“I don’t get it, though. How does he keep catching our scent?” I asked, as he trekked through a rugged terrain patch. I jumped over a narrow ditch and slipped. Nevis was quick to catch me and stop me from falling.
For a brief moment, my breath left my lungs and refused to come back. He held me tight against his chest, giving me a concerned look. Those icy blue eyes of his seemed to read my mind—though that wasn’t possible, I still wondered whether he could tell that I was, in fact, pretty much falling for him. His aura was a jumble of mixed emotions, but the one persistent shade was gold, present in threads that flowed through fading rivers of purple and blue… concern and doubt, mostly. The Dhaxanian prince was quite difficult to read, still.
“I’m okay, thanks,” I whispered, hoping it was enough for him to let me go.
I worried that if we were to stay like that for a little while longer, I might end up doing the unthinkable and getting the answer to the one question that had been bugging me over the past couple of days: what did his lips taste like?
Nevis gave me a soft nod, then moved back, releasing me. My knees were made of jelly, I realized, as I resumed my sprint and tried to keep up with the others.
Douma chuckled. “I told you, no one can hide from Abaddon.”
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Despite her snark, Douma was as tired as we were, and probably just as eager to finally put her head down for a while.
“Yeah, but I’m teleporting people here,” Kailani said. That means we disappear from one spot and reappear in another. There’s no trace of us left behind, so how does he keep tailing us?”
“Oh, you thought all Abaddon does is sniff around, looking for you?” Douma said, grinning. “He may be a brute, but he knows how to track his prey. It isn’t just about the scents here, little witch. It’s about your behavior, and the patterns he’s observed so far. You’ve become predictable. Right now, I’m willing to bet that he’s keeping his distance just to mess with you.”
I laughed. “I like how you think you’re on the outside, looking in on us, when you’re the one who beheaded him. Rest assured, Douma, that you’re as screwed as the rest of us in this equation. Hell, I’m willing to bet it’s you he’s gunning for the most. Not us.”
Douma’s grin faded almost instantly. Dmitri gripped her arm and jerked her forward, prompting her to try to keep up with him.
“How much farther till we get to Raphael?” Rose asked.
“I’m not sure,” Samael replied, his gaze constantly wandering around. “We’re pretty close to where he was last spotted, but I don’t know if he stayed there. We told you from the beginning that it was a bit of a long shot.”
“That’s fine,” Dmitri said. “All I need is to be where he was, so I can catch his scent. From there on, I’ve got this.”
Samael gave him a brief smile, then pointed ahead. “We need to go a little bit farther. I know he was seen on Lemnos, the next island to the north. We just have to reach the shore and have your witch here zap us there.”
“I think Samael is really enjoying this whole disintegration of self and reassembly in a new location part.” Leah giggled.
“Absolutely. It’s like, for a second, I’m just a cloud of dust, scattered in the wind. It’s incredible!” he replied with a grin.
“I don’t know, it still makes me queasy,” Amane chimed in.
“Might be an inner-ear problem,” Ridan replied from the back. “Have you ever flown?”
Amane glanced over her shoulder, making eye contact with him. Her cheeks flared pink for a second, before she shifted her focus back to the narrow and grassy trail ahead. “No.”
“You’d love it. You should try it sometime. You’ll find it’s more pleasant than being teleported by a witch,” Ridan said, wearing a half-smile. Judging by his aura, he was definitely developing a rare case of the hots for our Faulty ally. “No offense, Kale.”
Kailani waved him off. “None taken, buddy. You do whatever you think works to get a lady to like you.”
The awkward silence that followed made me stifle a chuckle. We still had our spirits about us. That was good. The last thing we wanted was to let despair creep up on us and shatter our judgment. We were vulnerable enough already.
Ridan cleared his throat. “Hey, at least I make an effort.”
Amane’s aura burned bright and orange—a most peculiar color, until I realized that there were shades of gold mixed into it. The slight shimmers were perfectly camouflaged by the vibrant shade of embarrassment that filled her to the brim, since she knew she’d ended up at the center of banter between the dragon and witch.
