The Twilight Star

by Laura E. Collins

  “Evelyn,” he said softly. “Do you regret missing the portal?”

  I opened my eyes and gazed into his knockout handsome face. The living lie detector just asked me a serious question and I had to be honest.

  I hesitated for a moment before I replied. “Yes . . . and no . . . I miss my world and my family. It breaks my heart that I will never see them again. But . . . I am not the same person I was when I arrived here. I’ve hurt people and I . . . I don’t know how I could go back and live like I did before. It wouldn’t be the same. Eythan, I love you and if I had to go back home and live without you . . . I wouldn’t call it living.” There it was. I hoped my answer satiated his curiosity.

  My beautiful half-vampire prince smiled at me. “I regret that I wasted so much time pushing you away. I knew it was wrong. I knew from the moment I first scented you on my road home that you were mine. I regret that I did not pull you into my arms at that very moment. I love you, Evie, and I will spend the rest of my life trying to make up for it. I only hope you will forgive me.”

  “There is nothing to forgive. I understand you were trying to protect me.” I smoothed his hair back, enjoying the soft feel of his skin and the silky texture of his light golden hair.

  “Evie, if we survive this war . . . no matter what happens . . . if we are both still standing at the end; promise me you will marry me. You are my twilight star. Please say yes.”

  My mouth dropped open and tears filled my eyes. I couldn’t believe what he had just asked me. I would have never thought it would come to this in a million years. “Yes,” I whispered with the widest smile. Then, with the fastest sleight of hand, he produced a simple gold band with engraved stars inset with tiny white twinkling stones. Whether or not they were diamonds, I didn’t know, but it was beautiful. He kissed my left hand, and slid it in place. I looked back up to him and our lips met, connecting us while our hands traveled over each other’s body. My heart swelled as he moved over me and we became one once more.

  A few hours later, I woke again and slipped out of bed. Eythan was already awake, going over documents at his desk. I pulled a night dress on hastily as I headed over and kissed him on my way to the privy chamber. Once I had freshened up, I returned to the bedchamber. I was in the middle of gathering my clothes when the bedroom door burst open. Eythan shot to his feet and was in front of me before I could even take a breath.

  “I am so sorry to intrude,” Princess Emeley said quickly.

  “Well?” Eythan demanded. If it was one thing he hated, it was interruptions during our private time together.

  Emeley held up her hand which contained a tiny folded note. I knew right away who it was from.

  “Marstyn reports that Hadreah is coming.”

  ∞

  A flurry of activity seemed to explode around me. Eythan dashed off to prepare his army. Emeley disappeared to ready hers. Servants and my bodyguards surrounded me. Behind a gilded screen I was simultaneously given a morning snack while they latched my sheer mesh armor over my body and undergarments before my custom black uniform made by Madame Elise was eased back on. She had repaired the rips and erased the stains after my first encounter with Hadreah. Grace brushed and braided my hair so that it would hold tight and out of my face. The only thing missing was my war paint, but we had no time.

  Sam appeared, wearing a fine pale peach colored gown, holding my messenger bag with the grimoire inside. My servants recoiled at the sight of it. I’m not sure how I could live with such superstition.

  “We must go, Miss Evelyn,” a guard at the door informed me.

  “Be careful, Evie. This is not a game. Kill that bitch the very first chance you get!” Sam ordered.

  I nodded. “You’re not coming?”

  She shivered, horrified at the thought of war. “I’m . . . I’m pregnant, Evie,” she said softly, giving me a shy glance. “Besides, I would not last two seconds. I’m not strong like you are. I would be a liability. Kill Hadreah, Evie. I can’t live without William.”

  I knew how she felt. It was the same way I felt about Eythan. Smiling at her, I pulled her into an embrace. She was my family now, all that I had left of my world. “I have a few new tricks up my sleeve,” I told her confidently. To say that I was scared was only partly true. I was terrified, because deep down the truth was there. This was not my world and I had nothing and everything to lose all at the same time. As my father used to say . . . I would give it my best. I released her and snatched the holster they made me with my loaded guns I had carefully laid out at the ready, then slipped the ornate dagger Eythan had given me under my tunic. My entourage and I marched through the castle to the royal stable yards. Looking up at the sun on this late fall day, I felt a pang of regret that the king could not be there with us to lead the counterattack. We could probably use all the vampire strength that we had.

