“Very well, I am Álfr.”
“Did you say an elf?” a cynical laugh escaped her lips before she could check it. “An elf with a French name.”
“I am not an elf. I am Álfr. As for my French name, Aramis is the closest I could get to my real name in the human tongue.”
“Prove it. Prove that you are an elf…or Álfr. The legends call you the Fair Folk but you look just like a handsome thirty-something human man.”
“It’s a glamour so I can…blend in.” He said it with such sincerity that Anya found herself believing him. The cynical part of her won out.
“Show me.” Aramis sighed as a rush of power poured from him. The change started at the top of his head and flowed down his body in a ripple effect.
Anya had seen good looking men before. Yvan was the epitome of human male beauty, strongly built, long limbed, you could see him riding a horse and using a sword as well. He had lines around his eyes when he smiled. Trajan was one step more towards refinement; well groomed, well-spoken and elegant in manners but he was still human or human shaped, with the slight flaws that came with it. Those small unidentifiable traits that made him look human.
The man who sat opposite her was now so far beyond anything she had experienced that her head unexpectedly filled with clichés. Eyes as blue as sapphires, skin as pale as snow. Ethereal. Angelic. None of those well used descriptions could ever justify him. Yes, his eyes were blue but they were so deep and so clear you couldn’t help but think that this blue was the first shade of blue that God created. The whiteness of his skin was unmarred and flawless. There was a sheen to it under the fluorescent lights, like crushed pearls had been rubbed into it. He seemed to be lit from the inside, some force that illuminated outward. High cheekbones gave strong structure to his deep set eyes, Grecian nose and soft smiling mouth. All of this was framed by very thick, glossy silver white wavy hair. This creature was so far from human that she felt attracted and repelled at the same time. Her hand reached across and touched his cheek in fascination before pulling it back quickly.
“Do you believe me now?”
“I believe you,” she said and swallowed hard. “Is that why my magic acted like it did? Because you are Álfr?”
“What your fróđleikr, your magic, did was quite unusual. We are a magical race but I have never had that happen before. As if it recognised my nature.” Aramis brushed his fingers along the top of her hand, leaving trails of warmth. “Tell me what has happened, Anyanka. You will not regret trusting me.”
“I hope I don’t regret it, for your sake.” He was looking at her expectantly so taking a deep breath she told him everything that had happened since Tuoni had visited and turned her world on its head.
An empty bottle later, Aramis sat across from her wide eyed but silent. His glamour had been replaced as they talked so he was back to looking human.
“If their plan is going to run on the month time-frame I will make sure that the Illumination has a presence in the area. What the Darkness plans to do violates the treaty and could completely destroy Russia. It is a risk the Illumination will not take,” he said gravely. “Also I know now more than ever that we need to protect you. Your power has infinite possibilities to grow and you will always be a target because of it.”
“You can’t be so naïve to think that the Illumination won’t try to recruit me or whatever it is you do. They will lock me up as quickly as the Darkness,” Anya said and folded her arms. “You will not convince me otherwise.”
“I don’t want to lie to you; the Illumination wants me to apprehend you-”
“I would like to see them try. The Darkness tried it once and look how it ended for them.”
“I’m not trying to threaten you Anya,” Aramis said calmly. “You need to close the gate because you’re the only one who can. They won’t make a move until then. The things they could teach you…”
“Stop it, Aramis. I’m not interested. If you follow us to Russia I can’t stop you but after I am finished if you try to take me they will stop you. I won’t be a hostage again.”
“There wouldn’t be any force involved, Anya. It’s for your protection more than anything else.”
“Is that what they are telling you?” Aramis looked like he was about to reply but he stopped the retort. Instead he let out a small sigh and said, “I won’t let anything happen to you Anya. Just let me help you and your companions. As for what happens after you close the gate well…I will endeavour to change their minds. Unless of course it is what you want. The Illumination isn’t your enemy and neither am I.” He ran his fingers over the back of her hand and Anya felt the charge in them. She didn’t know why she trusted him or what he was saying but she did.
