Beneath the Shadows of Evil... Treasured

by Jolynn Raymond

  Thalia led the way and Katia raced down the hall, Emillian at her heels. When they arrived, the chamber door was open, but Katia stopped all the same. From there she could see her aunt, her mother, and her Uncle Lucian, and the sight brought tears to her eyes. Natalya was coughing violently when she was able to gasp hard enough to take enough air in.

  Lucian held her trembling body so she was sitting up, and her mother was trying to spoon some of the elixir into Natalya’s mouth to no avail. Her aunt’s cheeks were bright red from the exertion of trying to breathe, but the rest of her was pale, and the circles under her eyes were large and dark. Her face had thinned, making Natalya’s cheekbones stand out, and it was clear even in her woolen nightgown, that she was thin as a waif. Her once lustrous hair was a dull copper, and her lips dry and cracked, her entire body shook as she battled for air, and Katia couldn’t stifle the cry of dismay.

  Lucian looked up when he heard her; then began barking orders, his face was a mask of terror, but his words were steady and fierce. He knew that almost all hope was lost in his battle to save his mate.

  “Katia, you are to go to your Aunt Marishka’s old chambers and find something, anything, that will help Natalya. Thalia has the key. You’re old enough to know good magick from bad. She had a number of books, but the one she used most should still be near the altar she used for her dark magick, but you’ll know what will save her.”

  Katia nodded mutely as a tear slid down her face. She looked to her maman, but Alliana had no time for her. Lucian grasped Natalya tight around her shoulders, then gripped her chin, forcing her head to be still. His hand tightened as Natalya shuddered and drew in a breath. His fingers made deep indents as Lucian fought to keep his wife still enough for Alliana to spoon some of the elixir between Natalya’s lips. Her face would be bruised, if she lived, but it would be a small price to pay.

  “Now, Alliana, before the coughing starts again.”

  Both her mother and Lucian had forgotten her already, there was too much at stake in the battle going on between Natalya and Death for her maman and her uncle to focus on anything else. Katia turned, looking for Thalia. The maid was a few paces down the corridor waiting to lead her to Marishka’s chambers.

  “This way, Katia.” Emillian stepped aside; he knew he had no right to interfere in what was about to happen. Lucian was correct that Katia was old enough to know good magick from bad. He would leave the decision up to her. If saving Natalya required some magick that crossed over the line between good and evil, it wasn’t for him to forbid. He turned back to the steps that led to the great room as his wife followed Thalia in the opposite direction, knowing he wouldn’t be missed. Neither the drama in the sick room nor the searching for a magickal way to save Natalya needed him amidst the fray.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Katia had bid a servant to bring them light as she and Thalia climbed a flight of steps to Marishka’s old chambers. The third floor of the castle was one that Katia hadn’t been on much, her roaming as a child had mostly been up to the attic playroom. Thalia quickly unlocked the door when they arrived, and then stood waiting with Katia in the silence and gloom. One of the wall torches was lit near the steps but it threw far too little light their way to enter. The chamber itself would be black as pitch. Neither woman could think of anything to say, what words could adequately express what was running through their heads and hearts?

  Two servants arrived with oil lamps and another with logs for the hearth. The women allowed them to pass, and waited silently as a wall sconce was lit in addition to the lanterns, and then dismissed all when there was light and warmth to be had.

  “You as well Thalia, there is nothing for you here and nothing for me to fear.” Thalia hesitated, Katia was still a child in her eyes, and the chambers they stood in so full of evil. Each could feel its presence even after years of being vacant.

  “You may have need of me.”

  “Then I shall summon you. Aunt Natalya needs you more. I’m sure maman and Uncle Lucian are beside themselves. Go to them, but bring word if... if there is a change.”

  Thalia nodded and left the chambers, leaving Katia in the dust filled rooms of her demented evil aunt. She’d only heard bits here and there about Marishka, neither her maman nor papa liked to discuss her, and the servants were mum as well. The tales of old came mostly from her Godmother Sabina who told Katia about the day the vampire child had stolen her, her mother’s mad flight, and the slaying of her evil aunt that had followed. Well Marishka may have been mad, and was for certain evil, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t wise when it came to magick.

