A Shade of Vampire 80: A Veil of Dark

by Forrest, Bella

  “Valaine, don’t… You have no control over yourself. Stop!” he shouted.

  She wouldn’t listen. Instead, she intensified her influence over the Darklings, causing them more pain and bleeding through the eyes and nose as she spoke to them. “Tell the truth. Tell us where Zoltan is. Tell us why you want me dead.”

  “You’re a danger to us all!” one of the Darklings managed. “You have to die!”

  Corbin attempted another interruption, but it seemed Valaine no longer recognized him as her father. She waved him away with a mere flick of her wrist. He ended up on the ground again, soldiers gathering around, each of them equally befuddled and scared. No one knew what to do.

  She’d gone past her limits, and she’d almost hurt Corbin in the process. The Darklings were about to cave in, but I worried they’d die if she didn’t take a break from this mental, supernatural torture. I got off my horse and simply took her in my arms, holding her close and whispering in her ear.

  Her body relaxed against mine. “It’s okay, Valaine. You’ve done enough. Breathe, my darling… breathe,” I said, my lips brushing over her ears.

  She shivered in my embrace, arms snaking around my waist. Her heart thundered into mine, and I could feel her coming down from that elevated darkness. I could feel her coming back to me, every line and curve of her body perfectly matching mine—like two pieces of the same puzzle. The universe had made us so far apart from one another, but it had brought us together, nonetheless.

  Valaine breathed out, resting her head on my chest for a moment.

  The Darklings were safe, for now. One of the guards gave them some cloths to wipe the blood from their noses. Two of the prisoners were still crying, nestled into one another like scared little children. What an ironic sight, I thought, since they had once been the kind to come after Valaine, eager to kill her. They’d been reduced to mere shadows of the fearsome Darklings they’d once been, and I had a feeling they would crack sooner, rather than later, thanks to her.

  “You’re okay,” I said to Valaine, sensing that she was coming back to me. I had a hard time explaining this to myself, but I allowed my instincts to guide me, as far as she was concerned. Having her in my arms made my pulse twitch, but I relished every reaction she caused within me. “You’re okay, Valaine. It’s all good.”

  “Thank you, Tristan,” she mumbled, raising her head to look at me. There was something in the smoldering blackness of her eyes… something that I could easily interpret as affection. Our hearts were beating together, our bodies and souls thrilled by our vicinity to one another.

  “No, it’s not all good,” Corbin grumbled, dusting himself off. “If I can’t stop you, it’s a problem!”

  Valaine pulled herself away from me, and for the briefest of moments, I felt naked and vulnerable, incomplete without her in my arms. But reality quickly regained its dominance. Corbin seemed genuinely concerned and upset. “Father, I—”

  “Not another word! If I can’t stop you, the guards will have to. You know how this just invites mindless violence,” Corbin replied. “Let me do the talking with the prisoners. I allowed you a whim earlier, but this has to stop before it’s out of control.”

  “I brought her back,” I said, but Corbin raised a hand to silence me.

  “Don’t. What will happen if you’re not around? Huh? You didn’t think of that! Once you open this door, it’s damn near impossible to shut it again. I know! I’ve seen this before!” he snarled, and motioned for us to get moving again. “Everyone, back to your posts! We must keep going! Tussla is just a mile ahead. We might have more Darklings there.”

  Valaine and I watched him head back to his Vision at the front of the caravan, while the soldiers resumed their places and positions. Some minutes passed in silence. Valaine and I stole glances at one another, trying to think of the right thing to say.

  My mind lingered on that embrace, my soul already yearning for more. She’d certainly left an impression on me, and every atom inside me was responding.

  “I’m sorry about my father,” Valaine eventually said. “He’s very protective.”

  “I completely understand,” I replied. “If I had a daughter as gifted as you, I’d be just as fierce regarding her safety.”

  “He’s worried the other Aeternae will fear me. That they will turn against me.”

