by Serena Zane
Her parents used to tell her stories about the Elders when she was young. She used to think they were just made up like the boogeyman, but here she was, about to meet them. She swallowed the lump of fear that lodged itself in her throat. She’d be fine. After all, they just wanted the Tome safe. There was nothing wrong with that. It’s what she’d worked for her whole life. Keeping the Tome safe was the most important task she could ever accomplish. And if she had to face the very creatures that caused her nightmares as a kid, she would.
“You okay?” Phoenix rode beside her on a large black stallion. The horse pranced nervously across the planks of the drawbridge.
“Fine.”
“Good.”
She sighed in relief. She didn’t want him to know she was scared. Beth rode on a smaller dapple gray mare whose muscles quivered beneath the saddle. Beth stroked its neck. “Shhh, it’ll be fine. We’ll both be fine.”
An eyebrow rose on Phoenix’s face and Beth grimaced. She knew what he was thinking. Who are you trying to convince Beth? Yourself, or the horse?
The courtyard to the Fortress was just as black and gray as the exterior, and just as foreboding. These vamps sure liked to make a statement. They dismounted, and two young stable-boys ran out to take their horses. Phoenix reached up and tossed the prince over his shoulder. Arlen was still out. Beth didn’t know how he’d slept this long. Maybe it had something to do with the rope they’d used to tie him up. After all, Phoenix had said that it was enchanted. She took a swallow shoving her fear down her throat, and followed them into the Fortress.
Phoenix didn’t waste any time. He walked straight to the main hall. Nodding at the guards by the door, he marched into the room and strode towards the dais where the Elders waited. There were four men and one woman seated at large thrones up on a raised area. Beth assumed these were the Elders. They didn’t look that imposing, but she knew that looks could easily deceive.
Her gaze was caught by the elder in the center of the group, and she saw death in his eyes. She tried to avert her gaze, but she couldn’t. It was as though they were locked into place. After a short time, the elder nodded and she once again had control of her head.
The elder looked instead at Phoenix.
“Dear boy, I’m so glad you have returned to us. I trust you have the object in question?”
“Yes. However, there was a complication.”
“Oh?” The elder didn’t sound surprised.
“Yes, the Guardian...” he gestured towards Beth, “cannot leave the Tome unattended. She insisted on accompanying the book.”
“Interesting... and what do we have here?” The elder gestured toward the man Phoenix carried over his shoulder.
“This is Prince Arlen. This may save us a load of trouble.”
“Hmmm, I see. And just what do you propose we do with the young prince, Enforcer?”
Beth watched the edge of Phoenix’s jaw clench at the word Enforcer. Evidently, he didn’t appreciate the position.
“We ransom him back to Queen Genevieve in exchange for her promise to leave our kind and the Tome alone. If she refuses, then we kill him.”
“Sounds reasonable. And what do you propose we do with the Tome? It can’t be left unattended. And we have no reason to trust the current Guardian.” The snide look on the elder’s face made Beth cringe inside. He was right; she’d avoided the Other Realm since her parents were killed. No one really knew her, or knew what she was about. The only thing they knew was that she’d been born the Guardian. She wouldn’t trust her either if she were looking at things from their perspective.
Phoenix stepped forward, and placed himself in front of her. “She is the Guardian. We have to trust that as others have before. She did stop me from taking the Tome without her. The Guardian hasn’t let it out of her sight since I’ve met her. I think she can be trusted.”
“We can debate this later.” The elder waived off his opinion. “I believe you may be right about the Queen however. I shall send a messenger with instructions, and she must sign a blood oath that she will not seek to harm our kind again. If she accepts, then we shall agree to a meeting where we will exchange her son for her signed oath.” He turned back towards his chair and then glanced coyly over his shoulder at them. “Does that sound reasonable to you, Enforcer?”
Beth could tell Phoenix was restraining his temper by the tight clench of his jaw.
“That sounds fine. I shall place the prince in a room. I should warn you not to remove his ties. I suspect that they are the only thing keeping him here. He has the ability to teleport.”
“Well done Enforcer. We shall see to it. When the time comes, you shall make the trade. We will decide on the other matter later.” The elder’s gaze flickered over Beth, and she felt her stomach clench with unease.
“Of course.” Phoenix gave a short bow as he was carrying the prince over his shoulder, and then strode out of the room. A quick jerk of his head told Beth to follow.
Hustling to keep up with him, Beth lengthened her stride. She wasn’t about to be left in a room alone with the Elders.
They were out of the main hall, and had walked for several minutes before Beth spoke. “What did they mean, the ‘other matter’?”
“They meant about the Tome.”
“What about it? If the Queen agrees to the ransom, then they have nothing to worry about. I can take it back home.”
“No.”
“What do you mean no?” She stopped and placed her hands on her hips.
“Let’s not talk about this right now. He’s getting heavy.” Phoenix shoved the prince up higher on his shoulder and flung open a door to the left of them. It was a sparsely furnished room, but Beth guessed the prince wouldn’t be there for long.
