Placing his index finger on top of the barrel of her weapon, he lowered it. “Knowing all that, let’s put this away. I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself before I say what I’ve come to say.”
“And what is that?” she asked angrily.
“You’ve gotten a good start here, Miranda. When I knocked the Vampyre princess unconscious and sent her down the river to you, I wasn’t quite sure what you’d do.”
“That was you?’ she asked, shock evident in her tone.
“Of course,” he said with a shrug. “I was tired of waiting on you or the Vampyres to get things started.”
“What things?” she asked, her suspicion growing like an evil flower blooming in her chest.
“The next phase of my plan,” he said, his tone menacing. “You see, I’ve grown tired of serving my father. He’s become a bit…deranged in his old age. He’s obsessed with destroying the Slayers and the Vampyres and it’s getting in the way of what I desire most.”
“And that is?” she asked.
“Becoming the leader of the Deamons myself, obviously. With him standing in the way I can’t become who I was meant to be, which is a leader, like you.”
“I’ll never be anything like you,” she said through gritted teeth.
After a condescending tsk, tsk, tsk he continued, “Don’t judge one whom you do not yet know, my dear.”
“Stop calling me that,” she said, throwing the eight-shooter to the ground and shoving his chest.
“Shoving me isn’t a good idea, my dear,” he said, his eyes flaring with laughter as he saw her anger escalate.
Realizing that she needed to remain calm, she inhaled a breath. “How does my alliance with the Vampyres help you achieve your goal?”
“If the prophecy is true I need you, as the lone descendent of Valktor, to release the Blade and kill my father. Only then can I ascend to his throne and rule my people as it was meant to be.”
“And are you as evil as Crimeous?” she asked. “Or will you rule them in peace in the underground caves and let us be?”
“Evil is such a dirty word, Miranda. I prefer resolute. And I am certainly resolute in my desire to kill him. I have been watching you for centuries now. Your longing to end the War of the Species is noble and I feel that we can also form an alliance. My first goodwill gesture was sending the Vampyre princess to you.”
“You almost severed her head,” she said. “We’re lucky she survived.”
He shrugged. “A beauty such as her? She’s lucky I didn’t rape her before I sent her to you. I certainly thought about it but decided that there’s always another time and place to have my fun.”
Miranda shivered at the coldness of his words. “I have no desire to align with a Deamon.”
“And yet, you’ve already aligned with me just the same. By accepting my gift.” He nodded toward the woods where the Vampyre was being held.
She studied him, this evil Deamon who stood before her. Muscles bulged from a thick chest under his black turtleneck. He wore a fashionable belt, fitted and unwrinkled pants that ended at what looked to be very expensive black loafers. At first glance he looked more suited to be heading out for a night on the town rather than the son of the Dark Lord. How deceiving looks could be.
“There, there,” he chided, lifting his hand to pat her shoulder and chuckling when she swatted it away. “It’s not so bad to work with a powerful Deamon such as myself. My abilities could come in handy in times of strife for you.”
“I’d rather die than use powers that are evil.”
“We’ll see,” he said, his gaze firm on hers. “Regardless, you’re on the right path here. Keep it up. The Vampyre king needs to agree to your plan for all of us to survive on this piss-ant excuse for a planet.” His eyes narrowed. “He was attracted to you. Use that to your advantage. Women have always been able to lead a man around by the nose as long as attraction is involved.”
Miranda snorted. “As if I would ever encourage attraction from a Vampyre. The species that has murdered my people for centuries? You must be mad.”
“I think you were a bit attracted to him, too,” he continued, as if she hadn’t spoken. Rubbing his chin, he contemplated her. “This could get interesting.”
Exasperated, she lifted her hands and waved him away. “I don’t have time for this—”
“Take heed,” he interrupted, lowering his head to whisper in her ear. “There are many on the Slayer compound who support you over Marsias. The blood of Valktor does not run through his veins as it does yours and many think you are the true ruler of the Slayers. I have listened unobserved to many conversations about this by your kinsmen. Know that when you return with Blade of Pestilence to Uteria, you might have to take your father down. How magnificent it would be to see you in your righteous glory, claiming your throne as the one true leader of the species.”
“You’re insane,” she said, his words causing alarm bells to ring in her head. Could this really be true? Were there Slayers who supported her usurping the throne? Surely this was treason. Wasn’t it?
“Perhaps,” he said, straightening to his full height. “Or perhaps we are more alike than you want to admit. Both of us struggling to push out our fathers and claim a throne that should be ours.”
“I’ll never betray my father,” she spat, angry at herself that she had even considered his treacherous words.
“We’ll see,” he said with a slight shrug. “That is a matter for another time. Stay the course, Miranda. I’ll be watching to make sure your journey with the Vampyre king is a safe one. Have no doubt that regardless of what you think of me I want you to succeed in freeing the Blade.”
And with those parting words he proceeded to vanish. Literally. She blinked her eyes and shook her head, wondering if it had all been a dream.
“Shit,” she muttered to herself. “Things just got really complicated.”
