Darkness Is Rising

by C. M. Sipes

  Vittoria laughed. “Well you are the First and you pinned her to a bookcase.”

  Lilith snorted. “Although true, I do not wish to frighten her. Merely assert my authority.”

  Vittoria sighed and sat back in her chair. “So why are you here?” she asked as she gestured to the café.

  “I have always enjoyed people watching. I never experienced a truly mortal life, so I am living vicariously through them.”

  “I am sorry that you never did. You have not had an easy life, Lilith,” she replied, her memories dancing behind her eyelids.

  “I am sorry that you must bear witness to it,” Lilith said sincerely.

  Vittoria offered her a small smile.

  “So. Does Emma know that she—” Lilith began to ask before Vittoria cut her off.

  “No. She does not.”

  “Ah,” came the reply. “Will you tell her?”

  “No. I do not believe so.”

  They sat in silence.

  “Does Marcella know every vision you experienced of mine?” Lilith asked seriously as she sipped her coffee.

  “No,” Vittoria replied quickly. “When I slept for those two hundred years, that was when I experienced all of your memories.”

  “Which was after Marcella’s betrayal,” Lilith confirmed.

  “Yes.”

  “I would prefer it if you would not mention it to her just yet. Not until we are sure what we are dealing with.”

  Silence encased them once more.

  “So, when did vampires and werewolves stop killing each other?” Lilith finally asked, breaking the few moments of silence.

  “After the Blood War, we signed a peace treaty. Myself, Marcella, and Aerona.”

  “Blood War?” Lilith asked curiously before a memory itched the back of her mind. “Was that when you almost lost yourself?”

  “It was,” Vittoria replied quietly.

  “I had woken shortly after that moment. I feared for you,” Lilith replied, her voice equally as soft.

  Vittoria merely looked at her, attempting to decode the vampire in front of her.

  “It appears I missed something rather important about this Blood War.” Lilith’s eyes flickered to Vittoria, holding her gaze.

  “Indeed.”

  Chapter VI

  Budapest, Hungary

  1436

  Vittoria strode into the throne room, her armor clanking as she walked, and her hand on the ruby hilt of her sword as her eyes fell on Marcella’s form. She sat on her obsidian throne, posture rigid and rippling with frustration. Her red eyes met Vittoria’s, anger and irritation dancing in them as the council loudly discussed among themselves. Vittoria began to share in Marcella’s irritation—as the room oozed the feeling of disdain. She had been away examining their vast territories within Hungary, assessing the risk the wolves were bringing to their hold. She had been gone for a month as she met with various coven houses, gathering information on the situation to be able to inform Marcella.

  She stopped in the center of the room and let out a roar, her eyes changing to red as she silenced the room, finally having enough of the chatter.

  “Enough!” Vittoria growled. Her eyes flickered over the council members as she drew their attention.

  “What have you learned?” Marcella asked her heir, relief flooding her voice.

  “Marius’ wolves have begun to grow bolder. So much so, that they have been bleeding into our territory and hunting on our grounds. I had given the command that any wolf found on vampire territory was to be executed on sight. Apparently, this did not serve as a deterrent to Marius, as he has continued to send wolves to our borders. The bloodlusters have been growing bolder in their actions, using our distraction with the wolves as an advantage. Both parties are forcing our hand as well as risking exposure. Something must be done.”

  Marcella’s red eyes blazed in the dark, and a deep growl forced its way past her lips. “What is your recommendation, Vittoria?”

  “We need to find a way to come to an agreement with the wolves. This fighting with them has grown taxing. It is using up valuable resources. The bloodlusters are growing bolder and we are unable to put them down because our forces are spread thin between them and the werewolves. Therefore, I propose a treaty.”

  The council’s chatter resumed among them as they mulled over what Vittoria was proposing. Marcella pondered Vittoria’s recommendation as well, yet she was not convinced that a treaty was the best way to deal with this issue.

