“We can’t have them follow us back to base camp,” I said, loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“Fly low!” Douma instructed Ridan, then looked at me, then Dmitri. “Keep a low altitude in these parts of the ocean, and we’ll be okay.”
“We?” Dmitri managed, his eyes bulging. “What’s going on, Douma?”
“Let’s save this for later!” Douma shot back, then shifted her focus back to the Perfects.
Fireballs flew past us at high speed, and Ridan was forced to swing left and right as he dodged them. Some of the Perfects drew water from the ocean and hurled it at us in large and potentially painful blobs, since they cast them at a dangerously high speed.
A familiar groan emerged from below. I leaned out and looked down. My breath was lost.
We were flying low over waters that were riddled with pashmiri wales.
“Keep it low, Ridan!” I shouted, repeating Douma’s request.
A strange kind of hope blossomed in my chest, and it quickly paid off. As we flew across the ocean, with dozens of Perfects still on our tail at the same altitude, the most incredible thing happened.
The pashmiri wales swam upward and pierced through the water. They snapped their jaws, one after another, swallowing Perfects in the process.
“Holy crap!” Varga shrieked, staring at the view behind us. “Holy! Freaking! Crap!”
“They’re helping us…” I murmured.
“Maybe the Hermessi are telling us something,” Nevis replied.
We didn’t need our weapons anymore. Nor were our abilities required. As Ridan flew us farther south, and Cassiel pulled back with a sly grin, the pashmiri between us reached out in shockingly high jumps and caught the rest of the Perfect squadron in their huge jaws.
“Well, that was unexpected,” Douma murmured, then smiled at Dmitri and me. “I’ve got some updates about Ta’Zan, by the way.”
And we all looked forward to hearing them, but we were still hung up on what the pashmiri were doing to our attackers. This wasn’t going to kill them, but the pashmiri’s small and sharp teeth were going to at least dismember them, keeping them busy for a while. I breathed a sigh of relief, watching the carnage unfold above the water.
Somehow, nature itself had come to our aid. Douma was back.
And we were out of the hot zone.
Sofia
Many hours went by in unsettling silence.
My vampire hearing was good, but not good enough for me to get a clear picture of what was going on out there. I’d heard the rushed steps and the muffled voices. There was clear agitation throughout the colosseum, but without anyone to tell me what was happening, I was in the dark, looking forward to Isda’s next visit.
Thankfully, she came around toward sunup, as the light filtered through the diamond structure and broke into millions of colored, untouchable flakes. She gave me a bottle of fresh blood through the self-closing opening in my glass box.
“What’s going on out there?” I asked her.
“Ta’Zan’s biggest problem yet,” Isda replied, her eyes wide as she stifled a grin. “Your people snuck in again and kidnapped Amal. Word is they tried to get Douma, too, and that they did something in the animal sanctuary, but we don’t know what, exactly.”
I couldn’t help but smile, my heart swelling with pride and excitement. Our young ones were as fierce and as relentless as I knew they’d be. Ta’Zan had no idea how to cope with us, for sure. Not when we were all so determined to defeat him.
“He’s all alone now, huh?” I murmured.
Isda nodded. “He’s not happy at all. I do see it as a victory for your people, but I also fear terrible repercussions. The more they poke and prod him, the more vicious he gets.”
“I suppose he’s not used to having his judgment and orders questioned,” I said.
“Most certainly not. We all bowed or perished before him, but never did we dare to rise against him,” Isda replied. “The Draenir paid a heavy price when they rejected his doctrine and rule.”
“It’s time he learns how the real world works,” I said. “He might’ve gotten away with this crap before, but not anymore, Isda. It’s our time, now.”
I fiercely stood by this particular statement. Ta’Zan had done enough damage.
My family belonged together, and he’d broken us up. He clearly took pleasure in our misery, and it was time for him to experience the same, if not worse. My Rose and Ben had led quite the operation this time, if they’d managed to snatch Amal. She was the one who knew all of Ta’Zan’s flight plans. She had important intel which could be used against him. In addition, she was one of the most valuable elements in Ta’Zan’s life. That, alone, was a phenomenal blow.
