Soul Taker's Redemption

by A. S. Hamilton

  'Oh, Amelia, you don't have to—'

  She looked up. 'I know. It's not as painful to recount it as you might think. I didn't actually see it. I only know because Thomas told me.'

  'Thank goodness.'

  'I know,' she agreed matching my emphatic response. 'That would have been a trauma I might never have recovered from. Thomas saw his wife and daughter die. I still miss my mother but thinking about her being gone doesn't hurt like it used to. For one, I know about ascending and that makes it easier. Her life was… she's better off now. The reason Thomas changed me is because I look like his daughter and when he saw me crumpled on the floor…' Amelia shrugged. 'The first thing I noticed when I came to was that I was starving. That's normal, but I cannot describe the depth of my horror when I realised I was hungry for blood. I threw up a whole lot because I kept trying to eat human food. Some foods we can eat, but it depends on how they are processed. And we get very tired, very weak if we try to just have human food. When you're an older vampire, it doesn't affect you as much, although I have found that it varies from vampire to vampire. When you are a new vampire, though… One interesting thing came from it. I used to pick berries, when I was human, I looooved, loved, loved strawberries and to this day, I can still eat them.'

  'Wow! That's kind of cool.'

  Amelia laughed. 'It is.' Her brows knitted suddenly. 'I can't eat a whole lot of them…' Her frown lifted, her expression becoming nostalgic. 'When I do, though, all my senses come alive, I can smell the sunshine in them.'

  'The sunshine?'

  'Yeah. I know it sounds weird, but I swear it.' She glanced at her watch and then paused to look at it properly. 'Oh, hey, I really need to go, I was only supposed to make a quick stop. But I'll see you Monday.'

  I got up and walked her to the door, opening it for her. 'Sure will. And if you like, we can chat more about what kind of career you want. I don't mind being your sounding board.'

  'That'd be really good, thanks.' She started to leave but stopped before she reached the top step. Looking around the atrium she stepped back over to me. 'I know you probably want to ask them, ah, about the… about my option. But please don't tell them that we discussed it.'

  'I won't—'

  'Be careful if Bastien is around, he, ah,' she stopped, a frown wrinkling her brow.

  'I understand about Bastien. I'll talk to Therion, alone.'

  My statement received a grateful smile and I waved her off.

  Bastien

  Fixated was a corner café on the edge of the Melbourne CBD and near some markets. Not a bad position. It had booths along the wall opposite the counter, oval tables in the middle, and cane lounges and chairs arranged in cosy groups along the windows. To the right, as I stepped in, was a curving coffee counter with display cases and a kitchen behind it. There was a lot of wood, brass, and leather. Dark browns, rich blues, greens, and dark reds were used for the upholstery and cushions. There was a distinct steampunk theme to the décor, but it wasn't overdone. The staff were also dressed in steampunk attire, one server wore a corset with a shirt underneath and striped pants and the barista wore a frilled shirt under a vest with a pocket watch. I suspected that the Victorian-style coat hanging on the wall near the kitchen door belonged to her.

  Therion had stepped in first and was heading towards the serving counter. As I followed, I saw Jay step through from the kitchen and slip out a pair of swinging doors built into the end of the counter. I gave her a nod but walked to the corner booth where Tadhg had set himself up. An unattended cup of coffee in a takeaway cup sat next to an open laptop, but at the moment he was reading a newspaper.

  'You just missed Amelia,' he said by way of greeting.

  'No. Just saw her outside. She said you were happy to pull a double shift. She gave me these to give you.' I passed over a small tote bag that had a thermal lining.

  Tadhg looked into the bag and when the dark head came up, he was smiling, his white teeth contrasting starkly against his dark skin. 'Those'll get me through, to be sure.'

  I had a second bag for Adrian, Amelia had thought ahead and brought along blood in the thermal cans but left them in her boot. She'd been illegally parked and running late for an appointment, so I'd taken them.

  'Everything else alright?'

