* * *
"I say we raid the kitchen in celebration," Tory headed for the bedroom door.
"Come on," Ry pulled Toff along with him. They'd almost reached the wide portal into the kitchen when the palace shook beneath their feet, throwing all three of them to the floor. Pots and pans fell from hooks in the kitchen and Toff heard shouts and screams all around as heavier things began to fall—the ground was shaking harder. Toff curled up in a ball and wrapped his arms around his head, just as Ry and Tory did the same.
* * *
Kifirin strode through the palace in Full Thifilathi—nearly twenty feet of dark, angry god. Someone had attacked Lissa's planet and he was furious. A few of the inhabitants of the palace had been injured in the quake, but Kifirin was searching for the cause. His senses sent him skipping to the dungeons, where he stared at the cell assigned to the Half-Fae called Gren. It was empty. Kifirin caused the palace to shake again with his deafening roar.
* * *
"Who's on the list?" Queen Lissa was shouting and weeping as she held a dying Cheedas in her arms. Ry and Tory were in tears as they hugged one another while staring down at the comesula cook. Toff was frightened; he was watching one of his newest friends die right in front of him.
"Oluwa is coming, my love," Gavin knelt next to the Queen.
"Child, we will do our best to save him," Roff's arms came around Toff and held him tightly.
"But what can you do?" Toff only then realized he was weeping—the tears in his eyes kept him from seeing Roff clearly as he looked up at him.
"It is what is done when one of the worthy is dying," Roff whispered. "Hush now, everything will be done that can be done." Toff watched as a tall, dark-skinned man was led into the kitchen. He knelt next to Cheedas and the Queen.
"Lissa, pretty girl, back up and give me some room," the one called Oluwa said gently. "He's still with us. I'll save him if I can." Lissa nodded and allowed Gavin to pull her away.
"Young one, this will be frightening and unpleasant to watch, so I will take you away if that is your desire," Roff said.
"What is going to happen?" Toff whimpered.
"We will attempt the turn," Roff replied. "Usually we have more time than this. Oluwa will have to hurry."
Toff watched in horror as a very sharp claw emerged from one of Oluwa's fingers, and he used it to slice into Cheedas' wrists—three lengthwise slits on both. Blood began pumping from Cheedas' veins. Toff's mouth worked but he couldn't force a moan past his lips. Ry and Tory were now hugging their mother, who'd come to stand beside them. Gavin was kneeling next to Cheedas' head, keeping him from moving as Oluwa lifted one of Cheedas' wrists to his lips and began to drink.
Toff couldn't say later how he'd managed to keep his feet—perhaps it was Roff, standing there with him, hushing him and reassuring him, telling him that this was the way things were. Toff watched as Oluwa stopped drinking from Cheedas' wrist, laying it down gently beside the cook's body. Oluwa held a wrist out to Gavin, who formed a claw on a finger and opened Oluwa's veins. Dark red blood welled up immediately.
Oluwa then held his wrist to Cheedas' mouth as Gavin raised the old cook up, and Oluwa's command to drink had Cheedas swallowing the vampire's blood. Radomir came in from somewhere and began counting off time. At some prearranged moment, Radomir called time, Oluwa removed his wrist from Cheedas' blood-covered mouth and Cheedas' heart stopped beating.
"That is the way of it, my child," Roff crooned softly, lifting Toff and carrying him from the room.
* * *
"We should know something soon," Oluwa sighed as Gavin lifted Cheedas from the floor.
"Oluwa," Lissa went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, allowing her head to droop against his chest.
"It will go as it will, little Queen," Oluwa soothed. "We should take him to the waiting rooms and clean him up a bit."
"You can't leave him here?"
"It is better this way," Oluwa said. "Come now; let me do my duty as a sire." Oluwa allowed Gavin to carry Cheedas away.
"Mom?" Tory's voice was shaky as he reached out toward Lissa.
"Honey, I'm so sorry you had to see that," Lissa went to her boys.
"Mom, Uncle Tony explained it to us two years ago. We just weren't prepared for the reality, and we weren't ready for it to be Cheedas," Ry wanted to weep or scream—he couldn't decide which.
