Nevis was the most unexpected thing to happen to me, and the single most decisive shift in my life. To think that Ta’Zan and his plan to destroy my world didn’t even come close to that spoke volumes. And as the ice king deepened our kiss, I had to admit… I was hooked.
Fire bloomed in my veins as my soul almost reached out to touch his, fueled by this otherworldly feeling between us—a feeling for which I was ready to kill a thousand Ta’Zans, just so I’d never be deprived of it ever again.
Dmitri
Varga, Kallisto, and I searched the town’s upper levels for a while, as Amane, Ridan, and Raphael went ahead and did a full roundabout tour of the place. There wasn’t much to explore. It was a ghost town. Most of the Draenir elements were dead or covered in weeds. Wildflowers grew over tables, twisting through pieces of jewelry and candlestick holders. Ivy-like greenery dressed the walls, both in and out. In some of the houses, trees grew in the middle of the room, having spread across the ceiling before breaking out and upward through the windows.
Nature didn’t care about who lived here. After all, it had no problem decorating the skeletons and turning this whole place into a saddening botanical wonder.
We spent the better part of the afternoon here as the sun went down somewhere in the west. The sky darkened, taking on a reddish hue before it plunged into purple. The outdoor lights looked even more beautiful now, on the brink of evening. They were hung in the lower crowns and nearly impossible to spot from above—the thought gave me a drop of comfort, as I was able to enjoy their beauty without worrying about Perfects flying overhead and noticing.
The Draenir used some of the magi-tech we’d come to know them for, but they were quite conservative with it in this town. They only employed the essentials, such as heating and electricity, communications, and a variety of tools to make their lives easier. At some point, Amane was called into the town hall by Elonora—they’d found some archives there, recorded on glass tablets.
From what I could tell, the town hall was the only building equipped with computer systems of any kind. The people here had been closer to nature than their advanced technology. I’d heard talk over the comms line about a Hermessi altar out in the town square. If the Draenir here had, in fact, worshipped these entities, then it made even more sense as to why the elements were so powerful and clearly present here.
I let Kallisto and Varga go ahead. They went inside what looked like a cultural center of sorts. Now that the power was on, we could see the illuminated posters outside, mounted on thin glass panels. The images were still visible and colorful, despite the blotches of moss and the layer of dirt that covered the surface. There were chairs and tables outside, some still intact, others knocked over and enveloped by wilderness, or eaten down by time.
The wide entrance allowed me to glimpse inside as Varga and Kallisto explored the first hall. I saw musical and artistic instruments, piles of journals and books, floor pillows and stools organized in small circles. This had to be a place of cultural and artistic enrichment for the Draenir, and it was nice to know that this civilization took pleasure from things and events similar to ours.
“I bet they used to come here every Sunday to paint and dance and play instruments,” I heard Varga say.
“Why?” Kallisto asked.
I couldn’t help but smile, finding Varga downright endearing as he proceeded to explain the basics of cultural activities to a Faulty who’d known nothing but service to Ta’Zan and survival in the wild, up to this point. There was an interesting friendship forming between the Nevertide prince and the rogue Faulty. It wasn’t romance or anything of that sort, though. They weren’t interested in each other like that. I would’ve caught a scent, a change in their hormones, and Elonora would’ve said something, for sure.
No, what Varga and Kallisto were developing was simpler, as they got to know each other better and realized they liked similar things—with an emphasis on exploring and eating food. These two could easily become travel buddies, provided we managed to survive this horror show.
I left them to their own devices and went up the alley to another level. As I wandered around and checked each house and backyard, my mind wandered back to Douma. This happened on a regular basis, once every five to ten minutes, tops. She’d burrowed so deep into my soul that I couldn’t get her out anymore.
My heart ached. I wanted her back. Hell, I needed her back. Most importantly, I didn’t want them to change her. I didn’t want her to forget about our time together without her prowling around, looking to hunt me down. There was already a resolution settled in the back of my head, though. Even if Ta’Zan did implant her old memories, I was willing to start her over again, like we’d done before. I could do it over and over, still, and not get enough of it.
While it might’ve seemed tedious, Douma and I gradually getting to know each other was one of the best experiences in my life. No matter how she saw me, she was a true wonder.
Something clawed at my stomach as I settled on the doorstep of a small townhouse—close enough to the edge to give me a decent view of the other side of the bowl-shaped mountain settlement. I wondered what Douma was doing. Had they brought her in already? Had they already “fixed” her, or was she resisting in a glass box, somewhere? The uncertainty was too much to take, so I did the only thing I could.
I pressed the direct line button on my earpiece and reached out to my great-uncle. “Hey, Derek, are you there?” I asked.
His voice came through, crystal clear, as I settled on a bench outside one of the houses overlooking the town. “Dmitri? Are you okay?” he replied.
“Yeah, we’re just exploring this old Draenir town before we make our way down there. It was on the route we initially agreed on,” I said. “How are you holding up?”
“As well as I can, considering,” Derek grumbled.
“Any word on Sofia?”
“Ta’Zan is keeping her close, but she’s okay. Isda is looking after her. Amal insisted that it be so, which came as a surprise,” Derek explained.