  He nodded, then added in a low tone, his Irish accent giving the innocent conversation an almost conspiratorial air. 'I've got internet and his lordship has emailed some work he wants doing.' He gestured towards the counter with his chin. 'The staff've been told I'm doing work fer Jay and'll be here past closing. They mayn't know Adrian's in the atrium as the door to it's in the kitchen and needs a code. Jay's given it to us so if something happens I can let myself through. But to be honest, I'll just duck out the front and go over the courtyard wall.'

  'It may well be faster,' I agreed.

  'Adrian's leaving the courtyard door unlocked.'

  'In that case, it's definitely faster. Why not leave the atrium door open after everyone's gone for the day?'

  Tadhg nodded. 'Even better. I'll text Adrian.'

  As I stepped back to leave Tadhg to his newspaper, I realised there was someone behind me. It distracted me. I hadn't heard her, hadn't felt her, had not been aware she was moving behind me. For a vampire, that's a serious lapse. Could it be I was more affected by my daytime roaming than I estimated? It had been a while since I'd fed. It was too late— I bumped into her, knocking her cup from her hand. I caught the cup before it hit the floor, but coffee was already all over the place. I met a pair of grey-blue eyes, and then the pain seared through my head.

  It was like fire, but not a generalised burning, it was concentrated. A psychic attack. For a moment it almost overwhelmed me, my head felt like it would implode, I couldn't think through the pain lancing through my mind. Then my training kicked in, I put up a mental wall and pushed it out. An instant after I'd bumped into her, Tadhg reacted, catching the woman to stop her from falling. A server was hurrying over with cloths. She handed one to the woman, but she looked dazed, so Tadhg took it from her and started mopping up the coffee on her fur-trimmed, calf-length black, velvet coat while the server started cleaning up the mess on the floor.

  I needed to speak to Therion. A psychic attack of this kind was not the normal modus operandi for anything Ceri-talen might send. It was more likely that this attack was personal; an enemy of mine or Thomas's. If it was the latter, I was less worried, I could deal with that. But I needed to confirm with Therion that it wasn't the former.

  Although the searing sensation no longer blotted out my every thought, I still felt short of breath and disoriented. It took a very strong practitioner to perform an attack like that. I made hurried, but sincere apologies to the woman, and told Tadhg to replace the knocked over coffee and pay for dry cleaning— that coat looked expensive. Therion and Jay had stopped talking and the therilgalen started to approach.

  I gestured towards the kitchen. 'We need to talk.' My tone put him on alert, his frown telling me he understood that something serious had just happened. I was still disoriented and I felt him grab my upper arm to steady me.

  The barista asked me if I was alright, but Jay stepped forward. 'It's okay, Yu, this is a friend, he's getting a migraine, I'll take him through to the back. Can you make sure Alyssa's fine? Get her another coffee. I know we close soon, but she probably hasn't eaten—'

  'Got it covered.'

  As Therion guided me through the kitchen, I heard Jay say, 'That woman is worth her weight in diamonds.'

  Adrian rose from his chair as we entered the atrium and pushed a second chair out so Therion could sit me in it. I was aware of them patiently watching me.

  'I'm fine. I think…' I trailed off. 'I'm fairly sure a witch or some other kind of practitioner just tried to take me out. A psychic assault.' I looked up at Therion. 'I don't think it's a tactic used by Ceri-talen's servants.'

  He shook his head. 'Too subtle, and why target you? I am the main obstacle.'

  I tried to n
od, but my head hurt too much. 'It'll be clan business. Not unexpected. I need to talk to Thomas.'

  I heard a crack and then a warm canister was pressed into my hand. I looked down at the can Adrian had handed me. The scent of blood flooded my nostrils, my canines ached. I hadn't hunted in a while. The blood would help, but it wouldn't relieve the ache. Both Thomas and Amelia say they never have that problem, possibly because they're more used to drinking stored blood.

