A Shade of Vampire 23

by Bella Forrest

  I nodded curtly. I still couldn’t quite believe that I was sitting before Lucas, my uncle.

  “I have a sister, too. A twin sister. Rose.”

  At this, Lucas’ eyes widened. “How did you ever end up in this place?” he wondered.

  I really wasn’t in the mood to recount my whole saga, so it sufficed to say, “It’s a long story.”

  “Hm,” he muttered. “And you spoke of… my sister’s newborn? Sh-She became a human? Who is the father?”

  “Yes, my parents discovered the cure long ago,” I replied. “Xavier is the father. Xavier Vaughn.”

  “Ah.” For the first time, a smile crossed his face. A faint one, but a smile nonetheless. “Xavier only ever did have eyes for her… She was just too blind to see it.”

  Now I asked another question. “When you first saw me, why were you shouting that I wasn’t your son?”

  “I got… confused.”

  It was clear that was all the explanation he was going to offer me, so I was left to my own speculation about this.

  A span of silence followed as Lucas drifted into his own thoughts. My mind turned back to Vivienne. It seemed that he really did hold a genuine affection for her, as opposed to my father. The only reason she and Lucas had clashed was because of my father. My aunt would invariably take my father’s side and that was what had caused the rift between them. Otherwise, I knew that my aunt had loved Lucas too. He was, after all, her older brother.

  I had so many more questions to ask him, but the ghouls’ appearance just now was a reminder that I did not have all day. I needed to try to make my way back up to the higher levels without getting caught. And I had to keep fighting to escape, no matter what it took. Lucas seemed to have told me all he was willing to about his efforts to escape and the ghouls—and none of it had really been helpful.

  “I-I think I need to leave,” I whispered. I hesitated before asking my next question. “Why… Why don’t you come up with me? It’s lighter up there, and there are people to talk to. You might feel, uh, slightly less insane. I’m sure you could merge in with the other ghosts without being—”

  Lucas shook his head. “I can’t.”

  An odd feeling of disappointment welled within me. “Then what?” I frowned deeply at him. “You’re just going to stay down here forever? You said that you already tried to escape a number of times, but how many years ago was that? You can’t stay here forever, Lucas.”

  He shook his head again, resolute. “I’m long past thinking that I can escape this place,” he croaked. “But if you must… then you keep trying…” Then he paused, his eyes meeting mine again.

  I could hardly blame him, but I felt frustrated all the same. “Well… I’m going to find a way out of here,” I said, though it felt like each time I made the affirmation to myself, I was saying it with less and less conviction. “If you change your mind about wanting to try one more time, or even just wanting to team up to help me figure this out, I’m in the topmost level, near the main entrance.” I couldn’t tell him which pool exactly—I had not been paying enough attention, so he would need to look out for me. But something told me he wouldn’t be leaving this pond anytime soon. Still, I couldn’t help but assure him, “If—when—I find a way, I’ll come back for you… Remember, if you escaped, you could look for your son.”

  He nodded slowly, remaining stiff in his spot as I drifted away, though as I moved further into the center of the pool I could have sworn that an expression of conflict crossed his face. Almost as though he was considering whether he was making the right decision.

  But he still didn’t budge.

  Although he was behaving far, far more sanely now than when I’d first entered, it appeared that he was still too weak—both in mind and in spirit. My presence here for a span of minutes wasn’t enough to reverse years of being drained by this hellish place. Too much had been taken out of him.

  As I reached the edge of the pool, on the verge of drifting out, I cast my eyes back at him. And I felt a stab of guilt. I couldn’t help but feel that once I was gone, it would be only a matter of hours before my uncle sank back into the darkness he’d been lost in for years.

  Derek

  Closing the door, I breathed out a heavy sigh. My nephew was going to be a lot of work, but I had already expected that.

