“Fuck!”
Then the skeleton moved its head.
* * * * *
Mathias blinked Nossy into the air. He seriously doubted that the Snow Queen would just let him blink Nossy out of there, so he moved Nossy’s body up until the floor was flat again, levitating him. He guided Nossy’s body in the air in front of him. Now that he had light and it was easy to see where he was going, he was able to go much faster. He ran until the path merged into several directions. Each hallway was an oval black maw. No light came from within. It was a wonder he’d found Nossy at all. Either it hadn’t been that way before, or he’d been too fucked up from the pain to know where he was going. Somehow, he imagined that the castle changed. And maybe, the queen bitch had done it.
“Okay, bitch. Show me the way, or I will figure out how to burn this fucking place down!” He was beyond caring what she could do to him now. Nossy was still alive, barely, and if he died now, Mathias didn’t know how long he could control himself from destroying the whole fucking castle.
His voice echoed throughout the hallways and boomeranged around until it came back to where Mathias was standing.
Then, he heard a twinkling giggle, and one of the doorways flashed with light.
“Bout fucking time.” He guided Nossy though that hallway and it led to the room that had the hole to get outside. Mathias continued running with Nossy until they were outside the castle and standing next to Azazel.
Azazel stood near the horses, a grave expression on his face.
“Can we blink him back home?” Mathias asked. If not, they were so damn screwed.
“Not until we get out of this valley. With her here, the spells are all back,” Azazel said.
“Wonderful.” Mathias rolled his eyes.
Chapter Twelve
Hiking out of the valley took a hell of a lot longer than going down in it. There were no stutter steps at all this time. No indication that time was doing anything weird. Mathias wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. All he had was drudgery. Mathias had lashed Nossy to Stormy’s back after forcing a little of his blood down the decrepit vampire’s throat.
It hadn’t seemed to make a difference. Of course, he couldn’t give him much, he’d been without extra blood of his own for too long, but it was something at least. Azazel watched and did nothing. Maybe demon blood would make Nossy sicker? That was yet another one of those odd questions that he didn’t know the answer to.
So, Mathias trudged up the mountain on foot. He blinked the snow away from the path in front of him as he walked. That way, his feet didn’t get wet. And, well, he didn’t need to worry about holding back on his blinking anymore. What was wrong with him physically was gone.
Just before they reached the crest, Mathias paused.
“I’ll see you soon,” a tinkling voice echoed in his head.
“Great. Just fucking great.” Now one evil bitch in his head was replaced with another. Just how lucky was he going to get?
Azazel stopped his horse and turned around to look at Mathias. “Whatever was that about?”
Mathias shook his head. “I have no fucking idea.”
Azazel snorted, tapped his heels into his horse’s flanks and topped the mountain. Mathias followed behind.
* * * * *
“We need to hold them off,” Vlad said as he passed Stuart in the hallway. He looked odd, pasty and out of sorts.
“What are you talking about?” Stuart asked. This was the worst he’d seen Vlad. The old man had finally lost it.
“I’ve heard some rumblings, there is a group passing out a petition today to appoint a new king.” Vlad would not slow down. Stuart was almost jogging just to keep up with him.
Okay. So maybe he wasn’t going insane, but still, this running wasn’t normal. Vlad clearly wasn’t thinking with his right mind, otherwise he just would have blinked himself wherever it was that he needed to go. Stuart followed Vlad as he rushed down the hall.
“Who are they submitting it to?” Stuart asked.
“The Order.”
Vlad’s actions made sense now. The Order’s room was spelled so that you could not blink inside. This was not good. Still though, he could blink himself outside the door, but Stuart wasn’t about to give any advice now.
Then, Vlad almost knocked down a kid who had walked out of the nearest hallway. Stuart caught him before he fell and set him to rights. Vlad just kept plodding along. As he passed, he nodded an apology to the kid. Stuart couldn’t believe it. Now, granted, he understood the hurrying, but this was ridiculous.
