He strode towards what used to be House Blackwood's wine cellar but had long since been the nucleus of the Order. It was underground, completely secure and could act as a safe house for months, if not years. This was where Kaden was King. This was his Command Centre. It was surrounded by banks of OLED transparent touchscreens, the latest in technologically advanced equipment and a host of other gear that had yet to hit the military, let alone mainstream markets.
Kaden looked down at his phone and then to the empty room. “Where in the name of Blackwood is everyone?”
He'd sent the order out over 20 minutes ago. Even Thorn was late. Since Thorn really was the King, in this room and everywhere else, Kaden cut him some slack.
Kaden lifted his head at the sound of boots hitting the corridor outside. Normally laughing, joking, and high spirits would accompany that sound. Not tonight. Tonight it was just the sound of feet hitting stone.
The door to the Command Centre swung open and the rest of the Order filed in. Mercury, Lena, Skylar, Phoenix and Ryver all nodded at Kaden and took up various positions around the room. They sported uniforms that matched Kaden’s own clobber. Except for Lena, the men in the room were all from Warrior stock and each and every one of them was well over six foot.
The room felt cramped.
The feeling only got more intense when Thorn Blackwood strode in. His hair was almost as black as Lena’s though he didn’t have the same blue tones in his. His face was angular like Kaden’s, but broader, which helped to soften the lines and his high cheekbones. At six-foot-seven, he towered above all of them. All that paled into insignificance with just one glance into his arresting eyes. Amber on pure gold, those eyes demanded the attention a King deserved.
“About time,” Kaden grumbled. There were several mumbles of apology. Kaden ignored them. “Thorn you gonna tell us what the hell is going on?” Kaden asked.
As the King walked to the front of the room, Kaden had to stop himself wincing at the look of surprise on his colleagues’ faces. It wasn’t the way in which he addressed the King that sparked the surprise. No, Kaden had earned the right to talk to Thorn like that, and they knew it. It was the fact that Kaden was as much in the dark as they were. He didn’t like it, not one bit.
Thorn put his hand on Kaden’s shoulder as if to pacify him; it didn’t work. He was still brooding as the King met the faces of the rest of the team and leaned against the desk. Kaden plonked himself down in his usual position behind it and glowered at the audience
“Thanks for coming in everyone.” Though they attempted to give polite responses, it seemed Thorn had no time for niceties. “I know this is unusual. It’s not every day I order a CODE 1, much less issue one for everyone, but something’s come up. I had a visit from Heath Greenshire last night.”
Lena let out what sounded like a sigh and Kaden snapped his attention to her. If he didn’t know better, he’d say she looked relieved. Typical Lena, she was one of the most paranoid people he’d ever met. Ryver had already let slip what Lena had been up to last night. Kaden might not be able to read like the young Guardian, but he did have an inner ability to track everyone in the Order.
His lip curled in a self-satisfied smile at the thought; no one, save Thorn knew how powerful his ability was. All of them had a sense of where their brethren were, but Kaden knew exactly where each Guardian was and the instant they were in trouble. He knew where Lena was last night and he was amused. He let Lena know with an arch of his brow. Lena was usually very good at hiding her emotions but as she avoided his gaze, he was more than a little pleased to sense the guilt rolling off her. He would talk to her about last night’s activities later.
“The Greenshires have been allies of the Blackwoods since before the order was created. Heath and my father were brothers in arms,” Thorn explained. “He came to see me last night to settle an Onærelen.”
The oxygen whooshed out of the room in a collective intake of breath. Even though none of them had set foot in Faerie, as part of the Seelie Court, Vampires were bound by their code of honour to repay any debt owed as soon as possible. An Onærelen was the most serious of debts and could not be left unattended. It was so serious a request that most of the race refused to enter into such a contract.
Kaden was not surprised by everybody's reaction. Even without the details, they knew this was of critical importance. It was a word from the old language; literally translated it meant honour debt. A Vampire requesting an Onærelen put their honour, sometimes their life, at risk to see their debt repaid. Honour was not something even the most wretched of Vampire gave up lightly.
