A Taste of Crimson

by E. M. Knight

  “What if…” I begin. “You gave me access to the Forces from the other realm. Can’t we use that, somehow, instead?” I hold out both arms. “Who else in this world has that power?”

  “That’s different,” Allura says. “The Forces sustaining that world are not the magic held within a demon’s living body. You want to strengthen the wards and protect your coven? There is only one way.”

  “Very well,” I sigh. “How much preparation will we need?”

  “A week,” Sute offers.

  “Make it half,” I say. I stare right at her. “I know you’re capable. I’m going to push you.”

  She murmurs something I do not catch and nods.

  I glance at Morgan. “Cut her off from the source,” I say.

  The former Queen’s eyes tighten oh-so-slightly. But she makes no sound of protest.

  The tell-tale blue glow erupts around all three Sisters, and they work in conjunction to weave an impenetrable net around Morgan.

  She stiffens as it sets in place.

  “You are free to explore any part of the apartments.” I give Morgan a nasty smile. “You can re-acquaint yourself with your old home. Don’t leave the rooms, however. I promised the vampires I would introduce you to them at a Council meeting in a few days. I’m trusting you now not to go behind my back.”

  “How supremely generous of you,” she mutters, and regally picks herself up to walk out of the meeting room, to the rest of the apartments.

  When she’s gone, I double down on the seals securing us here.

  I cannot have word of the vision getting out. It would cause mass panic.

  “Come,” I gesture to the massive table. “Sit.”

  I take my place at the head of the table. The Sisters sit around me.

  I take a deep breath and regale all I saw in the moment my body passed through the ward, in as much detail as I can.

  Silence follows when I finish. I feel a marked shift in the air.

  “You were right,” Allura says finally. “It was a vision of your future.”

  A sinking feeling forms in my gut.

  “Is it set?” I ask. Then, quickly, I shake my head. “No. It cannot be.”

  “It was a vision of one of many futures,” Allura corrects. “But… if it came to you so clear, it is the most probable one.”

  I swallow. “We have to change it. We must fight!”

  “Yes, I suspect we all will,” Allura murmurs. “This other vampire you saw, the King, have you met him in real life?”

  “Yes,” I whisper.

  She seems surprised by that. “You met him, and he let you walk?”

  “I was not yet Queen,” I say. “Raul was with me. Logan gave us a message to deliver to Morgan—a peace offering. Needless to say, the terms were unacceptable.”

  “Then already all the wheels are in motion,” she says. “Eleira, what you saw, the clarity of it, the detail, all of it points to one thing: everything is aligning for that exact moment to pass.”

  “But it cannot!” I gasp. “I can’t—we can’t—just sit back and wait for it. We must defend ourselves. I said we’d get the demon needed. I’ll summon it, Sute will—”

  “As fast as I can work, it will not be fast enough,” Sute says. “The vision confirms it. The attack will come before I’m ready.”

  Allura gives me a sympathetic look. “Do you know why the prophecy is taken as gospel?” she asks.

  I look at her… and shake my head.

  “Because it was seen in the same excruciating detail. Time is not a forward stream, as most of us assume. It is a perpetual loop.” She makes a circle in the air. “Because it is a loop, anything that happens in front of you already has happened behind. The future is the past. The past is the future. Such is the great cycle of our universe.”

  She leans forward. “The Elemental Forces are eternal. They are what gives this reality—all reality—shape and structure. Visions of the future are nothing more than echoes of what’s occurred before. That is why the prophecy is so touted. Very rarely does a witch’s mind tune in to the reverberations of the past. In the rare cases it does, the vision is blurry, hurried, lasting only a few seconds, at the most. Ones like that are up for interpretation, because the lens through which they were seen is unclean.”

  “But what I saw lasted for minutes,” I whisper. “And it was as clear as this room is to me now.”

