Ignite Read online

  Ignite

  (Book Five, Parched Novel Series)

  By

  Z.L Arkadie

  Copyright © 2011 Zuleika Arkadie

  License Notes

  All rights reserved, including right to reproduce this book or portions thereof, in any form or by any means whatsoever, without prior written permission from the author.

  Chapter 1 It’s a Sham

  Chapter 2 Fawn’s Guy

  Chapter 3 Off With Their Heads

  Chapter 4 In Search of Matter

  Chapter 5 It’s Nice

  Chapter 6 The Gathering

  Chapter 7 Separated Bonds

  Chapter 8 Reign in the Sun

  Chapter 9 A Double-cross and A Farewell

  Chapter 10 Rendezvous in Two Suns

  Chapter 11 Left in the Dark

  Chapter 1

  It’s A Sham

  “Clarity?” Baron calls in hushed tones.

  He’s still alone as he steps out of Celeste’s chambers and down a lonely arched, limestone corridor. Celeste is the vampiress who made bold advances towards him the last time we were here together, deep in the core of Mount Olympus. This time he’s alone and neither she nor the other inhabitants of this hidden universe are anywhere in sight.

  I swallow the lump of cold, stale air in my throat. “I’m here,” I croak as I rush to his side.

  By habit, Baron reaches down to take my hand but turns to glance at me when he comes up empty. I’m not all present. He can see me, but I’m unable to see myself. However, I know I’m here in this vast hidden world. The quarter-human side of me is still in my room, in Vermont, at the House of Benel estate that my father Felix built for his seven daughters. My Encaser power allows me to be in multiple places at once. At the end of my ten-minute wait, as we agreed, I pictured every line and curve of Baron’s remarkable face in order to get to him.

  During our mission to deliver the leaf from the Tree of Life to Jari, the ash-covered ground parted and swallowed up Baron and Vayle. Whatever they experienced down there scared the daylights out of Vayle, and even Baron to a certain extent. He saw vampires that he’d grown close to over the centuries in that lightless place: Garrett, Celeste and the mysterious Gia. Then he calculated the details. Gia was reported to be dead by the other vampires on our first trip here, to the Mount Olympus coven. So when he saw Garrett and Celeste in the depths of Jari in spirit form along with her, he feared they had suffered the same fate.

  From my bed and nestled in Baron’s arms, I first arrived here alone by using my Encaser power. My goal was to connect with Baron and somehow bring his consciousness with me to Mount Olympus. For whatever reason, it didn’t work as it should have. So he used his super vampire speed to travel across the Atlantic Ocean.

  “They’re all gone.” There’s strain in his voice.

  “Something happened here, and it wasn’t good,” I say.

  A shiver moves up my divine and Enuian spine. The ghost of sheer violence haunts this place.

  “I believe you’re right. The guards weren’t posted in the forest and Virgil didn’t sound the call of entry.”

  I remember that sound being a loud, feral howl—a yelp so chilling it could freeze bubbling hot oil.

  As my mind works to find our next step, Baron stops to search over the ledge of a short wall. Beyond it, there’s a vast opening that’s illuminated by artificial sunlight. The first time I saw how centuries-old vampires were able to manufacture sunrays in the core of a mountain, I marveled at their brilliance. I have the same reaction the second time around.

  We’re up thousands of stories high. Each landing is sectioned off into compartments where there are still an infinite number of lighted signs advertising bars. The colors, lights, size and shapes of the marquees all seem to compete with each other for attention. Baron explained to me that a stiff drink can momentarily ease a vampire’s parched throat. He and an old friend even sang a song about it.

  “If I can’t have blood, give me whiskey instead, then give me the barmaid and I’ll take her to bed…”

  I gasp and nearly shout, “Garret.”

  “Garret?” Baron asks, confused.

  “I remember what he looks like, which means I can go wherever he is.”

  As Baron studies my face, I take notice of how tightly he holds his shoulders. He’s more pale than his usual anemic self and his brows are pulled so tight that his entire face seems pinched. I’ve seen him this way before. It was the evening he came to me in the woods that outline the old isolated Tudor-styled house that Fawn used to share with Lario Exgesis, once a vampire, then made a man and finally transformed to a strange and fearsome species of hyper-vampire.

