Sight

by Chrystal Blue

  Suspecting Wilex knew the place where she was, she was not ready to let him go without answers. She also hoped he would be able to help guide her back there without having to face another near-death experience. There would have to be a way to get Sebastian to understand that she was not ready to send Wilex away. Determined, Arel would get the answers to her past unlocked and find a way to free them all from Zorin.

  Arel could hear Wilex's heavy boots thud along the floor. The sound of the fabric of his uniform as he swung his arm as he walked. Then silence, his steps abruptly stopping, she assumed near Marcus. Everything had always been quiet living among the Vampires that she had forgotten the sounds of life. Her ears perked up as she heard the door held open before Wilex let it purposely slam shut. Continuing to listen to his departing footsteps, she waited until she could no longer listen to them along the wood floor.

  Struggling to open her eyes, Arel focused her unclear thoughts. Grunting as she moved. Aeron stood near her side, the two of them alone in the room. She couldn't help smile watching him, reminding her so much of Sebastian.

  As her vision adjusted, she studied his aged face, the scar above his piercing eye. In the quiet, she could see the pain and the beauty of his existence all married to form one long life of safeguarding his family. Never had she seen his softer side, but the way he looked towards where Sebastian had been, she caught a glimpse of it.

  “I can’t stay, my being here will only bring more trouble to the Vampires,” said Arel.

  “You are a part of this family,” said Aeron. Given a second chance, he would keep the promise he made himself. He would honor Amata by treating Arel like a daughter.

  “But that is not what I need to say. You must name a successor, someone who will lead your army in the coming war,” said Arel.

  “Now you will tell me to choose Sebastian,” said Aeron, his husky voice soft as he spoke.

  “No, if Sebastian is to come with me, he can’t be the Vampire heir. It must be Catrin. I will need the support of all who oppose Zorin’s rule, not just the Vampires. You must create an army; we will need many in the coming days. Every house should be able to provide forces to protect when united. You will need bodies and weapons that match the Darken. I know neither will be hard for you to obtain.”

  It troubled her to say it, but there was no use in trying to draw out the conversation. There would be many difficult things she would have to say in a few hours before they left the comfort of the Vampiric estate. The hardest things she would have to say to Sebastian.

  “You have seen the battle,” replied Aeron. Pensively he looked out the window towards the grounds.

  “I have seen many battles, many causalities, and much bloodshed. I know we will lose much, but it is a war that can’t be avoided,” whispered Arel.

  “Have you seen our Victory?”

  “I cannot see my own future. I do not know how Zorin will be defeated, but he will. Zorin will fall, and his reign of terror will end, this I know.”

  Sebastian would not leave Arel’s side, even if it meant following her into the folds of his enemy. There would be a terrible war, and they would need all of the species that the Darken had oppressed to backing her rule. She would need the vampires all the way down to the enslaved humans the vampires used as food. When Zorin returned, and she was sure he would, they would have to defend themselves against his new army.

  “Aeron, thank you. Give me your hand,” she pleaded.

  There was no need for explanation as to what she was preparing to do. When Aeron agreed to save his grandchild, he knew then if she survived, she would have to take away the memory. Time short, she did not know if there would be another opportunity to erase the evidence of the child’s survival.

  Reaching over, the crème sleeve of his shirt rested on the edge of her bed. She held Aeron’s calloused hand in her palm, much larger than Sebastian’s and rougher. Worn from the many battles fought in his life. Closing her eyes again, she went through his thoughts, finding the memories from the funeral. Arel worked her way back to the moments after her passing, erasing evidence of their son’s birth.

  Tears fell from her eyes as she saw the tiny frame of her son held in his father’s arms. Purposely she left their child not breathing and the doctor’s death. Determined if anyone would look through his memories, James, her son, would be safe. As far as Aeron’s recollection, she had a daughter that did not survive birth. Arel left the memory of her entering his private study as well.

  That day Arel had secreted away using Eir’s knowledge of the house’s layout to find Aeron’s private study. Sebastian had left her in Eir’s care, withdrawing the estate to contain a problem in town. Arel had obtained the purpose of his going from the other vampires in the house and not from Sebastian.

