Once Lost Lords (Royal Scales, Book 1)

by Stephan Morse

  “A cult, seriously?”

  “Probably not. Cults typically attract people with certain personalities, operate in sects, have a charismatic leader. That kind of stuff. Plus I doubt they’d let me keep this case if it was a real cult.” There was some anger in his voice at that. Like Daniel resented not being good enough for the big jobs.

  “Why’s that?” I regretted asking right away.

  “Some old geezer upstairs would be printing the case file on goose feathers for a fuck pillow, they have a real hard on for that stuff.” Daniel snuck the mental image into my brain before I could escape.

  “Hell. I can’t believe your mind.”

  “What, man? You think the foul minds of the world only live in the ghettos and seedy strip clubs? This is reality, there’s fucked up shit on every block.” He responded.

  I had to give him that. Daniel smirked again and kept on driving. My mind was already elsewhere. Maybe I could try another route with my questioning. There were a few elves frequenting the bar lately. They might answer an idle question or two. One hand absently scratched at my wrist. I caught Daniel staring and just shrugged. He frowned but said nothing.

  Chapter 7 – It Always Gets Worse

  The next day I braved the outside world. Julianne caught me halfway across the parking lot to the bar. It was one of the few times we had run into each other outside. The abrupt closeness made looking down her blue tank top nearly impossible to avoid. A quick step backward on my part barely avoided the reaction. She slapped me, hard, and that worked as a distraction. I rubbed at my jaw but didn’t question it.

  “That’s for me. Kahina will get hers later.” Julianne said. My mind scrambled to keep up with the conversation already underway and not to think about a black lacy bra.

  “Why? I left a message.”

  “That’s only a few sentences up from last time, and I’m pretty sure she’ll chain you up then drag you home.” It wouldn’t be the first time. The girl was strong, and I had been enamored, or drunk. I snorted in amusement until the serious look on Julianne’s face wore at my humor.

  “That bad huh?”

  “I swear to God, you’re so dense sometimes.”

  “Hell, if I knew her number I would have called her,” I said.

  “Did ya ever consider asking her?” Julianne responded.

  That made me pause and try to figure out anytime in the past where I had asked. Not a single moment came up. In fact, Kahina had always taken care of that stuff and more. She put her number in my old cell phone, showed up at nightfall, picked our dates. It was the story of our relationship, practically decided for me before I looked up. Something about Kahina and her possessive factor scared away other females.

  Back then I hadn’t argued, now every time my brain considered hooking up with her again pain flared in my neck.

  “No, I never asked.”

  “Exactly, dumb ass, there’s a lotta things you ‘don’t ask’. Maybe life would be easier if you just asked.” She poked a finger into my stomach on the last few words, then stormed off.

  Kahina. Dealing with her had always been a give and take relationship. Orders, demands, frequent and astounding sex. Male that I was, as long as I got the latter, I complied with the former. Then she wanted to take the next step, to make me an addition to her world. Vampire engagement, moving to marriage after a full conversion. A blood bond almost always lead to sponsorship.

  Her sponsor was a highly ranked vampire. Her survival had a greater chance of making it through, and I would follow in her wake. Immortality had sounded nice when I was twenty something. Plus with her it wouldn’t come with the exorbitant fees that mainstream changes might require. That night, the first bite that she had actually given me, things went haywire, enough that I had hightailed it across the continent.

  Four years later and Kahina was still possessive. Then I vanish again for a week? She must have freaked. It was a wonder she didn’t have my apartment staked out with some daylight minions or something. Maybe she did, I hadn’t exactly been in top shape last night.

  That departure hadn’t hurt only Kahina. Julianne never said anything, but there were reasons she provided me scrub jobs. I was a different man. Broken. Tired. Whatever edge I had was so rusted it was depressing. Not like back when the world had been at my fingertips half a decade ago. Julianne was right, some things would be better if I asked. I shook my head, blocking the thoughts out again. My mind was rambling and only one thing solved that, alcohol.

