by Sela Croft
Holding the human by the neck, Alban drained him dry, sucking the man’s knowledge right out of his body’s cells. The king didn’t take only blood, but the very essence of the person. I’d seen him do it before. When he’d swallowed the last drop, he threw the shriveled body against the wall.
Utter silence followed. The stench of terror filled the room, but not one of the humans dared speak. I looked at Alban’s blood-red eyes, staring at his crazed expression. He was an animal, with no more conscience than his soldiers.
Without pause, Alban turned, but he didn’t approach. He morphed into invisibility, flaunting his magic. Then he reappeared behind me. His putrid breath alerted me that he was there. I didn’t turn to face him or give him the satisfaction of an acknowledgement of his presence.
Alban did not respond to flattery or groveling; his ego was already inflated past tolerance. Any deference I’d gained from him had been through insult and sarcasm. Had a human done so, he would have eaten him alive. But from me, he found it entertaining—though I didn’t think much of his sense of humor.
“Who invited you in…sorceress?”
I smiled inwardly. Alban loathed the fact that I had powers he didn’t possess. “Must I be invited?”
Alban whipped around in front of me, and I resented looking at his repulsive visage. “If you recall, I can create my own crossing points.” I referred to temporary doorways that I could create to enter or leave realms. It took a great deal of power and ability that he didn’t have.
My dig at the king had its effect. He seethed but did not act against me. It wasn’t out of consideration for me, but only from recognition that to destroy me wouldn’t serve him well. He sneered then grasped the staff of his scepter, threatening me.
“Well, this has all been very entertaining,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “But I must be off.” I’d thought to learn more of what the king was up to but couldn’t stomach any more of him right then.
“I will have a use for you, witch.”
“I’m sure of it,” I said, then teleported back to my forest. It would take a while to wash off the grime, but I didn’t know how to obliterate the pall of death from my heart.
My cottage was welcoming, the contrast with where I’d just been like a fairy tale after a horror story. It could be that Alban would win after all. He was ruthless enough to do it. And he was immensely strong, with his ancient vampire blood and powerful magic.
Once I cleaned up, I’d visit Calina and meet Mirela. I could share the tale of my recent experience, which would serve to confirm what was already known. Alban was a psycho, intent on holding to tradition. Anyone who stood in his way had no worth so didn’t deserve to live.
Could such a vampire take control of Lumea and wipe out all who opposed him? Whatever I told Calina, I wouldn’t be able to offer her encouragement. Alban seemed to be getting stronger—and crazier. And that was a deadly combination.
CHAPTER 33 – CALINA
While Draven shared treasured hours with Mirela, I had a chance to ponder the current situation. The fact that we were at war wasn’t new, so I was used to it. But I sensed a change, and not only the arrival of my brother’s love in the realm.
Mirela was good; she was on our side. Yet I feared she brought trouble with her. Draven couldn’t hide away, deeply in love, and enjoy his life without interference. He’d been showing Mirela the ways of the kingdom, introducing her to vampirism, and holding her close to his heart—but it was all on borrowed time.
Some of my most peaceful moments had been in the greenhouse, so I went there to think things through. I’d had it created to suit my tastes. I’d filled it with flowers. My favorites were the lilies that grew over two feet tall. The white blossoms were fragrant and kept the space smelling sweet.
I also had violets, roses, and orchids. It was a pleasure to tend them and watch them grow and bloom. I enjoyed vegetables too, although most were given away. Carrots, mushrooms, cucumbers, and quite a variety of others grew well in the artificial light. The humans thrived on them, so were willing to take the harvest off my hands.
It was the growing that I most enjoyed. I went inside the huge structure and fertilized my violets. They were delicate and, being less hardy, required special attention. The lovely blooms were a source of pride. I walked along the rows with my watering can, admiring the results of my labors.
At the far end of the greenhouse was an oversized chair. I often sat and gazed at the stars through the glass ceiling. The sky was filled with clouds, indicating that rain was possible. The scene was darker, gloomier than usual, which matched my mood.
