by Nora Ash
“It will! It will, it has to! Come on, Thea. Please, come on, my love, I cannot… I cannot live without you!”
Aleric had never heard his Elder so distraught—the sheer panic in his voice and the raw pain in their bond sent waves of queasiness through him. If there was one thing Warin had always been, it was strong. Ruthless. Devoid of emotion except bloodlust. And now… now, Warin was sobbing. Over a human girl who would have died soon enough regardless.
Aleric stared at his trembling brother as he tried to coax blood in between her long-dead lips, sick dread nestling deep in the pit of his stomach.
I cannot live without you.
Aleric’s nausea turned to horror as he watched Warin kiss the dead girl’s forehead, wrist still pressed to her mouth as tears slid down his pale cheeks. Finally, much too late, and with gut-wrenching clarity brought on by the sick pain echoing through their bond, Aleric realized what the loss of a soulmate did to a man.
It broke him.
* * *
“Ah, the young Waldlitch brother returns for another night at my court. Do you care to join us for supper?”
Aleric glared at Zet as he made a sweeping motion with one arm toward a naked woman lying atop a sarcophagus, eyes wide with fear and chest heaving despite her complete stillness. She’d been Compelled to endure in silence as every vampire, save the Ancient himself, feasted on her blood dripping sluggishly from a multitude of bite marks.
“I wish to speak with you in private, my lord.” His voice only narrowly avoided tipping into insubordination. “Urgently.”
Zet raised an eyebrow at his tone. His second in command, the raven-haired Verawein, lifted her head from the human’s weakly spasming wrist, undoubtedly in hopes of seeing her lord put a foolish youngling in his place, but the Ancient only sighed.
“Ah, the impatience of youth. Vera, my dear, if you would be so kind to deal with any urgent matters while I am gone?”
Verawein bowed her head, but Aleric didn’t miss the calculating look she sent him as Zet turned to lead the way out of the catacomb where he held court.
This time, Zet didn’t use the hidden exit, but walked along the same corridor his subjects used when entering his domain. He led Aleric to the ground floor of the church and into a modestly decorated chapel off the chancel, locking the door behind them.
The Ancient turned to Aleric, arms crossed over his chest. “Well?”
“You killed her!” Aleric hissed. “That was not part of the deal! Warin, he’s… he’s not himself. I fear he may end his life over this! Over that… human!”
“I distinctly remember how last we spoke, you worried the girl would get your brother killed, should she stay with him,” Zet said softly. He lifted his hand to study his fingernails. “How he had changed since he came upon her, and no longer seemed to act rationally. I believe your exact words were: ‘I would give much to have her vanish off the face of the Earth.’”
Aleric gritted his teeth against the rage churning in his gut. He could still feel his Elder’s distress echo through their bond in painful waves. “I didn’t mean to fucking kill her!”
“Yes. You did.” Zet finally looked up and straight at him, his golden eyes flaming with all the power of his age. His voice was no longer gentle. “You cannot lie to me, youngling. Were you truly so foolish to believe I let you drink from my witch out of the goodness of my heart? I know all your desires, Aleric. Every urge for power, and every shameful fear that that human girl would take your brother from you.
“I granted your wish. I eliminated what you perceived as a threat to your brother. So, tell me, why are you not groveling at my feet with gratitude? Could it be ridding Warin of his soulmate did not provide the outcome you desired?”
Aleric bared his teeth. Zet had his witch put a spell on him while he’d been busy reveling in the power of her blood. Of-fucking-course he had. Hadn’t Warin warned him of the trickery of Ancients? And still, he’d been naive enough to accept the gift of magic-fueled blood from one, and had lowered his defenses enough to let a fucking witch put a spell on him.
He stared at the Ancient’s smirk as he watched him much like a cat would eye its prey. Aleric had to be careful—he was already too entangled with this treacherous creature. But Warin needed help. He didn’t know how much longer until his brother would realize the hopelessness in catching the spark of a several hours old corpse. And once he did…
“Please, my lord. My brother requires help. I know we are not of your territory and you have limited obligations toward outsiders, but you are the only Ancient on the Isles.”
