by F. E. Heaton
"I'm sick of this.” She was surprised by how angry they were making her. She knew this feeling had nothing to do with Valentine's disappearance. This feeling had been growing inside of her since she had taken command of her family and they had started trying to make both houses work as one army. “The Tenebrae have no qualm with working with the Aurorea and the Caelestis, yes?"
"None at all,” he said. “We fight for a common purpose. The law decrees it is allowed."
She stormed across the room, took the piece of paper off the book and pocketed it. She closed the book and removed the fragments of the star. Clipping them together in a hurry, she slipped the star pendant back onto the chain and clasped it around her throat.
She looked at Venturi while she thought about what she was going to do. She went over her visions, trying to remember all the things she'd seen, hoping to find a solution in one of them.
"They need someone who can command them, Prophecy. Someone who they would dare not go against. You may be that person, but the Aurorea might attempt to revolt against you on the principle that you're a Caelestis and not fit to command their bloodline.” Venturi moved across the room and stopped a few feet from her. “They will not listen to me. Not even Xavier or Cornelius can command them. They are intent on war."
He frowned when she smiled.
"Someone strong? Someone in command?” Her smile became a grin when it came to her. It was a long shot, but then it always was when it came to this person. She glanced at the window, hoping there was time.
"What is it?” he said.
She didn't answer him. Instead, she went to her wardrobe and rifled through the clothes she had there, tossing a pair of black trousers and a corseted top onto the bed. She grabbed the small jacket from the hanger and threw it onto the bed with them. Carrying her knee high boots with her, she grabbed the sword belt from the table and then picked up the sword itself. She stared at it.
"I have an idea that might just work. Gather the houses. Tell them to be in the main hall just before dawn comes.” She looked at Venturi.
He nodded, the look of confusion not shifting from his face, and then went to the door.
When he closed it behind him, she stared at the sword again, hoping that this would work.
"Pray to the Devil that he'll be on our side."
Chapter 18
Prophecy sat on the edge of the platform with the throne behind her. She was still sticking to her vow to never sit in it. Her place would never truly be there, not even on an occasion like this. She shifted slightly so the bottom of her corset-top wasn't digging in as painfully and as she moved, the tip of the sword she wore at her waist scraped against the floor.
She sat a little straighter and kept her gaze fixed on the end of the aisle in front of her. The room was packed. On the left of the aisle were the Aurorea, and on the right were the Caelestis. Neither of them were paying any attention to her. They were too busy hurling abusive comments at each other. In defence of her bloodline, the Aurorea had started it. It had only taken twenty minutes of waiting in silence for the first offensive remark to be flung across the room.
To her direct right stood Venturi and she could feel his eyes boring into her. He was watching her like a hawk, and she couldn't figure out whether it was because he thought she should do something about the elevating level of anger in the room, or whether it was because he feared for her safety.
She hadn't told him what was happening. He'd find out soon enough.
Behind Venturi were his commanders. They were standing in regimented lines of six, all of them dressed in their finery. They seemed uneasy, but it was probably because of the unrest between the Aurorea and Caelestis. Her eyes flickered to the girl that was Venturi's child and she wasn't surprised to find that she was staring at Venturi's back, while Venturi continued to stare at herself.
Bringing her eyes across to him, she gave him a smile and was surprised at the impact it had. He immediately looked more relaxed.
Her gaze drifted over him, taking in the suit of armour he wore. The armour wasn't the one his lord had been wearing when she'd defeated him. It was the armour that Venturi had been wearing when she'd first met him. It was the armour of a high guard but slightly more embellished to make it suitable for the Chosen Son he used to be. She understood why he didn't wear the lord's armour. It was the same reason she wouldn't sit on the throne behind her.
He wasn't wearing the helmet. The man she'd come to know as Piotr was holding it. He came forwards. Venturi bent his head towards him, nodding while he listened to what Piotr had to say but never once taking his eyes off her.
She glanced across to her left and saw Dmitri was talking to his men while Mia surveyed the Aurorea and Caelestis with a worried expression. Mia looked across at her, her eyes telling Prophecy that she was wondering when she was going to intervene and put a stop to the increasing discord between the two bloodlines.
Prophecy brought her attention back to the aisle and the closed doors at the end of it.
Closing her eyes, she listened to the bickering of the Aurorea and Caelestis as it began to escalate. The noise increased until she could no longer hear herself think, but she still sat motionless on the platform, not raising a finger to stop them. They'd stop in time. She was sure of that.
The two sides began to shift, jostling and pushing at the ranks of guards that lined the aisle. Tiberius and Xavier knew not to let anyone pass. They and their men were to hold the two bloodlines apart, regardless of how violent they became.
Opening her eyes, she stared straight down the aisle.
She could feel the tension rising, the tempo of the movement in the room and the hissed words of discontent adding to it. The air in the hall felt viscous. It ebbed and flowed with the tide of anger and hatred, turning dark and violent.
She held her breath and felt the knife-edge they were standing on beneath her feet. One tiny motion could break the threadbare restraints holding the two houses. One word or look could spark an entire war.