  Katia looked about quickly, knowing if there was a spell to be had, she needed to find it as soon as possible. Natalya was only steps from death. She noted the pentagram and circle upon the floor. It was covered by dust and faded by time, but could still be used. The altar stood as well, and beside it upon a pillar, laid a huge tome. Katia held one lantern high and ran her fingers through the dust with a look of dismay. How was she to find something in the huge book in time? Why hadn’t anyone thought of this sooner? To be fair, Uncle Lucian was far too distraught, but her maman should have. Blame couldn’t help anyone now, so it was a waste of time even thinking that way, but her desperate need for more time made her frustrated and angry.

  She lifted the pages on the left and let them drop in a cloud of dust then stared at the list of contents at the beginning, hoping for something that would get her headed in the right direction.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The scene in the chamber where Natalya lay was one of silent chaos. The servants hurried to and fro, adding fresh water to the basin in which Alliana dipped a cloth over and over to wipe her friend’s forehead, feeding the fire in the hearth, purifying the air with a burning bundle of sage twigs to drive away the sickness, bringing more light, fetching more tonic because much had been wasted in the attempt to get the elixir between Natalya’s lips. Everyone was hurrying to and fro except the two people who loved Natalya most; they sat as silent sentries upon the bed. Lucian resting back against the headboard, his wife in his arms, breathing unneeded breaths in and out as if that could help his mate get air, and Alliana with her legs curled under her on the other side, one hand holding Natalya’s and the other wiping her brow.

  Alliana bit her lower lip, the question she had to ask Lucian laying upon her tongue as she searched for the right words. There could be no judgment in her tone, no hint of opinion expressed, just a desire to know conveyed in a manner that would let him know she would support him either way even if it were difficult.

  “She grows quiet.” Lucian said the words though none who heard them knew if that was a good thing. True she was coughing less due to the elixir, but the breaths she managed rattled her thin frame.

  “The elixir has calmed her. Perhaps it will help for a bit.”

  “What happened Alliana? Why now? I thought she was getting better.”

  “Perhaps she fought it as long as she could, and now her strength is gone. She’s been sick for far too long. Her body is weary.

  Lucian hung his head and shook it slowly, sadly. “I need hope, Alliana. I had it, but now... Do you think it pains her? She was shaking so badly.”

  To see the usually stoic man before her reduced to one who radiated such sadness broke Alliana’s heart. What could she say to give him the hope that had been lost? Should she even try? He’d witness the illness play out in the bodies of too many; she had nothing to draw wisdom from.

  “I can’t say if it hurts her, but her face is serene, I see only the strain of trying to breathe. She never cried out, there were no tears.”

  “I can hear what you cannot. Her body labors to breathe and her heart struggles. It beats faster but fainter, as if it too has lost the battle.”

  “Have the two of you discussed what you would do if death was imminent?” Lucian lifted his head, his eyes meeting hers, searching for hostility or judgment, and finding none. Alliana truly didn’t feel one way or another. The p
art of her that loved Natalya so fiercely wanted Lucian to turn Natalya. It was the only way to save her. The little voice of reason that fought to be heard said it would be wrong. No one could predict how Natalya would become if she were a vampire. There was no guarantee she would be more like Lucian and less like Marishka.

  “It is her wish for me to let her go. I have shared the strength of my blood, I feed her daily when we are alone, but it doesn’t do much good. Her heart beats stronger and she has more color for a short time, but in the end, she is back to being near death all too soon.”

  “Would more help? I would give my own.”

  “Alliana she will die without a spell or magick potion from Katia. My blood mixes with hers to give her strength, but it isn’t enough. Tis but a drop of might within her body than is so weak. Your blood would do the same. Send the servants away and then come hold her with me. Her heart is slowing.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Alliana you are not a fool. You know what I’m saying. We are mated; I feel her spirit. It’s tired, and she has stopped fighting.”

