Chapter 8

• *Dark Crystal Tower*
• Alpha Faetha shook her head back and forth not understanding what was going on and how the feral vampires were attacking. "JABROT!" She screamed as she rushed over to her mate.
• "Someone killed the spell caster!" Primythe yelled at the alpha as she continued to battle with the feral vampires.
• "I will get a report later on ..." Alpha Faetha killed another feral vampire. Glancing down at her mate, "I will be back!"
• Structures were blowing up. Buildings were on fire as everyone who could move fought their enemies. As the alpha moved around there was not one place where there wasn't any fighting. At the back of her mind, she knew that this battle was going to be a devastating blow to her countrymen and women.
• ***
• Black Widow had one knee on the ground. Huffing and puffing she could hear the grunts and groans of the warriors. Chuckling slowly Black Widow knew that the caster of the spell met their demise.
• Though she was tired and bloody, Black Widow got onto her feet as the warriors who had not been harmed joined her and the practitioners.
• Half shifting on command they all growled letting the feral vampires know that they had made a serious mistake. Howling all of the shifters attacked in formation.
• The feral vampires that tried to run found that they were met with more warriors blocking their exit.
• ***
• Lord Ascelius was nearing the top of the roof when he could hear the sounds of shifters howling. A smile was forming on the vampire's face. Pausing, he turned his head to see the grey smoke rising with flames licking away at the structures.
• The damage to Dark Crystal Tower was going to be expensive, but the death toll was going to be heartbreaking.
• Digging his fingernails into the side of the wall, Lord Aseclius glanced up and continued to climb the wall. Knowing that on the roof he would find Finja, "Hold on little princess, I am almost there!"
• ***
• "About time! I did not think you were going to wake up. I have been waiting patiently!"
• Finja’s hair was blowing in her face when she opened her eyes only to realize that her hands and feet were bound by rope. Trying to wiggle herself free, she glared at the mage that was dead on the rooftop.
• “He was only a spy of mine.” A male's voice entered Finja’s ears. “He was a better meal than a spy, he couldn’t get me any useful information on you or what you and your little group were doing behind closed doors.”
• Finja’s eyes focused on the male that was standing in front of her. With the blowing snow, she could still see who it was, “Reacher!” She hissed, “Or do you prefer the name Balvalur?”
• Balvalur cackled, “It is amusing how no one could figure it out, but it took one little girl to make sense of my true identity.” He gave Finja a toothy smile, with his vampire teeth dripping with blood. “You have always been the smart one though, that is why I had loved you so much.” His eyes landed on Finja’s swollen belly, “then you had to go and get yourself blown up.” He hissed. “This I can not forgive!” He took one step closer to Finja as he slid a rope around her neck.
• Hissing venom, “I was never yours!” Finja said as Balvalur tightened up the rope to the point that she could feel the pressure and burning.
• “Levreh! Don’t you know that a mate bond is death due us part!” Balvalur’s eyes were glowing red.
• Finja’s breathing was shaky as she recalled all the stories that were told to her about her grandmother Levreh. Swallowing the saliva in her mouth, ‘FINJA!’ She could hear Ace’s frantic cries in her mind.
• ‘ROOF!’ She shouted back to her mate.
• ***
• “MOVE!” Ace and Brodey heard from down the hall.
• Glancing over their shoulders Ace and Brodey could see three sorcerers rushing towards them. Muttering words they did not understand, Ace and Brodey moved away from the door, understanding what they were about to try.
• The second they were out of the way, the door shattered into pieces.
• Turning his head Ace noticed that the path was no longer closed off to him. With speed that he did not know he had, Ace ran up the flight of stairs to the top of the tower.
• "I will go to Finja!" Ace yelled as he was aiming his feet up the flight of stairs. "You go aid the others!" He told Brodey.
• ***
• Glancing up to the sky Finja could see how the moon was setting as the sun was beginning to rise.
• ‘Stall … give them time to get here!’ Finja mentally told herself.
• Balvalur and Finja motioned their heads to the sound of an explosion.
• 'Ace is coming!' Stuttering, “Levreh, that is my grandmother. What does she have to do with this?”
• “Levreh!” Balvalur shook his head blinking his eyes several times, “you are not Levreh!” He hissed. Balvalur’s expression somehow managed to turn darker than it already had been. “Didn’t your grandmother tell you, I am her rightful mate!” He hissed.
• Finja shook her head back and forth in a rapid motion. “That can’t be, my father would never lie to me about something like this. He told us that she was mateless so she chose to take a mate.” Finja prayed this would be enough to keep Balvalur talking.
• Balvalur clicked his tongue as he studied Finja from head to toe, “You look just like ... Levreh.” His laugh was malicious. “Shankha is going to regret turning you against me!” With each word that was spoken, he got louder. “To humiliate me in front of the whole clan …” He growled.
• “FINJA!” Ace yelled from the staircase.
• Yelling, "Ace ... Balvalur is mad in the mind!" Finja yelled not able to see her mate but knowing she would see him in a moment.
• Balvalur lifted Finja off of the ground as Ace was stomping up the last step, “if I can’t have you,” Balvalur eyes were absent of any colour or light. “The bastard can’t have you either!”