“It’s just a petition,” Stuart said.
Vlad moved faster. “We can’t give them any excuse.”
Stuart wanted to roll his eyes, but stopped himself. Vlad wasn’t looking at him anyway. “But how are you going to stop them?” Stuart asked.
“I need them to wait. Things have changed,” Vlad replied.
Stuart didn’t bother asking how. He figured he would find out as soon as Vlad approached the Order anyway. No sense in making him repeat himself. Finally, they reached the door in front of the Order room. The frescoes looked the same as they always had. The marble glistened in the candlelight. There was no indication that anything had changed.
“Changed how?” Stuart asked.
Vlad grabbed the handle and opened the door. “I got a signal about an hour ago on one of the tracking spells. It hasn’t let up.”
Maybe this was it. Or maybe, this was a hell of a trap. At this point, it was hard to tell. Stuart followed as Vlad entered the room. “And who does this spell track?”
“Mathias.”
* * * * *
The wind blew fierce at the crest of the mountain. Mathias could still see the Queen’s castle down in the valley, cold, black, and unyielding. He couldn’t even see the hole he’d made in the side of it anymore. It was speaking to him. “Come back.”
Mathias turned his head away from it. She could keep her creepy ass away from him. She seemed more demon than anything, and if his experiences with Azazel were any indication, they weren’t exactly trustworthy. Different, and yet, Azazel had done what he said he’d do. He had helped Mathias rescue and find Nossy. That wasn’t something he was going to forget any time soon.
But, her. All she’d done was help guide him out. He still wasn’t all that impressed, especially when she almost caused his friend to die. He didn’t need people like that around him. Or, at least, any more anyway. Seemed like he never could avoid people who wanted to kill him.
“You ready?” Azazel asked. His eyes glowed red for a moment then faded to black.
“Yes.” He’d been ready.
The dark prince nodded. “So, the Queen’s sweet on you …”
Mathias glared at him. “Shut up.”
* * * * *
“So, King Mathias is on his way, is he?” Erasmus asked. He was now the new speaker. Vlad would have preferred someone else, but he couldn’t have everything. The speaker was always known as someone that was rather old. And, well, the rest of the proper age were already in better places of power.
“Yes, the alerts have indicated it,” Vlad said.
Erasmus grunted. “And how do you know that someone isn’t just bringing his head?”
Vlad was getting tired of the old man. He could almost bet he’d had something to do with Nossy’s kidnapping, but he had no proof. Too much more, and he’d have to do something about him. He walked over and poked him in the chest with his claw. “If he were dead, we’d all know it.”
“That’s true,” one of the other Order members said. A younger man named Klaus if memory served. Soon, the place sounded like a bee hive. All of the Order members were speaking at once. So much for solid rule.
Erasmus backed up. “I apologize. I forgot my place.”
Vlad nodded once. Hard. He looked over at Stuart. “Come.”
* * * * *
Mathias watched as Azazel made sure Nossy was secure on the horse. He wasn’t sure if blinking would d
islodge him, but it was a comfort to know that Azazel cared. After he made sure the lashes were taught and secure, he stepped away from Nossy and the horse.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to blink you along too?” Azazel asked.
Mathias waved him off. It wasn’t worth the risk to add yet more things for Azazel to worry about. Strength was one thing. There was no sense in pushing it. “You have done enough. Besides, I can easily fly now.”
Azazel laughed. “Oh yes, I forget. The master flyer must be going crazy.”
“I’m not that bad.” Though he had to admit he’d missed it.
Azazel’s mouth was twitching at the corners.
“Okay,” Mathias said. “Fine. Get out of here. Nossy isn’t well, we’ve fucked off long enough.”
Azazel’s face grew serious again. “Yes, I do believe you are right.”
He mounted his horse, and suddenly, they were gone. It was official. Mathias had now done all he could for his old friend. Anything more just wasn’t possible. He knew in his heart that Azazel wasn’t going to dump Nossy somewhere. There was no advantage for him to do that.
