Salvation

by Tanith Frost

  “Dust,” I whisper. It can happen so fast, and then it’s as if we never existed at all. It’s how he wanted to go, but that doesn’t help ease the pain and regret I feel over both losses. Neither were particular friends of mine, but in the end, I respected them both. They didn’t deserve this.

  But Hannabelle’s right. It could have been worse.

  Daniel rolls out sleeping bags for himself and Hannabelle. They both look exhausted, and my own eyelids are growing droopy again. Without the side benefit of magic keeping me awake, I’m as groggy as any other vampire at sunrise.

  “About those werewolves,” I say, yawning.

  Daniel stretches out beside me and gives me a sleepy smile. “I wanted to tell you. Wanted your help, in fact, but…”

  “I understand that, but how?” I roll gingerly onto my side to face him. “You hate werewolves.”

  “And they hate me.” He closes his eyes. “That’s why it was important that I make the peace offering. If there was a spy in our ranks—and Miranda still believes there was—they’d be watching you to see whether you were communicating with the pack.”

  “How did you manage it?”

  “I barely did.” He’s falling asleep, barely murmuring now, but he pulls me closer. “I reached out, apologized, humbled myself…”

  “Not your greatest strengths.”

  “No. But Violet said it meant something because she knew it was hard for me. She’d had time to think about it, and when we spoke more about the dangers and potential benefits, she was ready to listen… after an absurd amount of groveling on my part, of course.”

  I smile at the thought. I can imagine how Violet enjoyed having a particularly arrogant vampire at her feet, begging for help only werewolves could offer.

  “Anyway, she said she’d think about it,” Daniel says. “It wasn’t an easy decision for her or the other pack—they both came, you know. All I could offer her was what Irene had agreed to and a reminder about Irene’s legacy. That’s probably what did it in the end. But I didn’t know. It was hard to communicate with her without anyone knowing, and I lost contact after I told her where to find us. At that point, it was still if you come, not when.”

  I guess we deserved that after everything they’ve suffered.

  “Do you really think the others will be okay in town?” I ask. “Lachlan brought more troops to the church than I thought he had on the whole island, but he’s not stupid enough to have left the place unoccupied.”

  “I really do. Now that Lachlan’s gone, Tempest has lost its purpose. If Miranda offers any kind of mercy, they’ll surrender.”

  “Lachlan’s gone,” I whisper, and a weight lifts from my chest. I look up at Daniel, but he’s got his eyes closed. “And Bethany.”

  “And Bethany.” His lips twitch. I can’t tell whether it’s a hint of a smile or a grimace. “We’ve slain our monsters.”

  I shiver as a memory returns—Lachlan as a monster, flesh falling from his face. Fangs. Claws. A truer vision of him than what he showed on the outside.

  We’re all monsters, of course. The only question is what we decide to make of it.

  35

  “I’m nervous.”

  “I can tell.” Daniel glances down at me and offers a reassuring smile. “You’re not in trouble this time, remember?”

  “I know, but still.” I smooth down the skirt of my knee-length black dress—simple, modern, and completely unlike anything I wore during my time in Tempest. It still feels strange to be so dressed up in Maelstrom’s underground kingdom. “I don’t like not knowing what’s coming.”

  “I understand.”

  Before he can say anything else, the doors before us swing open. We step into the courtroom, but the place seems different. Midnight blue banners have replaced the black silk that hung on the walls before—a small change, but impossible not to notice. The marble throne has been moved against the back wall, replaced by a circle of chairs occupied by what remains of Miranda’s council and the guests she’s invited.

  We’re the last to arrive, walking in on a meeting in progress. Everyone turns to watch as we make our way between rows of empty benches.

  Miranda rises as we pause near the end of the aisle. She’s dressed in her usual way, in a long white dress with lace at the throat and cuffs, her black hair swept back in shining waves caught in a loose chignon behind her neck. I nod to Raymond, who sits beside her with a pad of paper and a fountain pen in his lap. I have no doubt that they’ll have the clan’s best minds working on ways to return his speech to him, but I heard that he’s insisted that other members of the clan should be a higher priority.

