Opulent (The Opalescent Collection Book 1) (20 page)

W
hen I woke, two healers gazed down over me, closely examining me.

“You are weak from Pete’s poison.” One healer confirmed. “You should try this berry juice. It should help rid the poison’s affect on you.”

              The healer handed me a bottle of berry juice that was thick and dark blue in color.

“Be sure to drink
all
of it because if you were to have any more poison, you could become paralyzed.”

              The door shot open and Pete stood in the doorway, snow covered and cold.

“Out.” He said quietly, almost as if to himself. When he noticed the healers had not heard, he said it even louder and they ran from the room like mice.

“How did the meeting go?” I began to sip the berry juice once he had taken a seat before me on the large bed.

“Not bad at all.”

“What did you find out?”

“We can’t use dragons to cross to Earth. It’s too risky.”

“So what are we going to do? How will we get there?”

              He moved closer, seeming not to have heard me. I shoved the bottle in his face at once. “What are you doing?”

              He purred, looking at me through the bottle and instantly moved away as though I had snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Focus,” I hissed, “how are we getting to Earth?”

“Like I said, I took your plan into consideration. The Allies agreed it would be best to make another bridge, but they argued it would take too long.”

“How long do you think?”

“They claimed it would take years, years of hard labor and finding pieces of our orange moon.”

              I put the bottle on the nightstand beside his journal and at once he moved closer, pressing me to the headboard.

             
Paralysis
, I thought and looked back at the empty bottle.

              He kissed my cheek, the icy poison stinging as it ran down the side of my face. I was shaking, terrified for what would happen if it hit my lips. He put a hand to my shoulder, trying to get my attention while I looked away.

              I fingered the silver dragon around my neck and Minx burst through the door and pulled me from his grip instantly. Mullein was beside Pete just as fast. The dragons stared at each other the way Pete and I were. Minx gathered me in his claws and flew through the broken door, down the stairs to the front doors of the palace. I opened it and he flew out, closing it behind him with his tail.

              The storm was still bad, but not vicious as it was nearly a week ago. It was just bad enough to hide Mullein from our sight until he got close enough and smashed into Minx. I tried to hold on, but helplessly fell out of Minx’s talons and landed into snow.

              Pete was in front of me before I could blink and helped me up to my feet. He looked at me passionately and drew me toward his sickening poison. I fingered his neck, following the chain he wore until I felt something hard in my hands. I traced it quickly to confirm it was his Dragon’s Soul and snapped it from his neck, proceeding to throw it into the snow. He was after it just as I expected and I ran for the palace, Minx close behind me. I rubbed the copper marble of my own Dragon’s Soul and tucked it under my cape, feeling my strength return.

              Pete stormed in, Mullein growling beside him.

“What’s with you today?” He growled at my comment and launched forward, sweeping me off my feet. “You seem so angry.”

“Of course I am. You avoided me when I left for the meeting and now you are avoiding me again.”

“Your poison weakens me. I felt so weak I told the healers and they said I could be paralyzed if I had any more of it.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“What would it matter? You are a vampire. You will always have poison.”

“Not all the time, only when I want.”

“And the paralysis-,”

“You drank the berry juice, didn’t you?” I nodded my head. “Then you should be fine.”

              My eyes flicked away, trying to avoid his now softening face.

“You should have told me you were afraid.”

              Slowly I got to my feet and he grabbed my arm to steady me.

“So we will build a bridge. And then what?”

“We save the vampires and find Tetchra.”

“And then?” I looked up at him hesitantly.

“And then, we rule together.”

“What about Lucian?”

“You already know the deal. If he isn’t reincarnated, then the both of you will rule together like none of this ever happened.”

              I held onto Pete, my legs becoming weak again. “I am sure you didn’t think you would be the
King of Catastrophe
.”

“Oh no,” he said with a smile. “I knew.” And he sealed what he said with a poison kiss.                    

* * * * *

M
y life flashed before my eyes in the form of a monotonous nightmare.

How long have I been dreaming?
I turned, startled by the brightness of a candle on the nightstand.

“What are you doing up?”

              Pete looked at me for a moment and then continued to pace quietly as though he had not heard me.

“Thinking,” he whispered. “I am thinking.”

“Thinking of what?”

“The new bridge, that’s what. Why is it taking so long to build? We are just over halfway across.”

“Well…it has taken a
bit
of a while-,” I began.

“It’s been nearly
five years
Chenille.”

“Yes, it’s been years…years that Fitzray has been raised by that woman, that shape shifter.”

              Even though I had said it countless times, I woke up screaming from horrible nightmares in Pete’s embrace, and I could not condone it. It was my fault that Fitzray was gone.

“Chenille.”

              Pete enveloped me until it felt like he was crushing me, which somehow offered me comfort and security.

“You
promised
me,” I began.

“I haven’t broken that promise yet, have I? If the Bridge had not been destroyed, you and I both know we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Fitzray would be here, behind palace walls with us.”

              He grew angry and rushed to the window to peer into the black night. I pushed away the heavy blankets, my gaze turning back to Pete. I could see he was looking out toward the bridge.

“I can’t stop thinking about it all.”

“I know you can’t, but we are going to get to Earth. I don’t care what I have to do to get there.”

“But…when we
do
get there, what do you think will happen?”

