The Tragedy of Knowledge (21 page)

“I … I don’t understand. What kind of sacrifice?”

The room’s commotion quieted as her lips parted to respond, everyone’s movements shifting into slow motion until they stilled completely. Vampires and humans were frozen in mid-battle, even Gérard, Samira, Dali and Akim coming to a halt, only the circle of fire flickering as it festered. The Book of the Ancients throbbed and emitted a low hum as its light continued to radiate from its pages, Audrey’s stock-still hands gripping it tight.

“His magic secures the Amaranthian realm, and guarantees that it remain intact after he is destroyed … a tribute to his legacy, if you will.”

My God, how highly this monster thought of himself.

“One must sacrifice their will, their freedom,” she continued, “if they wish to destroy him. You’ll have to decide who, nah, baby.”

“Vivienne,” I gulped, shifting forward to look at her ghost closely. “What are you saying?”

A ghoulish version of her arm stretched toward me and I flinched, not used to seeing spirits at all, let alone one move, speak, and reach out to touch me. “The sacrifice will break the curse and all will be set free, except for one—whoever makes the sacrifice and drives the dagger into Gérard’s heart.”

“Okay,” I pushed a strand of loose hair behind my ear, “so whoever kills him remains a vampire? What if a human is the one to do it?”

Vivienne knowingly shook her head. “
Mmmm-mmm
. No, nah, baby. It doesn’t work that way. Listen carefully, the ancestors sent me and my time is almost up, ya hear?”

I nodded, forced hard to swallow, knowing this was it—my last shot to get the answers I needed to save my friends.

“Whoever is in Amaranth when the curse is broken—and whoever strikes Gérard’s heart—will remain caught in its realm for eternity.”

All of the anxiety and anticipation harbored in the lines of my expression melted from my face, pulling my cheeks and the corners of my lips down into distraught weightlessness. My mind tried to register the implications of what she was saying, but all I could think was,
Who will do this?
“You mean …?”

“Yessum.”

“Someone has to stay behind.”

“The declaration of sacrifice must be made in the circle of fire. The moment his heart is pierced, the curse will be lifted, and all who remain with the one who slays him will never return to earth. The portal will be sealed off. No entry or exit.”

Gravity.

That’s all my body knew in that moment, already rooted to the floor, but now the ground was begging for more, enticing the full weight of my body to drop and meet the stone beneath it.

“But … that can’t … it’s not right. That can’t be right.” My fists curled tight at my sides and I started to shout. “No! It can’t. That means … evil
wins
.”

“Sometimes evil wins, nah, child. But it’s always fleeting. Just a temporary ripple in a sea of goodness, brought on by the carnal nature of greed ’n corruption. Sacrifice washes that ripple out in waves of love ’n light, and peace is found when justice is served, even for those who lose, ya hear?”

“He shouldn’t get a final say, shouldn’t be able to retaliate like that! He was about to destroy this realm and create a brand new one! What does he care if this place continues to exist?”

“Of course not, baby, but nothin’ you can do ’bout that, nah. Why do all bad things happen? None of them negate the good.” She glided closer and peered down at me with so much love, I couldn’t look away, desperate as I was to look anywhere but at the one whose eyes told me what I didn’t want to hear. “Justice will still prevail,” she said. “Don’t forget what’s given in place of that sacrifice, child. Make the call, baby.” Her aura began to fade, her form flickering as it began to drift away.

“Vivienne, no … no, please wait!” The tears came and I dashed forward to follow her, but when I wiped them away, she was gone.

I spun around and crouched next to Audrey. She was still frozen and seated on the floor, the book clutched in her hands. I touched her shoulder and let another sob break free, hanging my head at the news I was about to deliver. Couldn’t Vivienne have told Audrey, too? Couldn’t she have let Gavin, Arianna, or Gabe hear what she had said? What about Erica, or even Dali and Akim, who I was sure would want to see Vivienne and hear it for themselves. They’d had ten times more invested in this curse, in this realm … in this mission, than I did. They’d been there since the beginning, watched as Gérard took over and held them captive with his magic in all sorts of ways.

