When his mother stabbed the blade into his heart, he shouted in pain. “If what my spy said is true, your father is still at the castle. I only wish I could be there to see his face when he finds your lifeless, mutilated body.”
“Father…” he cried out as darkness took him.
* * * *
Adrian glanced tiredly around the council room—there were so many conversations going on around him. Quite a few were focused on Kellin, who thankfully had yet to lose his child. Of course, many were also about him.
He, however, was unworried about his own problems and only hoped Kellin’s child would continue to survive. They were keeping the man unconscious as long as they could until the child was no longer in danger. Many were shocked that the baby had survived as long as it had. They were more optimistic than before.
The room quieted around them when the doors were slammed open by two guards. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Councilman Voltair, your son!” one of the guards shouted in panic.
Kaiden jumped up. With fearful eyes, he demanded, “What? What about my son? Is he hurt?”
Both guards hesitated, but then the one who had yet to speak replied. “He…he doesn’t have much time…please follow us.” Both guards rushed out the door after the announcement. Horror filled Kaiden’s eyes as he shot off after them.
Adrian sprinted after the man, Xavier and the others following him. The castle hallways passed by him in a blur, yet somehow the trip felt longer than it should have. He had just run out of the castle gates when he heard Kaiden cry out.
Kaiden was kneeling on the ground next to a young man covered in wounds and blood. “My son!” he cried, sobbing. “Healer…we need a healer!”
The healers were already there, but they did not answer the man’s cries. They stayed back, eyes downcast, blood on their hands and clothes. That told Adrian all that he needed to know. Kaiden’s son would not survive this.
All were silent as he slowly walked over and knelt beside Kaiden. Kaiden gently grabbed Dorian’s hand; the man’s large body was trembling. “Please, someone!”
His heart was breaking for the man. “Kaiden…there is too much damage.”
“No! I won’t accept it! No…please…please…” The man wailed as he pulled his child into his arms.
A weak rasp silenced his wails. “Fa-father…”
“Dorian, oh my sweet boy, it’s going to be okay…it’s going to be fine. Here, drink, it will help you heal…” Kaiden asserted desperately as he cut open his wrist with his nail and placed it to his son’s mouth.
It wouldn’t work. Adrian could smell death around the young man. While immortals could survive a lot of damage, even they had their limits. An older immortal may have survived—Dorian was just too young…
“No…Dad…please listen…not much time…” Dorian managed to choke out. He turned his head away from his father’s wrist.
Kaiden wept. “No, baby, it’s…”
“Dad…Mother, she…”
Kaiden froze at the word mother and then roared in fury. “Did she do this?”
Dorian wheezed, coughing up blood. “Betrayed king sorry…d-didn’t mean to…” Light was starting to fade from the young man’s eyes. The stench of death surrounding him had thickened.
“No, never, baby. Don’t be sorry. Please just stay with me…it’s going to be fine…just keep fighting. I love you, please!” Kaiden begged.
“Love…you, Dad,” Dorian managed to get out before the last bit of life faded from his eyes.
“No…” Kaiden’s words were a mear whisper at first. But soon they became wails of pain and denial. Kaiden rocked his son’s body, begging for the impossible.
Heat began to emanate from the man. The air around them thickened and steam rose up from the ground. The cobblestones under them began to rupture, fire bursting from the cracks.
As the man continued to scream in despair, Xavier put up a barrier of ice to contain the destruction.
Adrian was struggling to stop his tears from falling—one of the strongest men he knew was falling apart before his very eyes. Ignoring the fire and heat, Adrian wrapped his arms around the broken man.
Chapter Twelve
Adrian watched, full of rage and despair, as healers and a multitude of people led Kaiden, still holding his son’s body, away. He blinked when Xavier moved to his side and grasped his hand. Instead of pulling away as he normally would have done in public, he took comfort in it—he felt as if he was going to lose it at any moment.
“What happened?” he snapped.
