A Shade of Vampire 66: An Edge of Malice

by Bella Forrest

  “What did they tell you?” I asked.

  “What I’ve been suspecting all along. It was good to have confirmation. Ta’Zan doesn’t deal well with resistance, of any kind. His mind is mathematical and logical, but only where it suits him, personally. If he encounters opposition, his behavior turns aberrant. He loses his grip and starts making mistakes. Right now, we’ve pushed him hard. If we keep doing that, he will crumble, eventually. They said that, if we manage to turn the Perfects against him, he will experience helplessness, which will undoubtedly lead to the despair of a cornered animal. That’s when he’ll be the most dangerous, because he’ll be unpredictable,” Douma explained. “If we manage to bring him to his breaking point, combined with the mass memory wiper and the Hermessi’s intervention, he won’t stand a chance. He is nothing without the support and adoration of his people.”

  We spent a couple of hours going over the details of what we’d experienced, including my episode with the pashmiri in the underground pool, and their unexpected assistance during Elonora’s escape. One thing was clear by the time we laid out all the facts.

  Strava itself was rising against Ta’Zan and the Perfects. We had the Hermessi’s support, provided we brought them the fae bodies they needed. That, alone, was enough to help push us forward. We were past a stage of grief and despair, and we were once again focused on the finish line—where only victory and freedom were accepted as an outcome.

  “You idiots,” Amal groaned, coming to.

  She was pinned down, cuffed and guarded by Amane and Kallisto.

  We all turned around to look at her. She was livid, grunting and cursing under her breath as she tried to break free, to no avail.

  “Oh, good, you’re awake,” Amane replied flatly, rolling her eyes.

  “You have no idea what you’ve done!” Amal shouted. “You ruined everything!”

  “Hm. That may be up for debate,” Araquiel interjected, more confident than ever. Even Raphael couldn’t take his eyes off him and Douma. He’d already expressed surprise at seeing them like this, not loyal to Ta’Zan, but together. “You have a lot to answer for.”

  I let a deep sigh leave my chest.

  “It’s time we had a talk, Amal,” I said.

  If anyone could give us everything we needed to know about Ta’Zan’s operations, it was Amal. She’d been Ta’Zan’s right hand from the moment they’d come out of the big sleep, and long after Amane’s departure. And right now, after the damage we’d inflicted on him and his operations, she was our most precious source of information.

  Hopefully, we could sway her into becoming an ally, too.

  Elonora

  “You don’t understand,” Amal breathed, a look of horror settling on her face. “You… You idiots!”

  “What the hell is she going on about?” Raphael asked, rolling his eyes.

  Araquiel watched her in silence, his brows furrowed and his arms crossed. Judging by his aura, he suspected something.

  “She had a plan of her own,” Araquiel said quietly.

  We were all gathered around Amal and Amane now, some of our people unable to take their eyes off them. They were identical to the point of creepiness. With twins, in general, especially those of the same gender, there were always minor differences. A mole here, a slightly more slanted eye there, or a mild difference in hair color—tiny details that we could notice.

  But with Amal and Amane, there was nothing. It was as if they were clones, not biological twins. Personally, I was fascinated. Ridan, on the other hand, was slightly flustered. He’d already developed feelings for Amane, and he wasn’t indifferent to Amal, either. She was just as beautiful, and his body was responding accordingly.

  Amane looked at her sister. “Your time of servitude to Ta’Zan is over, Sister. You have to face it before it’s too late.”

  “Gah, out of all of them, you’re the biggest idiot,” Amal grumbled, then scowled at her cuffs and restraints. “As soon as you left my side, your brain was reduced to 10 percent operating capacity.”

  “More like 25 percent, but please, do go on. I’m sure you’re not done insulting me yet,” Amane replied sarcastically.

  “You are the biggest thorn in my side yet.” Amal sighed, her shoulders dropping.

  Amane’s eyes grew wide. She briefly glanced at Araquiel, then back at her sister.

  “You mean—”

  “Yes, I had a plan!” Amal interrupted her, raising her voice. “My ‘servitude to Ta’Zan’ was over from the moment the first Perfects came out! I knew where he was going with this! I knew the repercussions, just like you! But I understood that, if I left his side, I would never be able to stop him.”

