Playing With Fire (21 page)

Just
when his eyes began to flutter closed, Siren flipped the table filled with maps
of the country, and that Gidian was leaning on, causing Gidian to fall flat on
his face. As he expected, no one noticed. Gidian brushed his clothes and got
back up to his feet, seeing that trying to catch some sleep was useless.

“How
can you be so stupid?” Siren roared at the king. She may have been in the form
of a child, but even Gidian found her terrifying at that moment. “The son of
the devil just stole our only hope of salvation and you just want to run away?”

“We
are not running away!” the king fumed. Gidian could distinctly make out at
least three veins bulging on his neck and face. “I must think about the safety
of my people before the safety of one girl! They’ve already lost so much, and I
cannot risk them losing the one thing they have left to save the girl! I will
not risk their lives!”

“Sir,
if I may, I would like to at least have a small party to search for Scarlet,”
Kyra pleaded as she stepped between the king and Siren. “Scarlet is my friend
and I won’t be able to live with myself unless we at least try to save her.”
Gidian found Kyra’s idea to be the smartest thing.

“Kyra,
although your idea is noble at heart I’m afraid I can’t spare any of our
soldiers for it,” the king sighed. “Even your squad will be needed. Without
Madam Gale’s protection we are like sitting ducks. We have no idea when we will
be attacked or even by what we could be attacked by. I need as much man power
as possible.”

“Then
let me go alone!” Kyra looked like she was about to explode. “You can have my
entire squad as long as I can have a chance to find Scarlet! Please sir, she is
like a daughter to me!” All of the king’s anger subsided and was replaced with
sympathy. He knew what it was like to lose a child.

“I’m
sorry, but it’s too dangerous for you to do that.” The king put a hand on her
shoulder, and the weight of it only put more weight onto her heart. “No one can
do what you do. You are irreplaceable. If we lost you, we would lose one of the
most important military generals in the history of Moraj. You cannot go alone.”

“Then
she won’t,” a new voice said as the flap of the tent parted. Gidian thought
that he had lived too long for anything to surprise him anymore, but the world
had always found the right time to prove him wrong. This was one of those
times. Standing there was the prince, and even though he was bandaged and
bruised, he looked like he could take on an army and then some. “I will go with
her.”

“Absolutely
not!” was the king’s straight forward response. “I will not have my only son
search for some street rat!”

“That
‘street rat’ saved my life numerous times Father, and I won’t let my debt go
unpaid,” Vaze replied coolly. His heart was racing, but he forced himself to
stand strong. “I am not a part of your army, so you won’t be wasting any man
power on the search party. And even if you say no to it, I’ll go anyway, but
alone.”

“Vaze,
you do not understand,” the king said, trying to force his voice to be calm.
“If anything happens to you, there will be no heir to Moraj and our people will
have no leader. I won’t let your life be wasted on nothing.” Gidian finally
thought it was the right time to cut in. He walked over to the young prince and
put a hand on his shoulder.

“Your
highness, I will accompany your son, and protect him with my life,” Gidian
stated, and happily found he was not ignored for once. “You see, I also have a
bond to Scarlet, though she has no memory of me. If you would remember right,
she is the child of my two best friends. Since they lost their lives the night
Enzio tried to kill Scarlet, I am the closest thing she has to any living
family. I do not intend to let what they lost their lives for die by the hands
of what killed them.”

“Nor
will I,” Siren cut in. “I’ve been appointed as her protector by the Healer, and
I intend to do my job.”

“I
am sorry to disappoint you all, but I cannot risk all of you dying for her,” the
king said. “We have to think of everyone’s needs before the needs of just one
person.”

“Sir,”
a timid voice squeaked. Every one turned their eyes to find Al poking his head
through the flaps of the tent, his big brown eyes wide with fear as he trembled
slightly. “I saw my own sister be taken away from me by Velkire himself, and
the one thing that is still driving me is the thought that I should have saved
her right then and there. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I want a chance to save her
more than anything else in the world. Of everyone here, I am the most
expendable. For the chance of saving Scarlet, I will do anything, even give up
my life. If you say yes to let us go, I will make a deal with you to ensure
everyone’s safety.”

