by Zara Novak
She nodded but felt the need to clarify something. “I don’t want any pity or sorrow Jack. It just felt good to get it all out.” And it did. Although it had been hard reliving the story, it was almost as if a weight had lifted from off her shoulders. How long had she been carrying this around with her?
“I get it. I know you’re not the type to sing for sympathy. I’m just thankful that you shared with me. It’s a hell of a story.”
“Well, you’re my first listener. I don’t think I’ve ever told it to anyone else before.”
He looked over at her in surprise. “Really?”
“Really. It’s been a few years since Lyra died, and I’ve never had a friend since then.”
“Why stay with the Order for so long, if you hated it so much?”
“I guess I wanted to stay for Lyra. She was the one that raised me. It felt like a disservice leaving her work behind.” She smiled softly to herself as she thought of the woman who had been a mother to her. After Lyra died, the Order fast became a cold and distant place.
A few more moments of silence went by before Jack spoke again. He took another breath, and spoke slowly and carefully, weighting each word with much thought. “Ellie, there’s something I want to say to you.”
Ellie looked over at Jack, suddenly sensing the seriousness in his tone. “Is everything okay?”
He glanced back, holding his red eyes on her own. “No. It’s not. I’ve been doing some thinking and I want you to know… when we get to Skarvast you’re free to go.”
The words hit her like a freight train. She sat up in the chair, unable to take her eyes off him. “…What?”
“You’re free to go,” he said, almost looking as if he wanted to choke on his words.
“I’m… free?” Ellie blinked rapidly, almost finding it hard to believe the words.
“You’re free,” he repeated. “Listening to your story just now, it made me realize something Ellie. You’ve been a damned captive your whole life. I thought I was doing right that night I took you. I thought I was fulfilling some noble purpose by taking you captive and bringing you on this journey. I had it in my head that I was supposed to save you from something. I felt like I was carrying us to this destiny. Neither of us understand it, but we both know it’s just right.”
He paused momentarily then continued. “It’s clear to me now that it’s all just bullshit. I’m sick, and I need to get help, but it doesn’t give me any right to come along and steer your life in some random direction. You’ve never had a say a day in your life, so I’m giving you one now. You’re free to go Ellie. When we get to Skarvast you’ll be safe to make your way anywhere you want. I won’t stop you. I might want to but I—” He broke off, leaving his sentence unfinished in the air.
Ellie sat there not quite believing his words. Her heart hammered in her chest, so loud this time that Jack had to have heard it. She opened and closed her mouth, trying to find the words. Trying to compose the thoughts fighting to get out. Hot tears brimmed on her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, splashing onto her trousers. She took a sharp, juddering breath and wiped the wet from her face. A whole myriad of confusing emotions stirred up inside of her, but above all there was one that loomed above the rest: gratitude.
Sitting up, she composed herself and tried to steady her breathing. She looked over at Jack who now had his eyes fixed on the road. There was a tension in the cab, but it didn’t feel hostile. It just felt sad. In half an hour they’d arrive at Skarvast, and Ellie could leave.
She’d be free for the first time in her life. Shouldn’t that have felt good?
18
Broad blankets of snow-topped trees surrounded the village of Skarvast on all sides. A tall wall of wood and stone surrounded the village, acting as a shield of sorts from the icy wind.
The pickup approached the main entrance to the bordered village and Jack brought it a stop. A small wooden door opened in the giant gate before them and a group of vampires emerged, holding guns and stakes. Jack looked over to Ellie. “Don’t this feel familiar?”
One of the guarding vampires approached the window of the truck and Jack rolled it down.
“Morning,” the guard said. “You got business here?”
“We came from the northern gate. We escaped the attack from the Red Circle.”
The guard stood back and eyed Jack carefully. “I see. What are your names?”
“I’m Jack, and this is Ellie.”
“Anyone inside who can vouch for you?” the guard asked.
Jack looked over at Ellie, who positively leaned across the cab to answer. “Natalie!” she shouted excitedly. “Or Rourke! Rourke Valentine!”
The guard laughed. “I know who Rourke is, you don’t have to clarify. Hold up here, I’ll head inside and see if they vouch for you. If we let you in, then understand it doesn’t mean you can automatically stay here. You’ll have to speak with Kara first.”
Jack nodded and watched as the first guard retreated through the door in the gate. Two other guards remained stationed outside, weapons ready in case anything went wrong.
“Who’s Kara?” Ellie whispered, despite the fact that they were alone in the truck.
Jack shrugged. “Beats me. She must be the honcho in charge. I guess we’ll see.”
Five minutes later the gate swung open and the guards outside waved Jack in, ushering them to enter.
Jack put his foot down and drove through the gate, which closed behind them as soon as they were through. They found themselves on a track which was bordered on both sides by those tall wooden walls. The track wound on for a few minutes until it opened into a large clearing which contained a two-story building. They pulled up in front of the building as instructed by the guard and stepped out.
“Leave your truck here. We have an underground parking facility that stores all our vehicles. You’re welcome to keep your truck there until you leave. The town is just through that gate there.” The guard pointed to an even larger gate that was just off to their right. “Hank here will escort you through. You’re to meet with Kara immediately, she will decide what to do with you.”
