Ruled

by Keira Blackwood

  Ashley ran, and I followed. My progenies raced at my heels.

  The front door was open, blood was smeared all over the floor, and collapsed in front of the hearth was a woman, a vampire, with fair skin, blond hair, and blood all over her. Her eyes were wide with terror as she yelled in piercing agony. I knew the sound well, it was heartbreak, it was loss, it was death.

  Her body shook as she held her arms close to her chest.

  Ashley knelt beside her, and pulled her in, holding the woman as she wept.

  “They killed him,” the woman cried. “They killed Charlie.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Ashley

  Her body trembled as tears streamed down her face and soaked my shoulder. I held Angel, and comforted her as best as I could.

  Between sniffles and sobs, she kept saying his name, “Charlie. Charlie.”

  Her words repeated in my head—they killed Charlie. I couldn’t accept that. She had to be wrong. Charlie couldn’t be dead.

  Walter ripped her from my arms.

  “Tell me where,” he said. “Tell me who.”

  His eyes were flooded with red, his fangs showed in a rabid snarl. He was terror itself, and I understood. Still, it wasn’t her fault, whatever had happened.

  “Walter,” Tyr placed his hand on Walter’s shoulder.

  “Tell me!” Walter yelled.

  “The Lair,” she said, between sobs. “We were at The Lair.”

  I was a little surprised to hear that someone else had gone there—who was actually a vampire.

  There was a flash of blurred motion. Before anyone could speak another word, Walter was gone.

  “It’s not safe for him to go alone,” Bennet said. “Who knows what’s waiting out there, or how long it’ll take for her to tell us.”

  “You should go,” Tyr said.

  Bennet nodded, then ran out the door after his blood brother.

  Angel fell back into me, her chest heaving with every sob. Tyr knelt down beside us on the floor, his green eyes full of sadness and understanding. I couldn't imagine going through all of the loss that he had. And I wasn’t willing to accept this as my start. I leaned back and looked at Angel. Her mascara had smeared down her face in thick black stripes. Her lip quivered. She believed he was dead, and it devastated her.

  “Take a moment,” I said. “Charlie’s strong. He’s a survivor. Maybe it’s not as bad as it seems.”

  “It’s horrible,” she said. She held her hands out in front of her. The metallic scent of blood was overwhelming. It was hard to be so close to her and keep my fangs from coming out. Calm and understanding was what she needed. I needed to hold onto that, so we could actually find out what had happened.

  I took her hands in mine, and lowered them, tilting my head to meet her gaze.

  “We’re here to help you, Angel,” I said. “We’re your family.”

  She sniffled, but she was definitely calming down.

  “Tell me what happened,” I said. “From the beginning. Everything is going to be okay.”

  That last part I wasn’t sure I actually believed, but the pep talk wasn’t just for her. I, too, wanted Charlie to be okay. We all did, because we were a family—a weird one, but that’s the best kind.

  “Okay,” Angel said. “But I don’t know what it will help…”

  “It will,” I said.

  “We were at The Lair,” Angel said.

  “It’s this place I used to go before,” she said. “Before I was turned.”

  “I’m familiar,” I said, and smiled just a little.

  “We went for a drink, just like always. Everything was fine until Charlie got up to go to the bathroom.”

  Tyr’s eyes sharpened as he listened.

  “There was noise, banging, yelling, louder than the music,” she said. “I got worried. He was taking too long. I knew something was wrong.”

  “What did you see in the bathroom?” Tyr asked.

  “There was blood everywhere, and Charlie…Charlie was on the floor,” she said.

  “Did you see anyone else?” I asked.

  “Not at first,” she said. “I ran for him, to help him. But when the door slammed shut behind me, I got grabbed by these rough, giant hands. He pulled me flat against his chest, and held my head so I could look nowhere but at Charlie. At the blood…at the horrible…” Her speech broke as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “Did you know him?” I asked. “Did you recognize the man?”