  Trent sits on Miranda’s left. A lump forms in my throat as the old vampire lowers his chin in a slight bow to me, then to Daniel. Hannabelle sits beside him, then Edwin, Jia, and Xavier, and it’s all I can do to keep myself from racing over and embracing every one of them.

  The other guests are more surprising. Violet sits next to Raymond, reading something he’s written on his pad. Imogen sits beside her, and then, hunched over in his little chair and looking immensely uncomfortable, Taggryn.

  “Welcome,” Miranda says. “We’re finishing with our other guests. We’ll just be a moment.”

  Violet, Imogen, and Taggryn rise. Miranda shakes each of their hands in turn.

  “Every vampire in Maelstrom knows what you did for us,” she tells them. “We will not forget that we owe our survival and our existence as a clan in part to werewolves and creatures of magic. You will be safe within this territory, and free.” She smiles at Violet. “Just as Irene wished.”

  Violet takes a long, slow breath. “We look forward to an uneventful future.”

  Miranda’s eyes crinkle at the corners. “If all goes well, it will be like we don’t even exist.”

  Violet chuckles ruefully. “We won’t forget. Believe me.”

  Miranda turns to Taggryn and Imogen. “I understand that one of you will be leaving us.”

  “Damn right,” Taggryn mutters, then clears his throat. “That is to say, this is not my world. I belong elsewhere.”

  “Indeed, though I am prepared to guarantee better and more respectful treatment in the future, should you return. And Imogen—you will remain here?”

  “No. I mean, not strictly.” She tucks her hair behind her ear and looks away from those intense, nearly black eyes. “I intend to go back with Taggryn to work on magic—curses, rifts, whatever I can learn there before I come back. And, um… my cat seemed happy there.”

  Someone chuckles softly. Imogen smiles. “I’ll be back. I just don’t know when.”

  Miranda nods solemnly. “We will do our best to survive without you.”

  Easy for her to say.

  “But you will be sure to close your rifts behind you,” she adds, “to prevent any… incidents?”

  Imogen glances at Taggryn. “Of course.”

  “Excellent. Know that you have our gratitude,” Miranda says. “All of you.”

  The three head toward the doors, pausing as they pass us.

  “Will you keep in touch?” I ask Violet.

  Her golden eyes flash as she grins at me. “If I need you, I guess.” Then she pulls me into a hug. I don’t care what the other vampires think. I squeeze right back. She sniffles in my ear. “Of course I will, you foolish vampire. Just say you’ll do the same for me this time.”

  “You’ve got it.”

  She turns to Daniel and gives him a stiff handshake accompanied by a wry smile. “May we never have to do this again.”

  He laughs. “We’ll hope not.” He tries to pull his hand away, but she grips it tight.

  “Say it again, vampire.”

  He looks away, then meets her eyes again. “I am most sincerely sorry for ever doubting the integrity, usefulness, trustworthiness, and value of your species. I was wrong.”

  He sounds as if he might choke on that last word. He also sounds entirely sincere.

  Violet smiles and releases him. “That will neve
r get old.” There’s warmth in her voice now. “For the record, a few of you vampires may not be the worst things to ever be inflicted on this planet.”

  “Stop,” Daniel says. “You’re going to make a dead man blush.”

  I leave them to it and turn to Taggryn. Chairs scrape over the floor as the vampires tighten their circle and resume hushed conversation, but I have no doubt they’re listening. We pretend we don’t care, but we’re also completely full of shit.

  “A guarantee of safety is not exactly the same as being worshipped, is it?” Taggryn asks. “But it will have to do.” He looks around and shudders. “I am eager to return to a world without vampires. But I may come back, should you require an ally again.”

  “Or should you require a hamburger.” I lean in closer. “Or should you want to visit. That’s okay, too.”

  “Perhaps. And do not worry about the little human. I will watch over her.”

  I grin up at him. “Really? What’s in it for you?”

