by Nicki Ruth
Davina glared at Sandar, unsure how to react. Should she take his words as true?
“What are you plotting with him?” Alexios asked, calmer than he was before. He seemed to be actually considering Sandar’s words. “Have you been aiding that murderer all these years? You are a steward of the Damu race and keeper of its history, yet you aid in its destruction!”
A look crossed Sandar’s face briefly. Was it sadness? “I’m always by his side,” was all he said.
Alexios snarled and moved closer.
“You call him a murderer? But how many have died by your hand in your quest for vengeance? Yes, I've seen them all and kept record.” Sandar paused, giving Alexios a stern look. “Guardian, focus on your role in this tale. Your first responsibility is to Davina. A quest for revenge is not the path of the guardian.”
Some unspoken exchange passed between them before Sandar spoke again. “Your sire made a grave mistake when he gifted you, a mistake he still does not see. If you take my advice, you may still have the retribution you desire.”
Sandar looked back to Davina. “Good wishes, Davina. If you need me, you’ll be able to find me. But for your safety, our paths should not cross before all this is at an end. I hope to serve you as I would have served your mother.” He bowed and disappeared.
The darkness receded, and the station appeared around them once more, beings bustling about, oblivious to the confrontation that had just occurred in their midst. Alexios exhaled sharply, released from the unseen bindings that had held him restrained.
Davina took a necklace from the bag and placed it around her neck. “Let’s find Marius and then find out why your sire wants me dead,” she said, walking around him toward the exit.
“I know why he seeks your death,” Alexios said softly, causing a halt to Davina’s steps. “It’s the same reason he killed your mother.”
∞∞∞
Brandr sat silently, watching Jason pace back and forth in his frustration. They had been searching for their sire for almost two weeks now. Alexios had vanished, something uncharacteristic of him. Normally, this would not be cause for much concern, but Marius and Davina were also missing. It was unheard of for Marius to leave without letting them know, and there were no records of any of them leaving the planet.
The last they heard, the three of them had attended Minister Zlow’s party, which had turned into a massacre. Brandr was relieved their bodies weren't among the dead, but neither he nor Jason could sense Alexios across their sire bond. Ever so often, Brandr thought he felt his sire, a hauntingly-light tremor as if he were far, far away. He hoped it was not his imagination, reassuring himself that he was not one for fanciful imaginings. So he took it to heart, believing that Alexios was alive and well—somewhere.
Jason, on the other hand, was beside himself with worry, bordering on grief. Brandr wasn't sure how long Jason could keep from bloodraging; Jason couldn't, wouldn't, drink from anyone other than Alexios.
Even more puzzling was that the fae woman was also missing. When word of the massacre had reached them, they headed to the manor hoping to find their sire. Instead, they found no one, not even Lexi. Brandr didn't want to spend a Dāmming without Alexios near. And this was Jason’s first; Alexios would not willingly stay away from his youngest, even if he did at first want to put them to sleep.
Jason stopped pacing and turned wide, soulful eyes to him. “Brandr, what if . . . what if he’s dead?”
Jason was not as experienced with all his bloodgifts. If he were, he would know he would have felt the loss. Losing one’s sire was a painfully traumatic experience, the intense pain lasted for weeks, even more if the sireling was young. Jason would have been in extreme pain of a severed bond if Alexios had died.
“Nay, Jason, he’s not dead. Neither is Marius. We’ll find them.”
“But how?” Jason exclaimed. “I don't care who we have to bleed, I need to find him. He would not willingly leave us like this, with no communication at all!” Jason slammed his fist into the wall. “If his sire had anything to do with his disappearance, I won't rest until I see him broken beneath my fangs!” Jason's eyes flashed golden yellow, like a predatory bird in the darkness.
Brandr had never him like this before. “Jason, my brother, we will—”
Brandr didn't finish what he was about to say. He jumped up abruptly, causing his chair to fall back. He turned to Jason, whose eyes grew like saucers. They had both felt it.
“He calls to us. He’s back!” Brandr took hold of Jason his brother and took them to find their sire.
∞∞∞
Davina sat on the large sofa in the room Alexios had booked for them. Instead of returning to the manor, they had rented rooms in a large, richly decorated hotel. Alexios had called his sirelings to him immediately. Jason, whose joy at Alexios’ return was palpable, had his fangs firmly implanted in Alexios’ neck, taking comfort and sustenance while his sire told of the nature of their absence. That he fed openly was testament to Jason’s distress at Alexios’ disappearance, and the sounds he made drinking deeply from his sire were those of overwhelming relief.
Davina tried to focus on what Alexios told her at the station. He had seen her mother’s memories and saw who was responsible for her family's deaths—his very own sire, Amelagar, had schemed and betrayed her mother. Alexios believed he wanted her inherited blood power, the Zharoil, which vibrated within her. Davina promised Alexios she would see him suffer.
Her head throbbed, and watching Jason feed made her fangs itch. She wanted to sink her fangs into a warm body, ripping and tearing into bloodied flesh. She wanted to scream for her mother’s betrayal, wanted to see those responsible writhe in agony as flames charred their pitiful flesh as she eviscerated them. She wanted the bitter taste of vengeance.
