Pyrose veered to the left as Fane aimed a fiery breath
toward them. With a vicious swipe of her claws, Pyrose caught Ebonwrath in the
eye, nearly blinding the large creature. He shrieked in pain, shaking his head and
almost losing his cargo in the process. But Fane held on as the animal fiercely
shuddered nearly crashing to the earth.
In response, Fane began his own onslaught against Victoria. His powerful magics exploded around her in a high-flying blitz that put her on the defensive. Pyrose skirted the horizon, dodging volatile projectiles as they erupted dangerously close by. The red dragon moved so nimbly, avoiding the mountains, the balls of death being thrown by Fane and the stray weaponry hurled from below. It was as if she had eyes along her scales and was completely attuned to Victoria’s needs and maintaining her well-being.
Fane eluded Victoria’s efforts to ground him all the while
he rained down fire from the drake he commanded. It took everything the wizards
had to create power shields to protect their allies from a fiery death from
above.
Many of those that had not perished in the initial battle were lost in the ensuing assault. And as the remaining battery of supernaturals fought their way through their enemy, the more critically wounded succumbed to their injuries.
Thanks to Pyrose, Ebonwrath had been grounded. She gave a great, loud shriek, like thunder and directed her lithe body to the earth. Victoria hopped off the mighty beast’s back and circled around her fallen opponent. Fane groaned as he lay face down in the dirt and shouts and screams erupted from the council. But Victoria feared the celebration came too early. She could still feel the strength of his power coursing through his veins.
Fane may have been down, but he was certainly not out.
However, she had used up quite a bit of her own magical stores and needed rest
to recharge. There was nothing she could do now but wait. The Vanguard had managed
to fight down much of the cultists and the endless run of skeletal soldiers had
been frozen in place. The field was still, and all around them was silent.
“We’re blood, Victoria, kith and kin,” Fane spoke as he
knelt in front of her. “You and I are connected and will always be connected.
It doesn’t matter what you try. This is a battle you’ll never win.”
Grabbing Derrick’s hand, she used his sharp nails to slice open
her wrist and offered it to Rowan at the same time Derrick’s mouth closed on
her throat. Fane stood in shock watching as the vampires fed, disgusted by what
she was doing.
“How can you lower yourself like this? Why would you allow these mongrels to defile you. Your essence, your blood…”
Once the two had their fill, Victoria smirked, giving them
each a nod. “You know the one word you shouldn’t keep saying around a bunch of
frenzied vampires, Fane?”
At that, Derrick and Rowan attacked, rushing Fane before he had a chance to react. Invigorated by Victoria’s blood, they were both unrelenting killing machines and each one unleashed an assault Fane struggled to deflect. They were locked in a battle for their lives, clawing, biting and pummeling Fane with everything they had while moving at speeds Victoria found hard to track. They were hitting so hard she could feel the impact shake the ground. Their vampiric abilities had been amplified tenfold. Power blasted out of both men and Fane was quickly becoming a shredded, bloody mess.
Both men screamed as the liquid flames crackled and seared into their flesh, branding Fane’s handprint as they struggled to free themselves. Victoria propelled a magical blast in Fane’s direction, forcing him to release them both in order to guard himself against her. Derrick and Rowan fell on either side of him, writhing in sheer agony as they waited for their accelerated healing to kick in.
Fane raised his hands and it was then Victoria noticed the
dragon scale ring on his left ring finger. The jewel appeared to soak up the
power she volleyed toward him. It glowed an eerie green, reflecting in the
light of the sun. Fane caught another blast of dazzling arcana, again allowing the
gem to absorb it. The third and equally as impressive strike, he dodged. A
sinister smile slowly spread on his face and Victoria watched as that same
eerie glow seemed to slither out of the ring and into his arm, riding up a
vein, becoming one with him.
As it did, Victoria felt herself becoming weaker, so much that she crumpled to her knees. “VICTORIA!” Derrick shouted, getting to his feet and racing to her side. Rowan hobbled over, feeling himself healing to full capacity as they anticipated Fane’s next move. Raising his arms above his head, Fane called forth some ancient mysticism. Helplessly, they watched as he appeared to siphon more of Victoria’s magical essence. The rich purple glow that emanated from her chest grew brighter the longer he spoke and Victoria cried out in pain as he pushed deeper.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Fane. I was pushed, and tested
and fought hard to prepare for this exact moment.” Closing her eyes, Victoria
placed herself in a trance, just like Devereux had taught her. Time spent with
him had been brief but extremely educational. Once immersed, she called upon
the strength of her ancestors and the coven of the seven, taking on a shimmering
colorful radiance of her own.
