“Nyte has lost enough this day,” Xavier claims while returning to his throne. Hearing a door slam on one of the higher floors, he licks his lips and watches the ceiling. “Mistress Talon obviously had this planned from the beginning. We should not belittle her actions by wishing she never made such a sacrifice. She did it for love and loyalty, which is all my wife and I can truly ask from any of you. I will admit that the loss of such a powerful ritualist is a blow that we may never recover from, but now Clyde cannot rally the womb-born. Even if he keeps Lost alive, she is a single abomination instead of an army.”
“It is possible that they can make more, so we should prepare for-” Kai begins to say before he senses a change in the air. Seeing ice forming on his master’s hands, he clears his throat and nudges Decker with his foot. “That’s far down the road and we have one more thing to show you. A surprise present if you will. We did hope to bring it in with Lady Sylvan here, but they will not last long enough for us to wait for her return. To our surprise, we found them heading for Nyte without a care in the world. All we ask is that you unlock the doors, so that we may present them, my Lord.”
Curiosity rising, Xavier waves his hand to undo the protective spell and open the door. He is immediately on his feet when Archillious and the surviving Utukku enter, all of them wearing black headbands. The noble is about to pounce on the mortals when they fall to their hands and knees, the unified motion obviously practiced to perfection. Only a minute passes before their leader gets to his feet and fixes his jacket, the grin on his face never faltering. Holding up his hands to show he is not armed, Archillious walks to the bottom of the dais and meets the Dawn Fang’s furious gaze. Kai and Decker can only share a confused glance since they were under the impression that the prisoners would accept an execution without question. Reacting to the jaundice-eyed man’s whistle, all thirty of the silent Utukku jump to their feet and stand at attention.
“Stories of my betrayal are greatly exaggerated,” Archillious confidently swears. Turning to face Kai and Decker, he flips two flasks out of his sleeves and offers them to the vampires. “I bled a drite before we reunited. Those tiny dragons are delicious if I’m not mistaken, so consider these a peace offering. Now, I do owe you a greater apology, Lord Tempest. Sometimes, the passionate desires of Archillious grow too big for him to control. An ambitious man such as yourself must understand. My dream to become a vampire was within my reach and I fully intended to bring Lost back to Nyte. It was due to an embarrassing misunderstanding that mistakes were made. When talking to your agents, I was inadvertently made to feel like my goals would be . . . ignored. My people and I had worked too hard to track Lost down and get what she owed us, so I took her away to handle my personal business before bringing her here. I assure you that it was more of a spontaneous borrowing than an actual theft since I would hate for us to be enemies.”
“Your tongue would make an excellent trophy,” Xavier says, his fangs slipping out. He leans forward and stares into the mortal’s eyes, which remain strong and full of a confidence that is nearly superhuman. “I cannot tell if you are telling the truth or lying to my face. Needless to say, I find you a difficult man to believe. Not only because your actions can be connected to the death of Mistress Talon, but I have heard of your skill with poisons. That would have been something worth knowing during our first encounter. I assume you are a man of secrets for a reason, which makes me wonder what else you are hiding. Are either of the flasks tainted, Mr. Stavros and General Decker?”
“I feel fine,” the dwarf replies having drained the blood. Stepping between his maker and the Utukku, he taps his fingers on his axe before partially drawing it from its belt loop. “I don’t think we should give this man any more time. As you said, he is full of secrets and that tells me he could betray us again. Not that I see any reason we should have a mortal involved in a vampire war in the first place. He wouldn’t last very long on the battlefield even with his poisons.”
“My victory over Clyde’s gang says otherwise,” Archillious retorts before he tries to move Decker out of his path. He is shoved back with the butt of the soldier’s axe, the blow leaving a sore spot on his stomach. “Everyone is right. I am a creature of secrets, surprises, and shadows, which isn’t that different from any of you. Vampires live on the outskirts of society and stay hidden from mortals unless they have to feed. Even the Dawn Fangs blend into the world instead of standing out. How can you judge the elusive Archillious’s life when we survive using the same methods? I suggest that we reconsider our friendship and work together for a better world where-”
“Isn’t your goal to kill and destroy the world?” Kai bluntly asks with a smirk.
