Annihilation: Chronicles of the Uprising, #6

By K. A. Salidas and Katie Salidas

Still clinging rabidly to power, the Elites spin lies of prejudice and hatred, stoking the fires of war.

The sole driving force toward peace, Mira has sacrificed everything for the cause. In the end, strong as she was, Mira was never enough.

It will take the strength of many to finish what she started, and every race – Otherkin, human, and vampire – has much to lose in the bloody days ahead.

The only outcomes are peace… or death.

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rising Sign Books
• Release date: May 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524286897

Book preview

Death is the easy way out.

STILL CLINGING RABIDLY to power, the Elites spin lies of prejudice and hatred, stoking the fires of war.

The sole driving force toward peace, Mira sacrificed everything for the cause. In the end, strong as she was, Mira was never enough.

It will take the strength of many to finish what she started, and every race – Otherkin, human, and vampire – has much to lose in the bloody days ahead.

The only outcomes are peace... or death.

ONE

Justine

Lone Star – Capital of the Iron Gate

Dammit, Princess! Wake up! Fear, the likes of which Justine had never felt in her life, gripped her so hard she almost put her fist through the marble pillar she stood next to. Mira’s final swansong had done more than just kick the hornets’ nest. Taking down the Magistrate had created a power vacuum, and even now, moments after, the effects were spreading.

Screams and gunshots could be heard all around. Loudspeakers droned out orders to calm and assure the people, but they had no effect. Even now the scent of freshly spilled blood flooded the air, and it wasn’t just from Mira, lying inches away. The streets would run red this evening; of that Justine was certain.

She’d meant well, but Mira’s brashness had probably added more fuel to the fires of hatred already burning in the hearts of the citizens of Lone Star. Vampires had always been seen as savages. History was written by the victors, and when the humans took over as top of the food chain, vampires were written in as the enemy – bloodthirsty creatures whose only purpose in life was to kill.

Diplomacy wasn’t a skill taught in the arena, so Justine couldn’t blame Mira for taking the quick path to ending a tyrant’s reign; hell, she kind of wished she’d done it herself. But the humans who had been brainwashed to believe the lies about her people just witnessed firsthand what savagery vampires were capable of.

Mira’s reward for trying to put an end to the madness? A gunshot to the chest. Cheap and dirty. She had been a warrior, and if you wanted to kill her, you should have done it the right way. Cowards!

Another act that would fuel the war between the species. Mira had been respected, honored, and loved by all of her people: the former slaves, the ones in hiding, and Justine most of all. 

Mira had been such a naïve thing when Justine had met her. Stupid little Princess. Stupid sweet little thing who’d had no clue what kind of shit storm of a world she’d entered into with Theo. Insufferable and absolutely mental, the pesky girl had been an additional thorn in her side, adding that much more grief in Justine’s already horrid existence. Seeing how far she’d come since those early days, though, had been more than awe-inspiring. That idiotic brat had done the impossible. And, though she’d never admit it out loud, Justine had loved her more than she could ever truly say.

In a small alcove, in the seemingly endless maze of hallways, they’d stopped to take a breath. Mira’s lifeless body had been laid out on the ground while Stryker opened nearly every vein in his wrist attempting to revive his mate with blood.

Mira wasn’t moving. Wasn’t drinking. Justine struggled not to let the thought seep in that her friend might truly have met her end.

No, dammit! She’s a vampire. Why isn’t she waking?

Looking every bit a corpse, Mira’s features had gone even paler than normal. Her lips, no longer pink, were nothing more than withering bruises. Eyes, pale as the sunlit sky she’d never been allowed to see, had turned murky and gray. The wound in her chest, where her heart should be, had long since stopped oozing blood. Little hope remained, but Stryker and even Justine couldn’t allow the reality to set in: that Mira had seen her last battle.

No. This isn’t how it ends! Justine launched herself at Mira. She pounded on the fallen vampire’s chest, cracking ribs and forcing what little blood she had in her body to gurgle out of the open chest wound.

