Here Be Monsters [2] (15 page)

And…he wasn't moving.
 

"You can't help him, vampire." Came a voice from the shadows. "Don't interfere."
 

Siobhan turned and stared at the empty place beside the tree. "Who—"
 

The air shimmered and a cloaked woman—elf—came into view. She was dark haired, pale skinned, with upswept eyes.

Indigo eyes.
 

"You're the other Winterbourne."
 

"Yes. And I am fulfilling my duty, just as Abyssinian is. We were born to do this."
 

"To die?"
 

She smiled. "To kill the Fallen."
 

Abyssinian
kept awake as best as he could. He had to be conscious. When the wave hit, he wanted to be the one to kill her. He wanted to see her die. But…where was his katana?
 

"We're being watched," her voice resonated in his mind as she pulled away from his neck. He could see his blood glistening on her dark lips. "They're gathering. The elves. And a vampire. Siobhan. My daughter."
 

"No..not your…daughter…"
 

"Maybe not directly. But we are the progenitors of the vampire race in this realm. And because I am the last female, I am their mother." She smiled down at him. "And you are my son. I am also elf born."
 

As if to cement that illusion, Abyssinian saw a long, slender pointed ear peek out from beneath her silky black hair. Elf…born? "No…"
 

"Yes. I am. We were once the rulers of Underhill. It was our realm and the day walking creatures that invaded took it from us with the Merlin. They destroyed our way of life. Banished us to this realm where we remained in the shadows. But with your blood," and she rubbed her cheek against his own. "I am reborn again. I can walk in the day. I can return to Underhill."
 

No… he wanted to reach up and choke her. Squeeze until the life left her. But her power was overwhelming now. And he'd lost so much blood. From her feeding…and the wound in his side.
 

"Time to die, Abyssinian. I can't have your blood giving any more of my children this power. It is mine alone. A Goddess must be able to—"
 

Something struck the two of them. He rolled out of her arms. Abyssinian lay still on his side, the fence surrounding the fountain just visible in the shadows. He tried to move—screamed at his muscles to obey him. His arms. His legs. But he couldn't. He wasn't strong enough to break free from the weakness of his body. With a long sigh he watched the shadows move along the fountain edge.
 

"You fool!"
 

He heard a young girl's laughter. "You think you're the only monster here—you think you can lord over me!"
 

"You are a
child
!"
 

"Abyssinian!"
 

His body jumped in reaction to that voice. It was Siobhan! He summoned as much strength as he could to push himself up on his side and looked around. Several figures stood outside the fence, but Siobhan was trying to run to him.
 

Oberon was holding on to her arm.
 

Good…keep her away Oberon
. Abyssinian could see Illeië. If she was here—then Oberon knew of the curse. He knew what was going to happen.
 

Siobhan
saw a blur sail out of the air and knock into Maeve. The two of them fell backward into the fountain as Abyssinian rolled away, unmoving on the ground.
 

She called out to him and started forward, but Oberon's hand caught her upper arm as Silira moved past them.
 

"We have to get him out of there!" she hissed at Oberon as she tried to get free. "Those two monsters are going to tear each other apart."
 

"Then let them," the elf said as he pulled her back to him. He nodded to Silira. "You can't be around Aby right now. No one but Maeve can."
 

"Why not?" She looked from Oberon to Silira. She was also aware of Illeië's Black Guard surrounding and sealing off this area of Grant Park. They'd all used their glamour to move any late night humans—mostly bums—from the park. They made it look like a police barracade, with stories of a potential bomber in the area.
 

"Because the spell that's about to activate will devour the energy of anyone near him. He has to remain there near the Fallen."
 

Siobhan turned a horrified face to Oberon. "What are you saying? If this spell will do that to that bitch—what will it do to Abyssinian?"
 

Neither of them answered.
 

She started to fight to get away from Oberon but he wrapped his arms around her. Elves were as strong as vampires, and it wasn't like she could bite him. That would only mean her death. Oberon wasn't a Winterbourne. "Let me get to him—"
 

"Silira…" Oberon said as he held Siobhan. "How long?"
 

"Any minute." She turned to look at her right just as Siobhan heard the sound of sirens. Someone had alerted the humans to what was happening.
 

Oberon sighed. Siobhan heard his heart thundering in his chest, and noted the strained sound in his voice. "A minute will be too late."
 

- 18 -

Xe-Faun worked with Illeië's Black Guard to surround the park and move the humans away. He watched from a distance as the Fallen and the small vampire child fought in the fountain. He heard the order to leave Abyssinian where he was. It was obvious to him the Fallen had drank his blood.
 

Merlin's curse was broken.
 

Just at the Regent had feared.
 

He should have destroyed Abyssinian when he was told to. Thom had been right. All of the Winterbourne should have been contained or destroyed.
 

Xe-Faun caught a movement from the prince. There was still life in him.
 

No. He should die.
 

Die for leaving Underhill and sentencing them all to death so he could be with his vampire whore.
 

Siobhan.
 

She
had entrapped the King in the same way. And then he'd been imprisoned in this mortal realm. Now she had the prince.

Maybe…

He spotted Oberon and Siobhan in the shadows, and another elven woman he didn't recognize. This woman stood out from the other two.
 

They were arm in arm. Siobhan and Oberon. Even as Abyssinian lay dead or dying.
 

It was all her fault.
 

The Regent had blamed her as well.
 

He promised himself if they survived this, and save Underhill, then justice would be done.
 

