A Shade of Vampire 85: A Shard of Soul

by Bella Forrest

  Esme

  In here, hours passed as I sat by my brother’s side.

  The sight of him glowing like this was unsettling, but Phantom and Morning had assured me he was safer now inside Unending’s mind than before. I’d yet to understand how that worked, and it was new territory for the First Tenners, as well, but they frequently checked Valaine’s and Tristan’s vitals. They were able to confirm that both were healthy, just weirdly illuminated from the inside.

  “Do you think she’ll actually trigger the ultimate Black Fever, like Lumi and Dream warned?” I asked. Only I’d remained in the interdimensional bubble. Lumi and Time had gone out to do their work. The swamp witch had to figure out a way to destroy the soul shards, and the Reaper had to put Kalon back under his sleep spell.

  Derek and Sofia were coordinating with Kailani on the Whip hunt, and they were also making sure that Roano had all possible defenses in the event of another Darkling arrival. The Seniors were busy dumping false tracks all around the city, and the Orvisians were fortifying the surrounding wall with the help of ghouls and the rest of our crew.

  I knew I’d have to go out there eventually, but I had plenty of time in here before I had to return to the normal flow of things. Looking at Tristan now, I felt a smile testing my lips as I remembered the two of us growing up. He’d always been the calm and responsible one. I’d gleefully taken on the role of the Vaughn family firecracker. Tristan’s work here was truly extraordinary, and I wished for a way to tell him just how incredible he was.

  “I don’t think so,” Morning finally replied. “Unending is not a bumbling fool. The closer she gets to her memories, the stronger her instincts will become. Phantom and I have said it before, and I will say it again: I have faith in our sister. If Spirit left some nasty parting gifts inside her mind, Unending will know how to work around them.”

  Phantom nodded her agreement. “Unending came before Spirit. She knows as much death magic as he does. Or almost as much, and it’s still more than all the rest of us put together. I think she’ll be able to spot trouble, especially if it’s inside her. As much as Spirit wanted to keep her down, he knew it wouldn’t truly be forever.”

  “What makes you say that?” I asked.

  “Look at all the effort he made to seal her. Three rare spells, plus that Black Fever trigger. The whole Darkling faction and the chronicles he left them with. These were the actions of a scared Reaper, not a confident one,” Phantom said.

  I wanted to believe them. Every fiber in my body rooted for the Unending, because I knew her. Well, I knew Valaine, anyway, and I appreciated her strength and determination. She and Tristan were more alike than they probably realized, so with two warrior minds like theirs, the odds would surely be in their favor. But we’d already stumbled so many times that it was hard for me to put my faith in anything or anyone.

  “Esme, you need some air,” Morning said. “You’ve been in here for hours.”

  “Time thinks my voice might help,” I murmured.

  “And you can come back in a few minutes, but do yourself a favor and take a moment. Keep busy with something else for a little while,” Morning insisted. “You’ve been through enough today. Should something happen, I’ll come out and get you myself. For now, we’ve got it under control.”

  I nodded and got up, stretching my arms out. I’d barely moved since sitting down next to Tristan, and my joints were cracking. My muscles ached all over. Morning was right. I needed a break. A few minutes out in the real world might do me some good.

  Placing a kiss on the top of Tristan’s head, I left him with a message of hope. “I’ll come back for you, big brother. You hang in there.”

  Outside, the world hadn’t changed. Downstairs, Kalon was in his interdimensional pocket, sleeping as Time’s death magic slowed the Black Fever down. Ansel, Tudyk, and Moore sat in his room, huddled together for a dose of comfort and brotherly affection. I felt sad for them. I’d thought our people had had it bad here on Visio, but the Visentis boys were definitely cursed. Their minds had been poisoned by their mother with nothing but vileness and hatred and death. Now, they were like lost little lambs. Kalon—their beacon of light, their shepherd—was down, and while we had high hopes for his recovery upon the Unending’s release, the kids had to be wondering what would happen if we failed. And what would become of them if they lost their brother, too.

