“Because mitochondrial DNA passes as an exact copy from mother to child, not father to child. David’s mother was a witch. Her father was a witch-son and her mother a human. He doesn’t have the fae markers in his mitochondria. He can pass through the portal that connects to another location on this plane. The Avalon portal requires a fae heritage through the mother’s line. Cassy is the only one here meeting the requirement,” Lady Ursula explained.
There was a moment of pause. “Can ve use another vampire?” Vlad had calmed. Cassy recognized his problem-solving mode.
“Made vampires cannot be of use. They were human. Now they are undead humans. Another born vampire male can do the job, if you trust them not to have participated in the disappearances.
“The elf visited her, not someone else. Ronan gave her the amulets needed to rescue your missing women, meaning she is meant for the task. He said nothing of our missing Mother but said Liz was not with the others in Avalon. I know Ronan of old. He has always been truthful.
“I suspect the enchantments have conditions that must soon be met. Else he would not have told her time was short. There isn’t time to find another way. Cassandra must go,” Lady Helena said with finality.
Vlad gave an aggravated huff. “Cassandra, how many times must I tell you not to lurk in doorways?”
“Yes, Father,” was her only reply. She led David into the room.
Only Lady Helena and Lady Ursula sat by the fire. The rest of the Council was conspicuously absent. Cassy felt tension build in David. For a situation of this magnitude, the full thirteen members usually stayed, even if only the Council head and her second ever spoke. Cassy found the difference unsettling.
Cassy gave David’s hand a squeeze for reassurance and proceeded to her place at Lady Helena’s feet. The warm hum quieted down into the background of her consciousness. It allowed her to push the worries about the new magic away for the time being.
“As I know you vere listening, I am sure you are aware of our dilemma,” Vlad said to Cassy and David. “I seem unable to find a better way than the good Ladies plan. However, I do not like it.”
“You came here with the intention using me as bait. You said so yourself,” Cassy admonished. “How can you complain about their plan or their reasoning?”
“My, you have grown bold,” he said unhappily. “Vith me, you vould have been watched and tracked by a team of trained men with centuries of experience. Vith their plan, you vill be required to go alone to a place beyond the reach of help. I don’t like it.”
“I don’t like it either,” David piped up, “but the choice is hers to make. Cassy has to do what she feels is right.”
Pride swelled in David. Cassy felt his confidence in her and the nervous apprehension he did his best to hide. She had trained with him and Mills for well over a year. She was not as good as the security units, and certainly not as good as father’s elite forces, but she was a vampire. A certain amount of perks came with the condition.
“It’s settled then. We will proceed as planned,” Lady Helena said.
She held her palm up close to her face as if she were blowing a kiss. Instead she closed her eyes and began whispering. A shimmering orb grew out of thin air. The orb emitted an iridescent teal glow. Once it reached the size of a tennis ball, she stopped whispering and spoke in a normal voice to the orb.
“Mills, meet us at the portals with the requested gear,” Lady Helena ordered. Then, she blew on the surface, sending the orb to deliver its message.
Lady Ursula formed her own seafoam-green orb. The message she gave it seemed incomplete and vague. It was not addressed to anyone in particular.
“It is time,” Ursula told the orb and blew it to its destination. The thing bobbed briefly and flew down the corridor after the other orb.
Without commenting on anything, High Prince Vlad headed for the door. He stopped, looking back over his shoulder, and gestured to be followed. He resumed his stride down the gallery.
Cassy and David scurried off the floor. They caught up with him by the front door. As they approached it, the doors swung open on their own, revealing the world outside. They paused. Cassy wanted to take in the sights and sounds.
The cold night air blasted them. The grounds flooded with bright moonlight. January’s Wolf Moon rose. Singing and chanting floated on the air from somewhere on the grounds out of sight. A hint of smoke clung to the air from the witches’ bonfire.
From behind them, Lady Ursula urged them on. “We must hurry. Everyone will be assembled. There is much to do.”
