19. Snakes
SNAKES
Irene
Ikept shaking for an hour after having left Alex’s bedroom.
He hadn’t touched me or drunk from me, but he’d used our connection to impose his will on me.
I was so shaken that my teeth chattered. And I hated the sensation of being controlled like a puppet, of not being capable of using my own body.
Sitting on a wingback armchair in my room, I watched Darius wolfing down his fifth butter stick in a row. He hadn’t stopped eating since we’d shut ourselves in my bedroom.
He polished off yet another cup of tea. “My apologies. But with my magic gone, I’m more ravenous than usual, and eating helps regain my powers more quickly.”
Instead, my stomach churned at the thought of food. The fright and the command Alex had given me had left me exhausted and nauseated.
“You were quite brave,” I said. “Facing a rogue with nothing but symbols.”
His aura flashed crimson with embarrassment. That was a first. He was always confident and bold and basked in praise.
“I was waiting for you in the corridor, and when you didn’t answer, I was worried. I’m glad he didn’t hurt you. It would have destroyed you both.”
“He wasn’t going to attack me. I’m sure of that.” I reclined my head, thinking about Alex’s distorted face and the horror in his gaze.
“Unfortunately, without my powers, I can’t lock him up in his bedroom with a spell.
Blessed water is the best thing I can use.
But the sun is high. He’s going to collapse in his bed soon enough.
When the sun sets, he’s going to unhinge the door and leave, which means I have to use more blessed water to keep him inside. ”
“What are you…” A sob rattled me. “Are you going to kill him? Please don’t.”
He put down his cup and reached out to take my hand.
“I must be honest. If we have no choice, yes. One rogue vampire in London is enough, and you saw how fast and strong Bethlen is. Alex is going to be just like him. His transformation into a rogue is ten times faster than it should be. I suspect Cara’s spell has something to do with that, which means we don’t have time. ”
I cried, sagging in the armchair.
He patted my shoulder. “I don’t want to kill him.
He’s a brother to me. I’ll do everything in my power to find a remedy for his condition.
Rogues are incredibly strong at night and almost dead during the day.
We can lock him up in a silver cage and keep him safe.
He won’t be able to escape from that. I will use his weakness to my advantage and experiment on him to make him return to normal. ”
“Experiment? Has a rogue ever returned to normal?”
“Not that I know of. The only way to stop a rogue is to kill him or to kill his sire. But Alex stopped himself. He didn’t attack you. That’s a good sign. And he has become a rogue because of a spell.”
A sharp knock came, and Fiona barged in. “Ravenhill is out of his room.”
“What?” Darius and I said together.
“He was in the west wing.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I fled.”
Darius muttered something I didn’t catch. “Go to your room. Open the curtains and use this if necessary.” He handed her a bottle of blessed water. “Or leave the mansion.”
Fiona accepted the vial. Her aura flashed orange with surprise. “You care about me.”
“I don’t want you to die a painful death by the hand of my best friend.” He waved her away. “The duke will be weak as long as the sun is up, but be careful.”
Astonished, Fiona nodded and left.
I searched the corridor, worried Alex might jump on me.
“What a mess. We must…” Darius frowned, staring at the window. “What is happening?”
Fog was creeping down the hill of Willow Grove. It was like a massive creature about to swallow us. Thick and grey, it rose to engulf the palace. An eerie silence fell. The birds’ songs ceased. The sound of the wind disappeared. The air became heavy with humidity. Breathing was difficult.
I walked over to the window to take a better look, but there wasn’t much to see aside from a grey blanket. “Darius?”
He was petrified. Even his aura was frozen.
“What is it?” I touched his arm.
“I have no idea, and that terrifies me. I don’t like things I know nothing about because there are so few.” He swallowed hard. “We’d better see what Alex is doing.”
“Is this fog caused by him?” I stepped closer to him, a ripple going down my back.
He stepped back from the window. “I don’t believe in coincidences. Let’s go.”
Grey light had fallen in the hallway as the fog covered the windows. Not a sound came from the other rooms. A sudden yank in my chest made me slip over the tiles and warned me that Alex was coming.
I gasped, my shoes screeching against the floor. “He’s here.”
Alex’s silhouette swept into view from the other side of the corridor, looking imposing and lethal.
Darius shoved me behind him and raised the golden symbols that rattled. “Stay away. I have enough holy water to drench you.”
Dressed in clothes dirty with blood, mud, and grass blades, Alex came forth, holding up his hands. A scarf hung around his neck, and his coat was halfway down his shoulders. Dirt smeared his cheeks.
He stared at me, and the bond spread warmth through my chest, blossoming like a flower that had been in the dark for too long. “I doubt the blessed water will have any effect on me. I’m in control.”
I didn’t move, and Darius didn’t withdraw the holy symbols although Alex wasn’t recoiling at them.
