“What a power you have,” I said, seeing Myst in a different light. I’d already been in awe of her, but this ability raised her to a whole new level. “Bringing souls from the beyond like that…”
She gave me a shy smile. “For a long time, I thought it was a useless thing. My sisters are capable of extraordinary feats. By comparison, I have felt weak. But seeing you and Acheron just now, I realize how wrong I was. You are right to marvel—it is a great power I hold, and you have helped me learn to appreciate it.”
I would’ve liked to do something for her in return. Maybe I didn’t have the abilities nor the resources for something as incredible as what she’d accomplished with my father, but there had to be something I could offer. Myst deserved that much as a token of my gratitude—only it wasn’t just gratitude I was feeling. There was something else brewing in my chest. Something strong and bright that packed quite a punch.
In the middle of this insanity, I was falling in love, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. No, I rather liked this sensation as it grew inside me. Myst was changing absolutely everything about my existence, almost effortlessly and utterly unwittingly.
Sofia
Three days had flown past since the Flip, and we were nowhere closer to a way out of this place. As far as progress went, it didn’t feel like we’d made much since we’d found ourselves plopped in the middle of a fake Shade. The one good thing that had come out of this insanity was that we’d gotten our loved ones back—my son included. But beyond that, every second that passed was just another second Hrista and her underlings spent on our island, in our home, defiling it with their mere presence.
We knew almost nothing about her ultimate goal, only that everything to this point had been planned. It had gone swimmingly, too—we’d been completely unable to stop it, as we lacked the information and complex knowledge that had kept her ten steps ahead in this sick game.
Settling in the fake island’s version of the Great Dome, Derek and I waited for a few of GASP’s senior officers to join us for a brief meeting. Each of us had been trying different things—magic, technology, a combination of both—but to no avail. We’d been researching this place and drawing our conclusions, though we were nowhere near done with fully understanding every secret in the fake island. There was still work to be done.
“Thayen is still resting,” Derek said as we took our seats at the head of the table. There was a monitor mounted on the glass pane behind us, which was rather ironic as I tried to imagine our clones gathering in this room and discussing their plot to overthrow us. I wondered what kind of use they were making of the real Great Dome now that we were away. “Last night was pretty intense.”
“No surprise there. I’m so happy he had that chance, though,” I told my husband, and I meant it. Thayen had come to us late in the darkness of night to tell us about his encounter with Acheron’s spirit, kindly facilitated by Myst—every time her name was mentioned my heart grew three sizes. What an incredible being she was. Her sister, Regine, too. And then there was Hrista, the complete and horrifying opposite. There was so much that still didn’t make sense. “It’s been twenty years, and the boy never got to say a proper goodbye. I am so thankful to Myst for giving him that closure.”
My husband nodded slowly. “True. I didn’t wake him. I figured he could use the extra sleep.”
“That was a good idea. It’s just us oldies today, anyway,” I replied, smiling as I watched Corrine and Ibrahim come through the open door first. “My favorite witch and warlock have arrived.”
“You’re in a good mood,” Corrine chuckled dryly.
I shrugged. “Not really, but I’ve decided not to take any of this to heart anymore. The impossible has happened, and I need to make my peace with it in order to move toward finding a solution. Which is why we’re having this meeting. It’s literally the least we can do in the absence of everything else.”
“Yet you sound defeated. Your words mention moving forward, but your voice says you’re tired,” Ibrahim replied as he and his fiercely witchy wife sat next to us at the large, oval glass table.
“I am tired,” I said, trying to find my smile again. “But I’m also in survival mode. My only choice is to move forward, not to fall back into despair. We’re in this mess, and we need to get out of it. I just don’t have the strength to do it with a spring in my step, that’s all.”
“Focus on the solution, not the problem,” Liana said, as she entered with Cameron by her side.
Derek smiled. “Beats despair any day.”
