A Shade of Vampire 86: A Break of Seals

by Forrest, Bella

  “Well, the Aeternae chose to stand behind the Darklings,” Derek said. “And I had to make a difficult decision. Up until now we were reserved in our actions because we expected the rest of the Aeternae people not to be foolish, but we no longer have to restrain ourselves, since they’ve chosen to go to war against us.”

  Sofia nodded once. “There will be collateral damage, and we’ll have plenty of time to atone for it afterward. For now, we must secure our survival no matter what, and that means calling in the big guns.”

  My heart jumped as I understood what such an operation entailed. “How long before they get here?” I asked.

  “A few hours, I’m afraid. We’ll have to sit tight until then,” Derek replied.

  “What about the Aeternae’s airships?” Trev wondered. “They’re pretty fast and have devastating firepower.”

  Derek shrugged, not at all impressed and way too pissed off to care anymore. “We’ve got Perfects and Arch-Perfects. Dragons. Witches and warlocks. Jinn and vampires. Fae galore. We have allies across three dimensions, and they’ve all agreed to help us. They’ve all risen against the Aeternae’s oppression and desperation.”

  “It will not win the war, however,” Unending warned us. “The Darklings have death magic and plenty of ghouls. They can do things that none of your allies can.”

  “Fair enough, but our forces will hopefully be enough to buy you the time you need on your own quest,” Derek said. “After all, yours is the toughest task of all.”

  Indeed, she had it the worst. We would all fight tooth and nail and maybe survive, but nothing we did mattered unless the Unending freed herself from the seals. Nothing we did mattered unless she got away from Visio and destroyed Death’s remaining seals, too. We could give the Aeternae and the Darklings one hell of a fight, and we would. But the only entity that had the power to stop Spirit and everyone under his command was Death.

  Only Death could end this madness.

  Only Death could save us all.

  Nethissis

  This was it. The end of the line for all of us.

  I’d hoped this day would come, but I’d also been dreading it. Regardless of how our journey might end, my grand finale remained a mystery to me. Seeley had suggested that, given my ability to wield a scythe, Death might have been considering me for a Reaper position. Of course, neither of us had been able to explain why I hadn’t manifested a similar gift during our first Mortis expedition in the early days of the Hermessi rebellion. It was one thing to touch a Reaper’s scythe and see ghosts—which we’d all been able to do during our Mortis mission, and a whole other thing to summon the scythe’s energy and use it as a weapon, which was an ability I had not manifested back then, under any circumstances.

  So where did this leave me? We weren’t sure yet.

  There were still plenty of things to do and worry about before that. First and foremost, Unending and Tristan had their mission to plan and execute. They needed to find a way to get close to Corbin, and that scared the crap out of me. Meanwhile, the Darklings and the desperate Aeternae were hard at work attacking the protective shield, eager to get to us. Eager to get to Valaine and kill her. On top of that, Kalon was still sick with Black Fever, and Kelara… oh, she had it the worst.

  Corbin’s ghoulish curse was eating her up on the inside. Even with the rune collar around her neck, I doubted she’d last much longer. I could see it in her eyes—the merciless hunger ravaging her psyche. What an awful spell to devise. To force a Reaper into developing an appetite for the souls of the living was basically reverse-engineering a ghoul. I could only imagine what she was going through. Her gaze darted all over the place, and she was unable to stand still for more than a few seconds. Soul was constantly by her side, tormented by her condition, while she struggled to keep herself calm.

  “She’s looking at you like you’re prime rib,” Seeley muttered as he noticed me watching her. He’d made sure we kept a reasonable distance from Kelara for my own safety. Even with a scythe in my hand, chances were I didn’t have what it would take to protect myself from a ravenous Reaper. The insanity of this situation did not escape me.

  “I know. It’s awful,” I replied with a heavy sigh. Kelara was my friend, yet I was the most appetizing thing in her vicinity. Due to the powerful spell’s influence, I doubted she’d be able to hold back if she were to be let loose. For now, I was thankful for that rune collar. “She can’t control herself.”

  “Which is why we’re better off protecting another side of the city,” Seeley said. “I spoke to Soul briefly through our telepathic connection. He agrees.”

