Vampire Girl 2: Midnight Star (12 page)

The tentacle yanks me to the head of the boat, my ribs crushed under the weight of the thick serpent. I stab at it with Spero, but my arm is weak. The air feels thin. I do little harm. Yami bites at the tentacle. His attempts do nothing.

From the depths of the water something emerges. A head. A serpent. Wadu.

Tentacles sprout like hair from the back of its head. Its giant mouth hangs open, sharp teeth dripping with saliva. It pulls me closer. Closer to its jaws. To the darkness I see there.

Asher jumps into the sky. Higher than I think possible. He flies past me. And rams his blade into the beast's eye.

The serpent roars, a primordial scream. The tentacles flail around. I am slammed into the ship. Again. Again. As the creature convulses in its rage. My head aches and rings. My body is splitting apart.

Asher clings to the beast's head, stabbing at its eyes, nose, fighting off the whipping tentacles as it attempts to strike at the demon.

Arrows fly toward the serpent, and I cringe, even in my own pain and panic, hoping none hit Asher. They miss the head and hit only the thick, scaled neck of the beast.

I must help him. I must help Asher.

I strike again with Spero. My hand is soft, my body feels heavy. I drop my blade. My vision fades.

Yami cries out, but it is a far away sound. So far away. And I strain to hear. I am tired. I am sleepy. Maybe, I can just rest. Yes. Rest. I close my eyes.

And then I hear it.

The sound that brings one last smile to my lips.

A howl.

Baron leaps on top of the tentacle and tears into the beast's flesh, ripping it apart. The serpent loosens its grip, and I collapse to the deck of the boat, air returning to my lunges in a painful burst. I choke, gag, and grab for my sword even as I try to clear my head and regain my wits.

A hand reaches for me.

A hand I have memorized.

A hand I have dreamed of.

I take it, and he lifts me to my feet.

"You know, you really should stop getting attacked by sea creatures," Fen says, his blue eyes so bright.

I try to laugh but it comes out as a croak. "Sea creatures should really stop attacking me."

He laughs, and the moment is too brief. There's still Wadu to deal with. But my heart feels so full, so complete with him here, that it's hard to muster fear or panic.

Maybe I'm still oxygen deprived.

Fen turns to the beast, his long brown hair whipping in the wind, his copper highlights catching the sun. "Asher!" His voice tears through the stormy air.

Asher sees his brother and hops back down to the deck. "Took you long enough," he says, grinning.

Fen grabs a long rope off the ship and throws one end to Asher. They look at each other knowingly, and nod. And then they charge in perfect unison.

They run to the front of the ship and leap into the air on either side of the beast, defying gravity once again, proving how inhuman they are. The rope catches Wadu on the neck and snaps tight. Asher and Fen use the momentum to swing around the beast from behind, tying the rope around the base of the head. The next time they touch ground, they land back on they ship, their places reversed.

And then they pull, moving backward as they do.

Together, they strangle the beast.

It roars and flails. It is not strong enough.

The brothers pull harder, moving further back.

The serpent wails. Its movements grow slower, more staggered, its mighty roars grow weak.

It is a terrible and wondrous sight, to see these brothers coordinate without words, without a plan, to move as one with such fluidity, grace and power. Their knowledge of each other is more profound than anything I've witnessed.

One more pull.

And the beast collapses, its head spilling onto the deck.

Fen and Asher exchange another glance. "Ready?" asks Fen.

Asher grins. "Thought you'd never ask."

They charge forward, swords drawn, and each blade takes the beast in an eye.

They rend their swords free, and the spirit, now motionless, slips off the deck and back into the water's depth, its body fading into mist.

The brothers clasp bloody arms, and the people on shore cheer.

Then Fen looks over to me, leaving Asher as he makes his way to where I stand in just a few long strides. His arms wrap around me and our bodies press against each other. I don't feel the pain of my bruised ribs or the shortness of my breath.

I just feel Fen.

"Welcome home, Princess."

Chapter 9

SKY CASTLE

"
There are no free Fae save for the Shade, and to call them free would be to play with the truth. All Fae are slaves to one degree or another in this world."