The beauty of my flowers hadn’t boosted my spirits, as much as I’d hoped. I missed my fiancé, but I’d had word that he would come home soon. That was the thing about Nicolai’s career: it took him away from me. All too frequently, he was in the field, as that was his duty.
Nicolai’s work was vital. Without good intelligence, the Guardians would be at a clear disadvantage. The king had spies throughout the kingdom, so it was a struggle to keep up. Over the years, the reconnaissance and insight into the enemy camps had been key in keeping our faction alive.
I stared at the cucumbers hanging from the vines that wound through the latticework on the ceiling. Then my focus drifted away from growth, life, harvest. I had the ability to perceive events before they happened. The visions had been more frequent lately.
I closed my eyes and saw the kingdom. Only it wasn’t the tranquility of the coast, or the lush plants of my greenhouse. There was blood, a lot of it. Armies closed in, threatening our very existence. I could smell fear and death.
With greater focus, more of the vision came into view. Masses of vampire behemoths flooded over the plains, heading for the castle city. Their garb was black, and their souls even blacker. Death was within their grasp, as they trudged forward, leaving destruction in their wake.
Then a voice broke the silence. In the vision, I saw blood-red eyes, stark white hair, then heard Alban’s voice. His tone was confident, and the sound of his warning had the ring of death. “I’m coming after all of you.”
My eyes flew open, and my heart raced. In some visions it had been difficult to decipher the message, and for others my interpretation had been incorrect. But there was no denying what I’d just seen, and no other way to interpret Alban’s message. This time, I wasn’t wrong.
Trembling, I left the greenhouse. Although I was reluctant to disturb Draven’s intimate moments with gloomy predictions, he needed to know. A servant indicated that my brother was in the ballroom. I went there and found him with Mirela.
A band played violins, and the romantic couple danced. Draven held Mirela in his arms as they swayed to the music. My brother wore a dinner jacket of white satin, making his shaggy hair looked blacker in contrast. His true love was stunning in a lime-green formal dress. Her dark, wavy hair flowed down her back, and I caught her expression when she looked into my brother’s eyes.
In my experience, Draven’s tender side hadn’t often been revealed. I’d seen him savage, bitter, and even brutal. But not in the role of smitten lover. It took me a moment to process what I saw. Then I stepped closer. “Draven…”
My brother looked at me, displeased. “Can this wait?”
“I wouldn’t advise it.” I looked at Mirela, and she held my gaze. To her credit, she appeared to instantly focus on business.
“To the library, then,” Draven said. “I refuse to discuss sordid events in here.”
My expression must have given away the direness of my message. My brother and I had been closely connected since we’d been very young. That bond allowed us to know each other’s mind. Draven took Mirela’s hand, and I followed. The library was down a long hallway, then another.
It gave me a few moments to prepare. I really didn’t want to tell him, but avoiding it would be ignoring reality. I stepped into the room and took a seat. Draven and Mirela sat on the sofa.
“You were away for a long while,” I said. “
Conditions have changed in that time.”
Mirela looked at Draven, and he seemed uncomfortable.
“I’ve told her,” I said. “Mirela asked, so I shared what I knew of your captivity and torture. She needs to know what we’re dealing with here—and she wants to know.”
Draven nodded. “What changes in conditions are you referring to?”
“In your absence, I’ve gained information from our intelligence service and other sources,” I said, then proceeded to relay details of what I’d learned.
Draven listened intently, then glanced at Mirela. “The royal army is preparing?” he said, looking at me.
“Alban has been growing his army in the mountains, as if he’s breeding those vampire monsters. The eight-foot giants appear to be more muscled than before, and more…violent.” I shared a couple of stories to make my point.
“We need to find an advantage, discover a weakness in our king and his forces,” Draven said.
