I could only stutter as she straightened, still smiling – a smile none of the portraits I had seen of her, including the one behind her, had ever done justice.
This was one hell of a dream.
‘I … How … What do you mean Kaspar doesn’t hate me? My father ordered your death.’ The words seemed surreal and stupid even as I was saying them. She bowed her head again and gracefully sat on the edge of Kaspar’s bed – her bed – and stretched out her hand, inviting me to do the same.
‘Kaspar, although often callous and devoid of civility, is a good man. His heart is true and I am in no doubt that it belongs to you. He is angry, I do not deny that, but his hurt will abate, in time.’
I clasped my hands together, uneasy. ‘You mean he will forgive me?’
She shook her head. ‘He has nothing to forgive you for.’
‘But—’
‘Hush,’ she breathed, taking my hands in hers. Her skin was warm too, as though she had bathed her hands in hot water. ‘Here,’ she added, pressing something cold into my palm. I looked down. Resting on my hand was the Queen’s locket – her locket – the chain dangling between my fingers. ‘My son chose correctly when he bestowed this upon you. Valerian Crimson had no right to take it.’
I closed my fingers around it, feeling the ever-cool metal burning my skin. ‘Is this really just a dream?’ I asked, believing that nothing was impossible anymore. Even the dead walking and talking.
The Queen did not answer immediately, but seemed to think for a while. ‘You must decide that for yourself. But we do not have long.’
‘I don’t want to wake up,’ I breathed.
The Queen shook her head. ‘You must, Violet, if you wish to keep your family from harm.’
I squeezed the locket in my hand and stared at the floor I was so familiar with now. ‘And how on Earth do I do that? I have to betray them to fulfil the Prophecy and I will turn if that is what I have to do, but I don’t think that is going to be enough.’
The Queen didn’t answer, standing up and rounding the bedpost, hurrying towards the French doors. I sprang up and followed her. The sun had appeared once more from behind the cloak of grey clouds and the morning was fast reaching its height. She stepped out, devoid of the elegance now and rushed to lean over the banisters of the balcony. I did the same, just in time to see my limp body being carried inside by one of the Sage.
That clears up whether this is a dream or not.
I recoiled, whilst the Queen leaned even further down, her hair dangling in mid-air. Slowly, I placed my weight back on the stone and listened as below the balcony, Eaglen and the Sagean prince, Henry, talked in undertones.
‘I understand, Henry, but the girl’s father will come tomorrow along with the Pierre clan and maybe even the Extermino too. We need you and your men, to keep the Varns from harm as much as anything else,’ Eaglen pleaded, pausing as two of the Sagean men he talked of walked past – the crowd of vampires that had gathered earlier had gone. ‘To keep the girl from harm.’
The Prince shook his head. ‘Can the vampires not fight their own battles? I have orders, Eaglen, and those orders are to remove the Lady Heroine from the second dimension to our own. The human family will be forsaken and the Prophecy fulfilled.’
Eaglen smacked the stone pillar he stood beside. ‘And you think that is the way to introduce the mortal child to her new life? Death and her removal from the man she is tied to?’
The argument continued but the Queen sprang back up, staring at me wide-eyed before dashing back inside. I followed her as far as the doors to see her scribbling something on a slip of paper that looked a lot like one of her own letters. She dropped the paper on the bed and hurriedly placed the pen back on the bedside cabinet before flitting back to me. She grabbed me and wrenched me away from the doors, out of view of the room. Her hand clamped down on my mouth just as I heard the door of the room opening and the sound of footsteps and Kaspar cursing loudly. Then the footsteps retreated and the door slammed, rattling the glass of the French doors we stood beside.
The Queen breathed a sigh of relief. ‘I cannot be seen, but you can,’ she whispered in my ear, pushing me down behind the railings as she leaned back over. I nodded, not quite understanding what had just happened.
‘Eaglen, the Lady Heroine will go to Athenea and that is not negotiable—’
Abruptly, the Sagean prince stopped talking and a third voice joined the conversation.
‘Violet is not going anywhere that I do not go, and as the heir to the throne, my place is here.’
