The village square, lit by the moon, the cobbles wet with the blood of slain bodies. So much blood! It formed crimson rivulets between the wet cobbles, pooling in the gutters, trickling down into the drains. The hot coppery reek was intoxicating, filling her nose with every breath she drew, fuelling the raw thirst she could feel scraping at her throat. Mistral heard a voice that was not familiar; a low, rasping growl.
‘You have served your tribe well Malachi!’
The laughter that escaped her lips was not hers, neither was the savage sense of retribution that flooded through her as she gazed at the misshapen forms sprawled on the cobbles. Feeling a contemptuous smile stretch her mouth, Mistral watched a booted foot kick over the nearest corpse. A wave of satisfaction flooded through the body she was occupying when she looked down to meet a familiar green gaze. She tried to close her eyes and block out the horrifying image, but it wasn’t her eyes seeing the vision, it was Malachi’s. Trapped within his subconscious, she was forced to take in every detail of Phantom’s chalk-white face, his bloodless lips open in a silent scream, his blonde hair stained with blood.
Imprisoned in the darkest recesses of Malachi’s mind, Mistral was powerless to resist the sights he inflicted on her while he strode across the square, revelling in the carnage the vampire tribe had wreaked. The bodies of her brothers lay sprawled on the blood-soaked cobbles, their limbs flung out in unnatural positions, like discarded dolls. Malachi laughed darkly to himself with each corpse he kicked over, making Mistral See the blood-spattered face of each through his eyes. Phantasm, his beautiful face drained to an alabaster marble; Xerxes, his long hair matted with his own spilt blood; Samson, his scars bleached white in the cold moonlight; Cain, his impish smile frozen into a grimace of agony, and Brutus, his laughing face twisted into a death mask of agony. Another sound reached her ears above Malachi’s laughter; the greedy sucking noise of something feeding. Malachi turned, compelling her to see the repulsive creature slaking its thirst at the throat of another warrior, twitching with the last throws of life.
‘Good hunting brother?’ she asked in Malachi’s cold voice.
The creature flung aside its spent victim and turned to look at her. She screamed in horror, but no sound escaped the lips of her prison, they curved into a smile of satisfaction. The vampire’s skin was powdery white, like suede, the scarlet eyes lidless and the heavy-jawed mouth filled with a double row of jagged teeth, dripping with the blood that ran freely down its chin. It opened a lipless mouth to speak in a voice she knew better than her own – ‘Mistral!’
Other voices joined in with the vampire’s ... calling desperately ... dragging her up and out, away from the bottomless pit of the hell she was in. Her eyes opened to see heavy drops of blood floating down through the sky, landing on the cobbles to form the carmine rivers of her vision. Laughter reached her ears, contorting to become the agonised shrieks of her dying brothers, and in the background the persistent tolling of the warning bell sounded the alarm ... too late! Far too late for her dead brothers. Convinced she was still trapped inside Malachi’s subconscious, Mistral closed her eyes and moaned quietly.
‘No more, please no more –’
‘Mistral! Look at me! See me ... I’m here –’
The echo of her words to a dying brother pierced through the fog of horror shrouding her mind.
Saul.
His death had been real. What she had Seen was merely a sick fantasy. She opened her eyes again to see not blood but red rose petals falling through the sky. The tolling of the warning bell changed to become the joyous peals of the village bells celebrating a wedding. The cries of the dying became calls of congratulations to the newlyweds. Mistral gazed numbly at the sunlit village square, letting the bright scene dispel the harrowing intensity of her vision.
‘What? What did you See?’
Phantom’s hissed whisper dragged Mistral’s gaze away from the sight of Grendel and Liliana kissing to be confronted by two sets of green eyes. The twins … who she had Seen mangled in death only moments before. Reaching up slowly, she touched the skin of Phantom’s cheek with the tip of her finger.
‘Ah brother, but you are so warm.’
‘That’s because I’ve been shouting at you for five minutes! Where the hell have you been! We thought you were dying when you screamed!’
