by Tara Shuler
Traffic had begun to thin out considerably, and it took about four hours to make it home. Many of the Council members were already in bed, but Jamie had waited up for us. I took her the equipment right away.
“I’m so glad you got it!” Jamie gushed. “I’ll start on the potion right now.”
“I’m going to go start packing,” I said. “I’ll be in my room if you need me.”
Alexi had already begun to pack, and when I entered our room I noticed he had three suitcases in varying sizes lined up along the wall, ready to go. I imagined everything was neatly folded, organized thoroughly, and things were protected in little individual plastic bags. That was so Alexi.
My bags would likely be a jumbled, disorganized mess, just like the rest of my life. I always had the best of intentions, but nothing ever turned out like I expected it would.
I decided to use one suitcase for clothes, another for toiletries, and a third for essentials. I knew Alexi had mentioned rations, but I wasn’t exactly sure if we were all supposed to pack our own, or if someone else would handle that. I assumed the latter, and I didn’t account for packing food.
Georgia winters are relatively mild. When we got hit with what people called a “blizzard” in 1993, which my mother had told me about several times, we had about three feet of snow. And that was extremely unusual. Some years we see nothing but a few flurries that don’t stick. On a cold year, we typically see maybe 3-6 inches of accumulation once or twice a year.
Because of this, I had very little in the way of warm clothing. I had a handful of sweaters, a leather jacket, some jeans… nothing really made for ultra cold weather. I couldn’t even order anything online, because I knew it was unlikely to arrive in time. We might be leaving as early as the next day or as late as the next week. It wasn’t even feasible to expect to find anything locally, because with our mild winters, most stores wouldn’t be stocking heavy clothing even in the dead of winter.
I packed the warmest items I could find and decided I would see if there were any ski stores around that I might be able to get stuff from. Then I packed my toiletries such as shampoo and conditioner, my special lotion that smelled like my mother that I used every time I missed her, my toothbrush and toothpaste, and my razors. Even vampires have to shave.
I was mostly ready to go. The clock was ticking, and I just wanted to get this over with. I had no idea how it would go, but I was more than ready to find out.
Chapter Fourteen
It took three days to finalize our travel plans. The hunters were unable to send the numbers they’d hoped for, but with our two dozen Council members, another fifteen hunters and Logan’s pack of eleven, we had decent numbers. Still, it might be nothing compared to what Dmitri had in store.
We knew he’d have the wraiths. The wraith that visited me told me they could break free of his will if only we weakened him enough, but I had no idea how to accomplish that. He had his own special abilities, and he was absolutely filled to the brim with darkness from the dark magic he’d practiced for so long. He was enormously powerful, and draining such a huge source of energy would be… I figured pretty darned close to impossible.
Jamie approached me a few hours before we were to leave. I was just sitting around gnawing my nails and fretting over what to do about the crystal, which still hummed faintly inside me, and she came to tell me the good news.
“I finished the potion!” she exclaimed.
“Seriously? Does it work?” I gasped, springing to my feet.
She held up a tiny chair that I recognized as one of the ones from the dining hall, and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. I squealed with excitement and threw my arms around her neck, and the two of us began to jump up and down excitedly.
“Let’s go test it on the crystal!” I said.
Liam, Jamie and I headed downstairs and I was relieved to see that I was able to open the door just fine. The thrum inside me intensified as I neared the crystal. Jamie was holding the vial of liquid, which hissed and bubbled ominously inside the clear container.
She handed it to me and said, “Don’t splash it on yourself!”
“What should I do, just throw some at it?” I asked.
She handed me a tiny dropper made of the same material as the vial and said, “Draw some up to about the third marker line and carefully apply it.”
“Won’t it just run off onto the floor?” I asked.
“It gets absorbed instantly by whatever it touches, so just squirt it on there,” she answered. “Just watch for splashes!”
