At the center, on a showpiece of a chair that could easily pass as a throne, sat Kython. It was easy to tell he was the heart of this place. I found myself drawn to him and realized suddenly that he was incredibly gorgeous. He was mesmerizing in a way that his minions weren’t.
With skin so pale, and eyes that burned a brilliant crimson, it almost hurt to look at him. Kython was the epitome of the vampires of legend, rather than the vamps the history books talked about. For a moment I questioned all I had been taught about vamps. Were we just indoctrinated to believe we had created the creatures? Did they really have a supernatural background that went beyond mageogenetics? Because Kython in no way resembled what I expected.
He sprawled in the chair, one leg hanging over the arm. Dressed in black and white striped pants that made him look taller than he probably was, Kython wore a crimson shirt slid open to his navel. Silver suspenders glittered against the silken shirt. His long, dark hair fell to his waist, brushed smooth as silk, and he wore a black top hat banded with silver. His skin was white as porcelain, his lips as black as jet. He was an unliving statue in red, white, and black, so exquisite to look at that I couldn’t tear my gaze away. He held reflective sunglasses in one hand, and in the other, he held a riding crop, which he lightly tapped against the arm of his chair.
“Well, well. So we have guests.” His voice was smooth and rich.
I still couldn’t look away. There was something special about Kython, all right. A shiver ran down my spine as I stared at him. He was dangerous and deadly, but it was so easy to see how he drew acolytes to his feet. I bet the women were lining up to offer themselves as bloodwhores in his service.
Beside me, Jason tensed. I reached out slowly, placing a hand on his arm. He stiffened, then relaxed just enough to tell me he wasn’t about to go on the attack.
“I take it you’re Kython?” I stepped forward, straightening my shoulders. My ribs protested but I had to put on the show of being in charge. Thank gods for my corset. Without it, I’d be two fucks away from losing it due to the pain.
“I am.” He looked me up and down, his gaze lingering over my whip tattoo. “And you are?”
“They call me Fury. I’m a Theosian, bound to serve the Great Mother Hecate. I’m on a mission. I have to enter the Tremble. I’m charged with finding someone who was exiled there, thanks to the Devani. I need to find him before the Tremble takes its toll on him.” I looked him straight in the eye. “Will you please allow us to go on our way?”
Kython tapped his crop against the back of the chair, staring at me for a moment. “That depends. Possibly. You serve Hecate, you say? What do you do for her?”
I exposed the tattoo on my neck. “I wear her mark,” I said, shifting so he could see the triskelion of three snakes entwining. At the gleam in his eye, I quickly shook out my hair again, covering my neck. No use laying too much temptation in from of him. “I hunt down Abominations that come off the World Tree.”
“But not vampires?”
I shook my head. “No. Not vampires.”
“Tell me about this person you are out to save.” He was toying with me. I could hear it in his voice. He wanted to prove his power, which pissed me off.
But I managed to remain civil. Diplomacy was king here, and I couldn’t let him see that I was afraid of him. Respect was a good thing. Fear? Not so much.
“His name is Tam O’Reilly. He’s—”
“The Prince of UnderBarrow?” This time, Kython straightened up, his feet hitting the floor. He let out a snort. “The Devani actually had the nerve to exile the Prince of UnderBarrow out on the Tremble? I’m surprised there hasn’t been an outcry from Briarwood.”
“That might not be too far from coming. We’re hoping to avoid an incident.” If Kython knew who Tam was, then perhaps we had more leverage. But his next question took me by surprise.
“What is this prince to you? There has to be more to this story.” The vampire was staring directly at me and I knew I couldn’t play dumb. He was able to read reactions better than I wanted to give him credit for.
I let out a slow breath and glanced at Jason, then Hans, both of whom nodded me on. “Tam is my lover. I’m his consort. He was dragged away the other night when we inadvertently got caught in a riot. He stepped between the Devani and me. He told me to leave before the Devani could get their hands on me.”
