FOURTEEN
Sinjin
Bryn lay on the bed with a light sheet pulled up to her chest. It had been at least an hour since her sister departed, and now I sat alone in the room with her, watching the little tempest breathing. Her light brown, silky hair was splayed across the white pillowcase like an elegant Chinese fan. And her athletic body lay perfectly still in a disturbingly deep slumber. Disturbing because it was so peaceful …
The flames that left her skin red had long since disappeared. After such a traumatic event, one might have expected to find horrible wounds or scars marring her, yet there were none in sight.
Having been relegated to playing the role of nursemaid, I was dutifully fulfilling my position. Not that I minded. Quite the contrary, I found it difficult to pry my attention away from the slumbering beauty. Sitting next to her on the bed, I could not stop admiring her perfect skin as I realized that, for the first time, I could appreciate her beauty without the chronic obstacle of her sharp tongue and slick words.
I readily admit the Lady Bryn did not possess perfection in her beauty. But I saw perfection in her imperfections. Such as three freckles just above her collarbone that, if connected, formed an isosceles triangle. And the way her top lip curved slightly upward when her mouth was at rest, instead of delivering another barbed comment that she usually directed my way. How effortlessly her eyebrows framed her eyes and the fine hairs on her arms were nearly invisible unless one had the enviable opportunity of viewing them up close.
I continued to study her, unable to tear my gaze away. Like the painter must feel when he is captivated by his subject, I was hopelessly sucked in by the lines of her face, the darkness of her lashes, and the pink of her cheeks.
Her fingertips lay flat against the sheet, and her pink nail beds called to me—beckoning me to take her hand in mine … So I did. I held her hand, caressing her supple skin and listening to the rhythmic pattern of her thumping heart.
A heaviness was growing inside me that felt very foreign and unnatural. The more I pondered that fact, the more I realized how unaccustomed I was to feeling this way. I had always willingly blocked myself from forming close ties with anyone as a custom. Especially with those of such abbreviated lifespans. I shied away from what was once my humanity, all emotions included. It was much easier not to feel anything, especially after “living” for so many long centuries.
Leaning forward slightly, I whispered to her, “I left you alone and I should not have. Please forgive me, my beautiful swan. Forgive me for abandoning my duty and not protecting you as I should have. Forgive me for leaving you to fend for yourself.”
In my six-hundred-plus years of existence, women have been the objects I most desired, so naturally, I courted and bedded them. Although I could not deny my wanton lust for this lovely woman, there was something more I sensed that was rapidly manifesting. Perhaps it was simply a growing admiration, or possibly a budding respect. I do not know exactly the word for the emotion I was feeling, but something about her affected me in ways that no other woman ever could.
This woman, unlike any other before her, possessed the uncanny ability of keeping me on my toes while I simply enjoyed the dance. In fact, I eagerly anticipated our sparring repartees, much more than I cared to divulge to her. I sincerely doubted I could possibly be in love with the Lady Bryn, certainly not! I did not imagine I was still capable of loving since having divorced myself from my humanity for so many centuries. But I also could not honestly deny my continued perpetual fondness and allegiance toward this lovely woman. That much, I had to confess, was true.
As instructed by Mercedes, I soaked a washcloth in an herb solution and placed the wet material across the lady’s forehead. Over the past hour, Bryn had not moved, flinched, or even blinked. Were it not for the steady beating of her precious heart, I could have mistaken her for deceased.
And on that note, I found myself puzzling over my bizarre thoughts. Were the Lady Bryn to suddenly awaken from her trance, for lack of a better word, I was suddenly painfully aware that she would still be confined to her own mortality. Unlike the vampire, Elementals and witches are not destined to enjoy eternal existence. Yes, they can extend their lives, but that is all it is, an extension, which will not last forever. That unsavory thought caused me inordinate discomfort. Now that I was faced with the grim notion that the little hellfire might not awaken from this vegetative state, I became consumed with what I could only imagine must have been fear.
