Chapter 11 A Shattered Crest
770 Words
As the sun finally dipped below the horizon, the oppressive weight of the Nightmare Forest seemed to lift, if only for a moment. Dominic’s face, usually pale as marble, seemed to glow in the rising moonlight. We walked the narrow, winding path, and to keep my nerves from fraying, I began to hum the Phoenix Lullaby.
I didn't even get to the second verse before Dominic stopped. He turned to me, his obsidian eyes searching mine with a vulnerability that broke my heart.
"Sindel," he whispered. "After seeing Kironos... after seeing a man who could walk in the sun and lead you with such strength... do you ever wish for someone more like him? Someone who isn't a monster?"
I snapped my mouth shut, looking at him in genuine shock. "Why would you even ask such a silly thing?"
"I just assumed," he looked away, "that he was more of the man of your dreams than I could ever be."
I stepped close, cupping his face in my hands. "Not a chance, my Vampire Romeo. Before you, I never thought I’d fall in love. I was content being a loyal Slayer to a King who saw me as a Prize. But I’d give it all up—the Valley, the duty, everything—just to be with you. My heart is yours, Dominic. Only yours."
"You are my world, Sindel," he said, pulling me into a kiss that tasted of longing and promise. "I wish I could tear the monster out of me so we could just be together without the shadow of my hunger."
We walked for hours, the air growing cooler and thinner until the roar of rushing water filled our ears. We crested a final hill and gasped. The forest ended abruptly at a massive cliff. A giant waterfall cascaded over jagged rocks into a churning river below. Beyond the spray, the land opened up into a silver-green meadow.
"We made it out," I breathed, running to the bank to drink the sweet, cold water. "Dominic, we’re out!"
But the celebration was short-lived.
The sound of snapping branches and marching boots echoed from both sides of the clearing. To our left, a line of Slayers emerged, led by King Kaulie. Beside him stood Aiden, his face a mask of cold indifference. To our right, the shadows coalesced into the Vampire Guard. At their center stood King Gavin, his eyes a predatory crimson.
We were caught in the center of a sibling rivalry of ancient, bloody proportions.
"Been a long time, brother," Kaulie said, his voice like grinding stones.
"Indeed it has," Gavin snarled. He looked at Dominic, his lip curling. "Boy, what are you doing with her? She’ll kill you or get you killed."
"Don't you dare talk about Sindel that way!" Dominic’s growl matched his father’s. His eyes flared a brilliant, angry red. I had never seen him this far gone in his rage.
"There she is," Aiden shouted from the Slayer line. "The traitor."
"Shall we end these two, brother?" Gavin asked Kaulie with a sickening smile. "Then I’ll end you."
"Agreed," Kaulie replied.
They charged.
The clearing turned into a whirlwind of steel and fangs. Slayers clashed with Vampires, their ancient hatred fueling a mindless slaughter. Dominic and I stood back-to-back, a small island in a sea of violence. I parried a Slayer’s blade only to duck under a Vampire’s claws.
Suddenly, a bolt of white lightning split the sky. There was no thunder, only a searing flash that hit the ground near the waterfall. As the smoke cleared, I saw it: the Tri-Gem Gate of the legendary Sapphire Springs.
“Sindel...”
A voice, soft as a dream but clear as a bell, drifted through the air. My mother’s voice. I knew what I had to do. I had to reach that gate. I had to sing the full song.
But then, the air grew freezing. A shadow larger than any dragon swept over us. The Harpy.
She dived like a hawk, her rotting talons shrieking against the air. Before I could scream, she swiped her claws across my waist, shredding my leather satchel. My mother’s journal—the lullaby—burst into a thousand fluttering white pieces, lost to the wind and the spray of the waterfall.
"No!" I cried.
The Harpy circled back, and this time, she didn't go for me. She snatched Dominic by the shoulders, lifting him high into the midnight sky.
"SING IT, SINDEL!" Dominic shouted, his voice fading as he was pulled toward the clouds. "SING IT NOW! YOU DON'T NEED THE PAPER! YOU KNOW THE WORDS!"
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