Zet stared, unblinking. “His soulmate is dead, Aleric. I may be powerful, but even I cannot undo this. What do you wish for me to do to aid your brother? I cannot turn back time.”
“Your witch—she is strong,” Aleric said quickly, desperation fueling him. “I’ve heard stories… Can she—“
Zet lifted a hand, interrupting him with a dark eyebrow arched in disbelief. “Can she animate the corpse of your brother’s beloved? No, youngling, I am not so foolish as to keep a witch with that kind of power alive. Besides… even if such a witch could be procured, it would be for naught. She would only animate flesh and bones—the girl’s soul is gone.”
Aleric clenched his fists, wracking his brain for an answer. There had to be a way. He couldn’t lose Warin—not now, not ever. His desire to secure his Elder’s undead life was why he’d wished the fucking human gone in the first place. “If your witch cannot bring the human to life, can she make him forget? If he can’t remember her, he can’t miss her.”
It was the deepest betrayal. He knew that. Asking a witch to put a curse on his blood brother—if Warin ever learned of his desperate request, he would tear him limb from limb. But if it could save his life, Aleric didn’t care.
Zet looked intrigued. He cocked his head as he regarded Aleric, golden eyes narrowed. “Now that… That might be possible. But there will be a cost. Are you certain you wish to add another favor to what you already owe me? I do not take debts lightly, and I will collect.”
Add a debt to a favor he’d not been asked. Aleric gritted his teeth. He had no choice—the Ancient had played him into a corner. If he rebelled against his demands, Warin would die.
Aleric bent his head in submission. Clenching his fists until his knuckles whitened, he said, “Yes, my lord. I am certain. Help me ensure Warin lives, and I will gladly repay any debt you wish to claim from me.”
* * *
The witch lay motionless on the bed when they entered her darkened room, but at the sound of their entry, her eyelids flickered open.
“Twice in as many nights?” she murmured. “Has ruling lost its appeal, my lord, since you seek out my company over your loyal subjects’?”
“While your delights certainly are intriguing, little dove, I am not here for my own entertainment. I believe you may recall our friend from last night?” Zet asked as he motioned for Aleric to step forward.
Marie sat up, her dark eyes roaming over Aleric's frame with a not entirely hostile gleam. Had he not been so desperate to save Warin before he lost his mind to sorrow, he would likely have returned her interest. As with most vampires, his feedings were usually followed by other desires, and witch blood had proven potent in more than one way. By the time they were done, Marie had seemingly forgiven her Master for forcing her to tell Warin what Thea was.
“Back for seconds?” the witch purred, tilting her neck back in teasing invitation.
“Our friend is in need of your help. He wants to know if you can alter memories,” Zet said, seemingly unfazed by the swell of her breasts and her creamy neck.
Marie’s expression soured. “Our arrangement was not for you to sell my abilities for your own gain, Zet. I’m not a common whore.”
The Ancient gave her a small smile. He crossed the floor and gracefully sat on the bed next to her, grasping her jaw with one hand. When he turned her face to his, there was iron in his gaze. “Our arrangement is that you of
fer your body, your blood, and your abilities whenever I demand, and in return, I let you live. You are a whore, Marie, and I am your master. I suggest you remember this if you do not wish for me to withhold my blood again.”
The witch paled, eyes widening. “P-please, my lord, I’m sorry. Please. I’ll die without your blood.”
“Painfully so,” he murmured, brushing her hair away from her neck in a caress, his ire obviously calmed at her swift submission. “Now, tell me… can you help our friend?”
She nodded, gaze downcast. “It is… very tricky, but it’s possible.”
“What are we waiting for, then? Let’s get started,” Aleric said. “I need you to remove Warin’s memories of his soulmate. Every last one.”
