by Rye Brewer
“It went away for me. It goes away for all of us. Your strength will wane, and you’ll normalize. When all goes away, things become normal again. As normal as they can, of course. You’ll be able to think clearly, the way you used to, and the hunger won’t be more than anything you’ve experienced after skipping a meal. Honestly.”
“I can hardly wait for that to happen,” she admitted. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
“I know that feeling.” I wrapped my arms around her trembling body and closed my eyes when she rested the side of her face against my chest. She was with me, and she was thinking more clearly, and I could make sure no other innocent bystanders died in the near future.
I hoped.
I glanced out the window to find the sky lightening. It would be dawn soon. “We’ll have to get some rest for the time being. I’m sure you need it right now.”
She looked out the window and flinched. “Dawn.”
“Soon enough.” I held her at arm’s length. It was time for a little tough truth. “We have to leave. You know that, right?”
“What?” she looked around, eyes wide and fearful.
“I know, the thought of leaving everything familiar is too much to consider right now, but it’s the only way. The League will find you otherwise. They have their ways, believe me. They’ll find you, and they’ll likely kill you. I’m sorry. They’ll kill me for breaking our laws, too. There’s no life for us here. We have to get as far away as we can.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know yet,” I had to admit. “But there must be a way. We’ll find it together.” I squeezed her arms. “Do you believe me?”
“I do,” she replied with a resolute nod.
“Good.”
The only problem was, I needed to believe myself. There had to be a way. I needed a little time to think—and the fact that we couldn’t go out in sunlight provided the opportunity. I felt reasonably certain that we had at least another day to spare before word possibly got out. I’d have to trust my siblings to keep news of Cari to themselves. I believed they would.
“Come on. You can’t sleep now—I guess you know that—but you can rest. And you’ll need it. Just close your eyes and let your body relax. It’ll refresh you.” I led her to the bedroom, making sure to pull the curtains tightly closed as she crawled into bed.
“Will you stay here with me?” She ran her hand over the other half of the bed.
“Of course.”
First, I bundled the corpse back into the closet before the cat got to it, telling myself I’d have to come up with a way to get rid of that, too. Once I was certain we were safe for the time being, I slid between the covers and took her in my arms.
Only I wouldn’t be resting. I’d be coming up with the closest thing to a plan I could devise.
“We’ll leave at sunset,” I whispered as her eyes slid shut.
25
Anissa
He was a fast walker, my father. He did everything quickly, the way a man who had a lot to do tended to. He was always busy, there was always somebody who wanted a piece of his time. Or a group of somebodies. He had to rush to get from one thing to the next. I wondered about that sort of life as I did my best to keep up with him on our way to his chambers—I was just shy of running full-out.
It wasn’t just his normal habit of moving fast that carried us on wings, either, and I knew it. He was going to see my mother. No ifs, ands, or buts.
He handled their reunion with all the same blunt, no-nonsense attitude with which he handled everything else. He’d get us to Hallowthorn Landing and he’d see his long-lost love again because that was just how it was going to be. If I’d raised any objections, he wouldn’t have listened anyway.
Not that I didn’t want to see her just as much as he did. I had a stake in whether or not we reached her. But I had to wonder if we weren’t about to barge in where we weren’t welcome—and definitely not invited.
There was no telling how Mom would react when she saw him again. She had loved him, I had no doubt about that, but she had loved others since him. Sara’s father, Allonic’s father. Life had taken them in different directions.
Decades had passed between my birth and the moment when Gregor ordered Felicity fetched from the Hermitage and brought before him to create the portal. That was a lot of water under the bridge.
But for him? It was obvious from the way his eyes lit up that this was something he’d dreamed of ever since they’d parted ways. In his heart, no time had passed at all. He felt just as he had before. What would happen if all that hope was for nothing?
I didn’t have the heart to ask him. He was so happy—and working so hard to make it seem as though he had himself under control. He wrung his hands as he walked back and forth in front of the window which looked out over the bridges connecting the trees, watching for Felicity.
I thought of the way Mom had changed. How would he react to that? Would it crush him? Was he in love with a woman who didn’t exist anymore?
I opened my mouth to try to warn him, to smooth things over before we left, but it was too late. The door opened, and in stepped Felicity.
Immediately, I sensed a change in her. The lit torches which lined the walls of Gregor’s chambers illuminated her face, but the way her eyes glowed was something totally her own. She was radiant, full of optimism, even a little breathless. What could’ve changed so quickly? I had just seen her at the Hermitage, and she didn’t look like that.
Gregor cut off any questions I wanted to ask. “I need a portal. Immediately.”
The fact that she didn’t bat an eye told me how normal it was for him to throw random demands her way.
“Where do you need to go? You know there are only a select number of locations I’m able to create a portal for.” She sounded as calm and serene as ever, like she had shaken off whatever excitement she’d just been through. I made a mental note to ask her more about it if we got a second alone together.