“So, they all got out alive,” I said. “The outsiders.”
“Yes. There’s no word from the units sent out to find them. From what I’ve seen so far, if there are no immediate responses from the Perfects, it means your people got out successfully,” Isda replied, smiling.
“What about Derek?” I asked. “My father, our people?”
“They’re okay. They’re fed regularly, they’re not causing any trouble, and they’re in touch with the others outside,” Isda said. “In fact, I have some news for you.”
She went on to relay everything she’d heard from Derek, from Rose’s success in finding a new base camp and her strange experience with the pashmiri whales, to Ben’s adventures with the Hermessi and Elonora’s escape from the colosseum, to the Hermessi’s request of exactly one thousand and one fae.
“One thousand and one,” I murmured. “Odd number, if you ask me.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Isda replied. “The Hermessi are the one thing I know nothing about. The Draenir kept their faith in them a secret, from what Derek told me. Elonora’s team found a small town on the north side of our archipelago, with a Hermessi shrine. Apparently, the faith was present outside the cities. It didn’t work with the magi-tech, as a dogma.”
“I’m not surprised. All creatures tend to fear what they don’t understand, and there is nothing more mysterious or concerning than the Hermessi, right now. Granted, Ta’Zan is the greatest threat, but by using the Hermessi against him, it feels like we’re wielding a potentially devastating nuke.”
“What’s a nuke?” Isda asked, with both eyebrows raised.
“Ah, I forget. Your people don’t work with nuclear fission,” I said, mentally preparing myself to tell Isda about the humans’ nuclear developments, with both progress and disasters on the record. It was a bittersweet tale, but if anyone could learn from the humans’ hubris, it was Isda. She’d seen and heard enough from Ta’Zan to get the moral of the story.
But then the doors slid open with a hiss, and Ta’Zan strode in, cutting our rendezvous short. I quickly gave Isda a subtle nod, then stepped back to the other side so I could put a bit more distance between myself and the monster.
Ta’Zan reached my glass box and motioned for Isda to get out, keeping his gaze fixed on me. It made my blood curdle. There was so much rage in those eyes, it almost knocked the air out of my lungs. It hurt my stomach and it made me tremble, ever so slightly. I recognized that look.
The deviant sparkle was familiar. He’d looked the same prior to taking me away from Derek. Deep down, I knew Ta’Zan had come to retaliate again. Everything that Ben and Rose did against him seemed to result in punishments against me, against my husband and the other prisoners.
But I held my head up high, unwavering before him.
As long as we defeated him, it didn’t matter what happened to us.
Sofia
Ta’Zan didn’t say anything for a while.
Never a good sign.
But I didn’t look away. He wasn’t going to stay silent forever, after all. He had something to say, but perhaps he thought it would add a dramatic effect if he did it after a long pause. Of course, it certainly worked, but I wasn’t foolish enough to show him that.
“Your children have made a fool of me fo
r the last time,” he finally spoke.
I bit the inside of my cheek, worried I wouldn’t be able to stop a grin from stretching across my face. The last thing I wanted was to make him even angrier.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, playing ignorant.
He slipped a crystal tablet through the box. I took it, briefly watching the glass wall close back up as he withdrew his hand.
“They took something precious from me, Sofia,” Ta’Zan said. “And it’s time I stop trying to reason with them altogether. I’ve set up a surveillance system throughout the colosseum. It took us a while to figure out the technology, but your starships were extremely helpful. This, right here, is happening in real time.”
I frowned, looking at the screen in my hands. Multiple video images were displayed on the clear surface, with splendid high-definition quality. I was watching live footage from various parts of the colosseum, including the diamond dome. My breath hitched as I recognized Derek’s figure on the screen.
