At the end of the carpet on a raised dais, sat a golden throne. Two witches in shimmering white robes stood on either side of it. Further back along the walls various advisors and dignitaries stood, silent and watching. Of the czar he saw no sign.
The guard motioned them on with a nod. Yarik steeled himself and marched down the carpet. He looked neither left nor right. One of the individuals behind the throne caught his eye. She wore gray robes with white fur at the collar and a mask that resembled a dog or wolf. He’d never seen anything like it. Who in the world could she be?
They stopped at the end of the carpet fifteen feet from the throne. Yarik wanted to see what Nosorova was doing, but didn’t dare shift his gaze.
Five minutes passed and he’d just begun to wonder how long they’d have to wait when a horn sounded followed by a deep voice. “His Imperial Majesty Roman Orlova, the Dragon Czar.”
Yarik dropped to his knees and stared at the floor. He didn’t even need to think. All children were taught how to react should they ever encounter the czar. It was drilled into them from their first day at school, even before that if their parents were smart.
A heavy tread sent vibrations through the floor then the throne creaked as if a great weight had settled into it.
“Rise,” said a voice so deep it made Yarik’s chest ache.
He scrambled to his feet and looked for the first time on his czar. It took Yarik a moment to wrap his mind around the being in front of him. The Dragon Czar wore no shirt, instead silver-white scales covered his massive torso from his stomach to his chin and down the backs of both arms. Yellow eyes with vertical pupils bore into Yarik. It wouldn’t take much to imagine that gaze consuming his mind altogether.
Finally the piercing eyes turned to Nosorova. “I offer you one chance to explain why three of my White Witches are dead.”
“Forgive me, my czar,” Nosorova said. “The rebels had Death’s Head bullets. They tore through my sisters’ defenses like they were nothing. The only way we could have avoided what happened was to stay out of the field. Had we done that we chanced a reputation for cowardice. If the people cease to fear and respect us we risk chaos.”
“Well said.” The czar’s lips peeled back, revealing needle-sharp teeth. “The rebels are worms. Our true enemy is the Court of Midnight. The vampires provided the bullets that killed my servants. They also slaughtered my soldiers when they attempted to apprehend the rebels who fled Anapa.”
Yarik barely controlled his reaction. He’d heard nothing about any of this, though it certainly made sense. All the reports he’d read indicated the vampires were skilled in dark magic and all the items the rebels had used were of that type.
The czar’s yellow eyes slid over to Yarik. “Does my revelation surprise you, Agent Yarik?”
“Only in so much as I’m surprised I didn’t put the clues together myself. I know the Empire hasn’t had good relations with our neighbors to the west and I doubt the Iron Lord of the East would stoop to working with humans.”
“You’re quite correct. In my generosity I’ve decided to spare you both. Clearly you were the victims of an outside conspiracy. Nosorova, you shall have a chance at revenge. When my army marches west, you will be at the vanguard, bringing your magic to bear against the undead.”
Nosorova bowed. “I’m honored by the opportunity, Majesty.”
“And you, Agent, will continue your pursuit of the rebels and my future witch.”
Yarik couldn’t speak for a moment. How was he supposed to hunt them down in the vampires’ territory? Out loud he said, “As Your Majesty commands.”
The czar’s smile widened. “I see from your reaction you don’t understand. My spies have learned the rebel’s ultimate goal lies beyond the vampires’ land. She’s going to the Kingdom of the Isles. Other agents will be watching all the airports. The runaways will know this which leaves them with only one good option, the port of Calais. One of my allies will meet you there and provide manpower. Also, Hedon, Victor, come here.”
Two bald men that could have been twins of the door guard stood up from the end of the front row of chairs. They had to be close to seven feet tall.
“Hedon and Victor are dragon-bloods adept at hiding their gifts. They will join you as bodyguards. I’m confident that the three of you will succeed.”
Yarik was glad someone was confident since he sure wasn’t. Taking two dragon-bloods into a country in the middle of a civil war to try and find one particular girl—what could possibly go wrong?
* * *
Anya watched in stunned silence as six humanoid shadows bore her mother’s body away. They had to be vampires, but their forms wavered so that she couldn’t get a clear look at them. She took a step to follow, but Lord Talon blocked her path.
“I fear where she’s going the living can’t follow.”
“Where are they taking her?” Anya asked, her gaze never leaving the slowly shrinking procession.
“The Chamber of Shadows. It’s where all new members of the court go to await their rebirth. Rest assured, she will never be alone.”
“We need to get going,” Fedor said. “More than half the journey remains.”
“Can’t we stay until my mother wakes up? She’ll be worried about me.”
“No time.” Fedor scratched his beard and sighed. “We need to be in Calais in four weeks to meet our contact and make the trip to the Kingdom. There’s no time to spare.”
“We’ll stay here,” Yanni said. “Catch a ride back with our next supply ship.”
“You are most welcome, Captain,” Lord Talon said. He smiled at Anya. “I will be your guide until sunrise and will be happy to answer any questions you may have. My country is sparsely populated, but the natural beauty is something few mortals get to enjoy.”
