by Cory Barclay
Steve hoped this occasion played out a little better than that one.
Even as Constantin snarled in his face, Steve refused to back down or show his terror. He tightened his hands into fists at his side, awaiting whatever Constantin said or did. Aiden stood a few feet behind him, as did Geddon. Selestria arrived from a different room to witness the commotion.
“You’re saying I don’t care about my own daughter, boy?” Constantin asked, seething.
Steve had to crane his neck to look up into the tall vampire’s face. He saw cold anger and ruthlessness there, but those qualities were always there. He also saw something else: fear, hiding behind his eyes. It gave Steve strength, knowing Constantin was losing control as much as he was.
“I know you care about Bel, Constantin,” Steve said, trying to play his hand softly. Constantin slightly relaxed.
Then Steve said, “Why did she not come back with you from the Overseer’s castle? How could that happen?”
There was a long pause as Constantin decided how much—if anything—he wanted to say. After a long pause, the vampire seemed to deflate. He said, “She was taken by her lawfully wedded husband. There was nothing I could do.”
“Surely by now you know Tiberius and that entire family are monsters.”
“Of course I do!” Constantin spat. He turned aside and got out of Steve’s face, wrapping his cloak around his body. “If I could take back my vote to overthrow your father, I would. But I can’t—”
“My father is dead,” Steve said, drawing a surprised look from the vampire. “Or at least close to it. He won’t be anyone’s problem soon.”
“Steve . . .” Geddon said from behind, taking a step forward. “I’m sorr—”
“I don’t need your sympathy or pity,” Steve snarled, spinning on his friend-turned-traitor. He walked away, pacing from one side of the room to the other. “I only need your aid, this one last time, and you’ll all hopefully never see me again.”
Selestria tilted her head to the side. “What do you plan to do, Steven?”
“I plan to get Annabel back and take down Jareth, of course.”
A short moment of quietness followed. Steve’s words lingered, and then a cackling from Constantin broke the peace. “With what army, boy?”
“With whatever remains of the Vagrant Kinship, Constantin.”
Steve couldn’t be sure if it was his surefire tone or his words that shut Constantin up and wiped the smirk off his face. But the vampire seemed genuinely curious.
Geddon said, “That’s why we’re here, Steve.” He motioned to Constantin. “Why else would we be seen with this guy? Selestria and I are only here because Annabel asked us to be.”
“Why?” Steve asked.
Selestria answered. “I only agreed because it was Annabel. I’m a prisoner in my own body, Steven, and if it were up to me, I’d be long gone from the presence of this one.” She nudged her chin toward Geddon.
Geddon frowned. “You wound me, dear—”
“I don’t give two shits. You’re a bastard, you killed my husband, and I’ll never forgive you. But for the greater good, I’m here.”
Constantin put his hands out to try and quell the argument before it erupted even more. He said, “With the help of these two, we’ve already sent forth for aid.”
“To whom?” Steve asked, turning to the vampire. He couldn’t stand to look at the disgusted face of Selestria any longer. “You don’t have allies within the Kinship.”
“No, but I’ve developed acquaintances with others—”
A loud knock came from the front door.
“Speak of the devil,” Constantin said. He walked past the group, down the hallway. A moment later, Steve heard the creaking sound of the front door opening.
Constantin returned with someone Steve had never seen before. She was quite young looking and beautiful, but with some wrinkles in her cheeks and near her eyes. She seemed tired, but her face still shined. She wore a plain green dress that reached the floor.
Everyone in the room seemed bewildered at the new arrival.
“Allow me to introduce Lady Moonstone,” Constantin said, stepping aside to allow the woman to pass. Her auburn hair was tangled and swept past her shoulders. She wore a crown of thorns balanced delicately on her brow.
Steve didn’t recognize the woman, but he recognized the importance of her name. A gemstone. Furrowing his brow, he said, “You’re part of the Brethren Council.”
The woman nodded. She had a regal aura surrounding her, as if she commanded respect wherever she went.
“You’re a spy?” Aiden blurted out, shattering her royal air.
