The Weaver's Source

Chapter 94

"Lyra, I won't let you die or get eaten but you are the best lure I have. I'm going to guide those vampires to me and slay every single one for taking my family from me." He growled with his eyes blazing and his nostrils flaring in growing hatred and rage. "I will tear them limb from limb, rend the heads from their shoulders, burn them to ash for murdering No-Tongue. He was a good man, Lyra, and a good hunter. Now I'm without him and I won't just roll over and accept it. I will slay every last one of them even if I die in doing so." He roared with fury burning over his face and madness in his eyes.

I couldn't say anything, but my magic was getting increasingly worried. It chirped for Grigore. Screamed for him. I could feel my Weaver's fear rippling through him, sparking his fury more. Grigore was angry, terribly angry.

"Remus, Grigore can help you." I said calmly, swallowing my growing fear in an attempt to yamk him away from madness. "He'll be more than willing to. Just wait for him to get here. He's not far; moments away."

"He wouldn't have agreed to this, he'd be out of his mind to. He loves you too much to have any kind of harm come to you or risk your life." He snapped as he gripped the hilt of that mean looking knife. "This will be over soon, Lyra. You'll survive this, I'll make sure you will. Just let me slaughter the bastards for harming my nieces and No-Tongue."

I didn't have time to say anything else when he draw the blade over my palm with a sharp jerk, cutting through cloth and flesh easily. I winced at the pain and the sensation of my own warm blood trickling down my arm, gasping sharply.

"Vampires are smart enough to resist your song but they won't be able to resist your blood." Remus growled.

I tried to squirm away as he cut open my arm with a fine red line, I tried to punch him, tried to take control of the blade, but he didn't notice me. Wards flicked over him, ensuring he was more than strong enough to keep my arm stretched up high, my skin bared so he could cut and cut. All I could was scream for Grigore and swallow the sharp pain slipping over my skin. Soon the room stank of it and Remus sheathed the blade.

He tugged out cloth and shoved it against my chest, finally releasing my bloodied arm. I cradled it close as I hissed from the hot slivers arcing over my arm, wrapping up the wounds carefully as I hunkered by my pack. I glanced at it. He'd been honest. Hild and my bow were in there.

"Sit tight, Lyra." He growled as he drew his sword, holding it tightly in his hands as he stood firmly between me and the door.

I shivered, pressing my lips into a thin line as my wounds stung and pulsed. I glanced at the open door but realised there was no point in running. The vampires would be lured to me and, right now, I was safe by Remus than alone.

I watched in silence, my magic trembling, my arm bleeding, and my eyes fixed on Remus. He'd take a big swig of a bottle, throwing it aside and seeking a fresh one, his song growing increasingly broken and pained and furious. He was so lost I realised hollowly. Just full of such rage and agony. It reminded me of Grigore when I first met him.

Too soon my magic began to wail instead of whimper. I felt my heart sink even further and my gut twist in fear. I quickly snatched up Hild, wrapping her belt about my waist and looking my bow about my back, not giving any thought to fuss over how I was going to fight with my arm in its current state. It hurt to just move it and the blood spilling from it worried me.

But I couldn't think of how I was going to survive, only that I had to. They were coming. The vampires had fallen for Remus' bait.

I wrenched Hild free, her blade glittering threateningly as I called for Grigore. I wanted him with me. I couldn't let Remus die nor could I let myself get eaten, but I couldn't do it alone, no matter how much I wished I could. I settled my flustered breathing, recalling Grigore's brief lesson, how to hold her, how to try to smother my terror. I thought of him, his touch and love, and how much I wanted to go back to it. Fear of the past couldn't keep me from my future.

Out of the darkness came footsteps. Gentle soft footsteps. Out stepped the male human, his hair as colourless as ever and his eyes eerily white. He smiled in welcome, parting his lips to show several tiny fangs. Beside him stood Olive and Mary, flanking him with hateful eyes and eerily beautiful faces.

Remus tightened his grip as the male stepped forward and I wrapped my song about me defensively.

"You're the last and you called us." The male said. "Obviously this is a desperate attempt to meet your own death." He glanced down the hall where Rhye lay dead among the barrels. "It's a shame you killed her. She would've made a powerful sister."

"I've put her to rest, like I will for Olive and Mary." Remus growled, the drunken haze lifting. "But you, I will make you hurt. I will make that damned wolf go through agony before I end it." He glanced about. "So where is he? Where's the bastard?"

The male simply smiled while Olive and Mary hissed and sniggered. Remus' rage thickened and churned about him like rot.

"We accept your gifts, Remus. We'll take the Source and your life." The male said softly.

"Lyra is no gift, her Weaver is on his way to make sure of that, but you can take my life only once I've taken yours." Remus snarled viciously.

"We'll see." The male replied as he stepped aside and a sister came hurtling from the darkness, roaring savagely with her maw bared and lined with teeth.

Remus' arms snapped up to meet her, swinging his blade as the golden wards ignited into a fiery mass. His sword swept through the sister easily, hacking her in half as she screamed in agony. Her remains flew in either direction, landing in a fleshy mess as she burned.

"I have hunted your kind for a long time now. You're young and you're going to be an easy kill." Remus said dryly as he readjust his grip on his flaming greatsword.

The male frowned before his face twisted into a scowl and he let out a murderous hiss as his mouth ripped apart in a bloody mess, marking the start of Remus' battle against the coven. A battle I wasn't sure either of us was going to live through.