Troubled (The Binding Chronicles #4)

34. The Scent of Death

The Scent of Death

T he scent of death permeated the forest.

It was everywhere, more potent than the fresh snow, the pine trees, and the brisk air. Even without the scout’s proclamation that the First was nearby, Marius would’ve known it was here.

His magic thrummed, and the Forsaken Blade vibrated against his thigh.

The scout was leading the group through the woods, communicating silently through hand gestures with Sebastian and Luna.

Marius walked next to Vivienne, and the vampire army was behind them.

Before they left, Marius spoke with his sister. She’d covered them in a privacy ward while Sebastian quickly briefed the soldiers, including Vivienne.

Crimson lined Luna’s eyes, tears that had yet to fall. Her chin trembled, and she bit her lip. “Marius, I ? —”

He stepped forward and swept her into his arms, cutting her off. She was shorter than him, her head barely reaching his shoulders.

He embraced her tightly, kissing her forehead. “I love you, Luna. I don’t say it enough, but I am so grateful for you. Thank you for raising me and for being the best sister I could ever have asked for.”

Now that he’d been away, he could see things more clearly. In leaving, he’d learned to appreciate the things he already had. A home. A loving sister. And now, Vivienne.

Luna sniffled, pulling her head away from his chest. “We can’t say goodbye.” Fierceness permeated her voice as she repeated her instructions from before. “This isn’t the end.”

“I hope not.” Not now, when he was just starting to live. What he and Vivienne had was new, and he wanted to see it through. Whatever it was. “But if it is ? —”

“It won’t be,” she said sternly.

Marius smiled softly. His sister’s insistence was sweet, but he’d seen the First. He’d gone up against that feral vampire, and he knew what they were against.

It might be the end.

He cupped her cheek and waited until her eyes met his.

“ If it is, I want you to know that you’ve been a light in my life from the moment of my birth. I thank the gods for you daily, and I couldn’t have asked for a better sister.” His thumb brushed her cool skin. “I love you, Luna.”

“I love you too,” she replied as crimson poured down her cheeks.

They hugged again, and Marius promised to fight as hard as he could.

And for his sister, even though the words rose to the tip of his tongue, he didn’t say goodbye.

He hoped he wouldn’t regret it.

After debriefing the soldiers, Sebastian had cloaked their entire group in shadows. It was a magnificent and terrifying show of power, a reminder of why he ruled the land.

Now they crept through the forest, invisible to the naked eye and one with the night.

At least, the rest of them were.

Marius was the odd man out.

Even though he tried to be as silent as his vampiric companions, it felt like every footfall was a clap of thunder. He winced each time a branch cracked beneath his weight or when pine needles brushed against his tunic.

Everyone else was soundless, ghosts slipping through the forest. Not him.

It was alright, though. For once, not being a vampire was a blessing. The blade on his thigh was a reminder of that.

Someone needed to kill the First, and it would be him.

They’d been following the scout for about half an hour, the scent of death growing steadily stronger, when screams rose through the air.

Every single vampire, including the royals, froze. Their shoulders stiffened, and as one, they scented the air.

“Blood,” Vivienne snarled.

A growl rumbled through the king. “This creature must be stopped.”

No one argued with Sebastian. How could they, when more screams rose through the night?

Marius’s magic thrummed in his veins as they resumed racing towards the sounds of death, still cloaked in shadows. It wasn’t long before a scene that would’ve given even the most battle-hardened soldier nightmares unfolded before them.

Sebastian held up his fist, and the small army halted as one. More than half of the vampires had remained at Castle Sanguis to protect the humans and servants who called it their home.

A precaution, Luna had called it.

As Marius took in the sight before him, he knew leaving vampires to protect the mortals at the castle had been a good idea.

The First was kneeling in the snow, gripping a struggling human and feeding from his neck. The man was the last of what appeared to be at least a dozen other humans before him. Limbs were scattered, clothes were tattered and torn, and crimson coated everything in sight—the corpses, the snow, and the trees.

Nothing was untouched.

