Blood Magic

Chapter 3

222 days after turning

The two days pass slowly, but pain me little when the countdown to freedom is so near its close. It is a pity though that holding onto freedom does nothing to tell me the time.

I had hoped my sleep cycles would not be interrupted in such a short time, but with no way to pass the hours, time became skewed entirely. Playing it safe, I also decided not to go to my sanctuary in case a spawn preemptively saw me missing, but in all that time, I received no visitors. I found this strange, wondering if I had been lied to by the spawn before about Astarion's absence. Perhaps, this is a test to see if I attempt to escape when he lets his guard down around me.

But then what of Astarion's stupid little mistakes? He had nothing removed from me when I was imprisoned, having not considered the potential that I had crafted my own sigils that could override an antimagic field. He has never noticed the missing items from around the palace that have ended up in the sanctuary, and I would know if he had noticed since he never skips an opportunity to punish me for every minute offence. This is the only instance where I have obeyed him entirely, and he punished me for it. He cannot trust me to stay in his absence, so he surmises a last-minute mock trial to ensure my confinement. Astarion is no master schemer. He is a liar, a thief, a trickster, a charlatan, a rogue, and while scheming would suit him greatly, he does not think far ahead. His entire life as a vampire has been surviving this moment and the next and the next. That has not changed since he has ascended. He only knows the present and what he wants in this present moment is to scar me in a way that wholly binds me to him, and that kind of magic can only be found in the Hells. No, I do not need to worry if this is some test; I need only worry about making it out with enough nightfall to grant me leave of Baldur's Gate.

When I simply cannot wait another moment, wishing desperately that the sun has set, I trace the ancient sigil to go to my sanctuary one last time. When I'm there, I immediately grab the bag of holding next to the bookcase and place my four favourite books into the bag. I gather a selection of other personal items I couldn't bear to leave behind: the Zalfura family diadem, which became a signature item during my adventures, alchemy and ritual ingredients, a crystal ball, and True Love's Caress, a ring that once meant sacrifice in the name of protecting those you love most. Astarion has its sister ring, True Love's Embrace—only, neither of us have worn our rings since defeating the nether brain. I place True Love's Caress on my ring finger and pocket the bag into my robe.

I trace the ancient sigil back to the dungeons now that Astarion wasn't anywhere present to hear the sigil's materialisation, and since I am on the run anyway, if I am spotted by a spawn upon arrival, I can begin the chase sooner rather than later. I arrive at an empty dungeon, so I turn to take the elevator, crossing my fingers for the night. After the lift, I check my corners: clear. The door to the ballroom is closed on my left and to my right is Astarion's office, complete with curtained windows that shielded most of the moon's faint pale light. I thank the heavens that someone was watching me.

Had I access to the ancient sigils within the city, I would certainly love to use them at this point to easily avoid detection and hop to the opposite end of the city for a spectacular head start, but those were stripped from me by my bloodsucking ex the first chance he got—said I needed practice night-prowling within the city streets and fast travelling would solely promote laziness. Instead, I cast Greater Invisibility on myself to get through to the exit without a trace. The main entrance would prove too conspicuous, so I traverse the halls past the lifeless spawn dawdling the eternal hours away and exit through a southern exit door that leads to the palace ramparts. The moonbeams cast a dreamy radiance across Baldur's Gate's Lower City; on any other night, under better circumstances, I would drink in the darkness and stare at the moon like I would my former lover, unable to look away until dawn, but I have not known danger of this calibre since the Battle for Baldur's Gate, and the moonlight does nothing to further hinder detectability once the spell wears off. I have to move quickly.