Using her apron, Minerva wiped dripping sweat from her forehead. “We just can't find them, Cass. Either they don't exist anymore, or they have so closely guarded their minds against intrusion, our spells won't work.”
A grim expression covered her face as she answered, “I understand. I know you did your best.”
“Why don't you use your mind to locate them? Surely you have the power to do that.”
Raising her head to view the cloudy sky, she answered softly, “I can do that, but these links are tricky beasts. If I open my mind to follow them, anyone searching could find me. We can't afford for Monroe to know I exist. We'll have to try without them.”
“What time would you like my coven to gather for training?”
“As soon as possible. Believe me, it will be a long day.”
Teaching the witches how to use portal magic was wearisome. Vampires were not the only beings in the world with superiority complexes. This was an extremely difficult task for Cass and the coven. Everything that the women thought that they knew about magic had to be relearned in a short period of time. Cass' magic was older than any known magic.
“Let’s try again. Remember that this power comes from within you. The incantation is just an extension of your own natural power.” Cass explained.
“I understand what you are saying, Cass, but this is like trying to learn a whole new language. I’m Eldest, next to Minerva, and I can’t seem to grasp it. How are the other girls ever going to master this?” A petite elderly woman asked. Her short grey hair framed a kind face teeming with frustration.
Minerva nodded in agreement with her sister. “Exactly, Callista.”
“You will get this. It is not as difficult as it seems. It is just a matter of control. Feel it inside you. Close your eyes and concentrate. Feel it build, like water filling a well. As it builds, envision it in your mind. See the blue light. Watch as it opens in your mind. Let it flow through you and surround you. Feel it flow through your body.”
As she spoke, several small portals began to form. First just small balls of blue light, then some of them grew larger. “That’s it. You’re getting it. Keep it going. You there, what’s your name?” Cass pointed to a middle-aged woman with short black hair.
“Juanita,” she answered.
“Good. Juanita, make it larger. In your mind, envision the orb large enough for your body to pass through.”
The woman closed her eyes and the shining sphere before her pulsated as is slowly enlarged.
“That’s it. Just like that. Keep going.”
The witches studied hard, and by the end of the day, several of them had mastered the magic, and were creating portals with a small amount of difficulty.
At dusk, when the vampires started to wake, Cass sent the witches to rest. Taking no time for herself, Cass and Michael traveled from one camp to another telling each leader the battle plan. William went with them, imprinted on each camp, and returned later to search for spies. The next day Cass would return with the witches, who would teach the other covens to use portal magic.
Many things had to be accomplished before the battle could begin. The witches had to master the magic, and the horde of hungry vampires had to be fed. Vampires are weak when they have not fed appropriately, and they couldn’t afford weakness. William returned from reading the camps, only finding five spies among them. Those traitors were put to death immediately.
As it had been for months, so it remained, those that desperately wanted time with their loved ones remained unsatisfied. Michael and Liz didn’t lay eyes on each other those three days. Cass had no time at all for little Jenna. Angie had not given up hope of finding her mother, but had resigned herself to the fact that it would have to wait. Everyone worked diligently to get everything accomplished so the attack could be set in motion.
Excitement was rampant in the air. All who labored were charged with the anticipation of battle. A new camaraderie that had never existed before enveloped the vampire nation. Even the witches laughed and joked with those that had once been mortal enemies. On that third night, everything was in place. The spies eradicated, the hungry masses fed, the magic mastered, and the leaders in place. It was time.
Chapter Eleven
And Then There Was Blood
Tightly strung as a violin string waiting to snap, the supernatural soldiers were prepared and full of hope.
“Be certain everyone is synchronized, each must open at the same time.” Michael said as the Big Jon and Micah were about to leave.
“Will do.” Jon answered as he turned to Callista. “You ready?”
“Whenever you are.” She answered.
Michael stepped towards him saying, “Jon, be certain the others understand how vital the timing is. Each company must gain access and take possession of it immediately.”
“I will convey your concerns to the others.”
“If just one level fails...”
He ran his hand over his mouth as if holding back words before answering, “Calm down. Your nerves are showing.”
“I know. Carry on then.”
Closing her eyes, Callista raised her hands and a ball of blue light appeared growing in size until even the largest of men could pass though. He watched three enter before withdrawing to seek out Cass.
Although Big Jon had his own worries, he handled the stress well. His clan was tasked with taking the primary entry tunnel and holding it. Theirs would be the most difficult task of all, as the majority of the renegade army was encamped outside that entrance, as well as the Unnamed. An entire coven of witches would enter with them and immediately place non-entry spells. This should keep the scores of vampires on the other side of the entrance and fortify the walls above them.
Minerva would stay behind with Liz, Angie, and Jenna. She’d open a portal to the safe room once the others had cleared that tunnel. Cass and Michael would take down Monroe. If the intel received was accurate, he’d taken up residence in the chambers of the Eldest. Once he was overthrown, Michael planned to work his way up through the tunnels helping any that needed him until he reached Big Jon’s group.
