by M. Cheykota
“I have known Hassan for at least a millennium. Why should I divulge his location to you?” Devan asks Kayle.
“It is not a secret why my master wishes to know where Hassan is hiding.” Kayle begins. “Either you are willing to part with that information or not.”
“I will admit that Hassan’s ways are harsh and uncommon, but that does not mean that Christien should be allowed to terminate his master without good reason.” Devan looks at one of the vampires waiting by the door and the vampire moves to the bar to fix a drink. “Would you care for a drink?”
Kayle politely declines the drink then returns to business. “All of Hassan’s vampires are gone. He no longer maintains a valuable empire. It would be wise to ally yourself with a vampire that can offer you something of importance.” The offer grabs Devan’s attention.
“And what does your master offer? He has no territory. His vampire base is small and he has already proven that he will not be a very obedient servant.” Devan implies.
“My master will not serve another master. Hassan is not worthy of his loyalty, or yours.” Kayle concludes.
“Then we are at a stalemate. I will not give up Hassan’s location without Christien’s loyalty to me.” Devan finishes the drink that his servant has given to him and stands.
Deciding that the meeting is over, Kayle also stands and grabs the bag off the couch.
“If there is nothing else, I have other business matters to attend to.” Devan nods at the vampires waiting at the door.
“Thank you for your time.” Acknowledging his dismissal, he follows the vampires to his car. He was not expecting the meeting to be very long or successful.
Kayle gets into the car and drives to the meeting location he has setup with Lenair. He expects his meeting with Lenair to be much more productive than his meeting with Devan. Lenair is older than Devan and has strongly disagreed with Hassan’s methods in the past. Christien was surprised when he first found out that Lenair was one of Hassan’s allies. He believes that Kayle should have a much more successful negotiation with her than Devan, unwilling to believe she will stay loyal to Hassan if presented with a better offer.
Kayle arrives at the meeting location nearly an hour early. As he waits in the car outside the gates of a beautiful mansion, a human servant approaches the driver’s side window.
“Yes?” Kayle acknowledges the servant as he bends over next to the driver’s side window of his Mercedes.
“Our master says you are early, but you may wait inside where it is more comfortable.” The servant bows and waves him through the opening gates.
Kayle drives to the door and a small group of vampires and servants dressed in fine 16th century clothing guide him inside to a gorgeous, gold-trimmed sitting room. The room is bright and welcoming compared to the dark and dreary room he was in at Devan’s lair.
The servants tell Kayle to get comfortable and inform him that Lenair will be joining him as soon as she is available. The cozy environment allows him to relax a little before the French doors swing open allowing Lenair to enter the room theatrically.
Kayle rises to greet her. ”Good evening, Lenair. I apologize for arriving earlier than when I am due.”
Lenair nods to him, waving her vampires and servants away. “It is not a problem Kayle.”
Kayle compliments her beauty as she crosses the room and sits in a chaise lounge chair near the center of the room.
“I understand your master would like some information?” She asks while playing with the lace on her 18th century style gown.
“Yes.” Kayle replies, returning to the couch where he was sitting before. “My master would like to know where Hassan is hiding.”
She smiles knowingly but continues to play the game that all older vampires enjoy. “What makes you think that I know where Hassan may be hiding?”
“If you do know where Hassan is hiding, my master has given me a small token of appreciation to give to you for your assistance.” Now that he has piqued her curiosity, Kayle settles more comfortably on the couch.
Lenair allows a few moments of silence between them as if she is thinking about his offer. Kayle feels confident Lenair would be willing to give up Hassan so he does not worry about her delay tactics. She is only positioning herself to gain as much as possible for the information. “What is the gift he has given you to lure me with?”
With a smile growing on his face, Kayle reaches into the small bag and pulls out a small tube of Jess’ blood. It is not much blood and it will not give the older vampire more than a euphoric feeling, but she will immediately know what it is and willingly give him Hassan’s location. He hands her the tube carefully as she looks at him confused.
“Blood? Your master offers me a tiny tube of blood?” She asks, amused by the offer.
“Taste it.” Kayle demands.
Lenair removes the rubber stopper from the vile and gasps. The two vampires in the room move towards her and she stops them just by raising her hand. Her wide eyes meet Kayle’s and he smiles back at her. “Do you know what this is?”
“I am aware of the contents of the vile. My master is offering you one pint of that blood for Hassan’s location.” Kayle replies smugly, knowing she will confess what she knows.
Lenair empties the contents of the tube in her mouth and sighs. Her eyes flash silver for a moment before she regains control of her blood thirst. “I know where Hassan is hiding. Give me the blood and I will give you his location.” She demands.
“There is no question that you know where Hassan is. My master has requested that I retrieve the information first before allowing you possession of such a hard-won prize.” He deliberately lies to her.
“Why do you lie about this? How did Christien come into possession of such a reward?” She asks, giving Kayle her undivided attention.
Kayle smiles deviously at her. “I will not reveal my master’s secrets.”
