by Nicki Ruth
Her mother’s voice faded away. She tried to wake but couldn't. A dark, vicious presence clutched at her consciousness, clamoring for her attention, clawing up from her core.
It raged, straining to take center stage. Davina recoiled at the force building its way from the depths of her being, scared it would smother her to nothingness. She saw it now: a silhouetted figure standing before her, moving closer.
Davina stayed frozen in fear, until she heard her mother’s voice again, whispering like a silent caress around her, bolstering her courage. Do not be afraid.
The figure was upon her now, long fangs bared. Davina bared hers in return. She would not be afraid. The figure grinned, a nod in approval, and held out a blood-covered hand—a stained hand that looked like hers in the tent. Davina looked up into the face of the figure and felt sick—the dark figure was her! It hissed and lunged, fangs long and sharp.
Davina screamed.
∞∞∞
Alexios tried to wake Davina, who screamed, thrashing on the little cot. He was not surprised she was experiencing a nightmare, given what she had gone through. But she would not wake, no matter how he shook and shouted. He held the struggling Davina to his chest, closed his eyes and focused his senses inward, navigating along the link that tethered them together. He only attempted this type of breach on his sirelings when he put them to sleep, manipulating their bond to render their minds dormant.
Hopefully he could do the same to wake Davina from her nightmare. He felt her fear and desperation as his own along the golden tendrils of their bond leading to her consciousness. He drew closer to a darkened space filled with a monstrous pressure that weighed his soul with dread. This aura, this ominous energy . . . it reminded him of Davina in the tent. He was near the source of her torment.
He entered a room that looked like the room they were in on the ship. An air of heaviness pressed against him, trying to repel his approach. He heard her before he saw her—Davina, fighting with something or someone. The hairs on the back of his neck rose, warning of danger. Davina screamed and slashed at a dark, ghostly wraith that floated above her.
Roaring with rage, he charged. The apparition only hissed and laughed. Davina’s laugh. Alexios froze, mind racing. Davina stood pale-faced in the corner, eyes fixed on the hovering shadow. He made his way to her, taking her hands in his, and squeezed.
“Davina. I’m here. You don’t have to be alone or afraid. But you have to control it,” he whispered to her. Davina was battling herself, afraid of who she was, of the power that lay within her.
“It’s a monster. I’m the monster!” she cried, holding onto him.
“You’re not a monster, just very powerful. Look, it doesn't attack now.”
They both looked up at the specter hovering in front of them. The specter snarled, ready to charge.
“It's waiting for you. To see what you’ll do.”
“You need to focus,” Alexios reassured her. “Focus within, feel the energy we share along our bond. Use it to control this manifestation of your power. Because that is all this is. It cannot hurt you.” She looked up at him wide-eyed with fear but gave him a nod of understanding.
He stayed by her side and smiled as she narrowed her eyes, strengthening her resolve. She took a deep breath then closed her eyes while the shadow screeched and swiped its claws.
Davina opened her eyes and glared at it. “Be still,” she said.
The shadow stopped howling and glided down toward them, forming itself into a humanoid shape. Its head was black, a void of darkness, as was the rest of its shape. From it came a ghastly voice that made Alexios cringe.
“I am blood and fire, the primal life essence of the Damu, children of the blood. You, my child, are my chosen vessel to reign over my children once again. Together, we will burn and bleed all before us, conquer all worlds, and create new ones in our image.”
Alexios stood rooted to the spot as he beheld the figure. He thought of Marius and his research into the ancient myths of Damurios that were now made real. Davina continued to stare down the figure, and he squeezed her hand for encouragement.
“No, we will not do that,” Davina said, stepping toward the figure. “No more killing, no more death. We will find a way to coexist, or we won’t exist at all.”
The figure growled, low and threatening.
“No,” Davina said, her jaw set. “I know who you are now, and I’m not afraid. And I won’t allow you to have your way.”
