by Bella Klaus
What was he doing? What mission? Was that why Kresnik had been whispering to him on the stage? Questions like this swirled through my mind as I built myself into a rage. Rage always awoke my power. It spurred me to do better in my theory-based classes, and had once helped me muster enough magic to escape from prison.
“How dare he?” I snarled through clenched teeth. “Calling me Innamorata one minute and treating me like a cow the next.”
My blood roared, my breathing quickened, a surge of adrenaline spiked though my system. If I ever got back my magic…
I stretched out my arms like a starfish and bent my elbows, bringing my hands to my shoulders. Curling my fingers into the rug, I pushed down with my arms and raised my upper body a few inches off the floor.
Triumph filled my chest. I could do this. I could get up. Then my muscles collapsed, and I fell onto my bent arms. A relieved breath heaved from my lungs. At least this time, I didn’t smash my face.
By the time I mustered enough momentum to push myself up to kneeling, more of the thrall had loosened its grip on my body. Using the frame of the four-poster for support, I raised myself up the side of the bed and plonked my ass on the mattress.
The sun rose behind the London skyline, backlighting the horizon with orange light. It bled up to the indigo sky, shrugging off the last vestiges of night. I blinked over and over, adjusting my vision to the pale glow. How much time had passed since Valentine left me here?
A knock sounded on the door.
“Come in,” I slurred. This bloody thrall made me feel like I’d run two marathons and drained an entire pub.
The door creaked open, and Aurora stepped into the room, clad in her denim jacket and jeans. An annoyed breath escaped my lungs, making me slump forward. I didn’t have the energy to deal with that woman.
“You survived, then?” she asked.
“You noticed?”
She sniffed. “Our Lord wishes you to accompany your teammates in his academy.”
Shallow breaths heaved in and out of my lungs, and spasms squeezed my ribs. In my current state, I couldn’t tell if I was laughing or crying. It was probably both. Since when in the history of villains did the boss steal his enemy’s power, throw them to their death, and then retrieve them for extra training?
I shook my head. Bugger Kresnik and his edicts. He had taken everything from me but still wanted more. And bugger Aurora for being his henchwoman.
“Do you know how long it took me to get off the bed?” That’s what I said, but I’m sure the words were garbled.
“Enlighten me.”
I raised my head, ready to meet those hard eyes, but the woman flinched.
All the color leached from her skin, leaving it slack. “What happened to your face?”
“What?”
She made a circular movement around my nose. “You have bruising across the bridge of your nose and under your eyes.”
I shook my head and exhaled. After the first shock of pain from falling onto my face, it had stopped bothering me, or at least I hadn’t noticed anymore. It must have been because of the thrall.
Aurora crossed the room and made two sharp claps. “Come along.”
“What do you think I am?” I muttered. “A dog?”
I didn’t bother to raise my head to see if she twisted her features with disdain. Knowing she’d brought me into this life as a vessel for Kresnik’s return to power and then helped him discard me here was bad enough.
She walked around the bed, whispering something under her breath. I blocked her out and focussed on trying to rise off the mattress. After three attempts at pushing myself up with a hand on the post, Aurora draped the rough fabric of the reaper cloak over my head.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Getting you ready and dressed to see Healer Calla,” she replied.
“Why?”
Aurora faltered. If I’d asked Aunt Arianna that question, she would have been offended because the answer was obvious. But I needed to know what she intended—not that she would tell me the truth.
“Our Lord wishes you to—”
“Your Lord,” I muttered.
She huffed. “Lord Kresnik wishes you and your family to attend remedial training.”
“How many other children does he have around here?” I raised my head, finally meeting her eyes.
Ignoring my question, Aurora dragged me to my feet. From her lack of answer, I wouldn’t be surprised if every fire user in the Flame was either a child or a descendent of Kresnik.
