I stared after Lyon as Angel dragged him away. The boy really confused me. One moment, Lyon had been friendly to an almost obnoxious extent, only to turn cold and moody the next. There'd also been that moment we were alone in front of the soup bowls. Neither one of us had been acting the way we should have been. I couldn't help it, though. In that moment, Lyon had seemed almost...familiar, somehow.
I was stumped. I just couldn't wrap my head around it. There was something off about the boy known as Lyon, and I didn't like it.
Why did Lyon, despite how the obvious leaders reacted to Robert and me, treat us as if we'd been long residents of the caves? Why had he been so friendly from the very start?
I didn't know the motives behind Lyon's actions, but I felt compelled to discover what they were.
"Poor Lyon," Shion sighed, placing his hands behind his head and kicking his foot back so it balanced on the toes of his sneaker. "She's going to scrub his hands raw."
"Not our problem," said the man with ash-blond hair who'd nearly drowned Lyon. "Its his own fault for causing a scene and nearly knocking Yumar's teeth out."
"You should worry about your brother more, Richard," Shion said.
"And why should I?" Richard asked.
Shion looked away from him and grumbled just loud enough for me to hear. "Because girls get so weird with him. Seeing how they act around him at times, it freaks even me out."
Richard had evidently heard him as well. He narrowed his eyes. "And how exactly do they act weird around him?"
Shion jumped. He'd obviously said something that was supposed to stay between him and Lyon.
"I just mean you should keep a closer eye on your little brother." Shion nervously scratched his head.
"A-Anyway," he said, turning abruptly to me and changing the subject. "We didn't give proper introductions. As you already know, I am Lyon's best friend, Shion. This lovely lady here is my older sister Maybell." He gestured to the girl with long black hair, standing to the right of him.
She smiled. "We met briefly before he followed Lyon to get some food."
Richard glanced over at me. "And I'm Richard, Lyon's older brother."
"My name is Callum," I replied, speaking up before Robert could. "This is my attendant and teacher, Robert."
My eyes met Richard's hard glare, and I could feel a wordless challenge crackling in the air between us. There was accusation in his gaze and I knew that I'd been labelled as a greater threat than Robert.
"Well then." Richard turned, but his eyes remained locked on me. "Shall we begin? We'll show you the agricultural cavern and the storage for bedding. The bathing cavern will have to wait, seeing as Angel and Lyon just went there. Beyond that, you'll have to gain trust that you currently don't have."
My lips remained in a thin, unmoving line, so Robert nodded quickly. Richard, as well as most of the people here, did not trust us, as he'd stated and wisely so. I did not trust anybody here aside from Robert. And with Lyon having some hidden ulterior motive, he should’ve been the least trustworthy.
As soon as the boy with the raven black hair and bright blue eyes had stepped forward to defend us, my instincts told me he was dangerous. They'd also detected something else in the little time I'd spent with him, something buried deep. Something he kept secret from everybody, everybody except, I suspected, his perceptive, ash-blond brother, who even now had been watching me with growing distrust in his eyes. Both of them were hiding something, and I was determined to find out what.
Robert and I followed the three of them across the cavern. Shion stepped back to walk beside me.
"Sorry about him," he whispered, inclining his head toward Richard. "He's snippy with everyone, especially when it comes to his little brother. In fact, the first time I jokingly declared Lyon to be my bride, Richard sent a flying kick to my jaw and pulled Lyon into his arms. He acted like a child trying to keep his favorite teddy bear away from somebody he doesn't like."
I heard Robert try to muffle his laughter, but to no avail. I myself allowed a smile to creep across my lips.
"Its funny though," Shion said, his arms folded behind his head again. "Neither one of them were like they are now. Lyon was the sweetest little social butterfly you could've ever met. He would talk to everybody, always asking questions, always bright-eyed and ready to help. Even though we were no longer living in the world we once knew, he was such a bubbling ray of sunshine, you couldn't help but smile. I felt Cupid's arrow hit my heart as soon as I saw him."
"He's still pretty friendly and helpful," Robert replied, falling in step to the left of me.
"Not as much as he used to be, though." Shion smiled sadly. "He's changed over the years, kinda like a flower wilting in the darkness of these rock walls."
I don't doubt that, I thought. This place was very lively with so many people living here, but they still lived in a cave. That fact couldn't be escaped.
"Richard's change was more dramatic, though." Shion's eyes were alight with amusement once more. "He used to be so shy, you didn't know he was there until somebody introduced him to you. When May and I first met him, he was stumbling all over himself, face and ears as bright red as an apple--though that fact still hasn't changed when he's embarrassed--and he even tripped coming over to shake our hands. Naturally, he fell on top of May and stole her first kiss. For a long time after that, he ran whenever he saw her, and if he couldn't run, he'd apologize profusely and you couldn't get him to stop--"
"Keep talking and you'll be cleaning up animal poop for a month," Richard interrupted, ears red and still walking. "Starting with Leo's and Mai's."
