Vampire Girl 2: Midnight Star (11 page)

The stone door opens, and we exit into another cave, this one with no lights. Asher guides me through the dark, his night vision much better than mine. We walk out into the light, into soft grass and flowing trees. There is a chill in the air, but it is mild compared to the Air Village or the Realm of War. Frost covers the leaves and bushes, but there is no snow. In the distance, a white castle draped in purple banners glitters in the sun.

Asher smiles. "Welcome to my realm, Princess."

"How? Isn't the Crystal Palace below Stonehill?"

He leads me forward, onto a cobbled path amidst a field of grass. "More or less. The Waystones, what you call elevators, do not travel straight up or down. They move at angles, allowing one to travel multiple places from regions like the Crystal Palace."

I nod, wondering at the genius behind these devices. Were they built by the Fae? Or are they even older?

Before I can ask, a carriage appears on the horizon, made from dark wood, the wheels coated gold. "Ah," says Asher. "Our ride."

We meet the carriage on the road. The driver, covered in a dark green jacket and hood, says nothing. The horses, two giant black stallions, try to nip at me.

Yami snaps back, growling.

I pat his back. "It's fine, little one. They don't know any better."

He keeps growling.

Asher sighs. "I am sorry, Princess. I was not the one to pick out these steeds, I assure you…"

The carriage door pops open. A young Fae girl with a short purple bob cut and a pristine silver dress that clings tightly to her body—likely picked out by Asher—jumps out. "Master," she says, her voice high and gentle, her Fae accent strong. "I brought the carriage as requested. I—" she trips on her sparkling high heals, muddying her dress.

Asher groans. "Hello, Seri. Allow me to introduce Prince Arianna."

I hold out my hand.

Seri stares at me. Then shakes my hand quickly as if it were a snake. "Pleased to meet you, your Highness, Grace."

Asher sighs. "Seri, please send out messages to my brothers. Tell them I have found the princess and she is safe in my realm. She will stay here for the next month."

"Uh, so a message for each prince, or one for them all or… " She pulls out paper and a quill pen and attempts to take down notes, but the paper bends over in her hands.

Asher speaks very slowly. "Six messages, one for each prince."

"Right," she says, biting her lower lip. "And you want them to come see Princess Arianna?"

"Bloody hell, no. Are you mad? That's the last thing I want. Just inform them she is safely returned to the Seven Realms. Do you understand?"

She nods and scampers inside the carriage to write. Sobs permeate outside.

Asher sighs dramatically and rubs the bridge of his nose. "My new Keeper. Her grandfather, my previous Keeper, passed away suddenly. She is his unfortunate, and only, replacement."

"She'll improve," I say, knowing all too well how it feels to be new at something. "And remember, she just lost her grandfather. She's probably still grieving."

Asher cocks his head. "I hadn't considered that. I thought she was weeping because of her failure to please me. But it makes sense now."

It's my turn to sigh. "You princes could afford a lesson or two in empathy."

"Yes, well, be that as it may, I still need her to perform her job adequately." He brushes his hands together as if to cleanse himself of unpleasantness. "Are you ready for the grand tour of the best realm in the kingdom? After all, it will be your home for the next month."

"Sounds lovely," I say, and Yami perks up at the idea of seeing new places. "But… will Fen be coming soon?" I don't want to make Asher feel bad, asking about Fen, but now that I'm back, I want nothing more than to see the Prince of War and make sure he's okay.

"He will be on his way shortly, no doubt. There's no point heading north to him, when he'll likely be heading south to see you. Two ships passing in the night, that would be. He'll be here before the day is out, with our realms adjacent to one another."

Asher's pleasant attitude puts me at ease, so I nod, and he helps me into the carriage. Seri stifles her crying beside us, focusing on the messages. The driver clicks at the horses, and the carriage begins to roll.

In moments, we enter a city full of platforms and bridges. Canals run below and around the polished stone buildings, the water full of boats large and small, transporting vampires and Shades. At the head of a small vessel a man with blue hair plays a violin and sings a haunting melody in a minor key. The scent of fresh flowers carries on the wind. The carriage stops, and we exit before a grand castle with towers that shoot past the clouds. Green vines sprouting purple flowers crawl up the marble stone, and ancient glyphs cover the colorful stained glass windows. Asher throws up his hands. "Welcome to Sky Castle."

