by Krista Rose
“But so do I,” Amandine murmured, pursing her lips thoughtfully. “It would not take as much work as you think to turn my home into a fortress.”
“You’re seriously considering this?” His eyebrows shot up toward his hairline as he gestured around at the great hall. “This is madness! You’ll be bringing your whole family here for the slaughter! Felice has already murdered six Roses- how many more are you willing to lose?”
“I know how many have died,” she replied coldly. “I mourn the death of Tamsen, and of his wife and sons. I held them each on my knee as babes.” She gestured to the tall young man sitting in a near corner, his face deathly pale as he stared out the window. “Valin is beside himself with the loss of his parents and brothers. His wife is terrified. I have to watch him to be sure he doesn’t harm himself over what his sister has done. So don’t try to tell me what has been lost.”
“And yet you would still risk staying here?”
“Where would you have us stay, Chanach? Would you divide us among families in Fallor, and risk the deaths of the innocents sheltering us? Doors will not keep out Felice. Or perhaps you thought to keep us in the guardhouse, packed in like tomatoes in a jar, trapped like prisoners for our own protection?”
He winced. “Amandine-”
“No, Chanach. I have lived my whole life on Rose land, and I will die on it.” She leaned forward and placed a hand on his wrist, her eyes softening. “Felice was created through our negligence, and we alone will face the consequences of it. We will not endanger anyone else.”
He sighed, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. “As you wish.”
“Oh, don’t look so glum.” Her eyes sparkled as she sat back in her chair. “We’re Roses, my dear, and we fight to the end. I dare say if Felice attacks us here, we’ll make her bleed for it. We’ll take as many of the gods-forsaken bastards with us as we can.”
Chanach glanced at me, pleading, but I merely shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I know better than to argue with dragons.”
Amandine smiled grimly, and rubbed her hands together. “Good. Now that’s settled, let’s discuss defenses.”
KYLEE
6 Davael 578A.F.
“This is what you’ve been doing for the last four months?” Kryssa’s voice echoed from the walls of the cistern, her face disgusted in the light of our lanterns. Brackish, filthy water lapped at our ankles, and our noses were assaulted by the foul smell. Sunlight shot into the darkness through grates above us; drainage for rain along Fallor’s streets.
I shrugged and lifted my lantern, turning to lead the way further into the sewer. “I told you not to come.”
She swore, hunching over so as not to hit her head on the damp ceiling. “Kylee, there’s rats in here!”
“They’re fine.” I glanced at the scurrying creatures as they ran along the walls, squeaking in fright. “They’re afraid of the lantern. Watch out for snakes, though. I can’t tell if they’re poisonous or not.”
“Can’t you just ask them?”
I rolled my eyes. “Kryssa, all snakes think they’re dangerous.”
“Oh.” She glanced around, nervous, and lowered her voice. “Do you think they’re down here?”
“I don’t know. I checked a few months ago, but that was before Felice took charge of them. A change in leadership like that might have made them move their nest.”
“So you’re rechecking all the places you’ve checked before?”
“That’s the plan, anyway.” I shrugged. “I don’t think I’m going to find them, though.”
She followed me as we turned down another side corridor. “Why is that?”
“We didn’t grow up here, and Felice did. She knows every rock and tree in this area. There’s no way we’re going to find her.”
“So why are we still looking?”
I shrugged, peering into the darkness. “Because we might get lucky.”
“I think you need a new definition of luck.”
“I did tell you not to come.”
She grunted. “So, when do I get to meet Vanderys?”
“He should be back sometime Watersday, so Airsday we’ll-”
Something splashed in the water behind us, and we both spun, stifling screams. A figure stood in the shadows, slowly making its way into the lantern light to reveal-
“Reyce!” I scowled, trying to force my heart back out of my throat. “What are you doing here? Don’t you know better than to sneak up on us?”
He shrugged. “I wanted to help.”