“Right you are.” Jack nodded again and tilted his head at Ellie for her to keep close. “Come on Ellie. Don’t wander.”
The second gate opened up onto the town of Skarvast itself, which was a beauty to behold. Hundreds of wooden buildings sat in a large circle, situated around a densely packed town square that was full of life and activity. People walked in every direction as they went about their day. It reminded Ellie of some romantic mountain village in Europe.
“Stay close,” the guard in front said, turning back to look at them. “Any straying and Garo there will spike ya.”
They both looked back to see another guard escorting them from behind. As they walked people everywhere took notice of them. The attention made Ellie feel uneasy, she stepped in close to Jack’s side and whispered to him under her breath.
“Why is everyone staring at us?”
“We’re new blood,” he said, nodding at people as they walked by. “Skarvast is a remote vampire settlement, and from the looks of things they have a very wholesome community. I can’t anticipate that they have visitors very often.”
“I wonder if the Valentine vampires made it here.” The thought made Ellie almost laugh. Monica’s den of violence and debauchery was a polar opposite to the town of Skarvast. She struggled to reconcile the idea that Monica and her clan would be given sanctuary here.
“They’d certainly have to clean up their act,” Jack laughed.
They’d just crossed the busy town square and were making for a set of tall stairs on the other side when Ellie heard someone shouting her name in the crowd.
“She’s there!” the voice shouted. “Look! There they are! Both of them! Ellie! Jack!”
Ellie and Jack both came to a stop as they looked around for the voice. The guards escorting them paused as well. A second later a small girl with dark brown hair burst out of the crowd and wrapped
her arms around Ellie.
“Ellie!”
“Natalie!” Ellie grabbed hold of the girl and squeezed her back, flooded with relief that she was okay. “You made it out alive!”
Natalie pulled back from Ellie, her face beaming from ear to ear. “We sure did. The Circle gave us some trouble on the way out, but it wasn’t much for Rourke here.”
Rourke appeared from the crowd to stand at Natalie’s side, with a warm smile on his face. He looked from Ellie to Jack, nodding silently as he did so. “So, you both made it. We were starting to think the Circle had got hold of you.”
“We didn’t see a single sign of them,” Jack admitted. “Or any Valentines either.”
Rourke looked back at them with confusion on his face. “Curious. The road up here was certainly hectic.” He turned to address the guard standing behind Jack and Ellie. “Tell me, guard, is there more than one road leading up here from the northern gate?”
“There is,” he nodded. “There’s the east and west road. The east is the main path. The west is further out the way, hardly anyone uses it anymore.”
“I dare say you used that one then,” Rourke said, looking back at Jack. “Clever thinking. I wish we’d done that.”
Jack shrugged and turned his hands up. Ellie almost had to laugh. Jack had no memory of leaving the northern gate and any alternative route had almost surely been an accident.
“What are you doing now?” Natalie asked.
“We’re on our way to speak with Kara,” Jack said. “I presume she is the vampire in charge here.”
“That she is,” the guard said in a gruff voice beside Jack. “I appreciate that it’s good to reconnect with old friends, but I’m afraid we have to break up this little reunion. The mistress is waiting, and we haven’t got all day.”
“I guess we better get going then,” Ellie said. “See you guys later?”
“We’re staying in the Royal Oak!” Natalie shouted, pointing across the square at a large building on the other side. “Come and find us! We can catch up later!”
Ellie shouted back a hearty ‘Will do!’ and then turned back to follow the guard up the large stone stairs at the edge of the square. The stairs led up to a fancy looking log building which was the largest of all within the town. Once they were at the top, the guards patted them both down, searching for any concealed weapons.
After that, one of them stopped and turned to face Jack and Ellie. “I realize that you may have had a rough couple of days. Understand that Mistress Kara is a fair woman, but she doesn’t tolerate fools. Be honest and open with her, and you should have no problems.” The guard held his hand out to the door beside him and Ellie and Jack looked back in blank expectation.
“We just… go through?” Jack said.
“Indeed. The Mistress is waiting inside. You better head through and hurry up. She doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
Jack looked back to Ellie. “I guess we better hurry then. Come on Ellie. We don’t want to keep the woman waiting.”
God forbid, Ellie thought as they walked through the wooden doors and into the building. Silence enveloped them immediately as they entered. The doors swung shut behind, closing them in darkness and quiet. Ellie look out across the twinkling room and gasped.
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
They both walked forward along the stone floor, marveling at the thousand tiny candles that lay in long neat lines on either side of them. The only sound in the room was the faint crackle of bubbling wax, or the snap of a burning wick. They came together unconsciously, and Ellie found herself slipping her hand into Jack’s.
“What is this place?” she whispered, her quiet voice disappearing into the tranquil quiet. Jack simply stared back at her and shrugged silently. At the end of the room there was an ornate platform, upon which a solitary figure sat in a cross-legged position. The woman sat in perfect stillness, her head bowed down slightly. They approached and stopped a few feet in front of her.
