“I don’t feel like rehashing that,” the burglar angrily growls. She grabs a chocolate cake from a passing goblin and takes a bite out of it, her eyes falling blankly on Chastity’s extended hand. “I’ll steal you some jewels to make up for all of this. Pretty sure I’m going to get my hands on a lot of those considering who we’re up against. The first thing we have to figure out is why Nadia is a target. She can’t go back to Nyte because there are assassin in her own home. We’d be spending all our time protecting her than saving the others.”
Yanking his axe out of the wall, Decker strokes his beard and walks back to his seat. “That is odd. Strategically, there’s no reason to kill Lady Sylvan and keep Lord Tempest alive since you would need to eliminate both to conquer Nyte. The only answer that I can come up with is that she wishes to make him suffer and breaking his heart would accomplish this more than any physical torture. Since we don’t know what this Vampire Queen’s goals are, we can only make wild guesses. Yet, it’s very likely that she’s trying to break Clyde and Xavier. If that is the case then I must stand against you coming with us, Lady Sylvan.”
“She can stay here,” Chastity claims without hesitation. Seeing the shock on the noble’s face, she turns her back on the woman and goes about cleaning the bar. “I’m not happy about it either since you put me in the dungeon the last time we met. Of course, you’ll stay in the room with all the handcuffs and whips, but I won’t be mean. I’m sure Jewelz and her assassins won’t look here for you. To help out, I’ll keep Nytefall running too and make sure nobody knows about Clyde being kidnapped. We don’t want many people knowing about the power vacuums of both kingdoms. Not unless we want trouble from our more ambitious peers. Of course, this means I won’t be going on the rescue mission, which is fine by me. Last thing I want is to get between Mab and someone she really hates. What are the rest of you going to do?”
Snapping out of their trances, Bob and Luther can only look at each other and pour themselves another mug of ale. They nod to Kai in the hopes of diverting attention from those who expect them to share their thoughts, but the spymaster is equally distracted with his own thoughts. Seeing that nobody wants to speak, Lost raises her hand, but she drops it immediately when she sees that the bow on Lou’s horn is covered in blood. Refusing to let such a travesty be left unrepaired, she tears part of a skirt off a sleeping customer and leaps onto the ogre’s shoulder. Casually removing the old decoration, she tenderly puts the new one in place and gives the large vampire a kiss on the top of his hairy head. Lost leaps back to where she was previously standing and attempts to take the same position as before, but forgets the exact placement of her feet.
“As much as I hate to do this, I think I’ll have to skip the mission too,” Kai declares to the surprise of everyone. Kneeling before Nadia, he holds out an arrow for her to take and lets his arms drop when she accepts his offer. “Strike me dead now if you wish since I know I swore to protect Lord Tempest. Yet, I don’t believe I will be necessary. My information network is as useless as Chastity’s and the others are superior warriors, except for Stephanie. She makes up for that with her scrying abilities. That is why I feel it is best for me to return to Nyte and . . . clean house. My men and I will make sure all spies are eliminated before our master and you return home.”
“Thank you, Mr. Stavros,” the noblewoman whispers as she places the arrow back into his quiver. Wanting to give the spymaster some help, she looks to Archillious, who is yawning, so she shifts her focus to her bodyguard. “If I am staying here with the Sullivans then I can send Lou with you. His instincts and power will help keep you safe. After all, my husband and I would rather return to a Nyte that still has a man as loyal as you.”
“Awww, I don’t want to stay here,” Lost childishly whines.
“Your psychic powers will help us prevent the other Dawn Fangs from discovering what is going on,” Chastity points out with a warm smile. Snapping her fingers at Bob and Luther, she sends a shot of charm mist that sails between their faces. “Can’t believe you two are still moping around. Titus has been taken and he needs you. The Vengeance Hounds protect and rescue their own, right? Get out there and do what you do best.”
