Chapter 16 （Nathan）Cold Hands of Death
Chapter 16 (Nathan)
Cold Hands of Death
A scream tore through the early morning silence. I leaped to my feet, my heart pounding, hunger still tugging at me since I hadn’t fed much the night before. No matter. I’d be okay for the day.
I walked out of my tent on high alert. The sky was still dark, with the glimmer of the sun barely visible on the horizon. I realized the shouting came from Xavier and Saphielle’s tent.
I entered the tent to find Xavier kneeling before Saphielle, pounding the ground with his fists. My blood froze in my veins. I listened but could no longer hear the woman’s heartbeat. Unwilling to believe what my senses told me, I touched her neck. Her skin was already cold, and black veins were visible under her white skin. Even if her lips were bluish, I still checked her pulse.
Xavier raised his face to me. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks. He tore my hand away from her, shouting in rage, “Don’t touch her. You killed her!”
I stepped back, and the half-vampire pushed me furiously out of the tent. “It’s your fault,” he accused. “You drank her blood. You weakened her. You killed her.” His last words were heavy with hatred and grief.
I shot back, “That’s not true, and you know it. You can still see the black veins.”
The man breathed the words through clenched teeth, “I won’t stop until you admit your guilt.”
He was clearly in shock. The best I could do was slap him across the face. He looked at me, frozen.
I shouted, “Snap out of it! The poison killed her. Not me.”
We both stared at each other for a few seconds, gauging each other’s reaction. I was ready to react in case he attacked me. After some time, Xavier fell to his knees, murmuring between sobs, “You’re right. Sorry.”
The harsh reality hit us both. Whatever relationship the half-vampire had with the woman was over. And with the end of her life came the realization that I had one day to find Emerald, or I too would die.
“It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean it,” I whispered to my friend. “I . . . I’m sorry for your loss.”
The man looked at me and nodded. Once the initial shock had worn off, we entered the tent and took Saphielle’s body. Xavier would have liked to carry her with us, but we couldn’t. The half-vampire was heartbroken, and it was with great regret that we had to decide to dispose of her body here.
We couldn’t bury her because the ground was made of large stone slabs. Still, we took the time to stack a few stones to form a tomb. This would be her eternal home. I wasn’t very religious, but Xavier said a prayer to the goddess Hecate.
Despite Saphielle’s death, we couldn’t afford to stay in the middle of nowhere. We had to keep going. I knew we could climb Desolation Hills in a day. We would have to continue late into the night to rescue Emerald from wherever she was. I hoped she was in good health, so I could feed. It might sound selfish, but it was a matter of survival. When we returned to town, I’d have eternity to care for her.
After a final farewell to Saphielle, we began our ascent of the mountain. She stood tall before us, mocking us. The sun was now up but still low on the horizon. The terrain was harsh. There were only a few half-dead shrubs, and no birds were singing. The only noise breaking the silence was our footsteps and the sound of our gear.
No matter how hard I looked for life forms, trying to find a solution for blood in case we didn’t find Emerald by tonight, I couldn’t see anything. My only option would be to try drinking Xavier’s blood, but I had no idea if he’d let me and if his blood would work, given my curse. With Saphielle’s death still fresh in our minds, I preferred not to say anything, settling for the hope of holding my little flower in my arms tonight.
As we climbed, the mountain became covered in snow and ice, and the wind grew more violent. An eternal storm protected the mountain, discouraging anyone from climbing. But nothing could stop me from finding my mate. My wolf growled in agreement in my chest, and a fire filled me, urging me to go even faster.
? We had been climbing for several hours without stopping. Xavier ate as he walked. The storm was so intense that I couldn’t see the sky. There was only the constant flow of snowflakes, pinching as they fell violently on my face. My breath fogged the air. Even the hairs in my nose stuck to the sides of my nostrils from the cold.
I tried to brush the snow off my face, but my gloves were full of snow, and it felt like spreading it everywhere, so I avoided doing so.
The snow piled up against the sides of the mountain because of the wind, leaving a cleared section to walk on, making the climb more accessible than if we were hip deep in it. However, large plateaus of ice covered the ground. It was thick and evident in places but so thin in others that you’d think you were walking on rock. It was treacherous, and we had to be careful not to slip. Xavier had fallen on his knees at one point, and I was relieved he hadn’t hit his head. We’d had enough misfortune so far. It was time for the winds to change in our favor.
But as we climbed, a fear crept into my mind. What if she wasn’t there? My wolf growled at that idea. He wanted our mate back, and I agreed with him. He was growing restless.
We had walked a long way, and the snow was now well above our knees. Despite the strong winds, it never wholly melted here and kept piling up.
I knew it was evening when I felt hunger rising inside me. I was glad that Xavier could eat while walking and that our provisions would last him for days, but I knew I’d have to feed soon.
Fortunately, just as I was thinking this, I saw the top of the mountain looming on the horizon.
“We’ re here,” I shouted at Xavier, so that he could hear me despite the storm. The man smiled, visibly relieved.
