A Shade of Vampire 70: A Breed of Elements

by Forrest, Bella

  The other end of the chain, connected to my physical anger, was starting to turn black.

  “Well, that can’t be good,” I said.

  I walked over to myself, noticing the peculiar amber glow spreading up my legs. It took over everything—bone, muscle, connective tissue, fat and skin and every other particle that made me up. It advanced slowly but surely, and the more it took over, the more links on my chain turned black.

  Chills ran through me as I understood what was happening.

  “The Hermessi’s influence. It’s taking over.”

  Was this how the Hermessi planned to conquer us? To destroy us, maybe? Forcibly command the fae to do unspeakable things and commit veritable horrors against all the civilizations?

  It was the only thing that made sense in my head. Clearly, they couldn’t just rain hell down on us. They couldn’t drown us or burn us or suffocate us to tear the planets apart, just like that. This ritual that Brann had been trying to stop had to be the solution to their problem, the method through which they attained their destructive goal. It had to be.

  “Otherwise, why go to all the trouble of cults, right?”

  Right.

  Settling on this assumption, I now had to find a way to stop the Hermessi’s influence from completely taking over my body. If there was one thing that Vikkal had gotten right, it was the fact that I was, indeed, extremely powerful as a fae, commanding all four elements. If the Hermessi got their paws on me in the long term, then we were screwed.

  Aya’s temporary possessions were a breeze, compared to what I was experiencing here. She couldn’t do much in those episodes, and neither could any other Hermessi. They had to be welcomed by the fae’s own will or by the cut-and-chant trick, then sealed with those symbols.

  My body had been fooled into kicking me out, sure. But there was no one around to carve seals into my face. So I still had a fighting chance. Judging by how quickly the influence spread, I had a little bit of time left, too.

  I settled next to Zeriel, caressing his face—or trying, anyway, since my ethereal form passed through him, unable to make physical contact. He gazed at me so lovingly, it warmed me up like a cozy fire in the middle of a blizzard. I couldn’t bring myself to go down without a fight. Not when he and I still had so many things to do with our life together.

  “Don’t worry, babe,” I whispered. “I’ll be with you soon. I promise.”

  But was this a promise I could keep?

  Bijarki

  There was an emotional virus moving around—or so I’d called it, anyway.

  Vita had been down and out, lately, and, according to River and the others in The Shade, and even Zeriel, she wasn’t the only one. This Hermessi business was certainly dragging all the fae through the mud, and they weren’t taking it lightly.

  Fortunately, Vita was too busy looking after Chantal, but I did give her the occasional respite and encouraged her to oversleep every other day. I’d spoken to Sofia and Derek in the morning, and they’d told me that Grace and Lawrence were making some progress—it was good news for Vita, who couldn’t stand the thought of her parents arguing. And over what, anyway?

  This entire mess wasn’t their fault, and we all knew it. If there were people foolish enough to give them the stink eye over something they didn’t do, then they were idiots and would soon see the error in their ways, anyway. We couldn’t please everyone. We couldn’t educate everyone to a level where they could understand the basics of this Hermessi conundrum.

  All we could do was keep pushing until we figured it out and stopped it—whatever “it” was.

  In the meantime, I liaised with GASP on operational matters and did my part in raising Chantal. Our little sweetheart was a bundle of joy, but also quite a handful. I settled her in her crib after breakfast and pulled the pale yellow curtains back, letting all the sun in.

  Chantal cooed and giggled, her skin shimmering silver in the light. She latched on to her favorite teddy bear, tugging at his arms and nose, while I sat down on the many pillows scattered across the nursery floor and leaned against the crib. I loved being around Chantal. She’d yet to form words, but she was hilariously vocal, especially in the morning, after breakfast.

  Her bright silver eyes followed me everywhere, but once I was still and gazing at her, she shifted focus back to her teddy bear. Vita was still fast asleep in our bedroom, and I hoped she’d get as much rest as she needed. She wasn’t one to lash out or get easily angry, but she’d been on edge lately. It ran in the family.