“Who else are we expecting?” Cameron asked as they sat next to Corrine and Ibrahim.
I went over the confirmations I’d received through the comms system earlier in the morning. Thankfully, that was still working, along with our Telluris connections, but only within the fake island. Everything else remained beyond our reach. “Claudia and Yuri, Vivienne and Xavier, Lucas and Marion. The Time Master will represent the Reapers who got dragged into this as well. The others are currently still working and investigating various parts of this fake haven. Rose, Ben and their spouses are currently engaged in an in-depth search of the island’s north side, in hopes of finding more information, perhaps something that might help us get out or at least send a message beyond this realm. We’re hopeful, what can I say…”
We had yet to understand how the whole Flip had worked, but one thing had been clear from the very beginning—it hadn’t affected only those with clones made after them. It had affected everyone who had been present in The Shade at the time of the event.
“You’re bringing the old gang back together,” Liana said, almost smiling.
“The last time that happened, we took a holiday and bumped into Ta’Zan,” Corrine shot back. “It must be a sign. We, the first generation Shadians, should consider maintaining a certain distance from one another. Whenever we get together, it’s just trouble and trouble and trouble, and then more trouble!”
I wanted to laugh, but the events of the past few days still plagued my mind. The images I’d seen from Isabelle’s clone continued to haunt me. Hrista was an enemy like no one we’d ever dealt with before. She came from another realm, and she had one hell of a grudge against us. That connection to the Spirit Bender made her even more frightening, not to mention her Purgatory magic and the numerous tricks she and her clones had used against us thus far.
We were at a disadvantage, and we didn’t even have our island to seek refuge on. For the first time, our entire nation had been stranded. That was what truly made this so unprecedented and scary.
Vivienne and Xavier were the last to arrive, and none of those present bore any good news. We had gathered some observations after studying this place: regarding medical equipment and magical paraphernalia, along with a better understanding of how each of those units had been used in the glass house extension; regarding the storage facilities sprinkled along the south-western side of the Vale, hidden between old oaks and redwoods and far from prying eyes; and regarding the Port and the cells beneath, where Isabelle and the others had been held prior to the arrival of our son’s crew.
“How is Isabelle holding up?” I asked after we were done presenting the last of the relevant updates. “Her memories interest me more than anything.”
“You’re not the only one,” Corrine replied, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her chair. “We’re still working on her with healing potions, but it’s a slow process. Whatever chemicals or magic they pumped her with… it’s infinitely more potent than what I found in Voss, Chantal, and Richard’s bloodstreams. Isabelle was held here for two months, and I figure she wasn’t just left on her own to rot in a cave.”
“No, the needle marks on her forearms tell us that much,” Ibrahim added, scratching his black beard, which he’d allowed to grow long enough to be braided as it reached down to his chest. Silver threads glistened around the collar of his tourmaline surcoat. It covered him from neck to just below the knees, and it was fastened around the waist with a
massive leather belt, its tear-shaped silver buckle briefly catching my eye. “Isabelle was experimented on using different potions and injections. Voss remembers seeing the clones in her cell on a daily basis, poking and prodding her, but she was always too weak to fight them off.”
Marion frowned. “Do you think we will ever truly understand what they did to her?”
“Eventually, yes,” Corrine replied. “But it will take some time, and I worry that’s the one thing we don’t have as long as we’re stuck here, and Hrista is running loose on our island. I’d say we have to prioritize and stop that madwoman first.”
“How do we do that, if we can’t even leave this place?” Vivienne scoffed, understandably frustrated by this predicament. “Nothing we’ve tried so far seems to be working.”
“I’m just as stumped,” the Time Master cut in. He’d been quiet so far, but that did not come as a surprise. He rarely spoke by nature, choosing to listen and analyze before offering a solution or even the faintest idea of one. “But that makes this no different from when we were on the other side of the problem. The only portals that work here are the shimmering ones. We couldn’t open one to take us here, and we obviously cannot open one to take us back, either. On top of that, the Valkyries and Berserkers that were left behind are equally… well, useless, for lack of a better word.”
