CARNAGE CASTLE

CHAPTER 33

Men who would willingly lay down their lives for Lanecea flanked the woman who at that moment felt nothing short of Joan of Arc although she knew better than to leave the castle walls in Storm's absence. There was no telling when he would return and she couldn't wait a moment longer. 

Ryder had given up protesting Lanecea's plan. There was no changing her mind once it was set. Stepping closer, Ryder looked over Lanecea's shoulder as she pointed to an area on the map just inside the boundary line of Brussels.

"We should return just after midnight if all goes well," Lanecea spoke at last as she passed the map to Ryder who would lead the charge. 

"It isn't too late to turn back," Ryder attempted to thwart Lanecea once more, his loyalty first and foremost to Storm. 

"If you do not take me, Ryder, I am sure Drakon would be honoured to take your place."

A muscle clenched in Ryder's jaw as he glanced toward the bridge as though expecting to see Storm appear at any moment, then sighed as he swung Lanecea onto his back as carefully as possible. It was a fool's mission, he was certain, but the young couple with their precious little daughter were unaware of the danger that threatened to shatter their happiness and Lanecea wasn't about to let the darkness succeed - not on her watch. With Storm away, Lani was in charge and the devil himself would regret double-crossing Queen Lanecea.

Karl was as cunning and ruthless as his vampire kind, the man having set his sights on Marie Louise the moment he saw her with her parents in the market. His nefarious plan involved kidnapping her and selling her to a wealthy vampire who owned a notorious brothel in Brussels, a place of darkness and depravity where innocent souls were exploited for profit. Lanecea's secret police had eyes and ears everywhere, the men immediately reporting back to their captain and Lady Lanecea. Hans could have easily dealt with the matter on his own but this hit much too close to home. It would have been a different matter had Karl left children out of his crosshairs, but Lanecea was an avenging dark angel determined to set the world right. Lanecea remained silent as she rode at Hans' side across the bridge, their men flanking them. Hans didn't need to ask if Lanecea was ready, the look in her eyes declaring, "I was born for this."

On a moonless night in 1845, Karl struck, his vampire speed and stealth allowing him to slip into Joseph's home undetected. With a silent swoop, he snatched Marie Louise from her cradle, her cries muffled against his frigid heart.

Karl's vile scheme, however, was not to go unchallenged as the allies raced toward Joseph's home. The German secret police, aware of the vampires' activities, had been monitoring his movements, reporting their discovery immediately to Hans and Lanecea. Lani, however, did not head in the direction of the attack, leaving Hans to lead the attack as he fought the vampire while Lanecea led her centaur army in the opposite direction. Neither she nor Hans had a moment to lose. 

Hans and his agents descended upon Karl before he could escape. A fierce struggle ensued as Karl fought against the police, his desperation fueled by greed and bloodlust but the combined efforts of the secret police armed with not only their weapons but with ancient knowledge of vampires, proved to be too much for the vampire to overcome. In a blaze of silver light, Karl was subdued and Marie Louise was rescued from his cold fingers.

"You can count yourself lucky," Hans' voice was just as cold as he set Karl free, tossing him naked onto the doorstep of his own house within the hour. "My men are everywhere. Next time, your head will be on a spike."

Karl turned as pale as paper. Rumours had been passed down from vampire to vampire of the hunter's penchant for thrusting spikes through vampire's brains before raising their heads to feed the birds. Storm was the most notorious of all, but Karl wasn't sure just yet if Storm and Lord Cumming were one and the same. He'd been a fool to make a move without that reassurance, Karl realized too late as he looked up into Hans' silver eyes from where the vampire lay prostrate on the cold ground.

Lanecea, however, was not nearly as merciful as the captain of the secret police. Their rivalry and animosity ran deep, rooted in centuries of conflict and bloodshed. Lanecea knew that their truce was on the verge of collapsing, the fragile peace shattered by Karl's audacious actions.

Driven by a fierce determination to protect the innocent, Lanecea tracked Karl. Still perched on Ryder's back, Lanecea glared down at the vampire as he lay in front of his lair amid the flickering torchlight and shadows as she confronted her enemies in a battle of wills that echoed with the echoes of ancient enmity.

Karl sneered at Lanecea, his eyes gleaming with malice.

"You dare to challenge me, Huntress? I know exactly who you are, but you will never win. You and your kind are nothing but pests to be eradicated."

Lanecea's gaze was unwavering.

"Your reign of terror ends tonight, Karl. The blood of the innocent cries out for justice."

The clash of steel and fangs filled the air as Hans and Karl engaged in a deadly dance of combat. Their movements were swift and precise, each strike calculated for maximum impact. Sparks flew as silver met vampire flesh, the struggle intensifying with each passing moment.

Meanwhile, the city of Brussels lay shrouded in darkness, unaware of the battle raging beneath its streets. The night was far from over, and the fate of all hung in the balance as the rivalry between Karl and Lanecea reached its climax in the depths of the vampire's lair. The night seemed endless, filled with the echoes of battle and the uncertainty of what lay ahead. Sophia, pregnant and trembling with fear, clutched the doorframe as she held Maria Louise against her heart as her husband, Joseph, disappeared into the night, the woman too paralyzed with fear to lock the door.