Time had been kind to them. Some fine lines had settled around their vibrant eyes, and a few gray hairs caught the light, but Mira and Kemi wore their age proudly. It was proof that they had vanquished immortality, and that justice had prevailed on Visio.
“So, how’s Trev doing these days?” I asked after we settled on the comfortable sofas in the tearoom. “I haven’t seen him in weeks.”
“He’s busy overhauling the education system on Rimia,” Mira said. “A couple of years back, he’d expressed dismay at Rimia’s low literacy rate, so he and Amal have taken it upon themselves to help their people improve. He believes an educated nation votes wisely, and I wholeheartedly agree.”
“What about Visio? How are things here?” I asked. “Are any Trakkians still salty about the outcome of the Darkling war?”
Kemi put on a sly grin, pouring himself a cup of Nalorean tea, a mixture of pine-like needles and a local type of honey. Its aroma invaded my nostrils as soon as the amber-colored liquid filled his porcelain cup, reminding me of lazy winter mornings up in the Black Mountains. “Two decades have gone by, Thayen. They’re getting older. Life goes on. The fertility rate has skyrocketed, and that has had a beneficial effect on the population. Truth be told, yes, there are plenty of Trakkians who are still miffed, but hey… you don’t mess with the forces of the universe. We had our chance at immortality, and we proved to be terrible people with it.”
“The younger generations don’t really remember the Darkling war,” Mira added. “They’re easier to talk to. The elders still scrunch their noses and scoff at most of our civic proposals, but in the end they’ll die, and their descendants will take over. Everything is as it should be on Visio, whether they like it or not. I, for one, don’t regret this for even a second. We’re good here, Thayen. We are happy and thriving. The houses are full of children and laughter. The fields are plowed. The orchards are well tended. Our civilization is growing and evolving into something else. Something better.”
“I suppose the future is infinitely more precious now,” I said. “Life itself is invaluable. What of the Blood Arena? Have you decided what you’re going to do with it?”
For a long time, the Blood Arena had been left alone, dust and dirt piling on every surface. It was a stark reminder of the Aeternae and the messy history of the people. The Aeternae had used it to fight to the death purely for sport and because they’d lost sight of how important life really was, how fortunate they were to be breathing and experiencing everything the world had to offer. The last time I had seen it, the Blood Arena had been empty and sad-looking, cold drafts rushing through and rolls of dust rising across the fighting grounds. Rain had washed the blood away years ago, but the memory of those who’d perished there had not. The Trakkians they’d left behind had constructed small shrines outside, with images of their loved ones and flowers and candles—a form of tribute in this culture like in others.
“I think we’ll turn it into a sports arena,” Kemi said. “The councilors agreed that it’s time to give it purpose again. We’ve kept it useless for too long, and the athletic academy has expressed interest. They charge substantial amounts of gold for their facilities and programs. They have mentioned a sponsorship, should we agree to move forward with a sports arena.”
“It’s big enough,” I agreed. “I can show you some plans of Olympic stadiums from Earth for inspiration. It might help.”
“As always, you’re a sweetheart,” Mira replied, smiling lovingly. “With everything that’s been going on in The Shade, I’m worried about you…”
I shook my head. “Don’t be. I’ll be okay. Once we figure out what the issues are, I’m sure it will all make sense. Until then, we keep digging.”
Mira and Kemi had a way of helping me relax. Or maybe there was something about this place—the palace had been my home, after all. I’d been born and spent the first part of my childhood here. As a kid, I remembered roaming these halls, sneaking around and discovering all sorts of secret passageways and using them to startle my Nalorean nannies.
This place had been good to me. It bore no fault for the sins of my mother. It carried the memory of Acheron Nasani, my father, whom I still missed, though I couldn’t remember the details of his face anymore. The mind was a fickle thing. It stored every sensation and each memory, but they were hard to recall as time passed. I carried him in my heart, nonetheless, and strived to do things I believed would make him proud.