You’re not helping! Stryker growled. The hulking wolf-man grabbed Justine by the scruff of her neck and hauled her upwards. How do we fix this?

I don’t know. Justine wanted to fight. Part of her wanted the permission to rail on him and unleash all her strength. She could take him. And even if she couldn’t, the pounding she’d get could be no worse than the pain she felt.

The hole in Mira’s chest. This wasn’t a death deserving of a warrior. She should have at least been given the courtesy of an honorable end.

Listen to me, vampire. Flames engulfed the amber of Stryker’s eyes as he held Justine up against the cold stone wall. You make this right. You fix this. Fix her. Or, so help me, I will bleed you dry. And then him. He jabbed a finger at Mitchell standing on the sidelines like some second-string athlete waiting on the bench to be called in.

Mitchell shrugged. Drinking blood isn’t always the answer.

He was right, but Justine was thankful that Mitchell had been the one to utter that painful truth. True, blood was life for vampires – but sometimes it was just not enough.

I don’t care. I want my mate back. Stryker had never sounded so helpless. He dropped Justine and crumpled down next to Mira’s body.

Love was a powerful thing, and Justine had no doubt of the strength of Stryker’s love for Mira.

He cradled her head in his lap, running his fingers through her dark hair, whispering, I’ll sacrifice myself if it helps save you.

Maybe you should, Justine said. If she was that far gone, he could just go with her. They could be happy together in the next life. It had to be better than the one they had right now. But after she’d spoken those words, she realized how callous they sounded, and explaining herself would be too complicated.

The wolf might be right, Mitchell said.

You have an idea, Gladiator? Justine asked, wondering what he had to offer. Mitchell was a nobody to her. She was aware of his reputation, sure. Who hadn’t, in their line of work? Few were masters. Even fewer used unique weapons. But he’d also never been one to rattle chains. A good vampire. No one of real concern.

Mitchell met her angry glare with sincerity. He might have been an excellent warrior, but now, seeing him up close, she could see he was more than just a weapon. Those eyes, and that chiseled jaw. If she were a betting woman, and she was, Justine had a sneaking suspicion he had earned himself a comfortable life through other means as well. Male Gladiators were always popular with the ladies. Lucky prick. Female Gladiators, on the other hand... bad memories she’d rather not drum up.

Pretty face or not, he was still unknown to her, and that made Justine suspicious. 

Mira’s unconscious. Mitchell spoke matter of factly. She can’t drink. So pouring your veins into her mouth is just a waste of good blood. You want to see if she’s salvageable? Put your life on the line for her.

His words intrigued her. How so?

Transfusion. Fresh, Immortal blood directly into her heart. It’s a long shot, but if it’s one you want to take, follow me. We need to make it to the infirmary.

Pretty boy might be on to something. Justine stood, and tugged at the collar of Stryker’s tunic. Bring the dead girl.

STRYKER

If not for the glimmer of hope Mitchell had given them, Stryker would have allowed himself to bleed out all over the fading body of his mate. Vampires were supposed to be able to withstand just about anything, and yet there she was, a shadow of her former self, caught somewhere between this life and the next, unable to move on or wake. Blood was supposed to fix everything. It was life.

He picked up the limp form of his mate, cradling her in his arms. How light she felt, like a ragdoll in his embrace. He held her tighter, crushing her against his chest. He’d give her his beating heart if that was what it took to bring her back.

Let’s go, Wolfy, we don’t have time, Justine snapped at him.

Wolves didn’t take orders, especially an Alpha such as he, but in his current state, even Stryker’s wolf didn’t put up a fight when Justine commanded him off his feet. He rose, Mira in his arms, and stumbled after Mitchell.

Mitchell. An unknown vampire. A small voice in the back of his mind questioned the vampire’s loyalties. He had a reputation for being a good fighter, but he was also a favorite of the most wealthy and powerful human in the city next to the Magistrate. And Mitchell looked relatively well fed in comparison to other Gladiators he’d seen. That meant he must also be a vampire who didn’t make waves.