Lady Helena glided by, making no noise. She stopped beside Vlad and took the arm he offered her. Together they ushered the way to the portals.
Security units guarded each portal. Mills watched from a short distance away. On the ground beside him were two piles of black gear. He gave the approaching group a half smile. Striding to shake David’s hand, the smile turned into a big, toothy grin.
“You get to have all the fun,” Mills commented, letting go of David. He turned toward the portals, watching the women do their jobs.
They chanted softly while holding hands in a ring around each one. Thin ribbons of energy tugged at the edges, holding it open. Another group of three women stood in front of each opening, spelling it with a protective chant Cassy had heard many times. The teams used it to add layers of protection to the estate’s boundaries as a part of the security upgrades David and Mills recommended three years ago.
“I don’t know about fun. I wish you were coming with me on this run,” David told him. He placed his hands on his hips and looked at the ground. “What goodies and gadgets did you bring me?”
“Oh, we’ve been getting flickers of a burned-out shell. The city is unknown. There isn’t much left of this one, but it used to be big. We caught sight of some reconstruction. There just wasn’t enough to go on to pinpoint where you will come out,” Mills confessed. “I brought your .45 and a shoulder holster. There is a pack of flash-bangs, a pack of zip ties, wire cutters, a standard lock picking set, a small first aid kit, and some reinforced cord. I threw in a couple of mom’s special grenades charmed to blast away from you and one of her force field medallions. It’s supposed to be good for deflecting offensive spells, just in case.” He tossed a shiny metal disk attached to a leather strap big enough to go around David’s wrist.
“Tell your mom thanks when you see her,” David said with a chuckle. He tied the medallion on and started picking up his gear. Everything in pouches he wore on his belt. He threaded each one carefully into place and buckled his belt back.
“Mom didn’t leave you out, Cassy. She said to put this medallion in your pocket. It’s a defense against sleep enchantments. She always was good with jewelry. Just loop the strap through one of your belt loops and tuck the left over length and disk in your jeans pocket. I brought you the same gear as I did for David, but I have since learned you can’t take it with you,” Mills reported.
Cassy took the medallion, putting in the pocket not occupied by the amulets Ronan gave her. She pecked Mills quickly on the cheek.
“Thanks for the thought, and tell your mother I said thank you for the gift,” Cassy said, hoping to convey her deepest sincerity.
“David, you will not be going alone. Finn has volunteered to go with you through the portal,” Lady Helena said. She countered David’s sour look. “He is sorry for what his brother has done and wished to make up for it.”
“I assumed he was the third man. If it wasn’t him, who did the gatekeeper catch?” David still scowled at Finn.
The leprechaun tucked himself against Lady Helena’s robes. He shook his head and pulled a coin from his pocket. Tossing the coin at David’s feet, he offered his hand.
“That was one of my other brothers. He has been working on the sly for some months now. I didn’t know he was involved, honest,” Finn said, sounding ashamed. “He recruited Seamus for last night’s attempt on your mistress. If I can set their misdeeds right, I will.”
; David picked up the coin. “You think offering me money is going to fix this?” He seemed offended by the notion of a bribe.
“David, the coin is an only a peace offering. Leprechauns give them as sign of friendship. The polite thing to do is to offer something in return. It would traditionally be a coin, but any other item would work in a pinch,” Cassy explained. She felt his anger subside.
David reached into his pocket and pulled out an old skate key. He tossed it at Finn’s feet, watching the little man.
“What is this, Master David? What treasure does it open?” Finn looked at the key puzzled for a few seconds and pocketed it.
“The treasure is a pair of old-fashioned skates my grandfather gave me. I’ve carried the key with me on assignments in the past as a good luck charm. It’s the only thing I had in my pockets I could part with,” David responded blandly. His lack of enthusiasm made it clear Finn was not going to be taken seriously.
“Okay, folks, it’s time to go. Moonlight’s a burning,” Mills announced, clapping his hands and rubbing them together.
