Beast of the Damned #2

*Chapter Thirty-Four*

Happy Hallow's Eve! Kenzie is handing out TREATS this year, and what better treat is there than giving you guys and update from Tristan Darkos POV? 

~ TRISTAN ~

The angels' fortress is within reach. The nauseatingly sugary-sweet scent of their encampment has my fangs lengthening as the desire for battle permeates the glacial mist emanating from me. My cells vibrate with more than a need for combat; they're screaming, slike den, slike den vol!

Kill them, kill them all!

"On my command." The dark energy streaming off the army of ten thousand bloodthirsty warriors I order to stay concealed in the woods breaches the treeline as the last shred of sunlight dissipates. Another 500,000 warriors will be here within the hour. The time is now.

"When the times right, unleash the eerie. We'll use her as a distraction. If she deviates from the plan, shoot her down. But whatever you do, keep her alive. If the eerie dies, Kinley dies," I say, ready to step out into the clearing in front of the angels' sanctuary. The celestials probably have sanctuaries just like this one hidden from us the same way we hide Valderanna from them. But where there is light, shadows can always be found.

Neziri's moon staff comes down in front of me. "There's something you need to know before you go out there."

"Whatever you have to say can wait."

"You need to know who it is your fighting for."

"You have a hundred and twenty seconds, or until the first glitter bomb goes off, whichever comes first."

Neziri stands tall, looking past the last of trees to the fortress before us. "Long ago, the Kaleekie tribe foresaw a great devastation that would awaken and disturb the balance. They abandoned Zeura in fear of this day as the God of the Heavens had done nothing to stop her sister when Satan created the first vampires. The Kaleekie tribe prayed for deliverance from this coming evil. Many moons later, their prayers were answered in the form of a seed. They were instructed to plant this seed at the base of the willow that grew in a cave, to nurture it, care for it, and that one day, the answer to their prayers would be provided."

"Are we really doing storytime? Because if so, I'm about to cut this one short."

"Hundreds of years past. The vampires' numbers kept growing, and their slaughter of humans doubled." Neziri ignores me. "Still the Kaleekie tribe brought water to the seed and nourishment, though the journey to the rivers were dangerous and the trek long and arduous. Over time many Kaleekie gave up, abandoning their faith in this other power. But several families remained faithful over the next generations."

It's like having to listen to one of my mother's rambling spells when all I want to do is kill something. If Kinley's sister doesn't hurry up and get to the point of this story, her head is what's coming off.

"One day, when a Kaleekie member came to water the seed, a root had sprouted. Over the next several decades, the roots grew and grew. The Kaleekie created a spring in the cave to feed the roots for the seed had outgrown the amount of water they could carry. Finally, the day came when a sprout appeared."

Fifty-three seconds remaining. I grip my sword, my attention steadfast on the high walls concealing Kinley.

"The sprout grew for many moons into a purple bud. When the bud eventually bloomed, two baby girls were found sleeping in the petals—my sister and me." Neziri continues her rambling. "The tribe embraced us. Their saviors had come. As I grew, so did my powers. I was strong, fast, but Kinaley's never came. She was weak, slow, and too kind-hearted."