  I gave Kelara one last look before turning my back and moving farther away from her, joined by Seeley. He took my hand in his, and our soul bond vibrated sweetly in the pit of my stomach. The other Reapers were a few yards away from GASP, talking among themselves. Upon reaching them, I realized they were worried about Unending, who was currently discussing the details of her plan with Kalon, his brothers, Thayen, Sofia, and Tristan.

  “What if Spirit catches on?” Night asked. “He’s no fool.”

  “He won’t see this coming,” Phantom tried to reassure him. “To his credit, Kalon’s proposal seems solid. It’s our best chance to get the ring and scythe back from Corbin.”

  “Yes, but you can’t deny the glaring risks of all these shenanigans,” Night replied.

  Widow scoffed. “Whatever we do against Spirit will be risky. And yes, this plan is insanely dangerous, but like Phantom said, it’s our best bet to win.”

  “It’s not a guarantee, but if we do nail this… whew!” Morning exclaimed, laughing nervously. Occasionally, she glanced back at Unending, as if to check on her. The Reapers’ concern for their eldest sister was endearing.

  For a moment, I imagined myself existing in their community, being one of them. What would my uniform look like? What areas would I be in charge of? Would Death have me stationed on Calliope? How often would Seeley and I get to see each other?

  “Where are you?” Seeley whispered, while the Reapers continued their discussion. It was hard to focus on any conversation sometimes, considering that the city was under siege. Its protective shield was hard to break, but not impossible. Lumi and Kailani were already planning their magic work to enhance the spell and strengthen the iridescent dome, while Mira and Kemi started deploying their Seniors along the city borders in preparation of an imminent invasion. We had to be ready for the worst.

  “Huh?”

  “Where are you, Nethissis? Because you look like you’re wandering somewhere far from here, at least in your mind,” Seeley replied.

  I offered a faint smile. “Forgive me. This entire situation is hard to follow, sometimes.”

  “It’s not your fault. You’re dead and lingering between realms,” he said. “Your perception is somewhat faded. Everything might be overwhelming you, including your own emotions.”

  “Speaking of which, do you think we can make a case for me before Death, provided we all get out of here in one piece?” I asked, keeping my voice low. Seeley frowned, his gaze dropping for a moment.

  “What did you have in mind, exactly?”

  “Well, me being a Reaper. We talked about the possibility, didn’t we?”

  He exhaled sharply. It made me nervous. “We did, but Death may or may not follow through on it. Other than her request for me to protect you until she’s free, all we have is speculation and theory. She’s made no promises. She’s given no hint as to what might become of you once she’s back to her full strength.”

  “But why would she want you to protect me if she didn’t have a plan for me?” I asked, my nerves on edge. I’d been in this limbo for what seemed like forever, and I could’ve used some certainty regarding the path ahead for once.

  “I don’t know. She’s moody, and she makes plans in her head that she never shares with anyone,” Seeley grumbled, shaking his head. “That’s Death. Given the amplitude of her role—the sheer size of her responsibility and power—i
t’s like she makes up for it by being the least dependable entity in this universe. You never know what you’re going to get with her. And if you become a Reaper, you might be in the role for three days, or she might hold on to you for millions of years. Look at Spirit. We’re here because she refused to let go of him.”

  “We’re here because Spirit refused to accept his fate,” Time interjected, his brow furrowed. Stars twinkled in the dark depths of his eyes. “Let’s not blame Death. After all, the rest of us First Tenners endured the same. It’s not up to us to decide when we can move on, and that’s something Spirit never fully accepted.”

  “So, what—you don’t think everything would’ve been better if she’d just let the bastard move on?” Seeley shot back. His grip on my hand tightened, and I could feel his frustration and concern flowing through me like a cold river. Because we’d fallen in love as souls, we were connected through a golden thread of the purest affection. We also felt each other’s emotions as though they were our own. My condition put Seeley on edge, and I’d forgotten how hard he was taking this uncertainty. After all, he didn’t know what would happen to me any more than I did, and neither one of us could fathom a future where we weren’t part of each other’s afterlife—no matter what said afterlife entailed.

