The Mage in Black (10 page)

Maisie blinked. “We’ve discussed this. You have done magic. The mere fact you can not only summon a demon, but keep one as your minion, is proof.”

I rubbed my chest absently. “Okay I’ll give you that, but how does all this tie in to the Lilith prophecy?”

Maisie held a hand toward the door. “I need to show you something.”

Smudges of dread appeared in my stomach. Some part of me understood the import of all this, but my mind had switched into skeptic mode out of self-defense.

She led me through the house and upstairs to a round room set in a tower. Rhea followed silently and stopped just inside the doorway. The indigo ceiling had been painted with stars to look like the night sky. On the floor, a circle of blood marked this room as a place of magic. And in the center, a large table sat like an altar. Except instead of being an actual altar, the surface was covered in tubes of oil paint, rags, and canvases. The scent of turpentine hung heavily, but I found it a nice reprieve from the constant onslaught of sandalwood I’d been exposed to since I’d arrived in New York.

“What is this room?”

“I call it the Star Chamber. I use it as my studio when I’m here. Being so close to the ley line tends to make my visions come more often than when I’m in the city.”

She walked across the room, to where a sheet covered an easel. “This painting is the one I did after I had the vision of you a few months ago.” She lifted the sheet slowly, revealing swirls of color inch by inch. Finally, the entire painting was revealed and I caught my breath.

The central figure, a female with black and red hair streaming behind her, soared with her face upturned toward some light source—maybe a moon—just off the edge of the canvas. In her right hand she held a golden lotus and in her left, something that looked like an egg. Her body glowed against a dark background of swirling blacks, blues, and purple. Far below, a flower garden spread out like scattered jewels. The entire thing had a dark, dreamy quality. But beyond that, I felt this odd sense of déjà vu, as if I’d seen this image before.

“Pretty,” I murmured, moving closer. Now I could see faces in the churning colors of the night sky. “What does it mean?”

Maisie nodded. “The vision came to me right after the mages started disappearing. It was a dark time, and I’d been praying to Hekate for guidance. I’d promised our grandmother I wouldn’t look for you until after she passed. She’d been the one to enter into the agreement with the Dominae after we were born to keep our existences a secret from each other, so it made sense. She passed a year ago, and then mages started disappearing and the council came to me, hoping I could help them locate those missing.” She motioned to the painting. “When this came to me, I knew it was time to find you, and that somehow you’d be instrumental in helping us find those who went missing. So I asked Adam to go to California.”

I looked at the female in the painting again. Even though her face was obscured, I had to admit the hair was a dead giveaway for her identity. Or was it? “But how did you know this was me? After all, it could just as easily be you.”

Maisie shook her head. “Look closely. She has the eight-pointed star on her right shoulder.”

I squinted and leaned in. Sure enough, a tiny star lay exactly where mine was in real life. “Wait, I met the faery who was the midwife at our birth. She said you have the same birthmark.”

“I do.” Maisie turned her left shoulder and pulled down the fabric of her shirt. “But mine is on the opposite side.”

“That’s weird.” Seeing my birthmark on Maisie’s shoulder made me feel disoriented. For so many years I’d hid the mark, since my grandmother believed it was a reminder of my shameful beginnings. And here was a person who shared the same mark but felt no shame whatsoever about it.

“Do you think it means something that our marks are mirror images?” I asked.

Maisie smiled. “Sabina, I’m an oracle. I believe everything involving symbols is significant. But I have no idea what it means. I’m sure it will reveal itself in time, though. But even if the birthmark wasn’t a clue, there are others. For example, the fact it’s clearly night could speak to the fact you live like a vampire, active only at night. Plus, I don’t just read the symbols. I also have to trust my visceral instincts, and in this case, I know it’s you because it
feels
like you.”

Clearly, I was out of my depth with all this talk of symbols and prophecies and feelings, but I nodded anyway. “So you said this told you to look for me to help find the mages, but there’s obviously more to it, right?”