  Even so, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for all this. I had a home on Calliope. A wonderful and massive suite in Luceria, with my fire fae wife and our hybrid daughter. Chantal had yet to reveal any abilities, and both Vita and I wondered if she’d inherited her Oracle ability to foresee the future as well. That was still up for debate, though, since Vita’s own foresight had faded since she’d gotten pregnant and had yet to return. We’d have to wait and see and, in the meantime, enjoy raising our baby girl. We were doing pretty well together.

  I was a respected member of GASP, and I could put my military experience and knowledge to good use. I’d come a long way since my early days.

  Not that long ago, I was an incubus, left by my succubus mother with my father and brother, in the midst of Azazel’s bloody ascent. Now, the incubi and the succubi lived together, harmoniously, and no more children were abandoned to satisfy some ridiculous, antiquated social norms. Most importantly, Azazel was gone.

  As I flipped through my memories, most thankful for every moment I had to spend near Vita, I couldn’t help but notice the recurring theme of wills broken and bodies used for nefarious purposes—not only from my past, but from others’ history, as well.

  The Elders had wreaked havoc in The Shade. They’d broken homes and lives and precious links… for power and control. Azazel had turned the Druids into Destroyers and used them as lethal weapons against the entire solar system, rendering Eritopia helpless and drizzled in despair… for power and control. Shaytan and the Exiled Maras had crippled Neraka, reducing an entire species of Imen to bumbling, defenseless shades of their former selves… for power and control. Oh, and let’s not forget Ta’Zan. The worst of the worst. He’d wiped out an entire species of Draenir, he’d mixed and matched various genes together, and he’d created a new species altogether with which to conquer the universe… for power and control.

  “In the end, it’s a tale as old as time, baby girl,” I said to my daughter, who was busy gnawing on the teddy bear’s nose. “One being will always try to gain control over another. And your dad and your mom and your grandparents and your great-grandparents and everyone else around you will fight to make things right. To give everyone an equal fighting chance.”

  “Baaa…” Chantal managed, smiling and flashing the cutest pink gums, from which her incisors were already peeking through, tiny and pearly white.

  She made me laugh whenever she put on that gaping smile.

  “That’s right! We’ll always fight the greed and the evil of others,” I replied. “And I’ll make sure the world you grow up in is better than mine.”

  “Daaa-da!” Chantal said. Her baby talk occasionally made sense.

  This wasn’t the first time she’d called me “Dada,” but that didn’t mean I got tired of it. On the contrary, it made my heart swell to the point of exploding whenever she named me… my little angel, with blonde curls and rosy cheeks. My reason to live.

  “Ugh, Jovi was right,” I mumbled. “You’re going to break a lot of hearts with that smile, and I’m going to have to threaten a lot of guys to make sure they don’t break yours, in return. That sounded awful. But you know what I meant, right?”

  “Da-da!” she croaked, smiling again.

  I melted on the inside. I could tear the whole planet apart for her and Vita.

  My earpiece beeped. A call was coming through. I pressed the answer button and found myself on a general channel. I recognized Derek’s, Sofia’s, Rose’s, Harper’s, Dr
aven’s, and Serena’s voices.

  “Do we know what’s going on?” Harper asked.

  “Hello?” I replied, my gaze fixed on Chantal.

  “Bijarki!” Jax’s voice popped up. “We’ve been called on the general channel, I see.”

  “Mm-hm. What’s happening?” I asked.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a problem,” Nuriya said. “A big one.”

  “What is it?” Derek replied.

  “Vesta is out cold. Vikkal, from our Fire Temple, was one of the earliest Hermessi cult members, as it turns out,” Nuriya explained. “He did an ancient spell on her. From the looks of it, her body and soul have been separated. Zeriel is by her side.”

  “Whoa! Whoa! What the—What, when, how?!” Dmitri asked.

  More voices were popping up on the comms channel. My stomach was already churning. The implications of Nuriya’s words hit home for me. After all, my wife, my soulmate, was a fae—and thus susceptible to anything Hermessi-related.

  “The Hermessi are looking to spread their influence, quite literally, through fae bodies to do their bidding,” Nuriya said. “We don’t know why, yet, but the word ‘doomsday’ was floated around, before Vikkal was consumed by the flames and reduced to silence. I reckon the Hermessi didn’t want him telling us anything.”

