Secret Blood Ties

by Felicity Jordan

  Jake exchanged a confused glance with Aris.

  “Is that not good, Essa?”

  Mel sighed. “It would be if we’d convinced them, but we didn’t. They believed because one of their guards was killed in the exact way we’d described to them. It was lucky we were meeting with their Assa when it happened, or they may have ended up accusing us.”

  “Well, at least they know now.” Jake followed as Mel, Aris and Mike made for the bedroom all five of them had been sharing before they left. “Are they going to help tell people?”

  “Maybe. Assa Fori said she’d consider it. I think she’s more worried about securing her palace first. I told her about the iron.” Mel glanced around the halls, which looked decidedly grim. The only light was artificial, all the windows having been boarded over with iron sheets.

  Jake didn’t miss that neither Aris nor Mike had spoken to him or Apeo. Mel glanced between them; her shoulders slumped.

  “I’ll meet you in our room, Mel, I just want to talk to Apeo for a minute.”

  Jake grabbed the Issa’s arm and pulled him off. Apeo came willingly, though he glanced back at Melanie a couple of times.

  “We have to stop this.” Jake hit a nearby wall, hoping to assuage some of his frustration, but only succeeding in bruising his hand. “We’re just making her miserable like this. Besides, if we keep it up for much longer, Aris is going to lose his temper, and then even Gali might not be able to save us.”

  Apeo’s face was a picture of the same frustration Jake felt. “How, though? I want her away from here. How do I turn that feeling off?”

  “No idea, but we’re going to have to try. Come on, let’s get back. Mel isn’t going to need a formal apology or anything, she’s not like that, but I think we’d do well to show some support, even if it doesn’t actually match what we want.”

  Apeo nodded reluctantly. “You are right, of course. I have never been in a situation where my orders weren’t followed, and no orders I’ve ever given were as heartfelt as the desire to see Essa safe. It’s… not a pleasant experience.”

  “Tell her that. I’m sure she’ll understand. I don’t have any similar excuses. I grew up as a human, just like she did.”

  “You don’t need an excuse for wanting to see her safe. I’m sure she’ll see that.”

  Fortunately, Jake’s estimation of Mel wasn’t wrong. When he and Apeo offered to come with them on the next trip to warn royals about the impending spirit battle, her whole face lit up. “I’d love that! We can use all the help we can get.”

  Jake suspected that Apeo’s word – the word of a vampire prince – would help their cause more than his, but he was simply glad that Mel still wanted his company.

  “We’ve got five more palaces to go to.” Melanie pored over a list, crossing out one as she spoke. “Rachel and Dasek are also doing some, and as for ones not within realistic travelling distance, they will have to deal with an email, though hopefully some of the closer palaces we convince will keep spreading the word.”

  Jake noticed that while Melanie seemed to have forgiven him and Apeo, Mike and Aris were still giving them stony looks. He knew that a rift between them would only hurt Mel; it couldn’t be allowed to stand.

  “Mel, once we’ve done the best we can in notifying anyone, do you think you’ll be ok alone for a while?”

  She looked up sharply. “Why?”

  “I was thinking of inviting the guys on a trip. You know, brother bonding time.” He turned to Apeo, Aris and Mike. “What do you say?”

  Finally, Aris smiled. “If Essa will be alright without us for a while, I would love to.”

  Mike and Apeo nodded enthusiastically.

  “That’s a great idea!” Relief filled Mel’s voice as she looked between the four of them with a growing smile. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine here – it’s not like I’ll be alone in the palace. Besides, I can call if I need you.”

  “You’ll need a guard detail if we’re not around to protect you,” Aris mused. “I can ask Averin to do it, along with some of the other Cherki guards.”

  “I don’t think a guard detail is going to be much help in protecting me from spirits.”

  Jake grimaced. He was sure she was right. If having people around her would protect Mel, he’d never leave her at a time like this, but, the only protection they could count on working was the iron – and even that hadn’t been put to the test.

