Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
M e. Dominic’s last words were playing on a loop in my head. He would be the one in danger? What plan would put him in danger? Would he sacrifice himself for his sister? Making our way toward his office, I tugged his hand. “Emoni,” I whispered. With his life in jeopardy, I felt even more protective of my friend. Despite knowing she was safe with Anand, I felt an overwhelming urge to see her for myself.
Dominic changed course and we looked in the library but didn’t find them. He ushered me to the kitchen where I’d first seen the garden with the peculiar exotic flowers of black roses, Black Forest calla lilies, and bat orchids.
“Anand,” Dominic said, his voice raised slightly higher. It didn’t take very long for Anand to appear, with a noticeably bewildered Emoni next to him. I knew it was in response to Anand answering Dominic’s call that she couldn’t hear. An ability that I continued to find unsettling despite the multiple times I’d witnessed it. It had to be the pinnacle of eeriness for her.
As she managed to work her way through the discomfort, I took in the batch of exotic flowers from the garden in her hand and then looked to Anand, wondering if my friend’s curiosity had her pilfering flowers or if he’d given them to her.
“I couldn’t leave without these,” she admitted. Moving closer to me she whispered as if there wasn’t any possibility of her being heard. “I haven’t decided if it’s creepy or alluring.” It seemed to pertain to more than just the garden, but the Underworld and Anand as well.
“Will you come with me?” Dominic said to Anand. “Can you find your way to the library?” Dominic asked Emoni. “Or we can direct you to another room or the bedroom you’ll be staying in so you can get acclimated to it,” he added in response to her look of apprehension.
“Bedroom?” Her eyes snapped from Dominic to me, widening in panic.
“It won’t be for longer than two days,” he offered in clarification.
With her sharp intake of breath, I knew she was quickly succumbing to the fears and ominous thoughts that she’d managed to keep at bay. Overtaken by the feeling that leaving was no longer an option.
“If I wanted to leave now, could I?” she blurted, ignoring me grasping her hands in an effort to calm her.
“Despite it being unwise and unsafe, we’d let you leave,” Anand responded quickly, her mounting unease unable to be ignored. After assessing his face for a long moment, she looked to Dominic. Clearly not used to making so many concessions to a human—which he had a difficult time hiding, his lips pulled into a pinched line—he confirmed with a barely noticeable nod.
Her rigid posture relaxed with her exhalation. “Bedroom, please.” Anand placed his hand on her back, guiding her in the opposite direction of where we were going.
She stopped abruptly. “I need a vase for these,” she said. “I don’t want them to…” Her eyes were firmly fixed on me. “I want them to survive.”
The restless tension inundated the space. “They will,” Dominic said. Moving with slow, purposeful steps, he disappeared into one of the rooms and returned with a vase.
“Join us once she is settled,” Dominic said to Anand. Despite not being offered any further information, Anand appeared to have an understanding of the situation.
“And where would that be?” Emoni asked.
A smirk slid over Dominic’s lips, and his eyes narrowed on her. It was a look I’d seen him give too often to those he deemed to possess inconsequential power but still attempted to assert dominance over him.
I understood Emoni’s grimace because his look held hints of contempt and condescension. “You are very special to my Luna. Understand that you’ve been extended an exceptional amount of grace. I will not stand for Luna to be harmed. Ever. There is no need to question my every move.”
He started to back away but before he could turn to leave, she blurted, “It won’t stop me worrying about her. If you can’t even give me something as simple as her location, don’t expect me to place my unwavering trust in you.”
Her tremulous voice softened the edges of Dominic’s dark smirk. “Office. She’s going with me to the office.” I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, urging him not to disclose the possibility of Sabin being there. Emoni’s curiosity had proven to be a weakness. Guilt over what this situation had done to her made me reluctant to have her involved in the meeting.
His response seemed to be enough, and she allowed Anand to lead her away.
Reeling from Dominic disclosing that he’d be the sacrifice, I was hesitant to enter the office. Bringing my hand to his lips, he pressed a kiss to it before releasing it and entering the room. Sabin was perusing the collection of books on the shelf, and Ileana had taken a seat at the desk and was examining a weathered, leatherbound book with gilded pages and illuminated writing. The hum of magic could be felt from across the room.
“You’ve made yourself at home,” Dominic said to her, a tick in his jaw.
“The presence of the Book of Umbra can’t be denied. It was easy enough to find.”
“For you.”
It was obvious that the task wasn’t easy for Areleus or even Helena. If they were able to detect the book, Dominic wouldn’t be in possession of it. They would have taken it and dedicated an unreasonable amount of time and resources trying to discover a way to get it open.
