Aganon nodded slowly. “And Kalon? Do we just bring him in?”
Petra thought about it for a moment, her gaze fixed on Atlas. “You’re right. Remove his hands, but use a regular blade. The scythe cut will take too long to heal. I want him to feel pain, but I still need him to recover quickly.”
“Are you sure you’ll get him to comply this time, Mother?” Simmon asked. “You know how stubborn he can be. And if we kill Esme, he’ll be even more determined to fight us. He’s in love with her. You saw it for yourself.”
“I’ll get him on board, darling, don’t worry about that. There are still a few things I haven’t tried.” She clicked her teeth, frowning at the ghoul. “Atlas, how much longer are you going to sit on your ass before you capture that thing? She’s been trailing us for long enough now, and we can’t risk her running off. I’ve had my fun. Now do your job.”
I didn’t immediately register what was happening, and by the time I did, it was too late.
I was splayed on the floor with Atlas on top of me, the cabinet toppled on its side. The porcelain saucers and plates that had been displayed on the shelf were broken, white and flower-patterned shards scattered all around us. His breath reeked of death, and I was paralyzed and unable to think.
What a mess I’d gotten myself into. My ability to hide had clearly not been successful in Petra’s presence, though I did wonder how she’d spotted me if her ghoul hadn’t.
She limped over to us, and I prayed to all the powers of the universe that I wouldn’t end up a ghoulish dinner. “Imundi missa,” she whispered, and a pulse burst from her scythe. It hit me like a splash of cold water, and I knew she could see me now.
“Crap,” I managed. Atlas was growling way too close to my face.
“Crap indeed, Nethissis,” Petra said with a satisfied smirk. “If you thought you could skip by unnoticed, you were ridiculously wrong. See this blade?” she asked, raising her scythe as she looked down at me. “This isn’t just any blade. This is a Bounty Reaper’s blade.”
“What the hell is a Bounty Reaper?” I mumbled, petrified.
She giggled, taking the edge off this otherwise terrifying moment. “You pal around with Reapers, and you don’t know what a Bounty Reaper is? How sad!” she replied. “When my ancestors caught Atlas, they tortured all the information they could out of him before reducing him to… well, this. He told us about the Reapers’ society, their hierarchy, their roles and responsibilities. It turns out that, once in a while, some spirits make themselves difficult to find, fleeing the afterlife for some pathetic reason. In such special and rare circumstances, the higher circles employ the services of Bounty Reapers. Their scythes are designed and imbued with death spells from which no ghost can hide, not even one as surprisingly capable as you.”
It felt as though the air was knocked out of my lungs as I tried to process what she’d just told me. It was only a sensation, a remnant of my living days.
“You see, I knew you were around the moment my scythe started to burn cold, back at the house. You didn’t even notice me when I whispered my magic and saw the rest of your team. I didn’t want to risk clashing with your Reaper buddies, though. I needed to catch you alone,” Petra continued. “I made sure Atlas didn’t immediately go after you. He and I… we have a telepathic connection. I told him not to touch you, since I wanted to see how far you were willing to take this. And you were so stupidly curious that you left your own pack behind and came in here. I knew I’d be meeting you again as soon as Zoltan escaped, Nethissis. He sent me messages. I know what you’ve been up to, though I admit you were more brazen than I expected. Unfortunately, the Reaper friends you have outside won’t be able to save you this time.”
Atlas’s mouth opened, and I heard my own scream burst from my throat. His fangs went deep into my shoulder. The pain was so hot I almost passed out. I dared not move as he… didn’t eat me. No, he just bit me and held on like I was some kind of chew toy.
“You’re hurting me!” I cried out.
“Relax, he’s not going to eat you. Yet,” Petra replied. “Unlike Esme and Veliko, you’re actually useful. Come outside.”
She limped over to the door and opened it, smiling as she inhaled the evening breeze that flowed inside. Atlas lifted me off the floor, and pain seared through my entire upper body. I whimpered but refused to succumb. Whatever she had planned, I had to be conscious. I had to see it for myself. Dread threatened to suffocate me as I dangled in the air, the ghoul’s fangs piercing my spirit form.
