A Shade of Vampire 90: A Ruler of Clones

by Forrest, Bella

  “Right, because you’re punishers,” I muttered.

  “It’s in my nature, yes. I cannot change who I am. I live and breathe violence, Astra.” That was the first time he’d said my name. And the way he’d said it sent a rush down my spine. I would’ve liked to respond, perhaps offer a witty retort, but my brain betrayed me. Brandon seemed to have that effect on me. Why?

  “You’re always so dark and full of yourself,” Myst cut in, appearing on the same ridge where the Berserker had shown up earlier with the stag. Her presence made all three of us stand, and my heart started to pound in my chest.

  Brandon smirked. “Took you forever.”

  “It wasn’t easy to find the hostages,” she replied dryly, then looked at Thayen, the blue fires in her eyes burning brighter than before. “I know where they are.”

  Silence settled as we waited for her to continue. It seemed like Myst didn’t quite pick up on certain social cues. “Well?” I croaked, stomach tight.

  “You won’t like it,” she said.

  “We didn’t like it earlier in the Port, either,” Thayen replied. “Please… just tell us.”

  Myst sighed. “They’re in the glass extension on the west side of the island.”

  Brandon swore, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

  I moved closer, watching his expression carefully. It made him take a step back, eyeing me nervously as though I might attack him. “What is it?” I asked, secretly enjoying the knowledge that I had some kind of effect on him, too, though I wasn’t sure what it was exactly.

  “That’s where HQ is,” Brandon said. “They took your people back to HQ.”

  I finally understood why this made him nervous. Why he’d felt the need to curse. Our friends had been taken under the watchful eye of the alt-Shade’s leadership. Going in to save them meant going deep into the belly of the beast. It made me wonder, considering Brandon’s earlier warnings—were we even cut out for this mission? Had we survived purely on the basis of luck so far, only making it through because of help from Myst and Brandon?

  It didn’t matter, I realized. We’d come this far. We could go a little further.

  Thayen

  My heart was skipping beats as I stood next to Myst inside the main cave. Her close proximity always did that to me. We’d woken Viola and the others up, since the plan to rescue Isabelle, Voss, and Chantal required all our heads put together. The ground was covered in a thin layer of black dust from the cave walls and ceiling, and Myst used it to draw a simplified schematic of the alt-Shade’s western extension of glass houses. It stretched about five-hundred yards out onto the ocean in the real world, and, according to the Valkyrie, it was the same here.

  “There are a total of 120 units on the extension,” Myst said, using the tip of her glorious sword to draw the last of the squares representing those living quarters. Back home, the extension served to enlarge our community. It had apartments, two-story houses, common areas, and office cubes, all made of black stainless steel and thick glass with artificial illumination that made every room look bathed in sunlight. “Most are used as laboratories, some as holding cells.”

  Jericho had lit several fires along the cave walls, giving us enough light to clearly see the floor, but the slight shimmer of crystal components in the soil still caught my eye. I’d almost forgotten that the Black Heights were mountains rich in minerals and precious crystals—some were the size of particles and streaked across the walls and floors, while others were unpolished nuggets as big as my fist and were sprinkled through the black stone. The amber light from the fae dragon’s fire danced on our faces with playful shadows, and I took a few moments to analyze the faces around me, attempting to anchor myself into this crazy new reality of ours.

  “Holding cells for what, exactly?” Jericho asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Myst replied with a heavy sigh. She had a stern look on her face, and I could tell she was affected by this place, by what she’d seen here thus far. I wondered if it made her want to do more about it, but I resigned myself to being thankful she was willing to help with getting our friends back. Maybe easing her into an alliance was a better way to go, since she clearly didn’t respond to outright demands. The thought helped bring my heartbeat to a steadier rhythm, offering me something concrete to focus on. “I haven’t been here for long enough, and those damn things are safeguarded against my kind.”

