Prophecy: Dark Moon Rising (26 page)

He stopped himself and swallowed hard when Elena’s eyes narrowed on him suspiciously.

“Mia’s survival is a set back. I had wanted her dead by now. No matter. My men will take care of her once they have returned from their mission. Is that all?”

He nodded, keeping his lips firmly compressed and fighting the desire to tell her the one thing he knew she could use against Prophecy.

“Do not lie to me, Valentine. It is not wise.” She held her hand up and another wave of power washed over him, stealing away what little control he had regained.

“There is something else,” he said and closed his eyes, struggling against himself.

“What?” Elena’s voice was full of eagerness and it made him feel sick to hear it.

“Prophecy’s father lives.”

He opened his eyes and saw Elena was grinning now. She looked insane, like an animal gone rabid with pain and hunger that has just set its sights on a weak prey it knows it can kill.

“Speak,” she whispered, coaxing the answer out of him.

He struggled a moment longer and then his mouth moved of its own accord.

“Caden.”

Elena laughed and clapped her hands.

“This is too good.” She stroked his cheek. He snarled at her but the magic held him, stopping him from biting her. “You make a wonderful spy, but I’m afraid I have other plans for you.”

He stared at her, knowing already what she was going to say. He didn’t ask what they were. He had to save his strength so he could find a way to undo the spell before it was too late.

Elena leaned in close to him, her lips grazing one ear while her fingers stroked the lobe of his other.

“You love her so much,” she breathed into his ear and he closed his eyes, steeling himself against what was coming. “It’s only fitting that you should be the one to fulfil this prophecy and kill her.”

Prophecy stared at the page of the book in front of her. When she’d come around, it had been to a decidedly heavier atmosphere than she’d expected. Something had clearly happened between Venturi and Mia while she’d been unconscious because both of them were acting strangely towards her. Mia had watched her far too much. Venturi had been distant, but whenever his blue eyes had met hers, they’d told her all the words he wanted to say and shown her that the coldness between them wasn’t his choice. Whenever he’d looked at Mia, his eyes had turned black, leading Prophecy to suspect that it was Mia who had said something to him.

She’d healed Venturi and herself, and then sent them all away. She’d told Mia and Dmitri to tend to their werewolves, and told Venturi to try and maintain some kind of order within the house with the help of Cornelius and Serenity.

Now, she was thankfully alone with her book and her thoughts. She looked at the window that had been boarded up while she was sleeping. She could feel the warm day air coming in through it. It was nice to be able to have a little fresh air without the fear of the sun touching her by accident.

She sighed and stared blankly at the page the book was open on, her thoughts remaining with her house. She’d already received reports that the modicum of order they’d had with the three different bloodlines was beginning to disappear. While she was sleeping, Venturi had spent hours arguing with his commanders and attempting to help Cornelius deal with his family. They had discovered that Valentine was gone and were threatening to leave and go back to their home. Xavier had surprised her by commanding them to stay in the safety of her house. She’d expected him to be first out of the door. Maybe it was because he’d seen first hand the power that Elena commanded.

Leaning back in her chair, she frowned when she placed her hands on her hips and felt something in her trouser pocket.

Taking it out, she unfolded the piece of paper and placed it down on the book.

The words on the paper and the book swam in front of her eyes. She closed them and leaned forwards, folding her arms over the book and resting her head on them.

The second the darkness enveloped her, she opened her eyes to see that she was no longer in her room. The blue monotone and the feeling in her heart told her that she was in her mother’s house. She looked down when she felt something against her stomach and saw a hand on her bare skin. Rolling over, she smiled when she saw it was Valentine holding her. He opened his eyes and smiled at her, his hand coming up to gently sweep against her cheek.

“Do not be scared,” he said without moving his lips and cupped her cheek before trailing his hand down her neck. She winced when her throat hurt where he touched and her gaze moved to his. There were deep fang marks on it. She looked into his eyes, searching them for an explanation. He spoke again and it felt as though he’d said the words straight into her head. “It will all be fine.”