We stopped on the front porch. The street was empty.
Well, not completely empty.
Seeley revealed himself, and I cursed under my breath. He looked devastated, and it was all my fault.
“Ah, there you are,” Petra said to him. “I admit I did want to meet the Reaper that Zoltan was unsure of how to use. Nice of you to join us.”
“Whatever you do, don’t hurt her,” Seeley said, looking at me. The pain in his galaxy eyes tore me apart on the inside, rivaling the ghoul’s bite. I knew Lumi, Sidyan, Rudolph, Maya, and the other ghouls were nearby, but I also knew they couldn’t attack. Petra was well prepared, and we didn’t have enough power to take her on. She was way better at this death magic than we’d originally thought.
“Tell you what. You and your friends keep your distance,” Petra said. “You keep your distance, you let me do my job, and Nethissis here won’t end up in Atlas’s tummy. I have been given a mission. The Master of Darkness wants me to fulfill my role, and you fellas are pretty much messing up my act. So… what do you say? Stand back, and she lives. So to speak.” She glanced at me, a faux apologetic expression on her face. “By the way, I am sorry you got dragged into this. Zoltan was a fool.” She then moved her focus back to Seeley. “Disturb me in any way, and Atlas will have no problem gobbling her up. Deal?”
Seeley was shaking with anger, but he didn’t let it take over. Gripping his scythe tightly enough for his knuckles to turn white, he took a step back. He didn’t say anything, and I knew it was the best he could do, given the circumstances.
It broke me to see him like this, and it hurt me even more deeply to know I’d put him and our crew in such a difficult position. In my defense, had it not been for that stupid Bounty Reaper scythe—whose owner was probably a ghoul by now—I would’ve gotten away with this. I would’ve made it back to Seeley, to Lumi and Sidyan, to our own band of ghouls…
Alas, I could not. I was Petra’s prisoner.
“Attaboy!” Petra exclaimed, grinning as she watched Seeley disappear.
I knew her satisfaction would be short-lived. Seeley would be planning something already. He hadn’t accepted her deal at all. He hadn’t answered, not wanting to get himself bound by his own word. Petra had mistaken his silence for acceptance.
And while my shoulder burned, I had a sliver of hope to hold on to.
Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t meet my final end in this place.
Esme
My body felt so light…
Slowly opening my eyes, I realized I was in a bed. It was soft and comfy, and a blanket covered me up to my neck. No, not a blanket. A furry animal hide. I felt my hands tingle as I moved and brought them out. My palms rested on the fur, reveling in the smoothness of each hair.
I was in a room.
Looking down, I noticed stripes on the fur. White and greenish streaks across black. This had to be a sabre tiger’s coat. Looking up, I saw a black stone ceiling. To my left, a candle burned in a wall-mounted sconce.
To my right, Kalon sat in a chair, watching me intently.
For a moment, I allowed myself relief. Warmth filled me to the brim, and I found a sense of peace in the blue of his eyes. But then I remembered the many things he’d withheld, including the fact that his mother was the Whip of the Darklings.
Fury took over, and I sat up stiffly.
My Telluris connection had been cut off. My earpiece was missing. I hadn’t even thought of using it earlier. Dammit!
“You’re safe,” Kalon said, his voice low and raspy.
“Screw you!” I shot back, eager to get out of bed. But my legs were like spaghetti. I could barely move them. “What did you do to me?”
“A little bit of mazir to keep you calm and stop you from running for the hills,” Kalon replied. “Esme, we need to talk.”
“You’re damn right we need to talk! You keep messing with me!”
“It’s for your own good,” he said. “Look, I know… I know I’ve let you down in many ways, but please believe me when I say that it’s all for your own good.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle mockingly. “Right.”
“I will tell you everything. Everything I haven’t told you. Everything I should have told you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me in the first place? Why the acting? The secrets.”
