Vampire Girl 3: Silver Flame (17 page)

The tiger, black,
echo Madrid’s words.

He is larger than any natural beast and far more fierce. As he fights, smoke curls around him, covering the battlefield in darkness. The raiders who choose to attack him soon find themselves maimed or dead, and those who flee are caught quickly, their bodies turned to shreds.

This isn’t a battle.

It’s a massacre.

It’s the reason Metsi wouldn’t face Tavian. The reason she let us go.

This is the Darkness Tavian spoke of. The power of life and death.

Someone screams. Not one of the raiders. Closer. The nearby hut. Someone found their way inside. I clutch my sword and run forward, jumping into the building.

It can’t be…

Salzar stands inside, his dagger at the throat of a little girl. He yells at Madrid in the corner. "Call off your dog, or I kill the child!"

"Please," pleads Madrid. "I can’t control him. It is too late for that."

"Then the girl—"

"Let her go," I roar, raising my sword.

Salzar notices me for the first time, and his eyes go wide. "You survived?"

"Let her go!" I repeat.

Salzar laughs, licking his lips compulsively. "Or what? You strike at me, and I kill her."

He’s right. There has to be some other way. I step forward, holding out my hand, an idea coming to mind. "Salzar let her go now, and you can leave. Now one will follow you."

He tilts his head, thinking.

I continue. "Your men are dead. This raid is over. Save yourself while you can."

He glances out the door, where Tavian slaughters all who remain.

"My men!" he roars. "I need them. They’re mine. Mine." I see the madness in his eyes. This is a man who has just lost the power he so cherishes. The man who has nothing unless he takes it.

"Salzar, please…"

"No," he says. "You brought this upon her." And then he squeezes his blade into the girl’s throat.

I think of Daison. I think of all that has been lost.

And I throw up my hand.

Silver flame blazes from my fingertips. Bright and immense. It hits Salzar and nothing else, lighting his clothing on fire. He falls back, letting the girl go, her throat only slightly injured. "How?" he screams, running outside. He falls into the snow, rolling, trying to put out the fire, but the flames only burn brighter. And then his screams no longer resemble words. They turn primal and full of pain.

I follow him outside, my steps light, the snow around me turning to steam. My movements are not my own. My words are not my own. I raise my sword. "You have been witnessed. And you have been judged. And you will never hurt a soul again."

Silver flame covers my blade.

And I swing down, cleaving Salzar’s head from his body. It rolls in the snow, leaving no blood, the wound cauterized already.

Something stirs in the darkness.

I look up and see the black tiger before me. Its eyes so green. It stares at me for a moment, then turns and disappears into the forest.

Whatever compelled me begins to fade, and I drop my sword and turn around. The hut. It burns. But how? I only hit Salzar.

I look at my hands, trembling at what I have done. Then I take a deep breath, calming myself, and as I calm, so do the flames. They fade, until only wisps of smoke remain.

Madrid emerges from inside, the children at her heel. "You have returned," she says, reaching for me. "Riku. You have returned."

"Reverse psychology. Works every time."

—Asher

My blood is
boiling. I can't stop shaking. What the old woman said can't be true, can it? I can't be the Fire Druid. It's impossible.

I look around at the bodies strewn about. Everyone from Salzar's company is dead. I killed them. Tavian killed them. I don't even know who died by my hand and who by his. So much death. I attacked and killed my own kind to protect Fae I barely know. I killed men and women I'd fought beside. Men and women I'd raided with.

What have I become? I look down at my hands. They no longer glow with the silver flame of my new power, but I can feel it there, just under the surface. "I have to find Tavian. He… he was different this time. His tiger form was black, and… the things he did… I have never seen such things."

Madrid hobbles over to me on her walking stick. "That is the dark magic. The old magic. That of creation and destruction. He has no control in such a state. It's powerful. Dangerous. Unwieldy. He left to protect you, and that alone is remarkable."

"He went into the woods. I must find him. Help him." I need to be near Tavian right now, that's all I know. Nothing else makes sense. Nothing else matters. All other thoughts are jumbled in my mind. I run back to the cottage and grab our packs, then swing onto the horse. I pause before leaving. "Thank you for your hospitality. I am so sorry you were attacked. And for the fire I caused."

"It is because of you that we live at all," the old woman says. "You and Tavian saved this village. You are the Wild One. You are the Fire Druid. And you will always have a home in our tribe, if you need one."

A sob grows in the back of my throat, but I swallow it down. I can't let her words settle into me. I can't consider what they mean, that there are Fae who would accept me, who would treat me with equality and fairness, who would offer me a home and a life. I can't think such things. Not right now. Maybe not ever. I no longer know what I am, but I know what I must do.