“If I may,” Brandon’s voice cut through the growing sea of discontented murmurs around the table. He stood in the doorway, clad in black leather and clinking silver, darkness oozing off him like a menacing mist while his eyes burned blue. I’d noticed how close he’d gotten to Astra, and I wasn’t exactly surprised. This guy knew how to make an entrance just by being himself. The Berserkers and the Valkyries were incredible entities—I was curious and fascinated, but I didn’t dare pursue questions I doubted they’d offer answers for, considering that the Reapers had been just as secretive regarding the afterlife. “While my shiny sisters and I might be useless, I do know of someone who isn’t.”
Derek raised an eyebrow. “Are you talking about Astra? We’re aware that she was Hrista’s target because she might be capable of opening shimmering portals, but none of us dare to put any more pressure on the girl. She has been through enough already.”
“There’s no need for your pressure,” Brandon chuckled. “Pinkie does that to herself well enough. She managed to open one a little while ago.”
The silence that followed was one of pure awe and frightened astonishment as we exchanged glances across the table. Naturally, none of us had any words left. The one thing we weren’t sure we’d see happening any time soon had actually happened. Astra had clearly pushed herself, and I wondered and worried about the toll it might’ve taken on her. She was only a half-Daughter—I wasn’t sure how much magical pummeling she could withstand.
“How is she?” I asked, finally finding my voice again.
“Resting. Exhausted. I think she’ll awaken before the night begins,” he said, leaning into the doorframe. “She was only able to hold it for a few moments, but she did it. With plenty of practice and support, Astra could very well be the one to get us out of here, just like Hrista feared.”
Corrine was intrigued. “Why did you decide to tell us? Surely, Astra would’ve liked to be the one to break this news to us.”
“She’s insanely shy about it,” he shot back with a grin. There was something dangerous and playful about this guy. He was dark, but the lights in his eyes were bright and powerful. Such a contrast surely had a story to tell. “And you’re all so gloomy, sitting here and sulking. Three days have passed, and you’re already withered. Imagine my feelings when I was told I’d never see Purgatory again.”
Lucas cleared his throat. “How long before Astra can open a portal and hold it for long enough for us to go through?”
“Ah. That… I’m not sure. None of us have dealt with such things before,” Brandon replied. “But I’m here to offer a suggestion. And I hope that by the time Astra gets stronger with the shimmering portals, you will have had time to consider it properly. When she opens one, not all of you should go through. We should send a team of scouts through first. Think about it. The Flip used many portals, and while Astra’s ability differs from Hrista, I doubt she’s able to hold one open long enough to get thousands of people through at once.”
That caused murmurs to rise from every occupied seat at the table. I wasn’t a fan of this idea, either. “We’re all eager to go home,” I said. “Why should we spend another minute here?”
“Because you have no idea what you’re walking back into,” the Berserker replied. As much as it irked me, he had a point. “Hrista has taken over, whether you like it or not, and it’s her secretive methods that have gotten her this far. I had no idea what the end game was when she had the clones attack you. Haldor knew more than I did, but even he is still in the dark on other, equally pressing, details of her agenda. Keeping everyone in the dark is how she’s kept this going. So if Astra opens a shimmering portal, and by some miracle the whole Shade walks through, there’s no telling what will be waiting. Hrista knows that Astra is alive. Do you think she’ll just kick back and wait for the girl to waltz through a portal?”
Derek nodded slowly, his lips pressed into a thin line until he spoke. “You think scouting is a safer option?”