Time spent with Mira and Kemi was a way for me to feel closer to him. Maybe that was where the comfort and sense of peace stemmed from. I was a creature of two worlds. A child of the Nasani from Visio, a land with a complicated history, and a child of the Novaks from The Shade, a realm with an equally complicated history. Tomorrow would be better, I thought, remembering the Soul Crusher’s words.
I would put my head on the pillow tonight, and come morning, my mind would at least feel a bit lighter. The world would continue to move, and we would find our way back to the light, eventually.
Astra
(Daughter of Phoenix and Viola)
Isabelle and I had been staring at each other through the glass panel of the secured door for more than an hour. She hadn’t said a word, but I could feel the murderous hatred coming off her in rippling heatwaves. Her aura was still a jumble of colors that made little to no sense to me, but it was the look in her eyes that told me everything I needed to know. She wanted me dead, and I couldn’t understand why.
I’d gotten Richard’s text about the sighting in the woods, and I was waiting for Voss to make his way to the hospital so I could go see whether I might pick up sensations similar to what I’d gotten earlier with Thayen. The entire wing was quiet, with only a few orderlies doing their rounds and making sure everything was okay.
A tray of food had been left on Isabelle’s table, but she had yet to touch it.
I wondered most about the shimmering gash. Thayen had seen it twice now. What exactly was it? And what did it mean? I remembered during our quantum studies with GASP that we only knew of three dimensions, but that there could be more out there. The universe was infinite, so the possibility of other parallel realms wasn’t exactly outlandish. I imagined there was something else beyond the Earthly Dimension, the In-Between, and the Supernatural Dimension—but what? And was it in any way connected to the shimmering gash? I didn’t have an answer. Just more questions and far-fetched theories.
“You look like a lost little lamb,” Isabelle said, startling me out of my reverie.
My heart skipped a beat. “Feeling social all of a sudden?”
“No, I’m just tired of your moping around. You should consider giving up already. There is nothing wrong with me. I am as I should be.”
“You’re anything but,” I replied, frowning. “You’re not the Isabelle I know. Why did you try to kill me? What did I ever do to deserve that?”
She sighed, resting her elbows on the table. The chains on her cuffs jingled as she moved. “Do I really need a reason?”
“Of course! We’re family, Isabelle. Your mother and my father are siblings. We basically grew up together. If you had a problem with me, we could’ve talked about it. I know this isn’t you. There’s something off here.”
“Or, and hear me out, I just want to rip your head from your body.” She grinned, and it sent shivers down my spine. I shuddered, taking a small step back.
“Unfortunately, you can’t. The door is secured with white witch magic. The room is layered with swamp witch magic. Your cuffs are charmed with a combination of both, and you can’t use any of your abilities,” I said. “All you can do is sit there and rethink your attitude. Only the truth will set you free, Isabelle. The sooner you tell me what did this to you, the faster you’ll get out of here.”
She giggled, shaking her head as if I’d told a good joke.
“Who told you to kill me?” I asked. “Did someone plant this idea in your head? Is someone… I don’t know, threatening to hurt you or the people you love? Have you
met anyone strange or suspicious lately?”
Isabelle just laughed more. She seemed to find my questions hilarious. Frustrated, I cursed under my breath and moved away from the door. She wasn’t going to help; that much had become clear. Richard turned the corner, and my heart jumped.
“What the…”
“Sorry,” he said. “Did I startle you?”
“Stressful day. What are you doing back here? Where’s Voss?” I asked.
He shrugged, eyeing me intently. “On his way, probably. I forgot something, so I had to come back to get it.”
“I didn’t see anything of yours around,” I murmured, my voice trailing off as I checked the empty seats. Something tickled at the back of my neck. A claw tightened in my chest, making it harder for me to breathe. My head began feeling lighter, until I realized I was under the incubus influence.
My senses were tingling, my skin crawling.
I looked at Richard. “What… what are you doing?”