  “No,” she said. “I don’t think so, but I didn’t really see him. He was giant, and his voice was deep and scary.”

  “What happened next?” I asked. “Did he say anything else?”

  “He threw me on the floor, then turned around. I didn’t see his face…I was just, I had my hands on Charlie…I didn’t see him…”

  “What did he say?” Tyr asked. “When he left, did he tell you why?”

  “I don’t think so,” she said. “He was just crazy. Charlie didn’t do anything to deserve it. He was so sweet, and I loved his smile, and every time I close my eyes I just see him like that, there on the bathroom floor.”

  Tyr stood. His hands were in his pockets, and he looked distant, lost in thought.

  “The guy,” Angel said, “all he said was—one.”

  “One what?” I asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said.

  I looked up at Tyr. He was pacing.

  “Any idea what one means?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “Any idea who’s really big and has beef with Charlie or Walter maybe?” I asked.

  Tyr tilted his head to the side and lifted his brows.

  “Yeah, okay,” I said, “stupid question. But not the really big part, right? I mean, I can’t think of anyone in the coven that would fit that description. A hunter, maybe?”

  “Or a vampire from outside of Scarlet Harbor,” Tyr said.

  “You don’t think this has to do with those New York guys again, do you?” I asked.

  “There’s not enough information to go by at this point.”

  I looked to Angel, who just stared off into space as tears silently rolled down her cheeks.

  “Hey,” I said, and put my hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll figure this out together. And Charlie, did you see this guy take his heart?”

  “What?”

  That was enough to snap her out of it. Angel looked at me like I was deranged. And disgusting.

  “Did you?” I asked.

  “No,” she said, “why would—”

  “Then he could still be alive,” I said. “As much as any of us are.”

  “Any minute we’ll get a call from Walter, and he’ll be all yelly about getting Hannah down here this instant, Charlie needs shifter blood.” I did my best grumpy Walter impression. Angel didn’t seem amused, more confused than anything.

  My pocket vibrated, Hey, girlfriend. Come on over. Hey, girlfriend. It’s me. Right on cue, it was Walter.

  “See,” I said. “There he is now.”

  “Hey, Walter,” I said into the phone. “Tell me you’ve got good news.”

  “It’s Bennet. No one’s here, the building’s in flames, and I found a note on the ground with Walter’s phone.”

  “Is it from Walter?” I asked.

  “I don’t know,” Bennet said. “It’s just a napkin with a number on it. All that’s written is the number three.”

  Sickness rose up in my stomach, tension through my veins.

  “Does that mean something to you?” Bennet asked.

  I lowered the phone from my ear and looked to Tyr. He waited for me to speak, and I felt furious, freaked out, and numb—all at the same time.

  “The Lair is on fire. Walter’s missing. And there was a note—with the number three.”

  “What about Charlie?” Angel asked. “Did he find Charlie? I don’t understand. What does this mean?”

  One. Three. Someone was counting—skip counting. Counting what?


  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Tyr

  Three.

  There’s a fine line between reason and rage. I’ve toed it, struggled to maintain a balance in life, to avoid bloodshed.

  Charlie was one. Walter was three.

  This was an assault—on me. Who was two?

  I reached out to Ashley, for the phone. “Please,” I said.

  She handed it over without hesitation.

  “Bennet, return to the manor at once,” I said. “Warn Hannah straight away, and bring her with you.”

  “Warn her of what?” Ashely asked. “Do you know what’s happening?”

  Flashes of my brothers filled my head—Sigurd, Bjorn, Magnus, Rolf—their bodies bloodied and unmoving. And Lyra…

  March 23, 1860

  Scarlet Harbor

  The sun was due to rise. She had yet to return.