I ran, wanting to see the summit as quickly as possible. It didn’t matter if they were there or what was waiting for me. The storm was so strong, the snow so dense, that I knew it was safe to venture up.
The top of the mountain was a broad plateau about three hundred feet wide. The snow was much higher than my waist, which made walking difficult.
But there was nothing. No fortress. No caves. No Emerald.
Nothing.
The only thing at the top of the mountain was a large rocky wall, ten feet high, which seemed to form a half-moon.
Pain spread deep inside me at the realization that the mountaintop was empty. Then I remembered that the Shadow Weavers had mages, and a new hope filled me. They must have hidden their fortress with a magic spell. I walked as best I could through the snow, placing my hands in front of me, expecting to run into an invisible wall.
Still, nothing.
In despair, I ventured behind the large rocky wall, thinking they might be hiding there. It was my last hope, and my heart was beating fast as I clung to this feeling.
I ran as best I could through the snow. After what felt like an eternity, I reached behind the rock to find . . . nothing.
The ground was icy, and you could see the rocky ridges. The wind pushed the snow away from the rock wall—a snow-free oasis in the middle of this stormy, hostile desert .
My heart broke, despair taking hold of me, nausea rising as I realized I was going to die here, far from my mate, and never see her again.
A laugh echoed behind me, and I turned to see Xavier had joined me, a smug smile on his face. “Well, it seems you’ve realized.”
“They’re not here,” I only managed to reply.
“Oh, what a shame!” sneered Xavier, making a theatrical motion with his hands as he stepped into the snow-free space.
His words had a stabbing effect on me. I looked at the man I had believed to be my friend and realized the treachery of his actions. Bitterness filled my mouth. I thought back to the concern he showed, the kindness; it was all an illusion.
An emptiness deepened in my stomach as I breathed out, “You knew, didn’t you?”
The half-vampire turned to me. “Of course, I knew. I didn’t think I’d have to go all the way to the top. The whore was tougher than I expected.”
My breath caught at how Xavier spoke of the one he’d been mourning hours earlier. I thought he was a friend. He’d saved my life and Emerald’s. I trusted him.
“Ah, if you could see your face,” he laughed. His tone was as if he were talking to a child. “So, have you placed all the pieces yet? Or do you need me to explain it to you?”
I thought back to what had happened. He slept with Saphielle every night and cared for her, or so I thought. The battles in which she’d been wounded. I was always fighting, and when I turned around, she was hurt. I’d taken it for granted that mermaids and succubi had wounded her, but the reality was that I hadn’t seen what happened. Nor had I seen what was going on in their tent after dark.
I gritted through my teeth. “She never was attacked by a succubus. You got the succubi to attack me as a diversion.” He nodded as I continued, “But they’re not poisonous. You did it. You killed her.”
He burst into laughter. “You’re not so stupid after all. With your full strength, I’d hold no chances against you. I had to get you somewhere alone, weakened. Your curse was the perfect way for me to get to you.”
I frowned. “But why?”
His tone suddenly hardened. “You don’t see it, do you?”
I studied the man once more. “I thought I’d seen you somewhere the first time I met you, but I can’t pinpoint where or who you remind me of.”
The man scoffed, his words filled with bitterness. “Looks like I’ll have to tell you after all. You saw my father at the castle—our father.”
The words weighed between us, and I recognized my father’s eyes in Xavier. It was his eyes, his hair. He looked so much like him. I wondered how I hadn’t recognized him before.
“Our . . . father?” I asked.
“You see him now, don’t you?” he asked.
I nodded. “I never knew. But how?”
Xavier recounted, “When your mother died, your father had a relationship with one of the castle servants—my mother. They hid their relationship at first, but over time, their love grew. They even bonded together. But our father was old. He died before he had the chance to announce that my mother was his new queen. He never even knew my mother was pregnant.
“After his death, my mother tried to tell everyone that she was pregnant with the king’s child, but no one would believe her. They all thought he had died in mourning for his fated mate. They called my mother crazy and threw her out of the castle. Alone and pregnant, she sought refuge with friends, trying as best she could to live her life.”
I listened to what he was saying but found it hard to believe. I had a half-brother! My father had loved another woman. But my own blood had betrayed me.
Xavier continued, “While you were growing up in luxury, while people were pitying the poor prince who had lost his father so early, I was struggling to eat. People looked down on me, and I learned that life was unfair and cruel.
“My mother told me all about my father before she died. I had to learn to fend for myself. Undesirable. Half-human, half-vampire, finding no one who wanted me. I managed to find odd jobs to survive when people took pity on me. I tried to say I was a prince initially, but people laughed at me, and I could see I’d have to grow up in your shadow.”
I was at a loss for words. I stuttered, “I . . . I didn’t know. I would have helped you.”
Xavier continued, “Would you? Or would you have called me crazy too? Oh, how I spied on you as you paraded through town. How I hated you! Protected and loved by all while I was eating dirt.
“I learned everything I could about you. What you loved, what you hated. You were so strong, The Cursed King! Stronger than all the vampires and werewolves. But I knew you had a weakness. I suspected it. All I needed to do was confirm it.
