Mark of Betrayal

Page 66

Jason gave me a reassuring smile. “Hey, why don't you come to the lighthouse with me tonight? It might cheer you up.”
“Maybe. I have been meaning to—” I stopped then and watched Arthur stand, shaking his head, and walk away. As he passed, I looked up, hoping he’d at least make eye contact. He didn't.
“Stop feeling bad, Ara.” Jason slid closer in the seat, leaning his elbow on the table, practically face to face with me. “In human years, he’s nearly twice your age.”
“He’s only thirty.” I frowned.
“And you're nineteen.”
“That's hardly twice my age.”
“I know—but it sounded more repulsive.” He sat back in his chair. “He’s like my father—it’s disturbing to me that you’re friends with him.”
“Jase?”
“I'm sorry. I know that’s unfair, but it’s also that…clearly, you’re hurt by his not speaking to you, and…I don't like that. I don't want you to be sad.”
I stood up. “I'm going to talk to him.”
“Why?”
“Because I need to sort this out.”
Jason folded his arms, entertained. “You just can’t leave anything alone, can you?”
“Not when people are hurting, Jason.” I shook my head and walked from the room.
“Wait—” He grabbed my arm. “What about the lighthouse?”
“I’ll meet you there after.”
He stayed put, his eyes burning into my back as I walked away.
“What do you want to know?”
I drew a breath. “I was thinking about some of our earlier conversations, and I remembered you said that you used the war as an excuse to turn Jason and David.”
“Correct.”
“And…it was their idea to go, right?”
“Jason’s, yes. I believe David followed so as not to appear a coward.”
“Really? I was under the impression he followed to protect Jason.”
“What gave you that impression?”
“David.”
Arthur frowned. “Hm. Why do you ask, anyway, my dear?”
“Well, when we first met, you and I, after the…the whole kidnapping thing, you said something about the blood feud—about it being the reason you changed them.”
His shoulders slowly became straighter all the way across. “Did I?”
“Mm-hm.”
“And?”
“Well, then you also said that Drake had made a deal with you, that if he let the boys live here after Arietta died, you’d change them when they grew up. So, it’s connected, right? Drake wanted the boys immortal because he knew, even then, that they had something to do with this prophecy—and the prophecy has something to do with the feud?”
“To be honest, Amara, I'm not so sure now.”
“Why?”
“Many things have come to light since that day, and what I knew then was only half of what I have come to learn since.” He moistened his lips. “For many centuries, I gave this prophecy little thought. I knew it foretold a child and the involvement of knight blood, and in the back of my mind, wondered if it spoke of myself and my blood—my heir. But I never believed it would come to fruition—until Drake strangely requested I turn the boys.”
“How did that change your belief?”
“Because, for Drake to request such a thing directly contradicted the agreement he and I made in the days before I became immortal.”
“What agreement?”
“That if I was to be his loyal, eternal servant, I would honour the promise to my dying brother, and watch over his family and their descendants for the rest of eternity.”
“And not turn them into vampires?”
“Correct. My brother knew what I was about to become. He was also given the option, but he believed vampirism to be sinful lifestyle. He chose to die along with many others in those following years.”
“What did he die of?”
“The Black Death.” Arthur looked down at his open palm. “In my new state, free of human limitations, I was able to comfort many people as they passed—most of them had already watched their own children wither, and die. And when my brother took his last breath, a part of me wished I had gone with him. But I had made my choice, and I kept my promise to watch over his bloodline, until I broke it for the sake of David and Jason.”
“So, how did Drake’s request to turn them make you connect the boys to the prophecy?”
“Drake is a man of honour; he upholds his word, no matter what. For whatever reason he needed those boys immortal, it must have been of great importance to him. I concluded that it had something to do with this prophecy.”
“And, so, you thought David was the Knight the prophecy spoke of then?”
“Yes.”
“Because he was born first?”
“Yes.”
“But your interpretation of the scrolls was different to Morgaine’s, wasn't it? So why did you think David was the one?”
His eyes flickered. I could see he hadn't expected me to be so alert, and I was starting to wonder if he was getting caught up in his own lies. “I have reasons for keeping my interpretations to myself all these years.”
“What reasons?”
“I wasn't sure who I could trust.”
“Why?”
“Because Drake told Morgaine about the prophecy. He very rarely confides in a person for the sake of an eased conscience. I had no way of knowing what he had truly said or even offered her to either help fulfil the prophecy or see no one ever heard of it.”
“But you want it to come true?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think we can trust Morgaine now?”
“I'm still not sure. But as long as her aim is to see you safe and in power, then it seems we all have the same agenda.”
I looked down at my hands, seeing the history, the lineage, the ancient ancestral connections in all the fine lines. “Did…were you searching for a Lilithian—or did you just stumble across me?”
“I wasn’t searching, but I believe Drake was. However, we found you purely by accident.”
“What about Amara—my grandmother? Was finding her an accident?”
“One of Drake’s scouts found her,” Arthur said. “So I have no way of knowing.”
“Did you know David hadn't really killed her?”
“Yes. I actually went to kidnap her from the orphanage, but she had already been adopted—and her family, when I searched for them, had disappeared.”
“What happened to them?”
