by Rye Brewer
I faced Allonic. “Can you take me to Duskwood again?”
He frowned. “What?”
“Do you know of any other place we could find her?” I asked, rolling my eyes. “I don’t think stepping outside and whispering her name would work the way it did when I needed you.”
“What if she doesn’t want to help?” Mom asked.
“What if she can’t?” Sara added.
I waved off their questions. “If she can’t or won’t, she’ll tell us about someone who can. I don’t know how I know. I just do.”
Sirene didn’t seem bitter or hateful toward vampires, the way so many other witches did. There was a warm feeling that flowed from her. Nothing like Malory’s cold, evil nature.
Another idea hit me—probably because I was thinking about Sirene.
“And if we find her, we’ll probably find Fane, too. I can tell him to warn the Bourkes of the contaminated blood.”
My secret agenda: I wouldn’t have to face Jonah.
How odd, feeling relieved I wouldn’t have to see him, when he had been the center of everything for me after we met.
“Who’s Fane?”
Shoot. I almost gave him away.
Sara’s face was all innocence. So was Mom’s. That was a lucky break.
“Someone Sirene and the Bourkes have in common.” I shrugged. “He’ll get the message to them much quicker than I will.”
Just their father. No big deal. I reminded myself to be more careful—there was so much she still didn’t know, that she would probably never know if Fane had his way. It was bad enough I knew.
Allonic, meanwhile, turned his gaze away.
I could only imagine what an idiot he thought I was.
“Okay. Where’s this Duskwood place?” Sara looked and sounded more hopeful, which was a start.
“We’ll have to use another portal to get there,” Allonic explained.
“I’m not used to all this… What do I call it? Alternate dimensions or realms… or what?” she asked, glancing around.
“There’s much more to the world than you know,” Mom said with a gentle smile.
She helped Sara to her feet—I noticed the way my sister stumbled a little. She was near exhaustion. I couldn’t imagine how much energy it took to kick up the sort of electrical storms she produced.
Allonic removed his outer cloak and handed it to me to wrap around Sara and me, then held his hands up, palms out.
It would never cease to amaze me the way he could close his eyes, concentrate, and create something that wasn’t there before—a doorway.
My eyes locked in the direction his hands pointed, as a circle of pulsing light in all shades of blue, purple, and silver appeared in front of him then grew bigger until it was as tall as he was.
Sara’s eyes went round and big.
“All right. Let’s hurry.” I turned toward Mom.
She shook her head. “I think you three should go on your own,” she said, hanging back.
I wanted to ask Mom why, but some instinct told me it was too long a story to go into just then.
I threw the cloak over Sara’s shoulders and ducked underneath with her, pulling the hood over our heads. She didn’t tremble as much as she had the first time we took a portal. I guessed her resilience was improving. What a relief.
We took a step forward, then another, in perfect sync.
And we hit a wall.
“What the?” I moved forward again, but no go.
My forehead bumped into something that felt like solid granite.
“Back up,” I said, and we took a few steps back before dropping the cloak.
The portal was still there.
Allonic was frowning at us.
“What happened?” I asked, still rubbing the bump on my forehead. “I think your portal is a bust.”
“It’s not the portal,” he said, glancing at Sara. “It might be her.”
“Me?” She pointed to herself. “What did I do?”
“Relax,” I said, touching her arm. “Don’t take things so personally.”
“But I went through the first one, right? The one you set up to get here.”
She had a point.
We both stared at our brother.
His frown deepened. “I suppose there’s only one way to test my theory for sure.” He bent his tall body to pick the cloak up from the floor. “Here. Try it on your own.” He handed it to Sara.
“What happens if it works, and I end up in this Duskwood place by myself?”
“Come right back—the portal will look the same on your side as it does on ours,” he explained as he wrapped her in the cloak.
She couldn’t do it for herself, frozen in fear the way she was.
“I don’t know if I want to do this,” she whispered.
“You’ll be all right if it works… but I don’t think it will. Just give it a try.” That was the most reassuring he could be, and I appreciated him making an effort.
He’s probably trying to keep himself from getting cooked, the cynical side of my brain told me.
Sara appeared a little more sure of herself before the hood covered her face. She took a deep breath, then three steps.
Wham!
She rebounded off the unforgiving surface of the portal opening, and I caught her before she hit the floor.
“Now we know,” Allonic murmured as I unwrapped the cloak.
“What do you think is causing this?” Mom asked, rubbing Sara’s arms.
It was obvious we were coddling her, but there was no other option when she was so volatile.
“There may be some kind of enchantment particular to Duskwood that’s preventing Sara from entering,” he suggested.
“But if this Sirene can be there, and she’s a witch…”
“She might have been the one who cast the spell. Maybe for her protection. All witches aren’t as kind as she is.”
And what would they think if they knew she had consorted with Fane? Not to mention the fact she was pregnant.
It could’ve been the baby, not herself, she wanted to protect from certain witches. Witches with elemental powers.