  Vittoria noticed the hesitancy and then determination in her maker’s eyes, forcing her to draw Marcella’s attention back to her.

  Vittoria looked at her maker. “Your recommendation, Marcella?” The room fell silent as she posed the question.

  Marcella’s red eyes slowly moved to meet Vittoria’s. “War.”

  The council erupted then, their voices echoing off the walls as Vittoria and Marcella’s eyes remained locked on each other.

  “Silence!” Marcella roared as she stood from her throne. “Is the council questioning my recommendation?”

  “No, but I am,” Vittoria growled. Her eyes blazed an angry red as she shifted on her feet, her armor creaking with the swing of her weight. “You wish for war, Marcella? Why? What good could come of war with the werewolves?”

  “We need to show our strength. They have become too brash.”

  “There are other ways to show strength, Marcella!” Vittoria growled, her irritation rising as the council began to chatter once more. “If the council does not silence themselves, I will rip each of your throats from your bodies!”

  The room fell deathly silent as Vittoria’s body rippled, the forms of the bats flickering around her body before pulsing and then disappearing. She had only been a vampire for eighty-nine years, and while she was no longer a fledgling, she still had difficulty controlling the change whenever she grew angry.

  “War will only cost us more resources, more soldiers. Do you wish us to face extinction, Marcella?”

  “I will not resort to a treaty with the wolves unless there is no other option.”

  “Diplomacy should be our first step, Marcella. War should always be a last resort! It will be a blood bath! There has never been war between the species,” Vittoria growled out. She was becoming angry at Marcella’s insolence.

  Marcella’s eyes flashed dangerously as she eyed her heir. “You feel strongly about this diplomacy?”

  “Indeed I do.”

  “Yet the wolves murder those within our territories—humans—our food source. They slaughter women and children, rip them to shreds and feast on their flesh. Yet you defend them?”

  “We are no better than they! We drink the blood of mortals. The bloodlusters submerge themselves in the bloodlust and we are unable to even control them—our own kin! Why should we waste soldiers and resources on something that can be fixed with a treaty?”

  “You believe that Marius would agree to a treaty?”

  “No. But I believe that Aerona would,” Vittoria argued. Marius had always been an enemy of the vampires, ever since he took over as Alpha, many years before Vittoria was turned. “Aerona understands that werewolves and vampires are much the same. We are both supernatural beings and should be working together for peace amongst our species. Yet we fight and slaughter each other.”

  “You would propose that we remove Marius so that his progeny could become Alpha?” Marcella asked with a laugh. “You truly think that Aerona would not wage war against us once she has gained power?”

  “Unlike you, Marcella, I have faith in others still,” Vittoria growled. The sound was low as it rumbled in her chest, daring Marcella to continue to challenge her.

  Marcella barred her fangs, eyes angrily dancing in the candlelight of the room.

  “Your Majesties,” a messenger interrupted suddenly, his body barging into the room. “Forgive the intrusion. Marius’ wolves have been spotted on the move, leagues away.”

  “How many?” Vittoria asked, her eyes not
leaving Marcella.

  The messenger swallowed nervously. “Thousands.”

  The room erupted into chaos. The council became frantic, their cries for war sounding throughout the room.

  “How soon until they are here?” Marcella asked as she looked at the messenger.

  “At their current pace, roughly a week, Your Majesty. They are still in France, but their wolves are coming to meet them and move with the rest of the pack.”

  Marcella turned to look at Vittoria. “Do you still believe in diplomacy, Vittoria?” Marcella asked her heir, her face serious. There had not been a war between the species in their entire history, and yet it was about to take place on their doorstep.

  Vittoria grimaced as her mind ran over the options. She knew that now that Marius was on his way, prepared for war, diplomacy was no longer an option—for either side. Marius’ hatred for her species ran as deep as Marcella’s hatred for witches. It was only a matter of time before it bubbled to the surface. She had hoped that she would be able to prevent it, but since Marius had already begun moving their forces, there was no other option.

