A Shade of Kiev

  Matteo entered the circle and stood in front of Kiev, an ashen expression on his face as he addressed the crowds.

  “We all know the rules. And Kiev knows them too. I’m not going to prolong this.”

  Mutterings broke out in the crowd as Matteo approached Kiev. He placed a hand on Kiev’s shoulder and pulled him upright. I immediately regretted pushing to the front of the crowd. Kiev’s face was covered with dirt and blood. My stomach flipped when he raised his eyes to meet mine. Gone was any sign of the spark that I had convinced myself was starting to show through in them. Now, his eyes looked dead. Numb. With pain, hatred or remorse—I couldn’t make out. My lips parted as I struggled to breathe.

  “In an incident I witnessed myself,” Matteo continued, “Kiev attacked many of our crew members. He was not acting in self-defense. Indeed, nobody in the room had shown any violence toward him. He lashed out at Giles, who now lies severely injured in his room, along with several other vampires who tried to hold him back.” Matteo paused and rubbed a hand against his forehead. “We simply cannot manage this island unless we feel safe in each other’s company. Kiev’s actions violate this fundamental understanding. Though we do not punish as harshly as The Tavern, this infraction calls for banishment from the island.”

  Mutterings of approval sounded out around us.

  “I can’t deny that I am deeply disappointed. I have come to see Kiev as a friend. An ally. But what has just happened, I cannot overlook.”

  I didn’t miss the way Kiev’s whole body flinched at Matteo’s admission.

  “However,” Matteo said, “I also can’t deny what Kiev did just hours beforehand. I cannot deny that he singlehandedly saved Mona from the clutches of the ogres.” Matteo began to pace up and down in front of Kiev. “I propose that I give Kiev the benefit of the doubt in this case. The violence he partook in simply doesn’t seem to fit in with the character he has displayed since joining us.”

  “I agree!” Saira spoke up beside me, an unmistakable warmth to her voice. “We should give him a punishment that is less severe than banishment.”

  Some protests were muttered while a few others made noises of approval. Matteo kept his gaze steady as he surveyed the crowd. It was clear that he had made his decision and nothing anyone could say would change his mind.

  I had witnessed enough.

  Whatever might happen to Kiev now—whether he ended up staying on the island and accepting a lesser punishment, or was banished after all—wasn’t relevant to me.

  Because the vampire with red eyes would soon be only a memory.

  Chapter 40: Kiev

  I trembled as Matteo spoke, not with fear, but shame.

  A part of me would have preferred him to just banish me. I didn’t deserve Matteo’s mercy. I didn’t deserve his hospitality or generosity.

  I deserved his wrath.

  I wished he’d punish me severely. It would have relieved at least some of the guilt.

  The crowds dispersed and I was left alone with Matteo and Saira. I could barely look them in the eye.

  Saira looked at Matteo.

  “Do you have something in mind?” she asked.

  Matteo gazed at me, apparently deep in thought.

  “Yes,” he said after a few moments. “Yes, I do.”

  “What?” Saira asked, seemingly more interested in my wellbeing than I was.

  “Kiev, excuse me while I take a moment to discuss my idea with Saira.”

  I watched as they disappeared into the forest. They had to walk a distance away from me due to my acute hearing. It felt like half an hour had passed before they emerged from the woods. Saira cast a worried glance my way, hesitating for a moment before walking away, leaving me alone with Matteo.

  “You can come with me now, Kiev. I’ll explain,” he said.

  I walked alongside him as we headed toward the direction of the wall.

  “I should give you a little background first,” he said, clearing his throat. “As you may have noticed, the living conditions on this island are far from ideal, especially for us vampires.” He paused and cast a glance sideways at me. “You’re originally from the human realm… correct?”

  I nodded.

  “Then you may have heard of a place called The Shade?”

  I gulped, uncomfortable with the memories.

  “Yes,” I muttered.

