by Aya Walksfar
He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “We don’t have much time, Alexis.”
“Why did The Lady bring me here? To what purpose?”
“I cannot speak for The Lady. I am here to speak of other matters.”
“Haboo, General,” I repeated the words I had learned while training under him as a youth. Haboo was Lushootseed for “I am listening.” It signaled willingness to grant undivided attention--and as he so often reminded me, no interruptions.
Many questions ran through my mind; questions that would never be answered. Why did Gregory use that Native American word? Granted, the Lushootseed language speakers lived in the Pacific Northwest, but Gregory wasn’t Native American, from any region.
I had never found the courage to ask him why he used that word and now the time to ask was gone. Wrenching my mind away from such minor regrets, I focused on him.
He seemed to know exactly when he had my full attention. “Even here in the Land of the Misty Between, there are rules, do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I can only tell you certain things; beyond that...” He spread his hands to indicate his helplessness in breaching that unseen boundary.
“I understand, sir. I appreciate anything you can tell me.” My hold on his hand tightened. It might be the last time I would ever get to touch him, this man who had been mentor and friend; elder brother and father.
“Inside of you lies the key to releasing Serena’s Soul. Inside of Kira lies the path to the cleansing of Serena’s Soul. Inside of Sheena lies the strength Serena will need. Inside of Ri lies the clarity of purpose that will renew Serena’s Soul.”
“Has Ariel no place in this?” I wondered out loud.
Gregory nodded slowly. “Ariel has perhaps the most difficult challenge of all. Inside of Ariel lies the key to forgiveness; forgiveness of self and forgiveness of others.”
I held his gaze as I repeated, “Release, cleanse, strengthen, renew, and forgive. That’s a tall order, Gregory. Do we perform these all together, all at one time, I mean?”
“I cannot tell you that.”
Exasperated, I huffed out a breath. “Okay, then. Can you tell me if there is a specific order to take this in?”
“These things will reveal themselves as you have the need to know.”
With a halfway teasing look, I said, “Any hints about the timeline?”
A sad smile tugged on his lips as he tucked a wayward strand of hair behind my ear. “You can do this, Alexis. I have faith in you; but you must go now. Your People need you. Awaken, Alexis.” As the last words fell from his lips, darkness descended.
Chapter 30
Alexis Night Runner
The cold floor of a cave pressed my cheek. As I cracked open my eyes, I saw only darkness. For a moment, panic sunk sharp talons in me. I froze in place. What am I doing here?
Slowly, it came to me. Nikki, Ariel and I had rejoined one of the larger units to take a few days to rest, recuperate and rethink strategies. We had camped in a cave system surrounded by woods. What woke me?
A crackling of movement somewhere close by pulled my jangled nerves taut. I gripped the hilt of my sword and felt calmer. I rolled to my knees then stood up. Buckling the sheath belt around my waist, I pulled the short sword from its covering.
The hair along my arms and the back of my neck felt like it was trying to crawl away. Closing my eyes, I attempted to concentrate, but something whispered against the rock at the mouth of the cave. Heart thudding, I forced my mind to stop its frantic scrambling and to make sense of the faint sounds. I shifted into Other Sight, yet could see nothing. It felt as if a thick cloth kept me blind.
Focusing, I called on my Spirit Eyes, something Matriarch Belora had talked about, but which I had had to learn from a grimoire. I seldom used Spirit Eyes because of the magical focus required.
Upon opening my eyes, the spell that had kept me blind became transparent. I discerned moving shadows milling around the mouth of the cave. Whispering another spell, I wove a barrier of darkness across the mouth of the cave. I worked quickly, but carefully, and pulled every thread of darkness tight to make an impenetrable cloth.
With that done, I cast one last spell to muffle the sounds within the cave then hurried among those still unnaturally asleep in spite of the looming threat. How had I awakened? Perhaps, my magic interfered with those who tried to cast spells on me. Those questions could wait for later. It required a focus of will to break whatever spell held the sleepers bound to Dreamland, but at last everyone stood, packs on their backs, swords in hand.
