They weren't winning.

At least not to Mer's perspective, but everyone around her was remaining calm and fighting still. It had been so long, and Mer's knees were practically knocking as she remained there to protect the better mages to her right and left, both of whom looked like shit. The worst Mer could claim was sweating profusely and perhaps a few scrapes from pebbles as magic exploded on the ground.

Kopje was a mess from fighting with the vampires who made it through the lines and past her aunt Luna's magic. The man was a god of hand to hand and had cut the vampires down with ease to start, but each one whittled him down just a bit more and he was littered with cuts and bruises. Not to mention the man did it all with one eye.

Meredith couldn't keep up with this fight with both of hers.

In the mess of vampires ahead, she could feel her father, still moving through the chaos to cut down the worst threats before they could reach them, and she wished she could fight by his side. One day, if they survived this, she wanted to become powerful enough that she could provide more than just a supporting role. For now, she had to rely on him, her aunt, and Kopje to take the brunt of the damage.

That didn't mean she'd done nothing, and what she had, weighed on her.

The worst thing Mer had done in her life was some drugs at parties, but now she was trying to come to terms with the fact that she'd ended some of these vampires. They'd died in front of her, because of her, and with each new one she fought, she wasn't sure if she'd survive mentally. Mer didn't have the ingrained divide of vampire and mage that they did. Vampires weren't some evil scourge to her. They were people, and they were dying.

And there were always more.

While the numbers were thinning, the Fuses and the Silvers were both enormous houses like the Fleurs, highly skilled in combat and they were starting to outnumber what the Fleurs, Damien, and the mages could fight. It didn't seem fair, knowing that their vampire allies ahead of them were losing their lives to keep them safe. She'd never wanted to be with Rush more than right now, just to know he was okay on the other side of this fight. But she wouldn't be okay surrounded by the Zehirs. She could barely stand behind a wall of Fleur generals and mage grand generals.

Rush better be okay.

A screech echoed ahead of her and everyone slowed as they focused on Hel Valk. Black blood dripped from his eyes, and he dropped to his knees, throwing the mages' gazes back to Wren song as he'd done the same, blood dripping from his own eyes.

Shit.

"Wren, release him," Kopje said, jumping back to the man. Meredith could feel how weak his magic had gotten, barely a blip on her radar anymore. "It's all right. Our allies are here. Please, rest." On his knees as well, Kopje supported him as Wren's black eyes met his and he groaned.

His spell retreated, snapping the chains he had on Hel Valk and any others. Gasping for air, Wren leaned on Kopje, and a roar shook the area from Hel as he was released. A torpedo of lightning and fury thrust through the front lines straight for Wren, forcing the Fleurs to the side, and with Kopje supporting Wren, Luna wasn't enough to stop him.

And Mer forgot to move. She was directly in front of Wren, and Luna called her name, but it was all a little too late to stop the guy now. Kopje's magic collided with her as did his body, and he rolled with her out of the way, leaving Wren completely open where he was crumpled on the ground. She was pretty sure she called his name in despair as they hit the ground, and then magic exploded in the air around them.

Flames collided with lightning just in front of Wren, and smooth tan skin and broad shoulders she couldn't mistake for anyone else's stood between Wren and his death. Talamayas Sol emerged from the scuffle with his fangs lengthened in a snarl that had Hel stepping away but no less hostile. They moved opposite each other in a small circle before Hel lunged for Talamayas and they met in the middle, grappling hand in hand. Talamayas slid back a few feet as Hel sparked lightning, but it didn't last long. That last sprint after having his insides carved out with light magic had Hel worn down and too weak to fight.

Talamayas found purchase on the ground to stand up tall in front of the Valk leader, and the man crumbled. A spell formed below them, and flames crawled up and swallowed the two vampires. Only Talamayas emerged from the flames, brushing off his chest as they ate Hel Valk alive. Hel's final screech sounded both horrific and like a sigh of relief after having been tortured for this entire battle. Visually, it was just a shadow collapsing as the flames licked flesh and tapered off until there was nothing left.

Wasting no time, Talamayas spun around and moved for Wren Song, eliciting a curse from her aunt as she moved to help but was too slow. They all froze as Talamayas lifted Wren by his collar to his face and snarled. There wasn't a spell imaginable that could save Wren now if Talamayas wanted him dead.

"What did I tell you?" Talamayas voice was a low rumble, and Wren didn't even look like he could see what was in front of him with how his eyes were heavy lidded.

"I'm not... dead yet," Wren rasped, a faint smile lifting his lips. "Also not moving, so if you want to take a seat and watch, I might yet perish." Talamayas grip tightened with a low growl, and then Mer's eyes widened as Kopje stood up and moved from their line to approach them.

"Talamayas, let me care for him. If you don't want him dead, I should see what his magic did to his insides." Kopje spoke to Talamayas directly, but he trembled as the Sol leader dropped his gaze to him.

"Take him, mage," Talamayas dropped Wren on Kopje so brusquely that he lost his footing and ended up on the ground with Wren collapsed on him. "I'm going to burn them all."

"Can you not burn our allies," Kopje ground out as he lifted himself back up with Wren.

"What good are they if they can't stop one vampire from harming one of mine?" Talamayas spoke in utter seriousness as his energy fluctuated around him in a wave of darkness that made her sick. It was hard to tell whose side he was on. He'd saved Wren but was about to turn and nuke everyone. How was that helping?

Not only that, but he'd called Wren one of his own. That was a term used for kin, not a man that he tortured in his dungeons. Maybe she was the only one who'd caught that because every mage around them was of the defensive.

"We're exhausted," Kopje spat. "You can't expect the Fleurs to have enough juice left in them to combat a house head screaming for vengeance after Wren gutted his insides for the entire fight. They took heavy losses to keep us standing this long against two full houses."

"Talamayas," Damien dropped next to them, and Mer let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until then, and her father approaching Talamayas cautiously but not with fear showed her finally that he wasn't supposed to be against them, regardless of how angry he appeared.

"You've got thirty seconds to get the Fleurs out of my way or they go up with your enemies," Talamayas said, and Damien let out a growl of his own.

Her father looked just like Luna and Kopje, littered with cuts that dripped black blood down his skin. A slash over his front had torn open the first layer of his strange oriental garment, and the grey fabric hung down over his waist to reveal a white undershirt that was torn as well.

Instead of responding to Talamayas, Damien lifted his hand for a flare spell that signaled their retreat. The Fleurs just ahead of them looked to each other questioningly, but slid back into the mage ranks, closer to the complex. Not all of them were even with them anymore since Neil had shown up at the other side of the front. Lorenzo had left the command to Damien and his generals. Those who remained pulled out of the fights, and darted back to join up with her father.

Damien slid into her side and ran a hand protectively over her hair. It didn't take him long to notice how she was barely standing, and she was off her feet in an instant. As Talamayas took a step forward to stand in front of everyone, Damien lowered his face and nuzzled hers as he carried her back and ushered Luna to follow. There, they turned back to what remained of the Silvers, Fuses, and a meager handful of Valks.

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Word Count: 1562