Anya smiled back. She found the pale lord far more pleasant than she’d expected when she first heard they were coming here. “I suppose you don’t have a department of tourism.”
He laughed a warm, hearty chuckle. “No, we’re also extremely lacking in hotels.”
At Lord Talon’s whistle a black limo emerged from one of the warehouses. All the windows save the windshield had dark glass. It drove over to them and a man dressed in a black uniform climbed out. Given his skin tone and steady breathing she judged him human. The driver opened the back door and held it for them.
Fedor shook hands with Yanni and Jacob before joining Anya and Lord Talon in the limo. When the driver closed the door it was completely dark inside. A moment later a light in the roof burst to life, revealing a rich interior complete with gold drink service, refrigerator, and television.
The car lurched a little then smoothed out. She looked out the window, but it was so dark she couldn’t make out much. Anya yawned. The craziness of the past hour had left her exhausted.
“May I offer you something to eat?” Lord Talon asked.
Her mouth watered at the thought of food then she remembered who was offering. “I’m not sure.”
He laughed again. “I’m not offering a chalice of blood or whatever you imagine we enjoy here. While the population is small, thousands of humans live in this land and some of them work for us in various capacities. One of which is to cook for any mortal guests that might visit. I believe Esmerelda fixed shredded lamb sandwiches.”
He opened the refrigerator, removed a sealed container, and handed it to her. Anya hesitantly opened it, to his apparent amusement. Inside she found three rolls wrapped in paper along with full water bottles. Anya handed a bottle and sandwich to Fedor. She looked for a long moment at the extra sandwich and water. Mom should have been there with her.
She sighed, took her meal, and dug in. The tender meat melted in her mouth and the spices tickled the back of her throat.
She was halfway through with her meal when she noticed Lord Talon had nothing for himself. “Aren’t you hungry?”
He smiled and revealed his elongated eyeteeth. “I had a large meal last night. I won’t need to feed again
for several days.”
Her stomach twisted when he said “feed.” For a few minutes she’d forgotten what he was. “I see.”
She tried to return to her food, but found her appetite curdled. What had she consigned her mother to? Maybe it would have been better to let her pass on.
“I see you misunderstand again,” Lord Talon said. “Only on the rarest occasions do we partake of human blood. Usually when our obnoxious neighbor to the east sends his butchers into the mountains to hunt down my sleeping brothers and sisters. No, we much prefer to hunt and feed on wild animals. I myself have acquired a taste for boar. Many times we don’t even bother to kill the animal as we require only a liter or so of blood at a time. Most larger animals can sustain the loss with little ill effects.”
Anya shook her head and took another bite. “So much of what we’re taught is wrong. What’s the point of having school if you’re learning nonsense?”
“The Empire teaches what the czar wants you to know,” Fedor said. He’d finished his dinner and was sipping the last of his water. “The resistance is a terrorist group, vampires are monsters that will kill you in an instant, the White Witches are loyal and devoted servants of the Empire. All lies that serve the government by turning its citizens against those who genuinely wish to help. It’s disgusting.”
That was the longest and most heartfelt speech Fedor had ever made. Clearly his hatred for the Empire was genuine. Anya yawned again. She understood the feeling. After everything that had happened she’d worked up a pretty good hate for it as well.
* * *
Fedor waited until Anya had fallen asleep to broach the subject of the rebellion. It didn’t take long for the fear and stress to combine with a full stomach to put her lights out. He wasn’t sure if she’d made the correct decision, having Sasha be turned, but it was her choice to make and Fedor had no intention of second guessing her. Having lost so much already, he understood her choice.
“She’s a remarkable girl.” Lord Talon pitched his voice low so as not to wake her. “I see why you chose her to be your representative to the outside world.”
Fedor tore his gaze away from Anya and focused on the vampire. He would have liked to say the decision came out of some coldblooded planning, but the truth was, the moment Anya showed wizard potential, there was no question of letting the Empire have her.
“What will the czar do now?” Fedor asked.
Lord Talon bared a fang. “Roman will never let something he believes is his go. I fear once you leave my protection you will face more Imperial agents before your journey is through.”
It jarred Fedor a moment to hear someone call the czar by his first name and without so much as an honorific. Of course, to an immortal like Lord Talon even the five-hundred-year-old Dragon Czar was little more than a child. A petulant one given to tantrums.
“Will he move against you and your people?” Fedor asked.
Lord Talon laughed, cold and humorless. “I hope he’s so stupid. His hunters may slay an occasional vampire that gets careless and wanders too close to the border near dawn, but we’d slaughter his army in a single night, witches or no witches. No, I believe our war will remain cold.”
Fedor nodded. That was The Manager’s assessment as well. “Will you continue to send us weapons to use against the witches?”
“With great pleasure. What that creature does to those girls is an abomination. Freeing them from his control is a gift to the world as well as to the girls.”
Fedor made no comment on Lord Talon’s disgust given that what the czar did was almost exactly the same as the vampires themselves did to create new members of their family.
“You think me a hypocrite?” Lord Talon asked.
“Did you read my mind?”
“No need. I’ve been reading the expressions of mortals since before the coming of the elves. You control yourself better than most and the beard helps, but it’s not enough to hide from me.”