Gidian
looked at his only student. Gidian taught him almost everything, and the
persistent lad soaked it all up like a sponge, even though he taught it all to
him in one night. Even Gidian was surprised on how fast he excelled. This boy
did not know, he was destined to surpass his master in the art of magic. The
boy had never been able to read a book before, but when Gidian showed him the
book of spells he automatically knew what every word meant, despite it being
written in a dead language. In the course of one night, Al had become a
sorcerer who could even match the powers of Madam Gale. Al had not realized it,
but he was extremely powerful, but also dangerous.

“If
anyone here dies, I can give them life once more,” Al began to explain with a
quivering voice. Gidian’s eyes went wide with amazement as he watched his
student. He knew exactly what Al was talking about, but the price of doing such
a thing was death.

The
king looked at Al skeptically, trying to find some sign of doubt in his eyes.
He found none. The king sighed in defeat as he rubbed his temples.

“Fine,”
he said after a moment of silence, and everyone’s heart lit up with hope. “I
will allow you five,
only you five
, to pursue Scarlet. But if on the off
chance you do find Velkire, promise me you will not face him,
especially
you Vaze. Scarlet isn’t the only thing he took from you, and you must control
your emotions. Understood?” Everyone nodded in agreement, and at the same time
tried to hide smiles.

“Thank
you, father,” Vaze said.

The king grunted
in response.

“Now
off with the lot of you! Take as little as possible and only necessities.” The king
turned and walked sluggishly to his cot as the five left his tent. He cursed
himself for being so soft when he was sure they were all out of ear shot. He
had just damned five people to death—one of which was his own son.

You
know, it’s one thing to wake up in a creepy dark room after hitting a hard
stone floor who knows how long ago, but when you wake up to the sound of
roaring thunder along with a roaring headache, you can’t help but think ‘gee, I
sure did screw myself over this time’.

I
jolted awake as white light flashed in a dim lit room through a large glass window.
My pulse was racing and sweat poured down my face as my eyes dashed across the
room. I didn’t remember where I was until I looked out through the window. The
dreary thundering night sky brought back my memory like a raging flood, and
caused my head to ache as if someone was sticking needles in my cranium. But,
as I remembered, my surroundings made more sense.

What
shocked me most was that I wasn’t locked up in a dungeon. I was in a rather
extravagant and large room. Though it still looked like the perfect place to be
haunted, it was charming. I was resting in a large bed that looked like it was
made for royalty. It probably was. It was roomy and soft with velvet like
sheets and huge, elaborate red and black blankets that nearly touched the
floor. Behind me were at least a dozen pillows that felt as soft as kitten fur.
I prayed with my entire soul that they were not actually made from kittens. The
wood was polished mahogany, and the drapes of the bed were made from black
silk. Across the room was a grand fireplace with a roaring fire and very comfy
looking chairs. Being tempted by the sight I cautiously peeled off my covers. I
almost jumped when I realized my dirty blood stained clothes were gone,
replaced by a white silk nightgown. The thin straps on my shoulders revealed the
marks of Madam Gale’s seal. The imprints of her chain-like marks comforted me.
I didn’t understand why. Maybe it was one thing Velkire couldn’t take away from
me, or maybe he just left it because he knew it could break. I intended to make
sure I did not break the seal, because it was the one thing that separated me
from the demon inside.

I
swung my bare feet over the side of the bed and hesitantly let the soft black
carpet greet my cold toes. It felt more like soft spongy moss than a carpet,
and was a pleasant feel beneath the tips of my toes. Lightning flashed outside
large glass doors that led to a balcony, and I almost jumped out of my skin.
Taking a deep breath, I put a hand to my chest, trying to calm my racing heart.
Taking hold of one of the poles of the bed, I slid both my feet onto the soft
carpet. The silky nightgown followed, and flowed gently below my knees as I
moved.

Keeping
one hand on the bed frame, I tiptoed over to the glass doors. Large dark red
curtains made from velvet were drawn back on either side of the doors and
draped across the floor gently. Wind and rain raged outside, and rattled the
frame slightly. I couldn’t see anything past the stone balcony except for other
towers. I was tempted to go look out over it, but decided it wasn’t the best
idea. I ran my fingers over the ice cold glass of the doors, leaving small
streaks that marked where my fingers had been. I traced the gold frame of the
glass in awe, taking in as much of the beauty as possible. The thief part of my
mind was contemplating how much it would sell for, while the curious half
simply gazed upon its beauty. A violent wind crashed against the doors, causing
them to rattle so violently I jumped back in fear.

