Emerald Keep

by Edmund Hughes

  Jack accepted the card Pierce offered him, along with the bottle of wine. He didn’t say anything else, and after a couple of seconds, Pierce took the hint and headed for the stairs. He stopped as he set his hand on the railing and glanced over his shoulder.

  “We’re similar, Jack,” said Pierce.

  Something about his tone set Jack on edge.

  “Are we?” he asked. “How many people have you killed, Pierce?”

  The slightest hint of a smile flickered across Pierce’s expression.

  “We are similar,” said Pierce.

  He nodded to Jack and then continued up the stairs.

  CHAPTER 5

  Jack waited for a couple of minutes before heading back upstairs. The party had died down slightly in his absence, and only about half of his guests remained. He returned to his seat along the kitchen counter, sipping at the bottle of wine he still carried.

  One by one, the remaining guests began to file out. Most of them were polite enough to find him and issue a proper goodbye, though Jack had to force himself to smile and seem unaffected. In their eyes, he was a young, wealthy member of the community. Somebody who could contribute positively to the future of their small, secluded island.

  It was surprisingly hard for Jack to put on a mask and play that particular role. Mayor Stinson was the last out the door, and he seemed to sense some of the pressure on Jack’s shoulders, forgoing the chance to continue their conversation from earlier or pester him with parting questions.

  “Sir?” said Ryoko, as she came back into the kitchen. “Are you feeling alright?”

  “I’m fine,” said Jack. “Just tired.”

  He set a hand on her shoulder, and she smiled at him. He let one of his fingers play across the sensitive skin of her neck.

  “Katherine is still here,” whispered Ryoko.

  Jack frowned. “Why? I didn’t see Bruce when I came back upstairs. Shouldn’t she have left with him?”

  “She said she wanted to help clean up,” said Ryoko.

  “Of course she did,” said Jack with a sigh.

  He walked out into the lounge alongside Ryoko, and they found Katie in the middle of collecting abandoned wine glasses onto a tray. She met Jack’s gaze for a moment, her expression curious.

  “Jack,” she said. “What did Pierce talk to you about?”

  “It’s nothing that involves you,” said Jack.

  “What do you mean it doesn’t involve me?” snapped Katie. “I’m a part of this situation, whether you like it or not.”

  “You say that as though you haven’t been avoiding me for the past two weeks,” said Jack. “Why don’t you go back to doing that? I think it would be for the best.”

  He let his anger edge into his voice. He hadn’t forgotten Katie’s slap, or how much she’d let slip to Pierce ahead of time.

  “You’re a fucking asshole,” said Katie.

  “I can help Ryoko clean up,” said Jack. “Goodnight, Katie.”

  She glared at him, but didn’t object to the suggestion. After a couple of seconds, Katie stomped off toward the servant’s entrance and out to her car. Jack let out a slow sigh. He’d given in to an immature part of himself by treating her like that, and it hadn’t made him feel any better.

  “You should try to be nicer to her, sir,” said Ryoko. She pulled in close, briefly hugging against Jack’s arm.

  “I know,” he said. “But it’s easier said than done.”

  They set about finishing the job of cleaning up. There wasn’t all that much out of place, and none of the guests had gotten drunk enough to do any real damage. It only took them about ten minutes. Jack checked the time as they finished. Five minutes before two in the morning.

  “Ryoko,” he said. “I’m going to go for a walk. Get some fresh air.”

  “Alright,” she said, with a nod. “Be safe.”

  He flashed a smile at her. She was so different from Katie in that regard. Announcing to Katie that he was going to take a walk, as a vampire, in the middle of the night, would have elicited an endless stream of accusations and questions. Ryoko trusted him. It was a trust that he both appreciated and occasionally wondered if he deserved.

  It was cool and cloudy outside, with an indecisive wind that cut back and forth across the mansion’s lawn. Jack let his eyes adjust to the darkness and then slipped out through the front gate. He scanned the area around the road, spotting her next to one of the trees, not far from where he’d seen her for the very first time.

