by S. L. Gavyn
I stood back up and walked over to the driveway. Kneeling I sent my magic out into the asphalt. I saw a black Mercedes without tags pull up and the Vamp get out alone. A few minutes later the Vamp and Tristan got back in and drove away. There were no determining factors in regards to the car. It was a typical luxury Mercedes, probably a million of them on the roads. The Vamp didn’t have any distinguishing marks I could see either. He had brown hair and a full beard cut short. He was of average height and build. No tattoos that I could see and no scars. I could describe him to a sketch artist then search our database but something tells me I would be wasting my time.
The question is, who would send a Vamp to abduct Tristan? There is only one person who comes to mind. One person knows how much Tristan means to me and because of that hates him. One person who would have the means to hire a Vamp to abduct him.
I arrived at Eternal Darkness about twenty minutes later and took the time to attach my sword to my hip before starting for the bar. It was the first gift Lucian gave me. He had been training me in sword fighting for a couple of years when he presented it to me. He had commissioned a Valkyrie he knew to make it. I don’t always carry it with me because it’s hard to walk around with all the time. I do know a spell that keeps it hidden but I have to constantly work on keeping the spell up. Some people are able to do this without thought but for me it takes effort. Not to mention my magic would pull from my surroundings to feed the spell and I don’t really like doing that. It will pull from plantlife and small animals and Humans. The thing about my magic is that it doesn’t discriminate. Anything that contains energy is fair game to be pulled from. I wasn’t worried about hiding my sword this time because I would be concealing myself until I found my Vamp and then I would be using the sword so I wouldn’t have any use for it being hidden.
Dark Elves are able to conceal themselves just like light Elves only they use the darkness. Their magic is connected to the dark so they will use the darkness to make them shadow. Luckily, one of my adoring fans from last night was a dark elf so I used their magic to conceal myself and used the Vamp magic I had taken to quickly make my way past the bouncer out front and into the club. The band was playing already and Dan was filling in as singer. I spotted Roman sitting in his usual spot in VIP and I worked my way toward him. There were just as many people here tonight as there had been last night and as I got closer to Roman I dropped my concealment. That turned out to be a mistake because I was recognized immediately. I could hear people say my name as I passed but I ignored them. Then I heard the music stop and Dan’s voice come over the microphone. “Sunny. You’re finally here.” I ignored him too. The bouncer at the entrance to VIP eyed me warily but didn’t make a move to stop me. Good for him. I continued to walk straight up to Roman and pulled my blade as I went until it was pointed directly at his neck. He didn’t bother to even move from his seat.
“Where is he?”
“I’m afraid you’ll need to be a bit more specific than that, Sunshine.”
“Where is Tristan?”
“I wouldn’t know where the boy is. Perhaps he grew weary of you.”
I called on Werewolf magic and backhanded him before placing the blade to his throat again.
“Where is he?”
He wiped the blood off of his lip. “I told you I don’t know.”
“You threaten to kill him then the next night he’s taken by a Vamp and yet you expect me to believe you had nothing to do with it?”
“I don’t really care what you believe. I’ve told you the truth. I had nothing to do with the child’s disappearance.”
Suddenly there was a knife to my throat. “Lower your weapon or I will kill you.”
I smiled. Carly should have known better than that. I reached up and used Witch magic to cast a simple spell that would hold her in place and then I began pulling her magic into me. After several seconds she fell to her knees and I turned to look at her without breaking contact with her hand.
“That is enough,” Roman told me but I ignored him.
I looked her in the eyes. “The next time you hold a blade to my neck you had better kill me because I will kill you.” I released her and she fell to the floor. “I want my boy back, Roman. I will destroy this world if I have to but I will get him back.”
I used the Djinn’s magic to teleport to the stage and took the mic from Dan. “Someone was taken from me. Someone I care for deeply and I will not stop until he is returned. Spread the word because whoever stole him is dead. It’s just a matter of time.” With that I teleported out of the club and to Lucian’s.
I took a moment to get my emotions in order. I don’t know what to think. Roman is the top suspect but he didn’t seem to be lying when he said he knew nothing of Tristan’s disappearance.
“Are you just going to stand out here all night?” Lucian asked from the darkness surrounding me.
I looked toward where the voice had come and instantly he was standing in front of me. He took a second to look at me before he wrapped his strong arms around me. I tried to keep my tears in. Only a few managed to escape as Lucian held me.
After a few minutes he pulled back. “Come inside and tell me all you know about his disappearance.”
It didn’t surprise me he knew why I was here. Lucian had ways of acquiring information I would never know about. He led me inside and Brennan took one look at me before she too was hugging me profusely. I let her hold on for a few seconds before I moved us to the sitting room. Lucian handed me a cup of tea and I accepted it gratefully.
We just sat there in silence for a moment while I gathered my thoughts then I began telling them everything I knew about Tristan’s abduction. When I finished Lucian seemed to be thoughtful for several minutes. Finally, he got up and began to slowly pace the floor.