Marie looked up at him, a small smile on her lips. “Is that’s what this is about? You think just erasing his memories will heal his soul? It’s been rent in two, vampire. He is lost. Forever.”
So she knew Thea was dead. Aleric glanced at Zet, but his expression betrayed nothing. Not that it mattered if she’d been involved in the Ancient’s scheme—she was nothing more than a slave to her master’s wishes.
“Make him forget her,” Aleric said, steel in his voice. “He was whole before her, he will be whole after as well. Tell me what you need and make it happen. We don’t have much time.”
“Blood,” she said. “I need his blood. Or yours.”
Of-fucking-course. It always came back to the blood. Aleric stalked across the room, rolled up his sleeve, and bit into his own wrist. Crimson drops pooled at the edges of the wound and threatened to drip on the floor. Before they could, Marie fetched a chalice from the small table and caught the blood. She collected every drop that leaked from his wrist until the wound closed over, leaving only smooth skin behind.
The witch carried the chalice to the end of the bed where a small trunk sat. Kneeling in front of it, she opened it and rummaged through its depths to retrieve several dried herbs.
“Come.” She motioned at Aleric as she got to her feet.
He went to her, ignoring the small hairs at the back of his neck standing on end as invisible power gathered around the witch. Once he was by her side, she gave him a cold smile and whispered, “Protega.”
Flames sprang up around them in a perfect circles, sparking green magic as they hissed against the uneven floorboards.
Marie drizzled the dried herbs into the chalice, muttering incantations until it began to bubble. When emerald sparks flew from the cup, she downed the viscous liquid in one long gulp, threw the chalice to the floor, and lifted her hands. Verdant light shone from them as she reached up to clasp her palms to each side of Aleric's face. He felt the sear of her magic and smelled the stench of it as he stared into her dark eyes.
Everything in him ached to snap her neck and drain her lifeblood to end the threat of her power, but he fought himself to stay still. Whatever he had to withstand to ensure Warin forgot about Thea, he would. Even allowing a witch to use him for her foul magic.
“Look at me,” Marie snapped. “Allow my magic into your blood, vampire. Welcome it. Can you feel it? Can you feel it filling you? Searching… Think about the girl. Picture her with him.”
Aleric obeyed, his mind searching for every time he had seen the two of them together. The look of wonder and frustration in his brother’s eyes. Her fear. They should never have met—this soulmate shit was an abomination. Whatever Fate had planned, it had been wrong. His brother was strong, fierce… a warrior to the bone. No human female would ever tie him down, not even in death.
He felt the moment Marie’s magic connected with his memories. It sparked through his blood in unpleasant shocks, but he gritted his teeth and endured. As he would endure anything for Warin. Even the act of betrayal.
“He has forgotten her,” the witch said, staring into his eyes. “He no longer remembers her face, nor his shared time with her. She will be forever wiped from his memory, from now until the end of time. Swear by the blood that this is what you desire.”
“I swear it. By the blood, I swear this is my desire.”
His veins burned sharply in response, making him cry out. It was gone as quickly as it came, leaving him shaking in the witch’s grasp.
She smiled that same cool smile at him and lowered her palms from his face. The flames died down, leaving only a singed circle around them. Echos of power still vibrated through the room, but quieted for every shuddering, unnecessary breath Aleric drew to calm his mind.
“It is done,” Marie said, stepping back from him. “He will not recognize her if he sees her again.”
“Sees her again?” Aleric asked as he worked his shoulders. His body still felt stiff from the invading magic. “She’s dead.”
The witch shook her head at him as if he were a slow child. “Some souls reincarnate. We do not know which, but even if hers does… he will not know her. She could pass him on the street and he would never see her for what she truly is.”
“Thorough. I like it,” Aleric said with a short nod. The last thing he needed was to go through all this shit and end up in an Ancient’s debt just to have Thea pop up again in a few decades. “I believe our business here is done. My lord, I trust you have your methods of finding me when you wish to have my debt made good.” He nodded at Zet as he rolled his sleeve back down and stalked toward the door, more than ready to find Warin and get the hell out of London.
