“I’m bringing my brother back home,” Kalon said, shifting in his saddle so both Aeternae men could see Ansel clearly. The boy was taken aback by this exchange, and he wasn’t hiding it. Fortunately, the gag stopped him from talking. I wasn’t sure he would’ve had anything good to say, anyway. “I thought this road would be more… quiet.”
“It is,” the first Aeternae said. “Is that how your treat your siblings where you come from? You bind and gag them?”
“If they’re an idiot, maybe.” The second one chuckled. It earned him a scowl from his partner, so he cleared his throat and gave us a stern look.
“What did the youngling do?” the first Aeternae asked.
“Betrayed the empire,” Kalon replied. “It’s a long story.”
“We’re trying to get him some help before he earns himself the death penalty,” I added, hoping my presence might soften the Aeternae up a little. From my previous encounters with foreign and isolated cultures, tribespeople were often more receptive to female interlocutors, rather than males. They’d always been tempted to skin my brother alive, for example, but had often retracted that impulse upon speaking with me. Maybe these people were part of a similar culture. I did prefer a more observatory approach, but sometimes my input could make the difference between a peaceful introduction and a life or death situation.
Judging by the village’s general appearance, they clearly weren’t regular subjects of the Lord and Lady Supreme. Even their clothes were different—mostly leather, black and brown, and bone jewelry. Feathers were woven into their braided manes, occasionally fluttering in the forest breeze.
“Is that why you’re going this way?” the second Aeternae asked, sneering. “To keep his shortcomings a secret?”
Kalon exhaled sharply. “Yes. We’re hoping to save him before it’s too late.”
“Do you have any weapons?” the first Aeternae replied.
We both shook our heads. “No, sir,” I said.
“No need for weapons where we come from,” Kalon added.
Villagers came closer to the road, slowly advancing from their homes. The children stayed back, but the parents and elder siblings were all curious. They said nothing, light on their feet as they tried to get closer to listen to our conversation. I took it as a good sign, since they didn’t have their pitchforks and torches out for us.
“You’re Aeternae,” Kalon continued. “You don’t need weapons. Why do you have them?”
The young men exchanged wary glances. “It’s none of your concern,” the first one said. “But you are free to pass through. We won’t stop you.”
I was relieved, but I also wasn’t ready to leave yet. Hell, we’d only just arrived, and I had a feeling there was more to this place than met the eye. Most importantly, I wondered why the Aeternae felt the need for weapons here. It surely couldn’t be about the animals living in these woods. They were superior to vampires and thus the apex predators. Even if the sabre tigers were as proficient in hunting as Kalon had made them out to be, the weapons seemed redundant.
“Kalon, it’ll be night soon,” I said. “And we still have… how many miles until we reach the open plains? Two hundred?”
“Approximately, yes,” Kalon replied.
“Perhaps we could spend the night here. It seems safer than going through the Nightmare Forest, what with all the sabre tigers and red-tailed vipers. Right?”
He stifled a smirk, then looked at the young Aeternae. “You make a lot of sense, Esme. I wholeheartedly agree,” he said. “Would we be welcome to stay here until the sun rises tomorrow? I suppose you’re all aware of how dangerous the woods can be after dark.”
The first Aeternae scoffed. “You’re kidding.”
“I don’t think he is,” the second one replied. “What’s the harm? The inn has rooms.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “What would the rooms be for? No one ever comes around, right?”
The second Aeternae gave me a shrug. “We use the rooms sometimes, when we need privacy, or when we’re remodeling our homes or building new ones. We did have a stranger stay there once, as well.”
“Pavlos, the chief will get mad,” the first Aeternae protested, groaning with frustration.
“Why, Ember? What’s the harm in letting them stay? They don’t have weapons. They seem harmless,” Pavlos replied.
“No Aeternae is ever harmless, and you know that!” Ember shot back. He looked at Kalon, then at me. “We cannot let you stay unless the chief approves it.”
