Vampire Girl 2: Midnight Star (8 page)

I am stiff, cold, tired and hungry, and still I sit in lotus, meditating on the 'ember within that burns with magic.'

There is no ember.

There is no burning.

There is no magic.

I'm beginning to fear I do not have enough Fae blood in me to be what these people need. I tell Varis, and he shakes his head. "Yami would not have come to you if that were true. I would not have woken. The ember is within you, but it is buried deep. We must bring it to the surface."

"If you say so." He and I haven't done much talking, and there is much I'd like to ask him about, but the training comes first, and apparently the training involves silence and meditating.

A bell sounds in the distance, and Varis stands. "That is all for today. You must return to your room and prepare for the presenting this evening."

I stand and stretch the parts of my body that have fallen asleep. All of them. Yami yawns and snuggles deeper into my hair. He slept through most of the day, lucky dragon.

Varis turns to the exit.

"Wait," I say. "What do I feed Yami?"

"Feed?" He raises an eyebrow. "I’m sorry. I forget how little you know of our ways. Yami will eat meat. He will eat a lot. Be prepared."

I glance at the little dragon, not quite believing Varis. "He hasn't had much food yet…"

"He is a spirit, but he has taken physical form. Soon, he will begin to crave physical things. Keep him fed and exercised. Oh, and he likes it if you tickle his spikes."

I try some tickling, and Yami purrs in his sleep. "Thank you, Varis. Will you be there, at the presenting?" I ask.

He nods.

I fidget with my hands. "I won't have to undress, will I?"

He frowns. "Why ever would you have to undress for a presenting?"

I let out a sigh of relief. "Don't ask."

***

Madrid informs me the presenting will occur in the Crystal Palace, so we must fly back. Asher escorts me to Gryphon International, and says others will follow soon. It seems the golden gryphon remembers me, and I certainly remember him—particularly the sharpness of his claws. I climb on him gingerly, but soon find that I haven't lost my delight in flying. Yami wraps his tail around my arm and opens his wings, taking pleasure in the wind pushing against him as we soar. He never lets go of me though; it seems my dragon has yet to learn how to fly.

Once back at the Palace, Asher escorts me to my room where a staff of three await. Once again I'm scrubbed, pampered and dressed, this time in a silver gown with a long train covered in rhinestones. My hair is pinned and braided and curled until Asher deems it perfect, then he sets a small velvet box on my dresser. I open it and catch my breath.

He smiles. "This crown has been in your family for more years than you can imagine, princess." It's a delicate platinum circle of vines, with small leaves embedded with emeralds and accented with tiny sapphire flowers. He sets it on my head and weaves it into my hair so it doesn't fall off.

Yami coils around my neck, batting at one of my curls with his claw, his talons retracted. When my hair moves out of place, Asher glares at my neck. "It's the dragon, isn't it? Tell him not to muss up the perfection I have spent hours creating."

I laugh and pluck Yami off my neck, holding him in my hands. "You hear that, Yami? Behave or the big bad vampire might eat you."

Yami mews and crouches into a ball of tiny terror, as if to combat any evil thrown at him. I laugh again and look over at Asher. "He's ready to destroy you with his might."

Asher rolls his eyes. "Destroy away, as long as he's ready to show himself tonight. The Fae must see him if they are to believe the Midnight Star has returned."

"What will happen if he doesn't?" I ask as he offers his arm.

"Best hope we don't have to find out."

***

The ballroom has been transformed into something out of a fairytale. No longer is it the crumbling remains of a palace long forgotten. Tonight it shines with floating lights and iridescent fabric, tables heavy with the finest of foods. White birds flutter above, perching on the black stones jutting from crystal walls. Smells of honey and spices and roasted meat for the Fire Tribe fill the air. Yami perks up at the smell of meat. The hall bustles with a diversity of Fae, some light skinned, some dark, some short and some tall. They part for us as Asher escorts me to the front.

"All four Tribes have sent representatives for the presenting," Asher says. "Fire, Air, Earth and Water. They are all here to see the Midnight Star."

"So no pressure then," I whisper back.

He smirks.