“We know, but this is kind of scary,” Bob admits, his voice muffled as he cleans his teeth with the tip of his lance. Taking out a cloth, he bends his leg backwards to wipe some dirt off his riding boot. “Titus told us as much as he could about Jewelz and we always got the sense that he never wanted to see her again. She is out for revenge, which means she might have already killed him. That’s . . . I don’t want to think about that. What about you, Luther? Aren’t you thinking the same thing?”
“Nothing that morose because I believe Titus is still alive,” the forest tracker replies, his hand reaching out to pat his friend on the shoulder. Having never seen Bob so worried, he finds it difficult to maintain eye contact and swiftly focuses on his drink. “I should have done a more thorough investigation of the Vampire Queen. We’ve been hearing stories about her for months and it never crossed my mind that she would go this far. I wasn’t even sure she was real, but I should have been the one to discover the truth. Whatever Chastity can’t learn from civilization, I’m supposed to find from the wilderness. That means-”
Everyone screams when they hear the loud screech of Mab’s claws running along the menu on the ceiling. “Let’s stop this right now. Everyone is feeling guilt, fear, and anger, but I don’t care. My brother and Clyde have been taken by a vengeful piece of filth. The longer we sit here and cry, the more likely they will be killed or turned into our enemies. We can’t save them without knowing where Jewelz is hiding. Now that we know who we’re dealing with, can we get the information we need?”
“I have a few ideas,” Luther admits, his voice regaining some of its energy.
“We’re going too,” Archillious declares with his hands falling on Decker and Stephanie’s shoulders. The slumbering calico jumps to her feet and hisses, which causes the assassin to back away. “Serves you right for taking a nap. Anyway, my greatness is known far and wide in certain circles. The fearsome Archillious is sure to learn everything there is to know about this Vampire Queen. I can already tell that this is going to be a beautiful union that may lead to some murderous fun. We are allowed to kill during this job, right?”
“I could make him believe he’s a hamster if you want,” Lost whispers, her voice still loud enough for Archillious to hear. The girl yelps when her ear is telekinetically tugged hard enough to lift her into the air and she is carried to the back room. “I was only trying to help. This is so embarrassing, mom. What if I made him a capybara? Still a rodent, but he’d be bigger and stronger. Come on! I only want to help.”
On the verge of snapping, Mab jumps into the bakery and claims a platter of cookies. One of the goblins tries to stop her and is promptly kicked to the other side of the tavern. As the other bakers retreat from the enraged Dawn Fang, she enters one shadow and reappears behind the bar to grab a bottle of Masterson whiskey. Chastity is about to stop the burglar from going into her bedroom, but the primal snarl is all the warning she needs to surrender her personal space. Using her foot, Mab slams the door behind her and everyone can hear the high-pitched shriek of rage that rattles the windows.
“She needed that,” Lou calmly states.
5
The crowd cheers as Titus is hurled against the arena wall by his opponent who has transformed into a horned demon. Leaving a crack in the stone, he slides down to his feet and wipes a few marble chips off his aching shoulders. The warrior chuckles at how he is the smaller combatant, which is a situation he is not used. Fighting the urge to use brute force, he jumps away from a fist that easily punches a hole through the thick wall. A woman in the stands screams at the sensation of the spiked hand striking her leg, which snaps in half. The accident is enough to distract the false demon long enough for Titus to sprint towards a broom sitting among the rest of the debris that has been hurled at him by the crowd. Spinning arou
nd, he throws it like a javelin and nails his enemy in the back of the head. Unleashing a terrifying roar, the creature yanks the wood out of his dense skull and glares at the Dawn Fang. Not trusting the suspicious look, the warrior closes his eyes an instant before those standing behind him shriek in fear and collapse. Protecting himself against the mental attack leaves Titus exposed to the winged combatant, which soars towards him in the hopes of impaling him with his horns. Feeling the wind of its approach, the towering vampire drops to his stomach and rolls over to make a blind kick at the passing enemy. The blow hits the flying Dawn Fang in the chest and sends him flipping backwards where he crashes into the dirt. Both combatants get to their feet, but make no move to attack and begin circling each other in search of an opening.
