It didn’t mean I could relax in his presence, though. Veliko was the persistent type.
“Maybe I should keep a safe distance from you while this maniac is around,” I whispered to Rudolph. “And you shouldn’t look my way so often. If Veliko keeps noticing this behavior, it won’t take him long to try this revelation spell again and nab me. They already know I’m loose, but if you, a ghoul, don’t eat me… it’ll stink.”
Rudolph exhaled sharply and looked to Veliko for his next command, playing along as we’d planned from the moment I’d found him in that blasted cell.
“You!” Veliko called out to the black guard. “Get over here.”
The soldier got up from beneath the shade of an old tree that had grown through the foundations of an ancient house and walked over. “Yes, milord?”
“Take him and finish the round,” Veliko ordered, handing him the rune chain. “I need to talk to Scholar Shatal about something.”
What were the odds that Veliko would address the issue of me being a literal free spirit, after what had just happened? He had to have guessed I was around, otherwise he wouldn’t have tried to… I don’t know, hurt me with that death spell. Veliko didn’t strike me as the kind who would be kind to souls—especially a subversive like me.
“Yes, milord,” the soldier replied.
“And once you’re done, bring him back to me. I want to see how good he is at hunting for food.”
The black guard seemed confused. “For food, milord?”
Veliko shot him a cold grin. “There are small villages south and north of here. Wouldn’t you like some fresh blood, instead of that stale and nearly congealed sauce you’ve been drinking for the past couple of days?”
The black guard’s eyes lit up as he nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely, milord. Do you think this one is ready to be let loose, though?”
Veliko laughed, pointing at Rudolph. “Look at him. He’s obedient and tame. Smarter than the average ghoul, for sure, since he clearly understands he’s better off complying with our orders. Besides, he’s got the collar on. If he doesn’t return, I have ways of making him come back.”
That had to mean more death magic, but Rudolph didn’t seem to care. He probably knew I’d set him free once I got a scythe. Seeley and I would be much stronger for whatever came next, if we had a conscientious ghoul like Rudolph on our side.
“Understood, milord,” the black guard said, taking over Rudolph’s rein.
I stayed with Rudolph, not wanting to be close to Veliko anymore. He scared me. If he still suspected that I was around, I did not wish to be within his reach. He could easily stun me or, worse even, reveal me with his death magic, and we were too close to getting the heck out of here.
However, I did keep a certain distance, and Rudolph stopped looking at me so often. Thankfully, he still had the mental clarity to understand what was at stake here.
“Hang in there, Rudy,” I murmured as we walked with the black guard along the northern edge of Astoria. “We’ll get this over with soon.”
Veliko worried me. More than Zoltan, even. At least the Scholar showed some sense of restraint. Veliko was easily unhinged, and he could pose a serious danger—not just to Seeley but also to my GASP crew. Zoltan had run away. Veliko struck me as the kind who would lead the Darklings back into the palace just to kill us all and get it over with.
It made me wonder… why hadn’t Zoltan done the same? Maybe he was more fearful of retribution coming from the Lord and Lady Supreme if he so much as tried to harm my people. I wasn’t going to find out any more. All I could do was make sure that Seeley, Rudolph, and I got the hell out of dodge before it was too late.
Taeral
While Derek and Sofia’s crew continued their work on Visio, with the death of Nethissis burdening their hearts, the rest of GASP was growing increasingly impatient. Ben and River wanted to get involved, but they had to respect Visio’s wishes. Their desire to intervene had only grown stronger when Zoltan Shatal had been revealed as the Aeternae responsible for Nethissis’s death, but Derek had insisted they stay back. He had it under control—or so he’d said.
I knew he wanted to stay there until he got the day-walking protein, since it was deeply important to him, on a personal level. I also knew that Sofia and the others had chosen to stay with him because they had faith in him. I did, too, but I just didn’t have the same kind of faith in the Aeternae. The one thing that gave me some sense of comfort was the knowledge that Rose and Caleb had already prepared a fleet of GASP agents, in case an immediate intervention was required.