  I’d promised myself that I would look after them, no matter what. Setting that thought aside, I took a deep breath and made my way down the spiraling stairs and outside. For the briefest of moments, my skin burned. I pulled the hood over my head, realizing I was standing in broad daylight. Sure, the sunrays were filtered through the reddish haze that surrounded Visio, but I had yet to take the day-walking cure.

  “Speaking of,” I muttered. It was time to take that step.

  Leaving the north tower behind, I headed for the eastern one where Derek and Sofia were talking to Rose, Caleb, and Amal. Outside. With no cover whatsoever. My cheeks hurt from a sudden grin as I walked over to them, realizing that Rose and Caleb were both responding to the day-walking treatment—I’d been so worried and consumed with everything else that I’d not even paid attention to the fact that they’d begun the treatment for themselves. It had already worked on Sofia, and now it had given them the ability to walk in the daylight, too.

  “I see we’re making progress!” I exclaimed, hugging Rose, then Caleb. “Congratulations!”

  “Right? I can’t believe this!” Rose replied, laughing. “I mean, I can… but still, wow, huh?”

  Amal smiled. “It has become a certainty now that the day-walking cure works seamlessly. It is likely permanent, as well. I’ve given Sofia her last shot just now, but Rose and Caleb have two more days’ worth of treatments before we consider them cured.”

  “You’ve been amazing,” I said. “In the face of this ever-changing, ever-growing adversity, you and your sister have managed to pull it off.”

  “It’s what we came here for,” Amal replied. “Everything else is just a nuisance.”

  “A big ugly nuisance,” Caleb grumbled. “Personally, I’d like to enjoy this moment more, but I can’t. Not with all the crap going on in this world.”

  Derek patted him on the back. “As of now, we have a functional day-walking cure. It’ll give us an edge on the battlefield. No more hoods and masks. No more shielding our eyes from the sunlight. It’s a much-needed enhancement, and we will certainly celebrate when we reach the end of this long and twisted tunnel.”

  “Until then, we focus on kicking more Darkling ass,” I quipped, willing myself to smile more. I carried a lot of pain within me, and Phantom was right. I’d already had a nasty day. The Darklings didn’t deserve another ounce of my suffering. I looked at Derek. “Kailani’s crew?”

  “Oh, they’re out. They’re tracking down the other Whips with the rest of Trev’s intel. Unlike last time, however, the Reapers are helping to double-check all information before they act on it,” he replied. “In the meantime, I’ve spoken to Phoenix and the rest of GASP. Arwen and Corrinne are helping with the telescope upgrades. They’ll send over satellite-type images of Visio. Hopefully, those will assist in pinpointing the remaining Senior islands. We could use all the help we can get, and it’s time to reach out to the other Senior Aeternae.”

  “Mira and the others don’t know where the islands might be, otherwise we would’ve sorted this out, by now. Besides, we’re not even sure the other Seniors will help. We only left with two hundred the first time we made contact.” I said with a sigh.

  “If Corrine and Arwen find the islands, we’ll try, nonetheless. Even so, we’re making progress of our own. Arya is out with our Seniors. They’ll be going into the Nightmare Forest to drop false tracks there, as well, just in case,” Sofia added. “Besides, Trev is using those flying wisps to communicate with a few Nalorean rebels he can still trust. Given what happened with his Rimian scouts, he figured the Naloreans might be more dependable. We’ve got a b
etter hold of the situation now than before. I’m sure of it.”

  I crossed my arms, a particular concern still nagging me. “Is that enough? I mean, we’ve got hunters out there, and we’re fortifying Roano’s defenses, too. My brother and Valaine, well, they’re doing their thing. I think we should try to figure out where Corbin is. If we have eyes on the Master of Darkness, we’ll be able to stay ahead for real. No more surprise visits like with Orvis.”

  “I agree with Esme here,” Rose said. “We need to figure out where Corbin is. And where Danika is. That bitch might be temporarily decommissioned, but she’s not out of the picture yet. If we can keep an eye on them, we can see them coming.”