Lady Moonstone said, “I no longer believe the Brethren ideals hold true. Not with the current leadership in place.”
Aiden shrugged. “Sounds like a turncoat to me.”
“Call me what you will, leprechaun,” the woman said defiantly.
“What are you doing here?” Steve asked.
“I have come to warn your people,” Moonstone said. “My spirits of the woods have spoken to me. They’ve told me an army is building. Near here, no less.”
Constantin put a hand to his chin. “At the Reynolds’ estate, no doubt.”
“Indeed, Lord Bloodstone,” Moonstone said. “Jareth Reynolds, or should I say Overseer Onyx, plans to root out the remnants of the Vagrant Kinship. He has a force dedicated to finding and eradicating the threat. He can’t allow his rule to go contested.”
Steve said, “And you oppose this army?”
Lady Moonstone nodded. “I am a dryad, Steven Remington. My haven is here in these woods, and other woods besides. What Onyx proposes will bring chaos and fire to my people. I cannot allow that.”
“How do you know my name?”
Lady Moonstone smiled, the lines on her face wrinkling a bit more. “Because I listen to the trees, who are my children. They have heard you speak quite often during your recent travels.”
Constantin tipped his head forward, a concerned look on his face. Tapping his chin, he said, “What about your husband?”
Lady Moonstone said, “I cannot control Lord Sunstone. He has done evil for the Brethren, committing fratricide against his own people. I can forgive him for that, but I cannot forgive him for his unwavering allegiance to the tyrant, Onyx.”
Steve said, “What is Lord Sunstone?”
“An elf who has killed his own people,” Moonstone replied, closing her eyes. When she opened them, they glowed green and brilliant. It seemed this decision to betray her husband was filled with inner conflict. Still, she had determination written on her face. Steve had no idea what she could be so sure about, in these unsure times.
“Is there anything else you can tell us, Lady Moonstone?” Constantin asked.
The dryad nodded and turned her bright gaze to the vampire. “Overseer Onyx has begun sending blackguards and hellraisers to our sister world.”
Steve lunged forward. “To Terrus?!”
Lady Moonstone nodded again.
“For what purpose?” Constantin asked.
“I do not know, Lord Bloodstone. I left the Council before I received word.”
“Whatever it is, it can’t be good,” Steve said. “Jareth wouldn’t send blackguards to my world to make friends. He has some diabolical plan, no doubt.”
“I agree,” Lady Moonstone said. “Since the start it seems his strategy has been to subjugate everyone under his control. He has a lust for power that can’t be sated. He controls the Brethren, and when his army vanquishes the last of the Kinship, he’ll have all of Soreltris. Unopposed. I suspect his objective is to turn his conquest on Terrus next.”
Steve was baffled at the thought of Jareth Reynolds, the fiery Ifrit, trying to control Earth. Boy, was he in for a wild ride. He said, “Terrus won’t lay down quietly and let him walk all over them. There are billions of people there—how can he expect to conquer them all?”
“Perhaps he doesn’t,” Aiden said from the corner of the room, leaning against a wall. All ey
es turned to him. He pushed himself off the wall. “Who was it that spoke about bringing weapons from Terrus to Mythicus? Humankind has much more devastating technology than our people. With the Parallel Reflector he can bring the limitless technology of your people, Steve, to this world.”
Steve spoke slowly. “There would be no stopping him if he brought the firepower and technology of humans here.”
The weight of that burden seemed to envelop the entire room. No one spoke for a long time, everyone lost within their own thoughts.
“Perhaps he doesn’t even care about populating Terrus,” Selestria finally said. “But rather wants to mine its commodities for his purposes here.”
“He could destroy our world if he got his hands on the wrong things,” Constantin muttered. “Jareth Reynolds is reckless and must be stopped.”
“What can we do?” Steve asked.
Lady Moonstone spoke. “Two other members of the Brethren Council are en route, Lord Bloodstone, if you’ll have them.”
Constantin nodded. “Of course. Who are they?”
“Lord Jasper and Lady Amber, the leaders of the fauns. They are not strong in battle, but they command respect within nature. As do I. Together, we can have the full fury of Mother Nature on our side.”