  As if reading my mind, Eythan approached me. He looked fierce in his shiny armor. He was the king in the king’s absence. “We will ride south to defend our border and prevent an invasion. My father cannot fight in direct sunlight so he will stay here and defend the castle. Evie, . . . you do not have to come.”

  “We are in this together. Hadreah will do anything to get this book back. Better there than here,” I reasoned.

  “King Marstyn indicated that Lord Tobias has been ordered to acquire you for Queen Hadreah . . . I will die before I let him touch you! I love you, Evelyn. Do whatever you have to in order to stay alive. I need you!” he proclaimed, sweeping his arms around me and crushing me to him in a long passionate kiss, not seeming to care that everyone present stared at us with hope, joy, pity, and sorrow. When we separated, I caught Emeley’s determined expression in the corner of my eye. She wants her mate back too.

  Again I rode with Sir Leonard along with Sir William at our side. They were assigned to be my bodyguards. Behind us, a horse drawn cart carried the dirt bike with a full tank. It started before we left, I only hoped it would do so again. My motorcycle skills weren’t great, but at least I was familiar with them. My array of modern and unconventional weapons were also accounted for. I only hoped it would be enough.

  The sheer numbers of soldiers, horses, and weapons that were amassed to move frightened me. I had seen such things in epic movies before, but the experience of it was nothing like this. To know that Eythan was the commander of it all gave me a new found awe and respect for him. No wonder he trained and drilled all the time. Despite his recovery, fear crept into my mind. He grew stronger every day, but I knew he had not yet regained his full strength back.

  I was thankful to be riding with Sir Leonard and even more thankful that he kept us close to Eythan and Emeley. I held Hadreah’s grimoire tight against me in my messenger bag behind my back. Moving quickly and steadily, our army marched beyond the South Village into the plains, the same way Princess Emeley and I had come the night I stole the grimoire. I hoped that wasn’t a wasted trip. So far, the book hasn’t been much of a help to anything. Even Rosalind couldn’t wield the magic within it. King Edreyan had commanded her to either join the fight with us or be hunted down by him when it was over. I wondered if they ever found out that she was the one who wanted Sir Deverell’s hand. She rode on a horse by herself next to me, occasionally chanting and making small gestures with her hands, looking nervous. Whatever.

  Chapter 30

  Early in the afternoon I heard it. The dark rhythmic sound of the beating of drums. “War drums,” Sir Leonard said in front of me when he noticed I picked up on it. His half-vampire hearing no doubt had been attuned to it for a while now. I looked up at the front of the line where Prince Eythan rode tall and proud. I suddenly started to feel a little sick, my nerves finally woke up. This might be it for me. I may die here.

  “They will not start fighting right away. Queen Hadreah is the sort that likes to chat first,” he said.

  A short while later our enemies appeared on the horizon like a dark cloud. Hundreds if not a thousand soldiers and other humanoid creatures carryin
g all sorts of weapons became visible. Bats, insects, or birds . . . I couldn’t tell, circled overhead like a black snow storm. Their drums grew louder and louder. Queen Hadreah rode in front with her armored king on one side and her highest ranking guard, Lord Tobias, on the other. She was dressed in black body armor complete with a helmet and cape. I could not see the upper part of her face as the helmet only reached down to her lips, sharply curving away from them. They stopped and formed a long wall in front of us. Eythan gave the command for our army to do so as well, forming a tight line.

  I watched as our three enemy leaders dismounted and began to walk towards us. Eythan, Princess Emeley, and Lord Erickson did the same. Lord Erickson was a high-ranking half-vampire general, I remembered him from the night when the witch poisoned Eythan. I watched them carefully from my vantage point on the horse as they approached one another. Suddenly something caught my eye. A wooden platform was hastily being erected in the front of their line and a woman with a shaved head was half dragged, half thrown up onto it. She was bound and appeared frail, streaked with blood here and there over her tattered once white chemise. I watched as an armored guard marched up after her, hauling her to her feet. The world came rushing at me as I realized it was Sarah!

