The Eternal Kingdoms

by Alice Knight

  He brushes his hands through his hair as he sees the mess left on the bar and the body on the floor. “I can't leave you alone for 2 damn minutes minx"

  lifting my perfect shaped brow at him a signal to continue.

  "Your hunters name is Drake, no info on the what or the why of him, just his name"

  Hmm "Drake" the name rolls off my tongue, sending a shiver down my spine and not an unpleasant one.

  Seething in the shadows watching as that parasite lays his hand on her thigh, the sultry smile she gives him for the act, almost has me bursting out of the shadows, I stand in, that is until I catch the sweet venom in her voice, I know better from past experience that something painful is to follow.

  I get a sick sort of satisfaction watching the her deadly blades do their work, the way she uses all the tools in her arsenal to avenge her.

  Jeans? well at least he is not touching her anymore, I'll take that as a plus even with the twisted reasoning it took to get there.

  Feeling a hand rubbing my arm, has me looking down at a female with long brown hair and big dark eyes, currently wearing a skin tight red dress that highlights all of her assets.

  "How about you buy me a drink handsome?" lifting the offending hand off of me and dropping it to the side, I turn around back to my main point of interest.

  "Pfft, well fuck you to" hearing the petite brunette walking away makes me relax somewhat.

  Sorry lady but you don't compare with the view I have at the moment. That outfit highlighting all of her curves, making her lean legs look never ending. A waterfall of crimson hair framing her face, that could bring a blind man to his knees, with her high cheekbones, full red stained lips and a pair of brilliant green eyes. If it wasn't for her little pointed telltale signs currently hiding behind her locks, she would almost appear Human.

  God this woman could make a sinner out of a saint just with a smile alone.

  After dancing to every song that came on and a few more cocktails, it looks like Freya has found some entertainment for the rest of the night... in a wolf again! What does she see in these mangy mutts? Well I won’t berate her to much, a couple decades at the very least should do the trick.

  Walking out into the cool night air has me thinking, about what my little stalker is doing right now. I’d like to think he’s perfecting a shrine to me, thanking any and all Gods for my existence in what must be a dull and boring life or maybe he could be looking for gifts to sway me to play nice with him next time we meet, I won’t mind you. It’s the thought that counts

  Not seeing anyone around I click my heels 3 times and think of home. The coldness touches my skin first coming over me like a wet blanket, then I feel the rush, opening my eyes as soon as I have landed in the middle of my living room once again. Now, if I could phase right into Barneys without setting off alarms, helping myself to a few new items, I would be so much happier. Ahhh if life was a dream. I mentally shake away the idea, best not tempt myself, these humans and their sensitive tickers, they are tricky buggers when they see the delight that is me appearing out of nowhere, it only took around 50 heart attacks to realise it, it may have been me causing them but come on, who can blame a girl wanting to avoid the rain messing up her fabulous hair do.

  Walking towards my ensuite bathroom stripping off my outfit on the way, I make quick work of a shower and dry off, throwing my egyptian towel to the floor as I crawl into bed, not having to sleep every night like humans does make this experience all the better. Though if I had it my way I would never leave the comfort of my bed...

  The sound of breaking glass is the first thing I hear as I’m rudely pulled from my unconscious state, looking over to my phone frowning to myself as I see it's only 6am.

  Who in hell wakes up at this God awful time, thinking it is the perfect time to try and rob someone!, Anyone awake at this unholy hour should be arrested.

  What is that noise? it sounds like furniture scraping across wooden flooring. A hypothetical light turns on in my mind as I begin to make sence of what I'm hearing Oh hell no they didn't just mark up my oak floor!

  The thought of anything happening to my elegant apartment has me leaping out of bed in my birthday suit, I flex my right hand, concentrating on my weapons that are tucked away in a locked box under my kitchen floor. A warmth shoots down my arm, settling in the palm of my hand as my power pulses through it, when I begin to feel the heavy weight in my palm I grab hold of the handle to my battle axe as it finishes phasing in. It takes seconds for me to go from no weapon to holding the cold steel handle, that is wrapped in an ancient leather ending in a double headed axe.