“Will it be enough?” Steve asked.
“Fire burns trees,” Aiden pointed out, speaking to the fact that Jareth was an Ifrit with a command over fire.
“We don’t have the manpower to take the Brethren head-on,” Geddon said. “Not in our current state.”
Constantin turned to Geddon. “Do you have any suggestions?”
Geddon ran a hand through his hair. “I do, though I doubt I can do it alone.”
When all eyes were on him, he said, “I can try to send for help to Vagrant leaders. Perhaps we can raise a militia that way.”
“You actually believe any of our people will trust you? After what you’ve done?” Selestria spat through clenched teeth.
Steve narrowed his eyes on Geddon, who had gone red-faced. He doubted this all hinged on Geddon murdering Tetsuo. “What did you do?”
Geddon opened his mouth to speak, but was too embarrassed to say the words.
But Selestria had no such timidity. In fact, she seemed to be itching to air Geddon’s dirty laundry. In a disgusted voice, she said, “To avoid being tortured, he gave away the location of many Vagrant leaders. Krik, the leader of the imps, died because of his betrayal. As did Dakathiel, one of the most influential elves around.”
“Blackguards came to my house as well,” Constantin said. “But my wife impeded their plans.”
Geddon was met with angry stares. He looked away. In a meek, small voice, he said, “Jareth would have killed you had I not—”
“I gladly would have died to prevent the slaughter of our allies!” Selestria shouted, taking a step toward him. “You’re a coward!”
When Selestria moved toward Geddon with clenched fists, Constantin stepped between the two.
The vampire raised his hands. “We must not combat each other if we are to have any chance of defeating the Brethren army!”
Steve’s mouth was agape. He was astounded at what he witnessed: Constantin, the relentless, savage vampire, being the voice of reason. Before his mind had time to react, Steve found himself saying, “I agree with Constantin. What’s done is done. All we can do now is move forward.” He enjoyed seeing Geddon squirm. But now was not the time. He faced each person in the room, one by one, and said, “Anyone?”
Lady Moonstone said, “It was my husband who killed Dakathiel. That being the case, I doubt I will have much clout with the elves. They’ll think I’ve betrayed them, too.”
“Perhaps I can reach them,” Steve said, hope in his voice. “And the imps, too. Do we have any others?”
Aiden said, “Hell yes we do, mate.” He glanced at the shamefaced Geddon and said, “I know the Vagrant Kinship as well as this one. I can rattle off some names for you.”
“Good.”
“No,” Selestria interjected. “I will help with that. I was Tetsuo’s wife. The people will trust me. No offense, Aiden.”
The leprechaun shrugged. “None taken, m’lady.”
“It’s a start,” Constantin added. “But how can we possibly get the rebels to aid us? What do we have to offer?”
Aiden’s eyes flashed. “I was wondering when that question would arise. I can help with that, too, Lord Bloodstone.”
Constantin gave the leprechaun a baffled look. Aiden seemed intent on keeping him in the dark. He smiled mischievously, as leprechauns are wont to do.
Steve said, “We also have friends on the way, Constantin. I’ve alerted them to our need. They’re bringing gold with them.”
“How much gold?” Constantin asked.
“Lots of gold,” Aiden answered.
Constantin nodded. “Fair enough. I thank you, leprechaun.”
The mood in the room seemed to shift. There was a change in the air surrounding the revolutionaries. Things were chaotic and dangerous, but it seemed everyone had a part.
To make sure, Steve said, “Lady Moonstone, you will bring forth the wrath of nature?” He didn’t know what that meant, but it sounded good.
The dryad nodded. “I will.”
Steve turned to Geddon and Selestria. “And you two will stay peaceful long enough for all this to happen?”
They both nodded. Selestria said, “I will help round up the Vagrant Kinship leaders for you, Steven. Together, we can dream-leap to them and call upon our allies.”
Steve turned to Aiden. “You focus on getting the gold here, so we can pay the soldiers in our army.”
“Right-o, mate.”