“Because, they do so love collecting Theosians.” His words held a hint of amusement mingled with irony. “Do you know how I know this?”
I slowly met his gaze again, not wanting to get caught up in his web. But instead of trying to mesmerize me, he was staring at me frankly. And right then, I knew. Kython was a Theosian. Somehow, he had been turned into a vampire.
“So we aren’t immune to the effects?”
He let out a low chuckle. “Then, you understand me? Oh Fury, dear Hecate’s avenger. Do you really believe everything you learned about vampires? Remember that the victors write the history books. Everything is always colored by the nature of the winner.”
“True enough.” I let out a long breath. “So the whole story about mageogenetics?”
“Vampires are no more engineered than is the sunset or the beauty of the stars.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he held my gaze with those brilliant crimson eyes.
“Then how were you created, if the government didn’t have a hand in engineering you?” Hans spoke up, shifting from one foot to the other. “I’ve heard the rumors before that it was a lie but thought they might just be conspiracy theories.”
Kython turned his attention to Hans. After a moment, he said, “Another Theosian, if I’m not mistaken. And who are you bound to?”
“Thor.” Hans was a man of few words.
“The Thunderer. Well then, you know the story of how we were created. But the reality is that the government discovered a nest of vampires and captured them. They did attempt to mimic the process of turning in order to create their super-soldiers, but it failed dismally. The creatures they created are neither vampire nor human, but a sub-race of dangerous mutants. But they are not vampires. Neither do they have our abilities. They drink blood, but also eat flesh and cannot turn others. We’ve been killing off the ones we find, but unfortunately, they breed.”
“You mean, they have children?” The thought was so ugly that it made me cringe.
“If you can call them children. Their whelps are just as feral and dangerous as the parents, at least what young they don’t eat. Like vampires, they’re nocturnal. They live in caves, mostly, though a few inhabit the subterranean areas of cities. None of them can be reasoned with.”
“What are they called?”
“We—the vampire community—call them ghouls. It’s the most befitting name.”
“So Theosians can be turned?”
Kython nodded. “Yes, we can. It’s a horribly painful process, however, unlike with humans.”
“Who were you bound to?” Hans asked.
Kython bared his fangs, smiling as he laughed. “Oh, that is a fitting question. But were is not the appropriate word. I was bound to Coyote, and I’m still bound to him even though I was turned into an actual vampire.”
That fit. And Coyote wouldn’t be likely to turn away one of his servants for being a vamp. “That doesn’t surprise me,” I said, then realized I’d spoken aloud.
But Kython just laughed as he leaned back against his chair. “True that. But I don’t wish the process on any of my fellow Theosians. Humans can handle it, and they often end up happier than before. It’s a harsh world for their kind. But with Theosians, not only is it painful but it leaves you feeling split. Coyote won’t free me, so I must still answer to him, even though my nature pulls me otherwise.”
I thought over what he said, and when I probed his energy, I could feel the pull he talked about. In that one moment, I felt a little bit sorry for him. He hadn’t had a choice, either way, and he was caught between the lure o
f blood and the call of the gods. But perhaps that would be a plus for us. He knew what it was like to serve the Elder Gods. Maybe that would stir whatever empathy he had left.
“Then, will you please let us go? Every minute we stand here is another moment that Tam is in danger.” I took a step forward, holding out my hands. Kython’s guards immediately moved in, gently pushing me back away from the vampire.
Kython bit his lip, one of his fangs piercing the skin. He didn’t seem to notice. After a moment, he shrugged. “Very well. I’ll let you go. But you owe me a favor. I’ll collect later, and it won’t be anything that would go against your grain. But remember, all of you, that I am letting you go free. You are all in my debt.”
Before we could speak, he motioned us away. Jason opened his mouth but I grabbed his arm, shaking my head. We couldn’t afford a showdown here.
