Troubled (The Binding Chronicles #4)

36. Ashen Flesh and Walking Death

Ashen Flesh and Walking Death

T he Forsaken Blade was hot in Marius’s grip as he held the hilt firmly in front of him.

His words echoed through the forest.

They aren’t going to stop you, but I am .

He meant every word. There was no way they could allow this creature to live.

Up close, the First was even more horrific than from afar. Sebastian and Luna had distracted the vampire, but this part was up to him.

He had to do this. For his family. For his country.

And, more importantly, for the vampire who was quickly becoming the most important person in his life. Vivienne was beside him, her presence strengthening him. Her pinky finger brushed against his, the small touch sending a wave of reassurance through him.

You can do this .

That’s what he told himself as the First slowly turned around. Running away wasn’t an option. They needed to succeed.

Ten feet stood between him and the ancient vampire, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Every instinct within him, magical and otherwise, screamed for him to run from this dangerous, deadly predator.

Her movements were lithe and graceful, entirely at odds with the carnage she’d caused. The remnants of a dozen humans were strewn across the forest floor, a reminder of her horrific acts. As if being covered head to toe in blood wasn’t enough.

The First was a creature of death, through and through.

And then her obsidian gaze rose and met his. Marius wasn’t able to contain his shiver as she smirked.

Those black eyes were as frightening as they’d been the first time he’d met her, but there was something different about the ancient vampire now. A sense of life that hadn’t previously been there.

It wasn’t the only difference, though.

Madness glinted in her eyes, a stark reminder that this creature wasn’t normal. As if her grey skin coated in blood wasn’t reminder enough.

“You?” The ancient vampire’s mouth twisted into a sneer. “You’re nothing but a halfling. Mortal blood runs through your veins.”

Those words had haunted Marius for a quarter of a century, but he wouldn’t allow himself to be ashamed of his lineage any longer. His blood was the reason he could wield the Forsaken Blade, and it was only because of him that they had a chance to stop the First once and for all.

“You’re wrong,” he said, even though he knew he didn’t need to defend himself to the vile creature. “I can and will destroy you.”

Underestimating him would be the last act of the ancient vampire’s long life.

“You want to fight me, mortal?” She snarled, flashing crimson-tipped fangs. “Fine. I’ll kill you first. It matters little to me.”

Luna gasped nearby. From the corner of his eye, Marius could see Sebastian and Luna. The king’s arm was banded around his wife’s stomach as if he was holding her back .

They hadn’t said goodbye.

Hopefully, it wasn’t a mistake that would haunt Luna for the rest of her endless days.

A growl ripped from the First’s mouth, and Marius knew the time for chatting was over. Good. The sooner the First died, the sooner he could share his plans for the future with Vivienne.

He quickly fell into a fighting stance. He was aware of his surroundings—the vampires, the snow, the bloody corpses—but his attention was locked on the ancient creature of death.

She leaned forward, her fingers curling and shadows streaming around her as she moved toward him.

The dagger vibrated in Marius’s hand, an ominous warning. Not yet.

He wasn’t sure how he knew, but he did. He couldn’t make the first move.

The Spirit of the Waters’ warning was strong in his mind.

Aim for the heart, Prince.

The First took a step to the right.

Marius mirrored her movements, keeping space between them. She breathed, or at least whatever approximation of breathing a creature like her required, and he did the same.

She raised a brow, forming a whip of shadows and lashing it out at him.

Marius darted to the left. The whip slashed across his cheek, and his flesh stung.

His opponent sucked in a breath, and the darkness in her eyes deepened. The shadows around her thickened, and then, she let out a rough laugh.

Nothing about this seemed amusing to Marius.

“How kind of you to bleed for us, mortal.” That madness glinted in her eyes, and a pit formed in his stomach .

Us?

Marius’s wide eyes met Luna’s over the First’s shoulder. His sister shook her head imperceptibly.

“I don’t know,” she mouthed.

Sebastian’s shoulders tensed, and twin swords made of shadows formed in his hands as he stepped back and stood next to Luna. His gaze swiveled through the forest, searching.

Dread crawled down Marius’s spine, and goosebumps erupted on his flesh.

“Oh, my,” the First chuckled, the sound lacking warmth. “Did you think I was alone?”

What kind of question was that? Of course, she was alone.

Who else would be with?—

Marius’s mind blanked, and thinking became impossible as the First flicked her hand. Shadows poured from her, darkening the night. They rippled, and the air shifted.

