Night's Deceit

by Sela Croft

  Rosamon, Logan, my dream…all blended together.

  Dequan wants me to trust him, yet my sister warned me to stay away, begged me to leave. And Logan had sworn his floating palace was safe, and I should stay.

  I had to figure out what I wanted.

  Yet it didn’t matter what I wanted, or what anyone else wanted. My sister was in trouble. Her reasons for pleaded with me to go couldn’t have been selfish. She needed me, but hadn’t wanted me to know that.

  There was so much uncertainty surrounding the situation. I should have been used to that. Since my arrival in Shadowland, events were shrouded in doubt and confusion. I’d bounced from one perplexing situation to the another, letting others guide me through the labyrinth of strange creatures and complex struggles. I hadn’t been certain about what I’d seen or done, since arriving in this foreign realm.

  There was one thing I was sure of, though. Rosamon was in trouble. She was in danger, and I had to find her. I overcame my doubts, and summoned my courage. “You can find Rosamon?” I said. “You’re sure?”

  “I believe I can, yes.”

  Dequan could help me find my sister. My thoughts zeroed on in one specific memory from my dream.

  Rosamon was being pulled under water. Pulled away from me. Having her in my grasp, being so close to getting her back, and then feeling her being ripped away, broke my heart. But his words gathered up the pieces—not enough to put them all back together again. But enough so I believed that one day all of this would be the dream, and Rosamon and I would be together again—safe and happy.

  Yet all I’d learned and experienced in Shadowland had changed me. I didn’t want it all to vanish, to become no more than a dream. I cherished the people I’d met. And couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing Logan again.

  But the most important thing was that my sister was trapped and hurting. She needed me.

  I studied Dequan. “How can you be certain that you can find her?”

  I didn’t want him to see my desperation, because showing any weakness in front of that vampire was a very bad idea. It was obvious he knew how much I wanted to find my sister. Yet is was unwise to give him control, even thought he’d offered to help.

  It was no simple matter to decide what was the right thing, and the internal struggle was exhausting.

  Dequan’s chest puffed out his chest and held his hands behind his back. His stance communicated superiority. “Tell me something, Callie…”

  He wasn’t going to respond my question until I answered his.

  “How much do you know about magic, truly? Do you know how it works?”

  I’d expected a personal interrogation, perhaps related to my relationship with Logan or my connection to my sister. Or a line of thought in keeping with the conversation. His inquiry into my general knowledge of his world was unanticipated, and didn’t have anything to do with finding Rosamon.

  “I don’t know much about magic,” I said. “I don’t know how it works, that’s for sure.”

  “You must know something.”

  “Oh, must I?” I’d grown tired of him. In other circumstances, I wouldn’t have to consider embarking on an expedition with someone as tiresome as the haughty vampire before me.

  “You’ve been here long enough; you’re a perceptive person. What have you come to learn about the workings of my world?”

  I knew that refusing to answer Dequan’s question was pointless. Instead, I entertained his inquiry in the interest of getting it over with and moving on, so that we could get back to the truly important topic—the reason he claimed he was here—finding my sister.

  “I know that vampires have magic—or abilities, I guess. And the Fae have powers, too. Although, from what I’ve gathered, their skills aren’t as advanced as those of the vampires. And there are other creatures with magical powers—dragons, for example. And I wouldn’t be surprised if those horrid overgrown cats—the Caith Sidhe—have some sort of powers, as well.”

  Dequan laughed, and threw his head back, letting the sound fill the room. Something about it made me want to laugh along with him. It was a hearty, contagious laugh. “What’s so funny?”

  “It appears I was wrong about you,” Dequan said. “You aren’t as perceptive as I’d thought.”

  Chapter 28

  Callie

  The laughter died out, and my patience with Dequan diminished along with it. He was haughty, and I disliked that trait in people. Very much. I’d made a point to avoid such people. Once again, he seemed too much like the bullies back home. The way he laughed, the way he talked to me, the way he looked at me—it was all meant to make me feel inferior to him.

  Why he was desperate to display his authority, I didn’t know. But I was tired of it. Yet it seemed that I had no choice, except to put up with it.

  He’d offered to help me find Rosamon. It was more than talk. Logan had talked of helping me. And I’m sure he’d meant to. But his attention had been divided. His kingdom depended on him, and that came first.

  I couldn’t hold that against him, and respected his position. He would do what he could, in whatever time and capacity he had, to find my sister. On the other hand, his cousin wasn’t being pulled away to deal with other matters. He was standing there, offering to do the one thing Logan couldn’t—take me to my sister.

  But Dequan looked at me with a gleam of amusement in his eye that made my blood boil. “You should pay more attention, Callie,” he said. “You know very little of how magic works.”

  “Well, what did you expect? It’s not like there’s an introductory Magic 101 course offered to newcomers around here.”

  “I’ll pass along the recommendation for crash course to the prince,” Dequan said with a chuckle.

  His vampire companions joined in with an amused giggle. This only served to raise my ire. It was a joke to him, as I was a joke to him. Probably, finding my sister a joke to him, too. It was likely that he didn’t honestly care about helping me.

