My head lolled forward as he left the room. I knew I had to fight, but there was no way to stop the darkness from descending over me.
My last thought was of my daughter, and whether I could keep my promise to protect her.
A multitude of pain and fire slashed at me even as I drifted in a sea of unconsciousness. There was no true rest, but I managed to keep a section of my wolf energy wrapped around my womb, doing whatever I could to halt the spread of poisonous oil from continuing its insidious journey through my body.
Wetness splashed against me, rousing me to a semi-conscious state. "You need to wake. Your subconscious is hiding from him. Call for your damn mate or I will kill your child."
The sorcerer's voice was fuzzy and I barely recognized the words, but something resonated within me. I needed to call for Maximus.
I really didn't want to. I didn't want him anywhere near this crazy guy who'd been trying to take him down for months. But I had to think of our daughter, and the fact that Maximus would be expecting me to reach out to him. Maybe I could let him know it was a trap.
In my confused, probably dying state, I wasn't sure where to start. In the end I decided to just throw my spirit at the tenuous and emotional connection I'd always felt toward the vampire.
Maximus! I need help. Kristoff has us and he's poisoned me with something. Some sort of oil. I'm trying to protect her but I think I'm failing. He wants you to come. It's a trap. Please …
Whatever else I wanted to say was lost as a spasm of pain rocked through me and I screamed. My stomach started to heave and I couldn't stop the vomit from expelling everywhere. There was nothing much left in my gut and the bile burned the entire way up. The darkness was in my chest now, and as I continued heaving, the taint of evil pressed in on me.
"That's good," Kristoff said, pushing my hair back from my face. With a snarl I found the strength to rip my head back, out of his grip. "Keep calling for him. He'll come, and I'll be waiting."
I had no more strength, no more fight. Holding on to the last facets of who I was, I slumped and started praying to the gods, to the fey, even to Josephina, Jessa's dragon. She was pretty much a god. Keep my baby safe. Instinct was telling me that even if I died, she was developed enough now to live outside of the womb. Developed and strong enough. Someone had to save her for me, it was my most fervent desire.
Something cold and wet hit my face again, but I had no strength to open my eyes. I barely felt the pain of the chains cutting into me now. It felt as if the blood were sloshing sluggishly through my veins, thick, inky, and evil. A shout penetrated the muffled nature of my head. Kristoff again. Trying to get me to call for Maximus.
Too late, buddy. You didn't leave me with enough energy to do anything but sit here, fucker.
My mom hated that word, but I think in these circumstances she'd understand.
As my thoughts started to get weird and vapid, the wolf rose. She was often dormant within me, a byproduct of so many years caged. It had tamed a lot of the fire in her, and me also, but we were still wolf, and she did not want us to roll over and show our bellies.
Mate, she said.
If Kristoff's crazy ramblings were right, then I finally understood why she always said that.
Mate.
I coughed a few times, and my heart was doing this crazy slow beat. My wolf continued to batter me with growls and "I told you so's."
Yes, he's our mate. I'm sorry I always acted like you were wrong.
I sent reassurances to her and all I got in return was another growl. What did she want then? Why did she keep repeating "mate" to me in that way?
Icy cold water slapped me hard, and there was a burn in my arm I wanted desperately to rub at but couldn't. With a burst of heat, my mind came to life and my eyes flew open. I gasped, trying to fill my lungs with air. Everything was fuzzy in my vision, but there was no mistaking the sorcerer's evil, pointy, ugly-ass features.
"They're here," he said gleefully. "There's no point in this show though if you die before they get here. That will limit Maximus' suffering, and I can't have that. I've shot you up with a special blend of adrenalin. It will boost your shifter side and keep you alive just long enough."
Mate. My wolf sounded a bit smug now, which was really unbecoming of a majestic spirit such as hers.
I could feel Maximus. I'd always been hyper aware of him, something I tried not to think much on. Pretty much all made sense now.
This was the first time in hours I'd been able to properly focus, so I attempted to picture the massive vampire in my mind, aiming to touch the connection between us. It's a trap. My thoughts were desperate, but I was going to use whatever had been in that shot to reach him. Kristoff plans to capture and torture you. Don't come alone.
