Page 101 of Midnight Reign
My mother’s face swims into view. A golden light shining all around her. “Don’t let her tell you what you aren’t, Addy. You know yourself better than anyone.”
Her words spark something profound in me. A flicker of defiance, an ignition of hope. I push myself up, standing on shaky legs in the sea of blood.
“No,” I say, my voice growing stronger. “You’re wrong, Crimson. About everything.”
She raises an eyebrow, amusement dancing in her blood-red eyes. “Oh? Do enlighten me, sister.”
I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “I am not nothing without you. I am Adelaide Légère. I am a vampire. More than a vampire; our father saw to that, didn’t he. I am loved. Not foryourpower, but for who I am.”
“There’s that spark, but you’re channelling it the wrong way, Adelai?—”
“Shut up,” I snap, cutting her off. “You don’t know those guys. You don’t know me. And you sure as hell don’t get to define who I am or what I’m capable of.”
I feel something spring up inside me, a warmth that spreads through my body. It’s not Crimson’s dark power, but something else. Something that’s been there all along, waiting to be awakened. It’smypower. My fucking power as this ridiculous Vesper-come-vampire whatever the fuck. It was squashed under her darkness, but oh, now it is pissed. It is swirling with whatever the hell—or should that be heaven—my mother passed down by blood.
“I don’t need your power,” I continue, my voice growing stronger with each word. “I have my own, and I’m going to use it to stop you.”
Crimson seems almost impressed. “You can’t stop me. You can’t stop this. You might have your own little power brewing inside you, Adelaide, but it is nothing compared to mine. You are going to help me open that fucking portal once and for all, and we are going to do it, fucking right now.” She grips my hand tightly, crunching my bones together.
“Portal?” I squeak in pain. “I thought you said this was the NetherRealm!”
“Nope, this is the buffer. I needed to torment you for long enough to get that flicker of celestial light that your bitch mother gave you to light up. I see it now. You are growing up fast, little sis. I’m almost impressed.”
“Let go!” I shriek as her nails dig into my skin, drawing blood, which drops down into the sea, swirling around our ankles.
“I can’t do that, Adelaide. You and I are nothing where we are. We are doing this, and we are going to unleash all fucking hell on this plane!” She cackles wildly as her claws dig even deeper into my palm.
“Stop! Crimson! This is?—”
She slaps her other hand over my mouth and stares into my eyes. “This is inevitable.”
43
CORVUS
The worldaround us is utter chaos. The sky churns with a sickening combination of black and crimson, like a festering wound torn open across the sky. Massive obsidian pillars jut from the ground, their jagged surfaces reflecting the hellish light. The stench of brimstone and decay, and the wails of unearthly creatures fill the air.
But I barely register any of it. My entire focus is on Adelaide, lying motionless in my arms. Her skin is deathly pale, blood pouring from her nose and ears. “Come on, Dollie,” I murmur, gently brushing a strand of sticky hair from her face. “Wake up. Please, wake up.”
But she remains still, her chest barely rising with each shallow breath. Fear, cold and sharp, claws at my insides. I’ve never felt terror like this, and I hope to never again. The thought of losing her is unbearable.
Above us, Crimson’s massive form looms, a titanic figure of swirling darkness and pulsing red energy. She’s unresponsive, seemingly caught between our world and wherever she was meant to go. It’s a small mercy, but one that won’t last forever.
Zaiah kneels beside me, gently cupping her face. “Her life force is stable,” he says, his voice tight with concern. “But it’s different. It’s not fully here.”
“What does that mean?” I demand, unable to keep the edge of panic from my voice.
The djinn shakes his head, frustration filling his expression. “I don’t know. It’s like part of her is somewhere else. Trapped, maybe?”
Trapped. The word echoes in my mind. Trapped where I can’t get to her. I’ve never felt so helpless.
A booming laugh cuts through my thoughts. I look up to see Malachar striding towards us. His face is split in a triumphant grin that makes my blood boil.
“An honoured sacrifice,” he sneers, his eyes fixed on Adelaide’s still form.
I gently lay Adelaide down and rise to my feet, positioning myself between her and Malachar. “Stay back,” I growl, my fangs dropping.
Malachar’s grin widens. “Or what, little vampire? You’ll fang me to death? You’re out of your depth here, boy. This is the dawn of a new age, and you’re on the wrong side of history.”
