping through the spent cloud of our spells. “My Master taught me only one trick, and I learned it well.” His eyes gleamed with pride. “Fight me long enough, and your magic will become mine.Yours.” His brown eyes narrowed on Finn. “His. Even the Elder back there, trying so hard to be indifferent. I will steal his power, too.”
My blood ran cold.
“You're lying,” I snapped.
Romulus gave a slow, mocking smile. “Are you sure? I’ve lived a long time. Faced many enemies. Known many magics.” He held out his hand and fire bloomed like a rare flower. Blue, like Evie’s eyes. Then red, then green. Flames became shadow, then water, then smoke. “While you scramble through the dirt and ruins, trying to save your doomed queen—and Evangeline is doomed—I fight for the future my Master has already foreseen. There are no surprises, only sureties.”
Nikolai had gone perfectly still, watching Romulus with his head cocked, as if he were listening to something I couldn’t hear. Well, the fucker needed to stop listening and start fighting, or we were going to all die down here.
“My queen isnot doomed.” This time, my shadows were a crushing wall of black, and all around us, walls trembled, stone cracked, the tunnel becoming a storm of clashing magics. Sparks rained down, along with dirt and rock. I barely dodged a matching wave of darkness that tore a crater in the floor.
“We can't beat him,” Nikolai murmured. “Not like this.”
“No, you won’t.” Romulus raised a hand again—a final blow, meant to bury us down here.
Where are you?I asked Riordan.Tell me you’re close.
