Across the Darkest Realm

By Ashley L. Castillo

The Children of Terra possess the Light Stones that hold the key to the world’s salvation. But to find the next one, they must venture beyond the dead…
With the fate of those she loves still hanging in the balance, Diana and her partner Tase are faced with the daunting task of venturing into the sinister Realm of the Undead seeking aid from Amaia, the Queen of the Vampires.
But obtaining the Amaia’s Light Stone will force them to go toe to toe against the Vampire Queen within the strange Onyx Castle where she makes her own rules, and nothing and no one is safe from her game.
Cut off from Tase and stranded in a hostile and unfamiliar world, Diana must learn to navigate court intrigue, and gossip like her life depends on it.
But this Realm is no safe place for a Human – even one prophecized to save the world – and if Diana hopes to escape the Vampire Queen’s nefarious games, she’ll need more than a little luck to make it out in one piece…
Tase is no stranger to the Vampire Queen’s ploys – but he never could have foreseen how far she’d go to end their quest. Pushed to his limits and grappling with impossible choices, Tase quickly finds himself torn between his loyalty to his Masters and his newfound love for Diana.
Can Diana and Tase outplay the infamous Vampire Queen and retrieve the Light Stone? Or will they lose everything they now hold dear in the barren and gray Realm of the Undead?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
• Release date: Dec 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662929397

Book preview

Raini had fallen asleep in her chair again when the sound of the pounding knock came. It was the middle of the night. Outside her windows, the town was dark. Her son never knocked like that when he came to visit. But who else would it be at this late hour?

Raini wrapped her cloak around her shoulders, staving off the chill that seemed never to leave her these days, and opened the door.

Outside, in the shadow of her doorway, stood a man wearing a dark hood. For a moment, Raini thought it was the God of Death coming to make good on their bargain, but then the face lifted into the firelight.

It was a face Raini had seen thousands of times within the pages of the book that had been tucked beneath her bed for years. Whether it was Everly, her ancient ancestor, who had made the drawing or another, the artist had perfectly captured the image of him. It seemed as if he hadn’t aged at all, with the same strong jawline, Dragon-shaped eyes tilted at the sides, and flattened nose.

Ryu, Master of Dragons, be welcome to the country of Terrene. Please, come in, Raini said in a smooth voice as she opened the door for her visitor.

He entered, and Raini bolted the door behind him. When she turned to face him, he stood, back to her, as he lowered the hood of his cloak, revealing a smooth bald scalp. He was looking appreciatively around her house, from the chair that was still rocking to her open bedroom door.

His glance seemed to drink in its surroundings. Raini prayed to the Mother Goddess that he wouldn’t notice the bloody handkerchief that had fallen from her hands when she’d jolted awake, which was now half-hidden by the hastily thrown blanket.

Raini kept as calm as she possibly could. It had been many long months since the last time she’d seen her granddaughter Diana. Yet, that last day they’d parted still haunted Raini’s memories, and guilt ate away at her conscience.

Raini had told Diana to leave and had attempted to give Diana the book beneath her bed, which would’ve helped her, given her history and insight into the Creatures across the Realms she’d soon face. But, stubborn as always, Diana had refused, only accepting the pack with a few items, a map, and the instructions to seek out the Dragon Master Ryu in the Land of the Beasts to the Northeast. And yet, now he stood in her living room.

This is a most unexpected surprise, Raini heard herself say as if from far away. Won’t you sit? I’ll make us some tea.

Ryu nodded and then moved to the kitchen table, sitting in the seat Diana had always favored, and made himself at ease. The Dragon’s hands were folded in his lap, but his eyes continued to roam across her small living space.

Raini moved past him to her kitchen, wondering why the old Dragon was here. She knew the smoke from the mountain had stopped. The reports from the soldiers a few weeks ago had confirmed it. Overnight, the telltale smoke that had heralded the signal that the Creature beneath the mountain was stirring, suddenly, mysteriously disappeared. While many had been hopeful that it might signal Diana’s return, Raini had no such hope, though she didn’t know why it had stopped or where her granddaughter was.

Long ago, when she was a young girl, her father had taught her many things—little life lessons, he’d called them. One of the things he’d taught her, and trained her to do well, was to make people talk. Not under torture, or with pain as he’d told her they used to do in days long gone, but with discomfort.

The longer the silence stretched, the more difficult people found the urge to stay silent, wanting to fill the void. Raini was an expert at this tactic and hoped that her ploy would pay off and that Ryu would tell her more than he intended.

Raini took her time, taking her kettle out, rinsing it, filling it with water, and setting it to boil. Meanwhile, she made a good show of shuffling through her cabinet, taking down just about everything in it until she got to the green tea in the back. Then she slowly placed everything back where it belonged.

She might have been forced to send Diana to seek Ryu’s aid, but that didn’t mean she felt comfortable serving him tea. The ancient book passed down from chief to chief upon death had spoken much about the long bloody war that had nearly destroyed everything after Eva had perished beneath the mountain.

Chaos had ruled as the Children of Terra that survived the mountain; Ryu, Shaylee, Laiken, and Amaia had battled against each other and the Human race, slaughtering without mercy for years before peace was struck.

But Raini believed, while Ryu might be only one of their many enemies, he was a much smaller problem than the Creature that dwelled beneath the mountain. And so, for now, they were uneasy allies.

By the time the teakettle began to whistle, she could feel Ryu’s impatient eyes on her. Raini took the pot off the heat and set it aside, reaching for two small cups. Only now did she turn back to the Dragon with a soft, motherly smile. The brown eyes tinged with gold were watching her. She saw them flicker across her face and then down along her failing body.

She set the teapot down along with the cups. Then Raini turned back for the tea leaves, taking her time silently adding them to the pot so that now, they’d take a while to steep. Then, as if she’d forgotten, Raini made a noise of displeasure and turned back to the kitchen, rummaging for only a few short moments before she pulled out the tin of butter cookies. They were Diana’s favorite, and Raini hadn’t made them since she left. These were old and hard as rocks, perfect for her unwanted visitor.