‘Hell!’ Mistral laughed a little wildly and closed her eyes. ‘Nearly –’
‘I think we should continue this conversation somewhere more private.’ Fabian muttered and pulled her by the hand, leading her away from the village square towards their house.
Only when Mistral was sat on their sofa with a cup of water in her hand did Fabian kneel down beside her and gently repeat Phantom’s question, ‘What did you See?’
She stared wordlessly into his dark eyes, wondering how to try and even begin describing the bloodbath of Malachi’s hidden desires, ‘Malachi,’ she finally breathed his name with an involuntary shudder.
‘Tell me,’ he urged softly, reaching out to take her hand.
‘I Saw … his tribe … hunting,’ she continued in a repulsed whisper. ‘There was so much blood! The square was running with it! Malachi … he is going to offer the Valley up to the tribe out of revenge … I – I Saw my brothers, all my brothers … slain –’
Silence followed her revelation. She closed her eyes, inexorably sucked back into the abattoir of her vision.
‘Stop it! Right now Mistral! I won’t tell you again!’
The green eyes that met her distant stare shone with life, contradicting the glassy dead stare of Malachi’s fantasy.
‘Please try and focus Mistral, stay with us.’ Fabian’s voice was soft, but the warning glare he gave Phantom was not.
Mistral drew in a deep breath and looked at Fabian, drawing strength from his deep gaze, ‘He’s been fooling my gift with mundane thoughts whilst keeping his true desires hidden. But I’ve Seen them now –’ Mistral faltered and closed her eyes again at the memory of her vision.
Fabian gripped her hand more firmly, speaking to her in a voice that held an unfamiliar note of urgency, ‘I know this isn’t going to be pleasant, but you must tell me exactly what you Saw.’
Mistral nodded and drew in a shuddering breath before she began to recount her vision. She refused to allow her voice to betray any emotion and kept her eyes closed, knowing that they would expose the true depth of her horror.
‘Did you See yourself?’ Fabian demanded the moment she finished.
Mistral finally opened her eyes and looked at him with a surprised expression, ‘No … nor you.’
Fabian narrowed his eyes, ‘Then I think there is more to Malachi’s dark fantasy other than a wish to exact bloody revenge.’ Rising to his feet he turned to the twins, ‘I am going to find Leo. Phantom, I want you to bring your brothers and Samson here … and Gleacher, but do not tell them why! Phantasm? Please stay with Mistral. It is vital that you keep her here!’
Phantasm held Fabian’s look and nodded in understanding, he knew that Mistral wandering off in person was not the concern, but in her mind.
The sound of the door banging shut made Prospero bark and snapped Mistral out of her stupor. She gave herself a shake and rose to her feet before walking over to the stairs.
‘Where are you going?’ Phantasm asked quickly.
Mistral paused with her foot on the first step and frowned at him over her shoulder, ‘To start packing of course! We need to get to the Northern Range and head the tribe off! Malachi was still travelling when I read him but he must be close now … he left the Valley over a week ago –’
Phantasm immediately strode over to grab her arm, ‘You are going nowhere!’
Mistral shook his hand off angrily and carried on walking up the stairs, ‘Watch me!’
‘I can’t believe you!’ Phantasm immediately flared. ‘Just for one moment in your life can you actually think about someone other than yourself?’
Mistral halted half way up the stairs and whipped ar
ound to glare at him, ‘I am! The whole damned Valley as a matter of fact!’
‘Don’t try and lie to me Mistral!’ Phantasm snorted disdainfully. ‘You don’t give a damn about the Valley! You could barely stay awake during Grendel’s wedding just now! You just want to go along for what you see in your warped mind as the chance to have a good fight!’
Mistral glared at him, too incensed by his outrageous accusations to know which to refute first, ‘I did not fall asleep during Grendel’s wedding!’
‘You might as well have done!’ Phantom snapped back. ‘You spent most of it staring at the sky, obsessing over Master Nox’s thoughts again!’
‘And a damned good job I did too, or we’d all be murdered in our beds!’
