Sentinel (Vampire Conclave: Book 2)

by S. J. West

“Six,” he answers.

  “Six lives for one,” I say absently as tears of sorrow stream down my face. “That doesn’t seem like a fair trade to me.”

  “They did it,” Shael says, taking a few steps forward toward the bed, “because they know without you House Moonshade would fall after my death. They didn’t do it just so you could live. They did it in order to secure the future for their children and their children’s children.”

  My heart sinks at the thought of the six brave souls who chose to save my life so that their families would remain safe under Shael’s protection and ultimately mine one day. In light of the situation, I realize there’s no way I can deny my birthright now. I would be spitting into the faces of the people who just gave up their entire existence in order to save mine.

  I look at Julian, realizing that the road we’re traveling down together just got a lot bumpier. He seems to realize that fact too as a troubled frown appears on his face.

  “Will there be a funeral for them?” I ask Shael.

  “Yes. We’ll have a ceremony this evening to say our last farewells.”

  “I would like to attend it,” I tell her, “if that’s allowed.”

  Shael looks worried. “Are you sure? Don’t you think it would be better if you rested some more?”

  “Do you think my presence would upset the families?” I ask, wondering if that’s the real reason she doesn’t seem to want me to go.

  “Absolutely not,” Shael assures me. “I’m certain the families will appreciate you making the effort to come see their loved ones off to the afterlife. I’m just worried about your health.”

  “I’m fine,” I tell her, reaching for one of Julian’s hands and holding it tight. “And I’ll become stronger as the day progresses now that Julian is with me. I would like to go to the ceremony to pay my respects.”

  “Then I think that would be a wonderful thing for you to do for the families,” Shael says with a small, pleased smile. I can feel her pride in me for volunteering to go to the funeral. I sense she believes this is a first step in my willing acceptance of my future as she believes it should unfold.

  “Well, since your companion is here,” Shael says, “I believe we should discuss our plans on how to make it safe for you to return to Earth.”

  “Plans?” I ask, not having heard that the problem had even been discussed much less strategized to the point there was a plan ready to be set into motion. “What do you have in mind?”

  “I will be spearheading the investigation into the assassination attempts,” Alden speaks up. “In fact, I’ll be heading back to Earth in just a few moments to see if I can find a connection between the werewolf’s attempt on your life and the warlock’s. Since neither you nor Julian knew the warlock, there has to be a third party involved. We believe that someone hired both assailants to assassinate you.”

  “But why?” I have to ask. “I barely know anyone in the supernatural community. I can’t think of anyone that I pissed off enough to want to see me dead.”

  “It could be that you aren’t the person they are ultimately trying to kill.” Alden turns his gaze on Julian. “If they are trying to actually kill Julian, it would be easier to simply murder his companion instead. You’re a more fragile target.”

  “Last night,” I say, “in the car ride, you told Nadia that the weapon that was used against me had been outlawed here.”

  “Yes, that’s correct,” Alden confirms, looking uncomfortable that I overheard his conversation with Nadia.

  “So, how did a human warlock get an alfar weapon?” I ask him to explain.

  “We’re not sure,” Alden says with a troubled frown. “That’s something that we’ll look into as well. Trust me, we’re just as curious to find out the answer to that question as you are.”

  “I also heard you say that House Firestorm is the one who designed the weapon in the first place. Could they be behind these assassination attempts?”

  Alden purses his lips for a second as he mulls over my suggestion, before answering, “It’s a possibility that we’re taking under consideration, but it is highly unlikely anyone of importance in House Firestorm would try to kill you.”

  “You say that so confidently,” I reply, finding his reaction curious. “I thought they were one of the major houses trying to recruit your mages into their house. What better way to do that than by killing the heir to House Moonshade?”

  “Let’s just say that it wouldn’t be in their best interest at the moment,” Shael chimes in. “Now, why don’t we let Alden return to Earth and start his investigation into the matter? I’m sure you still need some rest or would at least like some alone time with Julian after your long separation. We’ll give the two of you some privacy so you can talk about what’s happened since you last saw one another. I will come back later and personally escort you to the farewell ceremony.”

  Shael turns and walks out the door without giving me an opportunity to ask her any more questions. Alden instantly follows her lead, leaving only Nadia in the room with us.

  “Is it just me,” I say, “or did Shael just act like she doesn’t want me to know about something important just yet?”

  “It wasn’t just you,” Julian confirms. “She’s definitely withholding a piece of information.”

  “Do you know what she’s hiding, Nadia?” I ask.

  “It might sound surprising, but I don’t exactly have the queen’s confidence in private matters of state,” she replies wryly. “I’m sure she’ll tell you what’s going on when it comes time for you to know.”

  “You’re probably right,” I say, knowing that Shael’s secret isn’t something she feels will harm me. I could sense that much from her at least. All I do know is that she doesn’t believe I will like what she intends to tell me.

  “I’m going to leave so the two of you can talk,” Nadia tells us, turning to walk out the door.

  “Nadia!” I call out, causing her to turn back around to look at me. “Thank you for telling them I needed Julian. I know it must have been difficult for you to argue the point with Alden and Shael while I was unconscious.”

