by Amy Miles
Elias steps forward, placing his hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. “By remembering that today is fleeting, merely a blink of an eye compared to what lies ahead of you.”
“And Roseline?”
A slow smile spreads along the angel’s face. “She will be waiting for you at the end.”
***
The sound of blood dripping against the dirt floor ignites Roseline’s carnal thirst. She clings to Malachi’s arm, unwilling to let go, even when he shoves at her head.
“Roseline, stop. You don’t want to overdo it.”
She snarls as she retracts her teeth from his flesh. Malachi gingerly withdraws his arm, cupping it with his hand. The wound is larger than normal, his flesh torn as she fought to gulp down a few extra ounces before he pulled away.
“Sorry,” she mutters, swiping the back of her hand across her lips.
Malachi no longer comes dressed like a gentleman. His attire is plain, with jeans, loafers and a t-shirt, a far more suitable fit for this squalor.
“It’s getting worse, isn’t it?” He asks, cradling his arm against his chest. Blood soaks through the cloth he binds tightly around the wound. It won’t take long for the skin to repair itself, but the scent of fresh blood makes it hard for Roseline to concentrate.
“I can handle it.” She swipes her arm along her lips, staring at the crimson smear against her pale forearm. The urge to lick at it captures her thoughts for several moments.
Malachi sighs and lowers his mended arm onto his lap. He crosses his legs and leans backward, propped up against the wall. “We’ve increased your feeding time and it’s still not working. The poison is spreading too quickly and my blood can only slow the process, not stop it.”
A shiver runs down her spine as she presses back against the cold stone. The chill never seems to leave her now.
It was the first sign that she was changing, shifting. She should be thriving off of this damp cold, but instead she is always shivering. “How long does Lucien plan to keep me here? Surely he has figured out by now that I’m not transforming.”
Malachi shifts, turning his face away to hide in the shadows. Her eyes narrow as she detects the increase in his pulse. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing.”
She snatches his arm and digs her nails into his flesh. “Tell me.”
At first, she thinks he will remain silent, but finally he concedes. He looks at her with concern in his eyes. “Lucien has been…preoccupied.”
“With?”
He swallows and pulls her nails free of his arm. “There has been a rash of killings over the past few days. Signs left for humans to discover.”
“About us?”
He nods. “It’s bad. I can feel a shift in the air. The streets are deserted at night and most of London’s nightlife has come to a grinding halt. People are terrified of going anywhere, unsure of where the next attack may occur. A curfew has been put into effect until a suspect is placed in custody.”
“But they will never find Lucien!”
“I know,” he says, closing his eyes. “There is more. I think he’s going after Gabriel as well. Lucien has immortals all over the world hunting for him.”
“But why? He has me.”
Her panic begins to muddy her thoughts. Wasn’t this the whole point of biting her? To claim her for himself? Lucien has already won so what could he possibly want with Gabriel?
“Is it the prophecy?”
Malachi shrugs. “Perhaps. Lucien believes that Gabriel is the only one who can save you, and he refuses to let that happen.”
She falls silent, thinking over his words. Can it really be that simple? Kill Gabriel to get to her? No. There must be more to it. She isn’t important. There must be something more going on than she knows, and she’d bet her life that Malachi does.
“You’re lying.”
His jaw clenches and his eyes flash in warning. She has seen this look before but never with him. “I am not.”
“Fine, then you’re still treating me like a child that has to be protected.”
He snorts, rubbing the bandage along his arm. “Aren’t you?”
“No!” She shoves him back and leaps on top of him. Her knee buries into his neck, pressing against his vocal chords. She could easily do it, just end his life with one twist of her leg.
She stares down into the fathomless depths of his eyes and sees no fear. On the contrary, she sees pleading. “You want me to do it, don’t you?”
Although he struggles to move, she can easily tell he is nodding. She releases pressure and shifts back into a crouch. “Why?”