Excerpt from The Book of the Goddess, King Markdor Edition
Article 5 – Betrothal of Prince Sathan
Prince Sathan, the firstborn heir of King Markdor and Queen Calla, was betrothed on the first day of the fifth month in the year eight P.A. (Pre-Awakening)
To keep the bloodline pure, Etherya decreed that Prince Sathan’s betrothed be of great lineage.
The Aristocrat Lila, daughter of the Great Diplomat Theinos and Gwen the Aristocrat, was chosen by Etherya to be the Crown Prince’s betrothed and future Queen of the Realm.
And all was peaceful on Etherya’s Earth.
Thanks be to the Goddess.
Chapter 7
“No fucking way!” Latimus’ voice boomed so fiercely that Sathan was sure he could be heard all the way to the Slayer compound. “If you think I’m going to let our king travel to the Cave of the Secret Prophecy with a Slayer intent on killing him you’ve lost your mind.”
“Sit down, Latimus,” Sathan said, gesturing toward his brother’s unoccupied seat. They were all gathered around the large conference room table, which was mostly used to plan the raids. Heden and Lila sat to his right. He had asked his betrothed to sit in because she was level-headed and usually could see different angles to a situation than he and his brothers. Latimus scowled and sat down to Sathan’s left.
“I didn’t get the feeling that she actually wants to kill me—”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Stop interrupting me. I’m trying to see this as a possible opportunity. You all know that I’ve become tired of hunting the Slayers. It’s a drain on our soldiers as well as our finances. Now that the Deamons attack us frequently, keeping up the army has been taxing to say the least. This could present a viable alternative.”
“She has Arderin,” Latimus growled. “How can you be so flippant about this?”
Anger bubbled in Sathan’s chest as he addressed his brother. “I’ll caution you not to describe me as flippant about our sister again. I want her returned safely as you all do, but I see what the Slayer princess is attempting to accomplish. She s
eems as tired of this war as we are.”
“You can’t go alone,” Heden said. “It would be suicide.”
Sathan nodded. “I think that you should come with us. Latimus can stay behind. As commander of the army and second in the line of succession, if something happens to me he can ascend the throne.”
“I don’t want to ascend the throne, as I’ve told you a thousand times. All of the diplomacy and bullshit of being a ruler is everything I detest. Let me go with you instead of Heden.”
“We need you to stay behind as a symbol of strength. Our people look to you as a leader, Latimus.”
“Ridiculous,” he muttered, sitting back in his seat. “I’m a soldier. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to be.”
“If I may say something,” Lila interjected, continuing when Sathan gave her a nod, “I actually see more of a benefit to Latimus accompanying you. The trail to the Cave of the Sacred Prophecy is said to be quite treacherous. His strength might be better used helping you and the Slayer. Heden and I can stay behind and take care of the realm.” She placed her hand on Heden’s forearm, reaffirming how close the two of them were. “If that’s okay with you?”
“Sure thing, buttercup,” Heden said, his smile genuine as he teased her with his favorite nickname for her. He was always quoting the movie The Princess Bride and Lila reminded him of the main character. “I’m down for whatever helps get Arderin back as quickly as possible. It will also give us time to finish the tunnel plans. We’re really close to being able to implement underground travel between all of our compounds and I’m anxious to get everything finished.”
Sathan mulled over his options. “Okay, let’s say Latimus and I went to the Cave with the Slayer. I’m thinking it would be about a ten-night journey. We’d sleep during the day and navigate by night, of course. Am I being too ambitious with the timeline?”
Latimus placed his large hands on the map of Etherya’s Earth that sat on the table in front of them. “No,” he said, tracing it with his index finger. “It will be tough but it’s doable. The Slayer will have to keep up.”
“She seems to want this badly. I’m not sure I’ve ever met someone with that level of determination in their eyes. She is intent on freeing the Blade and killing Crimeous.”
“And what if she resects the Blade and plunges it right into your heart? It’s how her grandfather killed Mother and Father, after all. This has ‘trap’ written all over it. I still think it’s ridiculous to even consider it.”
“And what would you have me do? Let her kill Arderin? Continue the Slayer raids for eternity? Fight two species of immortals until we all kill each other? I understand how unorthodox this is but it’s an opportunity for us to change course. What kind of leader would I be if I didn’t at least attempt another alternative?”
“I agree,” Lila said in her soft voice. “We used to live in harmony with the Slayers and if there is any opportunity to restore peace we should take it.”
“Why is she here?” Latimus said, directing his question to Sathan. “She’s not a member of this family and doesn’t understand what’s at stake. This is a matter for the royal family.”
“Stop being a dick, Latimus,” Heden said. “Lila is as much a member of this family as we are—”
“Not until she bonds with Sathan, she isn’t. I’m tired of having a thousand fucking opinions about everything. Let’s decide this between brothers.”
Lila sat up straighter in her chair. “I am only trying to help.”
“Well, you’re not,” Latimus said, his tone nasty. “You’re a born diplomat amongst soldiers and there isn’t any time to waste. If you want me to go with you, I will,” he said, turning to Sathan. “But let’s decide and be on our way. My sister is out there and I’m not going to have a fucking summit in order to get her back.”