  Nadia shrugs. “I knew that if he was here, vampire companion or not, you would heal faster. We all draw strength from the ones we love, and being in a world filled with a bunch of strangers isn’t very conducive to a speedy recovery.”

  “Thank you for trying.”

  Nadia bows at the waist to me. “You’re welcome, Your Highness.”

  She then walks out the door, closing it behind her.

  “So which of us has a mortal enemy?” I ask Julian as he slips off his black wingtip shoes to crawl into my bed and pull me against his side. I lay my head on his shoulder and absently begin to play with one of the buttons on his white dress shirt.

  “I believe the odds are in my favor,” he tells me with a sigh of resignation. “I just don’t know how any of them could convince a werewolf and a warlock into trying to murder me.”

  “And why did they both kill themselves after they failed?” I ask. “That’s what doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. What would make them do such a thing?”

  “I’m not sure,” Julian admits. “But Alden seems like a capable man. I’m sure he’ll uncover some answers for us back home.”

  “I hope so,” I say, wrapping my arms around Julian’s waist and holding him tight. “The sooner we go back, the sooner we can return to our lives and figure out a way to cure you.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Julian agrees. “Now get some rest. I can feel how tired you are. The strain of the last couple of days has taken more out of you than you realize. Just relax and sleep. I’ll watch over you.”

  I don’t argue with Julian because there would be no point. I am tired.

  As I close my eyes, I feel sure my dreams will now be filled with joy instead of despair. I have faith that Julian’s presence will protect me from the ghost of my nightmares. What else could I possibly need?

  When I awaken, I feel a pair of strong hands on
my shoulders. I lie there wondering if I’m still dreaming and experiencing one of those dreams within a dream. As the hands on my shoulders continue their deep massage of my tense muscles, I slowly open my eyes and discover that I’m still in my bedroom in Alfheim. I’m lying stretched out across my bed and on my stomach with my head resting on my crossed arms.

  “Am I dreaming, or are you giving me one of your much talked about massages?” I ask, knowing it’s Julian who’s attending to my physical needs.

  “Maybe a little of both,” Julian tells me, squeezing my knotted muscles a little harder to work out the tension that’s built up there over the past few days.

  “You weren’t lying,” I practically moan. “You do give a good massage.”

  “I do a lot of things rather well,” he teases. “We just haven’t had enough uninterrupted time for me to prove it to you yet.”

  “You don’t have to prove anything to me,” I assure him. “Although, a demonstration is always welcome.”

  Julian chuckles. “I’ll keep that in mind when the time is right. Unfortunately, I don’t believe that time is right now. One of Shael’s servants brought in the dress you’re supposed to wear to the funeral ceremony this evening. It’s hanging up in your closet.”

  I had somehow forgotten about the ceremony until Julian just mentioned it. It isn’t so much that I don’t want to go. It is more the fact that I am saying good-bye to a group of people I didn’t even know but who gave up their lives so that I could live. There’s a certain amount of survivor’s guilt associated with such a thing. Even though I wasn’t the one who asked them to die for me, I feel as though I’m indebted to the six alfar who drew the poison out of my body and took it into their own. How do you even begin to repay such a selfless act of kindness?

  I breathe in deeply to clear my head of the last dregs of sleep. When the fog lifts, I immediately sit up in bed.

  “I smell food,” I say, looking around the room and finding the table Shael had eaten her meal at earlier now laden with a variety of delectable looking dishes.

  “It’s been a while since you ate,” I hear Julian say behind me, because I’ve already made it halfway to the table before he can even utter his first word. “I told the people who brought the food in to have the kitchen staff go ahead and prepare some more for you.”

  I can’t even make a reply because I already have a spoonful of chocolate cake in my mouth. I moan in ecstasy because the chocolate is unlike any I’ve ever tasted before in my life. I can’t quite place my finger on what’s different about it, but logic dictates that the reason is due to the fact that we’re on another planet. Who knows if they even call it chocolate here? For all I know, they could call it something else.

  I don’t stop eating until the table is empty of food and only left with a pile of dirty dishes.

  I turn to Julian, who is still sitting on my bed afterwards, and ask, “How long ago did you tell them to bring more food?”

  He grins at me. “I’m sure they’ll bring it up shortly. They seemed very eager to please their new princess.”

  “Eh, don’t remind me,” I reply with a roll of my eyes as I walk back over to him and sit so close to his side that our thighs touch. “I don’t particularly want to be their next queen, but if I say that, I’m pretty sure all hell will break loose here. This world seems even more fragile than ours for some reason. I don’t quite understand how Shael keeps the peace.”

  “I’m sure her skill at diplomacy is something she would love to teach you,” Julian says, reaching over and taking one of my hands with his. “She seems to care a great deal about you, Sarah. She did a lot to save your life. As far as I know, there aren’t many healers among the alfar. The fact that she willingly sacrificed six of them to keep you alive says more about your importance here than you might think. That was probably half of the healers within House Moonshade itself.”

  “I didn’t realize that,” I say, finding the burden of their deaths on my shoulders just double. “It’s not that I don’t want to help the alfar. I just don’t want to be put in a position where they ask me to choose them over you. Right now, I would refuse to do that if it means I have to give you up.”

