Ignis (Book 2, Pure Series)

by Mesick, Catherine

"I knew what you meant," Anton said. "I'm exasperating, aren't I?"

  I stifled an angry reply—this was not the time to get distracted by an argument.

  "I also can't see very well in the dark," I said, "and I forgot to bring a flashlight."

  "This is your lucky night," Anton said, grinning. "I happened to anticipate your very human difficulties, and I brought something that will help."

  He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out something small and glowing.

  "Take off your gloves and hold out your hands," he said.

  Quickly, I did as he asked.

  "Now cover this as soon as it touches your skin," Anton said. "You don't want to let this get away just yet."

  He placed the glowing object into my outstretched hands, and I swiftly cupped one hand over the other. Golden light streamed out from between my fingers, and something fluttered softly against my hands—it felt like I was holding a butterfly.

  "What is it?" I asked.

  "I believe you would call it a 'will-o'-the wisp,'" Anton said, pronouncing the last word in English. "Also known as ignis fatuus, or 'foolish fire.' The greatest pleasure of this delightful little creature is to lead people astray. This one is a friend of mine. He's agreed to help us out."

  "Ignis," I murmured. "There's that word again. Sacer ignis exitus mundi. The world will end in holy fire."

  Anton looked at me in surprise. "Where did you hear that?"

  "From Innokenti," I replied.

  "There are many interpretations of that saying," Anton said, his tone unexpectedly serious as he echoed Innokenti's sentiments on the topic. "Some people think it means either a famous sword, or simple fire itself, can defeat even the most dangerous of enemies. Others take a more metaphorical approach and think that 'holy fire' refers to the fire of a courageous heart. I think something different—I think the saying can be interpreted literally. The world will end—for us anyway, for vampires—not for humans. Ultimately we will all burn and die. There is no magic, no fire of any kind that will defeat our enemies. There will come a day when all of us cease to exist."

  "That's horrible," I said.

  Amusement glimmered in Anton's eyes. "You think so? I imagine that most humans, if they knew about us, would be glad to be rid of us."

  Anton glanced around and then went on with some urgency. "You know, we'd really better get moving. As I said this particular will-o'-the-wisp is a friend of mine. He'll lead you to the old keep."

  "You're sure about that?" I asked. "He won't lead me astray?"

  "No, he won't," Anton said with a smirk. "This one owes me a favor—a big favor. He'll lead you to the keep safely, and he's also agreed to use his power to give you a little more speed. That's why it was necessary for you to hold him in your bare hands—that allows the transfer of power. The effect will only be temporary, however."

  "So what do I do?" I asked.

  "Just let him go," Anton said, "and then follow him." He gave me a wolfish grin. "I promise I'll make the chase look good."

  I wasn't sure I liked the sound of that.

  I opened my hands, and a golden, luminous sphere leapt up into the air. I thought I saw a tiny figure hovering in the center of the glow, but before I could get a good look at it, the sphere bounced off, and hung in the air a few yards away.

  Anton held out a hand. "After you."

  The will-o'-the-wisp was not terribly far away, so I simply walked toward it. I was just close enough to reach out and touch it, when it suddenly darted away.

  I ran after it.

  The will-o'-the-wisp moved with dizzying speed, and somehow, startlingly, I found myself able to stay just behind it. I could feel energy running through me that surely must have been transmitted by the will-o'-the-wisp.

  All around me was dark, despite the snow, and the golden glow ahead of me was the only real source of light I had. The will-o'-the-wisp bounced and danced and gamboled in the night, and I was overcome with a strong desire to possess it. I had the feeling that the light was the key to a great treasure—if I could catch the will-o'-the-wisp, it would lead me to a horde of gold and riches that glowed as brightly as the little creature did. I forced myself to shake the feeling off.

  I knew I couldn't afford to get lost in the fantasy the will-o'-the-wisp was spinning.