Idira had been quick to make a deal with them, sacrificing this Mitchell to get Mira into battle. That must have meant she knew something Stryker didn’t about this particular vampire.

Thoughts he’d file away for a later time. The priority was to heal Mira, and if Mitchell proved useful in this, Stryker would have plenty of time to assess his other concerns. If he didn’t... it wouldn’t be a problem. If Mira didn’t make it out alive, none of them would.

Blood loss was taking its toll on him. Dizzy and with vision blurring, he pushed past the weakness with one goal in mind: save Mira or die with her.

They wandered down eerily empty corridors with Mitchell in the lead.

We need the infirmary, Mitchell said, worry edging into to his voice as they turned down yet another indistinguishable stone corridor.

Humans were relentless with their mazes. Sure, it probably helped with making sure vampires could not find their way out, but Stryker wondered how many humans might have been lost in these mazes as well. You needed a damn NAV system to tell you how to get anywhere.

You know where it is? Stryker grumbled under the weight of his own weakening muscles.

Been a few times. I’m not always a winner, you know, Mitchell replied with a friendly chuckle.

Justine snorted. And they let you live?

Punishments here are far worse than death, but you should already know that. He directed his comment to Justine, but Stryker understood the unspoken message. Mira had kept many things secret, but in her sleep, the moans and crying out for help were enough to paint a clear picture.

Around them, echoes of the turmoil going on outside could still be heard. The fact that they had yet to run into hostility was either pure dumb luck or a testament to the former Magistrate’s arrogance. The bulk of the city soldiers had been sent out en masse to New Haven, leaving Lone Star unusually accessible.

Just up this way, I think, Mitchell said.

You mean you don’t know? Stryker’s patience was wearing.

Normally, if I’m bad enough to go to the infirmary, I’m barely conscious, Mitchell responded.

They rounded another corner and came upon a pair of silent sentinel guards. Clearly not humans, they stood as still as living statues. But there was no real life behind their dead eyes.

As soon as the trio came within sight, the guards turned on them.

We have to get past, Mitchell said.

Then let’s, Justine responded, pulling out her daggers.

Mitchell took a step backwards.

The sight of this seasoned warrior recoiling from the pair of abominations heading their way sent a powerful wave of unease through Stryker. He held Mira even closer now.

What are we waiting for? Justine asked.

Mitchell took another step backwards, moving slowly behind Stryker.

Justine grunted at Mitchell’s fear and turned to charge the pair.

Stop, Mitchell yelled.

One of the guards lifted his hood, revealing his face, and opened his mouth wide. His fangs were gone, showing only dark holes where they should have been. But the creature still had its other teeth, and it hissed dangerously as lunged for Justine.

As if she were stunned by the sight of them, Justine narrowly avoided the outstretched hand that tried to grab her.

They were fast. Much faster than anyone had expected. Justine ducked and dodged, twisting out of reach, and then plunged her dagger straight into the heart of one.

It should have dropped dead. A vampire would at least have been taken down to its knees from a blow like that. The pain alone would be devastating; but it was like this creature didn’t feel anything at all. It just continued to try to grab hold of her, snapping its jaw whenever her skin was in reach.

She seized her dagger, which still protruded from the creature’s chest, and pulled it out. Nothing; not even a whimper as she yanked her blade free.

In her stunned moment of silence, Justine missed the other soldier’s fist as it ploughed into her, sending her down to the ground.

Tucking her body and rotating quickly, she threw herself over and rolled toward Stryker.

Stryker had never seen such a sight. He growled low in his throat. These guards were blocking his ability to heal his mate. He gently set Mira’s body down against the wall and stepped forward, snarling as he called up all the power he possessed as an Alpha: Back away now before I end you.

