by Sela Croft
Erembour frowned. “That is intolerable. Laela will not be forced to cower like a criminal, with her life taken from her. I know of her travails now. Her concerns will be dealt with, her fears put aside.”
Alban stood as still as a statue—for once, put in his place.
“Where is Laela?”
I was hesitant to reveal the location that I’d kept secret during my lifetime.
“You may tell me,” Erembour said. “I was outwitted once by this minion of death who calls himself king. He might think that he outsmarted me, but it was temporary. It won’t happen again. Speak of where your mother resides, and I will ensure that no one harms her.”
I believed the god would keep that promise, so I said, “My mother is hidden away in the mountains at the border of the coastal region. There is a coven of vampires who reside there and have kept her safe.”
“How will I recognize it?”
“The cottage is the only one built from dark stone,” I said. “I was told she had it constructed in your honor, that the dark abode reminded her of you.”
Erembour’s harsh expression softened. “I will bring her here. I wish to see her, to speak with her again, and to reunite her with her son.”
My hopes soared; I might see my mother for the first time. It was possible that I’d have the opportunity to get to know her. But best of all, it seemed that her life was no longer in peril.
Minutes ticked by, while Erembour stood very still. He had a captive audience, as no one dared move—and the guards remained immobilized. He’d stated that he would bring my mother, and it seemed that he intended to do so now.
It wasn’t long before a lovely female vampire appeared, standing across the room from the dark god. She had copper eyes and wavy, dark hair that flowed to her shoulders. She wore a long crimson dress of satin under a velvet cape.
She gasped when she saw Alban within arm’s reach.
“He will not harm you. I am here now.”
“Erembour…” She reached out her hand. “I didn’t think I’d see you again. I’ve missed you…desperately.”
“You are dear to me, Laela. You had no reason to doubt my affection,” Erembour said. “I am pleased to see you again. You’re as lovely as ever. Are you well?”
“Yes, my dark one, I have been cared for,” Laela said. “But how did you find me?”
“Your son Silvain revealed your location. He has spoken of the ordeal you went through, and I’m distressed from hearing of it.”
“Silvain?” She looked at me, and my heart swelled with the love of a son for his mother.
“Yes, I am your son. I’ve longed to see you but didn’t want to risk your security,” I said. “I can hardly believe that I’m seeing you now. I’ve waited so long.
“I told your story to weaken the king. Alban has been a dictator more than a monarch, and he hasn’t abated in his practice of treating women badly. I just couldn’t let it go. I thought if I shed light on his misdeeds, his disreputable acts would be his undoing.”
Erembour was listening attentively, so I told him, “The king has hidden his treachery for too long and gotten away with his offenses. I suppose that I hoped when I spoke of his acts that’d you hear and would act against Alban, as only you can.”
My mother reached toward me, so I went to her. She held my hands then said, “You did the right thing, my son. I should not have feared the king as I did. I should have faced him. Maybe he wouldn’t have been allowed to continue his reign of terror.”
“You could not have done that,” I said. “The king has no mercy. He would have killed you, and I would have died in your womb.”
My mother embraced me, so I hugged her lovingly. “I can’t bear the thought that such a fate might have befallen you,” she said.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alban. He grasped his scepter so tightly that I thought it might break in two. I sensed that he was itching to kill, but the god’s presence gave him pause.
It was an emotional moment. I had given up all hope of reuniting with my mother, or of her being truly safe. She was under Erembour’s protection once again. I was relieved that I’d done the right thing. In breaking the confidence and telling about what happened to her, I’d brought the wrath of the dark god upon the king, vengeance that he well deserved.
I looked into my mother’s eyes. “I lost you at birth, but it was worth it to know that you were unharmed.”
“You have me now,” Laela said. “I couldn’t be a mother to you before, but it appears that the Dark Fighters I trusted did an admirable job. I am overjoyed that we will be able to visit, to make up for some of the time we missed.”
Alban emitted a low growl yet didn’t say a word. I had no doubt that if Erembour hadn’t been looming, holding the threat of retribution over his head, that the king would have wielded the horrors of death upon us.
CHAPTER 65 – SILVAIN
The royal guards stood at attention, no longer pinned to the floor. But Alban did not command them to assault any who were present. He was evil to the core, but not necessarily imprudent. One look at Erembour was enough to halt any thought of attack.
“Why didn’t you tell me what happened?” Erembour said to my mother. “I don’t understand why you felt that you had to handle the matter yourself.”
My mother blushed but didn’t reply.
“Come, Laela.” Erembour held out his enormous hands, and my mother walked over to him. She grasped his hands then lifted one to her lips to kiss his knuckles.
“I can’t tell you what it means to me to see you again,” Erembour said. “I had not forgotten you.”
“I hadn’t forgotten you either, my dark one,” Laela said. “I thought of you every day and missed you. My heart was broken from the loss of you, and the hurt was compounded by the loss of my son.”
“But you did not come to me; you did not seek my help. Didn’t you know that it would have been freely given, that you are the only one I cared for?”