I saw Shion glance down and shudder. I looked and saw the white tiger and snow leopard from before padding along beside us. Robert tensed slightly.
"Before seven years ago," he asked Maybell, "weren't these creatures carnivores?"
"They still are," she said. "They don't eat nearly as much meat as they used to, though."
"Then how do you feel safe with them around?"
Richard answered for her. "They've been trained not to attack people since birth."
"Who trained them?" I asked.
Richard threw a scorching glare over his shoulder at me. "They belong to Lyon, so who do you think trained them?"
What is wrong with this guy?
I was ready to crack a nearby rock over his skull, but I knew if I did, I'd lose what little trust I'd gained from these people. Not to mention we were entering a large cavern that made Robert gasp in amazement.
The chamber was easily the equivalent of the Big Room times ten. Across the ground, I could see dark, churned-up earth, divided into many neat rows.
In the closest rows, I could see small sprouts growing from the soil, some bursting to the surface even as I watched. In some rows further away, I saw tall stocks of packed-together foliage, each individual plant being about eight feet tall, just barely a foot and ten inches taller than me. In between the tall stocks and little sprouts, were even more plants, some like miniature trees, others with feathery leaves, green leaves, brown leaves, and even vines in some areas. Among these and the stocks, people were picking off vegetables and placing them in large baskets that hung from the crook of their elbows. There were even a few people tending to the sprouts, giving them water and digging up fresh earth. In the distance, I could see that there were even more rows of earth covering nearly the entire floor of the cave, though these rows obviously weren't being used at the moment.
"This is where we grow our crops for vegetables and fruit, such as corn, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, and grapes," Maybell explained, gesturing to the rows. "We aren't using the majority of the rows--those ones that cover the rest of the cave--because we have to give the soil a chance to heal, otherwise we can't use it anymore. We grow all our food down here, and the livestock we breed and take care of are in some of the adjoining caves."
"We all have to do our part, of course," Shion said. "We take turns doing shifts in different parts of the cave to keep it running. Sometimes you're here, working the fields; sometimes you're washing bedding; other times you help in the kitchen; or even doing patrol work if you've been approved by the masters, which none of us here are, except Richard. Even the animals do their part. See?"
He pointed to a cave entrance in one of the side walls. Several mean looking dogs lay at the entrance. I heard sheep bleating from the cave and saw a small lamb try to hobble out through the arch. One of the dogs rose to it's feet and herded the little creature back inside, probably back to it's mother.
Prowling nearby among the corn stocks was a large, orange tom cat, staring intently at something I couldn't see. I watched him wriggle his hindquarters and then pounce. A moment later, his head popped back up and he had a fat, gray rat in his mouth. Proud of his catch, he trotted back to the cave wall, nearly tripping over what was probably going to be his dinner.
"This is incredible..." Robert spoke breathlessly, turning in a circle. "I didn't think there were any caverns in the national park that were this large."
"Well, think about it," Maybell responded. "Most of these caverns hadn't been explored even once Carlsbad went from a monument to a park. Once we got here, one of the first things the masters put together after setting up our temporary camp, was to organize cave exploring groups. And once Lyon had turned twelve, nobody could stop him from discovering many more, the agricultural and bathing caverns being two of his greatest discoveries."
"And how are you able to grow all this down here?" I heard Robert ask, clearly awestruck.
Shion answered. "It's all thanks to the solar lamps."
He pointed to the rock ceiling overhead. When I looked up, I finally understood why it was so much brighter and warmer in here than the other caves. Growing from the ceiling, amongst the stalactites and soda straws, were enormous crystals. They radiated with natural light, different from the lanterns that people carried around down here.
Robert inhaled sharply and when I looked at him, his eyes were gleaming with the delighted interest of his inner scientist. "How is this accomplished?"
"Many of the scientists down here are still studying into it," Maybell said. "But they theorize that the light comes from sunlight trapped in the soil and rock above us."
"Beautiful," he whispered. "I've seen some amazing things in my life, but never anything as spectacular as this."
"If you ever feel like seeing any close up, you should ask Lyon to give you an extended tour," Shion told him. "When it comes to cave exploring, he gets as excited as my dog when I return to my bedcavern. Well, that is if Richard will ever deem you trustworthy enough."
