Crimson Knight (Crimson Series Book 0)

by K. L. O Johnson

  Over those five months five more descendants of the Resoncretalians (a term to describe all purely energetic supernatural, mythical and magical) royal bloodlines had arrived then there was Cretalians (a term used to describe trivial or mixed energetic supernatural, mythical and magical) descendants. There were plenty of small sanctuaries throughout each country which guided and guarded them, this was called PASA and their agents are what worked alongside the Hunters to keep us in line with the United Council laws.

  So Trolls and Ogres were not allowed, regardless of their reason, to eat Humans. This went for Vampieruz, Sirens, Nefaliem, Licanthrope, Fae and Casters. As well as, all the other main members of the Syndicate such as the five knew races that I’ve come to know now exist.

  Also no one would tell me what races were extinct. However, ever since the other six members arrived. No one had seen them and even Marcus thought something strange was going on but since the time I’ve known him I’ve also known he could be a bit of a conspiracy theorist.

  I recalled Odette groaning, “Really Mark? They aren’t aliens.”

  I smiled. “You know they exist.”

  She sighed, “Yes but they appear more Human than anything else. And they’re part of the Planetary Syndicate not the United Planetary Syndicate. That’s completely different.”

  Even as time passed by they never showed and eventually we forgot about them. I noticed that Viktor had moved on with a Vampieruz Noble called Catalane. She was pale skinned, with blond hair and black frightening eyes that burned every time they graced me but I did as I’ve been doing this whole time, ignoring her.

  TWELVE

  Planet Nefelia

  Masking my emotions, I walked through each day, as if I were detached, from anything and anyone around me. It was the only way I could handle all of this overwhelming pain and anxiety. It was the only way I could keep my head on straight, on my already shaking shoulders as each attack of the vampieres and demons continued to escalate on the fortress grounds. Each attack closed in on me like a raging wave, almost suffocating me under each push, beneath the surface. It was strong and very real.

  There were times when I passed Ryan in Haven’s halls. He didn’t glance at me and I didn’t glance at him. It was like an unspoken agreement that we act as though we’ve never met whenever we stumbled upon each other. But each time I saw him, I felt a little bit of my heart shatter. There were times when I would wake up screaming thinking that I was about to die—each day the enemy closed in. The more and more sleep, I lost. There was a time when my mother thought it would be wise to speak to Professor Long someone who put up his hand for the continuation of my education. “These dreams Cecelia. Do you have them every night?” he had asked.

  “Yes.” I said.

  Even, Zarlach became distant. I wondered what it was that caused everyone to pull away as freely as they pleased. Then I noticed one day that the receptionist kissed him goodbye and that really did it. I watched Zarlach disappear with my father and the other heads of their families as they took towards the portal, held open by a woman known as Nerelda, on their way to the Battlefields. That image was planted in my mind and I remembered the anger and pain I felt. I didn’t care about anyone else around me as I allowed my power to release.

  The hall shattered and the windows smashed. Everyone, at the time, cowered in fear as my mind desperately wanted to kill that woman. With intense self-control I didn’t. Instead, I went to Kal and the other purebred royals as I often would when things became too difficult to handle. They were the only ones who understood the duty of being distant and handling the distance others insisted on giving me. It turned out everyone including Kal was finding it difficult to be around anyone of their own race. This was where I currently found myself; with Kal, Odette, Daphne, Marcus and Jorden all of who decided it was time we had some fun of our own and that meant breaking the rules.

  “I’m sick of all this.” Marcus growled as he plonk down on a brown couch within the cosy study. “Since when is it okay for my ex to date my best friend. I was still into her!”

  “Well at least you’re not in love with someone you can’t have.” Odette remarked, sourly. Marcus glared. She shrugged. “What? It’s true.”

  “Did I mention my ex is dating my best friend? Someone I would love to tear apart with my fangs.” Marcus retorted.

  “My imprinted mate is dating another woman.” Daphne commented. “And I’ve lost most of my old friends with all this training and study.”