“You have women and children and innocent lives to protect, so yes,” Brandon said. “Like I said, I think Astra’s got the potential to do a Flip-like transfer in just one portal, but I doubt she’s got the energy in her. She’d probably need help. So, getting everyone back in one go is already a big and crazy challenge. Let’s do baby steps and start with a scouting initiative. One small team, led by Astra. If she can take them through to the real Shade, she can then figure out a way to take you all back, once we know what’s on the other side. You don’t know what Hrista has been doing over these past few days. Frankly, I shudder to even think about it; that conniving bitch is capable of absolutely anything and everything. Scouting things out first is your best option.”
“Hrista is not an ordinary enemy,” I told Derek, returning to my earlier thoughts.
“And once we know what she’s been doing on the island, we’ll have more intel for Order, too,” Brandon added. “Assuming Astra figures out a way to open a portal leading straight into Purgatory, that is. She and I have already discussed that possibility.”
Looking around the table, we seemed to be in agreement. The Time Master stood, his galaxy eyes finding Brandon’s. “I will be a part of that team,” the Reaper insisted. “You will need a diverse crew with enough magic and skills to survive an attack from entities and creatures of any of the known realms.”
“That’s fine. I welcome variety in this endeavor, too,” Brandon said, a half-smile blooming across his lips. “Hrista is an evil thing, and she’s intelligent and prepared. Our objective cannot possibly be about defeating her. I doubt that can easily be done, otherwise I would’ve kicked her ass long before now.”
“What is our objective, then?” I asked, though part of me already knew the answer.
Brandon shifted slowly, giving me his full attention. Just looking at him sent shivers down my spine. “First, reaching The Shade. It’s in the realm of the living, and so it will be easier for Astra to open a shimmering portal there. We don’t yet know how good she is at controlling her destination, but we have hope. Once we’re there, we’ll gather information. Ultimately, our priority is getting word to Order in Purgatory that Hrista has gone AWOL. It’s our final option. Thing is, it’s exceptionally risky for Astra to try and open a shimmering portal directly to Purgatory first, since that’s not in the realm of the living but far beyond. I don’t know how safe that might be. You have to understand… this stuff hasn’t really been tried and retried before.”
We all knew it would be anything but simple. Together and separately, we’d been through plenty already to understand that the task ahead would not be easy. And everyone might not survive… But something had to be d
one, and our beloved Astra was the key to our success. Hrista may have already confirmed it, but I felt it deep within my soul.
Derek and I had always said that the future generations would save us eventually. The children. The children are the future.
Unending
Dream, my ethereal sister, had been summoned to carry Tristan and me away from Biriane after the… incident. My bare feet touched the sea of reddish pebbles in Taeral’s palace gardens. Each of the pathways was covered with these smooth pellets of lacquered scarlet, and they swirled around the heated pools in the middle like ruby snakes. To my left and right, green and red leaf trees reached for the crystalline skies, skirted by rounded bushes and manicured floral topiaries. This place was an oasis of calm and precision, I realized, and I was infinitely more receptive to the physical world since I’d been put inside a living body.
I was still adjusting to every sensation. Even the people around me seemed different. I was forced to pay attention to the slightest details in their body language, yet I failed to find an explanation as to why I had this compulsion to study everything in obsessive depth. I could only enjoy the ride and adapt. In Tristan’s realm, it took three days for the human brain to adapt to fundamental changes in its perception. I did not have a human body, but I comforted myself with the idea that I, too, might need three days to adjust. We’d lost Anunit only yesterday. It was still early.
“This is beautiful,” Tristan exclaimed. “I haven’t seen the palace gardens in at least a year, if not longer.”
“It has been a while since you visited,” Taeral agreed, smiling. He seemed taller, though it was only my perception that had changed. It could have been the design of his red velvet jacket with gold-trimmed coattails, tightly closed around his waist and creating an elegant contrast with his black pants and leather boots with gold-brushed strap buckles. He wore a white shirt underneath and the band of gold and rubies on the top of his head. Truly a handsome mix. I could see why Eira had been so enthralled by the fae-jinni king.
A Shade of Vampire 91: A Gate of Light Page 4
