“Sure,” said Valenthia. Natalie nodded too.
I headed to the library where some second-year vampires and a couple of werewolves were huddled at opposite ends, doing their own thing. Ideally, I’d wanted to conjure up some invisibility and wait outside but when no one entered or left within a few minutes of my standing there, I realized that it was probably less suspicious if I just went inside myself. I proceeded towards an aisle that was as close as I could get to where Tempus Fugit was, without being in view where people would notice when books began to fall around me as the magic kicked in.
I summoned my power and was surprised how quickly I began to feel tingles throughout my body as my magic rose up. It was the blood I’d had earlier. Why hadn’t it given me smoother moves with kicking Moldark’s behind? Because he was a full-fledged vampire who’d been practicing. I could claim neither of these things.
It happened much more suddenly this time. I felt my feet elevate me upwards off the ground a few inches and almost let out a gasp. A clear bubble of energy rose up and around me. I felt a power move through that stayed with me.
Unlike last time I’d been here and trying to conjure up my field of invisibility, I felt bold. I didn’t care that the books around me were once again in disarray on the floor. The little things didn’t matter. I needed to snoop. I needed to find out more about the charms and if the Dark Spark was being stored right here in the middle of Bloodline Academy, so close to Superno. So close to the rest of the vamps who were equally susceptible to being harmed by it. It felt odd but something inside me, quite separate from Pearl and Professor Frewin’s mission wanted to know the truth too. I wanted to see the necklace for myself.
Here goes nothing, I said wordlessly to myself as I held up my hand and touched the wall with the golden writing on it. I breathed out and walked through, in a crimson flash. How was it this easy? I briefly pondered but before I could give it more thought, I was standing on the other side where the red glow lit up the stone walls and floor of the room. I glanced at the books and going in for a closer inspection, realized they were all in that same text that was embossed on the entrance of the place.
Despite my new-found confidence, I proceeded cautiously to the next room. Knowing who the guards were, made it worse than walking into the unexpected. Rugrem, the grunch I’d seen last time reminded me of a minotaur in a maze. And everyone knew the legend of how many had perished in such places. I stopped my mind from making me turn back on my heels and run.
I held my breath as I walked right into the section where he’d last been. I did a double take. The section was completely empty. There was no one guarding it at all. The cabinet that held the charms was there, completely unguarded. My heart began to pound and I couldn’t tell if it was danger or opportunity I sensed, as I steadily made my way over. A quick look inside confirmed that it didn’t hold the Dark Spark. I hadn’t expected it to. From what le Boursier had said, the necklace would have had many grunches guarding it.
As I walked around, without the immediate fear of being discovered, I noticed something else at the desk near the cabinet that I hadn’t seen the other day. There was a small leather-bound book that I guessed matched each charm as it was coded in Latin numerals. I walked back over to the cabinet with one of the books and confirmed that there was a charm with the same numeral.
I felt my magic pulse and turned around. I’d sensed something and knew that I needed to pick up the pace. Maybe Rugrem was on a break and would return any minute. If guards took breaks. I reached over to the door of the cabinet. It was a longshot but I pulled gently. It opened.
Having already eyed the charm, a small bracelet that matched the book in my hand, I grabbed it. I waited for something to happen. For an alarm to sound. For multiple grunches to tear through the air in my direction. When nothing happened, I half wondered if I should continue to try my luck or just leave. My magic seemed to be much stronger and was holding steady all by itself. I barely had to pull into myself to maintain it.
I walked through a hallway and into another room. This one was much bigger than the last two, with the glow even stronger. There were no books there and nor any charms, just a hearth with a fireplace on one end and a single, life-sized portrait at the other. I walked over to the painting and knew without even taking a closer look, that the central subject was Elizabeth Bathory. Everything about her was stunning. But her eyes gleamed with a hunger that I could feel across the centuries. Around her neck was a detailed rendering of the Dark Spark. Something rumbled deep inside me and just like when I’d seen it for the first time in Frewin’s book, I wanted to reach out and touch the necklace.