“We need to rest. It’s been a long journey so far. The regular road would have taken less time and effort, but given the circumstances, we’ve had to adjust,” Kalon said, following my lead. I figured he would understand that I wanted to know more about this place—he was probably just as curious. “We won’t be in anyone’s way. I promise.”
“Who is your chief?” I asked.
“I am,” a woman replied, stepping away from the growing crowd of curious villagers. To my surprise, she was a Nalorean, burly and covered in white furs. The temperature was dropping in this part of the forest, and I could feel chills climbing up my spine. Rows of animal teeth hung across her chest—hundreds of them, many painted in shades of red and gold, creating a bold contrast against the white fur. “I’m Kalla.”
“You’re the chief? A Nalorean?” Kalon gasped, unable to hide his astonishment.
She grinned. “Didn’t think I had it in me, huh? This ain’t the imperial city, boy,” Kalla replied. “This is the land of Orvis, where the Aeternae are not superior, but equal to us and the Rimians.”
That rendered both Kalon and me silent. It made Ember and Pavlos chuckle as Kalla approached us. She was a heavyset woman, her footsteps thumping along the hardened dirt road. The animal teeth rattled with each movement, and she had no problem establishing herself as the leader, even in front of Kalon.
Upon reaching us, Kalla looked at our horses first. Midnight neighed softly, while Lightning huffed and bowed his head. Unflinching, the Nalorean woman reached out and touched Lightning’s head, smiling warmly at the creature. “Such glorious creations,” she muttered. “We have some here, but they’re not easy to raise with sabre tigers lurking after sundown.”
“How did you end up leading the Aeternae?” Kalon asked, his voice low.
Kalla shot him a cold grin. “It’s not just Aeternae here,” she said. “There are Rimians and Naloreans, as well. We live in harmony, and we elect our leaders once every ten years.”
It hit me then, as I noticed the species diversity among the people, that Kalla was telling the truth. “This isn’t an Aeternae domain, is it?” I replied, unable to hide my excitement.
“Since the empire is not aware of our existence, no… no, it isn’t,” Kalla replied. Pavlos and Ember looked at her for direction. They didn’t speak without seeking her gaze first, I noticed. “We rule ourselves here, and it’s much better.”
“How… How is this possible?” Kalon mumbled, trying to wrap his head around the information.
“We’re outcasts,” Ember replied, crossing his arms. “We’re Aeternae who refused to drink Nalorean and Rimian blood. The empire shunned us, hoping we’d find our way back to it eventually. That was four thousand years ago. As you can see, we’ve found an even better path.”
“You subsist on animal blood, then?” I asked, my eyes widening. They were closer to my ethos than to Kalon’s and proof that the Aeternae’s way was not the only way for the empire. Of course, I understood that the Aeternae drank Rimian and Nalorean blood in order to keep themselves strong and superior as a species. That meant that Ember and all the other Aeternae in this village were weaker, physically speaking. Hence the weapons.
“The Aeternae of Orvis never drink from the Rimians and the Naloreans of Orvis,” Kalla declared proudly. Judging by the expressions of the other villagers, they all agreed. It was their rule of law.
“But it renders you weak,” Kalon replied, glancing at Ember. “I presume you’re the defend
ers of this place. How do you protect the village if you can barely protect yourselves?”
Ember took out his bow and mounted an arrow on it. “Pavlos, throw something.”
Pavlos nodded and took out a piece of bone from his satchel. He tossed it high in the air, and Ember shot his arrow. It pierced the flying shard at an impressive height and with great speed. The piece shattered and scattered around us. Ember smiled. “We can protect ourselves, all right. We just don’t need to get beefed up on innocent people’s blood to do it.”
“Kalon, I think we’re engaging in a culture clash of sorts,” I said. “Perhaps if Kalla is kind enough to welcome us into Orvis tonight, we could discuss this further. Over dinner.”
“So, what, you just hunt and drink animal blood?” Kalon wasn’t ready to let it go. It had to do with his entire upbringing. After all, he’d been taught that the Aeternae had to feed on Rimian or Nalorean blood; otherwise, they’d be vulnerable and open themselves up to bloody rebellions. His entire world pretty much hinged on how he procured his food.
