With a miserable look upon his face, Armando sat at the kitchen table. “They share a soul.”
That truth still sliced deep into Vanora’s psyche. It was difficult to accept.
“But that doesn’t mean that if she kills him she dies.” As usual, Alisha was launching into her protective role as older sister.
The imposing woman still lingering at the edge of the kitchen let out a bitter laugh. “Of course it does. Do you think Arianrhod would risk her beloved son dying at the hand of his future bride? They’re connected so that Vanora cannot hurt him. If she kills him, she dies.”
“But does that mean if she dies, he dies?” Sheila asked.
Eyes flashing menacingly, Leto said, “Let’s find out.”
Instantly, Armando was on his feet, across the room, and facing down Leto. With a snarl, he said, “You will not touch her.”
Leto smirked. “You think you can best me, vampire?”
“Wait! If you think Arianrhod would make certain Vanora couldn’t kill Aeron, don’t you think she’d also ensure that Vanora’s death would not affect him?” Dexios stepped in between the She-Wolf and Vanora. It was a brave, or maybe foolish, move of defiance. “Let us be logical about this. Think as she would.”
“If I thought for a second that my death would kill him and save everyone I care about, I’d slice my own wrists.” Vanora hated how her words wavered slightly, but she meant them. If she could kill Aeron from afar and never risk betraying herself, Armando, and those she loved, she would do it. Accepting that reality was disconcerting and created a hollow spot within her that felt like the promise of death.
Armando pivoted about and gaped at her. “No.”
“Absolutely not,” Alisha agreed.
“You have no say in this,” Vanora said sharply.
“How can you say that?” Alisha stared at her in disbelief. “I love you. You’re my sister!”
“And I am the White Queen,” Vanora snapped, the words slipping out of her mouth before her mind gave them form.
The startled and downright frightened looks on the faces around her unsettled her, but Vanora knew her words were true. Vividly, in her mind’s eye, she saw her and Aeron standing on an endless battlefield facing one another. Glistening snow slathered in blood, stars frigid and beautifully sparkling above, the two creatures of destiny were locked in a private war now. Tonight, she had declared herself an enemy by attacking Aeron’s Brides. The purge had been routine for him, but Vanora had now struck the first attack. That knowledge was a sliver of ice through her heart and it made her cold and resolute.
“This is my war. Not yours. This is where I was wrong. We can’t form an army to fight him. Only I can stand against him.” Shaking her head, Vanora let out a bitter laugh. “But before I spill my blood trying to kill him, I need to know for certain how we are connected. If my death brings his death, I’ll do it myself. Not you, Leto.”
“Very well,” Leto said, her shoulders slumping in surrender, but her eyes still rested dangerously on Vanora.
Armando bent his head toward Vanora. “We are here for you. To help you find a way to defeat him.”
“I don’t accept this.” Alisha grabbed Vanora by the shoulders and spun her about. “You’re my little sister and yes, you’re now some epic vampire slayer, but you’re still Vanora Socoli. I don’t give a shit who the White Queen is. I will fight to save your life. To save all our lives. Don’t you fuckin’ dare try to take that away from me!”
“Don’t you realize the truth, Alisha? I was never really Vanora Socoli! I was always this... this... creation of Arianrhod’s waiting for the moment of awakening!”
Alisha slapped her so hard Vanora’s teeth tore the inside of her cheek. Stunned, Vanora raised her hand to her stinging face. No one made a move to stop Alisha though. Not even Armando.
“Don’t you dare say that! You’re Vanora Socoli. My sister! Roman’s sister! You’re my little Sweet Pea, and nothing a fuckin’ bitch goddess from long ago says means a damn thing to me! You’re not going to face Aeron down as the White Queen, but as Vanora Socoli. That’s your real strength, you know. Who you really are!” Alisha jerked Vanora’s coat cuffs up, revealing the lights beneath her white skin. “Yes, you have magic, but that magic is a part of you. It’s not who you are. So you’re going to figure out how to turn it on Aeron. You’re going to kill his sorry ass. And you’re also going to find a way to live because I already lost my parents and Roman to this fuckery and I won’t lose you!”
