Tudor takes a small step back.
“Thought so,” I say. “Geordam,” I address my Captain Commander. “You are permitted to let any vampire who wants out to go. But they should know that once they leave the safety of this sanctuary, there is no going back. The wards are impenetrable from the other side. And I expressly forbid,” I give Tudor an admonishing look, “I forbid any of the Royal Guard to go out to help any vampire who decides himself better than the rest. Understood?”
Geordam bows low. “Yes, my Queen.”
“Good,” I say. “Now, Riyu? We go.”
He steps to my side from out of the crowd.
We are escorted by the guards to the departure point. I take a deep breath.
“Have your weaves ready,” I whisper to Riyu, and step out from the barrier.
A moment later, he appears beside me.
I glance back. The protective spell looks like a thick, glass orb from out here. I reach out and touch it with one hand.
It’s as solid as steel.
“Do you feel that?” I ask Riyu, facing forward.
He looks at me sideways. “Feel what, my Queen?”
“The silence,” I say. “The tension. To me it’s like a palpable thing. Like The Haven knows, somehow, it’s been infected.”
I give myself a shake. “Never mind. I’m saying stupid things.”
We start down the crumbling path, ever alert.
“You know what to do when we meet them?” I ask.
“Yes,” he nods. “Protect you. Give you a shield against the sound waves.”
“You put all of your magic into that,” I stress. “I will destroy the creatures with pure, malevolent Fire.” My body trembles in raw anticipation of the impending fight. “But I need to dedicate all of myself to the offensive weaves, if I am to win. That is why your shielding is so important.”
“Then allow me to make good on that duty,” he says.
A blue light flashes around him, condenses to a point, and then explodes out and coats the air around us, enveloping us in a small sphere.
I raise an eyebrow at him in question. I do not recognize the spell.
“This,” he explains, taking pleasure in demonstrating his utility, “is a spell with a bit of my own flavor added. It will solidify into an airtight barrier the moment a sound wave with the frequency of the shrieks touches it. It does not block anything now before—so we can still hear everything else going on outside.”
“Does it only block that exact sound wave?” I ask.
Riyu chuckles. “That would be quite a feat, outside the realm of possibility for me.”
“Show me how you wove it.”
He does, demonstrating his intricate blend of Air, Water, and Earth.
I pick it up right away. “I might be able to modify it so that it only blocks the screams…” I say thoughtfully. “But you’re right. It would demand too much power, too much attention.”
“Not a very effective use of your talent,” he notes.
We keep walking, I am on high alert for any faraway noise, straining my senses to concentrate, but so far all I hear is silence.
“It makes sense you would say that,” Riyu says after a few minutes.
I blink. “Say what?”
“That The Haven feels diseased. You put your soul into creating the wards. I saw it all. You are forever linked to this place, probably in ways neither of us can imagine. This coven…” he shakes his head. “It is not simply some infertile, dead piece of land. It is alive. Hidden from the world, untouched by the sun, and protected from elements. It is a part of you, as much as your soul is. It is like an external organ, always connected, forever alive, linked to your heartbeat.” He looks at me. “That is why you feel such a strong urge to protect it.”
“How do you know all that?” I wonder.
“Remember,” he says. “For someone like me to have survived for so long, I’ve had to train all of my senses. I am much more perceptive of things because of that.”
“Well, I’m glad to have you on my side,” I say sincerely.
Then I catch myself admitting that and cut off short.
Riyu glances at me. “You do not know how far you can trust me,” he says. “Given that I come from an opposing coven.”
I don’t say anything.
“I’ve already sworn to you, Eleira. I owe you my life. I know you can destroy me if I ever cross you. So, I never intend to. My intentions are pure, I promise. And I… I share your distaste for The Crypts.”
I sigh. “I believe you,” I say. “But I have to be cautious.”
“Of course.”
“Tell me about The Crypts.”
Riyu misses a step. But he covers it up quickly. “What would you like to know?”
“You said you knew the whole layout of the coven. You said you knew all its secrets.”
“Well,” Riyu hedges. “Maybe not all.”
“Your knowledge will be invaluable when it comes time to take that coven.”
Riyu fully stops. He stares at me as if he’s never seen me before.
“What do you mean, take?”
“Exactly as it sounds,” I say nonchalantly. “The Crypts want us destroyed. I do I not intend, as Queen, to sit scared behind the wards and let our coven be attacked. After we deal with the screechers, and Morgan, I intend to take the offensive. We will march on The Crypts. We will offer them my terms. A partnership between the covens, working together to a future that I see fit. Or—” my gaze intensifies, “—destruction.”
Riyu looks at me as if I’m mad.
“Eleira,” he says. His mouth moves, no sounds coming out, as he searches for the right words. “I’m not sure—I’m not sure you appreciate the full might of Logan’s coven. They have many times the number of vampires we do. All are sustained on The Ancient’s blood—that means all of them are stronger.”
“I know,” I say softly. “But what happens if the well were to dry up?”
Riyu openly gapes. “Do you propose doing something to The Ancient?”
“I don’t propose,” I say. “I will. As far as I know, there are no wards around The Crypts preventing the formation of a portal from the Paths.”
“No,” he agrees. “That is your creation here.” He shakes his head. “But even with that caveat, you don’t understand The Ancient’s strength. He is…” his eyes go wide, “…god-like. You haven’t been in his presence.”
“Maybe not,” I agree. “But he is a vampire like the rest of us, is he not?”
“Aye,” Riyu agrees.
“And what have we recently discovered is every vampire’s weakness?”
A look of understanding dawns on Riyu’s face.
“You want to use the Tentoria against him,” he says. “But how?”
“Simple,” I say. “One of them will be captured. I have to eliminate the threat, but that does not mean killing every one.” I give him a sly look. “That’s another reason I need you.”
He cocks his head slightly to the side. “Why?”
“You’re not only here to protect me, Riyu. You’re also here to pick off one—or more, however many you can manage—of the Tentoria and render them inert. Bind them with ropes of Air, seal their jaws, do what you have to do.”
“If I am to maintain this safeguard—” he motions to the outward edge of the glow, “—then I can only direct my attention to capture one of the beasts. Maybe, maybe two, but I don’t want to make any promises. All I have to go by to judge their strength is your word, and, no offense, your perception of them might be a bit skewed given how powerful you are.” He cracks a smile. “They could give someone like me more trouble than you think.”
“Here,” I toss him a tight bundle of string. “I found that in Morgan’s apartments.”
He snatches it from the air and looks at it. “What’s this?”
“Something like spider-silk, I think,” I say. “It’s been enhanced by some sort of spell, I don’t know. But it’s very light, very thin, and extremely strong. I had to use all my strength to ever have a chance of snapping it.”
He whistles. “You want me to bind my captive with it.”
“You read my mind,” I say. “I figure that way you won’t have to divert too much of your magical energies for it.”
“Thank you,” he says, tucking it in one pocket. “It will be a great help.”
“You’re not going to test it yourself?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.