02 Unicorn Rider (25 page)

He crossed the room, returning to his chair at the head of the table. The shadows crowded in behind him. When he finally spoke, his voice sounded different somehow, as though it was not the voice of the same confident and cunning vampyr who had first greeted them. ‘It is always night here, the same night as when I finally crossed over, and as such I am a creature of the night. I have become the darkness, destined never again to see the sun.’

‘My heart bleeds,’ Nimbus scoffed.

‘Do not joke about blood,’ the vampyr screamed, slamming his fist on the table. ‘The next joke could be your last.’

An awkward silence fell over the room. The vampyr cleared his throat before continuing. ‘I know you have already heard the story of how this came to pass. Your friend the captain does so love to tell his little tales. But the story does not end with me trapped in my twilight prison. Over time I became strong, I became the master of the world I have created. I learned that I could even venture forth into the realm of the living when night fell there, as long as I consumed blood to keep my ancient body from falling apart. I thought that one day, perhaps, I might even be able to...’ He stopped, glancing off towards a dark corner of the room as if he expected something, or someone, to materialise there. ‘I thought that I might even be reunited with Rose, the woman I love. I was sure there must be some reward for the misery I have endured.’

‘And what about the misery of those poor souls outside, who are lost because of you?’ Nimbus asked.

‘There is no need to remind me of the things I have done,’ the vampyr growled. ‘But have no fear, I assure you that my fate is worse than all of theirs combined.’

‘Why? What could be so terrible?’

‘The necromancer came...’ The candles flared dramatically. ‘He could not enter this place, he is, after all, still a living, breathing man, even if his age has been unnaturally prolonged through the use of dark magic. But the necromancer can control any dead spirit, any save my own, and he did not need to enter this place in order to take from me that which is most precious. Now there is no creature, no man, woman, demon or spirit, who wants the necromancer dead more than I.’

‘Then why are you helping him?’

‘Don’t you understand? He has taken my one true love from me. He has taken Rose. He dragged her spirit back through into the realm of the living. He did that to force me to help him.’

‘But you are the vampyr, lord of the lost,’ Captain Spectre said. ‘Surely you can match the necromancer’s powers.’

‘In my realm, it is true I am the master, and even the necromancer is no match for me. But out there he has the upper hand. I cannot fight him that way.’ The vampyr’s eyes glinted wickedly. ‘Luckily, I have other ways.’

‘You have a plan?’ Nimbus asked.

‘Crow is digging his own grave. While you were fighting the great dragon, Sorrow, he was laying a trap for the unicorn. He knew one day your sister would need the unicorn to stay alive, and he was determined to make sure she never found it. But even he was not fool enough to kill the poor animal, knowing that by the laws of magic far older than any we now understand, no good can come to a unicorn’s murderer. Instead, he tried to find a place to hide it. A place that, even if discovered, you would not be able to enter. So he came here. To me.’

The vampyr reached out with forefinger and thumb, extinguishing the nearest candle. It hissed, and a steady stream of smoke twisted away from the blackened wick. ‘His first mistake was telling me why he wanted to leave the unicorn in my care. He told me all about you, Nimbus. He told me so much that I feel I have known you for many years.’

‘I’m touched.’

‘Crow’s second mistake was taking Rose. He thought that by doing so I would have no choice other than to help him, but all he really did was give me a reason to want him dead.’

‘But you took the unicorn anyway?’

‘Of course I took the unicorn. I knew you would come for her.’

Nimbus was thoughtful, pondering this rather confusing series of events. ‘So,’ he said eventually. ‘Let me get this right. Crow kidnapped a unicorn to try to kill my sister, and then he tried to blackmail you into keeping it. By blackmailing you, you became his enemy, but you aren’t strong enough to fight him in the realm of the living, so you played along and took the unicorn, knowing that I would eventually come looking for it.’

‘That pretty much sums it up. Yes.’ The vampyr rose, throwing back his robe to reveal a curved sword hanging in a sheath on his belt. He drew the blade in one fluid motion, and placed it on the table before him. ‘I wanted to give you this. A sword to replace the one you lost.’

Nimbus looked at the sword cautiously. It was longer and thinner than the Wing Warrior sword, and the curve of the blade was like a sneering mouth. There was something terribly wrong with the way that blade looked; something unnatural about the way it shimmered and sometimes seemed to flicker out of existence completely for a fraction of a second.

