by Tenaya Jayne
"I understand that I have unloaded a lot of unexpected news on you, but you have apparently misunderstood one vital thing. I'm not giving you a choice."
"Now wait one damn minute. That's my throne you're sitting on."
"Not anymore."
The two men glared at each other, neither giving an inch.
After a moment, Rahaxeris’ face relaxed. "I'm not your enemy, Zeren. Everything I have done, every bit of scheming, killing, and double-dealing has been for my daughter. I've set the world on fire to make it new, for her. It never occurred to me that her destined life mate would be someone of such consequence. Despite all I have done to make a better world for her, I never intended to place her on this throne." He gestured to Christiana's place next to him. "But she is in the position to take it if she chooses."
"I guess she is," Zeren conceded vaguely.
"You want Syrus to be king, don't you?"
"Yes! Very much. I'm just not sure… what with all that has happened and everything you've told me…" Zeren narrowed his eyes at Rahaxeris. "Would you allow Syrus to become king?"
"The Rune-dy is passionate about turning Regia into a republic. However, personally, I want my child to be happy above anything else. If Forest desires to be queen, I will allow it."
Zeren stared at him, calculating. "All right. Let's leave it up to them. The future of Regia is theirs anyway. They can decide its fate."
"I agree."
"So where are they?" Zeren asked.
"Earth. I assume they are enjoying their new connection. Forest has had enough hardship in her life. I don't intend to call them home before they are ready to return. "
"Okay. What do we do in the meantime?"
Rahaxeris gave Zeren a half smile. "We crush the Werewolves' pride and end the war."
The foundations of Zeren's whole life swirled and he hesitated throwing his hat over the fence until he had more time to consider and test the individual in front of him. Major decisions made in the midst of crisis and chaos never set well with him. Zeren was certain Syrus was able to face any challenge but he'd been through so much. And now he'd found his mate, she'd bring new things to the table and already had in the form of a powerful and frightening father.
Zeren nodded in agreement to Rahaxeris, while holding his reservations close to his chest.
Chapter Seven
Leith shook his head, disoriented. Were the effects of human blood making him insane? The pain of the silver burns on his neck felt like a knife wound, the blade still deep in his flesh. The blinding rage of Forest's disobedience and faithlessness mixed with his crippling fear of death. She was going to kill him. And yet, here he was, in the central marketplace of Halussis, surrounded by a large, disheveled group of fellow vampires, looking as flummoxed as he was.
"All right! All of you get in line. Get in line, I said!"
Leith looked around to see who was shouting orders. A stocky official climbed up on a planter. He scowled down at the motley bunch, papers and stylus in hand. A couple of ogres stood a ways behind him like oversized bouncers.
"Get in line!" he barked again.
"Yeah, and what if we don't, you little…squat…" The vampire striding up to the official staggered and slurred as though drunk. "…toad."
"Yeah?" a few more chimed in. "What are you gonna do, little man?"
The round faced official smiled down at the jeerer for a second then poked him smartly in the eye. The vampire stumbled backward, howling in pain, holding his hands over his face.
"Now, I know all of you are not in control of your senses, and you will start to rage soon for your addiction to human blood. You cannot go back to Earth. The portals have been shut. Line up and I shall take down your names before sending you off to rehab."
"This is an outrage!" an imperious voice rang out from the crowd. "Do you know who I am? I demand a royal escort to the castle at once."
The official snapped his fingers, and one of the ogres pushed through the crowd to the one making the fuss. Leith stood on his toes. The haughty vamp making demands was Dracula.
"How dare you!" Dracula yelled as the ogre picked him up. "Unhand me! I am Dracula! DRACULA! Put me down!"
The ogre looked back to the official. "It is Dracula, sir."
The official huffed and rolled his eyes. "Let him go back to the castle. He'll be wishing he stayed with us once he gets there."
The ogre dropped Dracula back on his feet. Leith pushed through the crowd. "Wait! Me too! I'm going with Dracula." Leith grabbed a hold of Dracula's arm.
"Oh no you don't!" the official barked. "Get in line."
"Please! I'm a noble."
Dracula sneered at Leith and jerked his arm loose.
"Dracula, please. It's me, Leith. Son of Vladien. Tell them I can go to the castle with you."
"Well?" the official demanded. "Is he who he says he is?"
"Yeah," Dracula huffed and turned on his heel, striding toward the castle.
Leith didn't wait for permission. He followed Dracula swiftly, hoping no one would stop him. Dracula looked straight ahead, ignoring Leith completely, as they moved away from the crowd, north to the castle.
The stone road dropped under the shadow sand, forcing them to walk slower. Dracula stopped at the base of the front stairs, looking up at the castle's main double doors. "Huh," he grunted.