Jason glared at me, but pressed his lips together in a thin, white line. Elan touched his arm lightly. He shook his head, but deflated. Kython proceeded to ignore us as his guards motioned for us to follow them. We returned to the cars, then without further word they drove us to the border of the Tremble. The walls were high, but narrow arches offered entry every five hundred yards or so, unfettered by gates or fences.
As we stepped out of the cars, the dark vehicles silently backed away and vanished down the street. We stared at the arch. It stood open, with no visible means to keep people in or out. The sky gleamed with the silvery wash that came with midnight snow and we could see the faint outline of landscape through the entry.
“I guess we go in?” There really wasn’t much to say about Kython. Right now, our focus needed to be on the Tremble, and on Tam. We would have time enough later to dissect everything that just happened.
“Right. Then, let’s get moving.” Elan took the front, motioning Jason to her side. With Hans and me following, we stepped through the gates, into the Tremble.
The Tremble was like one of the Broken, only in the form of land.
We quickly discovered that the arches leading into it were actual power vortexes. As we crossed through, there was a definite shift, as though we stepped from one world into another. Once inside, the Tremble took over and everything that made sense went away.
The landscape took on a surreal edge, as though someone had taken the NW Quarters with its bombed-out buildings and heaps of rubble and painted it over everything with a watercolor wash before folding up the edges and giving the landscape a couple of twists.
Nothing settled right. Look at a pile of rubble and suddenly, it would shift, turning upside down. Stare at the shell of a building long enough and you’d realize that it folded in half somewhere in the middle, and was leaning to the left at a torturous angle. Stairs led up to the sides of walls, off-center from doors. The streets had reverted to dirt and grass, and snow covered everything with a cloak of brilliant white that was too crisp and too clean. Angles were too harsh, curves too smooth, and nothing jived right. It was enough to give a person vertigo.
Every once in a while someone would wander by, almost always one of the Broken. They paid no attention to us, just slowly moved along on their way. Live in the land of the surreal too long, and the mind bends to fit the landscape. But the human mind wasn’t meant to view more than three dimensions—at least not visually—and the struggle led to breakdowns. And breakdowns led to the Broken.
My stomach twisted, a knot forming as I tried to find something that made sense. Even the air seemed off. Oh, I could breathe, but nothing felt tangible. And yet, everything was too vivid, too graphic, too edgy.
“Holy fuck,” Hans whispered under his breath. “What is this place? How are we going to find Tam before the Tremble drives us over the edge?”
“I thought I could track him, and if things weren’t so twisted, I could.” Elan looked around, a hopeless tone creeping into her voice. “I’m not sure where to start. How to start.”
Jason glanced at the sky. “I’ll take wing and see if I can spot him from above. I think flying over the Tremble might be easier than walking through it. The disorientation might not hit me so hard from up there, and I can scan for Tam faster.”
“Are you sure?” Elan frowned at the clouds that had socked in. “I have a feeling this storm has barely started, and the energy of the Tremble must extend upward as well. We just don’t know how far.”
It was snowing hard now, and even with the silver sheen reflecting between surface and clouds, the night felt close around us. I shivered again, my muscles aching, and the pain in my side increasing with the chill.
“Before we go much farther, I need to apply another layer of the All-Heal Sarinka gave me. The movement is getting to me.” I didn’t care about side effects, at least not at this moment. I needed to be clearly focused and not distracted by the throbbing in my side. It was as though somebody was using a rounded baton to jab me over and over.
“Then we’ll stop here for a rest. You apply your ointment while I fly up to see what I can see. Here’s a good place to sit.” Jason motioned toward a nearby boulder that looked more convoluted than it should, but as I cautiously touched it, the rock felt solid beneath my fingers.
I sat down, then opened my bag as Hans set it beside me. Digging out the salve, I without further ado unhooked my corset, wincing as a muscle decided to spasm because of the movement.