‘Don’t be so dramatic Mistral! It wasn’t a premonition! All you Saw were Master Nox’s vengeful imaginings! And now it looks like we’re all off on some mad crusade because of it, thank you very much!’
Mistral’s eyes widened with fury, ‘Mad crusade?’
‘Yes! That’s exactly what it is! But you’re not going! You’re staying put!’
She immediately ran back down the stairs to stand before him, thrusting her face aggressively into his, ‘Oh am I really! Well, tell me this brother. If I wasn’t pregnant would you even care if I remembered to take my swords with me on this so called “mad crusade”?’
‘That’s ridiculous!’
‘Is it? I don’t think so! In fact, I don’t know how you’ve got the gall to call me obsessed! What about you and your damned godson then?’
‘Don’t you dare called him damned!’
‘I’ll talk about him how the hell I want! Because he’s mine, not yours!’
‘I think you’ll find I have some say in the matter too.’ Mistral and Phantasm continued to stare furiously at one another while Fabian entered the house with Leo. Closing the door softly behind Leo Fabian turned to look at Mistral and Phantasm. ‘Would you care to explain to me why you two are screaming at one another?’ he asked in the same quiet tone.
‘Mistral is under the misguided apprehension that she will be accompanying us to the Northern Range.’ Phantasm spat, holding Mistral’s seething look with his own.
‘I see.’ Fabian responded calmly. ‘And you think differently?’
‘Of course I do!’ Phantasm cried. ‘She should stay in the Valley!’
‘That suits me fine!’ Mistral exploded. ‘I’ll just stay here and wait for the vampires to arrive then! At least then I’ll have the “good fight” you think I’m so interested in! And you!’ She wheeled around to point at Fabian. ‘You’re deluded if you think you’ll even find the vampire tribe without me! You need a Seer to know where they are and what plans they’re making! But, oh no! All you ever think about is this!’ She waved a hand furiously at her belly. ‘Well understand this! He goes where I go! If I stay in the Valley, then so does he!’
‘You are not staying in the Valley Mistral.’ Fabian replied evenly and walked over to the kitchen table to pick up his saddlebag. ‘And if you are packing, would you pack my bag for me too please? I have the small matter of a route to plan.’
Throwing Phantasm a scathing look Mistral deliberately barged him with her elbow as she stalked past to retrieve Fabian’s saddlebag then stomped up the stairs without saying another word.
Phantasm stared at Fabian in utter disbelief while Leo walked over to the kitchen table to study the map of the Northern Range Fabian was opening out.
‘If you have something to say to me Phantasm then please say it, time is slightly short.’ Fabian murmured without taking his eyes off the map.
‘I simply cannot believe that you are allowing her to go!’
‘I am not.’
Phantasm threw his hands out in exasperation, ‘Then what is she packing for?’’
‘Mistral is packing because she is going to stay with the centaurs.’ Fabian replied while he continued to scrutinize the map, finally pressing a finger down onto the region the vampire tribe occupied. ‘There,’ he murmured softly. ‘Four days hard ride –’
‘You realise she’ll know what you’re planning, don’t you?’ Phantasm continued.
‘No, she doesn’t.’ Fabian turned to fix Phantasm with a cold look. ‘Because she is so infuriated with you that she cannot think of anything else! And for that, I am not sure whether to be grateful, or displeased that you have upset my wife so much!’
Phantasm stared speechlessly at Fabian, torn between his earlier anger and a grudging respect for the way he so easily managed Mistral’s fiery temperament.
‘Ah, good. The rest of the party have arrived. Now perhaps we can plan a way to avert the bloodbath Malachi is imagining.’ Fabian turned to watch Phantom stepping through the door followed by Gleacher, Samson, Cain, Brutus, Xerxes and finally a bewildered looking Grendel.
‘A situation has arisen that directly threatens the lives of every occupant in the Valley –’
At Leo’s words the warriors moved swiftly to gather around the table and look down at the map spread out across the table.
