"Ingrid!" I breathed a sigh of relief and she smiled warmly at me. "How did you get in here?"
"It seems my brother knew I needed to come too. He had a vision."
I cocked my head to the side at her response and she walked towards me, picking up the book that I discarded. She motioned for me to sit on the bed. I grimaced but obeyed, trying not to think about the creatures that might have been lurking beneath the dust-covered blankets.
"Now that you have found it on your own, I can finally tell you the rest." She pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket.
"I don't understand. You knew this would happen?"
"I hoped you'd find it. But now that you have the weapon, I'm not tipping the scales if I help."
“So you couldn’t just give me the weapon and save us the trip?” I smiled.
“Sometimes, the journey is what gives you the strength to do what must be done,” she responded warmly.
"What now then? What else is there?" I was anxious to get back to my friends. "Hold on. I just want to tell Riley I'm okay."
She nodded.
I got up from the bed, walking over to the narrow passage again and poking my head out. Riley was pacing. He looked relieved to see me.
"I think I found something. I’ll only be a bit longer, I promise," I said, not allowing him to respond before ducking my head and the rest of my body back through the other side.
"I'll be as brief as possible," Ingrid said as if she understood my need to hurry. I knew James was worried. Plus, Nick was on his own and if anyone showed up somehow… I didn't like that thought enough to finish it.
Ingrid opened the piece of paper she had removed from her pocket. She showed it to me. It looked like a letter but again, written in another language.
"From my brother," she said, stroking the paper lovingly. "Since you can't read it, I'll read it to you.”
I nodded as she began speaking with her beautiful, calming voice.
My dear sister,
Not a day goes by that I do not regret living in darkness for so long. You had the ability to see the good in me when I could not see it in myself and I will forever be grateful for your love. I have spoken to you of Christiane and the situation I find myself in here. It is peculiar, as things have progressed with my powers. My strength has grown tremendously. So much so that I must confide in you now. I have recently had a vision. It is not something I am accustomed to, and at first, it brought only fear. Now, I feel it was a sign to assure me that I am again following the light.
As you were present in the vision, I must share it. I know that my time here is short. Do not be afraid for me. You know all things eventually end. I fear that my own end will not be something that will come easy and this vision has been my proof.
There is a girl who will one day enter your life. She is a member of the bloodline I have created. I know you disapprove of this new power, but please hear me. She is kind and beautiful. I know she has been through many trials. She is scared for the people she loves. She is also searching for something. She is in a place familiar to me and yet I am not there. She does not look like women of this age and the knowledge again comes to me, she is from a time far from now. I see her smile as she finds something, she feels relieved. I see her holding up our father's dagger. Then I see you, sitting with her, smiling and proud.
Ingrid, my closest confidante, my dearest sister, I need you to believe my words. First, I saw these things, then the information of their true meaning flooded over me like rain. My passing will be through a murder. I do not know the hour of this evil, but I assure you, evil it is. It is what I deserve, I suppose, for my time spent in the darkness. This girl, who possess Father’s dagger, can set things right. I felt the fear of her failure, which means there is an evil greater than you or I could ever dream. Humans and other creatures are in danger, because of whatever this is. I do not know how it spreads or who wields it, but I know that this girl and our father's dagger hold the answer. I am putting a spell in our favorite book. Once the girl finds the dagger, give her the spell. I fear your guidance and influence must end there though, I do not know what further involvement will mean for you, nor do I see you playing a larger role after this.
Ingrid, I must tell you that the bloodline I created will be prosperous. I did not imagine it to be so upon its creation. I knew the bond I created in the Protectors to guard the bloodline was strong. What I did not account for was the love in Christiane's family. I felt it through this girl. Her Protectors should be watching over her, but she would give up everything for them. It is this love that brought me back, Ingrid. I saw this love with Krystian. My Christiane is like another sister to me. I know you do not approve of the gift I have bestowed, but I could not bear to watch a love like theirs die if it lay within my power to do something. That love is alive today. It's a love that knows no boundaries or rules. It is a true, unconditional love.
While I say this, I also feel sadness. I fear my selfishness in protecting those in this child’s family before her will mean a greater loss for her in the end. She will fall. With her love will come a great sacrifice. She is destined to be the last of the bloodline. I know this just as I know my time is coming very close to an end now. This beautiful girl will give up everything, but she will save many. Her courage will prevent the evil from going any further. She will be brave and love will be with her always, until the end. Look for her, Ingrid. Keep watch over your mind for signs of her. She is the key. She alone will use all she has to save everyone.
Please help her, Ingrid. Help the young child, Ariya.
All my love,
Ivan
I sat unmoving at what I heard, and tears filled my eyes. This is how Ingrid knew who I was, and why she searched my mind upon meeting me. She wanted to make sure I was the one her brother spoke of in his letter. He knew about me. I was destined to rid the world of Audrey. And protect my vampires, Riley, and my parents. It would end Audrey's reign. It would save everyone.
And I would die.
"Are you all right, dear one?" Ingrid asked, bringing her hand over mine.
