by E. M. Knight
Then, suddenly, the hierarchy seems to reassert itself, and she looks away. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize—” I start to say. But Felix gives me such a look as to make me cut off mid-phrase.
“I don’t understand,” he murmurs. “This is the same goblet that we used every time a member of the Elite gave blood. It should have affected her instantaneously.”
“Maybe we did it wrong,” I say. I touch the gash on my wrist, which I’d cut to fill the cup with blood. “Maybe it’s because of how I was made, that makes my blood incompatible.”
“Impossible,” Felix mutters. “Still…”
He pulls the goblet toward himself, cuts a line along his forearm, and lets his blood drip in.
When it’s finished he pushes it to Cassandra. “Try it now.”
The first time, we had decided to use my blood because it was stronger. The thinking behind that was that maybe it would infuse Cassandra with enough strength to stave off that chronic bloodlust that was bound to plague her once the transformation took hold.
Cassandra looks to me for permission. I give a hasty and impatient nod. That was the other reason we’d decided to use my blood—that maybe it could eliminate the extreme deference she displays. That it would get her to her full capacity sooner, and no longer would she be a sniveling weakling.
She picks up the goblet again. Once more, she brings it to her lips. She has her first taste…
Immediately, a change washes over her. Her eyes narrow. Her body tenses. Her muscles become rigid as she hastens to down the drink with amazing speed.
When it’s empty she slams it on the table. “More,” she demands. “I need more!”
Felix is quick to comply. He slices another cut on his arm and fills the goblet with blood. I start to feel the energies surrounding it. But I am still incapable of sensing this type of magic in its current form.
The second serving is gone as quickly as the first. This one seems to satiate Cassandra only a slight bit more. Her body is still stiff and searching. She requires more sustenance.
“Hold,” Felix murmurs. “Just wait…”
In a blinding flash Cassandra’s vampire flares to life. I feel her presence explode outward like a shining beacon.
In fact, she is so strong that I am nearly pushed back. The enormity of her presence is massive. I never thought I would ever see a vampire gain strength so quickly.
“Incredible,” Felix murmurs.
Cassandra’s claws come out. She grips the table with all her might. They scratch into the surface, leaving deep marks.
Her already-tense muscles tighten even further. She looks across the room, in control and yet somehow out of it. She makes eye contact with Felix, then with me.
She is no longer cowed by us.
But she is also struck by wonder. Vampires do a phenomenal job hiding their true feelings. Hers are plain on her face. She looks around, as if seeing the room for the first time—as if coming alive for the first time.
I remember, of course, all the beautiful sensations that took me when I culminated in my transformation. Light became brighter. The black became darker. I could see everything with such exquisite detail. The smells, the sounds, the most subtle shifts of the air, all of those sensations were a feast for my senses.
My first time with this was ruined by the circumstance of the trial. But Cassandra is in a safe place. She suffers no such detainment.
“It’s… glorious,” she whispers.
In a flash, she’s on her feet and on other side of the room. She laughs, spins, then runs back to us.
She moves so fast, and with so much natural grace, that even I am astounded. When I’ve seen other vampires run and use their speed, it seemed simply a human gait that was sped up. With Cassandra, it’s like she’s crossed some other sphere, accessed some other reservoir of potential. Her movements are so much smoother and more fluid than anything I’ve seen.
They make me stare at her in awe.
She gives a joyous laugh and does another lap of the room. Her hair splays out behind her head. She leaps through the air and lands dozens of yards away.
“Enjoying yourself, are you?” Felix quips.
Cassandra is back at the table in an instant. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes bright with unbridled joy.
“I’m sorry,” she says, sounding only a little abashed. “The freedom…”
“It’s quite understandable,” Felix assures her. “You’ve just transcended the vampire hierarchy with breakneck speed. A minute ago, your rank made you amongst the lowest. Now, you’ve been catapulted to a level of strength reserved for the Elite.”
Cassandra stares at him, in open wonder. “I’m not… Incolam?” she asks.
Felix gives an indulgent smile. “Not anymore.”
She turns immediately to me. With one hand, she reaches out and almost touches my arm. “I’m not terrified of you anymore,” she says.
I smile at her in return. “You never should have been.”
“I know,” she says. “Eleira, I know you’re kind, and sweet, and thoughtful. I respect your intelligence. And your humanity. When I was still a human I did not fear you. I knew you were good. But when I was turned…”
She shudders. “Even being in your presence felt like an affront to nature.”
“I’m glad we don’t have to challenge that anymore,” I say gently.
She smiles. Then she looks at Felix. “Thank you,” she says. “For taking me in. For protecting me. For giving me this… this gift.”
“It wasn’t I,” Felix reminds her. “The Soren Prince deserves the credit.”
She gives a little gasp. “Raul!” she exclaims, as if newly remembering. “What’s he going to feel, is he going to know—”
“Relax,” Felix cuts in. “Raul is fine. The goblet protects him now. I must say, Cassandra, you are strong. It is good for us all that you did not draw upon Raul’s abilities for this. He would have been crippled.”
