CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

I continued to walk down the street with Luke, my thoughts fully consumed by the knowledge that he didn’t trust Valerian and probably never would.

And that led me to wonder whether or not I should trust the vampire— was I being foolish in giving him the benefit of the doubt? Did Luke know more than I did? Well, ‘yes’ was the obvious answer to that question, but there was still something inside me that told me Valerian wasn’t what he seemed. And maybe that had to be enough.

I was suddenly stopped in my tracks when an icy shred of panic immediately clawed its way up from the pit of my stomach. My breath caught in my throat as I immediately leaned over, clutching my thighs while I tried not to let the feeling of lightheadedness overtake me. The strange part was that the unexpected feeling of overwhelming dread had literally come from nowhere—like I’d just been hit by the anxiety kamikaze.

“Hey, you okay?” Luke asked, his brows furrowing with concern as he looked me over.

I opened my mouth to reply, but no words came out. My brain seemed to have abandoned its control over my tongue. Worse still, any coherent thoughts I might have had were now slipping through my grasp like mist—it was like my brain had suddenly gone on strike.

Get back to the castle, Kate! Now!

It was Valerian’s voice, but it was coming from inside my head. And how that was possible, I didn’t know .

Wha— I tried to think a response, but there was only silence in my head. The thought itself couldn’t complete, but there wasn’t anything beyond it either. No second warning from Valerian. No explanation. Nothing at all.

The panic in my stomach suddenly faded away to nothing, and that weird, mindless feeling disappeared along with it. Now that I could think again, I could probably speak again. I turned to Luke, my heart racing. “We have to get to the castle ASAP.”

“Okay,” Luke said, not questioning my urgency. The noise of cars passing by, and the chatter of pedestrians seemed suddenly unusually thick in my ears as Luke faced me with an intensity in his gaze I’d never seen before. Then, without another word, he reached out and took my hand, his grip firm, yet gentle.

Before I could react, a strange sensation washed over me, a dizziness almost. As I faced the busy street around us, it was as if it briefly flickered, like it was blipping in and out of existence. Then, in another second, the townscape simply dissolved into nothing, and I had the strange feeling of wind blowing against my face. I instinctively closed my eyes .

The next instant, I felt the wind stop and with a blink, I opened my eyes to find that we were no longer on the street at all, but inside my kitchen. At the sudden change in surroundings, I was left breathless and completely disoriented. The soft hum of the refrigerator seemed to anchor my senses though, grounding me in the reality that I was now back in the castle.

“Kate, what’s going on?” Luke demanded, his eyes searching mine for answers.

But I couldn’t respond. All I could think about was finding Valerian and making sure he was all right. He’d just sounded so… urgent. Panicked. Scared almost. Was he okay? Was someone else hurt? That feeling of urgency that I’d experienced earlier suddenly began to gnaw at me again, making my stomach feel tightly bunched, and I had to admit that I was afraid for Valerian.

“Hey, boss,” Rocco drawled as he suddenly turned the corner and trotted right up to us. “Ya pick up some grub whiles youse was out or what?”

“Rocco, what happened?” I asked, my voice tense as I dropped down to his level and eyed him intently .

“Whaddaya mean ‘what happened,’ huh? What happened to who, what, where an’ how?” He scoffed, acting like there was nothing to be concerned about. “I’ll tell ya what happened, bub—we’s clean outta food—that’s what happened. An’ furthermores, that means you ain’t livin’ up to yer responsibilities as my keeper, see?” He paused and then began nodding. “Now, I’m only gonna ask ya this once more, jerky: where’s the chow?”

“Where’s Valerian?” I demanded.

The goat stared at me with an unmistakable look of annoyance. His eyes narrowed, his pupils constricting into slits as his ears flicked back against his head, and he gave a huff, stomping a hoof on the ground in obvious irritation. Then his mouth twisted slightly, almost as if he were scowling, making it clear that he wasn’t happy. “How the hells should I know? I ain’t in charge o’ fang face, now am I?”

It was only then that I realized Yolanda wasn’t hanging off one of his horns. As to where she was? Who knew and who cared? I definitely didn’t at the moment.

“Kate, why are you so worried about Valerian?” Luke asked, his brow furrowing in concern .