“Hallowthorn Landing,” Gregor announced.
“Ah., I trained there for a time. Remember? I can take you there.”
“Right, yes, of course.” He was far too absorbed in memories of my mother to worry about what he did and didn’t remember.
Felicity seemed to accept this. She also seemed much better than I ever was at not asking questions. If somebody had come to me with a request—or demand—like that, I would’ve wanted to know why. Then again, they had worked together for a long time. She had probably learned to pick her battles.
She looked at me. “You’re going, too? Have you ever been there before?”
I took a breath to respond.
She didn’t wait for my answer. “It’s a very special place,” she said, then added, “and very different.”
“How’s it different?”
“We don’t have time for this,” my over-excited father announced. Clearly, he was not used to waiting when he wanted something done. “We want to go there immediately.”
Felicity evidently knew better than to take her time when he ordered her that way, so she pushed her sleeves up to her elbows and held her hands out before closing her eyes.
A swirling vortex formed in the center of the room and I marveled at the power she had. What would it be like, having that sort of power?
Once the vortex had stretched until it was roughly eight feet tall, Felicity lowered her hands with a satisfied smile. “I don’t get to do that very often. It’s quite a treat, like flexing a muscle I haven’t used in a while.”
The blue light coming from the vortex reflected off Gregor’s face as he approached it. “Are you ready?” he asked.
I only had one, fleeting thought of Jonah—he wouldn’t know where I was, and I had already been away for longer than I’d expected—before remembering Mom and Sara and how much I missed them. I would never be able to travel to Hallowthorn Landing on my own, so I couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.
I followed him through the portal.
The first thing I noticed was the change in the air. The smell of salt hit my nose the second I stepped through, onto a walkway made of wooden planks. Salt and water and fish.
We were standing on the banks of a huge body of water, like an ocean in its size. It went on as far as the eye could see, and the waves which broke on its surface sparkled in the sunlight.
Sunlight!
For a second, I panicked. Until I looked down at my hands, warmed by the sun’s rays, but not burned. What a wonderful feeling!
I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, letting the warmth touch my face. I could’ve stood like that all day.
Water lapped at the fishing boats docked not far from where we stood, a rhythmic, pleasant sound which reminded me of a heartbeat. On top of it was the calling of large, white birds which flew in circles over the water and occasionally dove for a catch.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed, glad Sara was in such a place.
“Not all of it is,” Felicity murmured.
I didn’t even realize she’d come through with us. She was pointing to my right, and I turned to see what she was looking at: a craggy mountain, tall and imposing and a little scary, with jagged peaks which looked like they could pierce the clouds.
There was a series of castles or fortresses lining the mountain—I realized after taking a second to really look that they had been carved out of the mountain’s face. I wondered how long must that have taken.
“It’s… impressive,” I replied. “And it’s still beautiful, in its own way.”
“You ought to see it when there’s a storm,” she grinned, then shivered for effect.
There was a lightness to her that I had never seen before. Almost a playfulness. Again, I wondered what happened to her.
“She’s here,” Gregor said, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I had almost forgotten about him while I took in our surroundings.
He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking out over the wide expanse of sparkling water. “She’s here, somewhere, and I have no idea how to go about finding her.”
“I’m sure there’s got to be someone who can tell us,” I said, taking his arm. He was so tightly wound. The only choices I saw on looking around were either the town behind us or one of the stone fortresses along the mountain. If I had to make a bet, I’d go with the fortresses. I could just make out a line of robed figures walking in a straight line along the base of one of the massive stone structures. Who were they?
The sound of a bird cawing in celebration after catching a fat, flopping fish in its long beak got my attention.
I could see the bird’s teeth even from a distance and remembered how Felicity had said this place was different. Yes. It was. The birds had teeth, for one.
“Come on,” I said, turning away from the disturbing bird and its poor fish lunch. “Let’s see if we can find out where she is. I don’t think she’d let Sara get too far away from her, so that could help, if needed.” There had to be word of an elemental witch roaming around. If we found her, we might find Mom.
The two of us walked together toward the mountain, with Felicity behind us. It was a long walk, longer than it seemed from where we’d started off. I wondered what else wasn’t the way it seemed.
Then, I saw her.
When Gregor felt my hand close over his wrist, he stopped.
We both watched as my mother seemed to float over the endless stone stairs which led from the fortresses, robes billowing behind her in the sea breeze. I heard my father’s breath catch in his throat and could understand why. She was so beautiful.
But what was she thinking? She had to see him with me. She wasn’t hiding from us—in fact, she moved quickly enough that I had the feeling she was happy. And not just because I was there.
“Tabitha.” The word came out sounding like a sigh, like a prayer, like a spell. Like everything he had waited for over so many years, finally coming true. “Tabitha.”
When she reached us, Mom’s smile was warmer than the sun overhead. “Gregor. Oh, Gregor. I’m so happy Anissa has brought you to see me. I wondered when we would see one another again.”