"What?" Leith asked.
"There's something wrong here."
Leith looked up at the doors but couldn't detect what Dracula was talking about. He followed as Dracula slowly climbed the stairs. He stopped at the top, a suspicious glare in his eyes and beat his fist against the massive doors.
The hinges moaned as the doors swung inward. A single figure stood in the center of the entrance hall. Dracula gasped, alarming Leith, who was still too fuzzy brained to fully appreciate what he saw.
"What are you doing here, High Priest?" Dracula demanded, his arrogance faltering around the edges.
Rahaxeris looked past Dracula and fixed his ruby eyes on Leith. A smile stretched across his face, one so terrifying, Leith almost wet himself. He had no idea who this elf was, but it was plain he wanted his blood with a ravenous hunger.
Rahaxeris took a step forward. "You are behind the times, Dracula. Like always," he said calmly, not moving his gaze off Leith.
As the unknown predator stalked closer, Leith stood frozen in fear, even as his mind screamed Run!
Dracula's brow furrowed in confusion as he looked back at Leith and then to Rahaxeris. "He's not with me, High Priest," he declared loudly.
Rahaxeris reached out and seized Leith by the arm, his smile now obscenely wide. Caught in Rahaxeris' red gaze, like a bird hypnotized by the eyes of a snake, Leith made no struggle.
"Then I suggest you leave my presence before you share his fate," Rahaxeris said to Dracula.
Dracula took off into the castle as if his feet were on fire, no doubt looking for anyone who could explain what was going on.
Leith found himself towed along by his arm, his vision tunneling. Long empty hallways stretched out before him. Then he was maneuvered through a door into a dim, empty room and again faced with those terrible red eyes.
"Oh, you will never understand the restraint I'm exercising right now. How long I've waited, sat still and allowed you to live when doing so raged against everything inside me. You are going to suffer, Leith. You will know pain, and you will die."
Part of Leith's brain shook itself clear. He looked down at the hand on his forearm and then back into the stranger's face. "I don't know you. What have I done to deserve this?"
"What have you done? My dear boy, what haven't you done?"
Leith blinked a few times. "I'm very wealthy. If you are acting as a judge, listening to some accusers, I can make compensation. Amend my wrongs."
"I am not your judge, merely your custodian, and the only accuser around, is me."
Rahaxeris stood directly in front of Leith and grasped both of his shoulders. Leith began shaking vio
lently with tears.
"Coward." Rahaxeris shook his head. "I'll not be the one to kill you, unless I am asked to. However, I desperately want to hurt you right now. Hmmm."
Rahaxeris slid his hands down Leith's arms stopping at his wrists. Leith screamed as Rahaxeris' long thumbnails cut open flesh.
"Look closely," Rahaxeris ordered.
Leith whimpered as he looked at the jagged open wounds on his wrists. Two black thorns appeared on top of the bloody mess. Leith screamed again, stumbling to his knees as Rahaxeris pushed the thorns into the wounds. He released Leith, who fell back, tearing at his wounds.
"It's already too late to dig them out."
"What are they?!" Leith cried.
"Memories. Past and future. Once the thorns reach your heart, you will lose all sense of yourself, at least for a while. You will live through the tortures you have created. You will feel the pain you have given to others. Not to mention the thorns themselves will cause excruciating pain with every beat of your heart."
"Take them out! Please! Please take them out!" he cried.
Rahaxeris smiled again as he turned to leave. "No. They have made me feel so much better, though I am far from satisfied. You should count yourself lucky. I'm capable of so much worse than this."
Rahaxeris shut the heavy door and locked it, holding the key. "Merhl!"
Merhl came quickly. "Yes, sir! How may I serve you?"
"Set a block on this door that no one can break except the one who has this key."
Rahaxeris handed Merhl the key so he could tie the power of the block with it. The block formed quickly and invisibly over the door. Merhl gave the key back.
"Thank you, Merhl. I need a large room for important company, one with a good view. Where could I find such a room?"
"Follow me, sir."
Leith's cries could still be heard faintly through the door.
Chapter Eight
Forest couldn’t remember a time she felt so relaxed. Syrus kicked back on the couch, listening to music, while she called the closest pizza place that would deliver at four in the morning. When the middle-aged driver showed up a half hour later, she took pity on him and gave him a hundred dollar tip. Forest and Syrus plowed through the two large deep-dish pizzas like a pack of frat boys high on pot.
Now that her stomach wasn't tugging on her esophagus, Forest curled up against Syrus on the couch and let out a deep sigh of contentment.
"I was too distracted earlier to realize how hungry I was," Syrus said. "That was good. Almost as good as S'mores."
Forest chuckled. "I didn't realize you like S'mores that much. I think I have everything here to make them, well, except they won't be as good as they are when we have a fire."