  Had circumstances been different, I’d have assumed Lyra was safe. I’d given up any attempt to shelter her centuries before. It hadn’t been long after she’d convinced me to turn her that she first bested me in combat. We’d traveled the world in our time together, amassed more wealth than we could ever spend, and we’d helped found the city we’d chosen as our home. I wouldn’t have done any of it if she hadn’t pushed me. Lyra was as strong-willed as she was fierce.

  But none of that made me feel any better. Hunters had been stalking the streets for months. Their numbers grew while ours dwindled. And she was supposed to be home as Walter was.

  I searched the empty city streets for my progeny to no avail. Darkness began to fade, and I knew I needed to return to the estate. Without cover, my life would be forfeit when the sun rose.

  One more street. Just one more.

  There, lying on cold stone was an unmoving form. Her dress was blue like morning sky. It was what she had worn. It was Lyra.

  I ran to her side, and found blood on the ground. Tears ran down my cheeks as I took her into my arms.

  Sunlight peeked over the horizon, and for a moment I considered it. Nine hundred years was enough.

  “Promise me you’ll keep your oath,” she said.

  Her eyes were closed, her voice a whisper. But I heard her, and as it had always been, I could deny her nothing.

  “I promise, Lyra,” I said.

  I ran for the gateway, away from the sun, and returned us to the estate. And I promised.

  “I will not seek revenge. I will not kill, Lyra. Never again. For you, I promise.”

  I’d kept my promise until the day I’d been pulled from the ocean. I kept it still, as best as I was able.

  I imagined Charlie as Angel had described him, and Walter burning in that building. My heart shattered for those I’d lost, while my nerves steeled for the fight to protect those who I hadn’t.

  “Everyone must come home,” I said. “We’re under assault.”

  “We’ll be right there,” Bennet said.

  The phone clicked, and I turned to Ashley.

  Bennet, Hannah, Violet—who was number two?

  “Do you have a way to summon Violet?” I asked.

  “Sure,” Ashley said, “I’ll call her.”

  I walked back and forth, helpless to do anything more.

  Ashley held the phone to her ear, then returned it to her pocket.

  “No answer,” she said.

  “Where is she meant to be?” I asked.

  “I don’t know,” Ashley said. “Maybe back at their place.”

  “Come,” I said. “We must stick together.”

  Ashley nodded and took Angel’s hand.

  “We have to go,” Ashley said, and helped the grieving woman to her feet.

  I kept them close in the yard, desperate to shield my family, to protect the woman I loved.

  There was no sign of anything amiss, until we reached Walter’s cottage.

  The front door was ajar, while the french doors on the side were shattered. I put myself first when we entered. The sofa was torn and pushed out of place, and the lamp was shattered. A yellow square of paper lay on the dark hardwood floor. A single form was handwritten in thick, black ink—two.

  I picked up the note, and showed it to Ashley.

  “You think someone kidnapped Walter and his progenies?” Ashley asked. “But why?”

  “I don’t know,” I said. “We should go back and wait for Bennet.”

  “Sure, okay,” Ashley said.

  I was being taunted. Was there meant to be a four? A five?

  We walked back toward the front of the estate, to the manor that could offer some protection. Within these walls, Violet should have been untouchable. Yet somehow she’d been taken—a proficient fighter, in her own home, behind massive stone walls. Even after all of the vetting, was it possible to have a traitor in our midst?

  There were no sentries in sight, no guards. I remembered the stories of ultra-violet bullets, and the enemy who had come not so long ago.

  Given enough years, every vampire developed a gift. It was time to make use of mine.

  I squeezed my fists and took in the details of the grass, of the hedges and flower gardens. I forced my vision to lose focus, then used that trace to mimic the forms around us. A bubble formed, a shield to prying eyes.

  “Stay close,” I said.

  Angel and Ashley moved in, and the three of us walked side-by-side.

  Angel reached out.

  “Don’t try to touch it,” I said, though there was nothing to touch. My skill was illusion, though invisibility only worked when disembodied arms didn’t appear in the air for onlookers to see.

  “What is it?” Ashley asked.