“It’s how we keep the children and the animals safe,” Pavlos said. “We hunt tigers and bears. The occasional wolf. Plenty of deer. We rarely have to deal with predators in these parts, but it’s why we’ve built our village from steel stone.”
“In case of a herd or a pack attack from whatever creatures might be bold enough to take us on, we shutter ourselves in,” Kalla added. “The steel stone is almost impenetrable, and our weapons keep the animals at bay.”
“Hence the watchtower,” I concluded. “You can see the threats coming.”
“We may not be as sharp as you are,” Ember said to Kalon, “but we can still hunt and listen and smell things.”
“Let us rest here for the night.” I gave Kalla a reassuring smile. “And we’ll be on our way as soon as the sun rises in the morning. I’d love to learn more about your village, your people, your way of life…”
Kalla seemed surprised. Perhaps even a little flattered. “You would?”
“Esme is a studious scholar of cultures from all over. She comes from a faraway land,” Kalon said, giving me a wink.
“You’re from Rimia? Or Nalore?” Ember asked me. “You look more like an Aeternae than a Rimian or a Nalorean.”
“Neither. I’m a vampire from Earth,” I said. “Like Kalon said… a faraway land.”
Kalla laughed, throwing her head back. “Now I’m the one who’s intrigued. By all means, spend the night here. Ember and Pavlos will make sure you have rooms ready at the inn, including one for your… brother, is he?” She narrowed her eyes at Ansel, who was stiff and frozen and unable to even blink at this point.
“Yes. I’m afraid I’ve brought a family matter with us, though it was not my intention,” Kalon replied. “Thank you, Kalla, for your hospitality. It is much appreciated.”
“There is only one rule here, on which I insist,” the chief said. “You shall not drink any blood from us. We have hunters coming in later with fresh blood. It’s deer mating season, so there’s a herd gathering not far from here. You’ll like it.”
“If you break the rule, we might have to kill you.” Ember sneered at Kalon.
“Fine by me,” I replied. “I’m used to animal blood, anyway. We rarely drink from people where I’m from.”
“Oh, now you choose to take the high ground?” Kalon snorted a chuckle. “You had a very good opinion of Rimian and Nalorean blood when we served it to you.”
“Hey, man, I’m trying to leave a good impression here,” I retorted. It made the others laugh, so I turned my focus back to Kalla. “Rest assured, your people are all safe. Kalon and his brother might not be accustomed to drinking animal blood, but they will obey your house rules, with no protest whatsoever.”
“Then you are welcome here,” Kalla said, bowing.
The sun would set soon. Though we couldn’t see it because of the reddish haze, I recognized the dramatic change of colors overhead. Deep reds and purples streaked across the sky as the forest darkened around the Pearl Clearing, and the air grew colder.
We were better off spending the night here. I needed a few more hours of this quiet wilderness before we headed back into the hustle and bustle of the imperial city. Before I found the courage to confront Kalon about his lies. Before I set myself on a path to… something else, though I wasn’t sure what that would be.
Or whether I’d come out of it intact. All I could do was prepare for a night in the middle of Nightmare Forest, surrounded by people who’d learned to coexist without feeding on each other. Visio continued to surprise me.
Sofia
When Amal and Amane called us into the study room, I knew they were onto something. It was a gut feeling more than anything else, but my innards had never steered me wrong before, so I went with it. As Derek and I walked down the main hallway, my attention was occasionally diverted to the décor.
The sumptuousness of gilded details and elegant porcelain vases overflowing with crimson and orange and lemon-yellow blossoms was meant to distract from the social and political turmoil of an otherwise beautiful planet. The empire was not as powerful as we’d thought. There was rot somewhere in the middle, hidden from the eyes of the commoners. It had even taken us a couple of weeks to get the full picture.
The Aeternae’s hold on the Rimians and the Naloreans relied solely on their strength. The Darklings’ existence and organized attacks threatened the very stability of the empire. It proved that the Aeternae could still be blindsided—how else could anyone explain the fact that the Darklings had managed most of their work from the basement of the friggin’ imperial residence?