Now that everything was artfully arranged on the table, Raini sat herself down across from her visitor. It was only a moment before the Dragon’s eyes flicked to the teapot.

Allow me, Ryu said, indicating that he’d pour the tea.

Raini gestured graciously for him to go ahead, and there were several long silent moments as the green wafting tea settled into the cup.

Oh, I forgot the honey, Raini said with a bemused glance at Ryu. It’ll just be a moment.

She pushed backward from her table, about to go and pretend she didn’t know precisely where her jar of honey was, but the Dragon stopped her.

No need. I don’t take honey in my tea.

What a coincidence, neither do I, Raini said through her teeth as she sat back down.

She played her hands along the cup’s hot surface, making a great show of taking a few long sips. When Ryu said nothing, she thought that perhaps this tactic only worked on Humans. Raini drained her cup and then lifted the pot to pour herself another cup of tea. With a silent gesture, she asked if he wanted more. The Dragon nodded and smiled, showing a flash of white teeth.

You look so like her, the Dragon said, trying to bait her into a conversation, into giving something away.

Yes, I know, Raini said, smiling, and then sipped her tea.

I don’t think you do, Ryu said after setting down his cup. You do look like your granddaughter, the same hair, eyes, hands, and even perhaps personality, from what I can tell. But that’s not who I mean. I meant that you look almost exactly like my sister, Eva.

Raini smiled as if she had no idea who he was talking about.

That’s kind of you to say. Eva must have been quite beautiful then, Raini said with a small laugh.

Oh, yes. My little sister was beautiful. She was wild, headstrong, and foolish, but I did love her. Just as you love your granddaughter, no doubt.

Of course, Raini said, wondering how much tea she was going to have to drink and how many times she’d have to wake up in the middle of the night to pee until he started telling her what she wanted to know.

Ryu smiled across the table from her, like a cat with a mouse beneath his paws.

Diana left my home several days ago. I’ve gotten to know her quite well as we trained together. She spoke of you often, of her home, her friends, her people. She’s a most loving and devoted girl, Ryu informed her.

Yes. Diana was always dutiful, Raini demurred.

Yes, she told me how you alone knew what the smoke meant, how you told her to come to us. She told me she left everything here behind, on your word alone. I wonder, Rayanara, does that make you feel guilty? Do you not sleep because you blame yourself for her leaving, for her eventual death?

Oh, Raini said with a small, sad smile. I blame myself for many things, but sending my granddaughter to fulfill her destiny isn’t one of them. Tell me, Lord of Beasts, why are you unable to rest?

Ryu sneered at her and drained his cup.

I see I was right about the personalities being similar. Your granddaughter has a sharp wit and a sharp tongue as well.

Raini nodded graciously at his compliment and poured them both another round of tea.

As soon as she set the pot back down, Ryu continued, Your granddaughter performed a great service for me. The kind I can never repay. I made a bargain with her, and so I’m here to deliver.

The Dragon reached inside his cloak and pulled out two thick letters. He tapped them tantalizingly on the table, but Raini’s hands stayed on her mug. She took another sip of tea.

One is for you, the other for your son. I assume that Diana got the notion of a war from you. She’s determined that all the Beasts of land and sea come together for one final poetic battle in the end. Should she fail, and should the Creature beneath the mountain get free, it’ll take all of us to stop it. It’s a sweet notion, though completely inaccurate. Though we may draw up battle plans, and though the Gods themselves might help us, once that Creature’s loose, no one but your granddaughter can stop him.

It was a curious notion Diana had conceived, an epic battle. The ultimate fight between life and death if she failed. While Ryu seemed to give Raini credit for the idea, she wouldn’t dissuade him of the notion since she assumed her granddaughter must’ve had a good reason to condone such a thing.

Diana was nothing if not excessively caring, going out of her way to save and help anyone she could. Something must’ve happened within Ryu’s Realm to give Diana the idea.

As much as another war, should it come to that, might be detrimental for the world, Raini couldn’t fault Diana’s logic, despite what Ryu said. If Diana failed to kill the Creature that dwelled beneath the mountain before it broke free, it would destroy everything. So perhaps the plan was to go out fighting.

So, tell me then, Master of Dragons, why have you come? Raini asked, knowing full well that she’d told Diana to save Terrene and the world but had never mentioned a war.

To deliver the letters, he said, slyly pushing the envelopes halfway across the table, but he didn’t take his hand from them. And to tell you that your granddaughter’s preparing for war. Many Beasts have sworn to aid her. I’ve come to make war plans with you at your granddaughter’s bidding. My people and yours will unite and fight together for the first time in centuries.

Raini smiled and nodded as if that had been her plan all along. She was incredibly impressed by whatever Diana had done to convince the Dragons. Raini had never expected to fight alongside them, let alone any of the other Creatures across the safety of the barrier.

I’ll return, the Dragon said, draining the last dregs of tea from his cup, in a month. That’ll allow you and your son to read what Diana has sent for you and to begin preparations. When I return, we’ll speak with your son and plan your granddaughter’s war.

Ryu stood, leaving the letters where they lay in the center of the table. He began walking to her door but stopped. His head snapped to the side, looking at the floor by her blanket. Raini silently cursed the Gods. She’d almost pulled it off, almost gotten him out.

The Dragon turned. There was pain in his eyes, though she knew it must be a ruse.

How much time do you have left? he asked gently.

As much time as the Gods chose to give me, Raini said. See you soon, Master Dragon. May you have a safe journey home.

His eyes flashed with amusement. Then Ryu was out the door and into the darkness beyond. Raini waited for the space of two heartbeats after he left to reach across the table and touch the letters from her granddaughter.

~

WAKE UP, Luke bellowed as he came crashing into their shared house.