  From what I could tell, the soldiers were definitely afraid of her, but I had a hard time imagining them in a bloody rebellion. There was more respect than fear in their eyes. “I doubt that would be the case. You’re part of a powerful dynasty. You may be taking over the armies, too, when the time comes, right?”

  She nodded. “It’s an option, yes. But with the Darklings infiltrating every layer of our society, driven to kill me, I’m not sure how that will work out. Given this ability of mine, even I sometimes worry that I’m giving our people more reasons to destroy me.”

  “I think you’ll be fine, Valaine. The Crimson guards are definitely on your side.”

  Indeed, I’d noticed their behavior around her. They were less wary, and they obeyed every single order she gave. They never faltered, and they seemed ready to die in order to keep her safe.

  “Yes, they’ve known me since I was a child. They’re more used to this darker side of me than the others,” Valaine replied. “Perhaps they’re not as afraid.”

  “I think you just need to practice more,” I said. “I suppose that’s not something you’ve tried before?”

  Valaine shook her head. “My father has always encouraged me to keep this ability to myself. He worries for my safety. Not all the Aeternae are as understanding as he is.”

  “But your ability could be honed into something extraordinary,” I said. The caravan was moving again. I knew the nearby Crimson guards could hear us, but I didn’t really care. They were the most loyal soldiers I had ever come across. I doubted they’d even tell Corbin about this conversation—not without asking for Valaine’s permission first.

  “I suppose. But I’ll be honest, Tristan: it scares me,” Valaine replied. “When it takes over, it’s like I’m possessed. I lose all common sense. I latch on to the Darklings’ brains, for example, and I push… and poke… and prod, and I feed on their misery. The more they suffer, the better I feel. How can I control something that gives me so much pleasure through its intensity?”

  I reached out and took her hand in mine, squeezing gently. “We’ll figure something out. I just don’t think it’s healthy or safe to live with fear of parts of yourself.”

  She gave me a soft smile, and for a second, I felt us both reconnecting, the touch of her skin making me unsteady in my saddle.

  Voices ahead broke our moment, though. Shouting. Orders barked by Corbin himself. Tussla opened before us, but it wasn’t the sight I’d expected. Some of the houses were on fire, orange flames blazing across the roofs and licking at the night sky.

  Rimians were running away, covered in soot and blood, crying and screaming.

  Corbin and his crew of Crimson guards bolted forward, fearless as they entered the inferno through the main street. I wanted to go ahead, but the Crimson soldiers in charge of our safety held me back.

  “Don’t. The master commander knows what to do,” one of them said, eyeing me carefully. He looked at Valaine. “I’m sorry, milady.”

  “It’s okay.” Valaine sighed. “Father is certainly capable of handling this.”

  “What is this, exactly?” I asked, my heart throbbing as I watched the Rimians flee their homes. Shadows moved between the burning buildings. Children screamed, crying out for help, while the Crimson guards spread through the village.

  “It’s a raid, milord,” the soldier said. “Darklings come through these parts, kidnapping Rimian and Nalorean settlers.”

  “They sell them for blood,” I muttered, remembering my sister’s recent accounts from her trip with Kalon. It seemed like the trend was not exclusive to the north of the continent. The Green Road was plagued by these bastards, too.


  Half an hour passed as we waited for Corbin to come back. The fires were dying out, plumes of black smoke rising from the embers of Rimian houses. The smell of burnt flesh invaded my nostrils, and I had to put my mask on to be able to breathe properly. People had died in this place. The Darklings had nearly destroyed the village of Tussla in order to get their blood slaves.

  The thought alone was infuriating.

  “They’ve spread all over,” Valaine said to me. “We have to find a way to stop them.”

  “We must capture Zoltan first,” I replied. “He is one of their leaders. If we cut the heads off, the—”

  “The bodies will flounder. I know.” Valaine sighed, visibly dismayed.

  Corbin finally returned, parts of his gold-and-silver armor blackened by the flames. He dragged a Darkling by a rope as he rode his Vision. The captive was in terrible shape, covered in bloody gashes and scrapes, but he was alive.

