Blood Solstice: Part Three in the Tale of Lunarmorte Read online

  After leaving Dee’s lair, Caia had tracked the Prophet down in the trace. The old guy was in Greece, putting his feet up while the Midnights figured out just who was in charge now Nikolai was A.W.O.L. Tracking him was the easy part; it was getting a hold of him that was proving to be problematic. Caia wasn’t confident enough in her communication spell to travel to somewhere she had never been before and she didn’t have Vil because, well, he was with the pack. Saffron could transform into a bird and fly there but that would take days they didn’t have. In the end it was Nikolai who came to the rescue. Reuben called him and asked him if he had ever been to the Prophet’s place in Greece and surprise, surprise the Midnight had. Nikolai told Reuben to bring Caia and Saffron to his beach house and he’d get the Prophet to come back with him to speak with Caia. And that was exactly what he did.

  Now, Caia hadn’t known what she’d been expecting. OK. So she did know. She had been expecting some withered old man with a long white beard, wearing ancient Greek dress and banging around the place with a staff. Pretty much Gandalf in ancient Greek clothing. The Prophet hadn’t been anything like that. He had been old… like seventy old, but with a full head of pepper grey hair and a trim physique. He walked like a man years younger than he looked. He was all handsome older man in white linen trousers and shirt. The dude was less Gandalf more… Sean Connery. He’d been a charmer alright. He had approached Caia with a careful smile, his light eyes drinking her in from head to foot. Almost tentatively the Prophet had taken her hand between the palms of both of his and shook it gently.

  “So this is Caia Ribeiro.” He’d smiled, shaking his head in wonderment. “You’re just what I imagined.”

  That had amused her. “Well, you’re the only one who pictured me like me. I think people were imagining… taller and well… just taller.”

  He chuckled warmly and nodded. “I’ve waited a long time to meet you.”

  “So I’ve heard.”

  “And now you wish to speak with me?”

  Caia had gestured to Nikolai’s sofas and the Prophet had followed her to the seating area. He had laughed a little at the way Reuben, Saffron and Nikolai had trailed them, barely giving them room to breathe.

  “Nice to see you, Kirios.” The Prophet grinned at Reuben.

  The vampyre narrowed his eyes on him. “You’re last bout of information regarding the Septum turned into crap. That’s why you’re here.”

  “Jeez, Reuben, are you always so rude?” Caia had admonished him and turned politely back to the Prophet. “Ignore him.”

  “Ignore him?” Reuben spluttered. “Old man you sent us on a twenty year goose chase.”

  The old man shrugged lazily but his eyes turned serious. “And yet here I am speaking with Caia. And she has something very important to ask me. Something that will matter. So… maybe the goose chase wasn’t really a goose chase after all.”

  Saffron had taken that moment to roll her eyes. “Oh please, don’t give us that everything happens for a reason bullcrap.”

  Their disrespect towards the Cassandrian had made Caia extremely uncomfortable and she gritted her teeth, waiting for him to decide their insults weren’t worth it and just… poof! Leave them with no words of wisdom or plan.

  But he hadn’t done any of that. Instead he had pinned Saffron with an implacable look and said in a voice that sent shivers racing down Caia’s spine, “You’re a child of the gods and you don’t believe in fate? If you don’t believe in fate then what have we been doing for the last seven hundred years, Saffron?”

  She grumbled under her breath and tossed her hair. “I believe in fate,” she’d said finally and then twitched a little before throwing herself down into an armchair. “Sorry, I’m just very anxious and very tired.”

  The Prophet had nodded, instantly dismissing her childish outburst. And then he had turned his attention back to Caia. “Well, my dear, I already know what you wish to ask. You wish to ask me, if you were to become the Head of the Daylight Coven, as Head of both Covens, could we ask the gods to take the trace away.”

  Caia had gaped at him. “Did Nikolai tell you?”

  “No,” the Prophet and Nikolai replied in unison.

  The Prophet had tapped his fingers to his head, smiling kindly as he told her, “Visions, my dear. The gods see all and they communicate through me.”