Kaden just stared at Thorn as he held up his hand to continue. None of the others saw him. They were too busy talking amongst themselves.
“He asked that an Onærelen be repaid. The Blackwoods owe him.” Thorn didn’t shout. He didn’t need to.
Kaden braced himself; he had a horrible feeling he knew where this was going. The room fell silent as the Order snapped to attention.
“What did you say?” Mercury whispered as if he couldn’t really believe what he heard.
“I said the Blackwoods owe him. He saved my father’s life more than once and it was Heath who killed Karag.”
Everyone knew who Karag was. Karag killed Thorn's mother. Without her, Thorn's father had not lasted long. Most thought he had died of a broken heart, but House Blackwood held Karag accountable for both deaths.
Fucking hell, this was serious if Thorn was prepared to tell that kind of secret. Kaden closed his eyes in disbelief. Of course he was aware of the debt, but he never thought he’d live to see the day when Heath finally asked for settlement.
Kaden was the first to speak. He simply asked, “What does he need?”
It was not just the Blackwood family that owed Old Man Heath. The Order belonged to House Blackwood. They were there to defend, to serve. House Blackwood's honour was their honour. They all owed him and they would do anything to honour that debt.
“He wants us to find his daughter,” Thorn answered.
Of course, Kaden thought to himself. It was about time Heath asked for assistance.
He looked around the room trying to gauge whether this meant anything to anyone else. By the looks of confusion painted on his comrades’ faces, no one else even knew who Heath was, much less his daughter.
“It goes without saying that I cannot allow this debt to stand,” Thorn said, cutting through the silence. “The problem is that Eden disappeared over two hundred years ago. She was just a child at the time.” Thorn continued.
“Hell’s teeth!” Skylar exhaled. “He’s left it bloody long enough. The old man must be crazy to think we can find her now!” His voice, hit a jovial note as he said it, as though amused by the seemingly impossible task.
Kaden's gaze shifted to the young Guardian, anger and regret that Heath Greenshire should be so insulted welling in the pit of his stomach. Rising from his chair, Kaden growled at the other man with such anger, the whole room seemed to shake. “Heath Greenshire is a man of honour. I doubt you truly know the meaning of that word, Skylar. It is we who owe him, not the other way round.” Kaden voice was low and gravelly. “Watch your mouth doesn't run away with you, youngling.”
Skylar's mouth flapped as he stuttered. Kaden felt his lip curl as he flashed a menacing smile at him, daring Skylar to answer him. A youngling like Skylar had no right to call the man crazy and he felt sickened that a Warrior as great as Heath Greenshire had not just been consigned to the history books, he had been completely forgotten. How the hell did that happen?
The team fell silent. Kaden inhaled deeply, the scent of fear and respect blooming in his nostrils. Save for the others staring intently at their own feet, only Thorn showed any reaction. His golden eyes drilled into Kaden’s before he simply nodded. The Keeper returned the gesture and retook his seat.
As he sat, he tried to regain some sort of inner calm, but he just couldn’t. His heart hammered in his chest and his blood roared.
Thorn resumed his explanation as if nothing happened. “He personally led missions to find her over the last two centuries but he never succeeded. His health is failing him. With the death of his mate, Cassandra last year I think he knows his time is running out.”
“She’s definitely alive?” Though Kaden felt obligated to ask, though deep down, he already knew the answer.
“He says so.”
Vampires who held a blood tie with another — through mating, birth, or blooded oath — could always feel the life force of that Vampire. Usually they could use that tie to trace the other, but it was weak when the bond was new, like with a child and only got weaker the more time they spent apart. If Eden had been missing since she was a youngster, there was no chance of tracking her that way.
The sense of their life force never went away though. Nobody could really explain it, but it was just there. A sort of knowing. If that life force were to disappear without warning, it could cripple even the strongest Vampire. With Heath, it would probably kill him. If he said Eden was still alive then it must be so.
“I want Kaden, Lena and Ryver to talk with Heath some more. Get some background. Skylar, Mercury, you’re with me. Phoenix, I’m sorry, but with Soraya away we can’t afford to have you in the field. We need a medic on base.”