  Using this opportunity, Arel begged Aeron for help. It had been a secret between the two of them making sure she had not mentioned it to Sebastian. Arel was unsure if given a chance, Sebastian would have been able to save the baby if it risked her life. She enlisted his father’s assistance in the matter. Aeron had made sure that Sebastian did everything in his power to protect their child.

  Satisfied should anyone view his recollections of the events that had happened. They would not know Arel had erased the survival of her heir. The memory of Catrin and Alexander altered, breaking her promise not to use her gifts on Sebastian’s family. Her energy spent; she could not form the words she wanted to say with her mouth. I’m sorry, she thought to him. With Aeron’s help, she rested her head back down, falling to sleep.

  Arel’s Dream

  The sky glowed red along the amber horizon. In the distance, muffled cries rose from the ground stretching towards the vapor filled sky. Large plums of thick black smoke billowed from the charred remains of the peeling buildings. Choked on the thick perfumed stench of burning, her eyes shielded, she pressed on. The condensed air coated with charbroiled flesh and melted plastic. Blankets of gray, black, and white clouded the dusk sky obstructing the view ahead. Far off birds rose from the crumbling edifices retreating to safety in the nearby horizon; their cries sounding the alarm of retreat.

  On every side of the city was disintegrating between red hot flames and ash. Heat rising up from the ground, running from the buildings, burning towards her. Sweat glided down her forehead trailing her hairline to the ground. Her eyes stung from the sharp flame and smoke, obstructing her view. Choking back the cough rising from her chest, creeping up her throat, she pressed on.

  Gripping her sword, she continued towards the center of the town. Large craters dipped in the broken road; the debris of metal, stone, and bone scattered along her path. There in the rubble lay the cold bodies of women and children, bloodied and broken. Mouths gaped open their eyes looked up in horror frozen in the last minutes of their lives. Damned by their silent curses, she pressed on.

  The ground gave way to her steps, soft and lumpy. Pools of red, rising with each tread, their blood sweeping up the sides of her leather worn boots. Sword drew she looked for the culprit, the one who had set the town ablaze. There was no one, no sign of the one who had left the trail of bodies and blood. She stood alone in the dead city, vacant except for the sound of her own rapid heartbeat. Gone, they were all gone.

  “Arel. Arel, wake up,” yelled Sebastian.

  Opening her eyes, she saw Aeron standing beside a panic looking Sebastian staring down at her. Wilex stood on the opposite side of them looking calmly. She could tell Sebastian had fed; his complexion had come back. The sunk-in look of his cheeks had been replaced by fresh, glowing skin. The bags under his eyes had diminished significantly, and his general aura had improved.

  “I’m okay, it was just a dream,” whispered Arel. Sitting up, she smiled up at Sebastian. Reaching her hand out, Arel squeezed Sebastian’s hand in hers. Raising her palm, she cupped his face as he leaned in close to kiss her.

  Before her, stood a closer resemblance of the man she had fallen in love with. It would be him she would need when she re
turned to the Resistance in search of clues to her mother’s whereabouts. In the coming days, she would need all of them and their strength to make sure her plan was successful.

  The Resistance was the last place her mother would have been and the best place to find out what happened after her and her sister’s birth. She had not been back to her childhood home since their escape. The memories she had of the Resistance stronghold, left all of them dead at the hands of the Darken. Whether or not she would find anyone who could lead her to the last bands of the Resistance was still an answer she sought. They would need all the help they could get, including Wilex.

  “Are you feeling better,” asked Sebastian. Dotting on Arel, he continued to caress her face and hair. Softly she shook her head.

  “Your highness, have you recovered,” asked Wilex.

  “Yes. Thank you for keeping Sebastian safe,” answered Arel. Resting her eyes on the prostrating man at the side of her, trying to determine his motives. A few strands of his hair fell in front of his eyes as he looked over Arel towards Sebastian.

  “You still haven’t told us why you were here,” said Sebastian.

