A Shade of Vampire 43: A House of Mysteries(28)

“Are there other creatures we can trust who might be able to help?” Jovi asked. “I mean, besides the Druids and the incubi, what other supernaturals are here? Not counting the shape-shifters, of course,” he added. I felt Serena shudder slightly at the reference to the creatures she’d followed into the swamp. I had only heard the account second-hand, but even that had been enough to freak me out and make me dread what other inhabitants Eritopia might contain.

“Many,” the Druid replied curtly, “but none that you’d wish to know, trust me. Not on this star, anyway. There are others elsewhere in Eritopia’s galaxy—the Deargs, the Sluaghs, the Kelpie, Lamias…and many more that you wouldn’t wish to know.”

I’d heard of none of these creatures, and I doubt any other GASP members had either.

“And the storm hounds?” Serena asked. “We saw them on a map, marked near the house. I take it they’re as deadly as they sound?”

“Actually, no,” Draven replied with a smile. “The storm hounds were harmless—and useful. They were attuned to evil thoughts and deeds. When the Destroyers approached the area, the storm hounds would give warning.”

“You said ‘were’; what happened to them?” I asked.

“The Destroyers hunted them to extinction. They didn’t appreciate the hounds providing a warning whenever they approached.”

It sounded like none of the supernatural species were free from Azazel’s tyranny. Once again, I started to feel a small bubble of anxiety press on my chest. If Azazel could kill and destroy so many, then what chance did we have against him—especially when he could see us coming through the visions of the Oracle?

“What does he want?” Field asked Draven. “Azazel, I mean. It seems like he’s bent on destroying everything. What’s his goal?”

“Power,” Draven replied simply.

All of us kept our gaze on the Druid, waiting for him to elaborate. The whole room was silent for a few moments, and you could have heard a pin drop. Then, with what seemed like a great deal of reluctance, Draven spoke.

“The Druids were originally a peaceful people. We lived within our citadels, each clan specializing in certain knowledge and influence. There were the lawmakers, those who kept the peace, the book keepers who guarded our sacred texts, the botanists who kept the magic of nature, and the philosophers, who were the highest-ranking of all the Druids, combining the knowledge of all four disciplines. There were six leading philosophers—my father was one, and Azazel was another.

“From the start—according to my father, of course; I was not even born when he was elevated to position of philosopher—Azazel failed to see the benefits of the democratic system that the Druids adhered to. He was greedy for absolute power, frequently enraged by the fact that the philosophers gave the other disciplines such a free rein. Letting them rule themselves, in a sense, with little intervention. Azazel must have realized at some point how much power he could wield throughout Eritopia if only the other philosophers were removed from their position and it was he alone who commanded the citadels.

“His first move was to slaughter the rest of the philosophers. A few, like my father, managed to get away. But they went into hiding.” At this, Draven curled his lip into a sneer. I wondered why he disagreed with them running and hiding. Wasn’t he doing exactly the same thing now?

“Azazel was free to rule the citadels. With the help of an Oracle, one long dead now, he managed to make his power absolute. There was uprising after uprising—whether he expected this or not, I do not know. But he slaughtered freely. So much blood was spilt in those first years.”

“But what about the Destroyers?” Serena asked after a pause. “Where does that species come from?”

Draven smirked, but his eyes were deeply pained, tightening at the corners, as if he was recalling a distinctly painful and distasteful memory.

“The Destroyers are Druids. Those who joined Azazel rather than fight against him.”

“What?” Serena retorted, echoing my own thoughts. “But they’re half snake, right? How can that happen?”

“They are,” Draven replied softly.

Serena opened her mouth to speak again, unsatisfied, as we all were, at his answer.

“That’s enough,” Draven replied. “Enough for tonight. I need to leave. Training will commence tomorrow morning again.” He stood up, and abruptly left the table. I glanced toward Bijarki, and met his stare head on. His eyes were bright again, and I got the distinct impression that he’d been watching me for a long time, but I’d been too engrossed in the Druid’s story to notice. It was unnerving.