by Bea Paige
“Okay.” I sit the furthest spot from him.
He places his hands on the counter and I try not to think about how they felt caressing my skin earlier. Our eyes meet, and I see desire flash within his before it is quickly replaced with worry.
“We do not come from here. We come from a place called Ever Vale. A country that is far out of reach from these lands and can only be accessed by magic.”
I can’t help it, I laugh. “Next you’ll be talking of witches and warlocks.”
Rhain frowns. “I don’t know what a warlock is, but we have a witch and she is very powerful and very, very dangerous. Her brother, Nostra, he is also a witch. He opened a portal to get us here so we could find you.”
“You’re kidding, right?” I say.
He shakes his head. “I would not jest. Not about this.” I’m too flabbergasted to speak, so he continues. “A thousand years ago the powerful witch I speak of, Queen Adrielle, cast a spell that cursed us all. My people, Ezra, Devin, our kin, our friends.”
“A thousand years ago?” I interrupt. Realising my mouth is hanging open again, I quickly shut it. “So, you’re telling me you’re a thousand years old?”
“A little over that, but yes I am. We all are.”
Rhain allows that revelation to sink in whilst I stare at him in wonder.
“The curse stopped my people from living in the light. Queen Adrielle took what we loved the most and used it against us. She cursed us to a life of eternity living in the darkness. It took me a long while to get used to my new life. There were many occasions when I almost gave myself to the light. If it wasn’t for Ezra and Devin, I would not be here now. You see, my people can only survive by feeding off the common folk that reside in the flatlands of our country. Adrielle twisted a once long-held tradition of our people and made it into something horrific.”
“Feeding?” I stutter. The memory of his sharp incisor teeth flashes before my eyes.
Rhain sighs, his eyes boring holes into me. “We take their blood. Without it we cannot survive. Believe me I have tried.” He bangs his fist on the table. “I am sorry I lost control earlier, that is not like me… I’ve never been so attracted to anyone before as I am to you. It is disconcerting. I will get a hold of it. I am getting a hold of it.”
Blowing out a steady breath, and trying my hardest to ignore the pooling warmth in my stomach at his words, I ask him a question. “You said that you are cursed to spend eternity living in the darkness. What do you mean exactly?”
“I have lost many friends to the light. Ezra, well, he has lost more than most. Alas, that is not my story to tell. Like you, Cia, we are unable to go out into the sun. It will kill us.”
“Unbelievable. So basically you’re a vampire,” I whisper.
“A vampire? I don’t know what that is,” Rhain says, a look of confusion on his face.
I laugh hysterically. “Sharp teeth, drinks blood to survive, sunlight kills you…” My mind fills with a million different thoughts. The whole Ever Vale, witch, vampire thing is far too ridiculous to fully comprehend so I ask the most pressing question. “I still don’t understand what this has to do with me?”
“What do you remember of your childhood?”
I turn around to see both Ezra and Devin walk back into the kitchen. Devin walks over to the back door and stands in front of it. Ezra keeps his distance, eyeing me warily.
“I was adopted from birth. My mother brought me up. Her husband left her not long after they brought me home. She tells me he left because he didn’t love her anymore, but I suspect it was because of my condition. I don’t know anything about my natural parents, I’ve never wanted to find them if I’m honest.”
“Well, I knew your birth parents well. We were friends,” Ezra says.
“Are you saying my parents are part of your clan? Do they live in Ever Vale with you?”
So many wayward thoughts swirl in my head, I can barely keep hold of a question before another one forms.
“Your birth parents, Stella and Atlas, are long since dead,” Ezra said, his voice gentle this time.
“Oh,” I say, feeling detached. These people Ezra speaks of don’t mean anything to me. The only parent I had known and loved is dead. “What happened to them?”
“They died before Queen Adrielle cast the curse.”
“Hold on a moment. If they died before Queen Adrielle cast the curse then that would have been a thousand years ago, which by the laws of nature should make me almost the same age? Are you saying I am one thousand years old?” I say incredulously.
