When Blood Runs Cold - Chapter 236

“This war has been going on for far too long,” she sighs languorously. “Its about time Faey learnt the meaning of peace again. I think King Soren has made the right choice, I stand with him,” she announces firmly, bringing her fist over her heart: a sign of allegiance.

I smile.

“Lilyana?” Igor splutters in disbelief from above her head, staring down with a mixture of anger and confusion. But the curly haired woman- who mills perfectly at ease around the vampires- hardly bothers to spare him a glance. Flicking back her hair as she pats down her robes, Lilyana’s eyes settle on me, though the words she speaks are for someone else.

“Sorry, Igor. Your days of puppeteering are over.”

To this, Igor has nothing to say. His mouth continues to work furiously in silent confusion, but no words manage to escape, for there are no words left to say.

Then another flicker of movement catches my eye. Stepping down from the dais, Fangorn prances towards her, his long cape trailing like wings behind him. With a proud, beaming smile he scoops her up in his arms and places a long kiss upon her cheek, nuzzling his face into her neck.

“I may be no angel,” he announces, just loud enough that the crowd can here. “But I have awaited a treaty of peace for many hundreds of years. At last it would seem my time has come. I stand with King Soren.”

A small pang of grief twinges at the chords of my heart as I watch this scene play out. They way Fangorn holds Lilyana- it is as though he half expects her to slip through his fingers and off into the night once more. Then there is a grim realisation. The realisation that I am the soul course for their separation, and that somewhere in her heart, I know that Lilyana has not forgiven me for my past actions.

I can hear it beating like a drum: her lingering disdain tremors in each heartbeat. But as her eyes meet mine once more, she has the confidence enough to send me a brief, tight smile.

I suppose that is good enough. Beside me, Serena squeezes my hand, watching the same reunion as me with a cautious but tender gaze. Noticing I have not pulled my eyes away for a few long moments, she gives my hand another tender squeeze, as if to say:  It’s okay.

“Look,”  she whispers lowly, indicating with a dip of her head to a commotion that is coming from above us. Slowly but surely, angels begin to drop down from the eaves into the space below.

“I do, I stand with King Soren and Queen Serena,” says an angel, landing down to the ground beside Lilyana with a heavy thud. Folding their wings neatly behind them, they link hands with Lilyana, sharing a small smile.

“And I,” comes another, then another, a series of voices rising up in union in response to my plea for peace. Angel’s continue to land on the ground beside Lilyana, their faces shining with pride, their eyes trained on the Queen of the angels whose hand is entwined in my by my side. Between them, they each form a link, their hands grasped in each others while the buzz of magic darts around their forms. Even some of my vampires- at least the more daring ones, manage to slip their way amongst the crowd.

At last, only Igor is left, his face flushed with embarrassment and his eyes remarkably widened as he observes the hordes of angels below his feet: angels he thought were in his control.

I suppose he was remarkably wrong on that count.

“But,” he splutters, his unwillingness causing several vampires and angels alike to glare at him from the ground, hisses running like wild badgers through the crowd.

“What do you have to lose Igor?” One angel calls from the amass of white wings and sparkling eyes. “We are all tired of losing our brethren in a war that isn’t even our own any more, just join us for heavens sake.”

“Yeah,” comes another voice, raising a fist in anger. “We will get the flame back, and our Queen has a hold on Sezeria, what more do you want?”

To this, Igor has no answer, his face paling as he sees his kingdom he worked so hard to puppet slipping like butter from his grasp. Never in a thousand year the leader of the council of the angels presume he would see the day where peace had once again reached the hearts and vampires and angels alike, or even a temporary agreement for that matter. For in the pounding of his heart I can hear fear, humiliation for the situation he has been put in, and rage. Pure seething rage that his kind would surrender themselves over at such a whim. He thought they were stronger than that, that they could win a war if they so desired, because they are warriors.

But from the relief that spikes all the other angel’s hearts, the way their minds and hearts leap with the prospect of peace and a future not filled with death, I can tell his thoughts are not shared ones.

And so Igor flutters alone in the eaves, straying here and there, his mind whizzing, his chest pounding. Even from down here, I can practically hear his blood spiking to boiling point as shame crosses his face in a cold, red flush.

At last after seconds have passed, Serena steps forward beside me.

“What is your decision, Igor? Do you stay? Or do you want to leave? The choice is yours.”

Igor does not answer immediately, his lips stammering over unvoiced words for a moment, before his lips twist into a cruel grin. Prodding a finger down at the new Queen of Sezeria, he cackles:

“And who is going to take your place, huh? How do you expect a kingdom to rule without its Queen. Illistrae has no heir! You will leave us to crumble!”

“Actually,” Serena buts in, raising her hands for the cries of protest to die down around her. “I have appointed two people who can take over me, and knowing their history with vampire kind, I expect they will do a fine job of keeping the peace.”

Curling a finger into the crowd of angels, her eyes meet her first representative. It is obvious that Serena has yet to inform her two representatives of their role. Though naturally she has been unable to, being trapped in Azrael’s conniving grasp for several toiling days. So as she points at the lady with her fingers clutched round a vampires, the red markings of a guardian dotted around her face, a small gasp is ushered around the crowd. At first there is a notion of shock upon her features, disbelief. Then she places her free hand to her chest, and mouths:

“Me?”

But as Serena gives a little affirmative nod, that disbelief swiftly fades as she attempts to allow a wash of calm to overcome her body. After all, a ruler must be strong in their emotions.

Leaving her vampire associate behind, Lilyana wades through the crowd of wings, her own bony stubs fluttering with anticipation as she takes herself up to the dais. There is a shakiness visible in her hands, a quiver in her lip, but less out of fear than excitement as she places herself before us both, bowing slightly in the shadows that stretch out before us.

“Lilyana, long time friend of the vampires and supporter of the peace,” Serena announces, beckoning me to pass over the eternal flame, which I do so with a gracious bow. “From henceforth, she will become the protector of the flame. It will be her duty to ensure its safety, and that its magic is distributed evenly and fairly amongst all finds. To aid you in this endeavour,” she adds, curling her fingers once more to the tall, dark haired vampire who loiters amongst the crowd of angels, starkly out of place. Upon noticing he is being called, his head darts up, as though not used to being called on in such a public manner.

I suppose after years of living under cover and drinking in the back rooms of the Siren’s Tavern, that tends to happen to you. A small chuckle escapes my lips.

Gingerly Fangorn tip toes his way to Lilyana, the two of them sharing a shocked but grateful look. Neither of them had been informed of their new positions before this moment in time, and I can imagine like any decision of this calibre would be, it turns out to be quite a shock for them. But nonetheless the two of them appear to take the new opportunity graciously, bowing at the waist as they face us once more.

“Fangorn, a man previously made infamous for his love affair with an angel. As a symbol of our goodwill, and our encouragement at a changing of our old ways, we would like to appoint you as Lilyana’s second in rule. You are to represent the wishes and the needs of the vampires in the angel community, and ensure their wishes are represented by you on their behalf.” Then Serena turns, her eyes scanning the crowds as she raises her voice to ask:

“Does anyone have a problem with this preposition?”