"Lyon has enough stuff on his plate," Richard said, his voice taking on a tone that could cut a diamond. "He helps in the kitchen, watches most of the smaller children down here when their parents are busy, excavates new sleeping areas, and not to mention his battle training. He doesn't have time to be playing childish exploring games with a person who questions their hosts, but won't answer his hosts questions." He'd directed the last sentence at me.
I glared at him, but of course he wasn't looking at me. Before I could snap at him, Shion broke in.
"Damn, Richard. Quit being so hostile. Lyon won't be able to do any of those things right now, not with the state of his hands."
Richard cursed under his breath, clearly out of excuses to keep Lyon busy. "Let's just continue the tour. I really don't feel like arguing with children at this time."
"I'm barely three years younger than you," Shion grumbled.
"You're seventeen," Richard said. "Same age as my immature, kid brother. Therefore, you are still a kid."
What is this guy's deal? I thought angrily.
"Let's just go," Richard continued. "Everybody's staring."
Sure enough, the people tending the rows were watching us curiously. Some were even trying to move closer, probably trying to get a better look at the 'newcomers.'
Richard lead us from the cave and after several minutes of walking, he stopped in front of another opening.
Inside, the room was filled from floor to ceiling with linens. Sheets were stacked in neatly folded columns, several meters high. Pillows lay in large piles, big enough to hide the two large cats sitting next to me without anybody knowing. A wide assortment of blankets were piled in the center of the room, designs ranging from solid colors, to cartoon characters, to thick quilts. There were even several tall towers of mattresses leaning precariously in different corners of the room.
Two men were already inside. The shorter of the two was pulling blankets out of the pile. His brown hair was spiked up in a faux-hawk. He wore all black: loose pants with dozens of pockets, a leather vest with almost as many pockets as the pants, and leather wrist bands tied to his forearms. He stood knee-deep in the pile of blankets, but I knew he was barefoot. I recognized him as one of the six people who'd questioned us, probably one of the masters, as people kept referring to the leaders here.
The other man was hiding behind one of the mattress towers. When the first walked out of the blanket pile, the second quickly snuck up behind him with a sheet. He proceeded to wrap the first man up in the sheet and pushed him against the mattress tower.
The second man had long, platinum blond hair that fell down to his waist and over his eyes. He wore skinny, black pants and shiny black loafers. On the top of his frame, he wore a gothic patterned vest over a fancy, white, pirate blouse with puffy sleeves. They billowed out around his arms before tapering back into cuffs, each with a large, amethyst button.
"Its been quite awhile since we've seen each other," he said. There was amusement in his voice. "Almost sixteen years, right?"
The shorter man didn't struggle to get away. "Seven since you sent that package, which you told us to use, but never told us why. Angel is going to kill you when she finds out you're here. You shouldn't have been gone so long. Or just shouldn't have come back."
"So mean!" The man stepped back, dropping his hands to his sides, while the shorter began to unwrap himself from his bed sheet cocoon. "You're no fun, Shin. You never struggle and fight against me."
"Is that why you find my sister so fascinating?"
"Precisely! She hates unnecessary physical contact and it just excites me!" I couldn't see his eyes from where we stood behind him, but I knew they were glittering with mischief. "It makes me want to touch her lots, just to watch her squirm."
"Where you come from, it might not be that big of a deal, but among humans, that's considered sexual harassment. A crime you would be arrested for, if the world was still the same as it was seven years ago," Shin said, his head disappearing into the sheet as he tried to find his way out. His voice was muffled as he continued. "Besides, she'd do more than just squirm. She would chase you to the ends of the Earth, slaying any poor soul who got in her way of killing you. Whether they be human or Nightwalker."
"Ahh, the feeling of being the only one to fill someone's head." He was hugging his stomach while swaying erotically, like a cobra in a basket. "One of the purest feelings of ecstasy!"
"And I see you're still going on about that. That's why Angel always said you were creepier and slimier than swamp mud." Shin said, finally free of his bed sheet prison. He tossed the sheet over the taller man's head and turned, finally spotting us.
Richard cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable and unsure about what he had just witnessed. "Sorry to...uh...interrupt your conversation. We were just giving these two a tour around the caverns."
"I was just searching for bedding stuff for them when this touch-fetishist ambushed me," he replied, hooking his thumb toward the other man who'd pulled the sheet off his head.
Now that we were closer to him, I could see he wore a floor-length cloak that was constantly cycling through every color shade imaginable. His platinum hair was dyed at the tips of each layer, the dye color-switching as often as his cloak. Small silver chains were attached to his earrings; the chains split to hook onto ear clamps that folded to just above his earlobes and to the cartilage on his ear tips. Spiral tattoos bloomed out around his eyes; the delicately twisting embellishments of onyx, silver, and emerald formed a permanent masquerade mask over the top of his face. At the end of the spirals, little gems of emerald and onyx sparkled, drawing attention to his face. His eyes, which I had just noticed, cycled through colors as well. The man was like a walking kaleidoscope.
