Cindy perked up. “You do?”
“Oh yes. It’s no accident you and the young vampire are friends. It’s destiny.” A sound like a mammoth kitten purring escaped Abernathy’s throat. He turned his attention to Dorian, whoremained deathly quiet since we entered the chamber. “And last but certainly not least, we have you.” The dragon blinked. “The only normal, non-magical human in the bunch, yet your destiny...” He paused and sniffed the air.
Dorian stepped forward. “You know what I’m supposed to do with my life?” I hadn’t realized he didn’t have a plan. I hadn’t really thought that much about what he wanted to do with his life.
“Yes, young one. Very few have the capacity to love like you.” Abernathy studied Dorian intently.
Dorian took another step toward the dragon. He looked tiny in comparison. “What is it?”
Abernathy shook his head and let out a deep chuckle. “It’s never good to know your destiny before it arrives, but I think you will find out soon enough.”
Dorian sighed. His shoulders sagged and he stepped back. Melancholy weighed heavily on him.
“And you.” Abernathy focused his large eyes on me. “You’ve become the Seal of Gabriel. The seven magics dwell within your body, including a piece of my soul. And it seems Silindra might be with you as well.”
My heart raced at the thought of Silindra still being with me, but that was the least of my worry. I nodded, surprised he knew so much. “That’s right.”
“You expect a specific answer, but there are several, and all of them depend on you.”
My throat went dry. What was that supposed to mean?
He studied me intently for a long time, until I almost believed he had fallen asleep with his eyes open. “Snow White. Vampire. The daughter of an elf and a human. You’re fated to bring—”
“Hold on.” I carefully moved closer to Abernathy, so I had a perfect view of his giant mouth. “My mother wasn’t an elf.”
Abernathy shook his mane. “She is. I met her once when she was much younger, before she escaped Sharra and moved to the human world.”
“I’ve seen elves. They look a lot different than humans. I would’ve remembered if my mom looked like an elf.” Images of my mother flicked through my mind. She was soft spoken. Her hair was long and beautiful. I used to say it was the color of starlight. Her skin was pale, and she had long, elegant fingers. “My mother was human,” I finally said, facing him.
Smoke trailed from his nostrils. “She appeared human, but she wasn’t. Like the caterpillar that appears to be nothing more than a stick, your mother seemed human, but was an elf. She was an anomaly, different from all other elves. And they hated her for it. Teased her. Called her a freak. Even her parents didn’t like her. They were embarrassed by her.”
His words reminded me of the way the unicorns treated Envy.
Abernathy went on, “After many years your mother came to me, desperate to start somewhere fresh. I helped her escape the magical confines of Sharra and the elves.”
“You did?” My heart ached for what she must’ve gone through. “Is that why she died—because she was away from Sharra for too long?” The image of Pava the pixilette, and the way she turned to ash after a short time outside Sharra, harassed my thoughts.
He stood, his scales clanking together like old metal. The top of my head barely reached the top of one of his legs. Cindy, Gabe, and Dorian scattered back into the tunnel, which was the smart move, but I held my ground. If Abernathy knew what happened to my mother, I wanted the answer. Besides, he still hadn’t told me if I could destroy the vampire queen.
“Well?” I asked, the word forced out between my clenched teeth.
“It’s time you know the truth, I believe.” He smacked his lips together. “Care to take a trip?” He stretched his golden wings wide. Each wingtip touched a wall, blocking out the opening above. Then he shook like a wet dog. Old scales sailed from his body like giant discs. They smacked into stalactites and stalagmites, knocking them to pieces. One flew toward my head and I ducked just in time. It crashed into the wall behind me, leaving a hole. Powdered rock filled the cavern like smoke, and the smell of sulfur tainted the already pungent air.
“What kind of trip?” I asked when he finished.
He laughed, loud and hearty. Thousands of bats woke, circling like phantoms, their high-pitched screeching like nails raking a chalkboard.
Abernathy lifted his head and roared, sending a rush of fire at the bats. They fell, their bodies charred and smoking, and I moved to the tunnel entrance, out of the way.