“You figured out CCTV. Good for you,” I mumbled, mostly to myself, before looking at him with a raised eyebrow. “What am I supposed to be looking at? I know this place. I’m stuck here, remember?”
“What is the meaning of this?” Derek asked, his voice coming through the tiny speaker holes on the side. It drew my focus back to the screen. Something was happening in the diamond dome.
“You can zoom in if you want. I do recommend it, since it’s about to get interesting,” Ta’Zan said, staring at the tablet. The shadow of a smile fluttered across his face.
I did as he suggested and used my index and thumb to zoom in on the dome camera. Cassiel had just come in, accompanied by two Perfect guards. Derek and the others gathered in front of them, as if ready to stand their ground.
“I have a message from Ta’Zan,” Cassiel said.
My throat closed up. One brief glance at Ta’Zan, and I already knew what was about to happen. I’d put myself in Ta’Zan’s shoes more than once since my capture. I could guess what he’d do in different circumstances. Ta’Zan gave me a wink, and that just made me squirm.
“Listen carefully,” Cassiel continued. “Your people have caused enough damage to our world, evil in their attempt to clip our wings. Ta’Zan’s mercy is not limitless, and it’s time you all understand that. We are done trying to bring your people in alive, and, since none of you will endeavor to persuade them to surrender peacefully, we have no other choice.”
“No… This isn’t happening... No!” I whispered, dread clutching my throat.
The two Perfect guards went over to Derek’s group and dragged one of the fae agents away. I didn’t know him, but I could tell he had a lot of fire in him, as he struggled against the guards despite the collar probably overheating already. No form of dissent was allowed in this place, after all.
They brought the fae back to Cassiel. One of them kicked him in the side of his knee, forcing him down. The fae was now in front of Cassiel, looking at Derek and the others. I didn’t have a clear view of his face, but I could only imagine what was going through his mind at this point.
I couldn’t even breathe anymore.
“The demand is simple,” Cassiel continued, his claws extending, long and black and horrifyingly sharp. “Surrender, all of you, or we kill a prisoner every twelve hours.”
“No. No! No!” Derek burst out, trying to stop Cassiel from what he was about to do.
Lucas and Xavier held him back. The prisoner crowd rumbled and roared. Then Cassiel slit the fae’s throat with one swift move.
“No!” I screamed.
My fingers gripped the tablet, my whole body shaking. Tears came up to my eyes, uncontrollably rolling down my cheeks. My heart ached, and I didn’t know what to do or say. I’d just witnessed the execution of one of our own. All I could think of was breaking through the glass and ripping Ta’Zan’s throat out.
I longed to make him bleed. Still, I couldn’t look away from the screen.
“You monster!” Derek roared.
“You’ll pay for this!” Lucas snarled. “You’ll pay for this! I’ll bleed you, over and over, until there’s nothing left of you!”
Cassiel shrugged, as the crowd continued to quiver. Some collapsed, electrocuted by their collars. They’d tried to attack, but Ta’Zan’s technology was too good to allow that.
“Tell the outsiders,” Cassiel said. “They took down the comms blockers. I’m sure you have a way to tell them, now. You may not have devices handy, but I do remember, during my brief sting with your people, of a soul connection called Telluris. One of you must be linked to them through it. So tell them that we will kill another prisoner in exactly twelve hours, unless they surrender. There will be no negotiation. No truce. Nothing. Surrender, or we will keep killing your people until they do.”
I glared at Ta’Zan, my cheeks burning. “You… You are a monster.”
“I am the ruler of this world. And I will be the ruler of all the worlds, whether you like it or not,” Ta’Zan replied dryly. Rage simmered beneath the surface, but he didn’t want me to see it.
Just like I didn’t want him to see my physical discomfort. My shock collar was minutes away from electrocuting me. It was already too hot to handle, but I couldn’t show him that. Ta’Zan was like a shark now, waiting to taste my blood in the water.
But all he got was a boot in the face.