  Allura gives a small nod. “It is the most probable turn of events. In fact, I would go so far as to say—”

  “Stop!” Lorne butts in. “Can’t you see you’re scaring her?”

  “No, no, go on,” I implore. “Tell me what you want to say.”

  Allura shares a strange look with Lorne. Then, almost absently, she finishes, “I would go so far as to say that vision of the future is immutable.”

  Despair threatens to overwhelm me. “So, you mean there’s nothing to be done? That we have no agency at all?”

  “No.” She shakes her head. “It is the opposite. We have full agency, but the actions we take now will lead us to that place.”

  “How is that any different?” I mutter.

  “Because you still have free will.”

  Another tense silence descends on our group.

  “The vision you saw cut off inconclusively. You do not know how it ends. Isn’t that right?”

  “It seemed pretty obvious how it ends,” I mutter. “My vampires all dead or surrendered. Felix switching sides. Logan gaining control of this coven, as he’d always wanted…”

  “You are projecting forward,” Allura says. “You said you did not see yourself in the vision?”

  “No. But at the end, Logan looked up, right at me. Something changed in his eyes. And he blasted that fire at me.”

  Allura, Lorne, and Sute all lean forward. “Did he kill you?”

  I bristle. “No. That’s where the vision ends.”

  “Then that is where we plan. The events you saw will come to pass. Most likely in almost the exact same way you saw them. But what happens next, what happens after, is determined wholly by how we strategize now.”

  A tiny, feeble ray of hope threatens to break through the stormy sky.

  “The vision was a gift, Eleira,” Lorne says softly. She touches my arm. I’m surprised by the warmth of the gesture. “It is a gift, not a curse, because it allows you to prepare. You’ve seen what will come to pass. That is a spectacular advantage. You will not be blindsided by it.”

  “But there was so much death,” I murmur. “So many of my vampires dead. Vampires who trusted me to keep them safe…”

  “There are always casualties in war,” Allura notes. “And this is just one battle. Yes, the lives you saw end are lost. But they would have been lost either way. What you have to think of instead is the ring of survivors. We know how events play out. Logan, the enemy, does not. So, let him win this skirmish—so that we may win the war.”

  I move my eyes from her face, to Sute’s, and finally to Lorne’s. The last witch gives me a very tight smile.

  “All right,” I say, pushing myself up. “All right, I’m convinced. Maybe we cannot change what I saw, maybe we don’t have time to summon a demon, but that does not mean The Haven will be broken. We will let the enemy come. And then, when they are in our midst…” I plant both fists on the table. “You three and I will destroy them with all our magic.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Logan

  The Demon Realm

  I come to in a wholly unfamiliar place.

  I am lying face-up on a stone slab. My body feels like it’s been through the wringer. There isn’t a part of me that does not hurt.

  I groan and try to lift my head. The slightest movement causes the room to spin.

  I lie back down, deciding it’s better to be still.

  The room I’m in is more like a cavern. All made of harsh, unforgiving black rock. I hear the drip-drip-drip of falling water.

  I realize, after a moment, the sound is coming from somew
here much closer than I first thought. I roll over to the side and glance at the floor.

  There is a puddle of blood there, and the dripping noise comes from the edge of the slab I’m on.

  Alarm grips me as I quickly jolt up to a half-way seated position. A tearing pain rips through my abdomen. I look down and see the blood-stained dressing wrapped around my waist.

  I prod the cloth. My finger comes away red.

  I curse in outrage. What the hell is this? How could I fall victim to such a thing?

  With a concentrated effort, I swing my legs over the side. I take a deep breath—and stop, grimacing when a sharp pain rips along my body.

  I force the pain away and push off. My bare feet hit the floor, splashing into the blood. There must be at least a gallon of it there.

  At least, the vampire’s healing faculties have not completely failed me. Losing that much blood, most would be barely lucid.

  Seems my body is capable of at least regenerating what it’s losing at an equal pace.

