“No, she’s good,” Draven shot back.
Serena
The Maras helped us replenish some of our dry food and water for the rest of our journey, and gave us some health potions in case of emergency. They’d brewed them with their own saliva, which I’d already noticed had healing properties. This was another stunning similarity to our vampires, whose blood could cure physical injuries. I made a mental note to ask Jax later about the extent of these healing properties.
Zeriel came to each of us for a farewell hug. He took an extra minute when he embraced me, holding me tight.
“I know your heart belongs to the Druid, Serena,” the Tritone whispered in my ear. “But I just get a kick out of messing with him. I hope you can forgive me.”
His confession made me laugh. He dropped a kiss on my forehead and rested his hands on my shoulders. I gave Draven a sideways glance and noticed his eyes flickering black and nostrils flaring. Zeriel was definitely hitting the spot with these gestures, but Draven had to keep himself calm and respectful; he couldn’t risk fracturing an alliance over the meaningless advances of a Tritone. After all, had Zeriel been truly serious with these intentions, he would’ve been much more persistent, forcing Draven to eventually intervene.
“I’ll leave you with the Maras now,” Zeriel said, looking at both Draven and me. “And I shall see you on the night of the seventh moon at the northern waterfall of Mount Agrith. I will try to bring more creatures into the fold in the meantime, but I cannot promise anything.”
“Thank you for trying, nonetheless,” I said.
He nodded respectfully then slapped Jax on the shoulder in a half-friendly gesture.
“See you at the waterfall, Jax. Stay classy!”
Jax opened his mouth to say something, and, judging by the look on his face, it promised to be not at all friendly, but Zeriel chuckled and ran toward the beach, nearly flying down the stairs. The other Tritones bowed, then followed their young king into the water. I watched their colorful tails slap the water as they swam away.
“The impertinent fool,” Jax muttered.
“You two seem to have quite the history,” I replied.
“He is the closest thing I’ve had to a friend in a thousand years.”
“And you forced him into a blood pact? That’s cruel!”
“It’s how we met, actually. His group had been caught in a storm, stranded on our beach. He begged for my help, and I never grant anything for free. It is part of our ethos as Maras. So I asked for a sip of his blood at every full moon, for as long as he lives, in return for my help. He said yes, because it’s in his nature to say yes without thinking much, and here we are. A thousand years later, and he is unchanged. We usually meet every month to catch up, but he’s recently become King of the Tritones. I figured it’s why he’s been late for Pyrope, but he still has to pay the price,” Jax explained.
It all made sense, though. Their friendship may have started out with a bargain, but it had made it to one thousand years. Jax didn’t strike me as an instantly friendly guy. If anything, he came across as Zeriel’s complete opposite. He seemed like the type who wouldn’t open up to just anyone and who kept his guard up at all times. At the same time, he didn’t mind sharing information when I asked him for it. Jax had taken an interest in me because I was a sentry. He seemed fine with telling me about himself and his kind, up to a point.
Jax and Zeriel had been around each other for a long time, and, despite the Mara’s reserve and Zeriel’s reluctance to fulfill his end of the bargain, neither seemed to mind. Pyrope sounded more like an excuse to meet than anything else. My mind wandered back to Aida and Vita for a second, as I hoped I’d live to get just as much time with them.
“I’ve known the Tritone for many years. Don’t let his seemingly carefree demeanor fool you,” Jax continued, watching Zeriel as he disappeared into the dark water. “Do not think him all giggles and smiles, Serena. The Tritones are jovial creatures, but they’re also extremely territorial and do not take kindly to invaders. I’ve seen them rip others to shreds when they felt threatened. I’m sure you’ll soon see them in action yourself.”
It didn’t occur to me to consider Zeriel as fierce and as ruthless as Jax described him. I had a hard time stepping away from the image of a bubbly Tritone who loved fooling around and hitting on me.