My lips parted into a smile as I recognized Kaspar’s voice. Shifting a little closer to peer through the gaps in the stone railings, I could just see him beside Eaglen, who chuckled.
‘Well, that settles it then. Henry?’
I watched as the Sagean prince appeared and descended the steps, heading towards a young Sagean boy who had been standing aside from the conversation. ‘You are a messenger boy?’ The boy, who couldn’t have been any older than twelve almost squealed in fright as the Prince first addressed him and then gruffly relayed a message.
‘You are to go straight to King Ll’iriad and inform him that we intend to remain at Varnley until further notice.’ Henry turned back to look at Eaglen and Kaspar. ‘And that the Lady Violet Lee will remain here too. Do you understand what I want you to do? Hasten and do not relay the message to anyone but the King or the Lady Autumn Rose.’
The boy scampered away and Henry retreated back under the balcony. Kaspar and Eaglen followed; as the latter climbed back up the steps, he looked up towards where the Queen was standing. The most fleeting of smiles crossed his face before he disappeared too.
The Queen turned back to me, seemingly unaffected. ‘There are ways, young Heroine, of fulfilling the prophecy and ensuring those you love are safe.’ She reached out and pulled me to my feet, leading me back inside. ‘This is what you must do …’
Consciousness came quickly as I became aware that something cold was being pressed to my brow and that my cheeks were tingling. A pillow had been placed beneath my head and I lay on something soft. All around there were voices. Trying not to move, I listened, keeping my eyes closed.
‘Are you that foolish, Vladimir? Are you so naïve to think that this girl’s coming to us was a mere coincidence?’
A voice, undoubtedly the King’s, responded in an undertone. ‘I do not question fate, Eaglen, but fate’s choice. A girl – a human girl – who has not been brought up at court, nor even in our Kingdom must act on behalf of a people she despised until a few weeks ago. And that is not to mention her treacherous father. How can she possibly live up to what is expected of her?’
Someone, who I presumed to be Eaglen, replied. ‘She is young and she will be of new blood when she turns, for she must turn, but in her I see the youthful spirit of your late wife, and with it will come the faith of the Kingdom. She can learn our ways and as to her father; when he comes, she will betray him, as the Prophecy tells.’
There was a long pause. The tingling ceased and I felt warm breath across my face, before a few words were whispered in what must be Sagean.
‘I cannot let that man into my Kingdom. I cannot.’
‘You must.’
‘Then I do so unwillingly and without courtesy.’
Eaglen chuckled. ‘Do it however you like, Vladimir. I doubt the man will give a damn.’
There was a sigh. ‘And Kaspar?’
‘He will come around. But he needs time.’
‘He does not have time. No one does.’
My heart skipped a beat and I decided I wanted to hear no more. Beginning to fidget, I heard whoever bent over me hiss for the others to hush. I slowly opened my eyes, blinking furiously at the sudden light and looking around, trying to look dazed.
I was lying on a divan sofa, propped up by cushions. The person leaning over me was the Sagean Princess, Joanna, who smiled at me as my eyelids fluttered open. Looking around, I vaguely recognized where I was: the Ki
ng’s study. Bookcases lined the walls and a huge mahogany desk was framed by a window on the back wall, the curtains partly drawn across to block the light. Behind that desk stood the King, his hand resting on the high back of the desk chair and with him, Eaglen. Henry stood a little way away, examining a book he had pulled from the shelves.
Locking eyes with the King, I tried to feign surprise at his presence – although it was not entirely faked: as he turned towards me, a jolt of adrenalin shot through my chest and I scrabbled to sit up, but Joanna pushed me down.
‘Calm, Heroine. He will not harm you.’
I shot her a disbelieving look and the King stepped around the desk. Wary, I sat up again, tightening my grip around the edge of the sofa. As I did, I felt something press into my palm, cool and round. I glanced at my hand and through the gap between my finger and thumb I could see the Queen’s locket. My eyes widened.
So the dream was real.
Panicking, I tightened my hand even further, hiding it from view. The King slowly came forward. With each step my heart seemed to jump into my mouth. But I held still. Henry closed his book and watched, tense. Joanna stood as the King bowed his head and closed his eyes.