“No. It would seem time runs differently here,” Devin says.
“Okay,” I say, feeling far from it. I file that piece of knowledge away to think about later. “Earth is a big place; how did you find me?”
“The portal opened not far from here and we tracked the magic trail using this,” Rhain says, holding up the stone I’d seen earlier. He points towards my hand. “That ring you wear is Nostra’s magic. It is how we found you.”
I glance at the ring on my finger. With everything that has happened, I’d forgotten it was there. “It only appeared on my finger yesterday.”
“You may only have seen it yesterday, but it has always been there. Nostra made it for you and spelled it invisible. It would only show on your hand once we found you,” Rhain confirms.
“So, last night wasn’t a coincidence?” I ask.
“No, it wasn’t. Though it was fortunate, given what was about to happen.”
“But why am I here? Why did I not grow up in Ever Vale like everyone else?”
Ezra leans back against the kitchen cabinet and crosses his arms. “The Queen murdered your mother and father after she realised that Stella and the other wives were plotting against her.”
“What? Why?”
“The Queen enchanted your father, alongside four other clan leaders. She wanted them as husbands. Their wives did not take kindly to it.”
“Are you saying my mother tried to kill Queen Adrielle because my father had an affair with her?” I say aghast, looking between the men.
“She was not queen when she took their husbands from them, just a very powerful witch,” Devin says.
“But resorting to murder?”
“Adrielle took what wasn’t hers to take. She ignored our customs and ridiculed our most sacred beliefs. I do not blame your mother, or the others, for trying to stop her. Alas, their attempts to poison her did not work. Stella and the other wives only succeeded in killing Adrielle’s unborn child,” Rhain says.
I gasp, covering my mouth with my hand.
“They did not know she was pregnant. If they had, then I do not believe they would have done what they did. They were good women, Cia. Life was precious to them,” Devin says, recognising my horror.
“Except Queen Adrielle’s life, it would seem?”
Devin frowns. “Adrielle was cruel even before she became Queen of Ever Vale. Her death would have saved us all from a millennium of torture and war.”
“After her unborn child died, she killed the husbands and their wives in a rage before cursing all the clans as punishment. She has been queen ever since and each clan has suffered greatly for it. We have all suffered in our own way,” Ezra finishes, his eyes darkening.
“Why was I spared?” I ask.
“You weren’t. She would have killed you too had your mother, Stella, not got you here to safety,” Rhain explains.
“Great, this just gets better,” I say.
“When Adrielle lost her child, she wanted to take what was precious from each of the women who tried to kill her, so she sent her most trusted men to find their firstborn daughters. The wives managed to get each daughter away before Adrielle could harm them.”
“And you are here now because?” I ask, instinctively knowing I’m not going to like the answer. Rhain looks at Ezra, who nods his head.
“There is a prophecy, one which portends that five sisters will break the curse Queen Adrielle cast all those
years ago…” Rhain’s voice trails off at the look on my face.
“And you think this prophecy has something to do with me? But I don’t have any sisters, do I?” I ask, suddenly wondering if I had more family that I wasn’t aware of.
“No, you don’t. The line from the prophecy goes like this, ‘five sisters born beneath the stars, neither bound by blood nor kin, must unify the warring clans and rid the land of sin.’ We often refer to each other as brothers and sisters even when we are not related. We believe that each of the daughters hidden here are the answers to our prayers.”
“Warring clans? Sin? What does that mean?”
“Not long after the curse the clans began to turn on each other. We have been at war ever since.”
“Is that all the prophecy says?” I ask, not willing to take on the enormity of what he is saying. How am I supposed to stop them from warring with each other?
Rhain mumbles something under his breath.
“Well?” I persist.
“That is the most important part. You need not worry about the rest of the prophecy, what matters is that we have found you and you are safe, unharmed. We honestly didn’t know what we’d find when we came through the portal, if you would even be alive.”