The figure laughed a chilling, sinister laugh that made Alexios want to grab Davina and flee, but fear grounded his feet. “We shall see, my child, we shall see.” It dissipated in cloud and mist, and Davina toppled over just as he reached out to catch her. Alexios breathed a sigh of relief as the cold hand of foreboding receded from his chest.
“You did great. I’m proud of you. Now, time to wake up.”
∞∞∞
They were a few hours out from Damurios. Davina had joined him on the bridge, and he had shown her the controls and explained how everything worked to her satisfaction.
The revelation of who she was still astonished him. She carried an ancient power within her, a power more vicious and cruel than any he had encountered before—one intent on destroying their world simply because it could. He regretted not paying more attention to what Marius had uncovered in the ancient tomes.
She hadn't spoken much about their encounter or how he was able to seek her out within her own mind, but she had thanked him for his help. He sensed she was trying to pull away again, their bond weakening as the days passed. She had refused to feed from him, which assured their bond’s slow dissolution. But his body hummed for her. Their night in the tent, before the murders, had implanted itself in his memory, and he yearned for more of her.
He leaned against a table, watching her sprawled in the captain’s chair, looking out the window deep in thought.
“We need to talk about what will happen once we get back to Damurios,” Alexios said, rousing her from her thoughts. “We’ll meet up with Jason and Brandr and head for another one of my homes in the country. You and Lexi should be safe there.”
She didn’t react to what he said.
He sighed. “Davina, I need you to be safe, especially now that we know the power that dwells within you.”
“I’ll help you find Marius. After we find him, I will leave Damurios,” she said plainly. “I won’t risk another incident like that in the camp. No one should be hurt by my hand.”
His breath hitched in his throat, and an unfamiliar beat began to drum in his head, robbing him of thought. After a few moments, he managed, “We’ll talk about that—”
“No, Alexios.” She cut him off. “It’s not up for discussion. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but it's what must happen.”
He gripped the edge of the table, his claws scraping against the laminated surface. Davina belonged on Damurios. It was her home. She was the Damurian queen. She couldn't leave.
“Are you alright?” She looked around the room warily. The air crackled with electric tension, and books and paper began to float around the bridge. He took a breath and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. He was more upset than he realized. Finally, the objects clattered to the floor.
“I’m sorry.” It was all he could say. He didn't trust himself to speak. If Davina left, he would never see her again. He couldn’t let that happen. He needed her. She was . . .
He turned and left the bridge. He clenched and unclenched his hands, trying to keep his emotions in check. She was planning on leaving. His heart stuttered. Then he remembered Queen Tiamat’s memento—her blood addressed to the Guardian, addressed to him. He headed back to the small quarters he shared with Davina and retrieved the crystal.
Maybe with his ability to harvest memories, he would learn what this all meant, would discover how to protect Davina. Isn't that why the queen left this behind? He didn't, couldn't, let Davina leave. If the queen had left something to keep him at her side, then h
e would seize it.
He dumped the contents of the crystal into his mouth, grimacing as they burned his throat. Her noble blood was potent indeed. Alexios braced himself for what was to come, and come it did, rolling through him with rapid, explosive power like a thousand cannons.
Do you remember when we met? What I told you? You must be strong, fearless. You must hone your gifts for a great purpose. I recognized you for who you are: a warrior, a fighter, a protector. I had searched the universe for one such as you, whom Fate chose to walk by my daughter’s side, to protect her, to anchor her to herself when the bloodgifts threaten to overwhelm her. I’ve failed her. I thought shielding her from her destiny would spare her, but I only left her unprepared for her journey.
But you, Guardian, never waiver, never leave her side. She will need you in her darkest hour, when she is lost and frightened. My daughter is strong-willed and free-spirited. She will try to avoid her duty, to ignore her inheritance. You will be the only one to reach her, to guide her to the right path, to keep the darkness at bay and help her find the light burning within. This is my task for you, Guardian. Your bond will lead the way for you both.
