Mira (27 page)

           
Tell me when the cup is full,
Aris asked.
 
She began feeling a bit faint.
 
I can’t really see.

           
“Of course.
 
Keep going.
 
You’re almost there.”

Chapter 14

           
A pleased sense of accomplishment filled Rillan.
 
He walked down the long hall.
 
His boots echoed dully off the walls.
 
For the first time in centuries, he started to think that it may be possible for him to accomplish his assignments without destroying everything he touched.
 
Passing the door leading to Aris’ rooms, the distinct tinge of copper on the air tugged at his beast.

           
Stopping in mid stride and swearing under his breath, Rillan threw open the heavy wooden door and streaked down the pitch black hall.
 
Even in the abyssal darkness, his demon eyes could see Aris lying in a puddle of her own blood on the hearth of her fireplace.

           
“No,” Rillan growled fiercely.
 
“Not this time.
 
Not already.”
 
In a moment, he was on his knees next to her body. Rillan forced himself to ignore the repulsion he felt, when he noticed that she had yet to clean herself.
 
Leaning down to listen for her heartbeat, Rillan wrestled with his vampire.
 
The metallic blood odor permeating the air was almost too much for him.

           
Picking up her dirty, cold, limp frame Rillan almost missed the soft thud in her chest.
 
Suddenly her hand reached up to touch his face.
 
Flinching, Rillan stared into her eyes, a strange manic fear gazed back at him and held him captivated.

           
In a tiny, breathless voice Aris whispered to him, “Please, I don’t want to die.”

           
Almost dropping her to the stone floor, he released her and paced away from her.
 
“Stupid girl.
 
You’re past saving,” Rillan continued under his breath, “unless you want to be like me.”
 

           
A soft, shallow whimper parted Aris’ lips, and tears seeped from her closed eyelids.
 
“I—I—wasn’t r—ready.”

           
Staring down at her, Rillan’s heart raced.
 
In all the years he had dealt with the sacrifices, he had never been forced into a situation like this.
 
They all died willingly.
 
They all died because they wanted it.
 
I didn’t kill any of them.
 
“Why, the hell, did you have to do this?
 
Why tonight?”
 
First time in centuries that things seemed—

           
Rillan didn’t know what to think any longer.
 
He felt as though he couldn’t let Aris die this way, but the only answer wasn’t something he would wish on his worst enemy.
 
In one sudden movement, he was on his knees next to her again.
 
Propping Aris up against the hearth, Rillan forced her to face him in the dark.
 
He knew that she couldn’t see him, but he needed to know that she heard him.

           
“Girl,” he hissed, “open your eyes.”

           
Aris was too far gone to be frightened any longer.
 
She knew she was dying.
 
The room spun around her, the darkness swam, and his voice was muffled and echoed in her ears.
 
She wasn’t even sure if he was really there or if it was another nightmare.
 
She opened her eyes and stared into the darkness with the precision of a servant following the most basic of orders, regardless of the consequences.
 

           
Just do as he says,
she told herself.
 
Mira said that it would go easier on you that way.
 
She laughed weakly.
 
“You’re almost dead anyway,” she said to herself.

           
Rillan was confused.
 
He didn’t know if she was talking to him or herself.
 
“Girl,” he snapped.
 
“Listen to me.
 
The way for you to live is to end up like me.
 
Choose.
 
Death or worse?”

           
Aris laughed again.
 
The hollow sound sent chills down the vampire’s spine.
 
“I don’t want to die.
 
Do you?”
 
I don’t know,
Aris answered herself.
 
I don’t want to be a vampire.

           
Rillan thought about what she said for a long moment.
 
A flash of Mira’s face, her eyes temporarily clouded his vision.
 
“No,” he said finally.
 
“I don’t.”

           
In one swift movement Rillan lifted his wrist to his mouth.
 
Dozens of dagger sharp teeth lacerated his flesh.
 
Thick, sticky blood oozed to the surface.
 
He grabbed Aris, spinning her in his arms so that her back was to his chest, and he could hold her down.
 
Bracing her he forced his wrist to her mouth and held her there.

           
At first
,
Aris sputtered and fought back.
 
She couldn’t breathe and felt as though she was drowning.
 
The nearly congealed blood smeared over her tongue, cold and foul.
 
The choice was swallow to clear her mouth and airway or stop breathing.
 
Choking on the rancid flavor, she felt a sudden burning, her stomach heaved, and every nerve in her body instantly came to life.

           
Shame flooded through Rillan, he couldn’t believe what he had done.
 
With full knowledge that Aris would survive, he got up and left her to find her way through the darkness of the transformation alone.
 

* * * *

           
Lilith held the note in her hand; trembling a bit as she read the words slowly.
 
The elders waited impatiently for Lilith to tell them what the piece of paper said.
 