David pulled Cassy in for a crushing kiss. It caught her off guard. She stumbled and fell into him. He caught her around the waist with one arm and braced her back with the other.
The warm humming in her core became more pronounced as the kiss lingered. When he released her, the warm hum dropped back to its pre-kiss levels. A silver glow covered them from head to foot.
“I’ll see you when we get back,” David promised. “Be careful, baby. Do what you have to and come back to me.”
“Same to you,” she agreed. Tears threatened to overtake her. She turned away, not wanting to see him disappear through the portal.
A breeze accompanied a static electrical zapping sound. A bright flash faded to darkness. The only light left was the silvery glow of the Wolf Moon.
The full moon’s name held meaning for Cassy. It was a time for spiritual planning, for setting goals, and planning how to achieve them. Traditionally, witches asked themselves, “What do I hunger for?”
Cassy knew the answer to her question. She hungered to be back safe in David’s arms, to have Liz and the others home, and to learn how the new magic inside her worked. Without looking back to see the empty spot David used to occupy, she walked forward to her portal.
“I know you only have four amulets for the return trip,” her father said. “I just want you to know that I would gladly go in your place, if I could. I have the right genetic material, but my absence would create complete anarchy. I am of more use to you here.” He took her by the hand and walked with her to the edge of the opening.
She tightened her grip. If it bothered him, he did not let her know. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, held it for a few heartbeats, and slowly let it go.
“Cassandra,” Lady Helena said, touching her shoulder, “remember what Ronan told you. Time runs differently in Avalon. There is something you have that is unique. Your love for David goes beyond the boundaries of time. As long as you both live, you are always connected. Take care, child.” She gave Cassy’s shoulder a light pat and stepped back.
“Father,” Cassy choked. She stared ahead into the portal. The images on the other side flickered. She made out a mist-covered shore and a fortress in the distance on a solitary hilltop. It looked just as Ronan had described.
“Yes?”
“I know you always encouraged us to hold our feelings close, but in case I don’t get back, I love you. Thanks for giving me my freedom. It’s meant the world to me these last few years.” A few tears streaked down her cheeks.
“None of that, now. You have a mission to accomplish. Never forget. No matter what plane you are on, you are a princess of the House of Dracul. Dragon’s blood runs in your veins. A warrior’s heart beats in your chest. Go, Cassandra, and make me proud,” High Prince Vlad said, dropping her hand.
Plunging forward through the barrier between the realms, Cassy allowed herself one final thought.
I love you, David.
Chapter 10
David felt like cobwebs covered him from head to foot. Nothing actually touched him. Electricity from the portal crawled on his skin, interacting with the bond’s magic. The barrier made him somewhat disoriented. Finn walked through beside him, but he did not seem to notice the effects.
When the economy collapsed and the power grid went down, fire services lost the ability to communicate. The cell and landline phone systems went down. There was no way to pump the fuel needed to run the trucks. When the fuel in the tanks and the generators gave out, whole cities burned to the ground as looters, food riots, and natural causes set blazes. The Fall, as the collapse was known, destroyed more than just the economy.
The portal dropped them in an alley between the burned-out shells of two buildings. Unfamiliar noises rustled around them in the dark. Rats rummaged through the overflowing dumpsters. A homeless drunk man let go of his glass bottle, and it rolled, making a clanking sound on the pavement. The air stank of stale urine and rotting trash.
“Where are we?” Finn asked in hushed tones.
A car rolled by, music thumping. David squinted to catch the filthy tag. He made out EW YO above a set of equally filthy and barely readable letters and numbers.
“If I had to guess, I’d say we were in New York,” David replied. “Do you have any suggestions as to where we go now?” He assumed the portal closed to the hideout, but in a city this size, thousands of possibilities existed.
“Fae magic leaves a distinctive trace. All we need to do is follow the strongest trail. Seamus had a special trick he was fond of using when we were but urchins. To make an entrance of walking through walls, he made invisible doors. I am going to suppose it was done here and is not likely to be guarded.”
