It was a single room. The walls were the same stone as was in the dungeon. There was a single bed in the corner. There were a couple of leather chairs with a table in between them and another door that Vlad assumed led to the facilities.
“Have a seat,” Azazel said and motioned to the chairs surrounding the table.
Vlad sat down in the chair closest to the door. The room would have been comfortable if it hadn’t been so close to the dungeons. Vlad supposed that was a mental thing though. The dungeons for Azazel were probably like his office. It was where he worked, nothing more.
Azazel closed the door to the room and sat down in the other chair.
“So, you want to know what has happened to Mathias?” he asked. He stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed his ankles.
“Yes, please.”
Azazel leaned over and stared at the stone floor for a minute. “First, you have to understand that where Nossy was kept does not exist in our world—not the way we understand it that is.”
Vlad motioned for him to continue with his hand.
“The Snow Queen is a witch,” he said. “Or at least that’s what she once was. Now, she’s probably more like me.” He waved his hand and two glasses of wine appeared on the table in between the chairs. The wine was red and almost black in color. “Tallus made a deal with her. When he died, she could have his soul if she allowed him to imprison Nossy in her castle.”
“How was this a good thing for her?” Vlad asked.
“She feeds on souls freely given. You can imagine how rare that is. And, why winter suits her. She’s in an almost perpetual state of hibernation.”
“Until now,” Vlad said. He was getting goosebumps.
“Exactly.”
“And Mathias?” If this thing had latched onto Mathias, they needed to do something to stop it, now.
Azazel cleared his throat. “In general, Mathias is affected mainly by the loss of time and the stress of finding Nossy. However, she has set her sights on him. Why? I’m not sure yet. She has to have a motive.”
“How do we keep Mathias safe?” Vlad asked. He really wanted to ask how they could keep him sane, but that wasn’t exactly the question he wanted to ask either.
“He has to keep himself sane. The only way she will show herself in our presence is if she feels safe. Right now, she knows Mathias is mad because of Nossy.” Azazel took a sip of his wine and placed the glass back on the table.
“And yet she apparently visits him in his mind?” Vlad asked.
Azazel blinked. “When was this?”
“Earlier today, when you walked in to explain about the horse’s hoof.”
“Shit.” Azazel downed his glass of wine.
“What?” Vlad leaned forward.
“It means that she really has connected with him. Technically, the first stage of possession.” Azazel got up from the chair and began to pace.
Vlad blinked. “Are you telling me that Mathias is possessed by a demon?”
Azazel stopped and looked at him. “No, the first stage of possession is more like the demon comes to visit a lot.”
Vlad rolled his eyes. “Then why is it called the first stage of possession?”
“Because a lot of demons like to get to know their victims before they take full possession. It doesn’t matter. She isn’t trying to possess him. Her powers don’t work quite that way.”
Vlad took a deep breath then slowly exhaled. He should thank Azazel for almost giving him a heart attack. Not to mention, he wouldn’t be freaking out so bad if he’d actually explain fully what this woman was capable of. “Then, why did you bring it up?”
“Because she isn’t exactly a nice being.”
Vlad sighed. “I think I would have figured that out by her agreeing to allow Nossy to starve to death.”
Azazel shrugged. “In the scope of things, that isn’t as bad as some of the things she has done over the years.”
Vlad took a drink of his wine. “Why do you work here?”
Azazel laughed. “What brought that on?”
“You know too much for a dungeon master.” There was a reason he knew so much about this demon woman. A reason that he truly didn’t want to think about, but had to.
“Let’s just say that I like what I do. I wasn’t hired, per se. All of you simply chose to build this castle above my domain.”
Vlad was stunned. He should have known it was something like this. Azazel hadn’t ever acted exactly like the other vampires. “So, how did you become dungeon master?”
Azazel laughed. “No one else wanted to.”
* * * * *
Sleep was deep for Mathias. Perhaps it was the fact that he was sleeping in his own bed again. Perhaps it was knowing that Nossy was okay. The warmth helped. He was so tired of cold. Still, the dream came.
The air around him seemed to undulate with clouds. Beyond the clouds was a strange undulating mass that was made of multiple colors. There was nothing there. Or rather, there was only a voice.
“Thias,” it hissed.
Mathias looked around. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of black. He whipped his head around and saw the flash of black in another spot. Then, suddenly, the flashes stopped.
“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” he asked.
“You are alone.”
The scenery of clouds suddenly became a movie screen. On the screen were flashes of his life, both past and present. Him as an orphan a millennium ago. Seeing Stuart in the garden when he died after Lilith tortured him. His parents on their way out the door before being killed by the drunk driver. It was all there.
“Just because someone is dead doesn’t mean they’re gone,” he said.
Lilith appeared right in front of him. “Now you understand.”
“No!”
He flung his arms around. She wouldn’t stop grabbing him. Then, suddenly, he realized the hands felt cool on his arms. His eyes popped open. The Snow Queen was looming over him. Her eyes were wide, and amazingly, she looked concerned.