  Mira turned around and waved to him as he approached. She wore tight jeans and a light green blouse with spiraling fabric and flared sleeves. It had a distinctly natural appearance to it, and it made her blonde hair look almost like the center of a sunflower.

  The blouse also did a good job of presenting her assets, though Mira was lucky enough in her physical endowments that almost any clothing did. She slowly walked over to him, her hips swaying from side to side, drinking him in with her red-flecked, crystalline blue eyes.

  Jack had been expecting her. They’d made a date through his dreams, or more specifically, through the Blood Sight. She’d told him that she was on her way back to Lestaron Island weeks earlier, but she’d suffered a few unexpected delays that she hadn’t elaborated on. Now, Jack wondered if they might have had anything to do with what Pierce had brought up.

  “I was here early tonight,” said Mira. “And I saw cars leaving. You threw a party, dearest Jack? And you didn’t invite me?”

  “Trust me, you would have found it boring,” said Jack.

  “I would have made it more interesting.”

  Mira took another step forward, drawing near enough to invade Jack’s personal space. She leaned in, letting her lips come within a hair of brushing his before pulling back. She loved to tease him like that, and as reluctant as he was to admit it, he loved it too.

  “We have much to speak of,” said Mira. “And so little time. Otherwise, I would chastise you for not inviting me inside. The party is over now, is it not?”

  “It is,” said Jack. “But I’m not sure how Ryoko would feel about me bringing you into the mansion.”

  “So considerate.” Mira let out a purr and let her breasts brush against his shoulder. “I admire you for that.”

  Jack winced and forced himself to pull back from her. They’d kept in contact through the Blood Sight, meeting every few days in their dreams. More often than not, Jack had found himself unable to resist Mira in those dreams.

  It was one of the few things that he hadn’t been honest with Ryoko about. It felt a little like a betrayal of whatever their burgeoning relationship might be, even though the encounters with Mira were as physically substantial as an intense wet dream. He and Ryoko still hadn’t talked about what they were to each other. They would need to have that talk soon.

  “You didn’t have to come all the way here, you know,” said Jack. “I’m alright now. The situation with the Order of Chaldea has cooled off. At least for the time being.”

  “Has it?” asked Mira. “Or are you just waiting for the axe to drop?”

  Jack gave a slight shrug. He felt a pang of guilt in not immediately telling her about his conversation with Pierce. But there was no way he could, regardless of what he did. Mira was powerful and unpredictable. There was no telling how she might react, and no chance of him stopping her if she decided to get violent.

  “I’m managing,” said Jack. “You don’t have to watch out for me, you know.”

  “You assume the only reason your broodmother came to visit was to clean up your mess.” Mira reached her hand out, cupping his cheek. “You do yourself no credit. Perhaps I came here just to see you. To be with you.”

  She let out a low, satisfied, distinctly sexual noise and slid into an embrace against Jack. It took all the willpower he had to keep from taking things further, right there and then.

  “I appreciate that,” he said, slowly. “But it’s like I said before. The situation has calmed down. You don’t have to worry.�
��

  “But I do worry,” said Mira, with a sigh. “Which is why I have a proposition for you. No, not of that sort just now. Rather, I wish to present you with an opportunity. A way for you to secure your position in the supernatural world.”

  This was it. This was what Pierce had been talking about. Jack felt oddly annoyed at the fact that the information had been good. That Pierce had known that Mira would make him this offer before he had.

  “Explain,” said Jack.

  CHAPTER 6

  “I’ve been in contact with one of the lesser vampire clans in Eastern Europe,” said Mira. “A group called the Jade Circle, led by a Valerian vampire named Volandar.”

  “You’ve been in contact with them?” asked Jack. He raised an eyebrow and was a little surprised by the offended expression Mira shot back at him.

  “Through the Blood Sight,” said Mira. “And no, not in the way you and I keep in contact, of course.”

  She let one of her hands slide across Jack’s inner thigh. He hated how good it felt, and how badly it made him want to ravish her.

  “They made me an offer,” said Mira. “An open suggestion. An opportunity for us to negotiate an alliance with them.”