  “Oh, absolutely,” Time replied. “But we can’t waste time crying over spilled milk.”

  “Death has always been this way.” Phantom sighed. “Petulant, drifting, stubborn as a mule. I guess when you’ve existed for an eternity and have another eternity ahead of you, you stop caring about things the rest of us consider important.”

  “Listen—it’s okay,” I told Seeley. “Whatever happens, happens. Maybe we should stay focused on how we’re going to protect Roano against the Aeternae and worry about everything else later.”

  Dream gave me a dry smile. “The uncertainty is killing you both, isn’t it? You’re in love with each other, and Death’s inconsistent personality might put a dent in your relationship.”

  “Well, look who’s an armchair psychologist,” Sidyan muttered, raising a sarcastic eyebrow.

  “Say what you want, but I’ve seen Nethissis’s dreams. Seeley’s, too. They want something they may or may not have in the future,” Dream retorted, and I suddenly felt naked in front of the entire group.

  “Wait, what?” I croaked.

  “You messed with our dreams?” Seeley hissed, but Dream raised a hand to stop him from boiling over.

  “Cool the heck down,” Dream said. “First of all, you’ll stroke out, and you’re already dead. Second, I only read your dreams. It’s like watching a movie, really. That’s all. I didn’t change anything, and I didn’t mess with your heads.”

  Not that I was in any way comforted, but one aspect of this whole situation sparked my interest. “I didn’t know dead people could still dream. I don’t even remember sleeping.”

  “Dreaming is different once you’re dead, but it will always be a part of the soul. During our lifetimes, the brain is the physical processor for everything, dreams included. Once we die, however, that function reverts back to the soul, which is multifaceted and multifunctional. You dream without ever sleeping, but I’m still able to tap into it.”

  “I feel violated,” I mumbled, crossing my arms.

  “I do this to everybody,” Dream replied, growing defensive.

  Nightmare chuckled. “What my sister is trying to say is that you two love each other,” he said, looking at Seeley and me. “Your bond is strong, and you’re understandably worried she’ll split you up. There’s a chance she won’t, but there’s an equal chance she will. And we understand your concerns.”

  “As for you, Sidyan—mind your sharp tongue. I’ve read your dreams, too,” Dream retorted. “I know there’s a certain swamp witch you’ve got the hots for.”

  That was enough to silence the Reaper, who cursed under his breath and took a couple steps back, as if eager to put additional distance between himself and Dream. Taeral, on the other hand, appeared amused. “You people are incorrigible…”

  “Says the guy who’s prancing around with Death’s scythe within feet of the supreme enemy,” the Night Bringer said. “I still think you being here is a bad idea.”

  “Well, it’s going to get worse, because I’ll be shadowing Spirit to make sure he doesn’t get in Unending’s way,” Taeral replied.

  Time pointed a stiff finger at Thieron. “You’d better be careful, kid. You can’t get caught by Spirit with that weapon. The world will end if you lose.”

  “Hey, Death gave me the green light for this, and she’s well aware of the risks,” Taeral said. “Obviously, I will do my best to be careful, but I can’t fail to intervene at this point. We’ve got too much riding on Unending’s success.”

  “You know, the irony of this whole situation is glaring,” I cut in, stifling a grin. All the Reapers eyed me curiously, while I tried to formulate the rest of my statement. Seeley was right. Sometimes everything seemed like a haze—my own thoughts included. “All nine of the other First Tenners can’t defeat the Spirit Bender alone, since Unending is still under the seals, yet you worry about GASP’s ability to pull through, even though we’re the ones who have stopped the world from ending more than once. We’ve faced off with the Spirit Bender before, and we kicked his ass.”

  “And we’re going to do it again,” Taeral added, beaming with determination.

  “Your optimism is refreshing,” Widow remarked. “Just don’t screw this up. We’re all counting on you, Fire Star Prince.”

  We all took a moment to look at Unending. As she spoke with Tristan and the others, I could see the faint creases on her forehead—a delicate frown persisting as she was unable to hide her own concerns about all this. With the Aeternae and the Darklings and the Knight Ghouls roaring and pounding on the protective shield in the background, it was pretty hard not to imagine a future where we might get the short end of the stick.