“Fine,” Sathan said, giving a reassuring look to Lila. His brother had become so unpleasant toward her and he struggled to understand why. “Why don’t you two let me plan the journey with Latimus? I’ll come to find you once we chart our course. Thank you, all of you, for your input. It is imperative that we remain unified.”
Lila stood up, her flawless skin paler than usual. “Thank you, Sathan. I’m only trying to help. I’m sorry to have upset you, Lattie.” Looking at Heden, she said, “I’ll be down in the tech room.”
“Okay, sweetie,” he said gently. “I’ll be there in a few.”
Upon her exit, Latimus cursed. “I’ve told her a thousand times that I hate that fucking nickname. I think she uses it just to piss me off.”
“Well, she should,” Heden said. He stood and pointed across the table. “You’ve become a real asshole, Latimus. I’m surprised she doesn’t deck you across the nose. That woman has more grace and humility in her little finger than you can fathom. The fact that she even tolerates you, with the way that you treat her, should tell you something about her character. I’m sick of it.” Turning to Sathan, he gave him a nod. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me.” With that, he stalked out of the room.
Sathan sighed and ran his hand over his face. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you but it’s got to stop. I need us all to work together. She will be my bonded someday. You can’t speak to her that way.”
“Sorry,” his brother replied, in a tone that suggested he was anything but. “I’ll apologize to her before we leave. I just don’t think she has a place at this table. She’s not family.”
“Lila brings a perspective that the three of us could never have. You underestimate her. I expect you to honor your word to apologize to her.” Reaching down, he grabbed the map and pulled it toward him. “Now let’s start planning this journey. It’s not going to be easy and we have to consider that the Slayer princess can only travel about half as much ground per night as we can. I say that we use the Hummer and start to follow the river here…”
Minutes bled into hours as the brothers plotted their journey.
* * * *
Miranda watched the wall open and the Vampyre king walk through exactly two minutes after sunset. The bastard was testing her by cutting it close.
“One more minute and I would’ve killed your sister. You’re lucky you made it in time.”
Another hulking Vampyre spoke from behind the king, this one even taller and more formidable, if possible. “It’s an empty threat. If you kill our sister you have no hand left to play.”
Ah, so this must be one of the Vampyre king’s brothers. Judging by his size he was most likely the warrior Latimus.
Kenden, with a true soldier’s cunning, always told her that he reticently admired Latimus. He had built the most powerful army on Etherya’s Earth. Kenden felt that he would be a fool not to study his every move and try to emulate him. She had to admire Ken for his ability to look past his hatred and see his Vampyre counterpart as a worthy opponent.
“True. Although remember that if any harm comes to me the captors I’ve installed to guard your sister will kill her immediately. So I guess that makes us even.” She smiled sweetly, although the gesture was filled with sarcasm.
“Enough,” the king said. As he came closer she was forced to tilt her head back to look into his eyes. “If we are to be successful we cannot keep exchanging barbs and insults at each other. Our task is to get to the Cave of the Sacred Prophecy. My brother and I have mapped it out and it will take ten nights. I don’t care to argue with you the entire way. My only goal is to save our sister.” He extended his hand to her. “Will you agree to a truce? We have to be cordial if we are going to complete this journey and get on with our lives.”
Miranda studied him. Reluctantly, she joined her hand with his and they shook. She tried not to notice how small her hand felt encased in this creature’s massive grip. And she definitely didn’t allow herself to acknowledge the tiny butterflies that flitted in her stomach as his palm heated hers.
“I’m assuming he’s your brother? The Vampyre army commander?” She jerked her head toward Latimus.
“Yes
. But I can’t vouch for him being pleasant. It’s hard enough to get him to be nice to us.”
Detaching their hands, she studied their large, black vehicle through the opening in the wall.
“We will take our Hummer since it will allow us to navigate the unpaved roads from here. We’ll have to travel through the Strok Mountain pass to the Portal of Mithos. From the Portal we’ll navigate to the Cave but we’ll have to leave the Hummer about fifty miles from the Cave and travel that last bit on foot. Are you up to the task?”
Miranda nodded. Clenching her hands on the straps that fell over both shoulders, she jerked her head to the backpack she was wearing. “I have rations for ten days, a tent and all the gear I’ll need. Hopefully you boys can keep up.”
Turning on her heel, she began to walk from them. “Bring the Hummer through the wall. I don’t want to waste any more time.”
“She’s bossy,” the larger Vampyre said.
“Tell me about it,” the king muttered.
A minute later Miranda heard the vehicle behind her and climbed into the backseat when it came to a stop.
“How long do you anticipate before we get to the foothills of the Strok Mountains?”
“It’s a fifteen-hour drive since the roads aren’t paved. Sathan and I will take shifts,” Latimus said from behind the wheel. “Get comfortable, Slayer. We’ve got lots of time.”
Miranda looked around the backseat, all black leather and complete with tinted windows to block out the sun from the Vampyres’ frail skin. “Fifteen hours. Great,” she muttered, sitting back and crossing her arms over her chest. “I guess it’s too much to hope that you heathens like Metallica?”
The End of Hatred Page 7