  Thayen’s voice almost startled me as he exited the eastern tower. “You have to kill her,” he said quietly. Sadness marred his beautiful features, and it was like seeing the Visentis boys with their mother’s corpse all over again.

  “What?” I managed, my throat closing up.

  “Sorry for hiding and eavesdropping like this. But I mean it. You have to kill my mother,” Thayen lowered his gaze. “I understand who she is and what she’s doing. She’s worse than Petra, and you have to stop her.”

  “Thayen, we…” Sofia’s voice trailed off. What could we possibly say to this boy that would make any of this better?

  “It’s okay. I forgive you for what you will inevitably have to do. I’m just pointing out the obvious because I’m tired of watching you all tiptoe around me. I know what’s coming,” Thayen said. “I don’t care about being immortal. I just want this nightmare to end, and that won’t happen unless you stop them all. My mother included.”

  I knelt in front of him, gripping his bony shoulders. “You’re a good soul. A kind soul. I am so sorry you’re having to suffer like this, but… thank you, Thayen. Thank you for being so smart and understanding. Nothing we do is easy, especially under these circumstances. Please, rest assured that we’re not taking pleasure from any of this.”

  “I’m aware, Esme,” Thayen replied. “You do what you have to do. She killed my father. She wants to kill me. I have no reason to ever want to see her again.”

  “Well, you can’t exactly stop caring about Danika, either,” Derek said gently. “I can only imagine how tough this must be for you. But Thayen, you’re not alone, okay? You’ve got us.”

  “All of us,” Rose added with a warm smile.

  The boy looked up at me, the shadow of a smile fluttering across his face. “Thank you.”

  Looking at Thayen now, a thought crossed my mind. So subtle that I barely even registered it. Over the years, I’d learned a few important lessons from Tristan when I’d least expected it. One of them was to never be afraid to ask a question, no matter how crazy or silly it might sound. With my brother wedged in my heart combined with the fickle hope that we might get past all this and survive, I decided it was time to ask Thayen something.

  At first, it had seemed far-fetched, but as the words left my lips, it actually made sense. “Thayen, do you have any idea where your mother might be hiding?”

  He stared at me for a while before responding. “Our dynasty has many properties. And if my mother has kept her Darkling affiliation a secret for so long, there’s no telling what else she’s kept hidden.”

  “It would have to be somewhere remote. Where Danika might feel truly safe,” Caleb suggested. “A place with a bird’s-eye view, so she can see the enemy coming. She doesn’t strike me as the type to hide somewhere deep in the woods or in a cave. She’s a creature of comfort.”

  “That’s true,” Thayen said. “I can think of a couple of places. Properties I’ve only been to once or twice in the past few years. Built at a certain height, like you described. One of them, in particular—I remember it gave my mother great joy to be there. She seemed pleased with the fact that no one knew about it.” He paused, the color draining from his cheeks. “I think I was four or five when she took me there. She said we’d come back to it someday if she ever had to sacrifice me. I didn’t understand what that meant… I can show you where they are on a map. She taught me to find it for myself, in case I ever needed to go there without her.”

  “We can start there, yes,” I replied, marveling at his ability to remember such a detail. Then again, I’d almost forgotten that Aeternae children were infinitely more precocious than kids from other species.

  The place sounded like Thayen’s final destination. Danika had transferred the soul shard into his heart, and she’d clearly considered the possibility of having to actually kill him someday. No wonder Thayen had gone pale just now. He’d been too young to understand it at the time, but the truth was finally sinking in. The poor kid.

  There wasn’t much I could do for Kalon or Tristan. There wasn’t much I could do for Roano, either. Our forces were still strong, and the tasks had been evenly divided among our crew members and allies. The one thing I could do to truly make a difference was take Danika out. She was our biggest problem, since she was the one tasked with collecting the soul shards. According to Petra, she was also the one who could bring Spirit back, as per the ritual. If I removed her from the equation, pressure would be relieved from our Whip hunt operation, and the Darklings would suffer an irreparable setback.

  I had Thayen’s blessing, and it meant more to me than he could possibly imagine. Yeah, I needed to focus on killing Danika. It gave me no joy whatsoever, but dammit, that woman had to go.