The two guards who had interrupted the meeting came and knelt before him. First to answer was the elder of the two—he believed the man’s name was Shade. “We smelled blood and followed the scent to an alleyway close by. We found him at the very mouth of the alley. There was a spell farther in that would have hidden his presence. The poor thing somehow found the strength to crawl out of its range. I sent Jaken to fetch healers as I carried the lad to where you found him. When the healers told us there was nothing they could do, we made our way to the council room.”
He turned when he heard the gates of the castle open. “Baylin, what are you doing here? You should be with Kellin.”
“Kellin is resting, and the healers believe he and the baby are both out of danger. There’s nothing I can do for him right now. You, however, have need of me.”
He leaned into Xavier when the man wrapped his arms around his shoulders. “You are right. Gather the Zaytari present, and all those who wish to fight, and bring them here. We have a psychotic bitch to kill. I want Juliette Satine’s head!” Adrian hissed coldly.
“Yes, King Adrian.” Baylin turned and ran back through the gates.
Xavier’s embrace tightened, and he whispered, “Breathe, Adrian. You’re trembling.”
Adrian growled. “I’ll make her pay.”
Xavier shifted and crouched in front of him, taking hold of his face. “You will. I have no doubt that you will make her pay for killing that young man.”
“Let me go with you,” a hoarse voice croaked out behind them.
Adrian turned to see Kaiden standing there. “Kaiden, you should stay here…you—”
Kaiden raged, “No, I will not be denied my revenge!” A fine tremble made its way through his body. “Please, Adrian…I need this.”
As he looked into Kaiden’s eyes, Adrian knew nothing he said would stop him. He walked over and gripped Kaiden’s shoulder. “I vow that you will be the one to sever her murderous head from her body. You will get the revenge you seek, my friend, as it is your right.”
“Thank you…”
“However, we must act quickly, before she flees. I’m sure the bitch has spies.”
* * * *
Only fifteen minutes from the castle, they crouched out of view around a mansion. It infuriated Asher that the murderous bitch had been so close—his phoenix, his inner flame, burned with rage begging to be let free.
He was grateful that Adrian had allowed him to come. Healer or not, Asher had been a warrior first, and those instincts demanded he make sure she paid for her crimes. His heart demanded so, as well. He could hardly bear to see the man he loved in such pain—not that his love was known.
Asher glanced at Kaiden. The burning spirit that usually emanated from him had vanished. He found it difficult to focus on him without tearing up—Asher desperately wanted the cocky man he knew back, even if he did irritate him to no end.
Dorian had been Kaiden’s light. That light had been extinguished and with it Kaiden’s fire. Dorian…that sweet boy. He couldn’t believe he was gone.
Asher’s phoenix cried out in his mind, demanding that he avenge the loss of such innocence. His phoenix…she had always been close to Dorian, and the loss was too much for her to take.
A natural rebirth was close. Soon his phoenix would burst into flames, leaving only ash, and from it he would reemerge. However, it would come earlier than it should have—the pain of Dorian’s loss was bringing it
on fast. Pain always did so. Asher could taste the flames of death—bitter cinders on his tongue warning of his impending demise. However, he had to hold on a bit longer. His bird refused to let go before justice was dealt.
Asher felt the timing of his rebirth cruel—the effects of it would render him helpless. It would take at least a two weeks to regrow, and another week to build up his strength—he would be useless, unable to even offer the simplest of comforts to Kaiden.
His earpiece buzzed, and through it, King Adrian spoke. “There is a fair amount of movement inside. Obviously, she is preparing to run. Lucky for us, her greed has prevented her from just fleeing with nothing. She is to be captured alive. Her death belongs to Kaiden. Kill all those who fight against us, and let no one escape. No mercy will be given to traitors. Prepare yourselves and wait for the order.”
There was a slight rustling as they all prepared to move, and then all was silent and still. Asher felt tense; the waiting became unbearable to him as his need to draw blood grew.
Then the orders came, and his tension fled. “Move,” Adrian commanded. And move they did—destruction followed in their path.
Asher grabbed a man who was about to behead one of their own. He screamed as Asher’s inner fire surged into him, burning the man from the inside out, leaving behind only ash.
