Blackstar

No one saw Alexi the following day. My role and Vera’s seemed to switch. Now she was the one taking care of me. After lunch, though, I went into the throne room. I waited in the back. The King and Queen were talking with a village person.

“I don’t know what to do,” the man was saying, gripping his hat in his hands. “If the rain continues like this, it will flood the crops.”

The King nodded thoughtfully. “We will create a fence,” he said slowly, nodding at the squire to take notes. “Something sturdy and solid so it can keep the water out.”

The man bowed deeply. “Thank you so much, Your Highness,” he breathed in relief and backed out.

“Ah, Vera, Raven,” the King said when he saw us. “How are you, Raven?”

I adjusted my scarf, making sure it still hid the bite marks.

“I would like to ask for your permission to leave,” I said.

“What!?” the three of them cried.

I looked at my feet. “I’ve brought danger to your castle,” I explained, trying to keep my voice firm. “I don’t know what my destiny is but I can’t put your lives at risk. You’ve been so good to me.”

The King got off his throne and stood before me, gripping my shoulders. “You are not leaving us,” he said, holding my gaze fiercely. “We will help you battle whatever is attacking you.”

I started to cry. “But why?”

Vera held my hand, tears glistening in her eyes. “You’re my best friend, Raven,” she whispered and I swallowed thickly. She hugged me tightly. “You can’t go.”

I hesitated but hugged her back.

“You’ve become part of the family,” the Queen said. “If Alexi hears about this….”

“Hears about what?”

Alexi had entered the throne room looking dead on his feet. His hair was disheveled and he was still in the clothes he wore the day before. He had a shadow of stubble on his chin and a book gripped tightly in his hand.

“Nothing,” I said quickly and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What book do you have?”

“Follow me please,” he said. “All of you.”

He led us to the library and we all sat around the desk. Orrin bowed out.

“What is it, son?” the King asked while Alexi sat, pulling papers out of a drawer.

“I’ve been doing research,” he began and sighed heavily. “We’re going on a trip. When I say we, I mean Father and I,” he added swiftly.

I frowned. “Where are you going?”

“It was Vera who gave me the idea,” Alexi said as if he hadn’t heard me. “There are two vampire colonies just outside our kingdom.” He pulled out a hand drawn map and a page of hastily scrawled notes. We all bent over them. “The one closest to us is dying out. The other is relatively new. Whoever it is that’s attacking Raven is from one of them.”

“It’s the first one,” I said without thinking. “The voice kept saying ‘When I’m stronger’. If the first colony is dying out then it would seem that’s where he is.”

The King nodded. “I agree.”

“Then it’s settled,” Alexi said firmly and stood back up. “Father, we leave in three days.”

“I’m coming,” I said but Alexi glared at me.

“You are going to stay in this castle under constant supervision,” he said firmly and I glared back. “I will not risk putting you in danger.”

“I’m in danger no matter where I go,” I argued and pulled the scarf off. The family winced at the bite marks. “The door was shut, the windows were locked. Whoever this person or being is, they can get me no matter where I am.”

“I don’t care,” Alexi said stubbornly. “You’re staying here and I won’t hear another word about it.”

I clenched my jaw and stormed out, slamming the library door behind me.

-Alexi’s POV-

“That went over well,” I sighed, sitting back down.

“I’ll go talk to her,” Vera said and hurried after Raven.

“This is very dangerous,” my mother said fretfully. “We’ll send some guards.”

“No,” I shook my head. “Father and I are going without our colors. We will be ordinary people to the colony.”

My mother’s eyes widened. “That’s ridiculous, Alexi!”

“He’s right,” my father said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. “If we come marching in with a battalion of guards, we’ll be attacked and the whole kingdom will be at risk.”

“And what are we to do while you’re gone?” she asked angrily. “Sit and wait in anguish!?”

I swallowed thickly. “Look, I know it’s not the most ideal decision, but it’s the best we can do.”

My mother shook her head and left, too, but didn’t slam the door.

“I guess we both have women to calm down,” my father sighed and we walked out together. “You’re certain you want to come, son?”

“I have to,” I said, running a hand across my rough chin. “I’m not going to let this mysterious attacker get away with what he has done.”

“You truly care for her, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.”

My father nodded. We were outside of Vera’s room. I could hear Raven yelling but I couldn’t make out what she was saying. My father grimaced.