With a hand signal, I motioned Nikki to lead the way through the labyrinth of tunnels--the very maze which had made us decide to use the caves rather than sleeping outside. Outside we would have been taken unawares with no hope of escape.
For a moment, sorrow for the fate of the werepanther and the Warrior who had been standing guard overwhelmed me. With no time for such indulgence as grief, I shoved the sadness to the back of my mind. If we survived this night then there would be time to pray for the safe journey of their Souls.
A scream shattered the night. Everyone froze. Another scream blasted through the cave before the echoes of the first one had faded completely. The guards! They were being tortured! This then was how they had intended to awaken us.
All down the line people turned, swords raised slightly as they leaned toward the front of the cave. Sword in hand, Nikki hurried up the line to where I stood. “We can’t leave them behind, not to face that.” Anger vibrated through her words.
The crackle and sizzle of outrage built on the still air. Soon it would explode into a foolhardy charge. “If we charge out of here, we will all be used to feed Pale Blood Magic.”
“We can’t let our people suffer like that, Captain.” Nikki’s eyes burned with fervor that was clear even in the poor light.
“I don’t intend to. We need to escape out the back way and split up and come back around to the front. They expect us to either huddle in the back of this cave, listening to those screams until they come for us, or charge out of here and right onto their swords. Between the spells I set and a bit of luck, they may not realize we are missing.”
Nikki gave a downward jerk of her chin to indicate understanding and rushed to the front of the line. Slipping on patches of rock polished slick by water and age, we stumbled and ran through the maze of interlocking tunnels.
The slit in between two slabs of rock leaning against each other led out onto a narrow ledge that hung at least fifty feet up from the bottom of the ravine over which it hung. Eventually, the ledge angled down to the ground on either side of the cave. The waning half-moon lit the way well enough to shut off flashlights.
I motioned for the unit to split and go around the hill that held the cave beneath its rocky exterior. Without waiting for them to disappear, I jerked my chin upward. Nikki and Ariel nodded their understanding and began to climb.
Scrambling for handholds and toeholds in tiny cracks and crevasses, we scaled the rough-faced rock, grasping at the few tough spindly trees whose roots anchored firmly in slits and dips in the rock. At the top, we bent over and gulped great openmouthed breaths. We crept to the edge of the hill. A glance down confirmed my worst suspicions.
Guardians lined up in front of the mouth of the cave. A bonfire burned brightly in the center of the tiny clearing between the trees directly in front of the cave. The werepanther and the Warrior had been secured to trees close to the fire.
As we watched, Serena removed a branch from the fire. Its tip had become a glowing ember that shone a hideous red-orange against the dark of the night. As she drew nearer to the werepanther, the light from the ember glowed brighter, as if infused by magic.
Calling on my Spirit Eyes I stared at that offensive branch. Yes, a greasy black rim encased the ember.
Something wet lay at the feet of the panther and the glow of the ember glistened on the dampness. Gaze sharpened as I had learned from the grimoire, I finally
saw. Bile rushed up the back of my throat. I swallowed it back down then turned my focus on the Warrior. The same pile of glistening wet lay at her feet, too.
Nikki darted questioning eyes between the captured guards and me. I leaned over until my lips brushed the rim of her ear. Ariel leaned close to hear. “She has gutted them both. Their intestines lay on the ground at their feet. She has removed parts of their hands and feet. Not even the panther could heal from such mortal injuries.” I stood up straight and reached for the knife sheathed on my belt. Ariel unslung the crossbow from her shoulder and notched an arrow.
Nikki heaved a breath and drew her throwing knife as well. With a nod from me, both knives sliced through the air. The crossbow bolt flew, outracing the knives. It thudded into the chest of the Guardian who stood beside the prisoners. Abruptly, a cloud of gray ash poofed around the now-empty uniform as it dropped to the ground.
Serena looked up at the last possible moment. Her mouth twisted into a snarl. “Noooo!” she screamed across the night.
