Chapter 46 #3
“Does everyone understand their role tonight?” Mirelle called out. “I will lead the Vampires alongside Lazarus, the rest of you will use the distraction we cause to reach the eschaton star. The Sky Witch and the Void must make it there at all costs, do you understand?”
“Oh boy, yes I do understand,” Galomp was the only one to answer, everyone else sharing distrustful glowers.
“Are you sure his help is necessary?” North jerked his chin at Ransom. “He looks like a dolphin fiddler to me. Definitely can’t be trusted. How can I be sure he won’t jab a blade in my back when I’m not looking?”
“Because I’m here for the same reason you are, you damn peacock,” Ransom snarled. “And it has nothing to do with you or your big brown eyes.”
“You’ve noticed my beautiful eyes then?” North taunted.
“Just shut your fucking mouth,” Ransom snapped.
“Why? Because you want to kiss it?” North jeered.
“I’d sooner cut my tongue out and shove it up my own ass than lay my mouth on you, Flamebringer,” Ransom spat.
“Kinky,” North mocked, then he turned to Mirelle. “I vote the ass-licker stays behind.”
“He’s named himself as a sentinel to the Void, so it is up to her whether he stays or goes,” Mirelle said, looking at me.
“Come on whelk,” North said to me. “I think we can manage without this one. He’s a bit slow. Must be all the whale sperm clogging up his brain.”
Ransom lunged for North but Kaiser got between them, shouldering Random so hard he hit the floor.
“We do this together or not at all,” Kaiser boomed as Ransom got to his feet with a curse.
“Careful, the Fury’s about to lose his marbles,” Vesper taunted, turning to me then she frowned like she could read something from me.
By the stars, she couldn’t tell what I’d been doing with her sex magic, could she?
I tried to scroll through all the things I knew about Succubuses to figure it out but I came up short.
She didn’t know. She couldn’t know. Definitely not.
Vesper glanced at Kaiser then winked at me.
For fuck’s sake, she knew.
“Can we just leave already?” I demanded. “Ransom, you’re coming.”
Ransom lifted his chin and nodded at my command. “Of course. I love battles. And fighting. And death. All that stuff.”
“Oh boy, he does. He is quite horrible,” Galomp said brightly. “He is the son of Abraham Rake. A terrible, terrible man. Now he is dead though, so that is good.”
“I’m not a Rake anymore,” Ransom hissed as North growled at him, his Wolf Order form gleaming through his eyes.
“Can we just leave?” Bastian stepped forward. “I’m tired of this squabble. I ache for the swing of my sword and a lack of inane bickering.”
“Ditto,” Vesper agreed, leading the way to the archway that Mirelle was awakening with the black powder.
“Oh, wait,” I said, taking the metal flowers from my pocket. “Here.” I moved between everyone, pinning one onto their clothes, some tucked beneath their armour, others on display. Vesper eyed hers in confusion, touching the flower I’d pinned to her sleeve. “A deathless primrose,” she said. “Why?”
“It’s a mark of resilience,” I explained. “Death can’t take us this night.”
“Oh boy, I do like it,” Galomp gushed. “I will treasure it forever, Miss Everest.”
“These used to grow in the garden of my family home,” Bastian muttered. “They were seen as a sign of prosperity and fortune.”
“Then the stars will protect us while we wear them,” I said and he nodded to me.
When the heart of the archway was glittering and I could almost smell the icy air of the sea at Never Keep beyond it, we all headed through.
On the other side, the cold chilled the breath in my lungs as we arrived in a dark cave then moved out onto a plain of snow. I moved to Vesper’s side, nodding to her as we gazed across the barren landscape toward the imposing shadow of Never Keep.
The blood moon shone down from above, highlighting the gothic walls of the Keep in a deep crimson.
I looked behind us to the pillars of the ten towers in the distance, thinking of Harlon with a squeeze of my heart. He was so close.
“This way,” I called.
“Take them there,” Lazarus ordered and the Vampires swept toward us.
I was scooped up alongside the others and my gut lurched as the Vampire carrying me put on a burst of speed.
He moved like the wind, faster possibly, tearing through the snow and depositing me right beside the towers in less than a few seconds.
I muttered a thanks to him as he moved away and met Vesper’s eye, the face of the Sky Witch fixed in a scowl as she pushed the female Vampire away who’d carried her.
“Everest!” I turned at the voice, finding Mavus running out of one of the towers, letting a hood fall from his head to reveal himself. Part of me was surprised he’d shown up. He’d actually kept his word.
His eyes roamed over our group, the Vampires not yet here but there were far more of us than he’d been expecting. And we were all from varying lands.
