Child of Blackwen (An Artemis Ravenwing Novel Book 1) Page 22

  They realized they had a reprieve from attacking full-bloods, and Shadow took the opportunity to catch his breath. He then noticed small tears in the back of Talisa’s nightgown, as well as many cuts that were recently made by a sword tip. “What happened? What did you do?”

  She cursed when she saw him staring at the cuts. “We’re not the only ones looking to spring Netira from her prison. She has a full-blood lover.”

  “Oh goddesses,” Shadow answered, as he ran a bloodied hand through his hair. “And you think this lover of hers will get to her before us? I doubt he’ll be able to succeed.”

  “Shadow, he’s not the common idiot full-blood from Blackwen City! He’s a mage. A damned vampire mage!”

  Something clicked in his mind. He’d had suspicions that a mage was serving in Blackwen City, not only because of the strange runes that were etched in the cloaks of the full-bloods, but also because of how Netira was able to briefly control the element of fire. He didn’t expect a vampire mage, let alone him being Netira’s lover.

  “Avilyne’s hell!” Shadow swore. “We need to get to Netira before he does.”

  “And how do you propose we handle the mage should we encounter him, Shadow?” Talisa snapped. “I’m sure he’s part of Arlina’s council as well. That means he has a hell of a lot more resources than we will after this battle. He will hunt us down until he gets Netira back.”

  “He gave you those cuts, huh?” Shadow asked. Talisa nodded. “So…why did he do so rather than kill you?”

  Talisa sighed. “He let me go to help save Ellewynth. A lot of good that did…that bastard…”

  “Let’s ignore the fact that he actually captured you and you’re still recovering from wounded pride,” Shadow said, ignoring another glare from the witch. “This full-blood’s a mage, yes. He’s also in love. That can work to our advantage, Talisa.”

  “Speaking from personal experience, Shadow?” Talisa winked.

  Shadow glared at her. “We must get to the hall before he does. If we do meet the mage, I’ll handle it.”

  “I swore I would kill him, you know,” Talisa spoke as they ran. “We must also reach the hall before Arlina does. She already had a head-start. That damned woman sicked her soldiers on me before I could stop her.”

  Shadow cursed. Arlina would certainly go after his aunt considering their history. And now that Artemis escaped her…

  “Run faster, Talisa!” Shadow ordered as he quickened his pace.

  The wooden hall came into sight, and there wasn’t a soul to be found. The fire had not yet reached the building, which led Shadow to hope that they made it before the Mistress of Blackwen.

  Shadow walked to the steps and stopped once he caught a glint to his right. He rolled over and spotted a knife in the ground where he stood before. Shadow waved Talisa off before she could speak.

  “Go! If my aunt is still inside, get her out safely. I will get Netira once I’m done here. Move!”

  Talisa nodded and disappeared into the hall as a full-blood appeared before Shadow. He recognized him from the time when he and Serlene had gone out to the open forest to claim Netira.

  Shadow was face to face with Latos.

  “Famous Shadow.” Latos grinned. “We meet again.”

  “Bootlicker,” Shadow responded. He took his fighting stance. “The only title you’ll ever receive in this lifetime, it seems.”

  “You’ve insulted me once and still live,” Latos reminded him, while letting his tongue run over his elongated eye teeth. “A mistake I will not repeat.”

  “Talking never got one anywhere,” Shadow said, raising his sword. “Only actions did.”

  Latos disappeared and reappeared beside Shadow, the same knife Shadow had missed now back in Latos’ hand. Shadow raised his sword to block the thrust Latos intended for his shoulder, and he angled his blade enough to create an opening to Latos’ chest. Before Shadow could land a punch, Latos disappeared again. He was too fast for Shadow to catch as he sliced through Shadow’s sleeve, making a deep cut within his arm.

  Taking a step back to admire the blood seeping through Shadow’s sleeve, Latos smiled.

  “Your blood smells delectable, famous Shadow,” Latos taunted, his irises completely red. “But I can’t end this just yet. I need to add a little more…spice…to get your blood just the way I want it.”