“He’s doing much better than I expected,” Jewelz admits from her viewing box. Holding out her hand, she lets Dean wrap her fingers around a goblet of wine, which she sniffs before draining it in one gulp. “While Lord Tempest doesn’t care, I’m sure you feel concern for your loyal follower, Clyde. I assume you’ve already figured out that this match was designed to kill my mistake of a child. What better way to begin my tournament than sacrificing a blight on my past? He lacks an army to inspire with his voice, facing one opponent negates his phantom, and he has no weapons to lace with his blood. I’d feel sorry for the bastard if I didn’t hate him and his sister so much.”
“I see she has the arrogance and short-sightedness of nobility down,” Clyde whispers to Xavier, knowing their host will hear him. Enjoying how both of his companions scowl, the thief puts his feet on the railing and grabs a handful of grapes from a servant. “If you really knew Titus then you’d know he’s not one to underestimate. The man has survived more battles than I have and he’s always training with Bob and Luther. You can see how our child has improvement since he’s using agility instead of brute force. The man you turned was all about strength. What say we have a wager? If Titus wins then I get the next fight, but if he loses then I pledge my loyalty to you.”
“She cannot possibly-” Xavier mutters before the Vampire Queen extends her hand. He rolls his eyes as the pair shake, the idea of being captured by someone so gullible feeling like an insult upon his honor. “I am curious as to why you have so many competitors if your interest lies entirely with Mab and Clyde. You could have left me alone and focused on your revenge. I would have been more than willing to form an alliance if you eliminated my enemies, but now you have forced me to align with this maggot.”
“Is maggot the best you can do?”
“I find them disgusting, so it is an apt description.”
“Abomination had a better ring to it.”
“Insults are not to be enjoyed by the target.”
“Fair enough, you rancid chunk of flesh.”
Having ignored the bickering, Jewelz cheers at the sight of Titus getting kicked in the side and sent rolling across the arena. With a guttural roar, the fake demon soars to the same height as the viewing box and turns to nod in the Vampire Queen’s direction. Enjoying the attention, she waves at the combatant even though her smile fades at the thought of the grotesque man winning the tournament. A rotten pepper hits the hovering beast in the arm and it looks down to where Titus is gathering more garbage to hurl in his direction. Drool dripping from his mouth, the fake demon dives at the Dawn Fang, who drops what he is holding to pick up the seat of a marble bench. The stone shatters and echoing crack carries over the entire island as uses it as a club to knock his enemy away.
“May I recommend banning the audience from throwing potential weapons into the arena in the foreseeable future?” Dean asks with a bow of his head. He does not wait for a response and signals to a guard to run the message to those who are patrolling the stands. “By the way, your highness, I have a report on that special mission you requested. It appears that Mab was in the vicinity and eliminated all of the assassins. The target has gone to ground and our agents are gathering in the areas where she is most likely to go. We think she is at the Scrumptious Siren, but none of our people have bee able to effectively infiltrate that establishment. If they manage to avoid Chastity’s charms then her daughter has . . . It appears that Lost has an interest in making people think they are various animals and wishes to build a zoo.”
“Have them keep trying because I need that one eliminated,” Jewelz casually says while she watches the fight. Holding up a large diamond as if it is a mirror, she checks one of the facets to see if Xavier has guessed at their target. “Sir Pendrac, can you please go to the conversion lab and have them prepare the remaining old-worlds? I would like to show my esteemed guests how I have amassed such a lovely army. We will arrive soon after the battle. Have Dark One ready in case we have any problems too.”
“I can’t tell if Dark One is a person or thing,” Clyde mentions before chuckling at how easily Titus body slams the fake demon. To mess with their host, he creates an illusion of himself in the stands, but the figure is erased by a gust of enchanted wind. “Can’t blame me for wanting to cheer for my friend, especially since him winning means I get to have fun. So, you’re trying to eliminate somebody that we know. It’s a woman who isn’t Mab, Chastity, or Lost. Do you and your guy understand that talking in code means you avoid using all names? I mean, it’s pretty clear you’re trying to assassinate Nadia Sylvan.”