  Indeed, he had already caused Ibrahim and me a lot of work, even before we’d kidnapped him. His “dungeon” was actually a grain storage room, deep within the Black Heights. I’d asked the warlock to convert it and make it look as medieval as possible, to mirror the dungeon that Lucas had first taken Sofia to after he’d kidnapped her from Cancún… It felt appropriate.

  I traveled along the winding corridor away from Jeramiah’s prison and stopped outside the door of another chamber, not far away. This little room—furnished simply with a bed, a chair and a table—was another storage room, also converted by Ibrahim to be my temporary residence. I walked inside and sat down on the bed, rubbing my temples.

  I had wanted to stay apart from the rest of the island while working on this little project. Because firstly, if I had told Sofia in advance what I was planning to do, she would only start stressing that something would go wrong. Besides that, I wasn’t even sure how this would all unravel. Though I knew roughly the steps that I needed to take, I was also playing a lot by ear. I didn’t even know if this experiment would work. I would tell Sofia and my sister everything soon enough, but until I had a better idea of Jeramiah’s… resistance, I needed to experiment a bit. Figure out his breaking point. Something that was easier to do when everybody thought that I was absent, otherwise I would have to keep making up excuses to disappear for hours at a time.

  Corrine was the only other person on the island who had been let in on our plan, and even then, it had been out of necessity. I didn’t expect Ibrahim to stay in one of these old chambers too. He was already doing me a big favor and I did not want to ask too much of him. So he would keep a low profile, in the furthermost rooms of the Sanctuary, away from any visitors.

  I wasn’t afraid of being left alone so close after my turning. It had gone a lot more smoothly than I’d anticipated. Perhaps, because this was now the third time I’d gone through it, I’d built up enough practice to be able to control my cravings without another’s assistance. Still, Ibrahim made sure that I had ample sacks of animal blood in my room to refuel, as Sofia had wanted me to. I had also been sure to ask him to bring some books for me so I had something to occupy myself with. I always enjoyed reading, though it was something I rarely got the time to do as King of this place. As I lost myself in the pages of a history book—while downing liters of blood—I also lost track of time. Before I knew it, the end of the day had arrived, and it was time for me to pay another visit to my nephew.

  By now, he would be craving blood more than ever. I’d heard how croaky his throat had been the last time I dropped by. I dug into my stash of blood and picked up a sack. Sweeping my cloak around my shoulders, I stowed the blood in my pocket before leaving the room. I traveled down the corridor and as I reached the door to Jeramiah’s chamber, I paused and pressed my ear against it. I couldn’t hear anything, not even light breathing—and I couldn’t help but smirk a little. No doubt he had heard the footsteps of his crazy uncle approaching again, and now he was holding his breath as he waited for me to open the door.

  I opened it swiftly this time and stepped inside. Jeramiah was huddled in the corner. He was very much awake, and by the looks of it, tenfold more enraged.

  “Good evening,” I said pleasantly. “Still enjoying yourself?”

  He swore at me again.

  Removing the sack of blood from my pocket, I passed it to him. He caught it readily, even as he scowled. Then he tore it open and began downing it. He was too thirsty to let his ego get in the way. As he finished it, he discarded the package and then backed up closer against the wall, still glowering at me.

  “How many more days do you intend to stay?” I asked, drawing u
p the wooden stool that I had planted in the corner in anticipation of my visits. I sat down, leaning forward, elbows on my knees while clasping my hands together, and stared at him intently.

  He refused to engage with me this time. Averting his eyes, he clenched his jaw hard.

  He was stubborn, just like his father. And, I guess, just like me.

  “I always do prefer to give a person free will, you know,” I said, looking at him thoughtfully. “But I suggest that you don’t take for granted this generous inclination of mine. For who knows how long it might last?”

  At this, he glanced at me uncertainly, and I couldn’t miss the fear behind his eyes. Hopefully by now I had convinced him that there was a screw loose with me. I wanted to keep him on his toes.

  “You know,” I continued, “this dungeon is very much like the one your father kidnapped my wife to… Funny that.”