  Julian smiles wanly at me and says, “Let’s take one day at a time. First, we need to figure out why someone is trying to kill us. Then we can worry about the future.”

  A knock at the door puts an end to our conversation because it signals the arrival of more food. Julian walks over to the door and opens it. Two ladies wearing simple white dresses enter the room. Each of them is pushing in a silver cart loaded with more food. I notice one of them look at the table strewn with my dirty plates with a great deal of surprise. However, she doesn’t make a comment about my voracious appetite. She simply does her job and clears the table before depositing the freshly made dishes down for my consumption.

  “Will you be needing more food, Princess Sarah?” the woman asks me. I silently applaud her non-judgmental attitude. She seems more amused by my appetite than anything else.

  “No, thank you,” I tell her. “That will be enough for now.”

  “Very well, Your Highness,” she replies with a small courtesy. “Please let us know if or when you need more food brought up.”

  “Thank you.”

  The two women leave, but not before Viktor comes prancing into the room as if he’s the king of the world. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the two women courtesy to him before exiting and shutting the door behind them. Their actions seem odd to me, but not so much to my cat.

  Viktor transforms into his human form and proceeds to stretch his lithe body out.

  “I must say,” he tells us, “I have missed being home.”

  “Where have you been hiding?” I ask him as I reach for a bowl of diced fruit. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

  “Oh, here and there,” Viktor replies vaguely. “I thought I would snoop around to see what’s happened here in the castle while I’ve been gone.”

  “Have you learned anything that would be useful to me?” I ask.

  “Nothing that you need to know about at the moment,” he tells me.

  “At the moment? Well, when will I need to know what you discovered?”

  “Sometimes it’s better to let things come out naturally when the time is right. Plus, I promised Shael I would keep my lips shut and let her explain things to you when she deems it appropriate.”

  “Is it something bad?” I ask. Most people practically bust with excitement to tell a person good news. It’s only when it’s bad news that they reserve it for being told “when the time is right.”

  Viktor shrugs. “I don’t particularly think it’s anything you need to worry about, but as I said, Shael wants to explain things to you herself, and that’s exactly why I will not tell you what I know.”

  “I thought you were supposed to be loyal to me now,” I complain.

  “I am loyal to House Moonshade,” Viktor corrects me. “And whatever the current leader dictates is law, as far as I’m concerned.”

  I hear Julian stand from the bed and walk over to me. He places a gentle hand against the small of my back and says, “Why don’t we let the cat have his secrets for now? You need to eat and regain your strength. I’m sure this evening will be hard on you, if not physically, certainly emotionally.”

  “The vampire is right,” Viktor agrees with a firm nod of his head. “You need to be strong for the farewell ceremony.”

  I continue to eat my fruit because I know they’re both right. I’m still not feeling up to snuff after my near-death experience, and I’m sure lack of food is a contributing factor.

  “Don’t you get cold running around naked when you transform into a human?” Julian asks Viktor, eyeing him curiously. “Surely you have some clothes stashed around this castle that you can put on.”

  Viktor pulls the shoulders of his six-foot frame back and places his hands on his hips in a proud stance.

  “I prefer to stay nude while in my human fo
rm,” he declares. “Does my body offend you in some way?”

  Julian looks pointedly down to Viktor’s hips and the pendulum that hangs between his legs.

  “Is that thing magically imbued or something?” Julian asks in all seriousness. “I can’t say I’ve ever seen one that gargantuan before.”

  “My master wanted me to have the ability to serve in any capacity the current ruler of House Moonshade desired,” he explains with his chin raised a notch. “I’ve been a lover to quite a few queens and kings during my lifetime here at the castle. So, to answer your question, yes, I suppose you could say all of me has been magically imbued. I offered my services to Sarah, but surprisingly, she didn’t seem interested, even after seeing what I have to offer her. I’m sure when the time comes for you to satisfy her sexual needs she won’t be too disappointed in what you end up presenting to her.”

  I almost choke on the piece of pineapple in my mouth. I quickly chew and swallow before Julian has a chance to make a reply.

  “I think we need to get off this subject,” I tell them both. “Go find a sheet or towel to cover yourself with, Viktor. You know I prefer you wear something.”

  “Oh, very well,” he replies begrudgingly before stalking off toward the bathroom.

  “So you passed up his one-eyed monster, eh?” Julian says, sounding amused.

  “He isn’t the man I want in my bed,” I reply. “You know that. Besides, that thing might impale me.”

  Julian chuckles, but he doesn’t disagree.

  “Is this better?” Viktor asks, walking back into the room with a large white towel tied securely around his hips.

  “Much better,” I tell him approvingly. “Now, did you learn anything else with your spying that might be useful to me?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact, I did,” he says, sounding pleased with himself for discovering some valuable information for me. “I learned that House Firestorm is in the castle and that Galan and his son will be attending the farewell ceremony this evening.”

  “Did they come just to attend the funeral?” I ask, placing my empty fruit bowl on the table and reaching for a loaf of sweet smelling bread.