A Shade of Vampire 84 A Memory of Time - Bella Forrest Page 0,2
I knew she was anxious and angry—just as I was—that we had no way of reaching Derek anytime soon.
“And I’ll be coming with you,” Thayen sighed.
“You don’t want that?” I asked.
He nodded. “I do. I was worried you might leave me behind, since you’ll be getting Derek back soon.”
Kneeling before him, I gripped his bony shoulders and smiled gently. I had to make things as clear for the boy as I possibly could. “Thayen, I’m not returning you to your mother unless it is truly what you want,” I told him. “Not only because I am deeply fond of you, but also because I cannot bear the thought of you becoming infected by Danika’s malice. She has done enough harm already. I want you to stay with us if you’re willing… do you understand me?”
“Don’t thank me yet. We’re nowhere near the finish line.” I got back up and took his hand in mine.
Rose shot me a grin. “You’re really good to him, Mom.”
“I’m instinctively very protective of him. He doesn’t deserve any of this.”
“He’s safer with you,” Valaine said, tears gathering and glazing her dark eyes. “We’re all safer with you.”
I felt the urge to hug her, to tell her that everything would be okay. But I couldn’t make such a promise—not to Valaine, who needed to find a way to shed her Aeternae shell and remember who she truly was. I worried about her, just as I worried about Tristan. He’d fallen in love with her, with the Unending, and I didn’t see it ending well… for either of them.
Esme and Kalon had troubles of their own. They’d grown closer. I could tell. Both physically and emotionally. But Petra and the Darklings threatened to destroy everything. Hell, Petra was dying to tear Esme’s head off. And to think we’d come to Visio simply to find a day-walking cure. Things had certainly evolved—they’d long since gone from slightly complicated to an endless maze of intrigue and suffering and bloodshed.
We couldn’t walk away from this fight now. The day-walking cure had become a peripheral concern. We had bigger problems now. As I watched Lumi and Kailani make their way to the western edge of the village, I knew we were in for one crazy ride.
Esme
I’d awakened early this morning to find Kalon’s arms around me, and now I was in the midst of deadly danger, surrounded by the enemy’s forces.
The Darklings had Orvis surrounded, and they were determined to get to us. To get to Valaine. We’d made incredible progress in helping her remember who she truly was, but our work was nowhere near done. And with Corbin quite literally at our doorstep, we needed to get her as far away from here as possible.
Leaving the Visentis boys with Thayen and Sofia, I took Kalon with me to help with the evacuation. On the western edge of the village, Lumi and Kailani got to work. Their bodies lit up white as they summoned the Word’s power and knowledge, the air vibrating and tickling my skin. The Seniors were gathered around, waiting to assist, while Kalla’s hushed orders could be heard somewhere behind us as she encouraged her people to hurry and not load their satchels with more than they could carry.
I listened to the muffled cries of children—Rimian, Nalorean, and Aeternae alike—as they stayed close to their mothers, preparing for a most dangerous voyage. We’d have to be careful even once we were safely in the tunnel due to the way the Darklings had a habit of foreseeing all sorts of situations. It would only be a matter of time before they figured out what we’d done and tried to track our path.
Lumi’s and Kailani’s lips moved, and the magic began to take physical effect. The ground rumbled and mildly shook beneath our feet before it gaped open approximately five yards ahead. I wondered how far the shake-up spread. Looking towards the edge of the village, I didn’t see anyone on the enemy side reacting to any tremors. Maybe we’d get away with this. As I turned my attention back to the hole, I marveled at its dark mouth stretching wider, the dirt pressing back to form rounded walls as the opening descended deep into the ground.
A low whisper was exhaled from the bottom, dust rolling out. The witches stood still and continued with their chanting, the tunnel opening wider until we could all see it clearly. Ridan went in first, using