A quiet rustling started to fill the room and I lifted my head. Everyone’s movements slowly resumed around me. Rising to my feet, I ambled down the throne room steps. When I passed by them, I could feel Gavin and Arianna’s movement as they finished off their attackers, but my sight was on the circle of fire before me and the magic that held Gérard inside it.

“Cam!” Gavin called out from behind me, but I kept moving.

Audrey joined him, screaming for me to hear her from the altar. I didn’t look over my shoulder.

I scanned Dali, Akim and Samira’s faces across the flames as I came to stand behind Gérard, his back to me and arms outstretched as he fought to overpower their hold.

Dali’s eyes shot to mine. “Well?” he yelled. “What did the bloody book say?”

I pressed my lips together and took a deep breath. “You all have to leave,” I shouted. “Now!”

Akim hollered over the noise. “What?”

I raised my voice and turned in a circle, searching for my friends. “You all have to leave, do you hear me? Damn it, get out! Head for the portal now!” The riot was dying down all around us, many of the Amaranthians lost in the bloodshed, bodies of guards and frozen souls from the resistance on the ground, immobilized from dagger strikes. At one end of the altar, Josh struck a few more guards, while Gabe did what he could with his human strength to shoot daggers into some of the guards’ chests. Audrey and Erica clutched one another beneath the altar, and I spotted Scarlet warring with a barrage of resistance vampires in the far corner of the room. I screamed louder, my entire frame shaking.

Gavin and Arianna rushed to my side and Gavin grabbed my face, eyes wide and jaw clenched tight. “Camille.” When I didn’t reply he gripped my cheeks tighter, imploring me to look at him. I tried pulling away from him, desperate for the others to see me, to hear me. “Talk to me, what did the book tell you?” he said. “Come on, baby, what’s going on?”

I finally looked at him, the tears welling up and pouring over my lids uncontrollably. “Whoever is here when the curse is lifted can never go back to earth: a sacrifice, the final requirement for the spell to work. Someone has to stay behind and take Gérard’s life. Everyone else has to get out.” I reached up and squeezed his forearms, and he immediately knew I was begging him to leave, because he grew so angry, the veins in his neck and forehead were bulging.

He gripped me back, shaking his head. “Don’t even think about it!”

Arianna stepped closer, the haunted look on her face telling me she’d heard everything. “I’ll do it.”

Audrey, Gabe and Erica rushed over to join us, Josh swooping in behind them. “Do what?” Josh said.

Keeping one hand on the side of my head, Gavin twisted and grabbed Arianna’s arm with the other, his eyes crazed. “Not happening, Ari.
Not happening
, do you hear me?” He turned back to me and the amount of affliction in his irises carved my insides with razor-blade sharpness. “This is my role. You have to go. Camille, look at me,” he squeezed my shoulders, but I shook my head, adamant, moving to draw my blade.

Samira’s voice bellowed in desperation, causing me to cry harder. “You fools! What on earth are you waiting for?”

I glanced around to see the remaining Amaranthians scurrying out of the throne room, likely heading toward the portal to escape while they could. Whether they’d heard my warning or sense was finally getting the better of them, I was thrilled they were leaving while they had the chance.

One more glance at Samira confirmed time was up. Her power had given out, and so had Dali’s and Akim’s. Gérard slumped on his knees in front of them, his eyes rolling upward as he attempted to crawl toward the edge of the flame. He groaned loudly when his fingertips reached the flames, weakness preventing him from going any farther.

Dali called out, slumping to the floor himself, hands shaking and shoulders sagging. “Amaranth is nearly drained, our energy depleted! Whatever you’re going to do, do it now, will you?”