He knelt next to the downed man and allowed a tear to well up and fall. It dropped into the man’s open wound, healing quickly at contact, and left behind a healthy pink scar. “Thanks,” the man said as he gripped his sword and jumped back into the battle.
The battle didn’t last long. Their enemy was outnumbered, not to mention most of the men on their side were ancient and a powerful force in their own right. In the blood and carnage around them, all that remained of their enemies was Juliette Satine—the woman they had come to find.
Juliette was forced to kneel. Her arms were held behind her back by Xavier and Baylin.
King Adrian and Kaiden stood in front of her—blood splatter covered them both. “Juliette Satine, I hereby declare you a traitor and murderer of one’s own blood. For your crimes, your punishment is death.”
Juliette hissed. “You have no proof. You can’t just kill me! I demand a trial!”
The king laughed cruelly. “You demand? I think not. As your king, I need no proof nor do I owe anyone a trial. No, you shall be put to death here and now by the man whose son you murdered! You can’t manipulate your way out of this, you demented bitch!”
“I didn’t kill anyone! Whatever he said was a lie! Dorian was a liar and a traitor. A filthy monster, thirsty for power!”
Adrian growled, and the air vibrated with his barely leashed rage. “Enough!”
Recognizing her lies would not save her now, she lashed out. “Fine, I killed him! The fool let out all your secrets just for a taste of Mommy’s love! It was so easy to manipulate the innocent little brat. He was so willing to trust me. Do you want to know how I mocked him, how much joy I took in his tears? How he called out for Daddy to save him? His death is on your hands, Kaiden! It’s all your fault for betraying me! Your son is dead because of—”
The air shifted, and her vicious rant was silenced as Kaiden severed her head. The man just stared blankly down at the now-dead woman—at the woman who had taken so much from him.
Asher bit his lip, unable to stop his tears from falling. He whimpered as he fought the urge to go to Kaiden. The moment to offer comfort fled as Kaiden dropped his sword and walked away.
His phoenix cried out in pain—a pain that soon filled him, as well. His clothes shredded and burned away as his phoenix burst free.
His death and rebirth had arrived. With one last piercing cry, Asher was engulfed by flames.
Chapter Thirteen
Lying on the couch, Xavier held Adrian closely, caressing his back. Adrian was eerily quiet. They had yet to discuss what had happened earlier, and unfortunately, Adrian appeared to be hiding from him yet again. The man who accepted comfort earlier was gone. There was no sadness, anger, or pain. There was nothing.
Adrian’s rage had run free earlier, striking down those who stood in his path. And that rage had remained up until Kaiden’s ex-wife was dispatched—all his emotions had seemingly vanished. However, even if he was hiding it, the man had to be worried about Kaiden. Hell, even he was worried, and until he had experienced Adrian’s memories, he hadn’t even liked the man.
Xavier was, however, struggling to believe that Kaiden had once been married to Juliette Satine. If the fact that the woman had killed her own son hadn’t already shown how much of a monster she was, the words that spewed from her mouth in her last moments would have been enough. She had mocked how innocent the deceased young man was—how easily he told the secrets of the castle just for a little affection. Xavier ached for the young man whose yearning to know his mother ended in death.
The unwarranted hatred she had toward her ex-husband was purely fueled by selfish greed, and it disgusted Xavier. He had sighed in relief when Kaiden had finally severed her head. The relief hadn’t lasted—the minute they had returned to the castle, Kaiden had tried to resign from the council. Adrian had refused, of course. He had thought Kaiden would have argued, but the man had remained silent.
As he had none, Xavier had never lost a child—the pain Kaiden must feel…he could only hope it was one he never experienced. In his opinion, Kaiden shouldn’t be left alone for a while.
Then there was Healer Asher’s rebirth. He had been shocked, to say the least, when the man shifted and burst into flames. Xavier had never witnessed a phoenix die before, and he assuredly did not wish to ever see it again. The pain and fire had been immense. Not to mention it was a bit disconcerting seeing a small baby bird emerge from the ashes only to turn into an actual infant moments later.
