A Shade of Vampire 86: A Break of Seals

by Forrest, Bella

  “Right now, I have nothing until Death is free. Your people and my people are trying to keep things under control. Spirit has been defeated, but he still has ways of hurting us, and Death wants to be the one to end him this time. There is no way to change her mind. She will not grant you the authority to destroy him on her behalf.”

  Asteroids rushed past us, giant stones with shimmering metal deposits streaking across their uneven surface. In the distance, a comet hurled through space, its fiery tail stretching for miles on end. Everything around us moved in its own rhythm, while my people were trying to survive and prevent the world from plunging into irreparable chaos. And in this whole universal mess, Death and Unending were still… detached. Sticking to their agenda. It didn’t make sense.

  “Taeral, we must go,” Unending insisted. “The longer we stay here, the longer your friends have to deal with Spirit. That creature is a bitter bastard, and he will kill everyone in his path if it makes him feel less miserable about his defeat.”

  “By my friends, you also mean Tristan.”

  “Please,” she said, looking pained. She didn’t like this any more than I did, yet she kept at it. “I have to help Death. Let’s go.”

  “And Death would rather let us all die than grant me the authority to destroy Spirit with Thieron like I did the last time?” I replied, and she nodded once. “What if I use the spell she gave me? The one I used on him during the Hermessi wars.”

  “Do you remember the words?”

  Holy crap. She was right. I couldn’t remember a thing. I knew I’d used Thieron to destroy him, but the magic I’d used had slipped from my mind. Death must’ve taken it back at some point. That sneaky… Ugh!

  “My point exactly,” Unending said. “Which is why we must go. It’s either her way or nothing.”

  I felt discouraged. Sad, even, that I had to do this the way Death demanded. I loathed being a pawn on her chessboard while innocent people had died in this fight against the Darklings. However, if this was the only path, I had to take it. Unending and I walked in silence for a while, treading space and crossing from the Earthly Dimension into the Supernatural Dimension.

  “For what it’s worth, I hated to leave Tristan like that, but as soon as I was free, Death’s voice started coming through, telling me what she had seen through the eyes of the Reapers, what my odds were against Spirit on my own… She insisted that I make my way back to Aledras, regardless of how badly I wanted to help Tristan and Thayen.”

  Exhaling deeply, I gave her a long look. “I presume she lured you away by promising to revive Tristan or Thayen in case they died?”

  I wouldn’t put it past Death. Not now that I had a better understanding of her machinations and personal ambition. All this could’ve been resolved in an easier and less bloody manner, if only she’d been truthful with us from the very beginning. If only she’d shared her suspicions and goals with us since day one. Derek and Sofia’s crew would’ve handled things very differently from the moment they’d set foot on Visio, for sure. Death could’ve counted on us. Alas, there wasn’t much we could do to change the past.

  Our only choice was to finish it this way.

  “It was mentioned, yes, though she expressed doubt that Tristan or Thayen might die,” Unending said. “She’s the one who told me about Kelara. Our new mission is clear. Death must be released.”

  “Boy, she’s made this very convenient for herself,” I grumbled, walking beside her as the Supernatural Dimension unraveled before us with its dazzling array of phosphorescent pinks and yellows, trails of sapphire and emerald stardust, gem-like planets, and diamond-ridden meteorites. It hadn’t been long since I’d last seen my home, but it was damn good to lay eyes on it now, even though it was still a few million miles away from us. The Fire Star shone brightly to our left as we continued our journey to Aledras. “Also, are we moving faster than usual, or is it just me?”

  “It’s not you. I’m a fast traveler. We’re riding on my power now, not Thieron’s. I admit, it feels good to stretch my legs,” Unending said, smiling vaguely as she looked ahead. “I haven’t seen this in a long, long time.”

  “Almost five million years, right?”

  “Make it six. Once I entered the Earthly Dimension, as you people call it, and saw how many of its planets were inhabited, I never looked back. The farther away from Death I got, the better.”