  I chased the dancing light across the Wasteland, and it seemed as if there was nothing and no one left in the world but me and the will-o'-the-wisp. I glanced behind me, looking for Anton, but all I could see was darkness. I panicked—what if the will-o'-the-wisp had led me the wrong way? What if we had shaken off Anton and were no longer headed toward the keep?

  What if the will-o'-the-wisp could not be trusted?

  Suddenly, there was a snarl in my ear, and I glimpsed a flash of glittering eye and sharp teeth.

  I cried out, and mocking laughter echoed around me.

  I realized that I hadn't lost Anton, and even though that was technically a good thing, I couldn't help running even faster.

  The will-o'-the-wisp danced on, always tantalizingly just out of reach, and Anton continued to make his presence known from time to time in the most disconcerting manner possible.

  Eventually, I spied the ghostly pallor of the Pure Woods looming in the distance up ahead of the bouncing will-o'-the-wisp.

  Soon we plunged into the trees.

  The will-o'-the-wisp led me on a dangerous chase, darting close to the petrified tree trunks that loomed suddenly out of the dark and veering away at the last possible moment. Incredibly, I found myself able to follow the will-o'-the-wisp's treacherous, tortuous path, and I slipped through the trees without so much as a scratch from an outstretched branch.

  We ran at breakneck speed deeper and deeper into the woods. Before long, we had crossed into territory that I did not recognize—the woods were far larger than I had realized.

  I followed the golden sphere of light into an expansive clearing, and by the light of the luminous trees, I could see a dark shape on the top of a hill. A round, stone cylinder of a building reached up to the sky—it was a solitary tower.

  I realized we had reached our destination—the tower before me must be the keep.

  I then realized with a jolt that I had seen the keep before. Back in Elspeth's Grove I had had a dream about this keep—and about being chased by Anton.

  I had also dreamed that I had fallen from the keep to what had surely been my death. Of course, in dreams no one ever really died. But parts of my dream had turned out to be real. What if it would all turn out to be real?

  Fear began to gnaw at me.

  The will-o'-the-wisp darted around to the other side of the keep and vanished from my sight. I hurried after it and was just in time to see the golden sphere disappear into an open doorway.

  A quick glance to the side showed me that there was a sheer drop behind the keep—one much steeper than Mara's Drop in the town. It was certainly a good spot for a fortification. No one would be able to approach the keep from the back—it was far too dangerous.

  I plunged into the keep after the will-o'-the-wisp and was startled to hear the heavy door through which I had just passed slam closed behind me. I felt another surge of panic then, and I scrambled after the will-o'-the-wisp.

  The golden sphere bounced ahead of me down a hall, and then it began to surge upward. I realized that it was mounting a staircase. I ran after the will-o'-the-wisp, stumbling and slipping on stone steps that spiraled up into the darkness. The glowing sphere that led me on was the only source of light I had now—the luminescent trees of the Pure Woods were blocked now by the solid walls of the keep. I was terrified to lose sight of the will-o'-the-wisp, and in my haste to keep up, I fell, badly skinning the palms of both my hands.

  I got up and kept going.

  The will-o'-the-wisp led me all the way up to the top of the stairs, and then out through a trapdoor in the roof, where I broke out into open air once again. We were at the very top of the keep, and I could see the ghostly trees of the Pu
re Woods in a pale ring far below us. The will-o'-the-wisp darted up to the crenellated wall of the keep and leaped over it, disappearing from view.

  I rushed after it and prepared to leap off the parapet wall.

  Something like an iron band wrapped around my arm and pulled me backward with terrific force. I stumbled into a solid body and looked up into the glittering dark eyes of Anton.

  "I wouldn't recommend going that way, Sunshine," he said. "You're likely to find that first step a little steep."

  I looked back toward the parapet and realized with horror that I had been about to leap to my death.

  "I—I don't know what I was thinking," I said to Anton. "Thanks. I'm glad you were here. Really glad."

  Anton shrugged. "It wasn't your fault. Will-o'-the-wisps can be like that, even when they help you. You had to be entranced or else the speed enhancement spell wouldn't have worked. And our little friend had fulfilled his part of the task and couldn't help throwing in a little mischief at the end. He knew I was following right behind you and would stop you. At least I think he knew that."

