“I believe you know me as Periphetes,” he said with the faintest hint of a French accent.
I vaguely recognized him from the security photo, though he wasn't wearing his fancy, magical eye patch. It took the crowd a moment to register his words. Nik had realized a true enemy stood in our midst. He was hunkered down into what I was beginning to recognize as his ready-to-fight pose. Josh and the rest of the seethe were a mere breath behind him. The fae very slowly, as if to be sure no one attacked out of fright, moved toward Mikhail, a slight limp slowing his progress. I wondered what was powerful enough to leave a fae limping, but decided I was safer not knowing.
“And you are Mikhail, the primus of this seethe.”
It wasn't a question.
Mikhail appeared to be the only one not preparing for an attack. Of course, I was certain his relaxed pose was nothing but a ruse. Despite the fact Mikhail was powerful enough to survive at least three centuries, he knew when to be afraid. Plus Mikhail had enough sense to realize anyone who could sneak into his guarded fortress was to be treated cautiously. Yes, definitely a ruse.
He leaned against the pool table, the only sign of his tension found in the way he folded his arms. Mikhail waited in silence, no doubt a power play, forcing his enemy to be the first to break the silence.
Periphetes turned in a slow circle, eying the twenty or so vampires surrounding him. I stayed behind Nik and Josh, not really wanting to draw anyone's attentions. The strategy failed. He stopped and stared at the three of us before taking a subtle sniff of the air. Whatever he smelled made him cock his head in a wild animal sort of way.
“And what makes her so valuable?” When no one answered, he waved his hand in my direction and continued, “You have two guarding her as if their lives depend on it; as if she would be my first target? If I were to attack.”
The tension in the room jumped to red on the scale.
In a relaxed tone, Mikhail answered, “She is new to our family. The young are always in need of our protection.”
Periphetes smiled at me, causing another shiver to run down my spine. I absently noticed the cooling temperature in the room. Considering how this man's house was defended, it didn't surprise me.
“And yet you sent her to steal my dagger?”
Another tick on the tension-o-meter.
The fae fanned the air with his hands in a “calm down” gesture. “I'm hardly here to exact my revenge. If I was, do you think I'd stop to have a conversation? I simply want to know why you wanted the blade so badly. The blood staining my house would suggest you fought valiantly for it.”
No one answered.
“Please,” sighed the fae, his breath coming out in a sort of freezing mist. “I know your reputation, Mikhail; you don't go around trying to enrage the fae lords without a reason. Now, I have a pretty good notion… ” And for the first time, a hint of angry concern peeked through his calm façade. “Mikhail, tell me the truth, are you trying to make daywalkers?”
The shock that flitted across Mikhail's youthful face was the best answer he could have given. “I didn't even know daywalkers could exist.”
“And yet you stole Veneno from me.”
“We recovered many items from your house for a friend who has taken an interest in Charles V. The two incidents are not related.” Nik stood up, abandoning his defensive posture. Evidently he believed Periphetes' declaration of peace; though, I noticed he stayed between me and the stranger. Other vampires took their cue from Nik and began to relax.
Periphetes turned to look at him. “Oh, young Nikolai, they are far more related than you realize.”
“Leave us,” ordered Mikhail, glancing at the observers. I tried to turn toward the door but Nik grabbed my arm. A moment later, the large room was empty of everyone but the fae, Mikhail, Nik, Samuel—who I assumed was high enough in the ranks to be allowed to stay, despite the direct order—Josh, and myself. Mikhail escorted our guest to a couch and took a seat, while Nik led me to another sofa in the same grouping. Samuel was presumptuous enough to sit down on my other side. Josh followed, taking up a perch on the armrest.
“Please, explain,” Mikhail said in a deferential tone. I was beginning to wonder just how powerful this fae lord really was. Considering the wounds we'd received from his house, it seemed safe to presume he was hella dangerous.
“First,” Periphetes said, holding up a hand. “Do you have the dagger?”
“No. What's so important about this dagger? It was hardly the prize of that collection,” challenged Nik.