  “I thought you’d have been used to disappointment by now,” Shadow said, ignoring his bleeding arm. “Perhaps you’re as old as I am. I have more titles than you’ll ever have. It’s a shame really…”

  Latos disappeared again, and Shadow raised his blade over his chest, parrying the knife that suddenly appeared inches from the uninjured arm. The full-blood resorted to making the same move as before, and Shadow shifted his weight and heard Latos curse; he knew he’d drawn the vampire’s blood.

  Latos held a hand to his now cut shoulder and glared at Shadow.

  “I never fall for the same trick twice, you see,” Shadow explained, taking a stance once more.

  “You let me cut you, elf!” Latos spat. “You did it so you would know how I attack! You tricky bastard…”

  “Well, well.” Shadow smirked. “Perhaps there’s some hope for you in Arlina’s ranks after all.”

  Shadow rushed Latos, and he could feel the full-blood’s fear at the display of his speed. The glyphs along Shadow’s blade glowed whenever it made contact with the vampire’s skin, and as Latos moved to strike, Shadow created an arc with his sword that traced along Latos’ chest. Latos screamed, and Shadow knew the full-blood felt he was burning alive with that strike. Shadow’s mysterious blade always had that effect on vampires, though he never knew why.

  “What have you done to me, elf ?” Latos bellowed in fury. “What sorcery is this? You’re no elf mage!”

  “It’s an old trick that I don’t need to have magical abilities to use,” Shadow explained. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m in a hurry. I didn’t want you to forget our encounter, however.”

  Now appearing behind Latos, he slammed the back of the full-blood’s skull with the hilt of his sword. He smiled as he watched the vampire fall unconscious. “Until the next time we meet, bootlicker. I promise I won’t be so merciful then.”

  felt something pat my cheek. The feeling continued as the pressure of it increased.

  “Avilyne’s hell, please don’t be dead.”

  Jack’s voice.

  I forced my eyes open, and I saw Jack’s face. Relief had spread on his face.

  “Hey there,” I coughed.

  “Thank the goddesses,” Jack praised. He hoisted me from the ground and carried me inside of Talisa’s cottage. “What happened? How did you get here? How did you get those wounds?”

  I remembered the mare. “Azrael…she is hurt. Tend to her first, Jack! I’ll be fine.”

  “Keep your stubborn self,”—Jack gently put me down on the bed that once belonged to me— “on this bed while I go do that. From the looks of your head and the grimace you made when I picked you up, you have a concussion.”

  “I’m all right,” I assured him.

  “Like hell you are,” he frowned. He wagged a finger at me. “Stay here. I’ll be back after I tend to your horse. And stay awake! If I have to throw ice water on you, I will!”

  He left before I could scold him about being bossy. My vision blurred as I tried to focus on the ceiling, and I fought the urge to shut my eyes. The moment I did close them, I saw Arlina. She was pointing that pistol at me. I screamed as I heard the blast, and I was immediately splashed with ice water. An arm held me down when I tried to leap away.

  “Sucks to be on the other end of these things, hmm?” I heard Jack say.

  “What was that for?” I barked.

  “You went to sleep, woman!” he yelled. “I was gone for a while and everything!”

  “No, you weren’t!” I glared. “I just shut my eyes!”

  “You have a concussion!” Jack shook his head. “You can die from this, Artemis. You ha
ve to stay awake. I refuse to lose my best friend.”

  I sighed. “You almost did tonight.”

  Jack froze. “What in Avilyne’s hell is going on?”

  “Ellewynth…” Tears formed in my eyes. “We were attacked.”

  “What?” He ran a hand through the mess of dark brown hair and shuddered. “How?”

  “Full-bloods from Blackwen City.”

  “Oh goddesses…this is happening sooner than I expected.”

  “What? What do you know?” I asked, confused. “How do you know whatever it is you know?”

  “I should be over there…” Jack started to pace. “I can’t leave her behind like this…”

  “Jack?”

  He rubbed his head. “I can’t leave you here alone. You’ll fall asleep if I go.”

  “Tell me what you know,” I demanded. “I’ll stay awake if you do.”

  He bit his lip and crossed his arms. “Fine. You will tell me exactly what happened in Ellewynth as well as other things you know and then I will tell you what I know.”