My
heart was racing a little bit as I backed away like a frightened child. My
surroundings were all alien to me, no matter how extravagant. The thought alone
of being in a completely new environment was unsettling to me, and it didn’t
help matters that my fate was in the hand of Velkire.

‘
You
are my baby sister
,’ the words echoed in my head, and made the room swirl
around me. Pain shot through my skull again, and it felt as if someone was
melting it from the inside out. I winced in pain as I touched the back of my
head, and could only imagine the size of the bruise that was now there. ‘
No,
’
I thought to myself. ‘
He’s just trying to mess with my head. I have no
family.
’  After telling myself this seven times my headache subsided
slightly, but I couldn’t shake the small sliver of doubt I still had. I tried
my best to forget about it as I investigated the rest of the room.

Three
dark mahogany doors tempted me out of the corners of my eyes, and I gave into
curiosity. Making my way past two comfy armchairs and a warm fire, I stalked
closer to the door in the darkest corner of the room. My hand slid over the
doorknob gently as if I were afraid to open it, which honestly, I was. My heart
pounded in my ears as I tightened my grip on it. Images of dead bodies, lurking
demons and any other terrifying thing that I could imagine flashed before my
eyes as I thought about what would be on the other side of the door. I bit down
hard on my lip and forced myself to stop thinking that way, but the fear still
stayed. Deciding it was better to die knowing truth than die of anticipation, I
threw the door open. Astonished, I gasped.

There
were no demons or dead bodies I am glad to report, but what I did find made my
skin crawl even more. The faint light of the fire revealed a whole closet full
of dresses and gowns, all of which made me want to hurl. Velkire sure knew how
to torture his guests. However, I was disappointed. It seemed like a letdown
when you expect horror and get clothes. I groaned as I closed the door tightly.

“Are
you done yet?” a stone cold voice said from behind, nearly causing me to jump
out of my skin. I whipped around and crouched defensively. Fire danced on the
tips of my fingers, eager to fight. My eyes found my intruder’s, and the first
reaction I got was complete and utter boredom. I froze in place as I sized up
my unexpected guest.

Looking
back at me was a boy that seemed about as old as I was, but possibly older. He had
messy brown hair that fell to his shoulders and milky brown eyes. His skin
reminded me of Seth’s, though a slightly darker olive. He wore a loose white
shirt and black trousers that made him resemble a pirate, like those I had seen
in pictures. Three pale scars ran down his neck and disappeared beneath his shirt.
The boy was also tall and well built. If I had seen him anywhere else other
than a castle inhabited by Velkire, I would’ve said that he was rather good
looking.  

“There’s
no need to be so jumpy,” he sighed. “I am under strict orders not to kill you,
and even if I wasn’t I probably wouldn’t anyway. I have no interest in killing
the only other human here.”

“We
both know you’re not human, so don’t tell me bull like that,” I hissed, my
flames igniting higher. The boy retained his bored gaze.

“I
guess that is moderately true, neither of us is completely human now are we?”
He waltzed closer to me. “You are half Guardian, the bane of demons. That’s why
so many in this castle are avoiding even walking by this room. But before you
categorize me among the demons, let me say that you are utterly and entirely
wrong.” The boy slid a hand on to one of the chair.

“I
am not a demon, nor am I entirely human either.” His once bored tone became
slightly acidic, as if he detested my very existence. “I, like you, have the
blood of Guardians running through my veins.”

“Then
why are you here?” I hissed.

“That’s
none of your business,” the boy replied darkly. “I don’t want someone like you
knowing too much. My only orders are to watch and accompany you, so I don’t
intend on becoming familiar with you.”

“Same
here,” I growled. “But as nice as it is to know I’m being stalked every waking
hour, I don’t need a babysitter. You can leave now.” I turned, walking away
from him, when he snatched my wrist.

“Look,”
the boy said, glaring hatefully. “I don’t like this anymore than you do, so
don’t make this harder than it has to be. We don’t have to enjoy one another’s
company. I am only here to escort you wherever Velkire tells me to and make
sure you don’t cause trouble. We can even keep talking to a minimum, alright?”
I returned his icy glare with one of my own. The mood was so offensive between
us that I wouldn’t have been surprised if our gazes sent blazing sparks.

“Fine,”
I hissed, snatching away my arm.

