Sickly, Sweet - Book One

Ch. 42 - The Faces of War

Part 1
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'Ghosts chase our shadows until we can no longer bear the reflections of our own souls'

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It takes two seconds for me to figure out that Valentine has been taken and that he isn't in a good state. I can't feel him which makes my heart pump so loudly that I'm sure everyone can hear its desperate cry for help. I've had the intense feelings of hatred and regret course with an immense speed through my veins, hitting every single nerve, making every part of me shake.

I just want everything to be over with. Oh, how I want to see her head roll on the ground next to my feet. I want to make sure that she suffers a slow and painful death, one that will haunt even her spirit as she heads down to hell. I want to make sure everyone in her army pays for what they have done and what they are about to do. There are so many things that I want to do but the thing I want most is to just live peacefully with someone who shares the same thoughts and feels as I.

I want to be with Valentine forever.

The only way we can do that is to keep her alive and to keep her alive is contrary to the plan that we've had this entire time. The thought is burning my mind like it has been soaked in the strongest acid. A painful ache in my head makes it feel like my eyes are sinking into the back of my skull, but I ignore it so it's the least of my worries.

Distracted and utterly heartbroken, I turn to my side and notice a vampire, much shorter than I, weaving guns in her hands and a sword on her back. It's a miracle she didn't fall over – this woman is tiny with a voluminous head of black, wavy hair falling past her shoulders almost touching her waist. I look around and gasp. Evidently, I've been too engrossed in my thoughts of killing Datura and Lucius that I didn't notice the bodies behind me.

Dozens, no, hundreds of vampires with faces full of anger and determination are advancing this way with weapons in their hands and limbs. The air buzzes with intensity and unity and I can't help but marvel at the strength of each vampire that has willingly come here to protect their own people.

Throughout my life, I've been completely wrong about vampires. I have regarded them as creatures of hell never capable of having compassion and love in their hearts. Yes, they are monsters, but so is every other race on the face of the earth.

The small voluptuous woman before me looks up and gives me a hint of a smile, probably an indication that she's a friend and not an enemy. Although her brown eyes show years of experience, it cannot really hide the fact that she's just as nervous as I am. There are some emotions and feelings that people cannot even suppress.

"I'm Nikita," she nods and offers me a gun which I don't hesitate to take from her. "These are for you - wouldn't want to go off into battle without a weapon."

"Thank you," I comment as she also hands me the large sword on her back. I take in the countless mass of bodies approaching us. A few, I am familiar with. Others, I am completely new to. "I take it the entire Kingdom has been alerted."

Nikita's almost eyes blink once as she responds, "Yes, the King sent an urgent command to all able-bodied vampires. This is the biggest fight we've had in centuries. No one wants to miss it."

I bite my lip, trying to set aside the strange fact that some of these vampires are eager to be here. They shouldn't be so happy - they might not make it out alive.

"Valentine is dead, Saphira," Datura says in a vile tone.

Those words pierced my heart in a strong force that it almost brings me to my knees. I refuse to believe it, but the feeling in the bones and my body tell me otherwise. I can't feel him and I can usually feel him. Our connection made it so that we can know if we are both alright.