"It's always that way, honey. You're not prepared for it to be the one it is. Cheedas had a heart attack, I think. I didn't see any wounds on his body."
"I can confirm that," Karzac appeared in a brief flash of light.
"What happened to Toff? Where is he?" Lissa looked around her.
"Uncle Roff took him."
"Did he see this?"
"Yeah, Mom. He did."
"Oh, no." Lissa raked a hand through her hair.
"We will explain to him, little firefly. We will do our best to make him understand," Karzac had hands on Lissa's forehead. They eventually wandered down to her abdomen. "The baby is fine and strong," Karzac allayed any fears in that direction.
"Avilepha, the Half-Fae difik has escaped." Kifirin was back to himself when he appeared in the kitchen. "With help, but he escaped, nonetheless."
"Let me guess—Zellar?" Lissa sighed as she looked up at Kifirin. His eyes still appeared completely black; otherwise, he was back to normal.
"Zellar and another," Kifirin confirmed. "We must hunt all three of them, now. If Tiearan had spoken his fears earlier, this might have been avoided. I grow weary of waiting for Toff to reach adulthood."
"Eleven more years," Lissa muttered.
* * *
"Toff?" Lissa came into Toff's bedroom, followed by Ry and Tory. Roff was still there, Toff held tightly against him as they sat on Toff's bed.
Toff looked up as the Queen and the two Princes walked in. "Honey, I'm so sorry you had to see that. We wanted to wait to tell you about this. You have to believe me when I say that this is what Cheedas wanted. This is what he and many others hope for at the end of their lives." Lissa came to sit on Toff's bed. Ry and Tory stood behind her.
"What is it? What did he hope for? I saw that man drinking his blood." Toff's voice sounded sullen. Roff's wings rustled in agitation.
"Honey, I know they never taught you what Le-Ath Veronis means. I wanted to wait awhile before we told you, so you could get used to all this. That's not an option any longer."
"What does it mean? What are you talking about?" Toff wasn't sure now what he should do. He didn't want to go back to the Fae village and he was nearly too frightened to stay at the palace.
"Honey, Le-Ath Veronis is from an ancient language. You remember that Le-Ath Veronis was destroyed all those years ago? Nobody speaks that language anymore. Except Kifirin, perhaps. Toff, Le-Ath Veronis means Heart of the Vampire."
Toff struggled in Roff's grip, but Roff wasn't letting him go. "Sit still, little one and let us explain," Roff said softly.
"I have to explain what the comesuli truly are—what they were created to be," Lissa began. "You know how some insects have a nymph stage—they look much like an adult, only smaller?"
"Y-yes," Toff couldn't keep the stutter from his voice.
"That's what the comesuli are. Young vampires. Vampire children, you might say. If you decide to stay with us after we explain things to you, then I will show you the laws that govern Le-Ath Veronis. The first of those laws levies a death sentence against any vampire who drinks from a child. And as Cheedas told you, you are not considered an adult until you reach the age of twenty-nine. That means that no comesula under the age of twenty-nine can be considered for the turn. That is what Oluwa did for Cheedas—he has attempted the turn. We should know in three days if Cheedas survived the turning to become a vampire. Sometimes it takes longer than that, but if the body survives intact for three days, that is a very good sign that the turn will be successful. If Oluwa hadn't done what he did, Cheedas would now be dead. That is another of our laws—that the candidate
must be dying and of good character before the turn may be attempted. Vampires are strong when they wake. We do not make criminals into vampires; their penchant for disobeying laws follows them into their next life."
"That's when the comesuli become whole, child. While you have no genitalia now, if you are turned one day, you will wake with what you did not have before." Roff's voice was gentle and even.
"But what if I don't believe you?" Toff shuddered at the images he'd seen before—Cheedas' blood, drank by another.
"You should believe me," Roff turned Toff around so he could look into Toff's eyes. "I was comesula, once. Only a few of us—honored among the comesuli—will become Winged Vampires, however. Child, you will be a Winged Vampire one day, if that is your choice."
Toff's shock was now complete. Roff—a vampire? But he'd walked in daylight earlier. Toff's memory was dim, but he thought that vampires were kept in darkness because the sun would kill them.
