A Shade of Vampire 8: A Shade of Kiev (18 page)

The ogres beneath me shouted in alarm. Two motioned to climb up the ropes after me. I slashed through the ends of the ropes nearest to me immediately.

I turned back to face Mona. Her body was covered in cuts and handprints where the trolls had touched her. I removed the gag from her mouth. Her eyes still closed, she gasped for breath. I slit the ropes binding her hands and legs, and, snaking one arm around her waist, leaned her against my body. Even after I’d freed her, she felt limp, weak in my arms. I didn’t feel safe letting go of the ropes to make the leap for escape because she wasn’t holding onto me tight enough and might fall down into the crowd of ogres.

“Hold me tighter,” I hissed.

She made an attempt to tighten her grip, but it still wasn’t sufficient to hold her weight against mine. Certainly not for the leap I was about to make.

Several fiery arrows shot up at us, two passing a few inches away from my head.

“Please,” I urged, my eyes blazing into hers. I shook her body, and, having no free hand to touch her face, I placed a hard kiss on her cold cheek, grazing my teeth against her skin, hoping it would bring her to her senses.

She remained limp, a doll in my arms.

Several more arrows shot past us. The heat of one grazed my shoulderblade, singeing my wet shirt.

“Mona!” I shouted in her ear.

Desperation coursing through me, I made one last attempt.

“Irina,” I whispered, “This is Adrian. Adrian has come to bring you home… Darling, please. Hold on.”

At the mention of Adrian’s name, her eyelids flickered open, a spark igniting in her hazy blue eyes. Her arms tightened around my neck, finally giving me the confidence to let go. I slit the final rope with my claw and leapt forward toward the ocean, holding her waist against me so tight I thought I might crush her ribcage.

Several more arrows shot past us as we fell. The shouts disappeared as we hit the cool water. Beneath the waves, I felt Mona slipping away from me. The force of hitting the water had loosened my grip on her. I was alarmed that she had made no effort to cling on to me. But much more terrified that the sharks might come again. I doubted I’d be able to fight them away from both of us, certainly not while my leg was injured like this.

I kicked down into the water and wrapped one arm around her while using the other to bring us to the surface. As more fiery arrows hit the water, I was forced to submerge us both again. I hoped that Mona had had enough time to catch her breath.

I propelled us forward, my eyes fixed on the shoreline, though continuing to dodge underwater to avoid the arrows. As soon as we reached the beach, I slid my hands beneath Mona and lifted her out of the water. As I staggered forward, the crowd watched me in silence—Saira had a shocked expression on her face, her mouth agape. Without saying a word to any of them, I limped to the wall, and barging past the guard, I entered the forest.

I walked to the lake as fast as I could and placed her in the boat. Refusing to look at me, she drew up her knees and buried her head against them. I took the oars and rowed us to her house, where I laid her down on the bed.

I looked down at her face. She’d closed her eyes. The frown on her face and slight quivering of her lip made me think she was still in pain. I lowered my head and pressed my ear against her chest. Her heartbeat was slow, but steady.

Brushing her wet hair away, I held her face in my palms. “Where does it hurt?” I ran my hands along her limbs, examining her skin. Although there were cuts and bruises, and a redness around her wrists and ankles where the ropes had rubbed against her, there didn’t appear to be anything too critical.

“Answer me.”

I stood and looked around the cabin. Opening the door of a cupboard, I pulled out a large cotton cloth and a white nightdress. Kneeling back down next to her, I tugged at her cold wet undergarments.

“Take these off.” I forced her to sit upright, and held a blanket up around her. Slowly, she removed the wet underwear and pulled the nightdress over her head. Then she lay back down on the mattress and curled up into a ball, covering her face with both hands.

“Irina… Say something.”

I shook her shoulders.

When she still didn’t respond, I decided not to press further.
She’s in shock. She needs space. I’ll tell Saira to visit her in the morning.
Tucking the blanket over her trembling form, I planted a kiss on her head.

I cast back one last stare at her as I exited the cabin and swam back through the lake to the mainland. As I emerged—still limping—from the forest and entered the clearing outside the tunnels, I caught sight of Saira standing amidst a group of vampires.