“I think it will take a lot of convincing to get the others to want to work with the Illumination but I will try.” He smiled easily at her and she found herself smiling back. She liked him and he knew it.
“You should go off to bed. You need to sleep and they will panic if they can’t find you,” he said finally. Anya looked up as the carriage door opened. Trajan spotted her and Aramis.
“They have already found us.” Aramis got to his feet as black smoke began to pour from Trajan.
“Trajan stop; he’s a friend!” Anya shouted. She watched as the brown from Trajan’s eyes melted into red and Aramis’s position changed to defensive. Trajan vanished and was on him in a heartbeat. Aramis glowed and with a deafening crack Trajan was thrown backwards and crumpled on the stained carpet. Anya pushed Aramis out of the way and hurried to where Trajan lay.
“Are you hurt?” Anya was on her knees beside him checking him over. His nose was bleeding and he was looking at her in a daze. “What the hell did you do to him Aramis?”
“I defended myself.” He still hadn’t taken his eyes off Trajan.
“What the hell is he?” Trajan said as he sat up clutching his head.
“I am Álfr and you will keep your distance,” Aramis commanded; the power in his voice made Anya’s hair stand on end. She helped Trajan to his feet.
“Álfr…”
“Long story,” Anya muttered. “I told you not to attack him.”
“I didn’t mean to. I saw him and…” Trajan seemed to be at a loss for words.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I apologise,” Trajan said to Aramis when he could stand straight.
“Accepted,” Aramis gave him a nod. “I have to go and check on the security detail. Anya, please talk to your people and find if an alliance is possible.” He fixed her with his impossibly blue gaze and added more gently, “I will be close.”
“I will find you,” she assured. As he walked past her his hand lightly touched hers, leaving her magic burning.
As Anya was helping Trajan back to their compartment they were met by the Twins and almost collided with a very edgy Yvan.
“What’s happened?” Honaw demanded as he helped shoulder Trajan’s weight.
“How did I know you would be at the centre of this newest disturbance shalosť?” Yvan teased sleepily.
“Help me get Trajan inside. He just nearly had his brain knocked out,” Anya said, drunk and shaky from her night with Aramis. Now she was away from him she couldn’t believe the things she had revealed. She remembered the bartender who was put to sleep so they could speak privately. Had he used magic on her too? Her knees started to weaken and Yvan grabbed her arm to steady her.
“Looks like you need to sit down. Some water couldn’t hurt either.” Anya was placed next to Trajan on the narrow bed and Yvan disappeared only to come back with bottles of water. The Twins had positioned themselves on the carpet and were looking at Anya expectantly.
“Tell them Anya,” Trajan slurred as he slumped against the wall. She didn’t tell them that she thought he had used his magic on her but an edited version of Aramis and his offer came forth instead.
“Álfr. Even in Skazki they are a myth,” said Yvan with a shake of his head. “I wonder how they ended up living here.
”
“There are two colonies of them in America that we know of,” admitted Chayton thoughtfully. “We leave them alone, they leave us alone. Their existence wouldn’t be an entire secret but they stick together and guard their privacy. We don’t know much about them. It is surprising that one is working for the Illumination though. They are highly magical of course but they don’t get involved in the affairs of others. Strange.”
“Another thing,” Honaw continued almost instantly, “is that you will have to watch your nature, Trajan. Álfr are not like humans or supernaturals. As a Thanatos you are Death and they are unnaturally pure life. You will always repel each other.”
“What did he hit me with?” Trajan asked rubbing his chest.
“I don’t know but it was powerful enough to send us running. There is something more pressing to worry about than that. ”
“What?” Anya asked.
“How are we going to convince Isabelle and Katya to become allies with the Illumination?”