I head in the direction I last saw him, where he entered the woods. There I pick up his tracks in the darkness and follow them as quickly as I can until I reach a grove surrounded by trees and a clear pool of water fed by a waterfall off the mountain.

The horse whinnies, and I slide off him and tie him to a tree, then make my way on foot.

And there he is. A giant black tiger. Bigger than anything nature would make, prowling through the grove. He looks restless. Angry. Black smokes twirls around him and lightning sparks in the darkness.

I move slowly, cautiously, with my hand out, like I’d do to calm a horse who was spooked. "Tavian? It's me, Kayla. It's over. The fighting is over. You need to come back to me now, okay?"

The tiger watches me with eyes I know so well, but I can't tell if he understands what I'm saying. I inch closer, holding my breath as I do.

And then he leaps into the air and lands on my chest. He growls, saliva dripping off his sharp teeth. His claws dig into my skin. I ignore the pain and try to remain calm. The fire magic in me is welling up, pushing out, but I can't let it. "I don't want to hurt you," I say through the pain. "I don't want to fight."

His nails dig deeper and I can't hold in the scream. Then his teeth are on me and I feel a bite in my shoulder. "Tavian!"

I don't know if it's my scream, or the taste of my blood, but something happens, and it's instant. He falls back, off of me, his eyes growing wide. And I can tell that he finally sees me. Really sees me.

It takes a moment, but the tiger shifts back into Tavian Gray.

I pull out my crystal and hold it over my shoulder, muttering a spell as I do. It's doesn't heal me completely, but it was a surprisingly shallow wound, and by the time Tavian has stood and walked over to me, I'm mostly recovered.

"Tavian… " my voice gives out as he takes me in his arms.

"I thought I'd done something awful," he says into my hair as he holds me too tightly.

"You saved them. And I'm not hurt. Not really. But you are. Let me see your wounds."

I run a hand over a cut, but he stops my hand with his. "They're scratches. Nothing more."

The air around us feels charged with something new. Something heady and thick and delicious.

When his lips land on mine, I'm already lost in the feeling of his touch, of his body pressed against me. Of his need. Of my need.

There are no thoughts. No considerations for the future, for what this means, for anything beyond our bodies coming together as one. And then we are lost, floating in a place where time doesn’t exist.

Being with Tavian is like nothing I've ever experienced. It's more than physical. More than emotional. It's a coming together of two souls into one. Even my newly awakened magic latches onto his, joining into a swirl of power pulling our bodies closer. When we finally pull apart, satiated and exhausted, I'm filled with a loss unlike anything I've ever felt, and we cling to each other on a bed of grass, unwilling to break the moment with words.

I don't know how long we lay here like this, naked and wrapped up in each other, but it is the horse's neighing that pulls us out of our reverie.

Tavian kisses my head before speaking. "You saved me today, Princess."

"I'm not a princess," I mumble into his chest, my eyes still half closed.

"You are to me," he whispers, and another part of me melts into him.

"What do we do now?" I ask.

"I don't know," he says. "This—you—have thrown my plans in disarray. I can't very well bargain and barter a woman I'm falling in love with, can I?"

"Love. That's a powerful word." I choose my own words carefully, as my heart beats too hard in my chest.

He shifts so that we are looking each other in the eyes. "Am I wrong? Did you not feel what I feel?"

I sigh, because no, he's not wrong, and it scares the hell out of me.

He grins. "I thought so."

"That still doesn't answer my question. What now?"

"Now," he says as he brings my fingers to his lips to kiss. "Now, we go back to Stonehill and find out what happened to the Midnight Star and your brother."

"I've got a sword and a very angry wolf. That will have to be enough. Now I just need a plan."

—Arianna Spero

In the great
hall of the Pleasure Palace, seated on a lounge by a fire, Es sips a mug of hot cocoa as Pete sits next to her reading something he found in the library. I tuck my feet under me and curl into the corner of the lounge, thinking. Yami sleeps around my neck, exhausted from the recent events. He has been moodier of late, and I think he remembers the destruction he caused. Soldiers managed to save some of the grove. Three trees, they told me. The rest burned and died.

I haven’t trained since then. I haven’t done much of anything.

A servant girl draped in silk comes by and hands me a hot drink and a plate of candied fruits and breaded meats. I thank her and set the food on the table next me, but I hold onto the drink. The warmth helps dispel the chill in my body, so I sip at it without tasting anything.

"You should eat, darlin'," Es says. "You look pale as a ghost."

To appease her I pick up a honey-glazed strawberry and take a bite, but that's all I can manage. "I'm not hungry."

"It wasn't your fault," she says. "And we're fine."

"People are hurt. Buildings ruined. The grove gone. And it was my fault. Varis warned me, but I didn't listen."

We're interrupted by a voice coming from the hall. "Where is she? Is she injured?"