  “Of course,” Brandon said, his arms crossed as he stood next to Astra and Viola, wisps of darkness coming off him like wafting steam. By contrast, Myst’s skin was almost incandescent, glowing softly in the dim cave. “The holding cells are for newly formed clones. They come out of their shells all grown up and programmed, and they need to be held in specialized rooms while they adjust. They don’t get the privilege of childhood and growing up. They’re thrown right into this mess and expected to perform.”

  “That’s just sick,” Richard muttered, choosing to sit cross-legged on the ground, sullen now that the last of the sedatives had begun to wear off. “Ugh, why do I feel like I’ve swallowed a bag of cotton balls?” he added, rubbing the back of his neck. “I haven’t felt this awake and raw since I overdid it on the spiced rose water at Dad’s birthday.”

  “The meds are wearing off. I would’ve expected your recovery to be faster since you’re a supernatural, but I assume that whatever cocktail they had you on was extra powerful,” I told him, relieved to have gotten him back alive and in one piece, but also a little disappointed—there was no way he could come with us on this next rescue mission. He had yet to regain his full strength. I thought of Mom and Dad for a brief moment—they probably would’ve advised the same.

  “Keeping the clones in specialized rooms is necessary,” Brandon said, going back to the main thread of our conversation. “HQ needs functional, alert, and devoted clones. Breeding them directly into mature forms is the best way to do that, and the holding rooms also serve as education units. There are screens in there that teach the doppelgangers everything they need to know about their world and the original world of The Shade.”

  “You’re well informed,” I said. The concept of HQ’s clone process reminded me of Ta’Zan, though only in the sense of artificial creation. The fake Shade wasn’t doling out Perfects or Faulties. They were copying our people and using the doubles against us.

  “I kind of work here,” he shot back with a cool grin. “Would you like me to be as blind as Myst, at this point?”

  “‘You kind of work here,’” Myst retorted, not hiding her disgust. “You’re consorting with an enemy. That should fill you with shame, not arrogance.”

  “You don’t even know who the enemy is,” Brandon said, standing his ground and raising his chin. The air crackled between them, electrifying the entire cave and making my skin tingle. For a moment, I worried they might get violent unless someone stepped in. It irked me that the Berserker seemed so close to Astra—one shade too friendly for my taste, especially considering how he’d screwed us over back in the Port dungeons.

  Myst gave him a sharp look, her fiery blue eyes sparkling angrily. “Then why don’t you tell me, Brandon? Or have you forgotten your vows as a Berserker? Are you no longer a servant of Order?”

  “I’m not going to tell you because one, you wouldn’t believe me, since you’re an expert in denial, and two, I’m still hoping to extract you all from here before we reach an actual confrontation with HQ. If we’re lucky, and we play our cards right, our living friends here will leave this place without having to worry about it ever again.”

  Silence weighed heavily between the Valkyrie and the Berserker. I didn’t like the way he spoke to her, but Myst didn’t like him much either. The animosity between them, though it fell short of full hostility, was clearly mutual. They knew each other well, they just had no sympathy for one another.

  “You call yourself an ally of these people, yet you keep secrets,” Myst said. “It’s a little sad.”

  “Not as sad as a Valkyrie stuck in this nightmarish l
and,” Brandon replied.

  Astra flared pink for a second, displaying her power with enough brightness to draw focus away from their verbal skirmish. “That’s enough,” the young Daughter said. “Brandon has been more helpful than you have, you know. At least he didn’t abandon us to fend for ourselves.” Her words seemed to sting Myst. While I hated to agree with Astra while she sided with Brandon, on this point I couldn’t argue. “Whatever he can tell us about HQ and their location is better than nothing.”

  “I wouldn’t let any of you go in otherwise,” Brandon replied.

  Though I’d promised myself I’d keep my mouth shut for a little while longer, that got me talking. “You’re not in charge here. You don’t get to decide whether or not we go anywhere.”

  “But you must concede that I know more than you do. Enough to keep you all alive,” the Berserker shot back. I had a feeling he thrived on such debates. He took pleasure in poking and prodding us, and we were giving him great satisfaction each time.

