Gloom's Whisper

by Sela Croft

  “Do you have any idea what that delay may have cost us?” Logan said, and turned to address those in the room. “Do you realize that this man may die because of your insolence?”

  “They let us in,” I said gently.

  “And that was their first mistake,” Logan said, a hint of a smile flashing across his face.

  “Logan,” I said, “don’t do this.”

  “We need to,” he said, not taking his eyes from the family around us. “If we don’t, he’ll die.”

  “There has to be another way.”

  “Can you think of one?” Raulia said, standing at Logan’s side.

  “What does he mean?” the woman said, then shrank against her husband.

  “You haven’t figured it out yet?” Raulia said tauntingly. “We’re vampires.”

  “And we haven’t eaten in a very long time,” Logan said.

  “I told you we couldn’t trust them,” the boy in his teens said, stepping in front of his sisters. “We should have never let them in.”

  Logan loomed over them. “If you had let us in earlier, perhaps your situation wouldn’t be so bleak.”

  The family began to tremble with fear. Just the mention of vampires was enough to send them into a fit of terror. My stomach turned, as I watched them inch back. They grabbed onto each other’s hands, their eyes darting around the room, wildly searching for an escape.

  “Everyone, please…just calm down,” I said.

  The family turned their attention to me.

  “You’re human,” the woman said. “You are, aren’t you?”

  “I am,” I said. “And I can promise that you are safe in the company of these vampires. They won’t hurt you.”

  I stared daggers at my companions. Logan averted his gaze, but Raulia returned my angered look.

  “We’re tired. It’s been a horrible day.” I spoke to the woman. “We truly do appreciate you allowing us to come into your home. And again, I promise, nothing bad will happen to any of you.”

  Chapter 17

  Callie

  Raulia tended to Noah, while I pulled Logan to the side of the room to have word with him.

  It was a large wood cabin with high ceilings. The smell of pine permeated in the air, and the furniture was worn from constant use. It was a pleasant place, a home that we’d burst into and demanded that the inhabitants provide their blood for sustenance.

  “You can’t make promises for us,” Logan said. His voice was low, but his tone firm. “Especially ones we don’t intend to keep.”

  “You can’t just come into someone’s home and demand their blood,” I said. “These people are helping us.”

  “Noah needs to eat. It’s our only hope of him regaining his strength.”

  I frowned. “I’m just as worried about him as you are. Believe me, I feel responsible for what happened to him. But we can’t go around making enemies like this. We have too many, as it is.”

  Logan opened his mouth to reply, his brow furrowed in frustration. But instead of arguing, he turned to address the family.

  “I apologize for my outburst earlier,” Logan said. “Our companion is right. You don’t need to worry or fear us. Our concern was for our ailing companion. The request I made was for him, and not meant to upset you.”

  A wave of relief washed over me. My struggle with Logan’s true nature was my inner conflict. I didn’t hold it against him. But that didn’t make it any easier for me to deal with. I knew the day would come when the reality of how he fed would be impossible to ignore.

  I just didn’t want that day to be filled with harshly spoken demands and fear-induced compliance.

  “I want you to know that you will be rewarded for your kindness,” Logan said.

  Raulia stared back at him, clearly shocked.

  “In addition, any offering of help that you can provide, blood included, will not go unnoticed.”

  The family visibly relaxed, but didn’t move any closer to us. They remained huddled together against a wall, as far away from Logan, Raulia, and Noah as they could get.

  “Please,” Logan said, and motioned for them to move to the seating area. “Allow me to explain.” He paused. “Raulia…will you stay with Noah?”

  I followed the family to a well-worn couch and chairs positioned around the fireplace.

  The family huddled together on the couch. The girls seemed the most afraid, and I longed to go and reassure them. Logan took my hand in his, led me to the chairs across from them and we sat with our fingers entwined.

  “Our friend over there,” Logan said, “was attacked by Redcaps. We were on a campaign to free Callie from a very dangerous situation.”

  Logan looked over at me. I could see in his eyes that even mentioning my threatening experience at the palace was painful for him. I gave his hand a squeeze to encourage him to continue.

  “The Redcaps poisoned him,” Logan said, watching the family. “And, as I’m sure you know, a vampire’s body is able to combat that sort of thing. But without the strength to do so, our friend stands little chance of recovering. He needs strength. And to get strength, he needs blood.”

  “If all he needs is blood,” I said, “he can have some of mine. You say its special, right?”

  Raulia let out a snarky laugh that was impossible to miss. I glared in her direction, before turning my attention back to Logan. His eyes locked onto mine, and a pained expression crossed his face. I could tell he was upset that I’d offered my blood to Noah; he was jealous.

  “If you were in a weakened condition, Logan,” I said, “there isn’t a person around—human, vampire, or Fae—that could keep me from doing whatever it takes to make you better.”

  “You would give me your blood?”

  “Without a second of hesitation.”

  Chapter 18

  Callie

  A moment of understanding and connection passed between us. I wanted to hold onto it, to make it last. But there were others in the room, and they must have noticed the tension between us.