  Aledras rose ahead, a beautiful, giant marble with clouds streaking across its blues and greens. There were massive patches of ice closer to the poles. It was a cold planet, its cities built in perfect synergy with nature, the infrastructure designed in a way that did not intrude. Most of the settlements were elevated, with support beams that safely held them above the ground, thus allowing the local fauna and flora to thrive.

  “I guess this will be a really awkward reunion, huh?” I asked, somewhat tense at the prospect. Unending had a quiet intensity about her that made me tremble. Yes, she was beautiful and distinguished, her elegance unparalleled, but there was also something else, a coldness of sorts that reminded me of her true nature. A Reaper. An agent of Death, the first of her kind, with little to no attachment to the world around her. She’d fallen in love once, and she’d lost him. She’d fallen in love again now, only to walk away from him—albeit for a short period of time—in order to end this terrible nightmare.

  “You’re talking about Death and me?”

  “Mm-hm.” I took this brief respite as we made our way toward Aledras, even though I hadn’t asked for it. The urgency of our situation was still present and looming in the back of my head, but the closer we got to Death, the farther away Visio seemed.

  “Awkward doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Unending said. “And to think Spirit claims he’s the one who’s got a bone to pick with Death. Where do I even begin to settle my score, huh?”

  “You’re free now. That’s all that matters,” I replied, a little worried she might let her emotions get the better of her. I didn’t even want to imagine how she was feeling after all this time.

  “I am free. Things are going to change now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She smirked, our descent toward Aledras beginning. “She’s been calling the shots. Treating people as pieces in a game where only she knows the rules. Spirit was dumb enough to play along not once, but twice. My brothers and sisters are hurting and confused. An entire planet is suffering. Meanwhile, she sits here and puts limits on your power to help those you love, insisting that Spirit must be brought back so she can destroy this copy of him personally. In case you didn’t know, I’m as disturbed by this as you are, Taeral. Only I have the power to do something about it.”

  “Wait,” I said, politely gripping her arms. “What are you planning?”

  “Relax. The goal here is to set her free so she can do her damn job for once. I owe her that much, since it’s my proprietary Thousand Seal spell she’s been forced to wear,” Unending muttered. “But after that, Death and I will have a lot of talking to do. She may be all-powerful in our realm, but I can still knock her down a peg or two.”

  We took our first steps on Aledras, the cold air making me shiver. Since I was half fire fae, my preferred climate involved lots of sunlight and high temperatures. The frozen lake stretched before us, the white towers of a city glistening beyond it like needles on the horizon. In the middle of this frozen mass, a water hole opened up—a water hole I’d been around before. Death sat on the edge, merely a dark figure from this distance.

  To our right, a wolf-like creature emerged from the thick woods, its ruby-red eyes fixed on us. “This ends here,” Unending added, watching the animal as it huffed and padded away, showing no interest in us. It was searching for prey. I imagined it was hard to feed during the cold season. What a simple life these animals led—unlike the rest of us, torn from our worlds and tossed around the universe, wherever its chaotic forces wanted. We were subject to the whims of Death, while the wolf had a clear path ahead.

  “How ca
n you… knock her down a peg or two?” I asked.

  She let a long sigh out, blinking slowly. “I’ve got a few options in mind. It really depends on how she explains herself to me. In the end, all that matters is that she’s honest, because if she lies, she’ll walk herself into a memorable punishment.”

  “Do you really have that power?”

  Unending shot me a dark stare. “Spirit and I are the only ones who know all the words and sub-words that make up her magic. The only reason why I’m here instead of him is because he made the wrong moves and is one soul-shard short of full power.”

  Truth be told, Unending inspired more trust than Death ever would. Unlike her maker, Unending was sincere in her emotions and desires. I knew she loved Tristan, that she’d longed for freedom more than anything. I understood that, in order to save everyone, Death had to be released. It was also clear that Unending would’ve loved nothing more than to let her rot under the remaining Thousand Seals, if it were possible. Unfortunately, we needed Death.

