The Pale Princess, page 2
She smiled, revealing elongated eye teeth. “Look and know the truth.”
He didn’t want to look. Didn’t want the truth of what she was confirmed. But her voice left no room for debate.
Talon stared into bloodred eyes so like his own and found himself dragged into a crimson hell darker than anything he’d ever imagined. Vampires slaughtered humans, feeding and killing like the animals everyone thought they were. His worst nightmare brought to vivid life.
“The Pale Princess.” He spoke the words so softly he doubted anyone else even heard.
“That’s right, Talon. I’m here to restore the vampires to their true nature. You’re hunters, predators, not civilized caretakers. We should be ruling the humans, not protecting them. You’ve corrupted what it means to be a vampire. But I’ll forgive you if you take your place at my side and help conquer the human nations. Together, no one could stop us.”
“We are not the savages you imagine.” Talon broke her gaze with effort. “We’re better than that.”
“Better?” She laughed, a light, amused sound appropriate for a child her apparent age. “Don’t lie to yourself. You suppress your nature and it makes you weak. But don’t worry, I’ll fix everything. First, we have to get rid of the infestation fouling this city.”
“No. I promised the women they’d be safe here. I won’t allow you to hurt them.”
Her smile vanished and with it went anything childish. “No one allows me anything. My followers have already begun.”
He sensed the attack before the young vampire that had been serving as his guard even got close.
Talon caught the extended, clawed hand, spun the youth around, and hurled him with bone-breaking force into a nearby building.
It seemed the legend was true, she really could control his people. But not him apparently.
Talon accelerated to the inhuman speed that made vampires so very dangerous. His thoughts reached out, trying to find anyone still free of her control and found only six, the eldest and strongest, but still far too few. He needed to get the wizards to safety, then he’d have a chance to think. He sent a mental summons and felt their reply a moment later.
Help was on the way.
Anya took a sip of water before turning her attention back to the book in her lap. She sat, legs tucked up under her nightgown, in a comfy recliner. She had no duties tonight and wanted to try and master a new spell out of the book Conryu had brought her on his last visit. Thinking about her dear friend always brought a smile to her face. So strong and so gentle at the same time, he often seemed to her more than human.
He had his limits of course. When she’d asked him for pointers, he just shook his head and said he didn’t really use spells anymore. Everything Conryu did was unique, including the way he used magic. Sometimes she missed him more than the others. Not that Talon, her mother, and the former wizards weren’t good company, but none of them were her age. The newest arrivals were too young and the others so much older.
At least they were safe here, that was the most important thing.
A black mist floated under the door and solidified into her mother’s youthful figure. She wore a simple black dress slit up to the hip on both sides. At first Anya had been scandalized to see her mother dressed that way, but now she’d gotten used to it. What she found harder was how young her mother looked now. They could have been sisters, and in another decade, Anya would look like the mother.
“Hi, Mom. Everything okay?”
Her mother looked at her, eyes glowing brighter than usual. She seemed stiff, almost rigid. Usually all the vampires moved with a sinuous grace, like hunting cats. Even when she was alive, her mother had held herself with more grace than this.
“Mom?” she asked again.
“Run, Kiska.”
She got no more warning. Her mother surged forward, claws extended.
Anya kicked herself backwards, chair and all.
Her mother flew over her head, slamming into the wall.
Anya scrambled to her feet. “What’s wrong with you?”
She shuddered. “Can’t control myself. Get out before I hurt you.”
Fangs bared and hissing, her mother gathered herself to leap again.
Anya pointed and cast. “Welcome light, blazing bright. Flare!”
A near-blinding light filled their apartment and her mother’s hiss of rage turned to one of pain. Outside in the hall more shouts filled the air along with the sound of combat.
What in heaven’s name was going on? Had the world gone mad?
The door exploded inward.
She caught a glimpse of a dark blur followed by a sharp impact. Her mother smashed through the wall and flew out of sight. In her place stood Lord Talon, his dark suit looking as disordered as Anya had ever seen it.
“What’s going on, my lord?” she asked. “My mother…”
“She’ll be fine. Can you open an earth portal? I know you’ve been practicing. We need to get the other humans to safety.” As he spoke, a number of the former White Witches hurried in escorted by vampires that appeared to be in their right minds. “Anya?”
“I’ve only done it once successfully. And even if I can, where do I take them all?”
“Anywhere but here would be an improvement,” he said.
“They’re coming, my lord,” one of the other vampires said.
“Hurry, Anya. I don’t know how long we can hold them off.”
She bit her lip and nodded. Anya ran through the spell once in her head then began to chant.
It took all her focus to block out the shouts and screams.
Power gathered and a tan circle appeared in the air.
“I did it!”
“Great, everyone into the portal.” Talon hustled the others through with Anya bringing up the rear.
“When should we come back?” she asked.
“Not until I or Conryu tells you it’s safe. Trust no one else.”
She swallowed and stepped through the portal into the realm of earth. The moment her foot cleared the portal she willed it closed. They had appeared in a massive cavern that would have fit the apartment building where they all lived with room to spare.