It hurt me to know he’d lied. Every omission cut through me like a red-hot knife, and it was a difficult feeling to live with, especially since I knew he meant everything he’d just said. Especially since I knew he’d fallen for me, probably as hard as I’d fallen for him.
“Because I hoped I might find a way to reconcile my extremely complicated family with my feelings toward you,” Kalon said. “Obviously, tonight has proven that I cannot, and that I must make a choice. Therefore, here I am. With you.”
I could’ve ripped him a new one, but I was too tired. It probably had something to do with the mazir he’d used to keep me subdued—which, by the way, was yet another jerk move. I found some comfort in knowing I could smack him around the next time I was fully in control of my body. Until then, all I could do was listen to what he had to say.
“You’ll tell me everything?” I asked, wanting to hear him again. “No more lies? No more secrets?”
“No more,” he said, offering a faint smile. “I promise.”
I let out a deep sigh, glancing around at the black stone walls. “First things first. Where the hell are we?”
“In the one place I know no one will come looking for us because they don’t know it exists,” Kalon said, leaning forward. His scent was mesmerizing, powerful enough to send my senses buzzing. He was a dangerous creature, and I seemed to thrive on that danger.
“Orvis,” I murmured. “We’re in Orvis.”
Hidden deep in the Nightmare Forest. Surrounded by dangerous predators that were cunning enough to rip an Aeternae’s head off. Welcomed by people who’d learned to live together in harmony without feeding off each other.
A tiny island of peace in an ocean of troubles. A good place for Kalon to start telling me everything. Absolutely everything.
Tristan
Valaine’s roar shook the courtroom, bringing everything to a sudden halt. No one dared so much as whimper. I was terrified for her, especially since Danika was now staring her way, eyes wide and face wrought with grief.
“Daddy?” Thayen’s voice echoed softly.
The boy was still in his chair, unable to move, held tightly by one of the soldiers who’d taken pity on him. His father had just been killed—by his nanny, no less—then Valaine had torn the Nalorean woman’s head off. A Nalorean woman who had brandished a scythe. There was a lot to unpack here and no time to do it in, as someone needed to rein in Valaine’s dark side before she got into trouble.
After all, Zoltan had declared her the true source of the Black Fever in a room full of fearful Aeternae. There was no way this would end well for her unless she regained control of herself.
I left the audience box and calmly walked over to her. Derek and Sofia stayed back, likely watching and assessing the entire scene. Frankly, that was where I needed them in case more crap hit the fan. The whole room felt like a gunpowder keg about to go off.
Corbin remained frozen in place, gawking at his daughter.
“Valaine,” he said.
She roared again, breathing heavily. Tiny black veins surrounded her eyes. She was far off the deep end, and I was worried.
“Focus on my voice,” I said. “Valaine. Focus on my voice.”
“Daddy?” Thayen cried out again, inconsolable and lonely, even in the soldier’s arms. No one else dared get close to him because of his proximity to Valaine, but several people looked like they were afraid for his and the guard’s safety. They were all fools, I thought. Valaine would never hurt the child.
“She’s out of her mind,” Danika mumbled, then looked at me. “Maybe Zoltan was right all along, and we should’ve listened.”
“No. No, Your Grace, don’t let him get into your head,” I said. “This… This is just her dark side. All the Aeternae have it, okay? You have one, too.”
“Not like this,” Danika replied, her gaze drawn to Valaine again. “My husband was murdered. The Darklings seem willing to do whatever it takes to get their point across. To destroy her before she destroys us.”
“Your Grace, please.” Corbin tried to console her. “Allow yourself time to grieve.”
“No. There is no time for that.” Danika slowly stood up. Acheron’s blood dripped from her fingertips. “My husband needs justice, yes… but my people need protection.”
“You can’t possibly believe Zoltan Shatal, of all people!” Sofia burst from her seat. “No, Your Grace, please think this through!”
“How can Valaine be the source of the Black Fever if she’s only five thousand years old?” I asked Danika, trying to get her attention before she did something she might regret.
