Page 22

Lucian

Present

The last thing I wanted to do right now was return to my guesthouse.

Not when my heart and body was singing with victory.

Kerainne had allowed me to touch her. I’d have felt guilty for taking advantage of her grief at the sight of the wasteland that used to be her home, had I not also been grieving and in need of comfort myself.

The sight of that endless crater brought back a torrent of memories.

The utter despair of thinking I’d lost the love of my life and disbelief that Mephistopheles could take a whole kingdom like this despite having seen him do the same on Earth.

And finally, fury and rage that seemed to darken and taint my soul.

How could Kerainne bear to go back there on a somewhat regular basis? Yet again, she proved herself to be stronger than me.

At least Gabriel would sympathize. Him staying at my guesthouse meant he was banished from Sylvis Jagwolfe’s side. I wondered if he was grieving the loss as badly as I had the day I’d been evicted from the tower. I hope he hadn’t ruined things permanently. And not just for my own sake.

After walking in heavy silence for so long, I asked, “How did my newly discovered cousin handle the discovery that you weren’t the pet she’d grown attached to?”

Gabe shrugged. “As expected, she was angry and felt betrayed.”

“I warned you.”

“But she’s willing to allow me to make recompense.” Gabe’s wry grin gave me hope. “She wants me to teach her to shapeshift.”

I gaped at him in astonishment. “You think she’s capable of such complex magic?”

“I am. When we were attacked by Renfields, she blasted one of them with a jet of water that she’d created, rather than summoned from the surrounding environment.”

“By the fates, I had no idea that the Earth hybrids had that much power.” I paused as the rest of his words sank in. “But what is a Renfield?”

“It’s not only the Luminite hybrids who have growing power.

Many humans on Earth are finding themselves able to use magic,” Gabriel told me, perhaps not knowing that I’d attended the Conclave meeting on that very subject.

“A Renfield is a vampire’s human servant, able to walk in the sunlight and do its master’s bidding. ”

I shivered with distaste at the notion. These creatures were not mentioned at today’s meeting. I wonder why Delgarias left them out.

Gabriel continued describing what he’d learned about the current conflict between the vampires on Earth, then moved on to the topic of Earth’s government and civilian organizations dedicated to spying on the growing communities of magic users.

When we arrived at my guesthouse, I shook his head in wonder.

“I never would have believed that magic could return to Earth after Mephistopheles raped that unfortunate world and the humans born without magic finished the job by massacring faelin, luminite, and human mages until every being with a glimmer of magic had either fled to Aisthanesthai or was exterminated. And now that Earth has been given the miracle of a second chance, the idiot humans are going to destroy their world all over again without the help of the Evil One.”

Memories of the rescue missions I helped Kerainne with flashed before me, and while I was grateful for those we’d saved, I still felt staggering remorse at all the times I argued against those missions. All the times I’d refused to go.

Gabriel nodded grimly as we took our seats by the fireplace.

“That appears to be the likely path. But we’re hopeful that the Earth mages can stay hidden and protected long enough for the budding magic to blossom and put down roots.

There is even some hope that the most powerful Earth folk may be able to aid us in the war.

Aid is dearly needed with the growing Earthside recruits joining Mephistopheles’s cause.

There are vast cults of vampires worshipping the very one who cast them aside.

I cannot understand it. There will be no reward for them marching against us except for their deaths at best and eternity in the desolation of Qua’ al-fán at worst.”

I lit the fire with a snap of my fingers and then summoned a time stasis container of stew and bowls. After tonight’s exertions, we both needed a hot meal.

After our supper, I gave Gabe a tour of my little house, noticing my friend’s knowing smile at my choice of decor.

Paintings of ships at sea, and many still-life illustrations of lilacs adorned the hallway because Kerainne loved nautical things.

I’d also placed magically preserved lilacs in glass-covered vases on every end table and shelf because they were her favorites and I clung to the hope that she’d visit me here one day.

Gabe seemed to have decided not to tease me about it. Instead asking me, “How much luminite ancestry does one have to have to be able to live forever?”

I stared at him, knowing exactly which hybrid he was talking about.

“There doesn’t seem to be a set quantum.

There have been halflings that didn’t for one reason or another, transcend to Luminista during their first—well, only—death.