Kryssa was rubbing the top of her head tenderly. “You could have warned us before I cracked my skull open.”
“I didn’t want you to have a chance to argue.”
She huffed out a breath. “What would be the point? It’s not like anyone listens to me anyway.”
He drew his dagger. “You’re learning.”
I turned to hide my grin as Kryssa muttered curses. The tunnel stretched before us, dark and uninviting. “Come on, this way.”
We trudged through the dank water, turning down ever narrower corridors. I remembered my previous visit and avoided the tunnels that led to dead ends. The quiet splashes of the rats and creatures that lived in the tunnels echoed from the walls.
“So did Vanderys give you that ring?” Kryssa asked at last, though I could tell she needed the comfort of conversation more than she actually wanted the answer.
“No.” A bubbling crack appeared in the middle of the corridor, and I stepped carefully to avoid it. “I got it while we were still in the Camp.”
“Who gave it to you?”
“Some man.” I ducked to avoid a low point in the ceiling. “I was out riding and he stepped out of the trees. Spooked Nightking, and he threw me. Then the man gave me the ring. Never told me his name.”
“Where have you been hiding it?”
“I haven’t been. I’ve worn it since he gave it to me.”
“Then why didn’t I ever notice it before?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I can’t take it off. It’s stuck.”
“And it lets you control the lightning?”
“Yes.” I looked around, and sighed with relief. “This is the last tunnel. They’re not here.” I pointed toward an overflow pipe. “Come on. This way leads out.”
“I don’t even want to think of how you know all this,” she muttered, but followed as I crawled into the pipe.
We were filthy when we emerged into a large open field just north of Fallor, and immediately headed back into town to the bathhouse. After we had been bathed and our clothes cleaned of most of the muck, we strolled quietly back to the apartment, lost in our own thoughts.
Brannyn was inside when we arrived, sitting at the table and talking quietly with Lanya as she prepared dinner. He looked up as we joined him, frowning when he spotted Reyce.
“He followed us,” Kryssa said in answer to his unspoken question, pulling out the chair across from him. “How did it go with Chanach?”
“Curfew’s in place for dusk. He tried pulling in everyone off the farms, but Amandine refused. She’s turning the Manor into a fortress instead.”
“Of course she is.”
“Chanach’s also doubling the guard rotation at night, but we’re still stretched too thin. There’ll only be four of us on watch for the next few nights.”
“But the dark of the moon is in two days!” Lanya protested, clutching the wooden spoon to her chest. “How can he make you stand watch while Felice is still out there?”
“I’m a guard.” He shrugged. “It’s my job to protect people.”
“But you could be killed!”
“And hiding in here will change that?”
“Enough.” Kryssa raised her hands before Lanya could argue. “Brannyn is doing what he can to help. And he’s going to be careful.” She levelled him with a look. “Right?”
He grinned. “Yes, Mother.”
She glared at him.
He rolled his eyes. “Of course I’m going t
o be careful, Kryssa. I wasn’t planning on facing off against an army of Vampyres until at least next week.”
“Tanner’s a bad influence on you,” she muttered darkly.
He leaned back in his chair. “How’s the Vampyre hunting going? Any luck finding the nest?”
I shrugged. “Well, we’re still alive, so… no.”
“Kylee and I searched the sewers beneath Fallor today,” Kryssa added, and made a face. “It wasn’t pleasant.”
Brannyn chuckled. “I can imagine.”
“Tomorrow we’re going to search Felice’s old farm,” I informed her brightly. “Have you ever been to the bottom of a well before? They’re full of interesting creatures.”
“I can’t wait.” She sighed.
“Cheer up, Kryssa.” I gave her a wide, false smile. “It’ll be fun.”
“I get it, Kylee.”
“But-”
“Stop, please.”
“Yes, Mother.”
She huffed, exasperated. “I give up.”
Lanya still looked worried. “How long until the legions get here?”