Jason and Jordan sat up, one from the floor, the other from the chair, and rubbed their bleary eyes. Cain, who’d been sprawled across the sofa when Luke had stormed in, was sitting up, glaring at him.

What? We just fell asleep like, I don’t know, twenty minutes ago. It’s not even sunrise.

Get up. We need to go, now, Luke commanded, knocking their feet and heads with his lumbering limbs as he pushed them to get up.

What’s your problem? Jordan whined as he stood up and stretched.

We need to go see Alexander. Right now.

What happened? Cain asked, snapping to attention.

I’ll tell you when we get there. Let’s move.

The men were used to such commands, even in the wake of sleeplessness. They perked up and followed Luke outside. He led the way, weaving quickly in and out of the town’s darkened streets before they came to the back of the book shop where Alexander still slept.

Luke threw open the back door, leaving the other men to follow him in. No sooner had they closed the door behind them than Luke kicked open Alexander’s door.

Alexander, wake up! Luke said while the others crowded into the room.

Jason lit a match and set to work on the candles while Alexander sat up, startled in bed.

What’s, what’s going on? Alexander asked nervously, reaching beside his pillow to grab his glasses.

Just as he pressed them to his face, Jordan sat down where they’d been a moment before and made himself comfortable. Alexander scooted over, making room for him. It wasn’t the first time they’d all come barreling into his room, and Luke knew with the way things were going in Terrene, it wouldn’t be the last.

We don’t know. The Lion’s got a bee up his ass and won’t tell us what’s the matter. So here we are, Cain said with an easy shrug as he leaned up against Alexander’s wall.

Luke stood towering in the center of the room. He knew it was going to sound crazy. He began to pace while the guards and Alexander watched him. No one spoke for a long minute. Then Luke stopped walking and addressed them as they lay sprawled across the room.

Do any of you remember where I was guarding tonight? he asked, looking around hopefully.

Jason and Jordan instantly answered, No, and Alexander shook his head.

You were at Raini’s, Cain said, sounding bored.

That’s right, Luke said excitedly. I was at Raini’s. Now, Alexander, you remember all that weird shit that was going on before Diana left? You remember when she got hurt but wasn’t gone for more than a minute. And those last days when she made you stay in the library and was searching for something?

Alexander nodded and then had to push his glasses back on his nose.

Yes, I remember. But, but what’s that got to do with you, in here, right, right now? Alexander asked, just as perplexed as the rest of them.

I’m getting to it. You know Diana was acting strange, and we should’ve known something was going on. But instead, I trusted Raini, and poof, next thing we know, Diana’s gone. Off to save the world or whatever type of horse shit, the Chief and his mother want us to believe. Now look, I’m loyal to Terrene until the day I die, but we all know they aren’t telling us the truth, right?

The men nodded, and then Jason had to ask, Okay, we know. We’ve talked about it before. But that’s not a reason to wake us up. What did you see?

I was standing outside Raini’s house. And I was bored. You know how it is standing, staring at the same thing hour after hour. Then, all of a sudden, I hear knocking. I look up, and there’s this cloaked figure in front of her door. Now, I swear, no matter how bored I was, I wasn’t sleeping. I didn’t miss anything. The man was just there when he hadn’t been a minute before. I figured he had to fly and land there. There was no other way for him to come. If he’d walked down the alley, I would’ve seen him. If he’d come from the trees behind the house, I would’ve seen him, but he seemed to just drop right out of the sky.

They were staring at him now, in utter disbelief. They thought he was crazy. But Luke couldn’t stop.

But the crazy thing is, Raini, she just smiled and opened the door. It was almost like she was expecting him. It was creepy. So, I crept forward, hoping to hear something, but I found like— Luke pushed forward with his arms to show them. If they’d thought him crazy before, they’d think him utterly mad now.

There was like a wall, or something, that I couldn’t get past. I followed it all around the house, and I couldn’t break through it even with my weapons. It was creepy as shit, but there was nothing there. So when I couldn’t get any closer, I went over to the kitchen window to see if I could see inside.

Now the guards and Alexander were nodding eagerly. They might think he was nuts, but they were hooked now.

What, what did you see? Alexander asked.

Nothing, just the man’s hands on the table. They were drinking tea. Then, the next thing I know, the door’s opening again. I ran over. I don’t know what I was going to do, stop him, question him, lock him up? But as soon as the man exited, he looked up right at me, like he knew I’d been there. His eyes were the only things I could see beneath his hood.

Luke paused, shook his head, and looked imploringly at his comrades.

They were eyes that had pieces of gold in them. They saw right through me. I was so terrified in that one moment that I almost shit myself. And then he was gone, just gone, as if he’d never been there. I ran over to check on Raini, but before I could knock on the door, she doused the fire. I saw her do it. She was just fine. I didn’t want her to know I was there, so I ran to get you guys.

So, what does any of this mean? Cain asked angrily.

Have you ever heard of something like that in your books? Luke asked Alexander. A Creature that can fly, with golden eyes, that’s scary as shit and could be friends with the Chief?

Alexander took off his glasses and rubbed his temples. But when he looked back up at Luke, there was pity in his eyes.

I know you want, want answers, for where Diana is. I understand, I, I do, too. But all kinds of Monsters could fit that description. It could take us, take us weeks, or months of searching the bookstore, and the library, and even, even then, we might not be able to know what it was. And even if we do, how, how does that help? Alexander asked.

Luke sighed, all his agitation fading into his usual, calm stillness.

I feel like we all failed her. And maybe with this clue, we can find her or help her. I don’t know. I don’t like the thought that Diana’s out there somewhere on her own. We should be with her, Luke told them.

The other guards sighed. It was something that they’d spoken of often. As much as their lives had kept them busy, they all keenly felt the absence of the girl they’d briefly learned to love.

We, we can figure it out, Alexander said, nodding encouragingly to them. Just not right, right now. I’ll get some extra pillows and blankets. You guys, you guys can sleep here. In the morning, we can start looking.

