Blood and Snow 8: Telltale Kisses (2 page)

“You believe I’m heartless, uncaring. Is that it? You’re wondering how I can put science above the lives of my people.”

“Something like that,” I acknowledged.

“The reason is simple. Down here we take emotion out of the equation. We take a problem and use science, along with magic, to solve it. Up there,” he pointed one of his thick fingers toward the ceiling, but I understood he meant above ground. “The trolls and the elves fight over an imaginary line, an important line, yes, but a line nonetheless. The elves only desire power. We aren’t oppressing them. They have plenty of food and shelter. It doesn’t matter. They fight because one of the elven chieftains believes a troll chieftain should give him more land. He says his land is far greater, and that it’s unfair.”

Titan threw up his hands, flashing long, unkempt armpit hair. “They don’t realize if they would work together, use the resources from each side to benefit the other, their lives would be far better.” He spun in a slow circle, his arms extended wide. “This, down here, is the true power. Down here, we have harmony, accord, a group of intelligent beings working toward the betterment of the entire world.” He moved toward one of the corridors. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”

As Titan walked, he continued talking, “You probably think none of this has anything to do with you. Vampires are lucky they can’t die of disease.” He raised a finger, “But other magical creatures can, and you, Silindra, have the equivocal title of Earth’s Queen.” He waved his hands in a circle. “All of this should matter to you. Once you’ve seen what we do, perhaps you’ll encourage more vampires to join our cause.”

I wanted to snort in disgust. Instead I said, “What kinds of sicknesses?” I wanted to take the focus off what I wouldn’t do, and turn it toward what he found so fascinating about this place.

He gave a knowing smile. “The top rung houses the center for disease control. One ailment our scientists are working on is the loss of fairy wings at half a millennium. Did you know that happens?”

Worry formed in my belly. Ryden wasn’t a fairy, but a pixilette. Still, I wondered if she ever got sick? If her wings would fall off. I’d never known her to be ill. “I didn’t,” I answered quietly, still lost in my own thoughts.

“We’ve discovered it’s a degenerative disease. And our scientists found a cure.”

That surprised me. And Snow White.

Cool. I never really thought about fairytale… um, I mean fairies getting sick or old
, she said.

Me either.

… “Snow. Merde! I’m so over not being able to get your advice. I need to tell you about Gabe. The guy has lost it. Last night I was at Warehouse Video and he pulled up in his silver CRX wearing a sword across his back, like some kind of Knight of the Round Table. He looked sexy and completely stupid. Sexy, because I know what he is—the leader of the chayot. Stupid, because everyone else thought he’d gone nerd. I mean, really, if I didn’t know what he was, I would’ve laughed my ass off. He didn’t even notice the kids laughing at him. It was like he saw no one else, except the vampire dude who’d been sniffing around one of the cheerleaders. Gabe grabbed him by his coat collar, and yanked him into the car. I have no idea what happened to him, but I’m guessing Gabe killed him.

“Honestly, I don’t know what to think about Gabe. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t believe witches did anything to you, so that’s good. But, ugh, how do I say this? I guess I’ll just spit it out. See, he’s… I… Kuso! That’s Japanese for dammit. Anyhoo, Gabe asked me out. It was weird. He came into work, sat at a table in my section, and when I brought his water and bread, he was all, ‘Hey, Cindy. Want to see a movie with me on Friday?’

“I think my mouth might have dropped open. I was like, ‘No way. What about Snow?’ His features grew angry, and I thought he might hit me, but then he crumbled, like his heart was fractured. He said, ‘I just need someone to hang out with.’ Well I couldn’t say no to that, so I agreed. I hate to admit it, but after the movie, which was all blood and guts and totally gross, he took me home. We kissed… like a lot.

“Please don’t be mad. I’m so sorry. But that’s why I need you to wake up, so everything can make sense again. See, I think I might have feelings for the idiot. Ugh, please Snow. Wake up.” …

Chapter 3

For the next several hours Titan took me through the immense innards of Varden, winding us through the most elaborate structure I’d ever seen. Like the inside of an anthill, or a beehive, everything was precise and grand.

When we finally reached the bottom I sensed a change in the air, like the crackle of electricity right before a lightning storm. There was a vibe, a droning energy. It made me nervous.

“What’s this level for?” I asked, moving after him into a tunnel. A reddish glow pulsated to some unknown rhythm, and a coppery smell inflamed my nose.

Titan turned back, and smiled, the light bouncing off his sharp teeth with a menacing radiance. “Down here we extract, study, and discover the delicacies of each creatures guts.”

I stopped. “You what?”

Snow White shivered.

“This is our lab. It’s fascinating.”

Tentative, I hurried after him. The further along the corridor I went, the worse the smell. If Snow White could’ve run, she would have. I sensed her immense desire to turn back. She didn’t want to see whatever we were headed into.

When we arrived in the room, I worked not to gag. The large room contained magical creatures in varying degrees of decomposition. Some lay on the table, their innards spread out on top of their body. Others hung from the ceiling, their eyes opened, and vacant.

“What have you done?” I asked, stepping toward a fairy pinned against a piece of wood, his guts pinned around him, his chest opened and peeled back like a banana. “This is wrong,” I added, my throat dry. I couldn’t swallow.

