Until then, however, we were tourists, and Valaine and Kalon were our guides.
“I look forward to showing you all around,” Kalon said, intently staring at Esme. I figured he was doing it on purpose. I’d noticed the way she’d stolen glances at him along the way. He must’ve sensed it. He was like a tiger playing with his prey now. Only, he’d need to be careful. Esme was a superior predator, as well. Not someone he’d want to mess with. “You’ve only seen the scenic route on your way in.”
“Certainly, I can escort our guests to their chambers, but can we not make better use of my time afterward?” Valaine asked, looking at her father. “There are important matters I can assist you with.”
Corbin sighed and leaned in closer, whispering something in her ear. Whatever he said, it was enough to make Valaine put on a plastic smile and apologize.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Let me see you to your rooms, and, once you’re settled in, we can have some afternoon blood and discuss a visiting itinerary in the garden.”
“Thank you, Valaine,” Derek said. “That would be wonderful.”
“And we shall see you all later,” Acheron replied. “We’ll be throwing a dinner in honor of your arrival.”
“You’re much too gracious… Your Grace,” I breathed, unsure about all the attention we were getting. I would rather have gone stealthily through the city, in order to observe the people and their customs. Dinners and parties were not my favorite part of any exploratory mission.
Esme and Tristan, on the other hand, seemed eager to attend such events. Nethissis was smiling, too, and I had a feeling Amal was already counting the hours till nightfall. Derek and I had been through similar motions before, meeting new civilizations, attending dinner parties, and making friends with the locals. For our younger teammates, however, all this was more or less new—and strikingly different from all the events that had plagued GASP over the past couple of years.
Whichever way this whole affair led, I owed it to Tristan, Esme, Amal, and Nethissis to let them experience the social parts of this mission. They’d put their lives at risk to come here, not knowing exactly what they were getting themselves into.
The Aeternae made me feel a little uneasy, but our crew had been right. They required further in-depth studies of their customs and society before we could draw any conclusions. Since we were going to be here for at least a couple of days, I knew Esme and Tristan would do whatever it took to get the intel we needed about these people and their food sources.
Tristan
Kalon and Valaine gave us a brief tour of the palace, which became even more impressive with every room and hall we walked through. It was truly an imposing masterpiece, each corner artfully designed to take one’s breath away. As the sun vanished beyond the western horizon, all the candles were lit inside.
The Gothic-like vibe was impossible to ignore. Threads of romantism and cold elegance were woven through the fabric of this place, from the painted ceilings to the gilded details and the sumptuous furniture. The color palettes and the antique decorative objects further served to prove that someone had gone to painstaking lengths in order to procure and create these arrangements. I could write a massive thesis based on the interior decor alone.
But my attention was brutally spliced between the actual tour and Valaine Crimson—I was beyond stricken. She’d left me close to dumbfounded before she’d even uttered those first words. Deep down, her reluctance to be around us had been a tad disappointing, but I’d done my best to understand her position. Not everyone was eager to let strangers into their world.
There was something about Valaine that made it difficult for me to think, and I wasn’t the only one. The others in my crew were equally fascinated, though I doubted their hearts pounded as viciously as mine.
She walked by my side, while Kalon stayed to my far left, next to Esme. Derek, Sofia, Nethissis, and Amal were right behind us, but we were spread wide enough to easily look at one another, if we had to. We’d left Corbin, Zoltan, Petra, and the captain of the guards with Acheron and Danika, and part of me would’ve given anything to be a fly on the throne room’s wall. They were probably exchanging impressions of us. Petra was probably telling them about the similarities between our species, too.
If we’d been smart in our delivery of information, chances were that the Lord and Lady Supreme of Visio would suggest blood tests before we even brought it up, thus making it easier for us to mention the possibility of a day-walking cure.