Luke nodded but felt guilty. He knew Alexander, and his father didn’t have much. But what they didn’t have in possessions, they made up in kindness. Alexander came back with an arm full of thin, worn sheets and pillows that had seen better days. The guards took them gratefully, settling in on the floor, Alexander amongst them, and out went the candles.

It was a long time before any of them fell asleep, their whispered conversations carrying on into the early morning hours.

Around midday, the men were all disheartened. Alexander had been right. They’d spent the morning tearing the book shop apart as they pulled book after book off the shelf. The list of what the Creature might have been kept growing longer and longer.

This isn’t going to work, Cain said, slamming shut another unhelpful book. I’m going to repeat myself. We should go to Julius and tell him what you saw. Maybe he can get it out of his mother, or maybe he’ll tell us something?

Or, Jordan added helpfully, he’ll throw us in the cells for telling him his mother’s conspiring with the enemy.

Yes, it’s not a good idea, Jason said. And anyway, the Chief’s always busy in meetings. The only one who should go talk to him is Alexander.

No, no, not me, Alexander said, shaking his head. I didn’t see anything. And, and the Chief’s busy today. There’s a council meeting today.

Why aren’t you there instead of here with us then? Luke asked as he picked up and flipped through another book.

Oh, I’m not, not needed today. Today the council members are, discussing food rations for, for the Castle, Alexander explained.

Just then, the shop door swung open. The men all looked up as the tinkling bells jingled, and Julius, Chief of Terrene, entered the shop. The Chief smiled at the looks of shock on the faces that greeted him.

Just the man I wanted to see, Julius said, nodding to them in greeting as he addressed Alexander. Tomorrow morning, I’d like you and your father to come to the Castle Library. I have something vital to discuss with you.

Alexander swallowed and nodded as the Chief waved goodbye and left the shop. As soon as the door closed, there was a clamor of excited voices that began to plot what came next in their search for Diana.

Diana rolled over and stretched, sending a spasm of pain down her back and into her legs. She could’ve been sore from climbing the mountain at the edge of the world. Tase had led her up to its beautiful haunting edge. They’d stayed up there the whole day and spent the night together under the stars.

Yesterday morning, they’d climbed back down, making a smooth descent, and then spent the rest of the day inside the tent and within the bedsheets, which was another reason she could be sore. Diana groaned and rolled over, only to find the space next to her empty and the sheets cold.

She opened her eyes and snuggled within the sheets, rolling over to face the tent. Tase was sitting at the table, his hands wrapped around a coffee mug, staring into the liquid but not seeing anything at all.

Diana had noticed Tase doing this more and more the last few days. She knew there was something on his mind, but every time she prodded him with questions, she was left with more and more silence.

It had been odd those first few days, learning more about each other than they’d ever known before. Tase had opened up to her about some things. He’d always been more reserved, and so when he did open up to her, telling her a little of his past, she listened with the utmost care.

Tase had told her he didn’t know who his parents were, that the Masters had raised him. He told her, too, about some of his travels across the world, walking far and wide in service of his Masters. But still, occasionally, there would be questions he wouldn’t answer.

Diana was as understanding as she could be, knowing that she was keeping her own secrets. Tase had asked her about Damien, about what had happened when he’d captured her, if he’d said anything or given any clues as to what his plans were.

Diana lied and said she couldn’t remember. She didn’t know why it was difficult for her to share. Every time she looked into his eyes, the explanation died on her lips. Perhaps it was just that their relationship was so new, or because she knew that Tase wasn’t being completely honest with her either.

She couldn’t seem to find the right words to express what Damien made her feel. The Creature that dwelled beneath the mountain had seemed to haunt her dreams, crawling from the recesses of her mind like a nightmare off and on ever since her birthday. But meeting him through whatever power he’d held when he possessed the Beasts in Ryu’s Realm had been terrifying.

And yet, the last conversation they’d shared after she’d escaped his clutches had stirred other emotions within her. Ones she didn’t want to name, guilt and empathy among them. There were more feelings that she couldn’t puzzle out and ones that she certainly didn’t want to share with Tase.

Diana wrapped the blanket around her nakedness and sat up, pushing the stray hairs from her face.

Tase, are you okay? she asked softly.

Tase’s green eyes seemed to come from a Realm away as they looked up at her. He smiled, hearing her voice, but shook away her question.

I’m fine, he lied again to her.

Diana couldn’t let it go. She wondered if all relationships were this tremulous at the beginning, or if it was just theirs. They’d been through so much together. Diana trusted Tase with her life. He’d saved her, and she’d saved him, over and over again. And yet, there was this wall between their words, no matter how closely their bodies joined.

Tase, is it about the Realm of the Undead? Is it something about me? Or, or— Diana hesitated and couldn’t bring herself to say it.

She’d feared from the first night they’d spent together that each morning Tase would wake up and realize he’d made a mistake. She didn’t want to seem needy, not after she’d told him she could take care of herself, but it was one of her deepest fears entering the relationship they were now in. She feared that he’d leave her, and maybe this time, he wouldn’t come back. Or worse, that he wouldn’t leave but tire of her.

Tase left the table, seeing her distress, moving back into the bed and her arms with ease.

It’s not you, he told her softly. I worry for you, for your safety. And it’s frustrating that I can’t tell you so many things. I’m sorry if that makes it feel like I’m distant.

Sometimes it felt as if he could read her very soul and she his. Then, other times, so many other times, Diana found herself wondering if there was even a real connection between them at all, or had it been loneliness and desperation that had drawn them together.

Diana wanted to be comforted by his words. All they had was each other to get through all of this, but at times like now, it felt so one-sided.

You said we’d be okay, she reminded him, leaving a feather-light kiss on his lips, as long as we are together, right?

He stiffened beneath her touch. Diana knew she’d misunderstood something.

Diana, Tase sighed. There’s something that I need to talk to you about. And I know you aren’t going to like it. So, I’ve been avoiding it, but now, you have to know.

