A Meet of Tribes (A Shade of Vampire #45)(27)

She walked right through me, and I decided to follow her. Clearly, she was the reason I was having this vision. I walked behind her as she struggled with the heavy load hanging from her shoulder.

We soon reached an open space, semicircular in form, with a tall limestone mountain wall occupying the straight edge. The grass at our feet was purple like the trees around us. I watched the woman as she approached the wall, looking up. The surface seemed carved with giant faces, simple slanted eyes, thin lines for mouths, and an abundance of red vines climbing and spreading across.

“I’m here to see Klibi,” the woman shouted at no one in particular.

A moment passed before the ground started to shake. I froze as I watched the limestone wall tremble and crackle with life. The forms I’d seen sculpted into it emerged from the mountain, their features far more pronounced. They rumbled as they stood up, vines still attached to their legs.

They were massive stone giants, and I wondered if these were the Dearghs that Anjani had told us about. One of them took a step forward and looked down at the tiny woman—she was microscopic in comparison.

“What is a swamp witch doing so far away from home?” The giant’s voice thundered through the clearing.

“I told you, I’m here to speak to Klibi. Now,” the woman commanded.

I moved closer in order to get a better look. I had heard about swamp witches from Serena’s account of their visit to the Red Tribe during breakfast, and this was a unique opportunity to see one up close, since they were presumed to be extinct.

“What business do you have with Klibi, little one?”

“I am here on behalf of my entire coven, Deargh. I seek Klibi’s help to protect our magic from Azazel. You must have heard by now that he’s been starting wars against the eastern citadels of the incubi. Agoris has already fallen, and he has captured three of my sisters,” the witch explained, her voice low, full, and warm.

I stood before five enormous Dearghs and a small but fearless swamp witch. The giants stepped aside, making room for her to walk forward and past the wide opening left in the wall.

I followed closely as she climbed up a stony ridge until she reached a red marble plateau just a few feet above the ground. The view was different from up there. I could see the dark purple tree crowns undulating below, hiding the water streams and even the trail I’d followed up there. The wind brushed through the tall purple grass.

The sound of stones cracking made me turn around to see another Deargh standing in front of the swamp witch. The woman bowed respectfully and pulled something out of her leather pack. It was a book, from what I could see, bound in a dark animal hide with strange symbols embroidered on the cover. She handed it to the giant, who took it with two massive fingers, as if he were picking up a little fly.

“Klibi, we need your help,” the swamp witch addressed the Deargh.

“What is this?” Klibi asked, his voice powerful and heavy.

“It is one of our three books of Knowledge. I need you to keep it safe,” she replied.

“Why come to us for this?”

“Because you are the strongest of the Dearghs, and Azazel wouldn’t dare attack you, not even with his monstrous Druids and their poisoned arrows. He’s amassing great power in the east, and he’s been hunting my kind down. He’s after our magic, and we cannot, under any circumstances, let him have it. You know very well what we are capable of, and Azazel must not wield such power. It would be the end of Eritopia.”

The Deargh thought about this for a while. Then, he nodded and stood.

“That is fine, little witch,” he replied, on a slightly gentler tone. “You’ve helped us in the past, and we will return the favor.”

The witch nodded her appreciation.

“Thank you, Klibi,” she said. “Rest assured that you are doing Eritopia a great service by protecting this book.”

“When will you be back for it?”

“I don’t know,” she sighed, and I could almost sense the sorrow in her voice. “I may never come back for it. I would rather die than lead Azazel to it. He’s closing in on our coven, and there are traitors among the incubi. It’s how he’s been able to kill my sisters. We never see him coming.”

Klibi nodded, looking at the book, tiny in the palm of his hand.

“What do you want us to do with it, then?” he asked.

“Keep it safe for as long as time flows in this world. Someday, if I don’t come back for it, someone else will. I don’t know who, for I cannot see into the future, but someone is likely to rise against Azazel, strong and bold and ready to take him down. Only a worthy fighter must gain access to this book.”

“I understand, little witch. I will make sure that your knowledge ends only in good and pure hands. You have my word.”

I had so many questions for the Druid, but in the meantime, I was surprised and intrigued by how detailed and lengthy this vision was. I’d only had snippets of the past before and been unable to understand much from them.

This, on the other hand, was quite an elaborate memory of a time long gone. Before I could move around and see or hear more, however, the image before me blurred, and I was enveloped by a familiar darkness.



Not long after that, I heard different voices.

“Almus, what is this?” A husky, feminine voice shot through my consciousness.