Queen of Twilight chapter 6

Chapter Six • Liquid Light

"It's dark and cold in here," Heidi complained, looking up and down the high-ceilinged hall. "And it smells funny."

"I can change the first two," Elsabett said, extending her hands up toward the torch-sconces along the walls. She concentrated, and small fireballs appeared in each one, individually shedding more light than two torches and together illuminating the hall nearly to the level of daylight. Verona hissed and drew back into a shadowy doorway.

"It's all right, Verona. It's only fire, not sunlight." The raven-haired vampress still looked distrustful, but took a tentative step back into the hall. Elsabett strode over to her mother, who was looking around in silence.

"Well, Mutti? Is it better than you expected?" she asked.

"I…Liebchen, I don't…I'm not sure what to think," the older woman said slowly. "But you're sure the Sarafan can't find us here?"

"The villagers around here have been trying to find this castle for centuries," Verona explained. "To tell the truth, the only way to get here—or to leave—is by flying or sorcery."

"Sorcery!" Heidi breathed. She nervously approached Verona, trying to look cute and pleading, and questioned, "Can you teach me to be a witch? But not a vampire? Because I like being alive." Verona laughed and crouched down in front of the little girl, gently smoothing back her hair.

"I would love to have a daughter like you," she said warmly. "You are open-minded and unafraid to speak your mind. Perhaps someday I will be so blessed."

"Elsa…" Karl whispered, moving close to her and speaking in Teutonic, "what is that one planning?"

"I don't think she's planning anything," the golden-tressed dhampir replied. "Why, are you surprised to see a vampire with human emotions?" Karl said nothing, but his thought could not have been more apparent even had he nodded. "Don't worry, Onionhead. I'll look after all of you."

"You're an onionhead!" he hissed, obviously fighting a smile and giving her a light shove.

"No, you are!" she chuckled, shoving him back.

"Chicken butt!"

"Pig-sniffer!"

"Bunny-chaser!" By this time, they were both laughing and beginning to rough-house in an affectionate, siblingly way.

"Children, stop it," their mother said, rolling her eyes but obviously pleased that they were on good terms again.

"I'm not a child, Mutti!" Elsabett protested, grabbing Karl and giving him a noogie.

The older woman folded her arms and smiled. "You're the one who wanted me to come here, and I'm still your mother."

Elsa released her brother and turned to Verona. "So where's Vlad?"

"It's entirely possible he's still in his chambers and worrying," the dark-haired vampress said with a delicate shrug. "I'm sure he knows you're back by now, though, so—" She trailed off as she noticed the distant-looking expression forming on her youngest sister's face. "What is it?"

Verona's voice faded away and the dark walls surrounding Elsabett seemed to be swallowed by mist. The fog swirled, as if teased by a puff of wind, and thinned without disappearing. The castle and her family were gone; instead, Elsa found herself standing on a cracked slab of marble in front of a half-circle of ancient pillars. Nothing seemed strange about this, though, and a tiny voice in the back of her mind remarked that something similar had happened before. Elsabett took a step forward, and saw a burly man, clad only in dingy clothes but with the unmistakable air of a Sarafan officer. Another man, tall and pale with almost waist-length black hair tied in a ponytail, stood directly to the soldier's left and gripped his shoulder.

"What—what are you going to do to me?!" the Sarafan demanded. "I'm not afraid of your kind, you know! Cursed monsters that can't walk in the light… It's Ye'el's will that you will someday be purged from Nosgoth!"

"Raziel, if you would be so kind," ordered a husky male voice from somewhere in the deeper fog. Elsabett crept closer and made out the figure of an arrogant-looking snowy-haired man seated languidly in a throne at the base of the central pillar. He was not exactly handsome in the traditional sense, but nevertheless seemed to possess great charisma and presence. The paleness of his skin and the peculiar way in which he dressed left no doubt in Elsa's mind that he was a vampire. Before she could take another step, the black-haired man directly in front of her took a step forward and backhanded the Sarafan soldier, who sailed through the air for a good ten paces and slid for another handful when he hit the ground, nearly becoming invisible in the mist. Now that Elsabett could see the black-haired man more clearly, it was obvious he was a vampire as well. The Sarafan grunted as an unseen figure lifted him from the marble platform and tossed him back toward the second vampire (Raziel? yes, that seemed right…).

