Chapter 20
20
I was able to get a few hours of sleep before we resumed our journey at sundown. We left the inn as soon as the night had descended on Avalon. The innkeeper looked relieved to see us go, and I wondered if he suspected who Henry was. The Lord seemed unaffected by the innkeeper’s palpable unease as he strolled out of the foyer and into the cool night air. We retrieved our horses from the stables and set out toward Santoria, the capital of the Southern region.
A thought occurred to me as I snacked on the dried fruit Henry had brought with us.
“How often do you need to feed?” I turned my head to look at him as Annabelle trotted next to Onyx along the outskirts of the city.
I figured he couldn’t bring any blood with him because he had no way to keep it cold.
“I can go days without feeding unless I am injured,” Henry replied, and a breath of relief escaped my lips. I wouldn’t want to be on the road with a hungry vampire.
“Was that really a concern of yours?” Henry asked as one of his dark brows lifted. “I told you I wouldn’t feed from you, and I have kept my word.”
He was right, and a kernel of guilt settled in my chest for doubting him. Still, I could never truly let my guard down around him in case his true nature decided to break free.
“Thank you for that,” I said quietly, and the Lord nodded before fixing his gaze on the horizon.
“We will be there in a few hours,” he informed me.
My heart skipped a beat as anxiety surfaced. I was so close to my goal; I could almost taste it. Unless, of course, the Tear was not on the Stern Estate. A wave of panic threatened to take over, but I pushed it down. I couldn’t give in to it until I knew for sure the amulet was not on the estate.
“Will you tell me more about the Red War?” I asked Henry, looking for a distraction from my frantic thoughts. “You’re a good storyteller, and it will make the time pass by faster,” I explained my request.
A mild smile lit up his face.
“This is the second nice thing you have said to me,” he murmured, and I rolled my eyes, fighting a smile. “But I think it is your turn to tell a story.”
My forehead creased. I doubted he would find anything I had to say interesting after having lived for almost two hundred years.
“Tell me about your mother,” Henry said, meeting my gaze.
My heart dropped as breathing became difficult.
“You knew my mother,” I told the Lord.
Talking about her felt very personal, and I didn’t want to open up to Henry like that.
“I knew her when she was eighteen. Tell me about the Eloise that you knew,” he prompted gently.
Turning to look ahead of me, I took a deep breath through my nose and let it out slowly through my mouth, gathering my thoughts.
It took a few minutes to force the words out, but once I did, they spilled out of me like a river ebbing and flowing, weaving childhood memories and stories about my mother into an intricate and beautiful tapestry of everything that she was to me. Henry’s eyes were on me the entire time, and he looked as if he were hanging on every word, chuckling low when I said something funny or offering words of encouragement when I stumbled on particularly sensitive memories that tugged at my heart.
By the time I was done, tears were gliding down my cheeks, and I wiped them away with a startled laugh. What I’d shared with Henry was bitter sweet, but the memories didn’t make me sad. They filled my chest with warmth as I thought about my mother. I’d lost her too early, but I was happy she’d been with me for as long as she had. She was still with me, in my heart, where she would forever remain.
“You and Eloise had a special bond,” Henry mused, compassion filling his deep-blue eyes.
My cheeks heated at the intensity of his stare. He was looking at me as if he could see me— all of me—and I fidgeted in my saddle, suddenly feeling very exposed. I didn’t regret telling him about my mother. I was grateful he’d asked because talking about her had made breathing easier, as if sharing what I had was healing my heart broken by loss. It hadn’t been the first time I’d talked about my mother, of course, but those moments were rare. I didn’t often allow myself to reminisce about the past.
“I miss her,” I rasped, casting my gaze down and focusing on Annabelle’s glossy mane.
“I miss my mother, too, and Vincent,” Henry said, his voice hoarse with emotion. “And everyone I lost through the years.”
“I’m sorry,” I said low.
I’d wondered before if vampires experienced loss like humans did, and now there was no doubt in my mind that they did. At least, I knew for sure Henry did. I could see it in the deep shadows that settled into his features and in the nearly concealed glimmer of tears in his eyes.
The sound of hooves pounding off cobblestones filled the silence as neither of us spoke for a few moments until Henry cleared his throat and said, “I believe it is my turn to tell you a story. You wanted to hear more about the War?”
“Actually, tell me about your mother,” I asked softly, feeling like I wanted to repay him for listening to me talk about my mother.