  “Me too.” Jorden said. “My imprinted mate is gone to the Battlefield with the other men. I don’t even know when she’ll be back. I don’t know if she’ll return in a coma or not at all.”

  We were all quiet for a heavy moment. “Let’s leave.” I offered. Everyone fell silent as they knew that those words that left my lips went against our duties. Their eyes were locked on me in shock. “Not for long.” I added hoping they wouldn’t think I meant to run away. “Let’s go somewhere outside the Castle walls. Let’s do something that allows us to have fun and let loose.” When no one else answered I pushed myself from the wall and headed towards the door. “I’m going outside and I’ll go alone if I have to. I can’t stay here any longer.”

  “You’re not going alone.” Odette said, “I’m coming with you. I hate it here.”

  “Me too.” Daphne declared. Strangely when I initially told Daphne about my problem with Zarlach, my ex and my newly found crush who I sadly still liked, we managed to create a bond and she became as close to me as Odette did as close as Bella and I were.

  Odette and Daphne moved to stand beside me and I eyed Jorden and Marcus. The boys looked at each other and sighed, “Man. We’re so getting into trouble for this.” Marcus said as he stood along with Jorden and walked towards us. The only person left was Kal. Being the next head of the United Council and all the Resoncretalians, she I could tell was going to go against it.

  “No!”

  “Why not Kal?” Marcus asked. “You hate it here too. Life isn’t easy for you either. Why don’t you let loose and be a normal teenager?”

  “I agree.” Jorden spoke. “No one’s fair with you. I still have no idea how you cope.”

  Kal sighed and glared at us from where she leaned against the wooden desk in this small private library. “It’s not easy. Especially when people expect so much of you.” she declared glancing away from us and towards the ceiling floor window in her idol form she looked vulnerable. “I’ve been hurt too many times because of it.” This was a first. Kal never told us what bothered her, normally, it was us complaining about how difficult life was. That look on her face was both of pain and longing. She wanted what we all wanted. To be with who we wanted, when we wanted and do what we wanted.

  “Isn’t that more reason to leave for Moscow?” Odette asked, gently. “We could go and hunt. We could forget about everything even if it’s just for a little while. We’ll return quicker if we leave now. What do you say?” Odette moved towards Kal, hesitantly and placed her hand over Kal’s in a comforting way. “We can’t do this without you. You’re our Commander and Chief after all.”

  It was a long pause before Kal spoke. “Fine. We are to be here back before sunrise. Understood? And not a second late.” she demanded and we all nodded with smiles on our faces. Odette and Daphne squealed in delight while Marcus and Jorden high fived.

  I realised we were being a bit loud. I shushed everyone. They all glanced at me, “Someone could hear us and stop us from going.” Out of the room we fled and down the halls we went. As we continued down the corridors. I watched as we pass an open window that over looked the training ring. That was the same window where both Marcus and Odette headed out onto the rooves of the castle. Jorden and Daphne were arranging transport while Kal and I were taking out security. It was a bit much I knew but we couldn’t risk being stopped. I feared I would go crazy if I stayed here any longer and I was indisputably aware the others felt the same way.

  We stood at the entrance of the watcht
ower. Kal on one side as I was on the other side of the only exit and entrance the security guards within had. The moment a man had stepped out, Kal hooked around him into a sleeper hold until he was unconscious. Than it was my turn. The woman at the monitor didn’t notice my approach as I chopped at her neck. She fell unconscious behind the monitor. Kal carried the man inside over her shoulder while I pulled the woman from the chair and we tied the two together before taking off to the south entrance.

  There were many guards and Kal, being as clever as she was, released a sleeping spell an energetic technique that caused all the guards to drop to the ground. The Jeep pulled up on the opposite side of the fence and I noticed Daphne push open the door, “Get in. Hurry!” she called.

  Kal and I leaped over the fence in our non-idol forms. We landed easily on the ground before transforming back into our idol forms and hopping into the car. Once the Jeep roared and moved down the dirt road. I heard two loud thumps and Kal smiled. “About time those two showed up.”

