Circle of Death (16 page)

I had made too many mistakes with Kelene, but this wouldn’t be one of them. Without hesitation, I move toward the circle, adding my voice to the song, chanting the melodic line no mortal had ever known.

Death should be above mortal weaknesses. And now, Death would remember that she had once been mortal, and that not even she would be eternal.

I had always been curious about the Veils, and now was in front of them. That was the boundary between life and death, the entrance to what we called the final death, a place to which I had sent many people but which I had never seen. In the past, when I died trying to kill Seth, my spirit had been sent to the place reserved to the best Hands, the ones Death might need again. But now it was really the end, and it was with relief that I approached that final barrier, knowing my time was over and there was nothing else I could do.

Behind that boundary there was peace and oblivion, I could feel it. But I wasn’t able to cross it – Death kept me on this side of the Veils. Why? What was left for me in life? I had fullfiled my role! Then the memories came back in a whirlwind and I remembered Lucio, that night, and how my father had used me to escape. I still had one task left.

I waited, beside the Veils but unable to cross them, watching what happened in life while my memories where slowly erased by the peaceful feeling that came from the Veils. Alice and all her friends from the complex were there, getting ready to sing and play. The Song of Day and Night? It wasn’t possible, I surely hadn’t been so wounded that I would need it!

And then, again, I remembered… The strange energy inside me, and the Nameless moving away with burned hands where he had been touching me, being thrown away by that invisible force; Death herself, unable to come closer. What had I done? What was I becoming?

That feeling of peace and oblivion came to me again, taking away all my memories and inviting me to cross to the final death. I gathered all my strength and threw myself against the Veils, trying to win a battle of wills against Death. Why would she keep me there? A whisper of memory said she should let me go at once, as she had always considered me a problem. Yes, I was a problem that sometimes was useful, but still…

No. I could feel her in contact with my spirit, knowing exactly what was going on in my mind. I wasn’t a problem, I just didn’t think like her, while she wanted to be always in control and expected me – foolishly – to always obey her. Her resistance made me remember it all again, and I held the memories close. I couldn’t let them be taken away again. In that moment I knew that, if I survived, my relationship with Death wouldn’t be the same.

The music started, and it was really the Song of Day and Night. What had I done to need it? It was a legacy from the old times, one of the few melodies of power that had survived the Nameless’ war, and even then only in the Fae’s knowledge and fragmented. Avés had taught it to me when I was almost a child, and I had discovered some of the lines of the arrangement of power, even though I knew there was one line missing, the one melody that would join all the others, but which I was unable to find.

I watched my neighbors, realizing they had quickly learned to bring power into a song. I was proud to see it was them leading the song, and not the Fae.

I was carried to the center of the circle, floating above my body. But my spirit was still too strong for my wounded body, and without the full song I would die.

And then I saw Death straighten herself and move toward the circle of music. At the same time she started to sing and, instinctively, I recognized the melody I had searched for so long, the one that would complete the song and give it its full power. Hearing the Song of Day and Night, complete for the first time in an eon, I lost consciousness.

Those days were the worst of my whole existence. In that moment, when the Song of Day and Night had been complete, the Veils had disappeared and any spirit on this side of them could have crossed it. Death couldn’t tell if we had done it and Kelene was simply unconscious, or if her sleeping body would stay this way, alive but without a spirit. Not even the Witches’ Council, with all their efforts, had been able to feel the woman’s presence. Hope was something visible in all our gazes, but as the hours went by, everyone started getting ready for the worst.

Because without Kelene it would be impossible to imprison the Nameless again.

After the circle, Death had guided all of us through death’s pathways until we arrived at another ruin. I had no idea of which city that had been, but I could see it hadn’t been destroyed around the time of the Intervention, but before it. According to Death, it had once been a thriving city, but today was only a testimonial of the old ones’ abilities as, to my surprise, most of the buildings still stood, and it was called a ruin mostly because it protected those who lived there. I had always wondered how those from the Otherworld who choose to hide from humankind lived, and now I could see it. They had adapted some of the buildings to have modern comforts, and the community there didn’t need any outside contact to survive. Now they were locked with us, inside the shields the witches and the Fae had raised around the city.

