The Rise (The Alexa Montgomery Saga)

by Gordon, H. D.

  There was a knock at the door, and a nod from the King sent Andre over to open it. King William knew who was waiting on the other side. He’d known before the person had finished knocking, having reached out with his mind to check. The Sorcerer’s magic kept him from touching his mind, but he recognized Syris still. Forbidding the consumption of Lamia blood was a foolish taboo. The way it strengthened specialties was incredible, and a strong mind was the most powerful weapon of all.

  Andre opened the door and in stepped a very tall, very thin man draped in all black. A black, short top-hat sat on his head, long straight black hair spilling out from it to his shoulders. A long velvet coat dragged lightly on the floor behind him as he walked, and he held a wooden cane in his hand, though he carried it rather than using it for balance while he moved. Circular, black-colored spectacles sat on the tip of his nose, and eyes a deep shade of purple stared out over them.

  King William rose from the chair behind the Queen’s desk, his charming smile stuck on his old, old face. The perfect mask. “Syris,” he said. “Good of you to come, my old Friend.”

  Syris stopped in his tracks, a sneer lifting his thin lips, but his voice came out light and smooth. “Oh,” he said, “is that what we are now, old friends? If memory serves, the last time I saw you was at the Delegation of the Territories, and I caught you in the stables drinking from my sister. Now, after all these years, without ever having contacted me in the past, you send your steroid-filled Warrior to Summon me.” The Sorcerer’s violet eyes narrowed, his hand tightening around his cane. “So you better have a damned good reason for it, William, for calling me halfway across the world.”

  King William’s shoulders tightened just a fraction, but he forced the smile to remain on his face as he held his hand out and moved toward the armchair and couch. “I understand your anger, Syris, and I assure you that I did not call you here with an offer that is not worth your while. Come, come, hear me through.”

  King William sat in the armchair and folded his legs. When the Sorcerer made no move to take a seat, he had to bite back another sneer. Instead, he turned up his deceptive smile and gestured once more for Syris to take a seat. With a tip of his head, the Sorcerer sat opposite him, his cane resting over his legs, where he clutched it with both hands.

  “Talk,” said Syris.

  Big man with all that magic protecting him, isn’t he? The King thought. “I have something you will want,” he said, “something that all the magic and money in the world cannot buy you.”

  Syris sat back, his hands still clutching his cane, curiosity slight but present now on his face. King William’s smile broadened. He reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, his bony fingers clutching at what was inside. When he withdrew his hand, silver dangled from his fingers, swinging a simple silver ring at the end of it. One word was scrolled in elegant black script upon the ring: Syra.

  Syris’ hand flew up to his mouth and he let out a small gasp. King William had to use great effort not to stare at the ring himself. Once upon a time, the ring had been his most valuable possession, a secret he had held so near his black heart that it was a wonder that the silver had not tarnished and cracked. But those days were long in the past now, the obsessions of a stupid, young boy, and he was no longer either. It would be well worth its trade.

  The Sorcerer’s voice was tight now when he spoke. “Where did you get that?” he asked.

  The King held the chain over his other open palm, where he dropped it into a coiled pile of silver and closed his fist. “She gave it to me,” he said, his voice distant. He may have lost the ability long ago to really love, but that didn’t mean the ghost of what once was did not haunt him on occasion. He met the Sorcerer’s violet gaze. “Syra gave it to me. Your sister.”

  Silence hung between the two men, thick and noxious. At last, still staring at the King’s closed fist which held his dead sister’s ring, he said, “What is it you want, William?”

  King William sat back, smiled. “A simple exchange is all. I need two things from you. Two spells, easy ones, really, for a Sorcerer of your power, and then you may have the ring and leave.”

  Syris’ hands tightened harder around his cane, turning his knuckles the color of ashes. “What two spells?”

  “A Locator spell and a Dream Search,” said the King, letting the fingers that concealed the ring unfurrow, taunting the Sorcerer with his prize.

  “What are you trying to find?” asked Syris, and by the strain in his voice the King knew that he was going to get what he wanted. Love truly was the greatest weakness, especially love that is lost.

  “Two girls,” the King answered. “A Sun Warrior and…her sister.”

  Now Syris looked up again, into the King’s cold gray eyes. “A Sun Warrior? So the rumors are true, then. A Sun Warrior walks among us.”

  This game was growing tired. King William gave a stiff nod. “Do we have a deal?”

  “Yes,” Syris answered, against the better judgment that told him that getting involved in Vampire politics was never a good idea. “We have a deal.”

  Alexa

  Look what you’ve done, Warrior. This woman is never going to shut up. You just had to ask for a damn history lesson.

  We were still in the sitting room, but everyone had left except for Kayden, Tommy, Silvia and me. Tommy looked bored, slouching back on his bench and playing idly with a loose hem on his t-shirt. Kayden was tense beside me, had been the entire time Silvia was explaining things to me, and I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but something told me now was not the time.