  Dequan was difficult to read. I knew there was more to him than he let others around him see. But what that was, I couldn’t figure out. He was too obvious in his pride. He was too quick with his jokes. He had to be hiding something. He was just like the bullies at school—burying his insecurities behind jeers and jests.

  “What does it matter anyway?” I said, showing my annoyance. “What does my knowledge of magic have to do with finding my sister? Shouldn’t your knowledge be the topic in question?”

  “She’s a feisty one,” one of the vampires said. “You didn’t tell us that, Dequan.”

  “I haven’t seen this side of her,” he said, his eyes fixing on mine. “Perhaps it was this spirit that’s been drawing our beloved prince’s attention away from the issues plaguing our kingdom.”

  My cheeks burned, and my hands balled into fists. “You’re not answering my questions,” I said between gritted teeth. “What does magic have to do with finding my sister? Do you know some spell or have some potion or something that will help?”

  I could feel another laugh building up around the room. But my angered glare kept it from erupting.

  “Vampires do not possess that kind of power, Callie. Our abilities were given to us long ago. We are not like the Fae or their creatures, with access to such magic. Our gifts were given to us by the higher power to perform our given duties, no more, no less.”

  I knew the story of the vampire’s abilities. Logan had told me about the magical being—the witch—who had given them their abilities to fight the Fae. I didn’t understand how it all worked, obviously. “And how does any of this relate to my situation…to finding my sister?”

  “Have you ever experienced some sign of this higher power, Callie? In this realm or your own?”

  The way he stated the question made it seem more of an assertion than an inquiry. I instantly knew what he was referring to—my escape with Noah. My dear friend had relayed that some magical force had taken over his powers. I’d been there when he’d revealed that, so it w
ould be foolish to deny it.

  That didn’t mean that I knew what the power was or where it came from.

  Dequan was indeed making an assertion—a very strong one, at that. One I wasn’t comfortable with. It was clear that he thought that my presence was attracting the attention of this magical being—this higher power. Logan had said something similar before.

  But coming from Logan, it hadn’t been as terrifying. Perhaps it was because whenever I was with him, I felt safe—safer than when I wasn’t with him. But with Dequan, I felt threatened. His hoard of vampire lackeys didn’t help soothe my discomfort, at all.

  I felt them look at me with their judgmental stares, sizing me up, reading my reaction to their leader’s question. “As I said, I’m new here. I don’t know much about magic or powers or higher beings.”

  Dequan nodded, although it was clear he didn’t believe what I was saying.

  I didn’t want to accept what he was implying. I didn’t want to believe that some higher being had taken an interest in me. I shuddered to think of what powers a higher being possessed, or what that meant for me.

  The memories of my dream flooded back. So much that appeared in that dream was familiar to me. My school, Logan’s home, the forest filled with blood-thirsty Caith Sidhe. And then the room with the box. The room where my sister was being held captive.

  I wasn’t sure where that had come from. Maybe it was my mind’s explanation for my sister’s absence. Or possibly more…

  Suddenly, the dream felt like more than just a dream.

  Chapter 29

  Callie

  “Why do you think I have any connection to this higher power? And what does that have to do with my sister?”

  My mind reeled with possibilities.

  “You tell me why I would think such a thing,” Dequan said.

  Whispers filled the room. His posse was immersed in conversation, speaking low so I wouldn’t hear. Their voices formed a low hum, reverberating off the walls around us, making my head hurt.

  “You think we’re somehow connected to all of this, don’t you?” I said. “You think we’re connected to this higher power.”

  “Now looks who’s being observant—finally.”

  “I don’t know what sort of connection we have to a higher power,” I said. “What is this power, anyway? Is it the witch who enchanted you? The one who bestowed magical powers to vampires?”

  “I didn’t mention anything about a witch,” Dequan said.

  “Logan told me.”

  “Oh, he did?” Dequan turned to face the group of vampires. Looks were exchanged before he turned his attention back to me, with a look of amusement on his face. “You didn’t mention that. So, you do know more about magic than you originally let on.”

  “I know a story, that doesn’t mean—”

  “I think you know a lot more than you’re letting on, Callie. You play the part of the naïve newcomer very well. I may have been wrong about you…again.”

  I didn’t know if his words were meant to be taken as a compliment or an insult. I didn’t care. All I cared about was ending this drawn-out conversation and getting busy with the search for my sister. “Stop talking to me like I’m a child and answer my question.”

  Dequan’s eyes widened then the whispering came to an abrupt halt. The atmosphere was tense, while he contemplated how to react to my sudden outburst. “The witch you’re speaking of is long since dead,” he said, and clasped his hands behind his back.

  He paced, and scanned the rows of books on the shelves. He moved with confidence, as if he was merely out for an afternoon stroll around his estate, taking stock of his belongings.

  “Witches and warlocks don’t enjoy the benefit of immortality. Silly, if you ask me. They possess the ability to bestow the gift upon others. Yet, they choose to deny themselves the luxury. Odd creatures. But that’s neither here nor there; it’s of no importance right now.”

