“Your Grace?” the woman inquired with a slight stutter.
“Warming my dear nephew’s bed is not enough to keep you as their leader, Ísábella!”
Shane turned to see Ísábella nearly jump as the Empress raised her voice. He had never seen her appear afraid in front of their ruler until this moment.
“Your troops will now answer to Shane who will have Galen as his main advisor. They will lead you. I will not see a rise in your position until you do something to prove yourself, which you have neglected to do. Mattías’s dogs have done more than you have!”
He watched as Ísábella dropped to her knees. She was going to grovel for her failure.
“Your Grace, I have only ever been your servant,” Ísábella pleaded.
“And you have brought me much weakness,” the Empress spat. “I will not forbid you from continuing your affair with my nephew. Frankly, I wish you would be rid of the weak man who believes you still wish to share your life with him. You are much better matched with Eídéard. And do not get me started on your sister.”
“I have agreed to assist Ísábella with Dalía, Your Grace, so that she may no longer give us any worries about her true loyalty,” Shane interjected.
He may have felt like Ísábella was not the best leader for the Empress’s forces in Corinthia, but he would not leave her to be punished. She was made from the same things that he was. They were better working together.
“Seduce the weak girl if you must, Shane,” the Empress declared.
“Whatever it takes, Your Grace,” he concurred.
“Just do nothing to cause her to lose any trust in you.”
“Of course, Your Grace.”
“Now, Ísábella, stand up! You are a capable and loyal woman. Now you will either make this Rafáel Lucíano more devoted to our cause or let him go and marry my nephew. You may now answer to Shane but you can still prove yourself. You came to me on your own to begin with so I do know you are competent enough to do what needs to be done.”
He turned his head back to Ísábella to watch as she stood to her feet. She nodded at the Empress without a word. He had the feeling that her relationship with Rafe was not going to last much longer. He knew that her greatest desire was power, and if she married Eídéard then she would hold a high position at the Empress’s court. He felt she should consider herself lucky that he felt they worked well together now that he was going to be leading their forces instead of her. She might have fallen but he was rising, refusing to stop until the Resistance was completely crushed.
Nóra was sitting by the phone, waiting for it to ring. Olívia had promised she would be able to call again today. It was still shocking to her that she was going to be able to talk to her again after only a week. It was usually months between letters and there was nearly a year between the last phone calls. It made her happy but she did not want to question how it was happening. Perhaps the relationships between the two countries they were living in were actually improving. She could only hope that something good was happening since she was getting to talk to her sister more.
“Nóri!” she heard a voice that sounded a lot like Olívia’s call quietly from the stairs.
She hastily got up from her seat on the sofa and walked to the stairs. Looking up the stairs, as she turned to start walking up them, she could see her sister’s bright smile and yellow-blonde hair hanging down in a tight plait.
“Lívi!” she quietly exclaimed as she ascended the stairs. “How are you here?”
“Oh my ginger twin, I have much to tell you that could never be said over the phone!” Olívia responded with excitement in her voice.
“Then we better get in my room before Mom and Dad hear you.”
“I agree.”
She quietly followed her twin to the bedroom, careful to not make any noise that would alert their parents or grandmother. The last thing they needed was for anyone to discover Olívia there. If they did, she would lose her visa and be forced to return to Rutania unable to travel again. Once they had both entered the bedroom, Nóra was careful to swiftly secure the lock on the door before turning around. But when she turned around, she found herself faced with a complete stranger. Olívia was standing next to a tall but beautiful, dark haired woman. The woman was smiling at her but all she could feel was confused. She took a moment to examine this stranger who had porcelain skin and eyes the color of a deep green. Her smile was kind, which did help ease Nóra’s fears. What she could not help but notice was that her sister’s guest had her hair pinned to where you could see her ears and their perfectly pointed tips. She had never seen anyone with ears like that. It made her wonder who this woman was and just what would give anyone ears with that kind of shape.
“Lívi, who is this?” Nóra asked.
“My name is Katie, Nóra. I met your sister just a few days ago in Berdenheim,” the newcomer answered warmly.
“Nóri, she’s been a big help to me about certain things.”
Nóra raised an eyebrow at her twin. She was more than baffled at this entire situation.
“What things? And how did you get to Moserovo?” Nóra inquired, trying not to sound upset.
“I discovered I could do these things, Nóri. I could manipulate and control water. I felt so weird until I met Katie in the park a few days ago. She explained so much to me,” Olívia explained.
Nóra was in shock. She had wondered in the past year if her sister was gifted as she was. It was not as if it was something they could discuss over the phone or through letters. She never felt like it was safe enough for them to do so.
“You have gifts too?” Nóra asked with a shock filled voice.
“You have them too?” Olívia blurted out, sounding just as stunned as her twin.
“Yes! But my gift is with light not water. I found out a little over a year ago.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“Really, Lívi? How exactly would that be safe in a letter or on the phone?”
