132

Novak

By the time I hunted down Amelie and Lucille, they were both already heading to the estate. They had orders to infiltrate our circle and sabotage us, but what their masters hadn't yet realized, was that they were never planning to harm their children.

They were able to show me a great deal about the enemies' plans, their spies, and some of their trump cards. I wasn't sure that it would be enough, however. What they showed me was terrifying. We weren't just fighting spirits and monsters, but deities older than time itself. They had personifications of chaos and death working with them, masters of elemental subjugation, and experts on magical exploitation.

People who could control even the eldest vampire sat beside spirits of the winds themselves, seeking to destroy my mates and all we held dear. It wasn't personal to them, of course, they didn't seek to destroy *us* in particular, but everything in general. They sought to eliminate everyone and thing that stood in the way of their goals.

Unfortunately, despite their extensive time undercover, Amelie and Lucille still weren't certain what their goals really were. The narrative of creating a new world in their image was a frequent one, but both women had heard whispers of different aims, from total chaos to the subjugation of certain species. We couldn't pinpoint a single, cohesive goal in the scattered group of entities, nor could we determine a definitive leader. Much like our own faction, I'd come to learn.

Supposedly, Bilgames, more commonly known as Gilgamesh, was behind the attempt to stop those who sought destruction, but he hadn't been seen or heard from in close to a century, and before his disappearance, he wasn't very hands on. Once he established the Divinity Chain loophole, he stopped leading the way he had been, fading into the background as if he felt his work was done.

We needed him now, but even Amelie, his wife of several millennia, had no clue where he'd made off to. It was frustrating and disheartening, but we couldn't give up. I wouldn't give up. I refused to give in to this retched darkness when I'd only just found a semblance of happiness.

We were on our way back to the estate, moving under cover of night, when we spotted them.

The rebellion. Anthony McKnight and his sons, at least the sons who hadn't raced away to rescue Esme.

We descended on their camp, unsurprised to hear a shout of alarm as we approached. It was Lucille that convinced the guards not to shoot us with their silver and ash tipped arrows.

"Take me to my husband," she demanded haughtily, making me smirk.

"Mom?" came a startled voice from behind the guards.

Lucille's eyes filled with tears as she raced forward, tugging one of her son's into her arms.

"Oh, Matthew, how I've missed you."

"It's really you. He wasn't lying?"

"No, darling. Your father should have told you everything by now. I hope you understand. I hope you can forgive me for my deception."

"I understand, Ma. I can't promise that the others do, but I do."

She smiled up at him before pulling back.

"Take me to your father, and gather your brothers. We have much to discuss before we arrive at the estate."

She glanced around, a worried frown on her face. I knew what she was thinking: there was a spy in Anthony's elite team who we hadn't yet been able to identify. As Matthew led her away, Amelie and I made our way around the camp, hunting our prey.

If we can subdue the spy without them committing suicide or escaping, then we could start filling some of the gaps in our knowledge.

~

Esme

I was sitting in the gardens with Alex when the feeling of unease started. I couldn't pinpoint the cause, and Alex didn't seem to be worried, though, so I brushed it off as nerves about the upcoming battle that we were expecting. Everyone has been talking about the changes that come with the equinox, and I find myself disturbed by their easy acceptance of that particular date.

What if we're attacked before then? What if the attack doesn't come until much later, when our guard has eased?

"Are you even listening, Esme?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

Alex tossed his hands in the air and growling in frustration.

"I was say that we need to plan for a worst case scenario! Dad said mom went undercover, but she could be compromised."

The sound of a sharp intake of breath from nearby snapped my attention to the bushes. Alex noticed my move and frowned.

"What's wrong, sis?"

I stood, stalking towards the source. The bushes rustled as whoever was listening took off towards the outer gate.

I couldn't let them escape. They could compromise mother's position within the enemy ranks. Why was Alex so loose with his words?

"Esme!" he shouted as I raced off, following a trail of damaged shrubs and broken branches. Not this time, I won't let my prey escape again.

I pushed myself, pumping my arms and legs until everything was moving by at a blur.

My prey led me on a merry chase before racing out the back gate. There was a niggling sensation in the back of my mind, warning me not to pass the boundary, but I ignored it, pushing it down and narrowing my focus to the single-minded purpose of catching whoever was spying on Alex and me.

I raced out the gate and into the dense trees beyond, following the trail left by my prey, until it just... disappeared. I halted abruptly, spinning in a circle in an attempt to recapture the trail, but there was nothing. No trail. No person. I sniffed the air. No scent.

The sound of a branch breaking has me twirling around and crouching, ready to defend myself.

An eerie laugh sends chills racing down my spine.

"How easy you were to lure out, little lynchpin."