“Please shut up.”
“Lafayette – he was over there on your left. He was drinking as well if I remember rightly. Also not paying you much attention. He left in a hurry too. Already on the path to deceiving you.”
“This is going nowhere.”
“Moldark came along at the end. And he yelled at you didn’t he? He yelled at someone. Probably gave you an ultimatum. Go with him or burn in hell when the war comes. He wasn’t a very nice person, was he?”
“I’m not listening to you.”
“And then we get to us, seeing each other for the first time,” Harland said grabbing hold of her. “I know how it made me feel. It knocked me to the floor. I just wanted to be all over you. Of course, I wasn’t going to make that boring. There’s no harm in messing around with your head a bit before you fall in love.”
“That didn’t happen.”
“But we did have relations didn’t we? We were intimate. It was consensual. If I recall correctly, you were begging me for it.”
Theresa kicked him in the leg and pushed him off her.
“Hey, whoa,” Harland laughed. “A joke’s, a joke. My bad.”
“Alright you’ve had your fun,” Theresa said. “Now for the last time. Are you going to help me or not?”
“You seriously don’t feel like kissing me right now?”
“No.”
“Not even a hug?”
“NO! Goddamn it!”
“Alright, alright,” Harland said wandering over. “I’ll help you out. But I’m not a fan of the current plan.”
“No kidding.”
“But it just so happens, I’ve had another idea. There might be a way to fix everything. For everyone.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
North, South. East, West. Theresa’s head was spinning. Her body shot all over the continent, bringing things together. Time was moving so slowly. Yet so much had happened. And still the night was not over.
After piecing together Lafayette’s version of events of what had taken place in the East Castle, coupled with what Theresa had told him herself, it was Harland’s rationale that if one Necromancer could bestow the gift of the Warlock’s powers onto the Princess, that another Necromancer could take them away.
This one they knew by name.
They entered the Castle as Theresa and Lafayette had before, through the teleporter and the secret room opened in the library. Theresa hurried through, leading the way, back up to the room full of statues where she had last seen Portia. The room this time was unfortunately empty – although Theresa noticed many of the statues that were there previously had been replaced with statues of armored vampire guards. It wasn’t too hard to figure out what had happened.
“Come on,” Theresa said, leading Harland back out of the room. “She’ll be around here somewhere.”
He bowed his head before leaving, glancing around the room with an air of skeptic intrigue. Theresa knew they’d be cutting things short now, and in a matter of minutes Moldark and Emberlynn would be wed. They had to find Portia this very instant!
“What is that?” Harland asked, as they rushed down the corridors together. “It sounds like singing.”
Theresa heard it too. A woman’s voice.
Portia.
It had to be.
They followed the sound until they reached the outskirts of a bathroom door. Theresa pushed it open, steam from a hot pool blowing into their faces. They walked across the damp concrete hurriedly towards the centre of the room where the Necromancer was floating on her back, a varied cast of characters bathing in the sides of the pool.
“Oh hello,” Theresa said. “I hope we’re not disturbing anything.”
Portia opened her eyes and then went under water, swimming across to them.
“Someone pass me a towel,” Portia said hoisting herself up above the pool’s edge.
Harland quickly sprang to life wrapping her up in the towel as she came to ground.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’ve got it.”
Harland chuckled nervously.
“I’ll see you all later,” Portia said to her friends. “Just a last-minute thing I have to take care of.”
Theresa followed her out into the corridor, where Portia stopped to face her.
“This is really an inopportune time,” Portia said. “But I understand there is some urgency at hand.”
“How much do you already know?” Theresa asked.
“Lives hang in the balance. In the next short space of time, we’ll see the birth of the new leaders of this land.”
Theresa swallowed. “Can you tell us what to do? How do we get Moldark out of it?”
“That depends on what you’re willing to sacrifice.”
“Sacrifice?”
“You didn’t think your freedom would come easy, did you?”
Harland stepped in. “Surely we can’t just find a way to kill Emberlynn. Or at least dissolve her of her powers.”
“Is that what you want?” Portia asked in an accusatory tone.
“Me?” Harland replied innocently.
“Aren’t you just trying to stall for time until Emberlynn marries Moldark and you can pursue Theresa unimpeded?”
His jaw dropped. “Wow. You’re good.”
Theresa’s eyes widened. “How much time is left?”
“Enough for me to give you some advice,” Portia said. “Which is all you really need to get yourselves out of this mess.”
“I’m listening,” Theresa said.
Portia looked at them both. “While a husband and wife to be can make promises to one another, and make a show and dance in front of their friends – it is ultimately the rings that bind them together. I warned you earlier, Theresa of hidden enemies, and now I point you in the opposite direction and tell you to search there. That is my advice.”
Theresa turned to Harland. “Um…”
“You said that really fast,” Harland criticized. “Can you repeat it please?”
“I can,” Portia said. “But I can also advise you have approximately sixty seconds before my advice becomes useless.”
“And why is that exactly?”