  I tried to step away from Anton, but I found that he held me solidly against him.

  "It's okay, Anton," I said. "I won't jump now. You can let go."

  Anton smiled. "Are you sure?"

  "Yes," I said.

  Anton's smile deepened, but I felt his grip relax.

  I walked toward the parapet wall and looked over it. There were flashes of fire in amongst the trees.

  I could hear screaming.

  "What's going on?" I asked.

  "Our people have been hiding in the woods around the keep, waiting for our arrival. Now that we're here, and we have successfully induced the hybrids to follow us, our people have launched their attack with the new weapons. Soon they will fall back to the keep. And then, with any luck, we'll pick off the hybrids one by one. They should keep coming, even if they're being destroyed. Past experience says they're a pretty tenacious group."

  There were more bursts of flame and more screams.

  "Is William out there?" I asked.

  "No," Anton said. "He's back at the castle with a small group of our newer recruits. He's getting them ready to defend the villagers at the festival. Innokenti thought it would be better if William didn't know about what was going on here till he saw it for himself—he was afraid William would put a stop to it. He'll be here, though, as soon as the alarm goes up, which should be happening right about now. As much as I hate to say it, William's one of our best fighters. We need him for this."

  Anton continued to watch the flashes of fire in the trees, and I was surprised to see he wasn't moving.

  "You're staying?" I asked.

  "Yes, of course." Anton tilted his head on the side. "Did you think I'd leave you?"

  "So you're one of them?" I asked. "You're one of these vampire warriors?"

  "Yes—did you ever doubt it? I said William was one of the best. Well, I am the best. I'm the best protection there is."

  "Where's your armor?" I asked.

  "Under my coat," Anton replied. "I thought I'd surprise you."

  There was a flurry of motion below us, and I turned back to look over the parapet wall.

  The vampires with their leather armor and their crossbows were backing into the clearing on all sides. They turned swiftly toward the keep and sprang onto its walls.

  The vampires began to climb.

  I couldn't help recoiling in horror as dozens of pale-faced vampires surged toward me. I backed away from the edge.

  The last thing I saw before the ground below was lost to my sight was a headless body with a charred neck, staggering out of the trees, waving its arms as if it sought to grapple with its beheader. In the darkness, I could see the white, angular smoke of the hybrid swirling in awkward, violent shapes around the headless body.

  I shut my eyes against it.

  "Stay in the center," Anton shouted to me. "We'll cover the circumference of the roof. They won't be able to get up here."

  I shuffled back a few feet, still keeping my eyes closed. When I dared to open them again, I saw that I was surrounded by vampires. They were leaning over the parapet, aiming their crossbows and firing.

  I could hear horrible, inhuman screeches from the ground below, mingled with a wild gibbering. I knew that gibbering only too well—it was the sound a kost made when it attacked. Apparently the hybrids had retained this part of their kost heritage.

  I moved back a few more feet, and then huddled down beside the trapdoor in the floor. Standing made me feel dangerously exposed.

  The trapdoor flew open with sudden force, and I stumbled backward, terrified.

  I thought for one horrifying moment that the hybrids had broken through.

  Then a familiar, well-loved face showed itself above the space in the floor.

  "William!" I cried.

  William turned and looked at me. Shock spread over his face.

  "Katie!"

  William quickly climbed onto the roof. He dropped his crossbow and grabbed me by the arms.

  "What are you doing here?" he demanded, pulling me to my feet. "Are you okay?" His face darkened. "I wondered why the hybrids were gathering here. Did Innokenti do this?"

  "No," I said breathlessly. "It was my idea."

  William's expression grew even darker. "I'm sure that's what he led you to believe."

  Five other vampires had come out of the trapdoor after William, and he began to pull me back toward them.

  "I'm getting you out of here," William said grimly.

  "Wait, William. Wait," I said, twisting in his grasp. "I can't leave."

  "You can't stay here," he said. "It's too dangerous."

  A hand landed on William's chest.