  Luckily there was a place that helped across the parking lot. I shouldn’t drink where I work, but it killed two birds with one stone. Besides, I wasn’t going for blackout levels, just a light, cheerful buzz.

  A few hours later, after Julianne had me move around tables because one of the girls was pregnant, I had managed to stuff down a few drinks. Next week she would have me changing the curtains and redoing ironwork in the windows that passed for decor.

  The iron helped prevent the glass from being shattered every time someone got out of hand. Some might think all the property damage came from the wolves or vampires, but ninety percent of the time it was a straight human.

  “It’s getting worse.” Came a whisper of conversation that I didn’t manage to tune out.

  “It always gets worse.” A female voice answered. It sounded frighteningly serious.

  “Isn’t there anything that helps?”

  “Timing is everything.”

  The pair of voices belonged to the Umbrella Drink elf and Tattooed Eyes. Whatever their names were. He was less shabby than the last few times. The addiction driving him must be under far better control.

  She had a hand on his shoulder as he shuddered and counted out coins from a pocket. Coins, again. Julianne shoveled them off the counter and poured out a drink. Beer, olive, polka dotted umbrella, three ice cubes, and a splash of soda.

  I wasn’t watching him, though. I was watching her, she had the same dark shades, but no hat, and next to nothing on below the belt either. The dress was high enough that nearly anyone who gave her a once over could tell exactly how well shaped her entire leg was. Her top had three layers of shirts, carefully pulled down to display a rainbow pattern.

  Playful, excessive flirt, party going and prone to one night stands when drunk. She dressed like that kind of girl. Her demeanor didn’t match. Her face was pinched, worried. The pose of both hands were protective. That thin frame tried to screen the male elf from another patron sitting too close. I had never seen such a set of mixed signals.

  The male counted out his pile of coins then got his hands around a second drink. The shaking settled almost as soon as he was done counting out the change. It was subtle, but he glanced around to figure out if he was being watched. Julianne had already moved on, and I think I may have been the only person in the room dumb enough to stare for more than a few seconds.

  His eyes traveled my direction. I didn’t even flinch, we were nearly on first name terms after three times of observing his ritual. He jerked upright and stormed towards the door. Anger flashed across his face while passing my stool.

  She started for the exit as well. The walk, her sway, a lingering gaze, everything had synced up with her ensemble’s message. Flirty. Almost leering.

  I was drunk but not so drunk I could imagine that look. She was sizing me up for all positions two people could share. Imagining that was beyond my current blood alcohol level. I raised an eyebrow back and she lifted her glasses and winked again as she went past. Now, there was an elf I might be able to get an answer out of. Perhaps something else. Me and Kahina hadn’t exactly renewed the lease on our relationship.

  Hell. What time was it? My arm itched almost in time with the thought. Thinking of Kahina summoned up vague memories of the past. This room. This bar counter. The table across the room. Her face flashed across my mind in a million places and blurred out almost as quick.

  Alcohol had both damned and blessed me. The reign I kept on my abilities was failing. I was hunched over my
drink, relishing the numbing liquid that prevented me from feeling too much. For all the good it did. Every ounce of Julianne’s bar was familiar. The bar wasn’t mine, yet it was. I protected this place for years. Every fixture, ding, and crack was familiar.

  And no amount of mental fog could block her out completely.

  I noticed the heels first. Felt the tiny chime ring out. A familiar weight pressed against floorboards. Female curves displaced the air. I tensed as an absurdly tall frame traveled across the room towards me. Peppermint preceded her by mere moments. Kahina.

  “Who was she, Catnip? A blonde tart?” Peppermint and vanilla words whispered near by. “She seemed quite interested in you.”

  “She’s no one.” My words were mumbled into a bar counter.

  “And yet, you know who I meant. Are you sure she’s no one?” I kept both eyes forward and focused on trying to read the bottles across the way.

  “Sure, I’m sure.”