  “Deal.” I shifted myself on the bed and was met with a glare. “What? You’re the one who changed my bed!”

  “It stopped being yours once I moved in here,” Jack said. “Got any better ideas of where to lie down?”

  “Outside,” I answered. “The grass has more cushioning than this!” I grumbled at my wet clothes. “Can I at least change?”

  “Being cold will help keep you awake.”

  “When did you become so evil?”

  “I’m Talisa’s apprentice. Enough said.”

  He cleaned the blood off of my arm and head, and then he patched me up. Jack carried me outside afterwards and placed his cloak beneath my head as a pillow. At least the stars were a better alternative to the ceiling. I was able to study Jack as he sat beside me. He’d lost weight since I last saw him, but his legs were a different story.

  Talisa was working him with these hikes!

  “What?” He asked once he caught my stare.

  “I didn’t think it was possible for you to gain some muscle on these,” I smiled as I pointed to his legs. “You really enjoy those hikes, hmm?”

  “Some days,” he winked. “And I wouldn’t tease if I were you. You may have such a rough exterior, dhampir, but deep down inside is a little girl who, on occasion, likes being one. Your room here is proof enough.”

  “And here I thought I missed you,” I grumbled. My gaze returned to the stars. “How is Azrael?”

  “Sleeping,” Jack answered. “She actually let me touch her this time. The mare was rather protective of you when I first knelt beside you. Injured or not, she was ready to knock my head off.”

  “Azrael is Shadow’s horse.”

  “It’s no wonder then,” Jack chuckled. He then sighed. “Tell me about the attack, Artemis.”

  “It burns.” I felt the tears again. “The city, I mean.” I took a deep breath. “The Mistress of Blackwen, Arlina…she is my aunt. I am a child of Blackwen.” The anger returned after I said it. “I am tied to its throne.”

  “Unfortunately, I knew about that.” Jack raised his hands defensively when I shot him an accusing look. “Let me explain.”

  He did so. Jack recalled how he saw Mother’s murder in a training exercise Talisa gave him. He told me about how he was an elf mage, particularly of the old bloodline in the Woodland Realm. Jack was upset when he finished his tale.

  “You’re nothing like those bastards,” I assured him.

  “Artemis, I am related to them!” He snapped. Jack shut his eyes and calmed himself. “Apologies. Considering you’re going through the same situation, I shouldn’t be yelling at you.”

  “They’re not trying to kill you at least.”

  “I don’t think they actually know I exist, or if they’re even still alive for that matter,” Jack replied.

  I felt his apprehension and changed the subject. “Jack…tell me about my mother’s death.”

  Jack flinched. “It was horrible, Artemis. No one should have been through that.”

  “What did Arlina do to her?”

  “Why must you know?”

  “Because I just have to!” I replied.

  Arlina almost killed me in Ellewynth. My moments of defiance when she belittled me were the only thing that kept my fear from being visibile to her. I knew Arlina was capable of so much more than she showed in the city, and I needed to know everything I could about her.

  “Artemis…you’re going to go to the Dark Fortress, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” I answered. “I will have to end this one way or another. I can’t let her haunt me forever. Even if I die over there, at least there’ll be an end to the suffering.”

  “Don’t ever say that,” Jack snapped. “Even if there were more miserable moments than happy ones, dhampir blackouts and all, your life is still worth something.”

  I blinked. “Being out here has done you some good, Jack. A long time ago, you would never have said such a thing.”

  Jack blushed. “Well…there are things worth living for.”

  “Like friends,” I said.

  “And love,” he added.

  Jack quickly covered his mouth as I flashed a wolfish grin.

  “Yes, love is certainly the one thing worth living for.” I patted his leg as he flushed with embarrassment. “And yes, I did read that letter you first sent to Shadow. Who is this mystery woman, Jack? Who is she to make you forget about Lilith so quickly?”

  “She is someone I can never have.” He buried his face in his hands. “Of all people to feel the damned string to, it’s a woman impossible to be with!”

  “Have some more faith in yourself. No one’s ever out of reach. You know this.”

  “When you meet her, you’ll understand.”