  “Ready our soldiers. I want every single one of them dressed in their armor,” Vittoria instructed the room. “I want our fastest messengers dispersed to the other covens immediately. They must get here before the wolves arrive.” The council immediately scattered to do as commanded.

  Soon, Vittoria and Marcella were left alone in the throne room. Neither of them spoke, but merely looked at the other.

  “War would have happened either way,” Marcella said suddenly, her face eerie in the flickering candlelight as her eyes glanced around the empty room.

  “It could still be prevented,” Vittoria attempted to reason. Her voice sounded hollow to her own ears, though.

  Marcella’s hard gaze softened as she looked at Vittoria, who suddenly seemed so small in her armor.

  “I do not take calling for war lightly, Vittoria,” Marcella said softly, her eyes meeting Vittoria’s dark green. “Please know this. The war between our species has been a long time coming. It was only a matter of when it would finally boil over.”

  “But if Marius was removed from power—”

  “Then Aerona could assume the role of Alpha and we could bargain a peace.”

  “Yes!” Vittoria said, becoming exasperated.

  “She might call for peace or she might follow in the footsteps of her mentor.”

  “Surely you cannot be this blind, Marcella.” Vittoria’s eyes hardened as she looked at her maker.

  Marcella merely sighed, stepping down the stairs from her throne and walking to her heir. “I do not wish for this. But diplomacy will not work here, not now. Marius has already summoned his force of wolves.” Marcella looked at Vittoria. “I know you care for Aerona and that you two are friends…but you will have to face her on the battlefield, and I need to know that should you face her, you will not hold back.”

  Vittoria released a shaky breath before giving a curt nod.

  “Do not forget, tomorrow evening is the ball at Buda Castle. Emperor Sigismund is expecting us to be in attendance,” Marcella said softly as she lightly touched Vittoria’s arm. She then breezed by her, exiting the room and heading toward the dungeons to feed.

  Vittoria stood in the throne room alone. Her eyes fixated on her obsidian throne, the black shine reflecting the soft light of the candles.

  She could not stand by and do nothing while Marius’ forces amassed.

  A low growl rumbled in her chest and she spun on her heel, swiftly pushing through the throne room doors and expertly navigating the stone halls before she came to a nearby exit. She pushed open a heavy wooden door and stepped out onto the wall of the castle. Her eyes scanned over the land. Various sentries were posted atop the walls of the fortress while foot soldiers stood watch around its base. Vittoria looked up to the sky, her body vibrating and pulsing as the shift came.

  She remembered the first time she had experienced the shift. It had taken her by surprise to say the least. She and Marcella had their first argument; only a week or so after Vittoria was turned. She had disintegrated into a swarm of bats, and then reappeared a moment later, completely terrified of what had happened. Marcella had merely fell into a fit of laughter at her horrified expression, and then proceeded to explain how to control the change. Vittoria preferred to run if possible, but she did find the transformation convenient when she needed to travel farther distances.

  This would be one such case.

  Vittoria’s form dissolved into the swarm of bats as she leapt from the castle walls. The swarm dipped and flipped before surging upward and away from the castle, leaving the vampires and Marcella behind. She needed to find Aerona and warn her of what was to come should Marius continue moving toward them.

  She needed to try and contain war.

  She knew that Marius’ army was a week away, and she needed to try and find Aerona before tomorrow evening, which meant she would have to travel in daylight. She was still too young to withstand direct sunlight for more than an hour. Were she a normal fledgling, and not a Queen, she would be lucky to survive the rays for ten minutes.

  She flew through the night, for hours, with only the soft flap of the bats’ wings to keep her company. She had managed to make it out of the Kingdom of Hungary a few hours ago, and had now crossed into the territory of the Holy Roman Empire. Dawn was beginning to approach, and Vittoria began to feel the pull of slumber in her bones. She forced herself to ignore it as she descended to the ground, swiftly flying through the trees, eyes scanning for a human body. She heard the pump of a human heart ahead, no doubt some bandit wandering through the woods, and she soared toward it gladly. Quickly, she found the warmth of the body, her swarm dissolving into her human form as her teeth pierced flesh and hot blood coursed into her mouth. She drank greedily, ripping her mouth away as his heart stopped and licked the wounds closed, being careful to make sure she left no evidence of her feast.