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, sizing up his reaction. It was obvious that he was surprised by the difference in her, even though I had warned him about the shade blood. But nothing could mask the love that was still there. So much love.
What was even better was the love written on Mom’s face.
26
Anissa
I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so much relief. My muscles actually loosened—I didn’t even know they were tight with tension until now.
The hard part was over. They were together again, and they were both happy.
I cleared my throat, and they looked my way. “I’m here, too, in case anybody forgot.”
Mom laughed as she reached for me, and I closed my eyes as she wrapped me up in a tight hug.
“I’ve missed you,” she murmured in my ear as she stroked my hair. It was the most natural thing in the world, but it would never get old.
I looked over her shoulder to see Gregor staring at the two of us with the funniest look on his face. Like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Mom noticed where my attention went and looked at him, too. “I’m not a ghost, Gregor.”
“I didn’t think you were. Though you might as well be, since you’ve been little more than a ghost to me for all these years.” The sadness in his voice was evident.
As was the sadness on Mom’s face as she reached for his hands. Enough to break my heart. I suddenly felt like I shouldn’t be here. It was intrusive. I took a step back, closer to where Felicity waited at a respectful distance.
“Embarrassed to be around your parents right now?” Mom asked with a knowing smile.
Just hearing her referring to herself and Gregor as my parents was a gift. I felt warm inside—it wouldn’t have surprised me if I started glowing.
“No,” I laughed. “Not at all. I thought you might want some time alone. Forgive me for wanting to be discreet.”
They laughed with me.
Seeing them together, with their hands clasped in friendship—maybe something more—stirred an idea. Would I ever get a better chance?
For once, I wanted to have just a sliver of what other people enjoyed. A special moment with my mother and father, announcing something that had been on my mind ever since Jonah asked.
“I’m getting married.”
Okay, maybe I hadn’t meant to blurt it out like that.
Mom gasped.
Gregor’s eyes flew open wide. He found his voice before she did. “The vampire? The Bourke?”
I nodded. “Jonah Bourke.”
“When?” Mom’s smile was radiant.
“We’re not sure yet. Life is a little... complicated at the moment,” I understated.
“I’m so happy for you.” She let go of my father’s hands and pulled me into another hug.
Gregor cleared his throat gruffly. “If this is what you want, Anissa, I’m very happy for you.” From him, that was as enthusiastic a response as I could ever hope to get, and I knew it.
“Thank you.” It was a relief, getting that off my chest. Knowing I had their blessing. With that out of the way, and knowing how glad they were to be together, I asked Mom, “Do you think I could see Sara? I’ve been dying to.”
“I don’t know what her training schedule is,” Mom admitted. “I haven’t seen much of her. I expect she’s been too busy.”
“I’d like to look for her, anyway.”
She told me where to find Sara’s room, in the fortress at the far end of the mountain, overlooking the water. To my surprise, Felicity fell into step beside me.
“I thought I’d go with you, take a look around,” she said.
I knew why she was really doing it: she wanted to give my parents some time alone, the same as I did.
We took the winding, almost endless stairs which led to the fortress, so
much taller and even more imposing than it had looked from the ground. The inside was just as imposing as the outer façade, maybe even more so. I wondered at the tapestries lining the walls—what stories did they tell, and from how long ago? Felicity and I walked on in silence, like a single word would break the solemnity of the dark, silent halls.
Sara’s room was empty. I hadn’t expected anything else. I ran my hand over her bedspread with a heavy heart.
“I’m sorry,” Felicity murmured from the doorway.
“It was worth trying,” I managed to reply in spite of the disappointment lodged in my throat. It would’ve been too easy for her to be there. Too perfect. Nothing was that perfect, was it?
At least the room was pleasant enough, and the wide window allowed plenty of sunlight in. I was sure she’d like that.
I looked out through it, imagining her doing the same thing. How was she feeling? What was she thinking about? Could she control her powers any better than before? I closed my eyes and made a wish, even though I hadn’t believed in wishes for a very long time. Not since before the Fire, when I was still a little girl, and we were still living with the Carvers, and I didn’t know there was much more to life than my mother and stepfather and sister. Even so, I wished for Sara to be happy here. I didn’t know when I’d be able to return—or when she would be able to leave.
It was odd, the thought that she had a destiny of her own, and that destiny could be completely different from mine. So much of my past had been wrapped up in her. Keeping her safe, keeping us both alive, then bargaining for mercy from Marcus.
My sister was her own person with her own gifts and dreams. This could become her life, in Hallowthorn Landing. Anything was possible.
I turned away from the beautiful view and found Felicity still standing there, waiting for me. She looked a little sad, and I knew it was on my behalf. I forced a smile, shrugging. “Oh, well. It was worth a try. At least we found Mom.”
We left the room and traced our steps to get back outside. I was glad to be out of that dark, cold place. Was it ever warm in there?