“There is one more thing,” the witch called from behind him. He paused, though he wanted nothing more than to keep walking until he would never have to see her or this cursed room again.
“The spell is thorough. It won’t just work on your brother. No vampire in your bloodline, whether they walk the Earth today or in several hundred years, will recognize his soulmate, should he come across her.” Her voice rang with smug satisfaction. “You will not curse any more of my sisters with your tainted souls.”
Chapter 13
Aleric
It didn’t take Aleric long to find Warin. He was wandering the streets nearby where they had discovered Thea’s corpse. Aleric followed the now oddly muted pull from their bond, weaving through drunks and late night revelers until he finally laid eyes on his brother.
The absence of violent pain in their bond spoke the truth of the witch’s words—her spell had worked.
Aleric couldn’t care less if he never found some human girl to fuck with his mind like Thea had with Warin. Marie’s revelation that she’d cursed their entire bloodline seemed more like a blessing. He had no interest in losing himself like Warin nearly had. No, if the witch had ensured neither of them would ever suffer this soulmate bullshit ever again, perhaps the visit to London had been worth it after all. Even if he had no doubts Zet would call on him to fulfill his debt at some point in the future.
“Brother!” He called out at the sight of Warin’s slumped form resting against a building. He walked to his side at human pace, fighting the urge to use his supernatural speed to get to him quicker, and clasped a hand to his shoulder. “Have you fed? Are you ready to leave this hellhole of a town? I can’t wait to get as far away from any and all Ancients as we possibly can!”
Warin slowly turned his head toward him, his blank face devoid of the usual zest for life that had adorned it since the day they escaped to the wilds together. “I am not hungry. We can leave if you wish.”
Aleric frowned at the apathy in his brother’s voice. Warin’s usually vibrant blue eyes were flat, deadened. It struck him that, despite their undead state, he had never seen his brother so devoid of life, as if he truly was nothing more than a walking corpse.
You think just erasing his memories will heal his soul? It’s been rent in two, vampire. He is lost. Forever.
The witch’s words rang through his mind as he stared at the husk of the man he’d known and loved all his undead life, sick dread burning in his gut.
Warin seemed to notice his stare and smiled softly. “What has you so worried, brother? Tell me you didn’t bed the Ancient’s b
onded human, or something equally Aleric-like.”
Relief flooded through Aleric. He returned Warin’s smile with a grin and squeezed his shoulder. “Would I do something like that? All I’m saying is we should probably get out of town before dawn.”
His brother would be all right. It might take him some time to heal from the impact of such a strong spell, but he would pull through.
One month of hunting through the deep forests of the continent and no remnants of Thea’s curse would be left from their time on the Isles.
No soulmate would break his wild brother.
Epilogue
Warin
2017 - Chicago, IL.
“There has been another disappearance.”
Warin sighed as he put the pen down on top of the pile of paperwork stacked neatly on his desk.
“Who?” He lifted his gaze to look at his second in command.
The woman walked closer to his desk and placed a folder on top of his other paperwork. “A youngling. His Sire says he felt their bond die last night.”
Warin flicked the folder open. A photograph of a blond young man stared back at him. His cocky smile reminded Warin of Aleric and a wave of unexpected sadness washed through him. He hadn’t felt much of anything for a long while, he realized. Not since he and Aleric parted ways more than three decades ago, once his brother also reached the status of an Ancient.
Having two such powerful beings within the same territory for any length of time had a way of upsetting the fragile balance within the vampire community, so Aleric had been forced to leave his side. He now ruled the territory of Denver and the surrounding areas. A strong territory for such a relatively new Ancient, but he wasn’t surprised. Aleric had matured into a shrewd politician in the past few centuries, some of his attention turning from women and battle to intrigues and political plots. He’d even had a not insignificant part in the War for Independence back in the eighteenth century, and again during the Night of Revelations in the 1970s.