“It wouldn’t be.”
“So how did you get to Moserovo?”
Nóra watched as Olívia bit her lip and looked up at her companion. It was then that Nóra realized just how tall this Katie was, as even Olívia was shorter than her. The smile had not left the woman’s face. It did not make her feel uncomfortable, but after everything has been going on with Ísábella and the others, anyone new was bound to make her uneasy.
“We came through a portal, traveling through Ilysia,” Katie admitted. “It was the easiest way.”
“Ilysia? I’ve been hearing about it for over a year now but I’ve never gotten to actually go there,” Nóra remarked.
“I was born there but live in Berdenheim with my family now.”
“That explains your ears then but I’m still not sure why they’re so pointy.”
Katie began to laugh slightly. She seemed like a very nice lady and Nóra liked her simply because she brought Olívia to see her.
“My father is an Elf so I am half Elven. That is why my ears look the way they do. I normally use my hair to hide it,” Katie explained.
“I heard there were Elves there!” Nóra slightly beamed. “I’ve wanted to meet them but was told I likely never would see an Elf.”
“Nonsense! Whoever told you that does not know Ilysia very well then.”
“Not well at all, actually, but enough to bring Vampires into their home.”
Katie and Olívia both gasped at her words. Nóra knew that Vampires were nothing to joke about. They were powerful, strong, and downright frightening. She never wanted to go near another one.
“I just found out Vampires were real and now you’re telling me that you’ve met some?” Olívia questioned.
“Yes, unfortunately. Only one of them was undead but it was enough to scare the crap out of me. She said she is a member of the Vampire Council,” Nóra divulged.
“Nóra, who was this Vampire? Do you remember a name?” Katie asked in a concerned tone.
“Sóríya.
I believe that’s what she said.”
“And the ones with her were living Vampires?”
“One she said was her daughter and the other her brother. He said something about the Multévyán and Coménícío families. They said they had come as friends and allies.”
“Sóríya Coménícío is a prominent member of the Vampire Council and is loyal to the Empress and the Empress alone. She is old and dangerous.”
“What does that mean for my sister?” Olívia inquired.
“The Ilysians she knows here are loyal to the Empress.”
“I know they are. They always told me I was serving the true ruler of Ilysia,” Nóra announced. “But I don’t want to. I once felt at home with them because I was angry with Mom and Dad for keeping the truth of our heritage from us. After meeting those Vampires, I’ve been nothing but scared.”
“You don’t have to be scared anymore.”
Both Nóra and Olívia turned their eyes to Katie at those words. It was not anything that Nóra herself was prepared to believe. How could it be possible for her to not be scared anymore? She could not leave Moserovo and knew that one day Ísábella would show up to force her to serve the Empress. There was no escape from that fate.
“How? Ísábella will show up and force me to serve her Empress!” she professed as tears started to form in the corners of her eyes.
“Not if you are no longer here,” Katie stated calmly. “I can get you out of here tonight.”
“You would really bring my sister to Berdenheim?” Olívia asked.
“And see that she is not forced to return to Moserovo.”
Nóra’s tear filled eyes looked upon her sister and savior. She was going to be free of Moserovo and Ísábella. She hated to leave her friends behind but she could not live in fear of the Vampires, the Empress, and Ísábella any longer.
“You will truly take me away from here?” she inquired.
“Yes, I will!” Katie confirmed. “Pack your necessities. I will help you and Olívia do this because we must hurry.”
“But where will I stay?”
“I have plenty of room at my home. Do not worry about that. You will be safe from the things that scare you.”
“Thank you!”
Nóra received a smile from Katie in a silent response. Olívia was already grabbing the things she knew that she would not want to leave behind and tossing them in the first bag she could find. She instantly wiped her tears away and started packing herself. She thought of Dalía, Julíus, and Líssi for a moment. She was going to miss them but she could not fret about their fate. She had to take care of herself.
“You should leave Mom and Dad a note, Nóri. That way they know you’ve gone and can tell that to these people you know here,” Olívia advised.
“But what to I tell them?” she asked her sister in response.
“That you ran away and you love them.”
She sighed deeply as she walked over to her desk to find a pen and a piece of paper. She would keep the note short and simple. The last thing she wanted was to leave any hints as to where she was going. She knew very well that if she left them, that it would be information shared with someone closely connected to Ísábella. If only she could take her friends with her. Nóra knew that deep down they would have to come to their own conclusions and make choices for themselves. She was doing this for herself because it is what she wants. She could never make this decision for another. All she knew was that it felt like a massive hindrance had been taken away from her by Katie’s offer of an escape to safety. Wherever this took her, she knew that it was now her path.
