by Krista Rose
I yawned. “Where’s Kryssa?”
“She left about an hour ago to pack and buy you all some horses. She should be back in a few hours.”
“Alone?”
“It’s daytime, Lanya.”
I struggled to relax. I knew my worry was ridiculous, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. “She should have woke me. I would have helped.”
“You’ll have enough to do in the next week, I think.” He glanced down at his tea. “Would you like a cup?”
I couldn’t understand his emotions, so I simply nodded. He rose, pouring the cold tea out a window and bringing us two fresh cups. I was careful not to mention the stack of cups on his counter.
He brought the kettle to the table, and poured steaming water over the leaves. “You impressed me last night. You have the makings of a great healer.”
I blinked at him. “Really?”
“I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true.” He placed the kettle back in the fireplace, then sat back at the table. “I tried to train your mother for it, but she could never stand the sight of blood.”
I flushed, and stared into my tea. “I don’t like anyone else to be in pain.”
“Pain is sometimes a good thing. It reminds us we’re alive. It tells us something is wrong.” He put a hand beneath my chin, lifting up my face so he could meet my eyes. “I felt pain for a long time after your mother left. It hurt, and I never let it heal. Then her daughter came along, and healed it for me.”
My eyes burned. “Grandfather-”
He sighed, and held out his other hand. “Here.”
I stared as he dropped a heavy chain into my hand. An amulet hung from it: a sparkling black stone set into a flat copper disc, inscribed with runes I didn’t understand. A gilded crescent moon was carved into the stone, and small clear crystals had been set around it to look like stars.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.
“It was my mother’s. I was going to give it to my Adelie on her wedding day.” His voice was thick. “I want you to have it.”
His emotions swamped me. “I- I can’t-”
“Please.”
I swallowed, and slipped the chain over my head so the amulet lay against my chest. It was still warm from his hand, and the weight of it comforted me.
He smiled. “It belongs on you.” He took my hand. “No matter where you go, you remember that you have a home here. I will always be here if you need me, understand?”
I smiled, and squeezed his hand. “Grandfather?”
“Yes?”
“I love you, too.”
BRANNYN
Desper seemed uncomfortable in the half-crowded tavern, but after I bought us a few rounds of cheap whiskey, he relaxed. I eyed him across the table over a pint of watered down ale, wondering why he seemed so familiar. “So, how did you become a Second?”
He shrugged, swirling his ale rather than drinking it. “I was in a bad place. My lady found me there, and offered me a way out.”
I waited, but it seemed like that was all he intended to say on the subject. I sighed, and sipped my ale. “What’s it like to be a Second?”
He glanced at me, a smile lurking at the corner of his mouth. “You really meant it about that ‘getting to know each other’ line, didn’t you?”
I shrugged. “That, and I’m avoiding going home to tell my sister I’m staying in Fallor. She’s not going to be very happy about it.”
“Your sister that scary?”
I shuddered. “You have no idea.”
He sighed. “I’ve only been a Second for about eight months, so I’m not sure what I can tell you. I live on the Isle of Enevai with my lady, but I spend most of my time training with the other Seconds. It’s a lot of drills.”
“Who’s your lady?”
“The Lady Murthos Hetarielle. She’s an Earthmage.” The empty look in his eyes faded into something near human. “She’s wonderful.”
“Are you-” I stopped myself, embarrassed the question had even started to emerge.
His eyes widened, and then he laughed. His eyes crinkled at the corners. “No, it’s nothing like that. My Lady is very happily in love with Lady Vysarine. I am simply her Second.”
I flushed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s alright. You’d be surprised how many people think that.”
My ears were still burning. I took a hasty gulp of my ale, and promptly choked on it.
Desper tilted his head at me. “I have a question, if I may.”
“Yes?” I croaked, still spluttering.
“It’s obviously very important to you to find your brother. Why did you let your friend go instead? Is this Felice that important to you?”
I shrugged, my gaze sliding away from his. “She’s family.”
“She’s a Vampyre.”
I looked up at him helplessly, unable to explain. “I-”
Brannyn!
I winced at the sharpness of Kryssa’s thought as it reached my mind, her fury clear in the deep indigo waves of it. Yes? I replied.
Tanner tells me you’re staying here? In Fallor? Why the hell-
Tanner and I can’t both leave, Kryssa. And he needs to save Felice.
And I need my family together!
Kryssa-
You get here now. We’re going to have words about this.
I sighed as she shut me out, leaving me only with the residue of her anger and fear. It was the reaction I had been dreading, and I swallowed down the rest of my ale. “Well, it’s time to face the fire.”
Desper looked at me, curious.
“I have to go home,” I explained. “Tanner would have told my sister that I’m staying by now. I assume she’s breaking every dish in our apartment.”
“Ah.” He nodded, though he still looked confused. “Well, could you point me toward the inn? I went straight to the guardhouse when I arrived. Chanach assured me they’d see to my horse, but I would like to bathe and change my clothes.”
“I can do better, actually. My siblings leave first thing in the morning for Cedralysone. We have an apartment above the incense shop, and I’ll be the only one staying there once they leave. As long as we’re partners, you might as well stay with me. You’ll get your own room.”