“You can stop with these silly notions Roman took him. That should help you concentrate on finding the real villain.”
“He held Tristan over the side of a building and threatened to kill him just two nights ago. I think it’s safe to assume he had something to do with this.”
“And I am telling you he did not.”
“Why would you think he’s innocent? Because the two of you are buddies?”
“I am sure he didn’t do it because he spent the majority of last night here with me.”
Brennan was nodding her head in agreement.
“Why would he be here?”
“We were talking about…things.”
“Things? You mean me. Did you tell him Tristan is my son?”
“No. He told me of the events on the roof but I thought it should be your decision to tell him the truth or not. I did tell him your relationship with Tristan wasn’t as it seemed but that was all.”
“So he still thought Tristan was my lover and after he left here he went and abducted him.”
“He wouldn’t do that. No matter how much he did not want Tristan in the picture he would not have harmed him. I also told him that Tristan was important to me and if anything happened to him I would not be happy. Do you think I would defend someone I truly thought may have abducted my grandson?”
“I don’t know Lucian. I keep learning more and more about how close you and Roman are and don’t get me wrong but you aren’t exactly that friendly toward Tristan.”
His eyes widened. “He is my grandchild. I merely mean to guide him into the man I know he will once be. I have known Roman for centuries but that does not mean I would choose him over Tristan.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that if it wasn’t Roman, who was it? I have never seen the Vampere who took him before. I have no idea if he was working alone or for someone. Where do I even begin to find any information?”
Lucian walked over to me and put his hands on my shoulders. “You need to stop thinking like a mother and start thinking like the agent I know you to be. If you allow your emotions to cloud your judgments you will never find him.”
A tear slipped out and he wiped it away. It was easy to say n
ot to let my emotions control me but my mind was screaming that my boy was gone. He could be being beaten right now while I sit here and do nothing. He could already be dead. No, I won’t go there. I can’t go there.
“Stop. Your thoughts will be your downfall. The mind is a dangerous thing especially when it is lost.” He seemed thoughtful for a moment. “Perhaps there is one who can help you. She knows all but it has warped her mind and forced her into hiding. Thou she may be willing to help you this once.”
“Tell me father. The sooner I get Tristan back the better.”
“Her name is Aerystasia. She is the strongest oracle to have ever lived. She is ancient and she will know what you seek before you ask it. Whether she will tell you the answer you want is the true mystery.”
“It’s worth a try.”
“I’ll come with you,” Brennan piped in.
She had been so silent while me and Lucian talked I had forgotten she was here.
“No Brennan. You don’t have control of your magic yet and if this woman is as old as Lucian said she will be very dangerous.”
“That’s why you need me. My magic is strong.”
“Yes it is. That is why you need to learn to control it.”
She huffed and for a moment I thought she would continue to argue but instead she held out her hand.
“Then take some of my magic. It’s getting stronger as the meds wear off and you taking some of it will help me and you both.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded.
“Then I thank you and except your offer.”
I reached out and took her hand. I pulled in as much as I could stand to take before squeezing her hand once and releasing it.
“I will open a portal for you to get to Aerystasia’s,” Lucian offered.
“How will I get back?”
“That will be for you to figure out. If you are really lucky, Aerystasia.”
“Great. I have to rely on the crazy uber-powerful oracle. Thanks, father.”
“You are quite welcome daughter.” He winked at me.
He waved his hands in front of him and the air began to distort. After a moment he pulled his hands back and nodded to me. I nodded back and walked through the portal.
Chapter Fifteen
“Crazy cave lady”
I came out in a cave. WTF? Why am I in a cave?
“Because you have to ask me where your son is. Or at least that’s what one voice says.”
I turned to see an old woman approach me. She was dressed in rags and her hair looked to have either fallen out or been pulled out in places while the rest looked as though it had went unbrushed for centuries. There was dirt all over her and her hands had several scratches on them with the nails broken and jagged. There was a light surrounding her but it didn’t seem to be coming off of her. It just moved with her lighting her way.
I curtsied to the best of my ability. “Aerystasia.”
“Get up girl. I know my damned name. At least I haven’t lost that yet.”
“Uh, sorry. I was just trying to show you some respect.”
“You want to show me some respect? Next time don’t come to me with your problems. There are so many thoughts and strings. Thousands of strings. If you pluck just one, just one, the whole thing might unravel. I hate when the strings get tangled. Takes forever to get the knot out. Still trying to get the knot out.”
Okay. Let’s try to move this along.
“I’ve come to ask you if you could tell me where my son is.”
I didn’t bother to word the question if she knows where he is because more than likely she does.
“I’m not omnipotent. I only know what I’m supposed to know and yes, his whereabouts are one of those things.”
“Um, okay. So you will tell me?”
“I can tell you much child. Some you will want to know. Most you will not.”