  “Let me down!” I ordered Sir Leonard. He immediately helped me off of the horse and went with me to the front, keeping a hold on me as my rage consumed me. Rosalind followed suit. I wondered if she had been ordered to protect me too. I had to simultaneously keep my eyes on Eythan and Sarah while my mind spun. Guilt ricocheted through me as I realized Sarah had been this evil witch’s prisoner since the night of the twilight star. Had I known she was in Shadowlea, I could have tried to rescue her the night I stole the grimoire. I felt sick again as I stared at her, she had obviously been tortured. How are we going to get out of this?

  “Prince Eythan of Eteryn, we meet again,” Queen Hadreah began.

  “Queen Hadreah, it appears as though you want to invade my territory,” Eythan replied lightly.

  “The age of the vampires is over,” she replied boldly. “I will give you a choice. Surrender and join with me now or I will destroy you and your pathetic family and take your kingdom anyway.”

  “You are nothing but a fool if you think that I would ever agree to that, witch!” Eythan countered.

  I watched and listened closely. Something wasn’t right. The sound of her voice seemed off. The tone just wasn’t there. The armor . . . the helmet . . . then it hit me! It wasn’t her! I had to warn Eythan that Hadreah was playing dirty tricks again. “That isn’t Hadreah,” I said loud enough for Eythan to hear but hopefully soft enough that my voice didn’t carry.

  “You are right!” Rosalind said from beside me, astounded at my revelation. “’Tis a glamour. I can see it now.”

  Quick as a flash of lightning, Eythan yanked his sword free and ran it through the decoy, who screamed and fell instantly. Her helmet flew off as she hit the ground, revealing Lady Christabel Crievan. So that’s where she fled to, I thought as I flinched at the awful violence. I had a feeling it was about to get much worse. The two guards that had been at her side drew their swords and waited.

  Suddenly the guard standing on the platform with Sarah started clapping his hands. Another guard joined them and the first one removed his helmet . . . it wasn’t a man, it was Hadreah!

  “Why my prince, it seems that you are feeling better. I see you brought your savior with you.” Hadreah’s eyes cut to mine and narrowed. “Or should I say thief! I hoped you would come, Evelyn Remington. No disguise today I see . . . well that was getting a little old,” she laughed a horrible unnatural laugh that reminded me of the Joker. Magic or no magic, this woman was a power-hungry psychopath. I contemplated shooting at her, but I had no doubt I would miss . . . she was too far away.

  “Destroyer of Magic. That is what my people call you. You know, I wondered just how powerful you really are . . . what makes you so special?” She walked a few steps over to Sarah and pulled her to her, gripping her roughly. She seemed out of it with her eyes rolling around in a haze. It broke my heart to see my friend this way. I felt Sir Leonard’s hand on my shoulder, ready to stop me if I decided to do something stupid. I slipped my hand down into one of the pockets of my tunic.

  “When I captured your dear friend over here on the night I opened all of the portals, I vowed to find out.”

  I watched in horror as she pulled a long serrated blade from a sheath on her thigh and held it to Sarah’s throat. My eyes met Sarah’s briefly before she closed hers, tears streaming down her cheeks. Eythan kept his shoulders squared and his gaze alternating keenly between Hadreah and Lord Tobias.

  “Would you like to know what I discovered?” she continued sweetly.

  I wanted so badly to issue her a nasty retort, but not while she had Sarah’s life in the balance. I was silently thankful that Sam wasn’t here to see this. Sir William suddenly appeared by my side.

  “Nothing to say, Wayfarer?” she taunted with a wild look in her eyes. “I have tried all kinds of spells on this one and guess what? She is immune from my magic just like you are. You are all alike. You are nothing special. It must be a trait of your kind of people. You are nothing more than a simple human from another world just like your friend here! My magic may not affect you, but you can still die just as easily the traditional way!” And without hesitation she drew the blade deep across Sarah’s throat, killing her and tossing her down onto the platform.

  I heard myself screaming before I think I actually knew that I was. My hands flew to my face in horror before I remembered the lighter I had gripped in my right hand. Grunts and shouts of uneasiness traveled back through our army as I immediately set to work. I quickly pulled out Hadreah’s grimoire from my bag and held it open in front of me.