—Kal'Hallen

I can't let
go of his hand, but we are all wet and bloody, and my head is fuzzy. My knees weak.  I start to fall. Someone… Fen… grabs me. He carries me to shore. I lean against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. He lays me down, studies my body. Bruised and cracked ribs is the prognosis. He carries me to the castle, to a room, to a bed. Women I have never met before tend to my wounds, wrapping them in clean bandages. They give me a thick elixir for the pain. I fall asleep and dream of Stonehill, of the waterfalls that rumble like thunder, of the rivers that turn rocks smooth. There is pine on the wind and snow beneath my feet. And there, in the distance, beside a frozen pond, stands Fen. I smile and hug him, and for the first time in a long time, I feel home.

***

I sit on a white bed, a fireplace crackling near me, purple curtains blocking most of the light. A thick rug decorated with an eagle covers the stone floor. This is my room at Asher's Castle. It is beautiful, but it feels too sparse, too foreign, to call home.

Fen arrives with Baron by his side. He is clean, his thick brown hair less messy than usual, and dressed in thin brown leathers, having dropped his furs due to the warmer weather. Baron wags his tail and lays his head on my lap. I nearly cry, seeing the big wolf again. I rub his head. "I've missed you, boy."

Fen smiles and takes a seat next to me on the bed. "He's missed you too. Wouldn't stop whining for you in fact."

I smile. "Was he the only one missing me?"

Fen holds my eyes. "What happened to you, Ari? You scared me near to death when you disappeared."

I want to tell him everything. About the Fae, about his father, about the contract, but the moment I try to speak, physical pain grips my throat. I choke and Fen hands me a glass of water.

"I'm sorry," he says. "You've just been through a significant ordeal. I didn't mean to interrogate you. I'm just glad you're back, glad you're safe."

I let him think it's my recent injuries causing the pain, because I can't speak the truth. But there is something I can try. "Fen, what really happened with your father?"

He pauses.

"Did you find the killer?" I'm hoping to get to the truth, to get him to talk about the poisoning. Maybe I can lead him to answers without telling him outright, thus circumventing the contract rules.

"I've been pre-occupied," Fen says, avoiding my question. He puts a hand on my knee. "There have been more important matters."

I smile, holding his hand.

Yami yawns, waking up from a nap on my shoulder. He hops down and roams the room, and Baron gets up to explore this new creature, sniffing his black tail. Apparently the wolf can see the dragon. Interesting. Does Yami only hide himself from people?

"Ari…" Fen leans closer. "There is something I must tell you, but I struggle to find the words. I…" He looks away.

I touch his face, turning it back to mine, gazing into his blue eyes. The world fades, and there is nothing but us, but my hand on his skin, but the breath between us. "Tell me," I whisper.

His voice is warm and soft. "When you were taken, it felt like my heart was ripped out. I can't lose you again. I won't."

I choke on the tears I can't shed. I want to ask him so much. Does he know I am Fae? Does it matter to him? There is one thing I can say though, that no contract can stop. "Fen, I thought about you every moment I was gone. I missed you so much it hurt. I don't know what we're going to do. I don't know what the future holds for either of us. I don't know how to handle the fact you don't want to be king and I must pick and marry the next ruler. All I know is I can't be without you again. I won't. Somehow we must make this work."

He looks about to say something else, when Baron licks Yami, and the dragon makes a trilling sound and bounces up and down, his wings flapping. The two have made friends.

Fen frowns, looking confused. "Why's he licking the air? Did you get knocked on the head, boy?"

There's a knock on the door, and Asher walks in, carrying drinks for us all. Baron bares his teeth at the prince, and I remember how much he dislikes anyone but Fen and me. And apparently Yami. "I thought we might want something stronger than juice after slaying a water spirit," Asher says, pulling up a chair next to us.

We each take our cups and I sip at my drink, hoping it doesn't land me with another hangover like last time. It doesn't glow, so that's a good sign. "Is it really dead?" I ask. "The water spirit?"

Fen shakes his head. "The Spirits cannot be killed, not truly. Only injured. The best we can do is find the Water Druid. If she dies, Wadu will be forced to find another Keeper, to choose another Fae who is worthy. The spirit will be reborn, young again, weaker—for a time."

Asher nods. "I heard what the Fire Spirit did to your realm. My condolences, brother."

My eyes go wide. This is news to me. "What happened?"

