"Are you okay?" Dorian asked gently, his hand rubbing my back. I arched into it, the warmth soothing the aches and twinges of my muscles. Through the tiny window of our barrack room, I could see the night sky. A snore loudly echoed down the hall. It made me miss Zach.
"Fine. Sore," I muttered and stretched beside him.
"It's not like being in stasis, is it?" He glanced out the window. There was little lantern light to see by, with most of the camp sleeping.
"Not at all." I rubbed my eyes and stifled a yawn, leaning against my arms to prop myself up in bed. "What was your meeting with Reshi about?"
Dorian pressed his lips together, a touch of shyness. I quirked an eyebrow at him. Usually, he was all confidence.
"I had a special request," he admitted. "I asked if she could make something for me."
"For the war?"
"Not exactly…" Gently, he took my left hand in his. "I asked if she could forge something for me. She's going to make a piece of traditional vampire jewelry for me—a ring out of stone from the nearby mountains. She laughed and thanked me for asking for something that she had abundant materials for."
My chest welled up with happiness and affection for him. He’d asked her to make a ring for me. I leaned up and kissed him without another word. He murmured with appreciation as our lips connected. Warmth filled me. It was so wonderful to be with each other without pain. The arbiters won’t take this away from us. I won’t let them.
"Thank you," I whispered, and kissed him fiercely again. "I hope she doesn't mind making something sentimental, alongside her weapons."
Dorian’s eyes crinkled. "She said she was happy to take a break from forging tools of destruction, for a valiant mission of love." I stifled a laugh, wishing I could have seen that exchange. I buried my face in his chest.
"You're a true gentleman for a vampire, you know."
I felt the vibrations of his soft chuckle. "Wherever my parents are, I'm sure they'd be proud to know I'm making a human woman very happy, while we also plan a war together." Part of me wasn’t so sure, and I wondered what his parents would say about us. We would find them after all this, and I hoped they liked me. They might not approve, given the vampires’ stricture against interspecies relationships. After all, my own parents had been skeptical. It would be nice to have the blessing of Dorian’s parents, but even if they met me and didn’t give it… at this point, nothing could keep us apart.
I lifted my left hand to examine it in the dim light streaming through the window. Dorian gently wrapped his finger around my left ring finger. I tried to imagine a ring around my finger. Now, that felt surreal.
"That's where humans put it, right?" Dorian asked. "When we were in VAMPS camp, I was with your brother… We were watching the TV. A commercial came on for a wedding ring, and I grilled him about it. He got a little suspicious afterward, I think."
"Really?" I tried to picture that scene. Dorian's ring. "When should we tell our friends?"
“Whenever you want.”
A silence passed between us. It was surreal to think that we were engaged in the midst of the most chaotic time of our lives. I was ecstatic, of course. I wanted to enjoy it for this moment, at least. Before we had to go back to the realities of war, I needed to hold him close to me.
"What are you thinking about, my beautiful fiancée?" Dorian's rough thumb brushed over my cheek. He smiled down at me. "You look sad and happy at the same time."
"I just—" My voice cut off in my throat as I searched for words. "It always feels like there are a million things pulling us apart. I was thinking about how I want to be selfish for the moment, and hold you close. I just want to be with you, without all our worries of the battle against the Immortal Council."
Dorian nodded. He pulled me tight against him, tucking my head under his chin. "It's hard. Sometimes, I ask myself why our destiny has led us through such treacherous times, but then… I think about how I also met you. There's nobody else I'd rather be with on this journey." His words touched me. I sucked in his scent, leftover sweat and earth from our battle. It was familiar to me, the smell of battle on both of us.
I kissed his neck. "Then let's be selfish." I kissed my way up his jaw to his lips. He smirked against me as I pressed my lips to his. Our touches were passionate and soft, gentle yet desperate. I wanted to be with him in every way I could. He wrapped his fingers in my disheveled hair and pressed deeper into the kiss. I tugged the edge of his shirt, and my hand crept across his strong chest. There were small bandages there, where he'd been seen by the medic after our fight. My stomach was bandaged. The cut looked a lot worse than it felt. Luckily, the human medics had painkillers for me. I’d taken them gladly.