I caught a brief glimpse of appreciation in his gaze before his face lit up, chasing away some of the shadows.
“I will tell you about Rosalind. She was like a mother to me. She and Vincent were already together when he turned me. And they had Gerard. All three of them welcomed me into their family, helping me make sense of my new life and who I had become. Of what Vincent had made me.” The emotions on Henry’s face were conflicting as he said the last part.
“I still don’t understand why Vincent turned you,” I said because I’d wondered that before. “I know that you were ill, but even so…he doesn’t strike me as someone who would make a decision like that lightly.”
“He didn’t. I am the only one he’d ever turned,” Henry paused as if he weren’t sure he wanted to continue. “He said he’d seen the good in me. He said…he thought the world needed more people like me. That I could do so much good.” He cast his gaze down as if he didn’t agree or didn’t believe it himself. The heaviness that usually surrounded him began pouring out of him, prickling my skin. I wanted to pull him out of this state, to alleviate the weight on his shoulders.
“What about your life before you were turned? You’ve never told me about your human family.”
The heaviness around him intensified, the shadows rolling off him growing darker. My attempt to lighten the mood had clearly had the opposite effect. Silence ensued as I frantically racked my brain for something else to say but I was afraid of making the situation even worse, so I kept my mouth shut. After a few seconds, Henry seemed to have regained some control over his volatile emotions. The darkness around him receded, and he forced a faint smile.
“That might be a story for another time,” he finally said, not looking at me. “So, let me tell you about Rosalind.”
He began a story that had started centuries ago, and I immediately got lost in Henry’s memories, my imagination taking me to people and places that had existed long before I’d been born.
The Stern Estate loomed ahead of us sooner than I’d expected. The mansion was a sprawling structure of stone and glass and looked ominous, rising high into the night sky.
“Ready?” Henry asked as we approached the horse stables.
My heart pounded loudly in my chest as I nodded. This was it—the moment of truth.
We left the horses at the stables, with Henry compelling the stable hand to take a break, forgetting we were there. He then snuck inside the house, moving with supernatural speed, while I made my way to the wrought-iron front door. I stood before it for a few minutes, wondering if the Sterns were, in fact, away from the estate, and if Camilla had provided the distraction as she’d promised.
Several minutes later, Henry opened the door to let me in.
“I have compelled the servants to look the other way,” he said low.
A breath of relief left me. So far, everything was going according to plan.
“I’ll check the first floor if you can search the second story and up,” I told the Lord, knowing he would be done much faster than I.
“Okay. Let’s meet in Stern’s study when we are done. It is down the hall and to the left,” Henry said before he swept out of the room.
The second he was gone, I snapped into action, efficiently and methodically making my way through the rooms on the first floor. I checked the living room, the formal dining room, the kitchen, and the extensive library that occupied the first story of the mansion. The layout was similar to the Duval Estate, but the house felt more stifling and oppressive. I ran into servants here and there as I searched, but they quite literally looked the other way or acted as if they did not see me.
The longer my search rendered no results, the lower my heart sank and the higher my anxiety climbed up in my chest until it was threatening to choke me. Taking a steadying breath to pull myself together, I headed to Stern’s study, hoping that Henry had been more successful in his search.
“It’s not here,” the Lord said with a heavy sigh when I walked in.
My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach as despair invaded my senses.
“Are you sure?” I asked shakily as I approached.
Henry stood in front of a wall lined with bookshelves, his arms folded over his broad chest.
“I wonder…” he said, his face taking on a contemplative expression.
“Sophie? What are you doing here?” came a female’s voice from the entrance to the study.
Henry and I both whipped our heads to find Stern’s vassal Marie standing there. My breath caught as I stared at her. She reminded me so much of Rory. Petite and delicate, she had the same air of innocence about her. Right now, she looked frightened, her wide eyes on me and the Lord.
Henry cursed under his breath and moved to go to her, but I stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“Wait,” I said when he gave me a questioning look. I turned to the vassal. “Marie, we’re looking for something. Does Stern have a safe or a secret compartment anywhere?”
The girl swallowed audibly as her eyes widened even more, taking up most of her pale, round face.
Silence reigned for a few minutes until Marie opened her mouth as if to say something but then closed it. She shook her head, sending blonde curls tumbling over her forehead. My hand still on Henry’s arm, I could feel the Lord tense as if he were running out of patience. I stared at Marie, my eyes pleading. A few more seconds passed before she lifted her trembling hand and pointed at one of the bookshelves lining the wall.