  Dequan walked around the room. His words were low and melodic. “What is important is your sister, correct?”

  “Yes, it is.” I was unsure how to respond to his sudden change in demeanor.

  Dequan was still dripping with confidence, but had assumed an easy attitude that I hadn’t witnessed before. “Your sister, you, and the higher being…I’ve come to believe that you may be linked in some way. To return to your previous question—”

  “Which one? You’ve refused to answer so many of them.”

  He chuckled. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. I’m referring to your question about who or what the higher being is. And the answer is, quite bluntly, I’m not sure. Whatever it is, it is pulling the strings behind this whole thing. It’s not vampire; it’s not Fae. It is something more.”

  “Not vampire or Fae?”

  “That’s not the important part right now.” Dequan held up his hand. “And I’m not ignoring your question. I’ve already answered it. What is important is that I believe that this higher being has been behind the scenes, for a lot longer than we’ve thought.”

  “Dare I ask?”

  “Oh, please,” Dequan said and waved his arm. “Ask away.”

  “What do you mean by longer than we’ve thought? I was under the impression that the vampires had been fighting the forces of darkness for centuries.”

  “We have, but this is different. Something we have just recently become aware of. More specifically, we learned about its presence when you ran off with your beloved Noah.”

  “Noah?” I said and scanned the room. “Where is he?”

  “He’s busy,” Dequan said. “But he’s told me a lot of interesting things about you and your sister. Things that happened back in Oregon.”

  “He told everyone about those things,” I said.

  The sharp tone of my voice wasn’t meant for Dequan. My friend Noah revealing parts of my life to a room full of strangers—and Logan—had angered me. It had been a betrayal, one I was still getting over.

  “I think that the higher being has had a hand in your life, for quite a while. You and your sister have been of great interest for some time now.”

  “How can you possibly know that?”

  “I didn’t say I know it, now did I? I merely said that I think so. And, adding to that, I think that your reason for being here goes far beyond your search for your sister.”

  “You’re not the first to say that.”

  Dequan turned to face me, all semblance of calm gone. “What do you mean?” He walked toward me. “Come now, Callie. What did you mean?”

  “Well, Logan mentioned something about me having a role in all of this.”

  “Right,” he said, nodding. “Of course. Has he said what that role might be?”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “Why…do you know something? Have you any idea what that role might be?”

  “I have my theories.”

  I crossed my arms. “Well, let’s hear them.”

  Dequan looked down at me, and a shiver ran down my spine. “I think you were brought here to connect to this higher power. As I said, I think you and your sister are bonded to it.”

  His voice lowered, and he leaned in, with his gaze fixed on me. His intensity was terrifying. “You have to tap into that power, Callie. You must connect with it. Then you will find your sister.”

  “Connect with it?”

  I felt as if the air had been sucked out of my lungs. The tension swirling around Dequan overwhelmed me. His words hung in the air and his eyes burned into me. He leaned even closer, closing off the small space between us. I took a shaky step back, but it didn’t deter him.

  He continued speaking in the same ominous tone. “It’s your only chance to find your sister again. Logan, what he’s said, his promises to find Rosamon, they’re empty. His search isn’t going anywhere. This is your only hope—her only hope.”

  “But, Logan promised…”

  “He’s promised many things, Callie. Tell me, what has the prince done for you, really? He’s kept you locked up her
e. He promised you would be safe, and yet, you’ve found yourself in danger time and time again. I’d venture to guess that he’s even promised he would be here for you whenever you need him. He’s promised that he’ll look out for you, that you can trust him, and that you can count on him.

  “Yet…where is he? Where was he when you were lost in the woods outside the city? Did he come to find you? Did he rescue you from the Caith Sidhe? Tell me, Callie…how much has he done for you?”

  Chapter 30

  Callie

  Dequan’s attitude was unthinkable. “He’s your prince,” I said. “How dare you speak of him that way.”

  “I simply state the truth.”

  “It’s only half true. Logan does care about me and about my sister. He wants to find her. And he strives to keep me safe.”

  “You seem so sure of that.”

  A chorus of snickers came from the couch. My cheeks heated with frustration. It wasn’t just the jeers that made me boil with anger. It was what Dequan was implying about his own cousin.

  My instinct was to defend Logan. Even though what Dequan was saying was partially true, his accusations were extreme. I’d developed a connection with Logan that had been noticed by the vampire community. Regardless what opinions they’d formed, I knew the truth. I had faith that I could trust Logan.

  “He’s very busy,” I said, noting that the laughs in the room stopped. “There are a lot of issues that require his attention. There’s a war going on. He can’t make my issues the priority.”

  It struck me that what Dequan alleged had some validity. Although I didn’t agree with the implications overall, I couldn’t deny that he had a point. Logan couldn’t help me the way I needed him to. He couldn’t be at my side every second.

  I wanted Logan with me, and I hated it when he was away. Protection wasn’t all that I needed or wanted. Whatever was going on between us had become more than that. I wanted him around because of how he made me feel. He filled me with determination, questioned and challenged me. He forced me to find an inner strength I hadn’t know I had.