“I have to admit, I can’t really picture Zeriel ripping anyone to shreds,” I said. “But I reckon appearances can be deceiving.”
“Of course appearances can be deceiving,” Jax replied, glancing at Sverik, who noticed attention focused on him and frowned. “We all have hidden façades, little or giant secrets that nobody knows about. Why should Zeriel be any different?”
I sensed his absent tone, then looked at Sverik, who broke eye contact with Jax and scoffed, running a hand through his hair.
“Don’t mess with my head, Mara!” he warned with a sharp voice.
“My apologies. Force of habit.” Jax smirked. “I just wanted to make sure your intentions are honorable, since you seemed so nervous. Figured I could get you to tell me what was on your mind.”
I realized then that the Lord of Maras had been consistently trying to play with Sverik’s mind since the moment we’d arrived in the white marble hall. I remembered the incubus fidgeting and breathing heavily, looking around nervously and trying to keep his composure. Jax had watched him surreptitiously the whole time. He’d been using his mind-bending abilities on him, but I couldn’t tell exactly how much. My first guess involved hallucinations or implanted thoughts, which Sverik, poor guy, had been resisting.
“We should get going soon,” Jax said, then snapped his fingers.
Several Maras brought five horses to the base of the steps. Their hooves dug into the white sand. They were beautiful creatures, black pure bloods with midnight blue eyes and indigo manes.
“It will take us a couple of hours to reach the settlement,” he added and got on one of the horses.
The animal responded to his presence, neighing and lifting itself on its hind legs. Jax patted its strong neck and clicked his tongue once, calming the steed. He looked at me and smiled.
“They respond wonderfully to a powerful mind. If they sense weakness, they will try to throw you off.”
We took a less traveled path along the beach, moving north toward the incubi settlement. The moon shone brightly in a perfect night sky, casting its white light on the sand and glistening ocean water to our left.
Draven and I rode our horses right behind Jax, followed by Hansa and Sverik. We’d managed to keep our steeds under control, but Sverik’s still neighed and stubbornly tried to trot away from the group.
Jax’s fingers snapped and brought the animal back into submission each time.
“I told you, Sverik. They do not listen to weaklings,” he quipped without bothering to look over his shoulder.
“I’m not a weakling! Your horse isn’t too bright, that’s all,” Sverik snapped back.
I smiled, mostly to myself, remembering his screams when we passed through the stone and fell into the lagoon. I glanced over at Draven and found him looking at me. His gray eyes were dark and focused intensely on me.
“You were unbelievable today,” he said quietly, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“I barely did anything,” I replied, blushing.
I wasn’t sure what he meant, but every time he acknowledged my contribution to this mission, my heart swelled with pride. I knew I was young and that there was still so much to learn, but I’d come a long way since I’d first arrived in Eritopia, and it felt good to see Draven point these things out.
“For a non-Eritopian, you really held it together from the moment we dropped through the passage stone. You’re not afraid to speak to strangers who have the ability to kill you. To ask questions. To oppose something you feel is wrong. You have the makings of a leader, Serena. And it’s an honor to have you with me.”
His words touched something very deep inside o
f me as I understood what he was saying. For a creature like him, raised in utter isolation, being able to bond and work through challenges the way he did with me must have been extraordinary.
“Thank you,” I whispered and projected everything that I was feeling toward him.
His eyes grew wide, and I knew that he felt the wave of emotions that had been stirring up inside of me from the moment I’d first laid eyes on him. I wanted him to experience it all, and, judging by his softened gaze, I was content that I’d made myself clear.
“He’s right, you know,” Jax interjected nonchalantly. “For someone not from this world, you come across as an impressive creature. Now you’ve had your chance to drill me with questions about my kind; why don’t you return the favor?”
“What would you like to know?” I asked, my voice dry. I sensed Draven’s discomfort seeping through me. I knew he didn’t like me getting all this attention, but it wasn’t like we had much of a choice, given the circumstances. I gave him a gentle, reassuring smile and a wink and focused my attention on the Mara.