But what did I know?
Each realm had its rules. Maybe a vampire/witch hybrid was against Duskwood’s rules.
I wondered if I should start taking notes to keep it all straight.
I hated to say it, but I did. “I guess Allonic and I will have to go alone.”
It hurt to leave Mom after just finding her again, but knowing Sara was with her brought me a little comfort.
And if anybody could keep Sara calm, it was Mom.
“Be safe,” Mom whispered.
“I’ve been there before. It’ll be all right… and we won’t stay long.”
I wrapped myself in the cloak and stepped through the portal before I could think twice about leaving the chamber.
It didn’t matter how I felt about leaving Mom behind, anyway.
Sara was who mattered right now.
8
Anissa
As usual, the difference between Duskwood and practically anywhere else was unsettling at first.
The air stopped moving. Everything went muffled, like I had cotton in my ears.
I unwrapped the cloak and looked around, letting my eyes adjust. I doubted there was ever sunlight here, or moonlight. Any light at all. The sky was inky black as always, starless.
“How do we find her now that we’re here?” I asked Allonic as he closed the portal.
“It shouldn’t be difficult.”
We walked side-by-side in the direction of the marble mausoleum, the easiest landmark to spot.
I wondered if she lived there, inside, or somewhere close by. I couldn’t imagine living in a mausoleum, even if it was empty. I doubted this one was. Whoever or whatever was inside had probably turned to dust by now, judging from the age of the language inscribed on the tombstones.
“Sirene?” Allonic called out, scanning the area. His eyes glowed in his dark face, f
ramed by an even darker sky.
I glanced around for her, waiting to see the moving fog which would announce her approach.
“Allonic?” A figure stepped out from inside the mausoleum, a figure with long, black hair and a sweet smile. Her hands were clasped over her stomach like she was instinctively protecting her child.
I told myself to stop imagining things.
“We’re sorry to disturb you,” he said.
“Yes, we are.” The last thing I needed on my back was an angry witch. I already had enough problems.
Her smile was as radiant as ever. “You’re not disturbing me. I wasn’t expecting company—I always appreciate it,” she added. “It gets lonely here at times.”
I questioned why she lived here at all, then. There was so much I didn’t know. Was she in danger because of Fane and the baby? Or did she stay here to be closer to him?
“We need your help,” Allonic explained. “There’s a… situation… with which we need assistance, and questions only a witch can answer.”
“I’ll do my best,” she promised.
I sensed he was waiting for me to continue.
I cleared my throat to get rid of the lump that was suddenly there. “It’s my sister. We think she may have fed from a batch of contaminated blood. She’s exhibiting elemental powers.”
“Elemental?” Sirene’s wide, bright eyes opened wider. “Is there any chance of elemental witch blood in your family?”
“None we’re aware of. And this is the first time she’s ever exhibited these abilities.” I was fairly sure Mom would’ve mentioned something about it if there had been any chance of this being spread through the family. Then again, there was a lot she had never told us. Like who my father was.
“What are these abilities?”
“She shoots electricity from her hands,” I said, realizing it sounded blunt and a little ridiculous. But still, it was the truth.
“That must have come as quite a surprise,” she said with a rueful smile.
“It seems to be getting stronger and stronger, and she has no control over it,” I explained. “Then, she gets upset over having these powers at all. She’s scared and angry at whoever or whatever is responsible. That only seems to make it worse.”
“She’s a danger to others and possibly to herself,” Allonic added, sounding grave.
I was glad he had the nerve to say it because I didn’t. I hated thinking about my sister—my gentle, sweet, brave sister—being a danger.
Sirene nodded. “She is. You were right to come to me, though I’m not yet sure what I can do to help you.”
My heart sank. Even though I knew better than to expect a miracle, I had hoped. I couldn’t help but hope. “Can you try, though?”
“Of course, I’ll try. I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you,” I breathed. I wanted to give her a hug but didn’t want to push my luck.
“Where is she? I’ll go to her now if you want.”
“She’s in ShadesRealm.” Allonic made it sound like he was delivering a death sentence.
I peered up at him with a frown.
Sirene clearly understood. “I can’t go there.”
“Precisely,” he replied, giving me a look, as if wondering why I doubted him.
“Why not? Witches aren’t allowed there?” I glanced back and forth between them.
“That’s right. Witches aren’t welcome there,” she explained.
“But…” I looked at Allonic again.
He nodded.
Then why had he taken Sara there? I wondered how much he had risked by doing that.
“What if you brought her here?” she asked.
Allonic shook his head. “We can’t. We tried, but she couldn’t get through the portal.”
“You couldn’t…?” Her forehead creased in thought then her eyes lit up. “Of course. Fane must have an enchantment in place.”
So, it was he who did that.
I wondered if it was to protect himself or to protect her. Maybe both. Or maybe to protect the baby.