“Kill as many of us as you want,” I said, my voice trembling but my resolve stronger than ever. “Separate me from my husband. Torture us until you get bored. Nothing you do will change the outcome of your actions. You will fail. You will lose everything and everyone. And you will die. Listen, Ta’Zan, you’re headed down a bad path. I don’t know what exactly made you this way, but it’s not too late to turn back. You can still stop this. Destroying us will only bring you closer to your own doom. Believe me… I have seen this before.”
His lips twisted with contempt. Hate flared blue and green in his eyes. “I will not die before you, that much I know for sure. Sofia, don’t be stupid. You, Derek, and whoever else survives the next couple of days will die in that dome. You will never experience freedom again.”
“Screw you!” I snapped, pointing an angry finger at him. “Cut us and kill us, if you will! You will lose everything, because you’ve built it on lies! Only the truth survives! Not you, Ta’Zan! Not you, you fraud!”
That last part hit him deep. And I didn’t regret it one bit.
“I’ve tried to reason with you before,” I added. “My husband tried, too. But you’re too damn stubborn to understand. So, you’ll have to learn things the hard way, just like everyone else who thought they could take on the universe.”
I wanted him to suffer, and this was the very least I could do, for the abominable crime he’d just committed. A fae had been murdered before my people. A life had been snuffed out, all for Ta’Zan to try to get what he wanted.
We couldn’t let someone else get killed, but we couldn’t surrender our children. Ben and Rose’s team was going to be faced with an impossible choice, and I had no idea what they would do. I could only hope that, despite all the bloodshed and fear, they would manage to keep their heads clear and do something smart.
Ta’Zan had upped the stakes, but we couldn’t give up. We’d come too far to call it quits now.
Rose
There was no better sight than that of our entire crew back together, including Douma. Ben brought his team through the mangrove islands, while Ridan carried his team on his back, after they narrowly escaped from a large squadron of Perfects.
Now, we were all safe, gathered inside the main cave of our new outpost, nestled in the heart of a black stone mountain, and surrounded by treacherous jungles. Ta’Zan wasn’t going to find us here. Not yet.
Araquiel looked pleased to see Douma again, though we’d all thought we’d lost her after the colosseum episode. Once she brought us up to speed, however, I understood exactly why she’d done things this way.
“Amal was
supposed to wipe my memories and implant the old ones back,” Douma said, briefly glancing at Amal. The Faulty was still passed out, after Amane had put her in a chokehold. “She gave me the option to choose between the person I was, the person I am, and the person I could be, instead. She let me keep both sets of memories.”
Amane looked surprised. “What was she thinking? I’m confused.”
“I think she’s playing by her own book, much like us,” Douma replied. “She may seem loyal to Ta’Zan, but I feel like she’s not entirely into it. Otherwise, she would’ve wiped me completely. I mean, she had to know that I wouldn’t revert back to my old self, if I had the choice to stay as I am.”
“Why did you attack us at the colosseum, then?” Dmitri asked, his brow furrowed. He was sulking, and I found it downright endearing.
Douma gave him a soft smile. “I couldn’t give away my position. I’d yet to speak to the Draenir in Ta’Zan’s possession. I am sorry for lying to you all, but I had to carry out my plan.”
“Wait, the Draenir. Yes, Ta’Zan is holding four of them,” Elonora murmured.
Rakkhan nodded. “I know of them, but I don’t know who they are. How are they holding up?”
“They’re weak and tired, but they know more about Ta’Zan than anyone else,” Douma explained. “They’re Kerleise and Ivran Carmaris, and Silene and Kellan Phiseiros. I think you know both pairs quite well.”
Rakkhan exhaled sharply, then nodded. “I thought they were dead.”
“They’re most certainly not, but they’re hanging by a thread. Fortunately, they had quite the story to tell,” Douma replied. “They’ve watched Ta’Zan as he tried and failed in creating his Perfects, over and over, long before the big sleep. They’ve been with him since day one, and if anyone’s got the inside scoop on him, it’s them.”
A Shade of Vampire 66: An Edge of Malice Page 22
