A Shade of Vampire 87: A Shade of Mystery

by Forrest, Bella

  Hazel and Tejus were downstairs with Corrine and Lumi, poring over Isabelle’s medical tests. They’d decided to double check all the results, just in case they’d missed something. It was unlikely, but I certainly understood the need to be sure beyond the shadow of a doubt.

  Draven and Serena had settled into the chairs next to mine, occasionally exchanging theories. None had panned out. The most recent had made them summon Taeral and Eira, and we were now waiting for the Fire Star’s royal couple to arrive. “Maybe it’s a Hermessi thing,” Draven had suggested earlier. He’d also been quick to conclude that Viola or the other Daughters maybe would have sensed something, if that had been the case.

  Even so, we hadn’t been able to fully dismiss that idea, despite the added fact that Isabelle wasn’t a fae and therefore wasn’t directly connected to the Hermessi. We’d all agreed that Taeral and Eira, a Hermessi’s daughter and far better connected to the elements than the Daughters themselves, might be able to clear this up for us once they saw Isabelle for themselves. She remained quiet, still cuffed to the table in her padded cell. Once in a while, I’d get up to look through the glass panel, only to find her giving me the deadliest stare. She still had it out for me, and that horrified me.

  “Are your parents coming back anytime soon?” Jericho asked, looking my way.

  “I’m not sure. They’re with Derek and Sofia. A senior council has been summoned to discuss the incident. Despite their retirement, many of our founders wanted to get involved in this. It’s deeply personal, and I understand their decision.” I gave Draven and Serena an apologetic glance. “Also, I know I’m repeating myself, but I’m truly sorry this happened.”

  Serena shook her head. “There is absolutely nothing for you to be sorry about, Astra. Please. No one is blaming you for this.”

  “It’s just the lack of answers that’s killing us.” Draven sighed.

  “I think it’s time we start considering the options if we don’t get any answers,” Voss interjected. “Forgive me, I’m not trying to be negative here. Just pointing out that such a possibility exists.”

  Serena shuddered in Draven’s embrace. “Yeah, I don’t want to think about that. Not yet.”

  Finally, Taeral and Eira appeared at the end of the hallway, and my heart skipped a couple beats. Maybe they’d be able to help us. Maybe their knowledge and Hermessi experience would prove useful. I was growing tired of this mystery already. I just wanted my cousin back.

  “Sorry we’re late,” Taeral said as they reached us. “We were in the middle of a diplomatic banquet.”

  “Fortunately, Sherus and Nuriya were more than happy to take over the guests’ entertainment,” Eira added, then took me in her arms, squeezing tightly. “I’m glad to see you’re okay, Astra.”

  “Thank you,” I whispered, trying not to cry. The more people expressed joy at seeing me still kicking, the more it hurt, because it reminded me of what Isabelle had tried to do.

  Taeral looked through the glass panel. “Is she secured?”

  “Yes. Charmed cuffs,” Serena said, getting up to hug him. “Thanks for taking the time to come out here.”

  “Oh, don’t mention it. You’re like family. We’ll do anything for family,” Taeral replied with a warm smile. The crown suited him, the gold band glinting softly in the lights of the hospital corridor. His family crest had been embroidered on the chest pocket of his elegant, dark red tunic, stylized flames swirling up toward the sky in gold thread. It gave me an odd sense of comfort, if only for a minute. “What are the possible causes you’ve eliminated so far?” he asked.

  “Magic. Word magic. Druid magic. Medical conditions, including neurological issues,” Serena replied, her shoulders dropping. “We’re having a psychiatrist assess her later. We’re having a witch bring him in from the continent. He’s said to be one of the best in his field.”

  “He’s coming in from the States?” Taeral asked, genuinely impressed.

  “Yes. My only concern is that Isabelle might be uncooperative. She refuses to speak to anyone, including me and Draven.”

  “She actually tried to attack Draven,” Jericho reminded us. “She’s been violent toward anyone with magical abilities. At least, that’s the only pattern we’ve been able to identify so far.”

  Taeral and Eira were both understandably troubled by what they were hearing. “Okay. And you’re thinking this might be a Hermessi issue?” the Fire Star king asked.