  It took the whole can and several minutes for me to feel normal. During which time, Therion filled in Jay on what I'd told him about the shifters and vampires we wanted to post. I took the chance to look over the atrium. A curving staircase made of glass and light wrapped about the wall. The entire space was clear to the ceiling and the roof was a cone of glass. The windows spanning the outer wall looked out onto an enclosed courtyard garden with high walls. It was actually a small space, but it seemed larger because of the windows and light. The chairs Adrian and I were using looked like they came from the café— cane with cushions and a glass-topped cane table with a real clockwork-like gears beneath the glass. A number of built-in garden troughs filled with plants followed the curving window. The stairs partially wrapped around a waist-high circular garden bed in the centre of the room, but it was empty.

  'I ran out of insurance money.'

  I gave Jay a bewildered look.

  'The centre garden, you were looking at it.'

  Ah. That made more sense.

  Jay was explaining, 'There was a storm several months ago and a tree in the courtyard came down. My insurance covered the structural repairs, but I ran out of money before I could finish this area. I was planning on a fountain. Eventually, I want to put in a doorway, and extend the café.' She paused. 'Are you sure you're okay?'

  I rose. 'Yes. I'm fine,' I reiterated, 'It's just been a while since someone could surprise me.' I looked at Therion. 'Does Ceri-talen ever use fire elementals?'

  Therion tilted his head. 'Fire elementals? No, they are not under his jurisdiction. He does have creatures of fire, but nothing so pure as an elemental. What makes you think a fire elemental is involved? I thought you said it was a psychic strike.'

  Frowning, I shook my head. 'That kind of burning, it made me think of the wyvern we fought, but the more I think about it, there was an intensity and preciseness that I've only ever encountered once.'

  Three faces looked at me expectantly, and I obliged them. 'Elenai. A witch, and an old… friend,' I added for Jay's benefit, 'introduced me to a fire dancer once. The fire they danced with was an elemental. The fire dancer told me that he had to enter into a contract with the elemental, it was something their people had been doing for centuries. Fire elementals will not act on behalf of just anyone.'

  'Did you not mention earlier that you recently had Elenai do some warding for you?'

  I looked at Therion. 'I believe, without malice, you are asking if Elenai's visit and knowledge about fire elementals could in any way be connected to this attack. But she is well home by now. I think it is just coincidence. Either way, I need to investigate further. I gather all is settled here?'

  Jay nodded. 'Adrian and Tadhg will stay until morning. I have the information about the shifters who will take over from them. One is going to camp out here and the other in the café and then some more vampires will take over again in the evening. I've told Yu to reserve the booth Tadhg is in for some people doing some work for me and to provide them with whatever they need. There's bloo— refreshments in my fridge for the vampires. Yu knows I've given them access to the atrium, so I think we've covered everything.'

  'In that case, I will seek out Thomas.'

  Rather than pass through the café, I stepped out into the courtyard. If someone had just tried to ambush me, I didn't want them to catch on to the fact that I had left the café. I gave them all a farewell wave and then jumped the wall. Thomas would not welcome news of someone targeting me already, but we'd discussed the probability. Now, I just needed to hunt down the perpetrator.

  Jay

  'She enjoys your company.'

  He was talking about Amelia. He'd been patrolling most of the afternoon and it was early evening now. I'd just told him I'd be watching movies with Amelia on Monday.

  'Well, I hope so, or it could be a very dreary night for her.'

  Therion credited my reply with a brief laugh, which was more than it deserved as he stopped behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders. 'It was an obvious statement,' he acknowledged. 'I meant, I felt her joy, it increases in your companionship, and her energy rises.'

  We were standing out on the little balcony over the courtyard and I relaxed against his chest, content to just stand there. I turned my gaze up to the sky as I said, 'I don't think they have a lot of opportunities to make what they feel are real friends. Oh, I know Bastien and Thomas are friends, but I don't think that it's very common.'