"Now," the white-haired vampire said, crossing one leg over the other and leaning forward with his hands on the pommel of a chillingly exquisite waved sword, "I want to know what you know. Just cooperate with us and your suffering will be minimal." The Sarafan spat in his general direction, and though the blob fell far short of the enthroned vampire, he nonetheless glared at the grievous insult and gestured at the soldier with one hand. The Sarafan was jerked into the air with a cry, flailing his arms and legs in vain. Raziel was only barely able to duck a windmilling limb, and retaliated by grabbing hold of one of the Sarafan's ankles and thrusting his long-nailed hand through the man's kneecap. The soldier screamed so loud the crumbling pillars seemed to shake, but ceased his struggle.

'Ye'el!' Elsabett thought. 'These are the Pillars of Nosgoth! And that must be—Kain!!' She took an involuntary step back, even though she knew that since she was not truly present at the site of her vision, she could not be detected.

"Tell me of the other vampires of Nosgoth," Kain growled.

"O—other? Why would you want to—" Raziel grabbed the ankle of the Sarafan's uninjured leg and pulled his other arm back as if to strike. "Uh—other v-vampires—of course—" The knight nervously rubbed at his sweating face with shaking hands. "Er, uh—there's Dracula…and, um…Enkeli…" Elsabett's pulse quickened. "Vorador! And I heard that there's one called Janos—"

"I know of Vorador and Janos," Kain said. "But the first two you mentioned…where are they?" he went on in a far-from-polite manner.

"Uh. Well, um, if we knew, we would have—" Raziel's hand shot towards the soldier's intact knee— "CARPATHIA! AND IHRLANDJA! That's all I know, I swear!!" The hand, with its wicked-looking black-lacquered fingernails, stopped midblow and merely nicked the man's flesh.

"Well, that does enlighten me," Kain murmured, rising to his feet. "Is there any other information you wish to divulge before we go to capture one of your superior officers?" The Sarafan fell to the ground and sat there, moaning.

"One thing, yes," the human hissed. "It is said that the Pillars of Nosgoth were erected in an ancient time to seal away a great evil. Since they have fallen by your actions, it must be only a matter of time before the evil force returns to destroy our world!" He managed a weak cackle before Kain strode forward and gave him a powerful kick in the face, sending the man's head flying back through the air. Elsabett gasped as it shot through her chest, but felt no physical sensation.

"Raziel," Kain said. "Go collect my old maps of Nosgoth. We have some exploring to do." Elsabett staggered back and fell, plummeting through darkness and abruptly finding herself back in the hallway of Dracula's castle.

"Elsabett?" her mother asked quietly. "Are you all right?" She carefully laid her hand on the blonde dhampir's face, and Elsa shook her head.

"I'm fine, Mutti. Just a vision." Her mother still appeared concerned, but attempted no further diagnoses.

"Oh, thank the night and all its creatures!" Vlad cried from behind her, and she spun to face him. "Verona said there was something odd… You are all right, my love?" He teleported to the spot directly in front of her and grabbed her in a fierce embrace.

"Yes, my darling," she said, kissing him on each cheek. "I merely had a vision. Very profound, like I was actually there. I've only experienced something like that once before." Looking back over her shoulder, since Vlad would not release her, she called, "Mutti, this is my husband Vladislaus."

"I thought you said you were married to Dracula!" Karl protested.

"I am, but Vladislaus is his given name, and that's what I call him," she explained.

Elsabett's mother sighed and brushed back her hair. 'Oh, Adela, what have you gotten yourself into?' she thought. 'Yet for all this new strangeness, Elsa is still as frank as ever… She never was able to dissemble with any skill, and it seems her…transformation hasn't changed that. She couldn't have learnt how to lie so well in the time she's been gone…'

"And this is my family," the IngŽnue continued, introducing each of them in turn. "Are you all right now?" she demanded, whirling around and staring at her husband so hard that he took a step back.

"Yes, yes!" he laughed. "I was only concerned! I thought it was perfectly justified!"

"Well, I'll have you know that I can take care of myself quite well," she declared, folding her arms. "I singlehandedly slew a band of Sarafan, so there."

"Sa—Sarafan?" he sputtered. "You—?!"

"Yes. And I was only hit once."

"They hurt you!?" he roared. "How— Those—" He let loose with a string of incomprehensible Romanian that almost seemed to turn the air blue for a moment. "Where? Let me see!"

"On my back," she said, turning around. "But it doesn't feel like it's bleeding anymore. It doesn't even hurt."

Cool fingers caressed the skin beneath her torn bodice. "Yes, because you regenerated. Still…my poor darling…" He grabbed her from behind and squeezed gently. "I have not yet known you long enough to lose you."

