by Emma Glass
“Outstanding. Consider those a gift, Svetlana—proof of my commitment to our professional relationship.”
He slid an arm over my shoulder. I rested into him.
We were at the door when the lord of the Drenchlands called out to us again. “I look forward to seeing what my people can do with all of this. Between your ample mineral resources, and our scientific expertise, I am convinced that we will leave you a proud legacy in this realm… if there is a realm left to rule.”
* * *
The rest of the way back was a blur. Partly because we used the chrysm nodes to return, sending us back all the way across the castle in the blink of an eye. Even still, as my head finally hit the pillow, I found myself exactly where I wanted to be.
“Your bed,” I smiled, pushing my face into the linens.
He sat on the side and stroked my back. “Where else would you be?”
It felt just as wonderful as I remembered. It was hard to imagine I had only just been in this bed a few short nights ago. So much had happened since then. I was back on my home world. I was in Sydney.
“Sydney,” I murmured.
“What’s that?”
“Sydney. I think I know where the council chamber is.”
“Don’t worry about it right now,” he whispered.
“It’s…” I wanted to say, important, but I couldn’t—not with him kissing my ear the way he was. The best kind of shiver ran down my spine as my darling Elliott leaned into the bed with me, kicking off most of his clothes to embrace me. I sleepily ripped free the vampiric clothes he’d offered when I returned; soon, there was nothing left between us.
“This may be our last night on this world,” I mumbled.
He voice sounded strained. “It might be.”
“Hold me, Elliott.”
He pulled me tighter, stroking my hair. He and I stayed like that for ages—An hour? Ten seconds? Who counted?
“I don’t want to lose you,” I whispered.
Elliott’s eyes flicked to mine. Even with drawn drapes, we could only hide so much of the hellish light that rained down from the heavens. It illuminated his face, contouring his grief in the shadows. “That goes double for me.”
A yawn forced my jaw apart.
“You should sleep, Clara,” he whispered tenderly.
“I don’t want to sleep anymore.”
“Why is that?”
“Because if this is our last night together…”
“It won’t be.”
“Every time we’re together, we can never stay like this for long. Something always happens.” I struggled to keep my eyes awake, but his face kept fading out of focus. “This time, the sky’s burning apart. What’ll happen next?”
He didn’t answer at first.
I felt my eyes closing. “…Elliott?”
“I do not know what tomorrow will bring,” he replied. “But you and I will face it together. Always together. Do you understand?”
I barely nodded.
“Good.” His lips pressed into my forehead. “Then close your eyes now, Clara. Close them and know that I am here to fight your nightmares for you…”
“You always did,” I smiled tiredly.
“I know.”
“…Elliott?”
“Yes, my darling?”
“…I love you.”
His lips kissed mine; a crackle flew down my spine.
“I love you too, Clara. Sleep now.”
Chapter 6
Elliott
The Final Dawn
I think I was the first one awake in the castle.
Due to the terror in the skies, I dismissed all of my non-essential staff to visit with their families. Most of them were sequestered here in the castle anyway—even at our darkest, vampire lords are typically loathe to break up loved ones. Besides having a few shreds of decency in our hearts, it is simply not a practical choice.
Not very good for morale, as it were.
My most loyal servants insisted on remaining, eager to keep the rest of the Council of the Eight Holds satisfied. As I could not convince these valiant subjects otherwise, I let them do as they wish. Privately, I remembered their faces and names—if any of us survived this overhead disaster, I meant to offer them exemplary awards.
As much as I wanted to stay in that warm bed with her, I was a sovereign. And as such, I had responsibilities.
There were preparations to be made.
I took stock of the staff as I walked the corridors of my beloved Stonehold Castle, admiring its ancient stones and beautiful tapestries as if seeing them for the very first time. The morning dawn had not yet broken—most of the castle slumbered still, but I stumbled across a few of my fellow vampires, all hard at work at their individual trades. I stopped to speak with them at times, intent to judge the atmosphere of my people, or at least the ones at hand.
But our time was short. They were busy, and so was I.
To my complete lack of surprise, the chrysm network was down. I navigated my way to the chrysm hub, though I already knew what I would find there.
My pair of attendants frantically rushed around at their controls, suspecting my eventual appearance. Before either of them could stress at my arrival, I held up a palm.
“Our sky above is on fire. I suspected there might be a problem with the chrysm. Just tell me… how bad is it?”
The older of the two bowed her head. “We don’t know. The entire system is offline. There’s something wrong with the chrysm itself—that’s the only explanation. I have never seen a power spike like this before. We have been trying everything to get the network back up and operational.”
I glanced up at the tower of vampiric machinery overhead. It spat out a ceaseless flurry of readings that were far beyond any rational ability to interpret. Nothing looks ready to explode, at least. I set aside my initial fears of ordering an evacuation for the castle.
“How long?” I gazed back down keenly.