Phoenix did not look happy but nodded. Hard lines developed around Lena’s mouth as Kaden watched. She definitely wasn't pleased about being sent on a research mission. It looked like she was about to voice her opinion when Kaden laid a fierce hand on her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder to meet his gaze. By Fae, he was angry with her, and the look in her eyes said she knew it too. Good!
As she turned back around, Kaden saw Thorn’s sharp, amber eyes meet hers. To Kaden’s surprise, she just nodded and kept her big gob shut. Vampires didn’t blush but Kaden could have sworn Lena had a reddish tint to her cheeks. Thorn returned Lena's nod and swept from the room with Skylar and Mercury in tow. Lena exhaled slowly. Weird.
“Come on, Lena. Let’s go and see what Heath Greenshire has to tell us,” said Kaden. “Or what he hasn’t got to say.” He glanced at Ryver, who just narrowed his eyes at his Keeper.
While Ryver didn’t mind using his talent for the good of the Order, Kaden realised that reading an enemy was a completely different story from reading a tired old man. Even so, Kaden had no problem using any resource at his disposal.
Kaden, Lena and Ryver materialised outside the Greenshire residence and a butler in full livery immediately ushered them inside. The number of Vampires who still held with the old traditions amazed Lena. It wasn’t so much the servant business. It was the stupid uniform she had a problem with; the poor bloke was wearing stockings! Honest to Goddess stockings.
“My name is Drake. My Lords, My Lady, won't you follow me?” Drake walked them through to a cosy sitting room with a roaring fire. Lena frowned. England was not blessed with the best of weather but still, it was July for Glory’s sake.
“Do excuse the fire. I feel the cold these days.” A frail voice came from the wing backed armchair sitting so close to the fire it was in danger of igniting.
When Heath’s face came into view, Lena struggled to contain the gasp that threatened to escape her lips. The Vampire occupying the chair looked like a skeleton given life. His papery, almost translucent skin stretched tight across the bones of his skull. His head was bare in patches, and what hair he did have was long and wiry. It seemed to glow orange in the light of the fire. The flames reflected in his otherwise colourless eyes giving him a macabre air of madness. Heath had to be at least seven thousand years old and Lena suddenly understood what Thorn meant when he said the old man’s time was running out; the man looked like he could die at any moment.
“Sir, I am Kaden of House Blackwood. I stand Keeper for the Order.” Kaden did not seem perturbed by the Vampire’s appearance in the slightest. He sank to one knee and placed his hand over his heart. “It is an honour to be of service, My Lord.”
Heath Greenshire’s skeletal hand shook as it touched Kaden’s head. “Rise Keeper. I know who you are and you have no need to bow before me. Long gone are the days when I commanded the Order.”
Commanded the Order? Lena felt her eyes fly wide with shock. Heath Greenshire was a Keeper!
“My Lord, it is my privilege to walk where you once trod,” Kaden replied. That outburst with Skylar made sense now. Kaden was Heath's successor.
“Be that as it may, Keeper. That time is past and you must rise. Come. Sit with me. Show me your warriors.”
Kaden rose and took the seat opposite Heath. If the heat from the fire bothered him, it did not show. He nodded at Lena and Ryver who stood to take position behind him.
“My Lord, House Blackwood presents Guardians, Lena and Ryver.”
“A female warrior?” Heath wheezed. “Times have indeed changed.”
“They have, My Lord,” Kaden replied and Lena was more than a little relieved that he didn’t try to defend her position in the Order. She hated when he did that.
“And so you are here to enquire about my dear Eden.”
“Yes my Lord. We owe you a debt of honour and we will see it paid.”
“I fear I have left it too late to ask my Onærelen of Thorn.”
“It is never too late, My Lord. Can you tell us what happened to Eden?”
“Of course. I may be old but I remember that day as if it were yesterday.”
Kaden waited patiently for the old man to continue.