“Probably to make me angry or depressed,” Xavier calmly adds. Amused by the lack of reaction from their host, he gets to his feet and examines a nearby statue. “I will admit that attacking my wife enrages me, but I refuse to be manipulated like a simple pawn. Nadia is not some pampered queen who has spent centuries hiding on an island. She will not be defeated so easily, especially if Sir Pendrac’s words are true. While I dislike the Sullivans, I know they are formidable opponents and trust them to abide by whatever truce our two kingdoms have made in our absence. You must be more direct when pulling our strings, your highness.”
Watching Titus get kicked into the stands, Clyde yawns and stretches his arms as if he is bored. “The bastard has a point. We’ve been poking and prodding each other for nearly twenty years. It’s made us fairly suspicious and created a dependency on our people being able to handle themselves. After all, Xavier already tried the hostage tactic on me long ago and it didn’t end well for him. Actually, it’s one of the acts that started this war.”
“So, to get you to do my bidding, I have to aim at you instead of using those you supposedly care about,” Jewelz whispers to herself. She finds it difficult to wrap her head around not using loved ones as pawns since the tactic has served her well for centuries. “I think both of you are bluffing. My agents will find a way to get to Nadia and eliminate her. How long will it take for her to feel safe enough to return to Nyte? I have so many people in both of your cities that I could have eliminated either of you at any moment.”
“I think I remember saying that to you once,” Xavier tells Clyde, who nods at the faint memory. Gripping the statue’s neck, the nobleman releases a wind blade that lops off its head, which he places on a servant’s empty platter. “Well, it appears that this battle is just about over, so where did you wish to bring us? I am curious to learn how you imitated Clyde’s ability to turn old-world vampires into Dawn Fangs. He mentioned that you switch all of their blood out for yours, which sounds too simplistic, so I would like a demonstration. The thought of it being possible means he isn’t nearly as special as he believes.”
“And that isn’t sitting well with me,” the grinning thief admits with a wink.
Enjoying their curiosity, the Vampire Queen nods her head and turns away to watch the battle. She stops herself from growling when she sees that Titus has yanked off one of the fake demon’s horns. The warrior is bleeding from puncture wounds in his shoulders, the injuries making it difficult to move his arms. Dodging his enemy’s ground-cracking punches, he uses the stolen body part to tear open his arm from wrist to elbow and lets his blood coat the ungainly weapon. Gripping the shimmering horn in both
hands, he sidesteps the next blow and slams it into the monster’s chest. The fake demon shrieks and flails as the makeshift Chaoswind blade sends bursts of agony through its body. Unable to focus, he transforms back into his natural form of a scrawny chaos elf wearing nothing more than a shredded robe. Due to the sudden shrinking of his body and the horn vanishing, the vampire’s organs are pushed out of the gaping hole and he scrambles to stuff them back into place. Titus clears his throat to get his enemy’s attention before delivering a kick that sends the panicking Dawn Fang’s head sailing towards the viewing box. The body part is caught by Jewelz, whose acidic hand melts it into a puddle of white and crimson muck.
“It appears you were right and I should not have underestimated him,” the Vampire Queen admits, her left eye twitching for an instant. Waving for her guards to get closer, she scowls at how the crowd is cheering for her traitorous child. “Let him heal and put him back in the dungeon. I don’t want that fool thinking he has a chance of winning me. Give him whatever scraps you can find in the garbage and let him heal off rat blood. Now, gentlemen, follow me and I will show you another reason why I am the one who should rule our people. I guarantee that both of you will be shocked and amazed by my ingenuity.”
“Her arrogance is becoming tiresome,” Xavier mutters as they follow Jewelz down the stairs.
“This coming from the guy who turned Archillious?” Clyde teasingly asks.
“At least he serves a purpose and knows his place.”
“He also talks about himself in the third person, which is creepy.”
Lord Tempest sighs at the statement and points out, “True, but I didn’t say he was sane. By the way, your side has Lost and her bunny.”
Rivalry (War of Nytefall Book 3) Page 9