  Excitement had buzzed through them all in that moment, all three of them leaning in towards the old man together. “So?” she had asked. “Will they? Will they take it away?”

  Disappointingly the Prophet had merely shrugged. “They’re still deliberating.”

  “What do you mean they’re still deliberating? What’s there to deliberate about?”

  At that, he had let out a gust of laughter, leaving them all bemused, which was pretty much how the entire meeting with him had gone so far. “My dear girl, we are the gods’ only source of entertainment. They’ll drag this out a little.”

  “And by a little, you mean?”

  “A few days, a few weeks-”

  “Not months,” Caia had gasped. “Please don’t say months.”

  “I don’t know. But as soon as I do, I will return with the answer.”

  And then he was gone.

  “Whoa.” Reuben shook his head. “That guy has had some serious work done. Last time I saw him he was wheezing and banging around with a stick.”

  Nikolai nodded. “He really let himself go during Devlyn’s reign. My Regency did a world of wonders for him.”

  Caia had just stared at them like they were crazy. Sometimes they were so inappropriately blasé.

  ***

  So she had been waiting for a couple of weeks now, slowly going mad as she wandered from room to room. She had spent her time going for runs on the beach as a human during the day and as a wolf at night. Other than Reuben’s ‘helpful’ training regime every day, where he tried to get her to focus the unknown energy that made her so special – and they were getting there slowly but surely – he and Nikolai weren’t much company. When Nikolai wasn’t complaining about furniture and accessories he was losing to Caia’s training (she was successfully turning items to ash by choice by now), he and Reuben could literally sit still for hours, staring at nothing and speaking to no one. It was creepy. As for Saffron, the faerie kept coming and going as she pleased, and Caia had never envied anyone more for their abilities than during those weeks cooped up in the beach house with only a vampyre and a magik for company. With no one to really talk to she found herself dwelling on the pack a lot. At night it was hard not to cry herself to sleep thinking about their loss. For her the biggest hurt was the loss of Dimitri. It wasn’t just that he had looked out for her or cared for her; it was more the thought of how much his loss was hurting the people closest to her. Jaeden to be exact. Her friend had already suffered through so much; Caia ached for her. And she ached, wondering if she would ever have the pack back, admitting only to herself how lonely she was without them; lonely without Lucien to fall asleep with at night.

  On top of that there was her trace. It had begun tingling all over the place, telling her the Midnights were reorganising themselves. Two magiks were out in front for leadership, Jack Straton an Australian and a Russian woman called Orina Beketov. Caia had been praying for Straton to make the grade since he wanted to find Nikolai first (a task she knew was impossible and would keep them occupied forever) before taking on the Daylights. Beketov wanted to begin where they had left off, starting with a major attack against the New York Krôls, one of America’s largest vampyre covens. The worst day for Caia came when the trace told her Orina had won the votes. She was the new Regent of the Midnight Coven and the woman was as vicious as they came. Her plans for the attack were all set in motion, ready to take off in one month’s time. Of course Caia had wanted to go straight to the Centre to let them know so they could prepare themselves and warn the Krôls. But Nikolai and Reuben wouldn’t let her, and by wouldn’t let her she meant Nikolai had put a spell around her that stoppe
d her from using her communication spell. And she couldn’t find a way around it. Unfortunately, she still had so much to learn.

  ***

  It had been a week since she had learned of the Midnight’s plan for attack. For once they were all together, Saffron, Nikolai, Reuben and her sitting around the kitchen actually participating in conversation.

  “No, it’s definitely a different guy that’s the voice of Kermit the Frog. It has been for years,” Reuben insisted as he sipped from a mug of warm blood.

  Nikolai frowned. “No. We get Sesame Street in Russia too. You can’t fool me… Kermit has sounded the same for decades.”

  Caia tried to hide her snort in her toast.

  Reuben groaned, “Yeah, because they found a guy who sounds exactly like him.”

  The Russian looked pensive for a moment. “So… how long are we talking about?”

  “I dunno… Jim Henson died in 1990.”