Elan took the jar of salve from me and knelt beside me. “Here,” she said softly. “Let me do this. You just breathe and relax.”
“That’s harder than it sounds,” I said, smiling through the ache. Truth was, the corset helped me keep it together. Without it, the bone-weary throbbing set in. But as Elan spread the salve over my bruised skin, the deep pulse began to lighten and my breath came easier. Finally, she finished. Shivering, I let her help me fasten myself back into the corset, then slid my jacket back over the top. The pain was still present but the salve was a wonderful topical and I leaned back, wishing I could take a nap.
I closed my eyes, but images of Tam floated through my mind and though I tried to push the worry away, it refused to budge. I knew full well that I wouldn’t be able to sleep until we found him, not without the aid of Sleep-Eze.
“Here. You need this.” Hans held out a chocolate bar.
I took it, glancing at the brand. I was wrong. It wasn’t a chocolate bar, it was one of the meal rations they handed out to factory workers in the Metalworks. The bars kept them at it for long hours when the production lines were in full steam.
The Corp-Rats had managed to push through laws eliminating required breaks for shift workers, although companies were expected to give a nominal twenty-minute lunch. Fifteen minutes twice a day doesn’t seem like much, but when you took it away, production went up, but standards went down. The meal bars were super-charged with drugs to clear the mind and boost performance, and they were standard freebies at a lot of the factories now. The Metalworks was littered with wrappers during the busier seasons of the year.
I stared at it, wrinkling my nose. They weren’t particularly tasty, but they worked. I tore open the wrapper and bit into it, chewing away.
Jason stood back. “I’m ready. I won’t go too far.”
“Please don’t. We don’t want to have to come looking for you, too.” Elan gave him a nod, taking his gear from him.
“Believe me, I don’t want to get lost out here anymore than you want me to.” With that, Jason shimmered, and out of the flash of smoke, a great hawk appeared. Without a word, he flew up, spiraling into the sky.
I watched him go, silently eating the meal bar. As I swallowed the last bite, I had to admit, bland or not, the food packed a punch. I was already feeling stronger.
“I wouldn’t want a steady diet of these, but I have to say, that does the trick.”
Hans nodded. “I use them when I’m out tracking a case, or when Thor wants me to take on some hare-brained scheme. He’s like that, you know. He doesn’t always think before acting. Or ordering me to act.??
? But he was grinning as he said it, and I had the feeling Hans and Thor had managed some pretty interesting shenanigans in their time.
Elan was watching Jason as he flew away. She shaded her eyes from the falling snow, turning as he finally flew out of sight. “I hope he’s cautious. We really don’t know how the Tremble might affect him in hawk-shifter form. I’d hate to see him get vertigo and go tumbling to the ground.”
“I hadn’t even thought of that, so thank you for that visual.” I glanced at her, but she just gave me a faint smile.
“You’re welcome. I wouldn’t worry about it much, but the truth is, none of us know much about the Tremble so we should watch every step we take here.”
“Well, I don’t even want to think about the possibility of him taking a nosedive out of the air.” I wiped my hands on my shorts, then pushed myself to my feet. “Should we stay here? Do you think he can find us if we continue to search?”
“I’d advise against wandering off. But I think—” Elan paused, holding a finger to her lips. “Do you hear that?” she mouthed.
I closed my eyes and listened. There. In the distance, a faint noise. A whine, like a motor revving at a high speed, but without much power behind it. I stood, poised with Hans and Elan, waiting. The noise grew louder as a whirl of snow funneled up from the ground, swirling to create a thick white mist. Combined with the falling flakes, it created a whiteout in the immediate vicinity. The inability to see what was coming knotted my stomach and I ducked behind the boulder on which I’d been sitting. Elan and Hans joined me.
Then, high beams pierced the veil of misting white, and an odd vehicle skidded to a stop near us. It was an aereocar, a combination mini-car and drone, with a giant propeller atop the roof. I frowned as the door opened and out popped some thing.