Finn closed his eyes and repeated the same five-word phrase over and over for a few minutes. Thin, pale-gold ribbons hovered inches above the ground. Along the alley’s entrance a collection of these ribbons formed, causing a brighter glow than the places where only a few hovered.
Finn put a finger to his lips as a signal for silence and waved for David to follow him. The diminutive man stayed close the building’s wall and stopped at the entrance. He looked both ways and pointed left.
David peered out around the building’s edge to see where the ribbon led. Two buildings down on the same side of the street, several of the thickest ribbons converged into a single pale-gold stream.
Motioning Finn back into the shadows of the alley, David knelt down to the leprechaun’s level. It put him at a tactical disadvantage, should the little man attack, but he wanted to be seen as trusting.
“There isn’t an alley between the buildings down there. Could you tell if the invisible door was on the front?” David asked, looking around for anyone entering the alley way.
“With the spell I cast, it should have made a shimmer in the air in front of the door. Nothing was shimmering. It has to be on the backside or the roof, but I don’t know how we are going to check up there,” Finn said with skepticism.
“Oh, I think I have that one covered,” David said with a smirk. “Just don’t freak out on me, okay?”
He scooped the man off the ground as he stood. In a single motion, he tossed a gasping Finn onto his back with the order, “Hold on and be quiet.” Placing his finger on the side of the wall, he scaled the vertical brick cliff at great speeds. Climbing on the sides of buildings had been one of the first things Cassy had taught him after he was turned. Silently, he thanked her for the lesson when they reached the rooftop.
Finn paled when David let him down. The leprechaun leaned over, hands on his knees, and took deep breaths. He looked up at David with a scowl.
“Some warning would have been nice,” Finn complained. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
David gave him a few minutes to regain his control. Checking out the surrounding building roofs, David noticed the one they were interested in stood a little taller than the one next to it. At the top, a glow in the same sha
de of pale gold lit up the side an elevator shaft mechanical room.
“I think I found your door,” David said, pointing to the top of the second building.
“I’m almost afraid to ask, but how are we getting there?” Finn looked steadier but was still pale.
“I’ll jump to the next roof and then to the building wall. We can climb up from there to the top,” David planned.
“Now I know I’m going to be sick,” Finn said, grimacing. He gave a resigned huff and raised his arms to be lifted.
David helped him back into position. “Keep your eyes closed. It helped my first time,” he suggested.
“How did you do this with your eyes closed?”
“I wasn’t a vampire yet. Cassy took me running through the treetops at warp speed and jumped thirty feet or so to the ground. Just keep your eyes shut tight until I tell you to open them. Just trust me,” David told him. Taking a running start, he leapt from one rooftop to the other. He did not bother to stop running before leaping onto the side of the target building. His fingers slipped, and they slid down the side a few feet before David could get a good grip on the brickwork.
Finn muttered under his breath in what David was sure passed as cursing in his native tongue. To the leprechaun’s credit, he did not let go or have a panic response. He held his own until David told him they were finally at the top.
“If I never do that again, it will be too soon, Master David,” the little man swore.
David gave him a chuckle. “Be glad we are in the old part of town where the buildings are mostly brick. Glass is a lot trickier. It doesn’t have the texture to hold onto like the clay,” David teased.
“If we weren’t trying to get in undetected, I would winkle us in and not bother with this cloak-and-dagger nonsense,” Finn admitted. He gave the elevator mechanical room’s outer wall a serious evaluation.
Rubbing his hand over a place near one corner, Finn gave a sly smile. “Very good, Seamus, but I found it anyway,” he said to himself.
He took a step back and rolled a series of phrases in his thick Irish accent. A light appeared along the mortar lines between the bricks. Finn shuffled forward and disappeared into the side of the wall. His head reappeared and he motioned for David to follow.
Scion's Avalon [House of Dracul 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 8