  Nikolai shook his head looking disturbed. “No, that’s no right. I see Muppet Christmas Carol; that was definitely the original Kermit.”

  “Oh.” Caia grinned, remembering watching that movie during the lonely Christmas holidays she had spent with Irini. Obviously they didn’t believe in Christmas and all that stuff but most supernaturals celebrated it to fit in with the humans. “I love that movie.”

  Saffron leaned back in her chair. “Were you even an egg when that movie came out?”

  “It was 1992.” Reuben nodded. “Caia was just about to hatch.”

  “No.” Nikolai insisted. “Then that can’t be right. You said Henson did in 1990, da?”

  “Yeah and Steve Whitmire took over for him. He’s the voice of Kermit the Frog in the Muppet Christmas Carol.”

  This seemed to disturb Nikolai and Caia shared an amused look with Saffron. He shook his head again. “I could have sworn Kermit has always been Kermit. What I want to know is how he sounds so much like the other man?”

  Caia grunted into her juice this time. “What I want to know is how Reuben knows so much about this stuff?”

  The vampyre scowled at her. “Photographic memory.”

  “And Jim Henson’s Productions was one of the institutions you felt necessary to study up on?” Saffron asked with a dead pan face.

  Caia choked on a piece of toast.

  “Isn’t anyone going to rescue Caia from the toast?” A familiar voice intruded. Caia was suddenly whacked on the back (hard) by Nikolai and the toast dislodged itself. She looked up to see the Prophet standing over the table.

  “Better?” he asked softly.

  She winced at the sting Nikolai’s hand had left but thanked him nonetheless before turning back on the Prophet. She gazed up at him imploringly. “Please tell me you have news.”

  He grinned back at her. “Finally, I have news.”

  “Well?” Saffron snapped impatiently.

  The Prophet’s grin grew wider. “Looks like the apocalypse is coming children. The gods will take away the trace if Caia succeeds in becoming the Head of both covens.”

  Relief swept through her like a huge tidal wave, and for the first time in weeks she felt as alive as a surfer crashing under it.

  “Ahhhh haa haaaa!” Caia jumped up happily and threw her arms impulsively around the old guy. He hugged her back tight, laughing at her excitement. After a moment he drew back from her, his expression suddenly completely serious.

  “Now all you have to do is convince the Daylights of your plan and start your witch hunt for Marita.”

  She was sobered by the thought. In order to do this, to free them all from the trace, she was still going to have to kill someone. So, OK, it was the evil bitch that had murdered members of her pack, tortured innocent children and inevitably caused the death of her mentor, Marion. Hmm, when she thought about it like that, maybe taking her out wouldn’t be so difficult after all.

  “The hard part is explaining all this to the Council.” Saffron sighed.

  Reuben shook his head. “Not necessarily. Vanne will believe us.”

  “Maybe.” Nikolai nodded. “But if you don’t mind, for now I’ll stay here. I don’t want to be imprisoned just for being of Midnight blood.”

  “Fair enough.” Reuben patted him on the shoulder. He looked up at the Prophet. “Thank you. Again.”

  The Prophet smiled. “It’s always a pleasure, Kirios.”

  And then he was gone.

  Caia stared at the spot he had been standing in for a moment before spinning around to face the weird trio that had become her only trustworthy companions of late (which wasn’t saying much). “OK. So… the Centre it is then.”

  Reuben nodded in agreement. He didn’t smile but there was a new light in his dark eyes. “The Centre it is.”

  19 – Blood Oath

  The atmosphere at the Centre was different than before. There had always been this tension, this sense of everyone being wound extremely tight, but also this sense of security, of feeling powerful and protected all at the same time. While there was no longer that stressful tension, it had unfortunately been replaced by a heightened sense of expectation, and the worst of it was, it was kind of like that butterfly in your belly feeling you had when you weren’t quite sure of a situation. Moreover, Caia discerned a new uneasiness amongst the Centre’s inhabitants; a paranoid awareness of one’s own surroundings, as if awaiting imminent attack.