  Watching Wilex, they waited, doubtful he would answer plainly. Aeron had summoned the Cadell men to surround the estate. They stood around the property on high alert, ready for the impending arrival of the rest of the Moruka guards. It would be a battle, none of them would survive if his men should try to take on the Darken. The Vampires, although skilled hunters lacked the heavily guarded technologically advanced weaponry of the Darken.

  Arel could hear the thoughts of the men assembling outside of the room. Marcus met with a few elders in an upper study. They huddled together, formulating a plan of what course of action they would take in regards to the Darken. Well aware they lacked the manpower to defend against their enemy, Marcus advocated proposing a treaty with Jolon. Of what they could negotiate with now that the child was gone, he did not know. The other elder vampire actively opposing any negotiations that would lead them back into giving their children as ransom.

  Wilex shook his head, smiling at the trio. “If I hadn’t been here, your trusted brother would have killed her. Shouldn’t you have gratitude instead of accusations?”

  “You’re a Moruka, we are enemies,” replied Viktor.

  Viktor strolled through the door, a solemn look on his thin face. The blood in his cheeks visible, from a fresh feeding. Swaying as he walked, the top of his blond locks bounced as his feet silently glided along the floor.

  “Arel, Sebastian, I’m sorry. I” said Viktor.

  “There is no need. I know, you only wanted to protect Sebastian, keep him from the madness you experienced. I know as his brother; you would do anything to protect him. I do not fault you or even Marcus,” interrupted Arel.

  Shivers crept down her spine as Viktor kissed her outstretched hand, the coldness of his touch. In all their previous encounters, he had maintained an invisible barrier with Arel. Caught off guard by the unnatural feeling of his skin, she reactively jerked. His fangs exposed as he smiled back at Arel.

  Laying her hand back on the bed, Arel looked to Sebastian. Remembering all her previous encounters with the vampires, none of them had the icy feel of Viktor. In fact, she could not recollect touching any of the vampires that had been made. All of those born of the blood, as Marcus had once called them, had unmistakably warm skin.

  Turning his attention towards Aeron, Viktor stopped in front of the Cadell family head. Solemnly he looked on, reporting his news cautiously. “Aeron, our man has returned. The group Marcus sent has still not arrived at Zarnaiah, it appears they have had some trouble in arriving.”

  “Are they alive,” asked Arel, focusing her eyes on Wilex standing nearby.

  “Yes, just transportation issues. Seems someone wanted to delay their arrival,” replied Viktor.

  Their eyes feel on Wilex, standing near Arel’s bed. Clearly, she could read the thought on everyone’s mind, why would the Moruka keep their men from reaching the Darken.

  “Tell me, Wilex, how is it that they have had issues reaching Zarnaiah,” asked Arel.

  “Your highness, how would I know the cause of the of their transportation issues?”

  “Wilex we don’t have time for games. If you won’t answer me plainly, how can I trust you? Even something as simple as delaying their arrival to Chindi.”

  Sitting up fully, Arel moved her legs to the side of the bed. Remembering Marcus’s fears, she wondered if she was accurate in her thinking regarding Wilex. He had saved her, without revealing why or whose side he was on. Pressing her hands into the bed, she steadied herself.

  “You haven’t greeted me properly,” Arel said to Wilex.

  Falling to his knees, he prostrated himself. “Your highness.” Waiting for Arel to grant hi permission to rise, his eyes remained lowered.

  Sighing, Arel raised her voice slightly. “You haven’t greeted me properly.”

  Wilex looked up questioningly at Arel. Raising to his knee, he crossed his hand over his chest. “Your highness. I am Wilex.”

  Waving her hand, she cut him off. “Perhaps they are correct. You are not who I have thought you were. You should return to Chindi and the Moruka.”

  Observing the others in the room, Wilex lowered his arms as he stood up. Slowly he approached Arel sitting on the bed watching him. Standing a few inches in front of her, he purposefully rose his hand, brushing the curls behind her back.

  A look over anger flashed in Sebastian’s eyes as he made his way over to Wilex. Grabbing the Moruka’s arm, he pulled him away from Arel. Fangs low, Sebastian sneered, “touch her again.”

