Vampire Girl (10 page)

"I get why the Fae are after me. Basically you put a target on my head when you decided I, and only I, could decide the fate of this kingdom. But you still haven't explained why you chose me.  Why am
I
so important to
you
?"

Asher frowns. "To answer that would require bringing our father back from the dead. He dictated the terms of the ascension in his will. He is the one who negotiated the contract for your mother's soul. And he is the one who demanded you be brought here to marry one of us before a new reign could occur. We don't know why, and it has caused a considerable amount of unrest amongst our brothers, who are not happy their fate—and this kingdom's fate—rests in the hands of a human girl."

"Which is why," Fen says, "we must leave this place. I need to get you to my realm, where you will be safe while we sort this out and figure out who has betrayed us."

Fenris nods to Asher and turns to leave the room. Asher reaches for my hand. "Be safe, Arianna. I will see you again soon."

I follow Fen out, his wolf trailing by my side, and he takes me to the castle's entrance. A chandelier hangs overhead, made of crystal branches and glowing leaves casting shadows against the walls. The doors are tall, wide, made from thick wood and carved with a tree symbol. Fenris opens them and Baron nudges me through.

It's still dark, well past midnight, and the sky is bright with the moons and stars. Once again I'm taken to a boat. "Is this really the fastest mode of transportation you have?"

"Yes. Get in."

It's a lot easier in pants and boots than a dress and heels. The wolf leaps in next to me and lays his large head on my lap as the boat begins to magically move through the water. It's a warm night, which I wasn't expecting. I slip off my black cloak and lay it by my side. "The air smells different here," I say. "More... dry than your realm did."

Fen raises an eyebrow. "You have a tracker's nose. That could be useful. We are about to enter Niam's land. The Prince of Greed, as you might know him. It's a desert land that doesn't provide much in the way of export, but does manage all the commerce in our kingdom."

"So Niam is the tax collector? He must be popular."

Fen chuckles. "You could say that. He's also the banker. All things money, that's Niam."

We travel through his realm, and though it's dark, I can make out the city hub through the waves of sand. It's beautiful in its own way, with a cathedral in the center made of sandstone and a marketplace littered with colorful booths displaying wares. Right now they are closed up, but I can imagine the bustle of it all.

I have so many questions, but I'm exhausted and too tired to ask them right now. Fen is leaning against the pillows with his eyes closed, but I can tell he's as alert as ever. Does this man ever relax? I'm thinking no.

I mindlessly pet Baron, who snuggles in closer to me, his nose nudging my hand for more affection.

"There must be something special about you," Fen says.

"Because of your father's will?"

He opens his eyes to look at me. "No. Because of Baron. He's never taken to anyone but me before. I found him when he was a pup. Raiders from the Outlands had killed his litter, but he survived by some miracle, though he was nearly dead. Our healer said he was touched by a special magic, but that his condition was grave. I nursed him back to health, never leaving his side for nearly two weeks. If he likes you, which clearly he does, there must be something special about you."

"Is that why you intervened with Dean? Because your wolf likes me?"

"I told you why I did that."

"To protect me? I don't think that's the whole truth. Dean has quite the effect on women, doesn't he?"

Fen grunts. "Not just women. But yes. He does. It's part of his demon charms."

"And what are your demon charms?" I ask.

"Killing."

"Huh. That's less charming than you might imagine."

The landscape changes around us as the desert begins to transform into a more tropical, lush setting. "Who lives here?" I ask. There's a sensual quality to this realm that permeates the sights, sounds, colors. From the boat we can see the city's center, and unlike Niam's realm, this place is still lively in the middle of the night. Women walk around in bathing suit tops of gold, silver and purple, with thin, sheer, colorful scarves of fabric draped around their lithe bodies. The men are dressed in less, bulging muscles oiled and glowing under the lights. Music plays, a deep rhythmic beat, and many dance, the movements nearly sexual as the bodies rub against each other. "Wait, let me guess? Lust?"

"Yes. And the source of most of the entertainment in our kingdom. Dean's is the most useless realm if you ask me."