Her gaze dropped to the floor and she focused her senses on the two sides in front of her. The voices of the guards joined the din and she could hear Tiberius telling Xavier that they couldn't hold them much longer.
Her hand moved to her sword, her fingers curling around the hilt of it.
She waited for the floodgates to open.
There was no way she could stop them from fighting once they did.
Her whole body tensed when the doors slammed against the walls as they opened. The echo washed over the room, carrying all the voices of the people in front of her away with it as it disappeared.
Silence descended.
Both sides of the room grew still, their attention stolen away from each other.
Relief filled her when she heard the steady, confident click of heels on the stone floor. Raising her head, she stepped up onto the platform and brought her hand away from her sword, knowing that she wasn't going to need to use it now.
She smiled at the man in front of her.
He was flanked by two tall guards, their long blade-tipped staffs held tightly by their sides and their cloaks shifting around them like veils of night, hiding the armour she knew lay underneath. Their features were obscured by the combination of the black helmet and the mask that covered the lower half of their faces.
Their rich purple eyes were fixed on her, but she knew their attention was with the people surrounding them.
Behind the man walked another eight guards of similar stature and intimidating dress.
A glance at the Aurorea and Caelestis said they knew who this man was who walked before them, and they knew better than to dare speak without being given leave to.
When the man reached the platform, the two guards turned away. They walked to the corner of the platform and turned to face the room, their staffs held by their sides. The guards that had been behind them followed suit, lining the front of the platform and forming a barrier between their lord and the two bickering bloodlines.<
br />
She extended her hand to him, the smile still curving her lips.
His purple eyes flashed with amusement and he took hold of her hand, gently caressing it as he lifted it to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it. His lips took on the same seductive smile he'd given her when she'd last asked for his help. She hadn't forgotten it. No girl would.
The tendrils of his black hair fell down over his eyes and he elaborately swept them back before straightening up. He didn't relinquish her hand.
"You are much improved, my Lady Prophecy. I knew you would be,” Hyperion said and ran his thumb over the backs of her fingers.
"Thank you, my Lord Hyperion,” she said and gave him a slight bow. “You honour us with your presence."
"You promised me a war worthy of my attention, and from your report, I believe we shall have it.” He finally released her hand and turned to look at the gathered people.
He frowned and shook his head.
She stepped forwards so she was beside him and looked at the faces of the Caelestis and Aurorea in front of her. They were stunned to see Hyperion, which is exactly what she wanted, but she knew that she still had a long way to go before she got the army she needed to defeat Elena.
"Your men are children,” Hyperion announced.
An offended look flickered briefly on the faces of all the people she could see.
"Worse than children,” she said in a voice laced with dismay and regret.
"Their lord is absent and they fall out of order, forgetting the wishes of their master. This is not a strong bloodline. They are weak rabble.” Hyperion frowned at them all, his eyes narrowing into a dark look.
She moved along the platform, looking into the eyes of as many of the Aurorea and Caelestis as she could before turning to face Hyperion.
"I have tried, but now I am tired of it all. They act like selfish children, wanting to fight amongst each other rather than fight a common enemy.” She toyed with the hilt of her sword.
Hyperion shook his head again and stared at the crowd. “Leave them then. My men will fight with you, and the Tenebrae and werewolves are on your side. You do not need such weak-blooded fools to win this war. Let this witch pick them off one by one. Let her prey upon their blood and feast on their flesh. Leave them to fend for themselves if they cannot unite under one banner. They will soon be dead and will no longer prove a problem for you."
She glanced out of the corner of her eye and smiled inside at the stunned faces that filled the room.
"You are right, my Lord Hyperion.” She turned and looked at them all, hardening her expression and keeping her hand on the hilt of her sword.
Stepping forwards, she waited until she had their full attention and then growled.
Fear filled their faces when she raised her hand and the magic spiralled around it. She drew her sword and held it high.
"War is coming. I have more important things to do than protect a group of children who have given me no reason to use my power to defend them. Those of you not willing to fight together with my bloodline, and those of my bloodline not willing to fight alongside the Aurorea, may leave now and be at the mercy of Elena. I have no time for this bickering, this childish hatred. It is not even your own hatred to feel. It has been bred into you. What reason do you have to hate each other, other than that which you were told as a youngling?"
She lowered the sword and paced along the length of the platform.
"Do not think that I will care if she comes for you, which she will. Some of you have witnessed first-hand the power that Elena commands."
She looked at Xavier and he frowned, an anxious look crossing his face.
"I will no longer have anyone in this house who is unwilling to fight beside me. I have given you time, and you have used up all of my patience. Know this ... those that won't fight with me ... you will all be dead before the week is out. The witch who took Valentine will pick you off one by one because of your bloodline. You can either let her destroy you, or rise to destroy her by joining us. I will say no more on this matter. You have until midnight to leave."
