Walk Into The Light - Shadows of the Night 6

Chapter 19

Hi,

In the last chapter Vladislav suggested a magical duel between Anna and Heléna. So, before you start reading, I have a few questions for you: What do you think? Should this magical duel happen? And will it happen? Why/Why not? 

Lara

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Chapter 19

ANNA

'I suggest we perform a magical duel.'

Chunks of conversation hit my ears; words that at first did not fully register, or make sense.

'If the loser is still ... the winning party may claim her.'

My heart was racing a million miles a minute, as if perhaps it could outrun the nightmare I kept seeing in my mind. Flash-like pictures that threatened to throw me into a catatonic state.

Trapped in Vladislav's mind and caught up in that vision of a throne room, I thought all that mattered was getting out of there. I was fully aware that I might die in my attempt at freedom, and I was ready for it, would have made that sacrifice. Dying would have been easier than what I had to do.

The great three witches help me.

My chest moved up and down, pulse racing. I dug mental heels in, forcing my attention away from them. Anything was better than these pictures.

I drew a deep breath, gulping in air. I couldn't seem to get enough oxygen into my lungs.

Don't lose it. Focus.

With the next breath my surroundings gained color and texture, as if I hadn't had my eyes open before.

Big shadowy figures loitering around me, vampires clad in dark robes that made them look ominous and somehow pestilent. Like death walking. I saw the expressionless, ghostly white faces. The familiar feeling of standing in an electrified cubicle hit instants later.

Mors occulta. Dark Death.

The recognition registered in between two heaves, their name burning unspoken on the tip of my tongue. We were still in the same street. Perhaps I hadn't lost too much time, trapped in his mind.

Vladislav's voice crept up on me, as the presence behind my back stretched and widened. The dark power of the grave was pulsing behind me, moments away from washing over me and taking over. Again.

Then the words, bits and pieces I'd heard since I came to, started to make sense. Vladislav wanted a fight between me and Heléna Bathoryn to officially make me his human servant!

I lifted my head.

"I agree."

The words were out of my mouth before I could stop myself, think things through. Words thrown at a ghostly white face that belonged to a centuries-old vampire I was familiar with.

Erebos looked straight back at me. If he was surprised I had spoken, it didn't show.

It had been my heart that had made the decision to simply agree to fight. For some reason Vladislav wanted me to fight Heléna Bathoryn. If it was a trap, I'd just walked right into it. Still, if I had the choice between being Vladislav's servant or die, I was going to take the latter. No way in hell was I doing this again.

The power of the grave slammed into me, threatened to knock my knees out from under me. Worms crawling on my skin. Ghost-like hands brushing over my mind with razor-sharp fingernails. Every vampire in the street was looking at me – a collective stare I was barely able to tolerate and not flinch. There was only one set of eyes I was interested in, though.