  I had just rescued Fawn from their basement where he kept her in a prison made of silver. The silver wasn’t designed to keep her in but to keep vampires out. They would tear down the Empire State Building just to consume every drop of her blood. The belief is if a Selell, which is the same as a vampire in the Enuian tongue, drinks me or my sisters dry, then they will never thirst again. We are creatures who have “lifeblood.” Basically, our blood is made from the Tree of Life. Lario was able to hold Fawn captive after he weakened her by feeding her mirk, which is human blood.

  I was struggling to carry her to the nearest portal, which led to Enu. Baron showed up. It had only been a few days since I’d last seen him but a year since he last saw me. He looked terrible. Not only because in his timeframe I’d been gone so long that I broke his heart, but my absence in this universe affected him physically as well.

  “Are you parched?” I ask him, shocked by my study of him. Because not only am I here with him now, in the Encaser form, but I’m on the Earth too. Logically, he should not be parched.

  He massages the front of his throat. “Yes, but it’s not my thirst.”

  “Are you saying that you feel someone else’s thirst?”

  “I can hear him too.”

  “Him?”

  “Yes, him.”

  “Is this the first time you’ve been able to sense others outside of yourself?”

  Baron frowns hard as he thoroughly tries to recall any instance where he’s been able to operate with an ability similar to mine. “No,” he tells me.

  “But you can now?” I quietly conclude. “Something’s wrong with me but right with you. Do you recognize the voice?”

  He frowns thoughtfully at the eyes. “I can’t say that I do.”

  “What is he saying?”

  “He’s afraid of me.”

  Out of frustration, I reach out to touch his shoulder but again, we’re unable to connect. This is not the only thing that’s going wrong. My arms and legs are turning heavy. Still, I don’t think much of it. Not too long ago we returned from a very arduous journey, which included camping out in a frontier made of solid ice and battling shadow phantoms made of ashes and monsters that were patched together by human remains. I chalk up my exhaustion to just that—residual fatigue. Regardless of my failing abilities and diminishing health, I’m still not ready to give up.

  “Well, I’ll try Garret now.” I mutter. I’ve settled on that as the next logical step.

  Baron gazes out over the emptiness. “It’s worth a shot.”

  “Do you think he’s dead?” I ask in response to his unoptimistic tone of voice.

  After a brief pause, he says, “I can only hope not.”

  Led by Baron’s faith, I picture Garret singing alongside him. His eyes are bloodshot and his lids are heavy, which must be the effect of the curse of being a Selell. The indentations beneath his eyes are purple and his cheeks are hollow. Regardless of his appearance, the nearness of Baron seems to bring vitality to his countenance. That’s why I remember his face so well. I could tell. He loved whom I love, not as much as I do but close, very close.

  Whether dead or alive, I should be able to locate Garret; at least that’s how it’s always worked. This time though, the more I push outside of myself, the more a stalwart vaporous red force presses down upon me, fighting me with incredible force. I recognize this aggressor.

  “It’s Lario. He must be fighting me here,” I wheeze as I stop struggling against his evil power.

  “Exgesis? How?” Baron growls. Just the mention of Lario’s name has made him ten times more angry than knowing that his friends, and in some cases enemies, are missing because they’ve been preyed upon.

  “I wish I knew,” I admit. “It has to be Tal, the Sham.”

  “She’s gotten stronger over the years…”

  We certainly have no time to discuss how to neutralize Tal, although it’s a conversation we must have soon. I’m turning weaker as the seconds pass.

  “But you say you can hear the vampire that’s hiding and feel his thirst?” I ask to put us back on track.

  “Yes…” Baron’s eyes move around in their sockets, examining every part of my face. He’s so concerned about me and I don’t want him to ask me to leave until I’m sure he’s safe. That’s why I work hard to steady my breathing and rely on the tiny amount of strength I still have within me.

  “Can you see him?” I impatiently ask.