She nods then asks, “Is your master positioning himself to become a tête de ligne?”
That is a loaded question and he must answer carefully. “He has no desire to obtain his own ligne de sang, but as Hassan’s oldest vampire, it may eventually come to pass if something were to happen to Hassan.” He answers as truthfully as possible.
“I sense no lies in what you say.” She comments. “If Christien does not seek his own ligne de sang, then why does he wish to eliminate his master?”
“That is between him and his master.” Kayle replies.
“Do you have my payment for the information you ask for?” Lenair’s eyes move to the bag at his side.
“Yes.” He replies, patting the bag beside him.
“What makes you think that I cannot just take it from you without giving you Hassan’s location?” Lenair’s eyes bleed to silver and she shifts her body towards him.
Kayle stares at her with a neutral expression. “Because… I will not allow you to.” His eyes turn to molten silver and he allows his power to wash over her.
She hesitates as his power surrounds her. “You are quite powerful for one of your age. Am I to believe that your master has obtained more than one bag of this precious blood?”
“My master may become a tête de ligne and would be a worthy ally if you choose to help him in his quest.” He avoids answering her question by offering her a powerful alliance.
She settles back into her chair and her eyes return to the cool blue of her natural color. When he sees that her eyes have returned to normal, he reins back his power allowing his eyes to return to their normal vibrant blue.
“What would your master have to offer as an ally?” Her voice and face are neutral, but her body language does not hide her excitement.
“My master can offer you power and strength. Hassan may have lost all of his powerful vampires, but my master has not. He does not have a large amount of vampires under his influence at this time, but most of the vampires he has sired are masters and are very loyal to him. He also has no real enemies except Hassan and has influe
nce with multiple werewolf packs.” He watches the excitement reach her eyes before she quickly regains her neutral look.
“I will consider your master’s offer. Perhaps in a week or two, Christien and I can discuss an alliance and I will divulge Hassan’s location to him directly.”
Kayle laughs aloud.
“What is so humorous about my offer?” She asks, feigning confusion.
“That offer is unacceptable and you know why. He needs Hassan’s location now.” Kayle replies, losing all sense of amusement.
“The Council will consider me a rogue if I participate in Hassan’s demise. Your master asks me to risk my reputation. For what? I will receive a few bags of sweet blood and a few extra vampires at my disposal?” She scoffs at him.
“He only desires Hassan’s location. He does not ask for your involvement, nor does he want it. His only desire is to put a stop to the mad man that has ruined so many lives. Hassan is not valuable to you. Why do you wish to give up all that you may gain by keeping his whereabouts hidden? You are well aware that Hassan would never show you the same loyalty if the situation were the other way around. If you are loyal to Hassan, then I will take my leave and not bother you any longer.” After Kayle finishes his final plea, he stands and turns towards the door. He stops moving when he hears her call out to him.
“Stop!” She gets up and stands in front of him. “I have the information your master desires.” She motions to one of the vampires at the door.
The vampire leaves the room and quickly returns to the room holding a thick manila envelope. He places the envelope in Kayle’s hands and returns to the door to stand guard.
“What is this?” Kayle asks curiously.
“All the information your master will need to get to Hassan. Leave my payment on the table and have your master contact me if he is successful.” She turns her back to him and returns to her chair. “If your master tries to fool me, I will foil his plans and confess to the Vampire Council myself that he has gone rogue.”
“I understand. My master will reestablish contact soon. You should understand that my master will not appreciate being betrayed.” He removes a bag of Jessica’s blood and places it in the center of the coffee table. “Thank you for your time.”
Kayle watches Lenair’s eyes shift to the blood, but she does not move to take it. He exits the mansion and drives back to Christien’s estate.
When Kayle arrives at the estate, he learns that Christien is already in bed. Reluctant to wake him, he searches the house until he finds Roman sitting at the bar drinking. He informs Roman on how the meetings went and shows him the sealed manila envelope Lenair gave him.
Roman runs silently through the house towards Christien’s bedroom. Kayle feels guilty for not waking his master himself, but not enough to subject himself to being close to Jessica and her unborn child. He recalls the overwhelming feeling of protectiveness he felt earlier in her presence and gives it a moment of thought.
How could I sense that she was with child when even the master was not aware? Why do I have this feeling of peace when I am around her now? Is it because she is the master’s mate, or could it mean something else?
Kayle’s thoughts are interrupted when Roman returns to the bar area minutes later with Christien in tow.
Christien speaks to Kayle telepathically. “Why did you not wake me upon your return?”
Kayle tries blocking his thoughts as much as possible, but his master is too strong to keep out of his mind. Christien picks up the discomfort about Kayle being around Jessica and nods at Kayle in understanding.
Aloud, Christien says to him, “I did not realize how much discomfort you were experiencing, mon ami. I apologize and I will take care not to allow that to happen again.”
Kayle hides his face in embarrassment. His response is weak, but he knows Christien can hear him. “Thank you.”
Eager to change the subject, he presents the large envelope to Christien.
Christien accepts it and opens it.
