by Cege Smith
Malin felt a sharp stab of mental pain as he watched Angeline’s face light up. He would give anything to have her look at him like that.
“Everything is ready in the cellar,” Connor said. His comments were directed at Angeline. “Rhone is anxious to be on our way. He said that Monroe blinked several times.”
“He blinked?” Malin couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of his voice. “That sounds threatening.”
Angeline put her hand to her forehead. “The headaches are getting worse. “
Malin could tell that Connor wanted to go her then, but there was an invisible wall between them now. She belonged to Malin, and both men knew it.
“The sooner we get Monroe and Sophia away from here the better,” Connor said.
“I hate to say that Theodora might have been correct,” Malin said. “Being the anchor, as well as the spellcaster, was a lot to take on.”
Angeline pushed back from the wall. “That decision is done. It is time to go. The sooner we deal with Alron, the sooner I can get back to ruling my kingdom.” She turned on her heel and headed for the nearest staircase.
Malin and Connor fell into step behind her.
“Was Theodora with Rhone?” Malin asked quietly. He knew that Angeline could hear him too.
“I have not seen that woman since early this morning,” Connor replied. “The sooner she leaves the better. She is a deceitful wench.”
Malin almost laughed out loud. No one ever dared speak ill of his mother, and so the interplay was almost refreshing. It was how he had felt about her his whole life. It was strange how much he and Connor seemed to have in common. If things were different, he thought that they might even have been able to be friends.
“She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it,” Malin said. It wasn’t in defense of his mother’s action, but an acknowledgement of her drive and motivation. She would rather risk everything to ensure a victory than ever play it safe. That made her a formidable adversary. “I wonder where she had disappeared to then.”
“Who?” Theodora appeared next to the staircase just as they approached it.
“You missed the party,” Malin said sourly.
“I have other duties,” Theodora said coolly.
“It’s time to go,” Angeline said. Her tone was strained, and Malin wondered how much pain she was in. “I am tired of the bickering. Let’s get this over with.”
“I hope you are well rested,” Theodora said, peering into Angeline’s face. “Just remember that you are the one who called this meeting. Interactions with Alron aren’t to be taken lightly.”
The candles all around them in the hallway flared up and then instantly went back to normal. Malin saw Theodora’s eyes narrow, and he realized with a start that Angeline was the culprit. He stepped quickly to Angeline’s side and put his hand on her arm before turning to Theodora. “The Queen is ready. Alron needs to be dealt with. Today.”
“Fine,” Theodora said, holding up her hands. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Angeline didn’t know what was wrong, but with every passing moment she felt more weak and out of sorts. The sensation was accelerating at an alarming pace, and she felt more and more anxious about the meeting with Alron. She didn’t even react when Malin touched her, even though she felt her skin crawl. The only saving grace was that she was away from the nobles. Her secret remained protected.
They walked in silence for the rest of the way to the small room where Rhone stowed their prisoners. They couldn’t be kept in the regular prisoner cells, so he improvised. Unable to trust anyone else with the duty, Rhone stood just inside the doorway watching the two unmoving figures sitting in chairs against the far wall.
Monroe and Sophia stared blankly in front of them. There was no movement or other indication that they knew others had joined Rhone, but Angeline felt a sharp spike come through the bond. She gasped.
“They are aware of us,” she said. “They are trapped inside, and they want out.”
“Will the spell hold?” Connor asked. The question appeared to be directed at both her and Theodora.
“Using blood bindings on other spellcasters is a tricky business,” Theodora said. “It is nothing I have personal experience with.”
“We should go,” Malin said. “The more time we spend talking about it, the more distress the Queen must endure.”
Angeline wanted to disagree with him, but then she felt another spike in her temple and she winced. She didn’t want to admit that Theodora might have been right about her choice to become the anchor, but she was unwilling to put anyone else in harm’s way. There really wasn’t a choice at all.
Rhone strode across the room and held up a small bag. He passed it between Monroe and Sophia’s dead glass eyes. “This is Griden root. It will burn your pretty pale skin right through to the bone. Sounds like you won’t even be able to scream if that happened. Whatever you’re doing to the Queen, stop it. Now.”
Angeline felt a slight ebb on the bond, and a momentary relief swept over her. She saw Rhone’s inquisitive look in her direction, and she nodded. He put the bag back in his pocket.
“It’s your turn,” she said to Theodora.
“One moment,” Malin said. “Be sure to speak the words out loud.”
Theodora chuckled. “The trust in the room is heartwarming.”
Angeline and Malin were in complete agreement that any spell cast by Theodora was done verbally so that it could be memorized, or in Angeline’s case, remembered. As Theodora’s voice filled the room, Angeline concentrated on listening to every word and its accompanying inflection and tone. The same sense of knowing filled her mind. It was a strange thing, but she wouldn’t question it. At least, not yet.
Just like before, the portal appeared before them.
“Bloody hell,” Rhone said softly.
Angeline understood what he meant. Just because she had traveled through a portal twice before didn’t mean that she was used to that idea of that way of travel at all. But Craven was days away by horse, and they only had hours to settle what they needed to settle. Portal it was.