“No…” Fane whispered in disbelief as he watched her fire burn brighter. “That’s not possible…” Taking a step forward, Fane attempted to stop Victoria before she finished her incantation.
Rowan tried to grab Fane and instantly froze into a tall,
solid block of ice. Using her dragon’s flame, Victoria melted the ice away, allowing
Rowan to regain his faculties but he dared not tempt that again. Instead, he hurried
down the field where Fane had directed a few of his ghouls to attack the trio
from behind. Running interference, Rowan moved so quickly he was almost
teleporting, alternating between punching holes through cultists and tearing
heads off skeletons.
Pushing through the growing legion, he jumped over one of the larger skeletons, yanking its arm with such force, its limb tore off. His head followed suit with an impressively brutal fly-and-twist maneuver. He was determined to keep them from reaching Victoria and Derrick.
Meanwhile, Victoria unleashed a torrent of arcane blasts,
firing quickly and watching as several hit their mark. Derrick rushed forward
at the same time, his power spiking to match her velocity. Fane roared with
rage as they rolled over the terrain, making sounds akin to boulders smashing together
than fists meeting flesh.
They worked in conjunction, Victoria depleting his magic
stores while Derrick controlled him physically, exhausting him from multiple
fronts. At the start, Fane matched them blow-by-blow. But as Victoria’s blood
magnified in Derrick’s system, so too his power grew.
He was moving too fast for Fane to touch him. “Derrick,
now!” Victoria shouted, watching him run circles around the untethered immortal.
Her powers lashed out, trapping the fiery dragon god and Derrick crashed into
him with one final blow, knocking him off his feet as she channeled her full
powers into the strike. Fane screamed, a high-pitched agonized sound as he
fell, nearly limp on the ground.
Victoria cautiously took in the weakened Fane, on his knees. Yet, even in his defeated state, his eyes held such hatred it made a cold shiver run down her spine. “This isn’t the end, Victoria. It’ll never end for you.”
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see,” she hissed, showing
him the seven retrieved talismans she’d been keeping for the final strike. Fane’s
eyes widened in terror and he visibly shrunk away from her as he realized what
she held in her hands.
“You wouldn’t…” he said in a voice that revealed his panic.
“I would,” Victoria hissed in return. “After everything
you’ve put us through in just the few short moments you’ve been topside?”
“You can’t, Victoria.”
“Wanna bet?”
“This isn’t the kind of magic you can perform alone,” he nearly pleaded as powerful gusts of wind lifted him from the ground and bolts of lightning surged through him from every angle.
“If it means ridding ourselves of you, I’m willing to try.” She concentrated her energy on the magics held within the charms of the first seven and within moments her body began to glow. Derrick took a step back and was soon joined on the hill by Rowan and Marcel who noticed the dragon’s flame from afar. Six eyes opened in awe and a little dread, they watched as Victoria consumed the elements cultivated within each amulet, the forces of nature swirling around her.
Victoria raised her hands and her dragon’s flame enveloped her with intense radiance as she slowly approached the downed warlock. Directing her hands forward, she focused her most powerful spell into him. Derrick expelled a horrified gasp as he watched Victoria’s magic reach terminal velocity the levels of which would go supernova once done. Victoria’s powers rocketed to new heights; the combination of witchcraft from her ancestors and the covens of the seven propelled her forward. She looked up at the circling dragons as the brightest warmth surrounded her then closed her eyes, embracing the heat until it was all she felt. Victoria’s dragon flame exploded like a bomb detonating.
The shockwave knocked everyone back.
Everything was black. Dizziness filled Victoria, competing
with rippling pain as every muscle in her body screamed from the force of her
last assault. She knew her magic was gone; at least for now. She couldn’t make
sense of anything nor could she feel the constant buzz of the arcana inside
her.
“Wake up. Wake up!” She heard a voice shouting
close to her ear. I will, she thought groggily to herself as she
struggled to do just that. Victoria tried hard, but while she could hear the
world around her, she couldn’t access her power to even open her eyes.
It was strange. She could feel it, and yet somehow, that magic seemed too far away. Victoria tried again, harder this time. And now, it felt almost within her grasp, “Victoria, wake up!” Her body moved from an outside force and she felt cold hands slip over her face. “Wake up, Victoria.” Light burned orange behind her closed eyelids as she fought to obey the command.
