Tainted by Aurora Kryan (read e book .txt) 📕

seen me looking at my sword because he limped over to it and picked it up in his mouth.

Crap now I’m doomed. I left my bow in my room with Perce. I can never win this fight. But if I fight I will go to Valhalla at least insted of Camille killing me. I drew a deep breath Took one glance at the woods in the direction of my room. I’m sorry Perce. And I went into battle again. I fainted by Bayne and went for Beowulf. He was hurt so he would be an easier target. He saw me coming and tried to bit me again. I let myself fall to the floor on my back and kicked up when his jaw was above me.

He made a strangled growling sound. Hoping that move had surprised him I reached up and wrapped my arms around his muzzle. He made protesting sounds as I got on his back still holding his mouth shut. He shook his head once really hard to throw me off but he was to hurt. He went down with a thud.

“No.”

Someone screeched from afar. I knew that voice and my shock made me loosen my grip enough that Beowulf could open his mouth. He growled loud and I felt him vibrate under me. I snapped out of my frozen state and back flipped off the giant wolf as he snapped at my hands. I landed on the side the voice was coming from.

And then hands were around me. They held my wrists behind me and covered my mouth. I struggled but it was no use. She had me. Beowulf was the closet to me and he was the first to react. He lunged mouth gaping open and flew over my head. Then he yelled and hit the ground.

He rolled about ten feet and came to a stop at the bottom of a tree. Bayne was furious she unfurled her wings and took to the air. Rage was plain on her face. And the way she gripped her scythe made her look like and avenging dark angel.

“You have no reason to be here. Just like the girl. Leave now before I kill you.”

When she spoke her voice was hostile and all traces of anything human, vampire, or grim reaper were gone. It made my skin shiver and my heart race. That voice was like I could kill the world with one command. It was terrifying and for the first time in six hundred years I was truly terrified. The woman, I assumed it was a woman because the hands were strong but not like a man’s. And nails dug into my wrists, tightened her grip on me.

“Ha I have orders to kill you and the wolf if needed. And since Raven has failed to do so I have to kill her to. That was my deal for immortality and Jack’s hand. So now I have to do as Mistress Camille says.”

Oh god no. She didn’t please tell me she didn’t. I went cold at the thought. If it truly was little Tania she was doomed to die. And Camille knew that. A newly changed can’t match up to a vampire who has centuries on her, especially if that vampire is a tainted. Then how is she holding me. She has the charm! I felt it against my skin. It wasn’t her nails that dug in it was the charm.

A special charm that is as old as vampires themselves it’s designed to inhibit there powers like my bracelet inhibits mine. Bayne had snapped when Tania said Camille. She roared in rage and swopped down scythe out to decapitate us both. And then there were black feathers.

Tainted

From behind a tree I watched the events play out in front of him. Perce dove behind Raven’s head and cut Tania’s arm. She shrieked and let go of Raven. Perce cawed and sat on Ravens head making her go down on the ground out of Bayne’s way. That’s when Tania’s head rolled on the ground in front of Raven. I got a good look of the girls face. It showed no signs of fear. She never saw Bayne coming.

“Are you ok?”

Bayne’s sweet voice must have surprised Raven because she jerked at the sound. Perce cawed and hopped on the ground in the middle of the two girls. He was trying to make Bayne go away to no avail. Raven sat up and starred at Bayne like she was trying to figure out if it was a trap or not.

They were just trying to kill each other a minute ago. And now they were saving one another. Bayne held out a hand to Raven and she took it hesitantly. She must have decided Bayne was honest about not trying to kill her anymore because she said she was fine and let her guard down.

“Perce come here.”

She held out her arms the crown and he happily hopped into them. She smoothed out his ruffled feathers and cradled him in her arms. My gaze went to Bayne and her lover Beowulf. He had changed back into a vampire and she was tending to him arm. She looked over at Raven and beckoned her over. She obeyed and Bayne hovered one hand over Perce and one over Beowulf’s arm.

“Nigrum cura denuo adamantas et semel vulnera qui cor meum. et pertinentium ad bellator pinnata. Nam qui fugiunt adiuvat's amicus.” (black diamond’s heal once again and once and for all the wounds of the one who has my heart. And that of those belonging to the feathered warrior. For he who fly's to our aid is a friend)

There was a black light around them and when it disappeared Perce flew onto Raven’s shoulder and Beowulf hugged Bayne. But she wasn’t done because she turned to Raven again. She pointed to the bracelet that gleamed on her wrist.