“I don’t know,” Brannyn answered honestly. “Chanach sent out the request this morning. It’ll probably take three or four days for the messenger to reach Val Estus, and then they have to process it. How long that’ll take is anyone’s guess. After that, it’s about a week’s hard march from the capital, if everything goes well.”
“About two weeks then,” Kryssa mused.
“At least. Chanach’s estimating closer to a month. He’s trying to convince Fallor’s council to increase the budget for soldiers’ pay, so he can entice more men to enlist.” He shrugged. “It’s not going very well.”
She raised a brow. “He told you all of this?”
“There wasn’t a whole lot else to talk about on the way to see Amandine.”
The back door slammed, and a few moments later Alyxen strolled into the kitchen holding a meat pastry. His hands were streaked with paint. “What’s for dinner?”
“Is that all you ever think about?” I demanded, and scowled at him. “How in Gods’ name can you eat all the time?”
“Where do you even put it?” Kryssa wondered, eyeing his lanky frame.
Alyxen shrugged. “I’m a growing boy.”
Kryssa shook her head. “I don’t remember Brannyn eating that much.”
“We didn’t have that much,” Brannyn pointed out.
“True.”
Alyxen took a big bite of his pastry. “So, is dinner ready?”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
He took another bite. “Yes, Mother.”
Kryssa groaned as the rest of us laughed. “Why me?” she asked, and gently pounded her head against the table. “Dear Gods, why me?”
BRANNYN
8 Davael 578A.F.
It was too quiet. Tanner and I gripped our torches nervously as we patrolled, our free hands resting on the hilts of our swords. The curfew had emptied the streets, and the sounds we were accustomed to- doors slamming, dogs barking, voices raised in drunken song or heated argument- were missing from the night.
“What time do you make it?” Tanner whispered.
I glanced up at the moonless sky. “I don’t know. An hour after midnight, maybe.” I kept my voice low, reluctant to break the silence.
“Eerie, isn’t it?” A shadow flickered across a wall, and he jumped. “Feel like I’m about to crawl out of my own skin.”
“Where’s the other patrol?” I peered into the darkness that shrouded the streets leading to the market. “They should have been here by now.”
“Maybe they got delayed at the tavern.”
“Tavern’s closed, remember?”
“Wishful thinking?” He half-slid his sword from its sheath. “Should we look for them? Or go tell Chanach?”
“I think we should-”
A high, piercing scream shattered the night, echoing on and on between the darkened houses. Tanner and I stared at each other, frozen in sudden fear, before yanking our swords free in unison and taking off at a run in the direction of the cry.
The scream snapped off, leaving the silence ringing loudly in our ears. We kept going, our eyes straining as we peered down black alleys and into shadowed doorways, searching for the origin of the sound.
We found ourselves on the outskirts of Fallor in an alley, and lifted our torches high above our heads as we looked around in frustration.
“Damn it.” Tanner scowled, and kicked at the garbage littering the cobblestones. “There’s nothing here.”
“Looking for someone?” a familiar female voice murmured from behind me.
I shouted and spun, blue flames bursting from my hand to engulf the place where the voice had been. The torch I had carried hissed as it fell into a stagnant puddle, its light extinguished. The alley was filled with the choking reek of smoke and burning garbage, the air sweltering even after the flames had died.
No one was there.
“Tsk, tsk.” She sounded amused. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
“Felice?” Tanner coughed, waving at the smoke. “Felice, is that you? Where are you?”
“Why? Did you miss me?”
Tanner and I moved back-to-back as we’d been taught in training, holding our swords in the defend position. I could feel him trembling behind me as fear turned my blood to ice.
“Where is she?” he whispered over his shoulder.
“I don’t know.”
Felice laughed. “Oh, come now, Tanner. You can tell the truth.” Her voice grew sultry, sliding out of the night like silk. “Don’t you miss the way I would writhe underneath you when you were inside me? The way I whispered your name in the dark when you were done?”
