“Yes,” I whisper back with a look back at the bed.
Dracul follows my gaze with a frown that only a big brother could put on his face when he finds his little sister in bed with a man. “I will kill him,” he says, clenching his massive hands into fists.
I giggle quietly at him and put my hand on his chest. “As much as I love that you care, it’s okay, all part of my plan. Now how do I get out of here?”
He tears his eyes away from Remiel and focuses again on the task at hand. “The portal is closed, but I can open it for you for a few minutes. Can you get there without assistance?”
“Yes,” I say confidently, although I don’t really feel it. My nerves are shot now as I know this is it: Go time.
He nods and says, “If you get caught you will be sentenced to death. You need to be quick and use your true Power. You have somewhere you can go?”
“Yes,” I say again, quaking at his warning. “Thank you, Dracul. I know that this has been a difficult decision for you to make.”
“It has to be done. There is more to the story, and I won’t bore you with politics, but this is the right move for us all,” he says.
Huh, I wondered if he had an ulterior motive. Seems that he does and my daughter, the true heir, is not a part of his plans.
“I wish I could stay longer to get to know you,” I say with a smile. “I have so many questions.”
He smiles back. “Me too. Y
ou will see me again one day, Sister,” he says and then he vanishes.
I look back at the bed and Remiel is still out for the count. I Astral on some appropriate escape-wear: leather pants and jacket and rubber-soled boots. Then, I quietly close the door and tiptoe down the corridor to Delinda’s room. I push the door open. She is still quietly sleeping, and I hate to disturb her.
I crouch down and say softly, “Delinda.”
She opens her eyes on the second try and blinks sleepily at me. “Mama?” she asks, rubbing her eyes.
“Yes, it’s me,” I say. “Do you want to go on an adventure?”
She is wide awake in an instant. “Yes!” she says loudly, and I shush her.
“You have to be really, really quiet,” I tell her as I pick her up and she wraps her legs around me.
“Is Papa coming with us?” she asks.
“No,” I say and shake my head sadly. “He is sleeping so we have to be very quiet.” I put my finger to my lips, and she copies me and nods. I sneak out of her room and find the palace in complete silence. The way is lit every now and again by a fire torch, and I really miss my Vampire night vision right about now. I creep down the stairs, my hold on Delinda getting tighter the closer we get to our destination. I enter the huge passageway that leads out to the cliff edge and the portal to find it deserted. I frown then, as this was too easy. I came across not a single other soul.
I curse myself for jinxing it when Tiamat steps out of the shadows and says, “I knew this was why you are here.”
I tighten my grip even further onto Delinda as she squeaks, “Is Grams coming with us?”
Err that would be a big, fat no.
“You are not leaving with her,” Tiamat adds. “Do not think for a second that I will allow you to get past me.”
“She is my daughter, you have no right to keep her here,” I say and remember what Dracul said: be quick and use my true Power. Whatever that is.
“She is my heir,” Tiamat says. “I will not allow you, or anyone, to take her.”
The words “try and stop me” don’t quite make it out of my mouth as She suddenly Shifts into Her Dragon form.
She rears up to Her fifty feet in height and I resist the urge to shrink back. She won’t throw fire at me if I have hold of Delinda. Of that I am certain. Only problem is, She is now blocking the exit. She swishes Her tail over the cliff edge and lumbers forward slightly with Her wings outstretched. She means business, but I was right in my assumption about Her using non-lethal force.
“Don’t be scared,” I mutter to Delinda who is looking up at Tiamat in awe and amazement, but she is anything but scared. She is gaping at the sheer size of her Grams while I am furiously trying to think of how to get around Her. There is nowhere to Astral to unless I can get Her to move forward.
I take a few giant steps back and fortunately She follows me. I see my opening and I take it. I Astral behind Her, balancing precariously on the edge of the cliff. The canyon floor is so far down, I can’t even see it. Tiamat shrieks in rage and tries to turn around. While this passageway is big enough to accommodate a Dragon, it is a tight squeeze for one the size of the Empress to turn around in. I am looking desperately for the portal, but it isn’t there. It is still closed, and I am super close to falling into the abyss.