I stood up as the uncomfortable thoughts began to fester in my brain, spewing their venom so mercilessly that I found I could no longer maintain my seated position. I paced the room a few times and contemplated whether anything could be done about her current state.
More than once, I found myself leaning forward on the chair beside her bed and taking her small hand into mine. I whispered in her ear that there was still much to be done, and she could not leave us, although it appeared she was. I even confessed that I needed her to awaken. But she still did not respond or move.
I wondered if my words fell on deaf ears or she could hear my voice somewhere in the comatose state in which she was currently imprisoned. When she had first come back to us, minutes after the queen and I returned from the vision, Bryn barely opened her eyes before an expression of sheer horror had swept across her face. And merely moments later, she was gone again! I could not banish that memory from my mind despite my frequent attempts.
What if she had only temporarily resurfaced before Luce snatched her back into the vision? What if she were still a captive of Luce? What if she were desperately trying to resist him but needed help, my help?
Myriad thoughts raced through my mind, suggesting all kinds of solutions and answers until my next thoughts shot them down. Wanting nothing more than to sink my razor-sharp fangs deep into Luce’s neck and thoroughly drain his life and essence was all that kept me operating. It was the only image that remained static, and the only thought that brought me any sort of joy. Meanwhile, Bryn remained in a paralyzed state, fighting with all of her might to return to us. I only hoped she was still fighting. I prayed to whatever higher power that exists to give her the necessary strength to emerge from her trance. I also begged the lady not to surrender to Luce’s devious mind.
Now my desire to kill the leader who raised her was all-encompassing. I had intended to do it when I first stepped onto the grounds of his camp. Yes, but that impulse was only half as powerful as what I felt now. Without a plan as to how, or knowing the date of when, I nevertheless vowed to myself that when the occasion arose, I would accomplish my mission—I would vanquish Luce from the face of the earth, no matter the consequences, even if it meant I had to surrender my own life in the process.
But sincere promises were sadly inadequate for what the little tempest needed now. Poor Bryn was stuck somewhere between there and here—caught between the depths of her mind and reality. And there was nothing I could do. No matter how badly I wished to save her, all I could do now was hold her hand, stroke her arm, and try not to flag in my belief that she would eventually make her way back to me.
Standing up, I slowly began pulling the cloth from her head. I walked over to the herb solution in the large round bowl and dipped the cloth inside it again. This time, after wringing out the excess liquid, I placed the warm cloth on her arms, wiping it from her shoulder down to her hand. I repositioned myself and did the same thing on her opposite side. Then I dipped the cloth back into the solution and folded it into a narrow rectangle, draping it over her porcelain-smooth forehead gently. She did not move—or even twitch.
“It is time, Bryn,” I crooned softly in her ear. “If you can hear me, it is now time for you to wake up. You must open your beautiful eyes before giving me one of your clever smirks and saying something that suggests you are irritated with me but also amused, as you often do. It is time, my lady. We need you still.” I sighed. “I need you perhaps the most of all.”
Nothing. No response. Complete and utter silence.
I leaned down closer to her ear. “Come back to me, my little imp.” Only the stillness of silence followed my pathetic quip.
Frustrated, I began to pace the room again. Back and forth, I could only wonder what in the bloody hell was going on inside her addled mind. Was she still fighting for her life and sanity? Was she hopelessly lost in the woods? Was she seriously wounded? Was she still trying to determine which world was real?
Every once in a while, the small thuds of her heartbeat sped up and increased her blood flow, but most of the time, the steady rhythm persisted. Her breathing also continued in a passive sort of way—and perhaps that was a good indicator, or not.
A small tap on the door interrupted my thoughts. I glanced at Bryn and turned toward the closed door rather impatiently. Why? I was not certain. Upon opening it, I found Klaasje, Varick, and Trent staring back at me. All at once, I realized I had momentarily forgotten that I summoned them.
Scowls contorted the faces of Varick and Trent while Klaasje just smiled in her customary, kind-hearted fashion. Without saying a single word, I stepped to the side to allow them entrance before closing the door behind us. Walking a short few steps, I placed myself between them and Bryn in a protective manner that baffled everyone, including me.