  “Let’s see how immune you are!” I yelled with tears streaming down my face as I tore several pages clean out of the book, dropping it disrespectfully on the ground. I lit the pages on fire, letting the ashes fly to the wind as everyone watched them burn.

  Enraged, Hadreah screamed and grabbed her face as if she were in pain. “Kill the wayfarer! Retrieve my grimoire!” she ordered as she rose in the air. That is when all hell broke loose. Eythan turned to fight Hadreah’s third in command, Lord Tobias, who had pivoted towards me while Emeley turned her attention to King Marstyn. The two of them pretended to spar as I bent to pick up the book. It was anyone’s guess when Marstyn would make his move to turn on the queen. Sir William and Sir Leonard were already ushering me back behind the line with Rosalind close on my heels.

  “Get me to Hadreah! I can stop her from using magic!” I cried as they pulled me further back.

  “Our orders are to protect you!” Sir William grunted as soldiers flew by us.

  “Let me go!” I yelped.

  “I can help with that,” Rosalind said, raising her hands and muttering something. Within five seconds, my two bodyguards fell unconscious to the ground.

  “What . . .?”

  “No time, that sleeping spell will not last long, come!”

  Hanging tight to my messenger bag and we half-ran, half-crawled back towards the front of the line. I could see Hadreah high above us gesturing, shouting, and launching airborne daggers at our soldiers. The witch swept her arms back and forth forcefully. I noticed the soldiers raising their shields and scrambling to get out of the way of whatever unseen force she was unleashing upon them. Pain and death surrounded us. I had no idea where Eythan and Emeley were. I paused in the fray and Rosalind caught up to me.

  “We need to get under her!” I explained.

  Rosalind stopped and simply stared back at me. “Give me the grimoire, Evelyn,” she said holding out her hands.

  “What? . . . No!” I said stepping away from her.

  “I am not asking,” she moved towards me with an otherworldly cloudy look in her eyes, a dagger clutched in her hands.

  I knew Hadreah had possessed her. I pulled out my revolver, remembering what Eythan
had told me about survival. Rosalind’s body laughed at me.

  “Use your weapon if you will . . . I will rise again,” she sneered at me.

  My mind raced and I contemplated shooting her but thought better of it and put my gun back in its holster. If I was the Destroyer of Magic, then so be it! I lunged at her, wrapping my hands around her throat. Almost instantly she dropped her dagger and the cloudiness in her eyes disappeared.

  “Evelyn,” she choked.

  “Put a shield over yourself the moment I let go!” I ordered. She nodded.

  I let go of my hold on her and Rosalind apparently raised a barrier to protect herself but I couldn’t see anything.

  “Thank you,” she said, holding her throat.

  “Let’s go!”

  Together we inched our way through the battle, edging closer. If I could just get my hands on Hadreah, I could end this . . . I thought as we worked our way closer. I had to use my revolver several times, blasting enemies away. I’m sure my royals could hear me wherever they were. Rosalind worked furiously, chanting a protection spell over our army, but she was not Hadreah and soon began to tire. I spied a rocky crag and slipped my messenger bag into it, hiding the book. I figured since she couldn’t sense it anymore I was better off without it. I took a mental note of where we were, in case I needed to come back for it.

  After we were several yards away from it, Hadreah turned and saw us coming and lowered herself to the ground, as if to wait for me as the sun set. “Your magic is pitiful!” she yelled at Rosalind. “I am the only one in this world that has any real power!” she bragged with a laugh. Hadreah began murmuring a spell in some unrecognizable language and I watched helplessly as it lifted poor Rosalind high in the sky before I could reach her and then flung her to the ground way off in the distance. I winced as she was surely dead on impact. My gun was already in my hand squeezing the trigger, sending bullet after bullet into her. Her army closed in around me as she deflected the bullets. As if in slow motion, several things happened at once. Sir William and Sir Leonard reappeared at my side to fend off Hadreah’s assassins while King Marstyn and Emeley appeared next to Hadreah. He had removed his helmet as a sign of rebellion. Marstyn drew a dagger and buried it into Hadreah’s back causing her to lose her focus and allow one of my bullets to penetrate her abdomen. I cursed myself for not being a good shot.