“I have my reasons.” He growls, rubbing the back of his neck. He refuses to look at her.
“There is no honor in willful death.”
He shrugs, rising from the ground. “The end result is the same. That’s all I care about.”
Her eyes narrow as he yanks the bandage off his arm and tosses it aside. She will have to hide that later, probably with the other rags that are stuffed inside the rotting sheep across the room. Roseline thought about moving the girl over there as well but couldn’t bring herself to touch her, for fear of losing what little control she still possesses.
“Then why not do something honorable?” she challenges him.
“What could I possibly do now to redeem myself?”
She leans forward, capturing him with her fierce gaze. “Get me out of here. I can stop Lucien. You know I can. I just have to get to Gabriel.”
His nose scrunches with disgust. “You think it’s that easy to get out of here? This place is swarming with immortals that want your head for Vladimir’s death, not to mention more Eltat than I care to count.”
He releases a small shudder and Roseline can’t help but agree. The red-eyed monsters, with their curled claws and green scaled skin are a hideous sight and lethal. She doesn’t fancy meeting any of those down here.
“But this is your home. You know all of its secrets. You could do it,” she presses.
He casts a guarded glance in her direction before moving to the cell door. He steps through and the lock clanks back into place. He pauses, staring intently at her. She can see his indecision and smell his fear. “Perhaps.”
***
Nicolae storms after Fane, chasing him past the empty well and charred rubble that used to belong to Bran Castle’s front gate. A layer of ice covers the ground, glistening in the early morning light. Small, rough pebbles litter the courtyard, crunching underfoot. “You know I’m right about this. We don’t have a choice.”
Fane turns so abruptly Nicolae slams into his chest. Nicolae winces at the stab of pain in his sternum, rubbing it gingerly as he steps back. “What’d you do that for?”
“There is always a choice.” The immortal’s face is rigid as stone. “And do not make the mistake of thinking me a fool, Nicolae. I know Sadie put you up to this.”
“So what if she did? She’s got a point.” Nicolae says, leaning back against the crumbled remains of a wall. A thick layer of damp stone dust clings to his pants and the soles of his shoes. “You fought alongside me only a couple days ago and now I’m suddenly the enemy again? What about our pact?”
Fane releases a long and controlled breath. “You, I like.”
Nicolae stiffens. “The hunters are still my family. They will listen to me.”
“You care for them,” Fane says. “That makes you foolish. You aren’t thinking clearly. A truce of that magnitude between our kinds is not possible.”
He can’t help but notice that Fane actually sounds a bit sad when he says this. Perhaps Roseline wasn’t alone in wishing things could be different. She and Fane have been fighting this war a lot longer than he has. If anyone would like to find peace, it must be them.
“Roseline believed it was possible,” Nicolae says, watching his friend’s reaction. Fane keeps his face emotionless, but Nicolae can sense the turmoil brewing just beyond his eyes.
Nicolae takes a step forward, cautious but
unwilling to give up the chance to convert Fane. “Give me a chance to reason with them. They fought alongside you to take Vladimir down and you know they will want a chance at Lucien. This is as much their fight as it is yours.”
“But we don’t know that he is behind all the murders.” Fane grinds his teeth, revealing how unsettled the news reports have made him. “What if all of this is a trick to throw us off Roseline’s trail? Or worse, to start a war between immortals and the hunters while he continues to sweep panic across Europe? We can’t risk it.”
“And what about the new murders? Immortals are jumping on Lucien’s bandwagon. People are being murdered in broad daylight. Your world has been thrust before human eyes, and there is nothing you can do to make them unsee the horrors all around them.”
“I know.” Fane’s head hangs low.
Nicolae steps forward, touched by the burden Fane so obviously bears. “You need my men, Fane. Too many immortals have sided against you. Even if you could scrounge together a handful, you would still be sorely outmatched. Without our help, you can’t hope to win.”