“How many people live in the palace?” Esme asked as we stopped inside a massive trophy room. Its walls were covered with wooden shelves, on which hundreds of shiny awards, medals, and sculptural trophies had been displayed. We couldn’t see the writing on their plaques from here, but judging by the full suits of combat armor also exhibited here, along the walls, they probably had something to do with the tournaments Kalon had mentioned.
“Roughly around two thousand,” Valaine replied.
“How many of them—”
“One thousand Aeternae, approximately six hundred Rimians, and four hundred Naloreans.” Valaine cut Esme off before she could complete her follow-up question. I wondered if she’d already heard about our conversation with her father and the others on the welcoming committee, somehow. Word must’ve traveled fast.
“All of them servants?” I wondered.
Kalon shook his head. “No. There are noble families living here, part of the lord and lady’s court. When the rulers ascend to the throne, they’re given the opportunity to ask certain people to live with them. To keep them company. To make the crown feel a little less heavy, so to speak.”
“All who call the Nasani palace their home are the most fortunate of Visio,” Valaine said. “They never miss anything. The kitchen is always working; the pantries are permanently full. We have recreational activities, as well, along with unfettered access to the palace gardens. The lord and lady supreme open their home to those they deem worthy of such an honor.”
That sounded rather beautiful, actually. Maybe Petra was right. Maybe they had found some kind of balance between the conquerors and the conquered. I nodded at the trophies to my left. “What room is this, exactly? What does it celebrate?”
“Ah. It’s where the seven dynasties keep their most prized trophies from the Blood Arena,” Kalon said, lighting up like the sun. “Of course, the winners can take them home, as well, but out here they can be admired by palace visitors all the time. I’ve brought all of mine here.”
“And now he’s going to show us how many he’s won,” Valaine muttered, rolling her eyes. It earned her a scowl from Kalon, but it didn’t seem hostile. Judging by the looks they exchanged, these two were close. I wondered how close, exactly.
“This entire thing, here,” Kalon said, pointing at a tall glass case with more than a dozen trophies and medals neatly displayed on its shelves. “About a hundred years’ worth. I keep the rest at home, though I’ll have to expand the room. I’m running out of space.”
“Yes, he keeps winning.” Valaine sighed, not at all impressed.
Her blasé demeanor made me want to laugh, but I worried it might offend Kalon. So far, he’d seemed the most candid among the nobles with whom we’d had meaningful interactions.
“At least I’m proud of my achievements. You hide yours in the basement,” Kalon retorted, raising an eyebrow at her.
“You participate in these deadly tournaments, as well?” I asked, my voice shakier than expected, prompting me to clear my throat, hoping the next sentence that came out of my mouth would sound a lot better. Valaine seemed to have this effect on me.
“All first children of the seven dynasties fight in the Blood Arena,” Valaine replied.
“And you’re a first child, yourself,” Sofia said. Valaine nodded. “Do you have any siblings?”
She shook her head. “No. My mother died when I was born, and my father has not had the heart to remarry since.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. �
��How long were they together?”
“About fifty thousand years.” Valaine sighed, staring at one of Kalon’s trophies. “This one you got last year, didn’t you?”
Kalon nodded. “The year I almost got myself truly and irreparably killed.”
“If you were the first child… what exactly is the birth rate here?” I asked, unwilling to let her change the subject so easily. I could smell avoidance from a mile away.
She gave me a dark stare. “Petra didn’t give you details?”
“She did not, I’m afraid. We had a lot to talk about. It must’ve slipped through the cracks.”
“No, she just didn’t want to tell you,” Kalon replied. “My mother might come across as forthcoming, but don’t let that fool you.”
“Will you tell us, then?” Esme retorted.
Behind her, Derek and Sofia stifled their smiles. I could see why they’d be amused. My sister was a relentless firecracker, and Kalon had poked and prodded her enough times, already.
“If they’re lucky, an Aeternae couple can welcome their first child after five thousand years,” Valaine said. “That is a very loose average. Some are blessed much earlier. Others are nearly hopeless before the good news is given by our physicians. It’s a bit of a gamble.”
