Chapter 64: 64__Pouring light into his darkness
He couldn’t let her go.
Cursing, Rogan let his eyes close for a moment, racking his brains for something. Anything that could fix this. She wasn’t gone, he could save her! As long as her soul was in her body, he could still save her. And he would!
Except for some reason, sorcery didn’t seem to be working.
Rogan clutched his hair in desperation. It was his fault. He should have put Diana in her place sooner, he should have realized what was going on and warned his family away from Maia. What could he do now? He had to do something quickly before he lost his powers of sorcery.
Then Maia would be gone from him forever.
As he sat, uselessly pouring as much magic into her as he could produce, the ghosts huddled together in a corner they were too scared to leave.
It sucked being them. Do one thing and the Queen of Cassius would be on your back, do another and Rogan would tear you to pieces.
They’d had enough. From the looks of it, Rogan seemed to be stronger than his cousin anyway.
One of them slowly approached Rogan, stopped short by a grip on her arm. Looking back at her concerned friend, she shrugged his arm off and continued towards Rogan.
With bravery turning her face stern, the young ghost reached him. Rogan sensed her presence and glared sharply over his shoulder.
She held out her hands fearfully.
“W-we’re sorry, Sorcerer… we had no choice. But I can tell you how to save her!”
Rogan’s stare intensified and the ghost drew closer. She forced her knees to not tremble in his presence. Right, it was better to save the girl. Why would the Queen want the innocent child dead anyway?
The ghost’s dull black hair swayed as she shook her head at Rogan. “The sorcery won’t work! Queen Diana made it so no one in the kingdom could save her with magic. But… remember. You’re a Vampire *too*, Sorcerer. *You* have other ways to save her!”
Rogan’s gaze, stunned with realization, turned back to Maia’s pale face. His *Vampire* powers?
He paused for a moment.
He frowned. As much as he hated them, they were a part of him, they were who he was. Even if he barely used them.
Swallowing, he held her face. There was no time to waste. He’d forget about how much he hated Darrius’s genes within him and use the damn things to his benefit. It was the least his father owed him.
The swirling magic in his iris slowed, getting lighter as his eyes changed and the switch in his focused occurred. He dragged out the rusty, creaky side of his soul that was royal Vampire and shoved it forward to get the job done.
It was his last chance.
A dark emerald glow started in his eyes, burning up into bright green as his fangs lengthened, the sharp tips pricking his tongue.
The ghost girl was wringing her hands nervously beside him. “H-hurry!” she whispered.
Viciously swiping up his tongue, Rogan cut into it with the tip of his fangs until he felt a few drops of blood fill his mouth, the warm liquid salty.
His hand tightened on her face and, turning her head to the side, he bared her neck to him.
He wouldn’t just bite her. He’d make sure his blood got into her… and hers into him.
A quiet, warning voice at the back of his mind reminded him that she was human and he was already suffering the side effects of having drank gallons of human blood during his killings over fifteen years ago. Rogan shut the voice up quicker than he did people’s praise.
He didn’t care. If becoming addicted to human blood again was the result of this… then he’d live with it.
Lowering his head to her neck, he pressed a soft kiss to her skin and then gently sunk his fangs into her neck, grunting when the taste of her blood hit his tongue.
It was… *euphoric*. Ironically.
His tongue stroked against her soft flesh as he poured himself into her and drank deeply out of her.
She had to live. She had to!
Wrenching his head away, Rogan stared down with parted blood-stained lips, panting from the rush in his veins and anxiety in his heart.
His blood was travelling though her, and part of her soul, through him. He’d mixed himself into her, and hopefully, some of her pure divinity was now in his sinner of a soul.
The next moment, it happened. She flinched and Rogan stopped breathing.
His hand went to her face and cupped. “Maia? Maia.”
He felt her body shiver in his arms and then, without warning, she gasped, her back arching high out of his arms as her eyes flashed open.
They glowed green, a dark swirl of black magic deep within the glow, captivating Rogan for a long moment.
With a soft whimper, she fell back against him, her eyes closing again. He caught her, partly in shock and partly out of his mind with relief.
Oh, God and all things merciful. She was okay!
Rogan wrapped his arms tightly around her as, unaware of it, his mouth curved into a smile.
“Fucking *scared* me, Maia…” he whispered, rocking her as his smile got bigger.
He had never, in his life, felt such indescribable... joy. And *fury*.
Lifting her into his arms, he held her safely before turning to the ghost standing besides him.
Looking at the relief mirrored in her eyes, Rogan nodded. “… Thanks...”
************
Diana stood in the throne room, tapping her foot furiously in anxiety.