One of the Fae, a short man with a green beard, notices Asher and frowns. He is not the only one; all around, the vampire is met with glares. King Lucian's presence at the front does not go unnoticed either, with whispers of the monster king spreading through the room. Even I feel revulsion at seeing him here, clad in black armor, red cape flowing down his back, sitting in a golden chair next to the Crystal Throne, a place of honor, in the palace of the people he nearly made extinct.

Asher leads me to a platform before the Throne. He raises my hand to his lips and gives it a kiss. "Good luck."

As he walks off to stand by his father, Madrid strides up to me. She wears an intricate gown of silver, and blue gems hang from her neck. She raises her arms at the hundreds of Fae gathered below. "I present to you, Princess Arianna, of the High Fae, returned to us at last. She has been chosen, and through her blood, has awakened the Wild Ones, the Old Ones, the Five Spirits. Rise, Fae of the Four Tribes, rise and greet your future Queen."

I face the people, and watch as they all stand. The unison of their movement thunders through the hall. "She is half human!" Someone shouts from the crowd. "She is not fit to lead us."

Another Fae agrees. "Her blood is not pure."

The crowd roars. "She communes with vampires!" "Where is Yami?" "She is false!" "This is no—"

The giant stone doors to the ballroom crash open. They have been opened by one man. Varis. He stands at the entrance, his white furs swaying in an unnatural wind. His tattoos glimmer in the blue light. Zyra sits on his left arm, glaring at the Fae who have all gone silent. They face the Druid, eyes wide with awe. Many of them have not seen a Wild One in centuries. Some have never seen one at all.

The Air Druid walks forward, a gust of wind pushing against everything in his presence: plates, jewelry, cloaks, even men and women who draw too close stumble back.  His voice echoes amongst the crystal. "I have been awoken by the blood of the Midnight Star, the blood that flows through her. She is High Fae. She is our true ruler."

The crowd turns back to me, eyes curious, even… hopeful, and I know what they're waiting for.

Yami.

I nudge the dragon on my shoulder. "Come on, Yami," I whisper. "These people love you. Care for you. Show yourself for one moment. That is all they need. That is all
I
need." My eyes sting with tears as I imagine what Lucian will do if I fail tonight. My body recalls the ache in my ribs from his blade. "Please, Yami. Please, for me."

His eyes go glossy, and he looks as near to weeping as me. He scans the crowd, their silent faces, the way they collectively lean forward to be closer to him. And then he jumps down in front of me. He walks forward on the pedestal, and I know in my heart he will do this. He will do this for me. "Thank you, Yami—"

"What does it matter?" booms a voice, rough and harsh.

Yami flinches, skittering back, hiding behind my dress.

A new man, larger than any Fae I have ever seen, stands in the entrance, his body covered in red and gold armor. A white powder of sorts, maybe ash, paints his hands and forearms. His beard is burgundy and reaches down to his waist. Dark red tattoos swirl over his arms and neck and bald head. A Druid.

"What does it matter if she is High Fae?" His voice is low, rumbling, powerful even when quiet. "They failed us before. And they will fail us again."

Varis steps toward the man. "Oren, please…"

Oren glances at Varis, studying him, and sneers. "Who is it that led us at the time of the Unraveling? Who is it that lost battle after battle?"

"The High Fae," someone yells.

Oren walks forward, addressing the crowd, bones knitted into his beard and jewelry rattling with each step. "The High Fae." He stops, and glares at me, his dark red eyes burning with rage. "The Midnight Star."

Madrid rushes down the pedestal, standing between me and the Druid. She lifts up her hand. "Oren, please…"

For a moment, the Druid's eyes turn soft, but then he looks away. "I will not follow the High Fae again. I will lead my own war against the demons. Who will join me?"

Agreement moves through the crowd. "I!" "And I." "I will join you."

A new voice, soft and cold like freezing water enters the hall. "And I." A woman saunters into the ballroom, her long turquoise gown rippling behind her. Her skin is dark, covered in silver tattoos. Her head is bald. A light blue and green serpent, its body scaled, its teeth long and sharp, twists around her right arm, slithering up and down in her grasp. When she speaks, a chill flows through the room. "We have been awoken. What other need is there for the Midnight Star?"

Whispers move through the crowd.

Varis frowns. "Metsi, this is not our way—"

Metsi's serpent snaps at the Air Druid. Metsi chuckles, petting her snake on the head. "Now, now, little one, where are our manners? This foolish man doesn't deserve such hate."