  “It’s just a theory. Far-fetched, but we’re running out of options here,” Draven said.

  “Let me go in,” Taeral replied.

  “Okay, but be careful,” Serena warned him. “Lumi left the door unlocked for us, and we’re all here to keep everyone safe. Watch out, is all I’m saying. Isabelle is quite… fast, as you might remember.”

  Taeral gave her a nod, then went into the room. He didn’t say a word as he walked around her table a couple of times. Isabelle didn’t move an inch, her gaze fixed on her cuffs. Eira joined Taeral, and they spent about ten minutes in there, simply watching her and exchanging brief glances. At one point, Eira raised her hand, palm glowing blue, as she circled Isabelle once more. She looked back at us and shook her head.

  “Nothing,” I murmured. “This is so wrong…”

  “Hey! We just heard what happened!” Thayen came up, accompanied by Richard. They were both panting, likely having crossed the redwood forest in a rush to get to us. “Are you okay, Astra?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And Isabelle? Oh…” Thayen’s voice trailed off when he saw her through the open door as Taeral and Eira exited. He looked at Serena and Draven. “Mom and Dad are baffled. They’re still in their senior council, but I’m not sure they’re going to walk out with a solution. Without the cause, it’s impossible to take the right measures.”

  Serena sighed deeply. “Yes, but I’m not giving up yet. We haven’t exhausted all the possibilities.”

  Jericho brought Thayen and Richard up to speed regarding which possibilities we had, in fact, exhausted. By the end of his briefing, Richard was giving Thayen a concerned look. I instantly knew what it was about, and I wasn’t sure it was a good idea for either of them to bring it up. Serena and Draven were worried and distraught. Maybe their minds weren’t clear enough to acknowledge that Thayen didn’t have anything to do with it.

  “Isabelle isn’t connected to the Hermessi,” Eira said, and I breathed a sigh of relief—not because of what she was saying, but because she’d drawn focus back to herself. “The elements wouldn’t be able to influence her. Not on such a deep level, and not in their current state. Remember, after the rebellion was stopped, the Hermessi returned to their neutrality. Even I have trouble reaching out to them sometimes.”

  “So, it’s not a Hermessi issue,” Draven muttered, shaking his head, understandably disappointed. “What else can we consider at this point?”

  Richard gave Thayen a nudge, practically begging him to speak up. Thayen exhaled sharply, lowering his head for a moment. It was enough to get Draven and Serena’s attention—not to mention Voss, Dafne, and Chantal’s, as well. Meanwhile, Jericho and I were both tense and quiet. This was about to get awkward and difficult unless Thayen chose his words very carefully.

  “What is it?” Serena asked, eyeing Thayen curiously.

  “I suppose I should tell you, just so you can eliminate me as a potential culprit here,” he said. “Thing is… you remember the shard in my heart? The one that used to belong to the Spirit Bender?”

  “That piece of his soul, yes. It’s the only thing that’s left of him,” Serena replied, slightly frowning. “What about it?”

  “I recently discovered it’s given me an ability. I haven’t mastered it yet, and it’s infinitely weaker than what the Spirit Bender could do, but…”

  The color drained from Serena’s face. I saw Draven’s jaw muscle twitching as Thayen took another deep breath, trying to find the right way to say the rest of his uncomfortable truth.

  “I can ben
d spirits like he could. I’ve only done it three times, and it requires me to be in close vicinity of the target,” he said. “And I swear, on everything I hold dear, I would never use it on Isabelle. I was nowhere near the training hall when the incident happened. Richard thought I should be honest with you both, as Isabelle’s parents, because it wouldn’t be right to hide this from you.”

  “If I may, I’d like to add that I witnessed Thayen’s ability, and everything he just told you is true. He couldn’t have done this to Isabelle,” Richard added. “I was with him this whole time.”

  Serena stared at them both for what seemed like forever. Her aura didn’t make much sense to me, but most of those I could read didn’t. “Good grief, did you really think I’d blame you, Thayen?”

  He blinked rapidly, trying to find his words. “I… I considered the possibility.”

  “Why would I, honey? You’d never hurt anyone, especially not your family,” Serena said, taking his hands.