  “Good,” Matteo said. “See, I’ve never visited the place myself, but many of us around here know of it as a legend… Anyway, to cut a long story short, we want to make our own island like The Shade. Perhaps not as extravagant. To start with, we would be more than satisfied just having a witch who’s able to cast a protective spell over the island and a spell of night over at least a part of the island.”

  We reached the wall, where a vampire opened the gate for us as we stepped out onto the beach.

  “The problem is,” Matteo continued, “witches are scarce outside of The Sanctuary. The Aviary has a few, and I believe Cruor does too, but they are hardly willing to share.” He grimaced. “The only witches we could possibly have a fighting chance of getting hold of belong to a group of pirates who sail the ship known as The Black Bell.”

  The Black Bell.

  I smiled bitterly, remembering the night I’d tried to force information out of Mona about the ship. I reached up to my cheek, recalling the sting of her slap. So much had happened since, I’d forgotten to even attempt to find out more about the ship.

  “They’re a fierce bunch,” he said, “and to date we have failed to even come close to plundering their island. Of course, it’s protected by their three witches.”

  “So you believe I can help you with this?” I asked.

  “It’s a dangerous mission. More dangerous than most of us on the island are comfortable with. I don’t know if you will be successful. But I do know that helping us with this will be a fitting punishment for you. And, of course, regardless of whether or not you are successful, the fact that you agree to help us with this will help you win over those who were against my decision to allow you to stay on the island.”

  We reached a small boat bobbing on the waves and Matteo strapped in a dolphin, indicating that I climb in.

  “Tonight?”

  Matteo shook his head. “Oh, no, this mission will need much more planning than we could possibly do before morning. Tonight I just want to show you the location of their island.”

  I sat down on the bench and Matteo took a seat next to me, clutching the dolphins’ reins and urging them forward. Silence fell between us as we gathered speed.

  My mind drifted back to the scene in the clearing. All those faces surrounding me, some glaring down at me, others looking on me with pity. And then Mona’s face had appeared through the crowds, barely a few feet away from me.

  So close, yet so far.

  I hadn’t been sure what to make of her gaze. At first I thought I had seen disappointment. But then she had turned around to leave, and she had just seemed distant. Indifferent to what was to happen to me next. Numb. My actions had just wedged a distance between us. A distance I wasn’t sure could ever be closed again.

  To think I came so close to unravelling her, only to have her clam up again. Or perhaps I never did come that close… Then I reminded myself that none of this mattered any more. I should be feeling relieved that she wants nothing more to do with me.

  Matteo’s voice broke through my thoughts.

  “We’re approaching.”

  His statement took me by surprise. The island had completely vanished from sight, but still, it felt like we’d barely been traveling twenty minutes. I had been under the impression that the vampires’ island would be at least a few hours away.

  I didn’t say anything. I just sat watching as Matteo slowed the dolphins to a stop. I could make out only open ocean, except for a cluster of rocks nearby. I turned to face Matteo.

  “I don’t understand,” I said.

  “Oh, you’ll understand.”

  Barely had he spo
ken the words when a thud erupted behind me. The boat rocked violently and I almost lost my balance. When I turned, my heart leapt into my throat. A hawk had just landed on the boat’s stern. He shuffled his giant black wings and his sharp eyes fell on me.

  “So this is Kiev Novalic.”

  Matteo walked past me and shook the hawk’s hand.

  “Glad you came on time, Perseus. I know the two of you have a long journey ahead of you back to Aviary.”

  Chapter 41: Kiev

  “But before you carry him off,” Matteo continued, “I’d like to have a little… word with him. Just make yourself comfortable while you wait.”

  My mind was numb with shock as Matteo turned to face me. His brown eyes that normally appeared warm and friendly had darkened to an almost black color.

  He pulled out a dagger and slashed it down into my injured leg. I lost my balance and fell to the floor. He approached closer until his feet were touching my sides and looked down at me, his face contorted with rage.