Diana’s stomach filled with dread. She pulled away from him and then nodded for him to go on. Tase grabbed her hand and stroked the back of it with one of his claws. It was meant to calm her, but it didn’t help.

Where we’re going, he said slowly as if each word cost him strength to say, Things are different. The Vampires—

Tase stopped and gripped her hand harder. Diana knew from what Ryu had told her that Tase couldn’t speak of the Masters or of their Realms if he’d been ordered not to. She knew he was worried, as she was, and that Tase was fighting this order, to tell her something.

The people who live there are different. You need to be safe. Tase switched to speaking inside her mind without seeming to notice. Never go anywhere alone. Never let them see the emotion on your face. Never let them know you’re afraid. Don’t trust anyone.

Tase’s warnings, along with what Ryu had told her about the Vampires, set Diana’s teeth on edge.

I trust you, she said aloud, squeezing his hand back.

But Tase pulled his hand from hers. His voice was all gravel. Don’t. Especially don’t trust me. I can’t—

Tase stopped, breathing hard as if he’d been fighting something she couldn’t see.

Tase, it’s okay. I understand you can’t talk about it. I can figure things out. Nothing can be as bad as what we’ve already been through together, Diana said with a smile, trying to reassure herself as she said the words. What other people do you know that have survived drowning, and Chupacabra attacks, Dragons, and ancient Monsters that want to kill them? We can survive the Realm of the Undead.

Tase’s hand came up to softly caress her face. Diana wanted to melt into him, to kiss away the words that frightened her and lose herself in him.

We can’t be together where we’re going. It’s not like here. She’ll never allow it, Tase said, breaking her heart with his words.

Amaia? Diana asked and saw Tase flinch at the name. Why would she care if we’re together, Tase? What is it that I don’t know?

Her feelings were tumbled together, but her need to know why persisted before everything else. She knew Tase couldn’t tell her, but what he was keeping seemed more profound than what he was trying to share. Why was Tase doing this?

Nothing there’s safe. If they sense that there’s any weakness, if there’s any sign, it’ll be more dangerous for you.

Any sign of what? Diana demanded, growing frustrated with his lack of answers.

Any sign that we care for each other. No one can know.

So, we can hide it from them, Diana said irrationally, thinking Tase was purposefully difficult. And when they aren’t looking, we can be together.

Diana, there will never be a time when they aren’t watching us. And there’s no way to mask your scent or try to hide what they can plainly see, but we have to try. Please promise me.

When Diana didn’t immediately promise, Tase continued, So that I know you’ll be safe. We just have to pretend while we’re there. Then after, everything can go back to the way it was before today. But I have to know that you’re safe, and where we’re going, I’m one of the biggest dangers to you.

Diana was growing angrier by the second. She moved away from Tase, feeling his heat leave her as she slid to the edge of the bed.

You’re not dangerous, Tase. You’re the only person I have! Diana hated how her voice began to betray her, sounding as if she’d burst into tears, though she was so angry she knew they wouldn’t appear. And now you want to pretend like this doesn’t matter. How am I supposed to do that? How am I supposed to pretend?

Tase lowered his head into his hands and brushed his claws through his dark hair. He didn’t look at her for a long time, and then when he did, Diana’s heart sank.

Do you trust me? he asked softly.

Of course I trust you, you idiot. There’s no one else I’d rather have at my side than you. But I don’t like this. I don’t think it’s smart to split up. It’s dangerous.

Tase shook his head at her, lowering his eyes as if she could never understand.

Then trust me to know the new Realm better than you do. Trust my judgment that this is the right thing to do. Please.

Diana felt tears spring to her eyes and then blinked them back as best she could.

I don’t like this, Tase, she whispered. I don’t want to do this without you.

Then the tears flowed; she couldn’t help it. She blinked them away, wished that she was stronger than all of this, but she wasn’t. Tase was next to her in an instant.

I’m sorry, he whispered. I wish there was another way to keep you safe, but there isn’t, not one that I can see.

Diana wiped the tears and moved away from him. With all the strength she had left in her, she said calmly, I’m going to bathe and get ready. Then we’ll go. As far as anyone knows where we’re going, we’re partners, close partners, like we were before. And if they don’t like it, I’ll claw them apart myself.

Tase gave a half-choked laugh and let her move away from him. Diana entered the bathroom, shutting the door between them.

~

Tase felt like the worst person in the world. His conversation with Diana couldn’t have gone any worse than it had, and she had yet to come out of the bathroom.

Tase had hurt her, and he hated himself for it. Even before getting to her Realm, Amaia was already ruining their relationship, and Tase knew it would only get worse once they got there. But he hoped that what he’d said was true. Once they left Amaia’s Realm, they could go back to how things were before.

Diana finally emerged from the bathroom. Her brown curling hair, still entwined with sprigs of willow, was bound in an elaborate bun at the top of her head. The black gown, the only thing he’d left hanging in her closet, fit her perfectly. The top of the dress hung off her soft shoulders and clung to her lithe body just so. She looked beautiful.

The shoes aren’t great, Diana said, lifting the hem of her dress to show him the only pair of shoes he had left in her closet. They were flat black shoes with little silver bows on top.

I know. But we won’t be walking far today. We’re less than a half hour away from the border, and then from there… Tase trailed off.

Diana swallowed and nodded.

Why do I have to dress like this again?

Tase had briefly explained the night before when she’d been lying naked and half asleep in his arms.

I told you that this new Realm’s different. This is the kind of clothing they wear. It’s to help you blend in as much as possible, though there’s little I can do to mask that you’re Human, Tase answered, feeling the hurt through her eyes.

I’m sorry for being difficult, she said, not sounding sorry but incredibly miserable. I know you’re just trying to do what’s best. I know that you care about me.

I’m sorry, too, for what it’s worth. I’m hoping that we won’t be there long and that it’ll be over quickly.

Diana nodded and then asked, Can you see the dagger I strapped to my thigh?