  Behind him, the Crimson guards had caught another three faction members. There was a sense of pride beaming from this group of soldiers, and Corbin grinned. “Needless to say, there will not be any other Darkling raids in these parts.”

  “The master commander let one of the Darklings loose, but he cut off his arms to send a message,” one of his soldiers added. “It’ll take months, maybe even a year or two, before they grow back. But the humiliation will never be forgotten.”

  “It’s time we clean this place up,” Corbin replied.

  “You’re a traitor to our cause!” one of the Darklings shouted, scowling at Corbin. “You should know that what you’re doing will kill us all!”

  I frowned. “What is he talking about?”

  “How the hell should I know?” Corbin grunted. “These are maniacs.”

  “Kill her, before we all die!” the Darkling insisted, pointing a trembling finger at Valaine. My blood ran cold. Corbin, however, kept his cool. “Kill her, or the Scholars will come for you!”

  “Take the prisoners away,” Corbin said. “Put them with the others.”

  The Darkling managed to get dangerously close to one of the Crimson guards’ swords, his hands gripping the handle as he tried to pull it out of its sheath. “Kill her or I will!” he snarled.

  Corbin dashed off his horse and ripped the Darkling’s head off, without so much as a breath. Seconds passed in silence as Corbin stared at the head in his hands. The body dropped to the ground, blood seeping through the grass and dry dirt. I had never seen Corbin like this before, and it did make me wonder, until I drew the connecting lines. Corbin was as dangerous as his daughter if he had no other choice. The two were more alike than either would’ve been willing to acknowledge.

  “Well, that’s one Darkling we won’t get to interrogate,” Valaine said.

  The other captives were speechless and horrified. Corbin tossed the head aside and nodded at them. “But these are still breathing. At least for now. Let’s leave it at that.”

  “I do like how you preach self-control to me, when you lose yours so easily.” Valaine chuckled softly.

  Corbin waved her away and got back on his Vision, guiding it toward the front of the caravan. “Let’s keep moving. We still have a long way to Astoria, especially if we keep bumping into these fiends.”

  Our guards collected the Darklings he and his men had just brought back, then shoved them in the cage with the others. Overall, it did feel like we were making significant progress, but I still felt wrong and out of place.

  I worried that feeling would linger until we found Zoltan Shatal. I wanted to avenge Nethissis’s death, but I also wanted to prevent Valaine’s. Given these objectives, this Green Road had to lead us to Zoltan, eventually.

  But we were halfway through, and we had yet to pick up any intel on his whereabouts. Sure, we had Darkling prisoners, but finding Zoltan himself was still far away, a mere blip on the horizon. My only hope was that my sister was faring better with Kalon and his treacherous brother. Maybe she’d be in touch soon with a location for Zoltan.

  The quicker this nightmare ended, the better.

  Lumi

  Sidyan and Maya were able to pick up minute traces of Seeley and other Reapers in the palace basement. Invisible to the living Aeternae soldiers charged with investigating that enormous maze of underground corridors and rooms, the three of us had spent the first ten hours of our visit to Visio combing through the entire place.

  Maya had used her ghoulish nose to capture familiar scents of Reapers, but she had frequently come back to Sidyan whispering and shaking like a leaf. “She’s smelling a lot of ghouls,” Sidyan had concluded at the time, without giving me additional details.

  Needless to say, I was growing increasingly frustrated, since both he and Maya seemed to know more than me, at this point. Eventually, after casting several death spells, Sidyan had finally found a spiritual trail for Seeley. Staying close to him, I’d followed as we moved through a tunnel, passing by gold guards and Rimian workers tasked with removing the rubble that had come down.

  The Darklings had definitely been here, and they’d gone out of their way to stop the others from coming after them. With Sidyan’s help, I’d passed through the thick layers of rocks and rubble, reaching the other side, where the massive tunnel was not only clear, but it also seemed to go on forever.