“May I break its spell?”

Raven light up and smiled wide. It was obvious that she wanted the bracelet off. I tensed up that was the reason I had come here, to get Raven and take her back.

“Yes! Please!”

She flung her wrist up for Bayne to take hold of. Bayne studied it for a minute and then closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply and spoke quickly in the ancient language like it was second nature to her.

“Adamas's nigrum venusta infregerit detinet impedit tegit et vitulorum disabled funesta a semetipso suus. veram potestatem. manus. Nunc id delere." (black diamond’s break this charm that imprisons, hinders, hides, seals, and disabled a tainted it's true self, true power, her power. Now annihilate it)

After a second of complete stillness Bayne opened her eyes and black chains flung themselves at the bracelet from her belt. They tightened and a knife appeared. Bayne gripped its shimmery handle and struck straight down at Raven’s wrist. It didn’t make contact because a white light exploded from the bracelet suspending leaves in the air.

Blowing their hair back and letting it hang in the air like a freeze frame of that moment. And just like that it was gone. The chains and knife disappeared and the bracelet fell to the ground.

“Thank you so much Bayne.”

Raven said as she hugged her. Beowulf bent over to pick up the cracked and singed metal that use to be a bracelet. He threw it away into the forest. It just happened to be in my direction I caught and dropped it before it hit me in the face. That’s when I decided I had waited long enough and emerged from the shadows of the trees and looked right at Raven.

Everyone froze Bayne and Beowulf took on defensive stances. Raven began to cry. Perce cawed and tried to make her feel better but they weren’t tears of sorrow she was crying. They were happy tears.

“Ma- Matt what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to take you home.”

Bayne nodded her head and smiled when I finished. She totally relaxed and held out her hand to shake mine, I took it. Beowulf did the same but he was still one edge. I couldn’t really blame him since we were all in danger still. I guess neither us will feel safe until we leave this place. I took Raven’s had in mine and tugged it.

She nodded her head and lifted her arm for Perce to land on. He had flown away when she ran toward me. He soared down with my crow Hans’. Perce was uneasy and Hans’ was cawing at me. I shifted my eyes and changed so I could understand him.

“She’s coming and she knows. I’ll hold her off while you get away with Raven.”

Once he was sure I understood, him and Perce flew off in the direction in which they came. Beowulf looked at me like he knew something was wrong. He walked toward me when I began to frown.

“What is it?”

“Camille.”

I breathed her name. And it agitated him he growled and shifted his eyes. As he turned into a wolf, still growling deep in his chest, he looked at Bayne. She had changed too, into a reaper. The tension in her body was visible. She flicked her fingers out at her side and said something in Latin I couldn’t catch. But a black cloud appeared and then a scythe.

Her face morphed into a mask of nothingness. And it gave me the creeps. Even thou she had no expression her eyes said it all. Someone was going die and that person was Camille. It was the look of a true reaper on the job. I felt Raven shiver at my side, she was watching Bayne too.

“You guys go. We’ll take care of her. I have some unfinished business to attend to anyway.”

The way she said it was scarier than if she would have laughed evilly. Her voice was smooth and even like she wasn’t about to kill someone. All I could do was nod and take Raven’s arm. We walked off as Bayne and Beowulf ran in the direction Hans’ and Perce went. We were about half way through the forest when Raven stopped. Making our hands break apart.

“We have to help them. She saved me and freed me I have to help her somehow.”

Tainted

She turned and ran back the way we came. I chased after her tripping over the underbrush and roots that were hidden under leaves. Wait why am I running after her. I stopped and stretched out my arms. Looking to the sky I called out.

“Hans’ hear my call fly to me. And fly me to battle.”

After a minute Hans’ appeared in the sky he cawed and shimmered. His wings grew longer and bleached out. His clawed feet became cloven hooves. And his head became like a horses. When he landed on the ground he was a white Pegasus. He took to the air when I was on his back.

This is a Valkyir thing we are associated with crows and swans. But we ride Pegasus’s like our ancestor did. They stay if bird form so they can stay with us and protect us. But when we enter battle we call out there true forms.

“Follow Raven.”

Han’s whinnied and turned to the battle