“What’s going on?” asked one of the refugees, a girl about fourteen Conryu brought in last year. “I thought the vampires were our friends.”
“They are,” Nosorova said. “Some magic must have been used to control them. Though I admit I have no idea what sort of spell would allow that on such a scale. Rest assured, child, that Lord Talon will get to the bottom of it and deal with whoever is responsible.”
“And if he doesn’t, Conryu will,” another of the younger girls said.
Anya smiled. A lot of the younger girls had a crush on their savior, though he never did anything to encourage them. She knew just how they felt. Conryu made her feel safe in a way no one else ever had.
“Let’s head for the Arcane Academy,” Anya said. “Dean Blane can help us figure out what to do next. At the very least it will put an ocean between us and the vampires.”
That plan brought enthusiastic agreement and Anya set out in the lead. As an earth magic user, she had an instinctive understanding of where they needed to go.
She shook her head. If anyone had ever told her she’d want an ocean between her and her mother, she would have said they were crazy, but right now, it seemed like a very good idea indeed.
When the earth portal closed, Talon relaxed a fraction. They’d gotten most of those under his protection safely away. Most, but not all. The losses galled, but he’d worry about that later. Now they needed to get out of here.
“Congratulations.” The Pale Princess appeared in the hall outside Sasha’s apartment. “All that effort to save a bunch of useless humans. You must be so proud of yourself.”
To the monastery. Go!
He sent the thought to the few of his people still free of her control. Following his own order, Talon dissolved into mist and flew away.
Her mocking voice carried far too clearly. “It doesn’t matter where you run. I will rule all the vampires and anyone stupid enough to stand against me will be destroyed. Choose wisely, Talon.”
Talon flew north in his gaseous form. Oh, he would choose wisely. But no matter what, he wouldn’t become a monster. He’d invested too much time and energy trying to prove that vampires were more than that and he’d die before letting anyone destroy his people’s future.
Flying at his greatest speed across the empty hills and valleys brought Talon within sight of the monastery he’d loaned the Daughters of the Reaper. Hopefully Grandmaster Kanna would be able to contact Conryu for him. Much as he hated to rely on anyone, Talon recognized that the Pale Princess was too strong for him and his few followers to defeat on their own.
He solidified fifty paces from the partially fallen stone building. They’d done much to make it livable, but all the changes were inside. Outside, the monastery looked exactly the same as it did when they first arrived to take possession. Why they made that choice, he had no idea and never thought to ask.
Twenty paces from the entrance he stopped beside a dark circle on the ground. A vampire had died there. The stain came from the corpse’s ashes. Had the monastery already been attacked?
He picked up his pace and nearly got three feet of black iron through his heart for the trouble. Only superhuman reflexes allowed him to dodge.
“Stop!” he shouted as the ninja prepared herself to strike again.
She froze, but not because of him. Talon sensed another presence and turned to find the grandmaster herself, mask in place and sword drawn, standing in the entrance of the monastery.
Kanna had a powerful aura and while he had no doubt he’d win should it come to battle, he’d prefer not to have to explain to their master why he’d been forced to kill one or more of his followers. Because while Talon might be confident in his ability to beat any of the ninjas, he knew without a doubt that should Conryu and he come to blows, he would not survive.
“Kanna, please let me explain.”
“Explain quickly. Why did your people attack us?”
“They were being controlled. An ancient power, a legend, has returned. Only a small group of us, the oldest and strongest, kept our minds intact. The rest have fallen under her control. We need to flee before more of them arrive.”
“A legend?” Kanna cocked her head. “Is this one of the hellpriests the Chosen warned us about?”
“I don’t know, but I do know she’ll be coming. I need to speak with Conryu. Can you take me to him?”
Kanna snapped her sword into its sheath. “We’re abandoning this location. To the Chosen, now!”
The ninja that tried to kill him vanished without a word, leaving Talon facing Kanna. He sensed the others a moment before the six still-free vampires solidified.
“I believe I can take you to Hell with me,” Kanna said. “He would not be pleased if I let you die. Come if you wish.”
Talon very much wished to be anywhere but here. He led the survivors into the monastery courtyard. Kanna raised her hand and a black portal appeared. “Go quickly. I can’t hold it for long.”
Talon didn’t need to be told twice. He sprinted through, the others right on his heels. An instant after he entered Hell, Kanna appeared beside him and he said, “I didn’t realize you could open hell portals.”
“The Chosen gave me a power boost during the latest troubles. It is thanks to him that you are here and safe.”
“Where is Conryu? I need to speak with him.”
Kanna shook her head. “We will speak with him and he will decide if he trusts you enough to risk coming here. You are lucky that we all survived when those vampires attacked the monastery. Had any of us died at the hands of one of your people, I fear what he might have done.”
Talon desperately wanted to argue but understood her position. “I accept your judgement. We will wait here. Please, tell Conryu that a legend has returned. Tell him the Pale Princess is back.”