Those who lived there were told about what was going on – there was no way to keep the secret with so many people discussing it in the ruins. But now we didn’t know what to do, as many there had their doubts about what we were doing, and I was sure they wouldn’t hesitate to warn Seth or the Nameless.

In those days of waiting, the witches and the Fae made sure to spread the news about the Nameless’ escape, and some of the stories of the past, of what he had done. Soon, all the Otherworld would be aware, but I was sure many wouldn’t believe or understand what it really meant.

Each minute I wasn’t busy with something, I was beside Kelene, waiting, hoping for any kind of movement or any sign that she was really alive. Still, I was caught by surprise when she opened her eyes and slowly sat up.

Wordlessly, not knowing how to deal with that feeling of relief and happiness, I grabbed a bottle of water and offered it to her. Kelene drank slowly, but emptied the bottle in a few minutes.

“For how long was I unconscious?”

“Almost two days.”

“From your expression, I thought it had been longer.” She smiled faintly.

I couldn’t hold back anymore. Approaching the bed, I pulled her close and hugged her, almost sighing when I felt her arms come around me.

“I’ve never been so afraid before, Kelene. Not as afraid as I was when I saw you on the ground in the Sanctuary, without even understanding what was going on. And then we didn’t know if the song had been enough and if you had survived or not…”

She moved away and I released her. Holding my gaze with an intensity I hadn’t seen before, she sat on the edge of the bed.

“It almost wasn’t enough. And thank you, Lucio. I owe you my life again.”

“Don’t thank me.” My answer was quick. “I only got you away from the Sanctuary.”

“No. If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have survived, I know. Death wouldn’t be able to reach me then, and no one else would arrived at the Sanctuary in time.” She sighed. “Even if someone else got there in time, you were the only one who could have reached me, anyway. And in that last second, when the Song had acted, it was only because of you it was enough.” Kelene added, her fingers drawing a line over her left breast, where I knew I would see a scar from that last night if I could see her naked skin.

“This scar will never disappear.” I said, not knowing how to answer to all she had said.

“I know. I knew what I was doing.” She smiled.

I stared at her, not sure if I could believe it. Kelene had chosen me and sought a commitment whose depth was beyond life or death. Without words, I pulled her for a kiss.

But not matter how much I wanted to celebrate the fact that Kelene had survived, we both knew our time was counted. We couldn’t waste any second if we wanted to stop the Nameless. As if she was thinking the same thing, she sighed.

“Where are we? Who came with us?”

“This city is from before the Intervention, turned into a refuge by the people from the Otherworld who don’t want or can’t live together with humans. I don’t know any name for this place, but Death can probably tell you more, she brought us here. She’s here, and so are Avés, many of the Fae, Lilian the Seer and many of your neighbors. They refused to go home without knowing what had happened to you.”

She nodded.

“Before anything else, I need to talk to Death.”

“Can you call her like you did before? No one knows for sure where she is, she’s keeping apart from us.”

“I can call her.”

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Nothing happened, but I already knew I shouldn’t expect anything fancy. Less than a minute later, Death opened the door and walked in, instead of just materializing – that was what it looked like when she stepped out of the death’s pathways – as she usually did. I noticed when she hesitated, and for once her eyes weren’t ice cold.

“Kelene…” Her relief was clear, and she closed her eyes and sighed, in a gesture so human I was caught by surprise. “You’re well.”

“Yes.”

I glanced at Kelene, and she seemed as surprised as I was.

There was a strange silence, and then Death spoke, as if she was fighting against the words.

“You were right, Kelene. The Nameless was fooling me all the time. I should have been able to notice it. I was arrogant, and now everyone will pay for my blindness.”

