Crimson Hollow

by Andrea Pearson

  Rauel continued. “We imprisoned him in that little graveyard in Holland. With his flame gone, the sun should have gradually killed him as he starved. But he found a way around that.”

  I knew where Rauel was going with this. “By consuming the souls of ghosts around him.”

  Rauel nodded. “Yes, exactly.”

  I leaned forward, resting my head in my hands. “What am I supposed to do? I need your help, but there’s no way I’m going through all that again to get your fire. It was absolutely horrendous.”

  Rauel chuckled. “What makes you think you have to? I’m not Lord Kenan. My flame wasn’t hidden from me.”

  I blinked. “You mean, I wouldn’t have to return to the Etemenanki?”

  He shook his head. “Of course not. The process is relatively simple. Being a Fire Impeder, you already have what you need.”

  “I don’t have to travel halfway around the world?” I needed to reaffirm that. I was done with traveling—forever, if possible.

  Rauel shook his head. “No, you don’t. You could even give it back to me now if you wanted to.”

  He did a decent job of hiding his hope, but I caught it just the same. “And? What if I did?”

  “I’d still be in this hospital bed. It takes time for us to regenerate enough to function. And I’d need nourishment—real nourishment. Once my flame is restored, the sun will gradually feed me, but I’ll eventually need a fresh blood supply.”

  “So, if I gave your fire back right now, would you kill me immediately?”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Rauel laughed bitterly. “No. It was never my intention to kill you. I only wanted to gather information.”

  “Okay, let’s get on the same page. I give your fire back, you stick around here until you’re able to take care of yourself, and . . . then what happens?”

  “And then you meet me at Crimson Hollow.”

  “Crimson Hollow? I don’t know where that is.”

  “Of course you do. You’ve seen it. It’s where I was when your stupid police officers found me.”

  “Why do you call it Crimson Hollow?”

  “Crimson Hollow is anywhere we choose to live. It’s a sacred name to us.” He raised his hand as if to stop me. “It’s not sacred enough for you not to know—it doesn’t carry power. It’s simply where we’re currently dwelling. Mainly because we use blood to further our powers.”

  “So, blood everywhere.”

  “Basically, yes.”

  “And what beef do you have against Lord Kenan?” I asked. For all I knew, he would go off and join Lord Kenan right away.

  “He used to be our king, several hundred years ago. Lord Kenan was a tyrannical king, a horrible dictator who refused to allow us any freedoms. We weren’t the only ones who didn’t want him around any longer. He was dangerous not just to us, but to humans and animals alike.

  “Long story short, we tired of it and joined together to create our own royalty.” He glanced at me. “We know that if we don’t side with you and help you stop him, he will destroy us. He won’t have forgotten what we did to him. It’s in our best interest to stop him just as much as it’s in yours to make sure he doesn’t destroy your world.”

  “Give me a moment to chew this over,” I said.

  He nodded, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. I debated stepping out into the hallway, but opted not to.

  I realized then that the amulet wasn’t warning me about Rauel. I wasn’t sure if that would change once he had his flame back, but for now, the vampire was harmless. Still, before I decided to help him out, I needed to check.

  Am I safe to do this?

  Yes. He poses no harm to you. And he does not intend to turn on you. It is more important that you stop my former owner.

  Thank you. It sure was handy having this amulet on my side now.

  I got to my feet. “Okay, tell me what to do.”

  Rauel opened his eyes. “The same way you removed it. Tell your amulet to give you power to do so. You might need to be near me for it to work.”

  I nodded, then stepped closer to him, holding the amulet in my hand. Even though the amulet wasn’t warning me about him, I still didn’t feel exactly safe. This was a vampire, for crying out loud. I approached him cautiously, noting as I did that his eyes didn’t leave my face once. My heart skipped in my chest, and my palms started sweating. I sincerely hoped I wouldn’t regret what I was about to do. Rauel pointed his chin upward, fully exposing his throat to me. I got as close to him as I thought was necessary—about two feet away—then turned my thoughts to the amulet.