***
They had agreed to meet in Aramis’s private carriage. Since no one trusted anyone else, this was as neutral a territory as they were going to get. Anya was edgy but nowhere near what the others were. Trajan was closer than usual, one arm resting around her at all times.
There was no way she could have talked them out of going unarmed so she didn’t even try. Katya and Isabelle looked quite bulky underneath their overcoats. Anya could only guess how many weapons they had between them.
Only the Twins looked relaxed in their dark jeans and matching black tee shirts. Both had worn their hair out making it even harder to tell which was which. Chayton had a calmer aura whereas Honaw had the slightly more aggressive. Their magical signature was the only thing Anya could tell them apart by and only because they had taught her how to feel it out. To anyone else they would be very tall, very serious looking men. They were the only ones who had any knowledge of the Álfr in the real world. Katya and Isabelle had scoffed openly. Anya still didn’t think they fully believed her.
“You two are the only ones acting normal tonight,” she commented to Chayton and Honaw.
“We’re not worried because you have enough power to take them all out if they threaten us,” Chayton answered and they both smiled big and white. “Besides it sounds like this Álfr is a fan of yours.”
“Great. You guys are meant to be protecting me remember?”
“Oh no, you protect us,” they synced unevenly.
“You guys are meant to be gods, you don’t need my help.”
“It’s much more fun to watch you get angry though.”
“What makes you think I am going to get angry?” They both looked slightly guilty and Honaw lowered his voice.
“We have been talking to Katya about her experiences with the Illumination. They tried arresting her a few years ago for a shape-shifter murder. It was stealing children and feeding on them. She saved a little boy but they tried to arrest her anyway for killing without a warrant. They are not happy she has eluded them for so long.”
“This is different. Aramis has promised to help us. I trust him.”
“Why? Because he said he was trustworthy?”
“I am sure my magic wouldn’t have reacted that way if I couldn’t trust him.”
“So trust your Álfr but do not think for a minute that the others who are with him wouldn’t betray you,” said Honaw viciously.
“All right, this is what we are going to do,” Isabelle interrupted the chatter. “Izrayl and Hamish will go first, then Yvan and Cerise, Trajan, Anya and the Twins. Katya and I will protect the rear. I am not happy about this treaty. We have no idea of their firepower or how many men they have. If we are walking into a trap I want everyone to be on his or her guard.” Anya knew if anything did go wrong tonight Isabelle was going to hold her personally responsible. Trajan saw the look and wrapped Anya protectively under his arm.
They made their way to Aramis’s carriage in the convoy set out by Isabelle’s instruction. Anya could only imagine what the passengers thought of the group moving through the carriages. They looked like train robbers, especially Hamish in his long coat, boots and the shiny belt buckle on his jeans.
They were all on guard, everyone looking out for an attack. Anya wanted to remind them all they had been travelling on the same train for quite a while now so if they’d wanted to attack they had had plenty of opportunity. One glance at Isabelle’s face and she decided not to mention it.
Two burly men in black guarded the doors to Aramis’s carriage. Izrayl and Hamish eyed them warily. There wasn’t a lot of room to have a fight on a train but Anya was sure they would have liked to pick one regardless.
“We have a meeting with Aramis,” Izrayl said.
“There will be no weapons past this point,” said one guard. He had a thick cockney English accent and a severely crooked nose.
“Leave our weapons with you? You’re fucking dreaming mate,” said Hamish, as eloquent as ever. As they argued Anya stretched out her magical senses like the Twins had taught her. She instantly found Aramis’s presence glowing in her mind like a silvery star. It began moving towards her; the doors behind the guards opened and Aramis was there, serious and imposing. He was dressed casually in dark jeans and a grey shirt. He was leaner than Anya expected under the blue coat he wore the previous night.
“Is there a problem?” he asked. The guard shifted uncomfortably.
“They are refusing to disarm,” the guard replied, his tone slightly sullen.
“You can hardly blame them. Let them pass.”
“I don’t think that is a good idea sir.”
