Bloodlines, page 22
part #3 of Amarok Series
“I’m not afraid of you.” She pushed Cleo further up onto her back. The vampires hadn’t allowed her to hunt and the rations they brought with them weren’t enough to keep a weasel fed. Her charge couldn’t keep up with the pace of the supranatural creatures around her. “Let’s go.”
An uneasy feeling began to rise as they approached the stones. Thirty feet away, the uneasiness morphed to anxiety. Amara couldn’t explain why but something in that direction felt wrong and every instinct she possessed told her not to go that way.
When they came within ten feet, Amara actively fought the grip dragging her forward, a low whimper building in her throat. The beast had gone into a panic. She would have shifted but they weight on her back reminded her that she couldn’t.
Elipseis forced her to move the last three feet. Then, the moment she passed beyond the stones, the feeling evaporated. She took a deep breath as the pressure on her chest eased, feeling the wolf’s confusion mixing with her own. “…What—”
“Don’t worry about that now.” Elipseis reached down, pressing his fingertips into the earth. Amara stumbled as the ground rumbled. A square of dirt shifted away, revealing a wide opening containing a staircase that led to complete darkness.
Her escort stood, brushing off his hands as he started down the stairs. “Don’t fall behind. It’s easy to get lost and we might not be bothered to come find you.”
“Like I would.”
It was rare that she couldn’t see. Nights were always illuminated by the heavens and villagers burned torches to ward off thieves. The darkness within the tunnel was complete. No one would be able to see their hands in front of him but Elipseis never paused as they took several sharp turns.
Amara’s hand running along the wall ran out of surface, telling her the tunnel had suddenly widened. She blinked as a sudden flare of light assaulted her eyes.
Elipseis turned, fire dancing across his fingertips. “Welcome to the Blood Keep, our greatest stronghold.” He closed his hand and the wisps of flames gathered into a small ball that floated into the air. Then he moved his index finger in a circle.
A soft breeze stirred Amara’s hair. When it reached the ball of the flames, the fire moved, flattening it and swirling it about until it took the form of s snake. Elipseis point outwards and the snake darted forward, slithering along the wall, lighting a row of torches. It continued all the way around the room before spiraling downwards, lighting dozens of torches.
Amara sucked in a deep breath as the Keep truly came into view. The cavern they were in had a diameter of thirty feet. The ceiling was high, but the bottom went too far for Amara to make out.
Her group stood on a narrow stone bridge that led to an arched opening on the other side. Below it, several other bridges stretched across the cavern. She could see people, and even wagons, moving over them.
“This is incredible.” The tunnel and the walls were rough, but the sheer size of the cavern alone amazed her. To build something on its scale and keep it stable took skill and planning.
“This? This is nothing. You should have seen the Eternal Spring. Now, that was incredible.” Elipseis eyes glazed over briefly with nostalgia. Then he shook his head and they hardened. “I will ask you to hand the human woman over to my men now.”
Amara gripped her charge tightly. “Why? What do you plan to do with her?”
“Feed her. She’s no use to House Blood dead. Do not be difficult about this. Roan is waiting to meet you. Keeping him would be an insult.”
A growl was beginning to make its way up her throat but a hand touching her neck stopped her. She turned to see Cleo staring back, eyes weary but alert. “Not a fight you can win.”
They stared at each other for a long moment. Then Amara crouched, gently setting her on her feet. Two vampires stepped up, each grabbing one of Cleo’s arms. One of the cursed as Cleo leaned into him, making him stumble. “Don’t look at me like that,” she said with false cheer. “Whose fault do you think it is I can barely walk anyway?”
“Hey brat. Don’t forget what I told you.”
Cleo waved the comment away as she was guided back into the tunnel. Amara watched until they disappeared, forcing down her worry.
“Are you ready?”
“…Yeah.” She followed Elipseis down the bridge and into another tunnel too dark to see in. “If something happens to her—”
“You will do nothing and if you try, you’ll die. Such is the reality of placing yourself at another’s mercy. Luckily for you, our king is far more noble than your own masters.”
“I don’t have a master.”
She couldn’t see the action, but she could feel the weight of Elipseis’ gaze as he turned to stare at her pensively. “…No. I don’t think you do.”
-
The second tunnel moved upwards and opened up into a small room. Amara couldn’t believe it when she spotted a long table draped in a white dining cloth draped in silver moonlight. Her eyes went to the ceiling. A small circle in the rock showed the night sky, including the full moon.
“We call it a Sleeping Moon.”
Preoccupied with the existence of a hole that would allow in, for the underground stronghold’s occupants, toxic sunlight and thoughts of potential escape, she failed to notice the man sitting at the table.
He was quite ordinary. His bronze skin and dark hair resembled the people from the continent, though his features weren’t as pronounced; he had a slimmer jaw and softer brow than her father. He was dressed the same way as the other members of House Blood; dark pants and a long coat over a bare chest. A band of gold hung at his neck, inscribed with symbols she couldn’t read.
“Do you know why?”