She definitely had a soft spot for Ridan, or at least some form of interest in him. His straightforward and often downright blunt nature could be a double-edged blade for him, but with Amane, it kind of worked.
“What can you tell us about Raphael, Douma?” Ben asked the Perfect.
Using my True Sight, I spotted the beach, less than a mile ahead. My eyes stung whenever I engaged my sentry abilities, and everyone in my crew was tired. There was no one for me to safely syphon from, no one to at least replenish that part of me.
“What do you want to know, exactly?” Douma replied.
She sounded defeated. I figured she, too, had finally realized that she was going to suffer as badly as us, if not worse, if Abaddon caught up. Of course, she’d been designed to regenerate from pretty much any kind of damage, but still, dying had to hurt.
Her attitude worked in our favor now. She could provide us with useful information, if the right questions were asked.
“Well, what’s he like?” Ben asked. “As a person, as… whatever. We need to know a little bit more about him if we’re to try to engage him in conversation.”
“Fair enough,” Douma relented. “Raphael was one of the first to come out, like Araquiel and me, and a few others. We’re part of the first generation, so to speak. We’re all designed slightly differently, but Raphael still stood out even more. I suppose, in a way, he was Father’s favorite.”
I looked around again. The hairs on the back of my neck were rising, but that had become a recurring sensation over the past couple of days. I couldn’t exactly trust my senses at this point, since Abaddon was constantly hounding us. If Douma was right, and he was, in fact, just toying with us, it was working. He’d put me on edge, constantly paranoid and, deep down, scared. I hated feeling this way.
“What made him Ta’Zan’s favorite? And how did that come to an end?” Rose asked.
“Raphael has, or had, the makings of a true leader,” Douma explained. “It wasn’t just about his physical strength and psychological resilience. Those are nothing without his character. Araquiel and I used to be his underlings. His lieutenants. We used to look up to him,” she added, then sighed, a sad smile stretching her lips. “He was like a god to us. Perfect, in every sense of the word, and well past the name of our species. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he is powerful, more than most of us, in fact. But he’s downright fearsome, brave and disciplined, principled and determined, and it is this exact combination of features that puts him well above the others.”
“The perfect right hand for Ta’Zan,” Amane replied. “Raphael is truly a wonder to behold. I still remember the day he came out of that artificial womb. The first moment he breathed the air, then stood up and looked around and, despite not knowing who or what or where he was, just looked at Ta’Zan with the kind of certainty you wouldn’t see in anyone else. Raphael is and always will be unique. Ta’Zan was extremely fond of him. I’m surprised to hear that he was banished.”
Douma shrugged. “How he left is still unclear to me. Word is he was kicked out, but some of my brothers said that he left of his own accord. Either way, he and Father didn’t get along anymore. Raphael didn’t like what Father wanted us to do. Well, still wants us to do. He doesn’t agree with Father on the most important core principles, our very foundation. Raphael doesn’t want to lead Father’s Perfect armies to war, to conquer every
other world out there, until the universe is filled with us, the supreme beings.”
“That’s because Raphael is obviously smarter than most of you, and because you’re not all that supreme, after all. There is a way to kill you, and there is a way to put you all back in your place. And if there’s one thing I’m confident enough to promise, it’s that I would die before I let any of you set foot in any world to claim it as your own. Get that ridiculous thought out of your head,” Nevis interjected. “There is no such thing as a supreme being. You’re all creatures of the universe, and if you can’t just be happy with that while you discover your limits and look to grow, then you don’t deserve to be alive in the first place. I’d rather watch you all burn to nothing.”
His statement made me stare at him for a while. It seemed to hit Douma pretty deep, too. She hadn’t expected this kind of reaction, but, then again, she’d been indoctrinated into thinking that she and her kind were the best and brightest there was. Truth be told, they were, at least from a genetics point of view. But their character and education, their ideas of the world itself, were tragically skewed.