“Not good,” Periphetes sighed, his thin shoulders slumping forward. After a second's hesitation, he went on. “Veneno was used in a ritual to entrap Sedgrave, the last sorcerer who had the power to create daywalkers. If someone figured out how to free him, they would require the blade.”
Nik slouched forward, covering his face in his hands and resting his elbows on his knees. His hands shook as they slid up his face to tangle in his hair. I watched him, wondering why his reaction was so strong.
Oh well, I thought. It serves him right. After all, he was the one stupid enough to steal that dagger for Emma in the first place, and from a seriously powerful fae too!
“So… what's the big deal?” Samuel asked. The other three glared at him. He shrugged and continued, “I mean I would like to go out during the day. What's the big deal if someone succeeds in raising this… this Sedgrave?”
I raised my hand. “Is that why they want me?” I asked before clamping my hand over my mouth. I had a feeling my involvement in the situation was still intended as a secret.
“We don't know that for sure,” offered Nik. It sounded like a lie.
“Ah, so she is important,” Periphetes said, his ice blue eyes twinkling.
Knowing I’d just blown my cover—good job, Ashley—we spent the next twenty minutes telling the story of my first week as a vampire. By the time we finished, I was struggling to stay awake; after all, it wasn't very exciting to those who had already lived it. Nik had to shake me. I blinked the sleepiness away, trying to force my eyes to focus. The fae looked as though he was thinking deeply.
Mikhail eyed me a moment before calling out someone's name. A hidden door in the far corner opened and a human stepped through, his shirt sleeves conveniently rolled up. When he reached us, Mikhail waved him in my direction. He held out his wrist, which showed signs of previous gnawing. I clamped my lips shut and held my breath. I could hear the man's heart beat. It called to me, a soft but persistent sound in my ears. I shook my head and whispered, “I don't have good control. I'd kill him.”
“Niiiiik,” growled Mikhail, but he didn't argue and the man went away. Once he was gone, I could think again. Periphetes was watching me with humor in his eyes. I felt like a sideshow freak when I realized he wasn't the only one watching me.
“So, young lady, you are Ailmer Hawnly's descendent? Yes, even after all these generations, I can see him in you. No wonder Richard and the queens have been after you with such a vengeance.”
“Hey, this means it wasn't my cat's issues rubbing off on me,” I stated as the thought came to me. It resulted in another ten minutes of explanation. Periphetes and Mikhail were rather confused by my talking cat. Periphetes smiled as he recalled Tereus, the fae my cat had once been. Evidently they had known each other long before any of us had been alive, even Mikhail.
“Quite the rascal,” commented Periphetes. “Still, Tereus is not our issue. Sedgrave and Hawnly's descendant are,” he added, pointing at me.
“Who is Ailmer Hawnly?” I asked.
“He was a wizard, the child of a fae and a human, and thus he was very powerful even before he became a wizard. Ailmer contrived a way to destroy Sedgrave—the sorcerer who could make daywalkers—since mere death would not touch the sorcerer. Obviously the vampires were fans of Sedgrave and his work. When the vampires found out about Ailmer’s plans, they turned him, thinking it would take his powers and be a more fitting punishment than death. And to an extent, it worked.
Sort of poetic, don’t you think?
“But Ailmer was a man of honor. He knew what needed to be done. He turned the spell into a ritual. Ritualistic magic, which can be done by just about anyone even if they don't have the innate talent for magic, is very powerful when done correctly. When done incorrectly it results in mayhem and destruction. Ailmer, having been a wizard for decades, was very good at focusing, planning, preparing—all the things needed to succeed in ritualistic magic. In the end, the ritual required him to sacrifice himself. He died to trap Sedgrave.”
“Wait, let me get this straight,” I began. “Ailmer, my ancestor, the product of a fae and a human, was turned into a vampire to take away his fae and wizard powers. So he did a ritual, sacrificing his vampire self, and therefore trapped the bad guy who could make daywalkers… and that's why they turned me?”
“They turned you because it needs to be a vampire sacrifice to free Sedgrave. Just as it was a vampire sacrifice that trapped him.”