  “Still, we’ll all feel better if there’s someone watching out for you.” Mike trailed a tender hand down Mel’s face as he spoke. “At the very least, they can watch you for any unusual behavior. If you get possessed again, the sooner we know about it, the better.”

  “Speaking of which, I had an idea.” Jake wasn’t entirely sure if this might not be a terrible idea, but it was worth voicing. “We know – or at least, we think we know – that iron repels spirits. Humans, vampires and donors all have a certain amount of iron in their blood. What if increasing that amount helps to repel them?”

  Aris looked surprised by the idea. “It’s worth a try. Obviously, we can’t increase it too much, that could get toxic, but there’s no harm in getting the palace on high iron diets. We’ve got a meeting with the research team this afternoon, we can bring it up then.”

  Jake just hoped his idea didn’t end up giving the palace iron poisoning. So far, no one in the Cherki palace had been killed, but he wasn’t counting on being able to keep the spirits out indefinitely. All their hopes were pinned on the research teams. If they failed… then the palace would fall.

  Chapter 17

  Aris

  Aris did a double take; sure he was seeing things. He blinked. “Essa… what is a priest doing here? They usually avoid vampires at all costs – they think we’re soulless demons.”

  Essa rolled her eyes. “Believe me, I know. You have no idea how long it took to find someone who would come, but I we finally found a guy whose congregation is being affected by the spirits. Apparently, they’re pretty pro-peace between vampires and humans, even the priest.

  “Anyway, he has experience with banishing evil spirits. He’s certainly managed to sort out the problem for the people in his area.”

  Who would have thought it? Aris had been sure that any solution to the spirits would come from the vampires – they were the ones who were part of the supernatural world, after all, unlike humans. Could humans have had the answer all along?

  He’d heard stories about humans banishing evil spirits, of course, but he’d always thought that was just human religious nonsense. If he’d been wrong, if the priest really could help… then all their problems could be solved.

  They left the priest to his business. Unfortunately, his business soon got out of control. Essa was on her way to a meeting with Assa when it happened. A howling noise had Aris, Apeo, Mike and Jake spinning around in alarm from their seats on one of the palace benches, where they’d been chatting casually. The four of them exchanged a look before sprinting back inside.

  It was a scene of nightmare. The spirits had been invisible before.

  They weren’t invisible now. One or two panicked vampires were pulling out guns. Aris took off at a run, knocking the guns out of their hands. “Are you mad? There are dozens of people in here! Take this.” He handed his spare dagger to one and grabbed another off a guard to give to the second person he disarmed.

  Aris drew his sword, silently thanking Averin for training him never to go anywhere without his weapons, no matter how silly it seemed. Apeo had apparently been trained the same, because he was already armed and shepherding a protesting Jake and Mike away, which was a relief. They didn’t have nearly the right amount of training and fighting experience to battle spirits.

  The spirits were everywhere – there had to be dozens of them. They screamed in apparent fury and swooped in on people. Just a touch was enough to kill. The floor was already littered with frozen bodies.

  A spirit came right for him, and Aris swung at it with his sword. The metal wen
t right through the spirit, and he was forced to roll away to avoid its touch.

  “Here!” The priest from earlier stumbled into him and poured what looked like water over his blade. “Holy water. Take this bottle, coat as many weapons as you can.”

  “Why is this happening!” Aris demanded.

  “Supernatural power, I think. When I tried to banish the spirits, they drew on the supernatural power that naturally lives in a home of vampires, and managed to become more corporal, more powerful.”

  They didn’t have time to talk further, because another spirit came for them. Aris slashed at it, and when it contacted the sword blade, the spirit disappeared with a whooshing sound and an unearthly scream.

  Aris glanced at Apeo, who was still pulling Jake and Mike away. He’d get them to Essa’s room, which was still lined in iron. That may not work anymore, but it was worth a shot. Apeo had to find Essa.

  “Get to the guards, coat all the weapons in that water!” he yelled to the priest. “Then get the people out of here into one of the iron shielded rooms.”