"I can save them." I looked at her expectantly. "They won't be in danger anymore."
Compassion filled her gaze, but I couldn’t understand why. It was the truth. It was what I prayed for. Their safety. And here were my answers. I was the last of the bloodline, which meant, I wouldn’t make it. Hadn't I thought that already? I knew that might be a possibility, didn’t I? Ingrid sat watching me processing what I’d read.
"I’ll die?" Looking to Ingrid for an answer, I saw her frown for the first time in the brief time that I'd known her.
"I do not know. It may simply mean you won't have a child." Her voice wavered and I knew she didn’t fully believe what she said.
"The tone isn't one of hope for me though. He is sad for me, Ingrid.” I paused, coming to terms with what was now a grim reality. Something would happen to me. My future was no longer an unknowing, long road. It was a swift, short road. One where I could begin to see the end of it. One without much more to it if we could act quickly and destroy Audrey.
I must be brave. When it came down to it, I wouldn’t hesitate to save my friends. I’d always wondered about those heroes in the stories I loved. The ones who laid everything down for the lives of others. They always did what was required of them, what was necessary to save not just the ones they loved, but usually everyone else in the process. My heartbeat accelerated and my body tingled with fear of what would come. But I wouldn’t fail. I had no choice.
I looked back up at Ingrid, pushing aside those thoughts and trying to accept and deal with the knowledge about my too quickly approaching death at the moment. “It’s okay. I can do whatever I’m destined to do.”
She nodded in a small, defeated way. "I know you can. Here is the spell."
She opened the book she held for me, tearing out a page and folding it. She picked the canvas up at some point and placed the dagger and the spell in it before tying it up again.
/> "James will be able to read it. He can memorize what he says. You must figure out a way to plunge the dagger into Audrey. It only has to penetrate her skin. It doesn't need to be a deadly blow. Stab her as you recite the words. The spell will do the job, not the dagger alone. Remember that." She smiled. “The only thing in that canvas is the spell. The letter is with me. It’s all I have left of my brother. James must not know. They would never let you go if they knew. He would never let you go.”
I nodded, accepting my need to be alone in this last fight. Remembering that the letter also said this would be the last time I’d see Ingrid, I looked up at her, not quite knowing how to express my gratitude. "Ingrid, I… want to thank you for everything."
I reached out to hug the woman who saved my life, rescuing me from Audrey's clutches only weeks before. I clung to her, basking in the goodness she radiated and praying for some of her strength to filter into me.
She stroked my hair once. "You have my prayers, Ariya, and my earnest hope." She motioned for me to be on my way.
"What was the book? Your favorite book, the one Ivan mentioned?" I asked, curiously.
"The Ballads of Robin Hood." She smiled. “Ivan and I wrote down the folk stories as children, when they were told to us. We made our own book.”
I smiled in response. Ingrid seemed like someone who would cherish a story about people giving selflessly to others.
"I do hope to see you again, Ariya. One day, somewhere in time perhaps. Good luck." With that, she was gone just as suddenly as she appeared.
I paused, taking a deep breath to gain the courage I needed to face my friends. Knowing I would have to keep the biggest news of my life to myself, confiding in no one, seemed daunting, and nearly impossible. But I had no choice. The vampires wouldn’t let me near Audrey with that dagger even if I were guaranteed to live, let alone, if they knew I was the only sacrifice that could save them.
I took another attempt at a steadying breath and headed back out the narrow way to Riley.
"There you are!" he said, visibly relieved.
"Let's go. I have it," I said, pushing aside the fear for myself and centering my thoughts strictly on the happiness that would come from knowing Audrey was defeated once and for all.
We practically ran back towards the entrance of the room and when we came through the invisible barrier to meet James and Caroline, I was yanked into James's arms.
"You said you'd be quick." He grabbed me, shoving me into his chest as if nothing in the world was off between us. He let go as quickly as he embraced me.
"We were fairly quick. I found it." I said, taking a step back and holding up the canvas. The pride in James's eyes said everything his voice didn't.
“Guys!” Nick’s voice sounded in my ears from down the hall, throwing our victory at finding our weapon into the past far too quickly. “We've got company.”
“Go back through that door and stay there. Don’t make a sound,” James ordered and they flicked off all the remaining light.
“But… James…” There was nothing I could say to argue. Riley grabbed my arm and pulled me back to the right as we heard a sickly, sweet voice piercing through the darkness.
“Come out, little ones. We know you’re there. We’re good vampires, too. We just want to play.” I cringed at the syrupy sweet attempt in its tone.
“You have no business here. We’re stronger than you and I warn you now to go back where you came from,” James commanded the intruders. I wondered where Nick was, and if he were okay since obviously someone managed to get past him down here to us.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. I know your kind, Protector.” The word slid off the stranger’s tongue in disgust. “You go against our curse, and our nature. You really are missing out. I can smell the fear off the humans with you and my mouth waters from it. You should try it sometime. Especially when you can taste their fear.”
