“Where have you been?” Leonid asked him sharply.
“They make me a scout. I only returned this morning, and when I heard them say the Prince was returned, I found you.”
Both of them stared at the army of Drakhyn below them. “How did this come to pass?” Leonid asked in a whisper. “We must get Kateryna.”
Both spun when the door opened slowly behind them. Viktor and a company of Elite Sentinels followed him. Leonid noticed that the Vampyre Elder did not look out over the scene below him. He saw Malack look his way out of the corner of his eye, but Leonid was focused on the old one before him.
“It is unfortunate that you return, Malack,” Viktor said quietly. “I had been told you fell.”
“Still here, still seeing,” Malack answered as he gestured over his shoulder.
“You always did see too much,” Viktor told him sagely. “Ivan,” he instructed, and Leonid was quickly restrained when Ivan struck Malack from behind. As the Vampyre fell, Ivan stepped forward and cut off his head. Viktor did not move but watched impassively as the Elite Sentinel kicked the dead Vampyre’s body over the ledge to the mountain below. Malack would be dust before he hit the ground, leaving no visible trace of his descent on the mountain.
Leonid struggled against his captors to no avail. The Elite Sentinel held him with vise-like grips even as they looked over his shoulder to Viktor. “You have damned us all!” Leonid shouted furiously.
“I willcleanseus all,” Viktor corrected him. “I had hoped not to see you again. Kateryna has been most indecisive, claiming she was waiting for you.” The ancient Vampyre tutted in disapproval. “She is a wonderful female, but you are the ruin of her.”
“She will kill you herself when she learns of your treachery,” Leonid told him as he still struggled against the hold he was in.
“She may,” Viktor smiled. “But I know she will not get the chance.”
Leonid stilled. “What have you done to her?”
“Nothing.” Viktor walked past him to look over the land in front of him. “It’s magnificent, is it not?”
“It is an abomination,” Leonid snarled.
Viktor laughed. “You were always such a ridiculous idealist. You sicken me.” He gestured to the Drakhyn and pointed beyond, and Leonid saw it then. The cloud of Darkness. “It enjoyed its time with you.” Viktor’s voice was almost reverent. “You spoke with it?” he turned to Leonid inquisitively.
“I will remove your head myself.”
“I have not missed your poor conversation skills,” Viktor chided as he returned to look at his allies. “Ivan, Naylor, it is time.”
Leonid stiffened as two Elite Sentinels came forward. He held the eye of the one who killed Malack as they stepped forward. Four Sentinels walked him to the edge of the viewing room, and he cried out in pain when he felt the knives plunge into his gut.
“It did not have to be this way, Leonid Novikov.” Viktor clasped his hand on Leonid’s shoulder as if saying farewell to a friend. “I will tell her you ran back to the child.” Viktor and the remaining Made left Leonid on the ledge with his four assailants.
“Fly swift,” one of them whispered in his ear even as he felt the knife strike through his neck, and then the four Made picked him up and threw him off the ledge.
As Leonid plummeted through the air, he screamed one name into the wind.
* * *
Tegan sat up in her bed, gasping. Fumbling in the dark, she found the switch for the nightlight, and once it was on, she looked over her room as she tried to settle her nerves. Her hands were sticky, her hair stuck to her neck, and she felt like she had run a marathon.
“Tegan?” Sloane’s knock alerted her to the fact she may have caused him unrest.
“I am fine,” Tegan called, even as she looked around the room one more time.
Sloane came into her room through the adjoining door anyway. “You screamed.”
“I did?” Tegan looked at him in surprise and drew her legs up to her chest in her bed.
“You did, and you’re also sweating.” Sloane came closer. “Did you have a bad dream?”
“I must have.” Tegan frowned as she tried to remember what had woken her. “I heard a scream in my head.”
“Yeah, that was you,” Sloane laughed as he nudged her over in her bed. “Scoot, I need room.”