by K A Young
I shift my attention from the bed and turn to her with questioning eyes, "They want to kill the entire hunter race to take over?" I can see her head slowly nodding in agreement, "So nothing is standing in their way?" I glower while clenching my fists in rage.
Carly nods once again and whispers, "Yes..."
"To hell with them," I utter, releasing my grip before I pierce my nails through the palms of my hands.
I'm almost cut off the second Carly's gaze lowers to the floor, and the sound of the door opening once again leaves Emily's presence lingering in the door frame. It's not just her alone though...my eyes shooting to the entryway and locking onto Adam and Michael, standing on either side of the woman, their eyes tinted with amusement.
**
-Locaine
Ansley and Aldrich Larson.
Jared's parents I had no quarrel with back in the day. They'd moved away when their unnatural lifespan was about to expire, opting to retire instead of helping train the next generation with him. It was strange though, seeking out where the Larson's lived after that night...
...it was as if they had disappeared into thin air. Jared, Ericka, and Annika were long gone, never genuinely knowing where their residence is, many of the other hunters in the region following suit. It never occurred to me that they had been split up as a family, not until we had a run in with hunters who knew of their name.
When confronted with interrogation, it was revealed that Annika was no longer living with her parents, yet the hunter didn't know where her parents were either. Finding clues as to where she'd gone, the only conclusion I could come up with is that she'd been sent away to really concentrate on furthering her blood magic trait.
Finding her took years, and once I did manage to spot her, it was only due to her own mistake...leaving those contact lenses out when she ran to the pharmacy one time. Unfortunately, I never could follow her because we were attacked by resident hunters in Florida and lost her trail. I did know what she looked like though, from that day on, I kept a close eye out for her, learning many things including humans she became friends with.
The trap was set, and she came willingly, thanks to her friends.
Her grandparents now?
Now, their lives will be the fitting prize I can offer Enos' widow, Jezabel instead of her possibly wanting the life of my little hunter. She's a spitfire, and I'd rather keep her alive longer to seek out her parents then allowing her to come to an untimely death.
Revenge isn't necessarily always about just my desire alone to see Jared's family burn in hell...no, I was the one who was left to explain to Jezabel what had happened to Enos.
Unfortunately...
...she ran to my father instead, seeking solace in him as she believed he might be able to help her where I couldn't. She blamed me for his death in all actuality, saying I was weak and if I had stayed with my brother instead of confronting a naive and young hunter, that he'd still be alive. It's not my fault that my brother had other intentions and I hadn't known at the time that Annika was also a daughter of the Larson's.
Up until that night, Alyssa was the only offspring that we were aware of...then again, Enos and I had been in a position like that before.
We hadn't known that Gage and Vera had a son...
"Locaine," Rynn knocks lightly on the door frame to my open bedroom. Her eyes scan me for a brief second until I turn around to face her, "Michael and Adam are gathering the girls."
"The blood slaves?" I question next, checking my attire before moving away from the spot I'd been standing on. Approaching her calmly, I see her step back and away into the hallway. In the light, I now notice her less than appropriate clothing selection for the midnight celebration tonight.
Rynn turns her gaze away from mine and says, "Henri and Darius arranged them, chained and awaiting your thirsty coven members."
"I take it then, you're taking a leave of absence tonight?" I'm slightly irritated by the way she's avoiding her position in tonight's gathering. Just as my assassin stands by, waiting in the shadows and protects this coven from the darkness, she is my commander, meant to stand at my side especially at events such as these.
"Yes," She flickers her gaze to mine, "we didn't find Annika's grandparents at their residence..."
My muscles tense, my neck stiffening when I state, "One night won't change their whereabouts..."
Rynn immediately glares at me and asks, "What is it then?" Tilting her head to the side, the fire lingering in her eyes she questions, "Why do you care where I am when you have your slave to entertain you?"
"Rynn..." I narrow my eyes, my voice altering to a dangerous tone.
We've seen it before...
...whole covens dissolving because two vampires claim one another when they are not true beloveds.
Our feelings for one another is undeniable, but that still never stopped us from breaking rules that we shouldn't. I know why she sneaks out, wanting to continue her search for her soulmate as I have given up on mine. Now, she's using the conflicted emotions I hold for this hunter as blackmail...
"Locaine," Rynn shakes her head and glances away, that fragile line guarding her emotions breaking by the second as her eyes water. She pauses a moment, breathing in deeply before swallowing the knot at the edge of her throat, "I've known you longer than any of your coven...don't make an idiot out of yourself just because you're sympathizing with that girl..."
I lost my brother, and she lost her sister that night.
We both have scores to settle, but she doesn't want any part of this exchange.
It also makes us one in the same.
I rub my forehead in aggravation and finally release a sigh of frustration before I exhale on the next breath, "Killian."
In the next moment, the air around us shifts slightly a very, very faint smell of ashes follows in his wake when he appears beside me. His jet-black hair falling in front of his emerald eyes, ones that reflect Rynn's when her gaze locks onto him. I instantly notice the shift in her demeanor, the way her gloved hands draw up into tight fists as her eyes narrow on him.