Letting go of Henry, I strode to it. Turning my head to watch Marie’s face, I reached for the shelf at my waist level. When the girl gave a small shake of her head, I lifted my hand higher to the shelf at my chest level. Marie’s lips were in a thin line and almost white in color, but she did nod slightly. I brought my finger to the first title on the shelf and moved it down the row of books until Marie nodded again. I turned away from her and saw that my finger pointed at one of the titles bound in black and gold cover.
Holding my breath, I hooked the top edge of the book’s spine with my index finger and tilted it toward me, feeling like a character in one of the adventure books I’d read before. With a faint click, the middle part of the bookshelf separated from the wall, sliding to the side. Pulse pounding, I came to stand next to Henry as we both peered into what appeared to be a secret passage. Lit torches lined the uneven walls of a steep and narrow stairwell.
Henry and I exchanged a look before I turned back to Marie.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Her face turned panicked.
“Please, take me with you. Don’t leave me here. He’s so cruel,” she begged, her big eyes filling with tears.
My heart broke as emotion clogged my throat.
“I will come back for you. I promise,” I rasped.
Suddenly, Marie lunged at me, her fingers digging into my forearm.
“No, please,” she begged louder.
My eyes widened as I pried her fingers away from me. If she got any louder, she would draw attention to us.
“Marie, listen,” I tried to reason with her through my teeth, keeping my voice low.
Henry clasped her shoulders and forcefully turned her to face him.
“Keep quiet. Go to your room, and don’t tell anyone you saw us,” he said urgently, his gaze locked on hers. He was compelling her. “Have hope,” he added quietly before he let her go.
Marie stood frozen in place for a few seconds, her eyes glossy and unseeing. Then, she slowly blinked and turned on her heels toward the door.
“I will come back for her,” I told the Lord, feeling a surge of determination. “I won’t let what happened to Rory happen to her.”
His expression was understanding as he looked at me, his gaze soft.
“We need to find the amulet. Then, her life will not be the only one you save.”
He had no idea how many lives I would truly save once Dark Witches and vampires were no more.
I nodded and slipped inside the secret passage. Henry joined me a second later, a cool presence at my back, and the bookshelf slid back into place behind us with a soft click. Bracing a hand on the pale, rough wall, I began my descent, eyes trained downward to avoid a slip. I knew the Lord could make it down in no time, but he stayed right behind me, patiently waiting as I worked my way down. Having him here with me was comforting because I figured he’d catch me if I fell. At least, I hoped he would. For several long minutes, the sound of my breathing and scuffing steps filled the narrow space of the passage until it opened into a large, cavernous room illuminated by dozens of candles.
“What is this place?” I asked under my breath, walking deeper into the room and looking around.
A gasp of horror left me when I faced one of the walls. Sucking in a sharp breath, I stumbled backward, running into Henry. He clasped my shoulders to steady me as I stared at the wall before me, refusing to believe what I was seeing. There were shelves carved into the stone, and on them sat human skulls of different shapes and sizes. I couldn’t move. I could barely breathe as bile rose in my throat, and my legs threatened to go out from under me. Squeezing my eyes shut, I turned away from the wall and took a deep breath.
“We are in Stern’s lair,” I heard Henry say in front of me, his voice hollow.
When I opened my eyes and looked at him, his jaw was hard as he stared at the wall behind me. He looked even paler than usual as deep shadows filled his eyes. I wondered if he was thinking the same thing I was. Would Rory’s skull be on that wall if I hadn’t walked in on Stern and her in the kitchen? Then, another thought invaded my mind. Was my mother’s skull a part of the collection? I swayed on my feet, feeling lightheaded, and Henry clasped my shoulders again, his gaze focusing on me.
“Breathe,” he said, and I did as he’d instructed.
Swallowing the lump that had climbed up my throat, I said, “We need to look for the amulet and leave this place.”
The Lord nodded, and once he’d made sure I wouldn’t faint, he let go of my shoulders and walked past me to search the part of the room containing the wall of skulls. I moved to the opposite wall and began rummaging through the ancient books and scrolls piled up in the nooks and crevices carved out in the stone.
“I found something,” came Henry’s voice from behind me a few minutes later.
My heart thumped in my chest as a spark of hope ignited. Trying to rein in my anxiety, I turned to Henry and found him holding a medium-sized chest. It was locked but didn’t stay that way for long because Henry ripped the padlock off the hinges. He turned the chest toward him and opened the lid to look inside. I held my breath as I watched his eyes widen.