  I take my first awkward step. My entire torso is rigid, almost frozen. Makes sense, given the severity of the injury.

  I put my other foot out and take another step forward. The weight shifts onto that leg a bit easier.

  “All right,” I grumble. “Let’s figure out where we are.”

  The room is a circular enclosure with only one passage leading out. That way curves obliquely, making it impossible to see father than a few dozen feet.

  I start out of the room.

  I get halfway to the exit before my knee buckles. I curse and lunge out to catch myself against the wall.

  It’s too far. My hand swings through empty air, and I go sprawling to the floor.

  Laughter sounds from behind me.

  Instantly, I’m up, fangs out, claws out, snarling, and ready to attack.

  Cierra steps out from the shadows.

  I ease up. A little.

  “How long have you been there?” I growl.

  “Longer than you’ve been awake.”

  “I didn’t sense you.”

  “Obviously. Nor did you see me.” She’s gotten rid of the magic walking stick. Her movements seem smoother, lighter than before.

  She comes over to the slab I awoke on and taps the surface, gesturing for me to join her.

  “I’m fine here,” I tell her.

  “Suit yourself,” she shrugs. “I’m not the one at risk of falling.”

  I make an angry sound in my throat. “What happened?”

  “What happened, you ungrateful pig, is that you nearly killed yourself and ruined everything you and I have spent so long planning. Your little demonstration with the demon blood was absolutely reprehensible. Did you think Yrak or I would be impressed by your pathetic trick?” She scoffs. “After the Elemental Forces you used to protect yourself failed, the blood you drank began eating up your body. Now, here is the kicker. I do not have it in me to help with something like that. Magic does not heal.” Her eyes sear into me. “I had to beg Yrak to save your life.”

  “The imp,” I grunt.

  She flies at me, so fast that I am taken aback. She ends up half an inch away from my face.

  “Call him that again,” she hisses, “and I will see to it myself that you don’t live the night. Bah! Do you know how much I had to sacrifice to keep you alive?”

  Her outburst surprises me.

  As does her speed. I have no idea how she does it—being a mere human, it should not be possible for her to move that fast.

  She turns away and walks straight-backed back to the slab.

  “You’ve dug yourself into one hell of a hole,” she says. “I do not know if you are capable of getting out.”

  “I’ve never failed at anything I’ve put my mind to,” I spit out harshly. “Yrak does not scare me.”

  “No?” She glances back, her eyes dark and storming. “Then you are a bigger fool than even my worst imagining.”

  I puff my chest up. I feel the miasma running across my eyes.

  “Nothing scares me,” I declare.

  She barks a laugh. “Your arrogance will be your downfall. If you still fail to comprehend that there are forces in this world more powerful than you, there is no hope.”

  “I understand that,” I tell her softly, I test my legs. They feel strong enough to carry me toward her. “But I know that with time, I can surpass them all.”

  “Such greed,” she mutters. She looks me over. “Alas, you are the one most suitable for what I need. Don’t think I won’t abandon you the moment I find someone better, Logan. You are a prop, my prop, and when your utility comes to an end, you will be discarded like a broken tool.”

  “Are you challenging me?”

  “I’m warning you. Keep this arrogance up, and you will push all your allies away. Ever think about going behind my back—and I will snap you like a twig.”

  “How frightening.” I show her a row of teeth, demonstrating I’m not the least bit afraid.

  “Remember that you need me more than I need you,” she says. “In fact, your sons may already be suitable replacements. You think James will be opposed to the greatness I’d offer him?”

  “My sons are cowards,” I snarl. “I am the only vampire who can give you what you need.”

  She gives a tiny laugh. “How quaint. You don’t think I can assemble an army?”

  “None as strong as The Crypts offers you,” I hiss. “None with the blood of The Ancient pulsing through each soldier’s veins.”

