My lungs tightened, and it hurt to breathe.
“Our Savior,” Noah said, bringing my attention back to the conversation at hand.
“Is there any chance that your Savior isn’t telling the truth?” I’d wanted to say lying, but I didn’t want to anger Noah by saying anything too rude about this Savior he loved and worshipped.
“Our Savior is telling the truth.” He spoke stronger now, convinced of his words. “The original vampires were smart—they made sure no one knew their weakness. No one but a select few, of course. They wanted to get rid of the Nephilim during the Great War—for obvious reasons. There were surely some lower-level vampires who would have wanted to keep the Nephilim around as a weapon against the originals, so by telling no one, the original vampires were protecting themselves.”
“It’s not even in any history books,” I said, still baffled by this revelation. “At least, not in any I’ve read so far in the library. And I’ve read a lot.”
“It wouldn’t be,” Noah said. “Like I said, the originals kept it a secret. Anyone who found out was compelled to forget. We only know because our Savior told us.”
I sat back, stunned. This changed everything.
“You’re sure there are no more Nephilim left?” I asked.
“Positive,” he replied. “They were all killed in the Great War.”
I sighed in defeat and took a sip of water, needing something to clear my head. For the past few weeks, I’d thought that I could somehow kill Laila and finally get my freedom. It had been the one hope that had kept me going.
Now I realized how ridiculous that had been.
Laila had been alive for centuries. Who was I to think I could kill such an ancient, powerful creature?
“You meant what you said earlier,” Noah said, looking carefully at me. “You wanted Laila dead.”
“It doesn’t matter what I wanted,” I snapped. “The originals are invincible. So how, exactly, do you plan on getting all of the vampires out of the Vale, since Laila can’t be killed?”
“Once her people are gone and her kingdom is ransacked, Laila will have nothing left to rule,” he said calmly, as if he wasn’t talking about the destruction of an entire people. “And while original vampires can’t be killed, they’re not immune to wormwood. We’ll contain her using wormwood, and our designated contact on the outside will take her away.”
“Contact on the outside?” I raised an eyebrow, wanting to know more.
“I can’t say any more than that,” he said, not to my surprise. “Just that I trust that this contact will keep the vampire queen contained.”
If she were contained and thought I was dead, I wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore.
The situation wouldn’t be ideal, but it was one I could work with.
“I’ll help you,” I decided. “On a few conditions.”
“Name them.”
“Firstly, I want you to give us one month before attacking, so I have time to convince as many vampires as possible to leave for the Haven,” I said.
“Two weeks,” he countered. “The wolves of the Vale are geared up and ready to fight. I can’t hold them back for much longer.”
“Three.” I held his gaze, unwilling to back down.
“Two,” he repeated. “I inspire my people—I don’t control them. I can’t hold them back for longer than a fortnight.”
“Fine.” It was better than nothing—and it was more important he agreed with what I proposed next. “Two weeks.”
“What else did you want?” he asked.
“A warning the day before you attack,” I said. “And guaranteed safety for myself and Princess Ana of the Seventh Kingdom.”
“The Seventh Kingdom?” Noah laughed again—he really was a cocky bastard. “You believe that bullshit?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “After everything I’ve learned in the past year, the idea of a hidden vampire kingdom doesn’t seem so far fetched. But no matter if it exists or not, I care about Princess Ana and I don’t want her harmed.”
“You realize I hold the upper hand here.” Noah leaned back and rested the back of his head into his hands. “Most vampires in the Vale are weak from centuries of peace. They don’t know how to fight. I’m doing you a favor by allowing you to save your people.”
“By encouraging vampires to leave for the Haven—including vampire guards who want to keep their families together—I’m making this war easier for you to win,” I countered. “There will be fewer casualties on your side as well as on mine. Surely that’s something you care about?”
“All right,” he agreed. “I’ll give you a day’s warning, and ensure the wolves know that you and Princess Ana are leaving the Vale and therefore are not to be attacked. But I must ask—where do you both intend on going?”
“That’s not for you to worry about,” I said. “I’ll figure it out.”
Truthfully, I hoped Ana would take me to the Seventh Kingdom, but I didn’t want to say it and have Noah laugh at me again. Especially because I still believed that Noah was working with Ana.
How else would he have known to send for me when he did?
“Do we have a deal?” I picked up the knife from my place setting. It wasn’t sharp, but it would do.
“A blood oath?” Noah asked.
“I’m not thrilled about it either,” I said. Noah’s blood smelled disgusting enough when it was inside his body—I had no desire for that stench to get stronger when it was out in the open. “But it’s the best way to hold both of us to our words.”
“Fine.” Noah grabbed his knife as well, and when he slashed his palm, I did the same. “Let’s get this over with.”
Camelia
The night of the full moon was finally here.
Well, it was still daytime in the Canadian Rockies. But the passage to the Otherworld wasn’t in Canada—it was in Ireland. And right now, in Ireland, it was eight hours later, which meant the night had begun.