“Victoria!” Slowly, she turned toward Derrick’s voice, her
eyes opening sluggishly one at a time. She caught a glimpse of him next to a blond
man and for a moment she couldn’t make out who exactly it was because of the
haze in her head. But as her vision cleared, she looked up into the normally annoying
smirk on Rowan’s face, but this time she took it as a good sign.
“Welcome back, Luv. You gave us quite the scare.”
“Mmm, sorry about that. I just needed to rest my eyes a
moment,” she joked as Derrick gently pulled her to her feet. “Is it over?”
“It would appear so,” Derrick said, gesturing down field where the elder council commanded their group. Their army was now sweeping the last of the skeletal throng aside with tendril-like tree roots that rushed out from the ground, reclaiming the dearly departed.
“And Fane?” she asked, looking around for the warlock.
“Not of this realm,” Rowan answered with a smile.
“We did it,” Victoria whispered, watching the small
celebrations around her.
“You did it,” Derrick corrected, wrapping an arm around her
waist, pulling her closer. He leaned forward, joining their mouths in a kiss
that left her feeling equal parts hungry and satisfied. “Just as I knew you
would.”
Julian and Emery joined them on the hill, both coming to
congratulate Victoria on a job well done. “It’s remarkable,” Emery smiled. “The
supernatural world owes you a great debt.”
“It was a collective effort. Without the army you amassed or
Derrick, Rowan and Marcel, none of this would have been possible,” Victoria
said, wanting to give credit where it was due.
“Still, the amount of magic needed to manipulate the ley
lines…” Julian shook his head. “Please keep us informed, Victoria. If you
experience any abnormal side effects, we must know immediately.”
“It’s gone,” she said without thinking.
“What’s that?” Julian asked, inching closer.
“My magic. It’s gone.” Taking her hand, Julian closed his
eyes and concentrated, searching for any shred of her elemental powers. But
just as she had proclaimed, he could sense no sign of her magic. “Is that—will
I get it back?” She asked, swallowing hard, unsure if she truly wanted the
answer.
“Your battle with Fane took quite a bit out of you. But
magic is ingrained in the very essence of your being. You just need time to
rest and allow your magic to replenish itself, Victoria. You did an amazing job
and your sacrifice will not be in vain.” She nodded sincerely and began to give
serious thought as to what life would be like until then. “Edmund, your seat on
the council is ready whenever you are.” Victoria turned in surprise at Derrick
as he offered Julian a simple nod.
“You’re a council member?” Victoria asked in surprise.
“Not at present,” Julian answered. “However, we would love to complete the circle once more. Perhaps you can persuade him now that the fight is concluded.” The Elders said their goodbyes and rejoined their army at the bottom of the hill and Victoria turned toward Derrick.
“Do you want to serve on the council?”
“No. I may have alluded to the fact that once I got you up
to speed, I would consider taking my seat, but that was before we met,” Derrick
replied.
“And I’ve given you a reason to stay.”
“And more,” Derrick smiled. “But I suspect the elders are
not done trying to get me out here.”
“That makes sense,” Victoria said. “Rowan said it was a
matter of ruling class and what is more ruling than royalty? Still, why did you
give up your seat?”
“I like a more hands-on approach to problem solving,” he
grinned, sliding an arm around Victoria’s back.
“Good, because you know this is not over. You heard Fane. As
long as there’s magic, he’ll find a way.”
“But that’s a concern for another time.”
“No. It’s a concern for now. I think it’s best we make sure he can never get out again. And I think I know how.”
“Ok, stand back. If I did this right, we should teleport to
where Manchester Derrick hid my leprechaun coin.”
“Anglesey,” Derrick corrected. “And do you have to call me that?” he asked with a frown.
Victoria shrugged and offered him a smile. “Well, you
weren’t yourself then. I’m using it as a distinction since you can’t seem to
remember what exactly you did with such a rare and valuable piece.”
“Leprechaun magic is extremely volatile. We both agreed to
keep the coin some place it couldn’t be used.”
“That was then. Things change and that coin holds more than
enough magic to keep Fane underground forever.”
“I trust you know what you’re doing, Victoria. What’s next?”