The mortal’s head wobbles a little as he considers the question and shrugs. “Perhaps I’ve been too hasty in building my ultimate plans. After all, what would I do after I accomplish that goal? Some would suggest I kill myself, but even a desolate world shouldn’t be denied my greatness. No, thinking about it, I feel like I can satisfy myself with the occasional killing and destruction in the name of a cause I believe in. For example, the humiliation and defeat of the Dawn Fangs who have stolen my chance at power and immortality. Give the vengeful Archillious a chance and he will craft the perfect poisons for your war. Do we have a possible deal, Lord Tempest?”
“Stand down, General Decker,” Xavier whispers when the dwarf raises his axe. Stepping off the dais, he circles the mortal and watches for any sign of deception. “These poisons do intrigue me, but I hold loyalty in very high regard. You have already broken my trust and demonstrate the gall to tell me it was a misunderstanding. This puts me in a terrible position, especially since I am already in a foul mood. More importantly, my child made an excellent point. In a war between immortals such as myself and Clyde, even an enhanced man such as yourself would not last long.”
“Then, I suggest you turn me.”
“Me adopt you as a vampiric son?”
“It is what the great Archillious has always wanted and I would be in your debt.”
“The House of Tempest requires sacrifice from a man who has already betrayed it.”
“Name the price and I will pay.”
Entertained by the mortal, the Lord of Nyte leans in close to whisper, “I am not entirely sold on your usefulness. Reading the minds of your friends, I found that they know how to make the poisons as well. I only need one of you, so I suggest a battle to the death. The sole survivor will become a vampire by my fang.”
“That’s it?” Archillious asks with a laugh. He tears off his headband and all of the other Utukku drop dead with silver foam spilling out of their ears. “My poor friends have been absorbing that poison for the last two days and it was only my unmatched mental strength that kept them alive. I shall miss them. Now, let’s get with the biting and then cause some mayhem, my wise and intelligent maker.”
Kai and Decker can only stare at the pile of bodies and seeping foam while Xavier watches the grinning mortal. The Lord of Nyte smells the acrid scent of poison, which brings an odd twitch to his lips. The foul stench continues to rise from the corpses, but Archillious shows no signs of remorse for his actions or that he even notices his dead friends anymore. The only thing on the mortal’s face is the unbreakable smile and a mad spark deep within his eyes. Without warning, the nobleman begins laughing until crimson tears run down his face and his stomach twists.
*****
“I am glad to hear that my husband is so happy,” Nadia bitterly mutters as she finishes climbing the stairs to her private room. Hand quivering, she grips the door handle and places her head against the warm wood. “You were always my most trusted confidant and friend, Mistress Talon. All you wanted was to please me and that led to your demise. I cannot help, but feel guilty about your fate.”
Nadia opens the door enough to slip inside and takes a deep, shuddering breath that does nothing to steady her heightened nerves. A gentle breeze brings her attention to the balcony and she nearly screams at the gory sight that a
waits her. Covered only in blood, the strange figure sitting on the railing looks up with yellow eyes that have a crimson core. A puffy tail swishes into view and sends a spray of gore onto the white curtains before the intruder slides off her perch. For a terrifying moment, the woman’s body bloats and squirms as if something is trying to burst from her flesh. The strange effect is gone almost as soon as it appears, but it still leaves Nadia shaken and ready to transform into moths in order to escape. It is only when the sunlight shifts and falls on a familiar face that her rattled mind makes the connection.
“Is that you, Mistress Talon?” the noblewoman asks in disbelief. In a matter of seconds, the calico grabs a nearby towel, cleans herself off, and stops in front of her beloved mistress. “You have powers in the sun. That means you became a Dawn Fang. Is that how you survived those explosions?”
“I was trapped along with all of them,” Stephanie replies, her words emanating as if from multiple mouths. She glances at her shoulder where an eye has appeared and she gently presses it back down. “The womb-born were helpless and I devoured them all. I knew they had deep reserves of power ever since I smelled Lost. Different from the turned ones. I ate every drop of blood, scrap of flesh, and shard of bone no matter how stuffed I was. My body made space and then I earned the strength to escape the ruins. Now, I’m just like you, Lady Sylvan, and I can still do my rituals. That’s how I was able to tell where you were going just now.”
“I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“I’m alive and a Dawn Fang.”
“But one can only become one through birth, fang, or Clyde’s blood.”
Head cocked to the side, Stephanie hugs the noble and puts her lips to the stunned woman’s ear. “Not anymore.”
The war continues in:
War of Nytefall: Rivalry
Lost (War of Nytefall Book 2) Page 29