Finally, she placed the paper on the table in front of her and lifted her eyes to the concerned faces that surrounded her.
 

           
“It seems that the army has been chased away.
 
Unfortunately
,
that does not mean that our trouble with the Empire has ceased.
  
There will be more leaders, and more vendettas.
 
Darius ap Jos lives.
 
Where he has gone is unknown.”

           
“So our situation has not changed,” someone said.
 
Relief and frustration combined oddly in his voice.

           
There was rumbled agreement to the statement.

           
“We’ve subsisted this way for as long as I’ve known.
 
We can continue.
 
Events are best dealt with as they come.”

           
“So we live.
 
Day to day.
 
Wait for the next threat to our existence.
 
Hope to survive.
 
Feed the vampire.
 
Is that all?”

           
“What more do people need?
 
We live.
 
We live fairly well.
 
The hand of the Empire has retracted.
 
We should be grateful.”

           
“We should be considering the future.
 
Does no one else think that waiting for the worst is not the way we should be living?”

           
Silence filled the room.
 
Everyone stared expectantly at Lilith.
 
Sighing, she lowered her eyes to her wrinkled hands, rubbing them together thoughtfully.
 
“Since I was a girl,” she said finally, “this is how it has been.
 
The Fates have left us to ourselves.
 
Still
,
we can all see that an imposed change is imminent.
 
I suggest we all think on it some time.
 
We need to decide if we will try to battle the Fates and keep our solitary existence protected or accept that we will be assimilated by the Empire in time and resign to that.”

           
Just as the meeting was being dismissed a young woman entered the room and walked directly to Lilith.
 
Leaning down she whispered something into the old woman’s ear and handed her another note.

           
Lilith took the paper and quickly opened it.
 
After scanning the paper, she cleared her throat to interrupt the confusion rumbling through the room.
 
“A new sacrifice is needed,” she said curtly.
 
It was a rare occasion when something was able to break through Lilith’s normally neutral demeanor.
 

           
“There was no body this morning.”

           
“No,” Lilith replied, “and there will not be one.”

           
“What do you mean?”

           
“How many girls does the vampire need?”

           
“Have his demands changed?”

           
“What has happened?”

           
Lilith raised her hands, “Calm yourselves.”
 
When the random outbursts stopped she continued.
 
“Lord Tiernay left a message that Aris has died.
 
He says only that there will be no body.
 
There is no more.”

           
“That makes no sense.”

           
“Where is her body?”

           
Lilith shook her head.
 
“I don’t have those answers.
 
We’ll have Mira send a new sacrifice.”

           
“Her handfasting is tomorrow,” one of the woman said sympathetically.
 
“Perhaps we can leave it until after the ceremony.”

           
A contemplative look overtook Lilith’s features.
 
“No,” she said strongly.
 
“I believe it would be best to have a girl sent as soon as possible.
 
There is no telling how badly he needs the sacrifice replaced after the battle.”

           
The sweetest sad music Lilith ever heard filtered gently through the rooms of the large roundhouse the sacrifices shared.
 
All the girls were sitting, apparently enchanted by the sound.
 
Some of them appeared to have tears in their eyes.
 

           
Lilith made her way to Mira’s room, the apparent source of the beautiful haunting sound.
 
Opening the door, she stared at Mira for a little while.
 
Mira was so wrapped up in playing that she didn’t notice Lilith standing there at first.

           
Mira stiffened.
 
Out of the corner of her eye
,
she
,
saw movement.
 
Abruptly Mira stopped playing and turned toward the door.
 
The minute she saw Lilith, a sinking feeling developed in the pit of her stomach.

           
“May I come in,” Lilith asked with a smile.

           
Nodding uncertainly, Mira motioned to a small chair.

           
“You play beautifully.
 
I wasn’t aware that you could.”
 
Lilith walked slowly and sat as if it took a great deal of effort.
 
Everyone was noticing Lilith looking her age more than ever.

           
“Some,” Mira responded, obviously wanting to get to the point of the conversation and avoid small talk.
 
“I’m still learning.
 
Is there something you need from me?”

           
“Unfortunately,” Lilith paused.
 
“A new sacrifice is needed.
 
Can you have one of the girls prepared by morning?”

           
Fear and confusion marred Mira’s features.
 
“I guess.
 
But Aris—“

           
“Wasn’t found this morning and won’t be.
 
There will be no body.
 
We don’t know why; just that a new sacrifice must be sent.”

           
“The girls will be frightened.
 
Changes in their routine cause problems.”

           
“I’m afraid,” Lilith said sympathetically, “that can’t be helped.”

           
Mira couldn’t take it any longer.
 
Tears formed in her eyes.
 
“Lilith, I can’t.
 
I can’t send them to him.”