We all hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but we had to keep all options on the table, nonetheless. Amal and Amane sent regular reports about their work—not only regarding the protein, but also everything that had to do with the Black Fever. We had been made aware that it could affect vampires, too, even though it was harder to catch and likely not fatal. Even so, our vampire agents had to be prepared for and protected against all possible scenarios.
Ridan was part of Rose and Caleb’s fleet, dying to get to Visio. He was worried about Amane, and I couldn’t exactly blame him. Not after what had happened with Nethissis.
Lumi and Sidyan were investigating the Darklings’ trail on Visio, so I regularly stayed in touch with the swamp witch. The fact that she was officially in mourning and thoroughly isolated from the rest of the world had worked in her favor—no one bothered to look for her. Well, no one dared. They knew she’d come back when she was ready. Besides, Kailani did a great job of substituting for Lumi in all GASP-related affairs.
The fact that Seeley and Rudolph’s crew were missing did irk me, though. Knowing that the Darklings had access to death magic and ghouls… it scared me. Eira had repeatedly suggested that I speak to Death about it. A couple of days had passed since Zoltan and the Darklings had been fully revealed as palace basement dwellers, and I finally found the courage to make my way to Aledras for it.
Of course, I did not show myself at first. I stood close by, about a dozen yards away, watching and listening as Time, Dream, and Nightmare worked assiduously to break more of the seals that Spirit had used to bind Death. I hoped I’d hear them talking about Seeley and Rudolph, too. I wanted to see what Death was planning, where the Reapers were concerned.
“How many more?” Death asked as Time managed to break another seal.
“Five hundred,” Time replied.
“This is going incredibly slowly.” She sighed, lounging on her side on the edge of the water hole. A blizzard had recently come through, and most of the frozen lake was covered with a fresh layer of pure white snow. An Aledrasian city glimmered in the distance, as the golden disk of a sun rose above, casting its light across the snow world.
“At least Kelara and the others found Morning,” Dream said, beaming with excitement. “Before you know it, she’ll be back with Night and Unending, too!”
“You know, I have to admit, I’m quite impressed with Kelara,” Nightmare murmured, checking another rune seal on Death’s left forearm. The blade of his scythe lit up when it touched the black ink, reacting to the magic. “Ugh, this one’s a doozy. I’ll need all of us on it.”
Death nodded slowly. “Yes, Kelara has exceeded all of my expectations. Repeatedly.”
“You made her, too.” Dream chuckled. “How is it that she can surprise you? I mean, you know what each of us is capable of.”
“In a sense, yes, I made you all,” Death replied. “But I didn’t get intimately involved in the process, like I did with you, Dream, and the rest of the First Ten. With Kelara and the other Reapers, all I did was have them touched with my power. I merely planted the seeds. And Kelara continues to impress me.”
Time sighed, sitting next to Death with his legs crossed. This was the weirdest kind of family camping I’d ever come across. Then again, this was the universe’s most dysfunctional family.
“We’ve always theorized that it was possible for a Reaper to grow stronger,” he said. “After all, look at
Seeley. Where he started, where he is now…”
Nightmare grinned. “He’s on Visio, likely a captive of the Darklings. Not sure you’re making the right point here, brother.”
“Screw you,” Time retorted. “You know what I mean.”
Death almost smiled, staring at the cold water that swallowed her chains. “Seeley has come a long way too, yes. But Kelara… she’s special. I can feel it. She’s barely scratching the surface of what she is capable of. My only hope is that the time she spends with any of you helps her grow.”
“What do you mean by special?” Dream asked. “Do you know something we don’t?”
“Which is a usual occurrence by now,” Nightmare muttered, drawing a glare from his creator—enough to make him put on a most innocent smile. “Sorry. But you know it’s true.”
