“My my my,” Hadreah said in mock shock. “This evening has turned into quite a mess has it not?” she laughed.
I stood motionless, staring at her. I had no weapons or anything else left on me to fight her with except my fists.
“Your mask is different tonight, Wayfarer,” she taunted. “Oh yes, I know all about you. Are you afraid to show your face?”
“Get down off of your horse and come over here and find out,” I ordered.
“I do not think so tonight, but I will enjoy scraping off all of that paint on of your face with the edge of my blade someday soon. But for now . . . you owe me pain!” And with that she raised a small wooden device to her mouth and blew into it, aiming right at me.
In a split second, before I could react, Prince Eythan raced over to me and shoved me out of the way of a small dart headed straight for me like a missile. It happened so fast I barely saw that the dart missed me and grazed Eythan’s right arm. Hadreah shrieked with evil laughter.
“An eye for an eye, Wayfarer. There is nothing from this world that can save your love now! Safe travels home, my dear!”
Apparently satisfied with whatever she had done, she and her two guards raced off back towards Shadowlea.
Eythan still had a grip on me and I turned to focus on him. He was breathing heavy and his guards came running. I looked back towards the portal. It had started to fade and flicker. If I ran, I knew somehow that I would make it. My attention snapped back to Eythan as I felt him crash to his knees.
“Eythan! What did she do?”
“It was a poisoned dart,” he choked out, looking like he was in pain. “The portal . . . go, Evie! Go home! . . . This may be your only chance! Do not waste it on me!”
Stay or go? Stay or go? Why did this have to be so hard? That witch did this to me on purpose! She knew Eythan would protect me. She meant to hit him. Stay or go?
“Get His Highness back to the castle!” ordered the lead guard. Two of them swarmed in and gently eased him to his feet.
“I can ride,” he said. He turned to me and gently placed a hand on my face. “Go before it is too late, Evie.”
I couldn’t leave him like this. I couldn’t. I loved him too much and it broke my heart all over again to see him in pain. I knew right then that I could never leave him. I was bound to him forever whether he wanted me or not. “No! I’m coming back with you,” I kissed him hard on the mouth. “We will fix this together!” As we separated, I swear I saw relief sweep over his face.
I let his guards guide me to a horse, watching sadly as the last rays of light from the portal faded until it became a shadow and disappeared completely. As a small group, we raced hard back to the castle. I rode behind one of the commanders as Eythan was too weak to ride with me nursing an injured arm. The chaos that had taken over the stable yard had abated somewhat by the time we made it back. That’s the good thing about night battles, . . . the vampires were out and could take on anything.
“My Lord!” one of the officials shouted as we arrived and ran to Prince Eythan. “Garret Crievan is being subdued in the dungeon. The king and the princess and their armies are out battling the creatures that came into Eteryn from the portals.”
“Thank you, Lord Erickson,” was all Eythan said as he was helped off of his horse. He had to be held up by two guards as we walked to the royal apartments where I could better assess how I could help him.
Chapter 27
“What did Hadreah say to you before she rode off?” King Edreyan asked as he, Princess Emeley, and I stood in the study across from Prince Eythan’s chambers.
The sight of the man I loved poisoned and in pain combined with my decision to refuse the portal home had taken its toll on me. I had never felt so lost and defeated before in my life. It was almost as if I was grieving already. I slowly raised my gaze to him and told him what Hadreah had practically laughed in my face. “She said that there is nothing from this world that can save him,” I repeated to the good king, whose sole desire now was to find a way to save his son’s life.
“Do you know what she meant by that?” he asked softly.
Looking down, I shook my head. There has to be a way, I thought. There just has to be . . . think, I told myself.
Images from earlier in the night came flashing back into my mind. The portal. No . . . the portals! There were several portals open tonight, not just the one that was meant to send me home.
“Your Majesty,” I asked looking back up at him. He met my gaze expectantly, hoping for something. “There were several portals open tonight. Is it possible to have your guards search the grounds to where they were open and bring back anything that appears to be from another world? Perhaps there might be a clue there . . . or possibly something we can use,” I pleaded. It might be a long shot, but we had to try something.
The king nodded. “It is worth looking into, Evie,” he said calling me by my first name. “It shall be done.” He motioned to the captain of the guards and Sir William, who nodded and left immediately.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I said with relief.
After the king went back into Eythan’s chambers I walked further down the hall of the royal apartments to the makeshift clinic being set up in the chamber next to my new one.
After a few moments, Princess Emeley joined me.
“Most of the East Village, including the clinic has burned to the ground. Hadreah orchestrated the attack and knew to target you and your companions there somehow. I believe that Henrik Beaumont and possibly Garrett Crievan were her accomplices. The clinic and everything in it has been destroyed. Silverstone Castle is your home now,” she said softly. “We need you to come and identify your companions for burial, Evie, one of them is missing.”
“What?” I was still in shock.
“Come with me now,” she said, already out the door.