“Well I’ll be,” he purred. “This is a surprise.” He looked to me. “Is this your doing, lass?”
“You said we needed reinforcements. Here they are.” I looked around for Harlon but couldn’t spot him. Surely he should be here by now?
“You’ve allied with your enemies,” Mavus said with intrigue. “And many of them. The Sky Witch herself, and even The Matriarch… well, well, lass, you’ve surprised even a weathered trader who’s seen more of this world than you can imagine.”
“You look familiar to me.” Bastian stepped forward with a frown.
Mavus regarded him with narrowed eyes. “I can’t say the same about you. But I’ve traded with half of The Waning Lands, so we’ve likely struck a deal once or twice.”
“No. That’s not it,” Bastian grunted dismissively but didn’t stop scrutinising Mavus.
“You made a plot with the Void.” Mirelle walked toward Mavus. “We are here to assist in it. So perhaps we should stop wagging our tongues and get moving while the night is young?”
Mavus looked her over with keen interest, glancing at Lazarus behind her and frowning. “And who might this be?”
“A king of death,” he said wickedly then he turned to his Vampires, directing them toward Never Keep. “Go friends!” he called. “Do as we planned!”
“Vampires,” Mavus gasped, retreating warily as they went sweeping across the snow at high speed, a blur of shadows marking their path toward the Keep’s gates.
“Good luck, loves.” Mirelle squeezed North’s arm and Kaiser’s then let Lazarus lift her off her feet and carry her away after the Vampires in a blur of motion.
“They’re our distraction,” I told Mavus plainly.
“Lovely,” he answered.
“Do you know where they’re summoning the eschaton star?” Vesper asked the trader.
“I do, yes, but…” Mavus gripped my arm. “Lass, they’ve got your boyfriend, Harlon.
Your sweet lover boy has been taken to the northern tower in the Vault of Frost to be tortured and executed.
There isn’t much time to save him, but you need to come with me to the monster.
You’re needed there more than anywhere else.
Perhaps these fine fellows can save your lover boy? ”
Terror ripped through me at that news. That the Reapers had caught him. Had they discovered him spying on them? Had he been close to their ceremony tonight, perhaps attempting to thwart them with a plan of his own? My mind reeled and I felt Vesper drawing near to me, her hand brushing mine.
“I have to go to him,” I said in desperation.
“No,” Mavus insisted. “This is our one chance to stop the monster. You must lay your trust in these other Fae. They look strong enough to handle a couple of Reapers. But if you don’t get to the beast before the blood moon reaches its apex then all of us will be lost.”
Kaiser growled deep in his throat as he glared at Mavus. “I will not be leaving Everest’s side.”
I whirled to him. “Harlon’s in danger. I won’t abandon him,” I said fiercely, certain he could feel my fear over the matter and his jaw flexed.
“I will go, Miss Everest,” Galomp offered, puffing up his chest. “You can count on me to rescue your dear Harlon. I swear it.”
“Then I’ll go too,” Ransom offered. “And you might as well come as well, peacock.” He looked to North whose brows arched.
“Yeah, nah, I’m good,” North drawled.
“Go with them,” Kaiser ordered and North pouted.
“But–”
“We don’t have time for buts,” Kaiser growled. “We must stop the eschaton star and Everest will not go if she is not certain her friend will be safe.”
“Boyfriend,” Vesper corrected then laughed as Kaiser shot her a hard glare and I gave her a dry look.
“Fine,” North sighed. “I’ll go. But I’d better find you again before the fun’s over or I’ll be pissed.”
“You’d better hurry then,” Kaiser said and North howled before taking off with Galomp and Ransom across the snow.
“And then there were five,” Mavus purred, glancing between us all. “Come then. The monster is being summoned beneath the Keep and I know precisely where to go. The blood moon is upon us and only the Void can save us now.”
“No pressure or anything,” I muttered, watching Ransom and Galomp race across the snow and praying to Delphinus that they would rescue Harlon swiftly. I despised not being able to go myself, but what choice did I really have?
“You only have to Void the magic of the moon herself, lass,” Mavus laughed darkly. “Nothing you can’t handle. I’ve seen your power. This is your moment, Everest Arcadia.”
Vesper took my hand, her fingers squeezing mine and I found all the strength I needed in her eyes.
“You can do it, kitty cat. I know you can.”
And that was all I needed to start running across the snow with the watchful eye of the moon upon us and the sense of her unyielding power filling the air. If I could stop the magic of a celestial being, it would be a damn miracle. But I’d sure as hell try.