“How can you say that?” Titan asked, throwing his hands up in exasperation, scaring the trolls busily doing whatever it was they were doing. “Without this room we wouldn’t understand how each creature works.” He paused and picked up what looked like a walnut still in its shell. “This is the brain of a fairy. Right here,” he touched his dirty index finger to the back of the brain and continued, “is where the ability to do magic is stored. Without this tiny piece of the genetic puzzle, a fairy can’t do magic.” Then he tapped a portion on the left. “This tells the fairies body it’s going to be small and winged.” Then he pointed at the portion directly in front. “Right here, this tells the fairy it wants to reproduce every six years.”

I was mesmerized and revolted at the same time. It was fascinating that he knew such information, but as my eyes searched the tables, witnessing all the carnage, I couldn’t be excited.

Titan walked over to a large container filled with a liquid that looked like dirty water. Encased within was another brain. Much larger than a fairy’s. He tapped on the glass. “This is the brain of a troll.”

I stepped toward it, involuntarily. Was this why he’d brought me here? Did he intend to give me a portion of this brain?

“We’ve studied each and every magical creature, save one.” He gave a nod and two trolls grabbed each of my arms.

Where did they come from, I thought, letting out a roar of anger? How dare Titan think he could capture and study me? Didn’t he know I wouldn’t be taken captive?

I yanked my arms together, using their strength against them, and flipped over so that I faced them. Flapping my wings, I stuck them in the eyes with the pointed end of each wing as I stepped forward. They screamed out in pain in unison, lessening their grip on my arms, I slapped my hands together, knocking the disoriented trolls into each other. They crumbled to the ground. I stomped down, without regard for propriety, crushing their oversized heads into a dark pulpy puddle.

Whipping around, I faced Titan. “You didn’t think I would be taken that easily?” I stepped toward him, a clear understanding of what I had to do sunk into my stomach. He gnashed his teeth in anger, crouching low, in a fighting stance.

I stepped to the left while he stepped to the right. A kind of dance in which, when it ended, Titan’s life would be over. In order to retrieve a portion of the troll’s strength, I would have to defeat Titan. It wouldn’t be easy, but it had to be done.

Do you know where the Troll’s strength lies?
Snow White asked.

In his brain somewhere. That’s what he said
, I responded.

From the nearest table, I picked up a large, razor-sharp knife. The trolls performing their various tasks ran from the room, leaving Titan and I alone with the dead. It seemed fitting the troll leader died here, amongst the creatures he so mindlessly destroyed.

Tossing the knife from my left hand to my right, I said, “I suppose I’ll cut your strength from your very large, incredibly convoluted head.”

… “Hello my darling Chosen one. I just stopped by to check on you, see if the rumors were true. You still live, yet you are in some form of eternal sleep. This is a variable I did not foresee.

“I wonder if Abernathy knew the Seal would do this. Knowing him, he probably planned the whole thing with my insipid sister, Silindra. It’s sad, really. I didn’t have a second choice. Sure the Hunters selected many Chosen, but I always only wanted you. There were many reasons. Your beauty, intellect, the way you view the world, but most of all, I wanted you for your genetics. You’re special Snow. More than just an ordinary human girl.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. Whatever the Seal did, it’s ruined you. The chayot, the witches, Adam Henry… they all believe you’ll wake, but they don’t understand the power within the Seal like I do. You won’t come back. And that’s for the best. I’ve chosen another. She isn’t as great as you could’ve been, but she is part chayot.

“Besides, she’s close. She’s fallen in love and her craving for her lover’s heart burns within her. It’s so strong I can feel it. Soon she’ll consume his heart, and then her body will be mine.

“Stay asleep, Snow. Because if you wake, I’ll hunt down, and destroy everyone you care about, starting with that dimwitted child leader you call Gabe. That’s right, dear one. I’ll kill him first.

“Maybe I should just solve the problem, slay you while you slumber. Press this knife to your neck; sever your head from your body… Arrrrgh, my hand. I can’t feel my hand. What have you done?” …

Chapter 4

Sweat beaded at my brow. I ignored it, knowing I needed to end the altercation with Titan quickly.

“Silindra, you’re making a grave mistake.”

I didn’t respond. His error was thinking he could withhold what I wanted. In one swift movement I spread my wings, stepped forward, and rammed the palm of my hand into Titan’s chest, hoping to throw him off balance. He held his ground, and grabbed my wings in his clammy hands, trying to rip them from my back. I roared in pain, bringing the knife directly into the troll’s immense chest, sinking it into his heart. He snarled, releasing my wings, and clutching his hand to his chest. Black blood poured from the wound, through his large fingers, and onto the sterile floor.

“You realize I let you win,” he sneered, falling to his knees. “At the top of my brain, between the two hemispheres, is a black nodule. It’s the source of a troll’s strength. Take it, and protect it. I fear my kind won’t be around much longer, especially if your sister has any say in the matter.” He took a final, giant breath, and then collapsed, dead.

Pushing down the anxiety rolling off Snow White, I lifted Titan’s chin, and sliced off the scalp of Titan’s head.

This is awful. Why did you have to kill him?
Snow rambled, and I felt her sadness, smelled her tears.

“I didn’t have a choice,” I growled aloud, wiping the inky blood, and other liquids from Titan’s head, and locating the black nodule he spoke of. With my fingers I tried to pull it out, but it wouldn’t come. “He’s a stubborn arse even in death.”

I used the edge of the knife to get under it and rocked back and forth to pry it loose. The nodule came out with a “pop” flying into the air. I caught it in my palm on the way down. Wiping it on my fur, I studied the thing Titan said held a troll’s strength, holding it between my thumb and first finger. It was perfectly round, and reminded me of a black pearl.