Tempting Eternity

by Angela Colsin

  Again, she wondered how such a connection could be possible. Vampires were dangerous, manipulative creatures who, until recently, had only caused her and those she cared about a great deal of grief. But now, she was drawn to one in a way she'd never expected, and wondered if she shouldn't at least feel reluctant to pursue it.

  If any of her fae sisters learned of the draw, they'd be baffled, perhaps even disgusted by the prospect. Yet she found the opposite true—the fact that a vampire had roused her physical desires was much too curious to ignore, and after he'd taken her blood without causing any permanent damage, she was even more intrigued. He was starving, operating on instinct, but still let me go.

  Did that mean he'd instinctively known she wasn't to be harmed? That he possessed a blood link and, as any proper mate, wanted to ensure her safety?

  It seemed questionable—if there was a link, wouldn't he know it now that he'd had her blood? Or was he keeping it under wraps until the right time just as she was hiding her own connection?

  It was certainly a possibility, and she was eager to ask. But it was important to fulfill her end of their bargain by getting a jump start on helping Sutrelle before pursuing a personal affair as significant as this one.

  So she remained silent, watching as Heliger returned the pendant to Mathias with the words, “Whatever this Grand Priestess was, you should take this back to Sutrelle, and once I return, I'll scour the tomes in the Citadel's library for more information. Perhaps something's there that will reveal the origins of this pendant and shed light on the situation.”

  Isadora could see the need to attempt learning the pendant's origin if only to better understand its power. But the magician's comment drew her attention, prompting the question, “What do you mean, once you return? You're not coming with us?”

  Shaking his head, he explained, “Sylva has yet to be confronted. So I need to find her and, if necessary, stop her.”

  Knowing he was right, Isadora couldn't say Heliger's determination wasn't appreciated. The witch may no longer be a threat to her sisters, but it would be nice knowing she had no nefarious plans for anyone else, either.

  Still, it seemed important to point out, “Isn't that dangerous, Heliger? I mean she just merged with a power that knocked everyone unconscious when it was unleashed, and we don't know the source of that, either.”

  “She's right, old friend,” Mathias concurred. “You may have been acquainted with Sylva once, but there's no way to know what she's capable of now. So wouldn't it be better to try learning more first?” Waving his hand around them, he suggested, “Perhaps by starting here, in this ruin. I'm sure something remains that might offer clues on what she's done.”

  That was a much better plan of action, and to push his point home, Isadora added, “The Crucible would also want to know about this matter, saying they don't already. I mean Sylva could pose a threat to humans, and I'd hate to think of how they'd react if you don't tell them.”

  The magician looked reluctant, as if allowing anyone else to become involved in this matter was out of the question. But after their conversation at the Spire, she knew he felt personally responsible for what was happening, and probably thought this mess was his to clean up.

  So she was glad when Mathias qualified, “I know a divinian named Ardilon, and could speak with him about this.”

  “Ardilon?” Isadora asked.

  “Yes, he handles much of The Crucible's affairs, and now that I think of it, he may even be able to tell me more about this pendant.”

  That was an excellent point. Divinians were holy warriors marked by the gods, and having such a tie to the pantheon could mean Ardilon would possess insight into the pendant's functions, even if he didn't know its origins.

  So it was a good idea to consult him over the matter, and thankfully, Heliger agreed.

  “Very well. I'll teleport you both to the Atlantan Spire so you can contact The Crucible, then return here to see what secrets this ruin holds, if any.”

  Mathias nodded in agreement, and in a few short moments, the magician used his magic to send them all to the indoor arboretum of the Atlantan Spire where it was currently night.

  Heliger wasn't content to linger, either, leaving nearly as soon as they arrived. But Isadora knew he was eager to get to the bottom of things, and didn't delay him with a lengthy farewell. They'd see one another again soon enough, and besides, she had her own matters to attend—such as the ancient vampire at her side.