  Draven chuckled. “It’s admirable you came to us with this, though. We appreciate it.”

  “So you inherited Spirit’s ability? That’s insane…” Serena said.

  Thayen couldn’t do much other than shrug. “I didn’t ask for it. And it’s just a fraction of what he was capable of. I guess he just had to leave something behind.”

  “I trust you will use it for good, and only if you have to,” Voss replied.

  “Absolutely. But the news of my ability aside, what can we do for Isabelle?” he asked, looking at her through the now-closed door. “If it’s not the Hermessi, what else can we try?”

  “Actually, I was thinking you might try something with this new power of yours,” I said, looking at the others and hoping for some approval. “Why don’t you go in and see if you can make Isabelle tell you what is wrong with her?”

  Thayen stared at me for almost a minute. “Say what, now?”

  “Glamor her,” Serena replied, suddenly energized as she gave me an appreciative nod. “Yes. If you can bend spirits, why not hers? She’s the only one who knows the truth of what happened.”

  It didn’t take long for Thayen to recognize the value of such a move. Once he was inside Isabelle’s room, he glanced back at us, visibly nervous. We all encouraged him to go ahead. “Come on, you can do this,” Richard said. “You’ve got some practice already. It’s already coming to you way easier than before.”

  Thayen let a deep breath out and placed a hand on Isabelle’s shoulder. She just looked at him, eyes narrow and cold, but didn’t say a word. The atmosphere seemed to change as Thayen unleashed his glamoring ability onto her. Even his voice sounded slightly different from where I stood, heart stuck in my throat. The more he used this ability, the better he was at it. There was a clear and steep learning curve, and Thayen would probably master glamoring sooner rather than later. It had an impact on his self-confidence, too.

  “Isabelle. Tell me the truth. What happened to you? Why did you attack Astra?”

  She kept looking at him, unmoved. I had a feeling she wasn’t affected.

  “Tell the truth,” Thayen insisted.

  “I just want to kill her,” Isabelle replied dryly. “What’s the big deal?”

  Thayen glanced in our direction, clearly surprised by her words. “I… I’m not sure it’s working.”

  Serena muttered a curse.

  “What do you mean, you’re not sure?” Draven asked, taking a step forward. He inched closer to the doorway but did not go in so as not to stir his daughter in any way. “Don’t you feel her in your grip?”

  “It’s really hard to tell, considering I’m not yet an expert with this. I do and I don’t, at the same time. It’s like I’m talking by myself in an empty room, but there’s an echo,” Thayen tried to explain. He moved his focus back on Isabelle and tried again. “Tell the truth. What happened to you?”

  “Nothing. I’m fine,” she replied, prompting him to sigh, increasingly frustrated.

  “I don’t think this is working out,” Thayen said as he left Isabelle at the table and walked out of the room. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong. Maybe I’ve yet to control this ability as well as I’d hoped. I can tell people to do stuff, obviously, but perhaps I can’t make them tell me stuff. Not yet, anyway.”

  “Besides, Seeley did advise you not to use glamoring without a Reaper present, so you should really pull back now,” Richard reminded him. Thayen offered a faint nod.

  “I know… I just wanted to see if I could help. Unfortunately, I can’t, and I’m not even sure if it’s my fault or if Isabelle is simply immune to my glamoring.”

  Draven and Serena exchanged worried glances. This wasn’t going anywhere, and I could feel the mood changing and dropping into an abyss of despair. “Is there anything else we can take into account?” I asked, unwilling to give up.

  Taeral clicked his teeth. “Death magic. We haven’t considered that yet.”

  “Oh, snap, you’re right!” Jericho exclaimed. Dafne and Chantal kept staring at Thayen with a mixture of awe and curiosity. I couldn’t fault them. I’d been the same when I first learned of his ability. It was strange but certainly not the strangest thing to have ever happened to a Shadian. “We should get one of the Reapers to test Isabelle.”

  Serena and Draven nodded, almost enthusiastically.

  “I’ll reach out to the Soul Crusher,” Taeral said. “He should be able to tell us what we need to know.”