Tase laughed at her audacity, but he could see it clearly through the dress’s soft fabric when she shifted her leg.

Yes, he murmured, dropping down to his knees.

He hiked up Diana’s dress and reached up, expertly untying the small dagger that was there.

No weapons, he said, staring up at her, wishing he could do all the things he wanted to do to her in this dress instead of leaving.

But they’d already procrastinated enough. There were only so many excuses for the long journey the Queen would tolerate.

Then let’s go, Diana said, lowering her skirt and leaving him kneeling before her.

It was a short walk to the magical border that separated the Land of the Beasts from the Realm of the Undead, but it felt like the longest walk of Tase’s life, even worse than when he and Diana had fought their way through the Dead Forest.

For all her bravado earlier, Diana was quiet with him, and Tase didn’t know how to make what had shifted between them right again.

She didn’t reach for his hand while they walked, and it felt almost unnatural, although they’d spent months walking this way. Tase saw Diana’s eyes fall everywhere but in his direction. She was taking in the trees, the flowers, drinking it all in one last time before leaving.

Diana had a relatively easy time adjusting to life in the Land of the Beasts. The wild, natural places, the trees, the food had all been familiar to her. Tase had no idea how she’d react to the place they were going now. He didn’t think any two Realms could be so different from one another. Why the Masters had planned the meetings in this order, Tase had no idea.

Diana stopped walking. An intake of breath was his only indication that she’d finally felt the power of the barrier.

On her way to the Land of the Beasts, she’d been utterly oblivious as they’d come onshore that Tase had passed her through the barrier with his magic. Now that she was in-tuned with her magic and Aura, she’d see it swirling up above them in a rainbow of colliding, shifting colors.

It’s beautiful, but what happens when you touch it?

Well, when I touch it, I pass through. But any other Beast or being on the other side will collide with it, unable to pass.

But why can you pass when no one else can?

Tase shrugged, and Diana didn’t question him further. She was too engrossed with the wall before them. She walked the last few steps until she was almost touching the wall. She reached up with her hand and delicately pressed her finger to it, the same reverent way she would feel flower petals.

The magic swirled, going wild at her touch. Her white magic imprinted on its surface, sending little shoots of color pulsing out from where her finger was. Diana smiled for the first time that day, a full, radiant smile that lit up her whole face.

Then without notice, she stepped forward and disappeared beyond the wall of magic that separated the Realms.

Tase could only stare in wonder when she was gone. Where Diana had passed was now a pure white strip of magic. He touched the space and felt the brush of her magic against his senses. He moved his hand to the colorful swirling vortex, and there, as always, the familiar feeling of wild magic engulfed him. Tase stepped back, still in the Land of the Beasts, and turned to look behind him.

He scanned the trees. Only the Chupacabra that had been slowly trailing them was within the tree line, along with the Kitsune Diana was so fond of. Tase knew they’d tell Ryu about the change in the barrier. That was why they’d been trailing them, after all, to report back to his Master.

Tase tried to think back to when he and Diana had arrived on the shore of this Realm all those long months ago. Had she punched a hole through the fabric of the wall when she’d passed the first time, and he hadn’t noticed? Or was her power only stronger now due to the Light Stone that Ryu had given her?

Diana was alone on the other side of the wall, and Tase knew that while she was in no immediate danger, he should join her quickly. Tase turned his back to the green forest home he loved so much and stepped through to the Realm beyond.

Diana emerged on the other side of the colorful magic wall and was taken aback by her surroundings. This land was vastly different from the forest she’d just left behind. The change was sudden, drastic, and devastating.

There was nothing here. Diana knelt and touched the ground. Her hand came away with dry, brown, powdered dust. She’d never seen dry dirt in her life. She’d seen soil, grass, trees, but never a desolate wasteland like what lay before her.

The ground was cracked and dead. Here and there were strange gray bushes that looked dry and brittle. The only green Diana could see sprinkled here and there across the barren landscape were exotic flat green plants with long yellow spikes protruding from them.

More than the dead land, what unnerved Diana was the sky. It had been a sunny, beautiful day a moment ago, in another Realm. Here there was no sun. Diana thought perhaps it was smoke, like the smoke from the mountain, but the thick, gray blanket of air above her didn’t seem to move. There were no clouds, smoke, or sun, only gray and brown as far as the eye could see.

Diana turned back the way she’d come to find Tase emerging from the barrier. As Tase passed through, he changed, too. His green scales were gone within moments, replaced by skin whiter than marble. Gone, too, were his claws, the scars on his neck from his gills, and his green eyes. Tase stood before her in Vampire form, with no hint of his other self.

It took her breath away. She knew he was the same man that she’d grown to love, but though his face was the same, his demeanor was somehow different. The only thing Diana noticed, as an improvement, was that Tase’s wings were out.

She loved those long, black, feathered wings that were tucked against his back. She looked into his eyes, which were now cold, hard, and black, and wondered if this really was the Tase she knew.

He smiled at her, and it was the same reassuring smile she’d seen time and again, fangs and all.

Tase, this place gives me the creeps. I don’t like the feel of it.

But Tase didn’t respond at all. His smile was still on his lips as if he hadn’t heard her. Diana’s brow furrowed in confusion.

Tase, didn’t you hear me? she asked, feeling as if her whole world had turned upside down.

Before Tase could answer, Diana heard a loud clattering, and the ground beneath her feet began to shake and rumble. Tase moved to her side, taking her arm and holding her steady as they stared at the swirl of dust before them.

The dirt cleared away, just enough for Diana to see that rapidly approaching, almost crashing into them, were a pair of large horses drawing a cart behind them. Only the horses, the driver, and the coach were like nothing she’d ever seen before.

The horses were enormous, standing twice the height of any that she’d seen before. One was an all-black Beast with flaming red eyes, while the other horse was all bleached bone, with no eyes at all.