I wrung my hands as we made our way down to one of the courtyards where the dead were being laid out. As we approached a row I saw the mangled bodies of Josh, Paul, and Kennedy. I brought my hands to my mouth in horror. It was just too much.
“Where is Sarah?” I gasped.
“We have not found her yet,” Princess Emeley said carefully.
“Then she could still be alive!” I said hopefully, thinking how relieved Sam would be.
“Perhaps,” she replied softly. “We will keep looking, Evie.”
I nodded and silently prayed she was all right and had been able to make it home. I have never suffered so much loss before this past year. I was completely numb. “I need to get back to Eythan,” I said mindlessly. He was all I could think about now on this terrible night.
∞
My heart ached to see Eythan so pale and weak, drenched in sweat. I felt terrible that he could not even muster the strength to get out of bed to see Lord Crievan’s execution. By now it was no secret that he truly had allied with our enemy, all for a promise of a crown; a crown that I had a hard time believing that Hadreah would bestow upon him. I will never understand this world. It is my world now. There is no more hope for me to go home. All I have left is Eythan, Emeley, the king, and Samantha. Rubbing my eyes, I glanced at the windows. Dawn was fast approaching and I needed to hurry if I was to see Lord Crievan die. I know Eythan would be there if he could, but since he couldn’t, I would go in his place. He would try to talk me out of it if he knew. I needed to see them execute the most evil man I had ever known. I needed closure.
My footsteps echoed down the stone steps. One of my bodyguards kept pace behind me. The trek to the vampire execution room seemed to stretch on and on. Finally, the entrance loomed before me. Enormous iron doors guarded by multiple guards appeared. I was admitted without question and continued down the torch lit path. Several courtiers and officials stood around discussing what was about to go down. All of them quieted and gave me a wide berth as I passed.
“This way, Miss Evelyn,” Sir Leonard spoke as I reached the perimeter of the arena. It was a large open room made entirely of stone
. The high ceiling was shaped like a crescent moon and open to the sky above. The open end faced the sunrise while the rest of the ceiling formed a protective cover for the vampire king and any others of his kind who needed to be sheltered from the sunlight. The most disturbing thing down in the room had to be the stone slab in the center with numerous iron chains bolted to it . . . designed to keep the vampire being executed from escaping. The slab was also positioned just so that as the sun rose, the rays would pass down with the precision of a laser beam to burn the convicted slowly, starting with the feet, working its way up to the head last. It would be torture for a vampire. I could see why this was reserved for the most evil amongst them.
Sir Leonard showed me to the best seat in the house . . . I was to sit next to King Edreyan in Eythan’s place. My nerves began to fray. Clearly, the royals were sending a message about me. If I sat next to the king, then I was important.
“Good Morrow, Evelyn,” the king said as he greeted me cordially, dressed in elegant royal attire, wearing his symbolic crown as a sign of sovereignty. It was a rare sight to see up close.
“Good morning, Sire,” I replied, watching everyone take their place; everyone but the princess who should be sitting on his other side. “Your Majesty, where is Princess Emeley?”
“You will see, have patience. Evelyn, when it starts, you must not show your emotions . . . whatever you feel. You must remain calm.”
I nodded in agreement.
“I’m sorry it had to end like this for him,” I said, not knowing what else to say.
“Aye, he was . . . my friend for the longest of time,” he said softly with a tone of remorse as he took my hand in his and squeezed it gently before letting go.
A hush fell over the audience consisting of humans, vampires, and half-vampires. The doors opposite to the stone slab opened and after a few tense moments I watched as Lord Crievan was brought out into the chamber still lit by torches. My eyes could barely understand what I was seeing. He was naked, save for a loin cloth and thick iron chains coiled and locked all over his body and around his neck. As he was pushed into the chamber, his eyes trained on me, at the king’s side. He gave me a ferocious smile that his dirty and disheveled appearance only amplified.
“Garrett Crievan,” a magistrate began. “You have been found guilty in a court of law for treason against our sovereign King Edreyan Claymore. Furthermore, you are found guilty of two counts of attempted murder of Evelyn Remington among other crimes including an alliance with Queen Hadreah of Shadowlea. You are hereby sentenced to death by sunrise.”
Crievan did not say a word, his eyes burned at me in hatred. He blames me, I thought. The guards grabbed him and towed him over to the slab. I wondered why he did not fight. Maybe he was too proud? Maybe he was hoping Hadreah would save him. However, as soon as it was apparent to him that he was really going to be chained down to die; he did put up a fight. I could barely make myself witness the brutality with which the vampire guards fought him with and eventually forced him to lie face up on the slab. Whenever he became difficult, they would bash him with a mace. I closed my eyes but did not flinch, trying to keep my poker face.
Finally, after he was secured in place, he began laughing like a lunatic. The doors swung open again and Princess Emeley appeared, dressed to kill. Sir Leonard followed her as she approached Crievan slowly and rounded around the back of him. He struggled mildly but went utterly still as she placed her thumbs over his eyes. My mouth dropped open as I witnessed her graze through his memories. After a few moments she released him and stepped back to take her place behind the slab directly below us.