  Finally, Jeramiah took the bait again. “You make it sound like he’s the evil one. He captured her for you.”

  “You have a point,” I said, nodding encouragingly. “One could argue that my history is just as tarred as my brother’s. But I do not deny it. So why must we deny the truth about your father? Why must we falsely—”

  “I’m not interested in hearing your lies.” He glared daggers at me.

  I paused. I could have gone on talking, even if he decided to clamp his hands over his ears. But there were far better ways of forcing the truth into him than raising my voice.

  I decided to cut my visit short. But… I would be back again soon.

  Ben

  I wasn’t sure where to go now. I’d hoped that down there in the lower levels, I might come up with some kind of plan—a hope that had only strengthened on spotting Lucas. But now, I was hardly any closer to my goal. All I knew was that the exit was above me. Far, far above me. And beginning to head back in that direction was a good start. Maybe I ought to return to my pond, where I belonged, and where I would not have to fear being tracked down by a ghoul. Then again, the ghouls might anticipate my return and be waiting for me there, ready to punish me for having attempted to escape. Maybe not such a great idea.

  But whatever the case, I still had miles and miles to travel before I was even faced with the proposition. As I sank cautiously into the closest wall of the pond-filled chamber, my mind returned to my uncle. I wondered whether, even if—or once—I managed to find a way to escape, Lucas would be willing to attempt it after what he’d been through. But if he stayed… I wondered how much longer he would last. He was already so deep down. How many more years, months, or maybe even weeks would it be before he was thrust down further into The Necropolis? Never to return.

  Still, if he did reject my offer of help, it was his own decision. I couldn’t force him to come with me, although I might like to…

  But I was getting too far ahead of myself. First I had to find a way to get myself out of this hole.

  I stayed as close to the walls as I could, realizing that I was doing exactly the same thing I’d been hoping I wouldn’t have to do—traveling blindly through walls and ceilings, not knowing what was on the other side. But I had no other choice now but to keep moving. I had to make my way back up to the higher levels. At least now I was not in such a mad hurry. I was able to travel more slowly and cautiously, because I was not being chased by ghouls… at least not yet.

  With each level I climbed, after sinking through the ceiling, I poked just half of my head through the floor of the level above, allowing me to scope out the room before emerging fully. It was a slow, arduous process, but along the way, I was at least able to take in more of the ghouls’ abode. I’d been running so fast before, everything had been a blur, and I’d barely been able to see my surroundings. It appeared to be one giant network of cavernous chambers, most of them scattered with their beloved decorative pools—at least those I passed through. I wondered where the residential quarters were; I didn’t spot any. As I climbed layer after layer, the pools grew more bright, more vibrant, more alive… until I was certain that I was only a few floors away from my own level. My belief was confirmed as I spotted a familiar tunnel—just beyond that was my cave.

  I arrived at the entrance and began hurrying through until I reached about halfway, when I stopped dead in my tracks. Voices drifted through the tunnel from behind me. The voices did not belong to ghouls, however. These voices were those of a man and a woman. And I could understand them. Hurriedly, I sank into the wall of the tunnel and strained to listen.

  “We’re not going to meet the demand,” the female voice hissed.

  “We will, Lidera. We will.” The male voice was strangely familiar.

  Lidera’s voice dropped to a hushed whisper. “Stop lying to yourself, and stop lying to me! You know we are far too short of the count to ever make the deadline. Why don’t you just admit it?”

  Two fae came into view around a corner of the tunnel. Now I knew why the male voice sounded familiar. The man was the same copper-haired fae who had dragged me here, and the female… I’d never seen her before, but judging by her vivid hair color, they were related.

  Anger boiled up within me to see the man again. Still, I tried to focus my mind on their conversation.

  “Admit what?” my kidnapper snapped.

  “That you’re leading us all into a pit!” Lidera shot back.

  The man threw his hands into the air in exasperation and anger. “We have this conversation every time you come here with me! My answer now is no different than last time. We will meet it, I promise you.”