When Rogan appeared, the girl in his arms and dark malice in his eyes, Diana almost died from rage.
Her fists shaking, she stomped towards him. “Rogan, this isn’t necessary! You’re ruining all my plans!”
Ignoring her, Rogan kept walking, heading calmly for the door. Maia first. Maia. He’d put her somewhere safe.
And *then* he’d return for them and *nothing*… would save them.
“Rogan, *please*!” Diana whined, stomping her foot. Damn him, the stubborn fool! He was ruining her plans!
When he continued to ignore her and magically opened the doors to the throne room, she growled with fury. “Damn you!” she screeched. “You think this is over?! You don’t *know* me well enough! I am Queen Diana of Cassius and I’ll be *damned* if you make it past the gates to my kingdom!”
Rogan let the doors slam shut on her screaming, his jaw shaking from just how hard he was clenching his teeth.
Maia first. She was weak. He had to take care of her first. The rest would come later.
Controlling his rage far better than he realized he was, Rogan walked away from the Kingdom castle.
His body hurt, aching from the battle earlier as well as the amount of power he’d poured out to heal Maia, but Rogan just kept walking. Not an ounce of pain showed on his face anyway, it didn’t matter.
With the thought of taking Maia to safety, Rogan felt slightly more ticked off when he reached the open square at the centre of the Kingdom, halfway to the gates, and Diana made good on her words.
He watched the army approach him, various shades of purples and greens glowing amongst them as some used sorcery and others their Vampire strength.
They held wands, some of them, bursting forth with magic. Others held swords, some, daggers and knives.
Rogan licked his tongue against one fang as he watched them come. Diana had an impressive army. Even if they always lost in every battle they’d fought with Onyx.
With a sigh, he turned around. It looked like he had no choice. He’d have to look after Maia and fight them at the same time.
His body protested, but his temper said fuck it. Rogan knew many times when he’d gotten through battles on his temper alone. It was like fuel for his magic.
And right now? He had plenty of fuel.
Adjusting her in his arms so he could take off his Sorcerer’s robe, he kicked it out onto the ground, laying Maia gently on top of it.
He wrapped both sides of the garment over her and stroked back her hair once, smiling fondly down at her cute face as she slept.
“Don’t worry, Maia…” he told her. “I’ll get you out of here. Okay?”
With his gaze on her face, he rose and then turned to face the approaching army of Cassius.
A hardened expression of rage wiped the smile off his face and Rogan held out his right palm. Purple power rose and out of its darkness, his black wand of sorcery formed.
His fingers caressed the sinewy texture of its skin and Rogan easily twirled the old tool between his fingers.
They weren’t far off now, he could hear them clearly, their loud cries of war and destruction fanning at the blaze of his own excitement.
Tipping out the end of his wand, Rogan conjured fire from the depths of hades. With the muttered spell he spoke, he poured it out and watched, with immense satisfaction, as it created a wall of burning purple fire between him and the army. Yes. Let them burn.
A smile curved his mouth and Rogan twirled the wand between his fingers. “Just like mom used to do it.”
“Having fun, you bastard?”
Stunned at that voice, Rogan looked over his shoulder. He blinked. “What the devil are you doing here?”
Aiden huffed and raised a middle finger. “That’s not what remorse over not telling me about this sounds like! And you mean, what are *we* doing here?”
Further stunned, Rogan looked behind him to see them emerging from between the buildings, running over to him in the empty area of the square.
Cassie and Cleo had those troublesome smirks on, the ones Rogan recognized as excitement to battle. “Selfish of you to keep all the fun to yourself! Maia’s our friend too!” accused Cassie, with Cleo nodding in agreement.
Walking icily behind them, was Zainab. She rolled her eyes when Rogan looked at her. “I’m only here for old time’s sake, so don’t get touched or anything. And also… because I’m sorry I put ice blades in you.”
Rogan nodded in slight puzzlement. “Right.” He looked at Aiden. “How did you know?”
Scanning his gaze over the army fighting through Rogan’s barrier of fire, Aiden pointed a thumb towards a building.
“Those guys.”
When Rogan raised his gaze, the last thing he’d expected to see was seven men in black, standing, crouching and kneeling on the top of a building, their gazes fixated to the army of half-Vamps they were about to fight.
The Legion, Viktor’s personal army. All seven of the brothers.
Seth met Rogan’s gaze and gave him a single nod. Rogan scoffed in disbelief. Viktor, that little…
“Well!” said Aiden excitedly, flexing his hands. “I’m going in.”
There was no time for Rogan to stop and think after that, because it began.
The real war.