“What am I doing?” he replied, raising a curious eyebrow.
“Don’t play dumb. You’re using your incubus influence on me. I can feel it!” I snapped.
“Astra, I swear, I’m not doing anything. I just came here to get something important.”
He stood tall and proud, his shoulders broad and his dark hair curly and ruffled. His gold-emerald eyes drilled holes into my soul, and I wanted to believe him, but I couldn’t. Not when my body was reacting to his presence in such a visceral way. It had never happened before. An incubus needed years of practice to wield his abilities so effectively. Richard had always been a precocious kid, but this felt… different. It felt violent. Dangerous.
“What’s that?” I asked, almost breathless.
“Your head.”
He bolted toward me, and I barely reacted. He shoved me against the wall with enough force to make my whole ribcage hurt. “No!” I cried out as his extended claws sank into my throat, piercing my skin.
I felt stunned. I was terrified, and I couldn’t understand what was happening.
But the deeper the claws went, mercilessly drawing blood, the clearer it became that this was a fight for survival. My Daughter instincts kicked in. The sheer force of Eritopia itself flowed through me like simmering lava, lighting me up from the inside.
The pink glow expanded and intensified until it forced Richard to close his eyes, nearly blinded. A powerful pulse exploded from the core of my being, throwing him back with the might of a powerful gale. He was thrown against Isabelle’s door, grunting from the pain.
I touched my neck, my breathing ragged when I saw blood on my fingertips. “What the hell, Richard?!”
In an instant, rage took over, the light within me burning even brighter—hot white as it spread through the hallway. Richard managed to pull himself back up. He was holding something in his hand. He threw it at me.
The smoke bomb flashed and burned my eyes. I cried out and shielded my face with my forearm, but I knew I couldn’t stand like this for another second. Instinctively, I threw out another pulse. I heard the doorknobs and the screws on the chairs rattling in response, followed by rushed footsteps.
He was running away.
I rubbed my eyes and moved away from the smoke bomb, its fumes scratching my throat and choking me. With one shaky hand, I managed to push open a window. I leaned over it and breathed deeply, wheezing as I sucked the fresh air in. It only made me cough harder, my lungs aching.
“Argh…” I managed, tears streaming down my cheeks. He’d thrown a smoke bomb at my feet. How sick was that?
Finally, a minute later, I was able to breathe properly, my vision only slightly blurry despite the seemingly permanent sting in my eyes. The smoke had begun to clear, but the fire alarms had gone off, the ringing stabbing me in the brain while the red lights flashed frenetically overhead. “Telluris, Thayen!” I tried to reach out, but I didn’t feel the connection. Richard must’ve done something. He must’ve blocked my ability to use Telluris. There was no other explanation. I would’ve attempted to use it sooner, but everything had happened so fast.
The orderlies would come back up here soon, since the hospital’s security systems were divided on sectors. Surely, this part of the wing would be glowing red on their screens, alerting them to a problem. Gathering myself, I turned around and managed to get to Isabelle’s door. It was still locked, despite the dent that Richard had left when I’d thrown him against it.
Peering through the glass panel, I could see her laughing. She looked delighted.
“Screw you, Isabelle,” I muttered, my voice raspy and my throat still raw.
Fumbling through my pockets, I found my phone but dropped it. My whole body was shaking as adrenaline went haywire with the threat of Richard now gone. A river of expletives poured from my mouth as I retrieved my phone and struggled with the commands. I needed to call in the whole of GASP for this. “Telluris, Thayen!” I called out again, but it still failed. Richard had definitely messed with me in more ways than I’d thought.
“Looks like tonight has gotten a lot more interesting.” Isabelle snickered from her seat.
“Yeah? Just wait until we figure out what’s really going on here. I can’t wait to wipe that smirk off your face,” I retorted, my patience worn thin and my ego bruised. After her earlier attacks, I would’ve expected better reflexes from myself. I should’ve been faster in my response to Richard.