Mathias brushed her arms away and sat up. “Ever think I would be happier if you would stop fucking with me?”
“That’s not how I mean it to be,” she said. Her head bowed.
Mathias ran his hand though his hair. “Then why are you doing it?”
She looked into his eyes and crossed her arms. “I’ll admit, I am not a good person. I have done many things that are repugnant to someone like you. But, even I have a soft spot for certain people.”
Really? That’s what this was about? He’d thought Azazel had been joking. He couldn’t let Nossy get word of this, or it would be the complete fucking end. “So, me?”
She nodded. “I do not expect you to accept me completely, but can you try to view me as a friend?”
Not fucking likely. He wanted to roll his eyes so bad, but he kept himself still. “It all depends on Nossy.”
She nodded again. “That is quite fair.”
He lay back down. His head hit the pillow. “Can I sleep now?” he asked.
She smiled. “You may.” Then, she disappeared.
“So fucking weird.” He adjusted himself so that he was comfortable. Jesus. If she was going to be hanging around, he needed something else to call her besides “Snow Queen”.
* * * * *
Vlad paced in his bedroom. There was no sense in waking up Mathias. The kid needed his rest. Especially given what Azazel had told him. If the boy was weak, he couldn’t fight her off.
The things Azazel had told him kept running a marathon through his brain. How could they get rid of the demon without bringing on her wrath? Mathias needed stability. His life up to this point had consisted of too much turmoil.
Azazel had not said she meant Mathias ill will though. He just wasn’t sure what to do for once.
“Father? Please give me some guidance,” he said quietly.
But there was no sign. At least not any Vlad could see which meant he was expected to take care of it all himsel
f. The older he got, the more it happened like this.
He left his bedroom and walked to Mathias’ door. He opened it and looked in on the boy. He was asleep, his cover askew.
Vlad knew all of this stress was not good for Mathias, but he didn’t know how to stop it. Yet. First, though he needed to find out more about the Snow Queen. Even if she wasn’t his enemy, she was dangerous.
He closed Mathias’ door and headed to the library.
* * * * *
Vlad blinked the candle lit and cleaned the dust from the library room. No one had been inside since he’d put all the books away that Mathias had taken out before going to find Nossy. At least that’s what it looked like. It was unusual. Back before, the library was commonly used. This new Order seemed not to care for the events of the past, and that was dangerous. He supposed he better keep a cleaning spell attached to the place, but that was a job for another day.
In past times, the library was used quite often, and you would find Order members chatting and having camaraderie amongst the tomes. But ever since Tallus had become a traitor, it seemed like the Order was not interested in information anymore. That, or they were hiding something which was entirely possible. Vlad still did not trust Erasmus. He could only hope the man would either do something stupid and accidentally kill himself or give Vlad a very good reason to put him to death. He hoped for the latter. The man was too much trouble.
He shook all of that from his mind and concentrated. “Find me all references to the demon witch known as the Snow Queen or Snegurochka.”
The books shuffled themselves for a moment, then went silent. He should have known Tallus would have taken everything. No one else would have had a reason to remove that information from the library. Vlad closed his eyes for a minute and forced himself to calm down. The only person at fault for this was Tallus himself, and with him dead and the other ones involved caught and put to death for treason, well there was no one left to be mad it.
He blew out the candle and left the library. His only option now was to rely on his gut. It didn’t sit well.
Chapter Fifteen
Stuart was gazing out the window. More snow had fallen overnight, leaving a new pristine blanket. A small layer of ice had formed overtop the snow making it sparkle. It wouldn’t take long for the children to mess it up, but for now, it was pretty. He still missed the green of the jungles though. Maybe, once everything with Nossy and Mathias was taken care of, he could go back to the places where he felt at home.
He raised the mug he was holding up to his mouth and took a drink of his coffee.
“This is my favorite time of morning,” Stuart heard a tinkling voice say.
He turned around. There, in front of him, was the most beautiful and unusual woman he had ever seen. Her hair was so blond it was almost white. Her skin was just as pale. Her eyes were ice blue, but she had these unusual shaped eyes. Almond shaped. She did not look like she’d ever been human.
“Who are you?” he asked.
She bowed her head. “You may call me Xiao,” she said. Her lips were slightly tinted rose, but there was a blue cast underneath. “It means ‘flute’.”
Stuart sat down his coffee cup on the end table next to the sofa and stepped a little closer. “Where did you come from?”
He didn’t bother asking her how she got inside his apartment. He’d left his door unlocked last night in case Vlad came back. He never had.
Instead of answering, she pointed toward the window.
He decided to try a different tactic. “Okay. Why are you here then?”
She folded her hands in her lap. She was wearing a dress that matched her eyes. What bothered Stuart most, of course, is that he didn’t know who the hell she was. A name meant nothing at this point.
“I need your help,” she said.
Stuart started to laugh. He wasn’t exactly known for being the one who could solve things. Destroy them, well, that was another matter.
“Why me?” he asked.
“You are the one they will listen to.”
