“I think we should keep moving,” my father said firmly.
Even Ibrahim agreed this time.
And so we continued. All of us felt more hopeless by the minute. What were the chances that Lucas was still alive? Even Ibrahim wasn’t sure. He seemed to prefer not to divulge too many details about the various things the marsh dwellers did with their victims, and wisely so. It would only make our hearts sink further.
Come on, Uncle. You’re a fighter. You can survive this. I know you can.
I kept thinking positive thoughts as we traveled the next hour through the forest—a forest whose beauty had lost its charm long ago. I just wanted to find my uncle and get out of here. Even if we had failed to discover any information about the Hawk-vamps, we would have to keep moving and figure out where else those kids might’ve stopped along their journey.
A rustling of trees to our left arrested our attention.
I immediately thought that it might be another marsh dweller, like Ottalie, come to spy and seduce us. Or an animal…
But this was a beast of a different kind.
It was… oh, God… My naked uncle.
Derek
My brother stumbling through the trees, stark naked, was a vision that I would not forget in a hurry… though I wished to.
We hurried toward him, the relief in his eyes palpable. He groaned and collapsed into his son’s arms.
“What happened to you?” Jeramiah choked, his mouth hanging open.
Ugh. “Somebody give my brother something—anything—to tie around his waist!” I called out.
Claudia slipped off her sweater, her gaping expression mirroring Jeramiah’s as she approached Lucas and handed him the item.
Lucas’s hands were shaking as he tied it around his waist so tightly, it looked like he was going to stop the blood flow to his groin. He just looked so frantically happy to have received something to cover himself with.
Poor man.
I could make a number of guesses about what might’ve happened to him, but we couldn’t hang around here any longer to hear the story. We needed to get out of this country.
“Ibrahim.” I looked to the warlock. “Let’s go.”
We touched down on a beach. Ibrahim had brought us to The Tavern. Lucas dropped to his knees and lay face down against the sand, breathing heavily.
Ibrahim provided him with some water to soothe his cracking throat.
As my brother mustered the strength to tell us what had happened to him, we listened with rapt attention. My brother was damn lucky he hadn’t ended up in that garden.
In spite of all the horrors he’d endured, at least we could be grateful that he had managed to retain the sense to ask the queen for information about the five kids while he’d had the opportunity.
After everybody stopped asking Lucas about the sordid details of his trauma, I switched the subject to the most urgent matter at hand. “So now we know what those kids were told by the marsh dwellers—assuming that the queen was telling the truth… Though it does sound like it. She told them that they were half Hawk, half vampire. And she also told them that the Hawks lived in Aviary, while the vampires originated from Cruor. Have I got it right?”
Lucas nodded.
“So then at least one of those places would have been their logical next destination,” I said. I glanced at my son.
“That would be the reasonable assumption,” he said, swallowing.
“Well, at least Aviary should be easy to verify,” Ibrahim said. “We have a whole bunch of Hawks back in The Shade. If those kids were searching for their parents and made it to Aviary, they would have spoken to someone. Likely a number of people. I’d say there’s a big chance at least one of the members of our Hawk army knows about them—if they ever visited in the first place. I can hurry back there now and talk to the birds. And I could leave you people here in a safe shady spot… If not a single one of those Hawks has any idea about the kids, then it’s probably safe to assume that they didn’t reach the country… which would leave us with…” His voice trailed off as he glanced around at the group darkly.
Cruor?
None of us looked comfortable even saying the word aloud, especially my son.
“Well,” I said, sucking in a breath, “let’s verify with the Hawks in The Shade first. Do as you suggest, Ibrahim. Go back and talk to them, and in the meantime, we’ll find a safe spot for ourselves.”
I wouldn’t exactly describe The Tavern as the safest place in the universe, with all of the strange creatures that passed through it. But it was as safe as safe went in the supernatural realm, at least in current times. (They had experienced a Bloodless infestation some years ago, but they successfully managed to purge it.) We found a shaded area among some trees where we sat, and were left undisturbed until Ibrahim returned.
We spotted him wandering along the beach, looking for us. Ben shot out and led him to our group.
“No luck,” Ibrahim said, shaking his head wearily. “I spoke to every single Hawk still hanging around in The Shade—about forty of them—and not a single one was aware of those kids ever setting foot in Aviary. One of the Hawks was old, a great-grandfather. Even he had no clue. If children as strange as them had ever made it to Aviary, surely the word would’ve spread among the Hawks—I mean the children’s very existence is blasphemy to the Hawks’ kind.”
My stomach felt heavy as we were forced to consider the second option. Cruor. Those poor kids thought that they might find one of their parents in Cruor. That was pretty heartbreaking.
“How do we even go about checking in Cruor?” Rose asked nervously. “I mean, it’s a dead realm now, isn’t it? There’s nobody even to check with—”
“Nobody but the Elders,” my son said grimly.
“And obviously that’s ridiculous,” Rose said.
There was a span of silence.
Ridiculous wasn’t exactly a word in the Novaks’ dictionary. Certainly not a word to be used now of all times, less than an hour after our romp around The Dewglades. We had all seen too much for anything to be labeled ridiculous any more.