"I don't need his protection," she seethes at me, baring her fangs in resentment at the choice I'm giving her.
"Face it, I'm always protecting you," Killian chuckles lightly beneath his breath, one of two standing assassins hidden within the shadows of this coven.
Rynn spits right back while taking a step forward, "Take off and go be the silent sentinel you're supposed to be," she growls when he continues to smirk at her, but that smirk turns deadly in the next second when she throws in, "you're an assassin, and at least I have a chance at finding my beloved...you'd never find yours the way you hide."
"Killia-"
I hardly get a word in edgewise the second he punches her in the face, sending her back a few feet before he disappears before our eyes. A moment later, Rynn brushing her split lip with the back of her gloved hand, he appears directly behind her. Narrowing his eyes, he turns about and elbows her in the back, sending her to her knees where she crashes on the marble floor.
"I'm an assassin for a reason," he hardly gets the chuckle out of the back of his throat before Rynn spins on the ground and knocks his feet out from beneath him. He doesn't react quick enough before she's on top of him, hissing dangerously as their bloody red irises lock with one another. Rynn has the fabric of his shirt grasped in her hands, glaring at him before I release a sigh.
I swear.
They're like siblings...
...makes me wonder if Flynn was adopted.
The sarcastic thought leaves my mind when I order, "Separate."
Rynn releases him, standing to her feet before taking a few steps to the side. When Killian rises to his feet, composing himself I glance between the two of them before saying, "Rynn, if you want to go off-site for tonight, Killian will be going with you."
"I'm not a child, Locaine," Rynn persists, deviating from having Killian watch over her. We are not the only creatures celebrating tonight and making their pr
esence known, so I'd rather her be as safe as possible...
"Rynn," I'm about to do the only thing I can, "I'm not just your friend, I am your king, and if you don't listen, I'll force you into the dungeon tonight."
Her eyes slowly widen, and she states, "You can't be serious."
"If you won't listen to me, why would anyone else?" I question her making her see a reason that if we're to eventually make ourselves known and take this world, that I need everyone to support without question and unwavering loyalty.
Rynn is very quiet for a time, but when she shifts her gaze to Killian, I know I've gotten through to her. She parts her lips and orders, "Stay in the shadows and off my back."
Without another word, she doesn't even give her farewell, taking off down the hallway and heading toward the staircase. Killian folds his arms in front of his chest and asks, "Why do you even let her give you shit, to begin with?"
"Some things just never change, regardless of title or power," I smirk while seeing her move out of sight, Killian nodding beside me before I feel the air shift once again. When I turn to my side, he's gone, taking his leave into the shadows as I know he'll look out for her tonight.
Chapter 7
-Annika
"Our presence is required in the parlor," Emily announces, her eyes trailing between both Carly and me. With a slight nod of my head, Carly signaling her own acknowledgment while I follow her to the entryway. The heels we wear echo softly as we close the distance between the three standing before us, the arch of my foot already starting to sting as I hardly wear heels, save for heeled boots.
Michael and Adam take a step back into the hallway, Emily moving to the side and allowing for Carly and me to emerge into the dimly lit corridor. The door swings shut behind us, Emily leaving it unlocked this time while Adam beginning his smooth stride in the direction Locaine had brought me about an hour or two prior.
Carly tries her best to keep up, trailing behind him like the little-lost kitten she is. Michael and Emily remain fixated in place, Michael drawing my attention when he locks his eyes with me and states, "After you," my eyes leave him, and I catch sight of Adam and Carly about ready to turn down another hallway. When I bring my gaze back to meet with his, and I don't move a muscle, he narrows his angered eyes and spits, "We don't bare our backs to hunters without having one of us at theirs."
Really?
I can't blame them...but considering my blood magic is oh so effective at killing each last one of them...I sure as hell think they are overprotective.
Then again, Michael nor Adam saw the little spat Locaine, and I had during the challenge...that was reserved for the vicious redheaded woman Rynn and her two sidekicks who stood around emotionless after the fight began.
The cue he gives me does not go unnoticed, and I don't want them to think I'm going to put up a fight. Not yet. Not until I can figure out how to get out of here without appearing as a threat.
Catching up with Carly as she continues her auto follow on Adam, I take in my surroundings, noting the elegantly beautiful portraits of individuals hanging on the walls. No doubt, these mighty creatures are all past coven members...perhaps some were once leaders, noting a few white-haired individuals, a few pictures capturing their dangerous black rose irises. Aside from our heels clicking softly against the snowy white marble floor, embedded with small flecks of gold, silence remains between us all.
Taking my eyes off the walls for a moment, I catch sight of Carly's backside and damn...her skirt barely covers her ass, her black thong coming into clear view each time she sways her hips. Now, if I can see that...it only causes my face to draw on the color of deep crimson, the thought of Emily and Michael having a clear view of my own undergarments makes me sick to my stomach with embarrassment.
Just as I return my attention to the walls and off Carly's ass, my heart stops in my chest. It never occurred to me that I'd come to an immediate halt, the frame catching my gaze causes my blood to run cold. The structure is not like any others, gold with small rubies encrusted into the deeply set frame causes the picture to pop that much more...