I swallow despite myself. “Surely you’re exaggerating?”
“I wish I were.” He shakes his head. “I am not. You feel her, too. Having seen many transformations, from both sides, over the years has given me unique insight into how much surrendering this much power would have drawn out of Raul. To make Cassandra so powerful—he must have infused her with a tremendous amount of his blood.”
“I was on death’s door,” she says softly, “when he saved me.”
“And this,” Felix takes the rim of the goblet, “helped you return the favor. You are not bound to him anymore.”
“I don’t understand why it took your blood to make it work,” Cassandra says. “What was wrong with Eleira’s?”
“Perhaps it has something to do with the way she was made,” he opines. “Since she drew from another set of goblets, her source of power was diverted. Maybe that is key—maybe the goblets require a vampire’s blood which is pure.” He turns to me. “Did you notice anything?”
I shift in my seat. “Magical, you mean? No. I didn’t feel even one iota of power. The goblet works through means that are invisible to me.”
“I feared that might be the case,” Felix says. “Nonetheless, our first task has been accomplished. Cassandra—you may leave us now.”
He directs just the smallest, most subtle flick of command at her when he says that. I pick up on it. I doubt Cassandra is in any way attuned enough with what she’s become to do the same.
She nods and turns away.
“You may wait with the others in the library,” Felix informs her.
“Yes,” she agrees. “I’ll do that.”
She walks out and closes the door.
“Why—” I begin.
“No time,” Felix says quickly. As soon as Cassandra’s gone his entire manner changes. “I feared this as a possibility. But I did not think it would happen yet.”
I screw my face up. “What are you talking about?”
“The goblet. It draws its power from a
finite source. There is a pool of dark energy that was brought by witches into this world. From the demon realm. It is what contra-torrials run on.”
“You said you didn’t know anything!” I accuse.
“A white lie,” he says. “We had to get Cassandra fixed, then we had to get her out. I had to know for myself how much power still remains.”
“I don’t understand,” I say. “Explain.”
“The Queen will use the goblet at the ceremony,” Felix says. “With you. But in its current state, it will fail. She will not be harmed. But you—you could be killed.”
A chill passes through me at his words. “I don’t believe you,” I bluff.
“No? What reason would I have to lie?”
“How would you know so much about dark magic?” I say. “You began all this with the caveat that you have seen very little.”
“Another lie,” he says quickly. “I’ve been alive two centuries longer than the Queen. I know her ancestry. I know the line of witches she belonged to.”
“So?” I ask.
“So,” he says, “they were all, to the one, drawn to blood magic. They practiced the regular sort in the open. But in private… well, in private, they were part of the dissenters. Their clan was tainted by corruption. It seeped in to affect both their morals and their minds.”
“You have no proof,” I say.
“This is not an accusation but a statement of fact,” he says briskly. “Besides… isn’t Morgan’s recent behavior enough for you?”
“You mean after she came back,” I clarify.
“Yes,” he says. “When you and your group retrieved her from the Paths, she came back changed. I picked up on it immediately. You sensed it too, I’m sure.”
I hesitate.
“The danger with blood magic, Eleira, is that it corrupts,” he stresses. “You know the old saying: absolute power corrupts absolutely. Well, the magic we are dealing with is much worse. I’ve seen it claim many witches before their time.” He waves a hand in the air. “The benefit of being immortal.”
“But you say it’s a threat to me. Why?”
“Because Morgan does not intend to use the goblet to transfer her powers to you. She’ll try to steal yours for her.”
An uncanny understanding starts to form in the pit of my gut. “That is a dangerous accusation,” I say slowly.
“But it is the only one that makes sense,” he counters. “I want to see you thrive, Eleira. I know you are the one destined to lead us. Morgan will attempt to change that fate.”
“Everything she’s told me points in the other direction,” I say.
“Oh? And how much has she revealed? Was it her forthcomingness that made you seek me out today?” He shakes his head. “Or was it worry about the ceremony?”
I shake my head, trying to come to grips with the revelations. “But she knows I’m on her side,” I tell him. “She wouldn’t just—”
“Believe me,” he cuts through my words. “She would. She would do just about anything to cling to her power. She thrives on being in control. Why would she just give it up?”
“She told me once, a long time ago, that she would train me,” I say. “I thought…”
“You thought what? That she was being genuine?”
I shift in discomfort.
“I do not fault you for wanting to believe,” he continues. “But I have experience with both vampires and witches for seven centuries. Our true nature never changes.”
“And how do I know you’re not simply trying to turn me against her?” I ask. “Why should I trust you, when I’ve spent less than an afternoon in your company?”
“Don’t trust blindly,” he says. “But weigh all the facts. Then, consider your options. I am not telling you what to do, Eleira. Only you can make that choice.”
“Then what are you telling me?”
“The things that are of importance to you. Things that have been hidden, forgotten, or lost, in the turmoil.”
I give him a very skeptical look. “Such as?” I ask.
“Such as,” he draws out the words. “Cierra, the Black Sorceress? The one who took possession of you? She is not just some random witch.