Alexios’ head spun, the after-effects of the Queen’s blood fueling an inferno inside him. He panted and leaned against the wall, letting it take its course. After a few moments, he collected himself and thought about the queen’s message. The questions he found himself asking were why did she leave it in her blood? Had she known of her fate beforehand? How would he protect Davina?
Excruciating pain pierced his head like a bolt of lightning. He cried out and fell back, slumping to the floor. Sounds of swords clashing, people screaming, and a heart racing besieged his mind. He saw himself in the throne room back at the palace in Zhar. Chaos spun around him. He was running, fighting off red-winged beasts who appeared and disappeared in dark clouds of smoke. Skirts swirled around him; he was seeing the memories of the queen!
She fought hard, killing several beasts with her sword, but she was losing blood rapidly and fading. It was the Dāmming and she would not be able to heal.
Then she saw him, a familiar face lurking in the shadows. “You!” she exclaimed, making her way toward him. “What have you done?”
Amelagar smirked, unaffected by the carnage around him. “You know what and why—what I desire and will have once your family is gone.”
“It will never be yours, no matter how many of us you kill.”
“Oh, I think otherwise, cousin. I’ll have it, and you will not stop me.”
A sword pierced her body from behind, and she gasped in shock. Around the corner a few feet away, she saw her daughter standing wide-eyed.
“Run, Davina! Remember what I’ve told you.” They were the last words she said before everything went black.
Alexios gasped, chest heaving as pain radiated through his abdomen where the queen had been pierced. He gulped in air, filling his lungs as he struggled to breathe. That voice. That face. He had caused the royal murders and was apparently the queen’s own cousin. His sire.
Amelagar.
Chapter 30
Amelagar gazed up at the two shining moons that anchored the perpetual Damurian twilight. Their white-and-pink halo of light reaching out for the children of the night, children of the blood. He felt the blood energy all around him, seeping into his veins, filling him with vitality and strength. This is what it meant to be a vampire, on the blood planet forged by the blood of the very beings that had birthed the Damu race. Soon it would be his to command. It called out to him from his core; the bloodties, bonds, and gifts of the Damu would be his. After eons of eliminating any and all potential hosts from the world, Amelagar was finally at the end of his journey. All his hard work and sacrifice would be worth it. All that he had lost was worth the mantle that he would soon place upon his own shoulders.
He just needed to find the other remaining Zharim. Who knew that after all these years she was still out there somewhere, thwarting his plans? He had been told she was dead, fallen to sharp rocks off a steep ravine, and he believed he had done away with his cousin’s branch of Zharims.
After centuries of eliminating the others, he had been waiting to inherit the special Zharim gift—the Zharoil, the ultimate bloodgift. A god power. Ever since he learned of it he had been obsessed with wielding it. As keeper of the Zharoil, he would reign over Damurios and all other nations, bending the will and blood of any who challenged his dominion. He would ensure vampires ruled supreme above all others. He would be their god, the one they would worship.
If she wasn't already the host, he could kill her and await the Zharoil’s rebirth, though no one knew how long that would take. From his research, it was at its most powerful during the Dāmming. Amelagar would hate to wait another five hundred years to attain it.
If she was the host, he would drain her and absorb the Zharoil into himself. He was not certain absorbing a host’s blood would lead to a transference of power—it had never been done before. But either way, her death would herald his ascension as the last of the ancient line. He had already tasked Sandar with preparing the ancient ritual for the transference.
Amelagar chuckled at that. He would have the Zharoil, for it was his destiny, forged by his own bloodied hands. He simply needed to find Tiamat’s daughter, put an end to his past life, and begin his new one.
∞∞∞
Davina and Alexios docked at the Damurian station and prepared to disembark. Alexios was irritable, but Davina attributed this to his worry for his sirelings and her declaration. She attempted several times to sense Marius’ aura, but she could not.