  By now, we knew a few things about what had happened here, using both the intel we’d gathered from Aeternae conversations and Sidyan’s own study of the cells and hallways. The Darklings were using death magic, though we had no idea how they’d gotten their hands on it. Technically speaking, they weren’t even supposed to be able to use this stuff. One exception, like Taeral, who’d clearly been fated to become a Reaper upon dying, was one thing. But these were hundreds of Aeternae Darklings who could do more than Taeral could with a scythe.

  We also knew the Darklings kept ghouls with them. None of the other Aeternae had seen them, but since Maya had picked up their traces, well, it had become fact. I wasn’t sure what the implications were, but I was ready to assume that the Darklings had also figured out a way to capture and weaponize ghouls. Part of me worried there was more to this story. I’d find out soon enough, though.

  A third fact that had arisen from early on in the investigation was that the Darklings had also captured Seeley and Rudolph’s crew. Wondering how they had been able to keep Reapers under control, I continued following Sidyan and Maya through the tunnel.

  Two days had passed while we’d spent most of our time looking for and continuously finding more slivers of Reaper energy scattered around. During this time, I’d come to know both Sidyan and Maya a little better. I felt sorry for the young ghoul—she didn’t deserve her situation. Unfortunately, there was no cure for ghoulishness, so she was doomed to exist like this forever, unless Death put her out of her misery when the time came. I knew Sidyan would go out of his way to prevent that from happening. He was deeply fond of Maya. Fiercely protective, like an older brother.

  He was also permanently moody and sullen, as if none of this was what he’d asked for. Granted, he’d been dragged into my investigation by way of blackmail, thanks to Taeral knowing a little bit too much about his extracurricular activities—mainly Maya’s existence.

  “This keeps going,” I said at one point, staring into the darkness ahead. “This tunnel… it keeps going.”

  “And we’ll keep going with it,” Sidyan replied, using his scythe to scan the surroundings. Maya was farther ahead, sniffing the ground and turning over the occasional rock. Whenever she smelled a ghoul’s tracks, she growled slowly. “We have to follow the trail. I’ve said this over and over already.”

  “Don’t get your panties in a twist,” I shot back. “I was merely stating the obvious. I wasn’t expecting you to do something about it. I’m well aware that we have to follow the trail.”

  “Are you always this spiky?” Sidyan muttered.

  “Excuse me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. He had a habit of making my blood boil. Unlike many other people I’d come acr
oss over the years, Sidyan was one of the few whom I simply couldn’t intimidate with my Word power. I’d assumed it was on account of him already being dead, but the Word transcended life and death. I could work some magic just to piss him off, and yet he didn’t even blink at the thought. To be honest, part of me was enjoying this dynamic. He kept me on my toes.

  “Spiky. Abrasive. Recalcitrant. Other synonyms describing the same state you seem to be exhibiting, almost constantly,” Sidyan said, without looking at me.

  “Almost constantly?”

  He sighed. “Are you going to keep answering my questions with more questions?”

  “Are you going to start asking better questions, so I can stop answering with more questions?”

  Okay, I definitely enjoyed pushing his buttons. Sidyan cursed under his breath and kept walking. I joined him, and he tried to move away, but I stayed close, every time, until he rolled his galaxy eyes and accepted the fact that I’d be glued to him for the rest of this journey.

  Maya sometimes purred and giggled at the sight of us bickering.

  “How far do you think this tunnel goes?” I asked, after a long silence.

  “Miles and miles. We have to be discreet and check every inch of it, though,” Sidyan replied. “Since the Darklings use ghouls and death magic, for whatever reason, we have to be careful. They could see us coming from miles away. Hence our slow pace here.”

  “I wonder how old this tunnel is,” I said, looking around.

  The walls were black, polished almost to perfection. The air was cold and humid, a sign that there was a stream of water flowing somewhere nearby. Occasionally, old tree roots burst from the ceiling and reached deeper underground, working through the cracked stone floor.

  “I’d give it at least a million years,” Sidyan replied. “Maybe more. And it’s been used quite a lot, too.”