Death sighed. “There’s power inside Kelara. I think she’s able to draw it from other Reapers around her. When she’s near me, I can feel slivers of my own energy going into her.”
“So what, she… feeds on Reapers?” Time replied, both eyebrows raised in sheer surprise. Death nodded.
“I think so, yes. She’s not even aware of it. In time, however, all the power she’s gradually accumulated will begin to manifest. She might even become worthy of the same level as you, my children.”
“Kelara, a First Tenner?” Nightmare scoffed.
Dream scowled at him. “What would be so bad about that, eh? Spirit’s gone. Technically, we’re not the First Ten anymore. We’re the First Nine, and that sounds incredibly pathetic.”
“So, you wouldn’t mind Kelara joining us, someday,” Time concluded, smiling as he looked at his sister.
Dream shook her head. “Not at all. She’s a sassy bitch. I like her.”
“What do you think, Taeral?” Death asked, suddenly looking my way.
I froze. I didn’t even have time to fully grasp this whole deal about Kelara, when all eyes were suddenly trained on me. How? They couldn’t even see me! I knew Thieron was incredibly adept at concealing my presence, dammit…
Then it hit me. Thieron would never be able to hide from Death. She knew I’d been here all along. She’d probably sensed me the moment I’d set foot on Aledras, but she’d kept quiet, likely to see what I was up to.
Awkwardly revealing myself, I offered an apologetic bow, my blood running cold enough to freeze up my veins.
“You little scoundrel.” Dream giggled, almost maliciously. “You’re not supposed to be playing with Thieron like this.”
Death didn’t say a word. That scared me the most, since I had no idea what would happen next. The last thing I wanted was to be on the receiving end of her wrath and punishment once she was out of those seals.
“I can explain,” I managed, staring at her with wide and what I felt were frightened eyes. Dread blew through me like the blizzard that had blanketed this whole area in snow.
“I’m all ears,” Death replied dryly.
Yeah, that was not the tone I’d been hoping for. But I had questions. Important questions that needed honest answers from her. My fear quickly subsided as I forced myself into that inquisitive mindset. I was still her trusted friend, and my eavesdropping couldn’t be enough to damn me in any way.
“We heard from Esme on Visio,” I said. “The Darkling Aeternae are using death magic. They have ghouls.”
Death’s expression faded. Her half-smile dissolved into a pout, her starry gaze darkening as if black ink spilled across the universe. I was onto something here, and she did not like it one bit. It only made me pursue the matter more.
“I was hoping you might have some explanation for all this,” I added.
Again, she said nothing, but Time, Dream, and Nightmare were downright astonished, gawking at her with dropped jaws. They didn’t know anything about the Darklings’ endeavors—unlike Death, who looked as though at least she’d suspected something. This was getting even more intriguing, and she hadn’t even responded yet.
Taeral
“Might I have a word in private with Taeral, please?” Death asked, looking at Time, Dream, and Nightmare. None seemed happy to oblige such a request.
“Seriously?” Dream protested. “We should be privy to such a conversation.”
“Please,” Death insisted. “We’ll talk later about this. First, I need to clear some things with Taeral, since he’s come a long way for answers.”
Time got up, stretching his arms out. “You heard her. Let’s go.”
“Go where?” Nightmare replied, equally displeased.
“Anywhere but here,” Death said, smiling flatly. “I’ll call upon you when I’m done.”
This was awkward on multiple levels. I wasn’t even a Reaper yet, and Death seemed to favor me over her first children where important information about the Darklings was concerned. Or maybe I was just fooling myself, soon to be left alone with the one entity who could end me without even batting an eye.
The three Reapers vanished, and Death and I finally had the privacy that she’d requested. Silence ensued, weighing heavily on my shoulders. She just looked at me with an unreadable expression.
“Is this the part where you kill me for being brazen enough to spy on you?” I asked, my voice a little shaky. It made her laugh lightly.