  “Whatever you decide to do, I’ll understand,” I told her. “You’ve been through enough.”

  “And I don’t plan to go through anything more. Tristan deserves a full and happy life, and for as long as he’s alive, I’m going to make sure he gets that and everything else his heart might desire,” she said. “I’ll protect GASP with everything I’ve got. It’s thanks to you all that I am walking freely again, and I doubt I will ever be able to repay you for your sacrifice.”

  Death smiled at the sight of us. In an instant, she was standing, chain still jingling around her ankle. More than half the runes that were part of the Thousand seals were visible on her pale skin. The northern wind brushed through her long black hair, then through Unending’s. Looking at them both, I could see where Unending had gotten her strength. I wondered if the original soul, the woman whose spirit she’d been copied from, was anywhere near this extraordinary.

  “My darling…” Death said as we reached her.

  Unending’s expression didn’t change. It remained cold and stern, her galaxy eyes burning hot as she raised her chin in defiance. “Finally, the moment I’ve been waiting for.”

  “It’s been a long time,” Death replied, her smile broadening. She seemed happy and relieved. Was she even aware of the behemoth-sized grudge that Unending had brought with her? It made me feel tiny and insignificant by comparison.

  “Yeah, about five million years, give or take. Ever since you had Erethiel killed.”

  Straight to the point. I liked that. It wiped any trace of good humor from Death’s face. Her lips melted into a tight, straight line. Her slim brows pulled into an all-knowing frown. Oh, Death was well aware of what she’d done. This moment was her reckoning, and I would’ve killed for a bucket of buttered popcorn.

  Taeral

  The tension on Aledras rose, as if the whole planet were reaching a boiling point. Despite the cold, heat shot through me, my own inner fire reacting to the close proximity between Unending and Death. I held my breath, waiting for one of them to speak, but they both took a moment to stare each other down, darts shooting from their starry eyes. Death was the last entity who had a right to be upset in this moment, but that didn’t stop her.

  The winds stilled. Briefly glancing at the water hole, I was under the impression that even the lake had stopped rippling beneath the ice. The surface was perfectly smooth, darkness dwelling below. Around us, all sounds of nature had stopped. Not a single bird could be heard. No wolves or deer-like creatures watching from afar. The fish had likely sunk to the bottom, too, just to be safe.

  Nothing wanted to be here—not even the natural elements. Only I was crazy enough to stick around, but the sight before me was addictive.

  “I suppose we have a lot to talk about,” Death murmured.

  “Oh, I have a list,” Unending replied dryly. The white silk poured down her body like milk, creating an intriguing contrast with her black hair and gloves. Her skin had a pearlescent sheen, much like Death’s. But the resentment in her voice nearly frightened me. In a way, I kind of felt sorry for Death. She’d created Reapers like Unending, only to treat them like toys, bending them to her whims. In that respect, she was similar to Spirit. The pitiful aspect of all this was that every poor choice she’d made in the past had led to this moment.

  “But very little time,” Death said. “The Spirit Bender is still in existence.”

  “Don’t give me that nonsense,” Unending hissed. “Freeze time so we can talk properly.”

  Death shook her head. “Let’s not be childish.”

  “Let’s,” I interjected. “I, too, am curious as to what you might have to say.”

  “Taeral, while I appreciate your assistance and thank you for everything you’ve done, this isn’t the time to get tangled in petty disputes,” Death said, scowling at me. She pointed at the runes on her skin. “Come on, get these off, and let’s finish this.”

  Unending chuckled, raising her scythe. Its blade lit up white as she whispered a single word into its blade. “Tempurium.” It got a muffled curse from Death, which made Unending laugh even harder. “I asked you to stop time so we could talk because I wanted you to do this willingly. You’ve forgotten I have the knowledge to stop time myself if I have to. All it takes is one precious word.”

  All around us, the world came to a halt. The air itself stopped flowing. “Wait, does Spirit know this particular word? I thought you said he knows all the words,” I said.