The scent of death, which had already been so strong that Marius could barely breathe, multiplied. It was like he’d been dropped into a pit of hell.

Which didn’t make sense, except…

A gasp came from beside him as Vivienne darted forward and grabbed his left arm.

“Marius, do you see... There are….”

Her voice trembled and trailed off as her grip squeezed his arm. Her loss for words wasn’t nearly as troubling as the fear in her voice.

“I see them.” Marius’s hand tightened around the hilt of the Forsaken Blade, the etchings digging into his palm and threatening to cut his skin.

By all the gods and anything he’d ever held holy, this was bad. Worse, if possible, than everything he and Vivienne had faced thus far. Which said a lot.

Maybe his bodyguard was right. Maybe he did attract trouble more than the average person because this...

He swallowed past the growing lump in his throat.

This was far worse than he ever could’ve imagined.

Time seemed to slow as he stared at the nightmare unraveling before them.

Standing in a semi-circle around the First, their bodies bent at strange angles as though their limbs had been broken and never properly reformed, were three men and two women wearing bloody and torn clothes. They were… vampires. Or at least, he thought they were.

Usually, children of the moon were too-beautiful-to-be-real.

Luna was the perfect example of that. His sister was the same as she’d been before, but not. The lines of her face were smoother, her skin shone brighter, and her eyes were more captivating. She’d always been beautiful, but as a vampire, she drew attention just by existing. No one could ignore her, even if they wanted to. When she and Sebastian were together, which was always, thanks to the Tether, they naturally drew everyone’s attention.

They were the most powerful vampires in the land. Blessed by Isvana herself.

These creatures were not like that.

Like the First, these strange beings had ashen skin. Their eyes were black, empty pits lacking all sparks of life. Their cheeks were sunken, their features too prominent. Their hair hung in clumps from their skulls, and black blood oozed from the skull of the one closest to Marius.

The vampires-that-weren’t-vampires smiled. Fangs were nestled in their gums, but somehow, they looked sharper than Vivienne’s. More deadly .

It was an awful sight.

As one, they turned to Marius.

As one, their empty gazes dropped to the cut on his cheek, where blood was still dripping down his face.

And as one, they released a swarm of shadows and snarled. The terrible sound echoed through the forest, shattering whatever strange stillness had come over them.

Behind the First and her aberrations, Sebastian yelled out commands to the vampires.

Luna extended her palm, darkness streaming from her hands.

Vivienne growled.

And the First?

Her lips contorted into a smile that would forever haunt Marius as she laughed maniacally.

“Welcome to the new age, halfling.” She hurled the words as she prowled towards him. “Enjoy this glimpse of my new court before you die.”

Court? These monstrosities weren’t people. Not anymore. They were more dead than alive, reincarnated bodies that weren’t truly present. Dead men and women walking, nothing more.

If Marius hadn’t already been certain the First had lost her mind after centuries of rotting in that tomb, that statement would’ve confirmed it for him.

Keeping his gaze trained on the deadly vampire, Marius stepped back. The carvings on the hilt of the Forsaken Blade cut into his palm. He felt the sting of broken skin, but he didn’t dare look down.

The First flicked her hand. “Feast, my lovelies. Show them why you’re my Chosen Ones.”

At her signal, all five undead turned and raced into the forest. They were quicker than normal creatures of the night, and the king’s army wasn’t fast enough.

A soldier screamed as one of the atrocities leaped through the air and sunk its fangs into her neck. Crimson blood spurted as the creature reached up, wrenching the vampire’s head from her shoulders and throwing it into the forest.

Before Marius could process that he’d just witnessed a gruesome murder, the creature was already tearing into another vampire. And another.

Screams and shouts of alarm rose from all around.

There were only five undead vampires.

Five .

They should not have been a problem. This fight should have been over before it began.

That wasn’t the case.

A creature that had once been a man was fighting Sebastian and Luna together. Luna had been training with Sebastian for years, but they were barely holding their opponent back.

What was happening?

The First grinned maniacally. There was nothing comforting about the gesture.

“See?” she hissed, her eyes widening as a mad gleam overtook them. “That’s why I am Ithiar’s chosen daughter. Powerful beyond belief, a member of the Twelve, and a true ruler of this land. No one can stand against me.”

Maybe she was right. Maybe even after everything they’d gone through, they would still fail.

Maybe.

But Marius wouldn’t go down without a fight. Not after having come so far.

And so, with one final prayer to the gods, he met the First’s gaze and smiled back. “You’ll have to get through me first.”