Fane’s jaw tightens as he turns, allowing Nicolae only a profile view as his gaze roams the ruins of his once magnificent home. “There are many who would help me.”
“But are they enough? War is coming. It is inevitable now.” Nicolae insists, stepping forward.
“Can you risk losing this battle? Can Roseline?”
“Of course not,” Fane growls, rounding on Nicolae. His nostrils flare as he bears down. “Do you think me cold-hearted? That I would forget the one person most dear to me just because of all this turmoil?”
Nicolae raises his hands, gently pushing back against Fane’s chest. “You know that’s not what I meant. I’m simply stating a fact. You can’t be in two places at once. Someone must deal with this outbreak of attacks, but we can’t just leave Roseline in Malachi’s hands. You can’t do this alone, Fane.”
Fane’s shoulders droop as he closes his eyes. Nicolae knows the pull of duty all too well, but he also understands the overwhelming need to save a loved one, no matter the cost. He knows Fane can’t argue with his logic.
“There will be a meeting in a few days,” Fane begins hesitantly, pausing to open his eyes and stare hard at Nicolae. “My brethren are gathering in the North to create a battle plan. I am supposed to attend, but I cannot leave Sadie alone, so I am forced to take her and William with me.”
“And what about me?”
Fane’s gaze hardens as a mixture of emotions play across his face. Slowly, his expression loosens. “I trust that you will never do anything to put Sadie’s life in danger. As such, I will allow you to join us, but only you.”
Nicolae begins to protest, but Fane shakes his head. “You can’t control your men, not in a place like this.”
“I can try,”
“And if you fail?” Fane presses, stepping closer. “Are you sure enough to risk Sadie’s life, as well as that of William and myself?”
“I won’t fail.” Nicolae swallows roughly, thinking over the consequences if he should fail. Sadie is the enemy now. William would be a causality of war, and Fane…he wouldn’t go down without a fight. Nicolae straightens his shoulders, determined to prove Fane wrong.
The ice cracks around Fane’s boots as he shifts uneasily. His arms cross tightly over his chest, his posture rigid. “You realize what it is you ask? If your men join our fight, the truce would be tremulous at best, our quarters tight and with a fully stocked armory between us. The chances of there being a massacre among our ranks before we even reach the battlefield are very high.”
Nicolae nods solemnly. He knows the risks. He also knows that everyone he loves might die, but can he really back out now, when he has so much personally invested in this? Sadie has become his brothers’ enemy. He can’t allow them to treat her as such. And the murders…how long will it be before the humans start to fight back, hunting down Fane’s kind out of fear?
The world is quickly tumbling into chaos and he is going right along with it, one way or another. “You have my word.”
Fane stares hard at him before nodding. “Let’s hope that is enough.”
Eight
Gabriel can’t help but feel odd as he stands in the fierce embrace of a girl he only met a few days ago, realizing that she has become an important figure in his life. Katia’s fierce hug surprises him as he pulls back. “It was nice to meet you. Once I am able, I’d like to come back and visit you again.”
“You welcome, brother.” She wipes away the tears from her wind chapped cheeks.
Gabriel looks back over his shoulder to find Seneh and Elias grinning. “You told her?”
Seneh shrugs. “Who is she going to tell?”
He turns to smile at Katia. “I won’t forget you.”
“Or bear stew.”
Gabriel laughs, knowing how true that was. He would rather eat grain from the hen house floor for the rest of his life rather than swallow down her cooking. “Take care of yourself. I’ll make sure to send Seneh back when I’m done with him.”
Her smile seems tinged with sorrow as he walks away. An odd sense of homesickness lingers over Gabriel as he wraps his arm around Elias’ neck and they rise into the air. “Will I see her again?”
“Someday perhaps.”
“And you’re sure she’s safe here?” He can’t help but shake the fear that has gripped him since the first moment he found out they were related. If someone were to discover their secret, she could be used against him. She is his family now, and he will do whatever it takes to protect her.
