Amaranth (16 page)

“News travels quickly here, you know. Like wildfire.”

“Apparently,” he mumbled, glanced at me.

“Come closer, my new child. Let me see that pretty face.” Samira
tilted her head to seek out Audrey’s’ timid eyes, pleased by her fear. “You
know, we are family now. We should become better acquainted. Why is it you have
decided to join our family, my love?”

Audrey’s eyes reluctantly darted toward Gabe before she
answered. “I wanted to be with Gabe and I— I admire your family, Your Majesty.”

“
Hhhhmmm
,
I see,” she breathed, her crystal blue eyes fixed on Audrey’s neck, nails
lightly peeling across her collarbone. “Dali.
Akim
.
Come.”

She lifted her chin, looked to one side of her, then the
other. Two magnificent gray wolves appeared amongst the room’s shadows, from
where they had been lurking. They stalked past the rows of dimly lit
candelabras toward their master, stationed themselves next to her, one on each
side. Their eyes matching hers, they stared at us, waited for their next
command. Gabe and I exchanged looks, cautioned one another as the wolves joined
our company. They were Samira’s old conjure mates in wolf form, and as far as I
was concerned, just as deadly as she was, only they probably housed more rage
since she made them that way.

“That is a brave compliment to pay, my child,” Samira
continued, glanced at her pets, stepped a few inches closer to Audrey as she
swung her sleek cape behind her. “I must say it is an unfortunate
contradiction, however. You see, you have chosen to join our family so
recently, yet you already long to be sent to exile. Is that not why you are here?”
She turned to question Audrey. “To ask for permission to enter?”

“Yes, that is our request.” I answered for her.

“I see….”

“Gabe and I no longer wish to be among the living.” A lump
stuck in my throat and I worked hard to restrain my fear, to reveal only
honesty and boldness. “This was my family’s home. And as for Audrey, well, she
does respect your rule, but this is not a lifestyle she wishes to pursue after
all. She’s had a change of heart.”

“Oh, has she?”

“Y-y-y-e-s-s-s, your Highness,” Audrey murmured, twisted her
hands together.

Samira stepped closer to examine her fangs, her pets moving
wherever she moved. “So it’s not what you thought it was, is it my dear?”

Audrey swallowed and cowered her head, her shoulders caved
as Samira circled her. “No, Madame. I’m sorry to say it’s not.”

“You are being sincere. Of that I am sure.” She ran one
single blood-red nail across Audrey’s crescent scar, skimming her flesh. “It is
a pity you have foolishly given up your mortality for such a tragedy, my child.
Fortunately for you, I am both willing and bound to put aside your insult and
grant you admission to exile. And of course, Gabe, you may join her. You
disobeyed, getting involved with a mortal,” she spoke with her hands, waved
them matter-of-factly, “but you did change her, followed through as you are
expected to.”

Gabe looked at me, then back at Samira, ready to object if
the permission didn’t include both of us. “Madame, I—”

“Silence. We will get to that.” Her expression suspicious,
she made her way back to the throne, eyebrows raised. “As for you, Gavin. Your
disobedience is quite different. I am certain you are aware of the situation
that needs to be discussed, regarding some recent news that was brought to my
attention.” Once seated, she turned to me.

“Yes. I am aware,” I said, calculating my next move.

“This blatant disregard for my rules amuses you, does it?”

“It’s far from amusing.”

“Then do explain your motivation to lead this movement, to
encourage our kind to mingle with mortals and to abstain from their blood, to
protect them. These relationships are strictly prohibited, unless you intend to
change them, as you are well aware.” She patted Dali and
Akim’s
luxurious fur coats, her eyes glued to mine. “
Gérard
has allowed our magic to have power over mortals, to manipulate them. You dare
insult your history, your own father conjurer, by letting it go to waste?”

She grasped her
mojo
bag, her
nails closing in over it, nostrils flaring. “Although I am bound to send your
friends to exile, my mercy for them is a generosity. At the least! Rest
assured, I will not be mocked by this atrocity you have stirred up among our
kind. Our loyalty lies with
Gérard
, and there will be
no camaraderie with the mortals. They are either our sustenance, or they become
one of us. If this troubles you enough, you go into exile. There is no need to
discuss this further.”