"This is mushy," Rainer complained, and was echoed by most of his siblings. Adela stepped between her disgusted children and approached her eldest.

"Liebchen, if you could…" she requested, "would you please show us where we'll be staying while we're here?"

"Certainly. Vlad, where do we have free chambers?"

He thought for a moment. "South tower, fourth floor."

"Right, then. I'll take them there." She stepped away and began to gather her siblings.

"You don't have to, my love. Verona or one of the others could…" Dracula began, but Elsabett shook her head.

"This is my family, Vlad. I don't mind. Don't worry about it."

*****

"Remind me again what you see in that…man," Elsabett's mother requested quietly as they arranged furniture and other household objects in the spacious rooms set aside for the family.

"Well, for one thing, he's extremely handsome. But he's kind and sensitive too. He provides for me like I never dreamed possible."

"From what I have seen of him, he does not appear to be a bad person. But the fact remains that he's a vampire… The villagers around here say that Dracula is the son of the Devil himself. I want you to be happy, mein Liebchen, but…I think your father would have been very saddened at the path in life you have chosen."

"The reason I did what I did is actually to help Vatti, to clear his name and restore our honour," Elsabett protested. "Since my transformation, I have developed abilities that normal humans can only dream of possessing. I intend to use those abilities to track down whomever allowed Vatti to be killed and find out why they let it happen." She shook her head suddenly, as if regaining her balance, and inhaled sharply. "Unmšglich—! Why would—" She sent a wild-eyed look at her mother. "I had a revelation just now. Something—something about Vatti's commander—WANTING Vatti to be put to death. Himmel über Nosgoth! But I don't know why!"

Adela rushed over to her distraught offspring and rubbed her shoulders gently. "Elsa-chen, it's all right. Try to calm down—worrying overmuch is not good for an unborn child. I'm sure that other knowledge will come to you in time." She sighed, and the faintest touch of exasperation was perceptible. "Hopefully without you risking yourself by barging into the Sarafan Keep and demanding answers. You know they don't look kindly on those that disagree with their methods."

"Disagree with their methods? Mutti, the Sarafan don't look kindly on those who so much as try to think for themselves. They're corrupt and contemptible, and want to remain in power for their own greed rather than for the good of the people of Nosgoth."

Her mother sighed. "I won't dispute that."

"And I might not have to risk myself as much as you fear. Kain, the †bervampir who controls the Pillars, has had experience with the Sarafan. They say he actually slew their leader single-handedly several centuries ago. If I can find him, I can probably talk him into helping me."

"But Liebchen, Kain is a very powerful vampire, and not known for being friendly. If I were you, I wouldn't assume he'd be so eager to help."

"But he's a vampire, Mutti, and so am— Well, I'm half-vampire. Even so, he and I are kin with a similar goal."

Adela shook her head. "I don't know, Elsa. I still think you should be extremely cautious when dealing with vampires."

Elsabett spread her hands. "Do you know what title Vlad gave me, Mutti? He named me 'the IngŽnue'. I realise that not everyone is quite as open with their inner feelings as I am, but shouldn't my personality make me trustworthy?"

"The problem with seeming ingenuous and trustworthy," Adela explained, shaking out a sheet and spreading it on a straw-filled mattress, "is that others with less-than-innocent motives may try to take advantage of you. They may think that you expect them to be as trustworthy as you are, and lead you astray." She made a disapproving-sounding tsk. "Ye'el knows it happened to me often enough before I wised up…"

"You still use those old straw mattresses?" Elsabett muttered. Her mother looked at her askance. "Maybe I've just been spoiled. The bed I sleep in here is stuffed with shredded silk." Adela sighed and turned away.

"Yes, Liebchen, you're quite spoiled."

"Mutti, Mutti!" came a shrill cry from outside the room, and Emma rushed in at top speed. "There's a strange lady here looking for Elsa!"

"Emma," Elsabett said with mock sternness, "vampires are not 'strange ladies'. Now what did she look like?"

"Not a vampire!" Emma protested. "She's really tall and has long pointy ears!" Elsabett blinked in surprise, then knelt down before her littlest sister.

"Did she have white hair and glow like the moon?" she asked quickly. Emma nodded. Their mother hurried over to them, giving Elsabett a look that was both concerned and questioning. "Mutti, I think Emma has the Sight," Elsabett muttered. "Like I do." She got to her feet and rushed from the room, leaving them both in surprised silence.

