A Shade of Vampire 91: A Gate of Light Page 2

  Astra

  With Hammer padding around, his pink tongue out and his sapphire eyes scanning the darkness of the forest, I decided to give the shimmering portal another shot, further encouraged by Brandon. At some point, Thayen and Myst joined us as well, though I wasn’t sure exactly when. I only knew Thayen couldn’t sleep much either, and the Valkyrie had rarely left his side since the Flip.

  There was something different between them. A muted warmth. An awareness of one another. Their movements and body language were surprisingly well synchronized. Whatever this was, I hoped it would only bear good things for the both of them. For all her efforts at distancing herself from the living, from us, Myst had become an integral part of our team. A friend, even.

  No one said a word while I sank into a meditative state. It was the one part I’d gotten the hang of thus far. I could feel their eyes on me as I sat perfectly still, and I fed on their unspoken encouragement. My mind wandered away from the world around us, though I did feel Brandon’s hand close around mine. The touch of his skin was electrifying, and for a moment I jumped back to our almost-kiss. What would I have done if his lips had found mine? How would I have reacted if we’d actually kissed? I wanted it, there was no denying that, but…

  Ah, the light. Much like in earlier attempts, the light came from the darkness of my closed eyes, enveloping me in a buzzing warmth as if the sun itself had reached out to take me in its golden arms. “Focus on my voice,” Brandon said. “I know you can do it, Astra.”

  “You really don’t know what you’re doing, do you?” Thayen muttered. I heard Myst thwacking him on the shoulder.

  “Shut up. Let him do his thing,” Myst reprimanded.

  “What is his thing, exactly?” Thayen replied, sounding amused.

  Brandon chuckled. “Nah, you’re right, I have no idea what I’m doing here. I’m just going with the flow—hopefully something sticks.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh, though I kept my eyes closed, clinging to the sunshine on my skin like a blanket. Basking in it, I exhaled deeply as I tried to block out their voices and the sounds of the forest around me. My mind paced farther away from reality and closer to the memory of a shimmering portal. I needed that memory as the basis for my own passageway. Brandon squeezed my hand.

  He was right about one thing. I required focus more than anything. Something to stick to while I built up the energy and the technique to open a shimmering portal. The ability was absolutely and undeniably somewhere deep inside me. I only had to tap into the stream.

  “I can, however, surmise that Hrista and Astra’s shimmering portal methods differ. Hrista had physical accoutrements,” Brandon said. “Specifically, a perfectly round crystal imbued with some kind of energy which she used to open a portal. Also, a clone dies whenever a portal is opened, and I assume it’s because a portal consumes an entire clone’s life energy. I’m fuzzy on the particulars, but I’ll assume Hrista has more clones than there are Shadian originals just for this purpose. Astra obviously doesn’t require these exterior elements, since the specific type of energy required is inside her. I feel it now. Hers is the easier way, believe it or not.”

  “Plus, she always knew when to open them,” Thayen said. “Like when we were chasing Richard’s clone back in The Shade.”

  “Ah, Hrista always had comms open with the clones she sent out into The Shade,” Brandon explained. “The magic was set up to respond accordingly.”

  Looking back now, it made sense. But I didn’t have another second to dwell on it. The shimmering portal I had last seen emerged before me, like a mouth wide open and filled with diamonds. Its power emanated outward, the air rippling toward me with a peculiar mixture of hot and cold. I reached for it, my spirit desperate to touch it.

  “Do you see it yet?” Brandon asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Can you reach it?”

  I’d done this before a couple of times, and I’d told him all about the experience from beginning to end. Having the details, he was able to guide me. He was no expert, but he was the closest thing I had to a mentor in this; he’d gone through more shimmering portals than the entire island’s inhabitants put together. “I can try,” I mumbled.

  “Do it.”

  As if unchained from my own body, I felt my spirit stretching. I lunged at the portal with a vigorous thrust, the light intensifying into a blinding white before I could feel the shimmer’s curious touch. Exhaustion crept up, almost unseen, and I found myself falling, unable to scream. Brandon caught me in his arms, and I was back in the real world, panting. To my surprise, my body had lunged with me, and my feet had briefly left the ground—I’d gotten up and jumped.