  “I won’t have uninvited guests in our bed, Catnip.” She said. Each word bit at my senses with a flash of longing fangs.

  “It’s not our bed anymore.” Liquid courage helped dangerous words pass my lips.

  “It never stopped being our bed.” The words were hushed and hard to focus on. “You are mine, Catnip, mine and no one else’s.” Her voice strode off to the thump of clicking heels.

  I dared to raise my eyes to the mirror and looked around the bar. No one was present. Even turning around slowly didn’t reveal any answers. Kahina’s slender form had exited the building as quickly as it came.

  She hadn’t left our conversation at that. My walk home revealed another present. Wrapped around the doorknob of my apartment was a small purple ribbon. Her reminder. Her color. Her claim. I left it there. Maybe the wind would unravel the memento and carry it away.

  Chapter 8 – Live for This

  Daniel called later that week and left a message on my prepaid phone. Listening to the message was impossible until I paid for more time. A day later an angry ginger showed up on my doorstep. His flushed skin an awkward counterpoint to the black suit. My entire world had been in a mood since Kahina staked her claim, and Daniel’s nonsense was unwelcome.

  He started talking and I cut him off.

  “Headed for a walk. If you want to talk, feel free to join.” I motioned with my head to the west. I was going to wander to a park a few miles away.

  He shelved a forming reply and fell into step.

  A block later I dared ask. “Lost elf still?”

  “Fuck yes, man, I need you on this. I can follow leads, gain information, put pressure on people, but I can’t fucking track.” The agent responded.

  “Figure out those wolves?”

  “No, I got stonewalled by paperwork nightmare just trying to get my request to the pack Alpha’s pile. They got too much shit to worry about for me to go that route. Their whole labor relations situation is getting worse.” Daniel’s fingers were combing through strands of shortened hair. His face tilted forward and eyes had no focus. “I’ll put the screws to them yet, though, if that’s what you need.”

  “I don’t think the elf has left those woods.” It was hard to tell from this far away. My attempts at tracking over the last few days all pointed to the same location. There hadn’t been any variance in the directional pull.

  “Christ.” The agent’s hands clenched in frustration. “I don’t even need the stupid elf. I need Arnold.”

  “Arnold is probably dead.” I reminded Daniel, again, that it was pointless to look for Arnold.

  “No, he can’t be dead, not entirely. Either way that elf will know.”

  “Not entirely?” I stopped my walk and stared at Daniel. He kept on marching with my old pace. It took him a moment to realize I was no longer keeping up.

  “Look, I can get you in, and distract them. I’ll order an airlift or something. If you’re willing. ” He offered as he walked back to me.

  What did he actually want? Why would he want to go against a pack? It wasn’t happening on my end. Maybe years ago when things were easier for me. When my mind let me maintain that perception of the world. One that let me feel everything around me.

  “Not now, not up for it.” The safe bet was to wash my hands of the whole thing. Daniel wasn’t forthcoming and I didn’t want to know.

  “Why not? This is the perfect in. A solution to our whole mess.” I blinked. Daniel put a lot of weight on this reward being worth all this stress. “And there was a time you enjoyed the challenge. You’d wade into the pile and come out the other end looking like you’d rolled in barbed wire. Then there’d be that stupid grin plastered across your face.”

  I chuckled a little but had no answer. There had been a time where the worse the odds were, the more enjoyable it was. Imagined feelings of crushing small armies had fueled a battle lust. All of it based on my abilities. Ones that barely functioned against two untalented partial vampires.

  “Did your time away leave you empty? You used to live for this.” Daniel tried again, anger turning into disappointment. I didn’t answer and walked past the agent. Moments later I heard his feet traveling away.

  My cheek tucked inward. Days had passed in a haze. Kahina’s claim. Unknown aspects of my abilities. Familiar faces that couldn’t be remembered clearly. Important things had happened and I couldn’t remember what. Had my near death experience changed who I was that drastically?

  Absently I scratched one arm and tried to figure out the next step.