I forced myself to step backwards, the Crystal Witch in me repelled at the sight. And at my reaction towards it. As I tore my eyes away from the Blood Countess, I was shocked to see that standing next to her, in a somewhat muted and indistinct position, was a slightly younger Principal Nadasdy. The man’s face was turned a little, looking towards Bathory in awe but it was definitely him. His physical appearance was altered, though not much, but what confirmed his identity beyond a doubt were his clothes. The colours were less vibrant than in real life but his clothes were as flamboyant. I guessed the drab tones had been painted to make sure that the picture had only one main subject – the Countess.
The fireplace crackled to life and I jumped, letting out a cry of shock that echoed back to me. the flames were deep violet in the already crimson tint of the room. My arm tingled and my magic flickered making me visible again for a brief moment. A shape rushed out from the roaring fire as I stifled another gasp.
“What a riveting night to go flying!” exclaimed Professor Varga looking right at me. I stumbled backwards and he spun around, like he needed to rid himself of some excess energy. I just watched, stunned, waiting for him to grab me and take me to Nadasdy’s office, having busted me. His jet-black hair was slicked back as usual and his complexion was pale but its’ radiance told me that he’d just fed.
“Oh, beautiful Countess Erzsebet!” he exclaimed and I quickly got out of his way as he strode straight over to the painting. He hadn’t seen me. “What I wouldn’t give to have been part of your first golden age! Oh well, I will surely be part of the second!” He stroked the portrait and swiftly made his way out, through the same entrance I’d used, spinning around once more, like he was dancing with a partner who was visible only to him.
Chapter 16
“Kat! If you’re awake, Ulric wants to say hi. And, so do I!” I heard a voice in my head and I shook myself awake. It was Safi. I looked around disoriented and feeling dizzy. Panic began to well up in my stomach as I realized I was back in my bed with no recollection of how I’d gotten there or when.
“What time is it?” I asked Safi, tightly shutting my eyes again.
“It’s five in the evening. I know it’s a bit early on your side but lover boy couldn’t wait. I’m also pissed that you never reached out to me so if I did wake you, on second thoughts, too bad – I hope I woke you!” said Safi. I laughed. No matter what, Safi was always on form with her attitude. I apologized to her and our catch up helped me calm down a bit.
That I wasn’t injured or bound up in some dungeon in chains, were all good signs. I sat upright and despite being free otherwise, my whole body felt like there were invisible weights attached to it. I slumped back down but slowly moved my arms and legs to make sure I could move about freely but for the heaviness I felt. When I found that all was as it should have been, I breathed a small sigh of relief. The last thing I remembered was being inside Tempus Fugit in the library, when Professor Varga had sprung from the fire. And the portrait of Elizabeth Bathory. I didn’t remember coming away from there.
“How are you? Really?” asked Ulric. Delving into his mind, I could feel his concern.
“Don’t worry, I’m great,” I said. Just having Ulric there made me feel a little less unnerved.
I recounted how I’d found my way into the library again and while what I said was punctuated by
Safi conveying her own thoughts on how cool it was that I’d really come into my power, it was what Ulric didn’t say through her that really held onto me. I could feel his anger at Pearl for asking me to go snooping around.
“It’s really interesting though,” I said, in response to him, “I found a…” I stopped and patted my blazer pockets for the charm and book. They were gone. I began to look around frantically. Shit. I’d been sprung and now all hell would break loose.
“What happened to this charm you found?” asked Safi, picking up on what I was thinking.
“Nothing, I…,” I clumsily fumbled my way over to the dresser and there on top, both the charm and book were neatly laid out. It must have been Natalie who found me and put me to bed. “It’s right here, sorry you did wake me and I’m still not with it,” I said, breathing out.