I carefully removed the clear stopper on the vial and set it aside, and then I drew up the needed amount of liquid. I bit my lip nervously as I aimed the dropper at the crystal and squeezed the bulb, shooting a jet of the liquid straight at the crystal.
For a moment, nothing happened. I watched with bated breath,, and slowly the crystal began to shrink. I couldn’t believe it. It was working!
The crystal grew ever smaller until it fell from its perch and landed on the floor, still shrinking. I was afraid it might reach so small a size I couldn’t find it, but it stopped when it reached the size of an elongated egg. I stepped toward it and stooped forward, scooping it up in my hand. It rested perfectly in my palm, pulsating with warmth against my skin.
“It really worked,” I said softly. Then I turned to Jamie and squealed, “It worked!”
Before anyone else could touch it, I quickly thrust it into the pocket of my jeans. The last thing I wanted was for this thing to hurt someone.
“Oh, by the way, there are some packages that came for you earlier,” Jamie said. “I forgot to mention it. They’re on your bed.”
“Packages? But I didn’t order anything,” I said.
She shrugged and said, “They’re in your name.”
I made my way upstairs and noticed a rather large number of boxes stacked on my bed. They did indeed have my name on them, and I grabbed one and tore off the tape, cautiously opening the box and expecting it to be Anthrax or a bomb. Instead, I pulled out a gorgeous pink and purple parka lined with white faux fur. I rang my fingers over the soft fibers of the fur and admired the tailoring. It was perfect. I tried it on and it fit like it was made just for me.
I was twisting and turning, still admiring it in the mirror when Alexi walked into the room. He smiled and said, “Ah, they came.”
“You did this?” I asked.
“Of course!” he said. “I knew you had nothing appropriate for Verkhoyansk, so I took it upon myself to ensure that you did. I hope you like it all.”
“Oh gosh, I forgot there’s more!” I gasped.
I began ripping boxes open like a madwoman, tearing tape and sending pieces of cardboard and packing materials flying everywhere. It looked like a hurricane had hit our bedroom!
There were thick, warm sweaters, woven socks, scarves, gloves, hats, several pairs of boots and even an old-fashioned muff to cover my hands. I’d always wanted one. This one was white faux fur and matched the parka. I was flabbergasted!
“I don’t know how to thank you,” I told him.
“You need not thank me,” he said. “You are my wife. Whatever you need, I will always provide.”
Warmth spread outward from my heart, and I approached him and stood on my toes, straining to reach his lips. He bent down, and I slipped my arms around his neck and touched my lips to his.
“That was all the thanks I will ever need,” he told me. Then he said, “Our planes leave in two hours, so you had better get all this packed quickly.”
“My suitcases are full already,” I said.
“I know,” he said. “Look in the closet.”
I opened the door to a brand new set of luggage. Of course. Leave it to Alexi to thing of absolutely everything! He winked at me as I pulled them out of the closet and began to fill them with all of my new items.
Once packed, we began to load our gear into rented trucks. Then we filled the new cars and headed to the airport to meet the private jets which were f
ueled and waiting. Only Denise stayed behind, as Max did not want her around such danger. Max’s father and the hunters met us at the airport.
*****
Getting to Verkhoyansk was a tricky endeavor. The local airport was closed, so we had to land over a day away and take a bevy of dogsleds and snowmobiles into town. This must have cost a small fortune with so many of us there, but the Council had resources far beyond what my mind could wrap itself around.
We were still several miles away when the snow thickened. It turned into a massive wall of blinding fury, making it impossible for the dogs to make any progress and even toppling some of the snowmobiles.
“We have to get out of this weather!” Kai shouted, though I could barely hear him above the deafening roar of the whipping wind.
We fought against the driving winds, pushing hard against the nearly solid wall of air and snow and pulling the dogs along with us. The snow and shards of ice stung like razors against our skin, and we had to squint to make it through. We were blinded in every possible way.