She frowned, confused by what was happening, and then the scene shifted and she was standing alone in the courtyard of the house. She looked at the dark sky and the shining white halo in it, and then at Valentine, who was standing in front of her. He took hold of her hand.

“You know what you must do,” he said.

When he took his hand from hers, she realised that she was holding something.

Opening her hand, she looked at the piece of paper and the strange writing on it. It was fuzzy and indistinct. She couldn’t make out any of the words. Whenever she thought she had one, it changed into something else or disappeared from her mind. She looked around her at the garden and then at the house, searching for Valentine.

Her mother was standing on the veranda wearing a flowing white dress that caught a breeze she couldn’t feel. The soft material moved as though it was under water, shifting slowly and mesmerising her.

“Don’t be scared, child. You’ll save him, like he saved you.”

Prophecy woke with a jolt and stared at her hands. They were balled into trembling fists. In one of them, she was clutching the piece of paper with the address on.

Three times now she’d had a vision involving her mother’s home, and her father had told her that her mother had kept spells there. She had read almost all of the book and while she’d learnt spells that would come in handy during her fight against Elena, she hadn’t seen one that would help Valentine.

Maybe it was time she went to her mother’s house.

Her senses kicked back in and she almost jumped when she felt Venturi standing next to her. She looked up at him, unable to mask how much he’d frightened her.

“I apologise for disturbing you,” he said in a reserved manner.

She frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“The houses—”

“I meant with you. What did Mia say to you?” she said, cutting him off.

He averted his gaze, staring at the distance for a few seconds before bringing his eyes back to hers.

“Only what needed to be said in order to remind me of my place. Though I do not appreciate an outcast Venia telling me, the lord of a bloodline, what to do, I understand she is right.”

Prophecy didn’t like the sound of that. “Whatever it is she said to you, whatever it is you won’t tell me, I hate her for it because it’s stolen you away from me.”

He frowned. “I was never yours to be stolen away from you.”

She pushed away from the desk and went across the room to the one remaining window, placing some distance between them. It was dark out. She could smell it in the air and feel it in her blood.

“To talk about it is not why I am here,” he said.

“Maybe you should leave,” she said and heard the faint growl her cold words elicited from him. She wrapped her arms about herself. “I don’t need people who stand apart from me.”

“That is why I am here,” he said and she heard him walk towards her.

She kept her back to him, swallowing hard when she sensed him close behind her and felt him ghost his hand down her arm.

“I am on your side, Prophecy, but Mia is right. I cannot take advantage of the situation and your weakness. I want to be honest with you, as I always am. I am a patient man, as I said before. I can wait eternity for the time that you are mine, but I will not take you from him and I will not become something you use in order to comfort yourself.”

She closed her eyes and hung her head.

“I know. I don’t want that, but I don’t want you to distance yourself from me either. Can’t we be close to one another without it having to be that way?” She turned to look at him. She hadn’t realised just how close he was. She had to look up in order to meet his gaze. There were barely a few inches between them. “Please, Venturi, I need you beside me just as I need Valentine, and Serenity, and Mia … even Dmitri. I need the strength you all give me. Everything feels like it’s going to fall apart when you distance yourself.”

He looked away, staring at the floor with a pensive expression.

“I will stand by your side even if fate leads us into the very pit of Hell. No one could stop me doing that. Not even Valentine himself.” A slight smile played on his lips but it disappeared when he looked at her. “As for the everything you speak of, it is already falling apart.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“There is great discord between the people of Aurorea and Caelestis. We have tried to maintain order, but I’m afraid that without Valentine, things are going to fall apart.” He gave her an apologetic look. “I have tried to command them, but there is talk of war.”

She growled and clenched her fists.

“I’m sick of this.” She was surprised by how angry they were making her. She knew this feeling had nothing to do with Valentine’s disappearance. This feeling had been growing inside of her since she had taken command of her family and they had started trying to make both houses work as one army. “The Tenebrae have no qualm with working with the Aurorea and the Caelestis, yes?”