I press my fingertips against my eyes, trying to understand what Devin has just said and what it means. “But I was harmed. I am cursed too remember.”
“It would appear that way,” Ezra says, looking more than a little troubled by this fact.
“Although you’re not affected in quite the same way as us, it seems. You don’t need to drink blood to survive, do you?” Rhain asks, noticing the way I am looking at Ezra.
“No, of course not! I wasn’t given any choice but to take Ezra’s blood,” I accuse, getting up. Something about the way the men are staring at me makes me feel uneasy and I can’t sit still. Pacing is what I do when I get upset or angry. Devin moves to stand in front of the back door and I can’t help but laugh hysterically.
“It’s okay,” I say, holding my hands up. “You don’t need to worry about me going outside. I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”
“All the same, I’m going to remain here,” Devin says, crossing his arms.
“You were hurt,” I say, noticing the slight redness of his forearms. Before today, that’s what my skin used to look like a few days after it had seen the sun and the blisters had finally healed.
“It was necessary. Someone had to get you inside. Rhain was too busy fighting his attraction and Ezra had a blade buried in his chest. So, you got me.” He shrugs his shoulders like it is no big deal, but I see what it has cost him.
Feeling the sudden need to thank him, I step towards Devin. He tenses as I approach, his eyes flicking between Rhain and Ezra. I touch him gently on the arm. His whole body is rigid as if he’s waiting for something to happen. I give him a quick kiss, feeling his day-old stubble under my lips. “Thank you,” I whisper, before returning to my seat and sitting back down.
The whole room seems to sigh in relief.
“Well I’ll be damned,” Rhain says.
“What?” I ask, confused.
Devin laughs. “In Ever Vale I am normally like Rhain, worse actually. I want to bleed people dry. It takes a great deal of effort and a firm hand,” he says, glancing at Ezra, “to stop me from committing such a sin. With you, I have no such need. It is… enlightening.” I can see relief spread across his features as an easy smile emerges.
“Rhain wants to bleed me dry?” I say, turning my attention back to him.
“No, not exactly,” Rhain says, stumbling over the words.
“You seemed to want to bite me earlier,” I accuse.
“That was a… mistake,” he mumbles.
Ezra walks over to Rhain and lays a hand on his shoulder. “Rhain’s desires go beyond his need to feed on you. I believe he is going through something we call the Claiming.”
Rhain jerks upright, stepping away from us both.
“Ezra, you don’t know what you’re saying,” he says, his face paling.
“It is obvious, brother. You must claim Accacia or suffer the consequences.”
“Claim me? What are you saying now?”
Devin saunters over to Rhain and slaps him on the back. “You and he must, you know…” He wiggles his eyebrows at me. “Claim each other.”
“You mean have sex?” I screech. “Now just hold on a damn moment. Why would I want to do that?” I feel my cheeks flush as I stare the three men down.
“Looks like you wanted it earlier,” Devin says, shrugging his shoulders. “It shouldn’t be too much of a stretch.”
“You were watching?” I say, my voice rising. They were nothing but a bunch of peeping toms. “Well, I don’t care what you say. Nobody is claiming anybody, least of all me.”
“Well, that might be a problem,” Ezra says, his expression blank.
“Why?” I ask, looking between the three men.
“Because if you don’t, Rhain will kill himself as surely as the sun will kill you.”
Chapter Seven
I remain glued to the spot, unable to move or say a damn thing. This is beyond a joke and frankly I want no part in it.
“Even the strongest of us cannot resist the pull. The Claiming doesn’t happen very often. But when it does, both parties are usually equally attracted to one another. Perhaps being here has disconnected you from your feelings somehow. I have never known a claiming not to be reciprocated,” Ezra says.
My eyes flick to Rhain. I remember how I felt last night and on the sofa earlier. Were those feelings part of this Claiming they speak of? I have no clue. Then I look at Ezra and remember how it was to taste him, to feel his arms about my body, and I feel a similar pull. “But what about…” I say.