  As the air seemed to settle in the hallway, I realized I was sensing a thread of doubt among us. It was faint, like a lingering fragrance, but it was there. And I could see it in almost every gaze aimed at Thayen—even when it came from Draven and Serena. Yes, they’d said they didn’t blame him for Isabelle’s behavior, but I also understood why they would still have some lingering concerns.

  We were all clinging to the idea of death magic. Maybe it held the answer we’d been searching for. At the same time, I could tell the people here hadn’t really cleared Thayen of all doubt. I trusted him. I knew he wouldn’t do something like this. Serena had said it herself. But she was a mother in pain, a mother whose daughter was exhibiting dangerous and unexplained behavior. It wasn’t difficult to connect the wrong dots in circumstances like these, regardless of the assurances she’d received so far.

  Our best option was to wait for the Soul Crusher’s assessment. That was why no one was contradicting Thayen’s alibi and claim to innocence. I worried the sentiment would shift, that the seed of doubt would grow into something more unpleasant if we continued to try different things without figuring out what had triggered Isabelle to attack me.

  These were all good people. But even the best of them could waver when facing such complicated situations. My only hope was that the Soul Crusher might clear Thayen of any wrongdoing, and quickly.

  Thayen

  I didn’t need sentry abilities to know the people around me remained doubtful about my glamoring ability. They meant well, and they were fundamentally good people—the kind who would give anything to help others and to protect those who could not protect themselves—but I also understood why a small amount of fear persisted. They needed answers. They had no explanation for Isabelle’s behavior, and I had remnants of our worst enemy inside me.

  Serena and Draven kept their doubts to themselves, though, as did Jericho, Dafne, Voss, and Chantal. The thought had crossed my mind, too—what if I was somehow responsible for Isabelle’s behavior but didn’t even know it? Could I have triggered something without being aware that I’d done it? Astra and Richard were the only ones I could see who were clearly on my side, but that was okay. The clouds would clear eventually. Sooner or later, we’d find out what had turned Isabelle into… this.

  Another hour passed as we waited for Soul and Kelara to show up. They’d gotten the message, and they’d agreed to stop by The Shade hospital. Meanwhile, Lumi and Corrine had returned from their meeting with the physician, and the looks on their faces told me everything I needed to know. There was no sign
of a medical issue, for sure. That possibility had been eliminated altogether.

  “When is the psychiatrist coming?” Draven asked Serena, who checked her phone.

  “In a few hours,” she said. “According to his last message, he has a couple more patients in urgent need of therapy sessions. Once he’s done, one of our witches will bring him over.”

  Corrine and Lumi had been brought up to speed regarding my ability. I would’ve liked to keep a tighter grip on the spread of this information, but I doubted I could control it anymore. Soon the whole Shade would learn what I could do, and I wondered how everyone would react. Would they be suspicious? Accepting? It could go either way. The witches gently pulled me aside.

  “How are you holding up, kid?” Corrine asked, her voice low.

  I stole a glance at Astra and Richard, finding a sliver of comfort in their sympathetic smiles. “I’m okay, Corrine. But just so we’re clear, I had nothing to do with this.”

  “I know,” she replied. “We’ll make sure knowledge of your ability stays within our circle for now. We cannot control how the others might react, especially after Isabelle’s outburst.”

  “It’s fine,” I said. “I don’t necessarily like it, but I understand.”

  Lumi let out a heavy sigh. “It will work out. My money’s on death magic right now, and not the kind you could be in any way responsible for. What do Derek and Sofia think about all this?”

  I’d exchanged messages with them over the past hour. The council meeting had ended, and they’d all agreed to stay and prepare for whatever measures were deemed necessary. This whole situation was in limbo, waiting to find the cause behind Isabelle’s behavior. The lack of knowledge was halting pretty much any endeavor to make sure it wouldn’t get worse or affect anybody else.

  “They told me to stick around and help however I can. But they also specified that if I’m asked to keep my distance from Isabelle, not to be combative about it, which makes sense,” I replied.

  “Draven and Serena have their heads screwed on right. I doubt that’ll happen,” Corrine said, taking a moment to analyze the hallway and read the overall atmosphere. “The kids seem to be on the same page, as well.”