But then there will be people who’ve had humans in their family tree for hundreds of years finding themselves amongst us.

There were a few High Scholaers who studied the phenomenon, so maybe when neither of us is at risk of imprisonment the moment we return home, we can ask them.

” I paused and decided to get to the point.

“Are your feelings for Sylvis serious? Is that why you’re wondering about her prospective lifespan? ”

“I don’t know.” Gabriel averted his face.

I wondered if he was thinking of his first attempt at courting a woman and my role in that disaster.

“I’m so sorry about the whole ordeal with Claudia.” I placed my hand on Gabe’s shoulder. “I was so wrapped up in the joys and agonies of being in love with Kerainne that I wanted you to have the same experience as me. But my pressuring you seems to have done more harm than good.”

Gabe shook his head. “I don’t think your attempt at matchmaking caused me permanent damage.

Not all of us have or desire mates. And aside from you, I don’t even desire permanent friendships because I enjoy my solitude.

Right now, I feel a fascination for Sylvis, and that is growing towards a feeling of friendship, yet there may be something else.

Normally, I wouldn’t dwell on trying to figure it out since I have eternity. But she may not.”

I nodded, unable to hide a yawn. “Well, eternity or no, if you feel as exhausted from tonight’s work as I do, you should sleep on it. Then tomorrow, we can visit the King and Queen’s tower to offer assistance with these Earth mages.”

Gratitude shone in Gabe’s eye’s. “You would aid me with my efforts to know her?”

“Yes. Though my motives aren’t entirely unselfish.” I smiled. “I also have a lady in that tower who I wish to be near.”

The next day proved that the decree that Gabe would stay with me held little teeth.

He’d convinced Sylvis and Zareth that he could be of use in their mission to find out who was following a coven of witches in New York.

He’d turn himself into a dog and see if he could detect the stalker’s scent.

Zareth was also going on this mission. Nik and Del were joining Akasha on a mission to take out a cell of vampire cultists.

Which meant Kerainne was once more left alone in the tower. After Xochitl hugged her mother goodbye and departed with the others, I took a risk of rudeness and remained in the solar. For the longest time, she stood and stared at me.

I held my breath, waiting for her to order me to leave.

“Would you like some strawberry shortcake and tea?”

I had to bite my tongue to keep from cheering in victory. “I’d love that.”

Soon we were settled in a smaller parlor that was much cozier than Zareth’s cavernous dining room. Kerainne summoned plates and silverware to the table, followed by a pot of tea and plate of cakes and ice cream sandwiches in a time-stasis container.

“I made the cakes myself,” she told me as she loaded my plate with a cake that looked like what would have been served at a luminite palace.

I was impressed. “I haven’t known you to cook since the times we spent with the tribes on Earth.”

“I cooked before.” Her voice was defensive. “I did a lot of cooking for Nik. And even more when I moved to Earth. There was no one else to cook for me there.”

A thought started to come at her mention of cooking for her sister, then vanished when she spoke of living on Earth. “Kerainne, I—”

She held up a hand. “No. Don’t do this. I can’t handle talking about the past right now. Yesterday was bad enough. Sometimes just looking at you is bad enough.”

The last stung, much as I deserved it. But you hurt me too , I wanted to argue. Instead, I took a bite of the cake and moaned in pleasure at the spongy lightly sweet cake complemented with whipped cream, freshly sliced strawberries, and strawberry syrup.

“Fates, this is delicious.” I frowned at her plate that contained an ice cream sandwich instead. “Why aren’t you having one?”

“Oh, I hate strawberry shortcake,” Kerainne said cheerfully. “I just make it because my daughter likes it.”

For a moment, all I could do was blink in confusion. “I’d forgotten how strange you can be.”

“And I’d forgotten how astonished you are at the smallest things.” The words came out warmly, with no edge of taunting. “I’d sometimes wondered what would happen if I actually tried to shock you.”

“I may enjoy participating in such an experiment.”

My tone must have come out too intimate, for her eyes widened with the same defensive wariness she had since I first stepped foot in Zareth’s tower. Then, she smiled again, though it lacked the warmth of earlier. “Would you like to watch a movie with me? I can turn on the popcorn maker.”