Diana clutched Tase’s arm as the horses stopped inches from them, sending a wafting cloud of dust up into her nose. Diana sneezed and tried to cough the grit out of her throat.

Tase didn’t seem to care about her cough or her distress, as he moved away from her to the carriage. Diana hoped that the skeletal thing holding the reins wasn’t alive and had to stop herself from jumping when it turned its head to Tase.

It was a man, or what was left of a man. It was half-decayed, with bits of flesh dangling off its bones. One side of the man’s face had been ripped away, near his eye socket, revealing the skull within.

Sorry to have kept you waiting, Sir, the strange driver said in a thick, heavy accent that Diana could hardly understand.

Oh, it is no problem at all, Demitri. We only just arrived, Tase answered with a similar accent that she’d never heard him use before.

Tase turned to Diana and smiled, showing his sharp fangs, and motioned her forward.

May I introduce Diana, my companion? Tase said with a sweeping gesture in her direction as Diana approached. Diana, this is Demitri, the valet. He is here to escort us to the Onyx Palace, where the Queen resides.

The driver slid down from the carriage, a strange moving mass of bones and skin, and to Diana’s disgust, offered his hand to her. Not wanting to seem rude, she took it. The half skeletal lips brushed her hand, sending a skitter of revulsion down her spine.

Most pleased to meet you, Princess. The Queen has eagerly awaited your arrival, Demitri informed her upon releasing her hand.

Diana resisted the urge to wipe her hand across her clothes to get rid of the grime and forced herself to smile and answer, I’m eager to meet the Queen as well. Is it a long journey to the Castle?

The driver and Tase laughed at her question, their two voices mixing oddly and amplifying in the vast open space around them. Diana blinked, perplexed by the joke only they seemed to share.

Oh, Princess, I see you know little of the horses here, the driver said, patting the black horse fondly on its muzzle. We will arrive quickly. Allow me.

Demitri moved around to the backside of the black cart. It was a beautifully carved box studded with shimmering stones. But to Diana, it looked terrifying, dark, and creepy.

The driver opened the door for her as Tase moved out of the way without a word. Diana peered inside the box. It was nice enough, with two cushions on either side. But everything was black, from the seat covers to the curtains on the window, making it look like a box of death.

After you, Princess, the driver said with a wave of his hand, indicating he wanted her to get inside.

Diana looked back to Tase, but he was busy patting down the horses. She smiled, and taking the offered skeletal hand, climbed inside. No sooner had she sat down than Demitri slammed the door shut behind her, sealing her into the darkness with a resounding thud.

Diana panicked. There was no other word for the overwhelming emotions she felt as she was suddenly trapped within the black death box with no light.

She’d never known she was claustrophobic until that very moment. Her breath became ragged, as irrational fear set in. Half of her brain tried to calm herself and tell herself that everything was okay. Tase would never let her be in danger, while the other part was going mad with fear. But not a minute later, there was a loud resounding thump against the ceiling, followed quickly by two more.

The black box lunged forward, pushing Diana back into her seat with its forward momentum. Within the span of a breath, the speed increased to an alarming rate.

Diana was plastered to the opulent cushions, unable to move from the sheer force that pushed her back. Diana closed her eyes against the horrid jarring motion and prayed she wouldn’t throw up inside the Queen’s carriage.

~

Tase sat next to Demitri as the driver cracked the whip and set the horses to run. Tase knew below him that Diana would feel discomfort at the travel inside the black velvet cushions of the Queen’s box, but it wouldn’t last long.

Amaia, Queen of the Realm of the Undead, loved horses. Her stable boasted the strongest, fastest, most deadly horses in all the Realms. Her goal had been to breed the quickest pair in the world, and she’d succeeded with the couple that pulled them now.

The Realm of the Undead was more dangerous than any other realm, and traveling was unsafe at all times, even for the Queen herself. Amaia’s solution had been her horses.

Tase hung on to the bar next to him and braced himself. Soon the colors around him, the green, brown, and gray, stretched in his vision as the wind sent his hair flying.

Tase had known that the moment he’d started to care about Diana he’d put her in danger. Since he’d taken her as a lover, the threat to her safety had only increased. He’d soothed his guilt with a plan for this Realm.

He’d always known that they’d have to cut the physical part of their relationship out while they were here. There was no way to mask that sort of scent except to make sure it was never there to begin with. But he’d been counting on their emotional relationship still being in play.

He could do what he needed to do to protect her. He could play whatever game Amaia wanted on the outside. But on the inside, he’d planned on still being connected to Diana, their minds as one.

Silently, through their bond, he could’ve told her so much. When he needed to, he could warn her what to say or do when she didn’t know the customs. He could reassure her of his feelings despite his actions. It would’ve been perfect.

There were eyes and ears all over the Court, and nothing got past Amaia, which was why his plan would’ve worked flawlessly. No one would’ve ever known or begun to guess that they could speak to each other within their minds. But now, his plan was gone, torn to shreds mere minutes after arriving in this Realm.

When he’d first discovered their mental bond, he’d assumed it was due to their blood pact. Now he knew that wasn’t true. A blood pact would’ve stayed in place within this Realm. If their mental link wasn’t due to the pact, then it had to be because of their magic, his or hers, maybe both of theirs when they combined. It was an unfortunate complication, because there was no magic in the Realm of the Undead, not a speck of it anywhere.

Due to this turn of events, Diana would be at a severe disadvantage, and it was too late to try and warn her. All he could do now was play the Vampire Court’s games and do his best to protect Diana. If he played things right it, might just be enough to make sure Diana survived.

Demitri, Tase said, breaking through his churning thoughts. About five minutes before we reach the Palace, come to a stop, and then from there, go into a slow trot to allow Diana a moment to make herself ready to meet the Queen.

Of course, Sir.

Soon Tase felt the carriage slowing just as the tall Onyx Castle loomed up in the distance. Demitri snapped the reins again, and the horses slowed further still until they came to a complete stop.