  I’m fading fast and the sooner we make contact with the missing vampire, the sooner I’ll feel it’s safe enough to let go.

  Instead of concentrating, he studies me harder. “What’s happening to you, Clarity?”

  “I’m fine. Just concentrate. Can you feel him? Can you feel his fear?”

  I fight the urge to gasp for air. I haven’t felt this way since making a mad dash towards the Tree of Life in Jari. I relied totally on my huma
n strength during that sprint to plant the leaf in the bubbling silver soil that surrounds the tree.

  Baron stares at me. He’s too worried to try.

  “Please,” I beg him. This is not the moment for me to give up and return to myself. There’s still no indication he’s out of danger.

  A moment passes. I stare into his eyes and he returns the intensity. Baron shakes his head slightly because my eyes convey to him that, for the moment, I’m not going anywhere.

  “All right,” he whispers. “How do I find him?” He’s turning more white and gaunt with each second. He’s being overtaken by this vampire’s thirst just as weakness is overpowering me.

  “Let his fear and thirst fill you up and then let yourself move towards it.”

  We stand in silence because Baron can’t stop himself from examining my health. The longer we stay here, the creepier this place gets. Only now do I notice the lit torches attached to the wall. Their firelight casts Baron’s shadow against the ground. Not mine though. Although I’m standing here facing him, to the eyes and elements of this world, I’m invisible.

  “I’m going to be fine,” I assure him.

  Finally, he closes his eyes. I’m unable to look away from the captivating features of his face, still wondering why I cannot detect the other vampire’s energy. Up until now, I’ve only been able to apply inductive reasoning to measure the scope of my abilities as an Encaser and how they affect Baron Ze Feldis, to whom I’m bonded. I wonder if Baron being able to reach outside of himself and feel the emotions of others, something I’ve been able to do my entire life, fits reasonably within the scope of our bond. Or is it a defense mechanism against whatever Lario has done to limit my powers. It might be one of those reasons, or both. It could be neither. We’ll soon find out.

  “I have him,” Baron says, interrupting my pondering. “Will you be able to follow me?” He’s narrowing his eyes at me, still worried.

  “I think so,” I say, working hard to steady my voice.

  “If not…”

  I sigh. “Then go without me.” I already feel defeated.

  “If you can’t keep up, then promise me you’ll leave.”

  I hesitate. The thought of leaving him here by himself doesn’t sit well with me. But because of the way I feel, I force myself to say, “I promise.”

  Suddenly he’s on the move and, thank goodness, I can easily keep pace with him in this form. We’re zipping down hallways and the massive stairways that connect the floors. Nothing is going by in a blur either. Shattered wine glasses and broken liquor bottles litter empty tables and floors. The stench of alcohol, the juice that lifts the spirit, stings my sinuses. Whatever rapacious act interrupted the guzzling of alcohol, the vampires of this coven appear to have put up a fight.

  Now we’re moving through the lushest garden I’ve ever seen outside of Enu. Although we swish past it quickly, I’m able to perceive its thick, concentrated green grass, fluffy, over-ripened pomegranate trees and grape vines, along with limestone statues of naked women and men in sexually provocative positions. Above it all there’s an actual sky constructed of vapory clouds and artificial sunlight. Once again, I marvel at the brilliance of the aged brain of a creature who is so hard to kill.

  Soon we’re weaving in and out of living spaces, which lack the light and poshness that the common areas have. Most of the cubicles are plain, holding only one lone wooden bed, not even equal in dimension to a twin-sized bed. It’s covered with a dusty white sheet that looks like it hasn’t been washed in centuries. The deeper into the mountain we go, the more dank and clammy it becomes, and we’ve already traveled quite far from our starting position, which tells me that Baron’s senses are quite keen. Every now and then, he glances over and squints at me. I fear my suffering and weakness may overcome my will to appear well for him.

  Finally he stops. We’re in one of those tight rooms and facing the only piece of furniture in here—a very old, green, possibly Victorian era, green silk sofa pushed against a smooth black and white swirled marble wall.