  Sweat dripped down my temples, tickling my cheeks.

  “Are you okay?” Myst asked, watching me with genuine concern.

  I nodded slowly. “Yeah. It’s not a straight path, I’m afraid. I’ll try again.”

  “Is that wise?” Thayen replied, his brow furrowed. “You must be tired.”

  “I am. But what other choice do I have? Time keeps marching forward, and Hrista has taken over our island. The sooner I can get us out of here, the better,” I said, positioning myself back into a meditative frame: legs crossed, back straight, and palms resting upward on my knees.

  Closing my eyes, I took several deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. Brandon’s hands found both of mine this time, holding tightly. “Let me try something,” he whispered, and I smiled.

  “Okay.”

  As minutes went by, I experienced a new sensation. A rush of chills burst through me, beginning with my hands. It spread through until every atom in my body was suddenly invigorated, newfound energy pulsating and beckoning me closer to that memory of a shimmering portal. Brandon was giving me some of his spiritual energy, I realized, and the feeling of it coursing through my soul was incredible.

  I was light as a feather. Merely an idea floating on the wings of a summer wind.

  There it was again. The shimmering portal. I reached out, and this time… this time I felt it tingling my fingertips. I giggled as I ran my hands through the mass of liquid diamonds, trying to understand what it was made of and how I could make one of my own.

  “I’m there!” My own voice sounded like a distant echo.

  “Hold on to it. What do you see?” Brandon asked.

  How could I describe this gaping mouth of raw celestial energy? I couldn’t. “I can tell you how it feels,” I said. “Warm and cold at the same time. Sharp and soft, too. It’s made of everything and nothing at the same time.”

  “My energy is yours, Astra. Use it,” he replied.

  As if electrified, I allowed my spirit to record and untangle the cosmic tendrils of wonder that made up this incredible phenomenon. I felt myself getting up again, a sharp current flowing through my legs. My hands were on fire as I imagined myself grabbing onto the edges and opening the shimmering portal wider so we might step through it. I wasn’t feeding on Brandon’s energy anymore. I’d let go of him.

  Myst gasped. “She’s doing it!”

  I opened my eyes and saw it. Small and thin at first, my hands glowing pink as they ripped the very fabric of this world apart. Brandon stood a few feet back, his blazing blue eyes wide with wonder and… pride, I realized, as he beheld my work. Emboldened by what I’d accomplished, I used the last drops of energy I had left to pull the edges of the shimmering portal farther apart.

  My muscles ached. My bones hurt. I’d reached my limits already.

  I cried out, unable to hold the damn thing anymore. As soon as I let go, the gash closed, and semi-darkness returned to the clearing. The world stopped vibrating, as did my soul. It was over, but I’d done it.

  “Wow,” Thayen managed, a grin stretching over his face as he looked at me. “Astra, you did it…”

  “I know, right?” I replied, beaming with pride. I couldn’t stand anymore, and I didn’t even realize it until Myst gasped and the image shifted before me as I fell. Brandon was quick to sweep me off my feet, ta
king me into his arms. “What’s… what’s happening?”

  He gave me a soft smile. “You’re exhausted, that’s what’s happening. You’ll have to stop for tonight, Pinkie. It’s time to get you back to bed.”

  I’d learned the difference by now between his choice of names for me. Whenever things were serious and Brandon needed me to understand the intensity of what he had to say, he used my name. Whenever he was being affectionate or wished to simply take the edge off and play around, he called me Pinkie. I let my head rest on his shoulder, wrapping my arms around his neck as he carried me away from the clearing.

  “See you tomorrow, Astra,” Thayen said from somewhere behind us.

  I might have answered, but I wasn’t sure. Melting in Brandon’s arms, I didn’t think I could keep myself awake for another minute. It didn’t matter, anyway. I’d done it. I’d opened a shimmering portal.