‘Mistral has Seen Malachi’s desires.’ Leo continued in a curt voice. ‘He seeks to avenge himself on the Valley by unleashing the vampire tribe to feed amongst us.’
Xerxes growled under his breath but the others remained silent.
‘When do we leave?’ Gleacher asked quietly.
‘Now.’
‘There’s no time to lose.’ Mistral announced breathlessly, slamming two bulging saddlebags down onto the table. ‘Oh, there’s something I forgot to mention … Malachi has the thirst too.’
Xerxes pulled a face, ‘I always knew he was a bloodsucking son of a –’
‘Wait a minute!’ Cain said sharply to Mistral. ‘You’re coming?’
‘Yes, got a problem with that Cain?’ Mistral demanded belligerently. ‘Or in your professional opinion should I just sit around and quietly wait for a bloodthirsty tribe of vampires to descend on the Valley?’
Cain spun around to give Fabian an exacerbated look, ‘You agreed to this, despite all we spoke about?’
‘Please do not interfere Cain.’ Fabian said sharply. ‘I am well aware of Mistral’s condition and have taken that into consideration.’
‘We will cut through The Velvet Forests, it’ll be hard riding, but save time on our journey and bring us out onto the High Moors here –’ Leo traced a finger across the map. ‘We can’t afford more than four hours rest each night if we’re to halt the tribe before they leave the perimeters of the Northern Range. Gleacher?’
Gleacher nodded and waited silently for Leo’s instructions.
‘I will need a party to be informed of the tribe’s intentions and be ready to defend the Valley if our attempt to head them off is unsuccessful. I don’t want our mission to be common knowledge, it would spread unnecessary panic.’
Gleacher’s face clouded briefly.
‘Yes?’ Leo asked, reading instantly the concern in his most trusted ally.
‘It is perhaps too soon after the elections for you to leave the Valley.’
Leo smiled grimly, ‘You mean Malachi’s supporters would relish the opportunity to loudly proclaim my failure to defend the Valley from a tribe of vampires as an example of what a poor Divinus I am? You are right Gleacher; however, I have no choice.’
‘But you do have a choice Leo.’ Fabian cut in quietly. ‘And Gleacher is correct; the Valley needs their Divinus to lead them. You must stay and assemble a party of loyal warriors in preparation should we fail. The Gemini will inform you of our efforts to subdue the tribe. Should you receive no news, then you know to prepare for an attack.’
A heavy silence fell at Fabian’s words.
‘But why can’t we just take an army?’ Xerxes demanded. ‘It’s not a Contract is it? It’s our survival!’
‘You are correct Xerxes.’ Fabian replied. ‘However Leo was elected as Divinus on the strength of only one deciding vote. There is not enough support in the Valley for this cause, especially when
Malachi is at the root of the vampire tribe’s uprising.’
‘Surely no-one can want what they propose to do!’ Brutus exclaimed.
‘You forget that we have the advantage of having Seen the truth through Mistral. Who knows what web of lies Malachi would spin in order to convince his followers to allow the vampire tribe access to the Valley. Do not overlook the fact that half the warriors of the Ri were willing to elect him as their Divinus based purely on the fact that he was not a pure-blooded Mage.’
‘You’re saying that half the warriors in the Valley would accept some weak cover story and welcome a marauding tribe of vampires into the Valley rather than believe Master Sphinx, just because he has sorcering parentage?’
‘Prejudice is a powerful tool.’ Fabian murmured and returned his attention to the map.
Brutus said nothing but looked unconvinced, his doubt reflected on the faces of both Xerxes and Cain.
‘Oh come on brothers!’ Mistral burst impatiently. ‘How many times have you called them “pompous overbearing Mages”? You know that if Malachi lied convincingly enough they’d willingly accept whatever he said! And he’s a damned good liar,’ she added with a scowl. ‘He’s fooled me for the last four days!’
‘Fair point sister.’ Brutus admitted, completely unashamed at having their private insults repeated in front of two Mages, he turned to peer intently at the map. ‘So what’s the plan?’
The Seer Page 60