Fen sighs. "Riku, the phoenix, burned our forests. We do not have the wood to rebuild Stonehill."

I remember Oren, the rage in his eyes, Riku the phoenix in his hand. I can almost feel the fire against my skin. "I’m sorry Fen."

The Prince of War grunts, looking at Asher. "You never told me, where did you find her?"

"In a village in the Outlands north of your realm," Asher says, lying with ease.

Fen studies me again. "And you weren't hurt?"

"No. I was held captive, but they weren't cruel to me."

"I felt you calling for me through the blood mark. I tried to find you, but it led to a dead end in a cave. An ancient door of some kind. Do you know of it?"

I look at Asher, unsure how to answer. I hate lying to anyone, but especially to Fen. It hurts more than any physical wounds ever will. "The Fae who captured me made camp in the cave for a while. They didn't seem to know what the door was either."

Baron howls and chases Yami around the room. I think the two are playing tag, and I stifle a laugh. Fen cocks his head. "I'll have to have him examined." He looks to Asher. "I'm going to need a room near Ari's, while she stays here."

I want nothing more than for Fen to stay, but Asher frowns. "Brother, your realm needs you now more than ever. And it
is
my turn with her. The others princes would frown on you being here. They would see it as an unfair advantage."

Fen bows his head. "I will need to see her again, Asher."

Asher nods. "I know, brother. I will make sure you do. But trust me to care for the princess. I won't let anything happen to her."

Fen stands, and I stand, not knowing what to do. Asher looks at both of us. "I have some business to attend to," he says. "The attack has caused damage I must help repair. Why don't you two say your goodbyes in private while I... attend to that business."

He leaves us alone and Fen reaches for me, pulling me into a longer, more intimate hug than on the boat. I rest my head on his shoulder and breathe him in. It feels so good to be in his arms again, I don't ever want to let go.

"Have you healed well?" I ask. "I had to give you my blood. I'm sorry."

He chuckles and kisses my forehead. "Only you would apologize for saving someone's life at the cost to yourself. I'm fine. Thank you."

"Anytime," I say. "But you really should stop getting kidnapped and tortured by Outlanders."

He chuckles. "I've missed you, Ari."

"I still miss you," I say. "It doesn't feel like you're here, knowing you are leaving. When will I see you again?"

"Soon," he says, his voice low. "Soon."

Baron whines and pushes his nose between us. I lay my hand on his large furry head. "Take care of this guy for me, Baron, will ya? Don't let him do anything stupid." Baron licks my hand, and I pet him and then put my hands on Fen's chest. "We'll figure this out. We'll figure us out. But for now, go figure out your realm. Your people need you."

"They need you too," he says softly.

"Tell them I'm well, and that I miss them and my heart grieves for their losses. And tell Kayla... " My voice wavers. "Tell her I'm so sorry. So very sorry. I tried to save him. But I couldn't. I didn't know how, and it's my fault. I should have let her go. She would have known what to do."

"She doesn't blame you," Fen says. He lifts my chin with his finger, looking into my eyes. "No one does. It's war. People die."

"Don't die," I tell him. "I couldn't handle that."

"I'm not easy to kill," he says, grinning in his cocky way. "You'll be sick of me long before I die."

He leaves then, with Baron reluctantly following. Yami droops and makes little pouty noises as his new friend disappears out the door.

"We're both going to miss them, huh?" I ask. "I guess you don't get a lot of friends. Sorry about that." I walk to my new bed and sit down. "Are you hungry? Should I call for some meat?"

Yami wags his tail and flaps his wings, and I laugh and ring the servant's bell. Kara and Julian arrive, and I hug each of them. "It's so good to see you safe. Were you cared for well? Given a place to sleep and change?"

"Yes," Kara says. "Thank you. "

"Could you fetch some food?" I ask. "I need a lot of meat. Raw, or as raw as you can get it." They frown at me. "I think I'm iron deficient."

That doesn't help. They exchange a confused look, then leave to fetch the food. I change into more sturdy clothes, black leather pants and shirt. Asher would say I'm supposed to be resting. Healing. And yes, my ribs still hurt, but the medicine I drank is helping. I do love the potions this world provides. Elixirs that can cure anything, it seems. It would be interesting to learn more about the medicines here.