7 Folds of Winter

by Carolyn McCray

*****

  CHAPTER 24

  Madame Hesper crested the last stair and planted her feet firmly on the landing. The possessed form of Holt backed a few steps down the hallway. The Commander’s office was but two doors down.

  Froth poured from the agitated Vampyr mouth. Its dangerously long teeth and talons glistened in the low light. The Madame knew that she should abandon this inquiry and head back to her mansion and Ekoli, but she could not leave until she saw for herself what had happened to the Commander. But for that, she needed her son, not this blood-driven creature that stood before her.

  “Holt. You must come forth. I have need of you.”

  The Vampyr sneered at her words. There was not a trace of Holt’s intelligence in those hungry eyes.

  “I shall drink your heart’s blood.”

  “I think not.” Madame Hesper snapped back. “If it were not for me, you would be dead now.”

  “I am Vampyr. I need no one.”

  Madame Hesper took a step forward. “That was poison on the Drakol’s claw. If I had not cauterized it, you would be dead.”

  Unconsciously, the Vampyr’s hand reached for the large scorch mark on its chest. These creatures of the night were none too bright. They lived to hunt and feast. Vampyrs had arisen in the deepest jungles.

  There, they had every right to hold such an arrogant view of themselves. In the rain forest, they were feared by one and all. Here on the frigid barren plains, they were at a disadvantage. It was just convincing the demon of that fact that was going to be the difficulty.

  “Drop the garlic spell, and we shall see who dies,” the Vampyr growled.

  “You are hungry? No?”

  The Vampyr glared at her with red eyes. “I shall fill my belly this night, witch.”

  “Allow Holt to come to the fore, and I promise you a hunt tonight.”

  Wary of a trap, the Vampyr gnashed his teeth. The beast was nearly mad with hunger. His entire existence drove him to stalk and kill, yet she had him pinned.

  “You would never allow me to feast on human flesh.”

  Madame Hesper could honestly disagree. “There is one man I will.” The picture of the lieutenant’s pasty face rose in her mind. If they found what she feared in the Commander’s office, she would have no problem unleashing the Vampyr upon him.

  “Let me hunt, then I shall release your son.”

  “Nay.” The medium shook her head sternly. “If you wish a kill, you must relinquish control.”

  Madame Hesper realized she’d been wrong before. The Vampyr might be reckless, but there was a sly intelligence behind those demonic eyes. It sparked briefly as the Vampyr’s forked tongue licked its pointed teeth.

  “If you betray your oath, witch, I will lay claim to your son forever.”

  Madame Hesper hesitated. Would she truly be able to watch the Vampyr brutally kill a human? Could she allow him to drain a man of his life’s blood?

  If it meant saving Holt, then yes, she could.

  “Agreed.”

  Upon her word the Vampyr’s face began to shift and change. At first it was subtle, but every passing second brought Holt’s features back from the darkness. The pointed nose softened into a human nose. The high forehead retracted and eyebrows once again sprouted.

  “Mother? The Curse is resisting the change.”

  She was not surprised. To think the Vampyr hunger would freely relinquished complete control was ludicrous. No, now she had to trust in Holt’s inner strength to protect them.

  “We need its prowess, Holt. Just stay in command of your actions.”

  Her son nodded and clenched his hands into fists. She could only begin to imagine how difficult her request was to fulfill. Not wasting another second, Madame Hesper rushed to the Commander’s office. Flinging open the door, she could immediately smell the scent of betrayal and death. A groan called her attention behind the desk.

  There lay the commander. His intestines oozed out through his stomach wound, but still he clung to life. Falling to her knees, she sought his hand.

  “Amanda?” he asked.

  “Aye, Jory. It is I.”

  The commander licked his lips and tried to clear his throat. Madame Hesper surveyed his injuries but found them far too grievous to mend. They were fatal the moment they were struck. How he had hung on this long, she could only guess.

  “I have failed —”

  “Please. Do not speak. You must conserve your strength.” Madame Hesper smoothed the Commander’s hair.

