Vampiris Sancti: The Elf (44 page)

Well aware of
the loss rate during a Cartoc the Elders took the instigation of
one as a last resort when there had been a systematic attack upon
those from their world. As one unit was deployed another began
training in back up since the Elders knew the cost. Whatever
returned from assignment would be in psychological and physical
tatters, because those sent to traverse the Reveal were the least
equipped to deal with it. The Cartoc, once having discovered their
victim, would fall into a frenzy that horrified even the most
brutal of demons into absconding to a safe distance. Anyone caught
in the crossfire was considered foolish for not removing themselves
once the unit was in evidence. Complaints to the Elders fell upon
deaf ears and any retribution upon the magical world was never
considered a serious option. There were many demons who would love
to put paid to creatures they deemed inferior and insane, but
discovered not even the Goblin was open to that corruption as the
Nefarious had the intelligence never to turn on a Fairy. There was
no recourse to the Empire for the Martyc were well aware of that
the wheels of administration ran smoother without the interference
of magical dispute.

While the
Goblin did the unofficial assassinations of the magical realm the
Fairy Cartoc was the official authorised response to those who
would injure one of their own. The Elders never sent the unit out
to avenge wrongs committed upon a single magical being, as they
were able to defend themselves competently. The Cartoc was used
only to remove those who appeared to have specifically targeted
magical creatures for harm and had surprisingly succeeded. The
offenders, once identified, discovered even the Outerworlds were
not safe from the intrusion of this band of Fairy defenders. Their
legend preceding them, with the memory of how they removed an
entire Varkja section in order to get to a protected Druqe, meant
that few dared to accost these soldiers of murder.

Brutality was
not a genuine part of the Fairy nature for, unlike the demon, they
were not suppressing a natural violent urge. The Fairy didn’t
access a hidden fierce fury nor used the vehement force of hatred
to achieve their ferocious state. Theirs was a far more simple
process for the Fairy rendered themselves no longer accountable to
their world, others, even themselves, and without boundaries the
committal of atrocities no longer had meaning. The Cartoc didn’t
query, ascertain, or become involved in the legitimacy of the task.
They simply achieved the result for what they lacked in efficiency
they made up for in thoroughness. The target, generally in several
hundred pieces, had little chance of escape, no chance of bribery,
and couldn't defeat those who would die without a second thought.
There had been those who surrounded themselves with an army in an
attempt to thwart a Cartoc. There could be no defence against
creatures that appeared from nowhere, infiltrating a guarded
fortress without concern of superior numbers or weapons. There was
no defence against what was no longer there, couldn’t be seen, or a
force so intent upon success it seemed to generate its own
energy.

The aftermath
of a Cartoc victory was not one of celebration and success for the
Fairy, once achieving their objective, would suddenly return to
their pre-Cartoc state of splintered consciousness. Without the
protective quality of gin like the Pixie, or mischief like the Elf,
the Fairy struggled with the combination of being off world and the
aftermath of a violent interlude. If a Fairy was cut off from the
rest of the Cartoc without support or direction, then their fragile
nature would rupture causing them to self harm. There was no honour
in being part of a Cartoc, no wealth, joy, or even prestige. The
Elders chose their warriors wisely as the ones with the least
comprehension of their own capacity were sent into the unceasing
turmoil known as the Reveal. Those who returned did so to a life
less fortunate, their broken spirits unable to repair the damage
done during a moment of the truth—that of complete
self-knowledge.

*********

Revenge is a
confession of pain.