He stared at me for a long moment, frowning.
“It’s cheaper than the inn, anyway,” I added with a shrug. “But if you don’t want to-”
“I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “I’ve been on the road too long. I got used to unkindness. Thank you. I would be grateful for a place to stay.”
“Come on, then. I can find you a place to sleep tonight, and I’ll show you the bathhouse. It’ll be a little crowded tonight, but most of the others are staying at my grandfather’s, so there’s room enough.”
We headed out of the tavern into the afternoon sunlight, and crossed the market at a leisurely pace. I pointed out the bathhouse, its marble pillars gleaming, and the apothecary where my sister Lanya worked. We made our way down the back alley behind the baker’s shop, and ascended the stairs to back door of our apartment.
“I’m back,” I called out as I let myself inside, and hoped Kryssa wouldn’t attack me in front of a stranger. “And I brought company.”
Her back was to us as we entered the kitchen. Her red-gold hair was neatly braided down her back, and she had donned a fresh pair of clothes. Her hands jerked angrily as she shoved items into a sack.
Desper stiffened beside me.
“Kryssa, I brought a guest.” I prayed she wasn’t going to throw anything at me. “This is Desper, and he’s-”
She turned, her mouth open to yell, and froze. Her gaze fixated on the man beside me, her eyes turning so deep a green they were almost black. The glass jar she held slipped from her hands to shatter on the floor.
Her voice was a broken whisper when she spoke. “Vitric.”
KRYSSA
How many times had I dreamed of this moment? I had never stopped thinking of him, tho
ugh it had been more than a year since my siblings and I had fled that tiny, unnamed village where he had lived. He looked the same: sea-colored eyes in a face meant for laughter, blonde hair curling over the collar of his shirt.
There were too many words to say- and I could think of none of them. My heart lodged in my throat, choking off my air.
“I thought you were dead,” he whispered after long moments of silence. His words sliced through me like knives. “I thought you died in the fire.”
I almost did. Hysterical laughter bubbled in my chest. How many times had I had this nightmare? To be face-to-face with him again, yet unable to speak…
“Where did you go?” He stepped forward, his hands reaching for me, though he didn’t seem aware of it. His eyes were the color of the sky and filled with pain. “Why didn’t you come back?”
Memories flooded me, too hard and violent for me to speak aloud. How could I tell him that my own father had tried to kill me? How could I admit that I had trapped the thoughts of the dead Crone in my head, or that I battled with madness everyday as she whispered in my mind and distorted my dreams?
“I- I can’t.” My voice was barely a whisper, but it still broke. I stepped away from his outstretched hands, afraid that if he touched me I would simply shatter. I couldn’t afford these emotions, not when I still had Reyce to think of. “I can’t do this.”
“Kryssa-”
“I’m sorry.” I closed my eyes against his pain. “I just can’t.”
“Kryssa! Kryssa, wait!”
But I was already running out the back door, my heart in a thousand pieces as I fled from the man I loved.
VITRIC
I stared after Kryssa, watching as she vanished into the alley. I felt as if someone had punched me in the chest, and I struggled to breathe around the pain of it. My knees were weak, my head light; I wondered if I was going to pass out.
Kryssa is alive.
How many times had I dreamt of her, after that awful day? It had been more than a year since I had found what remained of her home burned to the ground. I had thought she was dead, been certain of it. Nothing had mattered once she was gone. Nothing until-
“So. You’re Vitric.”
I had forgotten Brannyn was still present, and I glanced up at him in surprise. “What?”
“You’re Vitric,” he repeated, his expression unreadable. “We always wondered.”
My stomach fluttered. “She told you about me?”
“No. She-” He hesitated, and shook his head. “I don’t think I should say.”
“Why not?”
“She should be the one to tell you.”
I rubbed my temples, wishing the ache in them would ease. “Why did she leave? She didn’t even say goodbye.”
“She couldn’t. She- Gods, I’m not good at this.” He scowled, and snatched up a broom. “Look, you really need to talk to her, alright? But it wasn’t her fault. She was sick. We left to find her a healer.”
“Sick?” I repeated stupidly. “But I saw her the day before, and she was fine.”
“Talk to her.” He began to sweep the glass into a pile.
I glanced toward the open door, half-expecting her to walk back through it. “Does she even want me to?”
“It’s been a hard year. Harder for her. Just give her some time.” He looked up at me, his gaze curious. “Why did you say your name was Desper?”
“I changed it when I became a Second. It’s supposed to protect my family.”
“But why- Oh. ‘Desperation.’ I get it.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “It seemed appropriate.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” He gestured. “So, this is the apartment. The others still have to get their things, but they’re leaving at first light. Then we’ll have the whole place to ourselves.”
My stomach clenched. “That’s right. Your brother. Is Kryssa-” I shook my head. “Of course she is. Stupid question.”
He shifted, and swept the shards of glass into a corner by the fireplace. “Look, we’re having dinner tonight at my grandfather’s. One last meal before they leave for Cedralysone. Lanya is cooking. You’re welcome to come.”