The two soldiers ceased moving. They slowly turned to face Stryker. Dead eyes swept him from top to bottom. Then, after a moment of silent observation, they backed away, against the wall.

Stryker and Mitchell exchanged confused glances.

Justine stood and dusted herself off. Nice job, Wolfy.

Are they going to let us pass? Mitchell asked.

Stryker looked again. The soldiers had backed themselves against the wall; their eyes were still locked on him, but no aggression registered on their faces. Worse than blank slates, their whole being was dead, nothing more than shells of their former selves animated by the cruel experiments of the former Magistrates.

Only one way to know. Stryker met the face of one creature and tried to look it in the eyes. You will let us pass. As authoritative as he sounded, deep down Stryker wasn’t too sure it would work. He took the first step tentatively, and when the soldiers did not move, he turned, picked up Mira, and held tight to her as walked past the silent sentinels.

Justine and Mitchell followed behind a bit more quickly. The door they needed was just beyond the guards. 

Mitchell took hold of the knob and opened it.

Stryker breathed a sigh of relief at seeing that it wasn’t locked. They’d already had enough setbacks.

Inside the room smelled so strongly of disinfectant it made Stryker’s nose burn. Breathing through his mouth was no better. It was clear this room had been hosed down with something strong enough to kill everything. The walls, however, told a different story. They’d been cleaned, but traces of bloodstains had left their marks on the stark white walls.

Cabinets lined the room, and in the center was a flat slab table. Above it were mounted moveable spotlights.

Infirmary... no. This place was not where someone went to heal, of that Stryker was sure, and the abominations that remained guarding the door were further proof of that. But despite his misgivings, this was where they would have to perform the miracle of bringing his love back from the dead.

He set Mira down as gently as he could, cradling her head so it wouldn’t roughly bump the table, and whispered in her ear, You’re going to be okay. Just hang in there a little longer.

Why the hell did that work? Mitchell and Justine asked in unison, gawking at the door as if they expected the creatures to come barreling in at any moment.

Confident in his power, Stryker had no doubt in his mind why it worked. Hard to resist the order of a true Alpha.

Not really; I resist it all the time, Justine smirked.

True. She made it a regular habit to be obstinate, though he’d never called up his Alpha voice before in her presence.

Has to be something else. Did you see the way they looked at you? Justine asked.

Did they have a look? Those dead creatures’ faces had been permanently set at horrified. I ordered them to stand back and they did. What else did you expect them to do?

You can stop with the whole Alpha dominance thing, Justine snapped at him. He’d allow her anger. They were all angry right now. Nothing had gone the way it was supposed to. This entire situation had fail written all over it, with little hope of a happily ever after.

Just because some of us do feel your little wolfy mojo doesn’t mean we’re all bound by it. I’m not one of your people, Justine continued to rail at him.

None of his wolves would ever refuse a true order, but he had to admit, vampires beat a different drum all together. Must have had something to do with their hybrid blood. Fine, then. You explain it, Stryker huffed, exasperated. What was the point of arguing anyway, with Mira lying near death?

Justine shrugged and sighed. Maybe she was just venting frustration. Stryker could understand that. Hopelessness made people angry, and angry people needed someone to lash out at. He certainly did. 

Mitchell shook his head and looked out of the window in the door. The guards are there, standing silently as if they had never been bothered. We need to try something.

You have an idea? Justine said.

Yeah. I do. Stryker? Step outside. Mitchell waved him toward the door.

Being ordered around by a nobody vampire was the last thing he wanted to deal with at that moment. No! We need to see to Mira.

We need to make sure we are not bothered. I’m not sure how long the process will take. Just step outside...please. Mitchell looked put out for having to make the request a second time.

Who was this arrogant prick? You want me to guard the door while you do...whatever you’re planning to my mate? Out of the question.

Mitchell groaned. No. I just want to test a theory. Please. Do this for Mira.

That was low, playing the Mira card. Tell me this theory first.

Fine. How does a vampire know another vampire? Mitchell