Tears blinding her, Vanora closed her eyes and allowed them to fall. She couldn’t let Arianrhod or her magic define her role in the world or her upcoming battle. “You’re right.”
“Of course I am, dammit,” Alisha replied, then her voice softened. “But I’m also aware that trying to protect you is foolhardy.”
Vanora caught the look exchanged between her sister and lover. In that moment, she saw understanding and acceptance between them.
“If you have to go face Aeron, then you shouldn’t do it with a suicide mission in mind,” Alisha continued. “You should go in focused on offing him and saving yourself.”
“And us,” Sheila added. “I really don’t want to die.”
Casting her gaze toward Leto, Vanora said, “What do you know for certain?”
“The prophecy is unraveling, but that is all I can know for sure. I admit that I did not comprehend the full scope of what Arianrhod conspired to bring to fruition with her son and you.”
Leto approached Vanora with measured steps. The vampires and werewolf all tensed.
“There was a time in your history when gods ruled over humanity. We were temperamental, cruel, kind, gentle, loving, and conflicted. Then our time passed and humanity reduced our legacy to myths and legends. So much of what happened is now forgotten. The bloodshed, the violence, the beauty, the wonder, and the complete subjugation of your species. Don’t think humanity is beyond returning to the ways of old.” Leto gently took Vanora’s hands, flipped them palm up, and gazed at the magic flickering beneath her skin. “When the old magic returns, the modern world will crumble beneath its weight. Fear will return. War. Uncertainty. Aeron will find his way to the halls of power and sit on a throne made of the bones of humanity’s leaders. I know this to be true.”
“Humanity wouldn’t,” Vanora protested. “We’re not primitive.”
“But you want absolutes. If a new god speaks, proves himself through wonders, and shows a new way...?”
Vanora shifted uncomfortably on her feet. “A false god.”
“Would it matter?”
Shaking her head, Vanora could see what Leto was saying.
“Of course, time has no meaning to the immortal. It would take centuries to create his new empire, but Aeron has shown a great capacity for patience. Until now. Where you are concerned he is a bit more impulsive. But otherwise…”
“He’s waged a war for a thousand years. What would be another thousand?” Armando said with a sigh.
“You’re the key to all of this, Vanora. You called yourself the White Queen. If so, then it’s your move to decide.” Leto released her hands and stepped back.
“We can gather the wolves together,” Dexios said. “Fight him.”
“I’ll fight, too,” Alisha volunteered.
Sheila gave her an incredulous look. “There’s only us four vampires to stand against how many of Aeron’s?”
“It’s not going to come down to a big battle. It’s going to be a small one. Me against him,” Vanora declared. “You have to accept that reality.”
* * *
“That was rough,” Armando said once they were alone.
Vanora’s slim frame was very tense as she paced around the small bedroom in the rental home. She’d asked for a moment alone with him after the explosive conversation in the kitchen. He was uneasy at her request, uncertain of what she was planning. After her declaration, the conversation had devolved into a heated argument. Armando had found it difficult to keep track o
f all the differing opinions. Of course, his attention had been squarely on Vanora and witnessing the pain her decisions were causing her. It was sheer agony to not voice his own angry viewpoint regarding her plans, but he had to support her.
“You didn’t say much,” Vanora said at last, rotating about to face him.
“What is there to say?” Armando said with a shrug. “I’m waiting for you to tell me what you plan to do.”
“And then argue with me?” She visibly winced.
“No. We already came to our peace. I understand your dilemma. You’re right. You are the White Queen and the only one who can kill him. The rest of us are spectators.” The truth of his statement sliced through him. It was painful to admit that he could not save her.
Vanora remained silent, her lips pressed together.
“I also witnessed your power, Vanora. I know what you can do. I believe you can find a way to kill Aeron.”