He guides me forward, past giant opened gates decorated with eagles. Past gardens cultivated with immense care and detail, the shrubbery trimmed into the shapes of dragons, wolves, and eagles, the leaves purple, pink, and green. Giant flowers sway and dance in the gentle breeze. A perfume scent tickles my nose.

Yami hops off my arm and forges ahead, sniffing at the gardens and exploring all the new sights and sounds. It makes me nervous, him on his own, but I remember no one can see him but me. I suppose he's safe enough.

The dragon jumps into a rose bush and chirps loudly. I rush forward, lean down, and pull him out, pricking my finger on a thorn. Yami licks the wound.

Asher inhales deeply. "Best not to bleed in these parts, Princess. Fen may have strict rules about how his vampires feed, but we are more lenient here. And you smell delicious."

"Do I smell… Fae?" I ask, realizing I never did anything to cloak my scent.

Asher pauses. "You smell different, but not Fae. According to Fen, your blood doesn't have Fae properties either. Perhaps because you are half-human."

"How is my blood different?"

Asher smiles. "Fen said it did not have a toxic effect, but was still… addicting."

I wrap my finger in a bit of cloth from my pocket, stopping any bleeding. Yami perches on my shoulder, eyes wide and alert; seems jumping into thorns was enough exploring for him.

"This way, Princess." Asher guides me out of the garden and to a canal. A large wooden boat rests on the water, draped in purple banners, Fae and vampires bustling on the deck. We climb aboard and take seats near the back. "This is my personal barge," Asher says, reclining. "From here, we can explore my entire kingdom in comfort." At least a dozen slaves on either side of the boat begin to paddle oars, and we drift through the water.

"Why don't you use magic to power this boat?" I ask, eyeing the slaves with discomfort.

"A barge this size would require too much magic," Asher explains casually, as he leans back with eyes closed, the sun on his face. "And as you’ve seen, my new Keeper isn’t the most reliable with her new tasks. This was easier."

"Easier? Having slaves work for you was easier?"

He squints open his eyes to look at me, a reply ready on his mouth, when two Fae girls bring us grapes and wine on silver platters.

"Kara? Julian?"

The two girls Fen assigned me in Stonehill Castle bow. "Your Grace," they say in unison. Kara beams, her golden hair shining in the sun, her dark eyes more tired than I remember. Julian, with her red hair tied in a bun, her green eyes full of life, fills Asher's goblet with red drink.

The Prince of Pride grins. "I thought you would feel more comfortable with them here. I was informed you own their contract."

"Yes... well, technically I suppose… " I smile at the girls. "How have you been?"

They curtsey. "Very well, Your Grace. We have been well cared for while you've been... gone."

"Good." There's more they're not saying, but I'll talk to them later in private. I want to know how the slaves I bought are doing as well. And I want to know about Fen. Slaves often hear and see things others don't, so they should be able to tell me much. I thank Asher for considering my comfort and bringing them to his realm.

He nods, a twinkle of flirtation in his eyes. "Anything to make M'Lady more comfortable. I want you to experience all the joys and pleasures this realm can offer."

I chuckle, sipping the wine. "Very well then. Let's enjoy." I turn to the Fae girls. "Go and relax for the rest of the ride. I don't need anything right now."

They bow and leave, finding some pillows to sit on while we travel.

Asher tsks at me. "That wasn't a good idea, Princess."

I lean over and whisper. "How can you speak of peace between the vampires and Fae and still use slaves?" The slave presence here is much stronger than in Fen's realm: slaves on the water, on the land, rowing boats, pushing carts, cleaning streets. I realize the Prince of War may be the most civilized of all his brothers.

"To keep up appearances. To keep up order," Asher says. "My father tried to free his slaves. And look what that got him. We must be careful. Even your small act of compassion has consequences. Look at the other slaves." He points at two men rowing the barge near the back. They scowl at the girls who now lounge in chairs across from them. From time to time, they glare at me. "They will resent the girls now, and resent you for showing them preferential treatment."