Chapter Five
I stumbled down the hallways of Kenwood House, with Aurora supporting my weight. The taller woman breathed hard through her nose as though she was enduring my presence on the orders of her lord. This made me bristle.
Every instinct screamed at me to reject her assistance. I’d only agreed to stay in the Flame because they had offered me help to release my magic. They had also said I wasn’t required to fight in their war and could leave with Valentine. Now they wanted me to join an academy?
We passed portraits of that sun god I’d seen over the fireplace. In one of them, he looked just like the dark-skinned vampire who had been depicted in the mausoleum. There was probably a connection between Kresnik and Valentine’s ancestor, but I had bigger things to worry about than ancient genealogy.
Aurora paused at the top of the wrought iron staircase that curved down to the turquoise entrance hall with white pillars. She moved me to the side closest to the handrail and continued to descend.
My fingers wrapped around the cool metal, holding myself steady as I stumbled down the marble steps. If I was going to save Valentine and myself from this latest set of machinations, I needed the help of a healer. And a way to become immune to thrall.
“Why does Kresnik want us to go to an academy?” I asked through clenched teeth.
“Our Lord wishes every resident of the Flame to contribute to the upcoming war,” she said as we reached the bottom of the stairs.
“But I’m providing blood cow services to his Preternatural General.” My tone was more bitter than sour coffee. “Isn’t that enough?”
Aurora released my arm, letting me stumble against the banister. “I’ve had a bellyful of your self-pity.”
Her words hit like a kick to the gut, making me flinch. “What are you talking about?”
“Everybody in the Flame has made sacrifices for our continued existence.” She rounded on me, her eyes flashing. “I suffered years upon years of fertility spells and miscarriages, others sacrificed family members, while some lost limbs and lives! You donated a piece of your magic to Our Lord—magic that wasn’t even yours.”
I clung to the banister, panting hard through flared nostrils. “What are you saying?”
“Because of Our Lord, we fire users will take our rightful place in a society ruled by a benevolent supernatural leader.”
“What about all the humans? They didn’t ask for any of this.” I shook my head. “Nor did the poor phoenix that was stuffed in my soul—”
“Without that creature, you would never have been born,” she said through clenched teeth.
I pressed my lips together in a tight line, watching the insanity flicker on the taller woman’s face. In Logris, she had been registered as a witch and smuggled out before the enforcers could even reach her.
Aurora seemed to be telling me that it was an honor to be part of Kresnik’s regime, even though this source of magic had been the cause of everything that had gone wrong in my life. There were dozens of reasons why she was wrong, but my body felt like crap and without her help, I’d be stuck on these stairs until the effects of the thrall wore off and my body had replenished all that lost blood. Valentine would catch up with me before that happened, and…
A shudder ran down my spine. I didn’t want to think of how Valentine would react to finding me out of bed.
“Why don’t we get going?” I said in the calm tone I might employ to speak to a feral cat.
A
urora narrowed her eyes, staring down at me with bitter disapproval. I smoothed out my expression. As from this moment, I wouldn’t utter a negative word about her regime, her methods, or her precious lord. Complaining hadn’t helped me so far, so it was time to employ a different tactic.
With a huff, she offered me her hand and pulled me up to stand. We continued down the stairs, across the hallway and into the stairwell that led to the basement. At the bottom, she opened the door, revealing the pristine hallways of the Flame, filled with denim-clad people strolling in pairs and groups.
The wards prickled over my skin as we stepped through the doorway, and I marveled at the relaxed atmosphere. With Kresnik in charge, things didn’t seem so regimented.
A few of the fire users cast warm smiles at us as we passed, and I forced my features into what I hoped was an expression of joy. On the inside, the acid in my stomach simmered with anger, but I continued smiling until my face ached.
When we stepped into Healer Calla’s room, the older woman beamed from behind her counter. “Sister Aurora, Sister Hemera. How wonderful it is to see you on this beautiful morning.”