“Back then, I suspected that Drake had discovered David's lie and taken to kill the child and all humans who knew she existed. But, David was never arrested for lying, so I had to move on with the belief that Drake was unaware, and the hope that maybe Vampirie had found the infant, instead.”
“Okay, none of this makes sense.” I scratched my eyebrow. “Drake knew about this prophecy—told Morgaine of a child that could kill him, and then made sure the only man who was capable of fathering that child was turned into a vampire, and gave the only remaining Lilithian at the time to a newbie Council leader to kill. I thought he was trying to stop this prophecy from happening—not help it along.”
Arthur nodded to himself, then smiled. “I never quite understand why Mike has so little faith in you. You’re a very clever girl.”
“So, I'm right? He could have just killed David when he was born if he didn't want this to happen.”
“Yes.”
“Then this isn’t just about Drake being afraid of a vampire-hunting kid.”
“My dear, it would take a lot more than a powerful child to turn Drake in fear.”
“So, why does he want me dead—my child dead? And why did he kill David if he thought he was the prophecy knight?”
“What have you concluded about David's death, at this point?”
“That Drake wanted him dead because of the prophecy, but that he couldn’t let anyone else know about it, so David died under the disguise of laws he’d broken—by associating with me.”
Arthur breathed out through his nose. “The truth, my dear, is what I already told you—that David broke the law. Drake himself could not change the outcome of that.”
“But, if David's the prophecy knight, then…”
“Or perhaps he’s not.”
“Then…who?”
“There is a word in the prophecy. You saw it—saw that the whole document is written in hieroglyphics. That language has no real base. Some say the English language was based on that of the Ancients, but I see no real evidence of that aside from the pattern of words. But there was one rune, between son of and knight, that may depict firstborn, however, this could also mean many things. In my own interpretation, it can mean ‘a’ son of knight, and I believe Drake also reads it this way.”
“So, in your interpretation, the knight could even be Jason?”
Arthur nodded.
“Or you?”
He nodded again.
“Do you think there’s any possibility it could be a contract?”
He rubbed his stubbly chin. “It’s a clever theory. And, in truth, there may be some fact there. I noticed that same mark and thought nothing of it. Our laws and filing systems changed so much over the centuries that it took a person who studied our society as subject in History to point out something I should have seen. But, if we focus on that, we lose sight of what’s important, and right now, killing Drake is at the top of the priority list—especially if that is, indeed, a contract.”
“So—” I tried to piece things together in my head. “What does he want my child for if she can't kill him?”
“I never said she cannot kill him, or that she will not have the power to mortalise vampires, but his true interest in your child is not known to me.”
“You know what?” I stood up, shoving my chair back with my legs. “No more lies. I already know, Arthur. Jason told me you're here to steal my child and give it to Drake.”
He looked down, rubbing a hand across his mouth. “Jason knows?”
“Yes.”
He nodded, calm. “What else has he told you?”
“That he doesn't believe you’re a traitor.”
“I'm not a traitor.”
“How do I know that? You came here on Drake’s request.”
He appeared beside me, taking my trembling hand. “I was already planning my stay here when I was called to Drake’s bedside.”
“His bedside?”
“He was dying,” Arthur said. “He had consumed the entire box of blood stores Jason took from you in order to survive that venom-tipped sword, and even then, he was struggling.”
“So, he knows about immunity—that’s how you found out?”
“Yes.”
“And, he called you to him for what—to come get more blood from me?”
“No. My king addressed me as his friend, not his council leader. He thanked me for all that I had done and asked that I go to Loslilian on one last mission before I took my leave.”
“To impregnate me and kidnap our baby?”
“Yes, but…there was something else.”
Arthur wandered across the room, then opened his drawer. “Loslilian is also home to this.”
“What is that?” I asked, eyeing a box very similar to the one Nhym came in.
“It’s the Dagger of Yahanna.”
“Of death?”
“Correct.” He flipped the lid and spun the box around on the table so I could see inside; above the bone blade, the hilt was twisted silver, rising up around a red stone, like snakes on a Celtic Knot. “This dagger is said to be spelled; that if Drake uses this on the Stone of Truth, forces it through the heart of your infant child, he will gain all power the child holds. Including the rumoured power to reverse immortality.”
Bingo! The truth. I tried not to grin. “But…if my child can do that anyway, why would he want to take that from her? Why not just—”
“Because it’s power. Why would anyone follow a dark entity when they can follow the light?”
“If he holds all power, he reigns supreme.” I nodded to myself, feeling numb. “And, what…he promised you mortality if you gave up my baby?”
“Yes.”
“And you agreed?”
“Yes.”
I felt my fingertips twitch, a stroke across his face their destination.
“But it was a lie.” He grabbed my hand.
“Then why are you really here?” I yanked away from him.
“Because this goes deeper than any of us can possibly imagine. I am here to protect you—protect the world from what may come.”
“Like what?”
“Think about it—what does Drake know? What kind of power will that child have that he’s willing to wait six centuries for it?”
I swallowed my own words, dropping back on my heels.
“This is not just about the reversal of immortality, Amara, because, quite frankly, Drake does not give a damn whether a vampire wants to live or die.”
“Then…” I unclenched my fists. “What does he want her for?”
“You tell me,” he said, then sighed, pinching his brow. “Look, after Drake let you escape, I—”
“Let me escape?”