The Consort

by Paige Patton

  That was the Kourosh that Roman knew and hated. He was stubborn, ornery, and downright atrocious. He would outlive them all just to throw it in their faces.

  “Years went by before I was with child. By then he was no longer around. Somehow, the news of my delivery traveled to him; news that I had delivered a daughter. He arrived the next day as if I would hand her over to him as if she was nothing more than a sack of laundry. I told him that the child died at birth.”

  You just could not make this stuff up, Roman thought. It was much better than any Lifetime movie. “What did you do with her?” He asked intrigued.

  “Fortunately for me, Phaedra was in labor with twins. No one was the wiser when she had three babies instead of two.”

  Yet somehow, the truth was revealed, Roman thought. It may have taken centuries, but Kourosh always found a way to the truth. He had his ways, and they always worked.

  “How was I to know that he would become a vampire and outlive us all?”

  “Well, who knows anything really?” He said cavalierly.

  “I beg of you, Roman, don’t let this monster anywhere near my daughter. She is the goddess of the seven virtues, and he is pure evil. Incapable of loving her the way a goddess needed to be loved. But you can.”

  “I am no different from Kourosh. We are both beasts.”

  “Yes, but your heart is pure where his has grown cold and black.”

  Pure? Well, that was stretching it a bit. Plenty would argue over that and most would win. His heart was far from pure, but it was also far from cold and black. He would place himself somewhere in between, perhaps gray, but leaning more towards the cold and black.

  Again, she went down on her knees in front of him taking his hands in hers and holding them tightly to her chest. “Let us work together; combine our forces to help each other accomplish our goals. I am prepared to give you a fraction of my powers. With the powers you already possess along with the powers of your new Consort, you will be more than equipped to handle Kourosh.”

  Now this got Roman’s attention. He was a power whore. He would do anything to acquire all he could get. Kourosh was powered up to the max. He had Jabari, the mighty sorcerer at his side. With those two alone there wasn’t anything Kourosh was not capable of achieving. Add in Magnus and, hell! Kourosh could destroy the world while eating his morning bowl of cereal.

  “Tell me more of your daughter and her powers.”

  Delilah had him right where she wanted him, eager to know more and anxious to get started. She wanted to smile, but she knew it would come off as looking malicious. She kept a straight face even though she felt just a little devilish.

  “Her powers are untapped; pure god-like powers. Once she submits to you, they become yours. You will have more power than you can handle.”

  “Really?” Roman uttered with interest and trying to imagine what it would feel like to possess the same powers as a god.

  “You will step into his arena as a formidable opponent; equals.”

  She could see the wheels spinning in his head. They were turning so fast it was making her nauseous.

  Roman wanted more than just a fraction of her powers the more he thought about things. Anyone could see just how desperate she was. The ball was in his court, and he was damn good at playing these games. He would take her offer, but he would make damn sure he came out smelling like a rose and appropriately powered up.

  “How long will it take this daughter of yours to give herself to me? Days? Weeks? Months? ” He asked.

  “If you are as talented as you once were with my sister, we are talking hours, but I would settle for days.”

  “You admitted yourself that Kourosh has other forces working with him. I have seen what he can do by himself. I have seen him reach into the mind of a man and pull out his thoughts before he was able to think them. Surely he would be able to sense any god-like powers in me the moment I step into his presence.”

  “I can fix that.”

  “No offense, Delilah, I know how things work around here. You must present every move you make to the higher gods before you can practically blow your nose. You will be putting me at risk and at a great disadvantage.”

  The thought of him thinking that she had to yield to anyone infuriated her; she answered to no one.

  “You underestimate and insult me at the same time.” She said with a flame burning in her eyes. It told him that she was a woman with enough backbone and courage to stand on her own.

  “I am quite powerful without the help of the gods. I neither yield nor wait for anyone’s approval. That goes for you also. You must not worry yourself over such small matters when what lies ahead is of greater concern. Your god-like powers will be protected at all times. Kourosh will be ignorant of everything.”

  She was through begging for his help. She knew what he was after, more than just a fraction of her powers. “How much more do you require?” She asked pointedly.

  Roman knew a good deal when he heard one. There was never a chance in hell that he would let this deal slip away. Never being an impulsive man, he planned and acted decisively to arrive at the right decision at the right time. Now that he knew that, he would have complete autonomy over every decision he was all in. He was pretty much all in the moment he walked through the door and laid eyes on her.

  The vampire race was unlike any other; having strict rules that they lived and died by. Anyone brought into their world was forced to abide by the same rules. It was not an easy way of life, in fact, not many humans survived the month long mandatory training. It was brutal. He would feel remiss if he failed to warn Delilah of their unorthodox lifestyle.

  “Your offer is quite tempting, but let me first caution you on the harsh ways of our people. Our customs are not advantageous to humans. We are a dominant race with a superiority complex. Simply being human would be no excuse for going against to rules.”