  Daphne swivelled around in her seat beside Jorden who drove the manual with ease. “That was fun.” she teased as Kal and I opened the doors, for Marcus and Odette. “We should do that more often.”

  Once Marcus and Odette were seated opposite us. They closed the doors and Kal spoke, “Let’s just focus on this one first before we consider running off again.”

  “But you have to admit that was fun. I felt like an assassin or something,” Marcus spoke.

  “You an assassin?” Odette asked, “I find that hard to imagine.” Marcus did some strange hand action that made us all laugh.

  Hours later we continued further down the highway. “Are we going the right way?” I asked Jorden who scanned the darkness. I knew we weren’t too far from Moscow. So the extra time we took arriving was a little off. “Shouldn’t we be in Moscow by now?”

  I couldn’t help but feel a little tense. All those times I spent with Volvomich and the others training and learning about enemy strategies had my mind on high alert. It shouldn’t be this quiet. I glanced at Kal and I felt Marcus and Odette stiffen. We were all thinking the same thing. Luckily the seats were adjustable so instead of us having two rows in the back. The seats were spun around facing each other with a lot of room in the middle where we kneeled.

  Marcus, Odette and Kal pulled out short daggers and eyed the darkness vigilantly. “Daph,” I heard Jorden comment as he too felt the tension in the vehicle. “Take the wheel.”

  Daphne without hesitation, moved on top of Jorden as he slid the car seat back. He squeezed out of the way and into the passenger seat. I noticed the car decelerated a bit but managed to pick up its speed once Daphne was seated in place as she slid the car seat back to its initial position. Jorden glanced at Kal as if silently waiting for orders. I turned to Kal as well and was amazed at how calm she was and how deadly her expression appeared. That’s when we heard thump. Not just one but three. I saw the dark coats of the people who attacked the car sway in the shadows. I felt their presence. They were my race but different that’s when I understood. “Vampieres.”

  “They should really know their place.” Marcus growled and I noticed he didn’t transition into his Licanthrope form. Neither did Kal or the others. And I now knew there was a connection between the Vampieres from the Festival and the Vampieres from just a few moments ago. They were most likely Ivan’s servants.

  Kal and Marcus pushed open the car doors. Odette and Jorden were quick to escape. I sat stunned before positioning myself ready to move until I heard. “Cecelia. Stay in the car,” Daphne motioned.

  “Why?”

  “Because the others can take care of them.” I glanced at the closed car doors and heard the shifting of weight something moving above the rooftop of the car. My eyes scurried to the gable overhead, scared that my friends would splinter between me and the metal roof.

  “They’re here for you,” she considered and I realised she was right. Then I saw the look in her eyes and knew she wasn’t at all ready to turn the Jeep around and head back. “We should have you around more often.” She turned her gaze back to the road, “You make things more fun.”

  I regarded her confused and heard her quickly shift the gears and the car swirled. I saw Jorden’s legs slam against the back of the Jeep. He was quick and then I saw we were off the highway smashing through foliage. The only way I knew it was Jorden was by the brown combat boots he wore. “Daphne!” I called now scared as I regarded the black blue moon filled backdrop. “Cliff!”

  I thought I heard the others on the roof freeze. Several Vampieres were flung from the car and onto the thick forest floor before disappearing in the darkness. I couldn’t see exactly what had happened but as far as I could tell the Vampieres were defeated.

  To my surprise, I felt something land behind me than I understood that Kal, Jorden, Marcus and Odette had landed on the seat beside me in awkward positions as if they had fell. Then I noted it was a result of Kal’s warp magic—an energetic technique. I watched as the car inched towards the edge of darkness and felt the car drop. I was quick to scream but observed Jorden place his hands on the ground. Soon, the car bounced on something firm and I knew it wasn’t the forest floor.

  My scream ceased, the moment I realised Daphne had control over the car once more, after it swerved a bit before she managed to drive decently, once again and Marcus laughed as did Odette. “Nice timing Jorden,” Odette complimented.

