Chapter Nine
Images of Leila and Henry huddled in a dark room kept coming to Rachel. Her head pounded and her stomach churned. In her arms, Cheri whimpered. Rachel wondered if her daughter had inherited her ability to see the future. She didn't remember much from her childhood, other than the terrifying visions that had been written off as nightmares until she was ten years old. How young did it start?
His father's hands around his neck.
Rachel flinched. The visions were coming more often, unbidden, when she was awake. Every time they left her feeling sick. In the two days since Henry and Leila had left, Rachel had healed herself and made a backup plan.
"Are you going to be okay?" Becky slipped on the backpack that contained everything she would need to take care of the baby, including infant formula and a bottle. Her brow wrinkled in worry. "Wouldn't it be better if I went after them, and you stayed with the baby?"
Rachel shook her head. "I'm a witch. Together, my magic and Leila's is quite powerful, even though we were not given a lot of formal training. I have a better chance to help Henry, and you have a better chance at hiding Cheri from the vampire king, should he continue looking for her."
Becky sighed and gently took Cheri from Rachel's arms. The witch felt her eyes fill with tears. It took all of her determination not to take her baby back. This decision had been very difficult to make, but she couldn’t abandon Henry to whatever fate the future had for him. She had the sense that Cheri would be safe and grow up happy no matter what, but she didn't know what would happen to Henry and Leila.
And so it was decided. She would return to the vampire city while Becky took Cheri and disappeared.
"Once things are safe—"
"I know," Becky said. "I have the burner cell. You'll call."
Rachel managed a smile and kissed her daughter. "I love you, Cheri."
"Be safe." Becky kissed her cheek.
"I will." Rachel tried to sound confident. "I'll talk to you soon."
***
Rachel hoped that all that she needed to do to return to the vampire city was return to the place where she and Leila had been captured and wait. So she did just that, standing on the bridge as the darkness stole the light around her. This time, when the starry, pin-prick eyes appeared, she wrapped her arms around herself. What if they just killed her?
"I demand to see the king," she called. "I am the prince's bride—"
"We know," a voice replied. "You demand to see the king? Your demands mean nothing, woman. But you are in luck. He demands to see you as well."
Rachel tried to make out the faces in the darkness, but couldn't see anything other than their glowing eyes. She nodded, and when a hand took her arm, she let it lead her along. The Seer was surprised that she wasn't knocked out this time–but then, she supposed if she was meant to die, there was no point in rendering her unconscious.
Every step felt like it took forever. Rachel was almost ready to use her magic to make these vampires go faster when she was brought into the light again. She was taken to the king and seated at a long, ebony table. The table was set with a roast chicken, but the smell, rather than making her mouth water, made Rachel think of Henry being strangled by his father. She swallowed down bile.
"I did not expect that you would turn yourself in," the king said, pouring her a glass of wine. "I had my men hunting for you the moment my son returned."
"Did he tell you that our child was born?" Rachel's voice shook, no matter how hard she tried to keep it calm. "A girl."
"He told me. I don't believe him. Or you, for that matter. You would say anything…" The king shook his head. "What is it about you that turned my son from me? You're nothing special. I always thought my son cared for me. I didn't think he wanted to kill me."
"He doesn't."
The king offered her a smile, his two pearly fangs flashing. "We'll see about that."
A shiver ran down Rachel's spine, but she raised her chin. "Have you ever considered that it could be your insistence that Henry kill me and our child that will lead to your death?"
A dark look flashed over the king's face. He didn't answer, but at that moment the door opened. Leila and Henry were pushed into the room. Rachel jumped to her feet, but the king grabbed her by the arm, preventing her from running to her prince and sister. Henry went rigid when he saw her, his hands curling into fists.
"Father, please. It doesn't have to—"
The king held up his hand. "I don't know what this witch did to you, Henry. Some sort of spell, no doubt. It's the only explanation for any of this. You were a loyal son until you met her."
Henry shook his head, his shoulders slumping. "No, father. I was a loyal son until you told me to kill her. I would have given up my claim as your heir, I would have left and lived on the surface for the rest of my days. You could have had another son, and none of this would have happened. But you told me to kill my bride and unborn child, and when I tried to run you wouldn’t let me be and continued to hunt us. You forced my hand."
"You truly believe what you're saying." The king shook his head. "Do you really think that just because your son wasn't born under the surface, it would spare me from my fate as his grandfather?"
