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Nadya practically skipped out of the mansion and across the sunlit lawn to the barracks her new army lived in. The vampire queen happily thought about her enhanced soldiers and giggled. Vampires 2.0. Everything was falling into place.
She threw open the doors to the barracks and let the sunlight in, illuminating the faces of hundreds of vampires. She smiled again and imagined the dumbstruck expression on Ash’s stupid face when an army of daywalkers descended on her.
She would never expect it. None of them would, not with Jules and his fool slavers attacking at the same time.
Ash’s death would have two benefits: the vampiric threat to her position would be gone, and Luca would be crushed. He’d already lost her as a human, and if Nadya ended her life as a vampire, it would break his spirit. He would be too upset to fight properly, which would leave him vulnerable.
Her voice rang through the cavernous room. “It’s time to go. Momma’s got work for you.”
They jumped into action, and Nadya turned to leave. She had two hundred and fifty daywalkers, and they were all disposable in her mind. If she lost them, she would make more. She’d seen Ash on the battlefield, so she wouldn’t underestimate her opponent. Although Nadya was confident that her army would eliminate the threat Ash posed, along with any Therians in the palace.
She hoped Luca would be there to see it happen.
Nadya ordered her Therians to go ahead with the rocket launchers. They would shoot at the mountain and the palace, and those inside would come out to repel the attack, never suspecting vampires in the sunlight. The plan was perfect. She knew it would work.
New Therian Palace
Three hours later, the Therians she’d taken from Jules stalked toward the mountain carrying the rocket launchers, and as planned, they fired. One hit the front of the palace, and the explosion took down a large chunk of wall. Rubble and boulders rolled down the side of the mountain. She very much enjoyed the idea of destroying the new palace they’d built.
Fuck the Therian empire.
The next shot hit a portion of the mountain under which Nadya suspected part of the palace lay.
Therians poured out of the palace to meet the attackers.
Nadya called the witches forward, and they made portals large enough for groups of vampires to pass through. Her Therians launched four rockets one after another, and they slammed into the palace. Parts of the exterior fell off, and Nadya smiled as she stepped through a portal.
After the upheaval in the war council, Viktorija distracted the riled kings and dukes while Ash and Luca slipped away to a quiet room, allowing the pair a private moment under the guise of diplomacy.
Luca slowly approached Ash, noting every aspect of her appearance. “You know…” he began nervously, “you are more impressive and more beautiful every time I see you.”
Her radiant smile warmed his heart. Even with red eyes, she was stunning. “I could say the same about you, Professor Hotpants.”
He grinned. “I will also accept ‘Lord Hotpants.’”
He’d taken a single step toward her, unable to resist the urge to touch her, when the first explosion shook the palace. Seconds later, another blast sent vibrations through the walls, and four additional explosions in succession shook the mountain under their feet.
Shouts of alarm came from the hallway as people raced by. “Enemies are attacking the outer wall!” a guard shouted.
The doors burst open, and the King’s Guard stormed into the room and surrounded the king. They turned on Ash like she was a threat, but Luca ordered them to stand down.
Ash’s eyes went blank. He was concerned at her sudden stillness but figured out she was having a vision. She stayed that way for a few seconds, then shook her head. Awareness returned to her eyes.
“What did you see?” he asked.
Her face paled. “The attack is a distraction. It’s not Jules. Just like I feared it would be, it’s Nadya. She’s using Jules as a distraction. She has an army of daywalking vampires. I saw witches and portals, too. I think they’re planning on using them to get into the palace.”
Ivanna ran into the room and skidded to a stop, covered in blood and panting. “Luca! I came to warn you about Jules, but Ash beat me to it. Thank you, by the way. Did you say Nadya is attacking with an army of daywalkers? This isn’t Jules?”
“They aren’t working together, but Nadya was aware of Jules’ plans and used them to her advantage,” Ash explained.
Ivanna looked sick. “Daywalkers! They were always experimenting on me. Nadya’s mad scientists took my blood and used it to create all kinds of things to help the vampires. Some of it worked, but most of it didn’t. It’s possible they found a way on their own, without magic.”
The palace shook, and something fell off and rolled down the mountain.
“We have to tell everyone. They will never expect vampires to appear in the palace. We were preparing for an external assault by Jules,” Luca insisted.
“Viktorija sent the soldiers out to fight the Therians. There is a cluster of them outside with rockets,” Ivanna replied. They stopped in the war council room to grab weapons from a cabinet in the corner.