‘What is it?’ Nimbus asked.

‘This is Venom, the sword I was holding on the fateful night I finally lost my grip on life.’ The vampyr picked up the sword and gave it a few swings. Quite unnervingly, Venom did not seem to travel through the air in the normal manner. Instead, its blade vanished and then reappeared at the far end of the swing with a metallic slicing noise that reminded Nimbus of the sound the Wing Warrior sword had made when he stuck it in the hydra’s belly.

‘Is it enchanted?’ Nimbus asked.

‘Nothing is enchanted here,’ the vampyr said, seriously. ‘Something strange happened to Venom when she made the transition into death with me. She was changed.’

‘A spirit blade,’ Captain Spectre said, unable to disguise his awe. ‘I have heard of such weapons, but never thought I would get the chance to see one.’

‘What’s a spirit blade?’ Nimbus asked.

‘It’s a sword that can cut the spirit out of a body,’ the vampyr said. ‘It is the weapon you will use to kill the necromancer.’

‘Me?’

‘You do want to kill the necromancer, don’t you?’

‘Of course I do. He’s trying to hurt my family.’

‘So, take this sword, and do it.’ The vampyr slid Venom across the table to Nimbus. Nimbus continued to look at the sword, but he did not yet dare to pick it up.

‘Why this sword?’ he asked.

‘The necromancer has lived for as long as he has because he has hidden from death. He has used ancient magical techniques to build a wall of darkness around his spirit. While he remains within that wall, death is blind to Crow’s existence and cannot take him, no matter what becomes of his physical body. But cut him with Venom...’

Nimbus touched the hilt of the spirit sword with trembling fingers. ‘With this sword I can cut out his spirit,’ he said. ‘And death will come for him at last.’

‘Be careful,’ Captain Spectre warned. ‘This vampyr is not telling you the whole truth.’

The light of the candle flames flickered as Nimbus picked up the sword and gave it an experimental swing. It was surprisingly light, as if it didn’t have a blade at all. ‘This sword could rid the world of Crow forever. What more do I need to know?’

‘You need to know that a spirit blade only ever has one master,’ Spectre said. ‘And you need to know that it doesn’t cut spirits out of bodies. It eats them.’

‘Well that’s not technically true either,’ the vampyr said. ‘But who cares? Cuts out. Eats. What’s the big difference?’

Nimbus put the sword down and backed away. ‘What’s the catch? You give me this sword. What do I have to do in return?’

‘You have to use it.’

‘Well, that seems to me like I’m getting the rough end of the deal. You give me the sword, but I have to risk my life using it. And now I’m... different...’

‘Now you’re a zombie.’

‘Now I’m different. Crow can take control of my body any time he wants. Sticking him with the sword isn’t going to be as easy as strolling up and asking if he’d mind.’

‘Of course not. That’s why I’m prepared to sweeten the deal. I’m going to give you the unicorn as well.’

Nimbus raised an eyebrow. ‘Just like that? You’re going to give me the unicorn?’

‘I don’t need her any more.’

Nimbus glanced at Spectre. ‘What do you think? Can we trust him?’

‘This is your sister’s life at stake,’ the captain said. ‘It is a decision only you can make.’

Nimbus reached out for Venom, his hand hovering over the handle. The blade grinned hungrily at him in the same way that the vampyr was grinning at him. There was something he wasn’t being told – something important – but what other choice was there?

‘Do we have a deal?’ the vampyr asked.

‘Take me to the unicorn,’ Nimbus said, picking up the sword.

***

The vampyr led the way down a series of spiral staircases, finally stopping at a large door overlooked by a gargoyle head that had been carved into the arch. ‘Here we are,’ he said. ‘I didn’t have the heart to keep her chained up inside, so I put her in the courtyard.’

Nimbus rested his hand on the hilt of the spirit sword. ‘If you have hurt the unicorn in any way, I will use this sword on you,’ he hissed.

The vampyr chuckled, pushing the doors open to reveal a gravel courtyard that was framed by the east and west wings of the house. In the centre of the courtyard, chained to a wooden post, was the unicorn. Her single, delicately twisted horn sparkled with magic, and white light emanated from her, burning a small sphere of pure beauty into the centre of that otherwise cold and unwelcoming twilight world.