“Eden was in the nursery. She was only four at the time and Cassandra and I were at an engagement. Jett’s birthday. All the Order were there of course. Such a wonderful occasion. All of society was there and Cassandra loved to socialise. You know she came from nobility? My Cassandra?”
“Yes, My Lord.”
Jett was Thorn’s brother, his elder brother. By rites, Thorn should never have had to bear the burden of Kingship, but Jett suffered from a rare blood disorder. He had only ruled for a few centuries before the disease got the better of him. Without an heir, Thorn had stepped up to the mantle. Reluctantly so.
Heath fell silent for a time and Lena saw the pink wash of tears well in his pale eyes. She glanced at Ryver and tried to swallow, though her throat had gone dry. Ryver was crying. Whatever he was hearing was not the words Heath had spoken aloud.
Kaden reached towards Heath’s clasped hands. “My Lord?”
“Forgive me, Keeper. My mind wanders. Where was I?”
“Eden was in the nursery, My Lord.”
“Ah yes. Eden was in the nursery. We had left her with the nanny, Saffron. She was a good girl, devoted to Eden. We returned home just before dawn. I came to sit in here for a nightcap and Cassandra went up to the nursery.”
Heath began to shake and Kaden made a move to comfort him. Greenshire raised an unsteady hand to stop him. “That’s when I heard the scream. My Cassandra screaming as if her very life were about to end.”
Ryver tried to stifle a sob, the abject misery rolling off him in waves. Complete desolation enveloped Lena and she nearly staggered under the weight of it.
“I ran. I ran as fast as I could. I found her in the nursery on her knees. The nursery had been torn apart. Eden and Saffron were gone.”
Heath sighed and pale, pink tears rolled down his face.
“Do you require a break, My Lord?” Kaden whispered.
The old man shook his head and Lena thought he looked in danger of injuring himself. “I’m afraid there is not much more to say Keeper. We found blood on the broken glass from the window. It was Saffron’s but there was not enough to enact a clear tracer. She was not blood bonded to anyone.
“Cassandra and I sent out a trace for Eden but she was so young and the bond so weak, we never got close enough to find her. Every time we thought we had made it, she had gone. As time went on and the bond grew weaker, Cassandra gave up all hope. I only know that Eden is out there somewhere.”
“What of the other staff?” Kaden pressed, his voice re
maining soft.
“We were so arrogant. We left only Saffron and Sage in the house.”
“Sage, My Lord?”
“Our butler at the time. He was old, older than even I am now. He never heard a thing, but then his eyesight and his hearing were both failing him by then. I did not really expect anything from him. He passed the same year. Poor man.”
“We will find her for you, My Lord.” Kaden got back down on one knee in front of Heath. “This I avow as Keeper, in the name of Blackwood.”
“I hear your pledge, Keeper, but I will not hold you to it. I know what it is I ask of you and would not endanger your honour if the fault of leaving it too late is mine.”
“I speak for the Order and this vow is freely given.”
“You speak for your warriors too?”
Lena and Ryver were also on bended knee. Lena doubted Ryver could speak, even if he wanted to, so she replied for him, “Kaden is the Keeper of the Watch, and we his Guardians. There is no question to answer.”
She glanced at Kaden and his stunning aqua-marine eyes widened with surprise. Lena mentally chastised herself; she so often ignored the formalities of the Order that it was obvious Kaden thought she'd forgotten them entirely.
Heath Greenshire sat silently again, as if considering what they said. Beside Lena, Ryver began to tremble again and she put out a discreet hand to steady her friend. “She died of a broken heart, my Cassandra,” Heath said as if to explain Ryver’s distress.
Even Kaden looked on the verge of tears when he retook his seat. “Just one more thing my Lord, before we take our leave of you.”
“What do you require?”
“Do you have a picture of Eden?”
“Yes of course. There’s a large oil of Cassandra and Eden hanging in the library. However, I know not of what assistance it can be. It is a good likeness, but Eden is over two hundred years old now. She would be much changed.”
“Indeed, my Lord, but I should like to see it anyway. Some things never change.”
“Drake will show you the way.”
Bound to Blackwood Page 2