  “Lucian, will your demon honor her wish?”

  “My beast will wish to save Natalya regardless of how. It has been clawing to be set free and screaming to be heard ever since she began to struggle. I’ve many years of making my beast mind the man in me. So I think the answer is yes.”

  “If he doesn’t, will I be in danger? I’m not saying I will do battle to stop your demon, but I will not flee either.”

  “You are my Master’s mate. Even in the throes of grief and desperation I wouldn’t harm you. I cannot. The rest here would not be safe. Now make them go, then hurry back to her side. Perhaps if Katia comes soon we will be offered hope, if not, we shall be here when she goes.”

  Alliana rose and whispered to the servants, and then extinguished some of the lamps, making the room shadowed and peaceful. Once she was done, Alliana came back to the bed, slipping one arm behind the neck of Natalya, and one arm over her. Alliana reached out to hold Lucian’s arm so the three were entwined. Natalya would not be alone when Death came for her.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Katia was sifting through curses, spells, potions and chants, turning page after page without success. The book was a wonder, that was for certain, and she knew she would take time in the future to read it in depth, but now she was racing against time. The amount of sheer evil that could be accomplished with the contents of the book was staggering, and searching for spells that would actually help a person, was few and far between. She’d just found a ritual that would make the dead rise, and dismissed it, knowing that if Natalya died they would never partake in such a ritual. She was continuing her search when a howl that was so full of pain and despair sent chills down her spine as it filled the air. Katia’s heart sank as the howl came again, knowing it had to be her uncle, mourning the loss of his mate.

  She rose, knowing there was nothing in the book that would help Aunt Natalya now. As she made her way back to the chamber where Natalya lay, Lucian’s cries nearly tore her soul apart. The door was barred when she got there, the servants and Thalia standing outside the door. Now that she was close enough, Katia could hear growls and snarls along with the howls of grief. What should she do? Her maman was in there.

  Katia had no wish to invade upon her uncle’s grief, but she had to know her maman was safe. She knocked sharply upon the door, and called for Alliana, needing to hear her maman’s voice. She didn’t have to wait long. Alliana understanding her daughter’s fear called to her from the other side of the door. “I’m safe, Katia. Let us be in our grief.”

  Katia turned to Thalia and took the woman’s hand, she had been much more than a servant to her aunt over the years, and the pain Katia felt in her heart was mirrored in Thalia’s eyes. The rest of the servants were grieving as well, but none had been as close to Natalya and Lucian as Thalia had.

  “Come to the great room with me. We shall find Emillian and send our prayers to God so Natalya has a safe journey. The rest of you go to the kitchen or your chambers. We will call you if anything is needed.”

  “What of them, Miss?”

  “Them?”

  “Those like the Master. Will they honor the pledge between our kinds while the Master is shut up with Miss Natalya?”

  “Why would they not? We are all full of grief over the loss of my aunt. They came to know and respect her, I see no reason the vampires would dishonor themselves by being disloyal to my uncle and harming my aunt’s people.”

  “I meant no disrespect, Miss. Tis just that Master Lucian sounds so...”

  “They were mated. A part of him has died. His demon grieves deeply as does the man in him. It will be fine, go to your chambers. Sebastian, will you tell the others that all will be well. They are to carry on their duties and mourn as they wish. The chapel will be open to any who wish to come in. Tell them they shall be safe, and make certain the promise of my word is maintained.”

  “Yes, Miss Katia.”

  That done, the steel went out of Katia. She hung her head, a sob rushing forth; the girl replacing the strong woman from just a moment ago. Thalia put her arm around Katia and both headed to the great room. Emillian hadn’t come up as of yet, but they knew he must be fearful for their safety.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Within the chambers Lucian and Natalya had shared for close to fifteen years, Lucian was on the bed, holding his dead mate. His back was to the headboard, her body in his arms, pale and lifeless, turning cold as the warmth of life faded. The beast in him cried out yet again, sending chills and sorrow throughout the castle.

