A Shade of Kiev 2(27)

Matteo paused, raised both hands to his face and rubbed his temples, pacing up and down. Lorena appeared in an opening in the crowd and launched herself at me, wrapping her legs round my body and kissing me hard. I broke away and pushed her away from me irritably.

“I’m so relieved you’re safe. I was worried about you,” she breathed.

“Not now,” I snapped, clenching my jaw and trying to breathe deeply.

She looked hurt but didn’t attempt to hold onto me.

Matteo stopped short and looked at me disbelievingly.

“They may be your siblings, Kiev. But I don’t trust them. Not one bit. Why couldn’t they just send the witch with you? Why did they all have to come here?”

“They’re here because they want to apologize to you for whatever caused a rift between your two groups in the first place. And they also want to thank you for taking me in.” I stepped forward and gripped his shoulders. “They’re my siblings. Trust me on this. You don’t have to even allow them to enter inside the wall if you don’t feel comfortable with it.”

Matteo still looked at me doubtfully, but appeared to be somewhat comforted by my promise.

“All right. A few minutes. They don’t set foot inside here. Saira and I will come out to meet them on the beach.” He paused. “I’m only doing this because I trust you, Kiev.”

His last words echoed around my head as I stepped back out of the gate. Erik and Helina stood on the beach in front of the crowd of vampires. I beckoned them to approach.

Then I stood aside, now delirious from the pain, and watched them approach Matteo and Saira. Matteo’s jaw was clenched, and he looked more tense than I’d ever seen him. I looked to my siblings. Their expressions were unreadable—completely blank as they eyed the two leaders of the island.

Let’s get this over and done with. Then Celice can cast the spell over the island and I can retreat there to get rid of this cursed headache.

Erik was the first to hold out his hand. Matteo paused, then took it in a shake. Helina did the same, holding it out for Saira. She shook it the best she could with her large brown paw.

Then Brett’s shout filled the air.

I had been so focussed on the leaders in front of me, I had failed to notice several vampires sneak behind my back and race toward the open gate. I whirled around. Brett attempted to shut it, his grunts filling the night air. He must have kept the door open to watch the events unfold. Somehow, they had crept into a blind spot and come round the side of the wall. Tristan leading the way, they forced their way in.

Matteo and I locked eyes. I saw shock. Then accusation. Then fury. Panic coursing through me, I whirled round to face my siblings. But they had made a run for the gate too. By this time all the vampires had already forced their way inside.

I was stunned by their speed. They had flitted into the island, conjuring up strength that I had never seen before in any vampire.

As those witches weren’t ordinary witches, clearly, these vampires were no ordinary vampires.

“No!” I screamed, racing after them. Matteo and Saira were hot on my heels.

I was seeing everything in double. I turned around, scanning the clearing to catch a glimpse of my siblings. All around me, The Shade’s vampires were attacking Matteo’s people. My people. Vampire against werewolf. Vampire against vampire. Ripping at each other’s necks. Tearing at each other with their claws.

My breath hitched when I saw a few had fallen already.

“Helina! Erik!” I screamed through the woods. I stumbled forward, even as the battle around me grew more brutal, more bodies being felled by the minute. But they didn’t answer. There was no sight of them.

Mad with fury, I swore.

Why would they do this to me?

I stumbled into a small clearing where I caught sight of Lorena struggling against Tristan. Although I’d never developed much of an attachment to Lorena, the sight of Tristan attacking her made me lose it. I flew at him, gripping the back of his neck and digging in my claws. He let go and stumbled back.

He looked like he was about to fight back, but then something flickered in his eyes when he realized who I was. A Novalic. He staggered back and ran away into the woods.

“What’s going on, Kiev?” Lorena asked, terror marring her beautiful features.

“I don’t know,” I gasped. Gripping my burning temples with my fingers, I darted away from her.

I retraced my steps back into the heart of the chaos. Then Matteo’s voice boomed from across the clearing.

“Retreat! Retreat to the ship! Now!”

Matteo. No. Wait.

“Kiev!” a familiar voice called out to me. I turned around. Saira bolted toward me. She didn’t stop when she reached me. She ran right into me, knocking me to the ground with her massive frame. She lowered her head over my face, her eyes alight with fury and hurt. “Why would you do this to us? We trusted you.”