Dominic examined the book. “You didn’t try to leave with it?”
“Why would I, when you made it clear you needed it to find the Dark Casters and your sister?”
The clench in his jaw relaxed along with his expression. Constant betrayal from the ones he loved seemed to have planted a distrust of everyone in his family. He nodded.
“ And if that was my desire,” she said, allowing her finger to graze over the area near the book, prompting a bronze illuminating shell to cover it, “it would be impossible. But I was able to find it and bring it to the desk. However, I never tried to leave the room with it.” Pride lit her eyes.
Dominic couldn’t weave spells like witches could, but he had a gift for combining complementary spells that were just as effective. He’d explained it was more time consuming, although his proficiency with it didn’t support that assertion. He’d mastered magic and he seemed to be more adept at wards and protection spells than anyone else in his family.
“You are the most deserving of ruling,” she said, leaning forward. Their warring intense gazes couldn’t be held comfortably by anyone else. “Make it so.”
“That might not be possible,” he admitted.
A wave of incredulous shock rippled through her expression before settling into a deep-seated scowl of disappointment. Then she turned from him, sending an icy gaze in my direction, looking for answers that I couldn’t provide.
“The Book of Umbra,” Areleus breathed out in excitement as he swept past Anand at the front door and at lightning speed made his way toward the book. As quick as the strike of a snake, he grabbed for it. Rebounded by a thrust of force, his hand made several rote movements while he whispered a spell. It failed. After his second unsuccessful attempt, his blazing eyes snapped to Dominic.
“He’s quite clever. Is the ward keyed to emotions?” Ileana asked. “Even the cloaking of it is different than anything I’ve seen before.” She directed the question to Dominic.
“Yes, to emotions and specifically to him,” he said, shooting Areleus a contentious look. “And now Helena,” he tacked on. Ileana didn’t react, accepting that Helena, like her father, couldn’t be trusted.
It took a great deal of effort for Areleus to marshal all expressions from his face, although he still couldn’t hide the disdain that shone in his eyes.
Ileana’s cool chuckle broke the contemptuous silence, and I was grateful for it. Hostility thick and arrant in the air, I was concerned that they’d act on it and nothing would be accomplished.
The acquisition of power must be stronger than any drug, leaving those who yearned for it willing to do anything for it. It was clearer than ever in the nonverbal exchange between Ileana and Areleus. Had they ever even liked each other? From the appearance of things, it was the union of two people with a clear purpose. One that they achieved. They had two extremely powerful children who possessed the ability to be pitiless and violent when needed.
“What is your plan for dealing with the Dark Caster?” Areleus asked.
Keeping a careful eye on his father, Dominic removed the wards on the book and picked it up. Sabin stood taller, shifting his posture to a defensive stance while also keeping a keen eye on Areleus. He received a less conspicuous attentive gaze from Ileana. And from my vantage point, from Anand. Uniforms blurred past the open door. Guards. Areleus’s guards had been sent away. Although they were the estate’s guards, their loyalty was to Areleus.
“Is it safe to assume I will not be involved in this plan?” Areleus asked.
“It isn’t necessary, but your participation would be appreciated. I will be in a vulnerable state, which I hope you won’t take advantage of.”
Areleus was on high alert. The wards were down, and as Dominic flipped through the book, moving from behind the desk to gather objects in the room, including an obsidian knife with writing engraved on the blade, Areleus attempted to look disinterested. It was a struggle. Several times he had to rip his gaze from the Book of Umbra. He directed his attention to the office, moving throughout it as if it was his first visit. A lot of attention was devoted to the books on the shelves.
His indecipherable expression made it difficult to determine if it was an exploratory perusal or if he knew exactly what he was looking for. Were there other things hidden from him and he was taking the opportunity to take them, or get a better layout of the bookshelves to take something later?
I pressed my lips together to keep the frown from etching its way onto my face as I continued to grapple with the realization that each of these men intended to murder the other to claim the throne. I wished Emoni was with me. At least I’d have the comfort of knowing that I wasn’t the odd one in this house of weirdness because I seemed to be the only one disturbed by it. But although I’d love to have her with me, I was happy she was sheltered from this.
Minutes ticked by, the silence only heightening the interest in the room. Ileana, Areleus, Sabin, and Anand all kept a keen eye on Dominic.
Anand split his attention between a hyperaware Areleus and Dominic. Dominic placed a spherical object, a crystal filled with a bluish substance, and the obsidian blade on his desk. He kept hold of the Book of Umbra.