  What do I do?

  Command me.

  Very well. I took a deep breath. Amulet, I command you to return this vampire’s flame as it was before.

  I felt magic rush through me, tingling from my fingertips all the way down to my toes. A ball of fire spun into life and hovered in front of Rauel.

  He plucked it from the air, and then, similarly to how Lord Kenan had done it, he rubbed it across his sternum and throat before swallowing it. I watched as it floated downward, coming to rest behind his sternum. Immediately, Rauel sighed in relief. I saw the color start to appear in his cheeks again.

  “Do you need me to do anything else?” I asked, stepping away from him.

  He shook his head. “No, I don’t,” he said, sounding surprised. “I’m already feeling better . . .” He fell quiet, and a sly smile crossed his face. He closed his eyes for a moment, but took a deep breath, then opened his eyes and looked at me. “You had better leave now.”

  My heart stopped in my chest and I froze, staring at him.

  Rauel grinned wickedly. “You don’t want the hospital to think you had anything to do with my disappearance.”

  I tried not to show my relief. “You’re feeling well enough to escape already?”

  Rauel chuckled. “I feel well enough to literally disappear.”

  I realized what he was saying. Fire vampires—many vampires, if what Eleanora told me was true—had the ability to turn into mist. He was right. I had no desire to be around for that. So, I said goodbye and stepped away from his hospital room, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. I waved to the nurse and thanked her for her help.

  I hoped Rauel would wait to leave until after the nurse’s next visit. Otherwise, I’d probably be getting a visit of my own. Not like that would be a bad thing, but it definitely wouldn’t be convenient.

  ***

  As I was driving home from the hospital, the amulet warmed at my throat.

  Hound attack.

  Where?

  Alpine.

  I turned onto 100 East in American Fork, but hadn’t gone more than a mile or so when I noticed a huge black dog speeding down the road behind me. It was going too fast to be a regular dog.

  The amulet didn’t warn me about the hound, and I watched in the rearview mirror as it caught up before running alongside my car. It jerked his head to the side of the road, indicating for me to pull over, which I did. I trusted the amulet—it hadn’t led me astray—and I knew that if this was a dangerous hound, it would let me know.

  Just to be safe, though, I only cracked my window an inch when the creature came close enough. It shifted into Alexander.

  “Alexander! What are you doing? Hounds are attacking in Alpine—did you already know that?”

  He nodded brusquely. “Of course. We’ve got that handled now. We were able to stop them before any damage was done—luckily, Omar alerted us quickly enough.”

  I frowned. “He didn’t tell me.”

  “That’s because he doesn’t think you’re doing your job. He keeps me abreast of attacks as well, and we’re worried that you haven’t been as proactive as we hoped. We need you to be out there, hunting hounds. You need to be doing more than you are.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  My face flushed. Really? Another talking to? “I’m doing the best I can. I’ve got a job I have to maintain too, not to mention the fact that this whole business wit
h Lord Kenan—which, by the way, is tied hand-in-hand with what’s going on with the hounds—is sucking all of my attention.”

  Alexander shook his head. “I know. I don’t envy your position. But the longer you wait to track these hounds down, the stronger they’ll become and the better their plans will be to destroy you. Lord Kenan has controlled and worked with hounds before. Don’t put it past him to do it again.”

  I nodded. That wasn’t a surprise to me—I already knew he was gathering supporters. And I knew he had worked with hounds before, so it didn’t surprise me that he would seek them out again.

  “Omar did mention, however, that Lord Kenan is searching for support. He still hasn’t been able to leave his graveyard, but the connections he’s already made have far-reaching circles of influence. They’re gathering to that church, preparing for the time when he’s strong enough to break the bands that hold him contained.”

  “I need to stop him before that happens.”