  “She really does trust him,” the woman said, patting her husband on the knee. “She cares for them.”

  “So?” her husband said.

  “If she does, then we can, too,” the woman said and looked over at me. “We will give our blood to save your friend.”

  “Not so fast,” her husband said. “Just because they brought along a human to tug at our heartstrings, doesn’t mean that we’re going to allow the vampires to turn us into living blood bags.”

  “As I’ve explained, you will be rewarded for your services,” Logan said.

  “Can we trust him?” the teenage boy said.

  “Do we have a choice?” the man said.

  “Of course, you do,” Logan said.

  His tone was level and calm. His posture was one that demanded respect. I hadn’t seen that side of him. He was a leader, but I hadn’t witnessed him in that role. I had seen him take action, out of anger, but not approach a situation with polite diplomacy.

  “You have the choice to help our friend, a task which will cause you next to no discomfort. You have the choice to save his life, or turn us away and let him die. What we are asking seems barbaric, I’m aware. But I assure you, it is not what you think it to be.”

  The woman looked up at her husband, biting her bottom lip as she waited for him to reply.

  “This is my family,” the man said. “My children.”

  “They will not be harmed.”

  “And you can promise me that?”

  “I am a man of my word.”

  “And as such, do you intend to keep your promise to reward us for our aide?”

  Logan nodded. “I have the feeling you have something in mind.”

  “We are in need of livestock,” the man said.

  “Done.”

  “That’s not all. There is a bridge up the road that needs repairs. The barn out back needs tending to, as well. And, if we get livestock, we’re going to need to repair the fences to make sure they s
tay put.”

  Logan’s hand tensed in mine. The tasks they were asking of him were not tasks one would ask of a prince. They didn’t know who he was, though. If they did, perhaps they would have offered their blood when he first demanded it.

  I could only guess his reasons for keeping his identity a secret. It didn’t matter his reasons, though. It wasn’t my place to announce him. If he wanted them to know who he was, he would let them know.

  “Fine,” he said, after a long pause that caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. “You will have all that you’ve asked in return for the blood to heal our friend.”

  “Very well,” the man said, pushing himself to his feet. “What do we need to do?”

  “First, Noah needs to be taken somewhere where he can be comfortable. Do you have a spare room?”

  “We have plenty.”

  “Very good. And you will want to be hydrated and fed beforehand, to mitigate any effects the loss of blood may have.”

  “You said—”

  “I said it wouldn’t hurt, which it won’t. But you will feel weak afterwards. You should prepare for that.”

  The man nodded and collected his family. “We will show the others to the room and prepare a quick meal. Is there anything that we can get for you?”

  His question was directed at me.

  “If you have any food to spare,” I said. “I haven’t eaten in a while, either.”

  He nodded and led his family to where Raulia was seated beside Noah on the floor. She lifted him with ease, and followed the others out of the room.

  “It’s good that they offered,” Logan said. “I’m afraid that Noah will need more blood than any one individual can provide.”

  “Is that why you didn’t want me to volunteer?” I said, looking up at him.

  Logan avoided looking in my eyes. I couldn’t have imagined that I’d have the power to make a vampire—a vampire prince, at that—uncomfortable. Jealous, even.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, wiping the smile from my lips. “I don’t mean to be rude. I just didn’t expect you to react that way to my offer.”

  “I just worry about you.”

  Logan wasn’t forthcoming about his feelings. But for his pride, I let it slide. There were other issues to be dealt with. His feelings, and mine, could be discussed when we were safe—once Noah regained his health, and I was reunited with my sister.

  I was captivated by Logan and the kindness he’d shown. “I have to admit, I was impressed with the way you handled the deal with the family.”

  His eyes lit up. If a vampire was capable of it, I imagine he would have blushed. He tried to downplay it, and shrugged. “I don’t know why.”

  “Their demands,” I said, lowering my voice, “weren’t exactly requests one would ask of a prince.”

  “They aren’t unreasonable,” Logan said. “They only ask for what they need to survive, and I have no trouble providing that.”

  “I enjoyed seeing that side of you. And I appreciate your willingness to help, not only Noah, but the family, as well.”

  “I appreciate that, but the truth is that I need them. I’ve been the ruler of Shadowland, for such a long time. I’ve been tasked with protecting my realm, yet often my actions don’t meet with approval. I’m not the despot that I’m considered to be.”

  I couldn’t fathom the burden Logan had, nor how many years he’d shouldered it. And vampires lived a long time, so there was no end in sight.

  “I have to make tough decisions. Not everyone understands, or views my actions the way you do.”

  Not only did Logan have the responsibility for his realm, but his subjects didn’t support his decisions, as they should. He was misunderstood, something I’d faced in my life, too. Yet I’d only combated that for seventeen years, and had the hope of escaping it.

  But Logan didn’t have that to look forward to. Endless centuries of ruling stretched before him.

  “I’m glad that I found you,” I said and reached out to take his hand.