On seeing me approach, she bounded over.

“How is Mona?” she asked, concern filling her eyes.

“I don’t know,” I said. “Check on her tomorrow. She wouldn’t talk to me. But she seems fairly unscathed.”

The wolf sighed with relief. “Thank goodness.” She eyed my bloody leg. “That still hasn’t healed?”

“It will,” I said, grimacing. “It’s just taking longer than I’m used to because it’s deep, and I haven’t had human blood in my system for… a while.” I frowned, looking around. “Why are you all back here already? What happened with the ogres?”

“After you retreated behind the wall with Mona, we followed you,” Saira replied. “Those oafs yelled and made a fuss. But frankly, they’re too cowardly to attempt another fight with us on our own ground, especially when we’re all fully alert to their presence.”

I nodded and turned to walk into the tunnels.

“Kiev,” Saira called after me. “Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” I muttered beneath my breath.

Intending to go to my room and lie down, in hopes of speeding up my leg’s healing, I bumped into Matteo walking along a corridor. On seeing me, he came up and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Thank you, Kiev, for saving Mona like that. It would have been a great blow to lose her. She’s like my younger sister.”

His words cut me deeper than any shark could have, memories of the night I’d murdered Natalie flashing before my eyes. He removed his hand from my shoulder and walked away.

I limped along the corridor until I was standing outside my room. My hand shaking, I opened the door. I sat down on the mattress, wincing as I stretched out my leg.

Barely a few minutes after I had sat down, a knock sounded at my door. I breathed out in frustration.

“Who’s there?” I called.

When there was no answer, I pulled myself up and opened the door. Giles stood outside, his arms crossed over his chest.

“What do you want?” I snarled.

“I need to show you something.” His voice was calm as he spoke, his grey eyes fixed on mine.

“What?”

“You need to come with me.”

Scowling, I followed him down the corridor. He led me to the open area near the entrance of the tunnels. Groups of vampires stood around, talking about the events of the evening. I averted my eyes when I caught sight of Matteo standing in a corner.

Only once we were in standing in the center of the entrance room—in full view of all the vampires—did Giles withdraw a hand from his pocket and shove it in front of my face. I stared down at his palm.

A pendant, old and rusting.

A pendant I thought I had left behind in The Tavern.

A pendant I couldn’t afford to be looking at.

“Why are you giving me this?” I hissed, glaring at the blond vampire.

“Why don’t you just take a closer look?” His eyes darkened as he shoved the pendant into my hand.

I dashed it to the ground as if it were on fire. Lifting my uninjured leg, I stamped down on it. It didn’t break. I stamped down again. And again. No matter how much I tried to crush it into dust, the pendant remained intact, its rough edges ancient, but never broken. The metal around its center, not yet coated with rust, shimmered up at me against the light of the lanterns, as if taunting me.

“You don’t like my gift?” the vampire whispered.

He picked up the object and, stepping forward, held it just inches away from my face. I jerked back. But he took another step forward, keeping the pendant swinging before my eyes.

And then I realized that it was too late. The border between present and past had been crossed. Tortured screams echoed in my ears—screams of men, women, and children alike. Blood soaked my hands as I ripped through their throats. As I cackled at their pleas for mercy. As my whole body quivered from the thrill of the kill. As my body was once again not my own, but that of my father. His pleasure becoming mine.

The words he’d spoken to me for centuries on nights like this replayed in my head.

Become one with me, Kiev.

My desire is yours. My pleasure is yours.

Willing differently will only cause pain.

Never forget what you are: my own vessel.

I woke to find Saira standing in my cabin, water dripping from her fur onto the floorboards.

“Something bad has happened,” she panted. “I don’t know if even I can argue with Matteo to let him out of this one…”

My head felt heavy as I sat up in bed.

“Who?” I croaked. “What happened?”

“Just come with me.”

She gripped my blanket between her jaws and pulled it off me. We both hurried out of the cabin and into the boat. Despite feeling weak, I managed to row us toward the main land.

I had wanted nothing but solitude. But the urgency in Saira’s eyes had sparked something in me that I couldn’t ignore.