Precisely at the stroke of midnight, portals opened. One by one, they stepped through prepared to fight to the death. Heavily armed and ready, the strongest went first. They entered in total silence, quickly taking out any that were near them.
It was all rather disappointing for those that infiltrated after. There weren’t many renegades to overcome. The majority of the levels were taken before the last of the companies even stepped through the portals. Something was wrong. Scores of vampires should have been roaming those levels. Less than fifty lay dead, and not one Unnamed among them. Monroe was nowhere to be found, and none that were found were old enough or strong enough to have been on his newly-founded Council. The fortress was taken, the battle over, before Liz and the others arrived with Jenna.
When the first blast was heard, Michael and Cass had just entered the chambers of the Eldest and discovered it empty. The fortress rocked with the force of the explosion. Then just seconds after the first blast, another, then another. The tunnels filled with thick smoke, impeding their vision. Tunnel walls shook over and over again, like a great earthquake had set its mind on destroying every last stone. Michael’s mind was set in hunt mode. As soon as the first blast resonated through the fortress, he latched on to Cass’ arm and dragged her from the room. “We have to get out of here. It's a trap.”
She followed him blindly as they ran through the smoke-filled tunnels, screaming, “Retreat! Get out! Ambush!”
The dungeon below them must have caved in, because chunks of floor in the lower level began collapsing all around them. Heavy beams that held the stone ceiling and earth above began to crack and split with the pressure of the newly undistributed weight of the walls. Fire licked and hissed through holes in the tunnel floor, devouring the tapestries and pictures that adorned the walls. They made it three levels higher, all the while screaming at those with
in to make portals and retreat. Many had been crushed by falling rock and earth. Blood flowed from mutilated bodies into sticky pools on the floor, making it hard for them to run. It was a total massacre.
Michael screamed telepathically for Liz to get out. Neither of them could link to Big Jon or his clan. Michael and Cass tried to clear every level making sure that no one was left behind. Fire roared around them. Screams in the distance echoed through the haze, but only the dead could be seen as they hurdled over them, still running like the wind.
***
Last to arrive, Liz and her entourage entered the tunnel and were through the door in seconds. It had just closed when the explosions began. Minerva hurriedly lit the torches after the first blast echoed through the fortress. The room shook as if some giant had lifted it right out of the fortress to carry it away. Jenna screamed, “Away! Away! We have to leave now!”
Liz tried to calm the frightened child, but two more blasts shook the room and Jenna's hysteria worsened. None of them knew what to do. There was no one at the camp to protect the girl, and the explosions might be from the battle that had to be in full force by now.
Angie let out a yelp. “My mother is here, she says we must go…now! The fortress is wired to explode, they plan on burying us all inside!”
Immediately, Liz reached out to Michael’s mind and saw that he was on his way up through the tunnels with Cass. She saw the fire and the smoke, and the walls and floor tumbling in around them.
“Gran, take Jenna and go back,” she said as she passed the child to Minerva.
“I am not going back. I will not leave my family or coven to die.”
“Gran, please! I can’t leave Michael down here alone and we can’t risk Jenna.”
Angie rubbed her temples as she listened intently to the conversation in her head. Her eyes grew wide and she screamed, “No! I’m coming.”
Before Liz could stop her, she was out the door and running down the hallway. Liz gave Minerva one last pleading look before following her.
As the fourth blast rocked the fortress, the ceiling of the secret room began to collapse.
***
Even with supernatural sight, Liz could barely see through the tunnel. Faint light glowed from torches burning dimly through the thick smoke. Somewhere in the distance ahead, she heard Angie screaming for her mother. She stumbled on, following the sound of the girl’s voice and calling out after her. In the back of her mind, she could hear Michael yelling at her to get out, and although she tried to reply, he did not seem to hear her. His mind was so frenzied with fear for her and the others that she couldn’t get through.
Another explosion rocked the fortress. This time, it knocked her off of her feet slamming her against the wall. She felt the heat rising up through the tunnel floor below. The sound of roaring fire and cracking wood was all she heard. No Angie, no Michael, no one at all. It seemed that the entire fortress was empty, only the dead were left, and they weren’t talking. For a moment, she remained still and tried to link to any that had survived.
Abruptly, William appeared franticly before her. “Come quick. Angie is trapped beneath fallen rock in the next tunnel. I can’t get it off her, I don’t have the strength.”
Liz moved like lightening to where her young friend lay. Pulling the large stone off her, Liz cradled Angie in her arms. Too late, she realized that without Minerva there to create a portal, they would likely die in this place. The fortress rumbled as each level began to collapse. Liz tried to calm her mind and take control of her emotions. She’d died before. This time might be less painful. She listened to the rumbling stone and hissing fire and waited for what was to come.
In the distance, she heard a distinctly different sound. Water rushing, rolling and smashing through the tunnels, down into the caverns, filling the fortress. It was the dream. The dream they had overlooked after Cass’s arrival. Death summoned; they were all going to die.