“Thank you for coming,” I said, narrowing my eyes at each of them. “I am certain you must be quite puzzled as to the reason why I requested your immediate attendance.”
Varick’s ice-cold, hazel eyes scanned my face briefly. He seemed rigidly resigned, and an air of irritability tainted his expression. “Yes, so perhaps you could inform us all of the reason without wasting anymore of our time?”
“I wish to discuss the matter of the Lady Bryn,” I began before realizing I had to further explain myself. “More pointedly, the vision she had that—”
“Ah, yes,” Varick cut me off in mid-sentence. “The second-class sister wasn’t getting enough public attention, so she concocted a wild story to throw the queen into a sheer panic. Are you talking about that vision?”
His words hit me hard. Not because they contained even a smattering of truth, but because they were hard, cold, and razor sharp. I bristled.
“Your transparent jealousy is more than unbecoming, Varick, old man,” I answered with a faux laugh. I did not fail to notice or appreciate the way in which his scowl suddenly deepened. Taking a step toward him—I found myself much closer than I wanted to be to the ancient vampire. But if the truth be told, I needed him now so I refused to allow him to push me over the edge.
“Jealousy?” he began with a shrug, as if he expected to refute my comment. But I disallowed him any opportunity.
“I know we have locked horns before,” I began, as agreeably as I was able to sustain. “But you must never refer to the princess in such an unflattering way again. She has proven herself a noble warrior and is as much a citizen of Kinloch Kirk as any of us in this room.”
“I believe you mean, she is another of the queen’s personal puppets just as you are?” Varick stepped closer to me, and I sensed he was egging me on—tempting me to react to his predictable barbs. But I refused to fall for such childish, transparent attempts. I required his strength and agility and leadership. A master vampire, he was the one who turned me into what I was today. That meant he would have been quite a contender if I chose to fight. However, I was not in the mood to spar with him, neither verbally nor otherwise.
“We must put our differences aside right now, Varick,” I explained. “I did not ask you to come here in order to settle old conflicts.”
“Then why did you call us here?” Trent asked.
I glanced behind myself to view the sleeping beauty before I faced the three again. Varick crossed his arms over his chest and sharpened his glare toward me. “I am devising a plan that involves the three of you, and I must ask you three to handle it.” I was aware that teaming Trent with two vampires might have sounded like an undesirable move, but I needed all of their skills and for different reasons. Of course, I expected them to argue amongst themselves, and I knew Varick and Trent would never see eye-to-eye, but I needed them regardless of their shortcomings.
Varick snickered. “You want us to work with him?” He nodded toward Trent, who responded with a growl at Varick. It was a very low rumble that the human ear might not have detected, but vampire hearing is much more acute than human hearing.
“Enough!” I barked, spearing both of them with an irritated glare. Once they quieted, I continued, “As you might recall from the meeting earlier, Luce fully intends to attack our kingdom. And the queen wants us to assemble an army.”
“We were all there and we all remember her orders,” Varick said with visible disinterest, shifting from one foot to the other and burying his hands in his pockets as he cocked his head toward me.
“Very good. I am pleased to learn you were paying attention,” I chided him before continuing. “I want to remain a step ahead of Luce at all times.” I turned my head to check on the sleeping princess again before returning my gaze to the three standing before me.
“What does that mean?” Klaasje asked.
I faced her. “It means that instead of waiting in the dark for Luce to attack us, I suggest we take the fight to him.”
“How?” Trent asked. “We can’t very well move the army from here to Montana. That will leave the kingdom too exposed.”
“True, which is why I would like the three of you to intercept Luce and his army before they arrive here, and also before they can reach Kinloch Kirk.”
“Intercept?” Klaasje asked as she shook her head and appeared confused. “You want the three of us to take on Luce’s army?” Her blue eyes shone with uncertainty and doubtful concern.
