water. Something that smelled sweet and bitter like roses and grapefruit.
Something that sparkled and fizzed around her, glowing with golden light.
Whatever it is, at least I can breathe it.
Mavis bumped to a stop on spongy ground and rolled onto her side. Even the dirt was strange hereâpink and powdery and full of glitter. The little clouds of it puffed up by her landing swirled like sand in seawater before settling back down.
If I'm not underwater, where am I?
When Mavis rolled over and looked around, she saw that she was near the middle of a huge cavern. At the moment, she was also alone.
The cavern walls were cut from some kind of smooth, black rock, studded with spiral seashells that burned with slow, green flames. The ceiling was more of the same black rock, except for the rippling red portal directly overhead.
What's that?
A few yards away, in what looked like the exact middle of the cavern, stood an altar of silver. As soon as Mavis spotted it, she got to her feet and headed straight for it.
She waded through the fizzing, sparkling atmosphere, slowed from her usual pace through everyday air. Her long, red hair drifted around her head, crimped streamers flowing like tendrils of seaweed underwater.
This is one weird place.
When she reached the altar, she ran her fingertipsâthe ones Stanza hadn't cutâover the smooth, silver surface. Surprisingly, what looked like metal had give to it like rubber or firm flesh. The altar radiated heat...and she pulled away when she felt it start to throb.
Along the front of its silver base, the altar bore an inscription. Unlike the angular, alien characters Mavis had seen on top of the slab, this inscription was etched in familiar, readable letters.
Cruor Pro Arthur.
It was Latin, which Mavis had studied in seminary. She could translate the words...though that made the inscription no less cryptic:
Blood for Arthur.
"Now what?" said Mavis. Her voice sounded strange in the alien atmosphereâdeeper and distorted.
"Where is everyone?" This time, she hollered up at the crimson portal. "I better not be the only one here!"
"Don't worry," said a voice from across the cavernâa male voice. "You're not alone."
When Mavis looked in the direction of the voice, she saw something swimming toward her.
It had a long, sinuous body with a tail like a fish, gleaming with deep blue scales. It also had the head, arms, and torso of a person, glowing pale blue with jet black eyes and hair.
Like a merman from Hell.
As the thing drew closer, it smiled. "Welcome to Lyonesse," it said, its voice rippling through the cavern. When it smiled, Mavis saw the sharp, white fangs jutting over its lower lip.
Correction. A vampire merman from Hell.
Â
*****
Â
Chapter 23
Â
The vampire swam slow circles around Mavis, scattering the sparkling atmosphere with graceful flicks of its tail. Mavis was sure the circles were closing in on her, and she wondered how long it would be until they tightened all the way.
Thanks a lot, Stanza.
For the first time, it occurred to her that Stanza might have sent her here to get rid of her. Mavis and Jonah had been growing closer, threatening Stanza's hold on him.
Now I'm out of the way.
"What's your name?" said the vampire.
"Tiffany." Mavis was careful to keep turning in circles, never leaving her back to the creature. "What's yours?"
"Call me Rapiarre." The vampire bowed at the waist as he circled her. "Want me to show you around?"
"Maybe." Mavis grinned, trying hard to hide her true fear. "What's there to see?"
Rapiarre made a corkscrew move on his latest pass. "Castles of crystal. Lakes of molten gold. Forests of fire and ice."
Mavis shrugged. "That's it?"
Rapiarre's laughter burbled in the strange, fizzing atmosphere. "There's much more, my darling. Did I mention the cities of the Lampreyus ? My people?"
There are cities full of these things?
"No casinos, huh?" said Mavis.
"Everything you need is right here." Rapiarre's
Something that sparkled and fizzed around her, glowing with golden light.
Whatever it is, at least I can breathe it.
Mavis bumped to a stop on spongy ground and rolled onto her side. Even the dirt was strange hereâpink and powdery and full of glitter. The little clouds of it puffed up by her landing swirled like sand in seawater before settling back down.
If I'm not underwater, where am I?
When Mavis rolled over and looked around, she saw that she was near the middle of a huge cavern. At the moment, she was also alone.
The cavern walls were cut from some kind of smooth, black rock, studded with spiral seashells that burned with slow, green flames. The ceiling was more of the same black rock, except for the rippling red portal directly overhead.
What's that?
A few yards away, in what looked like the exact middle of the cavern, stood an altar of silver. As soon as Mavis spotted it, she got to her feet and headed straight for it.
She waded through the fizzing, sparkling atmosphere, slowed from her usual pace through everyday air. Her long, red hair drifted around her head, crimped streamers flowing like tendrils of seaweed underwater.
This is one weird place.
When she reached the altar, she ran her fingertipsâthe ones Stanza hadn't cutâover the smooth, silver surface. Surprisingly, what looked like metal had give to it like rubber or firm flesh. The altar radiated heat...and she pulled away when she felt it start to throb.
Along the front of its silver base, the altar bore an inscription. Unlike the angular, alien characters Mavis had seen on top of the slab, this inscription was etched in familiar, readable letters.
Cruor Pro Arthur.
It was Latin, which Mavis had studied in seminary. She could translate the words...though that made the inscription no less cryptic:
Blood for Arthur.
"Now what?" said Mavis. Her voice sounded strange in the alien atmosphereâdeeper and distorted.
"Where is everyone?" This time, she hollered up at the crimson portal. "I better not be the only one here!"
"Don't worry," said a voice from across the cavernâa male voice. "You're not alone."
When Mavis looked in the direction of the voice, she saw something swimming toward her.
It had a long, sinuous body with a tail like a fish, gleaming with deep blue scales. It also had the head, arms, and torso of a person, glowing pale blue with jet black eyes and hair.
Like a merman from Hell.
As the thing drew closer, it smiled. "Welcome to Lyonesse," it said, its voice rippling through the cavern. When it smiled, Mavis saw the sharp, white fangs jutting over its lower lip.
Correction. A vampire merman from Hell.
Â
*****
Â
Chapter 23
Â
The vampire swam slow circles around Mavis, scattering the sparkling atmosphere with graceful flicks of its tail. Mavis was sure the circles were closing in on her, and she wondered how long it would be until they tightened all the way.
Thanks a lot, Stanza.
For the first time, it occurred to her that Stanza might have sent her here to get rid of her. Mavis and Jonah had been growing closer, threatening Stanza's hold on him.
Now I'm out of the way.
"What's your name?" said the vampire.
"Tiffany." Mavis was careful to keep turning in circles, never leaving her back to the creature. "What's yours?"
"Call me Rapiarre." The vampire bowed at the waist as he circled her. "Want me to show you around?"
"Maybe." Mavis grinned, trying hard to hide her true fear. "What's there to see?"
Rapiarre made a corkscrew move on his latest pass. "Castles of crystal. Lakes of molten gold. Forests of fire and ice."
Mavis shrugged. "That's it?"
Rapiarre's laughter burbled in the strange, fizzing atmosphere. "There's much more, my darling. Did I mention the cities of the Lampreyus ? My people?"
There are cities full of these things?
"No casinos, huh?" said Mavis.
"Everything you need is right here." Rapiarre's
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