“So I would die… ” my voice trailed off.
“That is the story.”
“Is there any way to wake Sedgrave without killing Ashley?” Samuel asked, as though he didn't really care whether I died or not. Everyone looked at him with varying levels of disgust. I can only guess what my face looked like. “Other than the whole Ashley-would-be-dead thing, no one has told me why Sedgrave coming back would be so bad. Or why Ailmer thought it so important to destroy him.”
Periphetes sighed, his breath coming out in frozen wisps. “Sedgrave could do a lot more than make daywalkers. That was just a side trick. He had the ability to make anyone love him to the point of being willing to die for him.”
Maybe I was just tired, but I couldn't figure out why that was so bad. It didn't seem so far away from what vampires did to their humans, or what a primus did to his seethe. I blinked, trying to stay awake. Josh asked my question for me, speaking for the first time. “That doesn't sound too horrid.”
“Do you really think Charles the Fifth became so powerful on his own?” Periphetes asked. I was confused; the better educated men understood. I couldn't remember who Charles the Fifth was or what he had done. I knew he was the guy who had once possessed all the stuff we stole for Emma, but that was about it. My brain was just barely functioning enough to even make that connection.
“He didn't become emperor over so many countries purely by accident or hereditary rights. Sedgrave was at his side throughout most of his life. The love and devotion inspired by Sedgrave caused people to kill for him. Those who should have inherited died at young ages, before they could produce an heir of their own, creating room for Charles. I could spend the next couple days telling you how Sedgrave impacted the power structure of the sixteenth century. Imagine that sort of power in this time. Presidents and such at his disposal. Public opinion in his favor. Imagine him appearing on TV and the whole world being affected by his charisma. It would destroy society as we know it.”
I glanced up at Josh. “Wow, looks like we really screwed the pooch,” he said in a humorless voice.
Periphetes nodded. “So who has the dagger?”
“Emma Tanner. She’s the primus of the Gresham Seethe, near Portland.”
Everyone's faces contorted into frowns, trying to make the connection between Emma and the present trouble in Olympia. Finally, I spoke up. “Could Emma be working with Richard or one of the queens?”
“No. If she were, I would know about it,” murmured Nik.
“I realize I don't know her like you do,” I paused, letting the insinuation set in. “But she seems the type to consider the end, not the means. If she wants to be a daywalker, I doubt anything would stop her, even hooking up with a prick like Richard.”
Nik didn’t respond.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
I woke the next night, my mind a complete blank. I'd slipped into unconsciousness so slowly that I couldn't exactly pinpoint my last waking memory. Enjoying the luxury of Nik's bed, I blinked a few times before sitting up and looking around me. In a swift motion, I jerked the blankets back up to my chin, though I was perfectly decent in a long, black T-shirt and pajama pants. But it's hard to feel decent when a fae is watching you sleep.
Periphetes smiled, his visible breath cooling the room. He shifted his stance, slowly crossing his arms over his narrow chest. His frosty eyes slid over me and assessed the room.
“So, you stay in his room.” He glanced at the couch, covered in Nik's blanket and pillow. “But don't share his bed. Has anyone ever told you you are a strange girl?”
“All the time. Has anyone ever told you it's not polite to sneak in and watch someone sleep?”
The fae smiled. “You do not have a room of your own.” It was a statement, and yet a question at the same time.
“No, I'm pretty new to the seethe. Actually, I don't think I'm technically part of the seethe yet.”
“You know, you don't have to join the seethe or any seethe for that matter.”
“Really?” I asked, my interest piqued. Thus far, seethe life had not been exactly roses and pearls.
“Filling her head with lies?” Nik asked from the doorway. I had completely missed his entrance. I pulled the blanket a little closer to my chin.
“They're not lies, Nikolai Krasniy. And you know perfectly well I cannot lie.”
“Technically, but you lead false trails.” Nik turned to me. “He forgets to mention the death rate of vampires who live outside the protection of a seethe.”