“I understand, Samira. Please believe me, I did not mean to
disrespect your laws. I came to request forgiveness and entry to Amaranth. For
myself, and for my friends here. I know now it is not possible to live
successfully outside of the law. I was wrong.”

“What about this mortal of yours, the one you committed the
crime with?”

Audrey began to shake. Understandable. I myself could hardly
bear hearing Samira speak of Camille so chillingly. Gabe discreetly took her
hand to comfort her, listened intently for Samira’s verdict.

“I’m no longer involved with her. It’s over.” I clenched my
jaw and looked down, unable to talk about Camille in the past tense.

“Rightfully so.” Samira snapped. “It is absurd to confuse
our kind on earth, to make them think there is another way to live. It is an
absolute
insult
to
Gérard
,
who created a place for you to go into exile. It is a luxury! Is that not
enough?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The cold room stood silent except for the subtle tapping of
Samira’s nails on the armrest of the throne chair. Dali and
Akim
patiently turned to look up at their master’s face, their eyes reverent. Samira
rose from her chair and shouted, “Marie, come here at once!” In moments, her
small, frail assistant appeared and kneeled before the throne.

“Your mother was very dear to me, my child,” she continued,
speaking to me like a relative who actually gave a damn. “The struggle she and
your father endured truly breaks my heart,” she placed a claw-like hand over
her chest to express sympathy. “Because of that, I will graciously excuse you
from execution and grant you entrance … under one condition—”

“Guilty or not, there is no condition to those sincerely
requesting exile. You are bound!” Gabe’s voice boomed as he proclaimed the
truth, his arms tight with rage.

Her eyes widened and she turned to him. I cringed, afraid
the plan to get inside the gates of exile had just failed.

“You
dare
!” She shouted and
thrust her hand forward toward him. Sharp yet seductive, her hand swirled
through the air; her force propelled him from the ground, flinging him
backward. The blue bottles shook above the fireplace and he flew into the rigid
stone wall, knocked the elegant candelabras clear across the room as he crashed
through them. Dali and
Akim
rushed to stand below him
as he hung in agony, pinned against the wall, standing guard of their enemy
while Samira laughed. “I do believe you are pushing your luck, child.”

Audrey shrieked and dropped to the floor, covered her eyes
with her hands. Knowing I was powerless to help Gabe, I remained still and
obedient, careful not to blow my only chance. The red of Samira’s nails jumped
out at me like serpents, her fingers pointing to my chest, holding me in place
with the same force.

She immediately glanced at Marie, prompted her to stand next
to me. “Listen wisely, Mr.
Devereaux
, be careful that
you do not offend me like your precious friend, here. I am bound to grant your
request to exile, but I am in no way required to dismiss your punishment for
defying my laws before you enter. I will not kill you, but you must pay, do you
understand?”

I looked over at Gabe hanging on the wall and pictured
Camille’s face once more, then responded with vengeance. “I can pay you in
service. Would that be acceptable to you?”

Samira laughed. “Ha! What service could you possibly offer
me
, child? A good laugh, I suppose?”

“No.” I stepped forward, determined to get past the city’s
gates as soon as possible. Indifferent, she stared back at me, waited for my
proposal.

“Instead of punishing me, how about utilizing me? Make use
of my gifts. The resistance on earth is the least of your worries. The
immortals have heard of the resistance that has been building right here,
within the walls of the city. It’s no longer a secret.”

“How do you know of this?”

“Word from your servants has traveled outside of this realm.
It’s a threat to the future of Amaranth, you know it is. If your servants turn
against you with the resistance, you can lose your entire kingdom.”

“My servants…” Samira glanced accusingly at Marie, then rose
from her chair and glided forward to meet me, her eyes cutting into mine once
more. “You are fearless,” she said, released her hold on me, “and your boldness
is most refreshing.” She smiled for a moment, then quickly moved her fist in
front of my stomach, twisted it tightly and turned it sideways in the air,
turning an invisible, deadly switch. I buckled over as her intangible force
crippled my arms; my hands clawed to grasp my stomach in horror. She continued
to wrench her fist in front of me, her lips curling with delight as she watched
me cry out. I fought the pain, tried envisioning what it’d feel like to hold
Camille in my arms again someday.