He seriously doubted that anyone listened to him, but that was beside the point. She was too pretty to turn away. Especially if he could twist it around to his advantage. If she wanted his help, and it was something that wouldn’t hurt anyone, then so be it.
“Listen to about what?” he asked.
She blinked. Instead of a normal eyelid, a membrane moved from the side of her eye like a lizard. “That I will not hurt Mathias.”
Well, that wasn’t what he expected to come out of her mouth. He sat down on the opposite sofa. This was one area where he would tread very carefully. “And why do they think you’d want to harm Mathias?”
“Because it was my home Nosferatu was housed in.”
It was Stuart’s turn to blink. All the pieces fell together. “You’re the Snow Queen?”
She bowed her head to him. “Some call me that.”
Stuart swallowed. “And why would you not harm Mathias?”
She smiled, revealing a mouthful of pointed teeth. “Because he is my equal.”
* * * * *
Mathias stretched his wings. He was tired as hell. Too many interruptions to his sleep. He needed a normal mundane life. Too bad long ago someone decided he wasn’t going to get it.
He got up out of bed, walked over, and looked out the window. Nothing looked strange. Just snow. Cold. Normal Siberia in January. That was good.
What wasn’t good was that he was dreaming about Lilith again. He had to figure out some way to stop it. At least he wasn’t hearing her voice during the day anymore, but if these dreams were going to continue, he was going to have to figure something else out.
He stretched his wings again. Of course, there as a big possibility that the Snow Queen was fucking with his brain. He couldn’t think of her by any other name. Not yet.
Still, she’d been there last night when he had the dream. She could be planting them, but for what purpose? Maybe she did care in her own twisted way.
Maybe he was being paranoid and maybe he wasn’t, but the women he kept meeting were not exactly nice. The best one had been Lucretia, his old friend from the streets. She, at least, taught him to survive, but she’d also introduced him to Nic. Give and take. Good and evil. Everything had a balance.
None of it mattered anyway. The thing needed to leave him alone. He wanted calm for a while.
A knock sounded on the door.
“Yeah?” Mathias asked.
“May I come in?” Vlad asked from the other side of the door.
Mathias walked over, opened the door, then headed to his bed and sat down.
Vlad closed the door behind him and sat down in the chair near the window. “I came to apologize.”
“For what?” Mathias asked. Vlad didn’t usually apologize easily. If he could, he’d write this down in a record book somewhere.
Vlad sighed and looked down at his lap. “For thinking that you had gone insane.”
Mathias was kind of taken aback. Something must have happened. He took a guess. “So you saw her?”
Vlad shook his head. “I talked to Azazel.”
That explained it. Sort of. He didn’t remember talking to Azazel all that much about her. But, he had been pretty adept at catching his thoughts. So, maybe it had a simple explanation after all. If it didn’t, well, Azazel was not … normal. That, in and of itself explained a lot.
Mathias almost wanted to know how much Azazel told him. “Okay. So, we’re good?”
Vlad laughed. “We’re always … good.”
* * * * *
Stuart led Xiao through the halls. The best thing he could do was to see what Nossy did in her presence. If he acted anyway out of the ordinary for him, that meant she was using Nossy like a puppet. If nothing happened, then he could make sure she hadn’t done anything to hurt him in the castle, besides not give him food and water that is. If everything was fine, then she could be trusted—to a point. That was his logic anyway.
“Would i
t be possible to slow down a little?” she asked suddenly.
What now? Stuart stopped and turned around. She was holding her dress in both hands as if she was trying not to trip on it.
“Yeah. No problem.” He turned back around and continued to Nossy’s room … a bit slower. He wasn’t used to dealing with girls and it showed.
* * * * *
Nossy was sitting up in bed eating a few pieces of fruit. Pomegranate was noticeably absent. This was his second tray this morning. The first one had ended up thrown across the room. He’d never accept a pomegranate seed from anyone else again. In fact, it would be a while before he ate pomegranates period.
He chittered a bit. It felt good to be feeling more like himself. He was still skinny, but the muscles were coming back.
“Nossy?”
He looked up. Stuart was standing in the doorway to his room with a curious expression on his face. Now, what is this about?
“What’s holding you back,” he said. “Get in here!” Might as well find out what the boy wanted. He didn’t have anything better to do anyway.
Stuart looked outside the door, then back at him. “I’ve got someone with me who would like to see you.”
Nossy raised a bushy eyebrow. He’d missed his eyebrows. He knew it couldn’t be Vlad or Mathias. One, they had already come. And two, there was no reason to have them wait. “And this is a problem, why?”
Stuart cleared his throat, stepped into the room, and a woman followed him. She was dressed in this weird velvet and sparkly thing get up. It looked like something his mother would have worn in the Dark Ages. What was it with women and sparkly things? He chittered again.
“So, where did you find such a ravishing creature?” he asked Stuart.
“Um. She found me, actually.” The boy was twitchy. This was something new. At the same time, the kid seemed almost afraid. Something was up. This creature was putting Stuart on edge. Interesting.
Nossy turned his sights on the woman. He patted the mattress beside him. No sense for the ravishing creature to stand.