“I felt so ashamed,” Laela said. “I respected you, as I still do. It seemed inconceivable to tell you that I’d been raped, and that I bore a child that was not yours.”
“Why, my dearest? You couldn’t have believed I would turn away from you.”
“I was so afraid…of the king…of everything,” Laela said. “And I wasn’t sure; I was afraid that you’d think it was all my fault, that as a woman I’d brought it upon myself, that I’d been the one to charm and lure, that the attraction had been—”
“Never,” Erembour said. “I would not have blamed you any more than I do now, having heard the sordid tale. You were a victim of a vile creature. It was not your fault.”
I watched with rapt attention. Alban swallowed hard but did not speak. He seemed to have lost his tongue.
“You disappeared from my life for so very long,” Erembour said.
“I had to avoid endangering my son,” Laela said. “The king would have murdered him if he’d known, so I gave birth in secret. And he would have killed me, too. I fled in terror and, until this moment, had no confidence that I could show my face to the world again.”
Erembour pulled Laela close. She looked tiny next to him. He wrapped a massive arm around her, then faced Alban. The god’s eyes were the blackest black, and he was ferocious. Towering over the king, he could eat him alive, or do other godly things to send him to a horrible demise.
“It was not my fault,” Alban said. “You heard her for yourself. Laela admits charming me, luring me. Am I guilty for not resisting? Was it not natural instinct I fell prey to?”
“Not another word!” Erembour roared. “I will have none of your lies. My one love has been abused, and I hold you responsible.”
I gaped at the god’s fury and tried to imagine what he would do to the king. No penalty seemed quite severe enough, and death seemed too easy, almost like as escape from punishment.
“Listen well, king,” Erembour said. “I could yank every power you possess. So unless you want the rug pul
led out from under you in the next second, keep your mouth shut.”
Alban staggered back then sagged into his throne.
“I should turn your bones to ash right now, where you sit,” Erembour said. “You’ve earned that. You stole what didn’t belong to you.”
Then the god looked at me. “Silvain…you should have been my son. I recognize you as such, because Laela is your mother. I care not that the king fathered you, as he did so criminally. I honor you and your mother, so I will see that the king pays the price for what he did.”
“Have you no mercy?” Alban said, which was a curious thing to hear him say. I hadn’t known that he knew what the word meant.
“Shut up, king of death,” Erembour said. “I will have no more of your whining. I hold you accountable for your actions.”
Alban leaned back, and I saw fear in his eyes.
“You wreak destruction upon anything or anyone you touch. You lobby for death, and snuff out any goodness or life, little though there may be.” The god glared at Alban. “I am a dark god, yet even I’m aware that you throw the kingdom out of balance. You’ve gone too far.”
“Do not kill me, please,” Alban said.
“Nothing would give me greater pleasure,” Erembour said. “But even gods have rules to follow. I cannot interfere with destiny, and to kill you would end the war in an unnatural way. I have seen much through eternity, so I know that things have a way of resolving.”
My mother glanced at me, then at her dark god. I had the sense that something of great importance was about to happen.
“Light balances darkness,” Erembour said. “It must be that way for the realm to continue to exist. So, I cannot bring strife in the land to a conclusion of my choosing. Destiny is created by all. Yet I am going to take the liberty of tipping the scales against you, king.”
Alban closed his eyes.
“Have the courage to face your punishment,” Erembour said. “And take solace in that it could be much worse. I hereby imbue Silvain with increased powers.”
Erembour took my mother’s hand, then faced me. For that moment, Alban was of no interest to him. “Silvain, you are a warrior to be proud of,” he said. “You should have been my son. I consider myself your father, more rightfully than any other.”
“I’m honored, sir.”
“You have Strigoi blood in your veins, and it is only fair that you gain full power from what Alban has bestowed upon you,” Erembour said. “I’m sure that the king wouldn’t have schooled you in your abilities, even if he’d known of your birth.”
“I believe that is true.”
“So I shall do so now.”
Alban stood, but didn’t make a move against the god. He didn’t even look at his monster guards, who stood like lumps along the sidelines.
“As Strigoi, you have the innate power to become invisible at will then reappear at your choosing. Also, you can transform into animals or plants, as it suits you, then return to your vampire state.” Erembour lifted his hand. “You now have these powers as described. You do not need interning or practice. You’ll find that when you attempt either, you will be successful.”
“I don’t know how to show my appreciation.”
“Use your powers well, Silvain. I’m aware that you taught yourself cloaking, so I don’t have to offer it to you,” Erembour said. “I cannot tell you what to do, but consider this: greater strength is achieved by combining forces. If you think about that, I’m sure you’ll get my meaning.”
“I understand.” The god was referring to the Dark Fighters and the Guardians. He wished for Alban to lose the longstanding war, and went so far as to encourage me to join forces with my other enemy.
Erembour addressed Alban one last time. “I will go now, king. Laela and I have much catching up to do. But make no mistake: you must not molest or harass her again. She is free to roam the kingdom with impunity. She is under my protection. Do I make myself clear?”
Alban hesitated, then nodded.