  “And you didn’t think to just tell me about it?!” Amane shouted, her aura flaring red with anger.

  “You left! You didn’t want to hear my side! I tried to talk to you about it, but you were too busy being angry and looking for a way out. Before I knew it, you were gone!” Amal replied, her voice shaking. “You left me behind.”

  Amane stilled, suddenly taken aback by the full picture that her sister had just presented her with. Guilt began to weasel its way through her conscience. I could almost feel it.

  “You sounded so loyal. You did everything he asked. You… You made most of this nightmare happen.” Amane sighed. “How was I supposed to know?”

  “You should’ve talked to me,” Amal said. “From the moment I saw how he was educating the Perfects, I knew we couldn’t do much. Ta’Zan needs to soar a little. The Perfects have to be turned against him. And I just needed a moment alone with him, with his guard down, so I could kill him. He is very well protected, Amane. One cannot just run up to him and slit his throat. It doesn’t work like that.”

  “Dammit. You could’ve at least sent me a message or something,” Amane replied.

  Amal, in turn, shrugged. “I thought you were gone forever. A coward. I was close to resigning myself to a fate I didn’t want, until word came about the outsiders and you joining them. I knew then that I could still make a difference, but I couldn’t risk Ta’Zan suspecting me of anything,” she explained. “He was already on edge because of you. He had eyes on me. I had to be loyal. I couldn’t let him think I wasn’t on his side. If Derek and his crew had managed to escape that night, I would’ve been the first to go into the pulverizer chamber.”

  “Faulties died because of that episode,” I said. “Innocent creatures.”

  “Yes. And I have their blood on my hands. But the lives of a few are worth losing, if I get to save this entire world,” Amal replied. “I know many of you won’t get that, but I stand by what I did, and I don’t regret my methods. I won’t ever sleep well because of this, but it won’t matter, as long as we all survive.”

  Some time went by in silence, as everyone stared at Amal and Amane. Most of us were curious or worried, but others seemed optimistic, as if the reunification of the Faulty sisters was the last and most precious piece of the puzzle. Needless to say, I agreed. If anyone could figure out a way to stop the Perfects, it was the twins. They’d designed the genetic blueprints to create them, after all. They knew them best.

  “What’s done is done,” Ben said, standing close to Rose. “We have to look forward now. And our plates are quite full.”

  Rose nodded. “We’ve got the Hermessi willing to help, but we need to bring more fae to Strava. A precise number, in fact. Now, we have you and Amane together,” she said to Amal. “You two can work on a mass memory wiper that we can use against the Perfects.”

  Amal raised an eyebrow at Amane. “Is this why you kidnapped me?”

  “Mm-hm. I work better with you by my side, and I couldn’t exactly stick around the colosseum, invisible, to get my brain to operate at the capacity I need in order to devise such technology,” Amane replied.

  “You’re incorrigible,” Amal said, shaking her head. “But we could definitely put our heads together and do something. I’ll need to go back into the colosseum, though. Most of the stuff we’d need
is in there.”

  Taeral groaned with frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Good grief, you people love getting yourselves captured or killed!”

  “If you’re too scared, you can stay here,” Heron shot back with a smirk. The wards chuckled behind him. It made Taeral blush.

  “You can keep me company, since you’ve clearly made yourself comfortable here already,” Taeral retorted.

  I raised my hands in the air, demanding everyone’s attention. “We’ve got to get ourselves organized properly,” I said, then looked at Herakles. “Can you get us more rogue Faulties?”

  Herakles smiled. “A message has already been sent out. We should see some coming in by morning,” he replied. “What about your fae?”

  “We’ll talk to our people on Calliope. They’ll gather some fae troops and send them over, but we need to find a smart way to get them on Stravian soil without Perfects intercepting them,” Rose said.

  “A diversion,” Kallisto added. “We’ll have to do something loud and flashy enough to draw them as far away from the atmospheric entry point as possible.”

  “We can have the fae head toward the winter-summer cluster, just like Draven and Serena’s crew,” Ben suggested. “From what I’ve seen on the maps, that area isn’t populated yet.”