“You’re the only one I trust to look after Thieron while I’m… like this,” she said, raising a leg and making the chain links jingle. “I asked to be alone with you because I can’t tell them what I’ve suspected about Visio. Not yet. Not without them leaving, against my precise orders, to handle Visio themselves.”
I sat on the ice, utterly befuddled.
“You need to explain this to me, because I’m not following,” I managed.
“There are a few things I should tell you, actually. Things I haven’t shared with anyone else, mainly because I wish to see who will stay loyal to me in the face of cosmic uncertainty.”
“Okay…”
I braced myself for whatever she had to dish out, hoping I was capable of understanding everything. Whatever Death had to say, it clearly involved Visio and my people—and their safety was my main concern, at all times.
“I’ve suspected for a while that the Spirit Bender might’ve left more trouble in his wake. Even after his destruction, traces of his evil linger, as evidenced by what happened to the Morning Star,” Death said.
“What happened to the Morning Star?” I asked.
“He trapped her, and that is all you need to know. She’s free now, but it took the deaths of ten living people to release her. I worry something similar, if not worse, might’ve happened to the Night Bringer, as well.”
“And Unending?”
Death shrugged. “Maybe. Sincerely, I doubt it. She is strong. Stronger than the Spirit Bender ever was.”
“You’re stronger than the Spirit Bender, too, and here you are, chained to the bottom of a frozen lake,” I retorted. She glowered at me, but her expression softened as she came to terms with the harsh truth.
“You have a point.” Death sighed. “Nevertheless, until Kelara and the others find Night and Unending, we won’t know for sure. My issue is with Visio.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think the Spirit Bender was on Visio, a long time ago. I don’t know what he did there, exactly, but it has to have been devious and dangerous, since there is a faction of Aeternae using death magic and ghouls, now,” Death replied. “I had no idea about this until you mentioned it. Of course, I had some suspicions, since Visio seemed to be lacking spirits and Reapers. Said suspicions became engorged when Seeley went missing, then Rudolph and his team.”
“So, you think the Darklings got death magic from Spirit?” I concluded, the thought alone enough to send shivers down my spine. Spirit had done some truly awful things, including his association with the Hermessi, just so he could see our worlds burn to spite Death. I could only imagine what else he might’ve been up to, prior to his demise. None of it was good, that much I knew.
Dea
th nodded slowly. “I think he taught them death magic. I think he found a way for them to use it. I think he taught them how to trap Reapers. How to capture and train ghouls. Right now, I fear we’re barely getting a clue about what’s been happening there. The problem may be much bigger, much more complicated than what you and I know.”
Indeed, it seemed like quite the conundrum, and GASP was poorly prepared for anything related to Reapers and Death. This really wasn’t something we could solve.
“Why don’t you send more Reapers, then? An army, in fact. I’m sure they could take down the Darklings,” I said.
“Don’t be so sure. If they could take down Seeley, and Rudolph’s crew… if they’ve been getting away with this for so long… I doubt an army of Reapers would do much good,” Death replied. “I’m worried I’d be sending them to their end, Taeral.”
“That’s why you haven’t sent anyone else there, huh?”
Death nodded again. “I might be the only one who can fix whatever is wrong with Visio. And I’m unable to do anything right now. Our best option, going forward, is a thorough and discreet investigation. The more data we have on the issue, the better prepared I’ll be when the time comes.”
Lumi and Sidyan came to mind. They were already there, incognito and making excellent progress. But how could I bring them up with Death, given Sidyan’s Maya issue?
Death smiled. “Fortunately, I have you to trust. I presume Sidyan and Lumi told you about the ghouls. Esme couldn’t have seen them herself, otherwise it would be all over the GASP channels.”
She shocked me. She literally shocked me. My brain ceased to function. My breath got caught in my throat. Minutes went by as I tried to reclaim my grip on reality, as I tried to ascertain how Death had already learned about Sidyan and Lumi. We’d been so careful! It didn’t make sense!
A Shade of Vampire 80: A Veil of Dark Page 17