  “He will not harm me, Sebastian.”

  Released from Sebastian’s hold, Wilex again walked towards Arel.

  “Will you greet me properly,” Arel asked.

  Wilex stood in front of Arel as Sebastian waited by the side of the bed an arm’s length from Wilex.

  Gradually Wilex raised his hand, brushing the hair behind Arel’s back. Leaning in, he rested her forehead on his as Arel placed her hand behind his neck. Closing their eyes, you could hear the inhaling of their breaths. They stood like this a few minutes before releasing each other. Arel could feel Sebastian’s anger.

  Wilex watched Arel quietly. Smiling Arel threw her arms around Wilex’s neck, pulling him in close, she hugged him. Astonished Wilex pulled away, breaking her hold from around his neck. Her eyes bright, she pulled him close and began examining him. We are kin, she thought to Sebastian.

  “Arel,” Viktor yelled.

  “Your highness,” demanded Wilex as he pulled further away.

  “Let me see you,” commanded Arel, her hand stretched towards Wilex.

  Dutifully Wilex complied, allowing Arel to examine him. She looked over his head, behind his ears, his neck, and hands. Holding his face in her palms, Arel smiled at him. Although she wanted to examine his whole person, she reserved herself.

  “What is the meaning of this,” asked Aeron.

  “I wanted to examine the Moruka up close. See what makes them different,” responded Arel.

  “Arel spent some time with humans, they hug as a way of showing gratitude,” Sebastian interjected.

  Grateful for Sebastian’s assistance, Arel squeezed his hand. There was no question that she trusted Aeron, but she was almost sure that Wilex wanted everyone to believe he was Moruka, loyal to Zorin. Although Arel was sure he was a Darken, questions of is loyalty to Zorin remained.

  “Wilex, thank you for waking me,” said Arel smiling.

  “Your highness it is my honor to protect you.”

  “Sebastian, I need to return to the Resistance, there are answers I need from my grandmother.”

  No longer holding her hand, Sebastian paced the room. Arel could see he struggled with something he wished to say. With a nod from Aeron, Sebastian walked over to Arel, standing in front of her.

  “My love, have you forgotten? They were killed by the Moruka.”

  “Sebastian, I ha
ve to go there.”

  “Viktor, will you escort Wilex to a room to freshen up.”

  “Come, Moruka,” commanded Viktor. Glancing at Arel, he obliged following Viktor out of the room. Aeron walked towards the door, leaving the two of them to talk.

  “Do you remember when we were children?”

  “Yes,” replied Arel shaking her head. All of her memories had returned regarding her childhood.

  “We stood in the tunnel under the house, a few inches apart as we are now. Your hair was just as braided back, a few strands of curls framing your face. There were tears in the corners of your eyes as you told me what you saw. I made a promise to you, do you remember?”

  Tracing Sebastian’s lips with her fingers, she remembered her first kiss. The softness of his lips, the warmth of the brightly lit tunnel, where she stood unafraid. With clear distinction, she recalled his pleas to leave his father’s estate. The young Sebastian had promised he would do everything he could to protect her even from his father. It was Sebastian that pulled her into his arms, kissing her.

  Sliding off the bed, Arel walked over to him. “You promised you would protect me. After you returned me to the resistance camp, you promised you would find me.”

  Sebastian had protected her that night. It had taken her days to arrive back at his family’s home. Almost immediately after her and her aunt had returned to the family, she ran away. At the next town over, she had convinced an elderly man to drive her back to Sebastian. The man, fearful of the crest on the iron gates at the front of the property, would go no further towards the house.

  As she stood on the front, stone steps, she swallowed hard, the courage that had brought her to his door fading. Her small hand preparing to knock; she prayed to kismet. It was Sebastian who opened the door pulling her inside, bringing her to the secret tunnel.

  “When word reached me of what the Darken did, I went to the house. The house was there, but everyone was gone. The Darken had wiped out all of the resistance strongholds. There were no survivors.”