A Den of Tricks (A Shade of Vampire #54)

I wasn’t one to cry at funerals, but the atmosphere got to me—I realized that as I felt tears soaking into my mask. Caspian’s hand took mine, and I gazed up at him. My eyesight was a little hazy with tears, but I managed to see the pained expression he wore as he looked at me. He gently squeezed my hand, a small but reassuring gesture that somehow meant the world to me.

As a sentry, I could see the sadness and frustration emanating from him in deep shades of blue and crimson. He had every reason to feel that way, and yet there was something more beneath those obvious layers. The golden tendrils I’d seen before, warm and almost palpable as they tickled my face. It was so strange and beautiful to experience, in the midst of all that grief.

Caspian had this effect on me, and I found that it didn’t bother me. It didn’t scare me, either. Sure, it confused the hell out of me, but his presence and his touch seemed to make it all worth it. He was an enigma I was determined to unravel, one layer at a time.

For the time being, however, I was thankful to have him standing next to me, holding my hand and filling my heart with an unfamiliar, peculiar, but wonderful kind of warmth.

As I lifted my goggles and wiped my tears, I glanced at Rewa for a minute. Her grief seemed genuine. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks and dripped into the short grass at her feet. Her head was down as the flutes and drums produced a mournful ballad to which they all knew the lyrics.

Her lips parted, then moved as she sang. Soon enough, the entire crowd joined in—a sea of voices singing about the ephemeral nature of life, about how a second and a thousand years are suddenly equal in the face of death.

It sent shivers down my spine, reminding me of how precious life was. Sure, I’d opted for immortality as a vampire. But that didn’t mean it couldn’t be taken away from me. It didn’t mean that it wouldn’t all come to an end at some point.

I instinctively squeezed Caspian’s hand, then gave him a sideways glance as I wondered… If my life were to stop right here and now, I would never see him again. Something clawed at my heart in response, painful and unforgiving.

As our eyes met, I understood.

Caspian was slowly but surely becoming an extra reason for me to live and keep fighting.





Caia





(Daughter of Grace & Lawrence)





A luncheon was organized at the White Star Hotel, with a massive buffet covering the ground and first floor of the building, along with seating and more stalls on the front terrace, for all those who wished to join the grieving families of those lost in last night’s attacks.

The banquet hall on the ground floor was enormous and beautifully decorated with floral spheres and black ribbons hanging from the domed ceiling. It was simple, but elegant and full of expression—an artful way of mourning, I thought.

Our team was given a table at the far end, secluded between large potted flowers that gave us a mild sense of privacy. Servants brought over pitchers of blood and mixed platters from the buffet. My gaze quietly followed them as they then took more blood pitchers to the Lords’ table, on the opposite side of the hall.

The funeral ceremony had been quite intense and emotional, but something else bothered us, collectively. It hung heavy in the air between us, and it had to be addressed sooner rather than later.

“Why aren’t they here yet?” I asked, and they all looked up at me. Their expressions told me everything I needed to know—I wasn’t the only one thinking about it. “Seriously, it’s been days now, and GASP isn’t here yet. There’s something wrong.”

Jax took a long sip from his cup, then let out a long, exhausted sigh.

“I don’t know, Caia,” he replied, shaking his head slowly. “They should’ve been here by now, and frankly, I’ve been telling myself ‘any minute now’ for a couple of days… I do know that they would definitely try to come for us if they couldn’t reach us via Telluris. Without a doubt, that I can guarantee you.”

“But they’re not here, so… what now?” I shrugged, crossing my arms over my chest. I lost my appetite, thinking about my parents, my sister, and everyone else who was waiting for us to come back safely. Worst of all, I was beginning to worry that maybe they’d already sent help, and something terrible might have happened along the way. Those were thoughts so terrible that I didn’t want to voice them—voicing them would make them real.

“So, it’s true, then. The asteroid belt is hindering GASP’s access to Neraka,” Fiona said, pouring herself a cup of spiced blood. “It isn’t just stopping us from leaving; it’s doing something to outside forces, too?”

Several moments passed as we let the possibility really sink in. We’d already considered this earlier, but it still didn’t make me feel any better. Nevertheless, it sounded reasonable enough to pass as a valid theory.

“It’s already hindering communications, and it’s keeping the planet hidden from the Daughters,” Hansa mused, absently pushing steamed vegetables around her plate with a fork. “Maybe its effect was amplified over the past couple of days…”

“Disrupting interplanetary spells altogether?” Jax raised an eyebrow. “If that’s true, then anyone who tried to pierce Neraka’s atmosphere could very easily blow up in a ball of flames, too, like what Avril experienced—”

“But out of orbit,” Avril interjected, her eyes wide with fear. “But wouldn’t we have seen something in the sky, if that were the case?”

“Maybe… The interplanetary spell is quite accurate,” Patrik said. “It brought us straight to Azure Heights. The Nerakian samples that Rewa left with Viola are from here, too. So it wouldn’t be a question of an interplanetary spell landing on the wrong side of Neraka, for us not to see at all.”

“What if it’s cutting off magic altogether?” Fiona asked.

“That is possible,” Patrik replied. “We’ll definitely look into the asteroid belt while Jax and his team are out. There must be a way to disrupt its effect. Otherwise it would mean we’re stuck here, with no way for GASP to reach us.”

The idea fell heavily on all our shoulders. My stomach churned, and angst clawed its way up my throat. There was no way I’d be spending my life here. It was absurd, unacceptable, downright horrific.

Blaze’s hand found mine under the table, and gave me a gentle squeeze.

“We’ll find a way out, Caia,” he said, his midnight-blue eyes settled on mine. “Even if I have to fly out there, as high as I can, and blow those things out of the sky…”

“I think that’s physically impossible,” I muttered, though grateful for his attempt to reassure me.

“Don’t underestimate my abilities,” he replied. “We are not staying here forever.”

A couple of minutes went by in grim silence as we all looked at each other. I reached out for my glass of water but stilled as I noticed Vincent and Rewa approaching our table. Blaze didn’t let go of my hand.

“Thank you all for attending the funeral today,” Rewa said, her gaze settling on Blaze. “It meant a lot to me… to us.”