Inside, Lenair has provided them with Hassan’s location. In addition, Lenair has given them detailed information on Devan’s lair, where Hassan is hiding. The information includes security details and vampire strength. She also gives information on Devan and his security detail. Christien does not miss the not-so-subtle hint that Lenair would like him to eliminate Devan while going after Hassan.
As they are all browsing over the wealth of information, Christien asks Kayle, “Do you believe this information is accurate, Mon ami?”
Kayle takes one last look over all the paperwork spread out on the table before responding. “When I began the meeting with Lenair, I knew I would be able to influence her decision to give up Hassan. I am sure I could have negotiated with less and received the same results. I do not believe her loyalties lie with Hassan. I believe he coerced her into her allegiance with him. Since both Lenair and Devan both co-rule France, it would make sense that Hassan would need Lenair’s cooperation, even if his only ally was with Devan.”
“Then how do you think Lenair obtained such valuable information on Devan and his get? Why did she not use this information to eliminate Devan herself? Why would she give this information to you?” Roman asks, clearly bewildered as Kayle is.
They all silently nurse their drinks before Christien answers all of their unasked questions. “First, I would say I agree with your assessment Kayle. I also believe Lenair does have an ulterior motive by giving us this information. I believe Lenair has been planning an assault on Devan for some time. She has only required a reason to wage a war on Devan. Lenair has never enjoyed co-ruling France with Devan. When Hassan requested Devan’s help and forced Lenair to comply, she finally has an excuse to get rid of Devan. All the lignes de sang are aware of Hassan’s request to the Council by now. She would assume I would try to kill Hassan before the meeting with the Council in a few days. That is why she would have been willing to negotiate so easily. She and her vampires alone are not strong or powerful enough to take on Devan and his get without heavy losses, but if we were to go after Hassan and Devan interferes, we might be able to get close enough to kill him. If we do kill Devan, there will be nothing between her and my get from extending her rule over all of France. Either I stay in France and defend what I obtain from Devan or become her ally and allow her to rule France alone.”
They look at each other and Kayle finally asks the question he is sure his master will not like. “Why not allow her to rule France alone? You can use Phedora as a proxy for anything that may need your attention. Give Phedora enough power so she can handle any disputes with Devan’s get and we can rid ourselves of both of the evil creatures.”
“Why not take it a step further and take out Lenair too? While we are at it, we can clear out the Vampire Council and make our own laws!” Christien exclaims sarcastically and storms out of the room.
Roman speaks to Kayle quietly. “I guess he’s not an ambitious vampire just out for power and glory?”
“No he is not.” Kayle responds seriously. “He has never liked blood shed. He only does what is necessary; never more than what is required. He lost all passion for anything violent once he became a vampire. That is why he has such a small get. He is a very trustworthy and peaceful master. His gentle nature passes on to those he has directly sired. No other lignes de sang would be so reluctant in his position.” He confides in Roman.
“Do you think he should take advantage of what is being offered and eliminate them both?” Roman asks. “Do you think he is powerful enough?”
“It is not always about being powerful. Sometimes it is about planning and sheer will. When my master was still a fledgling, he was able to kill vampires that were much older. Some were even master vampires. Many say that he was only lucky to destroy them, but after several stronger masters were killed by Christien’s hand, they began to think differently.” Kayle tells him as he remembers the stories he has heard over the years.
“What is Christien’s beef against Hassan anyway?
Aren’t most vampires very loyal to their sire?” Roman refills his drink and gives Kayle a questioning stare.
“I am not sure. He will not discuss it with anyone. Yes, in most cases, vampires tend to be very loyal to their sire. I am not certain how he managed to break Hassan’s bond so easily and quickly as a fledgling. If we knew why his hatred ran so deep, maybe we would be able to understand his reluctance to Lenair’s proposal.” Kayle accepts the drink Roman offers and sighs. “It is Christien’s decision on whether or not he chooses to accept Lenair’s plan.”
“Should he accept Lenair’s plans?” Roman asks.
“If the situation goes as they plan, he may not have a choice. Devan may force his hand.” Kayle concludes as he finishes his drink.
For another few hours, Kayle and Roman discuss different scenarios about how they would handle things with Hassan and Lenair’s proposal before Roman stumbles off to bed.
As Kayle sits alone in the dark, thinking about the child growing inside his master’s mate, another protective surge washes over him, just like before when she was not feeling well. Confusing and mixed emotions stir up more questions than answers. Unable to provide himself any answers, he retreats to his bed.
Chapter 17
I wake up the next morning and find Christien staring at me. “Were you watching me sleep again?”
It is my advantage that you are so beautiful that I cannot keep my eyes off of you.” He teases as he kisses my shoulder.
“You are such a flirt!” I push him away from me and roll out of bed. The moment my feet touch the ground, I am running to the bathroom with my hand over my mouth. When I return to the room, Christien has a glass of ginger ale waiting for me. He gives me the glass, kisses my cheek and agrees to meet me downstairs when I am ready.