  “Is that why the cults are spreading?” Sofia asked.

  “Yes. Most of the fae bodies they want surrender voluntarily. According to Vikkal, there are multiple ways for a Hermessi to possess and influence a fae body. They’ve found a permanent solution by carving seals into the fae’s faces, to keep the Hermessi’s presence locked in. Some, they cut, then whisper an ancient spell into their ear—like Vikkal did to Vesta a few minutes ago.”

  My blood ran cold. “How is she?”

  “Unconscious and burning up. Once the Hermessi’s influence settles in, she’ll be in a lot more trouble,” Nuriya replied. “But I know Vesta is a fighter. I know her spirit won’t give up so easily. At least, I hope so.”

  “Wait, if there was no seal carved into her skin, like with the other cult fae, it means we can still kick that influence out, right?” Dmitri asked.

  “I think so. We’ll need some swamp witch wisdom here, ASAP,” Nuriya said.

  “I’m on my way,” Kailani replied.

  “But listen, we now understand how it manifests. How it starts!” Nuriya added. “The Hermessi start circling in on the fae first. That’s when the first symptoms manifest. Mood swings, short temper, exhaustion and fever… Then it gets worse. If the fae refuse to let the Hermessi in, the cultists will do the cut-and-spell trick on them, and force the Hermessi in.”

  “Oh, no,” Sofia managed. “Grace, Ben… They’re all in danger, aren’t they?”

  “If any of you have loved fae in your lives, you must protect them and make sure no one suspicious gets close. I’m already back in the palace. We brought Vesta here, and I’ve strengthened the security detail for my husband. Sherus is vulnerable, too.” Nuriya sighed.

  Terror gripped me like a real monster, practically choking the life out of me. I instantly shot to my feet, a sense of urgency fueling me. I rushed into our bedroom and froze in the doorway. The room was bathed in sunlight. The windows were wide open, the white curtains flowing in the morning breeze.

  Vita slept in her bed. I caught motion to her left. A shadow—no, a creature clad in black.

  I darted toward it before I could even make out who it was. It jumped out the window and got out of my reach. “No!” I shouted.

  “Bijarki?” Derek’s voice echoed in my earpiece.

  I turned back to look at Vita, and, in an instant, I felt the whole world collapsing around me, piece by piece. “Nu—Nuriya…” I said, my voice shaky as I measured my wife from head to toe. She was in a state of deep sleep, wrapped in white silk sheets, but the layer of sweat on her face and neck, along with the bright orange cut on her bare shoulder, made me think that something was awfully wrong. “Nuriya, what did Vikkal do to Vesta, exactly? Describe what he did, please. Please.”

  A moment of silence followed. I figured they all realized what was happening in my life before I did.

  “Bijarki?” Nuriya asked. “Is Vita there, with you?”

  “Tell me what he did!” I shouted, no longer able to control my rage and despair. The cruel truth was already sinking in, and it dragged me down to the bottom with it.

  “He made an incision into her shoulder. He whispered some kind of chant in her ear, and then she was out,” Nuriya replied. “The cut glowed orange. Her temperature got high, fast. She’s been out of it since. Vikkal said he kicked her soul out of her body for the Hermessi influence to take over.”

  “No… No… No!” I growled, then collapsed on the side of the bed. “Baby, please, wake up!”

  My vision was blurry. Tears glazed my eyes, then tumbled down my cheeks in hot streams—as hot as Vita’s skin, I realized, as I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close.

  “Baby, please… Wake up,” I cried out, shuddering in agony.

  “Bijarki! Is Vita there? Is she okay?” Sofia asked, though her voice wavered.

  “Bijarki, stay put. We’re sending help now!” Draven added.

  I didn’t care. I couldn’t care about anything or anyone else in that moment. My wife’s soul had just been kicked out of her body. From the nursery, our daughter started crying. And I felt so useless, so helpless.

  All I could do was hold Vita tight in my arms, breathe in her scent, and pray to all the gods and the stars in this universe to bring her back to me. I wasn’t myself anymore. I was dead without her. I couldn’t function without my soulmate.