Davina stifled a growl. It had only been a few hours since they had docked, but already the stirrings within her had increased tremendously. Being back on Damurios affected her greatly, and now she understood why. Her blood heritage resonated with the blood energy of the planet, calling for union with the Damu. It didn't help that her thoughts of death and revenge caused her heart to keep thrumming against her already seething blood. She took a steadying breath, overwhelmed by everything she had learned and all that had happened the last couple of weeks.
“We need to collect Lexi,” she announced shakily. “Bring her here where she will be safe with us.”
Alexios, Jason, and Brandr sat close to each other, but she could barely focus on them or what they were saying.
“Lexi is not at the manor. Brandr and Jason have looked but were unable to locate her,” Alexios said softly, suddenly by her side.
She wavered a bit, her head hammering even harder, her blood careening through her veins. She reached out to him, steadying herself. “What do you mean? She’s missing?” She winced as the sound of her own voice clanged against her ears.
“We’ll find Lexi and Marius,” Alexios said, stroking her arms.
As she looked up at him, her vision clouded. No, she needed to remain in control. “I . . . I need . . .” she moaned through the haze.
She barely heard Alexios asking the others to leave the room before she leaned forward, grabbing onto him and sinking her fangs into his throat. Remorse briefly flickered through her for abusing him in such a way, but his blood eased the burning that raged through her.
Encircled by his arms, a gentle breeze nuzzled at her, and she vaguely registered that he was soothing her through their bond. She gulped wantonly, absorbing his surrendered strength. She moaned as his fangs bit into her shoulder, and she pulled him in closer.
She slowed her greedy gulps and began to leisurely drink from him, stroking the back of his head, burying her fingers in the thick waves of his hair. Soon, the fiendish heat that threatened to unleash within her receded, quenched by the cooling balm that Alexios wrapped around her. His unselfish offering to her and his steady resolve strengthened their bond, calming, reassuring, and fortifying her. She looked in
ward, seeking out their bond, amazed at the brilliance of it. It connected them, leading from his vibrant soul to hers, like a chain threaded by golden strands roped around each other.
And she saw him at the other side, pulsing with vitality and vigor shaped over millennia. At the base of the chain that led from him, electric energy sizzled like a lightning storm, feeding their bond with the essence of his life force. She felt a new pulse within, the pulse of their growing connection flowing into her. The anchor to her guardian.
She sighed, enjoying a contentment she hadn't felt before. Their bond was as unexplainable as it was vital. It was compelling, joining them on a level other beings would never experience, yet still fragile, new, and precious. As she withdrew, shimmering crimson lights like stars dotted the darkness, surrounding her.
There were millions of them, each one unique and flickering. Some tottered to and fro, while some danced to a silent tune. Others glowed as bright as the reddest star, and some were small and dimming. A thin, near-invisible thread connected them all, weaving in and out. The thread led from her, just as the golden bond led to Alexios. Davina was connected to all.
You will be restored to yourself among the stars. The Blood’s threads weave to unite all to its purpose.
It came back to her, the whispered message she remembered hearing when she had first awoken on Alexios’ ship. These were her people, the children of the blood, all birthed of the Damu. Hope flared through her. Maybe she was not a monster to be shunned and feared after all. She could be their shepherd, the one who safeguarded the bloodties, who sheltered and strengthened them. Was that the purpose of her inheritance? Was this what her mother meant?
She returned to the present and leaned back. Alexios gazed at her, a look of awe on his face as if seeing her for the first time. She smiled gently at him, caressing his face as he held her in his arms. She felt stronger, more determined and clear-headed. She needed him. She would not leave him behind nor turn away from the bloodties, from what she had been gifted with. She was a queen, and it was time she led.
He grinned at her as if reading her thoughts, and she laughed softly. “I’m ready now.”
Chapter 31
The Dāmming arrived. All of Damurios was in a state of commotion and excitement. The waning of vampiric gifts was the first sign, an unsettling experience for most, especially the young for which these changes occurred more quickly than in older vampires. Supernatural abilities ebbed away, including supernatural healing. Their cloak of immortality was shed, although the ability to shimmer was the last to go. Many fortified their homes. The wealthy hired only the most trusted of bodyguards to keep them safe.
But for most, the Dāmming was a time for homecoming and family reunion, gathering members from all corners of the empire. It was a time to give thanks and honor the bloodgifts taken and again bestowed by the ancient blood gods again at the Dāmming’s end. Most vampires returned to Damurios for the Dāmming, but older, more ancient vampires were wary of the dangers this time brought—of Amelagar and his atrocities. That was why several families with ancient lineage had left the planet, fleeing lurking danger.
Alexios had often wondered how Amelagar was able to slaughter so many, while he was unscathed. But Queen Tiamat’s memory finally solved that mystery. Amelagar was in league with bulcrags—vicious, winged beasts that moved through shadow, appearing and disappearing at will. They had fangs and claws, as strong as titanium, that could shred flesh and bone with a single swipe, and their saliva was laced with venom toxic to most. There were only a few bulcrags in existence, living in a single, barren colony at the edges of the empire. No doubt, they had caused the massacre at Minister Zlow’s soiree.