The knives thudded into their targets. The werepanther held on long enough to glance upward. I swear gratitude shone in his amber eyes before his Soul’s light faded forever.
As the werepanther and the Warrior perished, the sound of raw anger roared through the trees. Warriors and huvams raced from the surrounding forest. Sleek black streaks ran beside them. Gray wolves bounded past and launched at the line of Guardians in front of the cave's mouth.
Taken by surprise, the Guardians tried to whirl to face their enemies, but they stood too close together. A panther leapt and tore out a Guardian’s throat. Blood sprayed as his body fought to heal itself. Before he recovered, a Warrior rammed a sword through his heart and yanked upward. Ash rained down as the Warrior twisted aside barely in time to avoid a sword slicing toward her arm.
The Warrior whirled and trapped the blade of another Guardian on the length of her own sword. In a daring move, she lunged into the Guardian, knife gleaming in her fist. The knife found its mark in the Guardian’s heart as a blade rammed through the Warrior’s back, its tip protruding from her chest. Blood gushed from her mouth. Even as she fell, a bundle of furious gray fur launched into the attacker. Within two heartbeats, the wolf had torn out the Guardian’s throat and bounded over his ashing body toward yet another target.
Ariel grabbed my shoulder. “Captain!” She pointed an urgent finger.
Serena stood before the fire, hands raised. The lump she cradled between her palms dripped bloody tears that fell on the heated rocks and hissed. Lips moving, eyes wide, she stared up at Ariel and me.
Just as her hands opened and the heart fell into the hungry blaze, I threw my body sideways, arms spread wide to take Ariel down with me. As we fell, a black bolt ripped into the child’s shoulder and she screamed. Black fire ate through her shirt and burrowed into her skin like a ravenous worm.
Yanking the still flaming cloth off the fallen girl, I jerked my close-combat knife from the side of my boot, prepared to carve away the melting skin.
Kira yelled, “No, Captain! Don’t! It’ll spread!”
I sheathed my knife as Kira went to her knees beside the wounded child. Without hesitation, she pressed her hands on the wound. Pain contorted her features, but she didn’t remove her hands. Her lips moved in a silent chant, or perhaps a prayer.
Nikki dropped next to Ariel, eyes wild. I stumbled to my feet. “Nikki, take care of them.”
A brisk nod from the Warrior and I spun away. “As soon as Kira says it’s okay, get Ariel and the others out of here.” I didn’t wait, knowing Nikki would take care of the wounded and the Warriors, regardless of their species.
Crouched, I ran to the edge of the hill and stared at the fighting below. Two Guardians had their backs to the cave as they parried and thrust at the Warrior and the huvam who fought them. Though they fought hard and desperately, the inexperienced Warrior and the twenty-two-year-old huvam were no match for vampires, much less seasoned Guardians. Even as I prepared to leap down, one of the Guardians whipped her sword in a complicated pattern and the head of the Warrior tumbled to the ground.
I dropped down. The point of my sword drove into the Guardian’s back. The vampire stumbled forward under the onslaught. I rode her to the ground. When we hit, I quickly twisted and jerked the sword, shredding the Guardian’s heart.
As I swirled around, the rapid repeating bark of a gun bounced off the front of the cliff. The other Guardian’s head exploded.
I raced up beside the young huvam. “Great move, Aife.”
The young black girl shot me a savage grin. “Thanks, Captain. Where’s Ms. Blood Magic?”
“I don’t know, and that worries me.”
“Maybe this party was borin’ the bitch.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I peered around uneasily. “She’s not the only one who decided to book it.” I pointed to several Guardians who slipped into the forest.
“Hmm, looks like it’s time to blow this bash, Captain.”
Using the tail of my shirt, I wiped my face. Blood and something I didn’t want to think too hard about stained the cloth. “Yeah, Nikki has some of the troops on the move already.”
We joined the retreat. Those who were able shouldered the dead. Others retrieved the ash-covered clothes of those who had fought beside us, unwilling to allow even that small part of a faithful vampire to be left behind. Quietly and quickly, Nikki led us into the safety of the trees.