"Let's wait then. We can have them at your cottage when we go back."
"Did you have enough? Are you full?"
He hesitated. "Yes and no."
"Oh? What else do you want?"
Syrus looked apologetic and shook his head. "Nothing. Never mind."
Forest swatted him on the shoulder. "Excuse me. You better tell me what it is you want, right now."
Syrus smirked. "I don't have to."
"Yes, you do. I'm your mate. I order you to spill it."
He leaned over and pressed his lips against hers. "I like hearing you say that,"' he said seriously.
"Say what?"
"Declare yourself my mate."
Forest wound her arms around his neck and nuzzled his ear. "Mate, lover, friend," she whispered.
"What would this be called here on earth?" he asked.
"Marriage."
"Marriage," Syrus tried the word out. "I like that. Is it very much the same?"
"No. It's a weaker bond than we share. People break their word to each other all the time. But with some people, marriage is lifelong and can be beautiful."
"So if we were married, I would be called your what?"
"Husband, and I would be your wife."
"Husband. I like that too."
Syrus kissed her again, and she could tell his mind had wandered back into the bedroom.
"Hang on. Let's begin on the right foot, with open, honest communication. Tell me what you wanted."
He gently took hold of her hand, brought her wrist up to his face, and inhaled deeply. "I want you. All there is of you. And I've yet to have the pleasure of your blood in my mouth."
"Oh," she said stupidly. Duh.
"I didn't want to ask because the last time I did, you rejected me. I didn't want to offend or disgust you."
Forest's eyes glazed momentarily as a nasty memory surfaced in her mind. Hazy, broken images of the time Leith drained her to the edge of death.
She stared openly at Syrus. His power was obvious from his magic down to his muscles. He could take anything he wanted by force. She'd seen him weaponize his rage in battle. He held all the power within him under perfect control.
Her eyes began to sting. One of the only vampire mages in existence, with all the potential to be a true monster, sat calmly next to her and gave her tenderness; offered her his heart.
She couldn't stop the tears that came as her heart clenched and ached with love for him. "Damn it," she said, wiping at the tears. "There you go again, making me weak."
Syrus looked alarmed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I won't ever ask you again. I promise."
Forest laughed and pushed him down on the couch. She climbed on top of him, surprising him with her passion. "You're mine," she said fervently, crushing his mouth with hers. "Take everything you want."
And he did.
His bite was excruciatingly gentle. Forest had no idea it could be like this and it all but exploded her head with pleasure.
"I want to mark you," he whispered, barely taking his mouth from her skin. "I can't help it. It's my nature to mark my lover."
Forest rolled her eyes, sighing as she came crashing down from the clouds. "Way to kill my buzz, Syrus," she complained. "That was amazing, until you spoke."
"I'm sorry."
"Look, I thought this might come up and I understand it's your vampire instinct talking, but I'm not ready to have a new scar when I've only just rid myself of the others."
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I get it."
"Maybe after my slave mark is gone, we can talk about it again…Maybe. It's just so unfair."
"Unfair?" Syrus asked.
"Yeah. You can mark me, but I can't mark you. It's unfair. The very idea makes me feel like property."
"I wish you could mark me. I want everyone to see it. I'd let you put your mark on my forehead."
Forest laughed.
"I'm serious. We should find some way you can mark me as your own."
"Hmm…we'll have to think about that. Now shut your mouth and put it to better use."
"Yes, ma'am."
****
Had it only been ten hours since she came home and found Syrus? Forest wondered as she closed her drapes, blocking out the harmful morning light. She considered the amount of time they’d spent sleeping and realized they had been together longer than that. This was the second dawn since they reunited. Syrus sat on the bed, his back against the headboard, lazily nibbling the edge of the last, cold pizza crust. Forest climbed back onto the bed and rested her head on his shoulder. "So what happened after I was banished?"
"I was placed in a prison, a portal with no destination. It was…terrible. The strength of the portal took my mage power from me." Syrus hung his head. "I'm so sorry, Forest. I failed you."
Forest laid her hand on his cheek. "Hey, don't say that. You didn't fail me. If anything, I failed you."
Syrus chuckled. "Preposterous."
"How did you get out?"
Syrus hesitated. "I'll tell you in a minute. What happened to you?"
"Your mother banished me. She wanted me dead, but she made it plain that she didn't want to get her hands dirty. Luckily, for me, the king ordered I was not to be harmed. But after I was shoved back here, I don't know what happened t
o his order, because the queen has been dropping assassins right through my ceiling."
Syrus took a ragged breath. "There's a lot I don't know. My father was called away in battle and unaware of what was happening to you…My mother is no longer a threat to you. She is now the one who is banished."
