Page 62 of Blood Sacrifice

“Get those doors open, Tarrack,” I replied, my voice deepening as panic set in since my mate was out there alone.

“I’m trying,” he said. “Fuck it, I’m going to have to go down there and do it manually.”

“No need,” a familiar voice answered him, and I recognised Dominic’s unique accent. “Those are my vampires currently raiding your base since we were never going to get everyone with a few tranquiliser guns. Make an announcement for everyone to surrender to preserve lives.”

“Salvator would never agree to that,” Tarrack replied, his voice rising at the end.

“Which is why this plan will work. None of this is what anyone who knows Salvator would expect,” Dominic said.

The annoying vampire was right. Anyone who knew me would testify that I would die before I surrendered. This was the strategic mind Luna kept talking about, the man who viewed the war differently to everyone else and remained alive whenhis contemporaries were all dead. The least I could do was play along.

“Get those fucking doors open,” I said to everyone in the room. “We are under attack. I want every man out there fighting. Tarrack, get our men into the armoury.”

“I’m going to turn off the speakers in your room,” Tarrack replied. “Dominic seems to be in control out here.”

The alarm still sounded in our room, but the audio speakers in the room were silent, even though I could hear what was being said through my communications device.

“Everyone to their command posts. Do not engage the enemy at this time, as we believe them to be dark magic users.” Tarrack’s voice rang out loud and clear, and I knew none of our wolves would argue if dark magic was involved since we all knew the stakes.

We needed time to release as many wolves as possible who may be spellbound. These doors were bombproof, but I let everyone try to open them, I even managed to drag the door handle off as I tried to use my strength on the metal object that successfully stood up to attack.

I stepped back as the witches drew sigils on the door, flicking the lighter in my pocket open and setting fire to the napkins on the table at the back beside the coffee cups. Luna might be wanting to get everyone some of that potion through the drinking water, but the water pumping into this building fed the fire defence system as well. Smoke rose up toward the fire alarm that would activate the system for the entire building—not just this room.

Jethro spun around, detecting the smoke with his sensitive nose, his eyes moving between me and the small fire behind me. A second high-pitched alarm activated, the lights above the fire exits illuminating to show us which route to use out of the building.

A few drops of water dripped down from the ceiling before a fine mist sprayed out, coating everyone below it. I heard screams in my ear device as the building became saturated with water containing Luna’s potion. The fire alarm overrode the locking mechanism Tarrack had employed, opening the doors. The wolves in the room with us fell to their knees, grasping their throats or holding their arms over their heads.

How many of our people had been compromised in this magical attack?

Everything happened in slow motion and high speed at the same time. Pandemonium reigned outside, screams echoing as my wolves felt the agony of that spell breaking. Kayla held her hand out to catch some of the water, sniffing it before hissing.

“There is an enchantment in this water. We are under attack!” Kayla exclaimed, her hands spreading in front of her in a protective pose.

“We are all under attack,” I snapped, pushing past her into the hall. My flesh felt like it was burning when Luna removed the curse from me, almost as if it was being cut from every cell in my body. It had been agony, but I had gritted my teeth and bore it, so I had sympathy for what I was witnessing right now.

“What’s happening to them?” I demanded, playing my expected role. When I studied them, the appearance of the witches was altered, their faces the same but completely different as if their true intent was displayed.

“I’m not sure,” Aisha stuttered, moving forward to examine one of the younger wolves. “It almost looks as if they have been poisoned.”

Or cured from the curse that had been placed on them.

“No one is to leave this place!” I instructed. “Lock this base down until I hunt down whoever has attacked us. Balor will not get away with this insult!”

I strode off, and heard the rapid movement of feet following me. We were halfway down the corridor when I heard a commotion behind me.

“Take them,” Dominic commanded, his men surrounding us dressed in black, their faces covered with masks. He pointed at the witches. “Bind their hands as they are magic users. The dogs can be bound with silver.”

I growled, my claws and canines descending. Dominic merely raised an eyebrow, a smirk appearing on his lips. The asshole was enjoying this façade.

Three of the witches surrounded Aisha, lifting their hands as they began to mutter, but the vampires were more prepared than I gave them credit for, seemingly immune to whatever magic was being cast.

Aisha screamed, and the paintings on the wall shook. I felt the magic swell inside her, and even Dominic gave her a guarded look. Each of the priestesses had been powerful in their own right, each of them able to control all the elements. She threw up her arms and we were all pushed back several feet.

“Enough!” Aisha shouted. “Release my people!”

A soft tutting made the hairs at the back of my neck stand up.

“He can’t do that,” Luna said, emerging from a stairwell, and drawing everyone’s attention to her. “Dominic works with me, and won’t respond to your influence.”

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