Normally, the sight of the woman would warm my heart. I had thought we had become close over the last few days, and she’d been so supportive with finding the pieces of Valentine’s heart. It had all been a ruse. The only thing she had wanted was to use me as a means to resurrect Kresnik and bolster his power.
Aurora ushered me to the left of the space, and into the chamber Father Jude once occupied. It was now just a treatment table with a plastic chair, the desks and books and other personal effects missing.
As soon as Aurora leaned me against the wall, she turned on her heel and left me alone with the gray-haired healer. Instead of her usual pigtails, she wore her hair frizzy and loose. Her cheeks glowed a healthy pink, presumably from the joy of resurrecting her lord.
Healer Calla helped me onto the table and laid me on my back. She rubbed her hands together, making them glow, and then held them two feet over my prone body. “Let’s take a look at you.”
Her gentle healing energy warmed my skin. Everything from her unlined face to her gentle eyes and the feel of her magic said that she was a kind person who wanted to help others. But she had participated in that ceremony, knowing it would result in the theft of our magic. She’d probably also helped with our creation.
As her power soaked into my skin, it drifted to my chakras, starting from the root, then the sacral, the solar plexus and up to the heart. Each energy center swelled with her healing magic, and spilled out into the meridians running up and down my body.
Good sense told me to stay quiet and play along with these people until I found an opening to escape, but when her magic reached my throat chakra, the words tumbled from my lips before I could stop them.
“Was there any purpose to my life?” I asked.
Healer Calla’s brows drew together, and she stepped back, withdrawing the warmth of her magic. “What on earth are you talking about, dear?”
“Didn’t you help to create me as a vessel to bring a certain type of magic to this realm?”
Her expression smoothed into a neutral mask, and she paused for several moments, seeming to gather her thoughts. Palpitations squeezed my heart, and the lining of my stomach fluttered with nerves. Deep down, I knew the truth. I’d already been discarded, and Kresnik had probably sent Aurora up to throw out my exsanguinated corpse before it rotted. Now that he had my magic, there was little point in keeping me alive except as a plaything for Valentine.
“Your conception was a deliberate act in service of Our Lord,” she said, her words measured. “Everything else you’ve experienced thus far has been determined by you.”
My throat thickened. I hated confronting this woman, hated laying my heart bare, but it was like the magic she had poured into my chakras made me vomit out my feelings. I skirted around notions of escape and tried to focus on harmless subjects.
“Why am I still here if the ritual took all my power?” I asked. “Am I just a blood cow?”
A warm smile lifted the healer’s features, and she spread her arms wide. “Our Lord is your father. We’re family.”
I parted my lips to contradict her, but she placed her hand on mine. “After the Demon King destroyed his physical body, Father Jude became his vessel. Lord Kresnik loves each and every one of his children, especially you.”
A long breath heaved from my lungs, and I forced her magic down to my solar plexus, where it would no longer run my mouth. Why was I talking to her, anyway? She was part of Kresnik’s inner circle. This was a roundabout method of interrogation.
Healer Calla squeezed my hand. “I know you’re upset about the loss of your power, and you feel less important compared to the other warriors within the Flame. But the power was never yours. At least without the fire magic, you’re free from a burden that could lead to your execution.”
“So I’m back to being a Neutral?” I asked, my voice flat.
She stepped out of the room and reappeared moments later with a white box. After helping me sit up, she opened up the package to reveal dozens of red spheres that reminded me of gobstoppers. “The Vampire King didn’t take too much blood, but I’m going to prescribe you stabilizers to maintain a healthy blood count. Take two a day—more if you find yourself becoming lightheaded.”
My lips tightened. A caring healer might warn me of the dangers of feeding a vampire from the vein or letting my blood count become too low. Forcing my lips into a smile, I murmured my thanks.
I would take her stabilizers, but I had no intentions of serving as anyone’s cow. After placing one in my mouth, and letting it fizzle on my tongue, my heartbeat slowed, and some of the energy returned to my limbs. Healer Calla nodded her approval and gestured at me to take another.