• “Balvalur!” Lord Ascelius shouted from the other side of the roof.
• Finja glanced down to notice that the rope that was tied to her neck, the end was connected to the ledge of the tower, this being Balvalur’s makeshift hanging spot.
• Ace’s eyes rested on Finja as he noticed what Balvalur was about to do to her. The ray of light hitting the top of the roof, all signs of night had been pushed away for the day.
• “Take another step and whoops, Levreh goes flying over the side!” Balvalur yelled with madness.
• Ace and Lord AScelius glanced at each other, Ace now understanding what Finja meant when she said he was mad of the mind.
• ***
• The group was five minutes away from getting to Dark Crystal Tower. Fear, worry and concern for the well being of their bloodline had been on their minds.
• “Father!” Balthazar had his sight on the top of the tower as he could see the outline of two figures.
• Mindlinking Lord Aseclius, 'We can see the tower now!' Emperor Baldwin mustered up the rest of his energy to get to the tower, ‘it has to be my granddaughter!’ He linked his son’s. ‘I will get Finja, you all deal with the unregistered vampires.'
• ***
• Receiving his emperor's message he had to stall for time. With his arm extended outward, “she is pregnant!” Lord Ascelius pointed out as he took a step closer. Hoping the law that was set out for all vampires would register with Balvalur.
• Laughing meniscus, “so she is!” Balvalur inched closer to the side of the roof.
• "ACE!" Finja had never felt fear like this in her existence. She had always been in control over every aspect of her adult life.
• It was clear to Ace and Lord Ascelius that Balvalur did not care that Finja was carrying an unborn child. The law was etched into stone, 'no child shall be harmed.' He was completely disregarding it.
• “Finja has nothing to do with this, put her down!” Ace tried to keep his tone from showing how much fear he was feeling. "It is me you want!"
• “Balvalur, put the woman down!” Lord Ascelius said with authority.
• Balvalur motioned his eyes to the male who spoke to him as if he could command him, a wicked smile crossed his face, “as you wish my lord!”
• Lifting Finja up higher in the air, Finja screamed for Ace. Tears rolled down her face as she realized what Balvalur was planning for her. Motioning her head to Ace, she screamed, “The babies!” She was beginning to hyperventilate.
• Lord Ascelius charged towards Balvalur as he was getting ready to toss Finja over the edge of the wall. "Get Finja!"
• Finja screamed for Ace as she descended over the edge of the building. The remaining rope was going over the edge along with his mate.
• ***
• General Viscarti had his eyes locked on the event of what was happening on the top of the tower.
• "The emperor is here!" Carbel pointed out.
• "I can see that!" General Viscarti's tone was cold as ice. "What is that fool up to?" The general asked as he spotted Balvalur lifting a female up in the air.
• Gasping, "oh this is not good!" Carbel glanced to her right as the emperor closed in on the tower wall.
• "I know he is mad, but even he could not be this dense!" General Viscarti hissed with rage.
• ***
• Emperor Baldwin watched as Balvalur lifted Finja up into the air. Clearly, everyone who could see this, knew that Finja was nearing the end of her gestation.
• “I am almost there, little princess!” Emperor Baldwin could see in his mind what Balvalur had planned on doing.
• Reaching the bottom of the wall, Emperor Baldwin could see Balvalur dropping Finja off the roof of the tower.
• ***
• Ace remained frozen in his spot as Lord Ascelius had attacked Balvalur. With authority, “You fool ... Get Finja!” Lord Ascelius yelled.
• As Lord Ascelius attacked Balvalur with no mercy, Ace ran to the side of the wall, tears flowing down his face as he was ready to retrieve his mate's body.
• ***
• Finja closed her eyes as she felt her body plummeting down. Waiting for the rope to tighten around her neck and choke her to death. She felt a gust of wind rushing upwards. Opening her eyes she spotted a blur moving up the wall, cutting the rope. The end of the rope flopped no longer being pulled by her weight. With her eyes locked on the blur, its gold eyes locked on her frightened features. Over and over again in her mind, Finja was only thinking about her babies. Knowing that the danger was not over.
• Closing her eyes, Finja waited for the impact of the ground.
• A pair of arms enclosed Finja’s body, motioning her closer to their body. Squeezing her eyes tighter, and holding her breath, Finja waited for what was going to happen next.
• There was a thump with gravity motioning Finja’s head backwards. Slowly Finja was lowered to the ground. Shifting her body to the side the ropes that bound her hands had been cut, followed by her ankles.
• Rolling to her back, Finja opened her eyes to see the person who had saved her from her death. Her lip quivered when she saw the emperor holding his hand out to aid her off the ground.
• With a shaky voice, “thank you for saving my babies.” Tears rolled down her face as she took his hand.
• ***
• Pulling on the rope, there was no body, bringing up the rope he examined the treads, realizing that it had been cut.
• “Barnacles!” Lord Ascelius hissed. There was a large gash that was going across Lord Ascelius' left side of his face. “He got away!” Blood was dripping from his nails.
• Tears were rolling down Ace’s face as he tried to speak.
• From the tree line, a new horde of unregistered vampires joined the battle scene.