But how could I? How was I supposed to even know he’d do something like this? He’d blindsided me, just like Isabelle had. What in the world was going on here?
Thayen
Shortly after midnight, several message alerts lit up my phone in quick succession. All of our Telluris links were down, apparently. Not just Astra’s. And that wasn’t even the most concerning aspect of what had happened. I spoke with Astra briefly before storming out of the palace, my knees weak as I headed for Esme and Kalon’s house. This didn’t make any sense. I’d brought Richard over here with me and left him at the Visentis house. He hadn’t said anything about a plan to return to The Shade tonight.
I kept shaking my head, trying to convince myself that this was just a bad dream and I would soon wake up in a cold sweat, thanking all the stars for being back in the real world. But as I walked and the cold night air seeped through my skin, I realized that this was the real world, and something terrible had happened.
The Shade was on high alert, which meant all the portals had been sealed. No one could get in or out without Rose and Caleb’s approval. They were conducting a realm-wide search, as Richard was missing and considered dangerous. I’d told Astra where I’d left him and that I would let her know what I found out. Something didn’t fit here.
With a thundering heart, I knocked on Esme and Kalon’s door—loud enough for the whole block to hear. “Esme! Kalon! Open up! It’s an emergency!” I shouted.
Moments later, Esme was at the door, wide-eyed and confused. “What’s wrong?”
“Where’s Richard?” I asked, already entering the house. There was no time to explain, I needed to see for myself. “What the…”
I found him seated at the dinner table devouring an enormous Nalorean pie. Tudyk, Ansel, and Moore just stared at him, trying hard not to drool since they could no longer eat this sort of food. It was something they’d enjoyed as mortal children before becoming vampires. Kalon, on the other hand, was amused by their silent craving, since he’d never eaten food and never would. Unlike his brothers, Kalon hadn’t had much of an adjustment period from Aeternae to vampire. He’d often said the peach Lumi had made him eat didn’t count.
“Thayen?” Richard exclaimed, his mouth full. He looked so calm, so happy to be stuffing his face. The food did smell fantastic.
“I had a couple of pies left aside for Trev, since he’s due to visit us tomorrow,” Esme murmured. “We usually keep some non-vampire stuff in the cooler, but I didn’t expect Richard to have such an appetite. That’s the second pie he’s ravaged tonight.”
“Wha
t’s wrong?” Kalon asked, worriedly eyeing me.
“The Shade is sealed off and there’s a manhunt taking place,” I said, my tone clipped. “They’re looking for you, Richard.”
“Huh?” He went pale.
“Apparently, you tried to kill Astra twenty minutes ago,” I replied. “And you also took down the whole Telluris network.”
Richard leapt from his seat, pale with shock. “No! That’s… What? No! I… I was here! How is that even possible?”
“Thayen, he’s been here this whole time. We’ve been sitting at this table since you left,” Esme told me, her brow furrowed. “I’m confused.”
“We can all vouch for that,” Kalon replied. “Richard hasn’t left our sight for hours.”
My stomach churned, and I was close to retching. I took a few deep breaths as I struggled to wrap my head around this information. “How is this possible?”
“Is Astra sure?” Richard asked, his voice trembling. “Maybe she got confused.”
“No. They have camera footage from the hospital. You were there,” I said.
“Well, not actually you,” Esme concluded, staring at Richard in disbelief. “But someone looking… exactly like you. Good grief, does this have something to do with Isabelle?”
I rubbed my face hard, pressing my index and middle fingers into my temples to relieve some of the pressure that had gathered in my head. Esme pulled out a chair for me, and I practically collapsed into it, a thin sheet of sweat forming on my skin. “I don’t know. Maybe? But Isabelle is Isabelle. We don’t have a copy in there or whatever. We did all possible tests for that.”
Richard was clearly distraught, and I felt bad for him. This had to suck in so many ways, especially since he’d had nothing to do with the attack on Astra.
A Shade of Vampire 87: A Shade of Mystery Page 16