  Therion leaned his chin on my head. 'Their culture is very competitive; most friendships are more accurately described as alliances. My guess is that in Thomas's company Amelia is rarely amongst those closer to her age or interests. Her world will be one of business and the courts. It is very thoughtful of Thomas to give her this task. I suspect he has seen the spark of natural kinship between you and is encouraging it by giving her an official need to be here and licence to stay once her duty is dispatched.'

  I quirked my mouth to one side, Mum says I sometimes do it when thinking something through, she commented on it because she said Dad used to do it too. I realised that what Therion said about Thomas and Amelia was true. Each day Amelia arrived just before or after the sun went down. I would get a cursory, but polite, greeting and then she went for a walk with Therion. Often Therion would return first as Amelia went to talk to the sentries and then I'd get a much warmer welcome. Only then would she relax and you could almost see her shed her work persona.

  I felt Therion lift his chin so that he was looking up at the sky with me.

  'In the Dark Realm, there are no such places as this— with the endless sky. There are vast spaces, caverns it would take many days to traverse. When I first experienced this realm, I almost forgot my purpose.' He drew his head back slightly and down so he could murmur in my ear. 'I was still Ceri-talen's servant, then. My handler, Ulyn, did not like me to do anything in this world other than the task she assigned.' Therion leaned his chin back on my head. 'Aurealis... she sometimes allows me hours, and occasionally days, with no summoning. The first time I did nothing. I waited and waited, and then Aurealis sent me a vision of a nearby mountain range. Most visions come with an instinct as to their location, so I flew there thinking it was a summoning.'

  'But it wasn't?'

  I heard the smile in his voice. 'No, it was a reward. I learned that as long as I do not breach her code, when I am between summonings, I am as free as any other creature. That is a substantial difference in my service to Aurealis and my enslavement to Ceri-talen. It has also changed how I see this realm. Once it was a place to hunt, nothing more, now… now I have connections here. I never expected that. I think she let me help Bastien that first time because she recognised that I needed a friend.'

  We were quiet for several minutes, each lost in our own thoughts. It was a warm evening and the breeze carried the remnant of an even warmer day. Being close to the city and its lights meant I couldn't see as much of the stars as I could at Mum's place, but I still enjoyed the view.

  'I could take you there.' Therion said, moving so he could murmur in my ear. 'Up amongst the stars,' he clarified.

  'Now?'

  'Why not now?'

  I couldn't think of a reason and smiled up at him. He needed no other response. His hands slid from my shoulders and down my back to my waist. It was a slow, sensual movement, and I shivered with pleasure. Then, his grip tightened on my waist and before I knew it, he'd leapt to the balcony wall, and then onto my roof.

  'I need room to extend my wings,' he explained. 'The safest way is for you ride on my back.'


  He let go of me carefully, making sure I was steady. I felt cold despite the warm weather as he stepped away to move in front of me. He extended his wings and dropped into a half crouch, one knee on the roof, the other just bent.

  Rather than hang off him, I decided I should actually brace myself up higher. Placing a foot carefully on his lower back I boosted myself up. I encircled him with my arms, my ribs resting against his upper back. I had to bend my head slightly to murmur in his ear. 'Is this okay?'

  He partly turned his head to speak to me. 'I do not carry people often, but the few times I have, they usually hang off me rather than taking such a high position. It means that, at times, they end up half choking me.' As he spoke, he flexed his wings and I felt them move slowly and then a little faster. 'It is a good position.'

  The immense wings seem to stretch impossibly wider. They swept up and down slowly, and then we launched into the air. It was jerky at first, but once he started to glide, it got smoother. I couldn't decide if I was more scared or excited as we swooped through the air. When he dived for the first time, I laughed with the exhilaration.

  The night sky was magnificent and it was fun looking at the houses below, seeing which ones had pools and how they had designed (or not, in many cases) their gardens. At one point, he flew out over the forest, gliding just above the treetops. We followed a stream for a while before Therion climbed again and went into another dive. When we finally landed, Therion had to help keep me steady as I regained my 'land legs'.