Then the crystal began to hum in my coat pocket. I’d almost forgotten its presence. I reached into my pocket and wrapped my fingers around it, and I felt its warmth soothing my freezing extremities. As I walked, the vibration began to weaken. Out of curiosity, I changed directions and as I faced to my left slightly, the hum grew stronger. I turned farther left and it weakened. Could it be the crystal was guiding me?
I turned back to the direction in which the hum had been strongest and began to walk forward. It grew stronger as I went, and anytime the winds pushed me off course, the crystal indicated this and I was able to correct my path.
Before long, I stumbled and smacked into something solid. I pushed against it and fell into a dark room. Alexi helped me to my feet, and we look around. We were in the middle of what appeared to be some long-abandoned castle or manor, crumbling, but mostly solid.
The entrance was massive and cavernous. The walls were made of stone in varying shades of gray and were still standing after what appeared to be centuries of abandonment. A stone stairway rose to the left, and a dark hallway extended in front of us.
The room to the right was some sort of study or sitting area, and it contained a fireplace, a few ancient books covered in many layers of dust, and a candelabra. Alexi waved his hand, springing the half-burned candles to life as we entered.
“See if you can locate some wood for a fire,” Alexi instructed Liam.
Liam located some broken boards scattered about the room and threw them into the hearth. Another wave of Alexi’s hand and the boards began to slowly glow, flames rising ever higher.
I inched closer to the warmth and comfort of the hearth. Fireplaces had always been a source of stress relief for me. I held my half-frozen hands palm out toward the dancing flames, my eyes focused on their golden glow.
“Sit, darling,” said Alexi, pushing a dusty old chair behind me.
He brushed the seat as clear of dust as he could manage, and I plopped heavily onto it. I hadn’t realized until that moment the extent of my exhaustion. My muscles burned from the exertion of pushing through the raging blizzard. Alexi’s hands began to massage my weary shoulders, and my tense muscles began to relax under his touch.
“We’re stuck here until this blizzard dies down,” I said. “If only I had my abilities I could at least attempt to control this weather. I’ve never had any experience with controlling snow, but surely it couldn’t be that much different from anything else.”
“We will wait it out,” Alexi said. “It gives us a little more time to prepare.”
The manor was soon filled to the brim with Council members, hunters, wolves and even the sled dogs. The stone staircase had crumbled away, making it impossible to reach the upper floor, but one of the followers found a kitchen in the back of the main floor that could be used to prepare some of the rations we had brought with us.
At least we could make some use of this downtime. Jamie led the kitchen brigade and she and several others worked to prepare a meal for our party. She located a huge cauldron and washed it with snow. Then she filled it with more snow, which she melted down. Then she added some of the dried meat, dried vegetables and herbs. Before long, the whole first floor was filled with the scent of simmering stew on the giant fireplace in the kitchen.
Our canteens of water were all frozen solid, so we had to wait for snow to melt thoroughly before we could drink it. But when the stew was made, we downed the hearty concoction greedily, its warmth comforting our freezing bodies.
As the storm raged outside, a few of us decided to explore. Since we were unable to get upstairs, we decided to follow a set of rickety stairs down into the darkness. We descended into near total black, the rotting stairs creaking ominously under our feet.
At the bottom of the stairs, I smacked against something solid. I felt around and located a doorknob, but it was locked. I rattled it, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Let me,” said Will.
A moment later, I heard a click, and the door swung open.
“Great job!” I said, and Will smiled.
If not for my vampire eyesight, I’d have been able to see nothing. As it was, I could barely make out shapes in the darkness. Another candelabra stood against a wall, and Alexi brought it to life.
This room was actually remarkably tidy considering the place appeared to have been abandoned for decades, if not centuries. Upstairs, everything had been coated in dust, but here the place almost looked lived-in. The floor was neatly swept, the furniture, though moth-eaten and threadbare, was clean, and I could smell the scent of recently-burned wood. I bent in front of the hearth, extending my hand over the ashes. Slight heat radiated upward.