  This was the confirmation I’d needed—now I knew I could do it again and better. It was no longer a matter of “if” but rather of “when,” and that made me look forward to tomorrow. I only hoped I’d open a portal somewhere in The Shade where the enemy wouldn’t spot it right away. Brandon’s chest felt hard against my relaxed form, his taut muscles firm beneath the black leather. His scent filled my lungs, though I wasn’t sure what fragrances adorned his spirit—it was something sharp and vibrant, with only a tinge of sweetness. I breathed him in, glad to be in his arms.

  Soon I’d be in my bed. Part of me wished we could stay like this for a while longer, but darkness came over me and silenced the last stream of consciousness I had left. The world of dreams waited.

  Thayen

  Astra was incredible.

  It wasn’t the first time that she’d defied the odds—not even close—but this was a whole new level, even for her. I was insanely proud of her, proud of being part of the same family, of having been taught similar values and core strengths. This wouldn’t be the last amazing thing she would do, either.

  “She did it,” Myst said, watching Brandon as he carried Astra off to the treehouse residences. Hammer was right behind them, quiet and ever watchful. It was hard to look away from the creature, a savage but majestic dire wolf that carried a certain timeless wisdom in its Berserker-like gaze. He may be a beast, but something tells me there’s more on his mind than normal beastly things.

  “Yes, she did,” I replied, still astonished.

  The Aesir were like extensions of a Berserker or a Valkyrie’s spirit. Destroying one reduced their masters to mere wisps of deadly, festering darkness—most of whom were attracted to Haldor for some reason. I’d learned that some of Myst, Regine, and Brandon’s friends had become Haldor’s companions, his to play with for an eternity. Such a fate terrified me, but nothing filled me with more dread than the prospect of being stuck in this place forever while Hrista carried on with her agenda on our island.

  “She will be able to hold one open longer the more she practices,” Myst muttered after a long and pleasantly peaceful silence—the kind that came after a good meal or during a crimson sunset. Astra’s accomplishment deserved this quiet reverence. “I have faith that we will leave this nightmarish land soon.”

  “Which means Hrista was absolutely right to fear her,” I replied. We walked through the woods for a while, tiny figures among the giant redwoods, the fake sky covered by a sea of rustling leaves. There were animals here—animals I’d only caught glimpses of before. Strangely shaped deer and black rabbits with big, violet eyes were just two of the oddities of this alternative island. Nature had found its own way out here. It followed most of the original’s pattern, but there were deviations as well. It wasn’t hard to spot the difference once you spent a little more time walking around and observing the surroundings. “Astra is dangerous to her and her plans. With her abilities, Astra may be able to get us home.”

  “Not just that,” Myst said, staring ahead at the narrowing path. Wild violets and lilies grew on both sides, their stems stretching outward and casually bending under the weight of their fragranced blossoms. “Hrista controls the Berserkers’ access to Purgatory. I believe that’s done with the round crystal that Brandon mentioned, though I never saw it myself. I didn’t even know Hrista was here until we reached the villa... No one back home knows of what she has been doing, and if Astra can open shimmering portals, it means she can likely control the destination, as well.”

  “Oh, so the portals don’t only connect the real island to the fake one.”

  She shook her head. “No. I came through a shimmering portal from Purgatory, but I was wrestling a Berserker with ‘access’ at the time, much like Regine. I wouldn’t have been able to come through on my own. Astra could very well alert the forces of Order of what has happened if she can open a portal there. We should absolutely consider that once Astra gets her ability under control, and once the Shadians are safely back in the Earthly realm. We know too little about this place to let over five thousand people stay here for much longer.”

  “Have you dealt with these passageways before?”

  Myst laughed lightly, and it was meant to mock the question but all it did was make me smile, my heart fluttering in my chest. “Valkyries and Berserkers belong in Purgatory. We don’t just walk off through a shimmering portal like it’s everyday business. That’s Hrista’s thing, and it’s an unacceptable anomaly.”

  “Okay. That’s a no, then,” I replied, holding back a chuckle.