Latin
Proverb

A Zhismi
patrolling the garden during guard duty caught a glimpse of unusual
colour amongst the greenery and he moved towards the prone bundle
with caution to find a collection of earth tones stained red. When
he realised this was their Elf he knelt beside her as his desire to
protect overcame protocol and he quickly carried her into the
kitchen. The others gathered around her and their musical murmurs
of concern filled the air while the women washed the red stain from
her face. A young girl was dispatched to the Vampire section of the
household and puzzled Zhismi stood around the Elf as if waiting for
divine intervention to rouse her. A somewhat crumpled Estienne
strode into the kitchen, the dark cloud of his mood at odds with
the silver streaks gilding his hair and lighting his eyes. The
Vampire didn’t have to examine the red stains on her hands to know
they weren’t bloody because he would have smelled the copper scent
long before entering the room. He swept her up, a romantic figure
as he bent over while his long snow-blonde hair swept across the
copper of hers. Estienne carried Zyre into his study where he put
her down upon the large leather sofa. He sat down beside her with
his hand on her arm and his desire escaped to coat the air until it
became a blanket filling the room. For a Vampire nearing the end of
his demon transformation before entering an Ashre this was the
nearest he ever would get to revealing the secrets burning
within.

He leaned over
to whisper into her hair. “Zyre.”

She had no idea
how long she had been unconscious, but she awoke with a fury that
would have set the room alight had she not noticed Estienne sitting
against the edge of his desk with folded arms. She glared at the
Vampire unaware that the black of her eyes gave her the
otherworldly appearance of death from human fable. Zyre had no
concept of personal safety—she didn’t have to because she was an
Elf in a fury and there was very little that could harm her at that
moment. She swept the wisps of his desire away that hovered in the
air as she turned to him with accusing eyes, but the Herald had not
reached the heights of power by shrinking away from the potential
or actuality of violence.

“You knew,”
there was no query here and her voice raspy from the inhalation
burned with blame.

The Vampire
took a moment to compose himself while his ice blue eyes glowed
with the passion he was forced to restrain. Estienne would have
been aware of the precarious nature of his situation because he was
intelligent enough to deal with all adversity—this was why he was
Herald. What he faced was no longer the impish wag of legend as
this was the creature recently seen in action, which turned demons
into dust and challenged the Martyc bandit, who saved Tyros at
will. She was without realising it the most powerful creature on
the world. This was partly from her own power and partly from
owning the heart of a powerful demon as well the loyalty of those
who heard of her brave stance.

“We were aware
something was amiss, but it was during the day when we were resting
and slow to react. The Zhismi alone are no match for demon or
Vampire and know better than to engage. By the time someone was
able to get into the garden whoever was there had left.”

She didn’t
accept his caution. “You be a Herald and almost Aunsin, yet you
claim you are too weak to deal with him?”

His eyes
flashed at her insult. “Deal with who—who was it that I was
supposed to deal with? I wasn’t informed until the day had ended
and there was no point—the deed was done. There was no way to track
the offender because too much time had passed. We do not possess
your ability to read the air.”

“You say you
did not wake when death plays at your gates? That one of yours can
creep up and play murder while you hide under your bed?”

Unable to
restrain his anger the Vampire shifted, but her eyes burning a
black hole into him had the Herald stay put.

Zyre continued.
“There was blood memory why you not use this?”

He shook his
head. “Who can read the mind of a cat?”

Her eyes faded
from black into teal. “I can,” she snapped.

The Vampire
believing her rage was abating relaxed a moment until she rubbed
her fingertips causing small sparks of the Salvae to snap from
them.

“You need not
track the offender—you know the offender, and you will protect
until the Veil is ripped apart. You make your own trouble with your
fears and rules—all afraid of the truth.”

The Vampire
couldn’t maintain his façade any longer and ruffled by her attack
got up from the desk.

“What do you
know of Vampire truth or even Vampire struggles—you are a visitor
here for what—a few weeks? You have no concept of the complexity of
this world when you spend your time playing with cats and eating
flowers. But we—we are the ones dealing with demons walking in our
own world. Tell me what walks in the magical world that you are
afraid of, that would kill your children—that bothers you. You act
like a spoiled child blaming us when the reality of our life
finally hits yours. We are not in a position to attack willy-nilly
as we are bound by rules that we need—to protect us all and not
just the Vampire. There is an unsuspecting human population out
there that would be destroyed by the knowledge of the Reveal. We
are not an old people and need the guidance of leaders we trust. So
without the sanction from our Ghuvk I am bound by protocols and the
laws of the Vampire nation.”