  Sadly, for as much as she wished it was possible to talk with him, and admit the truth of last night's discovery, the timing still wasn't right. Her heart pounded just considering the situation—after so many centuries spent wondering what it would be like to have the companionship of a mate, she'd finally located someone who could show her.

  But that someone was not only a vampire, he'd also proven reluctant to get close out of concern for her safety. So the truth might push him even further away if care wasn't taken with its delivery.

  Thankfully, the thought made it easier to put the troubles of Sutrelle first. Spending time cultivating the land could help her decide the best way to proceed, and besides, it was preferable to get that task out of the way if only to ensure there were no distractions once she confessed her interest.

  So, as they entered the corridor, and Mathias asked what tasks she needed to complete before departing for Sutrelle, Isadora wasted no time sending him on his way.

  “Oh, don't worry about that. Heliger gave me a key that opens a portal, so I'll be along as soon as I've gathered my things.”

  At that, the vampire stopped walking only a few feet from the elevator and turned to face her with a serious look that had her asking, “What?”

  “Do you really think it's a good idea to journey into Sutrelle alone?”

  “Why wouldn't it be?”

  As if she should know the answer, he quirked a single brow and reminded flatly, “The last time you were there, a vampire tried to kill you.”

  “Oh, that.” Smiling, she returned, “I know, but it'll only take longer if we wait for each other to finish our tasks here, and besides, my last trip there was kind of impromptu. I wasn't prepared, but this time, I will be.”

  He didn't seem to believe her, insisting, “You should stay until we're both ready to—”

  “Mathias,” she interrupted, reaching over to grasp his hand with a shake of her head. “Stop worrying so much. I'm a witch, remember?”

  “So?”

  “So I know how to mask my scent from vampires, I only have to mix a masking potion, and no one will even know I'm there. At least, not until it rains!”

  She announced the last with a giggle, then patted his cheek with the words, “So you just get that message to The Crucible about what's going on, then sit back and hold onto your butt, vampire.”

  Confusion dawned in those handsome silver eyes. “Why?”

  Offering a playful grin, she left him stunned by winking with her answer.

  “Because I'm about to rock your world!”

  — TWENTY-ONE —

  The Cardinal Citadel, Sutrelle

  Three Days Later

  “That's the Grand Priestess' pendant?”

  The sound of the item clattering to the center of the circular table in the Citadel conference chamber punctuated Nicholas’ question. In turn, Mathias offered a nod of confirmation before taking a seat, watching as each vampire present stared at the bauble, their expressions ranging from surprise to uncertainty, and even disgust.

  With good reason.

  Mathias wasn't the only one Artair blooded who'd suffered punishment for failing to locate the Grand Priestess, and he doubted anyone present relished the reminder. Even the vampire who'd posed the question was taking notice, and Nicholas was perhaps the most skeptical of The Five, difficult to both convince, and impress.

  Still, the description Mathias provided of his experiences in Terra with Sylva Abbott intrigued them, a fact proven by the woman sitting across from him. With de
ep, russet skin and silken, black hair, Akira’s tawny brown eyes scrutinized the pendant as she asked, “You said it possesses divine power?”

  “It does, though I'm uncertain what that means. I sent word to The Crucible about what's happened, and requested an audience with Ardilon, but he's yet to respond.”

  “The Dead God?” Nicholas asked, using Ardilon's moniker. “Why would you request an audience with him?”

  “Because he's the only person I know who could tell us what this pendant is, or at least what it can do,” Mathias explained, adding, “That's also why I waited before asking you all to come discuss it. I'd hoped to have more to say than this was the Grand Priestess' pendant, and that the decision on what to do with it would be easier to make with more information.”

  At that, the youngest vampire at the table, a petite blonde by the name of Marlese, spoke with an Eastern European accent, “It'll be interesting to hear what Ardilon has to say, but I'd be most curious to learn if there's any chance of using this pendant to reverse Sutrelle's environmental problems. I know you made a deal with a fae to stop the droughts, but you said her help is only a temporary solution.”