  The man’s face cracked in a painful smile. “Why? So that I might die well-rested? You cannot hide the truth of my condition, Amanda. I have felt my gut slide from my belt.”

  There was nothing Amanda could say. She was so wrapped in her guilt and sorrow that she almost did not hear the attack coming from behind. Instinct raised her arm and spun Madame Hesper around on her heel. The assailant was thrown off-balance and crashed into the desk, sending splinters of wood across the floor.

  “Lieutenant, so glad you could join us,” Holt said, his voice thick with the Vampyr’s accent.

  Madame Hesper, though, was almost saddened by the man’s condition. He was near ranting. All sense of reason was drained from his face.

  “Do you know what I did?” the lieutenant yelled. “What I gave up for their help? I will see you burn!”

  Holt sprang forward, but the lieutenant was already on the attack. Throwing herself to the side, Madame Hesper narrowly escaped a skewering by his blade.

  “No!” the man screamed as he crashed through the second-story window. The Vampyr echoed the man’s cry.

  After a sickening thud, Madame Hesper looked out the shattered pane of glass. The lieutenant lay broken on the cobblestone with a crowd gathering around. The flames from downstairs had brought townsfolk flocking to the garrison. If she hoped to escape unnoticed, they would have to leave immediately.

  “You have failed to live up to your end, witch. Do you cede now?”

  Madame Hesper looked down again. There was no way the Vampyr could feed off the lieutenant, not with the crowd and fire. Either she set him upon a new victim, or she lost her son.

  “Nay.” A weak voice croaked behind them. Turning, she found Jory trying to prop up onto his elbow. “Never give in...”

  Groaning, Jory fell back to the floor. He was near delirious. Madame Hesper had a weighty decision upon her. Sic the Vampyr upon an innocent, or watch her only son be consumed by evil. There was no easy answer.

  “Amanda.”

  Keeping one eye on the Vampyr, Madame Hesper knelt beside the commander.

  “Jory, I must leave you soon—”

  The man’s grip was still strong as he held her hand. “It was this secret you held...” Jory had to take several breaths before he could continue. “You did not trust me with your son’s condition?”

  Tears welled in Amanda’s eyes. It had been long since she had thought of the Commander as anyone but a loyal ally. Decades had passed since they knew each other as lovers.

  “Yes. I could not risk you growing too close, Jory.”

  The commander nodded and gave a strangled laugh. “I knew, you know. I knew what he was, even back then.”

  Madame Hesper could not hide her surprise. “But how? Why? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I need an answer, witch,” the Vampyr hissed from behind her.

  Jory pulled the Madame close and whispered into her ear. “Have him drink from me. Pay your debt with my blood.”

  “Never!” Amanda tried to protest, but the Commander would not allow her.

  “Let my death have meaning. We both know I will never rise from this floor.”

  The very thought sickened her. To think this noble man would be sucked dry by a hungry demon was unbearable.

  “You’ve spent your life protecting your son, Amanda. Do this now for him.”

  All the guilt and shame she had kept at bay for years came crashing down upon Amanda. It was her fault Holt had been infected. It was her arrogance and st
ubbornness which had resulted in his possession. Now her mistake from so long ago would cost her another friend. She looked deep into the Commander’s gray eyes and kissed his trembling lips. There was nothing more to say. If he did not know how she felt by now, he never would.

  Turning to the Vampyr, she wiped the hot moisture from her cheeks.

  “Take him. You may quench your thirst upon his neck.”

  ***

  Did his mother not realize how tentative a hold he had on controlling the Vampyr’s hunger? Holt did not know if he could stop the demon once his teeth were sunk into the Commander’s flesh.

  “Mother—” He could get out no more than that. The Vampyr’s lust constricted his throat, squeezing the words from his vocal cords.

  “Do it. Do it before he dies.” His mother seemed no more comfortable than he did at the prospect.

  Holt tried to control his limbs, but they seemed to move on their own.

