by Eva Brandt
“A forest!” Baltasar exclaimed even if we had all already noticed it. “Come on. Maybe we’ll find clues on our actual location there.”
My hopes of that happening weren’t very high, but at this point, I didn’t even care. It was the first time we’d seen anything other than the fucking flowers since we’d woken up on Chronikos. I supposed the woods weren’t a huge change, but still, their appearance provided us with some variety, and we all embraced it wholeheartedly.
It didn’t take us long to reach the mysterious forest that captivated us so much simply because it existed. From up close, it looked even more beautiful, the tree trunks glowing with a dim light that reminded me of soul essence. Magic buzzed through the air, and the ground beneath our feet vibrated with an alien, unfamiliar energy. I shared a look with Cezar and Baltasar, and the uncertainty I could see on their faces signaled the fact that they’d sensed it too.
It made no difference. “Looks like our luck is improving. If nothing else, this place certainly won’t be boring.”
My words cheered up my fellow vampires and we entered the forest, making our way through the thick undergrowth. We couldn’t find any real path, and I was tempted to summon my magic and create one. I held back since I didn’t think leaving a trail of withered grass and dead trees would be a good idea. Instead, we ducked wherever we could and pushed the more insistent branches aside, ignoring the way the stubborn plants occasionally struck our faces.
Of common accord, we stayed silent. This forest held something so unique that it would have been a blasphemy to have a regular conversation while exploring its mysteries. My abilities resonated against the secrets hidden behind every leaf and every flower. It made no sense, since I had long ago become a creature aligned with death, and everything here was so alive.
Had we found the source of our anomaly without meaning too? No, that wasn’t possible. The Grand Lich had distinctly said that the surge of necromantic magic he had sensed came from The Realm of Eternal Ice. Even if he had been mistaken—which was about as likely as Baltasar suddenly deciding to burst into song and happily skip through the field of flowers we’d just left—this place held even less necromantic magic than Ton Angélon.
A strange force tugged at my center, guiding my footsteps toward the answer to my question. I walked faster, and my friends followed. With every second that passed, the pull became more insistent, to the point that we were forced to start running without even knowing why.
Our momentum and speed were so great that when we reached our destination, the sheer shock at the sight that greeted our eyes made us trip over our own feet. To be more specific, I froze in my tracks, too awed by what we’d stumbled into to move a single muscle. My friends ran into my back, and we all ended up falling to the ground in an undignified pile of limbs.
Normally, I would have felt embarrassed about the whole episode, but I didn’t think we could be blamed for our reaction considering its cause. The source of the magic turned out to be a beautiful woman who was leisurely swimming in the crystalline waters of a glowing lake—or better said, floating on them. The luminescent fluid lapped gently at her nude body, and her wet brown hair curled around her bare breasts in a way that reminded me of a lover’s caress, almost as if trying to protect her modesty. It didn’t work, and the sight of her generous curves awoke the predator hiding inside me. Her rosy, flawless skin made my fangs ache with the desire to feed on her blood and give her more pleasure than she had ever experienced.
Her eyes were closed, and on some level, I realized that we shouldn’t have taken advantage of that to spy on a private moment. We should have looked away, given her space or alerted her to our presence. But something about her rendered me mute, unable to do anything except stare.
I had seen plenty of mortals before. Many humans lived in The Immortuos Voievodat, of their own free will, as blood donors, some in better conditions than others. None had made me react like this, so quickly. Most of the time, I deemed them as boring and bland as the vampires who bedded them. Three-quarters of the people I knew felt the same. It wasn’t even the mortals’ fault per se. It was just so difficult to find anything exciting and original during an eternal existence.
Because of that, it wasn’t exactly easy for an undead being to become aroused. Contrary to popular belief, it had nothing to do with any biological impediment. Most vampires did need to ingest blood before they could become erect, but that was just because nothing else could get them interested. Despite the fact that I was technically still on the living side of the undead spectrum, I’d encountered similar issues. I had no such problems now. For the first time in ages, I felt alive and alight with a fire that burned me brighter than the sun ever could.