I didn’t have time to answer him, because it felt like every second that passed could possibly mean the difference between life and death. Instead, I stood up, bolted past Rocco and made a beeline for the living room, my heart pounding in my chest and my breath trapped in my lungs. As I rounded the corner, I saw Valerian standing close to the bars of the cage Luke had enclosed him in.

“Kate, you have to release me,” Valerian said simply, but there was a fierceness in his eyes I hadn’t seen there before. He was worried. Panicked even.

“Release you?” I repeated, shaking my head, because as far as I could tell, he wasn’t bleeding out, he hadn’t been attacked and he seemed to be in one piece. In fact, he looked like he was totally fine.

“The shadows have come for me,” he continued, his jaw tighter than I’d ever seen it. “And once they take me, they will take you too.”

“What do you mean?” I demanded, shaking my head because I had no idea what shadows he was talking about. Furthermore, who was coming to get him and me? Ezra was the obvious answer but there was no sign of the warlock anywhere—and no sign of his hellhounds or other shadow beings .

“Even now, their dark energy surrounds us,” Valerian insisted, nodding as he took a step closer.

“Where?” I asked.

Valerian shook his head. “There’s no time to explain. You must release me if I am to protect you.”

“Protect her?” Luke snorted as he entered the room and walked right up to the imprisoned vampire. It was then that I realized Luke’s ancient magic (which was how Luke had referred to it earlier) must have really incarcerated the vampire because if it hadn’t, I imagined Valerian would have simply freed himself.

Valerian breathed in deeply at seeing Luke, as if realizing his attempt to free himself had just become that much more difficult. “Listen very closely,” he started.

But Luke shook his head. “There will be no releasing you. And I’m the one who will protect Kate from any and everything that might try to hurt her.”

Just then, Magnus appeared from around the corner, his warrior skirt askew and red lipstick smeared across his face. His hair was mussed up, but he held his sword aloft anyway, as if he were just as ready for battle as he’d ever be .

“I am the protector!” he declared as his eyes moved from me, to Luke, to Valerian. Then they narrowed before they settled on the vampire. “Is it finally time we vanquish the enemy?”

I glared at him, my frustration with this whole stupid situation now boiling over. “You call yourself my protector?” I demanded, shaking my head, my anger, concern, anxiety and frustration now coalescing.

“I am the guardian,” he insisted.

“Yeah and you’re a super crappy one! Instead of protecting me, you’re too busy making kissy face with my mother!”

“Kissy face?” Magnus looked genuinely confused. “I know not of this kissy face.”

“Drop your sword, Magnus,” Luke commanded.

The dolt did as Luke asked and I turned my focus back to Valerian. He, meanwhile, continued to look at me with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. There was something he knew that we didn’t and even if Luke didn’t believe him, I did. I could see the truth in his eyes. Was that an example of my True Sight coming into being? I didn’t think so—no, this understanding was pure and unadulterated Kate .

“Whether or not the others believe me doesn’t matter a damn,” Valerian said softly and there was something in his voice that told me to trust him, to believe that what he was saying wasn’t a ruse meant to simply free him from his cage. “You are the only one who does matter, Starling, and you must understand the danger we all are about to face.”

I hesitated, torn between my loyalty to Luke, and the sense of urgency in Valerian’s voice and his gaze. If there was even a shred of truth to his words though, I couldn’t afford to ignore him.

“I don’t see any danger,” I said, my brow furrowing as I tried to make sense of his claims. “How can you be so sure?”

“Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there,” he protested.

You have the power of True Sight, Kate. Use it.

It was Temperance’s voice in my head.

Right. I thought, backing away from Valerian. But how do I access that ability? Silence fell over my mind before I could find an answer, leaving me on my own again. I closed my eyes, trying to focus, but Luke’s voice interrupted me .

“Kate, I need you to listen to me,” he said, concern lacing his words. “Don’t listen to what Valerian is telling you. It’s a trap. Or he’s just trying to release himself from his jail. Don’t believe him.”

“He should be dispatched at once,” Magnus added.

“The threat is already here, it’s at our doorstep!” Valerian bellowed.

“We are not falling for your games,” Luke retorted as I opened my eyes and watched him cross his arms against his broad chest while he regarded Valerian with a complete lack of interest.

