Page 40 of Red Queen

My pulse quickens, yet I listen intently, absorbing every word while concealing the inferno of trepidation that threatens to consume me.

Valeria paces with deliberate slowness. “But let us speak plainly, Eleanna Cordon. To destroy The Darkened Pulse, you must harness untold power. You must seek a phoenix’s tear at dawn, the ash of a vampire turned to dust under a blood moon, the root of a mandrake pulled at the stroke of midnight, and finally, the whisper of a banshee sealed within a mirror of pure silver.”

A chill settles over me from the gravity of her words. “Such things are not easily come by.”

“Neither is destroying an object bound by dark magic!” Valeria says, her tone laced with snark.

“My Queen, she’s only one witch, we should seek others. Perhaps they have an answer that isn’t so dangerous,” Nadia says.

Her loyalty is unwavering, yet she fears for my mortality more than I do.

“No, little vampire, even if you seek others and they know of this, the answers and what you must do remain the same,” Valeria says flatly. “But we’re ahead of ourselves. Should you survive the ritual and somehow obtain all that is needed, what then? Will you have the resolve to face what comes after?”

“That’s one thing I’m never without.” I look the witch up and down. “You may question many things about me, but not my quest to bring down Catarina and retake my throne at all costs. I will restore peace in our lands.”

“Very well.” Valeria turns her back to us, dismissing the conversation as if it were nothing more than idle chatter.

The room grows quiet, save for the crackle of the flames in the hearth. Nadia steps forward, and extends two more gold coins toward Valeria.

“For your counsel,” Nadia says, her voice steady despite the tension that hangs between us like a thick fog. “It’s all I have.”

“Thank you, and good luck, Vampire Queen.” Valeria’s fingers brush against Nadia’s as she takes the offering. The coins disappear within the folds of her dress.

“What compensation do you seek?” I ask. “A few coins won’t be enough.”

“How sweet.” The witch taps her chin with a finger. “It’ll come to me.”

“It must be reasonable.”

“When the truth of what it costs becomes clear, we’ll both know. And then? I’ll collect.” She gestures toward the door. “Good night, Eleanna. Nadia.”

We leave her cottage with its secrets and spells behind us, stepping out into the night where the snow falls gently. We mount our horses and ride back toward the fortress that looms in the distance like a specter of power and protection.

“Eleanna,” Nadia says over the sound of hooves crunching through the snow. “Are you truly considering this ritual? It sounds perilous beyond measure and requires items too rare to acquire.”

I nod, steering my horse around a fallen log. “Without the talisman, Catarina is defenseless. This could be our chance to end her tyranny once and for all.”

“But at what cost? There must be another way to defeat her without risking your life.”

“Risks are part of our eternal existence. But don’t worry, Nadia. If anyone can endure this trial, it is I, your queen.”

“Let us hope so,” she murmurs.

When we finally reach the fortress, we dismount, guiding our horses into the stables where they can find respite from the biting cold. The stable hands are absent, likely seeking warmth elsewhere, leaving us to tend to our steeds ourselves.

“It’s late. Go to bed and rest,” I whisper to Nadia as we part ways within the stronghold’s shadowed corridors.

“Good night, my Queen,” she says. “I have faith.”

I navigate through the dimly lit passageways, and pause outside Alexandru’s bedchamber. I press my ear against the heavy oak door but it’s silent within. What I should do is keep going. But my feet refuse to move.

With a gentle push, the door creaks open.

He’s asleep in his bed, sheets tangled, chest naked and his body, pale and sculpted could be mistaken for a statue except for his chest rising and falling with the deep breaths of undisturbed slumber.

“Alexandru,” I whisper. “Are you awake?”

It’s clear he isn’t. So knowing I should back out and continue to my own rooms I approach the bed. “Alexandru!”

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