Gabriel secures his hold around Elias’s neck before waving one final time to Katia. As the roof of her cabin blends in with the rest of the forest, he turns to see where they are going.
“Now can you tell me where we are going?” he asks, speaking directly into Elias’ ear.
“It is an ancient place, one no man knows still exists. People have sought it out for centuries, but they have been looking in the wrong places.”
He pauses as he dips his wings and changes direction, soaring on the mighty gusts of the frozen land. Seneh rides just off Elias’ right wing, ever the watchful eye.
“Many years ago, a great flood came over the earth. Water fell from the sky, filling all of the land until only the sea remained. Mountains sank into the depths, and the land shifted and reformed. Nothing was as it was before.”
“You’re talking about Noah, right?”
“Indeed.” Elias nods. Gabriel retightens his grip as they keep to the clouds to remain unseen. The fine mist tickles his face as Elias pumps his wings powerfully and they shoot forward at a greater speed.
“I thought that was just a fairy tale to tell children.”
A deep rumbling laugh rises in Elias’ chest. “You are riding on the back of an angel right now. At what point will you begin to believe in the impossible?”
“Fair enough.” Gabriel releases a frustrated sigh. “Go on.”
“This great flood did more than wipe out an entire people. It also hid one of the most precious places in all the land. A place forbidden for man to re-enter.”
Gabriel frowns, sifting through childhood memories for a story that might fit. His mind trails back to a tale of a sneaky serpent, one that could speak and tempt. “Whoa, hang on a second. You’re not talking about Eden, are you? The garden Adam and Eve were cast out of?”
Elias turns his head to cast a grin back over his shoulder. “See, you know more of your history than you thought.”
“That’s not history, that’s…”
“A fairy tale?” Elias laughs. “Hardly, although is a tale of sorts. Eden is our destination. We should be there by nightfall.”
Elias pumps his wings, soaring to greater heights. Gabriel’s head breaks through the clouds, and he is blinded by the brilliant sun. He cries out and presses his face into the downy softness of Elias’ wings, sure that somehow the angel is pulling his leg. To think that such a place could still exist is crazy
. Aren’t millions of dollars spent each year by people trying to disprove the Bible? If it were true, wouldn’t someone have found evidence of this garden at some point? There’s no way such a place could still exist and humans not know about it.
And yet…they don’t know he exists either.
***
Pain ricochets up Roseline’s spine as she slams against the ground. She grunts, reaching under herself to clutch her bruised ribs. Rough, scaly hands curl around her arms as they pull her aloft. Fingers twine through her hair and yank her head back, forcing her to stare into the beady eyes of the green monster. The Eltat’s stench is overwhelming and foul, forcing her to hold her breath as she comes face to face with it.
Her right eye is swollen shut, and her lower lip is split and seeping blood. Her legs buckle under, no longer able to hold her weight.
She squints, struggling to adjust to the bright light shining down on her. The room is vast and unnaturally lit by fluorescent lights that dangle on chains from the towering ceiling above. The walls are made from stone, smooth as granite. Four doors line each of the walls, leading further into the maze of this underground labyrinth.
Roseline blinks, suddenly realizing she has been brought to the room where she was first reintroduced to Lucien. How vastly different it looks in the light.
Her head begins to throb as the Eltat’s grip tightens, pulling strands from her scalp. She would love nothing more than to rip his heart from his chest with her bare hands, but her strength has waned again. Malachi hasn’t been back to see her since her plea for help. Has she offended him? Has he changed his mind about saving her from this horrible transformation?
Screams echo from somewhere beyond this room, screeching and high-pitched. Roseline tries to turn toward the sound but surrenders to the pain from her hair ripping from her scalp in large chunks. The Eltat releases a pig-like grunt that she can only assume to be laughter. She vows that he will be the first to die if she has a chance to fight back.
The scream grows louder over the next minute and Roseline braces. She has a bad feeling about what is about to come through the door.