Nimbus’s breath caught in his throat.

He did not think he had ever seen such a majestic creature as the one that now looked up at him with wide, ebony eyes.

‘She’s magnificent,’ he said, clutching one hand to his chest. ‘Magnificent.’

‘It’s just a horse with a horn on its head,’ the vampyr said.

Nimbus ignored the vampyr’s comment. ‘Captain Spectre, I’m going to introduced myself alone,’ he said. ‘She may be a bit jumpy and I don’t want to scare her.’

‘You mean you don’t want me to scare her,’ Spectre corrected.

Nimbus smiled. ‘If you wait here, will you still be within range of my necklace?’

‘I believe so.’

‘Then I’ll be right back.’

He rushed across the gravel excitedly, leaving Spectre and the vampyr behind.

‘He’s turning out okay, isn’t he?’ the vampyr commented.

‘He’s a good boy,’ Spectre agreed.

‘Maybe. Let’s leave it for the unicorn to decide.’

Nimbus was about halfway across the courtyard when the unicorn lifted her head and whinnied in alarm, shaking her silver mane. Two dark figures – the size of men but with warty, slippery skin – had emerged from the west wing of the mansion. Nimbus skidded to a halt as the two things formed a barrier between him and the unicorn. They were truly vile creatures, all hunched and twisted, with unblinking eyes that were as glassy as a china doll’s.

‘None pass,’ one of the things said.

‘None who live,’ the other said.

‘You keep ghouls here?’ Captain Spectre said to the vampyr, unable to hide his disgust.

‘They’re useful,’ the vampyr said.

‘Can we eat him, Boss?’ one of the ghouls said.

‘Try it,’ Nimbus muttered, his fingers tightening around Venom’s hilt. ‘I dare you.’

‘He’s protected,’ the vampyr said.

‘Protected?’ the ghouls echoed, disappointedly.

‘Now run on inside and find something more useful to do with your time. The unicorn will be leaving us now.’

‘But, Boss...?’

‘Now!’

Without another word, the ghouls scurried off back inside the house. Nimbus breathed a sigh of relief, more than happy the ugly beasts had not been able to take him up on his dare.

The unicorn continued to look at him with those dark, unfathomable eyes. Under that gaze, he felt stupid and weak. He felt like a silly little boy who was out of his depth, who needed to go home right now and hide beneath the blankets.

That’s what he really wanted to do, after all.

He wanted to run away.

Why would it even matter? Who would miss him? He had done everything wrong so far, so who would care if he just disappeared?

If there were any other Wing Warriors here, would they really want him around? Not likely. They’d tell him he was stupid and send him packing. They would tell him he wasn’t needed.

They’d be right, too. He wasn’t needed.

Nobody needed him.

Nobody...

He glanced behind him. The vampyr was smiling pleasantly enough, but there was something about his expression that made Nimbus feel uneasy, like he was being mocked. It was obvious the vampyr knew Nimbus was going to fail. Captain Spectre knew it too.

Everybody knew it.

Nobody expected Nimbus to succeed, so why was he even bothering?

What reason did he have to fight?

He looked back at the unicorn, and despite his doubts – despite his fears – he knew the answer to his questions.

He fought because he had to. He fought because there was no–one else to fight in his place.

He fought because if he didn’t, his sister was going to die.

‘I think he’s going to be okay,’ Spectre said.

‘I think you might be right,’ the vampyr said.

Nimbus took some deep breaths and stood his ground defiantly, determined not to let his doubt get the better of him.

His fear didn’t matter. Whatever happened to him didn’t matter.

All that mattered was his sister.

Eventually the unicorn nodded.

‘You’ll do,’ a soft voice whispered inside Nimbus’s head.

The feelings of despair that had almost overpowered him disappeared instantly, and only then did he realise the unicorn had been testing him.

‘Well done,’ the vampyr said, clapping his hands. ‘She would have tested you more than most.’

Nimbus puffed his chest out proudly as he removed the chain from the unicorn’s neck. ‘Sorry I took so long to get here,’ he said. The unicorn flared her nostrils, and nuzzled his arm. ‘Come on. Let’s go before the vampyr changes his mind and locks us both up.’

He led the unicorn back across the courtyard to where Spectre and the vampyr were waiting.