But with Dorian kissing me, my body felt electric and alive. I pried his shirt off, and he gently eased mine over my shoulders. His fingers traced the tiny cuts on my shoulders, ones I hadn't even realized I had. He kissed them gently. All my past battle wounds disappeared, taken by the arbiters' magic. I missed the evidence of all the fights I’d survived, but I had no doubt I’d replace them soon.
A trumpet blew outside. I stiffened against him, adrenaline flooding my veins.
"It's just the scout horn," Dorian whispered. "Bravi told me they send an early and late watch. They're changing shifts." I nodded, but our romantic moment was gone. I sighed against him. Once again, reality stole our moment… but I promised myself there would be more in the future.
"One day, we're going to have all the time in the world to be together. I don't care what the arbiters say. We'll find a way," I said, but doubt nagged at me. "What do you think is going to happen if—when we defeat the Immortal Council?"
Dorian frowned and stroked my hair. "I don't know. We’ll have to make them change their minds, but… I don’t see how. They didn’t come around about the tear until they realized their own plane was in danger. The curse won’t affect them that way.” He fell silent, leaving worries churning in my mind. He cradled my cheek. “We will find a way,” he said, firm but gentle. “Let’s think about what we’ll want to do afterward."
"What do you mean?" I perked up.
"Well, you wouldn't be able to travel back and forth to the Immortal Plane anymore. You might want to stay with your friends and family, Lyra, but I’ll still have work I need to do here. We might get separated, not because of the curse, but because repairing the tear means putting the lower planes back into their proper places." My mouth went dry with dread at the thought. "I hate having to mention it, but we're going to have to deal with it at some point."
"I don't want to think about that," I blurted, and immediately shook my head at my own childishness. "No, I know we need to, but… would we be able to live like that?" A tense silence passed between us. I hadn’t even considered it, too busy worrying over the tear and the rulers, but of course Dorian would want to stay and rebuild in the Immortal Plane. If I followed him, I would have to give up my family…
“Of course I want to stay with you,” I said, my tongue tripping over my words, “but we have to prepare for the worst-case scenario." I swallowed a painful lump in my throat. I truly didn't want to consider the possibility of being separated. I chewed the inside of my cheek, mulling this over.
Dorian sighed. He stroked my hand. "I didn't mean to ruin the moment."
"We’ll make a new moment," I assured him, finding my strength again. "We'll do whatever we can. I'll fight to my last breath." I kissed him again.
"And I promise to do the same." Dorian interlaced his fingers with mine. "Right after I put a ring on your finger, preferably." Warmth flooded me as we embraced. I sucked in a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of him against me. For a few minutes, we just enjoyed the sound of each other's breath.
My mind wandered, as it liked to do. It seems like my thoughts and the universe are both conspiring against me. Where were Ruk and Sen right now? I imagined Reshi spying on them, watching them closely. I didn't doubt for a second that some of our allies thought our cover story was suspicio
us. I hummed in thought, and my head bounced off Dorian's chest as he laughed.
"I'm guessing your mind is churning away, yet again?"
"You caught me," I confessed. "I was thinking about Ruk. Our friends are happy to have his abilities, but they definitely thought our story sounded strange. What's your take on Bravi?"
"She suspects something, but because it's us, she trusts us just enough to not ask questions. Bravi is loyal, just like Laini." Dorian shifted, holding himself up on his elbow. "They're willing to sacrifice truth for a means to end this war."
Sacrifice. I suppose we've all been willing to sacrifice something.
I studied Dorian's handsome face in the dreary light. "I'm grateful that they trust us so much."
He nodded. "I feel undeserving of it… but you said you were thinking of Ruk. What about him?"
"I wonder where he and Sen are." I listened for anything in the barracks, but there was nothing but soft snoring and the occasional rustle. All seemed peaceful.