"Who are these people?" he asked, not turning from us.
"Richard, Maybell, and Shion," Shin said. "Robert and Callum just arrived today, same as you."
His eyes focused on me. "Callum, huh?"
His lip curved slightly upward and I could see smug laughter in his color-changing eyes. With horror, I realized he knew exactly who I was. Of course, it was a second later that I recognized him. I looked towards Shin.
"Are you aware that this man is a Nightwalker?" I demand, fixing him with my gaze.
"I am well aware of what he is, yes," Shin replied. "I've known him my whole life. He never gets older or dies, much to Angel's dismay."
"I can look whatever age I want, though. I tricked her into thinking I'd aged once. I walked up to her as an old man and she cried tears of joy. Until I changed back and she started chasing me with a baseball bat." He winked at us.
Richard had tensed and I noticed a silver glint in his slightly closed hand.
"You must be a pretty old Nightwalker to have such an ability," he spoke through clenched teeth. "And most likely of the blood-sucking sort, correct?"
"Calling someone by the general term is rather rude, you know," the man smiled. "If we were in polite company, that could've had you beaten on the floor. Seeing as we are not, in fact, in polite company, then yes, generally speaking, I am a Nightwalker, as you say. But as part of a slightly smaller--but still the largest--group of Nightwalkers, I am a 'blood-sucker,' or rather, a vampyre."
The metal slid further into Richard's hand and he clenched the dagger tightly.
"So, who exactly are you?" His voice was as steely as the dagger in his hand.
"I am Thierry," he replied, bowing deeply. "Thierry with no last name. The illegitimate son of the vampyre princess Iliana, may she rest peacefully in the Beyond."
Robert, having just realized who Thierry was, was having trouble hiding his shock and terror. I knew he thought Thierry was here to take us back, but I knew that he hadn't known we would be here. He was here for a completely different reason.
Our three tour guides stood in front of us, confused and not sure what he was talking about.
Shin translated for him. "He is a vampyre noble of the Nightwalker Court. He is also the seventh master that's been missing for nearly seventeen years."
Richard stared at Shin in shock. "You have got to be kidding me. He's the seventh master? But he's a vampyre! He's one of them! You can't possibly expect me to trust him!"
He abruptly whirled on me.
"And you!" he said, pointing his finger at me. "How did you know about him?"
"I have seen my fair share of Nightwalkers these past seven years," I decided on a half truth. There was no way I could tell him the full truth. "I can tell whether someone is a Nightwalker."
In the span of a blink, he'd stepped in front of me. He smelled of sandalwood and a crisp ocean tempest, a scent that matched the anger in his emerald eyes. He was two inches shorter than me, but the menacing aura surrounding him made it seem as if he were taller.
"Don't you feed me that crap," he snarled, his low voice reminiscent of Lyon's animals growling earlier. "You. Are full. Of lies. And I promise you, I do not trust you, 'Callum.' If that's even your name."
It wasn't my real name. I had many names, used in many different places as Robert and I fled. Callum was the name everyone back there called me, and I'd nearly forgotten what my real name was. That is, until I met a young girl ten years ago. She was the only person I'd ever told my real name to. She'd been two years younger than me, barely even seven. She was so innocent compared to me, who'd never known happiness until I'd met her.
I hadn't seen her in seven years, not since the day before humanity lost it's power. As soon as the last firework had faded from the sky, as soon as the last of the electricity had seeped away, I'd felt my heart leap into my throat. I'd run to her house, hoping to get her safely away from everything, but I was too late. She was already gone, along with her older brother and the guardians they lived with. The house was in shreds, stuffed animals and beds that had been in the room she'd shared with her brother were torn apart and shattered, the stuffing coating the floor like snow. The walls were filled with gaping holes, as if when they were discovered, they tried to run through different rooms while their pursuers simply busted through the walls. The only thing they didn't destroy was the large stone fireplace in the kitchen, where the fire was still burning the wood one of her guardians had placed there to ashes.
I stared into Richard's cold eyes and answered in a calm voice, "'Callum' is my name. And your feeling of distrust is mutual."
I could see Thierry's smirk behind Richard's head. He still stood where he had when he turned to us. Using telepathy,--another skill vampyres are known for--he spoke to me.
"My, my. He really doesn't like you, does he? Do not fear. I will not tell them who you are. But I'm curious. Does the Court know? Do they know that their precious little princeling is hiding out in a maze of caverns with the humans they're trying so hard to control?"
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