“If we can’t bring her to you, and you can’t go to her, what are we supposed to do? I should’ve known this wouldn’t work. Nothing ever does.” I wanted to punch the wall and scream and curse as frustration bubbled up inside me.
“There might be another way.” Her voice was soothing, sweet, and I felt a sense of peace wash over me. Just like that, I leveled out.
She might not have waved her arms and cast dangerous spells and made wind and rain kick up around her, but she was a powerful witch. It was a shame humans were so afraid of witches, since they could save a lot of money they spent on medication to alter their moods if they spent time with someone like Sirene.
“What other way?” I asked in a much gentler voice.
“We could meet up in some other place. Somewhere in the human world.”
I shuddered at the thought. “We can’t risk that. She’s too unpredictable. I can just imagine her losing control and being spotted by a vampire. If they tell the League of Vampires, she’d be in huge trouble.”
“What would they do to her?” she asked.
I felt cold all of a sudden, although there was no breeze and the temperature never changed. I wrapped my arms around myself and trembled a little. “If the league was to find out about her—and they would—they’d punish her.”
“But it isn’t her fault,” she said in a sad, soft voice.
“I know. They don’t care. They might banish her forever. They might even…” I took a deep breath. “They might actually kill her for this.”
“Why would they do that?” She touched her abdomen.
“Because she’s a witch hybrid now. They’re the rarest species of all. Most of them don’t make it through birth.”
And that was when I could’ve kicked myself, when it hit me Sirene was curious because of the baby she was carrying.
A witch hybrid.
It explained the softness in her voice, the sadness on her face.
I wished I could take it back and maybe not be quite so blunt.
“I understand why you’re so anxious to take care of her,” she said. “It’s unfair, isn’t it, to be judged that way? When it isn’t our choice how we’re born or who we’re born to.” Her sorrow was clear.
I wished there was something I could say to make it better, but there was nothing. I couldn’t change the way things were.
“Please. Please, come to ShadesRealm. Please, help her. She needs us. She might die if we don’t do something to help her. We need you—you’re the only one with any answers.” I would’ve given her anything in the world if she would just help us.
It took a long time, but she nodded. “I’ll go to ShadesRealm.”
“Thank you. Thank you.” I could’ve cried. I thought I might.
They both glanced away and gave me time to collect myself.
Once the urge to cry passed, I looked around. We were still alone after all that time.
“Where’s Fane?” I asked. “I have something I need to talk to him about before we go. If my sister partook of contaminated blood, she got it from the supply at the Bourke building. It’s the only blood she's fed on since we met them. I thought he might be able to go to Jonah or one of the others to warn them.”
Something changed.
Tears replaced the light in her eyes. “He’s not here.”
I was afraid for a second something terrible happened to him—she looked that stricken.
“Where is he? Is he all right?” I asked in a whisper.
“He’s fine. He had something to take care of,” she explained. And she left it at that.
I was fairly sure she didn’t want to hear any more questions—besides, it was none of my business. Whatever Fane had to do, it was obviously hurting Sirene to talk about it.
I imagined loving someone like him would be a full-time job.
She squared her shoulders and lifted her head, brushing back her thick, black hair with both hands. “Well? I su
ppose we should start out. Let’s help your sister.”
9
Anissa
ShadesRealm was still cloaked in night, lit only by the moon. After spending time in Duskwood with its darkness and stillness, it was refreshing to feel the cool air and smell the grass and trees. It was almost enough to overload my senses, everything rushing at me at once.
In the distance—the far, far distance—I could barely make out the shape of Mom’s tower. It was the size of my pinkie finger at this distance. We were miles from the mountains, which meant we were miles from where the Sanctuary was located.
Allonic wasn’t taking any chances.
Sirene tilted her face up, toward the moon. “This is lovely,” she whispered. “I do miss the moon sometimes. And the sound of rustling leaves.”
I wanted again to ask her why she lived in Duskwood at all.
She seemed much more at home surrounded by nature. Her smile widened when a breeze blew past, ruffling her hair and bringing with it the smell of flowers.
Allonic took her arm. “We’d better hurry to the tower.”
“Of course.” She didn’t say a word or react as he lifted her in his arms.
“Are you ready?” Allonic asked me.
“Sure. I’ll be right behind you.”
In the blink of an eye, we were coursing to the tower.
I was almost glad for the excuse to be alone with my thoughts for a few minutes, since I hadn’t had a moment to myself for as long as I could remember. There was a time when I thought my biggest problem was being Marcus’s assassin. It felt like those days were another lifetime ago as I coursed across the countryside with my half-shade half-brother and a witch.
Things went by in a blur—trees, fields, dens where animals waited for morning.
I wondered when morning would come, whether we had a lot of time before the sun was just one more thing to worry about.
I couldn’t blame the way my existence was turning out on the Bourkes, even though it looked like it was their blood bank that had turned my sister into a hybrid.
It was Marcus’s fault for forcing me to work for him to pay off what he saw as Sara’s debt. But no. That wasn’t true, either.