The journey back to the Vampire coven was less strenuous than the initial journey had been. Most likely because the first journey they had been terrified of what they would find. Now they knew. Christian had already received word that they would be approaching by King Victor who had also already thanked him for his cooperation in what could've been a truly messy affair if he hadn't taken Kieran's life himself. The King while not exactly approving the fact that Dorian and Cassie had taken it upon themselves to eradicate that specific problem themselves without alerting the council, could not deny the end result. Anything that didn't end in bloodshed, was a good end, in Victor's opinion. Dorian glanced at Lauri, while the first journey had been his idea to include the princess, he did not like the fact that the king had suddenly decided to change the Princess's tutor from Simeon to himself. That, and a little voice inside his head, clearly wanted her to remain by his side, even though, he knew that she was never something he could ever have. Or even deserve. Laurena was as far from him than his sister had been all those years ago.
Dorian closed his eyes, and when he opened them it was to the mountain giving way to forest. "Wait." He called, waiting for Cassie and Bram to stop the horses, Lauri falling suit. "Cassie, you and Bram continue on, Lauri and I will go on ahead, and scope out what we can of the forest." Dorian said, nodding to where the forest began. "Be careful." Cassie said warningly, before she and Bram moved onwards.
"Are you sure it's wise to go alone into this forest?" Lauri asked as her horse came closer. "We are not alone." Dorian said nodding to the forest. Lauri turned and immediately stiffened as she saw spectral shapes moving in the forest. "What are they?" She asked, a tone of fear spiking in her voice. "Spirits that have not passed on." Dorian said, as he jumped off his horse, he pulled the reins and tied the horse to a nearby tree. Thankful to see that Lauri had done the same. Dorian started to move deeper into the forest, but had not gone very far, when one of the spectral shapes solidified and became a young lady just a little bit younger than Lauri herself, wearing a ripped blue gown, her hands encased in silver fingerless gloves, her red nails shining in the dark. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail unusual for her gothic state of dress. Dorian smiled. "Hello Samara." He said, smiling even greater when the girl in question frowned deeply at him. "I've told you over and over again, not to call me that." She said in a deeply accented voice. Lauri's eyes widened. "Samara? As in your sister?" She said her voice nearly squeaking in her shock. "The very same." Samara said, looking at Lauri. "And who is this?" Samara sniffed. "She wreaks of Nathaniel's blood." She said in distaste. "I'm his daughter." Lauri said her head bowing, knowing that her father was the reason Samara was probably still here, even in death she had no peace. "And my father was known as the defiler, a mass-murderer and a horrible singer." Samara said, her fingers gently raising Lauri's chin. "We are not bound by who gives birth to us. It is our right to choose who we shall be." Samara said.
"That's very kind of you, Samara." Dorian said smiling slightly. "Has death made you kind?"
Samara scowled, waving her hands. "Enough of this Samara business, please call me Mara. Now what the hell do you want?" She demanded glaring at her brother. "My dear sister, it seems that war is inevitable in Vemos unless we get our hands on a certain Talisman that can rid Witches of their powers." Dorian said. Mara's eyes widened. "If it's the Necklace of the Strigoi your after, your mission has been for naught." Mara said, glancing at Lauri as she spoke. "Only someone pure of heart or has within them angelic blood can harness the necklace's power." She said.
Dorian closed his eyes. Finally understanding why, it was that Victor had sent Lauri with their group. "Only one with angelic blood can use the necklace." He repeated, opening his eyes to see Lauri already sadly looking at him. "Did you know?" he asked softly. "I guessed that, someone of my powers would have to be the one to use the necklace." Lauri whispered her voice soft in the quiet of the forest.
Dorian straightened his back, looking at his long dead sister. "Where is the talisman located?" He asked.
Mara looked between the two of them, her gaze lingering curiously on Lauri. "The Heart of the Forest, is where the Talisman should be." She said.
"Lead the way." Dorian said. He watched as Mara turned her form turning to that of a glowing red ball, that looked like a sphere of fire that bounced once, before slowly rolling through the trees. "Come on." He said quietly holding his hand out to Lauri. She clasped his cold hand in her warm one, and cautiously stepped forward with Dorian.
"Did you know?" Lauri asked.
"Know what?" Dorian asked, as he avoided branches that littered the forest floor. "Did you know your sister, was in this forest?" Lauri asked curiously. "All my family are in this forest. They all died in service for the Kingdom and will continue to be in Vemos's service until the crown changes hands." Dorian said.
"That's seems like a cruel fate, for a family that has been loyal to the crown." Lauri pointed out. "You will find out sooner or later, that not everything in Vemos is fair. In fact, there is a great many things in this life and the next that are extremely not fair."
