by Nicki Ruth
What of the kingdom, Zhar? It was a picturesque realm that her family ruled over for many years, shielded from outsiders and home to both vampire and non-vampire. Beings from other realms were often granted sanctuary there, and she was proud her family readily offered refuge to those fleeing persecution. Zhar, with its superior technologies for growing food, cleaning water, and mining minerals, would sometimes extend help to troubled human settlements nearby. Some humans were even allowed to live in Zhar, although they were not permitted to leave in order to safeguard her secrets. Zhar was her home, but could she return there?
She remembered her best friend, Lexi. They were inseparable, like sisters, always exploring and sneaking off together. Lexi was a fae who had escaped through a portal to Zhar.
Davina remembered well that day from her youth. It had been a hot, sweltering day, the cloudless sky bright and blue, and Davina was cooling off by the lake when the air a couple of feet away began to shimmer and bend. Alarmed, she prepared to run when a petite girl jumped out from the distorted air.
Davina had screamed as body and limbs crashed into her, causing her to collapse into the water. When she looked up, the newcomer was blinking at her, grinning. Davina watched the girl closely, and her initial fear seemed to evaporate.
She was of a species Davina did not recognize, with pointed ears and pale, pink hair that was braided along her scalp and adorned with various trinkets. Her eyes were emerald green, and she had spots on the sides of her face. She was dressed in the most outlandish garments Davina at ever seen—she was practically naked! Then she started speaking rapidly in a strange language she didn’t understand.
“What? I don't understand? Can you get off me?” Davina squirmed trying to get out from under the creature so she could sit up. As she spoke the pink-haired stranger tipped her head to the side watching Davina’s mouth intently. “Please, just get off!”
Davina fussed and pushed, but the girl seemed unwilling to move. Then, very slowly, she began speaking in Davina’s tongue.
“Hello. Can you tell me where I am?” she asked with a melodic accent.
“Yes! You are sitting on top of me!”
What was with this strange girl? The curious creature laughed and bounded up. Davina finally got to her feet, wringing water from her clothing.
“I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” the girl asked.
Davina simply glared at her. Who appears out of nowhere and assaults someone who was minding their own business? “Luckily, no! But you shouldn’t enter someone’s personal space without invitation.” Davina huffed. “Who are you, and where did you come from? Was that a portal just now? Did you have permission to open one here?”
The girl looked up—she was a few inches shorter than Davina—and smiled but said nothing. Her emerald eyes glittered and swirled like a tumultuous ocean.
“Well?” Davina demanded. Did she have no manners?
“My name is Anuplexi. I did open a portal,” she gestured to the area she appeared from. “But please don't tell anyone. I’ve run away from my realm.”
Davina considered this. She had run away? Interesting. That was something Davina had wanted to do but could not; she was constantly stalked by the royal guards. She had only recently managed to sneak to the lake without an entourage.
Maybe this unusual girl could be useful to her. “Run away from where? And what kind of being are you?” Davina had not seen anyone like her in Zhar. Her strange clothing, pale skin, and pinkish hair that darkened at the ends were foreign.
“I am fae. Which realm is this?” the pink-haired stranger asked. Her gazed roamed around, taking in everything.
“This is the Kingdom of Zhar. You need permission to open portals here,” Davina said. Had she opened the portal herself?
“I didn't know where the portal would take me. But now that I have met you, I understand why it brought me here.” Anuplexi smiled. “Seems you and I will be great friends.”
Davina rolled her eyes. She was ready to be gone from the insufferable girl. “Friends? I don't know you, and I have a mind to report your portal activities to the guards.”
Anuplexi waved her hands as if what Davina said was of no consequence. “We’re already friends. And you are fated for great things. I will keep you safe . . . Davina.”
∞∞∞
Alexios leaned back in his chair as he listened to Morel, formally known as Councilor Trakkian, drone on over the speaker phone about antagonizing the empire.
“Alexios, I know your quest is important to you but your increasing aggression against the empire cannot be ignored for long. The council is getting skittish. I am trying to reassure them that you are not coming after us, but many are concerned.”
Morel was the damunaki representative on the Imperial Council, the elected body of diplomats who created and upheld the laws that all member nations abided by, to keep peace among the empire’s many species.
Every clan of the empire was eligible to have a seat on the council. As an ancient who predated the council, Alexios had been courted over the years, but he had repeatedly refused the council seat each time. He had a mission to see finished and did not concern himself with politics. He was a soldier, after all.
But since he was more powerful than most on the council, they stayed out of his way, and he theirs—unless they refused him simple requests, like that which had led to the Delta B incident.
And if they'd ever aided and abetted his sire, well . . .
“Alexios, are you listening to me?” Morel said. “I need you to at least give some semblance of respecting the laws of the empire. That means no more destruction of imperial holdings.”
“Morel, you and I are friends, are we not? Would you tell me if the council was trying to thwart my plans to find him?” Alexios asked.
“I’ve told you before, I’m not aware of any such thing. You know I abhor the horrors your sire has wrought on the damunaki. I would be the first to tell you if I knew where he was. I would see him pay for all he’s done.” Morel sounded exasperated. “But the council needs assurance that you will not strike against them.”