“You’ve come to see if you can stay here.” The woman spoke without lifting her head, her sage voice echoing across the room like ancient wisdom.
“Possibly,” Jack answered. “We were going to journey north, but…” He looked over at Ellie, remembering his earlier promise. “I think we will be parting ways here.”
The woman on the platform lifted her head, revealing an ancient face full of kind wrinkles. Her eyes shone, twinkling like bright red diamonds. Her long silver hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She lifted a solitary silver brow and turned her head. “Oh? Is that so? You think your journey might end here?”
She turned those ancient red eyes on Ellie, who shifted uncomfortably on her feet, tightening her grip on Jack’s hand. “I’m not sure what’s happening,” Ellie said honestly. “It’s been a confusing time.”
The woman laughed. It was a rich laugh, floating up through the air and peppering the quiet with warmth. “I can see that. Tell me, what are your names?”
“Ellie. Ellie Thorn. This is Jack.”
The elder woman looked over at Jack, her red eyes squinting slightly as she did so. “Jack eh? Yes… I believe this one has been named Jack. There is another inside you though. I can see that too. Tell me vampire. Do you know your other name?”
Jack stammered. “How did you—how did you know?”
A sage smile spread over the woman’s face, twisting it with a thousand more wrinkles. “There is much that I know, but we’ve had the honor or meeting before in my life. You were banished from here once upon a time, Wraith Belmont.”
Both Ellie and Jack felt themselves reel back as the woman spoke the name.
“You know who I am?” Jack asked.
“I know who you both are,” she answered. “I could feel your power within a hundred miles. It’s quite an invigorating thing to witness.” The old woman rose from the stage with slow grace and stepped off the platform onto the floor. Now she was stood they could realize just how small she was. Ellie reasoned the woman was barely taller than five feet.
“My name is Mistress Kara,” she said as she crouched to her knees.
“What do you mean,” Ellie said, stepping forward, “you know who we both are?”
“The next part of the prophecy,” she said with wizened eyes. “The lost daughter and her destined mate. You have come here to follow your destiny, no?”
Jack and Ellie both looked at each other with uncertainty.
“I said she could—” Jack faltered.
“We’re still trying to understand—” Ellie stammered.
“Of course, of course,” Kara interrupted, her warm laughter filling the air as she did so. “Prophecies are rarely an easy thing to understand, and love can often be even harder. Tell me though child, you contain the mark, do you not? Tell me, vampire, she is the one that you were driven to take?”
They both nodded back in silence.
“Then it seems to me it is an easy matter to understand. There’s no need to complicate things any further than is necessary. You wish to travel to the north. There is a place up there that you seek.”
They both gasped this time. “How could you know that?” Ellie said.
“I have seen this all in dreams. I have known for some time that you would come. It pains me to say this, but the passage to the north is currently blocked after recent snowfall. It is impossible to pass through the mountains and will be for several more weeks. I open this village to you in the meantime however. You are welcome to stay as long as you like.”
“You’re letting us stay?” Jack asked.
“Providing you help out.” She chuckled. “But, why, of course. You are the next couple of the prophecy. There are people out there seeking to destroy you, whether you would admit it or not. Your safety is of the most importance. With your union you will take us to the new dawn.”
Ellie swallowed at the heavy implications of the woman’s words, not sure that she could fully reconcile them. “How can you be so sure?” she asked. “What if this is
all wrong? What if there’s been some huge mistake. What if nothing comes of our being together?”
“But something already has. You are helping each other, are you not?”
They both stared at each other blankly, before Ellie looked back at the woman. “We are?”
“Why, yes. His memory hasn’t been the same since he helped his brother to destroy the traitor in their family. Wraith here… or Jack, was responsible for saving Claire. Eric Belmont’s mate.”
Ellie looked over at Jack, who seemed taken back by the news. “I only remember a storm,” he said. “Bright flash. After that it all changed.”
“I would expect so,” the old woman nodded. “You learned to take control of the darkness living inside of you that night. The half you now call Jack, the original half, it took back control, channeling the storm through your body.”
Ellie took another step forward, wanting to know more. “You seem to know a lot about Jack. Can you help him? Can you help fix his memory?”
Another warm laugh floated up. “I think it is only you that can help him my darling. But I do know some things about your precious Jack. They might help to explain why his mind has broken into two pieces.”
It was Jack that stepped forward this time, drawing himself level with Ellie. He crouched to his knees, bringing his eyes level with the old woman’s. Ellie joined him. “How do you know this?” she asked.
“It is my affliction. I was not blessed with super strength or speed. All I have is eternal life and wisdom. It is a blessing as much as it is a curse. I know some things about Jack, or Wraith. In part I know them because of dreams, but I also know them firsthand from speaking with his family in these last few months.”
“Please,” he said. “Tell me what you know.”
“You were shadow cursed as a young vampire.” The woman looked up at them both and recognized the questioning glances on their faces. “It means that a demon shares your body. It is a rare thing, but it happened to you, just after your mother died. I realize in your current state you will remember none of this. But believe me, it did happen.