  “All along, you really thought I didn’t know?” His chest heaved. “You really thought I wouldn’t have found out about my own sister’s death? You sick son of a bitch!”

  He brought his foot down against the dagger, wedging it deeper into my leg. Bone splintered.

  What a fool I’ve been to think that Kiev Novalic would be able to survive anywhere unrecognized. To think that the son of the Elder would be able to start over. I let my wishful thinking get the better of me.

  My head spun from the pain. But nothing about Matteo’s physical presence intimidated me. Even with that agonizing dagger piercing my leg, it wouldn’t have taken much to overpower him.

  But the look in his eyes had been enough to defeat me even before combat could start.

  Pain. Grief. Loss. All still fresh in his eyes. Emotions I could see so easily within him, because they mirrored my own whenever I thought about Natalie.

  “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this,” he hissed. “If the wolf hadn’t interfered, I would have succeeded in ending you back in The Tavern.” He reached down and sliced his claws across my face, cutting deep into my cheek. “Yes, it was me who turned Jack the human onto you via Michelle. I heard of your presence in Aviary when you first arrived all those months ago. I’d been meaning to seek you out ever since. And what a surprise it was when Mona delivered you to me on a plate.”

  He sliced me again. And again. With each blow, his claws struck closer to my chest. I lay there, letting him cut me to a bloody pulp.

  I should have feared for my life. I should have been petrified that I was about to be brought back to Aviary, where for all I knew I could be reunited with my father and dragged back into the fiery hell that was my former life.

  But I felt numb to any fear. Instead, I found myself welcoming the pain. No matter how much torment Matteo inflicted on me, it could never match the pain of losing his sister. I couldn’t bring myself to strike back. I deserved every blow that he gave me.

  Just as I was sure he was about to tear my heart out, a soft voice came from the corner of the boat. Where exactly, I couldn’t see, for blood streamed down my face.

  I half expected it to be Saira coming to my rescue again.

  But no, it was Mona’s beautiful form that I beheld. I had no idea how she’d gotten here, but I was glad to be able to see her face one last time.

  Chapter 42: Mona

  Standing at the foot of the highest mountain on the island, I breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of the trees. I wasn’t yet ready to return to my cramped house. I craved the open space that only a mountain top could afford me. I located the narrow stairs carved into the rocks and began climbing.

  I hoped that no one would be up there at this hour, but was dismayed to hear voices as I neared the top. I was about to climb back down when a familiar voice said something that made me freeze.

  “Did you see Kiev’s face when I showed him this thing?”

  Despite my better judgement, I moved closer until I could clearly hear every word of their conversation. Giles sat with blood-stained slings around his arms, deep gashes still visible on the side of his face. He sat next to two other vampires whom I recognized as being two of Matteo’s closest friends and confidants—Pieter and Dominic. The latter two held cups in their hands—a bottle of rum perched between them—and Giles had on his lap what appeared to be a necklace.

  “Rather you than me, shoving that thing in his face,” Dominic muttered.

  “Yes, well…” Giles said. “Matteo didn’t go to all the trouble of retrieving it from the The Tavern for nothing. And I wanted to be the one to do it. Even with both of my arms practically snapped in two, it was worth it. You should have seen Patrick. He lost the bottom half of his right leg. Kiev ripped it off with a single swipe of his hand.”

  Pieter and Dominic shuddered.

  “Did either of you speak to Matteo before he left?” Pieter asked.

  Both Giles and Dominic shook their heads.

  “What was the need?” Giles asked. “I did my part in allowing him to use The Black Bell as an excuse to take Kiev away. And he knows his next step better than any of us.”

  My heart skipped a beat.

  “I’m still annoyed that the three of you left me out of this,” Pieter muttered.

  “He wouldn’t have told you at all if he didn’t need an extra person alert in the tunnels when Kiev lost it. Matteo doesn’t want this whole affair to be public knowledge. It’s a sensitive matter. You should understand that.”