“I care not about the council. But I will not overlook any of them being in league with him, do you understand? You can tell them that,” Alexios said, growing tired of the conservation.
“I understand, but –”
Alexios ended the call. He didn't have time to spend on council drama, even if he was the cause of said drama. He had other pressing issues.
Like Davina. He leaned back in his chair and smiled. He had often gazed at her from afar while tending to his duties. He would catalog everything about her—how her eyes glowed when she was excited, how she smiled at people in the town, how her dark hair sometimes seemed to be aflame, how she sauntered about like she was destined to rule—everything. And now she was aboard his ship, under his care and protection. He could spend hours gazing at her.
But she was the true damunaki queen, and he would need to carefully consider how to return her to her people. Thousands of years had passed since the events that led to her encapsulation, and she would need to get acquainted with this new time. He summoned Marius, who shimmered to his side a few moments later. Their ability to transport themselves through matter was one of their most prized abilities, although it had a limited range.
“I take it Davina is who she says she is?” Marius asked.
“Yes. She is the Davina I knew. Her blood revealed it to me. And now she has remembered her past and who she is.” He paused, watching Marius closely, for he was about to relay information that Marius would need to keep secret.
“And?” Marius asked anxiously.
“Davina is the true queen of the damunaki, being of House Zharim. Her mother was Tiamat, who absconded to Earth with her consort and founded the Kingdom of Zhar there. I believe she may be the only surviving member of Zharim. Damjan, who trained me, was once the head of their royal guard. That’s how I came to be among them.” Alexios paused thinking of his friend and mentor.
“I need to investigate who else of the damunaki can be entrusted with this information. I think I can trust Morel, as he has only ever sought the best for his people and is an expert in damunaki history. But with him on the council, he may have spies in his midst.”
Alexios rose from his chair and paced. “I would like to have this resolved as soon as possible and have her settled among allies who would see to her installed to her royal house. But with the Dāmming upon us, her safety must be prioritized above all else.”
Marius remained in quiet contemplation. “I don't need to impress upon you the need for secrecy until we know who we can trust. Put together a list of names of those damunaki loyal to the old Zharim line. I know of a few elders we may put on the list. Use your contacts to find out the political climate on Damurios and whether we can find allies among the nobles there. It's been years since we’ve been on the home planet, so I’m not familiar with the political landscape there.” Alexios paused, gazing out into space.
“I will do as you ask, Alex. Observing the political dynamic first is a good strategy. We don't want to throw her into a hostile situation. But I need to ask, what of your feelings for Davina?” Marius asked cautiously.
Alexios turned around sharply. “I have warned you about trying to read me!”
Marius raised his hands next to his head. “I didn't have to read you to see you have an attraction to her. And since you’ve had her blood, it may only get stronger.”
Alexios didn't want to talk about his insatiable desire for Davina with Marius. Too long had he kept those yearnings to himself. “Just get started on what I asked,” he said. “And send Jason and Brandr to me.”
“With these new developments, are you reconsidering putting Jason and Brandr in the vault?” Marius said, watching Alexios.
“Yes, that is my thinking. I plan to move forward with the coordinates obtained from the prisoner. But first, we will head to Damurios, where Davina, Jason, and Brandr will stay. It will give her the opportunity to learn about her people until the time is right for her to reveal herself. You will also complete your investigations there.”
Marius frowned. “So. . . you will be leaving Davina behind?”
“Yes,” Alexios stated, firmly. “I plan to continue on after I see her situated on Damurios.”
Marius shifted nervously as it no doubt dawned on him what Alexios meant. “Alone?”
Alexios looked pointedly at Marius. “Yes. I meant what I said. My mission is mine alone to fulfill. With your abilities, you're better suited to assist Davina.”
“No! I won’t leave you to this task alone.”
Alexios walked over to him and placed his hands on Marius’ shoulders. “I know you don’t want me to go alone. But I won’t have you or anyone else hurt. I’ve experienced enough loss. It would kill me if I were to lose you.”
Marius shook his head. “And what if something happened to you because you were alone? Have you thought what it would do to us? To me?”
Alexios leaned over and softly nuzzled Marius’ cheek. “Forgive me. But that is what I have decided and what I must do. See to Davina. When I have completed my mission, we’ll be together again.”
Marius looked stonily at him for a few moments. Then he pulled away and said nothing as he shimmered out of the room.
Chapter 9
Marius stopped outside Davina’s door, glaring at it. He was devastated that Alexios would leave him to babysit Davina while he went to challenge his sire. He wished they had never laid eyes on that blasted capsule.
Of course Alexios needed answers from his elusive sire for why he was abandoned to die. Marius understood that. The bloodbond between a sire and his sireling was sacred among the damunaki, and to forsake it—barring an untimely death—was practically unheard of. Only naturally born vampires could bear children, and the birth rate was extremely low, so turning a being into a vampire, or gifting, was allowed, though under strict conditions.