“Is there anything you can give me to help make my blood unappetizing to vampires?” I asked before popping a second stabilizer into my mouth.
She pressed a hand over her mouth and laughed. “Don’t all young ladies enjoy the attention of a wickedly handsome vampire?”
“Not that kind,” I said from between clenched teeth.
Healer Calla raised a glowing finger and shone a light in my eyes. “How’s your vision?”
I swallowed hard. “The edges are blurred right now.”
“That will be the thrall,” she murmured. “You must ask the Vampire King not to give you so much, as it will interfere with your duties for Our Lord.”
I bit back a retort. Right now, I was trapped in the Flame with a bunch of people who wanted me to exist as an unwilling blood cow, and I needed to pretend I was on their side… at least until I found a way for us both to escape what was turning into a cult.
“Is there an antidote to thrall?” I asked. “If we’re going to war, I can’t spend my time comatose.”
She rubbed her chin and headed for the door. “Let me consult my books.”
As soon as it clicked shut behind her, I slipped my fingers into the pocket of my cloak. A leather tome lay atop the reaper dagger, but there was no sign of Valentine’s dome. My brow furrowed, and I examined the next pocket only to find it empty.
Cold shock punched me in the gut, knocking all the air out of my lungs. Valentine’s heart was missing.
He must have taken out the dome while I’d been recovering from the effects of his thrall. He must have given it to Kresnik. If Kresnik now had Father Jude’s memories, he would know the importance of that heart. Hell, his two henchwomen would have told him anyway.
Shudders ran down my spine, and tears stung the backs of my eyes. How on earth was I going to save Valentine when I didn’t have his heart?
I swallowed several times in quick succession, trying to process the extent of our predicament. The Supernatural Council would recover from its recent defeat, and they would return with an army of ward breakers and every enforcer—demon, angel, and otherwise—that they could muster. I didn’t want Valentine fighting on the losing side or any side at a
ll.
It didn’t matter that Kresnik wielded the power of a phoenix and a dragon and an ifrit. His numbers were limited to the few hundred people within the Flame, and the Supernatural Council had allies all over the world, such as Valentine’s family in New Mesopotamia. They could draw upon the power of legions.
A knock sounded on the door. My head snapped up, and I turned in its direction to find Coral stepping into the room. She wore a pinafore dress that ended at the knee and stepped in with her shoulders slumped.
“Healer Calla said you were here.” She rubbed her temple.
I gestured at the empty chair. “How are you doing?”
“Not as bad as you.” She lowered herself into the seat and rolled her shoulders.
“Thanks to these blood stabilizers, I’m feeling a little more like myself.” My gaze dropped to the red spheres rolling about in the box. If I ate two a day, there might be enough to last me three months.
We sat in silence for several moments. I wasn’t sure if Healer Calla or Aurora had brought her here to find out what I would say. Of all the people in the Flame, I trusted her and my other teammates the most, since we’d all been robbed of our power. That night, none of them gave me the impression they were handing it over in service of their lord.
“Did you know what the ceremony would do?” I asked.
The corner of her mouth curled into a smile. “What? That I’d been fathered by a combined entity, infused with an immense power, and left to suffer and simmer for twenty-five years? Then when I finally mustered up an ounce of purpose and self-respect, it would get taken away?”
A sad laugh bubbled from the back of my throat. “Good point.”
“So…” She reached into the collar of her jacket and scratched. “We’re sisters.”
I turned to her and smiled. “Strange, isn’t it?”
Coral nodded. “Did your family ever mention your father?”
I shook my head. “You?”
“Nope.” She rocked back and forth on her chair, and rubbed her shins. “My mom died in childbirth, leaving me with an older brother who acted like I was the biggest burden since Sisyphus got forced to roll that boulder up a hill.”