A light flicked on, and I saw the monster that was standing closer than I liked beside James and Caroline. His hair was matted and mangled, his fangs elongated, and his clothes torn and disheveled. His face was scarred from his eye to his upper lip on one side. I could only guess at the kind of man this had once been after observing the state of the vampire I now saw standing in front of us. Riley and I were hidden in the room but since we could see the vamp, I had no doubt he could see us too. I knew already that he could smell us.
He wasn’t alone either. Another vampire flanked him. This one looked tired, and bored almost at the ramblings of his companion.
“Get on with it, Sebastian.” The bored-looking companion commented, confirming my assumptions.
“Do you think you can fight us, Protector?” The vampire, Sebastian, continued, happily mocking James and Caroline.
“How do you know who I am?” James demanded.
“There are rumors of a strong evil looking for two humans,” he ticked his finger in the direction of Riley and me, marking a one and two. “And three vampires. There are rumblings among us about one of the humans having the gift. It appears legends really can be true.”
“Not all legends. I thought rogue vampires were meant to be unstoppable. Dangerous even. Your friend here didn’t last more than two minutes.” Something thudded to the ground and I breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of Nick’s voice approaching.
“He was weak,” Sebastian spit out. “Let’s see how you fare against a real vampire.”
The lights went out completely and Riley and I were left in the dark. We could hear thuds and the sounds of cracking bones, or maybe it was their bodies hitting the stone walls of the passageway. Either way, the noises were enough to create disturbing images in my mind. I turned my body and huddled into Riley’s chest. Things always seem much worse when you can’t actually see what’s going on, or what’s making the horrible noises your ears catch.
Then, there was silence. Well, almost silence. Riley and I were breathing fairly heavy.
“Ariya?” James’s voice came. “Riley, Ariya, it’s okay. Everything’s all right. You can come out.”
We emerged and the cell phone lights were back on. All three of my vampires were standing, unharmed.
“You have to step and shuffle a bit,” Caroline said, sounding apologetic.
“Thank you,” I replied, still shaken up.
“What are rogue vampires?” I asked as we all made our way back towards the trap door.
“They created that name for themselves. They are just low-lives who travel in small groups, claiming they are tougher than any other vampires because they live the rough life,” Nick said in disgust. “They’re just pathetic excuses for our kind.”
James snorted and laughed. “The name isn’t even a good one. It doesn’t really instill fear, which apparently, is their only goal.”
He and Nick continued their banter. I thought if their names couldn’t inspire fear, their faces sure could.
I interrupted their bromance before it got too far out of control. “They knew about us. How could word get out about us?”
Both James and Nick exchanged a glance. “Why are you not surprised they knew about us?” I asked, more forcibly this time. “James?” I demanded again.
“Since we've been here, there has been some trouble, besides the obvious one that just happened. Usually, one or two of them have shown up close enough to the hotel during our patrols that we became wary enough to stay put when we could. We’ve managed to destroy them easily, but we weren’t happy to learn that it seemed like they were searching for something,” James explained.
Riley was right, and I missed all the signs. “Patrolling? You’ve known all about this? You should have told us before.”
“I didn’t want to worry you,” James said, looking at me sadly. “We wanted you to be able to concentrate without fear for yourself, or for us.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “So who do you think has put the word out about our comings and goings?”
“Either Audrey, or the Protectors. Who knows how desperate t
hey could be? If anything had happened to us, you’d be out by yourself, which is totally unacceptable. Right now, it could be either of them. Although I’m not sure why there were rogue vampires in the castle tonight. Their kind have never been so close to our actual location before,” Nick said, thoughtfully.
“We’ll figure it out. For now, can we please go home? My dress is ruined, and I feel dirty,” Caroline complained.
“Ditto,” I chimed in agreement.
Instead of passing through the main entrance where the event was still going strong, we headed out the secret passage we were using on the side of the castle. As we walked around the corner toward the car at the entrance, I came to a stop.
“Can I have a minute?” I asked them.
James looked around as if the idea made him uncomfortable, but he nodded. They all stepped back and let me have my space.
I turned, taking in the massive entrance and closing my eyes as I walked through the hallways I’d seen again in my mind. The elegance of it all stayed with me. I breathed deeply, trying to say goodbye. It felt so strange being here. It was something I had clearly been destined to do. Now, this part of the journey was complete, and I wouldn’t be coming back. I imagined for a moment Christiane, being so happy with Krystian and their daughter. The joy they must have felt. I let my heart open to what Ivan must have experienced while knowing them. The love he spoke of allowed him to cross back over to the good side, back into the light.
I tilted my head back, taking in the sight of the large castle in front of me. It had been a home, my family’s home. It was where the journey had begun, and where I found out how it would end. It seemed fitting that the beginning and end information had all been provided here. I smiled, feeling my eyes water with unshed tears. I had everything I needed to complete my journey and fulfill my purpose. I’d make one final stand before the bloodline would permanently end. My life would serve a greater purpose, and at that moment, standing in such a beautiful place as this, it was okay. It was enough even.
I smiled once more before turning around and leaving the palace behind me, for good.
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