One week later, at the castle gardens of Fort Maria…

Under the waning silver glow of the stars and the new moon of the evening sky, the air was both cold and crisply fresh. The scent of blood, and any trace of lingering despair held by those who had been condemned to death, now seemingly non-existent.

With Claire de la Lune’s hand held firmly in hers, and with Eris de Maria and Ser Kuarloc moving ahead of them both, Elena de L’Enfer made her way past well-kept rows of crystalline flora both exotic and rare, her destination set for the gates of Fort Maria. And then after that, Elicia willing, the City of Dreams in the deserts of the Dread Expanse down south.

And yet, she could not help but frown ever so slightly as she thought of the mercy killings that had been performed here upon the villagers of Light’s Edge. Now, the snow was pure and pristine, and it felt like all that she had seen and remembered were nothing more than dark memories derived from the maddening depths of a fever dream.

“Elena…?” Claire said as she looked on worriedly at her mistress, who had suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. “Is something the matter, my love?”

“I’m alright,” Elena answered, nodding right before giving her best smile to her beloved. “I’m just thinking, y’know, that for all the time we’ve stayed here, the two of us never had the chance to have a nice, romantic stroll through this pretty place…”

Claire frowned.

“Maybe. But, um… I wouldn’t exactly…”

“That’s understandable,” Eris answered, as she smiled forlornly at Claire. “There’s beauty in this place, but also...”

She then glanced momentarily at the pristineness of the snow and flora around them, and this smile of hers disappeared.

“Sorrow. You’re a lucky one, de la Lune. You’re lucky, that my devatas sensed a Vizier’s presence upon you.”

Elena looked at Eris, and frowned ever so slightly.

“What do you mean?”

“Aren’t you aware, elder sister?” Eris asked Elena in turn, before pulling back her hood to reveal, under the moonlight, an etching of angelic wings carved upon the side of her neck. “Archons and Viziers… are all drawn to each other, regardless of who we serve. We all share a common psychic link by merit of our own Archon’s bond with Elicia herself, and it allows for this. You are lucky. We’re all lucky, for that.”

“Right. Of course.”

“Wait. Lady Eris, did you just say, ‘sister’?” Claire asked, as she looked puzzledly at Eris, and then just as confusedly at her beloved mistress. “I didn’t know the two of you were…”

“Figure of speech, rather than… y’know, actual blood-ties,” Elena answered hastily. “While you were asleep… Eris and I, uh, got to talking, and now…”

“Nothing romantic happened between the two of us while you were asleep,” Eris added wryly as she pulled her hood back over her head. “To this, on our honour, Ser Kuarloc and I give you our word.”

Claire looked at both Eris and her Dullahan bodyguard, and furrowed her brow.

“Um, what do you mean…?”

“She’s just messing with ya!” Elena exclaimed, as she looked uneasily at both Claire and Eris. “Honest! I swear, by my phylactery, that nothing…”

She then raised a hand up towards the sky, only to stop herself mid-sentence when Claire looked away from her, and towards a lone devata knelt in the distance amidst a plot of glacial flowers, completely enraptured with her task of tending to the icy flora.

“Claire?”

“She’s right over there, I… have to…”

“Claire…!” Elena hissed, her voice now a low and sharp whisper as she held firm upon her beloved’s hand. “Look at me. Listen to me!”

“Listen…?” Claire rasped quietly in reply, her mouth agape as she took a step forward. “It’s so close, I must…”

Elena grit her teeth. Eris and Ser Kuarloc remained where they were, the former watching quietly alongside the latter, who readied its battleaxe.

“The blood…”

“Claire!” Elena whispered hurriedly, her gaze darting quickly between both her beloved and the devata who remained none the wiser. “Please, listen to me…”

“Wait,” Claire uttered softly, as she froze in place. “This voice. I know it…”

“Look at me, Claire. Into my eyes. Please.”

“Look at… you?”

“Yes. I need you to focus. Please.”

Slowly, with Elena’s hand still holding tightly onto hers, Claire turned around. She stared blankly in the direction of her mistress, her eyes wide open and her mouth still agape.

“Who… are you…?”

“Please, Claire. Take a deep breath, and look me in the eye.”

“Claire, you say…? Your voice is so familiar, I…”

“I need you to focus, Claire,” Elena stated yet again, her voice hushed with anguish. “Please.”

With her brown eyes closed shut, Claire took a deep breath. And after what felt like an eternity between moments, she opened her eyes and exhaled, sending out puffs of warmed air into the cold between both her and her mistress.