  Reuben had called Vanne, and after having explained what Caia needed to discuss, Vanne had granted them entry to the Centre. Caia hadn’t been expecting a reception, but on the other side of the portal stood Vanne, Alfred Doukas and Penelope Argyros, and they were surrounded by other magiks acting as bodyguards. The Centre was electrified with the news of Caia’s return and she could feel the stares heating the back of her neck as she was taken through corridors she had never walked before. Disappearing behind the group were the cold magnolia walls and tough tiled-flooring she had thought made up most of the Centre’s décor, and appearing before them were plush carpeted corridors and mahogany panelled walls.

  Finally, they came to what looked like a waiting room, with eight feet tall grand double doors beyond it. Caia drew to a stop apprehensively. Something didn’t seem right. No one had spoken since they were greeted at the portal, and… what was this place?

  Penelope spun around in her little kitten heels smiling gently at Caia, and she felt a little better. It seemed Alfred and Penelope genuinely liked her, so maybe convincing the Council wouldn’t be so difficult after all.

  “Caia.” Penelope nodded to the waiting room. “If you would like to take a seat while Saffron and Reuben follow me. We’ll be back for you in a few minutes.”

  Caia looked to Reuben and she noted the look of realisation on his face as he shared a glance with Saffron. They both knew what was happening. Why the hell didn’t she?

  “What’s going on?” she asked warily.

  “You’ll understand in a moment,” Alfred assured her.

  Saffron scowled at him. “Mr Doukas, can you not tell her? It could come as a shock.”

  What could come as a shock? Holy Artemis, what on Gaia’s green earth was going on here?! Do not hyperventilate. “Yeah.” She bobbed her head in agreement. “Tell me.”

  Doukas shook his head after throwing Saffron a reproving look. “It’s not the way it’s done, Caia. I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait. Mr… Reuben, Saffron… please follow us.”

  It was only then that Caia noticed the insignificant-looking side door on the adjacent wall to the double doors. Just as they were all about to disappear through it (and no, she couldn’t get a look beyond them to see what the Hades was on the other side) she threw up a hand. “Uh, Saffron, tell them about the Krôls.”

  The faerie nodded and bent to speak with Penelope as they disappeared through the door; Caia gathered she was imparting the pivotal information.

  It felt like forever, sitting there, waiting, gradually growing so anxious she was sure she was going to upchuck all over the waiting room floor. Nothing had e
ver seemed to take as long as this wait did.

  Jeez, even The Machinist was faster than this and that was one slow movie.

  She snorted and then realised that she’d laughed at her own thought. Dear goddess, she was actually being driven mad by the wait. Her eyes bored into the double doors, wishing (for not the first time) if she was going to have superpowers why it couldn’t include x-ray vision. Seriously what was going on behind those damn doors and why was it so darned quiet out here?

  Her heart jolted at a loud creaking noise and her eyes widened as the double doors slowly opened out towards her. She stood on trembling legs and gaped as a tall young magik she recognised as a member of the Council stared at her pensively. His name was Derren. He was the magik who had gone undercover to discover the labs.

  “Caia Ribeiro,” his voice echoed and resonated behind and beyond him. “Please enter the Court of the Council.”

  The what of the what now?!

  There was no time to ask, he was already spinning on his heel. Caia hurried to follow him, only seeing a high, dark wooden wall carved with images of warfare. As she drew past the doors, however, her heart nearly exploded in her chest. At either side were stairs leading up into a room with the highest ceiling she had ever seen, a ceiling so grand it could have been painted by Michelangelo himself. But the heart thudding had more to do with the faces she could see peering down at her from up above the stairs. Derren waited at the top of the set to her left. Tentatively, Caia began climbing them and as she climbed she began to see over the carved wooden wall. The stairs led up to a massive circular room. In the centre of the room was a circular platform and around the platform were rows of benches that rose away from the floor at a semi-steep gradient. All the rows were filled with inquisitive Daylights peering at her in a mixture of anxiety and excitement. At the furthest end of the hall in the front row benches, sat the Council, waiting expectantly. Reuben and Saffron were seated with them beside Vanne.