The air is scented with oils and fragrant flowers, and I inhale deeply. "I don't know about that. There's something to be said for touch, love, laughter, entertainment. At least for humans, these things are important. They nourish us, feed our imagination, soothe our souls. Maybe your people aren't so different."

"These are all distractions, for humans or demons, it matters not."

He falls silent, arms crossed over his chest, but I still have questions. "How are such different climates supported so closely together?"

Fen shrugs. "It's the magic of this place. One could ask the same of your world, where you have snow topped mountains not far from beaches. Ours is just more compact."

I'm beginning to doze off, but the wolf nudges me as we enter a new realm.

Fen is sitting up now, more alert than before.

"Is everything okay?"

He nods. "Just being cautious. We're in Ace's realm now."

His realm is full of marvels. Though it's the middle of the night, there are people up and about tinkering with gadgets that look complicated and impressive. They work in shops under giant lamp posts, and the houses look busy too, with smoke drifting from chimneys and windows glowing with yellow light. It's like the whole realm is one big inventor's workshop. Wood, metal, stone... all of it is used in ways I couldn't have imagined. One device is turning water into steam to power another device that cuts wood. "What's his sin?"

"Sloth."

"Seriously? This looks the opposite of slothful."

"He is a bit of a contradiction. Ace is brilliant. He's also lazy, or so he says. I've never actually witnessed said laziness myself. But he claims if you want to know the easiest, fastest and best way to get something done, give it to a lazy person. Thus, he invents things to make life easier for everyone."

There's a loud explosion in the distance and a pillar of fire and smoke rise to the sky. "What was that?"

"A failed invention," Fen says with affection. "Any closer and we'd hear Ace swearing and cursing about now."

"This isn't what I was expecting hell to be like," I admit, leaning back against my pillows.

"It never is. But don't let the pretty baubles fool you, Princess. We are still demons. This is still a dangerous place. Especially for you right now."

My stomach growls and Baron's head pops up, looking around. "I just realized I'm not sure when I last ate."

Fen sits up and adjusts a lever on the side of the boat, steering it in a different direction. "You'll enjoy Zeb's realm."

"Why's that?"

"You'll see soon enough."

When we round a bend it's like we've gone to Greece. A rocky mountain protrudes from the shore and is dotted with houses and pavilions. At the very top is a castle with an open arena near it. It's a loud city, even at this time of night. People everywhere are drinking, laughing, eating, and indulging in carnal delights. The boat pulls into a small dock. Around us are other people in boats, though they don't seem to be traveling so much as relaxing. One couple smokes something that smells heady and musty. They look
quite
relaxed. Another couple is making out next to a picnic basket and wine. Seems vampires enjoy the night, even when they have the day.

Fen jumps out of the boat and offers me his hand. It's warm, strong, and I don't want to let go once I'm out. He doesn't seem to want to either, because we hold hands for several moments longer than necessary before someone bumps into us on the docks.

"Sorry about that!" The man laughs with his buddies and drunkenly saunters off in search of something else to entertain him.

"I take it Zeb is the Prince of Gluttony?"

"He is. And he provides the bulk of the food for our kingdom. Come, let's get you fed and get home."

I stay close to him as we walk through the town. It's crowded with finely dressed people who all look ready to party. Fen seems to know where he's going and leads us through winding streets up the mountain until my legs burn and I'm hungrier than ever. Finally we reach a tavern that doesn't look like much, but the smells emanating from it make my stomach rumble again.

When Fen walks in, the noise and chatter of the place dies down and they all turn to stare. It seems the Prince of War is recognizable on sight.

A woman with an apron tied around her waist approaches Fen, her painted lips bright and her eyes dropping to admire all aspects of Fenris. "My Prince, it's so good to see you. How might I serve you this evening?"

The woman doesn't even look at me. I might as well be invisible. She is ogling the prince so blatantly I'm almost embarrassed for her, except he doesn't seem to notice. "A table for two, Dora. And please let my brother know we're here."

She nods, golden ringlets of hair falling into her tan face. "Two?"