  “So you see,” Silvia was saying, “a war between the races would be catastrophic. Just the slavery of the villagers would be enough to make us need to take a stand, but that is not the only problem here. Do you understand why we need to move quickly?”

  I nodded. “Yeah,” I said, “I get that the King needs to be…stopped. I saw the villages firsthand, and I already told you that you can count on my help. What I don’t get is why you think that he is planning to try and take over these Territories you keep mentioning. It seems to me like all the races pretty much keep to themselves. Hell, before I came here I had only known that werewolves and vampires existed. What makes you think the King is planning a global war?”

  Silvia regarded me with a look that reminded me of her sister. When she had first told me she was Camillia’s sister, I hadn’t been able to see much resemblance; where Camillia was tall and thin, harsh and course, Silvia was short and curvy, all soft angles and delicate features. But as she looked at me now, a little bit of amusement mixed with pity on her face, their relation was clear.

  “Because, Warrior,” Silvia said, and I wondered not for the first time if anyone actually knew my damn name. “A man like King William does not build an army just to sit and admire how pretty it is. He builds an army to administer death and punishment. Think about it. He is weeding out the weak, making the strong stronger. He already has complete control over our kind and the wolves. Power like that does one thing to that kind of man. It makes him hungry for more.”

  My brow furrowed. I could find no fault in that logic. “But don’t the other races have magic, and, I don’t know, like, other things that protect them? It wouldn’t be so easy just to take them all out and force them into submission. Or at least, I wouldn’t think,” I said.

  Silvia nodded, her red, curly hair bobbing around her face. “You’re right, Warrior. But winning a war is not the same thing as starting one. Starting a war is very easy. Entire countries have fallen because of the love of two star-crossed people, over simple things like bread and rice, and of course, over territory.”

  “So what is it you want me to do, exactly?” I asked around a yawn. My eyelids were growing heavy. The sunlight beyond the glass walls of the sitting room had faded into a mixture of purple and turquoise and soft pink. Twilight in the Outlands was more beautiful than any I’d ever witnessed in the human world. It was no wonder people had died over the ownership of these lands.
I rubbed my palms over my eyes and continued, “I mean, I get that you want me to fight beside you. But, well, what now? What’s your plan?”

  Silvia clapped her hands together and stood. “Now, you should sleep,” she said. “You look like you’re two steps from death. Things will be moving quickly now that you have arrived. We need you at your best. In the morning I will assemble everyone we have, and we will hold a meeting about how to move forward. I have a room prepared for you.” She began to move toward the door. “I will show you the way if there is nothing else you need.”

  I stayed where I was, and Kayden and Tommy made no move to stand either. “I do have a question, actually,” I said, trying to think of a way to ask it without causing too much suspicion about why I was asking it. “You mentioned before, when you were running through some of the other races, something about Seers? I think I have a vague idea of what that is, but well, what exactly…can they do?”

  Silvia studied me a moment, her green eyes lingering on the silver on my arm. She looked as if she were trying to decide whether or not she should answer me. “A Seer can see bits of the future. They are connected to the order of events in a way that allows them access to very dangerous knowledge. Luckily, they are very peaceful creatures, and most of them will gladly face death rather than betray their knowledge to someone who wishes to steal it.” She paused. “Why do you ask, Warrior?”

  I didn’t answer that. Instead, I asked another question. “Is there a Seer here? In the Outlands?”

  I heard a low, barely audible growl beside me, and looked over to see that Kayden had a hard look on his handsome face, his jaw set tight. Well, I would figure out what was wrong with him in a minute. First things first. I looked back to Silvia, who was once more studying me with a guarded look in her green eyes.

  “No,” she said at last. “There are no Seers here.”

  At that moment, Camillia appeared in the doorway. Her gray hair was wet and wrapped up in its usual tight bun. She wore a silk robe over a long coral-colored nightgown. She must have taken a shower, because she wore no makeup either, and for the first time I saw how old and seriously tired she looked.

  Silvia took her sister’s hand. “I’m so happy you’re here,” she said. “I really thought I would never see you again. When you gave word that the Sun Warrior had arrived, I had been afraid to believe that it was true, afraid to hope…”

  I cleared my throat, and Silvia turned. “Oh, right,” she said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Your room is just down the hall to the left. The door is a bright green. You can’t miss it.” Her gaze flicked to Tommy. “Yours is only a few doors down, red. If you need anything, please ask.” She turned back to her sister.

  Tommy, Kayden and I slipped around them and headed down the hall. We passed through one of the glass tunnels that connected the cottages, and when I looked up I could see the sky above dotted with millions of white stars. The hallway we emerged into was painted from floor to ceiling with weeping willow trees, and tiny lights that looked as though they were strung across the branches lit the way like hundreds of stilled fireflies. I stopped when I came to a green door on the right side of the hall, and then I felt my cheeks flare up red and a twist in my stomach when a realization struck me.

  Silvia had only designated two rooms, and she had told Tommy that his was the one with the red door. Did that mean that she thought Kayden and I were going to share a room? Despite everything that had happened on this long, awful day, the thought of this sent a fresh spark of fear through me. I suddenly very much felt like I was in one of those dreams where I was standing naked in front of a classroom of peers. Super nervous.