On our arrival in the clearing outside the tunnels, a crowd of vampires and werewolves formed a circle. When I pushed through to the center, I gasped. Kiev knelt in the center, his clothes ripped and bloody, hands tied behind his back.

Matteo entered the circle and stood in front of Kiev, an ashen expression on his face as he addressed the crowds.

“We all know the rules. And Kiev knows them too. I’m not going to prolong this.”

Mutterings broke out in the crowd as Matteo approached Kiev. He placed a hand on Kiev’s shoulder and pulled him upright. I immediately regretted pushing to the front of the crowd. Kiev’s face was covered with dirt and blood. My stomach flipped when he raised his eyes to meet mine. Gone was any sign of the spark that I had convinced myself was starting to show through in them. Now, his eyes looked dead. Numb. With pain, hatred or remorse—I couldn’t make out. My lips parted as I struggled to breathe.

“In an incident I witnessed myself,” Matteo continued, “Kiev attacked many of our crew members. He was not acting in self-defense. Indeed, nobody in the room had shown any violence toward him. He lashed out at Giles, who now lies severely injured in his room, along with several other vampires who tried to hold him back.” Matteo paused and rubbed a hand against his forehead. “We simply cannot manage this island unless we feel safe in each other’s company. Kiev’s actions violate this fundamental understanding. Though we do not punish as harshly as The Tavern, this infraction calls for banishment from the island.”

Mutterings of approval sounded out around us.

“I can’t deny that I am deeply disappointed. I have come to see Kiev as a friend. An ally. But what has just happened, I cannot overlook.”

I didn’t miss the way Kiev’s whole body flinched at Matteo’s admission.

“However,” Matteo said, “I also can’t deny what Kiev did just hours beforehand. I cannot deny that he singlehandedly saved Mona from the clutches of the ogres.” Matteo began to pace up and down in front of Kiev. “I propose that I give Kiev the benefit of the doubt in this case. The violence he partook in simply doesn’t seem to fit in with the character he has displayed since joining us.”

“I agree!” Saira spoke up beside me, an unmistakable warmth to her voice. “We should give him a punishment that is less severe than banishment.”

Some protests were muttered while a few others made noises of approval. Matteo kept his gaze steady as he surveyed the crowd. It was clear that he had made his decision and nothing anyone could say would change his mind.

I had witnessed enough.

Whatever might happen to Kiev now—whether he ended up staying on the island and accepting a lesser punishment, or was banished after all—wasn’t relevant to me.

Because the vampire with red eyes would soon be only a memory.

I trembled as Matteo spoke, not with fear, but shame.

A part of me would have preferred him to just banish me. I didn’t deserve Matteo’s mercy. I didn’t deserve his hospitality or generosity.

I deserved his wrath.

I wished he’d punish me severely. It would have relieved at least some of the guilt.

The crowds dispersed and I was left alone with Matteo and Saira. I could barely look them in the eye.

Saira looked at Matteo.

“Do you have something in mind?” she asked.

Matteo gazed at me, apparently deep in thought.

“Yes,” he said after a few moments. “Yes, I do.”

“What?” Saira asked, seemingly more interested in my wellbeing than I was.

“Kiev, excuse me while I take a moment to discuss my idea with Saira.”

I watched as they disappeared into the forest. They had to walk a distance away from me due to my acute hearing. It felt like half an hour had passed before they emerged from the woods. Saira cast a worried glance my way, hesitating for a moment before walking away, leaving me alone with Matteo.

“You can come with me now, Kiev. I’ll explain,” he said.

I walked alongside him as we headed toward the direction of the wall.

“I should give you a little background first,” he said, clearing his throat. “As you may have noticed, the living conditions on this island are far from ideal, especially for us vampires.” He paused and cast a glance sideways at me. “You’re originally from the human realm… correct?”

I nodded.

“Then you may have heard of a place called The Shade?”

I gulped, uncomfortable with the memories.

“Yes,” I muttered.

“Good,” Matteo said. “See, I’ve never visited the place myself, but many of us around here know of it as a legend… Anyway, to cut a long story short, we want to make our own island like The Shade. Perhaps not as extravagant. To start with, we would be more than satisfied just having a witch who’s able to cast a protective spell over the island and a spell of night over at least a part of the island.”