She smiled and looked up at the stars as if lost in a memory. “The whole place has magical purple lighting, and there’s always a mist floating around the dance floor. The music is lighter, more harps and soft singing than anything upbeat. As far as the magic in the drinks, it’s more like the drink bubbles, or changes colors, or glows. There is one that’s called Blue Ice, and when you drink it, your breath comes out in frosty clouds for a few minutes.There’s another called Dragon’s Breath. You will literally burp a fireball.”
“The frost breath sounds fun, not sure about the Dragon’s Breath fireball. Does it burn?”
“Burns like whisky, not fire. They don’t sell their real potions at the tavern, though. You’d have to visit their magic shop in the day if you wanted something for courage or luck or to change your hair color.”
My brows shot up. “Change your hair permanently?” I’d never even given thought to having another color other than my coppery blonde. It had never been an option.
“It only lasts a week or so before you have to buy more. My father got me plum purple for my sixteenth birthday.”
My sister was going to love all these stories. I’d have to bring her one of these potions. I wished my family could be here in the city with me. No more locking themselves in at night. No more worrying that they’d be torn apart if the door didn’t hold or the shutters weakened.
Celine stood and stretched her arms overhead. “Do you think Commander Ace will ever tell us to kill the vampire queen? Us girls would have to do it. Belladonna has too much control over the men. Viper did tell you about her, right?”
“I read about her. And he said she was the most dangerous vampire, and that she hadn’t been seen outside of their castle in a decade. Is it true that all men have to do is look at her and they fall under her spell? Do you think it’s magic?” Maybe she had the gift the same way the mages did... Maybe she was a mage at one time. Vander had said they captured mages and tortured them for spells. They could just as easily turn a mage into one of them.
Celine shrugged. “I don’t know if it’s magic or if she has some kind of mind-control power. Did you know some of the scholars have telekinetic and telepathic gifts?”
Those words were completely foreign to me. I hadn’t gotten to anything about mind powers in my studies. “Viper mentioned something about mind reading...”
“Telekinesis is the ability to move objects with your mind.” She touched two fingers to her temple. “A girl at school used to float books around class, but it’s rare. Even more rare are the telepaths. They can speak to people’s minds without saying a word.”
That would be an interesting talent. “Can they also hear thoughts?” But Vander said a mind reader hadn’t been born in seventy or so years?
“I think two telepaths can speak to each other silently, but I’ve never heard of them hearing thoughts outside of that. Of course, maybe they just don’t tell anyone. I don’t know if I’d tell anyone I could find their deepest thoughts and secrets.”
“I don’t think I’d want to know what other people were thinking.” Not only was it an invasion of privacy but if I could hear what people were thinking at all times, I’d go mad. My own thoughts were loud enough sometimes.
“Me neither. Especially some of the creepy old men. Can you imagine?”
“I’d rather not.” I scrunched my nose. “Young men either. I don’t want to know whatBeastor his goons are thinking half the time, based on the things he says out loud.”
She laughed. “You really do hate him, don’t you?”
“I don’t understand why you don’t.”
“He’s not always like that. It’s a mask mostly. His father is a warrior, meaner than a bear, and expects him to be the best at everything. I think Morrow takes out his anger on others. He can be sweet, if you’d believe it.”
There was absolutely nothing sweet about that man. “You’d think if someone was mean to you, you wouldn’t want to treat others like that.”
“I used to tell him that. He’d laugh in my face.” She sighed and sat back down, toying with the buckle on her boot. “I’ve heard there are scholars who can manipulate and infiltrate dreams.” She shuddered. “I’m glad I’m an assassin. Give me a blade and a target. Period.”
I was thankful for the change of subject. “Maybe Belladonna has a power like that. And the kings share a mind, right? Is that telepathy?”
“In a way, I suppose, but it’s different with them. I’ve heard it’s almost like they’re the same person in two bodies. And that’s always been my assumption with Belladonna. They say she’s so beautiful men cannot look away, but it’s ridiculous if it’s true.”
“Is that why no one has attempted to kill the kings? Maybe her power guards them too well.”
She let out a quiet laugh, making me feel naive. I suppose I was. “People have tried. They just aren’t successful. It’s a death sentence to go into the Black Castle. I heard that’s where most of the daywalkers live now.” She glanced around. “Keep this between us, but last night I overheard Falcon talking to Viper in the hall. A vampire was found and captured in the mages’ building yesterday.”
My heart picked up pace. “How did a vampire get inside the city, let alone the mages’ building?”
She shook her head and whispered, “Don’t know. That’s the scary part. The entrance gate is always guarded by mages who have magic to alert for a vampire. And unless they dressed as an assassin and know the hand signals to get the rope let downandthe passcode once they reach the assassin at the top, which you know is a highly guarded secret... there could be traitors in our walls.”
I felt slightly nauseous. I couldn’t imagine any human or ducai working with the vampires. It went against everything. But if the vampires lived lavishly, they must have riches. Men wereprone to bribery, wealth, power. There was more than one way to win a war. “You think they were looking for the daywalking spell?”
“That spell was destroyed long ago. But I bet they are looking for a mage powerful enough to remake the spell.”
“Who?”