  The men paused for a drink.

  “Wasn’t I right about Saira?” Dominic said.

  “Oh, shut up,” Giles said, nudging his shoulder and wincing as soon as he made contact. “It was obvious to all of us as soon as she rescued Kiev that she was going to be an obstacle.”

  “I still don’t understand why Matteo waited so long,” Pieter said. “He should have just finished Kiev as soon as he set foot on the island.”

  “Well, it took a while to track down Perseus.”

  “He didn’t need Perseus,” Pieter said. “We could have helped Matteo kill him.”

  “Yes, but Matteo wanted to do this right the second time. He knows Kiev will suffer more if taken back to Aviary. A quick death from us would be too light a punishment in his eyes.”

  “He also knows that both Saira and Mona developed a liking for Kiev,” Dominic said. “Matteo couldn’t just swipe him away for no good reason without upsetting them… and you know how important they are to him. Especially Mona.”

  Giles looked out toward the ocean. I didn’t miss the scowl on his face as soon as Dominic mentioned my name.

  “Do you think he made a mistake?” Pieter asked.

  “Mistake?”

  Pieter paused for a few moments, hesitating before opening his mouth again. “Telling us to leave him alone with that bastard.”

  “Well, he’s not going to be alone with him for long, is he?” Giles grinned from ear to ear.

  Pieter nodded. “I suppose not.”

  “Once he does reach the eastern border of Triquetra, there’s no reason to fear for him. Hawks don’t like to wait around…”

  They continued talking, but I could no longer make sense of the words entering my ears. The vibrating of four words took over my mind and senses.

  They pounded through my brain, replaying over and over again.

  Kiev.

  Hawk.

  Eastern border.

  When Saira had approached me with news of Kiev’s pending execution back at The Tavern, I had hesitated. Indeed, I had thought it better we left him behind.

  But now, after hearing those three vampires gossiping on the mountain, there was no thinking to be done. My brain shut down. In its place was sheer adrenaline. I knew where the location was. What I didn’t know was whether I would be able to get there on time. I rushed through the gate, ignoring the protests of the guard, and stumbled out across the sand.

  Tears streamed down my cheeks as I ran.
Tears of uncertainty. Tears of fear over the consequences of this reckless action.

  But I couldn’t stop myself from running.

  I reached the port and found a dolphin swimming near the main ship. I had no time to find a boat and harness it in. I dove into the water and mounted it directly.

  “Hurry,” I whispered as the dolphin sped through the waves.

  When I approached the narrow rock formation that marked Triquetra’s eastern border, a small boat came into view. Both relief and terror rushed through me at once. On reaching it, I gripped the edge of the boat and hauled myself over.

  I clasped a hand over my mouth to swallow a scream. Kiev lay on the deck in a pool of his own blood, barely breathing. Matteo stood looming over him, slashing his skin to the point where Kiev was becoming unrecognizable.

  “Matteo!”

  I rushed forward and flung myself at Matteo. He whirled around, sliding me off him, and stared down at me. The darkness in his eyes made me stumble back. I’d never seen Matteo in such a state before in all the years I had known him.

  “Wh-what the hell are you doing?” I gasped, grabbing on to his arm.

  Matteo’s face contorted with irritation as he shook me away. He seemed to struggle for a moment whether to ignore my presence and go back to maiming Kiev. He lowered his blood-soaked claws. “Exactly what this man deserves.” His deep voice trembled as he spoke.

  “What? But you said—”

  “This monster killed my sister! She was madly in love with him. And he murdered her while she was helpless!” Matteo slammed his hands down against the side of the boat, the force of his motion rocking the boat dangerously from side to side.

  His words knocked me breathless.

  I stared at Kiev’s barely breathing form, unsure of what to think. What to believe. What to feel.

  Just an hour ago, I would have wanted to believe that Kiev was a murderer. It would have made it easier to rebuild my walls to their former height, brick by brick. But now all I felt was fear.