  “He’s not aware of this one. For all her faults, Death let the word of time slip from his memory, probably once she realized she’d given him too much,” Unending replied without taking her eyes off Death.

  “I am so confused right now,” I mumbled.

  “Frankly, I was too until we met with Spirit outside Roano. I wondered why he hadn’t used this word before, since stopping time for indeterminate periods could’ve made his day on so many levels.” Unending sighed. “Then it hit me. Spirit must’ve been in close contact with Death at some point in the past five million years. Somewhere along the way, Death must’ve realized that of all the words she’d taught us, Tempurium was the most dangerous. Since she had no way of finding me, I retained it. Spirit, on the other hand, probably doesn’t even remember there is such a word. Death needs close contact with one of us to remove a memory or, in this case, a word.”

  I couldn’t stop staring at Death, who was annoyingly quiet. “You mean to tell me you removed one word from Spirit’s head but left the others? Is that why we’re in this mess?”

  “No. At the time, I didn’t know Spirit’s plans. He hadn’t given me any reason to doubt or fear him,” Death said. “It’s this particular word with its particular power that I was afraid of. The Time Master’s abilities are severely limited, for example. Tempurium is the brute version. Untamed. Far too dangerous.”

  “Ah, so you were just being cautious,” I muttered, pursing my lips.

  Unending smirked. “Cautious is a generous word.”

  “Wait, hold on!” I said, shifting my focus back to Unending. “If you knew this word, why didn’t you use it earlier? You could’ve put a huge pause on Visio.”

  “I did that just now. Stopping time here stopped it everywhere,” Unending replied. I paused for a moment, feeling stupid, but her answer didn’t quite satisfy me.

  “Then why wait to use it until you got here? What if something happened to Tristan or Thayen?” I asked.

  Unending smiled, holding back a chuckle, as if I’d just told her a funny joke. I could see where she and Death were so much alike. They both liked to string me along in one way or another. “Spirit didn’t see me, but I hid charms on Thayen and Tristan. Even if he has his hands on them, Spirit won’t be able to kill them. He’ll be very displeased when he figures that one out. And the reason I held off on using the time word is because it has drained me of all my energy,” she said. “I’ll be useless once we resume the normal flow. Like Death said, it’s a dangerous word, perhaps even more danger
ous than my immortality gift. Manipulating time should not belong to anyone.”

  “Well, way to keep that to yourself!” I grumbled. “You could’ve said something instead of letting me worry over my friends like this!”

  “Forgive me. I didn’t take your feelings into consideration. I had other more pressing concerns on my mind,” Unending replied. I knew she meant it, but it irked me nonetheless.

  “I can see the resemblance between you and Death. You don’t take other people’s feelings into account.”

  “Don’t compare me to Death. I am nothing like her.” Unending’s voice thundered across the frozen lake. Even in its suspended animation, the ice cracked all over. Once time returned to normal, I had a feeling this whole sheet would collapse.

  “You’re upset. I get it,” Death replied. With the urgency of GASP’s troubles on Visio put on hold, I allowed myself a moment of respite. I definitely rooted for Unending in this situation, and I was dying to see where this would lead—even if it took us days to untangle the relationship between her and Death. At least I could take comfort in knowing that Spirit couldn’t kill Tristan or Thayen in the meantime.

  “Upset doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Unending said. “What you did is unconscionable. Unforgivable.”

  “Are we still talking about Erethiel?” she asked.

  “Of course! You owe me an apology, at the very least.”

  Death shook her head. “I stand by my decision. Erethiel was a bad idea. Look at the Aeternae! Look at how they turned out and what they did with your gift. I told you! I told you not to give immortality to anyone!”

  “Yet I did. And instead of accepting me the way I am, you doubled down and sent the Spirit Bender to warn me. To tell me that if I didn’t undo my work, you’d come and kill the Aeternae. Do you have any idea how sick that is? How evil?!”

  “Like I said. Look at what they did to you.”