  “Saying she stops the droughts at all,” Shiro, a vampire of Asian descent, pointed out.

  “You're sounding like Nicholas,” Marlese countered, rolling her blue eyes.

  As if to prove her point, Nicholas shook his brunette head before making the same argument he'd stated two days ago.

  “Deal or not, we've no reason to believe a fae would willingly aid us.”

  “We've no reason to doubt her, either,” Akira retorted. “Fae are protective of their sisters, Nicholas, and this Isadora likely feels a swell of gratitude to Mathias for freeing them.”

  “And that's the point,” Nicholas argued. “Mathias didn't free her sisters, he was merely present when they were freed by their own captor, and it's hard to imagine any fae stepping foot in a vampire's stronghold for no reason.”

  Mathias grumbled under his breath, annoyed by Nicholas' lack of faith in Isadora—not that he didn't have reason to doubt. In Atlanta, Isadora said no one would know she was around until it rained, and so far, it seemed the fae was right.

  Over the past three days, no one had spotted her anywhere. Even the vampires were clueless over her whereabouts, and the only evidence suggesting she was around were claims from farmers stating their livestock seemed more active than usual, their crops healthier.

  But who could say if that was the fae's doing, or just a fluke?

  Regardless, the past three days had been the longest of Mathias' life. It was growing increasingly difficult not to wonder where Isadora had gone, or worry about her safety, to the point that eating had become a chore. The most he could do was choke down a bottle of blood mead every morning before bed, yet he had no appetite despite his inability to feed.

  Making matters worse, that damned spark of hope Heliger ignited was impossible to douse. The notion that turning Isadora was needless combined with his suspicion that she'd lied about the rarity of fae arousal had him in a maddening state of impatient frustration the likes of which he'd never known.

  An instinctive need to see her again gnawed within him, warring with his rational desire to be cautious. As a result, he'd been snapping at people left and right for next to nothing, and sadly, such behavior tipped off The Five that something was out of the ordinary.

  Of the group, only Mathias and Marlese lacked a lover, meaning the rest knew the signs well enough to suspect his irritability related to Isadora. Neither of them believed he'd discovered a lover's link—no vampire was that fortunate—but they were under the impression that Mathias was interested in more than just what Isadora was.

  So defending the fae to Nicholas was pointless. Not only would that redouble their suspicions, Nicholas would never come around without proof, and instead of arguing, Mathias gladly put his attention on a human servant who’d just entered the chamber with a letter in hand.

  After silently waving the servant over, the man delivered the correspondence, then departed as Mathias inspected the envelope. On the back was the signature of Seaside's mayor, and he opened it while listening to Akira's next comment.

  “I agree, it is hard to imagine a fae coming here willingly, and yet, the farmers reported increased activity from their livestock yesterday.”

  “So the cows had a good day,” Nicholas retorted. “That doesn't mean—”

  A distant rumble of thunder cut his statement short, and everyone exchanged surprised looks—except Mathias.

  Instead, the message he'd just received had his lips curling into a smile that grew bigger as Marlese gloated, “That sounds like a storm to me, Nicholas, so pay up.”

  Rolling his eyes, Nicholas remarked, “Thunder means nothing. Tell me to pay when it actually rains.”

  “But it is raining,” Mathias interjected, lifting the note in his hand. “This is from Seaside's mayor. He says it started raining there this morning, and hasn't stopped all day.”

  As he tossed the note onto the table, Akira laughed while Nicholas muttered and pulled a few coins from his pocket to toss over to a beaming Marlese.

  “I love the sound of rain, but not quite as much as that of clattering coins,” she started, pocketing the items before casting her gaze in Mathias' direction to add teasingly, “and now that we know for certain Isadora's in Sutrelle, I'm willing to bet you're even more eager to find her.”

  Mathias schooled his expression, knowing the moment his eyes rolled, or he warned Marlese about her teasing, they'd all be convinced his interest in Isadora went beyond what she was.