  Esme

  I could do more for my people and for Kalon and my brother. That had been the reasoning behind my decision to take another field mission. Granted, this one was fraught with unknowns and potentially fatal dangers, but I didn’t let the fear get to me. I used it as a shield, pushing forward as I geared up for this trip.

  On a more recent map of Visio, Thayen had shown me three possible locations where his mother might be hiding. I decided to start with the place he’d mentioned first—the property where Danika said she would’ve taken him for the shard sacrifice. I chose it primarily because the dull ache in the pit of my stomach had demanded it. Whether it was instinct or just an uncontrollable desire to kill her, it didn’t really matter. I had a starting point.

  I loaded my backpack with swamp witch smoke bombs and healing potions, along with a makeshift first-aid kit and plenty of pulverizer pellets—enough to kill a regiment. I had invisibility pellets and red garnet glasses in one back pocket of my suit, and a pair of short swords strapped to my thighs, gifted to me by Mira and Kemi. They were made of the finest Rimian steel and were capable of cutting through pretty much anything. Kemi had even gone on the record to say that I could actually scratch or even crack a diamond with this rare metal. My vampire claws couldn’t do that, so I took the weapons as an added bonus.

  Once I was geared up and ready to go, I picked up a new comms earpiece from Derek and Sofia. It had an SOS signal feature in case I needed it. The Darklings knew about our communication methods, so I didn’t expect to retain my ability to reach out via Telluris if I came face-to-face with Danika. If I were to get in trouble, the SOS feature would come in handy by allowing me to inform Derek of my location.

  “You be careful out there,” he said, placing both hands on my padded shoulders. My combat suit had special inserts designed to absorb the shock of any blows, helping to prevent broken bones. They weren’t infallible, but they were certainly helpful. “You’re going against a very dangerous enemy. An unpredictable one.”

  “I’ll be careful, Derek. Pinky promise.”

  “She’s got tricks up her sleeve,” Sofia warned me. “Whatever you think you know about her, be alert as to how much remains unknown. Danika is one of the few Darklings with more death magic knowledge than the First Tenners. Which is why I still think you should ask one of our Reaper allies to come with you.”

  I shook my head. “Danika will see a Reaper coming. She’ll have traps in place, and we can’t afford to lose any of our Reapers. I’m better off on my own. She’s more afraid of Reapers, Sofia. Danika won’t be expect
ing me, of all people. I plan to work that to my advantage.”

  “Should you need assistance, use the SOS feature,” Derek reminded me, stepping back. “One of the Reapers will come for you then.”

  “You need them here, now more than ever. But if I do find myself in need of assistance, I will reach out,” I replied. “You all need to be careful. I know the Seniors are planting false tracks around the city, but…”

  “Corbin might still surprise us, I know.” He sighed. “We’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got.”

  I tried to come up with other ways to defeat the Darklings, but nothing solid came to mind. They had a firm grip on Aeternae society. They’d all grown up expecting immortality. Despite their Blood Arena games, they wanted to live. The prospect of losing this particular aspect of their species could easily push them into the Darklings’ arms, which was why the faction had gained so much ground.

  Trev’s last round of intel from the imperial city put the Darklings in a highly favorable light among the Aeternae citizens. They’d marketed themselves as saviors, hunting Valaine in order to stop the Black Fever from taking more lives. There were tens of thousands of Aeternae currently infected with the strain, according to more recent Nalorean intel, so the nation was uneasy and anxious. The curse was spreading much faster than the previous outbreaks, and it was likely connected to Valaine’s efforts to bring Unending back to the surface. Fear rippled across the continent, and the people trusted the only ones who’d taken any kind of action—the Darklings. Public opinion was shifting, after millions of years of anti-Darkling legislation. Now, with Danika as the Lady Supreme, they would surely win the empire.

  With that in mind, we all agreed to consider the whole of Visio as potentially hostile. It was our turn to operate in the shadows while the Darklings were out in the open. The irony didn’t escape me, but it did make killing Danika all the more important.