“This all needs to happen with haste, if we’re to have any chance of survival, much less victory,” Constantin said.
Steve said, “Indeed it does. So let’s get to work. But before we do, I’d like a word in private with you, Constantin.”
The vampire frowned and hesitated. Then he nodded solemnly. He walked toward the library near the stairs. Steve followed him into the room.
Once alone, Steve said, “Besides summoning the Kinship, I want a guarantee from you.”
“A guarantee?” Constantin asked incredulously. “What do I owe you, Steve Remington? You are doing this out of self-preservation as much as we all are.”
Steve buried his growing anger. Taking a deep breath, he said, “You will owe me, Constantin. My primary purpose in all this is to get your daughter out of the clutches of that family.”
Constantin narrowed his eyes.
Steve tried a different approach. “I am the best dream-leaper in this household. I can call on the Vagrants quicker and more efficiently than anyone else. You need me, Lord Bloodstone.” He used the vampire’s Brethren title, trying to prop him up a little bit.
It seemed to work. Constantin paused and took a moment to mull over Steve’s words. Then he said, “What is it you want, boy?”
Steve prepared himself. He was dead tired and needed sleep, probably as much as the vampire before him. But he couldn’t leave this room without getting the guarantee he’d been seeking for ages. He actually wished he’d brought someone in here to witness what he was about to say . . .
“Hmm?” Constantin asked, when it seemed Steve had dozed off.
Steve stared into the vampire’s piercing gray eyes. “When this is all said and done, I want you to allow Annabel to be with me.”
Constantin tried to hide his shock, but he was a poor actor. His jaws tightened and his neck went rigid. He slightly bared his teeth, enough so his sharp cuspids showed.
Before the vampire could think of a response, Steve let the words flow like a torrential rain. “We love each other, Constantin. All she’s ever wanted was to make you proud of the woman she’s become. And you should be proud. She’s wonderful, intelligent, and most importantly, entirely capable of deciding what she wants in life. And she wants me. And I want her. Let us be together, as we’re meant to be, so
we can escape the madness of this place, once and for all. You can’t contain her forever, even though I know you’d like to. She is too independent for that. As long as you restrain her, she will continue to rebel against you. Eventually, you’ll cross a line you didn’t intend to, and you may lose her forever. Is that what you want? You know the type of person I am, and the type of person Tiberius Reynolds is. Do you truly wish for her to be with him, rather than me? Simply because I’m a human?”
The fury on Constantin’s face shifted, slowly but surely. As Steve’s spiel wore on, Constantin’s eyes became softer. By the time Steve was done and out of breath, Constantin had a shadow of a smirk at the edge of his lips.
Steve panted and heaved, continuing to stare into the vampire’s eyes.
The wait was excruciating.
Finally, Constantin spoke.
“No, Steve Remington—”
Steve’s heart immediately sank.
The vampire continued. “No, I don’t wish for Annabel to be with Tiberius, and I don’t think he is a better man than you. If you can help us in all this, you will prove your gallantry. You already have shown it, if I’m being honest. By forsaking your own safety for a world that does not care for you, you have shown your valor and bravery. You are not the sniveling, lustful degenerate I originally thought you were, Steve Remington.” Finally, Constantin did smile. “You might even be close to becoming a good man.”
Steve’s mouth fell open. He couldn’t feel his own skin. All the debate points he’d stored in his head fluttered away, leaving his mind empty. He recovered, though, and smiled wistfully. “I wouldn’t go that far, Con.”
Constantin’s smile immediately vanished.
“Sorry,” Steve said, showing his palms. Maybe it wasn’t the time to start making up nicknames. “But . . . you’ll allow it?”
Constantin nodded. “I will.” The softness on his face fell away, and he seemed stern and serious once more. “How will you recover her, though?”
“I’ve had an idea brewing for a little while now . . . but I’ll need to speak with your house brownie, Lig, if that’s all right with you.”
Constantin arched his brow. “How could Lig possibly help you?”
Steve smiled. “You underestimate the little fellow, my friend. That tiny dude might be the key to everything . . .”