  Delilah chuckled over his honesty, his willingness to admit their faults and idiosyncratic ways. She wondered if he saw them as flaws or as attributes. It didn’t matter either way; her daughter was out of control and needed taming.

  “My daughter is not human. She is a goddess.”

  “Still, she has lived in the human world all of her life; she has adapted their ways. For all intents and purposes, she is human.”

  Indeed, she was all-human. That was only the half of it.

  “I’ll admit that she is a little rough around the edges. It will be your job to smooth her rough edges. Remove any flaws.” Without killing her, she wanted to add.

  That would not be a problem for Roman; smoothing out rough edges was his specialty. “How will I know this daughter of yours?”

  She will be the diva with the big mouth and bad attitude Delilah wanted to say. “The moment you see her you will know.”

  “And will she be receptive to our customs, open to having a master for the duration of her life? Will she submit to me readily and willingly as you seem to believe?”

  Not a chance in hell, Delilah thought as she laughed aloud. She knew that it would not be easy. Roman would have to display a great deal of patience. She knew it would go against every fiber of her daughter’s being and against everything; she stood for to be submissive, to obey readily the commands of anyone without question or retaliation.

  “Patience is bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”

  Roman cut a suspicious glare Delilah’s way. He knew bullshit when he heard it. “Okay…And what does that mean?”

  “It means she will not be receptive to your way of life.” She added raising a finger before he could speak. “But she needs disciple. She never had parents to guide her, to set boundaries or rules for her to follow. I make no excuses for her, but she has endured a hard life. Please try to consider that when you meet her. She is not a bad person, perhaps a little broken, but I know that you can fix her.”

  She was putting far too much faith in him. This felt right. Unfortunately, her daughter would not sit still to be fixed by any o
rdinary man. It would take a man with Roman’s special abilities to rid her of the diva who made her such a bitch.

  “What makes you sure that I can fix her?”

  “You have a reputation. Even here, everyone knows you.”

  “Really?” Roman asked raising a questioning eyebrow. “And just what does everyone think they know about me?”

  “That you are an austere beast with a rigid and puritanical outlook on all you do. It is what she needs It is why I have come to you for help.”

  Roman could not deny the fact that he was rigid to the bone, cold. Determined and callously domineering. He was not trying to win any awards for being Mr. Congenial. He didn’t have time to pretend as if he gave a damn. He was a vampire who gave respect when due and demanded the same in return.

  “I am not one for games, Delilah. From time to time, we all enjoy innocent fun and games in the bedroom but understand that your daughter and I will not be playing a game. This will not be something that she can back out of when things get tough. It is our way of life, twenty-four seven. No safe word could save her. She would be mine to deal with however I see fit. Now, are you sure you want this for the daughter you claim to love so much?”

  The way Delilah saw it, she was helping her daughter; helping to save her from a life with Kourosh. He would strip her of her powers and sentenced her to a life of pure hell at his side. If there was anyone who could help save her from Kourosh, it was Roman. His reputation for getting difficult jobs done was legendary. He was extraordinary, virtually flawless, knowledgeable, capable, and successful in everything he set out to accomplish. Roman met all of the qualifications and more.

  What other choice did she have? No matter how stringent his rules and customs were, her daughter would have to find a way to endure them. What the gods were planning for her would be far worse. They would have every right to kill her to protect the world from Kourosh. There was no other way to resolve this problem. She only prayed that this was not another bad decision.

  “Do you see another way?”

  “Yes. Let the gods decide her fate. Trust in their decision.”

  “No! She said defiantly, standing and taking a firm stance. “I have chosen this way. If you do not help me, I will find someone else who will.”

  Roman had to admire her obstinacy. He wondered if her daughter had the same qualities. If so, Houston, there could be a big problem. He stood, “Tell me everything about her.”

  “Your world is very cruel, Roman, especially to women. You should be thankful that you are a man. You will never have to experience racism and sexism the way she has. For this reason and many others, I gave her a spirited soul. An extra set of balls you might say. I knew she would need them in order to deal with the hardships that would come her way.”

  “Then you can remove this spirit soul from her.”

  “I have tried. It cannot be removed. She has to freely give it up.”

  Roman sighed irritably. “How much time do I have?”

  “The gods are in council as we speak. They tend to make a celebration out of these meetings. Eating and drinking and, of course, no celebration would be worth celebrating without women. It could go on for days. But once the celebration has ended, they will get down to business making a decision within a matter of minutes.”

  Roman was a busy man. He had corporations to look after, new vampires to keep an eye on and a revolution underway. The last thing he needed was an unruly woman to babysit. But, for the right price he would drop everything.

  “My time is valuable. From the sound of things, your daughter is a hand full. I want to be well compensated for my troubles.”

  She did not have to think about it. She would have given him all of her powers if he asked. “Half and that is all I will offer.”

  “We have a deal.” He said. “I will take your daughter as my consort and protect her with my life.”

  Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, Delilah smiled a devilish smile that made Roman wonder what hell he had walked into.

  “One last thing, Roman,” She added. “She believes her parents are dead. She must never know of my existence.”