• ***
• "Bring me the woman! Kill everyone else!" General Viscarti ordered as his sights were locked on the female that the emperor had just saved from death.
• The emperor's men were about to join him when they spotted his army speeding out of the woods.
• "Don't you know yet Baldwin ... never bring a dagger to a sword fight."
• ***
• Getting to her feet, Finja looked up to see that Balvalur was getting away, “bloody barnacles, he is getting away again!”
• “FINJA!” Nelle yelled as she bulleted in her direction disregarding the danger that she was placing herself in.
• Turning her attention, Finja began running to her sister’s arms as she was crying. Nelle wrapped her arms around Finja, tightening hold her, “I almost failed!” She whispered into Finja’s hair.
• “Get out of here” The emperor ordered as a unit of general vampires were coming their way.
• Nelle pointed to what was coming their way, “we need to go!”
• “Do you have any fuel?” Finja asked her sister.
• Motioning her head no, Finja went with the next best plan, running away.
• Running to the entranceway to get to some kind of safety, warrior shifters ran out of the entranceway to fight their enemies.
• ***
• Ace glanced over the roof, scared to find out what had happened to his precious mate.
• From the tree line, he could see a group of 70ish generals charging Finja and Nelle. From the East, there was a smaller group of vampires curving as if they were about to charge the generals.
• “We need to get out of here. Emperor Baldwin and his sons are here!” Lord Ascelius said as he rushed to the door with Ace following him.
• ***
• Struggling to keep up with Nelle, Finja had to slow down her pace. A dagger had nearly hit Nelle. “Did they seriously just throw a dagger at us?” She snapped her head at the attacker.
• Grabbing her sister by the cloak, Finja pulled Nelle backwards to protect her sister. Dodging another dagger, Nelle pushed Finja toward the gate with only one thought in mind, getting Finja out of danger.
• Dark Crystal warriors and the emperor's fighters were battling the generals as Finja and Nelle attempted to stay out of their way. A general slammed a fighter into the wall aiming his fangs into the fighter's neck. Nelle took out her blade and shoved it into the general's back.
• Hissing the general locked his eyes on the two females, a distraction the fighter took advantage of. With his blade, he used it to cut his enemy's head off.
• “Get out of here!” The fighter told both Finja and Nelle.
• The gate was only a few feet away. With a few steps, Finja’s hands went to her belly. Dropping on one knee as a wave of pain hit her. “My babies!” She whispered.
• Nelle stopped running to see that Finja was no longer behind her. Turning her head to the right she could see two unregistered vampires rushing towards Finja.
• Grabbing Finja, the two unregistered vampires lifted Finja and darted toward the tree line.
• Finja screamed as the two unregistered vampires refused to put her down. Nearing the forest Finja could see the battle becoming more chaotic as Red Fang and his warriors joined the battle. Coming in from behind where the general and his army were once.
• Weaving those who were carrying Finja had made it to the trees.
• “Put my daughter down!” Red Fang hissed as four assassins stood beside him. Each of them moved closer to those who threatened Finja’s life.
• Taking the opportunity, Finja dug her claws into her holder's arm.
• Not expecting the attack the unregistered vampire howled in pain. The moment she was released, Finja lowered herself to the ground. Protecting her belly, she curled up in a ball, ducking her head inwards.
• Emperor Baldwin and Red Fang’s fighters blocked any unregistered vampires coming near Finja.
• Pain radiates over Finja’s body as she can feel warm liquid between her legs. Only listening to what was going on around her, she whispered to the fates not to take her babies away from her.
• Two hands landed on Finja’s back, “we have to go!” Black Widow instructed Finja.
• “Finja!” Ace yelled as he rushed over, scooping Finja off the ground. Droplets of fresh blood land on the ground. Sniffing the air, Ace glanced at Finja as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
• Red Fang made sure that the fighters were a shield allowing Finja to get to safety. “YOUR THE FATHER?” His eyes glowed gold.
• “Mate!” Ace did not take kindly to the vampire's hostility.
• Red Fang glanced at Finja to see how much pain she was in. This only encouraged the group to move faster.
• As they reached the gate there was a low rumble as the land began to shake. What started with a low rumble soon turned into a violent movement. Lowering Finja to the ground, Ace used his body to shield her from any debris that could land on her.
• ***
• Black Widow pushed open the door to Gruneth's clinic as Ace carried Finja to Gruneth’s, “Finja is bleeding!” He yelled as a group of practitioners rushed towards him.
• “Follow me!” Gruneth told Ace knowing they had to move quickly if they were to save the mother and babies.
• Moving the sheets, Ace placed Finja down gently. “You need to leave!” Gruneth ordered Ace.
• Growling, “I am going nowhere.”
• “The battle is not in here, it is outside. I will do my job … it is time you do yours!” Gruneth snapped back at the young alpha. “Pup … I will do everything in my power to save your pups, but keeping our queen alive is my top priority. As your job should be to save the people of Dorhelhound.”
• Kissing Finja on the lips, “don’t let my mate die!”
• "Alpha ACE!" Black Widow called him by his rank, "with each minute that goes by another warrior dies!"