Connor didn’t pause but walked right to it and started through. The order had been carefully planned. Theodora followed Connor. Angeline was to go next, with Rhone and the prisoners following her. Malin would bring up the rear.
“You will stand and walk through the portal behind me,” Angeline commanded Monroe and Sophia. “On the other side, you will wait until I tell you where to go.”
The vampires obediently stood, but she felt the flare of panic erupt from Sophia. Angeline thought that she had a right to be afraid. If she understood anything about Alron at all, finding his wife still alive after a hundred years would send him spinning. At least, she counted on it.
Angeline took a deep breath and plunged into the portal. She turned and looked behind her only once, and saw that Monroe and Sophia were on her heels. It seemed to take too long before she saw the light in front of her that didn’t emanate from the portal itself.
Familiar walls shot up into the air all around her, although their crumbling state spoke of years of neglect. She stood just inside the entry arch that led into the deserted city of Craven. Connor looked relieved when she emerged. Theodora stood with her arms crossed tapping her foot impatiently. Angeline moved to Connor’s side. They didn’t touch, but she felt better being close to him. Soon she’d have to face Alron without him. She couldn’t risk the distraction.
A few moments later, they were all assembled again, and the portal winked out of existence. Rhone had a length of rope laced with iron that he used to secure Monroe and Sophia to a stake in the ground.
“Sit,” Angeline said to them.
The two vampires sat, but just as she turned she thought she caught the shifting of Monroe’s eyes on her. When she looked directly at him though, his eyes were cast forward again. She wondered if she imagined it.
“We will call for you when we’re ready,” she said to Rho
ne. “Remember the plan and be ready.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Rhone said. He glared down at the vampires at his feet. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, Your Majesty.”
Angeline wasn’t so sure about that.
“He’s right,” Connor said quietly. “We’ll take care of them.”
During their planning, it was agreed that Connor would stay with Rhone and Malin would join Angeline in the negotiation with Alron. It was what made the most sense, but it didn’t make Angeline happy. There was very little about the whole situation that made her happy.
Malin motioned toward the entryway to the great hall. “After you.”
As Angeline walked, she looked down and realized with a start that she hadn’t even changed out of her wedding dress. Although her attire was the furthest thing from her mind, she still felt strange meeting with the vampire Master in it. As they stopped in front of the doors leading into the hall, Angeline remembered the last time she had been there. There was a small room just inside where she changed.
As she passed through the doorway, she shifted direction to move toward the door. “Give me just a moment,” she said. She didn’t wait for Malin or Theodora’s reply.
Entering the room, she closed the door behind her. Her eyes swept the room. It was empty, just as she expected. This time though, she wasn’t expecting someone else to provide a new dress. She closed her eyes and fingered the threads of her skirt and thought about the dress that she remembered her mother wearing while having audiences with visiting nobles to court.
There were no words that formed in her mind, but she felt the intention take hold. The textures of the fibers under her fingertips changed. She opened her eyes and looked down. Her wedding gown was gone, and in its place was an amethyst colored variation of the dress from her memory. She looked up to find a mirror across from her.
She admired herself from several angles and decided that it would do. She also wondered what else she could do, but that wasn’t the time to explore more of her abilities. The fact that she had them at all was a greater comfort than she realized. It was unwise to rely on them, but she could see how one would quickly become acclimated to it. Having that kind of power was a heady thing.
Angeline exited the room and noted the thick tension in the air. She wasn’t sure if Malin and Theodora had exchanged words or not, but Malin appeared to be trying to look everywhere but at his mother. She almost felt sorry for him. She passed both of them and moved to stand in front of the doors that led into the inner chamber. She waited, and then Malin pushed them open.
It was an eerie feeling. During her first visit to Craven, when she entered the room she found Malin sitting on the old stone throne waiting for her. She brokered a deal with the Clan then that was supposed to bind her wraith away from her. Instead, she thought that the deal might have made her wraith stronger.
Now, as she walked into the room with her head held high, she observed the man who changed her destiny sitting there. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but it wasn’t this man at all.
She knew that Alron was well over three hundred years old. He was ancient when the war with Alair Robart began. But the man who stood there appeared to be little more than a boy. She wouldn’t have placed him any older than Malin if she didn’t know what he was. He had a slight frame, and a narrow face framed by a shock of brown curls. His brown eyes were circled in red, and that was where all of his age was reflected. Those were the eyes of a man who had seen too many years. They were also the eyes of a monster.
Alron stood and made his way down the steps as she approached. As soon as his feet reached the floor, he swept into a bow. “At last, we finally meet.”
Angeline stopped a few feet away. She didn’t understand why, but her body refused to move any closer to him. “I hope we haven’t kept you waiting,” she said.
Alron brought his hand up, and Angeline’s skin crawled as she reluctantly put hers into it. His skin was ice cold, and a shiver went down her spine as his lips passed over the top of her hand. “The rumors of your beauty were not understated.”
“You are too kind,” she said faintly.
She couldn’t look away from his eyes.