"I know what you're thinking. There are a few of us who are not just vampire now. We have been changed somewhat, so we can walk in the sun," Roff nodded. "Most vampires still have to live on this half of the planet because the sun burns their skin. I can assure you that one day, if this is your choice and the Queen finds you worthy, you will be as I am—able to walk in daylight as a vampire. Not many receive this gift, child. And it is a gift, make no mistake about that. Someday, I will introduce you to the vampire who is my sire. His name is Flavio and he is a patient parent."
"As is Oluwa," the Queen added. "Oluwa and I have known each other for a while and I trust him. I cannot say that about many people—vampires included."
"Are all your Inner Circle mates vampires?" Toff ventured to ask.
"No, honey. Only Gavin, Tony, Rigo, Aryn and Roff are vampires. Drake and Drew are Falchani, but they are also Spawn Hunters for the Saa Thalarr. Winkler is a werewolf and a Spawn Hunter. Ry's father, Erland, is called Lord Erland Morphis and is high in the court for my grandfather, King Wylend Arden of Karathia. Garde, Tory's father, is Gardevik Rath, Prime Minister and brother to Jaydevik Rath, King of the High Demons on Kifirin. You know what Norian is—you've seen that. What you don't know about him is that he is heir to Ildevar Wyyld, the founding member of the Alliance. Karzac was Refizani, once, but is now a Healer for the Saa Thalarr. Nissa's father, Shadow Grey, is a Master Wizard of Grey House and Grandson of Glendes, Eldest of Grey House. Rigo was once Rigovarnus the First, a High King on Hraede. The Larentii—Connegar and Reemagar—are the most powerful race among those from the light side of the universes. Thurlow and Kifirin, well, let's just say that both of them are minor gods. Kifirin outranking Thurlow, of course."
"Why are you telling me all this?" Toff wiped dampness from his cheeks. "Why are you being so nice to me? Surely it isn't because I might be a Winged Vampire someday."
"No, honey, that isn't the reason." Lissa looked carefully at Roff before she answered Toff's question. "I knew your father when you were tiny, Toff. In fact, I was going to adopt you after your father was in an accident. That's when the Green Fae came along. They thought they were kidnapping King Wylend's grandson and heir to the Karathian throne. They picked the wrong baby. They wanted to force the Karathian Warlocks to help them when they came under attack by the Vionnu and one of their renegade religions. The Full Fae can do what they call flashing to take themselves from one world to another. The Half-Fae can't do it—it causes their bodies to disintegrate. They would have to leave their Half-Fae children behind to be slaughtered by the Vionn army, or they were going to have to force a Karathian to help them. They kidnapped the baby they thought was Wylend's heir to make things come out in their favor. They got you instead. You, who were about to be adopted by the Queen of Le-Ath Veronis. I went to Vionn to keep the Fae—Full, Half and otherwise—from being destroyed, expecting to get you back afterward. I was very wrong."
"Mom, you never told us this," Ry sounded lost.
"Honey, there wasn't any point, was there?" The Queen reached out to take his hand and squeezed it gently. "I thought Toff was lost to me when Tiearan came and told me afterward that Redbird placed a mindbond on Toff. He would think of her as his mother. He didn't even recognize me when I tried to take him. He was screaming and holding onto Redbird. She stole him away from us in a way that couldn't be reversed. Toff was around two when that happened, and the Larentii said that if we tried to reverse the mindbond it could damage his brain, he was so little. I was forced to leave Toff with the Green Fae. Eventually they were attacked again, and in order to make sure Toff remained safe, I had to bring all of them here. Kifirin and Thurlow have promised judgment against them when Toff comes of age. That's eleven years from now."
"Is that why they all despised me?" Toff's cheeks were getting wetter.
"Hush, child, none of this is your fault." Roff rocked Toff carefully. "They should know not to shift blame for their mistakes onto an innocent child. Nearly all of them chose to do the kidnapping, even when they knew it was wrong. And then Redbird thought to keep you for herself, because she could not have children with her Half-Fae mate."
"It's true," Lissa said. "Did you not notice that the Fulls can become parents, but the Halves can't—not with the Fae. They might with a humanoid, but that's it, and their children will be born without power. It's just the way things are with the Fae."