“Do you have siblings, Kalon?” Esme replied.
He smiled, and I could swear he was impressed. I figured not many dared to ask him things which the Aeternae clearly deemed deeply personal and delicate, given their difficulty in procreating. “I have four brothers,” Kalon said. “All younger than me. The youngest enjoys the tournaments, though not as much as me.”
“Have you ever fought him in the Blood Arena?” Amal asked.
Kalon nodded. “Twice. He yielded every time.”
“He was lucky,” Valaine said. “If he’d met you in the final, you would’ve killed him.”
“I warned him not to get into it,” Kalon said. “Let’s leave it at that, Valaine. Our guests are not yet ready to hear us airing our dirty laundry.”
Derek chuckled. “Actually, we love a good family drama once in a while.”
“Forget about that. Tell me about Cruor,” he said. “I’m curious. What’s it like? You mentioned darkness and evil, but I’m having a hard time picturing that place.”
Sofia took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she tried to find the right words to describe Cruor. I’d only heard the tales; I’d never been there myself. Had I been born an immune, like my grandmother, I probably would’ve found a way to sneak out of The Shade and into Cruor to see if I could reverse the condition even if the Elders were no longer there. Chances were that Esme would’ve come with me.
“It’s a dark place, like we said, and the sky is covered in a thick, almost reddish mist. As soon as you set foot in that place, you know it. You can feel it seeping into your bones, like a disease. The pure malevolence of… I’m not sure what, exactly. But you know… deep down, you know. There was suffering there for a very long time. So awful, so intense, it became embedded into the very fabric of Cruor,” Sofia said, vivid memories stirring her.
I got shivers down my spine just from listening to her account. Valaine frowned, while Kalon’s eyes were wide, as if he’d just heard one of the greatest horror stories ever told. “And the Elders?” he asked. “You said they had no form.”
“Their essence could creep up and take over one’s body. Possessing them. Feeding on blood through them. They were capable of causing great harm… a lot of suffering,” Derek said.
“So, how did the Aeternae come to be?” Esme asked, looking at Kalon and Valaine. “Since you said the high priestess isn’t that much of a sharer, I assume she knows, but she didn’t want to tell us.”
Kalon shot her a sly grin. “You catch on quick.”
“You’re incorrigible,” Valaine told him, then gave Esme an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry for any trouble Kalon might have caused you. He’s been like this since he was a child. A troublemaker, a silver-tongued mischief-stirrer.”
“A handsome silver-tongued mischief-stirrer, thank you,” Kalon retorted. “And the Aeternae, dear Esme… they developed. They used to be weaker, living maybe a hundred or two hundred years, if they were lucky. We don’t know when the change happened, but we know we did not say no to it. We’ve embraced our nature fully.”
“Yes, that much we can see for ourselves,” Esme replied, motioning to the many trophies around us.
Looking back now, I suspected that a sentry wouldn’t have been able to help us here. If the Aeternae were genetically related to the vampires, then a sentry couldn’t read their emotions to detect any form of deception. I thought of this because I was dying to know what was going through Kalon and Valaine’s heads. Their personalities struck me as drastically different—Valaine was reserved and polite, and I was willing to bet she could pack a mean, even deadly punch. Kalon had the makings of an arrogant young noble, though I did appreciate his sense of humor.
He seemed more relaxed when not in the presence of his mother.
We moved from the trophy room into the library, an enormous hall with hundreds of rows, each loaded with leather-bound manuscripts and ancient scrolls. Candles flickered in the silvery chandeliers hanging overhead. The wood paneling and the shelves had a reddish hue, each surface polished almost obsessively, given how light reflected everywhere.
Stained-glass windows from the floor to the ceiling made sure that there was natural light here throughout the day—an abundance of filtered sunshine for visitors to enjoy as they read the hundreds of thousands of volumes held in this place.
