Fade Into Black - Shadows of the Night 5

Chapter 63

Hi,

I loved reading all your comments on last week's update! Well, it looks like Anna's not the only one that could use a little help. Guess who's in trouble in this one? ;-)

I hope you like the chapter, and thank you all for reading! :-)

Lara

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Chapter 63

The vamps were moving in a dance that was too quick to follow with human eyes. The auratic climate around me was a toxic cataclysm that was finally opening to its full potential. Alexander was facing the red-haired Asian vampire Anna and I had followed in the Red Zone, his face void of motion. Somewhere behind Fabrice was facing Alexander's second in command, Zack.

Then there was him. I knew who he was the moment I saw the auratic outlines – the vast void that seemed to swallow up whatever meandered its way.

Vladislav was standing at the sidelines, watching the fight between the opposing vamps stoically. Right beside him Anna – motionless, staring straight in front of her with vacant eyes.

If for some reason I cannot do it myself, keep her alive. No matter how.

That's what Alexander said before he and his vamps went to Victor's Mansion. Coming out of his mouth it had sounded like an order. It had slightly unsettled me, but I was not going to argue. For once I was going to do exactly what he said. I had to get Anna away from Vladislav. Fast.

That left only one option. I would have to go for a surprise attack and that-

I froze. The sensation pricked my skin like a palpable touch of pins and needles. Someone was looking my way. It was the witch beside Vladislav. And no, she wasn't looking, she was openly staring at me. Piqued interest shimmered in her frosty, blue eyes. It was the only thing coming close to a human emotion I could detect.

She seemed frigid to the point of emotional deadness. Her black dress hid part of lose black plants that allowed freedom of movement. Her hair was done up in braids. Her eyes seemed to see and notice everything. She was dressed like a warrior and positively looked like one.

Who the fuck was this woman?

I accessed the world of auratic gray and stilled. In the wake of Vladislav's aura I'd simply dismissed hers. A grave mistake. Whoever this witch was, she was dangerous as fuck.

* * *

ANNA

Chunks of soil hit my face, it was dark and I couldn't breathe. Someone had cut off whatever oxygen feed I had. Or tried to.

No matter if this was a dream, a figment of my imagination or real, I was still an air witch, no matter where and no matter which shade of reality this was. I called air to me, cocooned myself in webs of oxygen and my element, and finally I could breathe again.

I knew I was still going down. At some point the fingers that had been wrapped so tightly around my neck seemed to have vanished, and still I was descending, rushing down through soil and darkness – whereto I didn't know. It felt as if an invisible force was pulling me forward, a vicious rope tearing me down with my heart as its anchor point.

Perhaps I was hallucinating. Maybe I was dying.

I didn't care. If this was a battle for my mind, I was going to come out as the winner, or not come out at all. I pushed through, held on to my element and breathed through it. Facing absolute darkness.