He was strange, mysterious, and had a very sharp tongue—similar to Draven from that perspective. But he’d been forthcoming about his species with me, so it seemed reasonable to repay the favor. After all, he had just put his neck on the line for us in this fight against Azazel.
“What is a sentry, Serena?” he asked. “I’ve never met your kind before.”
“That’s because we’re not from around here. This isn’t my world.”
“That I understood from the very beginning. Tell me more.”
“Have you ever heard of ghouls?” I asked, unsure whether they had such creatures in the In-Between.
“I’ve heard of them venturing into the In-Between on occasion but have never seen one personally,” he replied.
“Well, ghouls are generally evil, vile creatures with the ability to control minds and implant visions into people’s heads.” I briefly explained how there had been a settlement of ghouls in Nevertide and how humans had contracted their nature—which eventually led to my parents meeting and me being conceived. “So, I’m basically part human, part ghoul,” I concluded.
“Human,” Jax murmured.
“Yeah. Though most of my family are vampires. We are the Novaks, a powerful vampire clan that has brought much balance and peace between different worlds and species. One day, I will also be given the choice to become a vampire or remain pure sentry,” I said.
I noticed Draven’s expression as he listened to my origin story. I realized I’d told him very little about where I was from, and yet I was sharing my life’s story with a complete stranger. I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty, although we hadn’t had much time to spend talking about me. I still had so many questions about him left unanswered as well.
I decided to elaborate further. “Sentries evolved throughout the years into their own standalone species. They can turn other humans into sentries through…uh, intimate contact.” I cleared my throat and reached into my satchel for a sip of water, then continued. “They can also be born, like me. We have a few abilities, some stronger than others, varying from one sentry to another. I can absorb the life force, the energy, out of other creatures. I need it every few days, otherwise I grow weak. I can read minds, or more particularly, emotions. I catch glimpses of images and thoughts, but I’m still learning to interpret everything. It doesn’t work with everyone, like you pointed out earlier. I have something called True Sight, which means I can see for vast distances, even through objects. And I can hold my own in a fight.”
I wasn’t sure whether I should tell him about my barrier building abilities, mainly because I was still in the process of developing them and didn’t want him to think me weak in any way. The one thing I’d learned in Eritopia was that those considered weak were vulnerable and the first to perish. I had to maintain myself above the line and not give anyone reason to try something against me.
While Jax may have joined our alliance, I wasn’t sure he could be trusted fully, so I decided to keep some information to myself, just like we had kept the existence of the Daughter out of the conversation.
“You are quite fascinating, as I suspected,” Jax said and pulled his horse back to trot alongside mine. “A lot like me, but something else entirely.”
He gazed at me for a while, his expression firm. I noticed Draven’s eyes flickering black as he looked ahead, most likely pretending to watch the road. Not that I didn’t mind setting him on fire like this once in a while, but he’d already had a hard day with Zeriel’s constant advances. I wasn’t sure he needed another round of putting up with Jax’s attention toward me—as innocent as it was, since this was just about the discovery of a similar species. I found the jealousy cute, though. It was reaffirming that whatever he felt for me, it was as deep as what I experienced every time I looked at him.
“I’m surprised to find a species so similar to the vampires back home. I think you and our kind would get along really well. I know my family would love to understand the Maras better, especially since you’re all born into it. In our case, it’s a disease that gives us incredible strength, reflexes, and eternal life but forces us out of the sunlight and into drinking blood for sustenance,” I replied.
“I understand. You strike me as a very interesting creature, sentry. I would like to see you in action sometime, since you said you can hold your own in a fight. Since I’ve never met someone like you, I’m sure you understand my curiosity and willingness to put your skills to the test.”
I scoffed, remembering the last time I’d been in a fight with Destroyers trying to rip me to shreds and poisoned spears whizzing past my head as I jumped into the river. I shook my head.