  “No.” Her laughter died as she looked at me. “Every realm functions on some basic principles. I simply observed this phenomenon of passing from one dimension to another and formed an opinion based on patterns. So far, Astra has proven me right on most of my theories, hence my confidence in her ability to do more.”

  We walked in silence for a while, gathering our thoughts and trying to move away from what we’d just witnessed with Astra. I’d noticed the closeness between her and Brandon. For her sake, I hoped it would lead somewhere good, though I did worry. Like Myst had just said, creatures of Purgatory belonged in Purgatory. If we prevailed against this new nemesis, things would eventually be pushed back into a state of normalcy. That meant the Berserkers and the Valkyries would return to their homes. Where would that leave Astra?

  It didn’t take a genius profiler to observe her emotions. She had them on display, whether she knew it or not. Astra was falling for Brandon, and Brandon was obviously fond of her too. If they had a chance at something, I wished it for them. Even though reality had a way of biting us when we least expected it. But deep down, I already knew why I wanted it to work between Astra and Brandon; it would spell a positive outcome for whatever this was growing between Myst and me. I wasn’t sure of much, but I knew the Valkyrie’s impact on me reached deep levels of my being—and not all of it could be attributed to her glorious nature, her splendor as a being of Purgatory. Our connection went far beyond the first impressions of grandeur that she clearly left on anyone who crossed her path.

  “Do you regret being here?” I asked, my lips moving before I could stop them. One thought had led to another, it seemed.

  Myst gave me a curious look. “What do you mean?”

  “If given the chance to do it all over again, would you?”

  “Yes,” she replied without hesitation. “Stopping Hrista is absolutely paramount.”

  Her dedication was impressive, but it wasn’t what I was trying to figure out. “What about us? The people you’ve met in the middle of this mess. Would you help us again like you did that day when Haldor came after us with his shadow hounds?”

  “Yes.” Again, there wasn’t a single pause between my question and her answer.

  “Good. I’m glad I met you, too,” I replied. I would’ve liked a more detailed answer, something that might satisfy my growing curiosity about her mindset and her emotions, but I had a feeling this was the most I would get from Myst.

  “My living days are far behind me. I don’t remember much of my life,” she said. We stopped under the eldest of the fore
st’s redwoods, a gargantuan tree that was as wide as a building and about as tall as a skyscraper. Its branches were heavy with rich clusters of leaves, its bark reddish-brown and wrinkled with age. The trunk could hold dozens of homes, yet no one had touched it. The residential area was pretty far away. “Life is only a faint memory in the back of my head,” Myst added, placing her palm against the hard and rugged bark. “Being around living people feels like a new experience, I’ll admit, even though I know it isn’t. I’d never left Purgatory since being chosen as a Valkyrie. As the memories of my life faded, it was the only thing I knew. At first, I felt lost and confused and even powerless against such an abrupt change, but once I adjusted, it made more sense. The same can be said about you, Thayen.”

  “Me?”

  “You confused me at first, but now… you make more sense,” she replied, the shadow of a smile flitting across her face.

  “How so?” I asked.

  “I answer to Order, and I function according to the laws of Order,” Myst said. “Every being of Purgatory is the same in that sense, and there are thousands, maybe more of us. My powers, my light, everything that I am is a defining feature of the function I serve. I bring glory and brightness, the reward of a life well lived and access to the beyond. Those I’m chosen to guide into that never-ending realm are people of valor and goodness. By contrast, Berserkers are darkness and wrath, a preliminary taste of what is in store for those who have done harm. The balance of the universe and its many dimensions dictates retribution. All of this I understand. Living, however, is a sum total of experiences and emotions and of decisions based on those experiences and emotions. It still feels foreign to me, but I’m beginning to understand why you say or do certain things. Or, better said, I’m beginning to remember why you say or do certain things.”

  This was a good time to ask her something I’d been wondering about. “You mentioned your powers, that each Valkyrie and Berserker has a defining ability. Would you mind telling me what yours is? What about Regine’s? Brandon’s? I know Haldor’s is that he’s like a magnet to the shadow hounds that serve him.”