Study tables interrupted the shelf rows, creating a harmonious pattern of furniture in a room big enough to host a football game. This hall, alone, was enormous.
“What about the causes of death among the Aeternae?” Amal asked after a long moment of silence, which we’d spent admiring the splendor around us. “The high priestess mentioned the timeless classics, including accidental decapitations and burnings, and the tournaments, among other things. But, I must admit, the numbers don’t quite add up.”
Valaine went blank for a moment. Kalon was caught off guard, his blue eyes wide enough to resemble oversized sapphire marbles. “What do you mean?” he replied, likely stalling until he could find a good answer.
We’d waded into sensitive territory again.
“I understand accidents. Some Aeternae’s decision to end their own lives. I can even accept mass deaths in the Blood Arena, as you called it,” Amal explained. “Executions alone don’t account for such a considerable death rate. There are too few of you now, taking the above into account, even if your birth rates are abysmal.”
“Oh, you are good,” Kalon breathed.
“There’s a reason we brought her along with us,” Nethissis replied, her lips stretching into a satisfied grin.
Valaine let a deep breath roll out of her chest. “I suppose no one mentioned the Black Fever.”
“The Black Fever?” I asked.
Kalon shook his head slowly, leaning into one of the bookshelves. “It’s not something we openly talk about. Not even among ourselves,” he muttered.
“What is it, exactly?” Esme replied.
“We don’t know much about it,” Valaine said. “It’s a disease that only affects the Aeternae. It blackens the blood. It destroys everything on the inside. It kills millions over the span of a week, if it’s not detected in time.”
“How does it spread?” I asked.
“There are a number of books on the topic here in the library. If the lord and lady supreme allow it, I will show them to you,” she replied. “But, in short, it’s carried through the blood of Rimians and Naloreans. It takes a long time, up to a month, for the symptoms to manifest. The worst part is that we don’t know which of them are carriers, since they never get sick themselves. Only the Aeternae die from it.”
“Have you tested them?” Sofia wondered.
“We tried. But every single Rimian and Nalorean that was
tested over the years came up negative,” Kalon said. “It’s why it’s been so tricky to permanently root out. The thing is, it doesn’t persist. It comes in waves, every ten thousand years or so. For now, we’re in the clear, since the last time it spread was five millennia ago.”
“It’s deadly to our kind,” Valaine reiterated. “So, if you were wondering about the population ratios here, I figure you’ve got your answer now.”
Amal nodded slowly. “It’s a little grim, to be honest. And you haven’t been able to develop a cure at all?”
Kalon and Valaine both shook their heads. “Not for lack of trying. The disease is so quick not only to infect, but also to consume and disappear. By the time it’s done with an Aeternae, there’s nothing left but black dust. No trace of any living or even defunct organisms anywhere. It’s like we’re turned to dust,” Valaine said.
“Then why haven’t you let the Rimians and Naloreans be?” I asked. “Why not find another solution to your sustenance?”
The question drew Valaine’s ire. “Are you joking? Renounce the very blood that gives us life and strength, because of a few bad apples? No. That’s unacceptable. We cannot subsist on animal blood alone. It weakens us. It opens us up to attacks from Rimian and Nalorean rebels who have yet to let go of the fact that they are part of our empire now.”
So they chose to risk Black Fever death, rather than feed on animals. It troubled me, but I supposed I could understand their mindset. As it stood, the Aeternae were the strongest and most influential across three planets. Losing that edge would’ve put them at risk. It would’ve likely brought them closer to the level of the Rimians and the Naloreans. So they took chances, focused on quarantine protocols and hoped that as many of the Aeternae as possible would survive the next Black Fever.
“Perhaps we might be of assistance, should such a horrible day come again on Visio,” Derek said, changing the subject. “Amal here isn’t the only brilliant mind of our world. Her sister is just as sharp, and together they’re practically unstoppable.”
A Shade of Vampire 78: An Origin of Vampires Page 12