Please make it fast, Sir, Demitri said with a nod of his decaying head.

It will just be a moment.

No sooner had he turned the latch on the door than Diana’s whole body shifted forward, and she threw up on his shoes.

Tase said nothing, shaking the vomit from where it fell and moved out of the way as Diana’s stomach emptied itself on the dirt beside the path. Her eyes came miserably to his, but before she could speak, Tase made silent signals with his hand, and he hoped she was coherent enough to understand.

It wasn’t safe to speak. Demitri was listening. Diana nodded and then gagged one more time.

We are minutes away from the Castle. The Queen will expect us to greet her upon entering. Take these few minutes to prepare yourself, Tase informed her stiffly as he reached around in his black bag and pulled out a fresh shirt and dress shoes before handing it to her.

Diana took the bag with shaking hands. Tase shut the door again. He climbed up next to Demitri and nodded that it was okay to continue.

The horses set out at a brisk trot, thankfully not the breakneck speed they’d done before. Tase quickly changed, throwing his boots with vomit over his shoulder, and let his shirt fly into the wind as he made himself ready to meet with the Queen.

Diana was grateful that Tase had given her the bag, small comfort though it was since her fear and suspicions about this Realm were already running wild. Everything about this place made her senses tingle. She couldn’t speak to Tase inside his mind, which alarmed her. Then she found she couldn’t even talk to him out loud because the driver had been listening.

Listening for what? And why?

Diana took out a small glowing white light the size of her palm and set it on the seat next to her. It illuminated the dark box so that Diana could see around her. She knew she didn’t have a lot of time and reached inside the bag, grabbing sprigs of mint and shoving them in her mouth. She chewed them quickly to get the taste of vomit out of her mouth. Then she found a hand-held mirror and with that adjusted her dress, fixed her hair, and put some lotion on her face to freshen it.

Diana had just closed the lid on the cream when the carriage slowed to a crawl and then stopped altogether. She’d felt afraid of facing a Dragon, leaving home, and trusting Tase, but none of that compared to the dread she felt at meeting the Vampire Queen.

Ryu had told her of the Vampire’s basic skills. They were fast, strong, and couldn’t die by usual means. They drank blood and ate raw meat. The Vampires had an excellent sense of smell and hearing. Those weren’t so bad, Diana supposed. But the things Ryu had told her of his sister had left Diana terrified to meet the Queen.

Don’t let her fool you. My sister can’t read minds, but she’s incredibly skilled at reading people. Be careful with her. After the death of our sister, Amaia went quite mad. The years of war couldn’t clench her thirst, and I won’t tell you the stories of her bloodlust. Safe to say, keep your guard up around her at all times, Ryu had said at the kitchen table over tea. Of all my siblings, she’s by far the deadliest, the most cunning, and the most powerful. Watch your back and watch Tase’s. You only have each other from now on.

Diana hadn’t planned on trusting the Vampire Queen, but Ryu’s words, and Tase’s fear for her safety, made her wish more than ever that she’d never left home.

The door opened, and Tase stood waiting for her. His pale face and dark eyes disheartened her even more. But Diana was the Chief of Terrene, this was what she’d been born to do, and fear notwithstanding, she would do it.

Diana took Tase’s offered hand as she climbed down from the carriage. She found herself in a paved courtyard of stone as gray as the sky. Before them were the stables. Diana could hear the familiar shouts of men, though she couldn’t understand what they said. Behind the voices, she could hear the din of a working smithy. The shops and stalls were small, wooden things cobbled together as if in haste, but they were farther away.

Tase grabbed the bag dangling in Diana’s hand and folded it quickly, shoving it into his pocket, before bringing her around the carriage.

Demitri caught her attention as she moved with Tase. The man had already begun releasing the horses from their harness, and with a polite nod in farewell, he gestured behind him with a flourish of his bone wrist.

Diana had been overwhelmed with everything else that she simply hadn’t seen it until the driver pointed it out. Her gaze traveled up and up as her breath stopped short.

Before her stood the most terrifying building Diana had ever seen, the Castle was made of all-black stone, and it gleamed eerily with the gray sky above. The massive dwelling went high into the sky, piercing it with three tall towers.

Tase, who was escorting Diana by her arm, tapped her gently, pulling her focus back to the task at hand, and nodded that they should move forward. Diana swallowed down her fear and forced a smile to her lips. Arm in arm with Tase, she walked up the grand, black staircase to the gaping doors above.

They paused a moment in front of the open doors. Beyond them, Diana could see nothing but darkness. Tase hesitated only a moment, drawing in a deep breath before he took the first step through the threshold.

Inside, the Castle was just as dark as the outside. While Diana’s eyesight had improved dramatically since obtaining Ryu’s Light Stone, the room was still dark, veiled in shadows.

Tase led Diana straight ahead. She could see the shape of guards, dressed head to toe in black, holding long staff-like weapons. The guards faced them on either side, an imposing welcome.

Behind them, Diana could hear the rustle of clothing, and quiet breathing. She had the general sense that there was a horde of people looking at her from within the darkness, though she couldn’t seem to make them out.

Diana walked as quietly as she could, but it didn’t matter, even in her flat little shoes. She could hear each footfall against the black stone floor as they approached the Queen.

Seated on an enormous dark throne was the most beautiful woman Diana had ever seen. The Queen was draped across it, a pale figure lighting up the otherwise dark room, drawing all eyes onto her beauty.

Amaia was curvaceous. The gown she wore was provocative. It was sequined and studded with gems in the bodice. The top only came up enough to cover half the Queen’s breast, leaving the rest for all to see. Amaia wore an all-black silk dress from the waist down, slender and smooth with slits so high that Diana could see the majority of the Queen’s legs from the inviting way she sat.

Amaia’s eyes were set on Diana, as she and Tase approached. Tase never slowed or faltered, holding her steady as they progressed across the long dark room to the foot of the Queen’s dais.

Diana blinked and couldn’t believe the youthful