They were making their way out the station when they saw a lone, cloaked figure standing before them. Alexios instantly had his claws around the figure’s throat. Davina stifled a cry as the cloak fell back, revealing the pale-haired Sandar.
“You!” Alexios snarled as his claws sank into Sandar’s neck, coloring his pale skin with dark crimson blobs. “Tell me of the plans you’ve made with that psychopath before I gut you right here!”
“You may see me as the enemy, but you will not succeed against him without my help.” Sandar choked out. “Release me.” With a flick of Sandar’s wrist, Alexios went flying into the wall as though some unseen force slammed into him.
“Why did you lie and betray me?” Davina yelled. “I considered you an ally, a friend of my mother’s. Instead, you stranded us on another world, completely defenseless.”
“I’m sorry. My methods can be a bit . . . well, in need of finesse. But I did what needed to be done. Did you find what she left behind? Are you closer to your truth?”
He walked forward, watching her carefully. The corridor they were in grew unnaturally dim, and the busy station faded away, swallowed by another of his shadowy portals, separated from the rest of the world.
“Get away from him, Davina!” Alexios cried out as he struggled, invisibly pinned against the wall.
“Oh yes, I see you now know who you truly are, the power you have been gifted with,” Sandar said, stopping in front of her.
Davina nodded, looking directly into his swirling eyes. “And you know, because of that, I’m not afraid of you, and you cannot harm me.”
She spoke the truth, her truth, as he had said. She could feel her immense power churning fiercely now that they had returned to the blood planet. They stared at each other for a few moments, each sensing the other, probing into the secreted depths of their being.
Sandar smiled, seemingly satisfied, and glanced back at Alexios. With another flick of his wrist, Alexios fell from the wall and attempted to rush at Sandar again.
“Be still. I’m not here to fight,” Sandar said, his arm stretched out, keeping Alexios at bay. “Not with either of you.” He looked back at Davina with a serious, knowing gaze. “I come with a warning, one that you can either heed and survive, or ignore and die.
“You’re well gifted but not in full control of the Zharoil and unable to harness its full power yet. And you,” he sai
d, glancing back at Alexios. “Even now, you know the bond you share is weak. It must be made stronger if you are to fulfill your role as guardian and keep the queen anchored. You both have much to learn . . . together, but there isn't time. Amelagar will kill you both the minute he senses you have returned to Damurios. I can grant you some level of protection while you divine a way to win against him. He is more powerful than you realize, and as you are right now, you will fail against him.”
Sandar dropped his hand and Alexios moved free. Sandar withdrew a small bag from his cloak and removed a necklace with a large, ruby-like pendant surrounded by intertwined metallic vines.
“This is a Tuwrin stone, made of Damu blood and Tuwrian metal. With a little help from me, it’s been crafted to cloak your presence from those gifted with sensory awareness—like Amelagar and even you, Davina. This should buy you some time to understand and harness your gift.”
Sandar looked to Alexios, who remained stiff, as though he were not fully released from Sandar’s hold. “Guardian, I’ll present it to you, since you would be able to tell whether I speak true about the necklace. I have one for each of you. Wear them before you leave the artificial suppressive boundaries of this station.” Sandar returned the necklace to the bag and handed it to Alexios.
Alexios examined the contents. “He speaks the truth. These are Tuwrin stones,” he grunted.
“Why do you help us now?” Davina said. It still stung that she had trusted him and been betrayed so easily. “Why should I trust you now?”
Sandar’s face darkened with a frown. “Clearly, you do not understand the situation you are in. The Dāmming is upon us—a few more days, maybe weeks at most. I had hoped to get you two closer together, to forge the natural bond between you. But you have wasted time and are no better than when I first found you.” He sneered. “I offer you this as my effort to help Tiamat’s daughter, to give you time to solidify your bond so that you can survive the ravages of the Zharoil . . . where previous inheritors did not. Do not squander this opportunity or my advice. Prove you are strong enough to emerge from this whole. For the next time we meet, I shall truly be your enemy.”
