“Thank you,” Nethissis murmured.
“It’s not soiled, you know,” Eva said. “It gives life. And it’s an honor to have it flowing through me.”
Awkward silence settled across our group, until Fallon chuckled, seemingly as he remembered something. “Oh, man, you should’ve seen the look on my parents’ faces when I made the decision to turn. They looked as though I’d kicked them both in the stomach with a steel-pointed boot. For a week, they barely said a word to me.”
“But I don’t get the stigma of vampirism,” Varga replied, shrugging. “It’s the closest we’ll ever get to immortality. Who wouldn’t want that?”
“Think of it this way. The fae have long lifespans, anyway. And it’s deeply embedded in our cultural beliefs that everything that lives must also come to an end,” Fallon explained. “Vampirism, in the fae’s mind, is a type of cheating. Plus, there was also that concern that not all fae are compatible with vampirism. I took a great risk. It’s just something new and previously unheard of. Not everyone embraces change with arms wide open,” he added, looking at Eva. “Your people, just like mine, simply need time to adjust.”
“It would be great if they could just accept it and let us be happy,” she replied, crossing her arms. I knew where this was coming from. Unfinished business with her mother. Tamara had not been at all pleased when her daughter had turned to vampirism, that much I remembered, though she’d yet to give us all the details—Eva didn’t talk much about her mother.
“I’m sorry,” Nethissis said, eyes on the glass screen. “I don’t think any less of you for having done this, Eva. I admire you for doing it. It’s just a big step. Most of us spend our lives worried about continuing our bloodline. By becoming a vampire, you pretty much ended yours. I imagine that’s what your mother is upset about. You made this decision without considering that.”
Eva sighed deeply. “I don’t want what my mother wants. There are plenty of Lamias in our city that she could appoint as her heirs, if she decides I’m no longer a good fit, given my current inability to procreate.”
“Doesn’t the vampire cure work on you?” Varga asked.
“We’re not sure,” Eva replied. “When she turned me, Harper warned me that it might be permanent. The cure works for humans and sentries—the latter are still basically humans, which I’m afraid I am not.”
“Tell you what, let’s get ourselves out of this whole Hermessi jumble alive, and we can worry about procreation then. Whaddya think?” Herakles interjected, a grin slitting his face from ear to ear. “I mean, Ta’Zan managed to turn Derek into a day-walker. If Amal and Amane are at least half as gifted as he is, I’m pretty sure they’ll be able to take that vampirism cure and make it accessible to other species that may choose to become vampires.”
“You know, that doesn’t sound as far-fetched as one might think,” I mused, thinking about it as I spoke. “The Faulty twins are geniuses when they’re together. There’s no telling what they could accomplish. Hell, they might even be able to tweak it and make it less dangerous.”
“I think that last part is more like wishful thinking,” Varga said. “Vampirism isn’t easy, and it doesn’t let itself get cured with the snap of one’s fingers, either. It’s a commitment, a complicated relationship with a genetic manifestation that permanently affects our bodies, even if we take the cure.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, slightly confused.
“The cure becomes more dangerous after the first use. Derek and Sofia can’t try it again, for example. Not without risking death,” he explained, reminding me of how fickle blood could be, especially when turned back and forth from human to vampire. “Maybe a Lamia or a fae wouldn’t be as vulnerable, but, then again, they might even be more sensitive to it. Honestly, if you ask me, Eva… if this is what you want to do with your life, I can only hope it brings you nothing but happiness. That’s really all that matters.”
Eva couldn’t stop herself from smiling at him. There was warmth in her yellow, snake-like eyes, the kind that gave them a soft, golden glimmer. Nethissis didn’t seem too happy about it, though. That gave me nothing but relief, along with the fact that Acantha had also slowed down her advances on Herakles. The last thing I needed was a gorgeous Bajang distracting him. You’re a jealous little jinni.
I didn’t want to feel this way, but I couldn’t control it. It was likely fueled by angst, as well, because I’d been waiting for Herakles to say or do something about us—yet, he’d done nothing. Our rapport had changed significantly since we’d first met, and my skin tingled whenever he touched me. I wanted him to do more, to say more, and, at the same time, I was terrified of taking the lead on this, even though I’d thought about it more than once.
Acantha’s presence was actually benign. It was my own insecurity which I’d have to deal with, which, in turn, sounded ridiculous whenever I considered it. It didn’t make it any less true. Deep down, I wondered if Herakles and I would ever get past shy smiles and cute jokes and stolen glances.
Nethissis dropped to one knee, and Eva and Varga rushed to help her up. Any thought I’d harbored until now had been promptly tossed out the window. Our swamp witches weren’t getting any better.
“What’s wrong?” Eva asked them.
Acantha glanced at Nethissis, then back at Eva. “I don’t think your blood is working as well as you’d like,” she said. Indeed, they were still pale, though the nosebleeds had stopped.
“We’re weakening,” Nethissis replied, giving Eva and Varga a thankful nod for their help. “The interplanetary spell is using our energy, too, not just the serium batteries. It was expected. What wasn’t expected was the amount we’d have to put into the spell from ourselves, just to get us off the ground.”
“If you draw energy from us, will that give you some time to replenish yours and get us safely to Mortis?” Fallon asked as he got up.
Nethissis nodded. “Maybe. It’s a possibility, yes.”
“Then do it,” I said. “Take whatever you need from me, from Eva, from Fallon… We’ll be okay.”
“The journey is hours long,” Acantha replied. “We didn’t want to do this so soon. You’ll be drained and exhausted by the time we reach Mortis.”
Fallon chuckled. “Let’s actually reach Mortis, and then worry about ourselves, okay? We’re in the middle of the cosmos with our lives in your hands.”
“Fair point.” Nethissis smiled. “All of you sit down. It’ll pinch and hurt for a while.”
We settled on the glowing floor as Nethissis and Acantha murmured a chant. Before we knew it, our bodies reacted. My skin began to light up in shades of white and lilac. Nethissis was right. It pinched, somewhere deep in my stomach, followed by a dull ache that spread through my chest and my limbs.
I felt Herakles’s arms wrap around me. He held me close, and I softened in his embrace, feeling his gaze on me at all times. He was concerned about me, and that, alone, was enough to make me just a little bit better.
Fallon was slumped on one side, leaning onto Herakles, as well. He glowed a peculiar shade of amber.
“I’m not gonna hug you, too,” Herakles grumbled at him.
“Yeah, no, it’s cool. I see you’re busy,” Fallon replied, his voice fading.
Varga held Eva close. Her skin glimmered green and gold, much like her serpent scales. Her eyes were half closed as the swamp witches continued to draw energy from us and fuel the interplanetary spell.
It was all for a worthy cause, so we accepted it. Far more intense than other times we’d given our energy, but still necessary. Acantha gave us all an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. It’ll be like this till we reach Mortis. The spell puts you in this state to conserve and gradually drain your energy.”
“It’s fine,” I mumbled, my eyes no longer able to stay open.
“I’ve got you,” Herakles whispered, and I thought I felt my lips stretch into a sleepy smile, my head cradled against his muscular chest.
A dream enveloped me, soft and sweet, carrying me away to the agitated rhythm of his heartbeats. I no longer had the strength to worry about what came next. All I could do was hope that we’d survive this journey.
Harper
Once he was ready, and as the sun began its final hours of descent into the western horizon, Herbert stretched his bony arms and took a deep breath. Nestled inside him, I actually felt the rush of cool and salty air, and even the breeze tickling his grayish, translucent skin. The anticipation of going back to Neraka, back to my body and my husband, made me tingle.