  Alliana was sobbing, on her knees beside the bed, her head in her arms upon the furs that were no longer needed to warm a sick woman. She felt as if a part of her had been torn out of her heart, and damned her Gypsy clan for having exiled Natalya. If she’d been allowed back into the safety of her clan, she’d be alive. Stubborn wills and old feuds had kept her from safety, and again Alliana damned them.

  She lifted her head to look up at Lucian, but then closed her eyes and put her head back down. It wasn’t from fear, but from grief. Though Lucian was in his demon form, snarling, and snapping in fury in between the inhuman screams of pain, Alliana had no fear. His beast was raging at fate and the God who had abandoned Natalya, not at her.

  After a time, she couldn’t say how long, Lucian’s snarls and screams turned to sobs and mewls. The man and beast both were broken, lost, and grieving. He buried his face in Natalya’s hair, nuzzling, kissing, breathing in her scent, and then licked his mark of claim on her neck. Alliana was fearful for a minute thinking his demon meant to take her, to make her of him and bring her back, but instead he just licked and lapped at the bite mark.

  For so many years now when he’d lapped at his mate’s throat, he would feel the warmth and the rush of feelings it instilled in her, and the song of her bond with him. It was one of the most intimate acts between them, but now there was no answering thrill, no song, no bond reaching back to him. She was gone. Lucian’s demon pulled back, perhaps to grieve in peace, his man coming forth, tears falling upon Natalya’s face as his growls turned to whispers of her name over and over against her skin as he kissed her lips, eyes, and cheeks, over and over whispering, calling to her, but hearing only silence in return.

  Once Lucian’s demon had retreated, Alliana climbed back unto the bed and wrapped her arms around them both, then gladly slipped under Lucian’s arm when he raised his for her. The custom of her clan to stay away from the dead was ignored in her need to hold Natalya, knowing full well she would be lost to her forever.

  They rocked in the silence, the lamps using the last of the oil, the fire burning low, just holding Natalya, staying with her as she walked with Death. Knowing somehow they would have to let her go, but not nearly ready yet. In her grief, without thinking of it, but simply by feeling the depth of such despair, Alliana called out to her mate, and he heard her loud and clear.

  Chapter Thirty-Two
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  Mikhal had bedded down an hour before sunrise after finding a small cave that would hold both he and his mount. After watering the horse at a nearby stream, and giving it a ration of oats from his saddlebags, he decided to ignore his own hunger and get some much needed rest. He’d traveled hard and fast, but was still a good distance from home. It wasn’t always easy to find a safe place to sleep that would hide his horse as well as shelter him from the killing rays of the sun.

  He lay his head down and reached for Alliana along the blood tie that bound them and received the same as he had since setting out to find her. Sadness. It wasn’t the heart wrenching emotional pain he’d been hit with when he’d first been made aware that she was hurting, but a constant continued sadness.

  Telling himself to let it go, knowing he couldn’t find out the why of her grief, hoping it had nothing to do with Katia, Mikhal dozed off, only to be awoken with a cry of pain so deep from Alliana that it made him cry out. He called her name in the darkness, wishing for all the world that he could be with her, damning the sunlight that prevented him from continuing his journey.

  Had his daughter died? Had the clan been taken by the Turkish soldiers? Was she being beat and raped? All sorts of horrid images filled his mind as the depths of her pain came at him and refused to let go. The time before had been deep, but had been brief, it had been replaced by the sadness, but this was agonizing; Alliana was crying and mourning, but from what, and for whom?

  Mikhal shut his eyes tightly and did his best to drive away his fears. He focused on his love, feeling for her across the miles to let her know he was with her, and that he was coming home. The castle was three days ride from where he was, the Gypsy camp perhaps further, perhaps closer. He wasn’t near enough to know yet, but would be guided by their blood bond as he went.