Opulent (The Opalescent Collection Book 1) (8 page)

“W
ell won’t you look at that? There is a new moon in the sky,” Lucian mumbled quietly to himself.

“Not a moon Sire, but a planet,” his dragon said, joining him on the Bridge.

              The planet was black, like a piece of coal in the sky with red smoke radiating around it.

“What does this mean Sire?”

“It means…there is but another planet for Chenille to be kept and we must go there. Come Jasper, we have much to do.”

“You have spent a lot of time looking for her.”

“I know, but I must find her. I don’t have much of a choice.”

“How do you expect to find her?”

“I know someone who can help us.”

* * * * *

“I would like to help you, but I am afraid I too do not know where Chenille is. Pete took her away and she has not been seen since.” The old snake peered down at Lucian with dismay. “Though we might have some luck if we ask Pearl.”

“Very well,” Lucian said.

              The black snake led him through the thick fog to the Frozen Waterfalls where Amelia, Caspian, and Calvin waited. Princess Pearl, a powerful mermaid whose heart was as cold as ice, sat on her rock, refusing to assist them.

“Pearl, can you help me? I am searching for Chenille.”

              Pearl turned away and tossed her dull blonde locks of hair over her shoulder. “What good will it do if you look? What makes you think we will find her now? Who are you anyway?”

“I am Lucian, cousin of Pete and Fitzray.”  

“We are all still searching for her,” Taj’ said quietly, “we mustn’t give up hope.”

“What do you know of the new planet in the sky?”

              She turned to Lucian and frowned. “I know nothing of the new planet, I’m afraid.”

“Can we go there?”

“If we know nothing of the planet, how can we go there? We don’t know what lives there.”

“Or
who
lives there.”

              Everyone turned to Lucian skeptically.

“What if Chenille is there,” he continued.

“There is a chance, although I can’t promise you will find her there, especially since it is an unknown planet.” 

“An unknown planet to
us
,” Amelia said.

“She could be trapped there,” Caspian added thoughtfully.

“And if that is the case, how do we get there?”

“Why should we
go
there?”

“We won’t know what…or who is there if we don’t look,” Calvin snapped.

“He is right. We have to look and see for ourselves.”

“But how will we
get
there?” Pearl whined as she pressed the issue so they would not have to go.

“I don’t know, but we will find out.”

“We should have others come with us, some powerful creatures to back us up incase anything happens.”

“And put
others
in danger?”

“If Pete is on that planet with Chenille, we won’t have a chance against him. We need all the help we can get,” Lucian said. “Amelia, Caspian, Calvin and I will get the strongest of vampires we can find.”

“And you Pearl?”

“I will get some mermaids and see you tomorrow,” she mumbled and crossed her arms.

“Let’s go.”

“Wait, how will we get there?”

“The dragons of course,” Lucian said quietly.

“Lucian, why do you care about Chenille? Do you know her?” Amelia inquired.

“No, I don’t know her but…Fitzray did and he was my cousin so…it’s in my nature to protect her, I suppose. I know she meant a lot to him.”

“Do you think we will find her?”

              Lucian shifted his gaze to the redhead surprised at her concerned, almost harsh tone. He looked at her, sensing there was aggression hidden in her question. The demand for the save return of her friend was apparent in the way she tightened her jaw.

              He knew she did not really trust him but he suspected that she would leave the concern of her friend in his hands at least until they reached her, if they did. He could tell she would break apart buildings to find her and that it wouldn’t make a difference to her if a half-blood of a vampire would lead her or not.

“I don’t know.” He replied honestly, but simply. “We will find out once we get to Pete’s planet.”    

T
he vampire took off his leather jacket and dropped it over my shoulders. The poison that seeped onto my lips, once so bitter was now so sweet. It was like vanilla, but with the caffeine-like substance that made me crave it more. The more he kissed me, the more I forgot and the more he had control over me. I shook my head and broke away from his grip.

“How about that Ceremony you promised me,” Pete whispered.

“Ceremony? What Ceremony?”

“The Blood Ceremony, the ceremony that will make me immortal. Not even a sword shoved through my chest will kill and reincarnate me. But as for you-,”

“Pete…I…Blood Ceremony? No. I don’t want a
Blood Ceremony
.”

“It is not your place to have a choice.”

“That’s not fair!” I shook my head and pushed him away.

“Trust me. I won’t hurt you. Close your eyes and
trust me
.”

              I obeyed. My head became light, my body numb, as though I did not even exist. Just as my eyes closed, I knew my memories would diminish. He quickly gathered me in his arms and lulled my jerky head.

“Here,” he said placing his wrist before me.

              I stared blankly at the deep scratch that ran down his arm, oozing black blood. He pressed his arm to my lips, but I turned sharply at the taste of the toxic, sour tasting blood. I coughed loudly and looked up at him.

“That is disgusting.”

“Continue,” he ordered and pressed his arm back to my lips again.

              It was horrible, and I choked, but found my head was beginning to clear. Fragments of memory came to me and one thing became obvious – I did not love this vampire and I needed to go back to Catastrophe, my home.

              With this in mind, I refused to continue with the Ceremony. I just knew it was not supposed to be like this. The Blood Ceremony confirmed a bond. What
bond
did I have with Pete?