But I couldn’t say I felt the same. Especially not with Temperance’s voice sounding in my head. True Sight. I had it, but how could I access it? How could I use it? Meanwhile, Luke and Valerian continued to argue in the background, which was causing me a hell of a time trying to concentrate. I needed total silence to figure this out, so I hurried out of the room, nearly tripping over Rocco in the process.

“Hey, watch it!” the goat grumbled. “Ya gonna make me a pb-and-j sandwich now or what? You know I like that apricot jelly, boss. But you keep buyin’ the grape—sheesh. ”

I didn’t stick around to answer. Instead, I needed more space. I needed to be alone. I needed to understand what I was supposed to do. And I wouldn’t be able to figure out anything with the chaos unfolding around me. So, I bolted through the sliding glass doors and ran into the overgrown backyard. I couldn’t explain just what was going on or why I felt the need to escape into the backyard, but the feeling was definitely there, so I didn’t question it. Instead, my heart raced as I felt an inexplicable pull towards the altar sitting at the top of the hill. All the while, I figured there had to be a reason for this feeling that was now engulfing me, so I followed it, climbing the incline with stark determination.

Reaching the altar, I walked into its center and then just stood there, winded but resolute. I remembered Temperance’s advice about seeking divine assistance when I needed to, and I figured now was probably a pretty good time to ask for help. So, taking a deep breath, I shouted up at the sky, “This is me looking for divine assistance! Whoever can hear me—the moon, Artemis, Temperance: please help me access my True Sight! ”

Close your eyes, came the answer, and I recognized Temperance’s soothing voice as it sounded in my head once more. Look inward, Kate. Do not rely on your eyes, as they don’t offer you the truth. Look to your third eye, your unseeing eye—the eye that shows you the truth of the world.

“Okay,” I muttered to myself, closing my eyes and taking a deep, steadying breath. The wind rustled through the leaves, brushing against my skin like a gentle caress. Drawing on every ounce of concentration I possessed, I allowed a picture to unfold before me.

The backyard materialized in my mind; a vivid scene bathed in bright, glowing hues. Every detail appeared with startling clarity: the overgrown grass tickling my ankles, the ancient oak tree standing sentinel at the edge of the property, and the castle looming protectively in the background. But as I looked up, I realized that the light only shone on the castle grounds. It was as if it were only illuminating the castle and the back and front yards—everything that was encompassed within the fence that ran the perimeter of the property.

“Wait a minute,” I murmured, sensing that something was amiss. Beyond the wards that protected the property and extended through the entire length of the fence, an oppressive darkness loomed, casting an ominous shadow over the landscape. And there, at the very edge of the brightness, I saw them: a roiling mass of shadows and darkness. The shadows seemed to swirl and writhe, a living, breathing entity composed of pure malevolence. This dark mass pressed hungrily against the shimmering wards that protected the castle, wards that were intricately woven into the fabric of the fence.

Within the inky depths of the shadows, monstrous forms were shifting and moving. Numerous eyes glowed within the web of darkness, peering hungrily at the castle walls while talons on hands with grotesque limbs, made of the darkest shadows, clawed and scraped at the barriers, like they were testing the wards, seeking a way to get inside.

The wards crackled with energy when they came up against the darkness of the shadows, their magical light flaring wherever the shadows pressed hardest. Sparks flew as the darkness battered against the protective spells that were woven into the fence, and I could see the struggle between the malevolent forces and the magic holding them at bay .

Growls, hisses, and whispers emanated from the darkness, the sounds of the shadow creatures, each one more terrifying than the last. I could make out serpentine figures with scales that glistened like oil, while others were twisted beings with elongated limbs and gaping mouths filled with sharp teeth, and still others were winged horrors that flapped and screeched when they came against the invisible barriers protecting the castle.

As the wards continued to pulse rhythmically, sending bursts of light whenever the darkness pushed too hard against them, I could see that the wards were struggling under the onslaught, straining to resist the relentless assault. The mass of shadows seemed almost sentient, driven by an insatiable desire to breach the castle’s defenses and unleash its horrors on us all. And I had this hideous feeling that it was just a matter of time before the wards buckled underneath the incessant pressure.

Along with that feeling was the realization that these shadows could only signify one thing: Ezra.

He was finally starting his attack on us.

The End