Phoenix threw him down on the bed, turned and strode back out pushing Beth in front of him. She slapped at his hands and glared at him as he shut the door.
“I can walk on my own.”
“I never would’ve guessed.” Phoenix took off down the hall without her.
“Hey!”
He kept going.
“Hey, wait up! Where am I going to sleep?”
She didn’t like the glint that showed up in his eyes.
“Well, we weren’t really planning on you being here. So, there are no other rooms available.”
“But, you just put the prince in one...”
“Those rooms are reserved for unwanted guests, hostages. We wouldn’t want the others to get the wrong idea...” He put his finger to his lips and gazed at her thoughtfully. “I guess I will have to share.”
“Share?”
“That’s right. Share. I will share my room with you tonight.” He started walking down the hall again, and she had to rush to keep up.
“A room with you?” She was starting to sound like a parrot, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t share a room with him. Her panicked mind tried to find another solution. “Maybe I can leave tonight. If I’m back at the shop everything should be fine.”
“Won’t work.”
“What? Why not?” she demanded.
“We don’t have a response back from Her Majesty. You’ll have to wait.”
“In your room.”
“That’s right. In my room.” He stopped short, and Beth nearly plowed into him. She pulled up just in time.
Phoenix shoved a door open and gestured inside. “My room.”
Beth raised her chin. She could do this. As long as he kept his hands to himself, she could do this. She swept past him and quickly back-pedaled when she saw the large four-poster bed situated right in the middle of the floor. Beth slammed up against his hard chest. She sucked in her breath.
She felt the vibrations of his low chuckle rumble through her body. His large han
ds came up and steadied her at the waist. A tingle started deep in her belly, and her skin flushed. She heard the door click shut behind them from far away; her focus solely on the body pressed against hers. His fingertips slid around until he was able to thread them underneath her sweater. His lips grazed her neck, and she trembled.
“I want you.” His breath brushed her ear, and desire flared in her.
Beth didn’t trust herself to speak. They had not discussed what happened during their trek here, and she didn’t know where this would lead, but she couldn’t deny the way he made her feel. Knowing her heart would break, she turned in his arms and answered him with a kiss.
Chapter 11
“How dare they?” Queen Genevieve stormed across her throne room and flung the nearest candle-holder against the wall. “How dare they take my son?”
The messenger was on his knees trembling.
“I ought to take your head and send it back to them!” She railed. Suddenly, the Queen stopped. “But I won’t.” A small delicate hand went to her chin. “No, I won’t.” She walked regally over to the young messenger and gazed benevolently at him. “Tell them I accept. Their terms will be met. In three days time, we shall meet at the border of our two lands and Crossings. There we shall make the exchange. But,” her voice lowered to almost a whisper, “if one hair is harmed on my son’s head they will wish they’d just given me the Tome. Am I understood?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Good. Then go, and don’t waste time. If they are but one minute late the deals off.”
The messenger rose quickly and rushed from the room with all haste. Her mocking laughter followed him.
“Salvio! Come here at once!”
The Queen’s head guardsman rushed up to the throne where she stood. “Yes, Your Majesty. How can I be of assistance?”
“I have a mission for you...”
Chapter 12
Ami Sherridon paced around the little shop in Seattle that she owned with her best friend, Beth. The Broom Closet had been dark when she and Lucian arrived. She’d used her key to get in. The shelves in the back towards the lending library were all in disarray, as though there had been a struggle.
“We have to find her Lucian. Something happened, I just know it.”
Lucian regarded her with his usual calm presence. “Did she have any enemies?”
“Are you kidding? Everyone loves Beth. Everyone. What are we going to do?”
“Well, we can contact the local vampire community and see if they have heard or seen anything. This is an unusual shop. I have a feeling they keep an eye on it.”
That was true. The Broom Closet catered to new-age fanatics, and the paranormal. Beth had insisted on having the magic library in the back for up-and-coming witches. Perhaps he had a point.
“Do you know who that is?”
“Of course. We are old friends, Nicholas and I. I hear that he too has married recently. It will be good to meet his new bride.”
A small flash of jealousy passed through Ami. She and Lucian were so new, she still couldn’t believe her good fortune or half the things she’d come to learn were real, less than two weeks prior. Now her best friend was missing and she could be anywhere. Ami tried not to picture Beth face-down in a ditch somewhere. “Call him then, please. I need to know she’s safe.”
“As you wish.” Lucian pulled out his cell, and dialed...
Ami picked up one of the books that had fallen on the floor during the struggle. Magic for Beginners. If they only knew. She listened intently to Lucian’s conversation with Nicholas. Evidently, there had been talk of attacks on the local vampire community and not just from the hunters. Nicholas had concerns the attacks now branched out to include other species as well.
“Do you think we should contact the High Council?” Lucian asked, his voice hesitant for the first time since Ami’d known him.