Judging by the undignified noises Baltasar and Cezar let out, they weren’t doing so well either. Had I not been so enraptured by the mysterious woman, I would’ve been interested in seeing their faces. I might not be as prone to fighting as my friends, but that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy getting a rise out of a fellow vampire. The goddess in the water took precedence.
I hadn’t felt so out of control in over a century. My magic coiled inside me in agitated wisps, and the grass beneath us withered as I struggled to get it under control. I didn’t have much luck, but maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing since my complete failure as a sorcerer seemed to alert the lovely woman to our presence. All of a sudden, she opened her eyes, and as her brown gaze met my own, my magic stilled, tamed by the simple look she had thrown my way.
No words could have truly described the emotion that blazed in my chest at that moment. It was more than just being alive. I didn’t remember ever experiencing such a phenomenon before I’d become part undead. It was a sensation of utter rightness, akin to the satisfaction I felt every time I successfully cast a spell but multiplied a million times over. I could’ve stayed just like that, looking at her, for the rest of eternity, and I’d have been completely happy.
Sadly, my life had always had a way of sabotaging everything I actually wanted to do. As such, it came as no surprise that the goddess tore her eyes away from mine. “Cloud!” she called out. “Stop!”
At first, I didn’t understand what she was talking about and why she was engaging the clouds in conversation. It certainly did not help that her voice was as beautiful as the rest of her and would’ve distracted us even if its owner hadn’t been in front of us, completely naked. However, we hadn’t lost all sense, and a few seconds later, we took in the alarm in her tone. The spell she had effortlessly weaved around us shattered. It was at that point that we realized we were surrounded by a herd of unicorns, all of which were pointing their exceedingly sharp horns at us in obvious anger.
Oh, dear. I had never heard of a vampire dying after being impaled on a unicorn’s horn, but I suspected it would work just as well as any other piercing weapon if aimed in the correct way. Maybe the method would be even more successful since the creatures in question were said to hold powers that opposed undead magic.
Thankfully, the unicorns obeyed the vision of beauty who had captured our attention, and we didn’t end up trampled under the hooves of the angry equines, or worse. They surrounded us and neighed angrily, but did not attempt to harm us in any way.
The largest unicorn positioned himself in front of us, blocking our view of the goddess. The action must’ve been deliberate since when he moved away, the lovely woman had already gotten out of the water and put her clothes on.
It was a crime against nature to cover such beauty with any kind of material, but in this instance, I was thankful for it, since her dressed state returned some of the brain cells I appeared to have lost at the mere sight of her. At last, I processed the extent of the insult we’d brought upon her and mentally cursed my own weakness.
“We most humbly apologize for our behavior, Milady,” I blurted out. “We prostrate ourselves at your feet and offer recompense for the slight we have caused you.”
Technically, we were already in the position in que
stion, since we hadn’t gotten up after we’d tripped and fallen. That didn’t make much difference, though, since us lying there like the idiots we were didn’t fix anything. I could only hope we’d be able to show her that we truly did mean our words and regretted our actions.
Much to my surprise, the beautiful woman smiled at me. I distantly noticed that at one point, a flower crown had grown in her hair, the blush-pink roses matching the color of her lips and gown almost perfectly. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I don’t mind it, although Cloud certainly does.” She passed a hand through the unicorn’s mane, making the equine nuzzle her cheek. “I don’t really enjoy wearing clothes, but some things are necessary to socialize. Apparently.”
Wait, what? She wasn’t upset that we’d spied on her bathing naked, albeit accidentally? Who was she?
The enchanting goddess almost seemed to read my mind. “I am Eiar, Lady of Spring, Queen of Tis Ánoixis, The Realm of Eternal Youth,” she said, answering the question I hadn’t asked. “And who might you gentlemen be?”