***
Michael and Cass had finally made it up to the fourth level where Liz and the others should have been, had they still been in the fortress. Everyone must have received the message to get out, as they hadn’t run into anyone living in the last two levels. The smoke was thicker here, whirling in waves of blacks and grays. But the floors were still intact, even though there were several places that the roof above had caved in. They found the secret room full of displaced earth and the door hanging by one hinge. Cass sent out one last call to any that had survived to retreat, and jumped them both back to the camp.
As they stepped into the camp, it was as if they had entered an old war movie. Injured fighters lay everywhere, some barely alive. Minerva ran to them nearly hysterical. Angie, Liz, her mother, and sister, had not returned to the compound. No one had seen them. Other camps started to report in through portals, and the news was not good. Too many had died in the fortress. Although many made it back alive, some of those still might not survive.
Michael and Cass argued. Michael demanded she create a new portal and send him back to find Liz and the others.
“It’s too dangerous, Michael. We can’t afford to lose you, especially now.”
“Too dangerous? Would it be too dangerous if Jenna was missing? Would you keep me here then?” Michael watched Minerva who had collapsed to her knees. He walked over and kindly helped her up. Tears streamed down her face as she searched his eyes. “Help me,” he begged.
“I cannot.” Minerva looked down in shame. “Cass is right. Without you, this has all been for nothing.”
“You’re not going and that’s final. I’m Eldest and leader, my decision--”
Michael cut her off. “You’re the leader? Your decision? Now you suddenly decide, after thousands of years, to run the show? We were fine without you! We managed to take care of ourselves without your precious leadership skills.”
Just as it appeared that Michael and Cass were about to make their argument physical, another portal opened and water came gushing through. Liz’s mother, Marie, and her sister Abbie, stepped out, soaking wet and covered in grime. Next, Gregorio exited; two limp bodies slung over each shoulder. Athena was the last to step through. Disheveled and face lined with fear, she immediately took possession of the smaller of the two bodies.
Minerva’s hand covered her mouth as she fought to stifle her tears. “Oh, thank the Gods,” she said as she hurried to Marie and Abbie.
Michael gently took Liz in his arms. “Father, I—“
Gregorio smiled as he placed his hand on his son’s shoulder. “It was a valiant effort. Would that I could have contacted you. We were almost too late.”
Both girls were unconscious, but for the most part unharmed. After Athena placed her precious package into the care of another, she, Gregorio, and Cass stood in awkward silence as they watched the others scurry around. Many long centuries had passed since they’d met face to face.
“Hello my love,” Cass finally said as she moved to embrace Athena.
“I knew you would come for us,” Athena whispered.
“Once you were missing, nothing could have kept me from it.”
With the exception of a smiling Gregorio, no one there had any idea of what was going on. Cass never had explained to any of them how she knew Athena and Gregorio. She released Athena and quickly moved into Gregorio’s arms. “Well done,” she murmured.
Gregorio returned her greeting with more emotion than Michael had ever observed in his father before. “It has been far too long, Mother.”
Everyone within hearing range stopped and stared. Gregorio looked around and in true Gregorian form, said, “We have work to do people, there will be time for explanations later. Get busy, the injured require tending.”
Chapter Twelve
The Unwilling Mother
While the others treated the injured, Michael stayed at Liz’s side, holding her hand in his while running fingers through her hair with the other.
Minerva placed a hand on his shoulder. “She is going to be fin
e. She only has a bump on her head.”
Michael nodded but didn’t look up. His eyes stayed focus on Liz. “I should have never left her undefended. I should have known there would be some sort of trap.”
“Stop beating yourself up. You couldn’t have known. None of --”
“Thirsty,” Liz groaned, her voice harsh. Her tongue darted out and licked her lips.
Michael sighed. A smile played at the corner of his mouth. “Hush, my love. It’s going to be okay. We'll get you something to drink.” He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. They felt dry and rough. Her skin still had the bluish hue of an injured vampire. He looked at Minerva. “Please get her blood. The freshest, warmest you can find.”
A nauseated look came over Minerva’s face. She set her mouth in a thin line as she turned and hurried from the room.
Liz’s lids flew open, and she tried to sit up, but Michael stopped her. “Angie! Where is Angie?”
“She is fine. Stop moving around. You’re weak. You need to rest.”
“How did I get back here?”
“Athena and Gregorio found you.”
“Athena? Gregorio? How?” She groaned again and pressed her hand against her temple.
“I’ll explain everything later. Right now, you are going to follow the doctor’s orders, and the doctor says you need to stay still and rest.”
She smiled and closed her eyes. “Yes sir.”
Minerva returned with a glass of warm blood. She helped Liz sit up and handed her the glass. Liz, even in her exhausted state, guzzled the warm elixir. A thin, red stream escaped from the corner of her mouth.
As Liz drank, Minerva tugged on Michael’s sleeve. “I need to speak with you.”
He brushed his fingers against Liz’s cheek. “I'll be right back. Will you be a good girl and stay put?”
Liz didn’t reply. She nodded as her eyes closed.
Michael followed the elder witch to the door. “What is it?”