“Noted, now let them pass.” Aramis turned promptly and walked back into the carriage. Hamish stuck his middle finger at the guard as they filed in. Anya was sure Isabelle hissed at one.
The carriage was roomy with lounges and mismatched seats lining the walls. A massive desk stood at the far end stacked with papers and a small laptop. For some reason Anya couldn’t picture Aramis ever using it. There were two other men in the room but they had much more of an air of authority about them.
“You will have to forgive the suspicious nature of my men,” said Aramis as he sat down in one of the soft leather chairs. He indicated they should make themselves comfortable on the two-seater lounges and other available chairs. Isabelle and Katya remained standing but Aramis didn’t seem offended by it.
“Suspicion helps keep you alive,” said one of the strangers. Aramis quickly introduced them as Petyr and Ruben, commanders of the two different Illumination teams on board. Anya followed his lead and introduced her companions. When she reached Isabelle, Ruben grunted. Aramis glared at him.
“What do you want?” Isabelle said promptly.
“We are here to help Anya. She has made me aware of the predicament with the gate protection so we travel to Russia in order to stop anything from entering our world that shouldn’t. Also to stop the Darkness from leaving the gates open and destroying Russia,” Aramis replied.
“I have never seen one of the Illuminators get their hands dirty,” hissed Katya.
“We can’t all be baby killers can we Blackwood?” said Ruben. Isabelle went extremely still. She looked furious but something else flashed by on her face. If Anya didn’t know her any better she would have thought it was fear. “I was there that night. When we were cleaning up the little limbs of children you had ripped apart.”
“That is enough,” Aramis warned but the man didn’t stop.
“We were the ones who had to bury them. All those poor innocents, dying so terrified.” The man had gotten to his feet and started moving toward Isabelle as he spoke. “Yet for all our efforts the culprit remained unpunished. You fled only to reappear years later hailed as the greatest hunter in the world. How fucking ironic.”
“Hold your tongue, you fucking spark plug or I will rip it out.” Isabelle’s tone was ice cold, making Anya’s skin rise with goose bumps. She had never heard an insult for the Illumination bu
t they bristled with offence. Ruben pointed a finger at her accusingly.
“I have no doubt that in time you will show your true self and we will have to take you out. It is a dark day for the Illumination that we make an alliance with such a filthy whore!”
Ruben only had a second to gloat before there was a blur of movement and he was on the floor, blood pouring from his mouth where his jaw had shattered. The attack didn’t come from where he expected it. Hamish stood over him with his fists still balled tight.
“Don’t you ever speak to her like that again. If you do all your specialist training ain’t going to amount to shit,” he spoke very low. A strong ripple of power ran under his skin, his beast wanting to explode from his flesh.
Isabelle moved to stand over the bleeding man, one hand resting on the butt of her pistol. “I didn’t kill those children. They weren’t the only things that got attacked that night.” She reached up and pulled across her shirt so they could see the mangled scar. Ruben looked up at her with round eyes. Isabelle turned and headed for the door, yanking it open violently. The two guards tried to grab her but caught air as she ducked. One made to grab her again, swinging low. Isabelle caught his arm, one-handed and twisted it back, splintering the bones, and drove her other fist into his face. She kept walking.
“Hamish, can you go after her?” Anya asked quietly but he was already heading for the door.
Chapter Thirty- Blood Letting and Earth Screaming
Isabelle rushed through the train and headed for the storage carriages to get her motorcycle. At the next stop, she was riding off this train. She wouldn’t work with the Illumination.
Ruben had made her so mad she felt the dark part of herself move about underneath the surface. If Hamish hadn’t intervened she would have killed him. Her hand was itching to go back and put a bullet in his skull.
In the cold store carriages the musty odour of damp canvas and motor oil filled the air. She found her bike closest to the large sliding door and she pulled the blanket off it.
Cry of the Firebird (The Firebird Fairytales Book 1) Page 34