“Approximately four hours, seventeen minutes.”
My arms folded over my chest. “Approximately?”
They shared a look. “…Exactly, my Lord.”
“And what about mainland access?”
“My Lord… the power spike that took out our systems originated from the mainland. If you need to cross over, we can’t guarantee a safe trip right now.”
I nodded, resigning myself to this. This was a problem. Even still, I hesitated to awaken the other vampire lords. To be frank, I wanted a little more time to myself. I needed to plan, to assess, and to prepare for the morning. Clearly, we would all be making the journey to Seven Portals—but with the chrysm network down, we would be forced to take the long way. I hoped this wouldn’t be the case.
What are you getting at, Sabine? I wondered, studying all the inert machines. We need no map to see the destination that you have planned for us.
Why, then, make it so much harder to approach?
* * *
Silas was up early. He was always up early.
Trying to restrain my growing concerns on the chrysm, I called for my advisor to join me in the throne room. Even in the face of destruction, I still had a duty to perform. Silas, I felt, could advise me in matters well beyond simply issuing royal orders.
As he arrived, I was reflecting on my empty seat from nearby. When I wasn’t giving royal decrees or handing out sentences at ruler-level trials, I grew to dislike sitting in the bloody thing. While still rather uncomfortable, the marvel of metal and cushioning represented not just my burden to my people, but the loss of everyone else in my life meant to sit in that chair before me.
Fiona perished. Lorelei abdicated. My younger sister took it reluctantly in my stead, for under a single week. Even then, the poor girl barely held together her fractured mind. There is no one left to uphold this responsibility but me. It’s a responsibility I never asked for—and one that shouldn’t have ever been mine.
What an inheritance.
Silas approached respectfully.
“My Lord, you are rarely awake at this hour.”
“No. I suppose not.” I half-turned his way. “Difficult to find a good night’s rest in this place, not with the end of the world hanging far above our heads.”
My high chancellor nodded tiredly. “Yes. I agree.”
“I wasn’t aware you believed in the Calamity.”
His shoulders wearily bounced in his fatigued laugh. “I admit it, I wasn’t entirely convinced in the fairy tales of the dreaded Cataclysm—or this talk of a Calamity since. Now, I do say, even I can have my mind changed sometimes.”
I smirked. “So you admit that you were wrong, Silas?”
“With all due respect, my liege—I’m never wrong.”
We shared a laugh together.
My side of the merriment trailed. Silas noticed this, and he asked the obvious question. I deliberated on an answer for a few minutes before replying.
“Can you imagine, Silas? A few mere years ago, neither of us could stand the other. I thought you were a pompous old bat, and you thought I was a young, naive ruler… how we possibly coexisted on the same island, I’ve no clue.”
“You were a young, naive ruler,” he grinned.
“And you were a pompous old bat.”
“That’s… quite a bit harsh, my Lord.”
“But true. Yet here we are. All it takes is the arrival of a mythological creature from another world to guide us both towards a functional working relationship. If I had known that, I could have saved us both a lot of trouble years ago.”
“I don’t perceive myself as changing much, truly.”
My brow raised. “No?”
“You have grown remarkably since you took the throne. Or, to be more accurate, since Miss Blackwell joined us in the castle.” Silas smiled warmly, scratching at a sagging, leathery cheek. “I would need to be blind to miss the effect that she has had on you… and on the entire castle, really. I believe everyone here has been profoundly and positively changed by her—whether or not that’s due to her influence on you? Who’s to say.”
“All but one,” I replied calmly.
“Oh? Who might that be?”
I sighed. “Nikki. Those two got along famously from the very start. Clara was the only person that my sister could threaten without offending or terrifying. The human has never feared her. But time and circumstances appear to have driven a wedge between them. Nikki barely tolerates Clara’s presence anymore.”
“Not to impose, Lord Elliott, but… why not?”
I frowned. “Those two. They’ve both used and harmed each other for the greater good; as one forgives, the other is pushed in a new direction. I wish those two could realize that they’re all I have…”
“You have your people, my Lord.”
“My people face destruction, Silas. My greatest fear, as I face the future, is that by the time this is all over…”
Turning back to the throne, I sighed wearily.
Silas furrowed his brow. “What is it, my Lord?”
I lowered my head. “…I fear I’ll be the only one left.”
Chapter 7
Clara
I woke as Elliott tried to slip back into bed. At first, I was startled by the unholy light pouring through the window. The Calamity. The end of the world is here… I tried to banish away such a terrible thought.
“I see you,” I yawned coyly.
My beloved smirked, playing with my hair. “One day, I’ll figure out how to climb back into bed next to you without waking you up. Surely, there has to be a trick to it. Maybe it’s more of an art…”
“Don’t beat yourself up. I’m a light sleeper.”
“You say that… but you’re not.”
“Sure I am.” By now, I had adjusted to the red light.
