Aris Reigns (23 page)

“Jane, I feel sure we'll find the answer to your question about the day you were changed. You see, you're not afraid to let go in your hypnotic trance even though you sense danger, so the subconscious mind is free to share all the information that it holds. And it holds the events of that day. We are simply pulling down the veil that separates you from the memory.”

“I am without fear because I trust you, Sarah. I know you would never allow anything to hurt me.”

“I promise you, you will always be safe with me.” Sarah marveled that an Immortal would seek assurance from a mere human, and she was grateful she was able to give it.

CHAPTER 31

A
s Aris made his way to the Sanguinaria, he passed the training pavilion. Kitsuko sat on the steps to the training floor, her shoulders slumped, her head held in her hands.

Concerned for her, he entered the pavilion, calling her name to get her attention. She glanced up and seeing it was he, smiled, raising her hand in greeting.

“Aris, we must talk.”

“Alright.” He sat a few steps below her wary of being too close. “What is it?”

“You have made clear your love of the human, your desire to make her your mate. But what if she decides not to change? What will you do if she decides to remain human?” Her words pled for an answer that would give her hope.

“Kitsuko,” he sighed then continued speaking. “I take Sarah for my true and only love, human or Immortal. You must understand there will never be another for me. If she lives a human life and dies, I will mourn her for all eternity. There can never be another for me.”

“How do you turn your back on Immortal love? I will be here for as long as you. We share the same warrior spirit. She will never be as strong as I am, Immortal or not. How are you able to choose her?”

“The choice is made. You must let go of this desire you have to
share your life with me. It can never be.”

Her heart broke with unshed tears as she realized his words were true. They sat in silence for a time and when she spoke, it was with resignation. “Then I must leave the Catacombs. My work here is finished, the training complete. I cannot stay here and watch you. My love for you is too deep for me to see you care for another.”

“Kitsuko, you do not have to leave. The people of the Catacombs respect you. You have shown us the methods to aid our victory. The skills you have shared with us are invaluable. Stay. Fight with us.”

“No, Aris.” She rose. “I must leave. I return to the Himalayas, to the monks. Tell your human she will see me no more. Farewell.” With her head bowed with regret, she quietly left the training pavilion.

Walking toward the blood bar, Aris marveled at his conversation with Kitsuko. He felt sorrow at her leaving and deepest regret that he had been the reason for her to go, yet he knew her decision was for the best. Although Sarah had never spoken about Kitsuko, he could sense an animosity building between them whenever they were together. He hoped the little warrior would find peace once again in her monastery in the mountains.

The three males slid into a booth at the Sanguinaria, Aris first, then Sebastian. Simon sat facing them, making soft spoken intimate conversation easy for them.

“What news do you bring us from Spain?” Aris motioned the barkeep to serve three goblets, which were brought immediately.

Simon sipped from his cup, then spoke. “The King and Queen have negotiators speaking about reconciliation even as the Queen is en route to join the King. Her army is held up in a mountain pass in an enormous snow storm. They must wait until it ends before they can resume travel. Even though the two Monarch's Council members
fight constantly among themselves, resolution is imminent. It is imperative we move quickly.”

“We are almost ready.” Aris replied. “The troop carrying the weapons to Spain leaves soon. Once they are in place, we are free to travel.”

“Have you been able to turn this peace-loving race into a society prepared to kill and to die for their Queen?”

“Ah, Simon, such a painful question. None will really know the meaning of war until they feel the life ebb from their enemy at their own hand, until they see their own people lying dead, an impaler protruding from their chest.” He shook his head. “Are they ready? That, only they can answer.”

The three Immortals sat without speaking, each lost in his own vision of the battle to come. Aris kept his concern for the outcome silent; he banished his fear of the future if they were not victorious. Determined that he would do all he could to lead them to triumph, he refused to think of what would happen to the earth if they failed. He forced his thoughts away from the horrid aftermath of a lost battle and retuned his thoughts to the present.

“I must tell you,” Aris spoke first, “Kitsuko is leaving the Catacombs. She feels her work here is finished and she wishes to return to the mountains.” He felt no need to share her true reason with his friends.

“She has been a great aide to our cause. We will miss her, but I understand her need to return home.” Sebastian turned to question their spy. “Now Simon, tell us of the terrain, of the castle.”

Simon opened the folder resting on the table before him. He withdrew and unfolded a map of the area he was about to describe then spun it around to face his friends.

“As you know, it is in the north of Spain in Catalonia.” He pointed to a spot in the mountains. “It rises on the slopes above the Val d'Aran valley about 350 kilometers from Barcelona.”

“To be honest, Simon, when we came to get Sarah the first time, we paid little attention to anything other than getting her out of the tower and out of Spain. Anything you can tell us will be a help.”