I set my drink down and stand, a smile coming to my lips for the first time in awhile.

Fen runs to me and wraps me in his strong, warm arms. "We heard the news. A dragon laying ruin to the city? What happened?"

I quickly explain what I did and the harm I caused.

Then Dean walks in. "The people will rebuild. And the grove…" he turns away, and I see he is devastated by what I did. "We will plant more trees. It will take centuries, but eventually, the grove will be restored."

I reluctantly pull away from Fen and hug Dean, whispering in his ear. "I am so sorry. If I could change things, I would."

He smiles briefly, then leaves me to sit down and drink wine.

"What? No hug for me?"

That voice…

"Asher!"

He stands in the doorway, his arms spread out and a big grin on his face. I run forward and embrace my second favorite prince.

He smiles and pets Yami. "I see you've taken to setting the world on fire more literally these days?"

I scowl at him. "It's not funny. But yes."

"We've just come from Stonehill," Fen says. "It's worse than we could have imagined."

I find that hard to believe, until he describes what they saw.

Asher leans against the wall, studying his perfectly manicured nails. "I can't tell you how relieved we were to hear of Yami in full form. We're going to need him in the coming battle."

"That's not going to work," I say, my chest tightening. "I can't control the power."

"Then don't," Asher says. "Unleash him and let him win this war for us."

"The innocent will suffer," I whisper, ashamed. "Too many will die."

"There are no innocents in war," Asher says.

He’s darker than usual, more anger behind his eyes. But I haven’t seen him in nearly a month. Who knows what he endured.

Fen looks down at me, squeezing my shoulder. "I do not presume to know what it does to you to summon such power. But you didn't see what we saw. The torture. The suffering. The deaths. If there is a way to stop Levi from spreading his darkness to the rest of Inferna and beyond, we must take it."

I can see the pain in his eyes, at having witnessed what he did— at having to ask me to do something he knows causes me hurt—and part of me breaks. "I can't… " I step away from him and look at all of them. "I can't decide this right now. I must think on it."

I walk away before any of them can respond, my whole body alert to someone reaching to stop me. But none do. They allow me the time, and for that I am grateful.

The moons are still high when I exit the palace, and a gentle breeze carries the smell of fire and soot on the air. And worse, burning flesh. Tents have been erected in the palace square, and they are quickly filling with burn victims in need of treatment. My illusion should make me anonymous to anyone who would otherwise recognize the princess, but even then, how many people really could? With no technology, no televisions and photographs and smart phones capturing every moment and face on film, these people live in oblivion. They know of royalty, but don’t know what they look like half the time. And if they were to see them at all it would be from a great distance, where they are but well-dressed specks on the horizon.

Still, the added precaution gives me boldness to enter one of the tents and offer my help. Just another person offering to give aide to those in need.

I work for several hours before a familiar voice interrupts my flow. "Diana?" asks Seri, repinning her hair. "I haven’t seen you the last few days."

"I… I was feeling sick."

She touches my hand. "What happened… it wasn’t your fault."

"It…" I pull away, shocked. "What do you mean?"

"I know who you are. Who you truly are."

I don’t know what to make of this. "Let’s walk." She nods and we take a break, leaving the healing tents and walking by the canals. The light breeze from the water calms my nerves.

"It wasn't hard," says Seri. "Your mannerisms. Speech patterns. The way you always wash your hands before working with the sick." She grins. "Once I knew, it was easy to see past the illusion with a simple spell."

And I didn’t even realize she knew. I need to work on being more observant. "Keep it under wraps, please. I just want to help. I feel so bad."

"Everyone in the tents will be fine. Mild burns, but nothing serious. You do what you must to win this war. It's hell in the north for my people." Her face crumbles. "You have to stop him. Please. Promise me."

How has it come to this? That I must destroy to save? That I must choose who to sacrifice. And there's never a right choice.

Before I can say anything, Dean walks over to us, and Seri excuses herself to get back to her patients.

"Your presence is requested, Princess," Dean says with a bow and a wink. "At the war meeting. It is time to prepare for battle."

He offers his arm, so I take it and walk with him back to the Pleasure Palace, to the War Room. We come in at the middle of a discussion between Fen and Asher, and I get the distinct impression this room doesn't see a lot of use. Cobwebs dangle in the corners and the air is stale and damp despite the fire blazing in the corner.

"Can we engage a frontal assault?" Asher asks, adjusting the cufflinks on his sleeves.

Fen shakes his head. "Not until those within the city unlock the gates. I suggest we sneak in a few men, masquerading as traders, and support the rebels inside. Then, once the gate is breached, the rest can follow."

Dean nods. "Solid. So what’s the timeline?"

"We strike in a week," Asher says. "That is when the rebels plan their attack from within." He points to Stonehill on the map and—

Something clacks against the wooden door behind me, and I get a shiver up my arms.  I walk to the entrance, and when I open it, Seri is there, about to come in.