  Truthfully, my situation wasn’t even the worst. Glancing at Kelara again and noticing the hunger in her gaze as she stared at me, I knew this could end one of three ways: Kelara eating me, one of the Knight Ghouls eating me once they breached the shield, or our alliance winning while I—well, “lived to see another day” wasn’t exactly the right phrase, but it would have to do.

  Listening to my heart, I knew I wanted my soul to survive this. We’d deal with Death and her mercurial moods later. I promised myself I would do everything in my power to make sure we’d get to that point where I’d butt heads with Death, if I had to, in order to stay close to Seeley. In the meantime, I had a city full of innocent people to protect.

  We didn’t know if Unending’s plan would lead to victory, but we had to do our part in making sure we at least tried. I glanced back at the southern gate where Spirit was still standing and sneering at the magical shield while his underlings kept hitting it with everything they had. He appeared enormously satisfied with this situation. We’ll have to make sure this ends with a devastated look on your face instead.

  Tristan

  The three of us were ready. Kalon stepped back, unable to shake the worried look on his face. I couldn’t blame him. This was utter insanity, yet it was also our best shot at taking Corbin down.

  “All you have to do is play along until Corbin gets confident and comes close enough,” Kalon reminded us. I gave him a soft nod.

  “Thank you for this. For your support, for everything,” I said.

  “Thank me if this works out,” Kalon replied, putting an arm around Esme’s shoulders. He was weak, but at least he could still stand on his own. The black veins spidering up his neck and jawline were troubling, and Unending had to free herself in order to reverse his condition. That alone was enough motivation for us, not to mention everything else we had on the line.

  “We’ll have seconds, at best, once he realizes what’s happening,” Unending said. Sofia gave her a tearful hug, unable to hold back.

  “I’m sorry. I just want to see you okay…”<
br />
  “You’re too kind,” Unending replied as Sofia moved back, wiping her tears. She tried to hug me, too, but I stopped her with a warm and maybe not so confident smile.

  “Don’t. No one’s dying on my watch, and we’ll all be back together again soon,” I said, making Derek grin.

  “That’s what I’m talking about!” he exclaimed.

  Esme, however, could not be stopped as she took a moment away from Kalon and wrapped her arms around me. I held her close for a little while, taking deep breaths as her scent embedded itself into my memory forever. I’d miss my sister most of all if this went south. I had zero intention of letting that happen, but the universe might have other plans. No one knew for sure.

  “You’d better come back to me, you hear?” Esme sighed as she looked at me. “Mom and Dad will kill me if I’m the only one left. Imagine Sundays with just the three of us!”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’d be at each other’s throats by noon.”

  Esme and our parents got along great, but there were times when they disagreed on something with profound passion. Esme would raise her voice, Mom would try to talk over her, and Dad would attempt to mediate the whole issue, while I’d be the only one capable of distracting them with something as mundane as a new gadget or the latest Shade gossip. The Vaughn women lived and loved intensely…

  “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure everybody makes it back in one piece,” Unending said, “but this plan is the only chance we’ve got.”

  “We’ll handle Roano,” Kalon replied. “You go get your freedom back.”

  Unending gave him a nod, then turned around to face the southern gate. A hundred yards stood between us and our potential doom, but it was too late to turn back now. I hated that we had to do this, but it had to happen. We had to see this through to the end, for everybody’s sake.

  We left the Reapers with GASP and the rest of our allies, briefly noticing their defensive positions. The elderly and the children were barricaded in the center of the city and surrounded by ghouls and the Night Bringer. Morning, Dream, Nightmare, Time, Phantom, and Widow split up, assigning themselves to mixed groups of Seniors and Orvisians, while our GASP crew stayed by the southern gate, flanked by Ridan and Hunter in their full beastly forms. Soul kept Kelara away from the madness, while Nethissis and Seeley joined Sidyan, Lumi, Maya, and Kailani by the southeast side of the protective shield, where the swamp witches worked hard to further strengthen the defensive magic.