“Just because I said I can fight doesn’t mean that I like it,” I replied.
“You don’t have to like it to be good at it. Some of us are simply born…great,” he said, then clicked his tongue, making his horse go back to the front of our group.
Serena
We spent the next hour discussing details of our alliance and the roles that each of us would play, provided those we reached out to would join us. I learned a few more interesting details about the Maras as well, further cementing my belief that I’d come across Eritopian vampires. I thought about my parents and grandparents as our horses carried us through the thick woods north of White City, and whether I would even get to see them again to tell them about the discovery.
The existence of the Maras would certainly arouse their interest. Perhaps GASP would even consider studying them, collecting blood samples, and uncovering any other similarities between them and the vampires of The Shade.
“I heard about the Red Tribe massacre,” Sverik said to Hansa as they were riding behind us. I glanced over my shoulder to get a better look at both. “I am sorry for your loss.”
Hansa took a deep breath, her gaze meeting mine for a second. “Thank you, Sverik. We will survive. We will rebuild. We will not be defeated. As long as Anjani and I are still alive, the Red Tribe will continue to exist,” she replied.
“I have to say, I admire your strength,” he said.
“We are succubi. We have no other choice, son of Arid.”
Sverik scoffed, looking away with a pained expression. “Don’t mention his name. I am where I am because of him, because of the way he raised me. I couldn’t stand up to him, and when I finally gathered the courage to say something, Azazel laughed in my face and had me thrown in a cage to sit with the rest of his prisoners, while my father watched and did nothing.”
Jax’s horse slowed down, giving Draven and me the lead. The Mara moved closer to Sverik and Hansa as he watched the exchange between them with quiet interest.
“You are nothing like Kristos, you know,” Hansa replied.
“Yes, Kristos was the star of the family. All my father’s hopes were with him, that he would lead our clan to glory. When news of his death broke, we were shattered. It led to poor decisions, and we ended up serving Azazel,” Sverik
said, then looked at her. “You knew my brother?”
“A long time ago, yes. He was just a little boy when our paths crossed. The world is worse off without him now. Kristos had this awe-inspiring attitude, seemingly fearless and incredibly determined since he was but a child. I heard that he led successful campaigns against the Destroyers when they came for the Eastern Citadel.”
“All the incubi and brilliant tactics at our disposal were not enough to keep Azazel’s dark magic at bay, though,” Sverik said. “He helped the city resist a few months longer than the others, but he was ultimately driven out by his own people. Their minds were tainted by Azazel. He was branded a deserter by the new power, and he joined the resistance, alongside Bijarki and the incubi we’re going to meet later. They were forced to separate at some point, as Kristos and Bijarki headed south. It was the last time I heard anything about my brother before I was told he was dead. Afterward, the incubi they’d aligned themselves within the resistance were gone, vanished, impossible to trace. I know Azazel wanted them found and killed, but they never were.”
A moment passed before Hansa spoke again.
“Kristos had the potential to become a great leader,” she said.
I noticed how she and Jax looked at each other, never at the same time and only when the other wasn’t looking. Jax occasionally fixed his gaze on her before shifting it back to Sverik, who was still visibly uncomfortable with the Mara’s attention.
“Yes, well, he’s gone now, and our clan is left with my foolish father and me, the loudmouth who never really liked war,” the incubus said, a tinge of sadness in his voice.
Draven changed the subject. “Tell us about the incubi settlement. Have you met any of them personally?”
Sverik nodded. “Most of them were in my brother’s garrison. They’re grunts and scouts, expert marksmen, and ruthless in battle. They move freely across the plains and through the jungles as they’ve been part of the resistance for decades now, and they can spread the word to the right people regarding our alliance. They can bring valuable numbers into the fold, but we will have to earn their trust. After they were separated from Kristos and Bijarki, they kept a very low profile, so I’m not sure whom they’ve spoken to since.”
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