Page 76 of Princess Avenged

Zuben steps up on the other side of me. He too is even more handsome in this light. Except for his formal business suit, Zuben looks at home in this climate, and I remember that he lived in Egypt when he was a human. There are also deserts in that country, but from the pictures I’ve seen, they look nothing like this.

“Careful,” he says to Blade. “Vampiric eyes are not accustomed to sunlight.”

“I wish you’d warned us sooner,” I say. “Have we permanently damaged our eyes?”

He shakes his head. “No. And if you had, you’d heal.”

“Of course.” I shake my head at my silly question. Everything’s so overwhelming today I’m not thinking clearly.

“I was just remembering my first days in the sunshine.” A smile softens Zuben’s stern expression. “I was so eager to take in sunlight, that my eyes ached every night.”

“Worth it.” Blade looks up again, his face full of awe as he takes in our surroundings. “It’s kind of funny that we’re here in Sedona.”

“Funny how?” Zuben asks.

Blade turns toward him. “Well, some humans believe that Sedona has magical properties, vortexes or portals to other places.” He chuckles. “Most people think it’s a crazy myth, and so I find it ironic the myths are correct.”

“They’re not,” Zuben says. “Nothing special here.”

“How can you say that?” I ask.

“Beyond the natural beauty, of course.” Zuben gestures toward the rock formations.

“Why are we here then?” Blade frowns. “Surely there’s something magical about the place.”

“Not according to Ember,” Zuben says. “She told me that the Council of Magic Keepers often hold meetings in such places as a joke. Although I, for one, do not appreciate the humor.”

I do, and I also find humor in the juxtaposition of Zuben’s formal expression and attire against this setting—not to mention his formal way of speaking, even if I often fall into such speech patterns myself, when dealing with matters at court.

Ember went to ask the council to meet with all four of us, but every minute she’s gone makes me think they only agreed to meet with her. It would be annoying to come all this way for nothing, but then again, it clearly wasn’t safe for me to stay back at the cabin. Relying on Crusher to protect me from Phil, from the demon, proved in adequate.

Plus, when else would I get a chance to see the beauty of Arizona in the daylight? Gratitude floods inside me, drowning the memories of Phil’s attack.

“Hey!” Ember’s voice draws my attention. She’s standing about ten feet away from us, but none of us sensed her coming.

“My love!” Zuben leaps up and takes her into his arms, bending to kiss her passionately as if she’d been gone a year, not an hour. “What did the magic keepers say?”

“Come.” She gestures. “Quickly. I hear hikers arriving. We can’t let them see the path.”

Blade and I quickly rise, and the stairs appear out of nowhere. After descending fifteen feet I turn to look back. A group of five hikers, all young women, are standing on the same shelf of rock where Blade, Zuben and I were resting.

One of them sets down her heavy backpack with a thud, and then turns in our direction. I fight the instinct to duck.

“They can’t see us.” Ember rests her hand on my back. “I repaired the magic in time.”

“How?” I ask, although as soon as the word is out of my mouth, I know she won’t answer.

“I couldn’t begin to explain.” She nudges me forward, and the four of us descend what feels like a few hundred steps, which lead to a flat shelf of rock. The shelf overlooks the valley below and is shaded by large pieces of fabric that ripple in the light breeze.

A group of fifteen comfortable looking chairs sits in a circle, with a massive Persian rug in the middle. Behind the chairs, a long table is covered in what looks like a variety of delicious foods and beverages. A tall woman appears in the center of the rug, her bright green dress billowing in the wind, even though I feel no breeze myself.

Where are the others, and how did they get everything here? I shake my head. It’s possible that they didn’t. It’s possible everything I’m looking at isn’t real, and I remind myself to keep up my guard. It’s possible that these magic keepers will tell us nothing, and possible that whatever they say won’t be true.

“Sit. Please.” The woman has long, flowing black hair and a friendly smile, and she gestures toward the four seats with their backs toward the view. The chairs are covered in red velvet, whereas the others are royal blue. Were they like that when we first arrived? I can’t remember.

Ember sits first, Zuben settling in beside her. Blade takes my hand, and he then sits next to Zuben after making sure I’m comfortable in my chair on the end. Part of me doesn’t like that I’m so far from Ember, but I suppose it makes sense for Blade and Zuben to sit next to each other, in case they have something they want to discuss.

“Bloodsuckers,” the woman says. “I understand you have come seeking guidance.”

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