Kelene didn’t say anything, and made me shut up with a glance when I started speaking. As I had no plans of disagreeing with her about Death, I moved away, closing the door Death had left open and leaning against the wall beside it. After a couple of minutes of that tense silence, where the only sound was the cracking of the bones on Death’s staff, she went on.

“There was more. Just before the Nameless escaped, Seth called me. He wanted to negotiate.” From where I was I could see Death’s shoulders rising and falling when she sighed. Her voice didn’t even sound as the other times I had heard it, it was as if she had lost that scary confidence she used to have. “He offered to turn all the White Hand’s circle in payment for two things: immunity for a year and a weakness for Lucio during the same time.”

She stopped, but I already knew what had happened. I remember the Hand’s desperate call.

“You accepted it.” I said.

“All the seven… turned? Bound to him?” Kelene asked, incredulously. “And Seth with immunity for a year... What is Lucio’s weakness? Does Seth know?”

“No.” Death seemed to regain some of her confidence. “He didn’t have enough lives to pay for that. And Lucio’s weakness is the bond between you.”

That was how vampires got new powers: negotiating with Death. I had never understood why she paid them to turn some people, until Kelene explained Death liked when her Hands were vampires, as that meant she had a level of control over them, through the power called upon on the Intervention. But, because of the same power, vampires couldn’t accept the deal that made them Hands, as they didn’t have enough free will for that. The only ones who weren’t under Death’s control were Seth and me, the firstborns. The Hands needed to accept it as humans, and later be transformed. I had never heard of a Hand turned willingly, and Death rewarded the vampires who discovered who were the Hands and transformed them.

But I didn’t understand what that weakness Death gave me meant. How could the bond between Kelene and me be used to destroy me? I glanced at the woman, and realized she knew exactly what it meant.

“You didn’t want him to be able to destroy Lucio. I know how to use a bond like this to kill, and I have the powers for this… But Seth doesn’t know and, even if he figured it out, he wouldn’t be able to do it.” She said, her expression unreadable. “Why? Weren’t you so interested in destroying Lucio?”

I could see from Death’s stiff posture that she didn’t like the question. But she answered it, her voice sounding strained.

“I wasn’t interested in destroying Lucio, but his destruction wouldn’t bother me… As long as
I
was the one to do it. Seth forgot he is still a Keeper. If he was to be destroyed, it would be by my hands, not by a traitor.”

“And still you negotiated with a traitor.” Kelene went on, with steel in her voice. “What about now? Can I count Death as an ally, as I
am
going to fight the Nameless, or do I need to protect those around me against any kind of deal?”

Death stared at her for a couple of seconds before replying.

“Not anymore. Never again. Kelene, Lucio...” Her gaze turned to me. “I owe you more than an apology. You are my only chance of stopping the Nameless. I made too many mistakes, but they won’t be repeated.”

Kelene turned to me, smiling. I already knew what to expect when she spoke again.

“Let’s finish this quickly. How are the vampires doing?”

“It’s bad.” I answered, knowing she meant the fact that human blood no longer fed us.

I had asked about what was going on while we waited, and the news I received were alarming. Madness, loss of control… The Masters were barely keeping the real situation hidden from humankind. I still didn’t feel any hunger – the blood I had drank from Kelene, on the day before she went to the Sanctuary, still sustained me.

“We’ll have to take care of it, too.” She added, before facing Death again.

As I had imagined, after those moments in the Veils I could count with Death beside us, working
with
us and not trying to undermine us, as she had done so far. I wouldn’t need to worry about any possible loophole in the wording of any deal we made. Besides, she knew me well enough to be able to guess exactly what I wanted, even if I couldn’t ask for it. With a half smile, I turned my right arm, raising the blouse’s sleeve to leave my scars visible.

“Stop where you are, because you owe me. You owe me for the death you had me cause, and now I call the debt.” I spoke the ritual words for the second time in few days, and felt the scars burn.