Ísábella was still fuming. She had spent three more days in Ilysia with Eídéard after the Empress issued her punishment. Shane did not deserve to get control of her forces because he killed one boy important to the Resistance! This was her team! She had given herself freely to the Empress and because of her refusal to end things with Rafe, she was a failure. Rafe was too good and it worried her. She needed him to serve the Empress not run to the Resistance, and she knew very well that if she let him go to be with the one she truly loved then that is exactly where he would go. Her devotion to bring more to her liege’s cause was depriving her of a better life and position of power. If she would just get rid of Rafe, then she would be a Duchess. As tempting as it was, Rafe would take most of those she had recruited and their daughter if she did leave him. She would end up as a bigger failure than she already was. Perhaps she needed to seduce him back to the devoted man he had once been to her every whim. Eídéard would not be thrilled with her choice but he would live with it.
She walked back into their simple home and knew that she deserved so much more. Rafe was at the kitchen table reading the newspaper. He had not even looked up when the door opened. Was she losing him when she was going to need him now more than ever?
“Rafe, I’m home,” she announced.
“You stayed longer than you planned again,” he remarked as he looked up at her from the table.
“A lot has changed.”
She took the seat next to him at the table and took his hand. She was prepared to do whatever was necessary to make him loyal again.
“I am sorry I was gone for so long again,” she declared.
“Ísábella, I have gotten so used to you staying in Ilysia for long periods of time that I’ve come to expect it,” he responded, with a hint of anger in his voice. “What is keeping you there? Do you not want to be here with me or our daughter?”
“Rafe, this isn’t about you or Adéla! I had been doing all I can to prove myself to the Empress.”
“And have you?”
“No, I haven’t. She sees me as a failure that is capable of more than I am giving.”
Rafe looked at her sincerely. She knew with that look that she had him in her grasp. Even though she was speaking nothing but the truth to him, he was playing into her hands just as he always did. He took his other hand and caressed her face gently before flashing her a smile that used to always make her melt.
“I am sorry, my love,” he said quietly. “You have worked very hard for her.”
“Thank you, love,” she responded with a smile. “It just means I must work even harder from now on.”
“What has changed?”
“She demoted me. I am no longer leading the forces here in Moserovo. She gave them to Shane Richards and his father as a reward for his successful mission.”
“Oh, Ísábella! You deserve better! You have given the Empress everything!”
His voice had raised and was filled with hints of slight anger. This was proof she was indeed successful. Rafe would be her puppet once more, especially once he had her body again too.
“Do not shout, Rafe,” she declared. “I will gain favor again. I’m confident in that.”
“But what does all of this mean for our team?” he questioned.
“We will have to meet at their home from now on. Now Shane and Galen Richardson get to show how much better they feel they are with their mansion near the city centre. As if we all did not feel bad enough about the life we have here.”
“Do not let that get to you, Ísábella. Your devotion to the Empress is going to pay off in better ways.”
“I believe you are very right about that.”
She gave him a slightly devious smile. This was all too easy. Eídéard would just have to understand that until they have the complete devotion of those that would follow Rafe, this is what she was going to have to do. She leaned into him slightly, as if she was hinting to him exactly what she wanted him to do. When he tilted towards her and pulled her into an intense kiss, she had full confirmation that she indeed was gaining control over this man once more.
Chapter Sixteen
Dalía was worried. It had been two weeks since she had spoken to Nóra outside of school and days since her friend had even shown up at school. She knew that something was wrong. Nóra never missed school. She had the best attendance in their class. It always made her wonder if
her friend worked so hard at school to find a way out of Moserovo so she could be closer to her sister. Dalía could not imagine having a twin, much less a sister that she could be close to. Ísábella had always been a bit of a dictator, even before they lost their parents.
She was halfway home when she stopped herself from going further. She had to see Nóra. Julíus and Líssi were blocks ahead of her now. She did not want them to worry but this was her best friend. She hoped they would figure it out quickly that she was looking for Nóra. If they did not, then she would explain when she got home. She turned around and walked the opposite direction. Nóra did not grow up in the slums. She lived in a nicer neighborhood, even though the house was starting to fall apart. Her friend’s family did not have the money they used to but they still were better off than her own. It always made her a little envious of Nóra, until she got to know her. Once she knew that her friend had been living a difficult life due to parents that were always fighting, an overbearing grandmother, and not getting to see her twin sister, it changed everything she had once thought about her. There was no longer envy but understanding.
It did not take her long to reach Nóra’s family home. She knew from the time that she had known her friend that Nóra’s mom was usually always at home. She took a deep breath to try to calm her nerves as she turned onto the walk way that would lead her to the front door. She quickly walked to the door and knocked loudly once she reached it. She took a step back from the door and waited nervously. She was worried about her friend and just had to make sure that she was ok.
It was only a couple of minutes after she first knocked that Nóra’s mother answered the door. She looked upset and disheveled, unlike Dalía had ever seen her before.
“I was looking for Nóra, Mrs. Pálko,” she began. “Is she home?”
A Darkness Awakens Page 21