“Yes, the timing of the vision was what told me you’d be involved in finding the mages. But the image itself told me you had a far larger role to play. The golden lotus is a major symbol for Lilith. And the scene itself re-creates the flight of Lilith from the Garden of Eden after she was spurned by Adam.”

I cocked my head. Now that she mentioned it, I realized that’s why the image felt so familiar. Every vampire is taught the dark-race version of the creation story. Lilith was the first wife in Eden, created from dust just like Adam. They were supposed to be equals, but when she demanded Adam lay beneath her during sex, he balked. Tired of his heavy-handed ways, she invoked the forbidden name of God and flew from the garden.

“I remember the story,” I said. “But I don’t get what it has to do with me.”

Rhea came forward then. “Remember what we said about the Chosen uniting the dark races? The prophecy as we know it predicts Lilith’s return. Call me crazy, but I think a vision where you’re literally re-creating Lilith’s emancipation from Eden is a pretty clear sign
you’re
this new Lilith.”

I had no response to that bombshell. I was literally speechless. Not because I felt overwhelmed with honor or anything. But because the idea was so freakin’ ridiculous my mind exploded.

Maisie watched me closely, allowing me to process her revelation. Rhea, however, misinterpreted my silence as awe. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but with the war looming we don’t have time to waste. We need to get your training started immediately so you’ll be prepared.”

I waved my hands in the air and shook my head, as if trying to shake off the crazy. “Hold on just a damned minute. Prepared for what?”

“Haven’t you been listening?” Rhea said. “Your destiny is to unite all the dark races. In order to do that, you have to learn to harness your magic.”

“And by unite the dark races, you mean what exactly?”

“Overcome centuries of hostility among the races, bring us all together peacefully, and lead us.”

A bark of laughter escaped my lips. “Riiight. I’ll get right on that.”

“Sarcasm is the weak mind’s crutch, Sabina,” Rhea said. “You can do better than that.”

I crossed my arms. “How about this: You’re both insane! I’m not a leader.”

“Not yet, but you will be,” Rhea countered.

“Look, lady, I get that you believe all this woo-woo bullshit.” I motioned wide to indicate the painting, the prophecy, the vision quest, everything they’d told me. The females frowned at me. “But I’m a realist. I don’t believe in destiny. I don’t believe in prophecies. And I sure as hell don’t believe in being some foretold Chosen.”

“Why not?” Maisie said.

“Because I believe in free will. Choice. And I
choose
not to be the Chosen.”

“It doesn’t work that way, Sabina,” Rhea said. “The universe has a plan for you. You can insulate yourself from the truth by believing in the illusion of choice. But one way or the other, your choices will eventually take you exactly where the universe wants you to go.”

Seeing we weren’t ever going to agree on the issue of fate, I decided to try another tactic. “What if you’re wrong about all this?”

Maisie and Rhea frowned. “What do you mean?”

I pointed to the painting. “You admitted you have to interpret the symbols in your dreams, which means there’s a chance you’ll misinterpret them. So I repeat, what if you’re wrong?”

“There’s always a margin of error. But in this case, the evidence is quite strong I’m correct. In addition to the proof I’ve mentioned, there’s something else. You’ve survived being staked by apple wood not once, but twice. That’s pretty remarkable, given no other vampire could survive such an attack. Neither could a mage without immediate intervention, by the way. So that begs the question, why are you immune? One could argue it’s because you have a special purpose that requires super-preternatural powers.”

I rolled my eyes. “Or one could argue that the mixing of my blood gave me the immunity. Have you ever been staked?”

She shook her head and frowned.

“Right, so how do you know you’re not also immune?”

“If it’s all right with you, I think I’ll skip trying it out just to see.”

I smiled tightly. “And you still haven’t answered my question. What if you’re wrong?”

Maisie crossed her arms. “If I’m wrong, then the universe will offer another sign to help us correct course.”