I pinned Gavin with my gaze and shot up on my tiptoes to sear him with a kiss, and it was a miracle I didn’t collapse from the intensity of it and what it would mean to me for the rest of my life. It wasn’t just a goodbye kiss. It was a there’ll-never-be-another-like-you kiss, an I-want-the-best-for-you kiss that I prayed to God would sustain him when he went on to live a full, happy, human life back on earth. I knew it would be all of those things and so much more to me, but it was
his
heart I was yanking from his chest with my decision, and that’s what mattered to me. I was giving up a piece of my own as well, but it was a choice.

His was just collateral.

Arianna stepped between us, grabbed my chin to force my gaze to hers. “I won’t let you,” she said.

“Let you what?” Audrey asked.

“Will someone please tell us what you’re talking about?” Josh’s voice was more frantic now.

“Gavin? Man?” Gabe piped up, Erica echoing him.

“Son? Look at me, son!” she then cried, latching onto Gavin’s shoulder.

The throne room had emptied out, leaving just us, our little family, with so much to say and not enough time. Really, though, was there ever enough time?

The decision was simple, although the circumstance said otherwise: make the call.

I drew my dagger and gripped it firmly, breaking free from Gavin’s grip and slipping through the circle of fire, Gérard at my feet.

“Cam!” Audrey flew forward to the edge of the flames, chest heaving under the weight of her panic. Gavin screamed and jumped inside the circle with me, pleading with tears covering his cheeks. I turned to face Audrey, and everything I loved was right there in her eyes, the memories tangible: the schooldays and sleepovers, the cheap bottles of wine and sappy chick flicks. She was there for my mother’s drunken relapses, there to hold me until I fell asleep the first time the ex from Seattle hit me. It was all there, and my God, each memory was suddenly sacred and the sun rose and set upon it.

Those memories threatened to be my undoing, but I forced myself to focus. “Aud, I never told you what Cecile said to me right before—”

“No, Cam. No!”

“Listen to me. She said to make sure and tell you that you were her angel.”

“Why … why are you …?”

“I don’t believe she said that just because she wanted you to know she loved you. You already knew she loved you. She said it because it was how she wanted to remember you—an angel, living on, even after she left this earth. That’s what I want for you, Audrey. And it’s what I need for me, do you understand?”

“No, no, no!”

Gabe and Josh’s cries broke out now, the realization of what was happening shifting them into panic mode right alongside Audrey and Gavin.

Gabe called out to Gavin, “No man, no man—don’t do this.”

“I’ll never forgive you if you stay,” he replied. “Never. What was it all for, then, huh? Tell me.”

“They want this.” Arianna’s voice silenced them, and she took their arms to back them away from the circle. “Don’t deny them this. Joel would’ve wanted it, would’ve done the same thing.” She released them and made her way around the circle to Samira, Dali and Akim. Samira’s face was stricken with exhaustion, but the yearning was all over it: the desire to leave this place with her daughter. I shut my eyes in silent thanks when Arianna’s voice lit up with the same hope, for the first time revealing a glimpse of forgiveness and compassion for her mother.

I jumped through the fire’s edge and tackled Audrey in a hug as if she was the last breath of air on the planet. “I love you, Aud.”

She quivered against me, her pleading words unintelligible at my ear, marred by the influx of sobs accompanying them.

“Now, go!” I released and shoved her, pushing her with ferocious effort, returning to the circle with Gavin. “Go, damn it! Go!”

Gavin exchanged looks with Samira and Arianna through the flames, then his mother, nodding and imploring them to leave. Arianna took hold of Samira and they turned for the doors, Gavin hollering at Josh and Gabe to follow. Gabe dragged Audrey away, stopping only to help lift Dali and Akim to their feet. Gabe forced Audrey to look away, his arm tight around her neck and shoulders as he guided her to the throne room doors, Dali and Akim sending us one last, grateful glance before limping along behind them. Erica placed a trembling hand to her lips and blew Gavin a kiss.

And then she was gone, leaving only echoes of Audrey’s hysterical cries.

Gavin snatched my hand. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“If you stay, it will all be in vain—”

“If I don’t stay, it will all be in vain.” He ran his thumb over the top of my wedding band, and then over my hip, over the exact location of the scar.