“I- I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“You wouldn’t be. Besides, the others are curious about you.”
I raised a brow. “Really? How do you know that?”
“Um…”
“Brannyn!” Someone stuck their head in the back door. “Brannyn, are you in here?”
“Elias.” Brannyn’s shoulders sagged in relief, and he smiled as the other man hurried down the hall toward us. “Thank the Gods you’re alright.”
“Chanach told me what happened.” Elias was a tall man, with copper hair and sharp features. He looked worried. “Is Reyce really- Oh.” He stopped at the end of the hall and stared at me. “Who’s this?”
“Vi- Desper,” Brannyn caught himself. “He’s the Second. Didn’t Chanach tell you about him?”
Elias shook his head. “No, but I didn’t really give him a chance. As soon as I heard about Reyce I came looking for you.” He peered at me again. “The Second what?”
“Second to a Great Mage,” I repeated patiently.
“Really?” Elias’ eyes went wide. “Does that mean-”
“My Lady is not here.” But I really wish she was.
“Desper is my new partner. And by the way, Desper, this is my extremely rude cousin, Elias.”
Elias held up his hands. “Wait, hold on. I’m sorry, but partner? What happened to Tanner? Where’s Reyce? Is he-”
“No.” Brannyn’s face settled into stubborn lines. “Reyce isn’t. He’s on his way to Cedralysone for the cure. Tanner is going with the others tomorrow, because he thinks he’s found a way to save Felice.”
“You’re staying here?” His eyes were wide. “I would have thought-”
“Chanach needs me. And I can do more good here.”
“And you say Tanner found a way to save Felice?”
“He has to go get her soul and bring it back.”
“Oh, well, if that’s all.” Elias rolled his eyes. “I hope he succeeds. Otherwise, we really will have to kill her.”
“No one loves Felice more than Tanner,” Brannyn said stubbornly. His knuckles tightened on the broom. “If anyone can save her, it’s him.”
But I could hear the worry beneath his tone. There was no guarantee that Tanner would succeed; they might still be forced to kill their cousin. I wondered again what had driven her to become a Vampyre, and why she was preying on her own family.
Elias leaned against the wall. “What do we do in the meantime?”
Brannyn shrugged. “We try to keep her from killing anyone else.”
“Good plan. I like this plan.” Then he sighed. “I guess I had better go check back in with Chanach before he gets irritated. It was nice to meet you, Desper.”
“Same,” I murmured, watching as he walked away.
Brannyn sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. Then he glanced at me. “I guess I should show you the bathhouse.”
I made a face. “If you would.”
He set the broom against the wall over the pile of glass, then headed for the back door. “Come on, Vitric. Let’s go get ready for dinner.”
“It’s Desper,” I reminded him, then sighed, and hurried to catch up.
KRYSSA
I don’t think my grandfather’s house had ever had so many people in it. Delicious smells wafted from the kitchen where Lanya and Eloise labored over dinner, while the rest of us watched as Kylee and Alyxen wrestled on the great room floor over the ownership of a pair of boots. The mood was almost festive, despite our worry for Reyce.
And then Brannyn arrived with Vitric.
His eyes found me across the room immediately. All the air seemed to vanish around me, and my knees began to shake. I was grateful I wasn’t holding anything this time.
Lanya followed my gaze, and murmured something in my ear. I hardly noticed. The room was just as no
isy as it had been before, but I could no longer hear it over the sound of my own heartbeat.
He approached me slowly, as if he were afraid I might bolt. “I need to talk to you.”
“A- Alright.”
He glanced around. “Somewhere quieter, perhaps?”
“Oh.” I gulped. “Right.” Why did I always turn into an idiot around him? I shook my head, and gestured. “This way.”
I led him toward the back of the house and into the room that had once been my mother’s. It still smelled of honeysuckle, though she hadn’t stepped foot in it for almost twenty years, and had been dead for over thirteen.
Vitric closed the door behind him, and we were alone.
He turned to me. “Kryssa, I-”
I kissed him, my lips pressing hard against his. His hands dove into my hair without hesitation, pulling it from my braid. He tasted of honey and sunlight, just as I’d remembered, the warmth of him chasing away the cold that had lingered in my bones since the day I had woken in an infirmary without him.
He pulled away, his breathing ragged, his eyes concerned. His thumbs stroked my cheeks. “Why are you crying?”
I was crying. The weight of the last year without him crashed into me. It was too much, and I clung to him as great, quaking sobs racked my body. He rested his head atop mine and ran his hands up and down my back in comfort until my weeping eased.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” he murmured, and pressed his lips to my forehead. “Let me help you.”
Yes, tell him, the Crone hissed in the far reaches of my mind. Let him help you.
I pushed her away, but her words lingered. How could I tell him I had the thoughts of a dead woman trapped inside my head? At best, he wouldn’t believe me. At worst…
I shuddered, and his arms tightened around me. The pain in my chest eased.
“Kryssa.” He tilted my head back so he could look into my eyes. “Talk to me.”
“I- I can’t. Not yet. Not now.” I pleaded with him to understand. “I have to find my brother. I need to focus on that, and this… I just can’t right now.”