Impossible wasn’t in our vocabulary either. Anything was possible. Those kids could well have made their way to Cruor and encountered the Elders, maybe even gotten themselves trapped there.
Whatever the case, Cruor was the only logical next step.
“But how will we even go there?” It was my father-in-law Aiden who posed a question. “I mean, do you really think it’s a good idea for us vampires to travel there?”
“The Elders are weakened beyond measure,” Ben said, his voice hoarse. “They were weakened in my time, over two decades ago, not even strong enough to possess a regular vampire. Not to speak of now, many years later. But that being said, I think we’ll all agree that it is best not to tempt fate. We don’t know exactly what we might find there. Maybe there are even Bloodless hanging around the mountains…”
“Then?” Rose questioned, wide-eyed.
As my son pursed his lips, I was sure that everyone guessed his answer.
Bastien
The king instructed the other jinni, whom he addressed as Midas, to answer my questions and ultimately grant my wish. Midas led me out of the king’s court, along the hallways of the palace, and back up to the desert.
“Now we must travel some distance,” Midas said. “I can transport you there with my powers. It will be quicker.”
“All right.” Making anything quicker seemed like it could only be a good thing.
The sand beneath me vanished, and when I was able to pry open my eyes again, we were standing outside a range of small, low mountains potted with caves.
I was confused, to say the least. Why were we here? What does he need to show me? I didn’t understand why they couldn’t tell me outright what they had planned. But beggars couldn’t be choosers.
Midas led me into one of the holes, which turned out to be a long tunnel, so long that I couldn’t even see the end of it. It twisted and turned several
times before we emerged in a vast cavern whose ceiling held holes large enough for a man to slip through, but not large enough to light up the chamber. Apart from the odd stream of moonlight, it was dark. And there was a strange smell pervading the atmosphere. It smelt bitter, pungent. I sneezed just from inhaling it.
The jinni manifested a fire in his palms, and then I realized where the smell was coming from. In the center of the cavern was a large hole, filled with some kind of liquid. Not water. Definitely not water. The jinni led me closer and as the firelight played across it, it was orange in color. Vivid orange.
“What is this?” I breathed. Every fiber of my being wanted to back away. Run out of this cave right now. But how could I? What alternative lay before me? I had bought myself a few days away from the Mortclaws in order to come to The Dunes. I’d thrown all my bets on this working.
Eyeing the rest of the cave more closely, I realized there were markings on the walls. Pictures drawn with white chalk, playing across the stone. The drawings depicted giant scorpions. Jinn, holding spears aloft and aiming them at the monsters. And then an even stranger creature—what appeared to be a mix of the two: half man, half scorpion.
A shudder rolled through me. I resumed my focus on Midas. He still had not answered my question.
“What are we doing here?” I asked firmly. “I cannot agree to any deal or contract until you explain in detail what exactly this is.” My patience was running thin.
The jinni gestured to the liquid. “If you want your wish to be granted, then you’ll leap into this pool and take a bath now. Do not ask what it is. We have no obligation to explain it to you. You have asked for our help, and this is what you have been offered. Take it or leave it.”
This man is insane. I couldn’t even begin to follow his twisted logic.
I felt both fearful and enraged at once. The king had told me that Midas would explain what their offer was.
And why were they so cagey about telling me?
My eyes returned to the pond of bright orange liquid.
No, I told myself firmly. No. This wasn’t right. This was just stupid, plain and simple. I couldn’t jump in while having no idea what this would turn me into. I’m not that crazy, am I?
Apparently, that was not a question that I needed to answer for myself. For, before I could even consider turning around to continue pressing the jinni for a straight answer, I felt a sharp push at the base of my back and the next thing I knew, I was falling face forward… into the orange liquid.
Victoria
I traveled over The Dunes in a much more subdued mood. I was hoping for the best, even as I couldn’t help but fear for the worst. I was still trying to rack my brain as to what on earth could have gotten into Bastien’s head to come here in the first place. Had he perhaps been kidnapped? But by whom? And where was Rona? Was he here with her?
None of it made the slightest bit of sense.
I tried to stop asking myself so many questions and focus on locating him. My instinct for him was still strong, which I hoped meant that he was still alive. I doubted I would be able to sense a dead body… would I? I shuddered at the thought. Positive thoughts only, Victoria.
As I soared over the dark sand, I spotted a number of terrifying creatures. Creatures of the night. I tried to not focus on them, to keep my eyes ahead on the distant horizon. They couldn’t reach me, I had to remind myself several times. I was flying. There was no reason why I should suddenly lose these powers and tumble to the ground…
I also caught sight of something glinting in the moonlight—a large, circular object. I allowed myself to slow just for a short while to check what it was. A gold scorpion medallion. That had to be the entrance to the Drizans’ palace. I’d heard about their lair from my parents, aunt and uncle.