Laila had instructed the other witches at the Vale—all five of them—to uphold the boundary while I was gone. Even combined, they weren’t as strong as I was, but they would be able to keep up the barrier until I returned.
I gathered everything I needed and glanced in the mirror one final time. I’d done myself up for the occasion in a black cocktail dress, and had curled my hair and applied a full face of makeup. My wormwood pendant, of course, rested on my chest.
The fae were fanciful creatures. I’d never been to the Otherworld, but rumor had it that it was far more extravagant than anything we had on Earth. I hoped that by dressing up, the fae that met me at the crossroads would take me more seriously.
I toyed with my pendant, nervous. What payment might the fae demand from me?
I shuddered at the thought of sacrificing my memories, like Laila and the other originals had done. I refused to give up everything that I was. If the fae requested my memories, I would bargain with them. There had to be something else they would want.
But worrying would get me nowhere. This task was the key to freedom and immortality. The sooner I got it done, the better.
So I held tightly onto my bag—I couldn’t lose the items within—closed my eyes, and teleported myself to the crossroads.
Ireland was so stunning that it took my breath away.
The full moon glowed bright and low, illuminating the night. The surrounding mountains were covered in snow—as would be expected for January. But the pond before me, along with the bright fauna surrounding it, bloomed as if it were the height of summer. Bright green lily pads clustered in the shimmering water, and bushes with brightly colored berries surrounded the pond.
Such a contained bubble of life could only be accomplished by magic.
This had to be it. The crossroads.
I removed a bowl from my pack and set to work, kneeling beside the nearest bush and gathering its berries. Once the bowl was full of precisely thirty-three berries, I removed the next item from my pack—freshly bagged blood.
I’d slain the human yesterday in the dungeon. Killing him had been easy—he was old, and near death as it was. He didn’t put up a fight when I’d taken out my knife and slashed it across his throat.
He was the first human I’d killed with my own hand, and guilt tugged at my stomach when I looked at his blood. I’d ordered humans to be killed before, but it was different doing the deed myself. It felt dirty—as if I were performing dark magic.
I shrugged off the guilt, since this wasn’t dark magic. It was simply what was necessary to call upon the fae.
Once the human was dead, I’d instructed a vampire on the staff to bag up the blood and give one to me. The vampire had been confused about why I’d slain the human—normally whenever a human was condemned to death, we allowed a royal vampire to enjoy his or her fill of their blood. But once I’d told her that this was an order directly from Queen Laila, she had no choice but to comply.
After all, the fae demanded that the blood used was from a human slain in the recent moon cycle—and the one calling them had to have killed the human his or herself. If I hadn’t killed that man, I wouldn’t be able to call upon the fae. Then it wouldn’t have been long until Laila matched me up with a male witch so I could breed. I would have had to continue using my magic to hold up the boundary, and I would only have about a decade or so more until the constant use of it drained the life out of me.
It had been that human’s life or mine. I hadn’t enjoyed killing him, but I’d needed to do it to survive. Plus, that human was going to die soon, anyway. By killing him, I’d merely shortened what was remaining of his dreary life in the dungeons.
Looking at it that way, I’d actually done him a favor.
There was no point in thinking about it further—it was already done—so I opened the bag and drizzled its contents onto the berries. Once the berries were soaked in the blood, I used my knife to prick my finger.
“I want to know the location of Geneva’s sapphire ring and how I can acquire it,” I said as I added my own blood into the bowl.
I counted thirty-three drops of my blood, stirred the mixture together, and began tossing the berries into the lake. The water shimmered as each one plopped inside. I counted each berry as I threw it in, making sure I’d given the lake precisely thirty-three berries. Once they were all gone, I held my breath, waiting.
I expected a faerie to emerge from the lake, like some sort of mystical mermaid. But nothing happened.
This had to be the right spot. Had I done something wrong? Had I miscounted the berries? Should I have gathered them from another bush?
I glanced at the bushes, ready to select another one and start the process again.
“You called?” a melodic voice said from behind me, stopping me before I could choose a different bush.
I turned around, sucking in a deep breath as I met eyes with a man more beautiful than I could have ever dreamed possible.
Camelia
I stared at him, stunned into silence.
He was tall, with platinum hair and iridescent green eyes. His icy skin shimmered with the glow of the moon, as if he were shining from within. He wore only trousers, his chest exposed. His chiseled features make him look like a Greek god come to life. He was slim, but fit, each muscle firm and defined. No creature on Earth—not even the supernaturals—had such otherworldly beauty.
I didn’t need to ask if he were fae. Besides his stunning appearance, the pointed tips of his ears were proof enough.
“I am Camelia, witch of the Vale and head consult to Queen Laila herself.” I held my head high, somehow getting ahold of myself enough to speak. “I have come for an answer to the question that I seek.”
“Your question rang through to the Otherworld when you called,” he said with an arrogant smirk. “I am Prince Devyn of the Otherworld, and I’m gifted with the rare power of omniscient sight. I can see the past, the present, and the future. Therefore, I know both your question and its answer. But first, I need payment for my journey through the passage between worlds.”
