Walk Into The Light - Shadows of the Night 6

Chapter 38

Hey,

I hope you had a great week! So, here's a tricky question: What's Vladislav's end game? And: Is what Anna suspects and feels real or just a carefully laid trap?

Lara

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Chapter 38

Zack's power flared up, a cold breath dispersing liquid fast, crashing against the ward Giuliana was maintaining.

"Zack, don't do this. I need to find Alexander. Now," I said.

Zack shook his head. "I will not go against my orders, Anna."

The vampires fanned out behind Zack, gliding into pockets of Shadows in between the pillows of light the street lamps shed. There was no slipping past them unnoticed.

I turned to Andy and Giuliana. "Please, I need to get to Alexander. We have to stop Vladislav."

"Are you sure about this?" Andy said from beside me, his eyes poised on the group of undead in front of us, assessing, calculating.

I followed his gaze and took in Zack and the way the vamps had positioned themselves – adversary playing pieces in a hopeless chess game.

"As sure as I can be."

Zack raised his fist, pounding against Giuliana's ward. As a witch I might have seen fissures appearing on its surface, small cracks that would expand, run down the wards's surface like hard, angry tears. As a vampire I could feel the power of the grave, dark and silent on the outside, wanting in; fighting to get in.

"Giuliana, would you mind amping up the ward again?" Andy said softly, eyes still on Zack.

Giuliana stepped forward, closing her eyes as her fingers reached out for the edge of the ward. The world around me stilled with a soft pop. Something in my heart contracted as the familiar tingle of magic pulsated like phantom pain.

Zack's eyes narrowed, going right through me.

We were no longer visible to him and his entourage of vamps and I was pretty sure they could no longer hear us.

Andy turned to me and Giuliana. "There are twelve vamps in this street. Five of which Zack placed on the outer edges for pursuit in case we get past him and the front row of vamps. We have to retreat and get past the first row behind us, then we can slip through the first side street without them noticing, but we have to do it now!"

* * *

We slowed down three intersections away from the street Zack and his vamps had found us in. Andy's and Giuliana's hearts were beating fast, sweat on their foreheads as we stopped for them to catch their breath. I could have and would have moved faster, had I not needed the cover of their spell.

Andy scanned the scene, eyes drifting over the row of parked cars and the sidewalk in one smooth motion. Faint voices and laughter carried through the usual background noise of the city, perhaps late night party-goers walking to or from their personal amusement of the night. Somewhere in the distance a car honked – a lonely sound that perhaps only I picked up on.

Draped over all of it was that feel of ill foreboding, as if Vladislav's presence in the city alone was enough to wear me down and play with my personal mood and constitution.

"Okay, this is how this will play down. You tell me where Vladislav is now, and I'm going to inform the Circle. You and Giuliana get yourselves out of the city as fast as you can," Andy said. His eyes were determined, had settled into that expression of determination he used when working for the Circle – like a lock clicking into place.

I shook my head. "Andy, I'm not leaving this city. I'll stay and-"

"And then what? Let's say you're right about this and Vladislav is still in this city. Anna, you can't beat him on your own." Andy grabbed my elbow, squeezing. "Hell, you might even be running into a trap!"

Andy was right, this might be a trap. And in the great scheme of things it didn't matter.

Oh Alexander, you were right, and so wrong.

I smiled bitterly. "I can live as a vampire, but there are things I can't live with, Andy."

I couldn't live with myself if I just left this city, knowing what Vladislav was planning without doing anything. I couldn't even explain it. It was more than a gut feeling, but less than fact.

"One way or another Vladislav's going to destroy Alexander and he's going to destroy us all. If Vladislav wins, the peace you, me and the Circle have worked so hard for, it will be gone."

"That doesn't mean Vladislav is your responsibility," Andy said.

"Whose is it then? Yours? The Circle's, or Alexander's? Who are you to tell me what I can or can't do?" I shook my head. "I'm sorry, I've made my decision."

I lifted my hand, eyes following the soft pull I'd become aware of, targeting Vladislav's presence as if it was a piece of floating paper I could catch out of the air. "I'll go to face Vladislav alone, because I have to. You two go to inform the Circle."

"The fuck you will!" Something in Andy's eyes changed, a crack in the rock-hard determination. "This is also my city. And who are you to tell me what I can or can't do? We're going there together."

Giuliana stepped up to me, so close I could feel the warmth of her skin, could have breathed in that familiar smell I used to associate with her magic, had I breathed.

"Vladislav ordered your parents' death more than twenty years ago. I have been breathing vengeance for over 16 years, hiding in Italy, looking for you whenever I could. I am done hiding. Neither you, nor anybody else in this city has the right to bereave me of my revenge, Anna," she said in a low voice. "We are going together, or not at all."

My eyes drifted back to the spot Vladislav's presence seemed most palpable. They were right. I had no right to order them around and decide who was responsible for the turn of events. Neither did Vladislav or Alexander, for that matter.

Vampire or witch, I was not going to live according to standards someone else dictated. This was my city and I was going to fight for it and the people I loved.

I nodded silently, fighting the urge to look further into that dark veil Vladislav was casting like a net over the city. His presence was there, a behemoth of massive power – seemingly asleep.

He will strike at the precise moment you believe there is nothing else to be taken. The way you are now, you are easy prey.

The sentences came to me, unbidden. Another set of words Alexander had tossed at me – back when I had kept to myself, content to watch a green fleur-de-lis pattern and feeling sorry for myself.

"Where is he?" Giuliana said softly.

"In the Red Zone," I said. A good place for a fight without rules – the best place for a carefully laid trap.

"We can't just walk in there, Anna. We need a plan," Andy said. "And it better be a good one."

What could I do, except warn Alexander? Somehow stop the duel from happening?

If Alexander came face to face with Vladislav, his old master would make sure Alexander would be his servant again, one way or another. That was what he wanted, what he had always wanted.

Pain exploded in my stomach, accompanied by another hissing rush in my ears. I hugged myself, bending slightly, fighting the urge to vomit as the realization hit.

There was one thing I might be able to do.

If all else fails...

The urge to gasp, and take in air took over and I opened my mouth. Air burned down my system – a familiar physical pain I welcomed. Finally I shook my head and righted myself.

"We're going to need all the weapons – magical or not – that we have. The plan is to stop Vladislav, by any means possible," I said.

Even if we don't like them, I added mentally.