“We will find Tetchra and your son and free the captives there.”

“And do you know how you are going to do all of that?”

“I have some ideas.”

“What kind of ideas?”

              He sighed. “I am done thinking for the night. I didn’t mean to wake you. I promise you, I have a plan.” With his final words, he blew out the candle and I fell asleep.

* * * * *

“H
appy Birthday Fitzray!”

The boy opened his eyes to see a smiling woman and a girl both standing next to a large white cake. Banners and balloons surrounded them. The girl, Violet, walked up to him and put a wrapped gift in his hands. The woman beside her was his caretaker since Tetchra was almost never home.

“Hurry and blow out the candles. Then you can open your gift.”

“Yes Ms. Brown,” Fitzray mumbled.

“How old are you now, eight? You are really growing up.” Violet said taking a seat beside him once he blew out the candles.

“Yeah, but you’re a teenager.” He smiled, opening his present. “It’s a book,” he said disappointed.

“Yeah, but this book has all kinds of creatures in it.”

“Creatures like those on Catastrophe? Like vampires?” He flipped through the pages.

“No, there is none of that.” Ms. Brown lowered her voice. “You know that kind of stuff is forbidden here.”

“Oh.” He put the book on the table and looked up hopefully at her. “Why?”

“Ever since Earth broke away from Catastrophe, nothing has been the same. We don’t like too much information to be given to the vampires if they were to escape-,” she stopped herself and shook her head. “Nothing like that would happen anyway,” she corrected quickly.

“Why did Earth break away?”

“Oh, I have said too much already, Fitzray.”

             
He frowned and walked to the back door. “No one tells me anything,” he mumbled.

“Where are you going?”

“I am going outside to ride Hickory.”

“Fitzray just be-,” Violet began. He slammed the door angrily behind him and walked off toward the stable.

“Hello Hickory. Want to go for a nice long ride in the mountains?”

             
The pony looked at him long and hard, waiting to be let out of his stable. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He led the pony away and grabbed his saddle. Hickory stayed still while the boy worked and then turned to see what he was doing. “Now for the bridle.”

             
The pony’s ears pinned back at sight of the leather bridle. He hated the bit, especially in Fitzray’s inexperienced hands. The pony put up a good fight but in the end found nothing in his mouth and pricked his ears forward as the boy mounted.
 

“I don’t understand Hickory. No one tells me anything.”

             
He gave the pony a gentle pat on the neck and he started to trot.

“Why are there all these secrets? Why am I so different?”

“Hey Fitz!” It was Violet.

             
She came up beside him on her big brown mare and smiled.
 

“Leave me alone.” He kicked his pony’s sides and they sped off toward the mountains, where they stayed until dark.

“Just in time for dinner,” Ms. Brown said quietly as he walked into the kitchen later that evening.

“I am not hungry. I am going to bed.”

“Don’t you want to wait up for Jeff?”

“No, I am too tired.” He looked at the table and noticed a dark figure sitting in one of the chairs. The figure stared at him. He knew this was Tetchra’s vampire.

“Goodnight Ms. Brown.”

“Goodnight Fitzray.”

             
Tetchra’s vampire said nothing.

             
Fitzray sat on his bed, looked out the window to see a blob of glowing orange in the distance. It was getting larger each day. He smiled to himself. “One day I will find my parents, maybe soon.”

* * * * *

              I leaned against the white horse fence and called my unicorn. Versailles came to me, her silky white mane flowing behind her. She greeted me with a neigh.

“I will be going to Earth soon.”

“Will I come?” The unicorn asked, her mouth unmoving as her thoughts transpired into words.

“It’s too dangerous for you to come.”

              She snorted, her ears pinned back as Pete’s stallion came over.

“Pete is calling for you,” she said.

“What do you want Pete?”

“Come inside, I need to speak to you,” he called from the palace.

“I’ll come back soon Versailles.”

              I stepped into the library where Pete waited. He stood facing one of the windows, looking out into the bright, cloudless day and quickly closed the curtains upon my arrival.

“We are going to jump the bridge.”

“Jump? What do you mean?”

“I mean we will
leap
over to Earth.”

“How is that possible? We can’t possibly jump that far.”

“I didn’t say
we
as in the two of us. I mean the unicorn and the stallion. They will jump it and we will be riding.”

“Are you insane? How-,” I began.

“I know it’s possible. The new bridge is nearly completed, but with that gap I know they could make it across.” He turned to face me.

“And what if we do make it there? What will we do?”

“I have talked with the wolves. They promised to help us.”

“Help how?”

“They will help us find Tetchra. And we will find Fitzray. But we need help. As soon as the mortals find out vampires have crossed the new bridge, they will declare war.”

“And how long do you think we could pull off being hidden?”

“It’s simple.” He walked slowly toward me. “You will cover as a mortal, and I will be your vampire. No one should suspect a thing just as long as you blend in.”

“And if word breaks loose?”

“I will take care of whatever happens when it happens. You need to trust in what I’m doing.”

“So there is more to your plan?”

“Of course,” he smiled, “this is just the beginning.”

“When will we cross?”

“I will let you know.”

              His voice was low as he pressed a hand to my face, leaning slowly to my ear.

“You must promise me.”

“I promise.”

              He whispered, firmness forming in the back of his throat. “You mustn’t tell a soul of this.”

* * * * *