Page 47 of Unbound By Shadows
Quick movements to her right made her turn. She watched a pale figure in a gray cloak swoop toward the fallen Lycah, then drop to his knees. The stranger leaned down to press his head close to the Lycah’s pointed ear, causing his friends to draw back. Selene felt relieved—he must be another Drago coming to provide medical care.
But then came an odd sound, like a dog slurping at a water bowl. She stumbled backwards. She wasn’t watching a Drago, and this guycertainly wasn’t providing first aid. The gray-cloaked creature’s hood slipped back, revealing a patchy brown scalp and a wet, red mouth.
Vampire.
He was lapping the Lycah’s blood from the floor, and clutching the napkin Selene had dropped with his gnarled fingers.
Selene quickly turned from the gruesome sight. Her legs felt so shaky she slumped down onto a stool. My God, she was homesick. What an idiot she had been. Convincing herself that Aurelia was some enchanted paradise—the best parts of places like Wonderland, Oz, and Hogwarts, without the villains. Without the darkness or the consequences.
She could see Sam waiting by the door with his head bent. He was still angry, so angry, but he no longer looked like a bomb about to blow. Tears were trying to bubble up, so Selene closed her eyes. Caught between a vampire and a demon.
What choice do I have?
Opening her eyes, she stumbled toward Sam with heavy feet. He opened The Golden Gust’s door, and they went out into the night. Together.
Chapter 19
Slumping into the throne formerly belonging to Queen Lilith, Zaybris frowned. He picked at the seat’s crumbling leather lining and swung his legs over the armrest. A handful of servants, both Goblyn and vampire, rushed in, but Zaybris waved them away. Tonight was an evening for contemplation.
His black boots gleamed under the candlelit chandeliers. He held one leg up, pleased to see that his calves filled out the boot again. His linen pants fit better too, no longer bunched at the knee. His flesh was slowly regenerating, thanks to more frequent visits to the human world. Since his experience with the last human he had presumptuously named Adam, his trips were now focused strictly on feeding. Zaybris was no longer certain that bringing a human to Aurelia was God’s will.
He absently ran his fingers over the traveler's stone suspended from a chain around his neck. WhatwasGod’s plan for him now? He held the stone up to the light, marveling at how innocuous it seemed, yet its ability to take its keeper to any dimension was astounding. There was nothing like it, not even in the Faerie Realm, where he had mistakenly spent the past twenty years. His grip tightenedaround the stone, angry about how foolish he had been, but he released it abruptly. It was dangerous to touch it while dreaming of other lands.
Yes, the legends were true, a minute spent in the Faerie realm did equate to the passing of twenty years in other lands. But how was he to have known? He had been so distraught from his disastrous trip to the Underworld. After disposing of that vile little demon spawn in Aurelia, he transported himself to the first realm that had crossed his mind.
He slammed a fist down on his knee. So much time wasted! And what had it gotten him? Only pain. Not redemption, not revenge. Not even recognition.
A crackle, then a soft thump drew his attention to the left. Another chunk of the brick had fallen from the throne room’s ceiling, exposing a sliver of the night sky. He groaned, hating that yet another repair must be added to his list.
Was he being tested? Zaybris had always known his fate was greater than that of a barber’s son. It was confirmed the day he was reborn. One moment he had been sipping champagne at a party, celebrating the close of the nineteenth century. The next, a band of caped creatures had swarmed the room. He had watched in horror as everyone at the party was attacked and drained, his friends’ bodies lying bloodless and still on the floor.
Zaybris knew the myth of vampires, yet had never dreamed they were real. There was no denying the truth, though, once he felt a cold hand at his throat and fangs sink into his skin. He had struggled, but his efforts were useless. The only thing he could do as his life force flowed out of him was pray. He had prayed for strength and courage for the next part of his journey, and forgiveness for all the pain he had caused others in life.
He remembered how, when his eyes slid shut, a white light appeared—warm and welcoming. But as he moved toward the light, it abruptly winked out, leaving him lost in an abyss of darkness.
When he woke, he had been surprised to find himselfnot within that warm light, but in the same room where he had taken his last breath. He looked around, feeling no emotion at the multitude of dead bodies surrounding him. A great hunger had replaced the pain he felt, and his teeth throbbed sweetly. His mouth was dry, yet it wasn’t water he craved. When he saw blood trickle from the mouth of a dead woman beside him, desire as he had never known stirred.
That day he knew he was no longer a vessel of flesh, but a being of spiritual glory. He had been chosen to serve as one of God’s favored children—the vampire. While other survivors in the room, like his colleague Waldron, grieved their change, Zaybris had rejoiced. For he knew the Creator had selected only those most worthy to walk eternally upon His creation.
Running his tongue over his fangs, Zaybris thought back to how proud he felt when his brother, Julian, had begged him to make him immortal. It wasn’t up to him, Zaybris had warned before sinking his fangs into his brother’s flesh, it was fate that decided who rose again. Fortunately, Julian did not succumb to death, and the brothers joined with other vampires in Newark to feed on lesser beings.
Zaybris had never felt so invigorated. At last, he belonged. He finally understood his purpose in life after decades of feeling like an outcast—until he realized that being highly favored had consequences.
Astrologers and mediums spoke of how his kind violated the order of life and death. Fringe newspapers had called for the eradication of his race, and books imagined them not as higher beings, but ancient villains. Then when some jealous, unworthy mortals on the edge of society began slaughtering vampires with stakes and sunlight, God had sent not an angel, but a divine protector—a shining queen who would lead their exodus into the land of Aurelia.
Lilith…
He would never forget the first time he saw her. She appeared as a winged creature on the Gaia plane with a long neck, clawed feet, and tail. He had been frightened when she descended upon his horde, for she embodied the local legend of the Leeds Devil.However, he quickly became enamored with her gentle voice and promises to care for his people in her lands.
The less violent vampires among them accepted her offer of sanctuary immediately. They were eager to live a respectable life despite their new hungers. Julian and his lover Margery were less inclined to join but relented when Lilith explained that they could accompany her into Aurelia or meet their true death at the end of a stake.
Zaybris did not need convincing. Lurking in the shadows and preying on the weak had suited him, but Lilith’s brown eyes were compelling. He was even more certain of his decision once they arrived in Aurelia and he saw her regain her true form. The Goblyn queen looked more like an angel than a devil or monster. She was tall with long, auburn hair, skin as prismatic as an opal, and gracefully pointed ears. Her majestic wings swayed when she was calm and quivered when she was angry. Zaybris was in awe of his queen. Immediately he volunteered to help her acclimatize vampires to their new world, and she accepted.
The Aurelian queens did not condone the killing of innocents so gone were the days of tearing flesh and violence. Vampires in Aurelia were nourished by blood donated by Aurelian citizens and sipped from crystal goblets.
Time moved strangely in Aurelia, so Zaybris was not sure when the changes to their bodies occurred, but they came slowly. First, he noticed a childhood injury to his shoulder had begun to ache again. Others complained of arthritis flares and diminished energy. Zaybris’s hair was losing its shine, and his feet hurt when strolling through Queen Lilith’s night-blooming gardens.
Zaybris had begged the queen to explore other ways to stop the decay of their bodies, perhaps with live feedings from the vein, but she dismissed him. Growing older was natural, Lilith had said. Plus, she did not trust vampires to limit themselves to “just a sip.”