Sighing, he peered down at the top of Adrian’s head. “Adrian, love, how are you feeling?”
When the only answer he received was silence, Xavier started to worry. “Adrian!”
The man’s response was a whisper. “What?”
At the soft utterance, Xavier sat up. Pulling the man up with him, he turned Adrian around on his lap so they were facing each other.
Xavier’s worry was warranted. The eyes that looked back at him were empty, void of any emotions—the man had completely shut down. Gently cupping his face, Xavier placed a soft kiss on Adrian’s mouth. Pulling back, he ran his right hand through Adrian’s long black hair. “Baby, where are you?”
At the question, Adrian blinked, the dull look in his eyes finally beginning to clear. “What?”
“Adrian, please stop this. Please stop hiding. It’s okay to feel pain. It’s okay to let go. Someone you care for has suffered a devastating loss. You have the right to mourn, to wail, to scream, to rage over the injustice of it all. Why are you hiding, sweetheart? What do you gain from hiding?”
Glaring, Adrian slid off his lap and began to pace in front of him. “You don’t understand, nor could you!”
Xavier growled and ran his hands through his hair. “What don’t I understand, Adrian? I’m not an inept child; explain it to me! What good is it doing you to hide behind a mask, huh? How is it helping you or anyone for that matter? Who are you anyway? The king of fake laughs and smiles, is that who you want to be? Do you enjoy pushing people away? With how much you hide from others, who the hell knows what you’re hiding from yourself!” he shouted as he stood up.
“Enough!”
“No! It needs to be said. You can’t keep bottling everything up! Where is the real you, Adrian? I know he’s in there. What is he hiding from? What is he so afraid of?”
Adrian stopped pacing and collapsed on the couch. “You wouldn’t understand…” the man said weakly, his head hanging down, his long hair hiding his face.
Xavier walked over and crouched in front of him. With two fingers under Adrian’s chin, he tilted the man’s head up. Adrian’s eyes were welling with tears. “Baby, please…”
Adrian gazed down, avoidin
g his eyes. “Do you know why kings usually only rule for three thousand years? Why they are told to have an heir as soon as they ascend to the throne?”
“No…”
Adrian glanced up, finally meeting his eyes. “At the age of three thousand, new kings usually replace the old. I say usually, as some don’t step down when they should. For instance, my father. If the current king does follow the norm, they will step down at the age of six thousand to allow their heir to take the throne.” He took a shuddery breath. “It became a norm for a reason. When immortals get older, they tend to become a bit odd, colder, heartless even and sometimes cruel.”
“Is that what you’re afraid of? Adrian, you’re already odd. But baby, you most likely have always been a bit odd. As for cold and heartless, at times you are. But that’s okay, because sometimes you need to be cold and heartless to do what is best for your kingdom. As for cruel, that’s something I will never believe of you.” He tucked Adrian’s hair behind his ears. “As I see it, most of the time you feel too much. However, you have forced yourself to lock all of it away, denying that the feelings even exist…hiding them from the people who care most.”
Adrian cried out, “Why don’t you understand? They have trouble focusing. Fighting boredom becomes a struggle. Life becomes a struggle. It’s one of the reasons that most immortals move to the Third Realm at thirty thousand years old. There are even immortals who cross over at my age. The Third Realm is harsher than ours; there are more challenges. It gives them a new start on life. Even then, the feeling fades! They are just left living in a new kind of hell!”
“I know that, Adrian. I have even heard rumors of a Fourth Realm for those in the hundreds of thousands. Rumor it may be, but I do not doubt its existence. However, all those immortals who leave have one thing in common…they are alone.” He took Adrian’s hand and kissed it gently—however, the man took no comfort in his words or actions and instead began to shake.
Adrian laughed bitterly. “Yes, they are alone…but then so am I. Why are you still here, Xavier?”
Adrian's Bodyguard [Vampires of Vadin 1] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Page 11