“She is our Queen’s own sister.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
James
In the skies of the Pacific Northwest
“It’s a false peace, you know.”
I look over my shoulder at the newcomer to the cockpit. Victoria is standing at the threshold.
I give her a curt nod, granting her permission to come in, and continue flying the jet.
She leans against the curved aluminum wall. “Smithson won’t be browbeaten forever.”
“I don’t need him cowed,” I say. “I need him capable and talking. He’ll tell us many things which would otherwise be lost.”
She considers me for an uncanny, long moment. “You mean to use her,” she says, finally. “Don’t you?”
I blink. “Who?”
“Oh, don’t play dumb, James,” she snaps. “It’s obvious who I mean.”
“Her could refer to anyone,” I point out. “I’ve got a bevy of beauties to choose from. Liana. April. Sylvia. Hell, even Eleira.” I wink. “And I’m not forgetting you.”
She smacks me. Not hard enough to be insulting, but with enough force to let me know she’s not kidding around, either.
“I meant the Black Sorceress,” she says.
“Oh.” My mood instantly sours. “Her her.”
“Yes, her her,” she repeats. “You think she can help the Nocturna Animalia somehow.”
“And what if I do?” I demand, immediately going on the offensive. “Mother has Eleira. Father wanted the girl, too. You yourself say Cierra is most powerful. Well, she’s never met a vampire like me. What better way to guarantee my coven’s strength than with the protection of a witch?”
“You saw how it turned out for Smithson,” she offers softly.
“He was a fool for staffing the Order full of humans. What did he think would happen when she awoke? I, on the other hand, know what it will take to win her over.”
Victoria scoffs. “You can’t win her over, James. You don’t know what she’s like. The stories…”
“Forget the stories,” I say. “What do they matter to me? All I know is what I’ve seen. The destruction in the Order, if all that is by her hand…” I trail off and almost salivate in greed. “We need her on our side.”
“You assume she has a side. Never has she served anyone but herself.” Victoria shakes her head. “To be able to preserve her body, to extend her life for all these years, without the vampire essence… that’s incredible.”
“Exactly why we need her.”
“You’re not listening!” Victoria snaps. “Cierra can’t be controlled. She can’t be corralled. Whatever you’re hoping to discover at her lair will prove useless to you. The Black Sorceress is corrupted by the magic she wields. She won’t bow down to you! She won’t bow down to anybody!”
“Then we’ll contain her, trap her, imprison her, until she agrees to help.” I turn a hand over and very casually, extend my claws. “Remember that we are all immortal.”
“Immortals can be destroyed,” Victoria says. “Look at Smithson!”
“An arrogant fool,” I repeat. “He has some knowledge that will be of use to us. But once that’s exhausted, he will be killed. Mark my words.”
“Funny how you speak of killing a vampire seconds after declaring us immortal.”
“Both are true.”
Victoria stands up. “Just… don’t rush into things, James. I know you’re a man of action. Sometimes—here, and now, especially—caution is warranted.
“You’ve been warned.” She leaves the cockpit.
***
We touch down half an hour before the rise of the sun. I take a deep, cleansing breath of the pure mountain air once we’re outside.
Ah, this is what I’ve always wanted. I look back at all the members of my coven and
can’t help but beam with pride. Here I am, in the glorious forests of British Columbia. The Haven is so far south that it might as well not exist. The Crypts, on another continent, feel even less relevant.
Here, now, I am free. I am finally in control of my own fate. No more pansying up to Mother, no more crawling on hands and knees before the King.
Here, finally, I am my own man. Even more than that—I am my own leader.
“We have thirty minutes to get to cover,” I announce. “The cabin Eleira used as a little girl should provide excellent protection against the sun.” I lick my lips and turn my head to regard all of my coven members. “What’s more,” I say. “If we find humans inside… we can all feast.”
April’s and Liana’s eyes light up at the suggestion. Sylvia scowls, but in a too obvious way. It’s clear she is only pretending to be disgusted based on her prior morals as a mortal.
Only Victoria looks taken aback. She mouths a warning—“No”—but I ignore it.
“Come,” I announce, starting into the woods. “I will lead the way.”
I take off and the others follow. Even Smithson doesn’t lag too far behind. Of course, he is escorted on both sides by my two precious fledglings… but his strength seems to finally be returning to him.
That makes my mind race in all kinds of exciting directions.
Ten minutes later, we’re nearing the small plot of developed campgrounds. My senses expand to take hold of any living creatures near us. I feel the curious squirrels in the woods, unaccustomed to the presence of their preternatural brethren. Sometimes I feel like those half-witted animals have more in common with my mind than humans do. If for no other reason than their great reliance on their instincts. They are in tune with nature in such a way that no anthropological being can be.
We vampires are somewhere between the two ends of the spectrum.
Their curiosity tells me they have no reason to be afraid. They are unused to us, but they can tell that we are predators of a higher kind. We do not pose a threat to the rabbits and squirrels and foxes of this world.
Unless starving or desperate that is. Lucky for all of us involved, my coven and I are none of those things.