  “Illusion,” I replied. “We cannot be seen while the illusion is maintained.”

  “You think someone’s out there?” Angel asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “But you think they’re out to get everyone related to Walter,” Ashley said.

  “Perhaps,” I replied. But I believed there was more to it than that, or could be. I couldn’t help but feel like this was personal, that I was responsible.

  “So if that’s the case, why let Angel go?” Ashley asked.

  “Me?” Angel perked up, and looked between the two of us.

  “She delivered the message,” I said, “which leads me to believe this isn’t about Walter, but rather, me.”

  “So that’s why you think they might be after Bennet and Hannah, too,” Ashley said.

  “Precisely.”

  “So who is they?” she asked. “Is this going to be another New-York-vamps-storm-the-estate kind of thing?”

  “Possibly,” I replied. “No one should be alone until this is resolved.”

  “Any idea who would want to hurt you?” Ashley asked.

  “Not specifically,” I said. “But over a thousand years I’ve done many things that I regret, and the past is often unforgiving.”

  Ashley took my hand, and looked up at me. Her smile was sunshine, a kindness I didn’t deserve. “We’ll figure it out together,” she said.

  I squeezed her palm. Her support meant more to me than words could explain. In that moment, in that look, in her touch, I knew. We weren’t just navigating life’s trials as partners. It was more than that. We were amor aeternus.

  I could spend an eternity watching her smile, holding her in my arms, and sharing her company. If I was lucky, maybe I would.

  Blinding headlights rolled up to the gate. I held out my arm to signal our stop. Ashley and Angel followed suit. We waited.

  The lights went out, and doors slammed shut. Bennet walked toward the gate, Hannah by his side. I let go of the bubble and smiled in relief.

  Ashley ran toward the car, toward her best friend. Hannah, too, took off toward Ashley. The two met and threw their arms around each other.

  Angel and I followed.

  “I’m so glad you’re okay,” Ashley said.

  “Me, too,” Hannah laughed. “I’m glad you’re okay, too. I thought for sure they were going to kill me.”

&
nbsp; “What happened?” Ashley asked.

  “I was sitting in the living room, reading, when someone started slamming their shoulder into the front door. I opened the fake wall and ran downstairs. I never thought we’d need that thing, but it saved my life.”

  “The house was torn up, including some of the floorboards,” Bennet said.

  “I’m glad you were spared,” I said. “Did you see or hear anything that could tell us about who they are?”

  “They left this.” Hannah held up a doll. All color had faded with time. I took it into my hands and looked it over. It was a punch to the gut. Impossible. There was a doll just like this in the basement of the estate. It had been everything to her when she was little—Lyra. It couldn’t be. This had to be a mistake, a trick of some kind that I didn’t understand. I slid the doll into my pocket and tried to listen to the conversation that had continued without me. Lyra.

  “Have they attacked the estate?” Hannah asked. “Is everyone else okay?”

  “Violet has been taken,” I said.

  “Oh no.” Hannah’s face lined with concern.

  Bennet’s jaw set.

  It was exactly how we all felt. The question was, how did we find them?

  “I’ve got a pretty good nose for these kinds of things,” Hannah said, “but not that good. We need a place to start. Where do we look?”

  My mind raced with thoughts of my first progeny. Where had she gone? What places had meant something to her? The doll meant something to whoever had done this, hadn’t it?

  A beeping sound carried in the air. I looked to Ashley, to Angel, for a clue of what the noise meant.

  “That’s not mine,” Bennet said. His pocket shook as the sound repeated. “It’s Walter’s.”

  Bennet pulled the phone from his pocket and held it out in his palm for all to see. There was no number on the screen, only the word Unknown. He hit the green circle, and held the phone out toward me.

  “Hello,” I answered.

  “I wondered if I would recognize your voice after all this time. I assume you’ve received my gift?”

  My chest tightened, as I struggled to rationalize the sound of his voice. It couldn’t be.