  “He’s here,” he whispers as he reaches to caress my cheek but once again falls short of being able to touch me. “I don’t like this.” He reluctantly drops his hand to his side.

  “Me either,” I concur. I hate not feeling his hand on my face. I’d rather rely on the heat of his touch to keep me warm in the freezing cold vampire lair, but since my abilities are all out of whack, I’m relying on a faint shield of warmth.

  “You’re shivering.”

  “I know,” I can only mutter past my quivering lips. “It’s fine,” I lie.

  The concern in Baron’s eyes grows deeper, and then the next thing I know he has both of his hands on my shoulders; he’s actually touching me!

  “What the hell?” he marvels.

  We stare into each other’s eyes. Despite the circumstances, I feel like this is a small victory and so does he. Now that he has a hold of me, he pulls me into him. My breasts are pressed tightly against his firm chest. I’m nearly limp in his arms and he’s holding me as if he will never let me go.

  “I can’t stay,” I finally moan. “I can’t hold on. Where is he?”

  He holds me tighter and turns to the left. “There.”

  I follow his eyes to a spot on the floor. It’s to the right of the front end of the sofa.

  Before I get the chance to say that I don’t see anything, a hatch in the ground blows open. I’m out of Baron’s arms and after a chaotic moment, I see that a strong energy force pins him to the ceiling. My eyes widen in horror, and then a glint of hope as I see that at least he’s managed to grasp the blades he keeps attached to his ankles. But even though his arms are outstretched, he can’t move them.

  I fear that this is it. The end of my love, Baron Ze Feldis.

  “Stop,” I shout as loud as exhaustion will allow me.

  Then, I see him. A male vampire springs out of the dark hole in the ground. My vision is becoming increasingly blurry, and I’m shivering from the cold because my shield of warmth has evaporated. However, I do see that he’s shooting the force that has Baron restrained out the palm of one of his hands. He’s as just as tall and fair-haired as Baron. For a moment, although my sight and health further betray me, I’m able to see that they look so much alike that they could be brothers.

  “Ze Feldis,” the strange vampire suddenly calls at the same time he stops the force of energy.

  Baron drops back to the floor but lands on his feet. “Ben Artiste?”

  That’s the last I see and hear before returning to the me who’s seated on the side of the bed in my room at the estate in Vermont. Whatever was turning in my stomach a few moments ago is making its way upwards. I leap to my feet and run off as fast as I can to the toilet. When I get there, I lift the lid and fall to my knees to regurgitate Goshem tea and berries.

  Physically, the ache in my limbs, the queasiness and the fatigue is the most horrible feeling in the world. Mentally, Baron being thousands of miles away is weighing on me like a two-ton boulder.

  Fawn is now present. She stands behind me, lifting my hair back and away from my face. Slowly the release settles my stomach. The chills start to fade and the shivers subside as Fawn helps me up to my feet.

  “Clarity, what’s happening to you?” she asks.

  “Lario,” I hiss.

  Her eyes expand, as if she’s rattled just by hearing his name.

  I drag myself over to the sink, run some warm water and rinse my mouth. “I don’t know how he does it, but I imagine Tal the Sham witch has something to do with it,” I spit.

  I don’t know why I’m so furious. Maybe because things didn’t go as smoothly as I planned. Baron and I should still be together, finding answers together. I’m not supposed to be here sick to my stomach and battling weakness.

  “What’s going on with him?” she whispers, her face conflicted.

  I’m still amazed that she is either unwilling or unable to admit that Lario is a vampire cad.

  “Fawn, he’s a conniving, vindictive monster. That’s what’s happening to him.”

  She remains silent as I cup my hands together, put them under the faucet to let the running water pour into them. I steal a glance at her as I scoop the soothing water into my mouth and then across my face. I can hear her thinking. She’s guilt-ridden and wonders if she’s to blame for unleashing Lario on the world. Lario Exgesis, her former vampire lover, to whom she fed the leaf from the Tree of Life, making him human again and allowing him to turn back into a more treacherous vampire the second time around. I always thought her to be strangely passive regarding her role in the entire matter.