  Overkill maybe? the sound of ripping fabric meets my ears, no, no overkill here if that is my pure white cotton Chesterfield couch, heads are indeed going to roll.

  Phasing out into the middle of my kitchen I look over the breakfast bar to the chaos that was once the classiest room since the first Queen owned her throne room.

  "What in the unholy name of Lucifer's foreskin!" I curse, walking into the living room area to asses the damage. I can feel my heart break as I look at the mess. My couch looks like it had been murdered, Long gashes and knife punchers all over the back cushion, a giant ass hole, where my floor to ceiling window used to be, the only evidence that it was even there is all the broken glass scattered over the floor, and the floor has marks all over it where the couch has been pushed back against the kitchen isle, and don't get me started on my innocent coffee table that I only got last month!

  Looking around for the culprit brings the next question, do I have a fucking poltergeist or something! nothing, nada, zippo, no soul to punish for these sins. Well fuck that for a bag of peanuts.

  Wind is whipping in here, making the shattered glass and couch stuffing reap more havoc, it is like rubbing salt into an open wound, I take a deep breath, walking back to my kitchen I lay my axe on the counter, quickly phasing my cell to me, I call the one person who would understand my pain and be able to fix this horrible mess while I go hunting for the asshole responsible.

  "This should be illegal, what the hell are you trying to do to me?"Freya grumbles down the phone.

  We were so made to be, at least Frey understands the meaning of dead before daylight, I give a brief rundown of my fabulous morning to Freya.

  "Well crap on a cracker and serve it for breakfast! what do you need?"she replies

  "What I need is for you to put the dog outside and get your witchy twitchy ass over here and do some damage control so I don't end up with a mini tornado in my living room! While your doing that, I'll be doing what I do best, getting my own back over the asshole who dared to touch my furniture in a malicious way" I respond while pacing up and down my kitchen, I worry I will begin to wear a hole in my flooring if Freya does not hurry up.

  I'm grinding my back teeth so bad I'm surprised I haven't cracked my molars. "roger that!" I hear a body hit the floor with a thud, followed by a growling wolf unhappy for being woken up in such a way.

  Hanging up my phone I take one last look at this heartbreak, rage is causing through my veins and the next thing I know is, I'm storming back to my bedroom throwing open my closet door, once I find the outfit I’m looking for, I begin to dress for war…

  When I’m ready to head out, I wait by the front door for Freya to arrive. It normally takes her around 20 minutes to come from her place.

  Two raps on the door and a sing song voice calling, “Housekeeping” has me moving for my leaning position against the wall, only the witch could make me smile when I feel this murderous.

  I open the door, Freya looks like hell has just spit her out.

  Neither of us do well in the mornings before ten a.m, desperate times call for desperate measures though in this case. Thankfully my friend understands.

  Frey looks over my shoulder and her mouth pops open, “Well holy shit-” She walks past me and takes a look around the apartment, cracking her knuckles she turns towards me.

  “Make them suffer, I got this mess covered.” I lea
ve as soon as I hear the rhymes start to leave her mouth.

  Phasing into Chaos looking like the warrior goddess I am, I’m wearing my calf high steel toe capped combat boots, a long black leather jacket that hides the weapons currently strapped to my body rather well and black skinnies that have Sinner in a bright pink gothic font written across the back.

  I spot Jaden serving a group of customers at the bar, no longer caring who sees me I phase in next to him. I quickly retrieve Crime from my waist, pushing the sharp blade against Jaden's windpipe, this forces him to lean as far as he can over the bar. With the brightest smile on my face I kindly ask his customers to give us a moment.

  Luckily for everyone present they oblige me, turning and heading back to their tables.

  I turn my attention back to Jaden, I do feel slightly bad the position he is currently in, it does not look comfortable in the slightest. To bad I’m not in a more pleasant mood to do anything about it, so I carry on with what I’m doing.