Mathias took a deep breath. The air smelled so clean. He felt almost like himself again. It had been a while since he felt this good.
“Come back,” he heard a voice whisper.
Mathias rolled his eyes. “No fucking way.”
He leapt off the crest and felt his wings burst forth from his back. It felt so good to have the air rush over them again. His wing fur sent impulses to his brain about wind direction and intensity. He listened and adjusted his flight. Now, he just had to hope that Nossy was going to be all right. If not, well, he would go back to the castle, just not in the way the Snow Queen hoped.
* * * * *
Vlad moved so fast through the castle that Stuart could hardly keep up. This was the second time today and he wasn’t exactly known for being slow. Vlad must care more than he realized. It wasn’t that Stuart wasn’t excited, but waiting around the courtyard wasn’t going to make Mathias come any faster. Still, he had to admit. It was kind of cute. Almost like the proud papa waiting to welcome his son back from war.
Finally, they got out to the courtyard. The air was crisp and cold in the way that any January knows. Stuart wished Vlad would see sense. They could just as easily wait inside the castle doors and watch from the peephole, but Vlad making sense didn’t seem like it was going to happen any time soon.
Stuart blinked a coat onto his body. Vlad didn’t seem to notice the cold. Good for him. The elder vampire kept looking around the yard. But nothing was there. Stuart bit his tongue. He didn’t need to speak what he was thinking. That perhaps the alarm had been wrong, but he didn’t say it.
When he tasted blood, he smiled. The blood tasted salty and coppery. It was a good distraction. Nothing was going to work if they got into another fight. Besides, if this wasn’t Mathias, Vlad was going to be crushed. He was going to have to be ready to pick up the pieces.
He flapped his wings a few times to get the blood circulating a bit. It being this cold made him feel sluggish. He really preferred to be back inside, but he wasn’t about to leave Vlad alone to his own devices.
Suddenly, there was a loud pop and where there once was nothing, now there were two horses, Azazel, and what looked like a pile of rags on the back of one of the horses.
“Don’t just stand there. Come and get him,” Azazel yelled.
Stuart felt his stomach curl on itself. The pile of rags. No Mathias. This didn’t bode well.
Vlad rushed over and unleashed the body from the horse. “Stuart, stop daydreaming and come help me.”
Stuart walked over. Nosferatu was basically mummified. No wonder Vlad asked for help. They could break him if they weren’t careful. He helped the elder vampire untie the lashes.
“Tell the infirmary we’re coming,” Vlad called to the crowd that had gathered on the steps.
Several vampires disappeared. Stuart and Vlad carefully carried Nossy into the castle.
“Is he still alive?” Stuart asked. This was the thing he’d feared ever since Mathias had discovered the kidnapping. He couldn’t imagine life without Nosferatu in it. They were all going to be extremely bored.
“Barely,” Vlad said.
Stuart grunted.
* * * * *
Mathias watched the hills disappear underneath him. The trees moved below him in a grey blur. The lack of pain still felt weird. In his own way, he’d gotten used to having it. He supposed you could get used to anything if you tried hard enough. He remembered Azazel saying as much. He forced all thoughts of the Snow Queen from his mind.
He darted amongst the clouds, sometimes narrowly avoiding birds. He felt at home up there. He shook himself and focused. Now was not the time to leisurely play in the air. He needed to get to the castle and make sure Nossy was okay.
But, the weirdest thing of all, without the pain, his mind seemed at peace. Things weren’t overlapping anymore. He felt solid and real. Whole. The past was now just more memories, not stuff layered on top of each other in a bizarre mess. He’d finally come into himself.
The frigid air made the small hairs on his body stand on end. It was a warning almost. That winter had killed a lot of people. And maybe, it had taken Nossy. He just didn’t know yet. The Snow Queen had killed a lot of people over the years; of that Mathias was sure of.