“Is it in there?” I asked in a hushed tone.
Henry didn’t reply as he reached inside and pulled something out before dropping the chest on the ground with a thud. I winced as the sound echoed through the cavernous space. I would have preferred we’d stayed quiet, but Henry didn’t seem to think he needed to be careful and not make any noise. Another advantage of being an apex predator, I supposed.
“I don’t know what the amulet looks like,” he said as I approached. “Is this it?”
He held up a teardrop-shaped amulet on a silver chain with a pale blue crystal in the middle. A soft gasp left me, and I brought my hand to my mouth, my eyes filling with tears.
“Yes,” I breathed, my vision getting blurry.
I heard Henry’s rough exhale of relief before he chuckled low.
“I can’t believe we’ve found it,” I rasped through the tears. I quickly wiped them away and smiled, wanting to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
I reached for the amulet, but before I could touch it, a faint noise drew my attention to the other end of the room, opposite where Henry and I had entered from Stern’s study.
I peered into the shadows, making out an outline of another entrance or exit.
“Where do you think it leads?” I asked Henry, who was looking in the same direction.
His features sharpened as he became impossibly still—listening.
He must have heard something because he said low, “Ready your dagger.”
Swallowing hard, I reached for the weapon strapped to my thigh under the cloak and unsheathed it without taking my eyes off the shadowy entrance. A moment later, a Ravager emerged from it, lurching toward Henry and me. She moved too fast for my eyes to track, but Henry stopped her with his clawed hand on her throat. He snatched her out of thin air, and I didn’t hesitate as I thrust the dagger deep into the Ravager’s chest, piercing the heart. With a shriek, the vampire shriveled up and caved into herself. Henry’s head jerked toward where the Ravager had come from.
“She is not alone,” the Lord growled. He turned back to me and pulled the Tear out of his cloak pocket. I hadn’t even noticed him putting it there earlier. “Leave. Now,” Henry said, hanging the amulet around my neck.
“What about you?” I asked, frowning.
I’d seen Henry prevail when he’d fought the witches on the border, but I didn’t know how many Ravagers he could take on by himself.
“I will be fine,” he replied, facing the shadowy entrance, his muscles turning taut under his clothes. He was preparing to fight.
“I can help,” I said, surprising myself.
This was my moment. I had the amulet around my neck and a chance to leave Henry behind. A chance to escape with the Tear. Yet, I hesitated.
“I need you to leave so I don’t have to worry about ensuring your survival,” the Lord snapped, glancing at me. “Go!”
I heard them then. Light footsteps and snarls coming from the shadows. They were growing louder by the second, raising the tiny hairs all over my body. With one last look at Henry, I turned on my heels and ran out of the cavernous room.
My breath coming in short, rapid pants, I climbed up the steep stairwell until I reached the door that opened into Stern’s study. Except, it was still closed. I frantically looked around the entrance, searching for a way to get back inside. Screeches and wails floated up from below, and my pulse quickened as I reached out and ran my hands over the wall around the door, looking for anything that could grant me access back into the study. My palm brushed over an indentation in the wall on the right side of the door, and I rose on my tiptoes and looked inside. There was a square-shaped hole carved into the wall. I felt around it with my hand, pushing and prodding.
The stone on the bottom gave way, and I kept pressing down on it until the door in front of me groaned and opened into the study, bathing me in the yellow glow of the lamps inside. Relief washed over me just as I heard Henry’s roar from below. It was a sound of rage rather than pain, and hope flared in my chest that he was winning the fight against the Ravagers. Hesitating yet again, I glanced down the steep stairwell but forced myself to turn back to the door and walk through it.
Once I was inside the study, I set off into a sprint, running out of the room just as I heard the bookshelf slide back into place to conceal the secret passage. Quickly crossing the large foyer, I burst through the front door, trying not to dwell on the fact that I was leaving Henry behind. There was no point in worrying about the Lord, I told myself as I kept running, the amulet thumping against my chest with every step. If he didn’t die tonight, he would die together with his kind when I found a way to activate the Tear.
Finally making it to the stables, I was relieved to find them empty. Annabelle neighed in greeting when I approached her, my chest rising and falling quickly. I swore Onyx gave me a questioning look when he didn’t see Henry with me, and my heart fell. With a rough exhale, I took Annabelle’s reins to lead her out of the stables, but before I could, a burst of pain in the back of my head plunged me into darkness.