Tanner shuddered.
“Don’t listen,” I told him. “Remember what she is.”
“Oh, no, don’t listen to me,” Felice mocked. “Remember what I am. Remember what you made me.”
“We didn’t make you anything.” I glared at the shadows. “You chose this, Felice.”
“I chose,” she agreed, her voice soft. “I chose you, Tanner. Don’t you love me anymore? Tell me you love me. Please.”
“I- I love you,” he whispered brokenly. “Felice-”
Her voice was suddenly in my ear. “Kiss me.”
I reacted without thinking, spinning and lunging with my sword. It passed through empty space, and I jerked back before I could overextend. “What’s your game, Felice?” I forced my voice not to shake. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because it amuses me. I get so few amusements these days.”
“This isn’t right, Felice.” I glared into the darkness. “We haven’t done anything to you. We had nothing to do with what happened to you. Let us go!”
She said nothing, letting the silence ring around us.
“Felice?” Tanner’s voice was gentle, and trembling. “Please, let’s talk about this. It’s not too late for you.”
“You’re wrong,” she whispered. Glowing white eyes began to appear in the dark around us. “It’s far too late for me. And for you.”
Something slammed into me from behind, and I staggered, my hands going out to catch myself on the empty air. My head struck something hard, and I knew no more.
REYCE
I dreamed I stared down at myself sleeping. I watched in fascination as my chest rose and fell, my eyelids flickering in sleep. When I turned my head, I saw Alyxen sprawled across his cot, his mouth open as he snored. Somehow I could see beyond him, through the wall that divided us, to where my sisters slept, nestled into their blankets. Exhaustion had chased away their dreams, and they were still, like dolls bundled into their beds.
My dream-body began to rise until I was above the rooftops of Fallor. The streets were lit by tiny flickers of lantern lights, chasing the shadows into the alleys. I spotted Brannyn weaving through them with Tanner at his side, their heads bobbing rapidly as they searched for something. I saw Darli, curled up beneat
h her flower cart, and Tamasine slipping down the steps of the Temple to gently lay a blanket over her. Garyl Moon, our grandfather, held a small, glittering pendant in his hand as he wept, and Elias and Eloise were wrapped together in her bed, her shyness gone as she surrendered at last to the wonders of love.
So many lives, settled into one place, woven together like a tapestry. So many hopes and dreams and futures, and I saw them all, spread out before me in intricate patterns. If I could only follow one thread to its ending, perhaps I would finally understand the meaning to our lives.
But it was too tangled, and the dream was changing, pulling me even higher into the sky. I watched as Valory spread below me like a colorful map as I neared the stars, knowing somehow that the air should be thin and cold, but whatever I was- soul or spirit or fragment of a dream- I was unaffected by it.
I gazed down, awed, as the whole of the world slowly revealed itself to me.
There was Val Estus, our capital city, with its magnificent golden spires. There were the volcanoes of the Ryno de Syro in Mejares, dragons circling their fiery hearts. The mountains to the south looked like wrinkles in the earth, and the lights of cities glittered in the night, like the reflection of fireflies upon still water. I could see lands and oceans and places I had never heard of and had no name for, and the millions of lives that surged within them, dreaming and suffering and falling in love, struggling to make their lives matter before their time ran out. It was heartbreaking, and beautiful, and it stole my breath.
And then it began to change.
The oceans darkened with blood, and the mountains collapsed into dust. The air was thick with the black choke of smoke as the fields and forests burned. Mass graves were filled with bodies, and I was falling toward it all, my mouth dry with the taste of horror.
Fallor lie in rubble, and where the incense shop had once stood, only the burned-out skeleton of the building remained. My sisters lay where I had left them, curled into balls in their blankets, but their bodies had been burned past recognition, and their eyes stared at me in fear. Alyxen lay in the street, mutilated and macabre, half of his skull exposed in a morbid grin.