How had Amelagar gotten these creatures to aid him, and when would they strike again? Amelagar was unpredictable, but now that Alexios knew his aim, he would be ready.
Alexios couldn't spend much time on those thoughts, however. With the arrival of the Dāmming, Marius was in an even more vulnerable state, and Alexios had to find him. Not that Marius couldn't take care of himself—Alexios had seen to his training—but Marius was more a man of words and cultivated restraint.
Alexios had returned to Zlow’s mansion to see if he could discover any clues pertaining to Marius’ whereabouts. He found nothing and for a time had considered seeking out the traitorous Sandar for help—he would bargain with the devil for Marius, if he had to. But Sandar was nowhere to be found.
Already, Alexios’ ability to sense his sirelings was weakening. He planned to put Brandr and Jason to sleep tonight and secure them away. He wouldn't allow anything to befall them as well.
Alexios then thought about Davina. Warmth flooded his chest every time he thought about her, which was frequently. She had finally accepted who she was. The energy he had felt when she fed from him after their return to Damurios marked a turning point for her. The bond between them was stronger now, pulling at him anytime she was near. Alexios smiled. He liked having her near. She had fed again from him since, and he from her, relishing how close they were becoming, stronger, unbreakable. He no longer experienced crushing pain when he took her blood, and the memories he sometimes harvested from her were of happier times back in Zhar. Alexios was certain it was a benefit of their stronger bond.
He noticed subtle changes in her that amazed him. She was more direct and confident, ready to take up the mantle of her queendom. Where the Dāmming diminished him, she was brimming with power that simmered beneath the surface of her golden skin. She glowed with life and vitality as if the blood planet itself fueled her. The Dāmming, it seemed, was having no adverse effect on her.
Davina still fretted for Lexi. Even now, Alexios had Brandr searching for the fae; there were a few small fae communities on Damurios that she may have gone to. Davina wanted to go, too, but he refused. She didn't fight him on it like she would have before, choosing to rely on their newfound trust in each other, but he knew she was only biding her time. He chuckled. She would be a great vampire queen—fierce, loyal, and compassionate.
Alexios exhaled, the now familiar sensation pooling in his chest, a reminder of yearnings he had experienced eons ago when he had basked in the rays of her joy. But as a practical vampire, he was hesitant to put a word to the feelings he felt when he thought about her, when he was around her, when he drank from her.
∞∞∞
Davina was in the hotel’s living area reading about the Ilqis on a computer. Her actions in the llqis camp still weighed on her. She wanted to make amends somehow, and although she did not expect forgiveness, she hoped she could ease their pain, even if just a little. For that, she needed to know more about who they were.
As she swiped her finger across the screen Jason stomped into the room. He groaned, holding his head as he flung himself into a plush sofa. “Davina, I feel terrible. Do you feel it, too?”
Davina chuckled. Jason always had a flair for the dramatic. “I feel just fine.”
He stared at her. “Really?”
Davina shrugged. This was officially her first Dāmming, too, but she hadn’t felt any waning of her powers. In fact, she felt herself growing stronger by the hour. She was getting accustomed to the constant, angry waves of her blood pushing against an even angrier storm. She hadn't used her gifts recently, but she knew they would be formidable. Her senses were heightened, and every now and then she thought she heard whispered voices in her head. Was she gaining new gifts? She smiled to herself and looked back at Jason who was still staring at her when she sensed something different about him.
“You do seem different,” she said. “Your blood. It’s . . . changed.” She went over to where Jason lay sprawled and took his hand in hers, examining it. “Hmm, you don't smell much like a vampire right now.”
Jason jumped up and made a show of sniffing himself. “What do you mean, I don't smell like a vampire?! What do I smell like?”
Davina chuckled.
Alexios strolled into the room, looking grim. “Jason, join me in the library.
Now.” Then Alexios left.
“What did I do now?” Jason sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “Ugh, my head is killing me.”
“I don't know,” Davina said softly. “With Marius missing, Alexios’ moods have been erratic. We need to find Marius soon for all our sakes.”
Jason nodded, sadness in his eyes. Davina sympathized. Marius was his brother, someone he admired and looked up to. His absence was hitting all of them hard. “I’ll go see what father needs. I’ll see you later.”
Davina had periodically tried to sense Marius, but she felt nothing. Where was he, and where was Lexi? Although both were missing, she was more worried about Marius. It pained her to think he had been abducted by Amelagar.
A gush of cool air brushed her neck, and a movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention. The space in front of the window was rippling. Davina hissed and tensed. This was the formation of a portal, albeit a small one, maybe two feet above the floor. It was too small for a person to come through, and it wasn’t getting bigger. She warily walked toward it.
“Psst! Davina?” a voice whispered out. “Davina!”
Davina froze mid-stride. “Lexi?”
“Davina? I’m so glad I found you!” Lexi’s voice sounded muffled. “I don't have much time. Are you all right?”
“Lexi! Where are you? We’ve been searching everywhere. Are you safe?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. But listen, I need to tell you something. It’s about Marius.”