“Raphael clashed with Father on multiple occasions, until it became impossible for them to even be in the same room,” Douma continued, choosing to forfeit a response to Nevis. “Father couldn’t bring himself to imprison or kill Raphael. Father loves all his children equally.”
Amane let out a laughing snort. “Oh, really? Is that why our kind were reduced to being your humble servants? Come on, Douma. You’re smarter than that. The only reason Ta’Zan won’t kill Raphael is because he’s much too valuable. I know Raphael’s blueprint better than most. Ta’Zan is probably still hoping that he’ll convince Raphael to work for him, or, worst-case scenario, that he’ll gain some sort of leverage over him and force him back into the fold. Ta’Zan isn’t merciful or loving. He only takes his time when it comes to disposing of his creations.”
“You’re wrong!” Douma snapped. “Father loves us all. He loves you, too. It’s why you’re still alive. You broke his heart when you ran away.”
“Puh-lease. I broke his plans, maybe. Not his heart. If he has a heart, it’s merely a muscle designed to pump blood through his body. Spare me the cheap poetry,” Amane retorted.
I had to admit, I was fascinated. We were beginning to see a side of her that she’d previously kept to herself. I wondered whether she was this loose with her thoughts simply because she was tired. Maybe holding it all in was too much of an effort.
“One thing is certain, though,” Kallisto said, keeping her voice low as she led the way toward the beach. Only a couple of rows of trees stood between us and the broad strip of white sand. It was close to midnight now, the bluish moon dressing everything in its ethereal light. “If something were ever to happen to Ta’Zan, Raphael would’ve been the one to take his place.”
“You think?” Rose asked, raising her eyebrows.
Kallisto nodded. Amane smiled, visibly pleased to see the ocean again.
“Raphael was our shining star,” Douma replied. “But he left. And Araquiel took his place.”
“Why not you?” Dmitri asked, pursing his lips. “You strike me as perfectly capable. If you don’t mind me saying so, you actually seem brighter than Araquiel. After all, he’s the one stuck with Abaddon, babysitting the friggin’ monster.”
“And I’m stuck with you, tied up and humiliated beyond my worst nightmares,” Douma muttered. “My presence here proves that I am in no way fit to lead my people.”
Kailani took a deep breath as her boots sank into the soft sand. As soon as we reached the shore, the nocturnal breeze brushed through my hair and cooled me even more. My temperature dropped a couple more degrees when Nevis took my hand again, squeezing gently.
“You’re still warm,” he said.
“Are you worried about me?” I replied with a smirk.
“I plan to bring you back to Calliope alive and in one piece, Elonora,” he breathed, his eyes fixed on me. My skin tingled, shivers trickling down my spine. “How is it that you’re getting so hot?” he asked. “I thought it was in your nature to be cold.”
“It is.” I sighed. “But I always have this problem when I’m exhausted, when all I need is sleep. My blood cells create more friction, which leads to a temperature spike. My brother is the same. I’m not sure why, since we’ve never really studied the issue. Medically speaking, we’re both perfectly healthy.”
“I have a theory,” Amane replied. “But it’s only from my knowledge of vampire genes. They’re made, not born, and therefore they may not always get along with other genes. After all, you are a hybrid. Perhaps there’s a slight disagreement between your sentry and vampire halves.”
I thought about it for a moment, then rubbed the back of my neck to release some of the pressure that had gathered there. My muscles were strained and as hard as a slab of stone, but I squeezed firmly until I managed to break through.
“I’m not sure that’s the issue,” I said. “I mean, Harper is also a vampire sentry, and she doesn’t have such problems. Exhaustion doesn’t manifest the same for her.”