“That is something entirely different,” Ezra says, waving his hand. “I gave you my blood to heal you. Rhain couldn’t do it as it would make this attraction to you even harder to deal with. He would have taken you there and then had he given you his blood, and I sensed that would not have been wanted on your part. Besides, it is not our custom to take something that isn’t given freely and that includes your consent. I didn’t consider Devin because he usually isn’t able to control himself and I was worried he’d drain you of blood.” Ezra shrugs his shoulders. “It is done now.”
“What is done?”
“Ezra has willingly given you, a clan member, his blood. Much the same way as Rhain needs to lay with you to keep him from committing suicide, you must give your blood to Ezra or he too will perish in a similar way. Although it will take much longer, and will be extremely painful.”
“Wait, what!? You’re telling me I must have sex with Ezra too or he’ll die? This is ridiculous.”
“No, you only need to give him your blood. Sex isn’t required, although it is part of the fun,” Devin says, laughing at the look on my face.
“Here, take it. Do it now. I don’t need your death on my conscience.” I hold out my wrist to Ezra and turn my face away.
“That isn’t necessary. I am perfectly happy with my fate,” Ezra says, crossing his arms.
“Ezra,” Devin warns. “This isn’t just about you. I know how you feel about Thalia. This is about the curse.”
“Devin, you will find another in Ever Vale who can take my place. I have lived too long. I am tired,” Ezra says, his shoulders dropping. “I am not taking her blood. My mind is made up.”
“Damn it, Ezra! Why do you insist on punishing yourself so?” Devin says, slamming his fist on the counter. The sound startles me, and I look at him with wide eyes. The jovial Devin is gone now, replaced instead with a far scarier version.
Ezra doesn’t answer, choosing instead to leave the room. I hear him walk into my office, slamming the door behind him.
“Why does he refuse to take my blood?” I ask.
“As I mentioned earlier, before our people were cursed to take blood from others to survive, an exchange of blood would occur when two people wi
sh to bond with their life partners,” Rhain explains.
“Life partners?” I ask. Did he mean marriage?
“It was custom to take blood from the one you love to cement the bond as partners for life, choosing that person to commit to. Once doing so, you are bound to each other until the moment one or the other is returned to the light. Ezra is the only one of us who has been through the Joining ceremony. Her name was Thalia.”
“I understand now,” I say. That was the name he had called me in the bathroom earlier. “He is already bonded to this woman Thalia and doesn’t wish to bond with me. Well, that’s okay, I don’t want to bond with him either. He can have my blood. I don’t want to be responsible for his death.”
“It’s not a simple as that,” Devin says. “Besides, Thalia is dead. She died alongside their child the day the curse was cast. They were in the Light fields. There was no shelter for them to hide from the sun. The pain they must have endured… Ezra has never been the same since.”
“The Light fields?”
“Yes, a beautiful place. A place where the people of Clan Lux once went to regenerate. It still exists but going there now will kill our people. Thalia and Roseanna died there that day.”
I feel my heart squeeze at the thought of his loss. His wife and child dead because of the curse. I feel strangely responsible somehow. “Are you saying he refuses to take my blood so he can die, that he wants to die?”
“Yes, it would appear that way. If Ezra does not take your blood after he freely and willingly gave you his own, then he will suffer endless, agonising pain. Eventually, that pain will drive him mad and he will return himself to the light to be free of it,” Rhain confirms.
“The same fate as you then, it would seem,” I whisper, trying to take in the enormity of the situation. “Let me get this straight.” I take a ragged breath. “I must have sex with you to keep you from going mad and committing suicide. Then I must persuade Ezra to take my blood so he doesn’t suffer the same fate?”
“Alas, it would seem that way. But know this, Cia, I will never make you do anything you don’t wish to do. If it is my fate to return to the light, then I will accept it.”