  “Fair enough, but after we came in and discovered the Draenir and the pulverizer weapons, rest assured that Ta’Zan has everyone on high alert for new entries,” Draven replied.

  Just then, Harper’s voice came through in my earpiece. “Hey, guys! Can everyone hear me? Lenny? Rose? Ben?”

  Rose’s face lit up. “Harper, honey!” she exclaimed. “I was just about to get in touch!”

  “We’ve reset the four Perfects we brought over from Strava,” Harper replied. “We’re sending them back to Strava to help you. They’ve got all the information they need to act as double agents.”

  “We need seven hundred and forty-one fae, too,” I chimed in.

  Naturally, a pause ensued.

  “Say what, now?” Harper asked.

  After Rose and Ben brought her up to speed about the Hermessi’s strange request, Harper had a better idea of what we were dealing with. She agreed to speak to Sherus and Nuriya about it, but we weren’t expecting any opposition on their part. This was our one shot to do something to stop Ta’Zan, once and for all, from invading our worlds.

  “What can you tell us about the four Perfects you plan on sending over?” Varga asked through his earpiece.

  “They want to help. We’ve spoken to them; we’ve shown them everything we know. Like Douma, like Araquiel, they don’t want to go to war or kill billions of innocent creatures,” Harper explained. “They’ll do whatever it takes to stop Ta’Zan.”

  “That leaves me as the anomaly, then,” Raphael muttered. “I didn’t need my brain wiped to see how wrong Ta’Zan is.”

  “Your will, and your character, are slightly different,” Amal explained, smiling. “I admit, I might’ve had a part to play in that.”

  Raphael frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I might’ve tweaked your learning materials a little bit. I also might’ve added a special protein to your development medication, to block Ta’Zan’s subliminal messages from truly settling in,” Amal replied.

  Amane chuckled. “You devious little snake.”

  “It was your protein I used,” Amal said to her. “HP34, to be precise,” she added, then looked at us. “My sister and I designed a number of genetically altered proteins and enzymes to aid or hinder the cognitive and emotional development of a creature. Most were used in the Perfects, but some we kept on ice.”

  “Ta’Zan didn’t know about them,” Amane said.

  Rakkhan stepped forward, scratching his white stubble. Wallah stayed by his side, like a shadow. The Elder Draenir had traveled extensively over the past couple of days, and he’d dealt with dramatic losses, too. His tribe had shrunk by a few dozen, and it took a toll on his aging heart, his body. Therefore, Wallah didn’t like leaving his side anymore. Sometimes, the Elder needed physical support.

  “I am curious about one thing,” Rakkhan said, looking at Lumi and Kailani. “Your swamp witch magic is a wonder to behold, and, despite the deaths of four of my boys, you managed to permanently kill Perfects, too, with the power of the… Word. Can we not rely on that, again?”

  Both Lumi and Kailani shook their heads.

  “No. Under no circumstances. I don’t ever want to go through that again. Ever,” Kailani replied.

  “I can’t do it. And I don’t know how Kale was able to do it,” Lumi explained. “The Word works in mysterious ways, sometimes. It can even test its own limits through its conduits—meaning us. What Kale did was atypical, and it lacked basic control. It may be too risky, and it could have devastating repercussions if we unleash that again.”

  “I see.” Rakkhan nodded slowly, then gave Kailani a sad smile. “Do not beat yourself up, darling. We know you weren’t yourself when it happened. I understand that in war, there are casualties. It’s heartbreaking. But you cannot let this haunt or define you. Rest assured that the Draenir do not and will never consider you responsible for those losses.”

  The Elder’s words seemed to have quite an impact on Kailani. Her shoulders dropped as she exhaled sharply. Relief burst through her like a sweet water spring breaking through the mountain limestone. She’d needed to hear that so badly.

  Rose clapped her hands once, her eyes twinkling. “Okay! So, how about we all get a plan together for what’s next, so I can take some personal time away and talk to my husband?”

  We all chuckled, and Ben put an arm around her shoulder. “I second that. My wife is also waiting for an update,” he said.

