CHAPTER 8: THE BATTLE
Elara's POV
We burst through the doors and the main hall was chaos and blood and screaming and my new senses slammed into me all at once and I could smell fear and death and holy water burning vampire flesh and through the bond Kael's rage made the air crackle around us.
Hunters in silver armor filled the courtyard with weapons that glowed with magic meant to kill us and Cassian was fighting three at once with blood streaming down his face and Mira was backed into a corner and through the bond I felt Kael's desperate need to protect everyone and his terror that he couldn't be everywhere at once.
"Stay behind me," he said but I grabbed his hand and squeezed and through the bond I pushed all my certainty at him.
"We fight together or we don't fight at all."
His eyes met mine and something shifted in his face and through the bond his pride blazed bright and he nodded once and then we were moving and I'd never felt so alive and so powerful and so terrified all at the same time.
A hunter came at me with a blade that sang with holy magic and my body moved before my brain caught up and I was so much faster than before and I caught his wrist and twisted and felt bones snap and through the bond Kael's satisfaction mixed with my own.
"The girl," someone shouted and suddenly five hunters were converging on me. "She's the abomination the witness told us about."
Kael snarled and moved to intercept but I pushed calm at him through the bond. "I've got this and you need to help Cassian."
He hesitated and through the bond I felt his war between protecting me and saving his people and I smiled at him fierce. "Trust me like I trusted you."
His answering smile was sharp and proud and then he was gone and I was facing five trained hunters alone and my new power hummed under my skin begging to be used.
The first one lunged and I dropped low and swept his legs and the second one's blade whistled past my ear and I rolled and came up behind her and my hand found her throat before she could scream and through the bond I felt Kael's attention split between his fight and mine.
"You're an affront to nature," the third hunter spat and when his weapon cut my arm the pain was white-hot and different and through the bond Kael's fury exploded but I pushed reassurance at him hard.
I remembered everything Kael had taught me about fighting multiple opponents and I moved like water between them and used their numbers against them and when the last one fell I looked up and found Kael across the courtyard and his eyes were blazing crimson and through the bond his pride and relief and love hit me so hard it made my chest ache.
Then the doors exploded inward and a woman in white armor walked through and the temperature dropped so fast my breath misted and every vampire in the hall went still because the power radiating off her was ancient and terrifying and through the bond Kael's recognition slammed into me along with his fear.
"Lucia," he breathed and his voice held centuries of old terror. "The Hunter Saint."
She smiled and it was cold and beautiful and empty. "Hello Kael and I heard you've been breaking sacred laws and creating abominations and the council thought someone should remind you that even vampire lords answer to higher powers."
Through the bond Kael's certainty crashed into me and it was devastating because he knew we couldn't win this and he was already calculating how to get me out alive even if it cost him everything.
"She's not an abomination," Kael said and moved between me and Lucia. "She's my blood mate and the bond is sacred and older than your councils and your laws."
Lucia's eyes found me and I felt her gaze like ice in my veins. "Blood mates are myths used to justify breaking natural law and I've killed a dozen vampires who claimed the same and their mates died just as easily."
Through the bond Kael's hand found mine and squeezed tight. "You'll have to go through me to touch her."
"I was counting on it," Lucia said and drew a sword that blazed with light that hurt to look at. "I've wanted to test myself against you for two centuries."
Through the bond I felt Kael's certainty that this was a fight he might not win and his desperate plan to hold her attention while Cassian got me to safety and his absolute refusal to let me die even if it meant sacrificing himself.
"No," I said and through the bond I pushed all my determination at him. "We survive together or not at all and you don't get to play hero and leave me behind."
His eyes met mine and through the bond his love was so overwhelming it brought tears to my eyes. "Elara—"
"Together," I said firmly and squeezed his hand. "You promised me you'd never let go."
Through the bond his resolve crystallized and he pulled me close and kissed me hard and desperate and his promise blazed bright that whatever happened next we would face it side by side.
Lucia laughed and the sound was like breaking glass. "How touching and it won't save either of you."
She moved and even with my new speed she was faster and her blade sang toward my throat and through the bond Kael's terror exploded and time slowed and I saw his hand reach to pull me behind him and I saw the blade that would take his head instead of mine and something inside me snapped wide open.
Power exploded from my chest and light blazed silver and white and the force of it sent Lucia stumbling backward and every hunter in the hall screamed and covered their eyes and through the bond Kael's shock hit me like lightning because whatever I'd just done wasn't vampire magic and it wasn't human and it was something else entirely.
Lucia stared at me with wide eyes and for the first time since she'd walked in she looked uncertain. "What are you?"
I didn't know the answer but through the bond Kael's awe and pride wrapped around me and gave me strength and I stepped forward with power still crackling around my hands. "I'm his and he's mine and if you want him you go through me first."