"Hello," she says, turning to the group. "I'm sorry, is this not a good time? I needed to speak to Prince Asher."

Asher shakes his hand. "Not a good time. Find me when this is over."

Seri nods. "Apologies. I'll speak with you later, then."

She closes the door as she leaves, but my arms still tingle. Something feels odd. Seri seemed uneasy. So I slip out quietly and follow her.

I stay far enough behind that she does not see or hear me down the long hallways, but close enough that I can see if she turns or changes directions. It's a delicate dance, but one that ultimately pays off. We exit the palace and head to the edges of the city, to the forest. What business does Seri have in the woods?

Between the trees, I must stay closer to keep sight of her, so I use an illusion to muffle my steps, making me near silent. Sometimes, I still lose track of her, and then I follow her footprints. Eventually, she comes upon a clearing and sits down on a stump. Near her, on a tree, sits a black owl, and I see its leg is tied to a branch. Seri pull something out of her bag. Pen and paper. And she begins to write.

Dread fills me. I know what's happening, but I don’t want it to be true. Silently, illusion masking my steps, I walk up behind Seri and read the letter she writes.

They will attack Stonehill in a week. This is your chance to strike while they are distracted.

I've known for some time we had a spy amongst us.

And now I know that spy is Seri.

***

The Keeper turns, noticing me. Her voice is cold. "If you choose to have me killed, I understand."

I draw my sword, holding it up to her neck. "Why?"

"My family died in this war, and now my people are tortured in the north. The rule of the vampires must come to an end. The rule of the Fae must return."

She speaks so casually, while inside I spin with rage and sorrow. I pull back my sword, ready to strike.

"Go ahead," she says. "I would do the same in your place."

I feel something stir within me. The wind howls into the night. The shadows grow darker. The earth begins to tremble.

My sword glows a pale blue, and I hold it against Seri's throat, and when the blade touches her flesh, it burns—a fire so hot it's scorching.

Fire that killed so many. That killed Daison. Fire that burned into my body when Oren tortured me. Fire that burned the grove and the innocent.

How many more will die? How many more will suffer?

No. This will stop. Now.

I calm my mind, wiping away all thoughts of anger and vengeance, and the wind and earth grow still. My blade no longer glows. The Darkness recedes.

I let the sword fall from my hands and clash to the floor.

I'm not here to destroy. I'm here to bring peace.

"I will not kill you," I tell Seri, whose eyes widen in surprise. I don’t even know if I can trust her. Or if she will betray me again. But I know I will no longer be the cause of pain. "Instead, you will help me. You will help me bring peace to all the people in these lands."

She nods, a tear sliding down her cheek. "I’m sorry…"

I clutch her shoulder. "Go back to the Healing Tents. Burn the letter. I will find you later. But right now, I have something I must do."

I walk back to the Crystal Garden. Back to the stone and the flame.

And I forge.

***

It takes a week, working night and day—sometimes with magic, and the aid of master armorsmiths and who live in this realm, to accomplish my task. On the last day, I take a drink of cool water and admire our work.

A set of armor, half black, half white. Like my sword. It shimmers. Like Yami.

An iridescent dragon is engraved on the chest. And the moonlight steel is built in folds like scales. Strong but light. A midnight cape flows behind, clasped to the shoulders.

I don the armor and go to see Fen. The look on his face is all the praise I need. Then I tell him my plan, and he agrees. It's time for a presenting of our own.

He dons his brown leather armor and thick fur cape, and then Dean leads us to the highest balcony in the Moonlight Garden. He lures his people to the palace with promises of free drink and food, and once hundreds have gathered, he speaks to the masses. "You have heard that Arianna Spero and Fenris Vane were killed by the Prince of Envy." He pauses for effect. "You heard wrong."

I drop our illusions.

Fen and I step forward.

And the people cheer.

***

After, there is the feast Dean promised. And when he promises, he delivers in spades. Wine and ale flow freely, as well as much stronger liquors that glow suspiciously. Nectar of the Elders Ones is the favorite, of course. I stay away in favor of wine and celebrate late into the night with my friends. I eat too much, drink too much. Because tomorrow…

It’s time.

Time to march north and stop Levi.

Time to unleash the Midnight Star.

Fen and Baron escort me to my room, and we stand by my door looking deeply into each other's eyes.

I kiss him, and his body responds instantly, clutching at mine, returning my kisses—my passion. I am consumed by him and can't let him go. "Come in with me," I say, my eyes pleading with him to do what I ask. To join me. To complete what we've started so many times.

His body presses harder against mine, and then he pulls away, and I know his answer before he speaks it. "You've had a lot to drink and we have travel tomorrow. You need rest."