  He glowers back at me. “If a mighty being decides it is in his best interests to call a lesser creature a friend, that is his business.” He raises one eyebrow. “I may also choose to call you such a thing. Among others.”

  “Likewise.”

  He nods. “I will think of you often and fondly. And I may desire your company even when it is not possible to have it.”

  “I’ll miss you, too, Taggryn.”

  Imogen holds her arms out, and I hug her gently. “Be careful out there. And come back soon. Let me know you’re okay.”

  “I will.”

  “And keep an eye on Taggryn,” I whisper. “Don’t let him get himself into trouble again.”

  “I’ll try.” She squeezes me tighter and lets go.

  And then they’re gone. Though I’m where I’m supposed to be—where I want to be—it feels as if they’re each tearing off a piece of my heart to carry with them.

  I’ll never be a perfect vampire, cool and detached. I know that now. And I’m completely fine with it.

  Miranda rises as the door closes behind them and motions for Daniel and me to come closer. They’ve arranged the chairs in a half-circle, and we stand at the top of the empty side.

  “We have lost so many,” she says, her voice calm and strong, filling the room without her needing to raise it at all.

  I blink back tears. The list has grown since I asked Hannabelle about it. She didn’t know how much Ryder meant to me, and it was only later, during the victory celebrations, that I noticed he wasn’t around. One loss among many, but it hurts more than most.

  Vampires don’t do memorials. We’re barely supposed to mourn, but it’s clear we’re thinking of our personal losses—Clark, who Miranda never said goodbye to; Eoin, who succumbed to injuries she might have fought off if she’d allowed Imogen’s magic to help her; Genevieve, who was more like family than anything else to Trent, Hannabelle, and Edwin.

  “Yet so many remain,” Miranda says. “This clan owes its survival to every member who fought against our enemy or struggled to survive imprisonment. But we have gathered to honour two, in particular, without whose loyalty and daring none of us would likely have survived.

  “Daniel.” He looks up, and she meets his gaze. “You have been a loyal clan member since the night you swore fealty to Maelstrom as well as a gifted rogue hunter—and occasional trainer of troublesome young vampires. No one has ever doubted your competence or value. But recently you have also proven yourself insightful, seeing possibilities others overlooked. Wise, willing to defy orders when they ran counter to the clan’s best interests, even if doing so put you in danger. A capable leader on the battlefield as well as the hunt, willing to take risks and make sacrifices for the good of others. You are young, but powerful. Secretive. Clever. Observant.” She smiles slightly. “You have great potential. And it is with Raymond’s knowledge and full support that I offer you a place on my elder council.”

  Daniel’s jaw drops. “But I’m not… old.”

  Raymond snorts and writes something on his pad, which he shows to Miranda.

  “It is an unusual situation,” she says. “Vampires have traditionally valued age, experience, and the power they bring. But then, Maelstrom’s strength has never been in being like other clans. You will remain free to do your other work, if you wish, as Katya chose to during her time as elder.” Her smile broadens, showing her fangs. “It’s not an easy position to fill, but you’ll grow into it.”

  Daniel rubs his hand over his forearm where the long sleeve of his shirt covers Gideon’s mark. “If you think I’m capable, I accept. I would feel more comfortable postponing my appointment until I’m free of another obligation, though, so there’s no chance of my position being used against Maelstrom.”

  “Of course.”

  Daniel didn’t tell me he’d confessed his deal with Gideon to Miranda, but it doesn’t surprise me. He is good at keeping secrets but wouldn’t do so if it might hurt his clan.

  This is everything he’s said he wanted—power, position, and he doesn’t even have to give up the thrill of the hunt. He’ll use that freedom more wisely than Katya did, and the clan will be better off for having his cold, logical, but fair-minded insight on the elder council.

  Miranda turns to me, and I freeze as if I’m facing a threat rather than whatever reward she has planned.