Although Klaasje was not nearly as old as Varick or myself, she had two very impressive skills. She was faster than any vampire her age that I had ever seen, and she had a pretty face. That mattered as much as her vampiric powers of persuasion; she could sway any man into doing her bidding—anyone, that is, except a master vampire, of course. “So in a roundabout way, yes.”
“That’s a suicide mission, Sinjin,” she answered with a frown. “Luce has a massive army! Against the three of us?” She shook her head in visible defeat.
“The mission for you is to gather intelligence,” I corrected her. “I do not expect you to attack Luce and his army. Instead, I seek knowledge.” I glanced from Klaasje to Trent. “I want to know the hour and minute when Luce plans to make his assault on the castle. I also want to know how many comprise his army. And …” I stopped as I considered my next statement more carefully.
“And?” Varick asked.
I nodded before I decided to continue. “And I want to know everything you can tell me about a boy named Arrow.”
“Arrow?” Trent repeated dubiously.
“He should be traveling with Luce and the army,” I informed them.
“Who is he and why should we care about him?” Varick asked.
“He is Luce’s newest weapon,” I replied. “Luce has been very busy in his efforts to create hybrids from Elementals and Daywalkers. This particular one happens to possess immense power.”
“So finding the boy is our main mission?” Klaasje asked.
“Not just the boy, but, yes, I am ultimately most interested in him. I want you to learn everything you can about him. All the skills he possesses, and how he is being trained. I want you to discover his weaknesses too.” I watched Klaasje power through her thoughts before she nodded. “And I want you to find out if there are others like him; and if so, how many?”
“Daywalker and Elemental hybrids,” Trent repeated as he shook his head.
I turned to face him, disregarding his statement. “Currently, we know nothing about them really. We have a vague vision of a future event occurring, but that is woefully inadequate.”
Varick crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Bryn with a strange expression on his face. It made me bristle with annoyance as I detected a certain … hunger in it. I cleared my throat, and he turned back to me. “As long as the werewolf stays out of my way, I will be happy to comply.”
“As long as I stay out of your way?” Trent railed back at him. “You better stay out of my way!”
“You both shall say out of one another’s ways,” I corrected them with a sigh. They both were little better than children.
“Is there anything we should know about the camp?” Klaasje asked, bringing the conversation back on point.
Of course, a laundry list of information pertaining to the camp in Montana existed, but I only bothered to mention the most important items. “Be mindful of the wards that surround the camp, as well as each individual building. I expect all of you to figure out how best to combat them. Feel free to discuss the camp with Rachel or Betta, which was what I did to prepare for my visit there. Guards patrol the fences as well as the perimeters. Luce has gone to great measures to ensure that his security is good and tight, but”—I hesitated as I recalled some of the particulars—“not impenetrable, by any means.”
“And why do you believe that I should take this trip rather than assigning others who are beneath me?” Varick asked. “As a rule, I prefer not to bother with ordinary reconnaissance missions.”
“This isn’t just an ordinary reconnaissance mission, Mr. High and Mighty!” Trent responded with an audible huff.
“The were is correct,” I replied. “This is a vital and critical mission. It is my duty and responsibility to staunchly protect the queen and her sister, so unfortunately, I must remain behind. Otherwise, I would eagerly embark upon this mission henceforth.”
“Very well,” Varick grumbled, and he did not look pleased. Of course, that was nothing unusual. I fail to recall a single, fleeting moment when I could honestly say that Varick actually smiled. “You crushed Luce’s arm, perhaps this time, I will smash his head in.”
I threw my head back and laughed at his audacity. He had the nerve to imagine he would succeed where I had failed! Yes, he was much older than I, and perhaps, some would argue, he was also stronger, but I would test my skills against his in a heartbeat, and happily.
“All three of you! Please keep in mind that the true purpose of this mission is merely to collect enemy intelligence,” I reiterated before spearing each of them with a pointed look. “The goal is not to destroy Luce; although I doubt very much that any of you would be able to. Furthermore, any failure on your part would certainly suggest we are snooping around for information. The idea is to be invisibly stealthy. You must get in and out, totally unseen,” I finished.