Theresa grabbed him. “We have to go now!”
“What – how –”
“They’re about to get married!”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Theresa burst through the trapdoor in the undercover dome, charging across the floor with Harland straggling along behind. “Where is she?” Theresa demanded. “Where’s the Princess?”
Maxine hurried up from the carpet where the servants had gathered and pointed out into the landscape away from the plantation. “You were gone so long, I think she lost patience –”
Theresa rushed past her, jumping over the barrier to the grass below and rushed out towards where Emberlynn and Moldark were.
Theresa could see they were holding each other’s hands, standing near the edge of the cliff. With the Necromancer holding an open text, reading to them.
“NO!” Theresa shouted. “I’m back! Don’t start yet!”
Emberlynn glanced at her briefly, before turning back to Moldark. Theresa saw she was placing a ring on Moldark’s finger.
“HEY! I SAID, DON’T START!”
Theresa’s feet lifted off the ground as they got closer, pouncing on Emberlynn’s back when within reach.
The Princess cried out as Theresa dug her claws into her flesh, tearing away at it violently.
Theresa didn’t last there for long however.
Moldark quickly grabbed hold of her and tossed her several metres away across the grass.
“Repeat after me, Moldark,” the Necromancer continued. “With this ring –”
“I said STOP!” Theresa cried. “I’ve brought Harland with me. He’s going to marry you.”
Emberlynn turned around. “Where?”
Theresa looked behind her. “He was just … He’s over there somewhere. Come on. I’ll show you.”
She took a few paces towards the d
ome and saw Harland’s figure emerge.
He was carrying something large over his head.
“Hey,” Theresa murmured. “Isn’t that –”
“My statue!” Emberlynn shrieked.
Harland stumbled around the side of the dome rest the base of Lord Fane’s statue on top his shoulder.
Emberlynn rushed over to him, Theresa pursuing from behind.
“Where are you going with that?” Emberlynn demanded. “Put it down this instant!”
“I thought our friend the Warlock should be as close to our ceremony as possible, now you’ve moved it over here,” Harland said. “Or should I put it down here?”
“No, not…” Emberlynn trailed off. “Alright. You’re taking Moldark’s place, are you?”
“It would be an honor, my lady.”
“Then put it over there I guess. Quickly now.”
She turned away and walked by Theresa. “I guess you win after all.”
Theresa looked at Harland carefully. “Yeah. I guess…”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
For a moment, things seemed to slow down. The anxiety, the terror, the flight-or-flight bubbling in Theresa’s eternal blood, was calmed by a fraction. She wasn’t sure what Harland was up to or what the significance of the statue was, but he put it down where Emberlynn asked him to and pushed Moldark aside to take the place as the groom. The ring was removed from Moldark’s finger and handed back to Emberlynn, who would go on to place it on Harland’s finger.
Theresa stood beside Emberlynn as the proceedings resumed. The clouds had parted, the sky’s black merging into the blue, the breeze slowing to a whimper. There was a chill in the air and Theresa was unsettled. Even as the bride and groom had finished reciting their vows, and placing the rings on each other’s fingers, Theresa couldn’t help but feel it wasn’t over.
“…I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride…”
As Harland embraced the Princess as though he was right on board with it, and everything was going to be okay, one of the ravens landed at Theresa’s feet.
As she watched it closer, she saw it appeared to be grinning.
Theresa crouched down. “If you help me when I need you, I’ll see she turns you back.”
The bird’s grin faded and it turned away, flying back out into the swirling surrounds.
Theresa stood back up. “Uh, congratulations.”
Emberlynn smiled thinly at her and then began heading back towards the dome, her arms linked with Harland.
Theresa turned and walked by the Necromancer to where Moldark was standing next to the statue.
“He’s done a great thing for us,” Theresa said. “I hope you remember it.”
“If you think he has proven worthy of the Princess’s hand, you may find yourself mistaken,” the Moldark said.
Theresa’s eyes bulged. “Excuse me.”
“It is I, her hand belongs to.”
He began moving along the grass towards them.
“Moldark!” Theresa shouted angrily. She tried grabbing hold of him. “What about my hand?”
He looked down at her palms covering his.
“I see nothing,” he said.
Her fingertips slowly released him, and Theresa slumped down on her knees, crushed. The way he’d said it. The look in his eyes. Theresa had to wonder if that was even the collar talking at all.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
By the time Theresa lifted herself from the ground, he was gone. As was Harland. As was the Princess. She could see the crowd dispersing. They were going back through the trapdoor. Another kingdom was right around the corner.
The Necromancer stood beside her, handing her a handkerchief. Theresa blew into it and dried her eyes. “I thought it wasn’t over,” Theresa sobbed. “But it is, isn’t it? I wonder, will she ever release him?”
“Things are not over,” the Necromancer said softly. She looked up at the sky. “There’s still a little bit of night left.”
Theresa bit her lip. “Should I go after them?”
The Necromancer turned away with a knowing look. “They’ll come to you first.”