  Logan’s emerald eyes filled with emotion “Not nearly as glad as I am.”

  Chapter 19

  Florian

  When Valter dismissed the commanders to return to their troops, I teetered on the verge of anger. “We should be looking for Logan,” I said, once the others had left the room.

  “Have you considered the option that he doesn’t want to be found?”

  “How could you say that? If he could return, he would. Something must be wrong.”

  “What’s wrong is that our leader abandoned our fleets in the heat of battle,” Valter said and pushed his way past me.

  “He what what he felt best,” I said.

  “He was going after the girl.”

  “Because she plays a part in all of this.”

  Valter crossed his arms. “Are we really going to continue believing that was his only motivation for caring so much about what happens to her?”

  “Have you shared your thoughts with others?”

  “I haven’t needed to. Others have taken notice.”

  “We can’t allow that rumor to spread.”

  “It’s not a rumor and you know it.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” I said, annoyed. My brother had a knack for pushing me over the edge. It was clear that Valter was disappointed in Logan. I wasn’t clear on Logan’s motivations. I hadn’t wanted to go after Callie. He’d made a good argument, but I was unable to remember what it had been.

  There was no way to convince Valter of the importance of going after the human. I couldn’t rationalize Logan’s actions. The truth of the matter was, he’d left at the worst time imaginable.

  “We need to find our brother.”

  “We need to defend our city.”

  “Finding him is defending our city,” I said. “I’ve heard of this sort of thing happening in other realms. Take Callie’s land, for example. War starts when a leadership role is left unoccupied, for too long. Others will want to take his place. The people will become restless. We can’t risk that, especially not now.”

  “Vampires aren’t as impatient as humans,” Valter said. “We are far more loyal, as well.”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure. Before the meeting, when I was searching for Logan, I moved throughout Crystal City trying to locate him. During my search, I came across several groups who’d already begun forming alliances.”

  Valter’s temper snapped, in his typical fashion. “That’s treason!”

  “It’s not, though—not if the prince has neglected his post. If there is no ruler to betray.”

  “Logan is still the ruler of Shadowland.”

  “They won’t see it that way for long. They’re watching and waiting, and I’m afraid they won’t wait much longer.”

  “What do you suggest we do?”

  “We need to choose our next move carefully. I suggest that we meet with Natasha and see if she has any information that can help us decide.”

  Valter shrugged, clearly preferring to get back into the field. He wanted to call on his dragons and stage an attack, while the enemy was still weakened. His thought process was sound; I couldn’t deny that. But the unity of our land was fraying. Action had to be taken, before Shadowland unraveled completely.

  Before Valter had the chance to think of an argument to convince me otherwise, I transported both of us to our sister’s home. She had remained there during the attacks. The area was well guarded, and it was obvious that despite our recent string of victories against the Fae, no one was prepared to relax just yet.

  “Brothers,” Natasha said, not thrown off by our appearance in her home.

  She was seated on her couch facing the windows that lined the walls of her sitting room. Her face was drawn, and worry filled her features. She didn’t stand to greet us, only nodded. “Any word from Logan?”

  “No,” I said. “That’s why we’ve come to speak to you.”

  “As far as I can tell, he is still alive,” Natasha said.

 
I breathed deep. “That is good news.”

  “Maybe it’s good news,” Valter said.

  Natasha raised her brows. “Maybe?”

  Valter moved to the couch and sat down next to her. He glanced in my direction, before turning his attention to her. “Have you been able to see if he is in danger?”

  She shook her head.

  Valter’s eyes met hers. “Do you know why he hasn’t returned to Crystal City?”

  “What are you getting at?” Natasha said.

  “Valter suspects that he may not have returned yet, because he doesn’t want to.”

  Our sister didn’t waver. “Logan wouldn’t abandon us.”

  “He went after the girl,” Valter said. “You know, as well as we do, that his feelings for her have complicated the situation.”

  Natasha’s expression softened. She knew Logan better than either my brother or myself. They had a special bond. Seeing her admit that Logan’s feelings for Callie could have the potential to dictate his actions wasn’t good.

  “What can we do?” she asked.

  “We were hoping you could tell us,” I said. “I’m afraid that Crystal City won’t last long, without a leader. The people are already looking for someone to replace Logan, if he truly is gone for good.”

  Natasha shook her head. “He’s not gone for good. But I’ve struggled to see his role in the future, as of late.”

  I threw up my hands. “You’re just now telling us this?”

  “I’ve been having trouble seeing much, to be honest. It started when I lost sight of the girl. And then, it got worse. My visions aren’t clear. I’m afraid that that can only mean one thing.”

  “What?” Valter and I asked in unison.

  “The situation is volatile. Not only in the sense of war and battles. But regarding the future. I can’t see the future, because it’s shifting too rapidly. It all started when Callie arrived. She’s changing things—very quickly.”

  “There you have it,” Valter said, then shot me a challenging look. “It doesn’t matter what we do. There is no future to concern ourselves with.”

  I glared at him. “That’s not what she meant.”