“But?” She dared to look at him in such a way it beseeched him to be honest even if she maybe dreaded his answer.
“I worry that when you’re near him you will be affected by the fact you are the other half of his soul.” Armando leaned against the wall and tilted his head back to rest it against the cool surface. Staring at the darkened light fixture overhead, he wished they could be far away in a safe place. If only he had whisked her away that long ago Halloween night. But perhaps that action would have only brought down hell on their heads swifter. Aeron was ruthless.
“Yeah.” Maudlin and weary, Vanora slumped against the wall opposite of him, the empty space of the darkened room separating them. “I wish Alisha understood like you do.”
“Your sister loves you.”
“I know.”
“And she’s right about some things. Your strength is who you are, not who you were created to be.”
“I know that, too.”
Armando peered at her through his thick lashes. She was a tiny white light in his darkness. “What are you planning, Vanora? What will you do?”
““I’m not sure yet. Still trying to clear my thoughts.” Vanora pressed her hands to her chest, resting them over her heart. “I’m so scared, but I want this to end. I don’t want any more people to die. There has to be a way to find Aeron’s life thread and destroy it.”
Armando became very still, afraid to voice his worries.
“What is it?” Vanora whispered.
“What if it’s in you?”
“I thought of that also, but why would Arianrhod make him vulnerable to my death? She did all of this to keep him from dying.”
“Maybe you’re just a vessel for it. Killing your physical form wouldn’t kill him because his life thread is your soul. Maybe it would just return to him.” Armando wasn’t even sure if that made sense.
There was a very long beat of silence, then Vanora sighed. “Maybe. But then he would be vulnerable again to others.”
“True. And his mother wouldn’t want that.”
“She’s wily, Armando. Clever. She was spinning webs of spells to protect him from the time he was born. How can I even begin to...”
Watching the face of the woman he loved, Armando could almost see her sorting through her thoughts, snapping them together like puzzle pieces to form a clearer picture of her situation.
“I have to go to Aeron’s haven. I have to see Siana, the Oracle. I have to cast the spell to go back. Again. This time not to see him, but to see what his mother did.”
“Won’t she have tried to block you? Anticipated this move?”
“Yes. But my mother has also cast a spell. A third one that was supposed to show me my future.” Rubbing the furrows in her brow with her fingertips, Vanora exhaled. “My mother tried to prevent this from happening, but I believe she was smart enough to realize she might fail. Like Arianrhod, my mother is looking out for her child.”
“Maybe Alisha can help you instead of Siana.” He sounded desperate even to his own ears. The thought of losing her was unbearable, yet he recognized that’s exactly what he’d expected to do ever since he’d fallen in love with her. The Fates would not be kind to him. There was no way he’d ever end up with her. “Your sister is somewhat of an oracle, isn’t she?”
“She’s not strong enough. Siana is.” Vanora closed her eyes and went very still. “I have to go to his haven.”
“I won’t take you to him,” Armando said in a quiet voice devoid of his anger.
“I know. But Leto can.”
“I don’t trust her. Aeron knew to come to my haven. Maybe she betrayed us.”
Vanora was very quiet, then shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. She wants him dead.”
“She wants you in his clutches.”
“So I can kill him. She wants him gone. I know that much is very true.” Vanora hesitated. “I don’t think she’s being unselfish about all this and just trying to save her offspring. I do think she has ulterior motives. If Arianrhod really did upset the balance of everything, Aeron’s death might have repercussions for Leto, too.”
“Since she is the last of the old gods?”
Vanora lifted a shoulder. “Maybe?”
Sweeping his fingers through his curls, Armando exhaled. “I feel helpless.”
The bitterness in Vanora’s laugh riled feelings of frustration within him, but he knew his words sounded ridiculous in comparison to what she was experiencing.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“No, I am. I shouldn’t have laughed. I just feel like I’m caught in a whirlpool and being dragged down into the depths. With the prophecy falling apart, a new future is coming and I’m at the center of it. It’s sheer chaos and I can feel the imbalance.”