When the bats were all dead, he closed his mouth, extinguishing the fire and smacking his lips together. “Bats are worse than rats—flying mongrels, really.” He bent his front paw under and leaned his body toward me. “Climb on, vampire. And the rest of you. Hurry up. I’m late for my nap.”
I didn’t know if it was a vampire thing or a Snow White thing, but I hated to fly in airplanes… with seatbelts, pressurized cabins, and electronic gadgets. This would be worse. “Where are we going? We’ll meet you there. Cindy has magic. We’ll use that.” I glanced back at Cindy who came out of the tunnel and moved to climb on Abernathy’s back. Her face shone with excitement, and I sighed. We wouldn’t be using her magic. She wanted to fly on the back of the dragon. Dorian and Gabe seemed excited about the prospect as well.
Me? Not so much.
Abernathy shook his head. “There’s only one way to get to your mother, and the journey requires I take you there. Come on. Don’t be afraid.”
I gulped. If she was dead, how did he plan to take us to see her? “Can’t you just explain what happened? You don’t need to show me.” The others were already on Abernathy’s back. Gabe next to his head, then Cindy with her arms around him, then a space I guessed was for me, and finally Dorian.
Dorian patted the spot in front of him. “It’ll be fun.”
Fun wasn’t the word I would use. Horrendous. Terrifying. Those words seemed more accurate.
“Climb aboard before I change my mind. It isn’t every day one rides on the back of a dragon.”
Hesitant, I climbed up his side, using his scales as grips. My insides shook uncontrollably by the time I was seated in front of Dorian. He wrapped his arms around my waist. “I’ve got you, Snow.”
His breath against my ear tickled. “Thanks,” I responded. It seemed nuts that I was afraid, but I couldn’t control it.
“Hang on tight. I won’t come back for those left behind.” Abernathy let out a laugh.
My bottom lip trembled. I was going to fall, roll off his scaly back, get flicked in the head by his tail, and end up a permanent fixture in one of the chamber walls. I heard Cindy whimper. It seemed she was having second thoughts. I touched her shoulder and she turned back, trying to smile.
Gabe growled. “Let’s do this.”
Abernathy pounced into the air, his wings tucked at his sides, and then he burst through the opening into the clear sky. His wings spread and caught hold of the wind like a giant kite and we were flying.
My fear vanished. I felt exhilarated.
Abernathy twisted and turned like a corkscrew and I heard him chuckle. “This never gets old.” He shot through the air, curled his body into a ball, then cannonballed toward the ground. I was having too much fun to be scared.
A few minutes in, something occurred to me. “How are we not falling off?” I shouted the question at Abernathy.
He barked happily, letting out a long stream of fire. “Magic, vampire. Always magic.”
I tested the theory, releasing my death grip on one of his scales. In the same second Abernathy flipped out of the ball and expanded his wings. We all should’ve shot into the air. No matter how tightly we held on, the suddenness of the stop should have sent us sailing off his back. None of us moved though, like we were seat belted to the dragon. “Woohoo!” I shouted and sensed the others relax.
Cindy glanced back and, though her features were tight, she tried a smile. “Are you gl
ad we came?”
“Yeah,” I said, unable to help the giddy happiness gurgling in my chest. Flying reminded me of Silindra and how she swore she would rather die than lose her wings. In that moment, I understood her a little better.
Chapter 8
I peeked over Abernathy’s side and saw the deep darkness of the water below. It seemed to be in every direction, along the sides and above us too. The illusion made me a little dizzy.
Cindy grabbed hold of Gabe tighter. He touched her arm. “It’ll be okay.”
She nodded but didn’t respond.
“How is it possible we are surrounded by water?” Dorian asked.
“I don’t know,” I answered. “Abernathy, where are we?” It was like we were inside an enormous raindrop.
“Do not be alarmed. We are within the borders of Mizu. Your mother is here.”