  Thankfully, Akira steered the younger vampire away from the topic by relating, “Instead of baiting Mathias, let's focus on this pendant again, Marlese, and specifically, what to do with it.”

  “Agreed,” Shiro started, adding more seriously, “I believe we should lock it away for now. Heliger has a magic cache, and I'd trust him to keep the pendant safe until we hear from Ardilon. I'd also like to point out that if this Sylva Abbott found the Grand Priestess' pendant, she may know of Sutrelle, and even have a way to access the realm.”

  “I'd thought of that, too,” Mathias admitted, “and caution is warranted. Sylva was clever enough to put five fae under her control, and also knew where to find an obscure gem needed to open an old ruin. So we shouldn't underestimate her.”

  Thoughtfully, Shiro qualified, “An extra patrol for the Citadel and Seaside would be beneficial. We should also post guards at the gates.”

  No one disagreed, and Nicholas next asked Mathias, “Has Heliger learned anything significant of the power Sylva acquired?”

  “Not yet,” Mathias muttered, wishing he could've offered a positive response if only because knowing more about Sylva's abilities would help them prepare better defenses.

  But after an entire day combing the temple ruin, Heliger hadn't located anything notable. There were only broken statues and fragments of stone etched with indecipherable words in an unidentifiable script.

  So Heliger returned with the artifacts, and started scouring the Citadel's libraries for clues. So far, nothing had come up, but the magician was determined, and looking forward to hearing from Ardilon as well.

  In the meantime, The Five would simply have to prepare for all possibilities.

  As the thought struck, another human servant entered the library and approached the table. But instead of passing on a note, this one stopped next to Mathias and leaned in to state, “I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have a private message for you from Lady Isadora.”

  Mathias cast a confused look up at the servant, the unexpected statement setting his pulse to racing—and a few snickers erupted from Marlese.

  “Is that a pounding heart I hear?” she asked with a snort.

  “Marlese,” he snapped on a chiding tone, but the blonde merely laughed.

  “What? I'm only stating the obvious. I mean, you haven't touched your blood mead since we sat down,” she pointed out.

&n
bsp; Scowling in her direction—for all the good it would do—Mathias snatched his goblet and forced himself to down the contents in one gulp, hoping to make a point, or at least silence his blood sister.

  Sadly, her smile only grew bigger, reminding him that it was pointless to argue.

  So, once the goblet was empty, he set it aside and stood to join the servant near the door and find out what Isadora wanted.

  “What did she say?”

  Plainly, the messenger replied, “The lady requests your presence on the beach east of the southern gate bridge, and she hopes you'll come alone.”

  Instantly, his heart lurched despite the brevity of her message—and his enthusiasm was irritating. Lying to the rest of The Five was one thing, but he couldn't deny to himself that he'd greatly desired to see her again despite all his misgivings.

  He also couldn't stop himself from asking, “Did you speak with her personally?”

  “I did.”

  “And was she well?”

  The human seemed confused over his interest, though he shrugged and stated, “She seemed fine, sir. Very … bubbly.”

  Bubbly, he thought, deciding that was a good way to describe the fae under normal circumstances—a relief. Knowing Isadora was well allowed him to focus on other things, such as the curiosity of what she wanted to speak with him about.

  Did she only want to update him on her effort of helping Sutrelle? Or was there a more personal topic she wished to discuss? Both?

  Whatever the case, it was unlikely this human had answers, so he only offered thanks for the information, then returned to the conference table.

  “Is everything well?” Akira asked.

  “I believe so, but I need to depart. Isadora wants to speak with me, so in the meantime, Shiro, give Heliger the pendant to store in his cache for safekeeping, and organize the security you mentioned for the gateways.”

  With a nod, the vampire took the pendant to do as requested, and Mathias decided not to linger. Marlese had baited him enough, and besides, it was important to learn of Isadora's progress if only so he could relay the information to The Five as soon as possible. And if I try hard enough, perhaps I'll convince myself that's the sole real reason for my haste.