“Good,”
was his straight forward response. “I am going to get you some food, and what I
bring you is what you’ll eat, so don’t complain. Be glad I am going to prepare
it myself. If I let a demon touch it they would most likely poison it with
paralyzing venom for fun. A servant took the liberty of setting out fitting
clothes for you. I expect you to be dressed by the time I get back. I will not
knock, nor will I ask if you are descent so I’d get changed quickly if I were
you. If you need anything else, just call for me. Do not leave this room, no
matter what.”

“What
should I call you?” I asked. “Guard dog?”

“My
name is Alastair.” Alastair turned away and headed towards a door next to a
small table with a vase full of red roses. He grabbed the doorknob, but paused
before he turned it.

“One
more thing,” he said solemnly. “If anyone besides me comes to your door, do not
answer it under any circumstances. Understood?”

“Alright,”
I replied, but he was already gone. The door creaked closed behind him. His
footsteps echoed as he stormed away, until they faded into silence. Taking heed
of his warning, I searched for the garments he spoke of. My eyes scanned the
room, until I saw a black and red gown draped across one of the chairs. The warmth
of the fire caressed my back as I walked closer to examine the gown. It wasn’t
extremely fancy, nor was it plain. Not wanting to take my time, I slipped off
my silky night clothes and worked the new gown over my head. It was very light,
and felt pleasant against my skin. I snaked the rest of my body into it, and
finally pushed my head through the top. To my liking, the gown wasn’t tight or
loose. It was perfectly snug. It opened up just before my feet for mobility and
trailed behind me a tad. The sleeves were flowing, baggy and long, and they
covered my hands if I let my arms fall at my sides. While most of the dress was
as black as the night, the chest of it was red and continued all the way down
to my toes. It wouldn’t be my first choice of things to wear, but for once, I
didn’t entirely hate it.

Completely
lost on what to do next, I plopped myself onto the soft arm chair and let the
fire warm my feet. I rested my tired head on my palm and stared aimlessly into
the flames. I tried to recap all that happened to me in the past day, but my
mind refused to concentrate. My eye lids felt heavy, so I let them close. I
would just rest my eyes for a little while. At least, that’s what I thought
before I drifted asleep.

I
twitched slightly as I felt a small cold hand poke my face. I ignored it, but
then felt it again. This time I let my eyes flutter open slightly, and found
two little brown eyes staring back. I jumped back in surprise, and as a result
my chair fell with me. I scrambled to get up as fast as possible. Fire ignited
between the intruder and me. A small girl with metallic blonde hair and a gaze
devoid of happiness looked back at me through the flames. At first I didn’t
recognize her, but then it hit me.

“Jezebel?”
I asked with wide eyes. My fire dissipated and I could see the young girl’s
face clearly. She was technically centuries old, but she was returned to her
normal age of what couldn’t be more than seven or eight. Even though she was so
young, sadness was etched into many of her features. Her almost white hair had
lost its shine and her once beautiful brown eyes were hollowed and puffy, as if
she had been crying recently. I didn’t blame her. The last time she had seen
her parents, they were dead in the middle of her throne room.

Relieved
at this little sign of familiarity, I ran over to the little girl and hugged
her tightly. Jezebel let me have my fill, but her arms hung limply at her
sides.

“Oh,
Jezebel!” I almost wept. “Why aren’t you with your brother? You shouldn’t be
here! It’s dangerous!”

“I
could say the same thing to you, Scarlet,” she replied emotionlessly. “It must
be much more dangerous for you, considering you’re actually here. I’m sorry to
tell you, but this is just a dream.” I released my grip from her, a little bit
disappointed.

“Oh,”
I said.

“But
I am not a part of your imagination,” she continued. “I am speaking to you
through the same methods Velkire and Siren had used to speak to you through
your dreams. However, I’m not here to push you along or to frighten you. I’m
here to warn you.”

“Warn
me?” I repeated. “Warn me about what?”

“I
have told you this once before, but I believe you have forgotten,” she began.
“I told you,
when you think you have triumphed, you will fail
. I have a
special power Scarlet—the power of future sight. It only happened a few times
while I was a vampire, but now that I have been returned to human visions come
every night. Unfortunately, they come in the shape of nightmares, and I’ve been
having the same one every night since you left our castle. I have come to show
it to you, because it is not my future. It is yours.”

I
stared at the little girl in disbelief, half expecting her to burst out
laughing and tell me it was all a joke. But she never did.

“Scarlet,
before I show you, I need to know you can handle it.” Jezebel walked closer to
me. “Can you?”