  Her feet carried her on as the sun began to rise on the horizon. She stayed within the trees, keeping to the shade as best as possible as she ran. The blood had helped the tiredness in her bones subside, allowing her to continue her mission. She pushed herself to run faster, leaping over fallen trees and nimbly avoiding branches and traps.

  She was halfway through the Empire when she smelled her.

  Vittoria leapt into a nearby tree, carefully leaping branch to branch as she moved forward, her ears focused and eyes sharp. She came to a halt, stopping on a branch high above the ground as she spotted her.

  Aerona’s short tight curls bounced slightly as she walked through the forest. Her dark skin glistened with sweat as she led her company through the trees. She had a few wolves with her, still in their human form, diligently scanning the woods while they walked. Vittoria smiled to herself as she dropped down in front of them, effectively startling the group.

  The others grabbed their swords, quickly unsheathing them and readying themselves before Aerona held up a hand in command.

  “Do not attack.”

  “She is a vampire!” the one growled, his nose turning up and sniffing before a snarl of disgust exited his lips.

  “I would hold your tongue,” Vittoria said, her voice low and dangerous as her eyes changed color. The wolves lowered their weapons and backed away to give Vittoria and Aerona their privacy.

  “It seems you even scare our kind,” Aerona said with a grin as she looked at her friend. “What are you doing here, Vittoria?”

  “I know that Marius is gathering his forces and is heading toward us,” Vittoria said, watching as Aerona’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Why did you not try to warn me?”

  Aerona shifted uncomfortably before glancing back at the guards with her. She gestured for Vittoria to follow her deeper into the woods, only stopping when both were sure no one was following.

  “Marius knows that you and I have a friendship. He has had others positioned with me since he decided to go to war with the vampires.�
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  “So he has made you a prisoner.”

  Aerona hummed. “Indeed. I do not like the idea of war, Vittoria, believe me.”

  “Nor do I. Marcella, however, has called for war against the wolves. I tried to reason with her, explain that if we could just remove Marius and have you assume the role of Alpha, we could negotiate peace.”

  “I wish that could be so.” Aerona smiled sadly. “But Marius will not be so easily removed, and he has the backing of a great number of our pack.”

  “Surely there is another way, Aerona.” Vittoria’s eyes desperately looked to her, searching chocolate brown.

  “I am afraid that there is not. If I would usurp Marius, I would not have the support of many of the pack, and I cannot afford to lose that support. I am truly sorry, Vittoria.”

  “I do not want to meet you on the battlefield.”

  “But you will have to,” Aerona said sadly before holding out her arm.

  Vittoria frowned as she grasped Aerona’s forearm, holding it for a moment as they looked at each other.

  “May we still call the other ‘friend’ when this is all over,” Vittoria said sadly as she released Aerona’s arm.

  “Perhaps once this has ended we may have peace.”

  “I would like nothing more.”

  “Aerona!” came the cry from her company. Aerona and Vittoria both took off at a run, rushing back toward the sounds of the group. They could hear screams and cries coming from a nearby village as they ran, pushing themselves to go faster. Vittoria easily passed Aerona, rushing by her and coming to a halt at the edge of the tree line, remaining in the shadows and away from the sun’s glare.

  “Devourers,” Vittoria growled.

  Aerona reached the vampire and stopped at her side.

  “We must act quickly,” Vittoria said as she unsheathed her sword.

  “No,” Aerona said gently as she and her company watched the village be slaughtered by bloodthirsty werewolves.

  Vittoria’s head whipped to the side, her eyes gazing on Aerona’s face. “No?” she asked in disbelief.