The Vampires Cave
"I see, you already started redecorating." Bram said as he looked around the oval room that had once served as Kieran's office, but was now Christian's. Kieran's office had been very industrial all chrome and black and white. Christian's office resembled the eaves of a church, with large archways and multi-colored stained glass in the windows. "I was never much fond for his design, if I were to tell the truth." Christian said, a smile quirking up, as he watched Cassie curiously looking at the designs etched in the archways. "Where are the rest of your team?"
"Lauri and Dorian elected to look around the forest, while we came to give our report." Cassie said, turning to look at Christian. Christian's eyebrows rose as he thought of the fact that the fallen Prince was in the forest of desolation. He knew very well what family resided there, as spectral ghosts. No doubt, the reason Dorian had wanted to go into the forest alone without the watchful eyes of Cassie, and Bram was because he had already seen his long dead sister.
"So, to the forest of Desolation we shall go. Off to fetch the Necklace of the Strigoi. And to whom would you have to use it?" Christian asked his eyebrow raising. "Laurena has within her angelic blood. She will have the strength and fortitude to use it against the witches." Cassie said. "Did you tell her?" Bram asked with narrowed eyes. "She already knew of her origins from the witch Zafira. She no doubt couldn't wait to tell her that truth and then spill her blood for Victor to find." She said.
"Zafira must've known that her blood was the key to stop the oncoming war." Christian mused.
"She will still have to face Eliza. We all know that she is the true terror. Not war itself." Cassie said, her eyes dark at the thought. Eliza the witch of the south had been the source of nightmares for many. Even Raphael, the strongest one of the royal family had been terrified of her, when he was a child. Probably had more to fear of her returning to the castle then most. Cassie knew that and had warned Laurena that in the oncoming days she would have to be the one to save Raphael. To save them all. She hoped that she would have enough strength. Cassie hoped they would all have enough strength in the oncoming days.
"Eliza is dangerous. But one who is now learning her heritage, might just prove to be the strongest of us all." Christian said.
"Shall we join the fallen Prince and Princess?" Christian said finding amusement in the way Cassie rolled her eyes, and Bram's unapproving look.
"Will we be able to find them easily?" Bram asked. "I know my forest well. And I also know of an easier way to get there as well." Christian said his eyes twinkling. "Do you trust me?" Christian said standing up and looked at both Bram and Cassie both. "I feel like I will regret this with all my heart, but yes I do trust you." Bram said. Christian smiled, and turned to look at Cassie, who simply shrugged her shoulders. Christian gestured for her to come closer, and when both Bram and Cassie was in arms reach. He grabbed both their shoulders and winked. They both felt a tight squeeze, that made them close their eyes. And when they opened their eyes they were in the middle of the forest and through the trees there was a slight rustle and then a sphere of red flew at them stopping just in front of them and behind the sphere Dorian and Lauri followed hand in hand. "Told you they would catch up." Dorian said smiling deeply at Christian who smiled just as bright, before glancing at the sphere. "Now who is this?" Christian asked.
"What do you mean?" Bram asked. "These forests are full of specters' ghosts who still roam forever bound to this land."
"Who this is, is none of your concern." Dorian said. "She was leading us to the heart of the forest." Dorian said, looking back at the ball, that blinked twice before completely disappearing.
"WELL SHE WAS." Dorian said furiously. Christian smirked. "We are at the heart of the forest." He said taking a step forward, and then suddenly disappearing. Bram's eyes went wide where did he go?" He said both him and Cassie stepping forward, and then they too disappeared. "Where did they go?" Lauri asked her voice coming out in a squeak. "I have a really bad feeling about this Dorian said, before he held Lauri's hand even tighter and stepped forward. He felt a tug, and then Lauri screamed, before grabbing Dorian around the waist and they both fell into something cold and wet. Dorian rose up on his hands, and suddenly the darkness spread away to a brightness that was terribly cold and shone with the light of a thousand suns.
"Where the hell are we?" Lauri said shivering in the cold. "We are in Belmora."
"The TALISMAN IS IN THE KINGDOM OF SNOW AND ICE." Dorian glanced back hearing the anger laced in Cassie's extremely loud voice and grinned slightly. "And that would be Cassie." Dorian said glancing back at Lauri. Somehow when they had entered the portal they ended up in somewhere different from where Cassie, Bram and Christian was. "Come on. And be careful." Dorian said as he looked around the bare white surroundings, he put his hand forward, and felt ice in front of him. "That is not a good sign." Dorian said. And in fact, it wasn't as the brightness that spread in front of his eyes faded Dorian could see the shape of an ice fortress that surrounded them. "No wonder it's so cold." Lauri said as she looked around in fear. "We are surrounded by ice." She said looking fearfully at Dorian. "What are we going to do?" She asked fearfully.
Dorian looked around gulping. "We are going to be okay." He said trying to be reassuring, even though he had no idea what they were going to do now.