Death was here, and it looked different from before. The First’s flesh was still grey and lifeless, but her form had filled out.

She was completely nude, having shed the rags she’d previously worn. Her wounds had festered and still oozed black blood, yet she seemed unbothered by them. Scarlet streaked across her body, and the tips of her hair were soaked in blood.

The man in her arms whimpered, and the sound twisted Marius’s heart.

He was grateful that they had already gone over the plan because there was no time for that now. They had to act swiftly if they were to save the dying human.

The king spun his fingers in a silent signal, and the vampire army fanned out around the clearing. Those who had shadows formed them into weapons. Wings burst from backs. Swords and other silver blades were drawn.

They were precautions in case the First ran. Hopefully, they wouldn’t need them.

Vivienne turned to Marius, her wings spread behind her and her sword in her grip. She was fierce, this vampire blood-sworn to protect him, and she looked like a warrior tonight.

His warrior.

Once this was over, Marius planned to tell Vivienne how he felt. He would ask her to stay with him. Not as his bodyguard but as a partner in every way. In adventures, in exploring, and in life.

“Ready?” Vivienne mouthed.

Sebastian had been clear that from the moment they found the First, they couldn’t make a single sound. Taking the feral vampire by surprise was imperative.

Marius nodded. He’d left his pack at Castle Sanguis, and the vial of blessed water hung from a cord around his neck.

Vivienne smiled, and it was like he was basking in the moon’s glow. He could find refuge in the warmth of that expression for the rest of his days.

Her eyes reflected the stars shining far above them as she reached over and squeezed his hand. You’ve got this , the touch said.

He gripped her hand in return and pressed a kiss to the center of her palm before stepping back.

This was it. Marius drew in a deep breath and grabbed the hilt of the Forsaken Blade, the weapon warming. He unsheathed it in one smooth movement, careful not to let the metal hit the side.

Darkness throbbed around the vibrating black blade.

Vivienne sucked in a breath and moved back, her gaze locked on the weapon.

The First was still feasting on the human, the man’s cries growing weaker with every passing moment.

Marius had to act quickly.

With his free hand, he pulled the vial over his neck. The water glowed the same brilliant blue as it had in the pool, and for a moment, he relived the fear he’d felt when Vivienne dove towards the water. But that was over, and she was safe. He reminded himself of that as he turned around, putting his back to the feral vampire.

He held the Forsaken Blade in front of him. Inferna’s instructions rolled through his mind, the ancient words she’d spoken sitting on the tip of his tongue.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Marius sent a quick prayer to whatever gods might be listening that this would work before opening them again. He held the blade flat in his palm and tilted the vial.

Iridescent blue spilled over the lip, falling over the dagger.

Marius mouthed the ancient words, pulling them from his memory. Though he didn’t speak the ancient language of the Spirits, somehow, he understood their meaning.

Isvana and Ithiar, goddess of the moon and god of blood, I call upon your names and ask you to bless this blade.

The water hit the obsidian and sizzled. Blue sparks lifted in the air.

A scream rose behind him. The First’s victim was near death.

Marius returned his attention to the dagger and finished the incantation.

Blood and death go hand in hand,

And life requires balance.

May this blade bring a swift end to the one it seeks to contain,

For freedom to once again reign.

The last words coincided with the final drops of water spilling from the vial.

Blue swirls ran across the blade in a pattern too quick for Marius to decipher, and then, the entire dagger heated.

He stumbled back a step as a warm breeze, entirely out of place for the northern kingdom, brushed past him. The ground trembled, and in his heart, Marius knew the weapon was ready .

Dropping the empty vial in the snow, Marius curled his fingers around the hilt of the dagger. He drew in a deep breath, the cold night air filling his lungs as he turned around.

This was the moment he’d been waiting for.

It was?—

A scream crawled up his throat as ancient obsidian eyes seemed to stare directly at his hiding spot. He was certain the shadows were still cloaking him from sight, but somehow, the First knew they were there.

Marius swallowed, tightening his grip on the gods-blessed weapon.

There was no turning back now.