Valaine didn’t move. I could see clarity returning to her as she listened to the conversation. I worried Danika’s impending conclusion might trigger another episode, and I had to find a way to keep Valaine safe.
“You heard Zoltan,” one of the Aeternae in the audience said. “We all know the Black Fever is coming back. We live in the palace. We know the people who’ve already fallen ill. An outbreak is upon us much sooner than usual. Zoltan said that if we kill her, someone else will be sacrificed in another ten thousand years.”
“It must be a cycle of sorts,” another Aeternae replied. “One of us dies as selected by the Darklings, and the Black Fever stops!”
“Are you hearing yourselves?!” Corbin shouted angrily. “Lending credence to the words of a Darkling! A traitor! No! The science has been clear! My daughter is not infected, nor is she a carrier!”
Danika exhaled sharply, her hands still trembling. “Well, I know differently,” she said, stopping me in my tracks. “I know a connection was discovered in additional tests performed last night.”
Oh, no…
The study room must have been spied on. Danika knew what we knew, and that was a problem, considering what had just happened.
“I think Valaine should be taken into custody,” Danika continued. “Further tests will be performed until she is either cleared or proven to be the true source of the Black Fever. If her death saves us all for another ten thousand years, then so be it.”
“Your Grace, please don’t,” Corbin managed, suddenly faced with the prospect of arresting his own daughter. I didn’t want to imagine what that felt like, just as I didn’t want to imagine how Thayen was faring at this point.
“Arrest her,” Danika commanded. “And sequester Derek and Sofia’s team. They’re not to leave the palace until this situation is resolved. They are to stay here and assist us until a cure for the Black Fever is found. Whether it takes them a week or a year or five thousand years… I don’t care. I have had enough of this dillydallying around. There is no room for diplomacy in times of war,” she added, raising her voice for everyone to hear. Her words appeared to find ears in the room, as people began to nod and murmur their agreement. “Because we are at war! The Darklings won’t stop until she’s dead! Until the Black Fever is stopped! If that’s what it takes to stop the Darklings, then I will sanction it.”
“Your Grace, you cannot do this!” I said. “Valaine is not the source!”
“Well, then… find out what is,” Danika hissed, fury burning in her blue eyes. She’d been through too mu
ch. She wasn’t thinking clearly. And that was a massive problem for all of us. “Cuff them all. Put the study room under constant surveillance. We’re doing things my way from now on.”
“Mommy?” Thayen called out, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Danika didn’t even acknowledge him. The shock had broken her. I could only hope that it hadn’t broken her beyond repair.
“Your Grace, I beg you,” Corbin said. “Don’t make me do this.”
“Master Commander, do your job!” Danika insisted.
Valaine looked at me, genuinely alarmed. “Tristan, I can’t let them take me…”
Gold guards gathered around us. Sofia and Derek slipped out of the audience box and joined me, trying to reason with Danika, but to no avail.
“Seize them all!” she screamed, about to spiral into a ravaging meltdown.
We had no time left, and Valaine knew it. To my astonishment, she had one last trick up her sleeve. Gripping my arm, she pulled me close. “Duck! All of you, duck!” she whispered, then looked over my shoulder and shouted at Thayen. “Get down!”
Before the guards and Corbin could reach us, Valaine was enveloped in a strange humming energy. I did as she asked and ducked. So did Derek and Sofia. Thayen was also quick to react, vanishing under the table.
“Get her now!” Danika snarled.
We heard boots rumbling across the floor. Then we felt a powerful pulse explode outward. It barely grazed the top of my head, but it knocked everybody else back. It tore into the wooden paneling of the audience boxes. The chairs gave out. People fell on top of one another.
Many of them blacked out.
The mayhem was perfect. Even Danika and Corbin ended up on the floor, groaning from the unexpected pain. Valaine grabbed my hand and pulled me up. I reached for Derek and Sofia as well, and we ran.
We rushed out of the courtroom as the Aeternae scrambled to get up and come after us. Sofia handed us invisibility pills and red garnet glasses.
A Shade of Vampire 81: A Bringer of Night Page 24