  “And we appreciate the support,” Astra said. “However, Thayen is right. You and Myst have agreed to help us. It doesn’t mean either of you gets to tell us where to go or what to do.”

  The shadow of a smile fluttered across Viola’s face, while Dafne and Soph stifled chuckles of their own. Jericho wasn’t as discreet. He leaned against the cave wall and laughed loudly. “I reckon Astra will be wearing the pants in this particular relationship.”

  “I’m not here to give orders, nor do I wish to lead,” Myst said, then took a deep breath. “I only want to make sure that you come out of this alive and with your friends safely back in your group and away from the clones. You have to admit, however, that a Berserker who’s actually ‘sort of’ working for your enemy isn’t the most trustworthy of allies.”

  “Hey, I’m the best they’ve got,” Brandon chuckled. A split second later, he put on a serious face, his expression darkening into something hard and steely and impossible to decipher. “And I’m better equipped at navigating the darkness that rules over this place. A Valkyrie is woefully limited.”

  “But not useless,” Myst insisted.

  “Oh, for the love of…” Viola exploded. “You two are like children, giving their parents white hairs with their constant bickering!” She cast her pink light onto Myst’s drawing on the cave floor, and the entire scheme glowed brightly against the ground. Brandon took a couple of steps back, slightly bothered by the light, but he kept his mouth shut. I’d almost forgotten that an abundance of light could weaken a Berserker, though I wasn’t sure about the proportions. “Tell us what to expect once we get there. Myst, you saw Isabelle, Voss, and Chantal last. You can point us in the right direction. In which of these units are they being held?”

  The Valkyrie dropped to one knee and pointed the tip of her sword at the northern quadrant of the alt-Shade’s extension. “In this house, here. This is the holding room sector, where the new clones are held. That much I’ve learned from observing the place for a while.”

  “The central area is comprised of labs and storage units,” Brandon added. “The southern quadrant is mostly security and observation rooms. There are eyes almost everywhere on this island, and all the screens are in this place.”

  Astra nodded slowly. “And HQ?”

  “You’ll need a small team to infiltrate,” Myst told me. I was at the center of her attention once again, and I felt all the blood rushing to my head. And once again, my reactions to her were strange. It wasn’t anything magical, exactly, but rather the effect of her presence, the intensity of her blue stare, and the depth of her honeyed voice. I didn’t dare allow myself to trust Myst, but I appreciated her insights. At least the Valkyrie wasn’t working for HQ in any way.

  Brandon bothered me in that sense. Could he be trusted? Truth be told, the Berserker had useful traits, but I knew we weren’t his top priority here. Not by a long shot. He’d already made that clear. I missed the days of theoretical studies back in our Shade, when good was good, bad was bad, allies were friendly, and enemies were evil. All that had gone to hell out here. The Valkyrie didn’t know enough to really help us, and she didn’t come across as fully reliable, either—yet my pulse rushed whenever she was near. On the other hand, the Berserker was overconfident and sarcastic, his allegiance shady at best, but he’d helped save our asses, too. If only Purgatory’s creatures had been simpler… easier to understand. I would’ve known exactly what to expect of them.

  “Define ‘small team,’” I said. “Each of us is essential in one way or another.”

  “But she’s right,” Soph replied. “We can’t all go. Richard isn’t back on his feet, and we can’t leave him here alone. Nowhere is really safe on this island.”

  Viola nodded slowly. “I can teleport the crew in and out of HQ. And there is enough invisibility magic to keep us all hidden while we operate.”

  “Astra is the best at testing spirits,” I said. “She can verify whether the Isabelle, Voss, and Chantal we find are the real ones.”

  Myst exhaled sharply. “There will be Berserkers on site. I saw at least five.”

  “There are over a dozen currently working with HQ,” Brandon replied. “You’ll need sources of light for your power. That’s your fae dragon and the two Daughters.”

  “Okay, so Jericho’s in,” I concluded. “What about you, Brandon? Will you help us, or will you sit this one out?” There was an underlying meaning to my question, and it was meant to make him uncomfortable. Regardless of his loyalty, I needed to ensure our survival.