“My love, I rise in the middle of the night constantly. At least once or twice every evening. It is only at dawn that you become susceptible once more to my presence...” Playfully, he tapped me on the nose with his fingertip. “To be fair, I try very hard to not stir you from your slumber.”
I pulled myself up in bed. “Do I ever wake you?”
“In your sleep?”
“Yes. During my… nightmares.”
His eyes darkened. “Experienced one of those lately?”
It was hard to say. I reflected on the past few days, but I couldn’t remember for sure. “I don’t think so…”
“Do you keep a record of them?”
“I used to. I kept a diary of the dreams. When we were first separated, and I was back on my world. I would write them all down to study later. Especially those times when I saw my grandmother… or if I learned something new or interesting about them.”
“What happened to that book?”
“I don’t know. I want to say that it’s still in my house in England. Probably tucked away in a drawer… or I might have brought it somewhere else. I can’t remember.”
“And your amulet?”
I grasped at it.
This constant companion to my life felt lighter than I’d hoped. The trip between worlds drained its magic…
“What’s the matter, my love?”
A sigh left my lips. “I could never power up this thing. Not enough to make the difference. All these years, I have been trying to feed it magic. It all started when I had to see you again, when we spent our year apart. And ever since, I have fed this amulet, time and time again—only for life to demand I use its magic. I am constantly depleting it…”
“It’s not ready for this, is it?” He asked tentatively.
I put it back on. “It’s not cold. But it’s not warm either.”
A frown hit his face. “It’s really that important, huh?”
“Everything I have ever learned about the Calamity tells me I that need the Blackwell Amulet fully powered. I don’t stand a chance fighting this without it. Everyone will die. Because I failed.”
His eyes darkened. “Don’t say that, Clara.”
“You’re right,” I whispered morosely. “I’m sorry.”
Elliott nodded, stroking my hair. I crawled forwards to nestle against his chest, and he pulled me into his embrace. Despite whatever came from today, or any day after… this was what this all about. I loved this man with all my heart. I knew that he, in turn, loved me back, and we were in a curious position together to do something—we hoped—to protect and save the ones we loved.
With him, I felt like nothing was insurmountable.
Even a magical amulet that I could never keep charged, or the fire in the sky just outside our space of heaven here.
“You are the love of my life,” I whispered to him while pulling him closer. “Do you know that, Elliott?”
He lowered his gaze, lifting my chin with a finger. “Do you? Do you grasp what you mean to me, Clara? Do you realize how badly I’ve come to need you? How empty this life would be without you here by my side?”
Those words were so beautiful.
Beautiful, just like him.
I nodded. “I think so.”
“There’s no thinking about it,” he shook his head.
“…I do. I know you’re speaking the truth.”
“So then… you believe me when I say these things?”
I leaned forwards to kiss him. “I do.”
The mere touch of his lips, and the crackle between us flew down my veins. I shivered with ecstasy at his taste—and at the very real energy we cultivated in our bodies, at every last kiss we shared. But if today was to be the end of the world, and the fall of the dreaded Calamity, I meant to waste no time with him.
I pulled my beloved Elliott Craven closer to me.
And we sank into his bed together in our kiss.
* * *
Hours later, I stood on Elliott’s balcony.
I still felt my heart burn for that beautiful sky above. It was the first real proof that I had—besides a tumble across space that felt more like an exploding dream—that I really stood on another world. And now, it’
s frozen in the middle of a roaring, menacing flame of light…
Elliott had been gone for awhile by now. Traversing the castle by foot the old-fashioned way was time-consuming. I knew that the places he sought were, very conveniently, buried under the castle…
Thankfully, I wasn’t left entirely alone.
The Knightly Trio were all playing cards at the table nearby. His vassal even got in on the action, matching bets and clearing house like she was a professional hustler straight out of Las Vegas. In a way, it felt right. The world might be ending, but until then, we tried to enjoy what was left of our time in our own way. It reminded me of the old story about the band playing while the Titanic sank…
Kinsey unveiled a flourish. “And that makes three.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Wilhelm groaned.
The other two were amused. Asarra looked over at him with a smug grin on her face. “Not so funny now, is it? It is okay to lose gold, if it means you lose too. Now, you taste some of your own, um…”
She turned to Viktor.
“Oh, don’t give me that. Surely, you know the word for medicine,” Wilhelm sighed, tossing away his hand.
“That is the one.”
He looked between Viktor and Asarra. “Clearly, you’re kidding. Haven’t I heard you use that one before?”
“I do not know all the words all the time.”
“It’s only one language! How don’t you?”
“I learn. I forget, I learn. Or I learn to start with.”
“What, don’t you know how to read?”
Asarra blinked away tears and looked down. The other guard glared at Wilhelm. “Look at what you’ve done now. You’ve upset her! It’s okay, Asarra. Don’t listen to him. He is jealous of your superior card-playing.”
“Reading is all she did while Clara learned magic!”
