Chapter 39 #2
“Understandable,” he said thoughtfully. “But as you are here, I assume this means you’re agreeing to work alongside your enemies?”
“For now,” I said, lowering my hand from my dagger.
“I have too, I have,” Galomp piped up. “I am Miss Everest’s Sentinel and I will protect her at all costs, I will.” He gave Lazarus a menacing glare – well, it wasn’t as menacing as he probably thought it was. But I appreciated the sentiment.
“I’m also her Sentinel,” Ransom added. “I’m Ransom Arcadia and–”
“What?” I blurted, rounding on my brother. “That’s my surname.”
“And now it’s mine too,” he said in that goading way of his. I glared at him and he glared back, but as we were in a room full of our adversaries, I decided now was not the time to push the subject.
Bastian moved closer to Vesper, subtly bracing her as she staggered back a step. She looked terrible. Her arms were marked with bloody runes and her face was as white as snow.
“What happened to you?” I pressed.
“The eschaton star’s been stealing power through corrupted ley lines,” Lazarus began answering for her in a voice that dripped power.
“What’s that?” I frowned.
“It’s what they call the monster,” Vesper explained. “I just broke its connection to the third ley line and repaired another corrupted keystone. Ether is required and it always demands a price.”
“You look half dead,” I said in horror at what she’d given to complete the task.
“Better than fully dead, I suppose,” she drawled.
I smiled and she smiled back, and I felt all eyes falling on us.
“We’ll take a few days to recover,” Lazarus instructed. “Then we will go after the final keystone and put together a plot to take down the eschaton star. We will need a month or more to prepare–”
“We don’t have that long,” I cut in fiercely and Lazarus frowned at me.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I received a letter from my friend Harlon Brook,” I started explaining.
“He’s a Reaper working at Never Keep, but he’s seen what they are.
He’s witnessed the atrocities they’ve committed and he knows of the monster.
So he’s been working in secret to undermine them and he sent me a letter in which he told me of a plot to summon the eschaton star into this world on the night of the blood moon.
He spoke of tomes and prophesies that confirmed that the moon has the power to open gateways between realms and–”
“Yes,” Lazarus cut in, looking horrified. “I have discovered such knowledge myself, but I never thought…”
“That wasn’t all he’d learned,” I continued as everyone hung on my words. “He discovered that my power, the Void could potentially be strong enough to thwart the moon’s magic and so in turn, stop the eschaton star from crossing the boundary into our world.”
Lazarus nodded. “Yes that could work. My people have been studying prophesies about the Void power and I believe it might be possible.”
“Fuck a duck. All the ducks,” North exhaled and I noticed Ransom looking at him with a sneer.
“Well you know what they say,” Galomp piped up. “A pot of different fish makes the tastiest dish. So together we will find a way to save the day.”
“Well I’m not a fish like you are,” North muttered.
“I think you look more like a peacock,” Ransom sneered.
“We all need to be on the same page for this mission,” Kaiser said in a hard tone before North could snap back at him. “The fate of every life in The Waning Lands depends on it.”
“It’s settled then,” Vesper said with a smirk. “We’ll smuggle kitty-cat to the eschaton star on the night of the blood moon.”
I nodded. “There’s someone else who will assist us too. Mavus Angelico–”
“The trader of Wandershire?” North frowned. “Why does he want anything to do with this?”
“He’s a friend,” I said. “He was the one who delivered me the letter from Harlon.”
“Does anyone else know about this?” Lazarus’s brow lowered and I shook my head. “Good, let’s keep it that way.”
“Harlon said he’ll meet us at the ten towers on the isle of Never Keep on the night of the blood moon and lead us to where the ceremony is taking place,” I added.
“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Lazarus confirmed. “We only have a week. Let’s rest and lay our plans swiftly.”
He made to leave but Mirelle Brimtheon entered the chamber, eyes bright as they landed on North then Kaiser. “My loves, you have returned. And you bring gifts.” She looked to me with a hungry smile and I tensed.
“I’m here of my own free will. Try to capture me and I will Void you all until you are so desperate for a lick of magic, you beg me to free you,” I snarled.
“Vicious little thing, aren’t you?” Mirelle purred. “You are no longer my prisoner. As you say, you’re here of your own accord, are you not? I hear you killed your own father. A bloody death too.” She smiled wickedly, looking to Kaiser. “I’m pleased to hear of such news.”