"He's probably with Aurora." He stared at me, but his mind was clearly puzzling away at something else. "Ruk still owes us a favor, last I counted. Maybe he can manage to work around the arbiters, with the curse. You know, we let them think they've erased our memories, but he manages to work some magic on us. They did return his abilities. I hope he could at least manage a reduction of the curse."
A reduction of the curse? I hadn't thought about dialing down the intensity of it. In a way, perhaps that was akin to what we had done with the blood fix. Too bad Dorian wasn't like the Mortal Plane's usual idea of a vampire. Biting me would be so much easier than this crap. I blew a strand of hair out of my face, thinking of Ruk.
"He's come a long way, but I suspect there are tricks up his sleeve. He got along better with the arbiters toward the end, despite all their bad blood, but there's something different about Ruk. He’s probably always felt apart from his own kind. I suppose he's changed permanently, after spending all his time with lower-plane beings that he was never meant to know," I mused. Dorian chuckled. I raised a curious brow. "What?"
"You know, in some ways, that’s us. We were never supposed to know one another. I remember thinking I'd picked up a spitfire when I first met you, but… I had zero doubt in you. Even in the beginning when everyone told me it was unwise to involve humans, I forged ahead because of you."
I flicked him playfully. "It used to be that you guys couldn't stand each other, and now you're drawing parallels between you and Ruk?"
"Maybe I’ve changed my mind somewhat, although I'm still wary of Ruk, as I always will be. He's wily. I could see how he and the younger Irrikus thought they found a perfect match in one another," Dorian muttered. "I just hope we don't have to use that favor for something else."
Immediately, I knew what he meant. We’d seen the deaths that might happen. Dread squeezed me. I hated thinking of those awful potential realities. What if telling them about their futures somehow affected those futures negatively?
My voice cracked as I spoke. "Do you think we can truly save them? Should we even tell our friends about them?"
"Soon, but not now." Dorian's brows knitted together with concern. He shook his head.
"You think?" I raised the idea of causing the future we were trying to prevent, but Dorian sighed.
"I'm not sure. Ruk probably has a better idea of how it works, but our friends deserve to know what we saw. I think in many ways, I often forget that everyone else is silently preparing for their own deaths in this battle, as well." On that somber note, I bit my lip to consider his words. Yes, we had to tell them. We couldn’t possibly keep this from them.
Zach and Gina ran through my mind. I could practically hear my brother’s joyous laughter and friendly taunts. If I convince them to stay in the Mortal Plane… will it save them?
11
Lyra
Three days later, Dorian and I woke up in our tiny barrack room to a strong knock. I muttered a sleepy response. The door opened, and deep soul-dim light greeted us.
"Wake up," Arlonne said from the doorway, with a gruff smile. "We've finally heard back from the spy network in Itzarriol. They have news. We're gathering in the war room with the others."
I judged by her smile that it was good news. We dressed quickly while Arlonne waited in the hallway for us. I ran a cool cloth over my face and threw my hair up into a tight bun. The bathing facilities at the camp were essentially sponge baths, except for a private bath reserved for the wounded. I’d managed to wash my hair the other day, at least, with Laini’s help. Maybe I’ll cut my hair too, if I find the time.
Arlonne brought us to the war room. Bravi looked up from her map. So far, she was the only one present. A steaming cup of human coffee sat next to her, which she passed over with a smirk. The Bureau troops had apparently brought plenty of instant coffee with them.
"I've noticed how much you humans like coffee." She turned serious. "We heard back from the spies. They confirmed that there is a map to the revenants in that charming green glass castle, but they aren't allowed inside, so they can't get any details."
"Great. The coffee and the confirmation, I mean," I said with a tired smile. The coffee was bitter—about what I’d expect from a vampire. Nevertheless, it woke me up. "When can we start?" We had waited impatiently for three days to hear back from the spies. It was necessary to wait before we went to the Mortal Plane to gather support from our allies, because the spies would confirm our troubling report.