“There is the overgrown road through the forest surrounding the castle, the road you traveled to find us and Sarah, and there are two other entrance roads to the rocky outcrop where the castle stands.” His finger traced the two distinct lines on the map. “They are dirt, strewn with fallen trees and boulders. They leave the forest to converge on a barren stone plateau at the entrance to the courtyard. The outer curtain of walls are held in place by six small towers. These towers are manned twenty-four hours a day by the King's guards. In the courtyard are the entrances to the main buildings and what is left of the large tower from which you carried Sarah.

“The castle is in disrepair, but still a fortress. Our greatest hope is to ambush the Queen's forces in the forest before they reach the safety of the castle walls. We have information they will travel the northeast road. Our people will trek from the southwest, circle around behind them and attack from the northwest after they enter the woods. Are we all agreed?”

“All will be ready within a few days at most. We will begin our journeys in groups and pairs. Some will stay in Barcelona while others find their way to the forest that surrounds the castle. Keeping the numbers of the Immortals in the forest to a minimum until the day we fight will cut our chances of being seen. When our lookouts know the Queen's retinue is close, those in Barcelona will join us. We will attack while they are still working their way through the woods to the castle. We will defeat them. Once the Queen's forces are taken, those left inside will surrender.”

“And what of those, Aris?” Simon asked. “What of those who surrender?”

“If they swear peace, we will bring them to the Catacombs. They will take the Blood Oath and be watched with a close eye for centuries
to come to be sure they are true.”

“What of those who do not wish to follow the Immortal law?”

Aris glanced toward Sebastian before he answered. “They will be impaled and burned. There will be none left who oppose peace.” He thought of his words to Sarah at what seemed such a long time ago. “
The only victor in any war fought for any purpose is death.”
He never thought he would once again be the instrument.

CHAPTER 32

B
ecause she was yet a human, Sarah's eyes were still blindfolded every time she entered or left the Catacombs. Gabriela held her arm to guide her and keep her from stumbling as she led her down corridor after corridor through the underground labyrinth. Quite suddenly, the air changed and Sarah knew they were outside. Stumbling over a rock as she walked, she breathed in the afternoon air.

She heard the door of a car open and felt the guidance of her friend as she was seated in the passenger seat. The driver's door slammed shut as the engine roared to life. Sarah felt the forward motion of the vehicle and soon after, the sounds of the city. The black scarf that had been tied around her eyes was removed.

“I'll sure be glad when you won't have to do that anymore. You know that even if I could remember the way, I'd never tell anyone.”

“I know that. It was a pledge Aris made to the Council in order to bring you below. We do not take our pledges lightly.”

Sarah marveled at the natural light above ground. It was exactly the same as the Immortal light below.

“I wish Jane had come with us. I thought she might.”

“Her wolf.”

“What do you mean?” Sarah didn't understand her friend's words.

“The wolf cannot come above ground. The sight of him would raise havoc. The two of them have never been separated since they arrived in the Catacombs. Leaving him even for an afternoon was something she could not bear to do.”

“She's a lovely, strange girl.”

Gaby laughed. “Yes, she is strange even for an Immortal.” Sarah had missed the smell of grass and flowers so they decided to take an afternoon walk through Regents Park. Gabriela found a parking place and the two women stepped from the car.

“Gaby?”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember being human?”

“Yes, I have a memory of my human life. Why?”

“Well, are you much different now than you were then.”

Gabriela laughed out loud. “Just a bit, don't you think?”

Sarah smiled in return, but her voice grew more serious. “I don't mean your Immortal self. I mean your human self. When we lived in Chicago, you lived completely as a human. Does it feel the same in your Immortal humanity as it does as a mortal? I mean, oh, I don't know how to express what I want to know.”

“I believe I understand. You wish to know if you will still be yourself or if your basic traits will change. No, they will not change. That is the reason we are so careful about those we allow to become Immortal. To give the power of eternal life to one who is humanly evil results in the vampires of the Spanish coven. Devils. The Council is thorough in its investigation. Only once has anyone fooled them. That was DeMarco and he came to the Catacombs already changed into a drinker of blood. Our Council had nothing to do with giving him eternal life.”

“So you're saying I'll be pretty much who I am except I'll have super powers.”

Gaby gave her a hug. “You will be exactly who you are, super powers or not. Being Immortal will not change you, just your destiny.” She kissed her friend on the cheek as it began to drizzle. They ran for a
nearby restaurant to share one more afternoon above ground while Sarah was still human.

Her long dark hair damp from the drizzling rain, Kitsuko stood in a darkened doorway across from the restaurant. The late afternoon sky was heavy with dark, rolling clouds as she waited. She was determined to find a way to have a final conversation with her rival, still hoping to frighten Sarah into giving up her desire to become Immortal. In her besotted mind, if Sarah was out of the way, she believed she would be able to win Aris.