Vampire Mine - Kerrelyn Sparks [107]
She picked up the camera and grinned. “It’s still working, sweetheart!”
“Thank you, my queen.” Casimir glanced at Angus when a beeping sound came from his watch. “What is that?”
“The sound of yer final defeat,” Angus replied.
With a loud whooping noise, Vamps and shifters erupted from the woods. The Malcontents forgot all about slaying their mortal victims when they saw a huge Kodiak bear, five wolves, a panther, and a tiger charging toward them.
Screams, roars, and the clashing of swords filled the air. Connor ripped Roman from Casimir’s grasp. Casimir jumped back, flailing his knife. Connor looked about for a weapon. He recalled the sword he’d left at the top of the monument, but that was too far away. Empty-handed, he jumped at Casimir, but the coward vanished.
“Dammit!” Connor ducked when a Malcontent took a swing at him with his sword.
On the bleachers, the mortals came to and began screaming. Casimir’s mind control over them had broken when he teleported away.
“You will drop your weapons!” Casimir bellowed from the top of Mount Rushmore. “Drop them or I will kill your priest!”
Connor looked up and gasped.
The fighting stopped. The mortals ran screaming up the stairs to the exit.
Casimir stood on top of George Washington’s head, his knife in his right hand. Nadia was dragging Father Andrew toward him.
“Oh God, no,” Roman breathed.
“Drop your weapons and surrender!” Casimir screamed as he pulled Father Andrew close.
“Don’t do it,” the priest yelled.
Roman tossed down the weapon he had managed to grab from a fallen Malcontent. “Let him go! Take me instead!”
The Vamps dropped their weapons. The Malcontents pointed their swords at them.
Casimir glared at them. “Now swear your allegiance to me.”
“Let him go!” Roman yelled. “Let him go, and I’ll swear.”
“No!” Father Andrew shouted. “Don’t do it, Roman!”
Casimir laughed. “This reminds me of the good old days. You remember, don’t you, Roman? Remember the time when I invaded your old monastery and killed all the monks? All those innocent old men who had raised you?”
Roman paled.
Casimir sneered down at him. “I’m going to kill you anyway, so I might as well watch you suffer first.” He stabbed Father Andrew in the chest and tossed him off the monument.
“No!” Roman levitated up to catch the priest in his arms.
Rage erupted in Connor, snapping his vision blue, freezing the blood in his veins. He teleported to the top of the monument and grabbed the claymore he’d left behind a week ago. With a war cry, he beheaded Nadia.
Casimir whirled around. His eyes widened with fear.
“Stop!” Corky shouted.
Connor glanced back, his vision still tinted blue.
Corky had teleported to the top of the mountain with the camera. “If you kill him, I will spread the video all over the Internet and tell everyone that vampires are real.” She lifted the camera. “I’m recording now.”
“Drop your sword,” Casimir hissed. “You don’t want the whole world to know about us. It would be the end of us all.”
Connor shook with rage. He turned to Casimir. “It is yer end tonight.” He stabbed him through the chest and turned Casimir to dust.
“No!” Corky screamed.
Connor whipped around to kill her, too, but she vanished, taking the camera with her.
Marielle screamed when she saw Father Andrew stabbed and thrown off the cliff.
“Bunny! Can you hear me? Please come. Please save him.” She repeated her plea over and over as she scrambled down the hill, dodging the trees.
Meanwhile, the battle had started up again. Vamps and shifters attacked the Malcontents, shouting and roaring their fury. Thank God the mortals were managing to flee.
She reached the bottom and weaved her way through the fighting to where Roman knelt on the stage with Father Andrew in his arms.
“Father!” Marielle fell to her knees beside him. Tears filled her eyes. “I’m praying for a Healer to come. Please stay with us!”
Roman had a bloodstained hand pressed against the Father’s wound, but blood was still seeping out. “Let me take you to a hospital.”
The priest shook his head. His face was pale