  “An empty promise!” Lidera spat.

  At this, the man halted. He whirled on her, his eyes flashing. “And what would you have me do? Pray tell, sister. What would you do, in my place? Don’t pretend that you weren’t just as eager to accept their assistance to begin with. Don’t play the innocent one here.”

  “I’d rather break the bonds and forgo the punishment than face the consequences of this failure,” she breathed, her chest heaving with agitation. “And I would suggest that you, Sherus, and everybody else, do the same.” There was a span of silence as the siblings glowered at each other. Then Lidera broke it. “I must abandon this doomed mission.”

  Sherus’ eyes bulged. “What?”

  “I—I said I want no more part in this scheme.”

  Sherus moved forward, his large hand snaking around her neck. He gripped her throat hard as his eyes bored into hers. “You seem to be forgetting that we made a pact. All of us. You cannot simply back out now.”

  “I already told you, I don’t care anymore!” she whispered, even as her eyes glistened with fear. Then she reached up slowly and touched her brother’s cheek. “I don’t want to be around to see you fail, brother,” she said in a softer tone this time, an almost endearing tone. “Though I wish—how I wish—you will succeed.”

  “Coward!” Sherus hissed, letting go of her neck and shoving her hand away from him. “I cannot believe you!”

  “I’m sorry,” she murmured, taking a step back. Then, without another word, she jerked forward and raced away down the tunnel out of sight, leaving Sherus standing alone, agape.

  Indignation burned in his irises, but as he stood there, I could’ve sworn that I also spotted a flicker of doubt. Then he shook his head angrily and ran his hands over his face. After remaining rooted to the spot for a few moments longer, he continued on his way after her. Once the sounds of his footsteps became faint echoes, I dared drift out of the wall again.

  My mind was racing as I attempted to make sense of the conversation. What did the woman—Lidera—mean by count? Count of ghosts, I could only assume. Apparently they were behind—something that was hard to believe from the sheer mass of ghosts I’d spotted so far in this place. I wondered how many ghosts the ghouls had demanded altogether in exchange for their help all those decades ago.

  As Sherus’ footsteps faded completely, I realized that I would be a fool not to follow after him. He was heading for the direction of the exit. The exit. If I could j
ust somehow tag along behind him… I began hurrying forward, even as I tried to remain in the shadows of the craggy walls. Sherus seemed to be in no particular hurry—or more likely he was just deep in thought—as I caught sight of him along the corridor. He exited the tunnel and entered another chamber—which, if my memory served me correctly, was the chamber that held my own pool. I didn’t have time to check. I fixed my eyes on him in tunnel vision as I trailed as closely behind him as I dared. He crossed to the other side of the cavern and then wound his way through another tunnel. Soon, we approached the main door. Gripping the handle, he twisted it sharply and pushed it open. He stepped through, immediately closing it behind him. It didn’t matter. I did not need his help getting through this particular door anyway. Afraid that he might start traveling faster and I could lose his trail, I quickly passed through the solid wood.

  But in my hurry to follow the fae, I didn’t stop to consider that he might not be the only one there on the other side. As I emerged, it was to the sight of four ghouls—three male, and one apparently a female—standing around the fae. Their gazes shot toward me at once. A malevolent smile split the face of the female and she immediately lurched forward. There wasn’t enough distance between the two of us for me to escape this time. The ghoul wrapped her skeletal hands around my neck, and the next thing I knew, she was dragging me back through the main door, back into the dim tunnels of their ghastly realm… leaving the fae to depart.

  Ben

  Even though I knew what a useless endeavor it was, I couldn’t help but struggle to break free. But I might as well have just gone with her willingly—the end result would’ve been the same. If anything, my struggling only seemed to amuse her, and she dug her hands deeper into my throat. I still couldn’t get over the strangeness of feeling a ghoul’s touch. I still didn’t understand how, like the fae, they were able to touch ghosts.