I didn't respond. It was something to think about, but not something to discuss with Nik or Periphetes. I watched the two men as they stared each other down. Finally, Nik stepped aside and motioned toward the door. He made it look more like boredom than a concession.
“Unless you have further business with us,” hinted Nik.
Periphetes smiled, bowed to me, and slipped out of the room, his limp so slight I wondered if I had imagined it the previous morning.
“What did you two talk about?” Nik demanded.
“Nothing really. I'd just woken up when you came in. What was he doing here?”
Nik sighed and stared at the closed door. “Probably just wanting to rattle the cage. He’s a trouble maker. Though it’s clear he wanted to talk to you alone about something.”
I suddenly felt the weight of Nik's presence all the more. No doubt, he would not be letting me out of his sight for a while. I tried to think back to my last day of freedom. It had been nearly a week since I was turned. When I wrote about vampires, their lives consisted of free will, parties, and love affairs. So far, my existence as a vampire included death, faeries, and schedules.
“So what's the plan?” I asked, once again trying to remember what all had happened last night.
“Let's start with you getting dressed. Meet me in the hall. We're going to do a little grave robbing.”
Nik left the room, silently closing the door behind him. Before I could even reach the edge of his enormous bed, the door swung back open to reveal Josh, dressed in khaki shorts and a “Halo” T-shirt. Though born in the early fifties, Josh did a good job of fitting in with modern society. Nik, not so much.
“Nik is right, you know,” he said after closing the door
“Oh my gosh, you guys are the worst eavesdroppers.”
“Or are we the best?” he asked with an impish smile. I tried to ignore him, in no mood to play games.
“So was there a point to your spying on me?”
Josh sighed and stepped further into the room. “I know you don't get along with Nik, but in this instance he is absolutely right. To live outside the protection of a seethe is paramount to death. Only the very old manage it.”
“How old? Like Mikhail and Nik?”
“Older. A lot older. All I'm saying is don't do anything rash. Life in the seethe is not normally like this. In fact, in my half century I've never seen this much action. It's kinda fun!”
I was so annoyed with his final statement that I threw a pillow at him. He ducked out of t
he way, leaving it to fly into one of the glass vases sitting on the dresser, which conveniently shattered. We froze in our spots, waiting for Nik's wrath. Sure enough, he burst through the door a moment later, his eyes picking out the broken vase.
A tiny giggle escaped my lips. I felt like a child, preparing for a spanking. I wasn't exactly wrong. Nik turned on me, his eyes bright with anger, while I stifled the next sputter of laughter and tried to look sorry. He turned his burning gaze on Josh.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to talk to her.”
Nik looked back at me. “And in the process you found it necessary to break my things?”
“If I had a room of my own, this wouldn't have happened,” I pointed out. Big mistake.
“Not until you prove you won't run away,” he said between clenched teeth. Josh slipped out quietly while I distracted Nik. I couldn't blame him; I would have done the same thing had I had the chance.
“What am I, your prisoner?”
“A little bit. Yeah!” Nik paused. He swallowed, waiting for my wrath. I was too shocked to respond. “Finish getting dressed and meet us in the hall. We've wasted enough time.”
He stalked out of the room and banged the door shut. I stared at the shivering door, too surprised to move. I was his prisoner? He did keep me close and he had been angry when I had escaped. But as I thought about it, I realized it had more to do with my safety than any possessiveness on his side. Nik wanted to keep me safe. His harsh words had been a matter of an angry moment, nothing more. Besides, I was the one who had smashed his vase. Maybe I deserved some of his wrath. Emphasis on the “some.”
I heaved a sigh, trying to relinquish the last feelings of frustration, before moving to my duffel bag. I tugged on a pair of jeans and one of my work-out sweatshirts. If we were grave digging, I didn't want to wear anything too ostentatious.
Sure enough, Josh, Nik, and Periphetes were waiting in the hallway. “Miss Ashley,” said the fae as he bowed slightly and smiled at me. I smiled back. It was impossible to be annoyed at his strange version of chivalry. His manners made me feel special and his smile was infectious.
The Series that Just Plain Sucks: The Complete Trilogy Page 22