Abyssinian
managed to shift his position, roll over on his back. In the moonlight he could see the two creatures fighting on the edge of the fountain. Maeve had turned and blocked a dive from the little vampire, who ducked under the arm and tackled the taller woman. He was surprised not to see magic being used—if Maeve was truly a creature of elves and vampires—would she not possess magic? He's seen it used before.

Fuck this…
 

With a low groan that crescendoed into something a bit louder, he managed to push himself up into a crouch. Keeping his head upright made him dizzy. Now he really was worried about how much blood he'd lost. He'd known of elves to die—but he's never really considered his own death before now.
 

Even as he moved he felt a tingling in his fingertips. His stomach fluttered.
 

Magic.
 

He looked down at himself when he saw a faint glow reflected off the concrete and grass. His body was cast in a pulsing outline. Soft blue that turned to indigo, and then red.
 

The curse—

He looked over at Oberon and Siobhan. He saw Silira moving toward him. He turned to the two combatants. The Fallen was closest. He didn't care if the spell took out the little vampire. Abyssinian managed to stand.
 

Go to her.
 

Silira's voice. In his mind. It over-rode every other thought.
 

And I will destroy her.
 

He shuffled forward to the fountain. With every step the red glow intensified, growing brighter and brighter. She turned when he stepped into the water. She was inches away. Her eyes widened. Her mouth—full of sharp teeth—parted in a scream—

And then everything irrupted in a deafening, red light.
 

"Siobhan!"
Oberon called out.
 

He wrenched her to him as he saw his brother's body explode in a nova of magic. Within seconds he summoned a protection ward over the two of them and pulled her to the ground under his arms. She fought and called out Abyssinian's name over and over again.
 

That power…

No ordinary
vesta en' coia
should contain that kind of power in it. What had Silira done?
 

And where had she gained this kind of power?
 

Screams of agony, voices chiming in as the approaching sirens grew closer. The
vesta en' coia's
wave had started. Because Silira had placed the curse, the wave would return to her. But Illeië said the elf had changed it—that it would effect people in a much wider range.
 

He felt the waves of magic—of life's energy—buffet his protection. It tried to eat away at it to get to himself and Siobhan.
 

And then it was gone.
 

The screams. The voices. The sirens.
 

There was only the deafening chirp of crickets.
 

"Let me go!" Siobhan was hitting him, squirming to get out of his arms. He released her and stood up just as she sprinted—flew—to where Abyssinian had been.
 

As Oberon looked around he realized the fountain was dark. The lights that normally illuminated it were off. Even the water wasn't pumping. Buildings around them were dark. The only light came from the full moon overhead.
 

He cast a ball of light over his head, built the diameter to five feet, and sent it up to hover over the fountain.
 

Oberon saw Siobhan, and four bodies scattered on the ground. He looked around to see if any of the black guard had survived. To his relief, small incandescent bubbles of protection vanished with small flashes. Those who were quick had protected themselves, those who weren't—

"Abyssinian!"
 

Oberon jogged to where she knelt over his brother. He joined her and reached a finger to his brother's neck.
 

There wasn't a pulse.
 

No….

Siobhan watched Oberon. She'd seen his face, and grabbed up his still brother in her arms and began to rock. Oberon put his hand to his face when he saw the blood that covered his brother's side. The wound given to him by Thom.
 

The bastard.
 

Oberon heard something to his right and turned to see Silira stir. He moved to her and helped her into a sitting position. "Silira?" he said gently.
 

She took in a deep breath and opened her eyes to him. They were no longer indigo, but white. Had the power blinded her? He moved his hand over her face.
 

"I can see you, King," Silira said. Her voice sounded strange, as if there were an echo. He also felt a strange power eminating softly from her. "In fact, I can finally see everything."
 

"Silira…" he looked hard into her face. "Abyssinian…"
 

"I am sorry, Oberon. But it had to be done. The Fallen must die." And with that, she pushed him gently away. "Vampire."
 

She was directing her voice toward Siobhan, but it was the body of the Fallen that moved under the light of Oberon's magic. He cursed and turned to face it, putting Silira behind him. The crumpled form seemed to ooze and shift until its center moved into a six foot column and reformed itself into the woman he'd seen before. The black eyes, the white skin.
 

No!
 

She survived!
 

"Don't let her illusions fool you, Oberon," Silira said behind him, and again her voice echoed. Was it all in his mind? "Remember…she is one of us, as much as she is one of them."
 

The Fallen laughed and spread her arms wide. "Fool! You honestly believed you could defeat me! I have broken Merlin's curse." She waved her hand in the air.
 

Oberon—and every elf there he was sure—felt the hum and the vibration as the cairn was activated. He turned to one of the gardens surrounding the fountain and saw the circle of lights flare into existence.
 

Damn! She's going to Underhill.
 

He made a move to put himself between the Fallen and the cairn, but Silira grabbed him. "No. Allow me."
 

A line of Black Guard came running out of the circle of light and formed a line where Oberon had meant to go. Then all reached behind them—

And he expected them to draw their weapons.
 

He was surprised when they all pulled high power mag-lights from their backs and aimed them at the Fallen.
 

The creature laughed. "Have you forgotten that I have broken the curse, little one? That the sun can no longer burn me?"
 

Silira stood slowly and Oberon followed her. He stood beside her, but kept an eye on Abyssinian and Siobhan to his left. His heart was breaking over his brother—but he couldn't show his weakness now. Not in front of a monster like this.