“I meant no offense.”
“I know. The truth, my friend, is that we don’t turn anyone unless they wish it. To do otherwise is the greatest crime in our society. Vampires have been staked out in the sun for that sin.”
Fedor shuddered. “How long will it take to reach the border?”
Lord Talon shrugged. “A week I hope. This is a rough land now. I can make no promises.”
No promises. That could have been the motto of this venture.
* * *
Anya sat up and rolled her shoulders. Sleeping on the seat of a car, even one as luxurious as Lord Talon’s limo, wasn’t the easiest on a person’s neck. Across from her Fedor was sitting up and scratching his beard. Lord Talon sat beside him, silent and dark.
She looked out the window, but the sun hadn’t risen yet and she couldn’t see a thing beyond the faint glow of the headlights. She eyed the refrigerator, but wasn’t certain the protocol when asking a vampire lord for breakfast.
He must have noticed where she was looking as he smiled and said, “In an hour or so we’ll reach a cabin where we can gas up the car and you two can get a meal.”
“The sun will be up by then,” Anya said. She’d been wrong about so many other things she didn’t want to take anything for granted at this point. “Won’t that be a problem for you?”
“In one sense it will, but this car is designed for transporting us day or night. The tinting on the windows is more than it seems. Dark magic has been mixed with the chemicals to filter out all the harmful effects of sunlight. As long as I remain inside I’ll be able to sleep safely. I will be paralyzed and completely helpless until the sun sets again. It’s an unfortunate side effect of my condition.”
“What about garlic and crosses?” she asked.
He laughed. “Harmless, both of them. I love all the superstitions that you mortals have imagined for us. I especially like the one about running water. Why you would think a brook should pose an impenetrable barrier to us is beyond me.”
“I suppose if humans have one thing in abundance it’s imagination.”
A shiver ran through Lord Talon. “Forgive me, my dear, but would you mind very much switching places with me?”
Anya got up and they switched spots. “Is that better?” she asked.
“Very much. The sun will rise in seconds. You two will be in good hands with Claus and I will see you in the evening.” His form shivered again and dissolved into a black mist that disappeared under the seat cushion.
“What was that about?” Anya asked. “He said he’d be safe in the car.”
“But we have to get out,” Fedor said. “And when we do the sun will enter. I suspect there’s a sealed compartment built under the seat for extra protection.”
“Like a portable coffin.” She grinned. It appeared some of the myths were true.
Fifteen minutes later the sun cleared the horizon and the limo pulled into a driveway. At the end of it waited a modest log cabin that would have been right at home in any village in the Empire. The limo pulled up beside the door and they climbed out as quickly as possible before slamming the door shut.
The driver joined them a moment later. “This is where we part company. Claus will refill the car and drive you during the day shift. I’m going in to get a bit of breakfast. Would you care to join me?”
Anya leapt at the offer and she and Fedor followed the driver inside. The interior of the building looked exactly like what you’d expect, three rooms done in rough timbers. Minimal decorations, an end table here, an old oil painting hanging there, all very basic and unremarkable.
“I hope you like eggs,” the driver said. “Our pantry is pretty limited out here.”
“Eggs sound great,” Anya said. “But I need to find the bathroom.”
“Down the hall to your right.” The driver waved her toward a side hall.
Anya hurried away. At the end of the hall were two doors. Did he mean the right-hand door or that the hall itself was to her right? Anya’s knees were knocking so she grabbed the handle of t
he right-hand door.
Inside she found a simple bedroom with a small wardrobe and dressing table. The closet door was open and light streamed out. Someone was obviously getting dressed in there. She started to close the door again, but she heard a voice from behind the closet door.
“The car just arrived,” a male voice said. “I’ll wait until noon to be sure. Don’t worry, everything will be taken care of.”
Not wanting to eavesdrop she finished shutting the door and went next door where she finally found the bathroom.
With a sigh of relief Anya went to rejoin the others in the kitchen. The driver stood at a propane stove scrambling eggs. Fedor sliced a loaf of dark bread and spread butter on it.
“Find the bathroom okay?” the driver asked.
“After a while. My first guess turned out to be someone’s bedroom.”
“Ah, was Claus ready?”
“He was in the closet, getting dressed I assume. I think he was talking to someone on his cellphone.”
The driver frowned. “There’s no cell service in the Land of the Night Princes.”
“I really wish you hadn’t heard that.”
They all turned to find a man in a matching uniform standing in the doorway holding a pistol. Anya didn’t know much about guns, but the barrel looked awfully big as she stood there staring down it.
“Claus? What are you doing?” The driver took a step toward him prompting Claus to shift his aim.
“I don’t want to kill you, Tomas, but if you don’t hold still I will.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Tomas asked.
“He hasn’t,” Fedor answered for Claus. “I know that weapon. The mark seven is a favorite of the Imperial secret service. How long have you been undercover?”
“Too long. But now I’ll win my way back into His Majesty’s good graces. I’m going to return you two to the Empire, right after I kill Lord Talon.”
Escape From the Dragon Czar: An Aegis of Merlin Story Page 11