“Good luck,” he muttered and I chuckled.

“And to you as well,” I returned.

He clapped me on the back and walked off. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“Don’t you dare open that door!” I heard Raven yell.

But Vera opened it anyway, looking harassed. “It took you long enough,” she hissed.

She stepped aside but before I could say anything, a pillow collided with my head.

“Get out or it’ll be something heavier!”

I shook my head and, ignoring her protests, I dragged her down to my bedroom.

“You’re making a scene,” I chastised as we passed servants who looked scandalized.

“You are not the boss of me,” she snapped as I pushed her in my room.

I shut the door and turned to her. She had thrown herself in the armchair by the fire, arms and legs crossed tightly. Her eyes were wild and her face was flushed.

“I know you’re not happy about this,” I began and she laughed.

“What was your first clue?”

I closed my eyes and sat across from her. “It wasn’t an easy decision to make, Raven,” I said, not looking her in the eye. “I was up half the night trying to come up with an alternate plan. I can’t find any other way around it. If this colony is the one that’s after you, if you go there they’ll attack you on sight.”

Raven stood up and went to my window, looking out at the grounds. I waited for her to speak.

“Do you realize how painful this is?” she said finally, her voice thick. “Can you imagine what it feels like to be attacked, have someone find your attacker, and then refuse you to fight back?”

“I’ve read about vampires, Raven,” I said. I stood up and went behind her. She was hugging herself. “They’re nearly impossible to beat.”

“So what do you plan on doing? Have a peaceful conversation?”

I rubbed my temples. “I haven’t gotten there yet,” I admitted. She hung her head. “I know you want to go but it just isn’t safe.”

She spun to face me, her eyes glistening with tears. “If it’s not safe for me, how is it safe for you?”

“It isn’t,” I said. “But I can’t risk putting you in danger.”

“And you think I can risk putting you in danger?” she whispered and I frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“This isn’t about me going,” she said, blushing a little but holding my gaze. “This is about me not wanting you to go.”

“Wait. What?”

“I don’t want you to go,” she said simply. “I want you to send someone else.”

I was confused. “Why would it matter? I’m just as capable as-”

Before I could continue, she threw her arms around me and kissed me. I hesitated, surprised at the sudden display of affection. Her eyes were shut tight but tears still fell. I closed my eyes and leaned into her kiss, running my hand through her hair.

She pulled back a little and stared deep into my eyes. “I don’t want you to get hurt,” she whispered.

I brushed a strand of hair from her face, still holding her waist.

“And I don’t want you to get hurt anymore.”

“I’ve dealt with pain all my life. That orphanage I grew up in…. We had daily beatings. Then I came here and all this Blackstar stuff started.” She shook her head and touched my cheek. “Alexi, I’m used to pain. I can handle it.”

“You’re very brave,” I said quietly, kissing her fingers. “But I can’t do it. I can’t trust anyone else to do this.”

She sighed and made to walk away but I held her firmly, kissing her again. She froze for a few seconds then melted, pressing her body against mine and kissing me passionately. I could taste the tears on my tongue as our tongues moved together. Never before had I felt such passion, such… love.

And that only made everything harder.

-Raven’s POV-

I put my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. The thought of him going out there on my behalf and being injured tore at me. I couldn’t stand to even think it. I gripped him tightly, trying to suppress another wave of tears, when he began to hum.

I don’t know what it was but it felt soothing, the vibration through his chest. I felt myself start to relax. One hand was still in my hair but the other was rubbing my back gently. He continued to hum and kissed the top of my head.

“I will be okay,” he promised.

“You’re leaving in three days?” I asked and felt him nod. I gulped. “Very well.”

“Thank you,” he whispered.

I couldn’t think of anything to say but it didn’t matter anyway. He resumed humming and, eventually, I picked up on the tune and sung along with him.

-

Half an hour later, we went down for dinner. I was tired from all the crying I had done. When we got to the table, it looked like Queen Vittoria had the same reaction to the news. Her eyes were puffy and she didn’t speak much.

“Raven,” Vera said and I looked at her. “The village is having a special festival tomorrow. We usually go to it. Would you like to join us?”

I smiled. I knew she was trying to make everyone feel better and I appreciated it.

“It sounds like fun.”

The atmosphere around the table lifted and we started to eat.