  Yeesh, Warrior. Pull it together. What are you, fourteen? I would have thought you would have jumped at an opportunity such as this.

  “I’m eighteen, thank you. And, well, just shut up.”

  Well, eighteen is a magical age, now isn’t it?

  After a moment, I realized that Kayden and Tommy had stopped and were staring at me. Tommy said, “Uh, Wallace, you can stay in my room if you want.”

  No! I thought, earning a long chuckle from my Monster. Kayden looked to me, his golden eyes seeming to glow in the dim light of the hall, his large shoulders still held tightly, his face saying nothing at all. When he spoke, his voice was gentler than I would have expected. He hadn’t said a word since we had gotten here. “Up to you, Warrior,” he said, and I saw his chest rise and fall with a sigh.

  I pretty sure that my cheeks went from a deep pink to a bright red, like a cartoon character’s. I got the urge to reach up and hide them behind my hands, but as nervous as the thought of sharing a room again with Kayden made me, it’s not like I had to think too hard on the decision. I mean, I’m crazy, but I’m not that crazy.

  Still, my voice came out smaller than I would have liked, like a child asking for the light to be left on after bedtime. “Stay with me,” I said.

  This earned an eye roll from Tommy, and I expected some snippy remark, too. Didn’t get one. He just leaned back against the wall in his characteristic way, folded him arms and flipped his messy blond hair away from his face. “Can I have a word with Alexa, Wallace?” he asked Kayden. “I won’t keep her long. I’m sure you two are anxious to get some ‘sleep’.”

  Ah, there it was. Still the same old Tommy.

  Kayden threw a questioning look at me, ignoring Tommy’s sarcasm, and I nodded. He opened the door and turned back to Tommy before closing it. “You ought to watch what you say, Boy,” he said.

  Tommy snorted and smirked. “So they tell me, Grandpa.”

  With one last glare, Kayden shut the door. I turned to face Tommy. “You’re poking at a lion, you know that?” I asked.

  Tommy shrugged. “He doesn’t scare me.”

  I leaned against the wall next to him and was surprised when his warm fingers enfolded my hand and squeezed. I squeezed back and tilted my head to look at him. His cool blue eyes stared back at me, and for the first time I could see the angst behind them that he usually covered up with sarcasm and indifference. A realization struck me then, what seemed like the hundredth one on this endless day.

  My voice came out in a whisper. “You’re worried about her, aren’t you?” I asked, though even as I said it I knew it was true.

  Tommy didn’t ask who I was talking about, but his blue eyes continued to hold my own. “Aren’t you?”

  Then Tommy surprised me by pulling against him, his back to the wall, our hands clutched in between us, the only thing in between us. I splayed my fingers and felt the resistance in the hard muscles of his chest, my heart hammering hard, but not in the same way that Kayden made it race. It was clear in our contact that nothing was between Tommy and me anymore, if there ever had been. He just seemed to be feeling the same grief and worry I was feeling, as though it radiated through his warm skin in electric waves, and it was nice to be sharing it with someone.

  I pulled back a little and studied the lines of his face. Tommy was a pretty boy, with stylishly messy hair, a permanent smirk on his lips and striking ice-blue eyes. But they seemed to be clouded now with the anguish of a lost lover. “What-what did she do to you, Tommy?” I asked. “To all of you. What did Nelly do?”

  His warm breath stirred my hair when he spoke. His hands held mine tightly, still crushed between our bodies. It seemed as though it hurt him to speak the words. “She…touched me, I mean, she touched all of us. I-I’ve never felt so much power, so much greatness. I feel like she’s still inside of me, slipping away slowly, and I just, I want her back. I want to…I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve never been in love before, never felt anything like this, but I would assume that this is what love feels like. I think I would die for her. I think we all would. I never really understood your protectiveness of her. I mean, I did, she’s your sister and all, but I never really got why you were so willing to give everything to keep her safe. I get it now. She’s…like, something precious, something otherworldly, heavenly, almost.”

&n
bsp; I took a moment to let this sink in. I had always known how special Nelly was to me, how very much I loved her and had the undeniable urge to put her first, at all costs. But hearing my feelings spoken by someone else was strange. I’m ashamed to admit that I was a little jealous, also, not over the fact that Tommy was obviously over me, but because I felt like I was the only one who could love Nelly this way. I was her protector.

  Even great Warriors need help sometimes. I would say now, if ever, is one of those times.

  I pulled myself away from Tommy and took a deep breath. “So what do we do, then?” I asked. “If you feel like that then you know that Nelly is in trouble. Big trouble. She could be anywhere right now, and if word gets out about what she can do, about what she is, we’re going to have a much bigger task on our hands than just leading some revolution.”

  Tommy squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temples. “You asked about Seers, and I think your idea was a good one. We have to find one and convince him or her to help us. If anyone knows how to bring your sister back from…from wherever it is that she has gone, it’s a Seer.”