  "What's dangerous is leaving the keep. The woods are crawling with hybrids."

  I looked up. Anton had suddenly appeared beside us.

  William released me and seized Anton.

  "I should have known you were part of this," William said furiously. "She's an innocent girl. She doesn't understand what she's gotten herself into. I'm getting her out of here now. And if you try to stop me, I'll tear you apart."

  "Anton is right," shouted a new voice.

  I turned to see a pale, fair-haired vampire standing just behind us—he was one of the small group who had followed William through the trapdoor. He appeared to be young—probably about the same age I was. Of course, with vampires age was hard to tell. For all I knew, he could be hundreds of years old.

  "Anton is right," the fair-haired vampire said again. "If you try to take the human girl through the woods, the hybrids will capture her and kill you. If you truly value her life, you will allow her to remain."

  William turned a face full of fury on the fair-haired vampire, but he loosened his grip on Anton and pushed him away.

  "She will stay for now," William said.

  Then he stepped toward Anton. "But if anything happens to Katie, I will hold you accountable."

  "Just do what you're supposed to do," Anton said contemptuously, "and everything will be fine."

  Anton walked back toward the parapet, and the fair-haired vampire went to his own post.

  William seemed reluctant to leave me. "Stay here and keep your head down. Nothing will harm you while I stand."

  "This is where I want to be," I said.

  Strange as it was, those words were true.

  William gave me one last despairing look, and then retrieved his crossbow and rushed off to the parapet wall.

  I huddled next to the trapdoor and listened to the sounds of the fight all around me. The crossbows sang with deadly regularity, and I could hear the shrieks of the hybrids as they were struck by the razor-sharp projectiles. I couldn't see what was going on, but I couldn't help but picture the scene below—hybrids swarming out of the trees, projectiles bursting into flame and hacking off limbs, lodging in chests, severing heads.

  But beheading the hybrids, I knew, was only part of destroying them. They sti
ll had to be wrestled back into their graves and burned to ash. Otherwise, as I had already seen, they would continue to fight—even without their heads.

  As far as I could tell, the entire vampire force was in the keep—there was no one left on the ground to do the wrestling or the burning.

  I began to feel deeply uneasy. Immediate physical danger had been my preoccupation before. Now I began to think about the odds against us.

  The hybrids would keep coming, and we were outnumbered.

  What if I had doomed us all?

  The shrieks from below continued.

  Suddenly, there was a cry much closer at hand.

  I turned to see a hybrid, its green-flame eyes burning with hatred, appear over the top of the parapet, angular smoke swirling around it. The creature's large, death-pale hand was wrapped around the handle of an axe.

  As I watched, the hybrid buried the axe deeply in the shoulder of a vampire defender. The vampire dropped his crossbow and wrenched the axe out. Then, he swung it in an arc, aiming for the hybrid's neck.

  I turned away quickly.

  Unfortunately, as I looked to the other side, I saw another pair of flame-green eyes rise up over the parapet. A new hybrid bared his teeth in a feral cry.

  I looked away again and spotted yet another hybrid. This one also had an axe, and he began hacking away at the two vampires defenders on either side of him. The hybrid was shot in the chest by a third vampire, and I heard him scream as he fell away.

  But there were more cries from our circle of defenders, and more and more hybrids appeared over the parapet wall.

  There were too many of them. We were soon going to be overwhelmed.

  The sounds of the fight continued to swirl around me, as I closed my eyes and hoped that I was wrong.

  My eyes flew open when I heard an ear-splitting shriek close by. I twisted around.

  One of the hybrids had successfully made it over the parapet and was now standing on the roof. Angular smoke was swirling around him in a thick haze, and I remembered that I was the only one who could actually see the smoke. It was one of the gifts I had been given as a result of my heritage. I could track the smoke generated by the kost, but the smoke served to distract others—like vampires. The smoke was a defense mechanism of the kost—a field that could jam an enemy's senses. I realized with horror that the smoky haze generated by the hybrids was having an adverse effect on the vampire defenders.