I bow my head. "This whole thing is ridiculous. You're right, but you shouldn't be. I'll be more careful. But there has to be a way to help some without making the situation worse for all."

He scoffs. "When you figure that out, let me know."

"I suppose it's what we're working toward, you and I. It's why we will unite the—"

The boat shakes beneath our feet. I drop my plate and cup, and they shatter on the deck, staining it red. The slaves look around, confused, but not yet scared.

"We hit something," Asher says, standing.

Two guards, clad in silver and purple armor, look over the side of the boat. Yami flaps his wings and flies around my shoulders, screeching. It's the first time he has stayed airborne so long. I try to calm him without drawing attention to myself. I realize I have to be more careful. The Fae know I have a dragon, even if they can't see it. But here, no one can know about Yami. It would mean danger for us both.

The wind picks up, blowing my hair in my face. It escalates, growing into such a crescendo of force that loose chairs and tables are thrown from the boat. Waves rise around us.

"What's happening?" I ask, peering over the edge, but seeing nothing but dark blue water.

Asher looks around, but his eyes are distant. "I have seen this before. Long ago." His voice is soft, barely a whisper. "Wadu."

The boat shakes.

A shriek fills the air.

I grab onto the side of the barge to keep myself from falling. Something. Something in the water. A grey snake. It slithers up from the canal. No. Not a snake. There are no eyes. No mouth. It is a tentacle. Swaying in the wind. Its movements slow, graceful, hypnotic.

It lunges forward.

I duck out of the way.

The tentacle hits one of the guards. It twists around his torso and shoots back into the water, pulling him into the deep.

Everyone screams.

The slaves grab weapons, oars, cutlery, anything they can find. I draw Spero, my sword, and hold it in a defensive guard. Yami clings to my neck, shaking. From behind his chair, Asher raises a blade of black steel, a thing greater than I can carry. A purple stone glitters in the pommel. "Arianna," he says. "Get to safety."

I stand my ground.

"You cannot fight this enemy."

A woman—a vampire—runs to the side of the boat. She is fast, ready to jump.

I scream at her. "Don't touch the water!"

Too late.

She dives.

She touches the waves.

And a giant silver claw erupts from the depths, piercing her entire body. It pushes her upward, where we can all see her bloody corpse, and then pulls her down into the canal.

No one else runs to the edge of the boat.

"To the center of the boat!" Asher yells. "To the center." The slaves do as he commands. Asher and his remaining guard join them. I follow. "Stay together," he says. "Do not—"

The ship shakes again.

I fall to my knees.

A tentacle flies over the deck, grabbing wildly, blindly. It clutches a man, the rower, the slave who scowled at me. Kara and Julian grab his hands, keeping the tentacle from pulling him to the depths.

But the tentacle tightens, and the man begins to choke. His face turns purple.

I rush forward and strike, slicing the tentacle in half with my blade.

The man falls back onto the deck, coughing uncontrollably.

More tentacles begin to rise at the edge of the boat. These are larger, thicker than a man. They will destroy this barge.

"Get off the boat," I yell. "All you who are Fae, go into the water!"

The man, who is no longer coughing, looks at me, confused. "But you said—"

"You're Fae," I say. "She's not after you. Once you're in the water, she'll see you. She'll recognize you and keep you safe. On the boat you're a target like us. Go!"

The man nods. "If you think so, Princess." He jumps into the water.

A moment passes.

A moment when I pray I do not see his bloody corpse float to the surface. A moment when I steel myself for what will happen next.

His head pops up through the waves, and he swims toward shore. I sigh, and laugh madly, my knees buckling under me. I was right. Wadu will not harm Fae knowingly. The man in the water is all the proof the other slaves need. They dive after him.

Kara and Julian do not join them. "We stay with you, Princess," Kara says.

The others slaves reach the shore. None appear harmed.

"Go," I say. "I'll be fine."

Julian nods, grabbing Kara and pulling her to the side of the boat. They jump into the water.

Something hits me from behind.

I fall to the deck, the air springing from my lungs. A tentacle, cold and slimy, wraps around me. The Water Druid will not care that I am Fae. She sees me as the enemy. As the one who will destroy her people by making deals with demons.