I didn’t appreciate him continually acting like my mother was alive. Perhaps it was because he was asleep a hundred years or even a thousand, but it hurt that he acted as though she was still around. “Abernathy, my mother died a long time ago.” Tears stung the edges of my eyes and I closed them briefly, working to make them stop.
“You were told your mother died,” Abernathy responded. “Doing so was for your safety, but now that you are the Seal, none of the secrets matter.” He paused. “Do you want to see her or not?” he asked, though he continued to fly in the same direction despite the fact that I didn’t answer right away. Then he laughed like he made a joke. “Shall I continue?”
“Yes,” I whispered, feeling sick. My teeth chattered, and I couldn’t slow my racing heart.
“Good.” He angled his head downward, shooting toward the water like an arrow. Despite his words telling us magic held us in place, I clutched one of his scales, holding on like my life depended on it.
In school I saw a video of a Cape Gannet diving from great heights and shooting like a torpedo into the water without injury. But they were covered with feathers and fat to make the violent entry survivable. As we rocketed closer to the water below, I debated whether the dragon intended to kill us all.
At the same time, I couldn’t stop thoughts about my mom. Did my father know she was still alive? Had he been keeping it a secret all these years?
We entered the water and I had another moment of panic. But immediately a bubble appeared around the four of us, keeping the water away and allowing us some much-needed air.
“This is crazy,” Cindy whispered. “I can’t see anything.” She cleared her throat. “Listeria,” she said softly. Light filled the bubble and the surrounding water.
“You will need to put that out shortly, witch.” Abernathy coasted slowly downward like a golden submarine. At first, we didn’t see anything but water. After several minutes, a random fish darted by, then a large pod of dolphins. A few minutes later a large, strange looking whale swam alongside us. Abernathy’s eyes glowed in front of him like twin headlights and, as we continued down, there was a colorful reef with all manner of plants growing on it and creatures living amongst the twisty coral.
“It’s beautiful,” I said.
Gabe, Cindy, and Dorian all spoke their agreement.
“But why are we down here? Elves don’t live in the water. On its shores, sure, but never in it,” Gabe said.
I knew what he said was true. When we went to see the elves, they were near the ocean, but that had been a long time ago. Since then, Sharra had created her land and ordered all magical creatures out of the human realm. Maybe some of the elves had created a secret land within the water.
Cindy touched Gabe’s arm. “Let’s see where Abernathy is taking us. If he says Snow’s mother is down here… somewhere, then it must be true.”
Yeah, because dragons may be lazy, but they’re honest. I hoped.
Dorian wrapped his arms tighter around my waist. Part of me felt guilty for being in the arms of another guy, but I consoled myself. This was an extenuating circumstance, and Christopher would want me safe.
Farther ahead was what looked like the top of an enormous snow globe, only without the snow. Upon closer inspection, I was shocked to see roads and buildings within.
“You seeing what I’m seeing?” Gabe asked, his voice filled with wonder.
“I see it. It looks like a—a city,” I said, blinking my eyes several times to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.
“Is this real?” Gabe asked.
“As real as you and me,” Abernathy said. “The city is known as Atlantis by some, but it is actually called Mizu Atlantica, or the City Under the Sea.”
“Okay, where’s the mermaid with long hair? What’s her name?” Dorian tried to sound nonchalant, but it was obvious by the tone of his voice that he was as surprised as the rest of us.
“Ariel,” I answered softly. “My mother’s name is Ariel.”
Chapter 9
As I studied the city coming into view, I thought love was like a pyrotechnics display. The vibrancy and beauty are not truly appreciated until after the fireworks erupt, when the sparks burst in radiant color and seem to gloriously proclaim to the sky, “This is what you’re missing. This is what you’ve lost.”
That’s how it was with my mother. I adored her, loved the way she sang while she cooked, the way her eyebrows came together when she read something interesting, and the way she snuggled into my neck when she tucked me in at night.
Those memories were priceless, and I wished I cherished her more while I had her love. Cuddled longer. Hugged her tighter. But then, I didn’t know she was going to die.
The knowledge that all this time she was alive, but chose to stay away, filled me with a pain I hadn’t known before. I was devastated and angry and, if I was honest with myself, excited to see her.