“How?” Darius lifted the vial of blessed water.
“Carabosse reversed the spell. Sort of. It doesn’t matter right now. I’m normal.” He moved closer. “Irene, I’m so sorry for what I did to you. I’ll make amends.”
“I think he’s telling the truth.” Our bond wasn’t strained but soft and relaxed.
Darius sprayed him with the blessed water anyway.
“Dammit!” Alex wiped his face, streaking it with mud. “I told you I’m normal.”
“That’s your point of view. I have a different opinion.” Darius lowered the symbols but kept holding the vial. “Cara reversed the spell in exchange for what? Do you realise you’re going to pay a new price?” He pointed at the fog covering the windows completely. “Did she do this?”
Alex cleaned some blood from the corner of his mouth. “I went out to search for her—”
“That’s not what I asked you.” Darius cut him off. “Besides, it’s pretty obvious!”
“The sun weakened me to the point that I was dying. She found me on the ground and promised to reverse the spell if…” He raked a hand through his hair. “If I turned her into a vampire.”
“And?” I glanced at Darius, not sure if Cara’s request was a good or a bad thing.
Darius corked the vial and slid it into his pocket. “I want to do a little test.”
He hugged Alex who leapt back, shouting. I hated seeing him so frightened and in pain, but his reaction proved it. The spell had been reversed, and he was back to his old self.
“I don’t understand.” Darius shifted his weight. “Why did Cara ask to be turned into a vampire? She can’t become a vampire. She’s a witch. Her magic will destroy the vampire venom as it would destroy a disease. Why don’t I understand anything as of late? It’s frustrating. Tell me more.”
“Something happened though.” Alex seemed incapable of taking his gaze off me.
His beautiful silver-grey eyes were filled with sorrow.
“A human needs three bites and a blood exchange to be turned. Instead, she needed one bite and some of my blood. After that, energy came off her, and it was so strong the ground cracked. Then darkness fell, and the fog rose. I lost sight of her and ran here when the fog started to descend towards the mansion. What is happening?”
“Without my magic, I can’t consult my book.” Darius stopped pacing when dark smoky tendrils emerged from the fog.
They slid through the space between the window frame and the sill, growing in size as they came in. Letting out a low hiss, they twisted along the corridor.
They were like giant snakes, writhing and climbing over the walls and the ceiling, twisting around the curtains, slithering along the floor.
“What are those things?” I put a hand to my throat, having trouble breathing.
“We need to leave.” Alex stood in front of us, shoving the snakes away.
We half walked, half ran down the corridor.
When swatted, the snakes dissolved and reformed a moment later, but the more they reappeared, the more solid they were.
I followed Alex, and Darius brought up the rear, still muttering about not knowing things.
Wilis, footmen, and maids flooded the entrance hall.
Their voices and the stomping of their feet echoed off the ceiling.
The moment they saw Alex, a shower of blessed water poured over us.
Symbols dangled from every hand, and screams ricocheted off the ceiling.
“Stop! I’m normal!” Alex waved his arms. “Everyone calm down. I’m normal.”
“It’s true,” I said, wiping water from my face.
Mutters spread.
“How can this be normal?” Fiona recoiled at the fog slithering from every gap it could find.
The narrow slit between the front door and the floor or the wall was pouring out fog.
The dark tendrils coiled around my ankles, their touch slimy and icy. I screamed, kicking my legs.
Alex shoved them away, but they returned. My skin prickled as the snakes gained strength. Their grip was harder, and spikes grew on their spines.
“Did the wizard do this?” Fiona slapped a snake aiming at her. “Is this a joke?”
“It wasn’t me, and it’s not a joke.” Darius flapped his hands around. “It was Carabosse.”
A hush fell after the mention of the witch.
“Leave the mansion,” Alex shouted over the din. “Everyone.”
People made a dash for the front door or tried to. The snakes became more solid and coiled around us, blocking our movements. It was like walking through snow as tall as I was, shoving my way forwards.
Spikes stung my legs, and panic seized me. I couldn’t scream, so scared I was.
“Stay calm.” Alex kicked the snakes away from me. “Follow me.”
Fog filled the front yard as well. The snakes had more freedom here and twined around the hedges, trees, and flowerbeds, seemingly devouring the world.
Darius took my hand as we crossed the garden. “Are you all right?”
“Y-yes.” I shivered.
Alex cast a sad glance at our entwined hands, and his sorrow flowed through the bond.
The air cleared when we were at the gate where only a thin mist lingered. The fog blocked the view of Raven Hall, but the dark tendrils going in and out of it were visible.
“This is a disaster.” Darius ran a hand over his face. “If the Fair Duchess learns about this, she’s going to rule us all.”
“That’s the least of our problems,” I said.
Alex brushed my hand with his, a light touch that carried the weight of his sorrow. “I’m sorry. For everything.”