  “Us?” asked Jack.

  “Yes, us,” said Mira. “You may not have realized this, my sweet Jack. But you and I, as Aquinian vampires, command a great deal of power and influence within the vampire world. There are precious few blood mages left that haven’t driven themselves insane with their magic.”

  Jack winced at the last part. He felt himself frowning and could see Mira imploring him to keep an open mind with her eyes.

  “Are you sure about this?” he asked. “Could this Jade Circle, or whatever, be a group that we could actually trust?”

  “This is exactly why we’d need to travel to meet with them,” said Mira. “I will not lie to you, Jack. There will be a significant amount of intrigue and potential for betrayal involved with doing business with Volandar. I know enough of him to know that.”

  “I don’t know,” said Jack. “There has to be another way.”

  He felt like he was talking more to himself, than to her. Pierce’s offer hovered in the back of his mind. Part of him wanted to warn Mira off and sabotage her plan for her own sake. Even if it meant leaving himself open to Pierce’s ire and the scrutiny of the Order of Chaldea.

  “Well…” said Mira, in a thoughtful tone. “I suppose we could shore up the situation here on your sad little island. It is an option, though one that I suspect you would prefer even less. We could enthrall the people in power. The mayor, the sheriff. Kill anyone who stands in our way and turn Lestaron into a proper safe haven.”

  Jack winced, and Mira let out a small laugh.

  “See?” she said. “You’re so cute when you’re this predictable. We can always fall back on that particular strategy if the deal with the Jade Circle falls through. It is worth hearing them out, dearest Jack. Of this I am certain.”

  Jack let out a slow sigh and closed his eyes. His head was pounding again, and thinking of Ryoko, waiting for him inside the mansion, sent a tremor of anticipation through him.

  “You’re right,” said Jack. “We have to do something.”

  The decision should have been so much simpler than it actually was. Agree to meet with the Jade Circle with Mira and use the opportunity to steal the artifact Pierce wanted, avoiding a confrontation with the Order of Chaldea. Betray Mira’s trust to save himself and Katie. It made perfect sense on paper. So why did it make him feel so rotten to agree to it?

  He’d grown close to Mira. That much was undeniable. Hell, he’d been trying to track her down and kill her, back when she’d first turned him into a vampire. Killing her wasn’t in the cards any more, and it was as much because of his own feelings as it was about the difference in their relative strength.

  “Trust me,” said Mira. “This opportunity could be exactly what you need to properly gain your footing in the supernatural world. I’ll inform Volandar that we’re on our way. We should leave as soon as we can. Tomorrow morning, if you’re able.”

  “You told me you didn’t get along with other vampires once,” said Jack. “What’s different about this?”

  Mira smirked at him, and then booped him on the nose with one of her fingers.

  “You are adorably oblivious, at times,” said Mira. “You are what’s different about this, Jack. Your existence changes so very much.”

  He wanted to press her on what she meant by that, but Mira kissed him before he could form his question. He moved his lips against hers without thinking, only pulling back when Ryoko entered his thoughts.

  “Now,” said Mira. “You’re going to need to bring a thrall with you. Are you comfortable with taking that step with your maid? From what you’ve told me, she’s basically a thrall already.”

  “Sure,” lied Jack. “I can do that.”

  “Perfect,” said Mira. “Oh, this is going to be fun! Wait until you see the surprise I have for you. Meet me at the airport tomorrow, ten a.m. sharp.”

  “Alright,” he said. “I’ll be there.”

  Mira took his hand into hers and gave it a squeeze. She looked at him, and the well of emotions that Jack saw in her expression caught him a little off guard.

  “It makes me so happy that you’ve agreed to this,” she said. “I know how harrowing and confusing your life has been, as of late, given the changes you’ve been through. Changes for which I, of course, am entirely to blame. But this is your true path forward. Walking beside me.”

  She kissed him again, and this time, Jack couldn’t stop himself from kissing her back. Her body felt so good against his, and he almost started to consider if there could be a way for him to sell Ryoko on letting Mira stay the night at the mansion.