“Continue,” he demanded once I refused yet again.

“Fitzray,” I whispered.

“What? What did you say?”

“Fitzray,” I whispered, “I know that name.”

              Pete uttered a deep growl and tossed me off his lap, onto the floor.

“Don’t you dare say that name ever again,” he raged. “If you know what’s best for you.”

              He stood up and looked down at me with an icy glare. He grabbed my wrist, pulling me to my feet and held me tightly in place.

“What will you do to me?”

“I will make you forget,” he laughed and tried to kiss me when I turned away.

“I don’t love you,” I spat.

“You don’t have to, but it can only help since there is no way you can escape me. Why do you think I created this planet?”

“So I will never go to Catastrophe again?”

“What for? You have a planet all for yourself.”

“But I have no past…no
life
.”

“Yes you do, but you have no need for it. You have started a new life.”

“You mean
you
have started a new life?”

              He shook his head and frowned. “I have used far too much power for it to be considered that
I
would be starting a new life. I have used my power for both of us.”

“Well, I want my old life back.”

“It’s too late for that.”

* * * * *

“Ready the dragons! Take your positions! We’re going to fly over the Bridge!”

“I’ve heard that space is cold,” Pearl whined and held her beautiful fur coat tightly.

“That it is,” Taj’ said.

              Lucian clutched his cape in one of his hands to prevent it from smacking against Jasper while the hard winds continued to blow. In his other hand, he held onto one of Jasper’s blue spikes that ran down his neck.

“Are you coming Taj’? We could use you.”

“I am afraid your dragons will not be able to carry me. You must go on and leave me here.”

“Nonsense, you won’t be a problem for our dragons.”

“If you are sure I won’t be any trouble-,”

“Not at all.”

              The snake turned away as Lucian continued to shout his orders to the battalions.

“How will we find her on that planet? Do you know how long it might take,” someone began to protest.

“We will split up and look for her. The planet is smaller than Earth so it shouldn’t be
that
hard to find her.” Lucian said and quickly mounted his dragon, as the rest had done. “Now take your formations, let’s go!”

              The vampires, now all on the backs of their assigned dragons all waited for his command.

“Fly over the Bridge!”

              In the first row Lucian, Amelia, Caspian, Calvin, Pearl and the werewolf girl, Prusaious, braced themselves for takeoff. Next were the strongest of the vampires atop stalwart dragons. The dragons had very little space to get over the Bridge wall and many barely made it over. The dragons’ stomachs skimmed over the apex of the wall, resulting in great thrusts from their back talons to prevent themselves from crashing.

“Get behind me,” he yelled. The dragons flew behind him in formation.

              Prusaious moved up near Lucian and smiled sweetly, keeping a firm grip on her dragon’s spikes. He glanced over at her and sighed.

“What do you want Pru?”

“Lucian, do you think this is such a good idea, the whole trip to this new planet? I mean, what if you get yourself killed?”

“Why are you worried about me?”

“I have known you for nearly five years now, as an ally of the vampires, and you are like a little brother to me. I had to look after you all those years. Why wouldn’t I be worried about you Lucian?”

              Lucian shook his head and shifted uneasily on the rough surface of his dragon’s back.

“You have the highest risk of us all to be killed.” Prusaious continued. “I mean, you are more of a mortal than any vampire I have ever seen. Why, you are a mortal with fangs. You have absolutely
no
taste for blood nor do you know the vampire ways. Although you
do
have the compassion no mortal possesses, that will not make up for what you need to stand up against Pete. I just don’t think you are strong enough.”

“I am not
going
to stand up to him.”

“Oh?”

“I just have to take Chenille back to Catastrophe and avoid him.”

“What! You want to try to bring her to Catastrophe where Pete will find her, take her back again, and then hunt you down? You don’t stand a chance. He’ll kill you before you leave the planet!”

“He won’t kill me.”

“You are a mortal!”

“I’m not a mortal!”

“Oh sorry, a mortal with
fangs
,” she snapped, aggravated.

“I will save her.”

“Do you plan to take on Pete too? Because you shouldn’t expect your plan will work. He
will
find you and by all means he
will
have you dead.”

“I have the strongest vampires of Catastrophe and their dragons behind me. How can my plan fail?”

“That doesn’t matter! It doesn’t matter that you have an army of immortal creatures! You don’t get it! He is so strong he can kill every single one of them without hesitation. He is not only the leader of the vampires, but that of the planet he has created and who knows what lurks there.”

“How does he have so much power?”

“He has killed his father and his brother who both possessed royal blood. If Chenille were to complete the Blood Ceremony with Fitzray, he would be back by now, reincarnated. And so I hope she has not completed
any
Ceremony with Pete.”  

“But I thought Fitzray and Chenille already performed the Ceremony together.”

“They began to, but I heard that it wasn’t completed. Had they completed it, Fitzray would be back by now. He would be able to stand up to Pete. And that would leave Fitzray and Chenille as the leaders of Catastrophe.”

“I hope she hasn’t performed the Ceremony with Pete yet.”

“We will find out soon. The planet is coming into view.”

“Go back and tell the others to prepare for landing. I’m going to go ahead to check out this place.”

* * * * *