She jumped as he spoke again. As ordinary as he looked, the wolf could tell something about him wasn’t ordinary at all. It cowered within her mind, tail tucked between its legs in the presence of a predator it couldn’t hope to fight. “I…no, I don’t.”
“The gods. No, the creatures we mistake as gods. They become drowsy when the moon is full. If they give in to the urge, they fall into a deep sleep that can last many years. It is the best time to hunt them.”
“You mean…the governors?”
“Is that what your people call them? I imagined they would have secured a more grandiose title though House Law were always more practical than the others. You may sit down.”
Amara hesitated, dreading the idea of going toward the danger. A sharp blow from Elipseis sent her stumbling forward. Pausing to throw a glare over her shoulder, she took the chair closest to Roan. Sitting on the opposite end of the table wouldn’t help the situation and there was no need to risk offending the king by making him raise his voice.
“Elipseis. Have them bring something to drink. And food. I hear your kind have particularly large appetites. You prefer meat?”
“…The more the better.”
“You heard her.”
“Yes, sire.”
“I thought you would be taller.”
One of the man’s eyebrows raised slightly. “Pardon?”
“I’m not calling you short. Just, I imagined the godkiller who scares every living being in the world would be taller.”
“Ah. Many expectations of me are overblown. My advisors tell me the humans circulate stories that say I have horns of a goat and wings of a bat.”
Amara snorted. “Ridiculous.”
“Not quite. The Life Weaver, a governor as you call them and a member of House Verdant, has conducted many twisted experiments. Who knows what he may or may not have created? But that is not important. It appears to not be necessary, but I will introduce myself. I am Roan, the sire of House Blood.”
She knew it but hearing his name made her stomach drop. Amara swallowed. “Amara Wolf.”
“I hear your kind’s last name is the same as your animal counterpart. Convenient for your masters I imagine but rather callous.”
“I have no masters.”
“So I have been told.”
A group of vampires entered the room carrying wooden trays. They quietly and efficiently unloaded their burden. Amara licked her lips as several meat dishes were placed in front of her, her stomach growling as the smell invaded her nose. Once their trays were clear, the vampires bowed and left without a word.
Not much could stop a changer’s appetite, not even fear. Amara dug into the food with gusto and no regard for manners or the pristine white cloth on the table. Midway through her meal, her nose crinkled up as a strange smell intruded. She looked up to see Roan sipping from a steaming mug.
He read her curiosity and answered the unspoken question. “Its water poured over leaves and roots. My body is alive. Unlike the resurrected members of my House, the living need more than blood but our bodies become used to liquid diets. This is a happy medium. Would you like to try it?”
“Uh, no. Thank you but no.”
They finished their meals in silence. When Amara devoured the last cut of meat, a servant appeared like magic, stacking the plates on a tray and disappearing just as quickly.
She leaned back into her chair with a sigh.
“And now that you have been satiated…”
She looked over at Roan with a raised eyebrow. “I suppose this is when you take advantage of my state and murder me.”
“If you suspected that, then why did you partake so thoroughly?”
“I’m going to die anyway. May as well enjoy myself a bit before I do.”
Roan’s lips twitched. “I won’t say that I completely disagree with your logic. But rejoice Amara Wolf. I have no plans to kill you. No, I only want to educate you on my history and, by extension, your own history.”
“Well, I’m not exactly in a position to refuse you, am I?”
“No, but you are in control of your attention and I would very much like for you to lend it to me for a moment.”
“I’m all ears.”
“Good. How much do you know about my House?”
“You are abominations of nature, creatures who spit on the natural order by defying death. You prey on weaker creatures and treat living, sentient beings like livestock, slaughtering towns carelessly if it means slaking your thirst.”
“That’s quite a dim view of my people.”
“Is any of it wrong?”
“No, not at all.” Roan stood up. Amara tensed, ready for an attack, but it never came. Instead, he refilled his cup and poured a second mug that he placed in front of her. “In case you change your mind. To someone who lives once, our rebirth may seem quite unnatural. We definitely despise the higher fae and I personally plan to exterminate all of them. And yes, our newly awakened are quite careless of life while in the throes of bloodlust.”
“…You’re doing a poor job of defending yourself.”
“I’m not defending myself. To do so would be apologizing for my actions and I won’t apologize for my very nature. I have accepted who and what I am. At one time, my birth was the source of my greatest pride. Until I learned the truth. I imagine it will be the same for you.”
“The truth?”
He tilted his head back, his gaze going distant. “You see, we are weapons you and I. Mere tools of those who created us. You see us as unnatural, but you beasts are quite unnatural yourselves. Shifting between two shapes. Eternal Spring fell because I could never fathom such a thing occurring. Doyle, my…he called you the ultimate weapons. And that’s what they’ve used you as.”
“Of course.”
The surprise on Roan’s face made Amara burst into laughter. “Is shock the only proper emotion you can express vampire?”
“It’s not often that someone manages to surprise me so I don’t have as much practice controlling it. You…you aren’t upset.”
“I am pack. We are not beasts or savages, but we are physical and more likely to settle a dispute with fists rather than words. We respect strength and are led by the strong. As you said, I accept what I am.”