“I agree, but that might be difficult.” I noticed that Mirela hadn’t flinched during my revelations. She wasn’t holding Draven’s hand, either. As I suspected, she was stronger than she was likely given credit for.
I continued, “The king’s intelligence has increased. It’s eerie how he knows things. It makes me feel like he’s aware of our strategies, even as we create them.”
Draven’s warlike expression told me that he was as much the rebel as he had been. His romantic interlude had been cut short by the harsh realities of war. “Do you have any more bad news?”
I took a deep breath. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. That’s what compelled me to see you without delay.”
Draven and Mirela waited.
I steeled myself against any untoward reactions. It was one thing I despised about my talent: I had to be the one to relay the predictions. “I was in the greenhouse earlier and had a vision.”
“Tell us,” Draven said.
Slowly, I recounted the experience, without skipping any details. The nightmare was portrayed as vividly as I could manage. When I’d finished, the room was quiet. I had no further words of wisdom. Draven and Mirela were stuck with the impact of what I’d foretold, so had no immediate reply.
A few days later, Nicolai returned home. While Draven met with his commanders and coordinated with his closest comrades, I stole a few hours of romance for myself. The only rewards for being apart were the intimate reunions.
My fiancé appeared in the foyer, his slate-grey eyes stealing my heart all over again. “Calina…” He opened his arms, and I raced toward him. When I was close enough, he scooped me up and carried me off to our bedroom.
“It’s been so long,” I whispered against his neck.
“Yes, my love…but I’m here now.”
Nicolai was smart, strong, and brave. But then, I was biased. My dream was to have a family together, and vampires could have children. The pregnancies were long and dangerous, but not impossible. Yet I’d been reluctant, as was Nicolai.
Until Lumea was safer, it was unwise to bring loved ones into it. Nicolai’s goal was to preserve the kingdom for future generations, and he worked hard at it, doing his duty as an intelligence officer. Although my love had been born into a warring coven, he’d sworn allegiance to the Guardians. He was loyal to Draven; I had no doubt of that.
In the sanctity of our room, Nicolai wrapped his arms around me and ravaged me with a kiss. I dug my hands into his long hair, grabbing fistfuls to pull him closer. Love filled my heart, and desire swamped my body. We had a few hours to ourselves. The war raging around us would have to wait.
The next day, Nicolai met with Draven to debrief, since he’d gleaned new information on his last mission. The decoding of intercepted messages was an ongoing task. I sat at my desk to busy myself with that, while waiting for the meeting to end.
Mirela had been practicing her skills with one of the vampire guards. I’d heard that she was an apt student, which was a good thing. She’d need every advantage that she could muster. It was fortunate that she was no longer human. She was on equal ground with our enemies—at least as much as any of us were.
Recently, Mirela had joined me in the basement when I fed. It had been awkward for her, but there was little choice. As a vampire, she had to drink warm blood from a human. The bottled stuff was a temporary fix at best.
It had been interesting to watch Mirela, drinking as humanely as possible. Even then, instinct took over and her craving got the better of her. It wasn’t something she could control. Feeding wasn’t negotiable, so it was good to see that she’d taken to it—one more hurdle to overcome.
I looked up to see Mirela enter. “You’re done with your session?”
“Yes, for now.” Mirela sat across from me. “Can I help you with that?”
“Sure,” I said, and tossed a stack of messages across the desk.
Mirela picked them up then furrowed her brow.
“They do take a bit of learning. I’ll show you,” I said. “You’ll get the hang of it.”
Before I could begin, Selene strolled in as if she owned the place. She looked at Mirela, then back at me. “Care to introduce me?”
Mirela stood and faced the sorceress, then smiled. “It’s good to meet you, if you’re a friend of Calina’s,” she said. “I’m Mirela…and you are?”
“Hmm, so polite. I’m Selene, the local sorceress, and I thought I’d stop by…partly to meet you.”
“You knew about me?”