“Promises are lies spoken from the heart,” my mom used to say. “Never make a promise unless you’re one hundred percent sure you can keep it.” I hadn’t understood what she meant but, as Dorian, Gabe, Cindy, and I got closer to the city my mother called home, I thought she must’ve known all along she would leave.
Some of my pain changed to resentment. Of her. She allowed me to be raised by a mean stepmother and a father who kowtowed to her every whim, a man who wasn’t strong enough to be there when I needed him most. How could she do that? Why? I hoped I would get the chance to ask.
“Is Snow’s mom like an elf-mermaid?” Dorian asked Abernathy, bringing me out of my reverie.
Abernathy laughed. “Mermaids are fish. Elves are land dwellers. Snow’s mother is not a fish, but an elf. Please try to keep up.”
“It may not be possible,” Gabe said over his shoulder and loud enough so Dorian could hear.
“Watch it, brother,” Dorian said, reaching over Cindy and I and punching Gabe in the shoulder.
“Hey, none of that,” Cindy hissed. “I don’t want to fall.”
“You won’t,” I whispered, leaning into her.
“You doing okay? You must be freaking out about your mom,” Cindy murmured.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” I swallowed, afraid if I said more, I might cry. I still didn’t totally believe she was alive, and I wouldn’t until I saw her again with my own eyes. And maybe she was an elf but, since she looked human while she lived with me, wasn’t it possible she could become something different while under the sea? Could she be a mermaid, too?
“Here we go,” Abernathy growled.
I glanced ahead. We were nearly to the large bubble surrounding the city. “How are we going to get in?”
Abernathy’s response was flippant. “How are we in this realm to begin with? How are you four able to breathe or, more importantly, how are you able to keep from being crushed? The answer is the same for all questions. Magic. I have it and I know how to use it.” He shook his head and his amber mane danced slowly in the water like a golden man o’ war.
When I thought Abernathy would crash into the bubble surrounding Mizu, he yelled one word, “Opherium!” And he glided through, the rest of us watching in awe.
The bubble around the city was thicker than I would’ve believed. As we passed through it my body felt tingly, as though each cell was being tickled.
Once we passed the protective barrier, I relaxed a little, admiring the tall, vibrant buildings in colors similar to the coral I saw earlier—turquoise, hot pink, salmon, neon blue, lime green, yellows from creamy to vibrant, tangerine, and lavender. Various types of trees grew in rows along the perimeter of the buildings. The trees reminded me of a combination of kelp and seaweed. Heat from above warmed my skin and I glanced up. Though it was night outside the perimeter, within a yellow sun shone bright in the sky. Wispy clouds sailed across a blue firmament. “How?” I began and stopped. I already knew what Abernathy would say. Magic.
Chapter 10
Roads and sidewalks intersected and meandered along and around the fantastical buildings. The streets sparkled in the sunlight, and I guessed they were made from pearls. All manner of supernatural creatures, including trolls, elves, fairies, and even humans, moved around below.
Several streams ambled lazily in different sections of the city and surrounding the city’s outskirts was a vast ocean. Did mermaids dwell here? I strained my eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of one. The idea of mermaids brought up another concern. Where exactly had Abernathy brought us? What was this place? The dragon said the city was called Mizu Atlantica, but what was the city for? Why did it exist?
Abernathy flew us above the buildings in search of an unknown destination. None of the citizens below shrieked or screamed. Instead most waved to Abernathy and greeted him like an old friend. The whole scenario was wild, and I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Up ahead, in the city’s center was a large, circular patch of green. It wasn’t grass, but it could’ve been moss or algae or even dried seaweed. “Do not climb off,” Abernathy said, tucking his wings along his back and to the side. “We are going below.” As he spoke a screech reverberated through my body, like metal scraping against metal. I peered over the side and realized the circle Abernathy stood on was descending.
Queen of the Vampires: Snow White Reimagined with Vampires and Dragons (Seven Magics Academy Book 3) Page 4