Crievan began laughing again. “Did you see anything interesting, Your Highness?” he asked sarcastically and laughed. “The evil witch queen is going to kill all of you!” he laughed again.
Mercifully, dawn broke. The room became utterly silent as we watched the sunbeams slowly travel through the ceiling, then down the wall opposite the slab, and finally to the floor. Inch by inch the righteous sun slid over the stone steps approaching Crievan’s feet. He did not flinch much at the first touch of sun. I was told the ancient vampires could withstand it . . . but as it intensified and moved above his ankles, he started to struggle. Little by little it continued. Nothing can stop the sun. Tendrils of smoke plume started to rise from his skin, portions of which started to turn ashen and black. As the sun climbed higher and higher, Crievan began to fight with all his might to free himself but he was too weak and the chains were too numerous and strong.
When the sun reached his abdomen he started shrieking and thrashing wildly. I watched in horror as his legs, now fully exposed to the sun, began to catch fire. I was literally watching someone immortal being burned alive. I should have been pleased, but perhaps the brutality was too much for me. I remembered the king’s words and I displayed no emotion but I knew this was never something I wanted to witness again. King Edreyan reached over and put his hand over mine, lending me support. No matter the circumstances, I’m sure it was not easy for him to watch his old friend be tortured and killed in front of his eyes.
After the sunshine reached his head, his long blonde hair went up in flames. He was still fighting, still screaming even when his lower body had been reduced to ash. Princess Emeley stood ready with her sword. Was she there for our protection? Or was she going to offer mercy and behead him? My answer did not come for a few more moments until the sun had passed over our protective roof, keeping the king safe and exposing Crievan to the full brunt of the rising sun. Then there was silence. What was once a powerful lord was now simply a corpse. No more noise, no more movement . . . only flames. I watched the chains drop as the body beneath them collapsed into ash and soot. There was no mercy for Crievan. Princess Emeley let him suffer to the end without interfering.
After the execution, the king rose slowly and nodded to his daughter who nodded back. I rose up next to him and took the arm he extended to me, allowing him to lead me from the disturbing death I had just witnessed. Somehow, taking his arm seemed symbolic to me; I had been claimed as part of their inner circle, maybe even more.
Princess Emeley already stood waiting for us when we returned to the royal apartments.
“What did you see?” the king asked of his daughter.
“Crievan believed Hadreah has a weakness,” she replied with a glint in her eyes.
“Tell me.”
“It is her grimoire. It contains all of her ancient spells. It may even hold the cure for Eythan! If we can get our hands on it, we may hold the key to her destruction.”
“So be it,” King Edreyan mused. “That will be a dangerous mission. We need someone magic cannot touch to retrieve it.”
I glanced up to find them both looking at me. Swallowing hard I said, “if it might help cure Eythan, I will do anything to get it for you.”
Pleased smiles flashed about the room despite how terrified I was at what I had just volunteered to do.
Chapter 28
We’d been through it countless times. I could think of nothing else on this cold, silent ride on the darkest of nights. I rehearsed the route from which I was to enter through the castle down to Hadreah’s bedchamber and workroom where it was reported she sometimes slept with the grimoire by her side. Princess Emeley’s ally stated that Hadreah preferred to rest beneath the ground level because it supposedly re-energized her to be closer to the elements.
After all that I had seen and experienced in this world it would be so tempting to start believing in magic, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I had to cling to my mantra that there was no such thing. I had no explanation as to why this concept of magic seemed to be able to affect the people here, but I knew one thing, it did not affect me. I could go crazy trying to figure out the logistics, but I had no time. I simply just had to accept this situation for what it was and go with it; my beloved prince’s life depended on it. Princess Emeley quickly assembled a team. Before we left, I kissed Eythan good-bye as he slept, feeling his fever growing worse
. He would never let me go if he knew what we were about to attempt to do.
∞
I sensed a drop in temperature as we neared the location where Hadreah’s barrier wards were supposed to begin. Our small party halted and each of us dismounted our horses. No one dared light a torch. The soft white glow of the moon shone as our sole light source. I’m sure my companions of vampire lineage could see just fine. I handed off my gray stallion to one of the guards and pulled out the cloth bag containing my old modern-world sneakers. They miraculously had escaped the fire in the village because Princess Emeley wanted to study them with her collection after I bought my first pair of boots. She and her soldiers scoped out the horizon while I went to a nearby rock to sit down and remove my leather boots, replacing them with the sneakers. Afterwards, I stood up and joined them to take my first glimpse of Hadreah’s forbidding castle. Made of dark stone, it rested on a hill inland from the sparkling black lake in the distance. It appeared tightly secure with a high stone wall surrounding the adjacent village. I would have thought it somewhat pretty had it not been for the knowledge of the evil thing that dwelled inside. The sheer size of it intimidated me and I began to doubt my ability to do the job tonight. Swallowing hard, I approached the princess.
The Twilight Star Page 32