“We step into the circle and let the magic do its work.” She
nodded with a smile and Derrick moved closer, taking her hand as she tossed the
last ingredient onto the rune. Victoria spoke her incantation and waited for
the spell to take hold. Julian had been right. She only needed rest for her
magic to replenish and now she was back and better than ever. The room shifted
as the enchantment searched through time for the Anglesey. Victoria pitched
forward as the spinning grew wilder and Derrick wrapped her up in his arms to
help her balance.
Before they knew it, the entire manor was gone and they were teleporting through past events. Moving through Derrick’s memories at a frenzied pace. Soon, Derrick’s grip loosened, separating he and Victoria as the ground shook and the world around them completely transformed. With no time to question what was happening, they were pulled through the spell landing hard into the unknown.
Victoria picked herself up and took in her surroundings.
While the area looked familiar, it also appeared quite different. She could
tell she was still in Avondale. She just didn’t know when.
“Excuse me, do I know you from somewhere?” Victoria turned
at the sound of the woman’s voice and looked her up and down. She appeared
early to mid-twenties and her light gray eyes seemed to pierce right through
her. The woman was dressed in jeans and a cutoff t-shirt. She had some facial
piercings and tattoos along her arms. Her curly black hair had purple
highlights and she looked as though she was late for a rock concert. As she
moved closer, Victoria detected a slight limp on her left side and her eyes darted
in that direction. There was a scar on her hip, possibly surgical.
Just as the woman believed she knew Victoria, Victoria as
well felt familiar in her presence. “I…don’t think so?” Victoria replied. She
turned to leave but was immediately drawn back as the same woman quickly rushed
in front of her.
“Yeah, I do. I’m pretty sure. And I never forget a face.”
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you but, I’m not from around
here.”
“Oh yeah? Where are you from?”
“A place where people don’t just stop strangers on the
street and question them endlessly. A place I’d REALLY like to get back to now
so if you could…”
“Wow! That was rude.” The woman snapped, crossing her arms
into her chest.
“Was it?” Victoria fired back, taking the same stance.
“You know, people around here are usually much friendlier.”
“Well, as I said, I’m not
from around here.” Victoria glanced over her shoulder once again. Where the
hell was Derrick? The spell couldn’t have been THAT wonky as to have separated
them so completely. She was sure he’d landed close by. The woman cleared her
throat interrupting Victoria’s train of thought and she again turned to face
her. “Yes?”
“Are you lost?”
“No. I’m looking for someone.”
“Yeah? Maybe I can help. What do they look like?”
“Is there a reason you’re so inquisitive?”
“It’s my nature,” the woman shrugged. “My mom was a cop. She
must’ve passed on the nosy gene, I guess. My name’s Alyssa, but my friends call
me Aly.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Alyssa.”
Alyssa leaned forward to peer into Victoria’s eyes, her arms
still folded against her. “This is normally the part where you tell me your
name.”
Doing her best to maintain her composure, Victoria took a
breath and painted on a fake smile as she once again addressed the intrusive
stranger in front of her. “Look, I…”
“Victoria!” She turned at the sound of his voice with a
breath of relief.
Finally! “Excuse
me,” she sighed and started toward Derrick. “Hey, what happened? Where did you
go?”
“I landed one block over and just sorta followed your
scent.”
“Ok. Well, we’re here now so what’s…?”
“Daddy?” Alyssa stepped forward, this time ignoring Victoria
completely as she reached over and gave Derrick a big hug. “I didn’t know you
were back. When did you get in? Why didn’t you call or text me?”
“Uh…” he glanced at Victoria and then back to the young
woman, just as dumbfounded as she and completely speechless.
“Excuse me,” Victoria interrupted, this time she was the
inquisitive one. “Did you just call him ‘Daddy?’”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what people around here usually call their
paternal parent. Is it something else where you’re from?”
“Victoria…what’s happening right now?”
“I don’t know, Derrick. Apparently, you got someone pregnant
and we’re looking at the result of that.”
“Wait a second, Victoria?” Alyssa asked. “Victoria Danielle Constantine?!”
“‘Constantine?’ No, that’s not my name.”
“Oops! Sorry, ‘spoiler alert!’” Alyssa said in a sing-song
voice. “But, I mean, whoa. This is freaky. I KNEW I knew you. I mean well I’ve
only seen you in old pictures from Dad’s photo albums but I mean…it IS you!
This is…just…bizarre.”
“Yeah,” Victoria replied, still a little uneasy with the
stranger’s reaction to Derrick. “You can say that again.”
“No, I mean. What are the chances you and I would meet…it’s me! Alyssa! I’m your daughter, too!”
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