‘I cannot forgive your father,’ he began, his voice strained. ‘Because the pain he caused in this Kingdom and in others is far too great. But I will tolerate him, because I must and I will ensure your family comes to no harm, for your sake. But I cannot forgive.’ He shook his head and Eaglen came forward, resting a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. I just stared, trying to absorb the enormity of his words. The locket seared even colder in my hands – so cold I struggled to keep hold of it.
I just bowed my own head, finding myself unable to find the right words, or to settle on the correct emotion. Part of me wanted to hate this man, so ready to murder me, but the other half of me sought to pity a man driven to such grief.
‘We have an understanding then, young Heroine,’ Eaglen said, smiling. ‘There is much to be discussed at the council meeting this evening.’ Henry murmured his agreement. ‘But for now, you—’
He was interrupted as the door opened. One of the King’s manservants entered and bowed. ‘Prince Kaspar, Your Majesty.’
The King briskly rose at the servants words and my heart fluttered furiously. I pleaded with it to calm, for I had no doubt the vampires would hear its beat. Eaglen glanced at me.
‘We will take leave of you, My Lady.’
He bowed and the two Sage followed suit. The King hung back for a moment and then bowed too, sweeping from the room. I heard the door shut and took a deep breath. Gradually, I turned towards where Kaspar stood in the centre of the room, the back of the divan separating us. As my eyes settled on him his arm swept behind his back.
‘Don’t,’ I began, but he dropped into a low bow.
‘My Lady.’
I turned away, embarrassed and hurt by the formal address. Twiddling the chain of the locket between my fingers, I waited for him to say something. But he kept quiet and glancing towards him I saw that he had not moved.
‘Say something,’ I snapped, in a tone more harsh than I intended.
He lowered his head. ‘What would you like me to say, My Lady?’
‘Anything but “My Lady”,’ I murmured and I could see from the slight twitch in his lower lip that he heard.
‘Then what would you have me address you as, Lady Heroine?’
I scowled at his use of ‘Lady Heroine’ (which was even worse) and continued playing with the locket, letting the chain run like it was fluid across my fingertips.
‘The same as you usually do: Violet or Girly.’
A low groan escaped his lips and his weight shifted slightly. ‘Then what would you have me say, Girly?’
I sighed and rested my head against the back of the divan. ‘That you don’t hate me.’
‘I don’t hate you.’ I sat up and frowned. He continued, clasping both his hands behind his back. ‘I doubt I could hate you, even if I tried. I cannot face you as I did before, but I do not hate you, and never will.’
I slid one leg, then two, off the divan, steadying myself on the arm of the chair as a few stars danced in front of my eyes.
‘But in time?’ I began.
‘Sit down. You should rest,’ he said, taking a step forward as I swayed a little.
‘But in time you could face me as you did before?’ I repeated. ‘I know we’re tied, so please say you can, for both our sakes.’
He nodded. ‘If there was ever a time for the truth, then now is it. We are bound by fate, but that does not matter because as far as I’m concerned, I chose you.’ His eyes closed and then flew open again. ‘Violet, I cannot suppress what I feel for you, but at the same time I can’t deny that I feel deceived.’
Beneath my feet, the wooden floor felt cold as I stepped off the rug and cautiously rounded the sofa.
‘I’m sorry,’ I mouthed, hating his formal tone and choice of words; wishing he would just tease me and make light of what had happened, like he had done with so many other things.
‘How long?’ he murmured. I knew what he meant.
‘Since you and your family went hunting and I was left with Fabian. He told me about how your mother died and the dates fitted. I didn’t know for sure and I was scared, Kaspar. After what everyone said … you said … I thought …’ I trailed off, not really wanting to voice what I had thought, particularly as what I had thought had so nearly happened.
I slumped against the back of the sofa for support, not daring to move any closer as the remnants of unconsciousness refused to leave. Kaspar walked forward, as slowly and deliberately as his father a few moments before.
‘Just give me time to work all this out in my mind,’ he murmured.