  Well, that should be easy. Who would believe such a tale anyway? On top of that, Roman was not the sharing type. “You have my word.”

  Delilah placed the palm of her right hand over his heart. She closed her eyes for a brief second, and then opened them. It was that simple, Roman now possessed half of her powers.

  “Your new powers will allow you to do amazing things. Please use them responsibly. When dealing with my daughter it is imperative that you refrain from the use of magic. Anything she agrees upon must be heartfelt and organic in order for it to be real. I am always here whenever you need me. Let’s work in tandem to achieve our goal.”

  “If the gods are willing,” Roman replied before he vanished.

  Chapter Two

  A wise man once said that a man who has lived fully would be prepared to die at any time.

  Bullshit! Richard Dames lived life to the fullest. He was not prepared to die. His death came swiftly and unexpectedly. It shocked everyone including Richard Dames himself. He was a man who was looked upon as a pillar of the community accomplished everything he’d set out to do in his short life. He was a thriving entrepreneur with a bright future. A person like that was never prepared to die, especially at the tender age of thirty-five.

  What was most shocking about his death was the way he died; a massive heart attack. How uncanny? The man was in perfect health; six feet three inches of pure muscle, not to mention the fact that he was a vampire.

  It was 1:30 in the morning, when Desiree unlocked the front door to Richard Dames old office building in the Gaslamp District. It was never his passion to be a P.I. It was only when friends and friends of friends started to go missing, that Richard took it upon himself to do a little digging. What he found could not be swept under the rug. Nor simply forgotten. He opened up his doors and made his office a safe house; a place where his clients could come and air their dirty laundry without the fear of any repercussions. One client led to another and before he knew it, he had over five thousand. Vampires, humans, and wolves; he did not discriminate. He kept them all on a hefty retainer’s fee. Needless to say-The dude was loaded at the time of his death.

  R. Dames, Private Investigator for Anyone in Need, was still on the front door. There was no point in keeping the space empty. Every attempt had been made to locate a relative, but it was the strangest thing; he had no family connections of any kind dead or alive. It was as if Richard Dames was hatched instead of born. There was nothing left to do but to give the place a thorough cleaning and get it back on the market for new tenants. A year was long enough.

  Desiree flipped the light switch and kicked the door open with her foot. What a delightful, awesome surprise. The space was in immaculate condition. A little musty from being closed up for over a year, but she would take musty over trashed any day.

  Bogged down with cleaning supplies, she headed for the kitchen that took up the entire back wall of the loft and sat her bags on the corner before taking a tour. She could not help but admire the intricate details of the paneled walls. The pristine hardwood floors, arched ceilings, and the exposed concrete pillars. The space was empty except for an antique, 18th-century desk, along with a high back, leather chair. A beautiful French, vintage chaises lounge that was pushed against the wall between two large bay windows.

  Desiree crossed over to the chaise she took a seat. Sitting there, she was the spitting image of her mother, Delilah. Right down to the length and color of her hair. The shape of her face and lips. All were identical to the queen.

  Leaned back onto the chaise, Desiree felt dignified- Like Royalty. She propped her feet up and closed her eyes to listen for the sound of her subjects yelling out her name in admiration.

  “Some help would have been nice, your majesty,” Camille said as she stumbled into the room sending the cleaning supplies scattering across the floor interrupt
ing Desiree’s royal fantasy.

  “This place is amazing,” Desiree said as she jumped up to help her friend.

  “Amazingly expensive. I Googled this Richard Dames guy.”

  “And? Desiree asked as they looked around before heading over to the French doors that led out onto a large balcony. They stepped out into the night air that carried a bit of a chill from the ocean that was only a few streets over.

  “Dude was fucking loaded- owned everything on this block! Not to mention all the companies and investments he had around the world.”

  “I’d love to be the lucky beneficiary?”

  “Stand in line. Even after a year, his legal team is searching everywhere for a relative. They refuse to give up. I read that a couple of major players are coming to a meeting next week to decide what to do. They’re all fine ass brothers too. One from Texas; another one from Mississippi; another one from New York and one from right here in San Diego.

  “Damn!” Desiree said looking at her amazed. “You take your googling seriously.”

  “It’s legal and free. And it’s not like it’s a secret.” Camille said as she looked down onto the streets that came alive at night, transforming into a hip and sophisticated playground for those who wanted to play. The Dames building was in the center of it all; the hottest restaurants, sizzling nightclubs, quaint boutiques, art galleries, and world-class hotels. Everything needed and all within sixteen walkable city blocks.

  The sounds of traffic on the crowded streets along with the noise and laughter of party seekers was like music to the ears. Not long ago, Desiree and Camille were a committed part of that wild and crazy nightlife. Partying until the sun came up and then sleeping all day. Once hit with the party bug there’s no real cure. At the age of thirty-five, they were still young, and vibrant with plenty of wildness left between them. Now work came first. They were not cured of the party bug, but hard work helped in treating the symptoms.