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Caleb gestures magnanimously. “We’re glad you’re here.”
Kenna, Cora, and a handful of others join them at the entrance.
Alec’s gaze sweeps over them. “Surely, we have more than these.”
Cora jerks a thumb over her shoulder. “There’s more in the building, but not as many as one might hope. Who’d you bring?”
Caleb crosses his arms, and Maddy does the same, trying to look at ease. A thousand pricks dance over her skin, almost like goose bumps, and it’s coming from the Fae. She’s realizing the difference between Fae and vampires isn’t all in their head. After centuries of being at odds, it’s reached a cellular level.
“The Faerie magic which made you a powerful Van Helsing was my own.” Alec turns and gestures grandly to the warriors behind him. “And these Faerie warriors have long stayed hidden among the mortals, awaiting the death of Orion. They have come to finally see the end of him.” He turns to Kenna. “And who did you bring?”
Kenna shakes her head. “I have some Order members here. It’s hard to find the ones who haven’t been possessed.” She checks the large clock to the right. “There’s more on their way. Not as many as we need, but more.”
He turns to Cora. “And you?”
“Not that it’s any of your Fae business, but I’ve brought all the vampires we have left.” She sighs. “It took some work to convince them that Orion is a bigger threat to the world.” She turns to Maddy. “I had to promise them we’d make sure every vial of the Cure in the world is destroyed.”
Kenna gasps.
Cora shoots her a dark look. “It’s the only way I could get them to agree.”
Maddy nods. “We’ll do it.” She considers Caleb. “It’s not like we’re going to go around turning everyone back into a human against their will.” She glares at Kenna, too. Caleb’s only just now beginning to get used to all the feelings and everything else associated with being human again.
Caleb turns to his aunt, the great leader of the Knightly Rose vampire hunters. “If that’s what we have to do to save the world, then that’s what we’re going to do, Kenna.”
She presses her lips into a tight line, but she doesn’t argue. Instead, she whirls to face the few of the Order with her now. “Come on. Let’s make ready.”
Cora ushers the vampires off, too. “Time to earn our keep.” She glances back at Alec. “And prove we’re better warriors than the Fae.”
Caleb chuckles under his breath.
Kenna strides away, pulls a stick from her belt, extends it, and knocks the end against one of the other Order members. “Come on. Let’s warm up.”
* * *
Pink light danceson the top edge of the horizon as they’re nearly ready to leave Veritas. Maddy studies the collected warriors. It’s not enough. They’ll probably be outnumbered. Her stomach churns.
Even Caleb looks a little paler than when he marched out of the guest apartments.
Maddy’s hands tighten into hot fists. It’s what they have, so it’s what they’ll use. They won’t let Orion have the mortal plane without a fight.
Alec opens the portal, and they step out into the mountains around the mansion where Orion hides, leaving Maddy blinking. She’ll never get used to being one place and then stepping through to another.
Once their small, hastily assembled army is through, Alec allows the portal snaps closed behind them. They all drop to the ground to peer down at the mansion from their carefully chosen vantage point. For a moment, Maddy allows herself to believe that destiny is on their side. They had all the pieces they needed when they needed them. Even with his look of disdain, Alec still showed up to help them get to the mansion.
Maybe with fate on their side…
The mansion has more gothic spires on it than Maddy remembers, and the points stab at the low cloud, illuminated by the rising sun. Jagged peaks surround them, and there’s only one road into the mansion. Her stomach clenches as she registers figures moving in the towers that have probably been turned into turrets. More figures move past the windows.
So many…
Caleb drops onto the ground beside her and takes her hand. He gives her an encouraging squeeze, and Maddy’s glad he probably can’t see everything she can. This is worse than she expected…and she knew it would be bad.
Fear and dread crowd around the flicker of hope bravely trying to stay alive inside her. “Do you think we’ll win?” she whispers to Caleb, unwilling to hear anyone else’s answer.
He’s the only one who can feed the belief they’ll not only win, but live to see it.
But before Caleb can answer, Alec marches toward them with an even more sour look on his face.