“But when you stayed at my place, what I heard that night between you and your vassal. You didn’t even realize it. I don’t know how you could have been so thick of what was so obvious. That’s when I confirmed your weakness.”
“Emerald,” I murmured.
Xavier grinned. “It was so easy. I had all the time I needed when I was alone with her at the inn while you visited the elven king. I knew you wouldn’t take another vassal if she went missing.”
Rage swept over me, snapping me out of my stupor. I roared violently. “Where is she?”
“Far away from here.”
A growl escaped my chest. “You’re dead.”
The man laughed at me. “No, Nathan. YOU’RE dead. You haven’t drank blood since yesterday, and there’s no one to save you.”
He’d calculated everything. Xavier didn’t stand a chance at my full strength, but I was weakened. He had climbed the mountain eating while I carried everything.
I gritted through my teeth, “I won’t let you get out of this alive.”
He scoffed. “We’ll see about that.”
I didn’t have time to attack before Xavier was on me. I countered his attack, pushing him back, but I was struggling. I grunted as his sharp nail dug into my shoulder, blood pouring out. He was trying to bite me, to drink my blood. I realized I hadn’t seen the half-vampire drink blood and wondered if he’d been drinking from Saphielle without my knowledge all this time. He could have done anything to her while they slept in his tent at night.
I tried to hit him, but he was faster than me, and I was too weak. I had barely eaten the day before to try and spare Saphielle. Hunger had taken hold of me, and my strength had weakened.
However, the half-vampire was strong. Too strong.
I was surprised, given that he was half-human, but then I remembered that he was wearing enchanted clothes. I hadn’t checked the magical properties of his clothes before leaving Ichoryllia, but I suspected they enhanced his strength and speed.
I cursed. The circumstances were all in his favor. He had planned this well.
I was angry with myself for trusting him. I should have known better. I hadn’t been thinking clearly since Emerald’s disappearance, and now I’d die without having seen her.
My wolf roared at the thought, suddenly taking control of me.
My heart was pounding. My vampiric strength was weak, weaker than I’d ever been. My wolf was pushing, determined to destroy the one who had taken away his mate. A howl escaped my chest, and Xavier stopped, staring at me in surprise.
My vision blurred, and I fell to my knees. Within me burned a fire, a wild desire that nothing could stop. I let out a howl of pain as my bones began to grow, my clothes tearing apart, and my nails digging deep into the ground. My whole skin burned as if I’d had an intense sunburn. It felt like it was going to tear, and the pain was so intense that I feared I would fall unconscious. Nausea rose to my mouth, and I vomited bile.
It had lasted a few seconds . . . Minutes . . . I wasn’t sure anymore, but the pain subsided. My vision returned to normal. My senses sharpened in a way I had never experienced before. Whereas normally I’m drawn to heartbeats by the blood coursing through people’s veins, it was the smells that mingled together that drove me crazy.
Before I could comprehend what was happening, Xavier shouted, “Fuck! That was impressive. I had no idea you could change, but that will make the fight interesting.”
I tried to answer, but a menacing growl escaped my mouth instead. I was paralyzed, but I couldn’t even comprehend what was happening when Xavier lunged at me.
Being on all fours, Xavier had to bend over to attack me. I was fueled by the need to find my mate and the rage of knowing it was the half-vampire’s fault all along. I had a burst of energy like never before, coming from deep inside, raw and savage. I easily dodged every one of Xavier’s attacks, scratching him in the process. But seeing his blood on the ground wasn’t enough.
I wouldn’t stop until he was dead.
Xavier stopped for a moment, catching his breath as he watched me. I launched myself at him, my front paws slamming violently into his shoulders, knocking him backward. Taking advantage of the fact that he was on the ground, I sank my teeth deep into his neck.
Whereas my vampire teeth were made for stealth and precision, my wolf teeth were for tearing flesh and destruction. I gave it my all, ripping muscle and sinew, paying no attention to what I was biting, caught up in a frenzy of revenge against the man who had taken Emerald from me.
I didn’t stop until he ceased moving, lying on the ground in a pool of blood and bits of flesh. My wolf howled with contentment, but at the same moment, the realization hit me that I’d just killed the last person I considered my friend. But my grief was short-lived. He had chosen to kidnap the woman I loved and to attack me.
He owed his death to no one but himself.
I looked around, still in my wolf form. I was alone at the top of the mountain. The eternal storm was still raging. I had no idea how to regain my human form. The exhaustion of battle was beginning to show as the adrenalin ebbed. I had no idea how I was going to get down and find blood.
I took a few steps toward the snow. The wind was raging through my fur, but I wasn’t cold. I could feel my legs getting weaker as I went on. At the end of my rope, I thought it ironic to die beside the traitor’s body. I collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. I needed to drink blood. I didn’t know if it worked in my wolf form, but I had to.
When I closed my eyes, I saw Emerald’s beautiful green eyes. Peace and warmth filled me, and her voice resonated through my mind, “Please don’t die.” Darkness overtook me, and the cold hands of death brushed on my back.