I repeated the warning over and over while my eyes remained locked on the insane sorcerer. He was standing just two feet away, staring at a spot over his shoulder, listening and waiting. I didn't know much about magic, but I had no doubt that he had this place rigged with all kinds of security and warning systems.
A coughing fit shuddered through me and I gagged a few times as my empty stomach protested. Even though I could hold my head up now, I wasn't doing great. Hang on, baby girl. I had to keep reassuring her. I was helpless to do anything else but shower her in love and warmth from my spirit. Thankfully my wolf was there also, adding her own magical spirit to the protection we were creating around her.
Kristoff still had not moved, continuing his statue impression.
I heard a series of crashes, and something fissured inside of my chest, like all the love and emotions I'd ever held toward a stubborn, giant, alpha vampire burst free from me in search of its mate. Damn you, emotions, you get back here.
I couldn't lose myself like that again. I wouldn't. Last time it had almost cost my sister her life, and I was not okay with that. I would not be my mother. I refused.
But still, there was no stopping the speeding of my heart and pulse. No stopping my head from turning toward where I could feel him coming from.
Despite my current state of dying and stuff, there was no way to deny that Maximus still had the tightest hold on me. And he was coming for me now, just like Jessa had promised. They never left a pack member behind.
How ironic to finally find the family I'd always craved, who accepted me unconditionally and fought for me, only to be moments away from death.
Screw you, fates … screw you.
Maximus Compass
Rational thought had long since faded from my mind. Instinct was all I had.
"Are you ready, brother? You remember the plan, right?" Braxton was calmer now that he had Jessa back, but the beast still shone from his eyes.
He cared about Mischa. I was way past that. Caring was an insipid word compared to what I felt at this point.
As we stepped through the final magical portal, Braxton growled, his eyes flashing from yellow to blue. He was in protective mode: no one touched his pack and lived. Which was why he had incinerated all evidence of the supe smuggling operation before we left.
Jacob, Jessa, and Tyson then went back to Stratford to alert the council of what we'd found. The supes who'd been in the cages around us were escorted to the sanctuary, where they would be able to decide where to go next. Louis, Braxton, and I went after Mischa.
I was desperate to find Mischa, and desperate to kill the son of a bitch who took her. Louis had picked up a magical essence from the fey stones Kristoff used to purchase Mischa, which he had then used to amplify a connection he sensed between me and Mischa. His step through had led us to a land of cold, stark, desolate expanses of wilderness.
"Russia," Louis murmured as we moved freely. I did recognize some of the landscape now. We were in northern Russia, near the supernatural prison town of Kreatsky.
The wizard who'd run the smuggling ring had admitted that Kristoff was more than just a simple "buyer," he'd actually been instrumental in setting up the entire thing. He was the one who made deals with the demons. I tried not to think too hard on it, considering he had Mischa and I was already fearing for her safety.
Goddammit! I focused on putting one foot in front of the other and trying to mentally reach for Mischa. The connection was there, strangely tenuous but it was there. Weirdly enough, it almost felt like the more Cardia's bond faded from my body, the stronger the connection was between Mischa and me. And my baby. They weren't dead, I knew that much, but the flickering of the bond was causing me great concern. Mischa was hurt. The taste of dark magic and blood was strong across my senses. And since it wasn't coming from me, it was definitely from her.
"Hurry!" I bit out, increasing my pace and forcing the mage to step up. He was the one directing this search party, and I hated following when I wanted to charge ahead.
"Patience, vampire. There's dark magic washed all across this area. It is very hard to pinpoint the actual location when I am sifting through all the waste."
My answer was lost in the growls as I lunged for him. Braxton caught me before I managed to make contact. "We need him! You can't kill him yet."
Louis shook his head. We were sprinting across the tundra now, slipping on mud and ice. "No idea why I bother with you all. If it wasn't for my love of the Lebron girls, I'd have cast you all into the dead plains long ago."
I flipped him off before baring my fangs, a direct threat he would recognize. Most supes did their best to run and hide when vampires lost it like this, but Louis simply grinned as though I amused him.