  Alexander chewed on his lip for a moment, studying me. “Yes, you need to stop him, but I’m not sure you’re ready to go there. You don’t have enough supporters, and you don’t have a grip on the situation with the hounds. You need more help.”

  “I know. I’ve already been told I need to find a Fire Impeder assistant.”

  He shook his head. “No, not help from people, but from something.”

  My hand immediately went around my necklace. “I’ve got the amulet. It’s already helping quite a bit more than it did before it was fully mine.”

  “The amulet has worked with other magical devices before. It doesn’t have to be the only thing you use to win. You might want to look into that.”

  Interesting thought. Why hadn’t the shade in Mount Koven mentioned this if it was a possibility? Or was it one of those things where he wouldn’t offer the information unless I asked for it?

  Alexander looked both ways, then shifted back into a hound and ran off. As soon as he was gone, I turned inward to the amulet.

  Is he telling the truth? Is the threat in Alpine really neutralized?

  Yes. It happened just as he was approaching.

  Then how’d he know to approach at that moment? It seems like too much of a coincidence.

  He came through a nearby house and ran at you as fast as he could.

  Is he also telling the truth about devices that used to work with you?

  Again, yes. Would you like to go to Mount Koven?

  I remembered that the amulet would help me find a shade who would then help me find a way to Koven. Yes. What do I do?

  Just drive. A shade will find you.

  Okay.

  Not knowing where else to go, I turned my car around and headed back down the highway, planning on driving home. Surely the amulet would lead me to a shade at some point before I got there.

  I slowed to a stop at State Street, watching oncoming traffic for a break so I could turn right. The perfect opening came, and I stepped on the gas, making the turn before I lost the opportunity.

  And I was no longer alone in the car.

  I shrieked, nearly losing control of the wheel. A ghost sat in the passenger seat. He stared at me, his face half rotted, his expression serious.

  “Hi,” he said.

  “You scared the crap out of me!”

  “Sorry.”

  The lack of contrition in his voice and expression didn’t make me believe he really was sorry.

  “It’s fine. How can I help you?” I figured he was there to take me to Koven, but I didn’t just want to assume.

  “You seek Koven, correct?”

  “Yes. I didn’t expect you to hop in my car, though.”

  “Turn around and park at the grocery store. The nearest way to Koven is by it.”

  I did as he asked, pulling into the busy lot. I parked and got out, trying to look like I belonged there, like I was about to go shopping. The ghost joined me, pointing across the street toward the police station.

  Nobody paid us any attention as I made my way through the cars and to the crosswalk. I wasn’t always opposed to jaywalking, but this was a very busy intersection, and I wouldn’t be able to get across easily.

  Ten minutes later, the ghost guided me past the police department, and we entered one of the little side streets off American Fork Main. The sunlight flickered and became hazy the farther down the street we walked, and the door to Mount Koven came into view.

  I thanked the ghost for his help, then went through the usual routine to get through the door.

  Once inside, it took a while to find what I looked for, especially since I wasn’t sure what my exact question was. Finally, someone approached me.

  “The magical device you seek is located in Russia,” said the elderly woman who’d found me.

  “Great. How do I get it?”

  “You don’t. Like the amulet, the previous owner must grant it to you.” She closed her eyes and mumbled a few things, then glanced at me. “It is on its way. Do not fear—this owner isn’t nearly as intimidating as the owner of the amulet. However, once the device is in your possession, you will have a deadline to return it.”

  “How long?”

  “I don’t know—he will tell you.”

  “Can you let me know more about this device?”

  “Yes. It will function alongside the amulet, allowing you to know the whereabouts of hounds. It will grant you a second type of sight and will cross great distances.”

  I nodded. That sounded like exactly what I needed. With that sort of help, I could get my task done relatively quickly, if I caught the hounds unawares. Especially if they all congregated in the same places.

  “But be aware,” she said, “it will only work once there are fifty or fewer hounds.”