“None at all,” he said. “We fight for a common purpose. The law decrees it is allowed.”

She stormed across the room, took the piece of paper off the book and pocketed it. She closed the book and removed the fragments of the star. Clipping them together in a hurry, she slipped the star pendant back onto the chain and clasped it around her throat.

She looked at Venturi while she thought about what she was going to do. She went over her visions, trying to remember all the things she’d seen, hoping to find a solution in one of them.

“They need someone who can command them, Prophecy. Someone who they would dare not go against. You may be that person, but the Aurorea might attempt to revolt against you on the principle that you’re a Caelestis and not fit to command their bloodline.” Venturi moved across the room and stopped a few feet from her. “They will not listen to me. Not even Xavier or Cornelius can command them. They are intent on war.”

He frowned when she smiled.

“Someone strong? Someone in command?” Her smile became a grin when it came to her. It was a long shot, but then it always was when it came to this person. She glanced at the window, hoping there was time.

“What is it?” he said.

She didn’t answer him. Instead, she went to her wardrobe and rifled through the clothes she had there, tossing a pair of black trousers and a corseted top onto the bed. She grabbed the small jacket from the hanger and threw it onto the bed with them. Carrying her knee high boots with her, she grabbed the sword belt from the table and then picked up the sword itself. She stared at it.

“I have an idea that might just work. Gather the houses. Tell them to be in the main hall just before dawn comes.” She looked at Venturi.

He nodded, the look of confusion not shifting from his face, and then went to the door.

When he closed it behind him, she stared at the sword again, hoping that this would work.

“Pray to the Devil that he’ll be on our side.”

Prophecy sat on the edge of the platform with the throne behind her. She was still sticking to her vow to never sit in it. Her place would never truly be there, not even on an occasion like this. She shifted slightly so the bottom of her corset-top wasn’t digging in as painfully and as she moved, the tip of the sword she wore at her waist scraped against the floor.

She sat a little straighter and kept her gaze fixed on the end of the aisle in front of her. The room was packed. On the left of the aisle were the Aurorea, and on the right were the Caelestis. Neither of them were paying any attention to her. They were too busy hurling abusive comments at each other. In defence of her bloodline, the Aurorea had started it. It had only taken twenty minutes of waiting in silence for the first offensive remark to be flung across the room.

To her direct right stood Venturi and she could feel his eyes boring into her. He was watching her like a hawk, and she couldn’t figure out whether it was because he thought she should do something about the elevating level of anger in the room, or whether it was because he feared for her safety.

She hadn’t told him what was happening. He’d find out soon enough.

Behind Venturi were his commanders. They were standing in regimented lines of six, all of them dressed in their finery. They seemed uneasy, but it was probably because of the unrest between the Aurorea and Caelestis. Her eyes flickered to the girl that was Venturi’s child and she wasn’t surprised to find that she was staring at Venturi’s back, while Venturi continued to stare at herself.

Bringing her eyes across to him, she gave him a smile and was surprised at the impact it had. He immediately looked more relaxed.

Her gaze drifted over him, taking in the suit of armour he wore. The armour wasn’t the one his lord had been wearing when she’d defeated him. It was the armour that Venturi had been wearing when she’d first met him. It was the armour of a high guard but slightly more embellished to make it suitable for the Chosen Son he used to be. She understood why he didn’t wear the lord’s armour. It was the same reason she wouldn’t sit on the throne behind her.

He wasn’t wearing the helmet. The man she’d come to know as Piotr was holding it. He came forwards. Venturi bent his head towards him, nodding while he listened to what Piotr had to say but never once taking his eyes off her.

She glanced across to her left and saw Dmitri was talking to his men while Mia surveyed the Aurorea and Caelestis with a worried expression. Mia looked across at her, her eyes telling Prophecy that she was wondering when she was going to intervene and put a stop to the increasing discord between the two bloodlines.