  He didn’t wait to see if his instructions were followed but took off running. It didn’t take him long to find Essa – she was surrounded by palace guards. He slipped between them, yelling to Tirin. “Hold them back, I’ll take her to safety.”

  He waited long enough to see that the guards’ weapons had been coated in holy water – they were destroying every spirit they touched – before pulling Essa along. She had a dagger clutched in her hand; no doubt given to her by one of the guards.

  “Aris, no, I have to stay and help –”

  “You have to get to safety,” he said firmly. “That’s how you can help – by ensuring the royal line doesn’t die today.” He grimly cut through another spirit that was rushing toward them. They were nearing Essa’s chambers now, and he saw Apeo, Jake and Mike just outside the door.

  Jake and Apeo were turning urgently to Mike, who looked like he might pass out.

  As they got closer, Aris saw that there were at least thirty spirits between them and the door. It was too late to back away – the corridor behind them was rapidly filling up with battling vampires and spirits. One spirit in front of them stood in the fore.

  Essa swayed alarmingly and would have fallen had Aris not steadied her. “Evan,” she whispered, trembling.

  “Evan? But he’s dead!” Aris stared at the malicious grin on the face of the leading spirit.

  “Not anymore,” Evan sneered. “The power of my brethren has brought me back.”

  “Not for long,” Apeo snarled. He lunged. Aris did the same shoving Essa back along with Mike and Jake. He yelled to Jake over his shoulder. “Arm yourselves in case they get past us! Make sure your weapons are coated in this.”

  He opened the bottle, coating Apeo’s weapon before closing it and tossing it back to Jake.

  Aris lost himself in the battle. Never had a battle he’d been in had such high stakes. Not only would a single touch from the enemy spell his death, but there were lives on the line he valued far more than his own. If something happened to Essa…

  Evan moved too fast, faster than any of the other spirits. He dodged the blades, trying fruitlessly to get past, apparently intent on killing Mike and Essa.

  There were too many. They were being overwhelmed. The freezing touches were getting too close. Aris expected every moment to be his last.

  Evan dodged his strike and slipped around him. Aris tried to turn but was blocked by yet another spirit. He killed it and spun around, to see more spirits coming up from behind. Mike, Jake and Essa were all armed with daggers and fighting. He left Apeo to the spirits by the door and ran forward to face the ones coming from behind.

  Essa was fighting with Evan, and he couldn’t get to her, not through the three spirits that separated them.

  “You’ll never win.” Evan’s face was set in a snarl of hatred. Essa didn’t speak, concentrating on blocking his advances.

  Then, she did something Aris didn’t expect. “Your family wouldn’t recognize you, Evan, blacksmith.” Essa’s voice wasn’t harsh; if anything, it was sad.

  At her words, Evan hesitated.

  The hesitation was enough. Essa’s dagger stabbed through Evan’s chest. He screamed and twisted, his body turning first grey then black as it dissolved into smoke.

  Around them, the other spirits reacted like they’d been struck, doubling over in apparent pain. Evan’s death had affected them, and Aris didn’t waste the opportunity. He cut into them with a vengeance.

  A yell from behind told him that reinforcements had arrived. Tirin led a guard detachment to destroy the remaining, disoriented spirits.

  Time blurred out, but Aris didn’t think the fighting lasted long after that. Finally, there was quiet. He dropped his sword to the ground and stumbled over to Essa. “Are you alright?”

  She nodded shakily. “I’m alright. Is it really over?”

  He pulled her into a hug. “It’s really over. You saved us, Essa. I was wrong. You were right not to run. Without you, we’d probably all be in the spirit world by now.”

  She just rested her head on his shoulder, opening her other arm to pull Jake, Mike and Apeo closer. All looked exhausted, but unhurt.

  #

  It was over.

  In the end, they didn’t need to go anywhere to mend the bonds between them. Everything they’d needed was right here at the palace. There was something about relying on someone for your life that put things into perspective. Old opinions didn’t matter nearly so much as the fact that they’d all fought to protect Essa, and they’d won.