"Arlonne has already prepped for your journey. You’re headed for Moab, and then the LA HQ. Everyone will need to focus on Moab as you travel through the tear to ensure your safety. It helps with the chaos of the travel," Bravi explained. Arlonne appeared with Ruk and Sen in the doorway. Since they didn't sleep, they’d taken to helping with watchtower duties whenever Ruk could tear himself away from Aurora. Bravi confided, "It'll be good that you leave while everyone else is sleeping. It makes less of a fuss for me.” She probably doesn’t want the camp to see us headed straight for the wildly unstable tear. People would worry if they saw us making the journey, or question why we were allowed an exception to make the trip.
Dorian nodded. "We're ready." I downed the coffee, and we poured outside.
"The Coalition has enough information now to support your plan to return to the Mortal Plane. They'll wait for us," Arlonne said as she fell in line beside me. I admired the glint of her prosthetic mechanical arm, which Reshi must've done more tinkering on. It looked smoother and more cohesive, like it was a natural extension of Arlonne.
"Us?" I asked, noting the way she worded her statement.
She grinned wryly. "I have the most experience leading the scouts through the tear since its expansion. I'm going with you." She winked. "Losing another limb doesn't scare me."
I laughed until I saw Ruk in the corner of my eye. His face was tight with worry. His eyes were on one of the newly repaired buildings, the medical wing where they’d placed Aurora. He noticed my concerned look.
"I don't want to leave before she wakes up,” he admitted, “but it can't be helped. I hope this place can protect her."
Arlonne scowled. "Don't worry, strange red wizard creature," she said, with noticeable distaste.
Great. We’d barely started the mission, and tension was already in the air. Arlonne sliced her mechanical arm through the air, creating the smallest of whistling sounds. A flock of redbills stirred in the nearby roost, a long, sturdy bar that had been built near the training grounds so that the redbills were ready to go. I spotted the familiar outline of Drigar among them. The redbills stretched and yawned with their beaks wide open, like cats waking from a nap. They were likely well rested from the last battle.
Arlonne saw me looking at her arm as she waved it once more to call the redbills. "This version looks nice," I told her.
"Thanks." She clenched her hand into a fist. "Reshi makes it better every time."
It was hard to explain how grateful I was to Reshi in all this. She'd sharpened m
y knives for me. The bracer was back on my arm looking good as new, with tiny structural changes to strengthen the metal.
Arlonne glanced at me as Dorian introduced Drigar to Sen, who seemed amused at the sight of the redbill. If Arlonne wanted to say something, she decided against it, but I could see her wariness as she stared at Ruk and Sen. She didn't fully trust them yet. It reminded me of the way she used to be around humans, with her quiet, surly demeanor.
The redbills seemed happy for a task. Drigar hopped over to me and nuzzled his beak into my face. I rubbed his beak with a grin.
"Missed you, too," I muttered. "Sorry you haven't been able to stretch your wings much recently, unless you're on the defense and getting fired on." Drigar gave a grunt of annoyance, making me chuckle. I felt better knowing that he’d be the one to take us through the tear.
"What quaint creatures," Sen muttered. The nearest redbill eyed her bald head with curiosity. "Perhaps he thinks I'm an egg."
"She thinks you're strange. Redbills have excellent color vision. Your blue and red skin tones are probably confusing her," Dorian pointed out, with some amusement. Sen and Ruk did stick out like two colorful sore thumbs in the midst of the dreary training camp. "It'll be easier to travel by redbill. They're used to the journey, and you two can conserve your energy." Arlonne grunted her agreement.
"It's getting hard not to get lost inside the tear, even with the redbills," Arlonne explained. Her eyes were on Ruk and Sen, but I felt like she was only talking to Dorian and me. "Like Bravi said, someone lost a hand. It was the worst incident we had, but the tear has other issues besides wildly unpredictable slicing. You get lost inside the tear. It's not at all how it used to be. I was on the second-to-last group helping bring back medics from the Bureau to the training camp, and I've only found one way to counter the tear's new instability. For vampires, we're able to channel our natural connection with the tear, and Reshi’s modifications on our gauntlets have allowed us to magnify that ability with a bit of maker magic. We focus intensely on the destination. That’s brought more success.”
Darklight 7: Darkfall Page 10