Chapter 3
Conryu hadn’t spent much time traveling around Europe and he certainly had never visited a Mediterranean island. As he walked through a field of knee-high grass enjoying a warm breeze that smelled faintly of brine, he couldn’t help thinking that of all the places he’d visited looking for demons and hellpriests, this had to be the nicest. Not that he lowered his guard, but he did allow himself a moment of pleasure. He got few enough of them after all.
Their target, or more precisely the spot Maria recommended they check first, waited a quarter mile ahead in the middle of an old quarry. The cave, legend said, led to the labyrinth where the Minotaur was supposed to live in ancient times. He had his doubts given how many of the legends turned out to be actual legends and not stories about demon lords and their minions.
It seemed the quarry hadn’t been used in a long time and they encountered no one as they strode through the manmade canyons. The near-vertical walls had been cut with explosives as the old timers harvested granite for buildings and decorations. He knew nothing about the process and cared even less. All that interested him was the distinct lack of dark magic in the area.
“Sense anything, pal?”
“No, Master,” Prime said. “Other than you, I sense nothing magical within my range. I fear we may be hunting wild ducks again.”
Conryu laughed. “A wild goose chase, I believe, is the expression you’re butchering. And yes, that thought crossed my mind as well. On the other hand, the demon lords are supposed to be good at hiding their temples, so some magic might be hiding it from us. Hopefully we’ll find some sign in the cave to confirm that, one way or the other.”
Prime made no comment and fifteen minutes later they stood before a cave. Instead of going into the side of the hill, it went straight down. Only a ladder that looked older than Conryu offered a way to the bottom. Someone had put up signs that read: warning, no trespassing, danger, and keep out.
“If they’re that worried, why not just blast it shut?” Conryu asked.
Prime flew up beside the stone wall behind the cave. “There’s a plaque. It reads ‘site of historical significance.’”
“That explains it. People are nuts about historical sites.” Conryu shrugged, summoned the staff of all elements, cast several defensive spells, and took to the air. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”
Prime flew back to his side and they drifted down into the darkness. The crystal at the top of the staff burst to life at his mental command. Though he’d gotten used to using darkvision spells, he preferred to have actual light. This version of the spell actually shed divine energy that would weaken any demon or undead that might be in the area.
He landed lightly on the floor. Still no sign of dark magic. There was a ton of trash, graffiti written in, he assumed, Greek, and the faint stink of smoke and stale beer. Charming, he’d ended up at the local teens’ party palace.
Well, there were still miles of tunnels down here. Maybe he’d find something interesting deeper in.
Unsure whether that was the optimistic or pessimistic position, Conryu moved further into the labyrinth. The rough stone walls appeared natural rather than man-made. He rubbed them and his fingers came away covered in rock dust. Muttering unkind things about demon lords and drunken teens, he wiped his hands on his jeans and kept going.
Ten paces further in he found a body. The girl looked about sixteen, with an olive complexion, acne, short dark hair, and a skull that appeared crushed from the ear back. Poor kid. He waved the staff over her and black sparks crackled around the crystal.
“Prime?”
“I sense it, Master. Something with a powerful dark magic aura killed her. Maybe two weeks ago, but you’d have to question her with necromancy to know for sure.”
“That’s close enough. The poor girl’s been through enough without me violating her corpse. I don’t get the sense that she’s been transformed.”
“No, Master. Aside from the lingering dark energy, she’s an ordinary corpse.”
“Looks like we’re on the right track after all.” He waved the staff again and a protective bubble of light magic formed around the girl. “There, we’ll collect her on our way back out.”
“There’s something else.” Prime’s gaze had shifted further down the tunnel. “I didn’t notice it at first, but there’s something about twenty feet straight ahead. It feels like the magic of your library.”
His library existed in a pocket dimension and if what Prime sensed was the same, it might be what they were looking for. “Kai.”
The ninja appeared and took a knee. “Chosen?”
Kai wore formfitting black from head to toe leaving only her dark eyes visible. A black iron sword jutted over her shoulder. She looked exactly like what she was, a ninja, and seeing her always made him smile, circumstances be damned.
“Prime thinks there’s a pocket dimension up ahead. If it works like the library, you might not be able to appear through Hell like usual. I figured it would be better if you went in with me.”
Kai stood and drew her sword. “I am with you, Chosen.”
“I never doubted it.” He waved the staff and a field of light magic formed, outlining an invisible arch in the middle of the passage. “I wonder how none of the kids ever stumbled through it?”
“It was likely inactive until whatever killed the unlucky human emerged,” Prime said.
That made sense. “Why do you suppose the killer didn’t hide the entrance again?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea, Master. Perhaps it assumed, given the remote location, that no one capable of sensing the magic would stumble across it.”
He shrugged and started forward. Whatever the reason, at least they knew where to look next.
Kai hurried to move in front of him. “Better if I go first, Chosen.”
Conryu raised an eyebrow at that. “Probably better if I go first and you watch my back. I have the utmost respect for your abilities, Kai, but if something needs to go down fast, I’m the one to put it down.”
She turned to face him. “How can I protect you if you never let me go first into danger?”