“Huh?”
She turned back towards the disappearing crowd and saw Maxine had pushed her way through it and was racing down the hill towards them. “Theresa,” she said excitedly. “I just spoke to Harland. He asked to pass on a message.”
“What did he say?”
Maxine looked from Theresa to the Necromancer. “We need a favor from you. We need you to bring Lord Fane back. Can you? Please?”
The Necromancer squinted. “Why would I be compelled to do that?”
Theresa stepped forward. “Because Emberlynn is an abomination. Things need to be set right again.”
“If you help us defeat her,” Maxine urged, “We will make you a powerful lady in the land.”
“That’s right,” Theresa said. “It’s what Harland wants and now Harland is King he can reward you with whatever you desire.”
The Necromancer shrugged. “Doesn’t seem right. I can appreciate you’re unhappy with the new arrangement, but I can’t just go back on my agreement with Lafayette because it would help some people along with their romantic endeavors.”
“You’re saying no?” Theresa demanded.
“I believe so.”
The Necromancer closed her text book and gathered up a few more things and began walking back around towards the centre of the plantation.
“Even though Portia is ruling the East Castle,” Theresa said. “You don’t want one of your own?”
The Necromancer turned, chuckling. “After my years of suffering in those caves, I have no desire to remain in one place for very long.”
Theresa exhaled. She couldn’t think of what else to say.
“Some problems though, don’t require magic to solve them,” the Necromancer said. “Both of you hang on to each other. The right decision will come. And we’ll see each other again. One day.”
The Necromancer chuckled to herself again and wandered off into the horizon.
Theresa turned back to Maxine. “Any thoughts?”
“I suppose we could just throw the statue off the cliff?”
“Let’s try that then.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Harland had made it look like easy work carrying the statue over his head on the way down here, but even with Theresa’s new gifts of strength she still needed every bit of Maxine’s help before they had moved it towards the edge. After the statue was in place however, ready to be pushed off, a commotion had erupted back near the dome, with people scattering around and crying out. Maxine still wanted to push it off, but Theresa stopped her, taking a step forward.
The pair of Ravens came flying out of the middle of the disturbance, heading right for Theresa.
“Get down,” Theresa cried out as both she and Maxine braced themselves for the swooping disaster.
She closed her eyes briefly, the fluttering of feathers and snapping of beaks almost upon them, but as the first raven came and went Theresa looked down and saw it had dropped something into the palm of her hand.
Theresa stood back up as the second raven flew down, dropping its offering into Theresa’s other hand. She held them out in front of her. They were rings.
One belonging to a bride.
The other belonging to a groom.
“Nasty, vile creatures!” Emberlynn screeched hurrying over. She fired streams of lightning from her outstretched fingers at the birds, as they flew away from Theresa and out of sight.
Theresa quickly closed her fists.
“They stole our rings!” Emberlynn shrieked. “You didn’t see if they dropped them, did you?”
Theresa and Maxine both shook their heads.
Harland appeared from behind Emberlynn.
“It’s okay,” he said placing his hands on her shoulders. “We’ll have them make new ones.”
“No, I want those ones!” Emberlynn yelled. “We must – we must find those birds. They mus
t have a home somewhere we can destroy!”
Theresa spied Moldark moving along towards them from behind.
“Excuse me,” Theresa said and hurried past the newly-wed couple arguing.
Moldark didn’t stop upon seeing her.
Theresa had to block his path. “HEY. It’s me. You’re still allowed to talk to me, right?”
Moldark’s shoulders arched back. “What do you want?”
“Here,” she said placing the groom’s ring on his finger. Then she took the bride’s ring and placed it in his other hand. “Put this on my finger. Do it.”
Moldark looked down at the ring in his hand. He stared at it for some time.
“Come on,” Theresa whispered. “Hurry.”
Moldark blinked. “Princess. We found your rings.”
“No!” Theresa shouted.
The Princess whirled around to face them. “What’s that about our rings?”
“Theresa just gave them to me,” Moldark answered.
“Good golly!” Theresa cried. She grabbed hold of his collar and tried to yank it off. “Hold still for just one –”
Moldark pushed her away, Theresa stealing back the bride’s ring before she fell.
“Let me see,” the Princess purred. “Where’s – where’s the other one?”
Theresa stood back up. “Maxine. Harland.”
“Yes, Theresa?” they both replied at the same time.
“The statue. Now.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” the Princess shuddered. “You can’t, you couldn’t possibly –”
Harland and Maxine threw Lord Fane’s statue off the cliff.
Emberlynn went still. The purple veins in her neck increasing in size and dimension. Her eyes turning black like a snake. The edges of her skull reshaping and softening.
Emberlynn opened her hand to omit some magic, but there was nothing but a spark followed by some smoke. The Princess then screamed and fell to her knees. Purple and black liquid began oozing from her nose and ears.
Theresa rushed back over to Moldark.
Game of Vampires: A Reverse Harem Serial (Part Five) Page 4