“I can’t do this, Elena...” Claire uttered, her words both breathless and dry. “I have to…”

“No. Don’t. Listen to me, Claire. Please.”

“Listen… to you?”

“Again. Please. One more time.”

“I need… I’ll…”

“Breathe, Claire.”

“Breathe…”

With her eyes closed, once again, Claire ground her feet against the snow and took another deep breath. And she exhaled, once more, opening her eyes wide to the sight of her beloved mistress, so clear within her vision. But also, the sight of the devata who was done with her gardening duties, and was now headed their way with her gardening implements packed neatly into a little box held in both hands.

“Elena, I…”

“It’s okay. Just focus on me no matter what, okay?” Elena whispered, as she leaned in to embrace her beloved. “No matter what, keep those eyes on me, and only me.”

“Look… at…”

“Good evening, Lady Eris, Ser Kuarloc.”

“Good evening to you, Sister Alanna. Are you done for the day?”

“I must…”

Claire grit her teeth. The devata had stopped to greet both Eris and her Dullahan bodyguard, and she could feel, so strongly, the call of mortal blood. It called to her, a warm heartbeat thumping constantly and powerfully upon her ears like a drum. Begging so loudly, if she would only answer its call in the only way she knew how.

“Yes, Lady Eris. I’m about to go get some supper.”

“Excellent.”

“She’s…” Claire gasped as she bit down upon Elena’s shoulder, her words almost inaudible with her teeth grinding against the fabric of her mistress’s longcoat. “So close, so close…”

“It’s okay, Claire,” Elena whispered in reply, coaxing out her words as softly and as warmly as she could. “Focus on me, alright?”

“Ele… na…”

“Umm, Lady Eris? Aren’t those your guests, over there? Are they… alright?”

“Yes, Sister. She’s just a little… cold,” Eris answered, both firmly and softly as she looked towards the keep. “You’d best be on your way to the mess hall, for your supper. I’m sure, Elicia, willing, that Brother Maxie is waiting for you.”

“Oh… right! Of course, my Lady!”

“Good girl.”

Being none the wiser, with her cheeks still blushed a bright red, the devata scurried off towards the warm fire and piping hot meal that awaited her in the keep, alongside the rush of companionship from her colleagues and friends. It was, truly, a well-deserved respite. And eventually, slowly but surely like a receding tide, the call of warm blood subsided within Claire’s consciousness, petering out into nothing but cold silence amidst the sounds of the night.

“Elena…”

“Nicely done, Claire,” Elena declared, smiling as she embraced her beloved with renewed strength. “You’re strong, y’know? I’m proud of ya.”

“Your shoulder…”

Elena shook her head.

“It’s fine. Just some saliva and teeth, is all. Personally, I’m more concerned about why that happened to in the first place.”

“I know, right…? Earlier, I thought I just had some…”

“Yeah. Weird, huh? I mean, I don’t know what went wrong, but…”

“I’m afraid that’s the true nature of the Blood Curse, elder sister,” Eris answered, causing both Elena and Claire to look at her. “The feral instinct to kill and consume. There’s a reason why the Vampire hunts, rather than drink cocktails of wine and blood.”

“But it worked for Lucid II and her ilk, didn’t it?”

“Yes. They’ve adapted to it, somehow. Over a long time of decades and centuries, possibly.”

“I suppose this little trip will have to be delayed, then,” Elena remarked out loud with a frown, as she looked first at Eris and Ser Kuarloc, and then at Claire. “Another week, probably.”

“That would be most prudent, elder sister.”

“And you’d let us stay?”

Solemnly, Eris nodded.

“I never said anything about eviction. And besides, this incident has shown that your servant is capable of… bearing this curse. At least, with you by her side.”

“Thank you, Lady Eris… Ser Kuarloc,” Claire said, before bowing to both Eris and her Dullahan bodyguard. “Thank you so much, for everything.”

“Yeah, little sis,” Elena added as she too, bowed as well. “Thanks.”

“You’d best retire to your quarters soon,” Eris remarked quietly to Claire, as both she and Ser Kuarloc began moving towards the keep. “Rest, and we shall decide what to do next, later.”

With a smile and a nod, Elena took Claire’s hand into hers once more, and followed in Eris and Ser Kuarloc’s wake. Back to the guest quarters, where the trip to the City of Dreams would have to wait. At least, for a little while longer.