Even as we retreated, a nagging unease clawed at me. Why would Serena have her Guardians retreat when they would have won? It had been obvious, even to me, that my unit was no match for the Guardian-enhanced discipline and training, speed and strength of Serena’s troops.
Chapter 31
Serena Longer
During the fight, the male voice in my head had mocked me. “You’re weak. You don’t have the guts to lead real vampires.”
“Not weak, bro; she’s afraid. What do you expect from a bitch?” a new voice--a second male--joined the first one.
When the crossbow bolt killed the Guardian standing next to me, I had looked up and spotted Ariel with Alexis and Nikki.
The first voice sneered, “Look at that little bitch up there with the traitors. She’s trying to take your power, Serena, yet you let her live.”
“She’s a gutless wonder. All she’s good for is what’s between her legs.” The second voice replied to the first.
The first voice snickered, “You have proof of the girl’s ambition and yet you are too weak to kill the usurper.”
“I tell you, she’s nothing. Look how she screamed and begged in that dungeon. Weak. Worthless,” the second voice taunted.
“I am not weak!” I growled low in my throat.
“Prove it.” The first voice challenged.
I stalked over to the werepanther’s body, punched a hole in his chest and tore out his heart. Cradling the bloody, still-warm organ in my hands, I strode to the fire. Gaze locked on Ariel, I chanted, then released the heart into the hungry flames. Hands raised to point at the usurper, I felt the dark energy gathering into a solid force. Right before I released it, my hands wavered. The black bolt shot across the space and hit Ariel--not in the chest as I’d meant to do but in the shoulder.
“How pitiful!” The first voice crowed. “You can’t even control such a small magic.”
“Worthless.”
“Useless.”
“Weak.”
Clutching my head, I ran from the blinding pain lancing through my skull. I had to get away, far away. With Adele lagging far behind, I finally stopped running.
Within minutes, Adele crashed through the brush and skidded to a halt as she caught sight of me leaning against a tree. I shot her a disgusted look. “Stupid. By the time you realized I was here, I could have beheaded you.” When Adele opened her mouth, I waved the woman to silence. “I have no patience with excuses, so you would be wise not to offer one.”
Her mouth snapped closed. I waited in silence for Tracker Zora to le
ad the others to me.
The new general came to attention in front of me. “General, did I not specifically order you to harvest captives, bodies, body parts, and personal belongings?” I gazed around with a deliberate look. “Where are these, then?”
Back rigidly straight, he snapped, “First Councilwoman, when you left I thought you signaled a retreat. General Trueson....”
My fangs sprang out so quickly that the tips nicked my upper lip. “Do not ever speak that traitor’s name again upon pain of True Death!”
The vampire blanched and dipped his head. “First Councilwoman, I beg your forgiveness.”
Casually, yet quicker than an eye could register, I pulled a dagger from my sleeve and sliced it across his throat. Blood spurted, splattering my face. With his Energy focused on healing the nearly-lethal wound, none could be spared to ash out his blood. I ran my tongue around my lips, retrieving stray droplets. Bitter. His blood tasted bitter after having tasted Gregory’s sweet blood for so long. I pushed the memory from my mind.
The general’s breath gurgled as he squeezed his throat to prevent bleeding out before his body could stop the flow. Already weakened by the skirmish, he sank to his knees. His eyes pleaded with me to help him.
I leaned close and whispered, “Would you like for me to heal you?”
Afraid to move his head, he gave the barest of nods. “Please...” The blood in his throat meshed the word into hardly recognizable sounds, but his eyes told me what he’d said.
I moved away. “I do not waste my healing on incompetents. It would be well that you remember that, General.” Head cocked, I let a cruel smile curve my mouth. “That is, if you live.”
I glanced around. “Let’s go.”
One Guardian hesitated and shot a glance at the general. Face a granite mask, I pivoted toward him. “Would you like to remain here with the general?”
Something in my posture must have warned him. He ducked his head and murmured, “No, First Councilwoman. You are the only one who matters to me.”