  Chapter 9 – Blood-Bonded Male

  For the next five days, I stayed sober. A record that hopefully would never be repeated. I didn’t see Kahina or Daniel, and even Julianne was scarce. I kept my routine of exercise, odd jobs, and wandering the city. Some nights I would find myself on the far end staring down the midnight highway. Other nights involved wandering through parks and forests, trying for that sense that had called a rabbit to me. The closest I came was a possum and two stray cats, none of which actually got close enough to be conclusive. Maybe it was a fluke that I managed that stuff in the forest. Or desperation mixed with hunger.

  Walking through a busy part of town was disconcerting. Sometimes I forget how many humans there are in the world. My point of view had me constantly running into others, wolves and vampires mostly. Sometimes elves, those I met rarely stood around letting me ask questions. Normal people, those without blazingly repressed instincts, avoided me.

  When I walked around town, people crossed the street to the far side. Another reason to like non-humans. They didn’t all shy away. I’m not the hugging sort, in fact, I rather enjoyed that normals avoided me. But even naturally intimidating guys needed a conversation now and then.

  Day six brought me back to the bar as a simple patron. I wasn’t one of those people who played sports every weekend. No city teams, no Friday nights at the strip club, no shooting range or sparring matches to unwind pressure. Just me, the bar counter, and whatever it was that Julianne was able to slap together with a flick of her hands.

  I had been watching Julianne go through the motions to start up a conversation for an hour. All the signs were there. Brief but worried glances, momentary pauses, a half opened mouth that clamped shut again.

  “You alright?” Her question disturbed the personal time between me and a magically refilling glass.

  “I’m in a rut.” My glass was depressive and empty.

  Julianne was sneaking me refills to butter me up for something. Enough had shown up in front of me that it seemed magical. I did an imaginary toast to my rapidly elevating bar tab before a drink.

  “Go do something about it.” She offered.

  “Like what? You aren't exactly giving me anything entertaining. Rounds? Please, I used to find the big boys.” My talent made me akin to a laser guided missile.

  “Honestly? You’re not ready for real jobs.” Julianne loaded up another few drinks which I eyed. My face slipped into a goofy half-grin as I picked out my first victim.

  “Why? I find
things no problem. Found blond boy before Daniel walked off with him. Found that list of houses you gave me. Doing just fine.” My hands tightened around the glass. Only liquid problem solver inside it prevented me from crushing the container in irritation.

  “I don’t know, Jeff, you feel off. It feels as if something happened while you were gone. When you ran off you lost something.”

  Great, Daniel noticed, she noticed, I noticed. Even Kahina had said something smelled off about me.

  “I didn’t lose anything. Saved myself.”

  “From what? You had a good thing going, a good job. Kept things quiet and controlled when I asked, noisy when it was needed. Kahina was there. What the fornication drove you away?” Julianne asked. She had gotten me drunk enough that answering didn’t seem to be a terrible idea. It should have, and part of my brain knew it was, but the words slipped out anyway.

  “It’s pretty straight forward. We had great sex as a warm up, she went to bite me and turn me into a blood-bonded male.” Me, eternal mate material, laughable. “Then she flipped out!”

  My drink sloshed around for emphasis. A drink I hadn’t quite emptied into my mouth. Instead it ended up on the counter in small little cream and cinnamon colored patches.

  “Hell, sorry.” I said.

  She handed me a towel to clean up my own mess. Unfortunately the task was trickier than I thought. Repeated near misses ensued. Failure resulted in a depressed slump onto her counter. My head was getting far too heavy to hold up.

  “How exactly did she flip out, Jeff?”

  “Eyes wild, fangs out, all the signs.” My brain was having trouble linking the words together in correct order.

  “You know that’s not unusual, Jeff. She’s been this side of full vamp for years.” Julianne said.

  “Sure, until you count that she basically started digging for more.” I could still feel Kahina rooting in my neck with those razors she called teeth.