  “I think the memory wiper and the fae are a priority,” Zeriel replied. “Though, frankly, I’m not too keen on Hermessi possessing the fae like this.”

  “There’s a lot that the Hermessi aren’t doing right, for the time being.” Rose sighed. “But, in their defense, they’re weak and dormant, for the most part. They’ll get these hiccups, occasionally, at least until they are fully awakened.”

  “How do you know?” Vesta asked.

  “I kind of feel it. Everything’s been sort of… clear, since my pashmiri episode,” Rose replied. “I’m not sure how this works, but I’m pretty sure the Hermessi facilitated this connection between the whales and me. They probably can’t reach out to the non-fae as easily, and they used the pashmiri’s strange telepathic abilities to talk to me, to show me what the Perfects are doing to Strava.”

  “Rose?” Derek’s voice appeared on the common channel in our earpieces. “Ben? Are you all there?”

  “Dad! Yes, Ben and I are here. We’ve all gathered in our new base camp,” Rose said, smiling. “Our missions were a success. Douma came back to us, too. Amal is here as well. We’re close to getting you and Mom and everyone else out of there, Dad!”

  “Rose, I… We have a problem,” Derek replied.

  His voice sounded odd and strained. He was trying hard to keep it together. My instincts were quick to kick in and tell me there was something horribly wrong here.

  “Dad, what’s going on?” Ben asked.

  “Ta’Zan didn’t take lightly to you taking Amal away,” Derek said. “He had Cassiel take one of our fae and killed him in front of us.”

  Gasps erupted from our group. Kailani and Vesta covered their gaping mouths. Avril and Serena were slightly more reserved. They’d seen and heard much worse, but it still hurt. Death always cut straight to the bone.

  Rose

  “Who? Who did he have killed?” Taeral mumbled, his eyes wide with both shock and grief. As an heir to the fire star, he was deeply attached to the fae. They were his people, whether they were born on the fire star or elsewhere, and each death hit him hard.

  “His name was Floren,” Dad replied. “Floren Pyris. He was part of the fire star’s military corps.”

  Taeral lowered his head. His grief was imprinted on his
beautiful face, and it made my chest hurt.

  “Why did Cassiel do that?” I asked.

  “To send you a message, and an ultimatum,” Dad said. “He knows we’re communicating somehow, but he’s not sure how. I’ve kept the earpiece well hidden, and, even if we lose it, Jax and Jovi have a Telluris link to Heron and Dmitri. They did a full search prior to the execution.”

  Ridan cursed under his breath, crouching to stop himself from raging out. He was shaking like a leaf. Dread froze the blood in my veins, blocking the air from entering my lungs.

  “Cassiel said that unless you all surrender and bring Amane and Amal back, too, he’ll kill one of the prisoners every twelve hours,” Dad added. “He said Ta’Zan is done trying to do things politely.”

  Elonora snorted. “That’s a crock of—”

  “When did he execute the fae?” I asked Dad, interrupting Elonora’s curse.

  Time was suddenly of the highest importance. We were down one fae, and we had been issued a bloody ultimatum. The prisoners’ lives now depended on us to surrender and abandon all hope. There wasn’t a single bone in my body that didn’t hurt at the thought of giving up. That wasn’t even an option, and we all knew it.

  We looked at each other, as if tuned to the same frequency, our minds practically melding. One by one, we all nodded. I didn’t need to say it out loud, but we all understood the urgency and the extremes to which we might have to go in order to stop the bloodshed and the Perfects, all at once.

  “About twenty minutes ago,” my dad replied.

  I checked my watch, then looked at Ben. “That leaves us with eleven hours and forty minutes till the next execution,” I murmured.

  “He’s angry, Rose. We’ve managed to light quite a fuse on this bastard,” Dad said, then let a heavy sigh out. “He’s resorting to murder now, just to get you all in here, with us.”

  “We’re a threat to him,” Douma replied, her expression firm. “He’s getting reckless. It’s not like him.”

  In retrospect, we’d managed to irk Ta’Zan, repeatedly. According to Douma, the angrier he became, the more careless he got. Maybe this was his “careless” stage, where he was prone to making potentially deadly mistakes.