  “Aviva,” she says. “Those present here are aware of your involvement in events over the past few years, from uncovering Katya’s role in the rogue murders to the freeing of the werewolves, not to mention Viktor’s downfall. You have faced impossible odds and survived, often thanks to your willingness to question authority and stand up to those in power. You’ve shown your own dangerous brand of wisdom as you’ve embraced your nature while rejecting vampire customs and traditions that didn’t suit you. It left you an outsider in many ways. Some would call you stubborn. Irreverent. Disrespectful.” The smile has left her lips, but her eyes remain bright. “The same things they called me, once. But the fact is that Maelstrom would not stand tonight if not for you and your disobedience and rebellion, your loyalty and determination. You see things differently, and that makes you a great asset to this clan. I am prepared to offer you the other seat on the elder council if there are no objections.”

  I glance around, but no one speaks, and Raymond’s pen remains still. He knew this was coming. They all did.

  “I object,” I say, far less confidently than I’d have liked. “It’s not that I’m not grateful,” I add. “I know it would be stupid of me to turn this down, but…”

  Words fail me. But the one vampire who needs to understand doesn’t need words to get the message.

  I direct my thoughts as clearly and openly toward Miranda as I can.

  I’ve wanted for so long to be accepted and respected in this clan, and I know that this would guarantee me both. But you’re right—I am different, and that’s where my strength comes from. I wouldn’t have had the courage to be stubborn, irreverent, and disrespectful if I’d been an insider, afraid of losing that respect and acceptance. I’m valuable to Maelstrom as an outsider. A rebel. A wild card.

  Miranda’s lips twitch with amusement, and I know she’s hearing me.

  And I have a debt to pay, too, I add. Larger than Daniel’s. One I’ll never pay off.

  “But you are so young,” Miranda says, seeming to finish my last spoken thought for me. “I understand, of course. Perhaps we’ll just leave the position open for now. And you will, of course, be free to choose the position you do want within the clan.”

  “That’s all I could have hoped for. Thank you.”

  I glance at Daniel. He doesn’t look at all surprised by my refusal though I have no doubt he’s still reeling from the honour he’s just accepted. A perfect reward for him, but not for me.

  Miranda dismisses the others—even Daniel, who’s reading Raymond’s rapid scribbles as they leave together.

  I hang back though Miranda didn’t instruct me to do so.

 
She comes closer, carrying with her that unfathomable power that fits her so well. “And what would you wish to become?” she asks. “I’d offer you a quiet position with the Department of Unnatural Resources, but I can’t help thinking you might have something else in mind.”

  I know the answer without having to think about it.

  “Use me,” I tell her. “Make me your ambassador. Your explorer. Your assassin. Your sword or your shield, I don’t care. Just let me be free to follow the paths I choose as I serve this clan.” My mouth has gone dry, but I keep talking. “I don’t do well in a cage.”

  Miranda looks down at her feet. “No one has perfect freedom.”

  “I understand that. But I want to be useful. I want to reach my potential, and I can’t do that as an elder. Or confined by—”

  “Laws?” She looks back to me, one eyebrow arched. “You can’t escape them, especially outside of our territory. But the fact is, I agree with you.”

  “You do?”

  “Of course. This clan needs vampires like Daniel on the inside, shaping our laws and customs to maintain our place in this world and increase our clan’s power and presence. Yet I can’t help thinking it would be useful to have a secret weapon, too. Someone in the shadows. With this freedom you desire, you might carry out investigations or explorations or… well, other matters that I perhaps should have no official knowledge of. I have already benefited from your ability to make things happen when my own cage prevented me from taking action directly.”

  She doesn’t say it, but I have no doubt she’s thinking of Viktor and of a time when it wasn’t safe for her to know what her defenders were up to. Laws broken in the name of justice. And later, a spy who did her job without knowing why—or even whether—she’d been sent into enemy territory.

  “It would be dangerous work,” she adds, “even for a gifted vampire. It might create a shadow of fear and suspicion around you if you disappeared frequently and without explanation. You would face the consequences of your actions, should any arise. But you would be well compensated. And would be free otherwise to pursue outside obligations or interests.”