“What in the world is Amal playing at, then?” I sighed. “One minute she’s helping, the next she’s selling you out, and now, what, she’s helping again?!”
“Pretty much. We’ve got our guard up this time, though. She fooled us once; we’re not letting her do it a second time around,” he said.
A few moments passed in silence, until I summoned the courage to ask my most burning question. “Have you heard anything about Douma?”
There was a crackling sound in my ear, before Grandpa Xavier’s voice replaced Derek’s. “Dmitri, it’s Grandpa,” he replied. “Listen, we haven’t heard anything about Douma yet, but I want you to know we’re doing the best we can to find out. Isda will keep us posted once she learns something.”
I couldn’t help but smile at the sound of his voice. “Grandpa. How are you? How’s Grandma?”
“Meh. We’ve had better days, I suppose,” he said. “I wanted to tell you something about her, actually. I just realized that with all the kerfuffle and running around and everything else that’s been going on, we didn’t share a pretty important piece of information,” he added, lowering his voice.
“What’s that?”
I got back up, feeling restless, and walked over to the fenced edge of the alley. Looking down, I felt my breath leave my chest at the speed of light. The view before me was stunning. Flowering trees glimmered with amber, incandescent lightbulbs all around and below. Then, at the very bottom and smack in the middle, the reddish sky with magenta clouds was reflected in the pond. Colorful blossoms trembled everywhere, caressed by the afternoon breeze.
How could a place so beautiful be responsible for this much grief and anguish?
“I heard that Ben, Vesta, and Kailani have all had dreams about the world sort of… ending. About the Hermessi,” Grandpa Xavier said. “We’ve had a similar phenomenon here. Lucas, Kailyn, all the other fae that survived the fleet attack. They’ve all dreamed about the same thing. The earth ope
ning up and collapsing in on itself, swallowing everyone we know, destroying everything.”
I nodded slowly. “That doesn’t come as a surprise. We’re assuming that it’s the Hermessi trying to make contact, and we know they’re particularly linked to the fae. Recently, it hasn’t been just Ben and Vesta. Bogdana and Taeral have experienced the same thing. What’s weird is that Kailani and Lumi have each had a vision. The same scene. The same destruction. The same ending. It’s what made us conclude that it’s definitely a message from these entities.”
“Yeah, your grandmother had a dream-vision, too,” Grandpa Xavier replied.
“Whoa… She hasn’t had one of those in years!” I gasped. “Same layout? Same outcome?”
“Mm-hm. But, just like Lumi and Kailani, she’s only seen it once. It’s not recurring, like with the fae, who now dream about it every night,” he explained.
“Huh. That’s interesting. I suppose it has something to do with the natural connection to the elements. Grandma, Lumi, and Kailani aren’t fueled by them, like the fae, which is why the Hermessi only managed to make contact with them once,” I said. “It’s a shame our oracles aren’t functional anymore. I sure could’ve used one of Vita’s visions by now.”
Grandpa Xavier sighed. “You know, Viv and I have wondered about this, too. Aida hasn’t had a clear vision since she gave birth, and even during her pregnancy, there was barely a flicker of the present, here and there, random and completely unrelated to what was happening in her life. Vita, too, hasn’t had a vision since she got pregnant.”
“Maybe they’re related. Maybe… I don’t know, what if they’re losing their oracle powers because of the kids?” I asked.
“That’s a possibility. Would Phoenix lose his, too, if Viola gets pregnant? Or does it only apply to the female oracles?”
I chuckled softly. “I don’t know, Grandpa. It’s not like we know much about oracle abilities to begin with. But Phoenix hasn’t had any past visions of Strava, either. I’m thinking they would need to be here, anyway, to have their visions on this topic. Proximity might be essential. Regardless, we shouldn’t rely on oracle visions. We all know what’s coming, don’t we?”
I heard him sigh again. “I suppose you’re right,” he said. “What’s the town like? The one you’re in now?”
Glancing around, I felt a smile stretching my lips, while grief flooded my heart in a peculiar contrast. “It’s beautiful, and it’s sad at the same time. The skeletons remain, but vegetation is taking over this place. These people were happy here. They bothered no one.”
I went on to tell him about the flowery skeletons and the serium-powered generator. We exchanged thoughts about the Draenir’s infrastructure, and I described some of the devices and pipes I’d seen on different levels.
It felt good to talk to my grandpa, especially at this turning point of our trial. He got my mind off Douma for a few minutes, and I needed that—desperately. I figured he needed to talk about something else besides the diamond dome and the painful routine that he and Grandma had been forced into.
I comforted myself with the thought that I would stop at nothing until we were all together again, and free. I wanted my brother back, too. Ta’Zan had taken a lot of people that I loved. To my surprise, Douma’s name came up in that group.
Yeah, I’m in love. And I’m getting her back. I’m getting all of them back.
Kailani
We took the south side of Ta’Zan’s cluster of occupied archipelagos, maintaining a distance of at least fifty miles from the border colosseums. Ben, Lumi, and I led the way, while Hunter stayed right behind us, along with Vesta, Zeriel, Bogdana, Bijarki, Taeral, Draven, and Serena.