“These coals are recent,” I said.
“Perhaps someone lives here?” Alexi suggested.
“Or maybe they just sought shelter like we did,” Kai said.
“I think someone has been here for a while,” I said. “Look around. There are no cobwebs, no dust… it’s been lived in.”
“Great, so now we’re breaking and entering,” Liam mumbled.
“Hello?” I called out. “Is anyone here?”
There was no answer, so I pushed open the door near the fireplace and walked into a long hallway. This area gave me the creeps, and I began to shiver more from anxiety than cold.
“I don’t like this place,” I muttered.
It appeared to be some sort of old dungeon. A long row of cells lined the walls. Each was barricaded with a wooden door that had a small window covered by metal bars.
“Hello?” I called nervously. “Is anyone there?”
I heard a faint cough somewhere in the distance, and I started down the dark corridor toward it.
“Hello?” I called again.
The cough morphed into a slight groan, and I located the source. The cell was locked, but Will, who was standing behind me, worked his magic and I was able to push the door open.
“Mother!” I gasped.
My mother was lying on the floor on a bed of hay in the corner. Her hair was matted against her head and was thick with debris. Her clothing looked filthy, and she was too weak to lift her head. She was almost as white as the snow that swirled outside.
“Alice?” she croaked, followed by a fit of coughing.
“Find her some water!” I shouted, kneeling beside her. I stroked her matted hair and said, “Mother, how long have you been here?”
“Weeks? M-months? It’s s-so dark. So lonely. I d-don’t know.”
“Oh, my god,” I said, my eyes glistening as I looked up at Alexi. “He’s had her all this time?”
Alexi was as dumbfounded as I, but I could see the pity in his eyes. Will returned quickly with a canteen of water that had mostly melted. I held it to her parched lips, and she tried to take it with her shaking hands. The water began to slosh over the sides, and I had to hold it steady as she gulped.
“How long has it been since anyone brought you food or water?” I asked.
>
“Water a f-few days ago,” she answered. “Food a f-few days b-before that.”
“Days?” I gasped. “Oh, Mother!”
“I’ll get her some stew,” Will said, quickly disappearing.
“How did… you f-find… me?” she asked weakly.
“It’s a long story, Mother,” I told her. “I’ll tell it to you when we get home. But first, we have some business we have to attend to.”
“Dmitri?” she asked.
“How did you know?” I asked her.
“H-he told me… he needed to f-find you,” she stammered. “But I w-would tell… him where you were. He f-figured you were w-with Alexi, and s-since he couldn’t get you at the c-compound, he figured t-taking me would bring you to h-him.”
“That bastard,” I growled.
Will returned with a steaming bowl of stew, and I began to feed it to her, blowing it carefully before offering it to her. She had a hard time chewing, and she choked several times. Finally, she pushed the spoon away.
“It’s t-too late for m-me,” she said. “I’m t-too far gone.”
“Nonsense, Mother,” I argued. “You just need to eat.”
“It’s t-too late,” she said. “I c-cant…”
Her eyes closed and she fell limply onto the hay.
“Mother?” I said tentatively. Then, panicked, I shouted, “Mother?!”
She wasn’t breathing, and my heart slammed against my ribcage until I nearly vomited. This couldn’t be happening! Not when I had lost my Grace ability!
The crystal hummed wildly inside my pocket, and I reached for it, blinding by tears. I regretted all the times I’d had the opportunity to spend time with her and hadn’t. I regretted we hadn’t been closer. I regretted so much. And now I couldn’t tell her. The crystal sucked my hands toward her and as it touched her skin, it zapped her slightly. Her body jerked. She didn’t move. Again it zapped her and her body twitched. She didn’t move. I was afraid it was hurting her and nearly pulled it away, but one last zap and she gasped, sitting bolt upright with her eyes wide open.