  “Only fifty?” I asked. That wasn’t the best news I’d received all day, but it wasn’t the worst, either.

  She nodded.

  I didn’t know how many hounds were left, but getting down to fifty seemed doable.

  “Does my timeline to get it back start now, or when it’s in my possession?”

  “When it’s in your possession.” She tapped her cheek, studying me. “If I were you, I would use the time between now and then wisely.”

  I nodded. Of course I would. “How long until it arrives?”

  She shook her head. “I’m not sure. I’m not aware of all the magical abilities the current owner possesses. He may or may not be able to travel the same way humans do.”

  “Okay . . . that’s vague. If he has to walk from Russia, it could take months.”

  “Do not assume he will walk. Also, he does not need to sleep, eat, or take any other sort of break. If I were to wager, I would guess five days, maybe a week, before he arrives.”

  “Okay. Thank you for your help.”

  How was I going to know how many hounds needed to be eliminated? Could I do something to draw them out? But what? Something told me that the more cunning ones—the ones like Conor—wouldn’t be easy. I’d already noticed that the smartest ones had not tried to approach me again. Mainly, Conor and the governor of Utah. Instead, other, easier-to-fight hounds had come.

  My thoughts were pensive as I returned to my car. The shade was no longer around—I hadn’t expected him to stay. I drove home, tapping the steering wheel as I thought through the dilemmas I’d been presented with lately. Needing a break from Lord Kenan and the hounds, I turned my thoughts to the “wild” fires. They weren’t regular flames. We’d established that again in Orem.

  It hit me just then. The fire in Orem had felt slightly familiar. Only a little bit—sort of a hint of déjà vu that slipped quickly if I concentrated too hard on it. But why?

  Despite everything else that was on my plate, I couldn’t stop thinking about that feeling as I went about my day. It was as if the flames were related, but different. I pondered it while I checked my email, did the dishes, scrubbed the already clean house down, and wrestled with whether or not I should go out and find hounds to kill.

&n
bsp; Finally, I pushed all thoughts of demons to the back of my mind. The fire that would be coming that evening was the biggest priority.

  I hopped in the shower while Eleanora turned on a movie. She hadn’t really spoken all day, probably sensing my need to think. I’d already bathed, but sometimes showering unlocked my thoughts in ways other activities couldn’t.

  I was nearly done when it finally hit me. The fire—that sense of familiarity—was one I’d felt while in Iraq. And I hadn’t grasped it earlier because it was just different enough from the original source, just faded enough by the time I got to the mountains, for me not to recognize it.

  The fire had to originate from an ifrit of some sort. And it was so hard for me to put my thumb on that fact not just because I’d killed the only ifrit I’d ever encountered, but also because while I’d been fighting him, I hadn’t really recognized just how different his magic was. I’d been too panicked, too injured, too exhausted.

  What were ifrits doing out here? Especially since, to my knowledge, they’d never been here before. Eleanora certainly would have recognized their magical print if they had been.

  My blood chilled as I hit on the answer to that question.

  Revenge.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  I didn’t know anything about ifrits. I didn’t know where they came from, what their purpose was, what their temperaments were, how intelligent they were on an ifrit-by-ifrit basis, or if they banded together and would seek to vindicate the death of a loved one.

  What had I gotten myself into?

  I found myself yet again regretting stupid Lord Kenan’s need for me to get the fire. So many issues had arisen from that quest. Not just because of missing work here in Utah, but also because what I’d encountered had followed me home. My dumb “mission” to eradicate the hounds had yet again affected my career and the people I was supposed to protect.

  Lord Kenan was imprisoned in Holland for now, but I had zero doubt that he would, as soon as he was free, bring his battle here. He’d pretty much told me that when I’d run away from him. He’d given me a head start. It was turning out to be a longer head start than expected, which I appreciated, but still. He would follow me here. And the hounds. They’d already followed me. And the fire vampires. And who knew how many others.