“What kind of payment?” I stepped back and swallowed, hesitant. This was the part I’d feared.
“You need not be scared.” He was by my side in an instant, and he reached for my hand.
Relaxation filled my body as his fingers entwined with mine.
“What I want from you is simple.” His melodic voice was soothing to my ears. “All I request are full rights to your first born child once he or she comes of age.”
Relief rushed through me at his request. “Of course,” I said with a smile. “That won’t be a problem at all.”
It wouldn’t be a problem because soon I would be turned into a vampire, and vampires weren’t able to bear children. But he didn’t need to know that.
Perhaps his omniscient sight wasn’t as strong as he claimed it to be. Because Laila had made me a blood oath—once I gave her the ring, she would turn me into a vampire.
Even Laila wasn’t immune to the power of a blood oath.
“I’m glad to hear it.” He beamed, and just the thought that I could please him so much filled me with happiness. “Now, although I already know what you want, we must be bureaucratic here. So please, speak your question aloud, so I may verify what you seek.”
“I want to know the location of Geneva’s sapphire ring and how I can acquire it,” I repeated the question I’d asked while preparing the berries.
“I have the information you need,” he confirmed. “And I will tell you what you want to know—for a price.”
His answer didn’t surprise me, since of course, I’d expected as much. “What do you desire?” I asked, ready to give him anything.
As long as my hand remained in his, I feared I would give him anything, so I pulled my hand back to my side, needing to think clearly. Once we were no longer touching, the intense warmth and desire to please him dimmed. It was still there, but not as strong as before.
He blinked and glanced at my hand. If my motion surprised him, he only let it show for an instant.
“Your memories,” he said, and my stomach sunk at the request. “All of them.”
“No.” The word escaped my lips in an instant. “There’s a lot I’m willing to give, but not that.”
“The witches now known as the ‘original vampires’ gave their memories to one of my kind for what they wanted,” he said. “I know you know this—Queen Laila told you herself.”
“Of course you know.” I huffed. “What kind of omniscient sight would you have otherwise?”
“You’re feisty.” He smirked. “For that, I might be willing to bargain. But I don’t know. A lifetime of memories sounds like an appropriate payment for what you seek. Did you know that the fae who provided the original vampires with the immortality spell is a dear friend of mine?”
“I didn’t,” I replied. Normally I would have left it at that, but since he seemed to like my comebacks enough to consider a bargain, it might be best to throw in another as well. “We can’t all be omniscient like you.”
“It would hardly be fun if everyone were, now would it?” he asked, although the question was clearly rhetorical. “Well, let me enlighten you about my friend. She has a gift as rare as mine—she’s an inventor. She can invent a spell or potion for anything. But her price is steep. She loves memories, and she’s been bragging about how she acquired all of those memories at once for centuries. It’ll be exciting to tell her that I acquired a lifetime of memories tonight. There’s so much value in memories—so many experiences to learn from. People don’t cherish their own memories nearly enough.” He traced a finger along my jaw, but I backed away, refusing to be coaxed into giving in.
“I cherish mine.” I crossed my arms and glared at him. “There has to be something else you want.”
He tilted his head, as if contemplating it. “Now that you mention it, there is one other thing I want,” he said.
“What?” I asked.
“Something that belongs to you and you alone, that you
’ve never given to anyone before.”
“That’s vague.” I rolled my eyes. “Care to be more specific?”
“I knew I liked you!” He smirked again and snapped his fingers. “But I’d prefer not to tell you any more until you agree to the deal.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, considering his words. Something that belonged to me and me alone could easily be my memories. The fae were tricky creatures. They were unable to lie, but they were talented at skirting around the truth. I needed to make sure I wouldn’t be giving him the very thing I’d already refused.
“You’re not referring to any of my memories?” I asked him. “Or my soul?”
“No.” He stepped closer, so he was towering over me. “I promise I’m not asking for your memories or your soul.”
“Good to know,” I said. If he wasn’t referring to my memories or soul, he must be referring to an object I owned. Unless…
“Do you promise that what you take from me won’t harm me in any way?”
“You will not be harmed,” he replied. “I have no desire to harm you.”
“Good.” I nodded, relieved that if I agreed, he wouldn’t be walking away with one of my fingers or eyeballs or something. “Is it an object?”
“Camelia, Camelia,” he said my name like a song. “I didn’t want to tell you more, and yet I’ve answered two of your questions. You may have enraptured me, but let’s not be too greedy now—especially since this is my second and final offer. If you want to know about this sapphire ring as badly as you claim, you’ll agree to the deal. And if you don’t… then I’ll get on my way. Although I don’t think Queen Laila will be pleased when she breeds you and discovers you’ve promised your first born child to the fae, now will she?”
I clenched my fists at the word breeds, anger rushing through my veins at the reminder of the future Queen Laila intended for me. He’d known while making that first deal with me that it would become leverage for him, and I’d fallen right into his trap.
The Vampire Wish: The Complete Series (Dark World) Page 42