“Please, stop it!” Audrey screamed, yanked her hair as she
pleaded, curled up on the floor. Gabe still hung lifeless on the stone wall.
Unable to speak, he watched me crumble under Samira’s strength.

“Lest you forget who is in control of this situation, my
child, let me remind you,” she hissed. “
I
determine what a threat is. You have nothing of value to me, do you understand?
If I recruit any help from you, it is because I
command
it. I do not bargain with insignificant, defiant immortals.” She paused for a
moment and held her deathly pull on me. “I said, do you understand?”

“Yes—I understand!” I shouted, my teeth grinding as I
writhed.

“Very well,” she casually dropped her hand back to her side,
immediately ceasing my pain. “Now, then. How could I possibly use you?”

I gasped for air as I pried my arms away from my torso, the
torment dissipating. Samira watched passively while I fought to keep my
balance. “I … read desires, as you know.” I cringed, straightened my body out.
“But … not only my reading ability is of use to you.”

“Oh?”

“I have leadership qualities, as strong as my father’s. I
can lead the people back into submission, I can stop the resistance here. And
my reading can supplement that. It can help manipulate the people’s efforts and
restore their obedience.”

“
Hhm
… so eager to give me what I want …” she began to pace as she considered my
thoughts. Every few seconds she glanced at Audrey and Gabe, irritated by their
witness of our discussion. “What is in it for you?” she barked, “You have gone
to great lengths to oppose my laws, why would you want to strengthen them? Why
the
, the … what is the word? Oh yes … what is the change of
heart?” She stopped pacing, hand to her chin, nails waiting and ready.

“My parents,” I replied. “They died because the war got so
out of control. They’ve been gone for years, but I can’t let it go. I owe it to
them to help restore peace here. They always wanted me to be a part of it.”

“Is that all?”

“That’s everything.”

She pondered my partial honesty for a moment, turned her
back to me to stare into the fire. “Well I must say, you are very relatable to
humans. Just as your parents were. And in that case, it might work to my
advantage.” She intensified the fire with her ravenous power. “Your father was
indeed a fine leader. Perhaps a fresh influence such as yourself would be
beneficial in this city.”

Without looking over at Gabe, she released him from the wall
with one swish of her wrist, intent on the conversation. He dropped to the
floor with a thud, and Dali and
Akim
trotted away
from him and, back to her side. “Very well. You will help me lead and restore
the city’s order. You shall convince the
Amaranthians
to submit to my law again. After that, you will stop the resistance you started
on earth. Only then will you be admitted to live in exile. I will announce your
arrival when I see fit.”

“Thank you, Samira.”

“Marie, take him to the tower at once. Escort the other two
to the city gate for entrance.”

“Right away, Madame.” Marie hurried to my side and yanked me
by the shirtsleeve.

I made eye contact with Gabe and Audrey one last time before
she rushed me out of the room, called out, “See you soon.”

Once in my cell, I allowed myself to concentrate on Gabe’s
thoughts again, listened to them as he observed Marie’s return to Samira. She
returned with Victor, another servant, to lead Gabe and Audrey to the city’s
gates as instructed. The reception was barely audible, I was too far away, but
I fought to zone in and listened harder.

“Victor, you take them,” Samira said. “Marie, you stay here
with me.”

“Of course, Madame,” Victor acknowledged, moved to escort
Gabe and Audrey out. As Gabe was taken away, I caught one last fragment of the
conversation.

“Find the girl and bring her to me, Marie. Leave not one
scratch on her body,” Samira said. “And do make haste.”

“Let me help you out,” a deep, austere voice offered beside
me. I opened my eyes and gasped, realizing I was in Gavin’s car, but the
steering wheel sat on the right-hand side. Curled up in the passenger’s seat
with a throw blanket tossed across my lap, I looked over at the driver, still
in a daze.