Vampire Girl 2: Midnight Star(6)

I nod as we walk out of the bedroom and into one of the most magnificent hallways I've ever seen. A crystal chandelier shines from the ceiling. Purple rugs cover the floor. I place my hand on the black marble wall erupting with clear gemstone. "What is this place?"

"It is what remains of the Crystal Palace. It was built inside a mountain," Asher says.

We walk through the stone hallway, into a passage built from glass. Small waterfalls fall behind the clear walls. At the end of the hallway Madrid and Durk meet us.

"I was just telling Ari about the palace," Asher says. "But you know more about it than I."

Madrid nods and leads us past giant doors, outside the palace, and into the huge cave I glimpsed before. All around us, Fae go about their business. One man, giant and coiled with muscle, works at a forge, crafting a sword. It makes me miss my own sword, Spero. I'll have to find a way to get it back.

Another Fae, small and with long blue hair, tends to wounded men and women lying in cots along the side of the cave wall. "What happened to them?" I ask.

"They were injured fighting the vampires," Madrid says.

So they're the Raiders. They don't just keep to the Outlands like Fen thinks.

"This is our capital, where the High Fae once ruled," Madrid explains. "It has since fallen into disarray. Into chaos and ruin."

Durk snorts. "It's turned into a shithole, is what she means."

We walk deeper through the caves, and I see the truth in their words. A hopelessness clings to the people here. The shiny wonder of the crystal looses its luster when you look closer and see the dirt and cracks. Before us, a chunk of crystal rests on its side, the ruined top of a palace tower. Few Fae occupy this area, and no children. They are the homeless, the vagabonds, the nameless… the broken. This is no city, but a carcass slowly rotting. Once it would have been magnificent. I glimpse the beauty in its shadows. In its memories. But now it is nothing but food for the crows.

We exit the caves and climb a long staircase with clear walls. Through them, I see the palace carved into the mountain like an old sculpture worn away by time. "This is where my father lived, isn't it?"

Madrid nods. "Not only him, but your entire family once called this home."

I turn to Asher, frowning, as the bigger story takes shape in my mind. "And you killed them. You and your kind, you wiped out the Fae, the royal family."

Asher turns his head, a look of shame on his face. "That was a long time ago."

"I don't understand," I tell him. "You speak of peace, but you almost destroyed an entire race… What makes you different now?"

Asher's jaw hardens, and he turns to me, his voice resolute. "I never… I never wanted war. But I didn't do enough to stop it. I failed." His hand balls into a fist. "I won't fail again."

Wait… He didn’t want the war?

I sigh. There's still so much I don't know about Asher, Fen, their history. This world. I want to ask more questions, but we step through a door at the end of the staircase, and the cold wind strikes my face.

We are outside, near the top of the snow-peaked mountain. Lands of green and blue spread before us.

I shiver, trying to stay warm as my eyes adjust to the brightness.

Asher wraps his cloak around me.

I don't want his help, but… it is a warm cloak. "Thanks."

He smiles. "See, we're getting along already."

I shake my head. He's still my captor. We are not getting along.

"Keep up," yells Durk. He and Madrid lead us up a winding stone staircase carved into the side of the mountain.

"Where are we going?" My voice is nearly lost on the wind.

Asher points, and I look up. Three great beasts fly toward the top of the mountain. They each have the body, tail and back legs of a lion, and the head, wings and talons of an eagle. One is covered in white feathers, its paws and fur gold. The other is black and red, and the third is silver. I gasp. "Are those… "

"Gryphon," Asher says. "We must travel to the Air Realm, and this is the only way."

I gulp as we reach the summit of the mountain. "We're going to ride them?"

King Lucian waits for us at the peak, and when he sees me, he climbs atop the black gryphon, pulling on the reins of the wild beast clawing into the snow. Madrid and Durk climb atop the silver gryphon, whispering to each other. Asher guides me to white and gold one, holding out his hand. "After you, Princess."

The beast is huge, magnificent, and entirely intimidating. Each of its claws are the size of my hands. The saddle is giant and embellished with gold. If I was scared to ride a horse, I can hardly register what I'm feeling right now.