Veridian Shores

Chapter 28 - Stealing Memories

She saw Gliss break off from the fight and start running, and a horrible sense of confirmation descended on her – an awful sensation that all her distrust had been right all along. Now that the moment had arrived, it gave her no satisfaction. All she felt was a hollow sensation in the pit of her stomach.

Sidestepping and parrying a slashing sword, Brooke rammed one duelling rod through the heart of the Baelock guard that barred her path and shoved the dying vampire out of the way. For perhaps two seconds she started at Gliss's fast receding form, and then made her decision. Hoping to the First that she would be proven wrong, she set off in pursuit.

As she dodged and darted through the fighting, the memory of her fight in the training arena flashed through her mind. Brooke hated to admit it, but if she caught up Gliss and the girl put up a fight, it wouldn't hurt to have some help. Glancing around as she ran, she saw Finbarr's towering frame as he fought off two attackers, holding one aloft by the throat and twisting his frame to sweep away the sword thrust with the two duelling rods clutched in one large hand. As he turned he threw one Baelock vampire into the other with a growl of exertion, sending both of his attackers tumbling away in a tangle of limbs.

Brook leapt over the two bodies as they tumbled towards her, and grabbed Finbarr's arm as she shot past, dragging the guard with her.

"Follow me," she hissed.

Finbarr's face crumpled with confusion, but he didn't question the order, falling obediently into step like a loyal wolf. She collected two more guards as she scrambled and fought her way past the Baelock forces that were spreading through the grounds. With a final pirouette, she avoided a scything sword swing and shattered her attacker's knee with two precise strikes from her duelling rods as she passed. Behind her Finbarr speared the injured Baelock vampire through the heart – and then they were clear, running in open space.

A pang of guilt twanged at her as she glanced back at the fighting, but she suppressed it. Whatever Gliss had planned all along, this incident had given her the window of opportunity she needed to get away – to slip off into the night with her secrets and home, to Iron Hollow.

Brooke's feet hammered the ground as she quickly outpaced the trio of guards that had accompanied her, edging out into the no-man's land that separated the chasers from their quarry. Perhaps forty meters distant she could just see Gliss's slim form tearing through the night, away from the fighting and towards the rear of the mansion. There would be no guards there to stop her now, not with the Baelock assault on the main gate.

And Brooke knew she must still have the Keystone. Neither she nor Capper had paid much attention to the artefact when Baelock's arrival had been announced, but she doubted Gliss had been so apathetic. For all her talk, it would appear she'd been a liar all along and was taking this opportunity to made good her escape, now that she had what she came for.

Not if I can help it, Brooke thought, driving her legs hard enough to leave divots in the grass as she ran. She shoved her duelling rods into the holsters across her back and redoubled her efforts to close the gap. Inch by inch, she started to reel in her target. She saw Gliss glance back; felt a flash of anger in the other vampire's Aspect.

She flew in great leaping bounds, the lightweight boots easily gripping the earth and hurling her forward. As she closed in, Brooke loosened one of the duelling rods in its sheath. At this rate she would have to chase Gliss out of the grounds and into the city before she could catch up, and once there it would be much harder to keep her quarry in sight.

Judging that she was close enough, Brooke yanked the duelling rod free, not breaking stride, and gripped its lower half in both hands. Leaning her body into the motion, she flung it like an axe, sending it thrumming end over end straight at the figure twenty meters ahead.