“He suffered well,” Kaiser said. “Everest ensured it.”
“Good. Then we are allies,” Mirelle announced. “You will have warm beds and hot food tonight.”
“This is temporary,” I warned as Galomp and Ransom gathered close at my back.
“Of course,” Mirelle purred. “All alliances in The Waning Lands usually are. North, take their horses to the stables and Kaiser, show them to their rooms.”
Everyone moved to obey as Mirelle swept toward me, her dark eyes brimming with emotion.
“Everest Arcadia,” she whispered. “You freed my son from a spell I couldn’t break.
I can never thank you enough for what you did for him.
” She stepped closer, lowering her voice even more, so it was a deadly whisper.
“But if you ever try to kill him again, I will make you suffer. And you do not want to suffer at the hands of a mother whose child you hurt, I assure you of that.”
“He killed my mother,” I said, my voice breaking on those words. “She didn’t get a chance to defend her child, so I did it for her.”
Her face softened, her eyes searching mine.
“I pray the pain you caused Kaiser was enough to sate you.” She nodded to me then walked over to Lazarus.
He grabbed her waist, placing a kiss on her lips that marked the truth of their union.
She really had allied with the Vampires.
How wildly insane did she have to be to do that? Or perhaps clever…
Kaiser was the only one who had waited for me by the exit to the chamber and Calcifiend flew from his shoulder to land on mine.
He clicked his tongue in encouragement and I walked toward the Fury who watched me like a hawk. Then he turned and led me away into the Pyros stronghold.
“Welcome to Ravensview,” Kaiser murmured.
As I followed him into his den of heathens, surrounded by my enemies, declared a traitor to my own people, doubts crawled into my skin.
I shot a silent prayer to Pisces to guide me along this uncharted path and hoped I didn’t one day regret my choice in coming here.
I’d been given a room in Ravensview which was larger than the house I’d grown up in and far more luxurious in every way.
Ransom and Galomp had been housed in the same corridor, but we’d all been strictly instructed to remain in our quarters and I didn’t like the way that made me feel like a prisoner.
A full day had passed and the only Fae I’d seen since we’d arrived here were the ones delivering food and drink to my room.
I’d been caught up in a storm of thoughts about the blood moon and Harlon.
My friend could be in danger. What if the Reapers discovered he’d been spying on them?
It didn’t bear thinking about and all I could do was pray to the stars that Pisces, Scorpio and Cancer would watch over him.
And when we were finally reunited, I’d be able to get him away from that island and hide him from the Reapers.
I’d had one more thing to deliberate too.
Lazarus had come to me with an offer. That if I cooperated with my enemies for this mission, he would ensure there was a safe haven for me in a place he named Effelridge.
What he described of that place sounded like a pretty dream and my first thought had been to refute it as a lie.
But I’d come this far without his offer to tempt me here.
I’d known nothing of any reward I might get for participating in this task.
He didn’t need to bribe me, yet he was still willing to ensure my protection after the matter.
It made me want to warm to him, even though he was a bloodsucker.
Just as I was close to breaking point, desperately needing to talk to someone and get out of this room to seek out my brother and Galomp, a knock came at my door.
“Mother’s organised a dinner for us all to lay plans for the blood moon,” North called to me. “Come and join us, whelk.”
He flung the door open so it banged against the wall, walking away and giving me no time to decide if I was going to follow.
I huffed and raced after him, finding Galomp and Ransom already there in the stone corridor waiting for me.
They were dressed in the casual attire of the Flamebringers just as I was, though it looked like they’d struggled to find something in Galomp’s size because his long-sleeved shirt was fit to bursting.
“Hello Miss Everest,” he greeted me brightly. “I am hungry, the food here is nice, isn’t it? Nicer than I thought it would be.”
“It’s soot,” Ransom drawled, offering North a cold glare.
“Must taste familiar then,” North tossed back. “Didn’t Pyros burn all of the Cascadian crops last year? I bet you enjoyed nibbling on your charred tomatoes when it was all you had to eat.” He turned away to lead us down the passage and Ransom sneered at his back.
“Don’t rise to it,” I muttered.
“What’s that, whelk?” North called over his shoulder and that name set my blood boiling.
“I said you’re a flaming fart-fucker with a shrivelled cinder cock!” I shouted and North’s lips popped open at the outburst.
“What was that about not rising to it?” Ransom jibed, raising his eyebrow at me.