Two
The Most Beautiful Flowers
Cezar
When I’d been a boy, my mortal mother had told me that her greatest dream was for me to have a love as beautiful and true as what she’d found with my father. At the time, I’d been just as enthusiastic about the possibility as her.
It was only much later that I realized why she had said this was her dream. True love was not something vampires usually found. Maybe it had something to do with our undead nature, but our general outlook toward life wasn’t very conducive to such romantic relationships. My father had somehow done it, but he was the exception, not the rule, and I’d stopped believing it would happen to me a long time ago.
I might have been a little too hasty.
As I lay there on the ground, looking up the figure of the queen of the realm we’d illicitly sneaked into, I wondered if it was possible to love a person you’d just met. It seemed unlikely, as real feelings could only form throughout a longer period of time. So what was this strange emotion stirring inside me at the mere sight of her? Was it only lust, infatuation? I’d felt that before in the past, plenty of times. It had never been like this.
Queen Eiar’s question kept me from focusing on my confused, whirling thoughts. I got up, and my fellow vampires followed my example. “I am Cezar of the House of Aeternalis,” I said, “and these are my friends, Adrian Burke and Baltasar of the House of Sideris. In the name of my homeland and the royal house of The Immortuos Voievodat, I’d like to officially reiterate Adrian’s words and apologize for interrupting your private time like this. “
Queen Eiar waved off my words. “Like I said, there’s no need for that, although I admit that I do find your presence a bit of a surprise. Usually, when the undead visit Chronikos, it is not The Realm of Eternal Youth that is their destination.”
I suppressed the urge to flinch. Technically, the undead weren’t allowed to come to The Land of Time at all. In the past, some of my kin had decided to use the powers of The Realm of Eternal Sunlight to end their existences, and Queen Theros of Tou Kalokairioú had gotten so exasperated with us that she’d banned our approach altogether.
We would not have come at all if not for the surge of necromantic magic in the area, but we couldn’t use that as an excuse. Our intentions might have been good, but that did not change the fact that we’d trespassed on foreign soil and deliberately broken one of the most important laws of Chronikos.
Fortunately, Adrian’s quick thinking saved me from having to come up with an excuse myself. “We apologize for breaching your borders, Your Majesty,” he said. “It wasn’t intentional. We were headed toward my original homeland of Tír na nÓg to visit my birth family when there was a storm and we were caught in your wards.”
The lie fell smoothly from Adrian’s lips, and he showed no sign whatsoever of being disturbed by uttering it. Not for the first time, I felt grateful for the cutthroat politics of our covens. It might have been annoying to deal with on a regular basis, but it did help us remain calm in problematic circumstances. If not for that experience, Adrian couldn’t have used his background in such a way, not when it was still a sore spot, centuries after he’d left it all behind.
Adrian had only visited Tír na nÓg once since he’d become an official citizen of The Immortuos Voievodat. It had gone so poorly we didn’t even speak of it. It had not mattered that Adrian had been fae in life. The fact that he’d turned into a strigoi was so scandalous his birth family had tried to kill him, permanently. We’d left Tír na nÓg and sworn to never return.
But Queen Eiar didn’t know that. Tír na nÓg was as reclusive as Chronikos, so she’d have no way to figure out we were lying. Besides, very few people were crazy enough to claim they had a fae heritage if it was not true, as the Fair Folk were a vengeful species and tended to know such things. The excuse was perfect. I felt bad for deceiving the lovely goddess in front of us, but it could not be helped.
As expected, Queen Eiar accepted the explanation. “Oh, I see,” she answered with a small frown. “We did have some weather anomalies recently. Perhaps that is the reason. But fret not. Arrangements can be made to accommodate you and provide you with a means of transportation. You’ll be able to reach your family in no time.”
The sweet smile she offered us increased my guilt tenfold. It got even worse when she added, “In the meantime, you must join me at my palace. You shall be my guests for the remainder of your stay in Tis Ánoixis.”