  With two steps, he was past the medium and was awash in the sight and smell of the eviscerated man. It was like wine and freshly roasted boar to his senses. This would make a fine feast. Before he could think, the Vampyr lunged forward and sank his teeth into the Commander’s neck.

  Blood gushed from the puncture wounds and filled his mouth with sweet, warm liquid. The taste was exquisite, and Holt felt his skin burn and sing at the flavor. Like many victims, the man’s hands flew up to the Vampyr’s head. But Holt did not need to worry. The Commander was far too weak to push him away.

  Instead Jory actually cradled Holt’s face and spoke his last words. “Thank you.”

  The human inside of the Vampyr’s skin wanted so badly to pull away. It was so very wrong what he was doing. To have the commander thank him overwhelmed Holt with such shame that he nearly lost control over the Vampyr.

  Thankfully, his mother had placed a hand on both Holt’s back. “Drink, but do not lose yourself, son.”

  As he drained the man of his last drop of blood, Madame Hesper closed the commander’s eyes with a kiss. “Good bye.”

  The Vampyr still noted how close the woman’s neck was and how warm her flesh smelled. It would be a simple thing to take her, as well. Holt could not stop himself as the Vampyr urged his body to pull his teeth out of the dead man’s throat. A forked tongue flickered out and licked up the last few splashes of blood. Before the Vampyr could think about lunging for his mother, Holt pulled up and flung himself backwards.

  “We must leave.”

  “Aye. We leave as soon we collect Ekoli. We shall join Sele upon the Plains.”

  Holt knew he nodded, but the words were truly meaningless. His only desire was to leave this room before he killed his own mother.

  ***

  Madame Hesper hurried through her house, barely noticing the mess. The guards had ransacked the Mansion in their zest to capture her and her son.

  Picking up her pace, she descended down the hidden set of stairs. Holt was behind her, dragging a bit. Was his hesitation exhaustion, reluctance or fear? Normally she would have stopped and made certain of his mindset, but they had very little time. The townsfolk were stirred into a frenzy. Amanda could not blame the simple citizens. Events of profound importance were transpiring, leaving even her unsettled. These poor people had no way of dealing with the horror that had sprung up around them. She could feel sympathetic, but that did not mean she wished to dally and be caught up in their zeal to find a scapegoat.

  In addition, the night was wearing long, and they needed to get a great distance before the sun rose again. Out on the Plains there would be little shelter to protect Holt from the killing rays. Madame Hesper opened a secret door to find Ekoli crumpled in a corner. Rushing over, she barked at Holt to hurry. She had assumed the goddess was well-recovered, only to find her still grievously ill.

  “Ekoli, I need to change your bandage. This might hurt a bit.” That was an understatement. The linen was soiled through, caked to the spirit’s skin. They would be lucky if she did not keel over from the pain.

  The fallen deity roused a bit. “Amanda. You did not succumb.”

  Working quickly but gently, Madame Hesper tried to keep Ekoli distracted from the work at hand. “Aye. The Drakol still lives but is interred by Earth.”

  “The Elements complied? This world is in a state of flux.”

  Holt was at her Madame Hesper’s shoulder, handing her bandages. Ekoli’s eyes fluttered for a moment. Then she seemed to settle back into a stupor.

  In a harsh whisper, Amanda chastised her son. “How could you leave her like this?”

  “She insisted, Mother. She feared for you.” The words were slurred between his sharp fangs. It was obvious he was having a difficult time controlling the Vampyr this close to so much blood.

  Her anger was not assuaged, but now was not the time to force the issue. “Get me the sage and fennel.”

  “Leave me. It is you who the world needs.” Ekoli begged through pale lips.

  Madame Hesper ignored the woman. She would no sooner leave the goddess than abandon Holt. But time to make their escape was fleeting. Once the bandage was secure, they would have to leave. Tying the last strip down snuggly, Amanda turned to Holt.

  “Can you carry her to the roof?”

  There was a moment of pause looming between them. She knew what she asked of Holt. To carry a helpless, blood-splattered victim would be the worst torture that could be visited upon her son. But they had little time to be considerate of anyone’s needs.