“Acheron and Danika are expecting us for lunch later,” Derek said.
The ruffled skirt of my floor-length dress danced across the polished marble flooring. The bodice was tightly wound around my waist, but I liked the overall feel of it. Danika had sent this outfit over last night, urging me to wear it at our next engagement. I was doing my best to please her and Acheron, but to be honest, I wasn’t all that fond of the Lady Supreme. She was a creature of comforts and habit, in no way fit to rule over this empire. I worried she might not have the healthiest reactions in a crisis. She and Acheron had not seen a single skirmish during their reign.
“We’ll go, of course,” I replied, taking my husband’s hand. “I look forward to seeing Thayen again.”
“You really like the kid.” He chuckled.
“I do. He’s more of an adult than both his parents put together. Then again, it’s my understanding that the Aeternae’s minds mature faster than their bodies. Maybe Acheron and Danika are slower than their own son to reach emotional and intellectual adulthood.”
I was being a little abrasive towards the Lord and Lady Supreme. From all our conversations with Danika and Acheron, it had become clear who the adult was. While Danika was driven by her whims, her regal upbringing, and her emotions, Acheron was a tad more composed. He too gave in to his own feelings—such as fear and rage—where Zoltan was concerned, but he ultimately had the best interests of the people and the empire at heart. He didn’t fear the nobles or the commoners. He didn’t shy away from taking risks, including that five-hundred-thousand-coin bounty he’d put on Zoltan’s head.
Acheron was ready to piss off a lot of people in order to deliver justice. Danika was not. As imposing and intimidating as she could be, she had her limitations. I couldn’t judge her for any of it, but I could at least allow myself to be a little bit more reserved in anything that concerned her—for my sake, and for the safety of our people and our operations.
That being said, her willingness to socialize with Derek and me did help. The last thing we needed right now was tension between us, especially since they were allowing us to mine for our day-walking molecule, and we were trying to help them cure the Black Fever.
Derek smiled. “I definitely think he’ll make one hell of a leader someday.”
“Oh, absolutely.”
The study room waited at the end of t
he long hallway, and I could feel my blood rushing upward. My stomach clenched with anticipation. Apparently, Derek was just as excited. “Do you think it’s about the molecule?” he asked, a concerned look on his handsome face.
“Either that or the Black Fever cure,” I said. “Maybe both. Who knows? Perhaps today is the day we all get lucky.”
“Am I wrong to feel so anxious?”
We stopped walking for a moment while I turned and cupped his face in my hands, his skin silky soft to my touch. I loved the clean-shaven feel of him in the morning. “You have every right to be anxious, Derek. It’s why we came here in the first place. I mean, sure, everything else has gone ass-up since we landed on Visio, but it’s why we’ve stuck around. So yeah… it’s okay to be anxious.”
“Maybe we’ll leave this world having done something good for them in the end.”
“It’s still a fair price for the molecule,” I replied.
“I want them to survive, Sofia. They may not be perfect. We may not agree with their forms of governance. But I want them to have a better shot at life. If we manage to eradicate this Black Fever, I’ll be a happy man.”
I smiled. “Even in dire moments, you still think more about others than about yourself. Derek, you’re simply too good for this life, this universe.”
He kissed me deeply, his arms snaking around my waist as he pulled me closer, pressing my body against his. I welcomed all the love he had to give, as always. He was my anchor, my safe haven, my everything. And I relied on him to get through this, as much as he relied on me to do the same.
“You have this way of making me want to be a better version of myself, Sofia, that’s all,” Derek murmured against my lips. “I wouldn’t be who I am without you.”
I sighed, relaxing in his embrace. I closed my eyes for a moment, my mind wandering back to The Shade and its Sun Beach. Derek and I had often talked about it—about me walking in the sun with him, about us spending days with the ocean lapping at our feet. This was our chance at making all our dreams a reality. We loved the night, and we’d grown accustomed to the darkness, but the sun had always remained a distant desire. Not anymore.
A Shade of Vampire 81: A Bringer of Night Page 4