I filled them both in on everything else I remembered about my visit to the library including about Professor Varga and the portrait. “Now that I’ve told you, can’t you just fill your mom in on it?” I asked Safi, hoping I wouldn’t have to send Pearl my report separately. I promptly got back a no. Our communication wasn’t even meant to be happening, so Safi was worried that if she told her mom, Pearl would put a stop to us talking. This was followed by a sigh of frustration from Ulric. “It’ll be fine,” I assured him, “Pearl’s just doing what she’s supposed to.”
“Yep protecting her own daughter while hanging you out to dry. She’s a bitch and she’s as bad as any vampire.” I heard Ulric’s thought and hoped he wouldn’t say any of that out loud to Safi.
I wished I could share the part about blanking out. I aggressively willed myself not to think about it so that Safi wouldn’t hear my thought and ask questions. Fortunately, reading each other’s minds otherwise was a big no-no. It was something Safi and I held sacred to prevent things from getting really weird and messed up between us. To read my thoughts after we’d signed out from our telepathic messaging would have been akin to cheating on someone. And I knew Safi would never do that to me.
After I’d said bye to Safi and Ulric, I sat back on my bed and retrieved the crystal Pearl had given me. I quickly regurgitated everything I remembered while it was still fresh. Then, I tried to recall what I couldn’t remember of the night before. At first there was nothing. I lay down, suddenly overcome by a spell of weakness. Whatever had happened had completely drained me. I had never passed out like that. Apart from once – when I’d given Natalie streams of my blood to bring her back from her final death.
Slowly, still feeling hazy, I remembered that I had heard a noise and realized the grunches were approaching just after Professor Varga had emerged from the fireplace. I’d waited long enough for him to leave and then stumbled my way towards the main entrance of Tempus Fugit. I thought the grunches had been pursuing me but I couldn’t tell if that was real or had been my fear as I’d turned on my heels and left. I felt sharp, stabbing pains in my stomach that told me I needed more blood. I felt myself fading again and closed my eyes, swiftly pulled under by weakness and sleep.
***
“Kat! Kat! Are you okay?” said someone.
“Safi?” I mumbled, unsure of whether I was dreaming or awake.
“It’s Natalie. You’re back in our suite,” said Natalie as I opened my eyes.
“How long have I been out?” I asked, trying to sit up. A wave of fatigue overwhelmed me and I lay back down.
“It’s okay, just take it easy, here,” said Natalie coming closer and propping me up, “you’ve been like this for over twenty-four hours.”
“What? How is that possible?” I asked. This was even worse than I’d thought.
“You never showed up to Devin’s class. Val made up that you had a migraine – and threw in that it was the time of the month and that because the moon was waxing, it was way worse for you, with you being a witch too.”
“What did he say?” I asked bemused. I couldn’t have made something like that up myself if I’d tried.
“He was happy to move on with the class. Anyway, don’t worry, he didn’t seem to suspect what was really up,” Natalie smiled briefly before she was serious again.
“What is it?”
“When we went to the library, Val and I found something in the tunnels,” said Natalie in a soft voice.
“What?” I asked, picking up on her distress.
“We walked way past our cave where we have Duquette’s class, in the same direction of where you and I went with Moldark that time we went into town from below ground.”
“And?” I said, feeling the familiar swirl of anxiety in my stomach. “What did you find?”
“We came to a point where there were multiple entrances. We almost turned back because by then I didn’t really know where we were. But Val seemed to know the way. Then we heard this sound coming from the fourth tunnel – like someone was grunting and every now and then, moaned in pain.”
“Who was it?” I asked. My heartbeat whooshed in my ears. Please not Winnie, I thought. It would kill Ulric.
“It wasn’t anyone we know,” said Natalie, frowning, “it was some sort of a creature. I think it was the kind you described in Tempus Fugit, the first time you were there.”
“A grunch?” I asked, breathing out in relief.
“Yes. I hadn’t seen anything like that before.”
“I wonder if it’s the same one I saw?”