His anger
vented had him return to ice and Estienne sat back on the edge of
the desk. Zyre didn’t know that a tear had escaped the corner of
her eye and the sight of the glittering trail down the side of her
face reduced the Vampire back into silence.

“Hush!” the Elf
demanded. “You yabber far too much, you shuffle too much, and you
deny too much.”

Estienne was a
stark marble statue of cold Vampire existence, even his thoughts
were hidden behind the silver of his eyes. Zyre didn’t have the
strength or concern to investigate the reaction of her host. Every
bone in her body ached and this Vampire was of no use because it
was obvious that his evolution had not matched Galt. He was not
only wary of confrontation, but also afraid of his Council and
their boring blah, blah. As usual, it was up to her to deal with
the troublemakers of this world—first with the bandit queen and now
an Aunsin gone off the path.

“Why you leave
her there like rubbish? Tis she not of your House, this living
being that belonged to your care? Maybe she is not important enough
to have respect of the burial?”

Estienne
couldn’t hide himself away any longer and he let his guard down
allowing her to see the remaining human warmth of him.

“I—we—didn’t
want you think we were hiding what happened. Zyre...”

His use of her
name and honest consternation had her eyes return to emerald and as
he glimpsed her grief they were both vulnerable to a connection
that could never be sustained. He stood up towering over her, while
his hands rested on her shoulders and she closed her eyes as the
burden of his longing weighed her down. His lips were against her
ear as he murmured in a voice unable to rise above his emotion.

“The Ghuvk ties
me and I am bound by so much Vampire law. Even if I knew it was
Galt for certain there is a world standing between what I want to
do and what I can do.”

He moved
closer, his snow white hair falling across her shoulder as his
desire scored across her soul and Zyre looked into his eyes to see
silver glowing against the fragments of blue.

What he
yearned, what she could never give, despite the tendrils of emotion
joining them, could never happen and she realised he was not free
to help. Vampires bound by Vampire laws, making Vampire choices,
living Vampire lives, were mutants that seemed to do nothing more
than get in her way. Even when they yearned for more, offered her
more, compared to what sought—what would raze a universe for her—it
was not enough. She shook aside what would bind her to an
inopportune moment while realising she was going to have to do this
the hard way.

She asked,
“What House be Galt?”

Estienne gave
her a guarded look and she could see the protective glaze to his
aura for it was something she had often seen with Vryn. It was
obvious he didn’t want her anywhere near the Aunsin, but Zyre was
having none of it.

She stared the
Vampire down until he murmured, “Balsescu.”

“What House be
the girl now?”

This query took
him by surprise. “What girl?”

“The one the
Daughters keep eyeing.”

“I believe she
has returned to Cardei.”

“This Cardei do
they have an Aunsin in residence?”

“Lyov Cardei
has been preparing at an Ashre, but why do you want to know?”

She ignored the
query by the Vampire as her head swirled from the difficulty in
keeping a coherent stream of thoughts. She was unconcerned by the
discomfort of Estienne that filled the room because she had things
to do and it could not be allowed to control her. Something she
found all males seemed to want to do be they demon, Vampire, or
magical.

“Where’s the
House of the Daughters?”

The Vampire
shifted with unease. “No one knows where they are because no one
bothers them.”

She didn’t fear
the Daughters as while their collective power was strong and even
overpowering to some Vampires for the Elf it was little more than
someone shouting within her mind. Zyre had revealed her strength at
the Ball, so she was not worried about their reaction to her
presence and she hoped that her interest would warn them off the
Tyro. Still it would have been useful to know where they were as
maybe she could set them onto Galt. Though they were not the sort
of being she cared to deal with she was fast becoming ready to deal
with even the human devil. She could ask Vryn for help in removing
them, but he would take that as a sign of an alliance, which was
the last thing she wanted. Their attempt to invade her mind could
be considered a legitimate complaint to bring to the Elders as it
was a group attack. However difficult it might be to convince them
to send a Cartoc it would be nothing compared to the demon hysteria
that arrival of the Fairies would cause. She shrugged off thoughts
of help from home and tried to discipline her thoughts to stay on
task.