"Look, asshole, the baby's a girl," Leila said, her hands curling. "And you're just talking yourself closer and closer to forcing Henry to kill you, so why don't you just let it go?"
The king released Rachel, taking a threatening step towards Leila. Rachel raised her hands, ready to call on her magic, but the vampire stopped. Shaking his head, he turned to Henry again. "I am going to give you one last chance, Henry. Kill this woman and bring the child back to be taken care of. Do it." His voice softened. "I don't want to kill my son."
Henry's shoulders slumped forward. He shook off the guard who held him and strode forward. He wrapped his arms around Rachel. She held him back, squeezing him tight. Her heart hammered as she looked at the king over her prince's shoulder. He stood tense, eyes hard, and Rachel knew he wasn't going to let this go, no matter how much Henry begged.
"I will not kill my bride," Henry whispered. "And I won't let my daughter die. If you want this woman to die, Father, you will have to kill me with her."
The king closed his eyes. He let out a deep, shuddering breath. "Very well, Henry. Say goodbye."
"Leila," Rachel blurted, yanking herself away from Henry.
Her sister knew what she meant to do and stomped on the instep of the vampire holding her. The guard winced. His grip didn't loosen, but his cry distracted the nearby vampires enough. Rachel threw her hands forward, pouring fire from her palms. The ebony table caught quickly. As the vampires shied away from the flames, Leila coated her own hands with black flame and grabbed the face of the vampire who held her. He howled and jerked away from her.
The king snarled, lunging for Rachel, but Henry was between them faster than Rachel could see. Father and son clashed, both swinging fists and dodging blows.
Rachel raced to Leila, grabbing her hand. The guard came at them, but they spun in a circle, drawing a line of dark fire between them and the vampires, who stumbled back from the heat. Leila's grip on her sister's hand tightened.
"What now?"
Rachel shook her head, at a loss.
One of the vampires leaped through the flames. Grasping hands reached for her and she screamed. She heard Henry cry her name as Leila sent a blast of energy at the attacking vampire. His clothing was already all in flames, and as he passed through the fires again he shrieked, writhed and was consumed, crumbling into ash. Rachel turned to where Henry and the king were fighting. Henry was fending off blows weakly, black cuts ripping open his chest. A silver knife flashed in the king's hand.
Even as she watched, the king kicked Henry's legs out from under him, wrapping his hands around his throat.
"Sunlight!" Rachel blurted. "Is Henry still shielded?"
Leila turned wide eyes on her. "Shielded?"
"The sunblock spell." Rachel grabbed Leila's shoulder. "Help me with the spell."
Her sister stumbled a little but nodded. Together they started chanting, desperate. Henry writhed under his father's grip, eyes wide as he punched the king's ribs to no effect. The energy formed around him, absorbing into his skin. Rachel clutched Leila's hand tighter and held a hand to the ceiling. She closed her eyes, thinking of the sun, remembering its warmth, the feel of the light on her skin.
She felt that light again and when she opened her eyes, she and Leila were surrounded by it. The vampires screamed and howled, drawing away from the light. The nearest ones blistered all over their bodies, skin scorching black.
There was a cry of pain from the king. He stumbled back from Henry. The silver knife was buried deep in his chest.
Rachel let her magic go and the light faded from around her and Leila. Everybody was silent as the king fell to his knees. Henry rushed forward, grabbing him, pulling him close. Tears ran down his face as his father went still. The fire ring around the two witches disappeared.
"I didn't want to kill you," Henry whispered. "I loved you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Rachel moved forward slowly as Henry wept. She put a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him, and glanced at the remaining vampires. One by one, they got to their knees and bowed to Henry.
"What are you doing?" Leila demanded. "You're not going to try to kill us anymore?"
Henry closed his father's eyes and stood. "My father is dead. I am the king and you are my brides. They know that without me, the kingdom will fall. And if they so much as lay a finger on my queens, they will die."
His shoulders still slumped, and he stumbled as he embraced Rachel. She held him, trying to lend him her strength.
"I'll send for Becky and Cheri," she said. "The vampire kingdom must welcome their princess."
Henry nodded. "And we will bury my father with grace and dignity. But first… I need to restore my strength."
Rachel nodded, holding his hand as she led him from the room. Leila snorted at the vampires, who were still kneeling, and followed.