“Oh, that’s convenient. Look, I’m sorry if this offends you, but what you call evidence, I call delusions. You want to prove something to me? Don’t offer up dream analysis and drug-induced hallucinations. Show me hard evidence. Show me facts. But don’t expect me to go all in on this Chosen thing based on faith alone.”

Rhea smiled. “Ah.”

I frowned at her knowing expression. “What?”

“Oh, nothing. It just makes sense now. You’ve lived your entire life following orders. The Dominae trained you to be a machine, trusting only their authority and ignoring your own instincts. But then you found out they lied to you, and you were forced to wake up. I’d imagine something like that makes it hard to trust anything or anyone—including yourself.”

My jaw tightened. “Don’t psychoanalyze me, mancy.”

She laughed. “It’s not psychoanalysis. It’s facts. Isn’t that what you wanted? The Dominae betrayed you, and you did something about that. But now you’re struggling. You’re used to taking orders and using your fists to deal with problems. And now we’re asking you to believe that there’s more to you than being a death machine. We’re asking you to rely on your instincts and to tap into powers you were raised to hide. It’s only natural you’d be scared.”

I leaned toward Rhea, towering over her. She met my menacing stare with a serene smile. Her lack of intimidation pissed me off even more. “I’m not scared.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Prove it.”

“I don’t have to prove anything to either of you.”

“Then prove it to yourself. Prove that the Dominae didn’t break you. Prove that there’s more to you than fists and that chip on your shoulder.”

I realized then the fists she referred to were clenched and ready to strike. I forced myself to relax, releasing the knots in my shoulders and allowing the blood back into my fingers. My anger was blinding me to Rhea’s strategy, and I’d allowed her to poke at the recent, tender wounds I hid behind layers of swagger. “I see what you’re doing, mage.”

“I fully expect you do. You’re a smart girl.” She smiled. “I’ll tell you what, you don’t want to believe in the prophecy, that’s cool. Time will tell whether it’s true or not. Instead, why not focus on the other benefit of learning how to use your magic?”

I narrowed my eyes. “What’s that?”

“You’re already physically strong, no doubt about it. But think about the added advantage being able to use magic would give you in a fight.”

I paused, thinking it over. I’d been trained to be a killing machine when it came to vampires. But fighting magic users? The playing field suddenly changed to favor mages. That’s how the race had survived so long despite the vampires’ hatred of them. During the last war, called the War of Blood, the mages were winning before they sued for peace and the Black Covenant was drawn up. Luckily for the vampire race, the mages weren’t as bloodthirsty as their dark-race rivals. If it had been the vampires in the lead, the world would be a very different place today—a mage-free one.

And since vampires were now my enemy, too, knowing how to use magic would definitely work in my favor.

“And as I recall, your grandmother isn’t dead yet,” Rhea continued as I thought it over. “Chances are good you’ll face her again at some point. Think about how shocked she’ll be to learn you have a few new tricks up your sleeve.”

I cursed under my breath. The old woman was wily. I knew she was manipulating me, but damned if the image she painted didn’t appeal to my ego. I’m not proud to admit that I would love to see the look on my grandmother’s face when I used magic against her. She’d fucking flip her gourd. After all, she was the one who tried to do everything in her power to keep me from exploring my mage side. Becoming a kickass mage would piss her off big-time. I felt a smile spread on my lips.

“Just so we’re clear, I still don’t buy that I’m destined to lead the dark races.”

“Fair enough,” Rhea said. Behind her, Maisie’s worried expression turned into a wide smile. However, Rhea wasn’t done. “But I reserve the right to say ‘I told you so’ when it happens.”

I rolled my eyes. “And I reserve the right to laugh in your face when it doesn’t.”

She smiled. “It’s a deal.”

H
old up, they think you’re a what?” Giguhl’s claws held up his face as he lay on his stomach. He kicked his hooves behind him like a sixteen-year-old at a slumber party.