“Alron,” Theodora’s voice cut through her daze, and Angeline pulled her hand back.
A look of annoyance crossed his face. “Theodora. Or should I call you Supreme Seat now?”
“We’ve known each other a long time,” Theodora replied. “What are titles between friends?”
Angeline had no intention of ever calling either of them a friend. “I appreciate your willingness to meet on short notice.” She was done with the pleasantries. “I hope we are able to clear up some misunderstandings before they become more serious and cause real trouble between us.”
A flicker of Alron’s eye was the only indication she had that he had any kind of adverse reaction to her abruptness. A slight tug on her mind startled her. She hoped that everything was all right outside.
“Please,” Alron motioned to a small table set off to the side. There were three chairs around it. His eyes flickered to Malin. “I apologize that I don’t have a seat for your new husband. Let me be one of the first to offer my congratulations on this happy news.”
“I prefer to stand,” Malin said.
Angeline said nothing. There was nothing happy about the news, and she wasn’t in the mood to pretend otherwise. She moved toward the table and took the seat closest to the door. Theodora and Alron sat in the others.
“I am quite curious to know what was so urgent that it pulled the Queen of Altera away from the palace on her wedding day,” Alron said. “I’m not sure whether to be flattered or concerned.”
The words were empty flattery. Angeline decided that directness was the best strategy. “You sponsored a game for my abduction. When that failed, you sent a death squad of elder vampires into Brebackerin to create mass panic among the people during my Ascension. One of those vampires killed a member of one of the noble houses and attempted to cause mischief in my court. Any one of these things would be considered a grievous offence, but taken together, it could be called war.”
A hush settled over the hall.
Then Alron began to laugh. It was an ugly sound. He clapped his hands together. “You are so young and bright-eyed. My dear, all of this could have been avoided if your father followed through on his end of the bargain.”
Angeline felt a prickle across her consciousness again. She suddenly had a very bad feeling that she had miscalculated everything.
“What are you talking about?”
“When Sophia Robart died, Alron asked for a new bride. The last two generations of Robarts produced only sons. When you turned eighteen, you were to be sent to Alron for his continued agreement to stay out of Robart territory,” Theodora said.
“That arrangement is no longer acceptable,” Angeline said coldly. It made perfect sense, but Angeline had her countermeasure. She snapped her fingers, and Malin opened the doors to the entryway. Rhone pushed Sophia into the room.
Alron’s laughter choked off.
“Nonetheless, I give you your Robart bride if you still want her,” Angeline said. “Now I want your word you will never cross the Solera Valley or interfere in my kingdom for the rest of your sad, miserable life.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Connor sensed something was wrong the moment that Rhone took Sophia into the great hall. He couldn’t put his finger on what it was, but something in the air shifted. He tried to reach out and touch Monroe’s mind, but even in the man’s catatonic state, his mind was closed to him.
Between the plotting and planning, and agonizing over Angeline’s eventual marriage to Malin, Connor hadn’t thought much about that fact. He wanted to be inside with Angeline and the others, but he reluctantly agreed that he and Monroe’s presence would be a great distraction. Angeline wanted everything timed perfectly to ensure that Alron understood that she meant what she said.
“You must attack f
rom a position of strength, or else you are more likely to fail,” she reminded him several times. With Malin and Rhone agreeing with her, Connor couldn’t argue.
But standing in the courtyard, listening to the still silence of the deserted city, he felt uneasy and on edge. It felt as if Angeline had left hours ago, but he knew that only a short time had passed. He was anxious to get the meeting with Alron over with.
Angeline’s plan was brilliant in its simplicity. She planned to give over Monroe and Sophia to Alron and let him deal with their betrayal. There was no one better suited to punish a vampire than another vampire. That allowed her to neatly wash her hands of them, and left her only Alron and Theodora to worry about. She counted on Alron killing both of the traitors, which would also serve the purpose of breaking the binding spell and releasing her from the duty of serving as the anchor.
They discussed at length if it would be possible to kill Alron, but Theodora adamantly opposed the idea. Without a leader, the coven vampires would be rudderless and hungry. That would pull them right over into the forbidden territory on Angeline’s side of the Solera Valley in search of food. Angeline reluctantly agreed that bartering with Alron and ultimately showing him that she was an equal match on the playing field would have to do. For now.
Theodora was an entirely different matter. The Supreme Seat of the Clan knew too much, and Angeline readily admitted that she knew too little. As long as Theodora could be controlled through promises of information about the Immortal Ones, Angeline felt confident that she could keep the Clan out of most matters affecting Altera for the time being. That conversation was brief since it was done completely between Angeline and Connor using their telepathic bond.
Connor’s eyes slid across Monroe’s still form as he scanned the walls for the thousandth time. The skin on the back of his neck prickled. Something menacing was on the horizon. He was sure of it. He scanned back the other way, barely noting Monroe. Then his eyes swung back to his prisoner.
Monroe carried the same vacant stare into space on his face, but Connor swore that his body was in a different position. Not only that, but Monroe appeared to be just a few inches closer to him.