  The next few days were spent taking the iron down from the palace, something Aris was more than happy about. Messages were sent to the other palaces, telling them how to get rid of any lingering spirits in their area, but warning them of the dangers.

  Things seemed to be calming down when Essa found the four of them about a week later, her expression tense.

  “What’s wrong, Mel?”

  “Nothing is wrong. At least, I hope not. I’m not sure. They’ve found her. Elise. At least, they think they have. Jexin says this is the closest he’s ever gotten to her.”

  “The last lost Essa?” Apeo was already dropping the book he’d been reading. “When do we leave?”

  Aris started pulling out the weapons and quickly strapping them to his body. “We’ll find her, Essa.”

  “No, wait, that’s not what I need from you!”

  Aris paused, confused. “You don’t want us to go on the team sent to recover her?”

  “No, Jexin has that handled. They already left. I just wanted you here with me when they bring her back. She’ll likely be confused and scared. Rachel and I will explain everything to her, of course, but…”

  Aris understood. Meeting her sister would be a big deal under any circumstances, but the chances were that the Cherki guard might need to kidnap the lost Essa to get her to come along. His Essa would need the support of her mates.

  “What are they going to do if she won’t come?” Jake asked.

  Essa bit her lip. “We need her here. It’s not like it was with me, when Rachel had the luxury of giving me time to adjust to the idea – and, it turned out she really didn’t. The attacks from the spirits have everyone on edge. Those are almost all finished now, but still, the unrest they caused is dangerous. Elise can’t be out there on her own. It’s too dangerous.”

  “It’s the right call,” Aris assured her. “She’ll forgive your methods later, as long as she’s alive to forgive them.”

  Jake didn’t look certain, but Aris was sure. Mike and Apeo nodded their agreement. They all knew how dangerous the world of vampire royals could be.

  “How long ago did the teams leave?” Mike took Essa’s arm, urging her to sit down; she looked stressed and exhausted.

  “A couple of hours – Jexin took them as soon as they could mobilize. Rachel is worried about him going, but Tim and Refeu are distracting her. Hopefully, we’ll get some news soon. He said not
to get my hopes up too much, though. Apparently, they’ve been close to Elise before, and she’s disappeared. She seems adept at escaping notice.”

  “Then there’s nothing to do but wait. At least we don’t need to worry about errant spirits.” Apeo glanced appreciatively around the palace, which once more had natural light and fresh air.

  “Well, actually, there is something I thought I’d do while we wait.”

  Why did Essa look nervous? Surely she knew she could tell them anything? Aris remained quiet, giving her space to express whatever was bothering her.

  “I was thinking… we should make it official. I love you all, and I want to marry you. It never seems like the right time, but I’ve decided that if we wait for the right time, we’ll be waiting forever. Aris, Apeo, Jake, Mike… will you marry me?”

  Aris moved first, and thus was the first to capture Essa’s lips. “Yes,” he whispered. “Always yes, Essa.”

  Though he longed to kiss her for hours, he reluctantly moved aside. Apeo, Jake and Mike spoke quiet, private words to her. Aris didn’t need to hear to know what their answers would be. Essa was right; there would never be a perfect time. If they waited for news on Elise before acting, by the time such news arrived, there would likely be a new problem.

  The time to act was now.

  Aris had always known that he’d marry an Essa to ensure a good alliance between his bloodline and another. What he hadn’t known was that he’d fall in love. It had been a hope, of course, but always an unrealistic one, the kind that one daydreams of but never seriously considers.

  He’d spent so many years watching Essa, and a part of him had always hoped that somehow, it would be her who he married. That this wish could come true along with the outlandish desire to fall in love… well, he didn’t know how he got so lucky, but he was grateful.

  Aris lifted Essa off her feet, carrying her to their chambers, with Mike, Jake and Apeo close on his heels. He was surely the luckiest man alive.