  She disappeared before he could let his thoughts run too far ahead of him, fading into the darkness. Jack had forgotten how unnerving it was to experience someone using Shadow Form as an outside observer. He glanced around, getting the distinct sense that Mira was still watching him from somewhere nearby.

  Ryoko had finished the cleaning by the time Jack returned to the mansion. She’d changed out of her maid uniform and into a pink nightgown, and was waiting for him on the couch, half asleep. Jack took the spot next to her, smiling as he watched her sit up and yawn in an irresistibly cute fashion.

  “I met with Mira tonight,” he said.

  Ryoko nodded slowly, not seeming at all bothered by the revelation.

  “You look troubled,” she said. “What happened?”

  Jack explained everything to her, leaving nothing out. He told her about Pierce, and his plan to steal Zedekiah’s Scepter. He told her about Mira and her offer to ally with the Jade Circle. He even told her about how they’d been visiting each other through the Blood Sight and the intimate encounters that had occasionally transpired there. Ryoko was a good listener, and it felt liberating to not hold anything back.

  “Thank you,” she said, when he finished.

  “For what?” asked Jack.

  “For telling me all of this,” said Ryoko. “I understand how Katie must have felt. The two of you had a falling out, and even though she wanted space from you, it still must have hurt her to lose your trust.”

  She smiled at him, and Jack put an arm around her shoulder.

  “You aren’t mad about any of it?” he asked. “I thought… I mean, Mira and I did take things further than we should have through the Blood Sight.”

  “Do you want me to be mad about that?” asked Ryoko.

  Jack wasn’t sure how to answer that question. He didn’t say anything for a while, and let himself enjoy Ryoko’s soft, warm body against his own.

  “Is this the right choice for me to make?” he asked. “To agree to help Pierce? To betray Mira?”

  “I trust you, Jack,” whispered Ryoko. “I have faith in you.”

  She leaned in and kissed him. Her lips felt so soft and gentle, so much more reserved than Mira’s against his own.
Then, she pulled back, bringing one hand up to her dark hair, which she’d let down after the party ended.

  Slowly, Ryoko pulled her hair back, revealing the nape of her neck as though it was the finale of a sensual striptease. And in a way, it was.

  Jack felt a thrill go through him as he saw her offering herself up to him. It was impossible to fully separate his bloodthirst from his erotic desires.

  He pulled her to him, giving her an aggressive, urgent kiss. Ryoko leaned back on her elbows and parted her legs. Jack felt clumsy as he hurried to get out of his clothes. He climbed onto her in only his boxers, feeling a primal thrill surge through every inch of his body.

  He kissed her lips and then her neck. He took a couple of seconds to let the anticipation build in Ryoko, enough to make her tense and twist. Then he sank fangs in.

  Her blood was so sweet. It had a taste that reminded him of mint-flavored candy, except infinitely more nuanced and appreciable. It was a flavor that he felt like he never could get sick of. It hit the pleasure centers of his brain deeper than junk food ever could, in a manner that satiated his very being.

  Ryoko let out a pleasured gasp and bucked her hips upward, a movement which made her crotch grind against his. She was wearing silk panties, and Jack ran an exploratory hand across them as he continued to sip from her neck. They were soft and smooth, and he could feel a hint of the hot, wet excitement that lay underneath them.

  He took a breath through his nose and continued sucking on her sweet blood. It was such a strange sensation. Childish in a way. Like trying to drink from a juice box with a missing straw, except Ryoko was a person, and her blood was something with real value to him. Vital essence.

  He was still drinking her blood as he multitasked with one hand, pulling his boxers down and her panties to the side. Ryoko was more than ready for him, and the fingers that he probed into her came out slick and sticky. He pressed his shaft into her without breaking the tight seal of his lips against her neck.

  His first few thrusts were shallow, almost gentle. He was taking so much from her that he felt a little guilty. Her blood, all the pleasure she could offer him, and the strange, intangible privilege that came from the intersection of the two.