“He was in a bad way, bound at the ankles in these metal chains. He tried to go for us but the chains weren’t long enough for him to reach through the bars.”
“Then what happened?” I asked.
“We left. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. There was something so sad about the creature. The whole situation. I’d never seen anyone chained up like that before. So desperate.”
“Where did you find me?” I asked, anxiety gripping me tightly, once more. Squeezing, like a snake that was planning on devouring me.
“We didn’t. We went to class, expecting to see you there and when we didn’t, we came back to the common area afterwards, hoping you’d returned. When there was no sign of you, we went out searching through all the places in the academy that you might have been. We checked the library, like three times. Just as we came back out, we saw someone slumped in the corner against the archway.
“We ran over fearing the worst and saw Moldark, leaning over you. You were out cold and apparently, he’d found you collapsed just outside the library. He carried you all the way back to our suite and even helped put you to bed.”
“Why did you let him?” I asked, immediately knowing how ungrateful I must have sounded. Natalie raised an eyebrow.
“Because we were scared shitless and needed all the help we could get, so we didn’t get discovered,” she said.
“Sorry,” I replied.
“You need a drink,” said Natalie disappearing for a second and then reappearing with a bottle of blood.
“I had some yesterday,” I said. But my stomach told me she was right and I took the bottle and drank. “What about the charm?” I asked remembering that someone had removed both the bracelet and the book from me and placed them on the table.
“Val started searching for it because we knew you’d been looking to bring one back. She felt that just to be certain, we should remove it. You know, in case it was reacting with you. Did something happen to you in the library?” Natalie took my empty bottle from me and placed it on the bedside table. She smiled, as I sat up, already feeling stronger.
“I went inside Tempus Fugit and found that charm,” I pointed at the objects on the dresser, “it wasn’t even hard. There was no one guarding them – and now I know why,” I said, although there must have been more than one grunch. It sounded like he had a whole team when I heard him talking to le Boursier.
“Then I went into another huge room where there was a fireplace. Professor Varga just appeared through it. He was alone and I heard him say, he’d been out flying. The room had a portrait of Bathory, standing with Pri
ncipal Nadasdy,” I said.
“Woah!” exclaimed Natalie, “no wonder that place is forbidden! I never knew we could fly!”
“Sure, but that’s so not all of it,” I said shaking my head, “that place – is something else. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.”
“And you’ve been to Superno and witch court so that’s saying something,” said Natalie, coming and settling onto the bed with me.
“Exactly. To me this place has a very heavy vibe, especially compared to places with light magic. But Tempus Fugit…is different. And I couldn’t believe how long I spent there. It felt like I’d only been there for a few minutes.” I jumped as there was a loud knock on our door.
“That should be Val,” said Natalie getting up to answer, “She was equally worried about you. I asked her to come over as soon as she woke up.”
“Okay,” I said, watching Natalie disappear to get the door. I heard them talking in hushed voices as Natalie re-appeared, with Valenthia right behind her.
“Hey! Good to see you’re okay,” said Valenthia, standing beside the bed. Her eyes immediately scanned the room and settled on the charm.
“You guys think that’s what made me pass out?” I said. The blood had done wonders. And there was no doubt, my need for it was increasing as I was hankering for another hit. What had once packed a punch that lasted several days, was now barely holding me for little more than one day, if that.
“It could be. Or maybe being inside of Tempus Fugit was too much for your witchy side to handle…” said Valenthia trailing off. She looked like she was the one who was about to pass out.
“Val? What is it?” I asked jumping up, out of the bed.
“Nothing, I…”
“Is it the charm?” asked Natalie, nervously.
“No…I don’t know,” said Valenthia keeling onto the bed, “I think I’m getting something again.”
“What?” both Natalie and I asked together.
“I see a large castle,” answered Valenthia, staring down at my duvet, her body rigid.
Dark Spark: A Young Adult Urban Fantasy Novel (Bloodline Academy Book 2) Page 16