Finally, he saw the outer wall. Home. He drifted over the wall and looked down. There was a lone figure standing in the courtyard.
Mathias touched down gently and walked toward Azazel. It was good to see him there. Even better not to see any sign of Nossy.
“News?” Mathias asked.
Azazel shook his head. “Nothing yet. I was waiting for you.”
Mathias nodded. “Let’s go.”
* * * * *
It had been a while since Mathias had been inside the infirmary, but the smells were still the same—antiseptic and illness. The last time had been a short trip. It seemed like eons ago that Vlad was forcing him to get checked out because he’d scrambled his brain. Mathias stopped at what looked like a nurse’s desk. Really, it was more of a countertop, but whatever. The vampire behind the desk looked like someone’s mom. She had curly blonde hair and an infectious smile.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m checking on Nosferatu,” Mathias said.
Her smile faded a little. “Master Mathias, I haven’t really heard.”
It was still weird meeting people who knew him by sight alone. But, her expression wasn’t good. He could tell she wasn’t lying, but the news still sucked. He tapped the desk for a minute.
“What would you like to do?” Azazel asked.
Mathias looked at him, and then looked back at the nurse. “We’ll wait here. Is that okay?”
She smiled sweetly at him. Almost like she wanted to pat him on the head. “Honey, you’re the king. You can do whatever you want.”
Mathias laughed. If things weren’t so crazy, he would definitely use that to his advantage. “What’s your name?”
She bowed her head. “Alice, sire.”
He held out his hand and she took it. “I’ll remember you.”
She beamed again and then let go of his hand.
“Where can we wait, Alice?” Mathias asked. He rubbed his foot against his calf for a minute. He didn’t see a waiting area like at a normal hospital.
“Just a sec.” She got up and walked into another room. When she came out again, she was rolling two office chairs across the floor. “Will these work?”
“Those are perfect,” Mathias said. He took one from her and Azazel grabbed the other. They arranged them right against the opposite wall out of the way.
Alice went back to her duties behind the desk.
“Why were you so nice to her?” Azazel asked.
Mathias shrugged. What was so wrong with being nice? “My mom was a secretary. If you want anything done, be nice to the help.”
Azazel gru
nted.
Mathias raised an eyebrow. “You don’t agree with me?”
Azazel looked down at the floor. “We are from different worlds. Where I come from, if the help does not do what they have been directed to do, punishment is swift.”
Mathias leaned back in the chair as far back as it was safe to do. He kept forgetting. Azazel wasn’t exactly a vampire. He was a demon prince. How he came to work for the vampires, he still didn’t know. Azazel liked to speak in too many riddles. And, well, right now, the why didn’t matter at all.
Finally, a weary Vlad shuffled down the hallway. He seemed rumpled, completely unlike how Mathias remembered him. Mathias got up out of his chair. “Is he going to be okay?”
Vlad looked up, walked over, and grabbed Mathias into a bear hug. After a moment, he let Mathias go. Mathias had missed that.
“We are giving him as much blood as we can,” Vlad said. “His body has been without it for so long, his tissues have to absorb it like a sponge.”
“So, we’re still waiting,” Mathias said. He knew logically that there was no way that Nossy was magically going to be better, but he had hoped for something better than this.
Vlad nodded. “Unfortunately.”
“Who’s sitting with him now?” Azazel asked.
Vlad looked over. “Stuart.”
Azazel nodded and got up from his chair. “I’ll go check on the dungeon,” Azazel said. He nodded once then turned away.
Mathias was kind of sad to see him go, but he understood too. Azazel didn’t feel comfortable in this setting. Mathias could tell that by their conversation. The creature was too formal almost here. Azazel had been himself out in that cave. He’d seen what Azazel had been capable of and Mathias wasn’t sure if he should be scared of him or not. Either way, the man hadn’t done anything but do what he’d said he was going to do. That probably made him a good person to have around.
Azazel didn’t even look back as he exited the infirmary.