Fen puts an arm around my shoulder. The weight of it throws me off balance and I stiffen my back to remain standing straight. Baron stands between our legs, seeming to enjoy our proximity.

Dora frowns. "Of course. Let me find you a table."

"A private table," Fen says.

"A private table, then."

She escorts us to the back of the tavern, and as we disappear into shadows, the laughter and banter starts up again. We end up at a booth removed from the main dining area, tucked into a corner with candlelight and nothing else. I slide into one side and Fen sits opposite me. Baron crawls under the table and lies on top of our feet.

"Do they have menus or...?" I have no idea how demon taverns work.

"Not usually. I'll order for you." I'm about to protest, but he holds up a hand. "If that's okay?"

"Uh, sure. Nothing too spicy, though."

Dora comes back with large mugs of red liquid and places one before each of us. "Do you know what you'd like?" she asks.

"Two falafels, a greek salad, pita bread with hummus, and a chicken breast for Baron."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "So it doesn't just look like Greece then? Is this a replica or something?"

"Many of our foods and cultures are inspired by your world, mixed with new elements that are unique to us. It's technology we can't copy." He sips his red drink. "My people come from another world entirely, but we were cast out and banished here. We've worked hard to create a new kind of world, one where we are as free as we can be under the constraints of the curses placed on us."

"Is everyone here a vampire?" I ask.

"No. But many are. Some might look more monstrous because of their particular charms."

"Like the dungeon demon," I say.

Fen smiles. "Like him, yes. There's also a heavy population of Fae here. Many are Shades... mixed bloods, the byproduct of a Fae and vampire union."

"Aren't Shades like spirits or ghosts?"

He shrugs. "Mixed bloods have some freedoms, because of their vampire blood, but they are still under many restrictions, particularly in regards to their use of magic. They have little rights. They live in hell. What are they if not Shades?" He drinks again. "Then there are full Fae, Outlanders who are now slaves to their vampire masters here."

"That's awful."

"It's better than the alternative," he says, taking a drink from his glass.

"What's the alternative?"

"Execution."

I sniff at my drink. It's sweet, so I take a sip. A cascade of flavors washes over my tongue, first sweet, then a bit tangy, then sour. The aftertaste returns to sweet, and I feel an instant lightness in my body as my blood warms. "Is this alcoholic?"

He grins. "Not the way you're thinking, but it will have a similar effect. Drink cautiously."

It's so good I can't help but take another drink.

Dora brings us food and it looks as good as it smells. I dig in, eating voraciously. I didn't realize how hungry I truly was until now.

"It seems we've been starving you," Fen says.

"I just haven't eaten much since my mom got sick," I say between bites. "It seems my appetite is coming back with a vengeance."

I eat everything on my plate and then finish Fen's falafel, before I'm finally satisfied. Dora brings us a plate of little balls of deep fried pastry dough soaked in honey syrup and cinnamon.

"These are
loukoumades,"
Fen says, picking one up and popping it into his mouth. "You'll like them."

He's right. The sweet, flaky treats practically melt in my mouth and I devour them quickly.

As I lick the last of the honey off my fingers, a man approaches us, and Fen rises to greet him. Baron shifts at our feet, a very low growl in his throat.

"Fen! It's good to see you. And you brought the girl. Oh my!"

I stand, hoping I got all the honey off my fingers and shake hands with the man. He's not as tall as Fen, but he's very handsome in a softer sort of way. He has large brown eyes, a shock of dark hair that flops about on his head, and a kind face. "It's nice to meet you," I say.

"And you," he says, covering my hand with his as we shake. "You're prettier than Asher indicated. I think he was trying to keep you to himself."

I snort. "I'm pretty sure I annoy him too much for that."

Zeb sits with us, turning to Fen. "I have information on the matter we discussed." His voice is quiet, and he glances at me.

"You may speak in front of her," say Fen. "After all, she will be Queen one day."

Zeb nods. "I had my alchemists look into the poison found in father's room. It's, well... it's not a poison at all." Fen's eyes go wide, and Zeb continues, his voice growing more animated. "Someone weakened our father, then killed him."