“Understood,” Klaasje answered immediately. At the lack of any response from Varick and Trent, I faced each of them in turn.
“Please allow me to repeat myself: I prefer that the three of you return alive. This is no suicide mission. You three are the best-trained warriors we have, and I have no intention of losing any of you.”
Varick gave me a curt nod and moved toward the door before turning to say, “We will depart in an hour, and return as soon as we can obtain the necessary information the kingdom seeks.” He started to leave but seemed to change his mind. “I must inform you that I am doing this entirely for the queen, and not for you, Sinjin.”
“Fair enough,” I answered, undeterred by his constant need to have the last word. “Good luck.”
As they left the room, I closed the door behind them. I immediately pulled the damp cloth off Bryn’s forehead to soak it yet again in the herbal formula that Mercedes prescribed. I glanced down at the sleeping angel and noticed nothing different in her countenance. She still appeared dead to the world. Leaning over her, I ran my fingers along her jawline and listened to her unremitting heartbeat.
At the sound of another knock upon the door, I reluctantly left her side to answer it. Half expecting to find Varick, Trent, and Klaasje standing on the other side, I was surprised to see my newest visitors were Rachel and Betta.
“Ladies,” I said in greeting as I held the door wider and gestured for them to come in.
They stepped past me and into the room, both of their gazes firmly fastened on Bryn. Their odd expressions reflected both concern and fear. But within those poignant expressions, there was so much more. Betta faced me first, but as soon as she did, Rachel did also. They both just stood there dumbly for a moment or two.
“Shall I suppose you came here to challenge me to a game of staring down one’s opponent?” I asked facetiously.
Betta laughed slightly while Rachel dropped her attention to the floor. When she glanced up at me again, I noticed her appearance. Rather strangely, she was wearing a trench coat which she held loosely around her body. Then I also noticed how wild and unkempt her hair appeared. Her swollen eyes were red with tears. Betta looped her arm through Rachel’s and began to bounce from one foot to the other as if she needed to tell me something very urgently. Or perhaps she merely had to relieve herself. Glancing at them both, I managed to ask, “What is wrong?”
Betta’s eyes moved from mine to Rachel and landed on me again before she glanced back at Bryn. “What’s wrong with her?” she asked.
“We do not know exactly,” I sighed. “Perhaps one of Mercedes’s spells went awry. Now we must wait patiently for the Lady Bryn to awaken from it.”
“She looks like she’s in a coma,” Betta said, her undisguised concern clouding her face.
“She is attempting to find her way back to us,” I explained as I glanced at the sleeping woman. “I am afraid that is all I can tell you.”
“Back to us?” Betta asked.
“I do not suppose the Lady Bryn was the reason you both came here?” I interrupted; I was not in the mood to recount the particulars regarding what happened. On that subject, I must admit I was exhausted.
Betta bit her lip, stealing a glance or two at Bryn before she remembered why they were looking for me. And managed to find me. Then, her attention remained fastened on me as her thoughts returned to the matter at hand. “Well, uh …”
“Yes,” I encouraged her to continue, giving her my undivided attention.
“We intended to go to the queen, but instead, we decided to come to you first. That is, we, um, hoped to get your advice.”
“Yes, of course, little mouse.” I paused to allow one of them to start speaking, but neither did. “Please—may I ask what subject you require my advice upon?”
“Well, uh …”
“You are wasting my time with your audible hesitation.”
Betta glanced at Rachel, who gave her a single nod. With trembling hands, Rachel slowly opened her brown trench coat and revealed a large, unnatural lump beneath her shirt. The swollen lump started under her breasts and extended outward, comprising the entirety of her stomach, which was in a word … enormous! As I gaped at her, her stomach shifted when the damn thing inside of her belly moved.
“What in hell’s name?” I stepped back. “What the bloody hell is wrong with you?” Of course, I assumed the fetus in her womb was the source of her distended belly, but logically, it made no sense.