  "Jaden, just the fleabag I was looking for, tell me what you know about a hit out on my head last night and I'd make it quick, I'm a woman scorned and right now, hells fury has nothing on me”

  His eyes widen as he feels my daggers blade press up to his throat. A slight sizzle in the air accompanying the smell of burning flesh as his skin meets the unsullied silver.

  "Nice to see you to, how about we lose the theatrics and the weapons" each word drawing out droplets of blood that run down his neck and soaks into the shirt he is wearing.

  “I was woken up at an ungodly hour by the sounds of my apartment being violated in the worst way and you think I'm being theatrical?!" I say in a high shrill voice. I hear his heartbeat kick up a notch.

  "Tell me what you know Jaden before I turn this place upside down looking for my own answers that might leave you homeless!".

  Though the first time I destroyed this place wasn't all that called for, I was just making a point that he needed to re-decorate, not my fault he didn't listen to reason.

  Jaden responds without missing a beat,"All I know is the vamp from the other night, woke up after you hurt his feeling in front of his buddies, so he started asking everyone about you, your name, where you lived, I knew you could take care of yourself! how would I know he would trash your place?!" My smile shows off all my pearly whites, well well the sucker has an even bigger death wish then I thought. If he wanted to meet his maker that bad all he had to do was ask.

  Dropping my dagger and releasing Jaden, I chuckle at him as he pulls himself together.

  "Oh come on, don’t be like that, you wouldn't have ended up homeless, I know a certain witch who likes to take in strays." I taunt,

  Right on queue I get the one finger salute as he walks off to serve waiting customers. Looking around the place my eyes spot just the group of people I wanted to see. Walking across the club swaying my hips as I go, I look all the vamps in the eye as I make my way over to their table.

  Hmmm even I can feel the temperature dropping, I lock eyes with the ring leader bald as the day he was born, I wouldn't call him built like a brick shit house... maybe an outhouse? I smile, then mentally dub him shiny head....

  "Like what you see ?" Shiny head purrs in my direction, argg as if baldly locks, but just for the fun of it I embrace my inner theatrical actor and play the part, I slide into the seat next to him and run my fingers over his thigh, which I'm pretty sure my pinky toe has more strength then.

  Sighing for dramatic effect "oh my yes! you seem to have swept me right off my feet with all the mystery and beer breath you aimed at me" Chuckling lightly to myself. He doesn't look like he appreciated my awesome come back.

  "But you see, my knight in shiny armour, it's one of your kin I seek and I do have my twisted heart set on him, alas, I'm not the poor female who will be warming your cold bed this night".

  In a motion that would of looked like a blur to human eyes I impale my Punishment into his thigh itches from his, what I'm sure would be a very disappointing sized appendage.

  "Now, before you insult me and force my hand into moving my blade a lot higher, you will answer one question truthfully, nod if you understand" a frantic nod of the most shiniest head I have ever seen is his only response. Smart little blood sucker.

  "The address of your friend, Medium height and build black hair with far to much gel and a face that says he talks himself up far to much in a mirror?"

  An hour and half later I’m down a leather jacket and standing outside a dingy looking apartment block cursing, any and all bloodsuckers that, if and when they meet the end of one of my blades they do so without getting blood on me.

  Making my way to the door in question, the number 666 engraved on it, really, how cliche. I kick it in with little to no effort calling out in a sing song voice "Honey I’m home!"

  Well this night just keeps getting better and better. After dispatching the vampire asshole who thought he could get a one up on the sleeping beauty in the next room. I'll give him one thing, he put up a valiant fight but nothing mortal or immortal can survive a nose dive out of a forty five story apartment block window, thankfully these soulless assholes turn to dust once they meet their eternal grave. Hearing whispers and movement in the next room I phase out before I’m the one taking the one way ticket out the hole that used to be a window.