“Yes…I know of you.” Selene glanced my way, then walked over to a padded chair and plopped down. “I came with news.”
“You can speak plainly in front of Mirela,” I said. “She’s one of us.”
Selene narrowed her eyes. “I’m sure.” She paused. “I’ve been to the royal palace, and King Alban’s manners have not improved.”
My sorceress friend relayed the details of her recent encounter. I noticed that Mirela shuddered at the description of the violent blood drinking, but she didn’t say anything.
“It goes without saying that Alban is a raving lunatic.” Selene sighed. “But he is growing stronger, and…he smells victory. I could see it in his eyes, sense it in his arrogant behavior.”
It reminded me of my vision, but I didn’t want to tell Selene about that yet. It was a lot to take in. It seemed that bad news pressed in from all sides. I prayed that Draven would develop a strategic plan of attack, because he needed one—soon.
Selene finished her tale, then turned to inquire further about Mirela. When Draven appeared in the doorway and motioned for me to come, I left the two women to get to know each other better. I followed my brother to a meeting room, where he shut the door.
“Nicolai has been of assistance. He takes a lot of risks, going into enemy territory as he does,” Draven said.
When Nicolai was away, I tried not to think about that, but I was aware of the dangers involved in intelligence gathering. “Has it been worth it? Did he bring information that will be useful?”
Draven sat in a chair, then crossed one ankle over the opposite knee. He didn’t answer at first. “There is no guaranteed path to victory. But I’ve been debating with my leaders. There are conflicting opinions on our plan of attack.”
“But you make the final decision.”
“True, so I have a question for you.” Draven’s blue eyes were dark, and his thoughts transmitted to me clearly. Yet I waited to hear him ask. “You told of your vision, but you omitted an important part.”
“What is it you wish to know?” I said, stalling.
“I believe you know what I’m asking,” Draven said. “The vision was of war, blood, death. And of Alban’s strength.” He studied me. “But you must tell me the outcome you saw. What is the prediction concerning our prospects for victory?”
“I didn’t tell you before because I don’t have that answer,” I said, my heart aching. I wished that I could offer hope or relay words of encouragement. “The vision foretold of what was to come but did not continue. I wa
s unable to see how it would all end.”
Draven’s expression didn’t change, but I sensed the disappointment. There wasn’t anything I could do to alleviate it, as a shadow fell over my heart as well. One thing I was certain of was that whatever we’d faced in the past didn’t compare to what was ahead.
King Alban’s forces were more formidable than in the past, and his dark magic had been perfected over the centuries. His motivation was stronger, and his soulless view of life was more pronounced. I gripped the arms of the chair, unwilling to admit defeat. There must be a way to win against the minions of death and their royal leader—there just had to be.
CHAPTER 34 – MIRELA
Selene regaled me with tales of the king’s palace. The black, slimy structure filled with creatures of the night was hardly fit for royalty. The retelling of her dealings there was riveting stuff. Any naivety I’d retained was wiped away upon hearing the morbid things that went on in the kingdom. She told me more than I wanted to know. Then she asked about me.
Compared to what the sorceress had recounted, my life had been rather drab—or it had been before Draven showed up. When I shared what my youth had been like, Selene was as amazed about the stories of my past as I’d been about hers. She assured me that no one lived an idyllic existence, so I must not be telling all.
Selene seemed very curious and asked more questions. She seemed particularly intrigued with my father, although I had no idea why. He was the least of concerns and hadn’t even participated in my upbringing.
Draven entered the library and interrupted my conversation with Selene. The sorceress eyed him carefully, making me wonder if she saw something that I didn’t. She knew Draven better than I, so that was to her advantage. I had questions of my own for her, but those would have to wait.
Draven excused us, then took me to the cliffs, where we stood looking out at the ocean. He seemed preoccupied, and I couldn’t blame him after all I’d heard and witnessed recently. I held his hand and looked out to the horizon where the dark sky met the deep blue water. The stars and moon gleamed above.