“Sinjin, it’s my baby.” Rachel ran her hand from the top to the bottom of her stomach, following each and every curve.
Even though I suspected such was the case, I could not help but refute the impossibility of the conception. “How can that be?” I asked, sounding more than shocked. “We have only been back in Kinloch Kirk a short time. There is no feasible way your baby could have … grown so swiftly?” I used my hands to outline an invisible stomach on top of my own.
“I know it sounds crazy,” Rachel began as she shook her head, “but that’s exactly what’s happening. The baby’s growth seems to be stuck on fast forward.”
“How is that even possible?” I asked as I continued to shake my head. “How did you manage to expedite the child’s growth so astronomically?”
Having seen countless pregnant women during my six hundred years of existence, I had never observed a fetus growing at such an alarming rate. It caused a sea of concern to rise up inside me.
“Do you remember when I told you about Arrow?” Rachel asked. “The boy Luce trained as a weapon?”
“Of course.”
“Do you recall when I mentioned how fast he was growing?” She glanced from her stomach back to me. “This is the same thing, Sinjin,” she told me as soon as I nodded. “Only, I believe my baby is growing even faster than he did.” She took a deep breath and let it out with another long sigh. “And that’s why I’m here. I’m not sure what I should do about it.” She worried her lower lip before her eyes found mine. “I’m scared.”
The concern in her voice was disquieting. I carefully considered her quandary, but unfortunately, had little to offer by way of a solution. That was a realm in which I had no expertise or experience. But, luckily, I knew people who did. “We must have you assessed by either Mercedes or Mathilda.”
“I thought the same thing,” Betta agreed with a quick nod.
And then a thought hit me … hard. “If Luce has breeders that are following your lead, their pregnancies will last merely weeks, which means in no time at all, he will have an army of hybrid Elemental and Daywalkers!”
“In theory, perhaps,” Betta responded as Rachel frowned.
“That’s the problem though! The breeders aren’t getting pregnant,” Rachel announced as she shook her head. “But if they were, then yes, it stands to reason that your prediction would be accurate.”
I thought for a long moment, although I could not resist staring at the unnatural bulge, which continued to shift up and down as it rotated in Rachel’s womb. I must confess that I found the whole thing quite unsatisfying. “Yes, Mercedes or Mathilda,” I muttered, mostly to myself. Then I faced them both with a querying glance. “What the bloody hell possessed you to come to me for consultation?” I was baffled. In all of my extended years, I never imagined that I might have exhibited any sort of knowledge in the realm of women’s bodies during childbirth.
Rachel dropped her gaze to the floor as Betta smiled broadly. “We like you, Sinjin, and we … we trust your judgment.”
“Well, in that case, then you are both daft as far as I am concerned,” I could only shake my head as I eyed them both narrowly. “I have no training or interest regarding such personal matters.”
“Maybe it’s time you learned?” Betta suggested hopefully.
“Time I learned?” I repeated as I shook my head with visible distaste.
“Time you learned … what?” the queen’s voice sounded from behind me. I immediately whirled around to find her crossing the threshold of the open door and stepping into the room. “What could Sinjin Sinclair possibly lack experience or knowledge in now?”
“Ha ha,” I grumbled as I shook my head at her. My interest in pursuing this conversation had long ago evaporated.
Rachel immediately closed her trench coat and moved toward the bed before looking down at the Lady Bryn. Her movement was so swift, I very much doubt the queen even noticed the enormous protrusion in her belly.
“She’s so quiet. It’s hard to see her this way,” Rachel said with a sigh as the queen joined her.
Jolie reached forward and took her sister’s hand as she faced me. “Is there any change?”
Sadly, I shook my head. “I am afraid not, my queen.”
“She’s just sleeping?” Betta asked as she strolled up behind the queen and Rachel.
“We don’t know,” Jolie answered sounding helpless in her defeated tone. She was quiet for a few more seconds before she glanced at Rachel and Betta with a perplexed expression. Finally, she faced me and asked, “What’s going on, Sinjin?”