  Walking into the shady ass looking apartment trying to avoid all the blood stains on the floor, I enter what I'm guessing is Dracula's sitting room. That's when I see the last being I expect to find, the back view of him, makes me pause and take him all in.

  Well over my 5ft 4 frame, jeans that hug an ass I'm currently thanking the Gods for. A simple black short sleeve t shirt that hugs the ropes of muscle it's currently hiding from my greedy eyes.

  I sigh out my disappointment as Drake isn't in fact perfecting my shine at all but instead he is here, in the same apartment my prey occupies. Some would ask why he's here or bring up a conversation starter.

  Luckily I'm made of tougher stuff than that. I withdraw my battle axe that was strapped to my back, without thinking twice about my actions I throw it at his head, it all seems to happen in slow motion, when my fingers leave the handle, he is already turning dazzling me with his eyes, a dark grey that seems to hold the universe in their depths.

  Sucking in a deep breath, I'm hit with his scent, masculine earthy and would have a normal woman in a puddle at his feet. He raises his hand and picks my axe out the air by its handle, the sharp end inches away from burying itself in his forehead. Anger and desire flare in his eyes as he takes in my badass outfit, he seems to appreciate the view right before he shakes out of the daze he appears to be in.

  Next thing I know it's me dodging my axe as it finds a new target that seems to be my chest, he gives me a cheeky smirk just before he phases out, not knowing if he hit his mark. I step out of the axes path spinning on the spot, I watch as it lodges itself into the wall behind me.

  Growling to myself, replaying the scene in my head. What in the unholy hell had just happened. I find myself shaking my head trying to wrap my brain around the situation.

  Sexy ass Drake, in the middle of my vampires living room looking like all kinds of sinful. We take turns trying to impale each other, using my weapon! Then in the blink of an eye I'm all alone. If he has taken out my blood sucker, I will kill him before he gets another chance to aim them panty dropping eyes at me.

  I stomp over to the damaged wall and yank out my axe. Throwing up my arm, so my shoulder takes most of my weapons weight.

  I have a quick look around Dracula's den, the whole place is crying out to be clean. I’m getting itchy just by being here, empty beer bottles line the kitchen counter. Ashtrays thrown on every available surface, blood stains and panties all over the sofas and cushions. God help me I don't even want to check out the bedroom.

  Fuck this, shaking my head I phase back to my apartment just in time to see witchy finish up. Ahh my living space it's fabulous again, not a single object out of place. I drop down
onto my sofa and throw my arms over my eyes.

  “By the looks of it you have had a far more entertaining day then me” Freya says calmly as she hands me a cup filled with coffee.

  “I saw him again” I admit as a warm feeling spreads through my chest at the memory, a feeling that has no place being there and it just pisses me off more.

  Freya drops down into my arm chair, “and?”.

  I sigh to myself, admitting “up close and personal he's a walking temptation, not to mention we tried to kill each other as you can see he failed, I'm sure by my current mood you can tell so did I” she takes a mouthful of her own drink, She mulls over my confession.

  “So we still don't know what his deal is” she finally says, it wasn't a question. She picks up the remote control to my flat screen and starts going through channels. This man is making us far to serious, and I hate it.

  She was breathtaking as always, her choice of outfit almost killed me. All I could think about was ways to get it off of her and sample the treats it was hiding from my eyes. Unfortunately she didn't feel the same if the axe flying towards me was anything to go by, now if we were normal in any sense of the word, I'm sure some would consider that a mood killer, fuck that, her sudden violence just turned me on more she looked like a damn goddess and at this rate she will be the death of me.

  Phasing back to my house I'm suddenly put on edge as I see the one person I loath.

  “Thorn, what do you want?” I say as calmly as I can muster. It's been over a century since we last saw each other and it still wasn't long enough. He stands then comes towards me and stops just as quick.

  “When will you learn to stay away from her, she is not yours!” he growls.

  Same shit different day.

  “She's mine in every sense of the word! And there isn't anything that will change that fact, now what do you want?” reasoning with him didn't work then and it won't work now.