  “Dada! Mama!” Chantal screeched from her crib, tearing my heart up into bits and pieces.

  I needed to get to her, too. I didn’t want to leave Vita, but I couldn’t let my daughter cry, either. I… I didn’t know what to do next. My mind was a shattered blank, and my soul was drenched in pain.

  This was too close to home. For all of us.

  Derek

  This wasn’t the first time that things were quickly shifting from bad to worse. However, this time it hit us right in our homes. On our turf. Reports of shadows rushing out of fae’s homes were coming from The Shade, from Calliope, from Neraka, and from anywhere else where fae had settled. Vesta was unconscious, and Zeriel was completely devastated. Vita, too, had gone under, leaving Bijarki with their daughter. We had no answers, just anguish, fear, and more questions.

  Sofia and I headed for the portal, rushing through the redwood forest. Rose and Caleb joined us on the way, all four of us barely touching the ground, as we were determined to check on Vita, first.

  “Something is wrong. Very wrong,” Rose murmured.

  “What’s happening, though? I don’t get it,” Caleb replied.

  “From what Nuriya and Zeriel told us, the Hermessi cults are trying a different and a more forceful approach to get the body count that they need, for whatever ritual it is they’re looking to perform,” I said. “They’re brazen, now. Maybe even desperate.”

  “Vikkal cut Vesta’s shoulder, then whispered something and threw her into a state of unconsciousness,” Sofia said as we reached the portal. “From what I heard from Bijarki, something similar happened to Vita. Whoever these cult members are, they’re here. They’re either integrated into our communities already, maybe even people we know, or they’re doing one hell of a job sneaking around undetected.”

  “I think the former applies.” Corrine joined the conversation.

  We all turned around to see her and Ibrahim walking toward us. Deep lines were drawn between their eyebrows—a mixture of concern and dread, mirroring what we were all feeling. This affected us deeply, and it was up to Sofia and me, along with our generation of fighters, to help keep everyone together. We’d seen enough madness in our lifetimes.

  “I think the Hermessi’s influence runs deep,” Corrine added. “People we consider friends. Moving around like shadows. Doing the elements’
bidding. How else would they be able to sneak through Luceria, of all places, and target someone like Vita? They’re going straight for GASP now.”

  “Brann might’ve averted one dangerous ritual, but the Hermessi clearly have more up their sleeves,” Ibrahim continued. “They’re not done yet.”

  “You’re going to see Vita, aren’t you?” Corrine asked me.

  I nodded. “We have to. She’s our blood. If anything happens to her, I don’t know what—”

  “Something big is coming,” Ibrahim interjected. “Something bigger than all of us. I can feel it, and it’s difficult to explain.”

  “It’s like a bad vibe in the back of your head, isn’t it?” Sofia replied.

  “Pretty much.”

  “Don’t worry, you’re not the only one,” she said.

  “I think it’s our instincts,” Corrine mused. “We’ve been through similar motions before. Pretty sure we’re able to recognize the signs, by now.”

  “So, we brace ourselves for the worst that’s yet to come, right?” I said.

  Sofia squeezed my hand and gave me a sad look. It broke my heart, because I already knew what she was about to say. “Yes, Derek.”

  “This is much more than what we usually deal with.” Caleb sighed. “I thought Ta’Zan was the worst, or hell, the Elders. But the Hermessi… they’re natural elements. They’re the very thing that powers up our worlds. How do we stop them? How do we even begin to plan our retaliation?”

  Corrine’s expression lit up. “It just hit me. And I’m surprised I didn’t think of this sooner. Don’t you think the Hermessi maybe answer to some higher power, of sorts? If they wanted to wipe us all out, they would’ve done it, already, right?”

  “If they could,” Ibrahim replied. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I don’t think they can. I think they’re tied to these rituals that Brann mentioned to our Cerixian crew. Corrine’s on to something here!”

  “So, if there’s a ritual they must follow to… I don’t know, destroy us, since the likes of Myris Fenn mentioned an end of days before getting blown to pieces, there must also be some way to stop them, right? Another ritual? Contacting that higher power that Corrine mentioned?” Rose asked.