Armando growled with frustration, unable to contain his feelings anymore. “This never should have happened to you. You should have lived a normal life. Gone to college with Rhonda. Had a career. Had a husband and children. Lived in a nice neighborhood. All of those things humans want.” Passion and sorrow tainted his words. “You never should have known about us. The monsters. The killers. The darkness. You’re light, Vanora. You’re not what we are.”
“I was never meant to have a normal life, Armando. And...” Vanora faltered while pushing off the wall. “I don’t think I will have one when this ends. To win, I may have to die. We both know it.”
“I can’t accept that!” Armando retorted, his temper getting the best of him.
“I am the vessel of Arianrhod’s power. I was always going to be Aeron’s chosen mate. I was always going to be the mother of a new breed of vampire. The new gods. Don’t you see? Being normal was never in the cards for my life?” Vanora closed the distance between them, both emotionally and physically. “Growing up, that life, that was the mirage. That was the unreality. That was the waiting room for this.” Vanora swept her hands through the air, her magic tracing behind her fingertips.
Resting his hands on her shoulders, Armando pressed his forehead to hers. “I would wish something more for you.”
“If I die, at least I will die knowing that I had a family that loved me and a man who loved me as much as I love him.” Vanora kissed him sweetly.
Fighting tears, Armando returned the gesture with restrained passion. Once more, he had to fight against the desire to sweep her up in his arms and escape Houston. “I don’t want you to die,” Armando groused against her lips.
“Trust me. I don’t want to either, but if it means that the people I love have a chance to live freely, I’ll do it. I’ve never really felt free and now I know why.”
“Don’t you want to be free, too?”
Amethyst eyes sparkling in the darkness, Vanora nodded. “Yes. But I’m not sure what that means anymore.”
Somehow Armando understood. With Aeron gone, what did that mean for all of them? Would they all die? Would they live? The world would be free of Aeron. But at the cost of Vanora? She wouldn’t want to hear him admit that he would rather see the world burn than lose her, so he kept silent.
There was
a knock on the door. “Vanora?”
It was Alisha.
Vanora pressed her lips to Armando’s for a brief moment, then tilted her head away to answer. “Yes?”
“Can we talk?”
“Come in.”
The door creaked open and Alisha slipped inside. She’d stripped off her blood-soaked sweater and was wearing a camisole from Vanora’s bag. Blond hair damp from washing it in the sink, she stood with her hands tucked into the back pockets of her spattered jeans. There had been an obvious attempt to clean off the blood, but the denim was still stained.
Vanora rested her head against Armando’s chest and he protectively wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“What do you want to talk about, Alisha?” Vanora was so tired she almost sounded child-like.
“First off, I’m not here to argue with you. I get what you’re saying, Vanora. I do. But at the same time, you can’t expect me to just let you turn yourself over to Aeron.” Alisha spoke in a much softer and calmer tone than before, but there was clear tension in her posture.
“I know, Alisha. You want to protect me.”
“I am your sister. I love you more than anything. It’s only natural that I want to protect you. You can’t hold it against me.”
Armando gently stroked Vanora’s hair as he listened to the exchange between the two sisters. He could feel Vanora’s heart thudding rapidly against his chest. She was so scared.
“I love you too,” Vanora replied. “And I don’t hold your concerns against you.”
“Good, because I want to come with you.”
Armando gave Alisha a sharp, surprised look.
“What?” Vanora pulled slightly away from Armando to openly gawk at her sister.
“Armando can’t go with you. Aeron will kill him. But I can go with you. Aeron won’t dare touch me for fear of pissing you off. He wants you at his side.”
“We can’t be sure of that,” Armando protested.
“Leto said he wanted me as a bargaining chip. As a way to show Vanora that he’s somehow a good guy. If I go with her, he’ll let me live. He won’t dare upset her. He wants her, Armando.” Alisha met his gaze with her own defiant one. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
In Darkness We Must Abide: The Complete Third Season Page 22