His gaze shifted from the items on his desk to Areleus.
“The animosity between us ends today,” he said.
A rose streak lined the bridge of Ileana’s nose and the hollows of her cheek. Her fingers dug deep into the arm of the chair, threatening to puncture the material. Dominic gave his mother a tight, apologetic smile.
“If things are successful, I still won’t be in a position to have the power or influence to demand compliance of the supernaturals, or to enforce it in the same manner I had before.” He nudged the spherical object toward his mother.
“This realm needs to be protected, and it’s only a matter of time before Helena’s magic is used to find a pathway here. They want Luna, and I won’t let that happen.”
Dominic’s concession took Areleus’s focus away from the book and placed it firmly on Dominic, assessing him for deceit or alternative plans.
Ileana’s clenched jaw indicated she was waiting for an explanation.
“I will be using this to rid them of their magic, but it can’t be done without the sacrifice of mine. Some of mine,” he added to stop the objection Ileana was about to make. “I’m going to use the clyrin spell, which will bind my magic along with theirs to this.” He pointed to the spherical object. “Then it will be destroyed.”
“How?” Ileana asked.
“A different spell. I’m counting on you to do it. I don’t think I will be in a position to do so,” he admitted.
“Then there is no way I’d ever do it.”
“You want Helena back. I will achieve that. The Dark Casters will be without magic and no longer a threat.” He looked at me. “No longer a threat because they will no longer have the magical ability to be a threat. The spell demands a sacrifice of magic. Once the sphere is destroyed, so is the magic.”
“And they continue to be allowed to live after forcing you into a magical castration?” she snapped. “Do you think they won’t become more of a nuisance? If you make that sacrifice, it should not be without some penalty other than just the loss of their magic.”
“They will be imprisoned. Living without their magic will be worse than death for them.”
“You’d do this to yourself for what?” she snapped again and lobbed a sharp glare in my direction.
Before I could point out that this was my first time hearing the plan, Dominic spoke. “Not for her. For peace. I won’t be without magic, but it will not be at the same level as before.”
“And you are okay with that?” Areleus asked in a heavy voice.
Dominic’s brand of casual arrogance reared. “I conceded not because I fear that I’d be weak but because it won’t be just my magic sacrificed. This will be as well.” He raised the book.
Areleus moved quickly. Claws exposed, he lunged for the Book of Umbra. The book disappeared from Dominic’s hand.
“Stop,” Ileana demanded. Standing, she snatched up the obsidian knife and pricked her finger. After whispering a few words, her long fingers caressed the air, creating a diaphanous map with illuminated gold plots over it. Closing her eyes, she moved over each inch of it, her breathing becoming increasingly rapid with her agitation.
She struck the map away.
“Do you think I didn’t try a location spell to find her?” Areleus asked.
“It was worth another attempt,” she retorted.
A flicker of tenderness softened Dominic’s expression. In that moment, Ileana’s profound sense of helplessness washed over the room, an emotion he likely hadn’t witnessed before in her. A raw fragility that made me sideline all her past transgressions and violent suggestions. Power was more than just lust and a drive for more. It wrapped them in security that left them ill prepared for upheavals that were beyond their control.
“You’re sure this will work?” she asked. “There is no room for error or speculation.”
“I’m sure it will, but you will need to do the spell.”
Opening his hand, the Book of Umbra materialized. He opened it to a particular page before handing it to her. Rooted in place, a range of anger and frustration flashed over Areleus’s face.
“You must do this spell quickly. If they manage to get the orb before it is destroyed, they’ll have access to my magic and theirs. You know how nebulous magic can be. Sometimes it can create things we haven’t seen before.”
Anand came to my mind.
She nodded absently, pulled into her thoughts.
“If that happens, they may gain the ability to navigate through our realm unchecked. After this spell, the Dark Casters will be as vulnerable as humans. They will live the remainder of their lives in the Perils without magic,” Dominic asserted.
“The remaining shades, will they be returned?” Areleus asked with the guise of restoring order when we all knew he wanted to be the one to control the shades. With the Book of Umbra destroyed, he was less likely to get that wish, but I doubted he’d give up trying to find a way. If the Book of Umbra existed, I suspected there was something equally terrible that just hadn’t been discovered yet.
Dominic considered his question. “There is a way to subdue and control them. After this, I won’t have the power to do so.”