...I know that face.
My eyes widen, the vampire in the portrait is none other than Lord Enos, his winter white hair falling to his shoulders, his smoldering black rose eyes locking with my own hateful and fearful ones. In the picture, he is seated on a beautifully dark throne, a golden crown resting delicately on his head.
I flinch the second Michael's hands land on both of my shoulders, his presence directly behind me making me squirm. I can no longer hear the melody of Emily or Carly's heels, everyone has apparently come to a halt the second I became entranced with the one before me.
"I see you know our deceased king, Lord Enos," Michael's grip on my shoulders intensifies, the grip becoming much harder. Flinching once again under his touch, I attempt to pull forward and away from his clutches.
Does this mean that Locaine is not just a lord?
Silently, I whisper through my parted lips, "Does that make Lo-my master," I quickly catch myself and finish, "your king?"
Michael's face lowers but a few inches away from the side of mine, barely able to feel the way his cheek grazes mine for a split second. He speaks evenly and replies, "When Lord Enos was slain by the hunters; Lord Locaine was the next in line for the throne. He is the king of our kind...one of the strongest purebloods to reign to date."
My heartbeat begins to thump in my chest while Michael spins me around to meet his gaze, his irises tinted with bloodlust. As he holds my gaze he snaps, "When he has finished killing your kind..." his voice trails off as malice fills his words, releasing his death grip on my shoulders, "he'll be the king of the world that you know. There will be nowhere to hide, death claiming all lives that do not bow before the vampire reign."
Balling my hands into fists at the sides of my thighs, I glare at him and return, "Sir...that will never happen," I can't keep the sass from filling my voice, my facial expression also a dead giveaway.
Adam's voice startles me, my eyes shifting and meeting with Carly's while she shakes her head, pleading for me to stop as he informs me, "You obviously don't know that the hunter race is almost extinct, which is very surprising considering you are one of them." He crosses his arms in front of his chest, his eyes narrowing dangerously on mine.
As I part my lips to speak once again, the little voice in my head telling me to simmer down agrees with Carly, increasing the urgent shakes of her head to get me to stop. When I see her attempting to help me, I decide against throwing shade back at the vampires, pulling my lips into a tight line and biting the inside of my cheek.
Locaine can't be the king...could he?
Am I really to be a slave to the king?
"Master," Emily places a hand on Michael's forearm, her persuasion draws his attention to her as she finishes, "we are late. Master Locaine wanted to see us right away."
Of course...leave it to the brainwashed bitch to keep us on track and what's important in life...not disappointing the vampire king. While Adam turns on his heels, continuing his way down the hallway, Carly immediately follows, trying to catch up with him once again.
The air leaves my lungs when I am suddenly pushed harshly from behind. When I glance over my shoulder and glare at him, he states emotionless, "Move, slave."
It only takes us a few more minutes without delay down the grand staircase, heading in the direction of what I assume is their get together room. Adam takes a few steps into the parlor, choosing a black leather couch next to another male vampire. He lowers himself into the cushion seat and rests his left arm on the side, his eyes flickering up momentarily to catch sight of Carly standing before him.
Without hesitation, Carly turns around and lowers herself onto his lap, Adam wrapping a free arm around her waist and securing her against his chest. His other hand lands on her thigh, his thumb brushing over the skin while she lets out a small sigh.
The room is a decent size, appearing to be a haven where individuals from the
coven may come to relax and socialize. The marble is a deep scarlet, many dark leather couches and chairs fill the void while they face one another. Gazing up and around the room, the walls are painted black to match the furniture, but there are no portraits in this room, just wall art.
With a small gasp, I almost lose my balance, Michael nudging me further into the room and the many vampires that occupy its space. Stepping into the room, I notice roughly fifteen or so vampires are sitting around, some in the company of slaves while others cuddle with vampires of their own.
All their features reflect the disdain for my very presence among them...alive anyways.
The vampires are dressed in their finest it seems, males wearing black slacks, dress shoes, and a variety of classic dress shirts. However, the females trump them in their long evening gowns; a selection of blues, reds, greens, and purple hues catch my attention instantly, and my gaze lingers on their forms.
One thing is for sure...
...all these creatures are alluring predators.
Their unnatural beauty is captivating; each female is fit, their features flawless while their male counterparts have defined muscles, evident through their shirts...their immaculate god-like faces now turned toward us.
Three vampires are missing though that I knew of previously...the three spectators from the challenge.
Michael guides me toward one of the black leather chairs, taking a seat of his own while Emily perches like a delicate flower on the armrest beside him. He snakes his arm around her hips, holding her firmly against him while I am left standing awkwardly in front of the both. Emily immediately notices this and motions toward the ground, "You get to sit on your knees beside my master's chair," she then points precisely where I am supposed to sit.
My cheeks flush red once again only this time, anger builds up within me at the way she treats me. I don't take kindly to being treated like an ordinary dog...the nerve of this human continuing to grate against my very last nerve. However, I do as she says, catching a few pleased looks of other vampires when I kneel next to the chair, sitting uncomfortably back on my heels.