  “And yet, such a powerful force still cannot take the territories it needs,” she counters. “That’s why you came to me. Never forget that. I give you access to this—” she gestures around her, “—a bonafide demon army, because it is the only force that can break through the wards around The Haven.”

  “Yes, but never forget, I alone can give you access to my daughter.”

  Cierra looks at me flatly. “Beth can be turned without you.”

  “Then why haven’t you done that?” I come closer. I do my best to reduce the prominence of my hobble. “Why tie yourself to me, if you detest me so much?”

  Cierra steps forward to meet me. “Don’t take it personally,” she says, touching my cheek. “It’s not you I have an issue with. It’s all your kind.”

  I meet her gaze without flinching. “And it is my kind that holds the key to eternal life.”

  She rolls her shoulders. “Perhaps you haven’t noticed that I’ve been alive as long as you?”

  “But, yet, you struggle,” I whisper. “Yours is an artificial existence. You prop yourself up with an assortment of spells, but all they do is delay the inevitable. One day, your body will fail. You will die.”

  My voice becomes seductive. “Unless you let me aid you. Say the word, and I will grant you the gift of my blood.”

  Her features become severe. For a moment, I think she’s going to spit in my face.

  If she does that, so help me God, there is no force on earth that will stop me from ripping her to shreds.

  The tension builds… and then in a single release, it passes.

  Cierra steps away.

  “A generous offer, my friend. But I think I’ll pass.” She rubs the hand she used to touch my face off on her dress as if it’s tainted. “Besides, you may soon find yourself in more dire straits than you realize. Yrak needs a word with you.”

  “I’m ready,” I tell her.

  She nods and murmurs something under her breath.

  A chill runs down my spine as a black portal opens off to my left, and the imp steps out.

  He’s back to his regular, unassuming size. His presence is fully cloaked.

  “You should be long dead,” he observes. He hops up onto the stone slab I woke up on so that he’s closer to eye-level. “Cierra managed to convince me to let you live. Trust me, it would have been a much greater pleasure to simply grant you consciousness, and then watch as the demon blood destroyed you from within.”

  I stare at his strange, blank, sh
ining eyes, saying nothing.

  “But,” he continues, “if I had done that, I would have lost a potential customer. A customer who is now indebted to me and will pay two times the regular cost.”

  My eyes shift to Cierra. She gives a subtle nod.

  “So.” Yrak settles down, crossing his legs and propping his chin up with one hand. “Tell me what you need.”

  “I would have assumed Cierra already—”

  “Don’t assume. I want to hear it from you.”

  I make a deep growling sound in my throat. “I need a dozen demons, powerful enough to tear down the strongest magical defenses.”

  He tilts his head from one side to the other. “No,” he says. “You need two dozen.”

  I stop short.

  “Half will be given to you now. The other half will be delivered after you take The Haven.”

  “What use do I have for two dozen when one will do?” I demand. “I do not require any demons for after.”

  “No, but that is how many you will buy.” His teeth show. “And remember, for the trouble of keeping you alive, you will also pay double.”

  “You want to charge me the price of forty-eight for twelve?” I hiss. “No. I refuse.”

  “My dear King, the choice is no longer yours.” Yrak jumps down and starts out of the room. “Follow me.”

  I share a look with Cierra. She remains inscrutable.

  “You did this,” I hiss to her under my breath.

  She gives me a “who me?” look without saying anything else.

  I trail after Yrak. Eventually, we reach the chamber where all of this trouble began.

  “So,” he walks by the cages, rattling them so the demons rouse. “You need demons you can control, presumably.” He stops by a row of wretched-looking things, like scaly, disfigured rats. “They would be sufficient, I think.”

  I glance at the grotesque creatures. They are no bigger than the size of my foot.

  I frown.

  “You do not like their look?” Yrak feigns disappointment. “Well, everybody starts small. A dozen of these beasts will provide you with enough energy to tear through any bit of magic you could encounter on earth. They are also dumb enough to follow blindly behind the one who feeds them .