"That was you, then, arguing with Redbird after I was attacked by Haldis and Sark." Toff looked at the Queen, unsure what to feel.
"Yes. Sadly, I sometimes let my temper run away with me. You can believe me when I say, though, that I never stopped loving you, Toff. Never gave up hope that you'd come home to us, where you belonged. I realize that Redbird's mindbond may still have a hold on you, but I can't leave you there when they mistreat you. After they tried to kill you—twice—I had to get you out of there. Corent may come and visit anytime he wants. As can Father Willow. Redbird is not welcome in my home. Tiearan and Rain will never be welcome, either. Rain came up with the idea to do the kidnapping, Tiearan stole you away and then Redbird placed the mindbond. I will not forgive that willingly."
"There is one other who is on that list as well," Roff said quietly, tightening his arms around Toff.
"Yes. I know." Lissa stood and sighed. "Toff, please stay. You will break my heart if you don't, and Nissa will be heartbroken as well."
"I will stay." Toff couldn't look at the Queen when he said the words. He cared for her in some way and he couldn't explain it. And Nissa? Toff would walk through fire for her.
"Then you should sleep now, young one. You have had a terrible day, and I hope your dreams are sweet." Roff gave Toff one last hug before letting him go. "Come to me or any of the others; we will help you if we can, and if you cannot sleep, Karzac will remedy that." Roff rose. "Come, Raona, we will leave the young ones alone." Roff took the Queen's arm and led her from the suite.
"Oh, my gosh." Tory used one of his mother's favorite phrases. It wasn't cursing—she always did that in a language they didn't understand.
"Toff, do you know what this means?" Ry sat in the spot his mother had previously occupied.
"What does it mean?" Toff picked at his coverlet.
"That we're practically brothers." Ry reached over and swatted Toff on the arm. Toff looked up at Ry in surprise and then slowly—very, very slowly—Toff began to smile.
* * *
"I want to see Cheedas." Nissa looked as if she were about to cry and Toff couldn't stand it. She'd arrived for her birthday party, but that was the last thing on her mind. She worried for the old cook, who'd watched over her and her brothers all their lives.
"Honey, right now he'll just look like he's dead," Lissa held her daughter against her side and stroked her hair.
"But I need to see him, mama."
"Baby, are you sure?" Lissa held Nissa and kissed her temple.
"Mom, please."
"All right, honey. Do the rest of you want to go, too?" Nobody felt like eating right then, though the kitchen was still opera
ting. Some of the cooks had been brought from Niff's in Casino City—the regular kitchen staff had been given time off.
Toff was nodding right along with Ry and Tory.
"Come on, we'll go, then." Lissa stood, lifting Nissa with her. Gavin, Tony and Roff went with them and they didn't drive this time, someone folded them straight to the hospital.
"These are called the waiting rooms," Lissa led them down a quiet corridor. "There are five turns in progress now. We must be quiet—not for the ones who are going through the turn, but for the sires who are waiting and watching over them," Lissa said softly. She rounded a corner and walked through a door that led to another corridor. This one was lined with windows made of one-way glass. They could look down into the waiting rooms but the turning sires could not see the visitors. That was why they had to keep quiet—noise might upset the vampire waiting for his newest child to wake.
"See, there is Oluwa," Lissa whispered as they peered through the darkened glass at the scene below. Cheedas was lying on a narrow bed, covered by a blanket while Oluwa was sitting in a comfortable chair nearby, watching over the old cook.
"It is good that his body is whole, still," Gavin knelt next to Nissa and placed an arm around her waist. "If he were not making at least a partial turn, his body would be gray and already turning to ash. This is a very good sign, little one."
"This is what happened to you?" Nissa turned to look into Gavin's deep-brown eyes.
"Yes. Long ago. Aurelius was my sire, pretty girl, and you may ask him all the questions you like about my turning. Aurelius was a better parent than my natural parents, even."
"I like him," Nissa agreed. "I just didn't know that he made you vampire."
"Gavin's Cousin René, who was also turned by Aurelius, was my sire," Tony said softly, kneeling on Nissa's other side.
"What happened to him?" Nissa put an arm around Tony's neck.
"He died saving my life," Tony replied. "Your mother and Gavin were both there when he died."
Blood Reunion Page 14