“Right now I only want to know about my son.”
“He is alive. That is all. You must pick your allies for the coming battle. The Vampere would not be a bad choice.”
“What battle? Which Vampere? Where is my son?”
“So many questions. Always questions. What it would be like to be the one told for once.”
“I will tell you something. If you would permit me.”
She tilted her head and I worked hard on thinking about anything except what I had planned to do.
“You will. I grant you permission.”
Before I could think better of it I reached out and touched her arm. Images flooded my senses so fast I felt lightheaded. Pain was the one sense that accompanied it all. I released her arm and took a step back. Before the images could leave me I sorted through what I could make sense of.
She has been alone her entire life. Put on display as a child by her father and demanded to give premonition after premonition. She finally managed to get away from his controlling hand only after his death. Others have tried to control her but she learned how to be cunning and lead them to their death until no one would try to take advantage of her again. Even with that freedom she was a slave to the voices. They seldom let her sleep and constantly tell her secrets, futures, deaths, she has seen and experienced it all. There was but one person in the whole world she was never able to read. A man she met in a chance encounter and then he was gone. It was only after his departure she realized she knew nothing about him. All of her life she knew everything about everyone. More secrets than she ever wanted to know. And yet with this one man she knew nothing.
That was the information I needed to seek. I need to find this man for her. He will be her salvation. With the thoughts I heard whispers from within. Her magic at work. Telling me everything. All that I might want to know and all that I don’t want to know. I asked the voices where my son is and they went silent. No wonder she was crazy. All the information about anyone except the one you really want to know about.
I put thoughts about Tristan aside. If I’m lucky, she will help me find him. Instead I thought about the man she could know nothing about. Because he wasn’t connected to me the voices immediately started telling me everything. I turned to Aerystasia and smiled.
“He is a Djinn.”
Her eyes widened.
“He is alone. As you’ve never forgotten him the same can be said for him about you. If you leave tonight and follow the North Star, you will find him.”
There were tears in her eyes and she didn’t speak for several minutes. Finally, she looked down at herself and seemed to notice the state she was in for the first time. As she looked back up at me she was a young woman in her twenties with golden locks flowing down her back and the sheath style dress she wore was pristine white. She smiled at me and I smiled back.
“I thank you for your gift, child. It is the first true gift I have ever received. In return I will ease your burden.”
“You’ll tell me where Tristan is?”
She shook her head slightly. “That I cannot do for it would do him a great disservice. I will however allow you to rest. When you awake you will know your son’s location.” She smiled again. “Oh, and be prepared to beg.”
My brows drew together. Beg? She reached out and touched me and I knew no more.
I was floating happily and when I landed I was on a trail in the woods. I looked around but didn’t see anything familiar.
“Is this the fastest you can go? You’re like a sloth.”
Roman was standing in front of me smiling as he teased. It wasn’t the Roman I left in his bar earlier but the older version I had known years before. He took my hand and we started along the trail again. “Come on. It’s only a little further and I want to get there before it’s too late.”
Too late? Wait. Something about this seems familiar. I followed him through the woods up a slow incline until finally the trees opened and I saw a large meadow that lead up to a cliff overlooking the canyon below. Now I know why this seems familiar.
The sun was about to set and that was obvious
ly why he wanted to hurry. I also saw that a blanket had been laid out and there was a picnic basket sitting on top.
“Wow. You’ve went all out,” I heard myself say.
“You’re worth it. Have a seat and I’ll pour the wine.”
I sat down on the blanket and he poured us wine before coming to sit beside me. We could watch the sun’s full descent from our perch and it was perfect. Slowly the sky turned from a brilliant blue to an orange before turning red and finally becoming purple.
“That was beautiful.”
“You are beautiful, Sunshine. My very own light in the dark. Without you I would live in eternal darkness.”
“I don’t know about being a light.”
He kissed me instead of responding. When I was completely breathless he pulled back and just looked at me until I began to feel subconscious.
“Will you marry me, Sunshine?”
“What?”
Out of nowhere he held a ring in his hand. “I asked if you would marry me.”
“I, I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes.”
I looked into his eyes to see he was sincere. It was apparent he was eagerly waiting for my answer. “Yes.”
His face broke into a smile and he kissed me again even more passionately. After a moment he seemed to come to his senses because he pulled back and took my hand before sliding the ring in place. I looked at it. It was beautiful. Simple but perfect in its simplicity and it appeared to be old. I’m talking belonging in the Smithsonian old.
“It’s amazing.”
“I’m glad you like it. It was my mother’s. It’s been in our family for a very long time.”
“It looks old. When was it made?”
He shrugged. “Probably around six hundred AD.”
“Are you kidding me? You just gave me a relic to wear on my hand.”
“It belongs to me and now it belongs to you.”
“How did you keep it so shiny for so long?”
It appeared to be made out of silver. Didn’t that tarnish after a while?