I shook my head, a few tears escaping from the corners of my eyes ‘I don’t think we have time.’
‘Hey, don’t cry,’ he cooed, brushing his thumb across my cheek and wiping the tears away.
I half-heartedly smiled. ‘Hey, you cried, so I’m allowed to as well.’
He mouth tugged into the half-smirk, half-smile I had seen reflected in his mother’s face and his eyes, emerald, sparkled with dry tears that could no longer fall.
‘Fuck fate, remember? Well, fuck time too.’
I chuckled and his hand enclosed my fingers, turning my palm over to reveal the locket. He didn’t question how I had acquired it back from Valerian, but took it in his own fingers and allowed it to dangle between us, the locket swaying in midair. Gently, he rested the other hand on my shoulder and twirled me around. He reached over my head, bringing the chain around my neck. I felt the coolness of the pendant, even through the material of my T-shirt. He fiddled for a moment, and then rested his hands on the back of my neck. I shuddered beneath his touch as he ran his hands across my shoulders and down my arms, tugging me until my back rested against his chest.
This isn’t fate. I chose you. I’ve made my choice.
Slowly, I turned in his arms and rested my head against his chest. He remained rigid, but gradually, his body loosened and I felt his cold breath on my hair as his head came to rest on mine. Between us, the locket lay, cold.
After a minute, I broke from our embrace and took both his hands in mine, letting his fingers slip between my own. In that moment, nothing else really seemed to matter. My heart was swelling and I was exerting huge amounts of self-control to stop myself from jumping up and down and squealing – or kissing him – but I knew he wasn’t ready for that yet. Nevertheless, I couldn’t prevent a grin from spreading onto my face as I soaked up his emerald eyes and stupid good looks.
Screw the Heroine part because damn, I am tied to this guy! Tied to him.
‘Stop looking so smug,’ he muttered, a small smirk creeping onto his lips. His words only caused my grin to widen and I bounced on my heels. ‘No, really,’ he continued, tightening his grip around my hands. ‘this is just the beginning.’
I nodded, sobering. I know that. But I also knew what I had to
do, and more importantly, how to do it.
Yet there was something I did need to know. ‘Can I ask you something?’
‘You just did,’ he replied dryly.
I shot him a disapproving look. ‘I’m being serious.’ I paused, thinking of the best way to phrase my next sentence. ‘Back there, outside. You were – I mean, you just stood there. Were you going to just watch as they … killed me?’
He groaned softly. ‘I don’t—’
‘You were, weren’t you?’
He averted his eyes and stared at one of the bookshelves. His silence revealed more than a thousand words.
I wrenched my hands from his grasp. ‘How could you?’ I questioned, recoiling away in disgust.
‘I said I need time,’ he breathed, still not facing me.
I scoffed, trying to suppress the sudden wave of anger I felt surging through my veins. ‘Time? I didn’t have time back there.’ I gestured out of the partially screened window. ‘If the Sage hadn’t come at that moment I would have been your dinner, for Christ’s sake!’ My voice rose at the end and took on a screeching pitch. ‘Do you even understand what was going through my mind when I thought I was going to die?’
He took a step back. ‘And can you understand what it’s like to have a member of your family torn from you?’
I cocked my head, stunned by his insensitivity and the emotionless tone he used. ‘Yes, I do actually. Greg, remember?’
‘Well, what was I meant to do? They wouldn’t let me near you and nothing I could have said would have changed anybody’s mind.’
‘Eaglen did something!’ I hissed back.
‘Eaglen knew what you are,’ he grunted.
I felt my heart tug. ‘It shouldn’t matter who or what I am.’
With that he took off, and I followed him to his room and out onto the balcony, mutterings of his title and then mine an echo of our footsteps.
‘You might be a Heroine, but you still don’t have much choice in things. They’ll eat you alive,’ he said when I settled against the banister beside him. I shook my head, not sure of what he meant or who ‘they’ were. He took a long, slow breath and gazed out across the grounds to where the sun was beginning to lower. ‘The Sage’s orders were to take you back to Athenea for your own protection.’