At least I could be sure that Bastien wasn’t down there. God forbid he came across a jinni from their tribe. I still felt the tugging, leading me onward, far past the Drizan lair, until I caught sight of a small cluster of mountains in the distance. My heart quivered. This is it. I had arrived. My love was here somewhere.
I felt a pull to land on one of the peaks, rather than roam the foothills where there were numerous caves and tunnels. This must be closer to Bastien’s location. I roamed the rocks for less than a minute before spotting potholes in the floor. Moving closer, I dipped my head through. I found myself gazing down into the belly of the mountain. A huge cavern. My eyes adjusting to the darkness, I caught movement in the center. Someone was there. A man. But he was not Bastien. He was a jinni.
Blood drained from my face. Where is Bastien?
The jinni’s hands and forearms were submerged in the liquid, which appeared to be… writhing.
It took all that I had not to scream.
“You’ll stay here now.” The jinni spoke up firmly. “Until it is complete… if you survive that long…”
Then, removing his hand from the pond, he rose and left through a tunnel exit.
The second he was out of sight, I zoomed down and landed at the spot where the jinni had been kneeling. The liquid’s powerful odor stung my nostrils, even my eyes. I shoved my hands into the pool and reached out, trying to grab hold of whatever the jinni had been holding… which my heart told me was Bastien.
I wanted to cry out his name but I couldn’t. The jinni might still be nearby. If he came back and found me, there’d be no way that I could help Bastien. He would capture me, and probably shove me inside… whatever this horrifying place was.
What have they done to him?
My submerged skin felt like it was being scorched by flames as I continued trying to locate Bastien. Failing, I hovered over the pond, even as my arms remained within it. I was desperate to feel even the slightest clue as to where he was. A strand of hair, the graze of his skin.
Then I got my wish. I felt wet hair. And then a head. Tugging him upward, I felt his jaw, his shoulders. My arms hooked beneath his armpits before I raised him upward with all my strength. I was so consumed by panic my brain was hardly functioning properly. But I didn’t need my brain in this moment. In fact, I was better off without it in a situation as desperate as this. I needed only adrenaline and gut instinct.
Bastien wasn’t moving as I lifted him up to the ceiling and tugged him through one of the holes. I wanted to lay him down on the ground, tear off my shirt and wipe all this vile liquid off him right here, right now. But I was terrified the jinni would come back, notice us up here. I had to get Bastien away from here. Far away. The jinni might have even heard the sounds I’d made while trying to free Bastien—I was sure I’d uttered a grunt or two in spite of my attempts to be quiet. I took a few seconds to wipe Bastien’s face at least before hurtling up into the sky and toward where I thought the shore to be…
Now this was a problem that chilled me. My sense of navigation wasn’t general. It was capable of leading me to Bastien, but not to wherever else I pleased. I hadn’t been paying attention to the journey here. My mind had been too fixed on finding him. Now that I had to get out… I had better figure this out. I had better figure this out fast.
Clutching hold of Bastien for dear life—even as the potion rubbed off on me and caused every part of my body it came into contact with to sting—I pushed myself harder than I’d thought possible. I moved both forward and upward at once. The higher I got, the faster I would find the shore, or some other source of water. There were real oases in The Dunes, just few and far between. Though I didn’t fancy spending any more time in this realm than I had to. The best thing would be to head straight to the ocean.
Rising higher and higher, I finally caught sight of the water in the distance. Yes. Yes. I’d flown so high that looking down made me want to upchuck. The thought of dropping Bastien made me want to pass out. I lowered again now that I’d gained a sense of direction.
Even with my supernatural speed, the time it took to reach the ocean seemed painfully long. I wanted to check Bastien’s pulse. It was hard to tell from the angle at which I was hol
ding him whether he was even still breathing. As we finally reached the ocean, I took a dive, the two of us crashing into the waves.
I immediately surged upward, bringing our heads to the surface, even as I kept one arm around him, holding his face with my right hand.
I didn’t need to check his pulse to see that he was breathing. His skin was red and blistered. He was still unconscious, but he was alive.
I dipped him under the water again to wash the remaining orange liquid away from his face and body. I ran my hands over his uneven skin before removing his shirt and then his pants, so that he remained only in his underwear. I needed to get as much of the residue off him as I possibly could.
After a few minutes of my cleaning him, his chest shuddered. His eyes slowly opened. He was in a daze at first, his pupils hazy. Then recognition sparked in his eyes. It occurred to me that perhaps the jinni had put him into some kind of magical sleep to ensure that he stayed in the pool.
“Victoria?” he gasped. “Y-You’re here? Wh-What happened?”
“You’re safe now,” I whispered, tears of joy in my eyes.
With so many questions whizzing through both of our minds, all we could do in that moment was hold each other close. I was afraid that his skin would be too sensitive, but seemingly oblivious to it, he drew me to him until our bodies were flush together. Our lips locked again and again in hard, deep kisses.
“Victoria,” he breathed, his right arm wrapping around my waist. “How did you find me?”
That would be opening up a can of worms. There would be time for that later. As there would be time for me to hear his full story.
“How did you get here, to The Dunes?” I asked him. “Did you bring a ship or something?”