She walks past Varis, standing beside Oren at the base of the pedestal. "We will keep the Midnight Star safe. But she will be no leader."

Varis dashes to their side, his face full of anger, the wind roaring around the hall. "Yami is the one who binds us. He is life. He is death."

"He is weak," says Metsi. "The Yami we knew died in the Unraveling. What is he now?" She glances up at me, her eyebrows curious.

She wants me to summon Yami for all to see. I tremble, my hands covered in sweat. My mouth is dry. Yami sits under my dress, shaking against my leg. "I… I…"

Oren laughs. "She can't even control him." He points at me with a giant ashen finger. "Take heed girl, if you do not tame the spirit, it will tame you."

He turns back to the crowd, and pulls a ruby necklace from behind his beard. He whispers to the gem, and it begins to glow. The floating lights flicker and glow brighter. Oren holds out his hand and snaps his fingers. They spark, and from the sparks erupts a bird of red flame. It sits on his arm and roars.

"I am Oren, Druid of the Flame, Keeper of Riku, Spirit of Fire."

The dark skinned woman lifts her right arm, and her serpent screeches, spikes standing up on its back. Water begins to float around the hall, leaving goblets and bowls. A man drops his plate, trembling at the clear water filling the air before him. A streak of wine glides past me, and I run my hand through it, tearing it in two. The serpent snaps at me.

Its master smiles. "I am Metsi, Druid of the Waves, Keeper of Wadu, Spirit of Water." She turns to the crowd. "Join us. Tomorrow, we march on the demons."

The Fae roar with rage and bloodlust.

A gust of wind shoots through them, knocking men and women down to their feet, quieting all. Varis jumps, gliding through the air, and lands on the pedestal beside me. "What does Lianna think of this? You are but two of the five."

Lianna. The last of us. The Earth Druid.

Oren shrugs. "I have heard no news of her. Nor do I see her here. Apparently, she was more clever than I, not honoring this charade with her presence."

Varis frowns, glances at the door, seemingly hoping for the final Druid to arrive. No one comes. He points to me. "The Midnight Star unites us. Unites the Four Tribes. And she will bring peace between us and the demons."

Oren spits at us. "How can you speak of peace, when my own sister is a slave to vampires? We cannot make peace with monsters." He points to Asher. "Why does this one still live?"

A silence fills the room, and a nervous edge. The rage in Oren's eyes fills his body. He won't let this be. He—

I run for Asher.

Oren throws his arm forward, flinging Riku at the prince. The phoenix becomes a streak of flame, bright as the sun.

I leap to the side, pushing Asher out of the way, throwing myself in front of the blaze. The heat singes my skin. Blinds my eyes. My lungs burn. My tongue tastes ash.

And then…

Cool. Soft wind. Fresh air in my lungs. I open my tearing eyes.

Varis stand before me, a flurry of wind exploding around him, keeping the flame at bay. "Will you really fight here, Oren, in the Crystal Palace? Where is your honor?"

The flame dies down. I check on Asher, laying under me. His skin is smooth. Not charred. Not burned. Not like Daison.

My body collapses, tears pour out.

He holds me, whispers words of calm, his breath cool against my skin.

I raise my arms. They are pale, clear. I too am safe.

Oren sees us. He roars with rage. His ashen hands blaze with fire, his eyes glow red. "Where is
your
honor, Varis? Siding with our killers. With our slavers. With those who came to our peaceful world and destroyed it!"

Varis says nothing. But the wind picks up. Harder and harder. Oren begins to slide back. He scowls, raising his arms.

Metsi touches his shoulder. "No more, brother."

Oren looks from Metsi to Varis, from me to Asher, from Durk to Lucian. His hatred grows in his eyes.

And then he looks at Madrid.

"Very well," he whispers. He drops his hands, and the fire dies, his phoenix fizzles, turning to a pile of ash at his feet. He and Metsi walk to the door, but once more, Oren turns back. He turns to the crowd, but I can see, he looks only at Madrid. "There will be war," he says. "Which side will you be on?"

Chapter 6

RIKU

Fenris Vane

"I am Oren, Druid of the Flame, Keeper of Riku, Spirit of Fire."