“Then destroy them now,” Ileana said. “Be done with the issue or the prospect of another escape. Celeste is still alive because you’ve remained persistent in honoring your agreement with the witches. I assure you, her demise would make things easier. It is the most pragmatic thing to do. The strongest witches will no longer be of concern. The others…” She waved her hand, dismissing the other magic wielders with the same derision and disregard she held for humans. “I still don’t understand why you negotiate with them. This mutual regard is off-putting.”
Ileana’s eyes briefly slipped to the door, where Emoni had meandered in without being stopped by Anand. Probably considered more of an annoyance than a threat, she had more freedom than the guards.
Catching the tail end of Ileana’s comment, Emoni’s face scrunched into an expression of irritation.
She inched toward Ileana, but Anand fisted her shirt, limiting her movement.
“Why are you like this? In fact, why are any of you like this?” She asked the question with deep-seated curiosity. She’d heard more than I’d thought. There seemed to be a desperate need to discover the psychosis or trauma that led these people to be this way. As if being who they were was unacceptable to her. The spark of curiosity demanded answers.
When it was left unanswered, she repeated the question. “Why?” Her head snapped in Dominic’s direction. “Not you. You’re not totally terrible. But you two”—she stabbed a finger at Areleus and Ileana—“you two are…” She huffed, seemingly searching for the right word. “Your beliefs are unconscionable. Stop letting annihilation be the answer to everything. You don’t seem to consider the long-term consequences. You’re not hated because of the power you wield. It’s because of your abuse of that power.”
Neither one seemed at all moved by the pitiful human’s outburst. There appeared to be mutual amusement that eventually led to them dismissing her question with a smirk.
“Is there a spell to take away magic from everyone? It seems like it’s more trouble than it is helpful?” Emoni asked Dominic. He looked entertained rather than irritated.
“Magic will always exist in some form,” he answered. “It can’t be wiped away, which is why the magic must be transferred to a magical object capable of holding it, and then destroyed. There’s nothing that could remove all the magic from the world because there are so many varying types. There’s not a spell to stop vampirism. You can kill vampires on sight with a spell, but not everyone has the magical ability to do so. I’ve never tried it. I’ve always preferred a more direct way of handling them.”
She glared. “Do you want to stay on the ‘alright, possibly decent’ list?” she snapped back. “I’ll take you off it right now.”
Emoni had no idea how little they cared about being considered likable or decent.
“I think you value honesty most of all. I’m giving it to you,” he responded.
“Your answer isn’t the right one.” The frustration and hostility drained from her tone. She appeared bewildered and tired. Shouldn’t I be, too? It was bothersome that I may have adapted to this world. I didn’t want that to happen.
“I doubt you’d continue this unwavering support and advocacy if you were aware of how you’d be treated if vampires were left to their own wishes. You’re beautiful. Vampires would keep you for food and sexual satisfaction. No rules would keep them from compelling you to behave as they wished.” Ileana was pleased by Emoni’s fearful retreat to her spot next to Anand, who appeared to have become her safe haven. “Shifters would demand that you abide by their ways, which are dogmatic at best and subjugating at worst. Witches would use their magic to make humans into puppets and servants. Be cautious about giving any of them your meritless loyalty. They aren’t a trouble for you humans because we’ve made it so.”
Emoni looked at me, her face reflecting what I felt: a desperation to leave and return to our world of blissful ignorance. Though it would be pseudo bliss because we were now aware of the machinations that existed behind it. How fragile the peace really was. Just one broken oath, rogue supernatural, or organized and well-orchestrated revolt could end it all.
Being with me and seeing it all unfold may have been some comfort to her, but I was doubtful that harsh reality was an adequate trade-off. Anand’s eyes grazed over the room and back to a dispirited Emoni beside him. His hand pressed into her back, guiding her out of the room, which she accepted meekly.
Dominic continued explaining the plan. It hinged on me allowing the bespelled knot to do its job and bring me to the Dark Casters. I was less uneasy about it than Dominic, who tensed each time he mentioned it.
The last time he brought it up, to comfort him, I directed his attention to my arm that now had a cloaked binding on it. A location spell.
“I will be with Luna, who will have the Diax.” He handed me the spherical object. I didn’t blame him for splitting everything up. It made it difficult for Areleus to get access to them all.
Areleus kept his eyes glued to the Book of Umbra, which was now in Ileana’s possession. With the wards removed from it, I wondered if it was safe—or if she was safe from Areleus. She left the room with a watchful Sabin. Something was different about him now. The playful amorphized creature had a menacing aura that screamed danger. I didn’t believe for one minute that it wasn’t without cause. And the reason he stayed at Ileana’s side.