Hyperion came to stand beside her. She looked at his profile while he stared at the group. She hoped she hadn't overdone it. The last thing she wanted was for them all to leave her, but she had to give them an ultimatum that would make them realise that there was either certain death at Elena's hands, or the chance to survive the coming war by joining with her.
"You are better off without them,” Hyperion said. She looked at the people in front of her and frowned when she saw they all looked as uncertain as she felt. “They are too weak."
He held his arm out to her and she slipped hers through it. She wanted to say something else, wanted to do something more to convince the two bloodlines to stay, but Hyperion was leading her down the other side of the platform. Maybe it was for the best. She'd given them a final chance and it was up to them to take it.
She caught Venturi's eye as they passed them. His face was blacker than midnight and his eyes were pools of darkness. She guessed that Hyperion's seductive smile and air hadn't gone unnoticed. She gave Venturi a smile but his expression didn't change.
"Move out!” he barked the order at his men and she flinched for their sakes, sorry that they were being shouted at because of her.
She led Hyperion across the hall to the study and opened the door for him. Waiting at the door, she watched Mia and Dmitri pass her, followed by Serenity and Cornelius, and finally Tiberius and Xavier. She waited a moment longer, wondering if Venturi was going to appear. Just as she was about to go in, he came out of the hall and stared at her the whole time he was walking over to her.
She held his gaze, not looking away and not letting it bother her that he was still in his vampire guise. It was a show of power. He wanted her to drop her gaze, acknowledging his strength and standing, but she wasn't going to. She'd done nothing wrong. If he wanted to be angry with someone, he could try and take it out on Hyperion.
Venturi stopped in front of her. She kept her eyes locked with his and watched the colour in them slowly surface as they changed from black to blue.
He looked at her a few seconds longer, his eyes expressing so many different feelings that she didn't know how he felt. Was he angry with her, or just jealous of the attention that Hyperion had given her? Was it because she'd accepted that attention?
She held her hand out to him.
He stared at it and then took hold of it.
"Don't be angry with me for not telling you my plan, or for anything else that happened. It had to be done. We need more warriors if we're to win this war.” She smiled at him but he didn't smile back.
He looked as though he was going to press a kiss to her hand, but instead he nicked the back of it with his fangs and licked up the small drop of blood that bloomed.
She frowned at him, letting him see how unimpressed she was. She wanted to tease him about being jealous, just as he'd teased her, but now wasn't the time for such things, even if his actions had made his feelings blindingly obvious. Hyperion had dared to kiss her hand. Venturi had taken it further, stealing a drop of blood from her, as though being allowed to do such a thing placed him above Hyperion in her hierarchy of affection.
Taking her hand back, she licked the scratch and then idly ran her fingers over the marks on her neck. She stared into the distance while she thought about Valentine. What was he doing now? She didn't even know where to start looking for him, but then she got the feeling she wouldn't need to. She knew where he was going to be. She knew where she had to go.
When she came out of her thoughts, she found Venturi had gone into the room and she closed the door. She gave herself a few seconds to gather her feelings and strength, and then walked over to where everyone was standing around the long table.
Venturi's notes on the prophecy were still scattered across it. She looked at them while she tried to get her thoughts into order and find some focus. It was hard when her thoughts kept slipping to Valentine and t
he very real danger he now presented. Under Elena's command, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from killing any one of the people in front of her, or herself. He was strong, fast and extremely skilled in combat. She doubted that even Hyperion would be able to stand against him.
She knew that she could, if she was forced to, but that would only be if she used her power. She wasn't even sure if she could use her magic against Valentine. In the heat of the moment, she'd threatened him with it before, but to really use it on him seemed impossible.
Looking down at her hand, her eyes followed the ribbons of purple-red magic as they threaded themselves around her fingers, moving so slowly that the sight of them made her drowsy. They seemed to call to her, tugging at her base instincts inside as strongly as the rising sun was. She was so tired and the fight against Elena hadn't even begun yet.
Shaking herself awake, she widened her eyes in an attempt to rid her body of tiredness. She just needed to make it through the next few minutes and then she could sleep. A glance at the people around her said she wasn't the only one finding it hard to resist the lure of sleep. Serenity was slumped in a chair beside Cornelius, who looked half asleep already.
There was tiredness written all over Mia's face. The only two who looked marginally awake were Hyperion and Venturi, but that was probably because they were staring each other out.
She stepped between them and addressed Hyperion. “I can't thank you enough for coming."
He smiled. “It is my pleasure. I am at your service. Ineru is safe for now and it was time for me to become involved in this little war you have found yourself in the midst of."
"I don't think the war is going to be little. Not unless we can find some way to contain it or stop it before it even starts. If it spills over, there is no way of stopping the humans from becoming involved."
"That is the last thing we need,” Venturi said and she glanced over her shoulder at him. “Their armies are insane. They will kill us all."
"It is with good reason the laws were created.” Hyperion walked across the room, his hands clasped behind his back. “If the humans were to realise we existed, we would become a plague to be eradicated or animals to be experimented upon. It is better we remain invisible to the majority. Therefore, we must contain this war."