  “A little sooner would have been nice,” Daphne called over her shoulder as we drove towards the full moon. I regarded Jorden with a new awe and said:

  “I didn’t know you could do that.” I watched him shrug.

  “That’s one of many things I can do.” he laughed. I noticed he removed his hands from the floor. He sat with his legs curled beneath him and one arm over his knee as he lounged beside Kal’s leg. “Now if you don’t mind I’m going to close my eyes a bit.” In an atmosphere of peaceful stars and a dreamy full moon anyone would want to fall asleep, I would have closed my eyes as well until I realised the danger he could cause.

  I panicked, “You can’t do that. You’re keep us from falling aren’t you?”

  He laughed. “I am but I’ve spent years perfecting this technique. I can do it with my eyes closed. Literally.”

  I watched as he closed his eyes, “What’s it called?”

  “Hmm?”

  “This technique you’re using right now? What’s it called?” I asked, genuinely interested.

  “It’s called Faerie’s Trail.” he declared and still my eyes didn’t leave him, “Fae, remember?”

  I smiled, “of course.” The car moved smoothly along Jorden’s Faerie’s Trail as he slept. I glanced at Kal who peered out the window deep in thought. I turned my attention to Odette and Marcus who whispered quietly as a way to perhaps not disturb Jorden.

  I turned my gaze back to Daphne. I saw her eyes hover in the rear view mirror as if searching for someone before they flickered back road Jorden made. “So . . . I’m going to assume we’re all in trouble,” I spoke as I glanced at the bright pale moon.

  Everyone else was quiet until I heard Daphne spoke. “Yep.”

  “But isn’t this what you wanted?” Kal asked.

  “Yes it is.” I confessed. “I just never realised it would be so dangerous.”

  I felt a hand on my shoulder, seeing Jorden’s green eyes staring into mine. “We are aware of the dangers however we chose to come with you. Like you said you could have left on your own but being because we’re awesome people and good friends I figured it’s probably best not to let you kill yourself.”

  “Aw . . . Jorden you’re so sweet.” I purred with a smile.

  “Hey I came too you know?” Marcus teased and Odette laughed. “What?” he asked turning his gaze to Odette.

  She cleared her throat. “Nothing.”

  “No you laughed for a reason tell me the reason.” Marcus pushed and I heard Jorden groan.

  “Can I get some peace please?”

&nb
sp; I heard the sound of an unsheathing blade and saw the gleam of Kal’s silver dagger. “That can be arranged.” she smiled.

  “Not that kind of peace!” Jorden growled now alert. Kal laughed and put away her short dagger I was surprised she had, let alone concealed.

  “Kal don’t be mean.” I heard Daphne growl. “However . . .” she began. “Given that a certain”—Daphne glanced at the rear view mirror glaring at Jorden she continued—“someone left me with the heavy duty. I’ll be okay if you killed him.”

  The car was silent. I saw Kal at the corner of my eye reach for her weapon and within an instant Jorden was crawling towards the driver’s seat. “Fine. I’ll take over.”

  I smiled. “You don’t have to,” Daphne purred and shrugged. “But since you insisted.”

  Jorden sighed and Marcus bellowed a laugh. “Told you the girls were cruel.” All our eyes turned to Marcus. He moved slowly towards the front of the car, “But beautiful and talented too.” Quickly he squeezed into the front seat. Even though he was out of sight I knew all the females were eyeing him carefully, as did I.

  He should really learn to keep his mouth shut. I thought with a sigh.

  The drive was relaxing for the next few hours until I realised we were no longer in Russia. This was confirmed by the black silver glassy towers that gleamed under the two suns and a ringed planet overhead. I noticed silver slick cars move up and down silver roads without wheels and the citizens with silver hair walking in deep navy blue gowns. They wore armour around their waist, forearms, shins and shoulders.

  Given the bizarre scene I had to ask, “Where are we?”

  “Um . . . not in Russia.” Jorden spoke as he ducked, to regard the sight. Horns honked. I glanced over my shoulder and saw several more silver speedy looking cars behind us.