To abandon a sireling immediately after a gifting placed undue hardship on the new vampire. Their sire’s blood was needed to help settle the sireling’s transitioning body; a young vampire needed to drink from its sire often until its body adjusted to the changes, a process that could take a few months to a few years. Only the sire’s blood could be offered since it initiated the change. With no bloodbond to help them control their bloodthirst, and no sire to help them manage their bloodgifts, sireless vampires became a danger to all beings, and many became crazed with bloodlust, eventually succumbing to the effect of an incomplete transition—death. Abandoning a sireling was therefore a serious crime under damunaki law. Marius could only imagine how painful it was to endure a broken bond. He wasn't even sure how Alexios had survived.
Contrary to what outsiders thought, natural-born vampires aged until their bloodbirth—a change that stopped and restarted their hearts, freezing them into their immortality. This could happen at any time over age sixteen, and so some damunaki appeared forever young while others appeared older. But gifting could take place at any age, which was another factor to consider when bestowing the damunaki gift.
Marius never thought about siring offspring; it was too much of a responsibility. Alexios had sired four, a small number for a vampire his age. Marius was the first, and Brandr, Alexios’ second, came hundreds of years later. His third sireling, Vincente, was lost during battle. It had been a painful time for all of them, and Alexios suffered for decades after the loss.
The fourth and last was Jason, who was barely a century old. He was the only one not given the choice to be gifted. They had found him on a small merchant ship that had sent out a distress signal. Being the closest ship in the area, they went to give assistance and discovered a macabre scene. Jason was unconscious, the only survivor. The others had all been brutally murdered. For reasons unknown to Marius, Alexios had gifted Jason, and he joined their family.
Now Alexios was about to abandon them. Isn’t that what his own sire had done? Marius took a deep, slow breath. He was being unfair. Alexios loved them, this he knew; they had stayed together even when other sirelings went off and began lives and families of their own. Alexios had never asked them to leave. He put up with them even when they squabbled among themselves, and they were all fiercely loyal to him. Alexios had saved them from death and given them a new life.
Marius’ finger hovered over the intercom button to Davina’s room when Jason and Brandr appeared at his side.
“What do you want?” Marius snapped. “I'm in no mood for your complaining.”
“We need to talk about Alexios. We don’t agree with his plans,” Brandr said.
Marius sighed. “Can we talk about this later? I need to speak with Davina.”
“Marius, we don’t believe Alexios should be alone to face his sire,” Brandr replied, ignoring Marius’ request. “He's a formidable enemy, and we cannot take the chance with Alexios’ life.”
“You think I want him to go!” Marius let out a breath then said, “He requests an audience with you, so you should go see him now. There are new developments that may impact your concerns.”
“Is it about Davina?” Jason asked, his face lighting up as her name passed his lips.
“I’ll have him tell you,” Marius said and turned back to the door. “Now leave me. I have things to do.”
Jason left, but Brandr remained, watching Marius closely. “Marius, you know I want what’s best for Alexios, for all of us, yea? And I know that has only ever been your concern. We must be of one mind on this.” His piercing blue eyes bored into Marius. “None of us want to lose him.”
“I know. I don't want to lose him either,” Marius whispered softly, closing his eyes, his head falling forward. His body tensed at the mere thought of it.
Brandr stepped closer behind him, leaning into him, his warmth washing over Marius. “Then, my brother, we would see to it that we don't.” He rested his chin on Marius’ shoulder. They stayed like that for a few moments before he left.
Marius remain
ed as he was, thinking of what could be done. Maybe he and his brothers could force the issue with Alexios, but with his pesky ability to force them to sleep, they would need to be crafty. All Marius knew was that he wouldn't allow Alexios to go into danger alone.
∞∞∞
Davina listened to the voices outside her chamber. This time she didn't need to place her ear against the door; she heard them from where she was on the bed across the room. Excellent hearing was one of several abilities she had regained. It seemed like Marius and the others were concerned about Alexios. About losing him. How would they lose him, though? Davina frowned. She didn't want to lose Alexios either.
She froze. Where had that come from? No, she wouldn’t get involved in their affairs. She was just a temporary guest on their ship.
Davina waited for Marius to enter her chamber. She wanted to ask him questions about this time and where they were going. She hoped she could reunite with people she once knew, if they were still alive. She waited, but Marius didn’t enter. She heard Brandr’s accented voice leave minutes ago. Had he changed his mind about coming in?
Just then the door opened and Marius stepped in. His handsome face looked drawn, and frown lines creased his forehead. She assumed his worry was for Alexios and the exchange he’d had with the others outside her door.
“How are you doing?” Marius asked, but his eyes didn’t meet hers. Instead, his gaze locked on nothing in particular.
“I’m feeling better. I’m sure you’ve heard my memories have returned, and I know who and what I am.” She wanted to spar with Marius, but it was clear he was preoccupied.
“That’s wonderful,” he murmured, still not meeting her eyes. Silence seeped between them as neither said anything for a while with Marius distracted, deep in thought. She sighed. She would have to place her questions about this new time on hold.
“Marius, what’s wrong? Is it about Alexios?” She decided to get to the point; Marius would only evade her polite inquiries.
