54. It’s Always The Quiet Ones
54
It’s Always The Quiet Ones
Aliza
S tars were sprigging the inky blue sky by the time we left the house and headed down to the grounds. Though the days in Tir o Gwanwyn were mild, the nights were chilly, and I shivered, wishing I’d had the foresight to bring a jacket. Not that I’d packed with an evening excursion in mind.
Idris, noting my tremble, said, “Don’t worry. We should be able to find you some flight leathers in the barracks.”
My stomach swooped, not at the prospect of flight, but at what would come after. Even if we made it into the tower unhindered, there was no telling what we might find in the observatory. No way of knowing if my parents were still alive or… not.
“You’re sure you have your warp crystal?” I shot at Sage for what could well have been the hundredth time since we’d formed our vague, treacherous plan. We’d fly in, retrieve my parents, and then warp to Nairsgarth. The wards preventing teleportation wouldn’t matter, as long as Sage definitely had her crystal.
The witch gave me a withering look. “How many times, girl? I have it.”
“Okay, good. Just making sure. ”
Nobody in their right mind would make the first incision before ensuring they had all the necessary tools to finish the surgery. This was no different, or so I told myself as my little team trudged silently through the pretty, fairy-lit gardens, toward a looming, dark barn.
When Anwir had led his forces to victory here in Tir o Gwanwyn, the civilians had sought refuge, but Maelgwyn’s stooges had fought back, using the same resources that had once belonged to Idris’ father. The sky had become just as much of a battlefield as the ground, as the aerial drifts of both Tir o Gaeaf and Tir o Gwanwyn clashed. Idris, already wounded hadn’t witnessed it, but many horses and riders had been lost on both sides, though enough animals survived to fly us to Tir o Haf. It was simply a matter of selecting those fit to make the journey. I was uniquely qualified in assessing their conditions, though horses were not exactly my speciality, especially the winged variety.
I took a steadying breath, filling my nose with the powerful, sweet scent of jasmine. The air in Tir o Gwanwyn was little more than a floral perfume, and when I’d arrived, only yesterday evening, it had reminded me of home, of Dad’s beloved garden, but now, a faint ache in my skull had me longing for the clean, crisp air of the skies.
It wouldn’t be long now. Though my limbs itched to pick up speed, though an illogical, panicked part of my brain screamed that we were wasting time, I willed myself to maintain the outward appearance of calm. The others had decided that we should aim to reach Tir o Haf in the early hours, when the darkest phase of night would shield us from watchful eyes, and when most of the castle would be sleeping. Idris could deal with any shades that might make an appearance. As far as rescue missions went, it was a sensible plan, and we had time.
My parents had time .
The calm of the night was completely at odds with my churning fears. There was no sound beyond our footfalls and the stirring of foliage in the soft breeze. The quiet was unnerving. Unnatural compared to the clamour inside of me. It made me want to scream.
As though my wish had been granted, a drawn-out moan breached the peace, followed by a crash and a yelp.
I shared one panicked glance with Idris before breaking into a run, veering off the path and trampling through flower beds in the direction of the commotion. Several sets of footsteps pounded behind me. Someone was hurt, dying maybe. What if there’d been an attack? What if Maelgwyn hadn’t stopped at my parents?
Leaping a low hedge, I emerged into a rose garden. I skidded to a stop, and my mouth fell open.
Pansy was there, panting in the embrace of an oddly familiar white-haired male as he pinned her to the trunk of a tree. His backside was ghostly white, nestled between her dark thighs.
I turned away, but too late. Pansy opened her eyes and let out a shriek. Heat flooded my face as I stared, horror-struck, at my companions. Anwir looked utterly unconcerned, and Idris, as though he wanted to teleport directly into the sun. Sage, however, sucked in a breath of outrage, her pale eyebrows slamming down, and marched past me with all the determination of a charging rhino. A very small rhino, but a rhino all the same.
“Pansy! What in the name of the mother do you think you’re doing?”
God, no. Could this day get any worse? I grimaced, squeezing my eyes shut, before turning around with vague ideas of supporting my friend through her slut-era .
Pansy’s gentleman friend adjusted his trousers while licking something dark and gleaming from his lips. Blood. He was the vampire Pansy had danced with last night. As for my friend, she glared at us all in turn, tugging the hem of her skirt down, but not before I glimpsed several sets of clean, scabbed puncture wounds peppering her thighs. Dark, fresh streaks marred her neck. What on earth had she been doing?
“What?” she spat at me in challenge. “You think it’s only you who can do stupid things?”
Her friend gave a low, incredulous laugh. “Stupid?”
Now that I really looked at him, he definitely seemed plumper than he’d been yesterday, though the transformation wasn’t as marked as Jacques’ had been.
I held up my hands to Pansy in placation. “No, definitely not.”
“This was incredibly reckless, Pansy,” Sage admonished. “What would your mother think?”
“It doesn’t matter, does it? She’s dead!” Pansy's voice became shriller with every word, before shattering like glass on the last.
The blond vampire cleared his throat delicately. “Perhaps I should…”
“Yes, perhaps.” Sage glared.
“I bid you all goodnight.”
I offered him a brief, sympathetic smile as he ducked his head and slinked silently away. It was up to Pansy what she did with her body, and from what I could gather, her chosen partner possessed a decent level of self-restraint and hadn’t caused her any real harm. She certainly still had fight in her, which was more than I’d had after pushing Jacques to feed .