  “I think you’re just being unreasonable.”

  “Unreasonable?” Jack shook his head. “Unreasonable. I can tell you what’s unreasonable. How you ignore your feelings for Shadow. That’s unreasonable.”

  “You don’t understand, Jack,” I said defensively.

  “Goddesses, you’re thick in the head!” Jack frowned. “Tell me right now that you’re not worried about him. Tell me you’re not thinking of him right now, praying that he arrives at the cottage in one piece. Deny it to me, Artemis. For the past eight years that I’ve known you, all you’ve ever done is talk about your time with him. I dare you to deny it.”

  I sighed, because I couldn’t. There was just that one factor that Jack continued to forget about: the little to no control of the monster inside of me.

  “You really don’t understand.”

  “Artemis, one day you’ll stop lying to yourself about it.”

  “One of these days, that sharp tongue of yours is going to cost you,” I warned.

  Lady Clarayne spat the blood that filled her mouth after Arlina dealt a punch to the side of her face. Arlina was still the fierce warrior she had been the last time the two fought. Lady Clarayne, however, was feeling the fatigue of recent events catch up with her the longer the fight dragged out.

  It was not how she imagined the end would be, but she chuckled to herself. Nothing ever went the way one planned, especially when you were both a warrior and an Elder.

  She watched as Arlina circled her, and Lady Clarayne held the sword closer to her chest.

  “I guess it’s true what they say about old age,” Arlina said with a mock sigh. “How disappointing. I expected more from you, Clarayne.”

  “The life of a leader is a tiring ordeal, Arlina,” Lady Clarayne said, keeping her eyes on the Mistress of Blackwen. “Something you’ve never learned, obviously.”

  Arlina disappeared and flashed beside Lady Clarayne, her sai inches from the Elder’s throat. She slipped her blade in front of the sai just before the steel could sink into her flesh, and she tried to break free from the sudden vice grip Arlina applied. Lady Clarayne felt one of the sai push through the back of her shoulder, and she gritted her teeth as the pain trav
eled down her arm.

  “Why do you continue to resist me, Clarayne?” Arlina whispered into her ear. “Can’t you see that I’m trying to do you a favor? Don’t you want to be reunited with your husband?”

  Lady Clarayne felt the cloth along her arm cling to her skin as the blood from her shoulder soaked into the material. “Only on my own terms.”

  Lady Clarayne forced her body to push backward, and she shoved Arlina into one of the bookcases. Stunned, Arlina lost her grip on the sai embedded in Lady Clarayne’s shoulder, and the Elder took the brief opening to pull it out. Dropping the sai to the ground, Lady Clarayne looked to where Arlina had been and found she was gone. She ignored the urge to grip her bleeding shoulder, and instead shut her eyes to heighten her sense of sound. Lady Clarayne knew Arlina was still in the room; it wasn’t like Arlina to leave a battle unfinished.

  Sensing something behind her, Lady Clarayne opened her eyes and swung her sword, only to be met with resistance from the remaining sai. The irises in Arlina’s eyes were an intense crimson—the sign of true bloodlust in a full-blood. The resistance didn’t last long, as Lady Clarayne felt her shoulder buckle under the pressure. The Elder found herself falling to the ground as Arlina pushed her enough to make her lose her footing.

  “You have truly disappointed me, Elder.” Arlina tsked as she gripped the sword Lady Clarayne had dropped. She couldn’t remember letting go of the hilt. “It’s rude to excite someone only to crush their hopes soon after. I do hope your comrades prove to be more of a challenge than you have this night.”

  Lady Clarayne only glared. She didn’t want her last words to be hateful, even if the woman deserved it.

  Before Arlina could swing the sword, the door to the office splintered. Lady Clarayne felt relief once she saw Talisa standing where the door once had. Arlina hissed and ignored the fact that she had a helpless Elder on the ground.

  “You again.” Arlina spat.

  “Did you really think those fools of yours were going to stop me?” Talisa raised a palm, and Lady Clarayne knew that Arlina could feel the power of the magic Kiare bestowed on her from where she stood. “Step away from Lady Clarayne, and I will consider letting you flee.”