Elsa whirled around a corner and nearly crashed into the Moonwitch, who stepped back imperiously and gave her a stern look. "Full of energy again, I see." Catching the gold-haired dhampir before she could fall, the witch continued, "Thought I'd stop by and check on the bairn since I was in the area."

"The what?" Elsabett asked.

"Babe," the Moonwitch explained irritatedly. "Hold still, would you?" Elsabett leaned back against the wall and watched the witch silently as she took up a position in front of her and concentrated, placing a long-fingered hand on either of the young woman's hips. For a moment, Elsa thought she saw a faint blue wisp in the air, like a transparent hank of roving, wrap around her body in an intricate pattern and settle into her.

"He's fine so far," the Moonwitch sighed, stepping back. "Of course, there's not a great deal that can go wrong at this stage. How are you feeling?"

"'He'?" Elsabett repeated. The witch nodded.

"Yes, yes. A beautiful boy he'll be, with your hair and his father's eyes. I thought you could see the future." Elsabett's heart skipped a beat as she remembered the dream she had had about Alucard and the Sarafan Lord.

"Only sometimes," she admitted. The Moonwitch made a tsking sound.

"You can't control your powers yet, then? A pity. I've not seen a human as talented as you for many a year." She sighed nostalgically and went on. "It used to be that men and women would come to me to train, in such numbers that I'd have to turn them away. But lately there have been none at all, and I was beginning to wonder if your kind had lost the ability to weave magic." Elsabett merely stared at her, bewildered. "Oh, I'm sorry. You're a dhampir, aren't you? Even so, you still possess many human qualities."

"Humans…using magic?" Elsabett whispered.

"Of course!" the Moonwitch exclaimed. "I don't know why I didn't sense your ability before. This changes things. I would like you to return to my home with me and study to become a sorceress."

"What?" Elsabett cried. "But—I'm happy here! And my family have just—"

"Yes, I know of that," the witch said impatiently. "With your strength, it may only take a few months."

A few months! "But Vlad…" Elsabett protested. "I was gone for only a few hours today and he couldn't stop worrying about me. It would break him to be without me for months!"

The Moonwitch chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "Indeed. A loving vampire. How very unexpected." She sighed and smoothed her gossamery silver skirt. "Perhaps we can work out a different arrangement."

"Such as you coming here?" Elsabett suggested. "Or I could visit you. Except that I don't know where you live." The witch smiled in a serene yet somewhat disingenuous manner.

"Nobody knows, young one," she said softly. "Even so. Would you like your first lesson before I leave?"

"Ah…I suppose so…" Elsabett murmured.

The Moonwitch stepped back and made a sweeping gesture. "To use magic," she began, "you must first learn to sense its presence. Use your inner sight. See with your spirit, not your eyes. Magic is all around, and you need only tap into it to create whatever effect you may desire. Think of it as infinite threads with which you can weave a tapestry of the world, reflecting what you wish to see." Elsa blinked. This information seemed like much to absorb, yet it was oddly familiar.

"I…I'll give it a try," she said, closing her eyes and concentrating. The Moonwitch poked her shoulder.

"No, no. Don't close your eyes. You must simply use your inner sight." Elsabett opened her eyes and sighed. "I know you know how to do it. I have sensed that you saw my true form." The dhampir's eyes widened, and the Moonwitch shook her head. "Just go on. Try focusing on something familiar to you, like the element of fire." Elsabett shrugged, unsure how to continue, but pretending she understood. She forced herself to relax, feeling her heartbeat slow down and her breathing become slow and even. Abruptly she realised that there were faint strands of what seemed to be liquid light floating in the air around her, with luminous red flows nearly touching her, as if attracted by magnetism.

"How could I have missed that?" she wondered. The Moonwitch nodded proudly.

"Learning to sense the omnipresent pattern of magic is the first step to mastering it," she explained. "Try taking hold of one of the strands and shaping something with it." Elsabett reached out as if to grasp one of the red flows, but found such physical gestures unnecessary, as the liquid light responded to her mere thought. She held out her hand, and the strands of light coalesced above it, forming into a bright golden flame. She laughed in delight.

"Excellent work!" the Moonwitch praised. "I knew that with your strength it wouldn't take you long to learn. But I'm afraid I must be going. Keep practising your inner sight, but please don't try anything too powerful without my guidance. It's easy for one with much talent but little training to attempt something too grand and end up injuring herself or others." Elsabett nodded. "I'll see you again soon." She faded out in a cascade of silver sparkles. Elsabett whooped in a most unqueenly manner and rushed down the hall, eager to show her husband what she had learned.