“Are you okay?” I asked her. Obviously, she wasn’t. This was grief at work, but as long as she’d chosen this, and wasn’t about to pass out, then I could get on board. There were worse ways to deal with emotions than sex.
“I’m fine,” she muttered, lowering her eyes. “His name is Benedict. He’s kind, and I thought… why not?”
Sage opened her mouth, probably to deliver an extensive list of ‘why nots’, but I silenced her with a glower.
“Good!” It came out brighter than I’d intended. “As long as you… you know, want it.”
I wanted the ground to swallow me up, but things didn’t often work out that way. Where were all those bottomless pits I’d fallen into, now that I really needed them?
“What are you all doing here?” Pansy demanded, snapping her head up as though she’d only just taken notice beyond her embarrassment.
My blood pooled in my feet, leaving me woozy. I gripped Idris’ arm for balance. “It’s my parents. Maelgwyn’s got them.”
“What?” Pansy shoved away from the tree and stalked to me, gripping my arms. The metallic aroma of fresh blood wafted up my nose. “Mother above. How?”
“He broke into their house,” I managed, croaking the words and tears welled. “He has them in Serensedd Palace. We’re on our way to get them back.”
Pansy stared, slack-jawed for a few seconds, then snapped her mouth shut. “I’m coming with you.”
“Absolutely not!” Sage barked, wedging herself between us and pushing Pansy back. “Your mother would not—”
“My mother let me go with Aliza to break the curse,” Pansy countered. “And like I said, she’s dead, so I’ll do what I want. I know how to fight. I’m helping.”
The tiny little witch crossed her arms, radiating finality. Pride sparked in my chest. She was a sweet, unassuming thing for the most part, but she could be determined when she wanted to be. Still, it was going to be dangerous, and as Anwir had pointed out, it was probably a trap.
“There’s not going to be any cookies this time,” I warned her, my heart sinking. Our trek through the woods would seem like a stroll in the park compared to this.
“That’s alright. We’ll have them when we get back. All of us, and your mother and father too.”
My tears rolled free. I hoped to god she was right.
“On your own head be it,” Sage decreed.
As High Priestess, she could probably order Pansy to stay behind. As much as I longed for the comfort of my friend’s presence, I half wished Sage would flaunt her power, if only to spare Pansy from whatever was to come. Instead, Pansy set her jaw and asked, “What’s the plan?”
“We’re flying to Tir o Haf,” I admitted, heart sinking. “We’re on our way to the barn. Jacques’ meeting us there.”
If Pansy felt awkward at the mention of another vampire, she hid it well. “Lead the way, then.”
When we reached the barn, it was to find Jacques already waiting for us. The vampire sat atop one of the narrow open doors, swinging his leg idly. At our approach, he grinned and hopped down to the gravel without a sound .
“Bonsoir, mes amis.”
Anwir glowered at him, but Idris gave a small, tight smile. Progress. Satisfaction glowed in my veins.
“Hi, Jacques. How did you get here so fast?”
Bryn had reluctantly called in on the vampire to pass on our summons before teleporting back to Tir o Haf.
“A beautiful woman asks me to meet her in a dark barn. What other speed would I go?” Amusement lifted the corners of his pale eyes as they glimmered in Idris’ direction.
“If he attacks you again, I’m not going to stick up for you,” I warned, and Jacques pouted, his lip ring catching the moonlight. “Anyway, this is important. We need your help.”
He surveyed my companions one by one, and a shiver followed his gaze through the group. “Avec quoi?”
“Maelgwyn has my mum and dad.” My voice cracked on the truth, and some of my hard-won calm crumbled away. “We need to get them back. Will you help us?”
“But of course, mon amie,” he said without hesitation, and in that moment, I decided I loved him. “You will need somebody capable on your team.”
“You will keep your remarks to yourself, vampire,” Idris snarled, seizing my hand and marching past him, into the deep shadows of the barn.
Chuckling, Jacques strolled silently behind us, his chunky-soled lace-up boots making not a whisper of sound.
Sage and Anwir took up the rear.
“Do you ride, Jacques?” Idris tossed carelessly over his shoulder.
“I have had plenty of satisfied mounts. ”
“Horses. Do you ride horses?”
Idris halted outside a stall, turning to glare at the vampire, who gazed nonchalantly back. I didn’t have the fortitude to deal with this right now. Was Maelgwyn, at this very moment, peeling Dad’s fingernails off, just for fun?
“Come on, Jacques,” I implored. “Now’s not the time.”
Jacques laid his claw-tipped, bone-white hands on the stall door, peering at the animal within. The horse flattened its ears and tucked its rump, revealing the whites of its eyes as it backed into a corner. Its magnificent silver wings flared, but in here, there was nowhere to fly.
“Not since I was a human.” Was that a note of sorrow in his voice?
The horse pawed the ground, snorting, its terrified attention pinned on the vampire. A problem I had not foreseen.
“Animals don’t like you?” Most people claimed that animals were excellent judges of character, but it wasn’t always the case. I’d yet to meet a cat in clinic that didn’t want to claw my eyes out. Even the dogs quivered in fear. Outside of school, it was a different matter, but I wasn’t one to judge a person just because an animal showed fear.
“He’s a predator,” Anwir said in a tone that said he judged. “Of course they don’t like him.”
I’d never met anyone with such a talent for making everyone around him feel like shit.
“There’s got to be a docile horse in here. Come on.” I set off down the walkway, lined on either side by stalls. I would find that horse, and then, I would find my parents.