Baltasar immediately started to protest. “We couldn’t possibly trouble you with—”
“It’s no trouble,” Queen Eiar cut him off. “I enjoy having guests, and I have always been interested in the workings of The Immortuos Voievodat. I’m sure you can find a way to pay me back.”
Her words held no suggestive undertone, but my libido didn’t understand that. A myriad of methods I could use to ‘pay her back’ popped into my brain, all of them involving nudity, her spreading her legs, and me making her scream with ecstasy.
It was such a disconcerting sensation that I couldn’t bring myself to argue with her further. “Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty. We would be honored.”
She rewarded my agreement with another wide smile. The unicorns weren’t nearly as happy. One of them stepped on my foot, almost crushing my toes in the process. If not for the ancient vampire blood running through my veins, it would have undoubtedly succeeded in harming me. Another unicorn poked Baltasar with its horn, and although it did not actually injure my friend, the warning was clear.
Queen Eiar shot the equines a chastising look. “Don’t be like that,” she told them. “Our three guests are welcome in Tis Ánoixis.” She turned toward me, her beautiful brown eyes glinting with concern. “Are you hurt? Do you need healing?”
Even if the unicorn had succeeded in its plans, I would have probably refused her offer. I couldn’t possibly take advantage of her further, not when we were lying to her in such a way. “Thank you, Your Majesty, but I am fine. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Queen Eiar pursed her lips in displeasure but let the matter go. “Very well, but you must promise to tell me if you experience any lingering discomfort.”
“I promise,” I said, although I knew I wouldn’t do it.
Queen Eiar petted each of the unicorns, whispering soft, incomprehensible words in their ears. Once she was done, the equines slowly started to trot away, disappearing into the undergrowth. The last remaining unicorn glared at us one more time before finally joining its companions and leaving us alone with Queen Eiar.
“The palace is a good distance away, but I know a shortcut,” she said. “Come.”
Grand Lich help me, did she really have to say that word? I really wanted to come, preferably inside her, but that wasn’t going to happen. We still had a mission to complete. How were we supposed to do that if we got distracted by the beautiful Lady of Spring?
I had to get my friends alone as soon as possible and discuss
the matter with them. We couldn’t leave Chronikos until we got our answers about the surge of necromantic magic, but those answers were in The Realm of Eternal Ice, not here.
Then again, Queen Cheimon, the ruler of Tou Cheimóna, was Queen Eiar’s sister, and Queen Eiar had mentioned something along the line of ‘weather anomalies’. It seemed unlikely that she wouldn’t have at least some information on what had occurred in her sister’s realm. Perhaps we could start our investigation here.
Oblivious to my thoughts, Queen Eiar gestured for us to follow her down a path I hadn’t originally noticed. “I hope you didn’t get too upset with my unicorns,” she said. “They’re protective of me and often err on the side of caution.”
I secretly thought the unicorns’ approach was correct. Queen Eiar seemed far too trusting. The equines should have never left her alone with us. I had no intention of saying that, though. “We understand,” I replied instead. “It makes sense that they would be leery of us, especially considering the circumstances.”
Queen Eiar laughed lightly. “Yes, you didn’t make the best first impression due to your... unusual arrival. But I’m sure you didn’t mean anything by it.”
Was she? How did she know? I did feel horrible about spying on her, but at the same time, I could not deny how much I had enjoyed it, and how much I wanted to see her that way again.
Another apology was on my lips, but we’d already tried it twice and Queen Eiar had dismissed our words. Mercifully, she changed the topic, saving me from embarrassing myself in front of her. “Oh, how inconsiderate of me. I forgot to ask. Are you uncomfortable with sunlight?”
“Not really, no, Your Majesty,” Baltasar replied. “We all belong to specific breeds of vampires that don’t have significant issues with the sun. Bright sunlight isn’t something we enjoy, but it doesn’t hurt us either.”