The man’s tone on the other end of the line was distinctive. “I see no way around it. I need to talk with them anyway.”
“Do you have passage?”
Ami wasn’t quite sure what that meant.
“Yes, we have a Ferrier, a Fae that can cross into the Veil to a specific place - for a small price.”
“Good, then we don’t have to waste any time. We are coming with you. My new wife is distraught over the disappearance of her friend.” Lucian’s tone brokered no argument.
“Of course, I would expect nothing less. My own wife knows of this young shopkeeper. She will not be happy to learn that Beth Stark is missing. Expect to leave in about a half hour. We should be at the shop by that time.”
“Thank you.”
“No need for thanks. I know you would do the same.”
Lucian hung up the phone and strode over to Ami. He pulled her into his strong embrace. “We will find your friend.”
“I hope so.”
In less than a half hour, the shop was inundated with Beth’s friends and acquaintances. Nicholas leapt up onto the countertop to get their attention. “I know you are all here because you know and care about Beth Stark and what happened to her. We need to find out where she is, and fast.”
Several people spoke up and agreed to search the nearby community.
“Good. Meet back here in the morning and report your progress. Alexander, Lucian, Ami, Stephanie, and Chloe will come with me. I have another avenue I would like to investigate. With any luck, we will have the little shopkeeper back where she belongs before another day passes.”
The teams split. Nicholas jumped down from the counter and walked over to his team waited. Ami watched as Nicholas looked over the team.
“Our contact should be here any moment. Keep in mind, where we are going is dangerous. If any of you want to stay behind we don’t mind.”
All three women looked at him as though he’d lost his mind. Ami stepped forward.
“She’s my best friend. I’d go to Hell to get her back. Let’s do this.”
At her comment, the little bell above the shop door jingled and a man walked through. He was tall and lean, with bleached-blond hair and electric blue eyes. His skin was pale, and appeared almost translucent.
Nicholas offered him a hand, and smiled in greeting. “Everyone, I would like you to meet Cail. He’s going to be our guide to and from the Other Realm.”
Chapter 13
Beth stretched and her hand hit something solid next to her. She opened her eyes. Phoenix lay by her side. Not a stitch on his sculpted perfect body. She wondered briefly if he’d modelled for one of the marble statues - carved forever in time. Her fingertips traced the lines of his chest muscles memorizing his body. She felt no heartbeat, but then again light streamed through the far window, and she knew he must still be asleep; it would still be mid-afternoon in this realm. With a deep sigh of regret, Beth rose. Today they would have their answer from the Queen. Regardless of the outcome, she couldn’t let the black tome remain here. It was her duty to protect the book.
Her stomach grumbled and demanded food. Vampires might not have to eat, but she certainly did. Tossing on her blouse and skirt, Beth grabbed the bag where she kept the Tome and went in search of food. There had to be some in this monstrosity of a building. She briefly recalled from her youth in the Other Realm that most kitchens in large castles and fortresses were built on the ground floor. The staircase was located next to the great hall. She passed by several guards on her way, and had to stop to ask for directions more than once. As Beth neared the corner she heard distinctive voices -- one of which she recognized all too well.
“Listen buster! My friend is missing; I don’t care if they are busy. The Elders will see us, and now!” Ami’s raised voice echoed down the corridor.
Beth cast a glance at the ceiling for patience. She’d known Ami w
ould come for her eventually. Time passed differently here, and while she’d only been here a week, she knew in reality she’d been there about two. She stepped around the corner ready to be ran over.
“I’m not missing. I’m right here.”
“Beth! Oh, thank God!” Ami ran to Beth and threw her arms around her best friend, “You had me so worried. What happened? You didn’t call, or email, or text – I thought you were dead, or worse. Wait... you’re in the vampire Fortress. You’re not... No –”
“Ami! Breathe.” Beth interrupted her before she went any further. “No, I’m still me. That hasn’t changed.”
“Then what are you doing here?” Ami waited expectantly for an answer.
Beth looked around the hall and took in all the faces there. She recognized them all. In fact, she’d helped most of them at some point or another. She smiled at Stephanie and Chloe. “Nice to see you again.”
“Beth...” There was a warning note in Ami’s voice.
“All right, fine. I’m here because of the black tome.”
Chloe stepped forward. “The black tome. You mean the one that called to me in the shop?”
“Yes. That’s right. It seems that the Queen is after it.”
Ami shook her head, “Wait, the Queen? What Queen?”
“Queen Genevieve, leader of the Fae. She wants the Tome. And not to do nice things with like making flowers dance.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Nicholas stepped forward, and placed his hands on his hips. The man had an intimidating presence as thousand year old vampire and leader of all blood-sucking creatures in the Pacific Northwest.
“Right now we have Prince Arlen in custody. We will exchange his life for that of Her Majesty’s sworn blood oath that she will no longer seek to harm the vampire race.”
“A blood oath?” Chloe cocked her head to the side, “Are you sure she’ll do that?”