“Well, the thing with hybrids and genes is that they never turn out the same way,” Amane explained. “Look at the Perfects. The basic blueprint is valid and used for all of them, yet different traits and abilities still slip through. Some take more from one genetic package than the others. Some proteins have poor reactions to an unknown environment. Hybrids, in general, can be a fickle thing. I doubt it would be something life threatening, but I see that your ice prince here is doing a good job of keeping your temperature down,” she added with a smirk, making my ears burn red. “Make sure your temperature stays low, and as soon as we find shelter, get some rest.”
I nodded slowly, then breathed out from the bottom of my lungs. What I wouldn’t give for a little hole somewhere to sleep in.
“Would syphoning help?” Dmitri asked. “You can take some energy from me.”
I gave him a weak smile. “Nah. You’re all exhausted, and I can’t possibly syphon from any of you. Not with Abaddon on our tail. Let’s just find Raphael and lose those jerks, then kick back and sleep for twelve hours straight. Surely, the world won’t burn just yet. Not until we catch some shut-eye, at least.” I chuckled.
Kailani walked over to the edge of the beach, then motioned for us to join her. We gathered around her and linked hands as she closed her eyes and took deep breaths. The island of Lemnos was approximately five miles away, its mountainous peak rising above the ocean.
“Okay. Is everybody ready?” she asked.
“Beam us out of here,” Hunter replied, then gave her a wink.
Something had definitely shifted between them. Kailani had told me about the kiss, which I’d totally missed during our jungle treks. I knew she was a little confused, but also over the moon. Her aura was already shining brighter than usual, probably because of her developing connection to the Word, but it practically burst into shades of pink and gold whenever Hunter looked at her or touched her. The witch was already deeply in love with the white wolf, and, by the looks of it, he was just as smitten with her.
All they had to do was talk about it. Which they hadn’t. Because, reminder, we were still running for our lives and planning our next moves against Ta’Zan and his Perfects. Getting our family and friends back was the priority. However, the heart couldn’t be stopped, either.
Kailani looked at the island of Lemnos, then closed her eyes.
A hum was supposed to follow, before darkness would swallow us, and we’d reappear on the sandy shores of Lemnos. But that never happened.
Kailani’s eyes popped open. I immediately caught the sense of alarm in her gaze.
“Crap,” she murmured.
“What?” Rose asked, clearly confused. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m being blocked!” Kailani replied, extremely irritated. “Those winged bastards got their claws on more blocking devices! Son of a—”
“Oh, watch the language!�
�� Abaddon’s voice made us all freeze.
Amane’s shoulders dropped, as she lowered her head. “Ugh. They’re here.”
My blood ran cold, and not in a pleasant way. We all turned around to see Abaddon, Araquiel, Elyon, Oriphiel, and the other ten Perfects standing on the edge of the forest. My True Sight had been quite faded over the past couple of hours, making it more and more difficult for me to spot them.
They were all grinning, satisfaction practically oozing out of them. I understood then that Douma had been right all along. They’d been playing with us, chasing us around and waiting for us to get tired enough to slow down.
Then, they caught up with us.
“Long time no see,” Abaddon said, his claws extending, long, sharp, and black, from his slender fingers. “I was wondering how long it would take for you to wear yourselves out.”
His expression made my stomach churn. We were worn out, all right.
And they’d come for us.
Kailani
The last thing any of us wanted was to fight these creatures at what could easily be described as our weakest point. Sleep and rest were essential when running for our lives, and there was only so much that our own bodies or a couple of energizing potions could do to keep us going. We were spent.
And yet, we had no choice.
The Perfects had blocked my ability to teleport again, and that alone was enough to make me want to tear their heads off. Most importantly, Abaddon’s presence was a double-edged blade. His inability to control his temper could either work in our favor or get us killed—the latter filled me with dread, not only for myself and my friends, but also for Hunter. I was in love with him, and we’d kissed. That, to me, felt like the beginning of something wonderful. And I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to see where it would lead. I wanted more. I couldn’t get more if either of us was dead.
Therefore, I had to fight, tooth and nail, to make sure we both lived to see another day.
A Shade of Vampire 64: A Camp of Savages Page 3