“You will allow Silvain to leave unharmed,” Erembour said. “I don’t think you want to risk my wrath again. Next time I will kill you, regardless of rules. I’ll make sure that you suffer in darkness and pain for all eternity.”
Alban was silent.
“I warn you, do not cross me.” Then Erembour and Laela disappeared.
While Alban stood there, stunned, I took my leave. I had faith that the dark god would carry out his threats. Yet I failed to trust that the king would heed the warnings for very long.
I left the throne room before the guards drew their next breath. Then I started down the hall toward the entrance, but I bumped into Selene. The witch had not gone far.
“Didn’t I dismiss you?”
Selene smiled. “I couldn’t just leave. I thought you might need backup.”
“You are one crazy witch, you know that? Your life was at risk, and I thought you suffered from risk aversion.”
“It depends.”
I took her hand to drag her out of the palace before the royals came to life. At the gate, I levitated with her to the bottom of the mountain.
“Were you listening to all of that?”
“Of course. It was…” Selene said. “Actually, I’m not sure how to describe it. But it was immensely satisfying to see the king put in his place.”
I called for my horse. “I implore you to spread the word, as I asked you to. If for no other reason than to clear my mother’s name.”
Selene grinned. “It’s too good a secret not to blab it to the far corners of the realm.”
“Okay, witch,” I said, then mounted my horse. “Do you need a lift?”
“No, thank you. I have my own mode of transportation.”
“All right, then,” I said. “I have a war to get back to. Try not to get into any more trouble for a while.”
Selene laughed. “Now, what fun would that be?”
CHAPTER 66 – DRAVEN
My heart was with Mirela. What our future would be depended on what I did going forward. One fear had abated, since I’d been informed of the valid immortal prophecy, without its worrisome alteration. Plus, my guilt had lessened upon meeting my mother and being assured that she had found peace—or she would when Mirela and I resolved the upheaval in the kingdom.
Military efforts were ramping up, so this was no time for errors. What my army did in the near future could make all the difference. I had to ensure that our forces were strong, and our strategy solid. I was headed for the command center to find Quin, Spence, and Jon. I counted on them as much as my generals.
My mind was on military matters, so I strode with purpose, oblivious to my surroundings. I nearly ran into Selene and knocked her over. After stepping aside, I said, “You’ll find Calina in the castle with Mirela.”
“I will go there directly,” Selene said. “But it’s you I seek. I must speak with you first.”
“I have business to attend to; it will have to wait.”
“I think not,” Selene said. “What I must tell you impacts the war.”
“I can’t imagine what you know that I don’t,” I said. “But if you must relay news, make it quick. Levitate to the tower with me, so we won’t be overheard.”
I arrived at the tower then leaned against the parapet, waiting for what the sorceress could possibly have to share.
“I wanted to tell you before the others,” Selene said. “It seemed better to give you a chance to digest this turn of events privately.”
“Out with it, then.”
Selene took her time, carefully going over recent events. It was a horrendous tale—and although I didn’t doubt that Alban was capable of such crimes and more, the rest was more difficult to fathom.
“Silvain is the illegitimate son of the king?”
“His mother was called forth to testify, and even the king couldn’t deny it then.”
“This is shocking,” I said. “Silvain is my enemy, and his Dark Fighters will be taken down along with the Royal Army. Yet n
ow you inform me that he is my brother.”
“It is the truth.”
“You realize,” I said, “that the king will be in a blind rage. He will be furious at having his past revealed, and over the set-down by the god of shadows.”
“That is my reason for coming to you with haste.”
Selene wasn’t quite finished. She proceeded to tell me about Alban’s punishment for offending the dark god.
“The leader of the Dark Fighters was bestowed with increased ability?”
“All his Strigoi heritage is accessible, so his power is greater than before.”
“And what’s to stop him from using that newly gained power against my Guardians?” I said. “I see no reason for him to do otherwise.”
“Except that the dark god deemed it wise to join forces.”
“I lack faith that Silvain will acquiesce to that, given a choice,” I said. “And I certainly don’t consider him an ally.”
“I can’t say what will happen, only that the dark leader has choices. The angry god intended to shift the odds against the king.”
“You witnessed all of this?”
“I did,” Selene said. “You can be assured that it happened as I’ve told it.”
“War is unpredictable,” I said. “With this turn of events, it’s impossible to know the outcome. But I am certain of one thing: additional preparations must be made.”
Selene went to the castle to find the women, while I continued on my way to the command center. The unexpected revelations changed things; I just wasn’t certain how.
I had an older brother, the illegitimate son of the king. It made little difference to me, since I harbored no affection for him. Yet any weakening of Alban served me well.
It didn’t mean that I’d let my guard down. It was unwise to turn my back on Silvain, or to assume that he’d had a change of heart. Yet hearing his story was evidence that I didn’t know him at all. I’d known he had his own reasons for fighting this war, but I’d had no clue they were personal.
I found my comrades busy with tasks but called them aside. There might be very little time to prepare, since Alban wouldn’t wait to massacre us. It had been his stated plan all along to wipe out the Guardians then proceed to conquer the Dark Fighters.