  “Aye. But...”

  Madame Hesper laid a hand upon her son’s arm. “There are no buts, Holt. We flee with the goddess now, or we are lost.”

  Her son’s face flowed and eddied with warring emotions. In the end, Holt’s fleshy features won out. He did not speak, but he gingerly picked up the semi-conscious form of the goddess. “Where from the roof?”

  Amanda allowed a smile to come to her lips. It had been so long since she had indulged herself. “We alight.”

  Holt nodded and led the way through the tangle of hidden passageways up to the attic. From there, they opened a set of glass doors and stepped out into the starry night.

  Flames from the garrison licked at the dark sky while townsfolk scrambled through the streets. Chaos had come to town and did not look like it was leaving anytime soon. Which was perfect cover for their departure.

  “Are you ready?” she asked her son.

  Taking in a deep breath and studiously trying to ignore the woman in his arms, Holt nodded. He was off the roof within two wing beats, soaring over the hapless town. Opening wide her arms, Madame Hesper began to hum, then sing. A gust of wind slapped her in the face. A reproach from Wind for daring to invoke their bargain.

  “You are bound to your word, Wind. I have need of your power.”

  The air before her shimmered and twisted. The Element was always just outside one’s reach, but always close enough to hurt you. “I said nothing of my timing.”

  Madame Hesper bit back a retort. Wind was erratic at best, cruel at his worst. “Do as you may. But if you refuse, you will be known as an oath-breaker before the Quorum.”

  A gust of angry air nearly knocked her from her perch. It was not often the Elements were challenged so, and by a human. Madame Hesper feared she was the first. Wind’s mercurial form dissipated and melted from her view. He did not speak again but a strong draught of air lifted her from the floor. Perhaps a bit rougher than need be, the wind swept her along to join her son.

  For just a moment, she reveled in her renewed power. Wind was doing much of the labor, but it was her skill that allowed her ride the waves of air. Anyone else would be hopelessly tumbled and smashed to the ground. Nodding to her son, they gained height and scaled the town’s wall. A cry of alarm rose behind them, but Madame Hesper ignored it. They had nothing to fear from humans any more.

  No, their worries ran much deeper now.

  *****

  CHAPTER 25

  Traven led Lauger along the narrow tunnel. The ceiling was so low t
hat even Glacial had to dismount from Pale, else her head scraped upon the rock. This had slowed their progression even further. The Princess’s feet were in no shape to travel their rough path. Even swathed in linen within her boots, the soles of her feet were covered in blisters.

  Not that Traven was necessarily in a headlong rush to meet their next obstacle. He hoped that they had skirted around the most dangerous areas.

  The small group had been traveling for hours and had yet to come upon another enemy. This served only to jangle Traven’s nerves all the more. He would rather face an army of foes in front of him than a single one hidden. And hiding was the Creepers’ best talent. They could spring out at any moment.

  Pale interrupted Traven’s worry with a concern of his own. The smells in this tunnel were too familiar. The wolf was certain that they had passed this way before. Traven’s immediate response was to deny such thoughts. The Princess seemed certain of each turn they took. They could not be lost. Yet, looking at the walls, there was a certain familiarity about them.

  “Glacial. Are you confident this is the path we take?”

  The Princess’s royal arrogance was in full power when she answered. “Of course. I have been prepared for this voyage since my birth.”

  Still, Pale was not at all convinced. The wolf broke away from the group and sniffed along the passageway. He gave a short bark. Traven joined him and shook his head. It was a bit of embarrassing find, but it proved that they were walking in circles.

  “Princess. You have led up astray. Where is your map?”

  Glacial backed away. “How dare you accuse me?”

  Traven tried to be respectful, but his patience was nonexistent. “This is no mere accusation, Princess. We are lost. I need to see your map.”

  “What have you found?” Glacial tried to cross to their position, but Traven blocked her way. Her agitation was clear. “What is it?”

  Traven had hoped to avoid telling her, but at this point he cared not for her royal sensibilities. “It is where we let water out. The dirt is still moist.”