  The Berserker gave me a wry smile. “My brothers will eat you alive if I let you go in there on your own. Should your invisibility magic work, great—less work for me in the end. But if you’re discovered, the clones and the Berserkers will stop at nothing to tear you all apart. Remember that they’re gunning for Pinkie the most.”

  “So, you’re necessary, and therefore you should tag along,” Astra scoffed. Brandon nodded once. “I accept the premise, but I will be keeping an eye on you.”

  “Good. I perform better under scrutiny.”

  Richard raised a hand. “I have a question.” He paused, as if waiting for us to give him our full attention. “Do you know why the clones and HQ and whoever else are so hell-bent on killing Astra in particular? I notice they didn’t rush to kill Viola. Sure, they planned to use her as bait, but still… she was never the initial target. Astra was, since Isabelle’s clone attacked her back home.”

  Suddenly, every eye in the cave had shifted to Brandon. He cleared his throat, giving Astra a brief but meaningful glance, the fires in his gaze turning white for a second. “She has power. I don’t know the details, but I believe it has something to do with her hybrid nature.”

  “She can identify clones where other tools and methods fail,” Viola said. “It wasn’t until Astra explained her experience upon touching Isabelle’s clone’s soul that our Reaper friends were finally able to discover the issue.”

  Myst’s expression shifted to one of pure wonder. As if Astra was unlike anyone she’d ever met before. Granted, we all felt the same about our beloved half-Daughter, half-sentry. It further served to reinforce my own belief that Astra had to be protected, no matter what. “That is interesting,” the Valkyrie murmured. “Yes, you are integral to this mission, indeed.”

  “And you?” Brandon said, looking my way. “What makes you useful? Your vampire abilities are practically useless against a Berserker. I could break you in half right now and not blink an eye doing it.”

  Astra frowned. “He can bend spirits. You saw what he’s capable of.”

  “I saw his brain nearly turn to mush when he tried to pull that stunt on Haldor,” the Berserker chuckled. “And… sorry to break this to you, but Haldor isn’t even the strongest among those who’ve joined HQ.” He moved his attention back to me. “Maybe you should stay back and take care of Richard.”

  “Dafne and I can do that,” Soph retorted. “Thayen leads this team on every mission. He has proven himself more t
han once. Where the team goes, he goes.”

  My heart grew a few sizes in the span of seconds. Their faith in me was a badge of honor, and I intended to wear it proudly. Of course, it was also added pressure on my shoulders, but it was a burden I was proud to bear. The journey ahead was long and rife with dangers. My friends relied on me to lead them through this evil darkness. My parents expected me to carry the Novak name with my head held high and my soul beaming life and light.

  I couldn’t let any of them down. “I’m getting better at glamoring. Days ago, I could barely hold on to a living soul like Richard’s. Now, I’m able to pin a clone down. I can even touch a Berserker’s spirit. While I’m not sure how much further I can push this ability, I won’t stop working on it.”

  My answer seemed to satisfy Brandon. The faint smile he gave me suggested a degree of trust. I would’ve liked a verbal vote of confidence, but I doubted he’d be so generous. It was odd that I aspired for his and Myst’s approval, though. It was also terrifying that we were about to go up against a bunch of Berserkers, not just Haldor. We needed to avoid alerting them to our presence if at all possible.

  “It’s settled, then,” I said. “Astra, Viola, Jericho, Myst, Brandon, and I will be undertaking this mission to rescue our friends from HQ. Maybe we’ll manage to gather more intel, too. There’s so much we still don’t know.”

  Myst’s head turned sharply as something outside caught her attention. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I followed her gaze.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure. Give me a second.” She dashed out, and we all stood still, not moving a single muscle, listening to every sound that trickled into the cave. My ears twitched, picking up bird trills and leaves rustling. Distant howls of cloned werewolves. Faint echoes of dragon copies flying over the fake Shade, likely searching for us.