The trip across the string of small islands was relatively easy. I may have had a difficult relationship with the Word, but I could still use my natural abilities, flawlessly. So, I teleported everyone from one island to the next. We took our time to explore each patch of dry land, while the fae in our group carefully monitored their bodies’ reactions to the environment.
We were operating on the assumption that our fae would literally feel it if the Hermessi were stronger and more present in some places. Lumi spearheaded this endeavor, since she’d been the one to first sense them upon landing back on Merinos.
I didn’t have much time to think about the storm brewing inside me—the Draenir deaths I’d caused, the fact that Hunter had lied to me about it. I was too busy keeping a look out and making sure we weren’t seen or followed. Every noise, every branch breaking nearby, every flutter of wings kept me on edge.
We stopped on the beach of one of these small islands to survey the lands ahead. The turquoise ocean glimmered beneath the sunny skies. Across the water was a deep jungle, spanning several square miles and most likely hiding a secret. My instincts told me so, urging me to go check it out. I took Lumi’s and Ben’s hands, and they then locked hands with the others.
I briefly glanced at Hunter, who was frowning as he looked at me. He’d definitely noticed the fact that I’d stopped holding his hand during teleportation. I figured he knew I was mad at him, but neither of us had the time or the energy to address this issue right now.
We vanished, then reappeared on the edge of the dark jungle.
“What’s this place?” Taeral asked.
Ben checked the tablet map. His eyebrows popped upward. “Oh. There’s a lagoon on the other side,” he said. “We marked some Draenir settlements in these parts.”
“Is there a reason why we’re here, Kale?” Lumi asked me.
“I think so,” I replied. “It’s… I don’t know, I guess it’s calling to me.”
“Then let’s check it out,” she said with a smile.
I had to admit, I was deeply fond of Lumi. Sure, she scared the hell out of me sometimes, since she could be extremely cold and clinical at times when most of us would be overrun by compassion and grief, but I knew she cared about me. She was the only one who understood my rocky relationship with the Word. She was probably the only one who truly knew the pain I was experiencing. Everywhere I looked, I saw the charred bodies of the Draenir I’d killed. I was going to live with that for the rest of my life, and I didn’t know how to process it. Granted, I’d had no control over my body at the time, but still… I couldn’t help but feel responsible.
We moved through the woods, paying attention to any strange or unfamiliar sounds. The air was dry and cool in these parts of the island, and I welcomed it with deep breaths, tired of the humidity and temperature fluctuations we’d walked and teleported through since the winter isle.
Giant trees with thick trunks rose around us, twisting and turning until their branches were entangled overhead. Each was big enough for someone to live in, much like the treehouses of The Shade. Purple, pear-shaped fruits hung from some of them, while others boasted strings of pale yellow blossoms the size of my head.
“Look at that,” Vesta whispered, pointing at a swarm of blue, white, and black butterflies that had settled over one such flowery string. Their wing patterns were peculiar, mimicking tiger coats. They, too, were huge, with each wing spanning the length of my palm. They moved them gently, as if congregating over a sip of sweet nectar.
We walked past them, and they didn’t seem bothered at all. Farther ahead, basking in a single ray of sunshine that had managed to pierce through the rich foliage of the woods, was a turquoise tiger. It, too, was uninterested in us, stretching its limbs and purring as it enjoyed the natural warmth. It was close enough to be in danger, but it didn’t care.
These were just some of the first signs that this place was not like anything that we’d encountered before. It was as if nature was calm and pleased to see us here. Well, not nature, but rather the natural elements, which all creatures needed in order to survive.
“Damn, this is beautiful,” Zeriel muttered.
“It’s slightly different from what we’ve seen so far,” Draven said, looking around.
Serena used her True Sight to explore the rest o
f the woods. She smiled often during the scan. “All the animals here… the insects, the birds… They’re all so calm. It’s a little weird. Cute, but weird.”
“Notice the trees, too,” Bijarki replied, pointing up.
We followed his gaze, growing breathless when thousands of branches moved back at once, like arms untangling and making room for the sun to shine. There was sense in it, though. The crowns only parted to let a thick line of light come down, shining a path for us.
“Follow the sun,” I whispered, my entire being humming.
Something drew me forward. I rushed down the lit path, while the others followed. I could feel their eyes on me, but I couldn’t explain why I was so keen to get to the end of this narrow road. It was calling me.
We darted through the woods, and the sun and the trees continued to point the way. Within minutes, the entire jungle opened up, revealing the lagoon. I came to a screeching halt, forcing Lumi and Ben to bump into me, shortly followed by the others.
We all stilled, trying to take it all in and wrap our heads around the ethereal beauty unraveling before us. The lagoon itself was narrow and long, its white sand beach sprinkled with what had to be coral dust or crystals in billions of different colors. On the other side of the lagoon, still standing on artificial platforms made of bamboo-like wood interconnected by stairs, were approximately two dozen cottages. Shrubs and vines had grown over them, but we could still make out the general shape.
A Shade of Vampire 66: An Edge of Malice Page 9