“Indeed. Then, I ask you a question. I know your governor is the higher fae known as Clay of House Law. He has incredible power but is not, taking the word you used yourself, physical. The same goes for Infini and the others who lead the pack. So, why do your people follow them?”
Amara sighed. The memories were murky after all these years and painful to bring back. She remembered her young self being observed by Lord Infini, asking herself the exact same question. “For the same reasons any subject follows a king.”
“Admiration. Security. Loyalty. Prosperity.”
“So you said.”
“Still, the pack is quite loyal. I have watched some of your brethren throw themselves to their deaths on the orders of their masters without question and worse. No matter what is asked of them, they always comply and they never leave. Not a single settlement of changers exists beyond the rule of the higher fae. Each and every one of them is content to be soldiers.”
She frowned. “You make it sound like a bad thing.”
“The opposite in fact. I think it is quite remarkable. My House was born from my blood yet they are nowhere near as loyal as your people. I do everything for them, but even I have dissenters.” Roan leaned forward, staring at her intensely. “But not one of the pack has ever strayed. Not until you.”
“What’s your point vampire?”
“You don’t have the markings.”
“I left before my coming of age ceremony.”
“Do you have any idea what those markings mean?”
“Glory to the governor. Glory to the pack.”
Roan smiled, his white teeth flashing in the dark as he chuckled. “I see. And I have a question for you. Why would they choose to write it in those strange characters rather than the common script familiar throughout the continent?”
“It’s a sacred language.”
“You have no idea how right you are Amara Wolf. It is indeed a sacred and powerful language. Those characters contain within them the very essence of creation and those with the power to wield them can affect every aspect of the world. Every creature within the world. Shall I tell you the true meaning of those characters? It roughly translates to subjugate the mind, obedience to whoever has bound you.”
Something about the words sent a chill down Amara’s spine. “…What are you trying to tell me?”
“Those tattoos are a chain carved into your very skin. Any who bears them has their will stripped away. It’s not that they don’t think of ever leaving the rule of your governor, it’s that they can’t. They cannot leave the influence of the higher fae, they cannot think their own thoughts or decide to act on those thoughts. And even if they could, a single order from their master would override their own will. The worse, or perhaps the best part, is the target would never know they are under control. The First Language is natural law. Why would anyone question what is natural?”
“…You’re lying.”
“Denial. Yes, that was my first reaction as well. What is so impossible to believe? That they would use you or that they could?”
“That they could,” she growled, getting to her feet. “There is no way mere words could bend the will of the pack. It is ridiculous!”
“Such a naïve view of the world, though I suppose that isn’t your fault. When people think of the power of gods, they imagine great storms and trembling earth. Who would think that mere words could pose a threat?” Roan got to his feet and headed for the exit. Amara didn’t need him to speak to know she was meant to follow and pushed out her chair, stomping after him with whirling thoughts.
-
Amara was surprised when they went to the surface and even more so when they left the shadows of the great stone pillars, but she said nothing, waiting for the vampire to explain himself.
A hundred feet away, he came to a stop. “Go back.”
“What?”
“Those rocks are assembled in the character ‘repel’. I have personally devoured two members of House Law and imbued each stone with the power of my own blood. If you can pass through them of your own will, then I am a liar. I’ll even allow you to go free, along with that human you were protecting.”
Amara glared at him suspiciously. “That is awfully generous of you. Or should I say awfully confident.”
Roan said nothing, watching her with cool challenge. Their gazes met and she growled. The vampire held the stare, as if he understood what the gesture meant. Her wolf’s growls quieted until they began to sound more like whimpers and she turned away, stomping toward the stones.
Just like before, she began to feel something strange, a wrongness. She persisted but the feeling only got worse. Her stomach dropped as her skin began to crawl, her strong gait turning to a shuffle. A pounding started in her head as her insides twisted. She felt like she would throw up.
Thirty feet away, she collapsed, breathing heavily as she tried to hold back her nausea. She barely registered Roan grabbing her arm and dragging her forward. “Right now, I am using the power of Void to negate the magic acting against you. Elipseis did the same earlier. Without it, you’d pass out. Even the largest army would fall to their knees without any of my House so much as lifting a finger. Tell me, is that not more powerful than throwing spears of lightning?”
He kept hold of her as they moved deeper into the underground kingdom. Amara didn’t bother trying to remember the route as her mind was entirely occupied by the truth foisted upon her. Roan left her in a small room with a long bed, never saying a word. Leaving her in respectful silence.
-
The next morning, an aide came to Amara’s room. He found her seated on the bed in quiet contemplation, the stillness she gave off saying she had been seated there for quite some time and would remain there for untold more lest she be disturbed. “Amara Wolf. Lord Roan has requested your presence for a meal.”
Amara opened her eyes and got to her feet, rolling her shoulders with a yawn. “Good, I want to talk with him.”
She pushed past the aide and moved through the tunnel with confidence. From the way she moved, no one would know that she was a prisoner or had just had her very reality ripped apart.
