by J. D. Brown
“Vampyres tend not to have permanent homes, but the length of our stay does not make a difference to Naamah. He would have only the highest quality, no expense too great. It is part of his job.”
“It was part of his job.” I sighed. “Now his job is… whatever Apollyon wants him to do.” Just thinking about Naamah—and Maria—sent reality crashing down around me. “This isn’t fair. We’re expected to live like kings while Naamah and Maria suffer at the hands of that psychotic Apollyon? Who knows what horrible things he’s doing to them?” After witnessing Leena’s murder, I really did not want to imagine what Apollyon might have in store for Maria or Naamah. I hugged myself.
“I should phone the Council but…” Jesu’s words trailed off as he wet his lips in thought.
My brow quirked. “But?”
“It may be too risky. They will figure out where we are.”
I sagged against the edge of the bed. “They’ll arrest me and hand me over to Jalmari. We shouldn’t have come here. We ran, and they’ll think it’s because I’m guilty.”
Jesu shook his head. “No, they will not come here for you. Germany belongs to the Alpan clan; no Neo-Draugrian vampyre or vampire can arrest you here. You are safe as long as you do not set foot in Neo-Draugrian territory again.”
“Then why do you think contacting the Council will be dangerous?”
Jesu raked his fingers through his long tresses. “I know my father. He will take back the throne as soon as he is able. Once he declares himself the Neo-Draugrian king again, we will have no allies there, only enemies.”
“But I thought Apollyon was an enemy of the clan. Can’t they arrest him?”
Jesu shook his head. “My father will not let it be that easy. He will find a place to hide, build an army, and lay in wait until the right moment. Or perhaps he will pick the Council members off one by one. Besides, he married into the Neo-Draugrian clan. He is the rightful, legal king. Not even Jalmari can do anything about that.”
Nausea twisted my stomach as a mortifying realization took hold. “He won’t care about the law. If the Council doesn’t arrest me, Apollyon will find other ways. I know he will.”
“That is why I cannot risk calling. You are safe here, Ema.” He closed the distance between us and then touched the tip of his forefinger under my chin, lifting my jaw until our gazes locked. His eyes were a deep stormy emerald. “I promise you are safe.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded.
His hand fell away from my chin. “I believe there is a reason why Naamah specifically chose Berlin for us. The Alpan king and queen live nearby. King Nikolas despises my father.”
“Do you think he will help us?”
Jesu scrubbed the base of his palms against his forehead. “I am hoping we never have to ask, but I am positive Naamah placed us here just in case.”
“I don’t understand. Why don’t you want to tell Nikolas? Why risk waiting for Apollyon to come here?”
Jesu glanced at the floor. “Ema, you are a bit of a commodity; a vampyre born to two humans. My father already wants to use you; I do not know how the rest of our kind will react. If we tell Nikolas now, he will ask questions.”
I scoffed. “So tell him about your premonition. I’m sure he won’t hurt me if he wants Apollyon out of his hair.”
“What if that makes things worse? If word gets out about you, people might try to force you to fight him.”
“But I want to fight Apollyon. I want to send him back to hell.”
His wide eyes gazed into mine, a plea sparkled across them. “You will get your chance, Ema—I know that better than anyone else—but you need time and training. If you go after my father now, you will lose. Please, wait and learn how to fight before you do this. Give yourself a fair shot at least.”
A sigh pushed past my lips. Jesu was right; I didn’t stand a chance against Apollyon. I had only been a vampyre for a few months, and I sucked at using my powers. “Of course I’ll wait.”
His shoulders relaxed and he nodded his appreciation. I wet my lips and then moved my arm around so that my hand was hidden behind my back, where I crossed my fingers. I will wait, but I might not wait as long as he wants.
Maria
Black eyes gleamed behind heavy lids. They were once so dark, no one could discern where the irises ended and the pupils began, but now a cloudy gray fogged over the centers and crow’s feet creased the corners. Full lips frowned, their edges also wrinkled by time’s journey. A silent sigh ensued.
I am getting old.
Glass clicked against the mahogany wood, distracting me from my internal fuss over the reflection in the crystal decanter. The Master had set his chalice on the desktop. It was but a quarter empty, yet I re-filled the glass to the brim. The blood had returned tight coils of muscle to his bones and a clean pallor to his skin. His frame filled his son’s favorite armchair and the leather creaked as he leaned against the backrest. He was every bit as terrifying and handsome as I remembered him.
A single wound the size of a silver dollar remained above his right breast. He kept it covered with gauze and medical tape under a floor-length mink fur coat from his son’s wardrobe. No amount of blood seemed to fill the wound.
He pushed back a strand of wavy black hair with a single fingernail, then lowered his hand to touch my wrist. My husband’s breath hitched from across the desk. Apollyon smirked.
“Calm yourself, Naamah. I was only going to ask your lovely mate to remember to serve our guest.”
I glanced at Victor who sat on my husband’s left. My lips twitched as I forced a polite smile onto them and filled his glass. Victor’s back straightened as though he wanted to decline the offer, but he knew as well as any that if the Master said to drink, you drink. He cleared his throat and hastily nodded his thanks. Ignoring him, I walked around to the other side and poured a glass for Naamah. As the red liquid flowed, I squeezed Naamah’s elbow with my free hand and narrowed my gaze at him.
Relax, you big oaf.
Apollyon steepled his fingers and his long nails clicked against one another. “Now then, let us continue with business. Victor, I know of your Rebel clans and the numbers of men you have turned to our way of thinking. Your loyalty and dedication is the most admirable I have ever seen, and for that I will reward you.”
Victor grinned and leaned forward. “It is an honor, sir. I told you I would serve you even in death, and I never go back on my word—”
Apollyon held up a hand to silence his eager follower. “And so you have proven. I want you by my side as my Second-in-Command again.”
I bit the inside of my cheek as I returned to the Master’s side. That back-stabbing criminal didn’t deserve to be a vampyre, much less one of status. If Apollyon managed to take the throne, Victor would be the second most powerful vampyre in all of Scandinavia—a position that, up until now, belonged to my husband. Naamah’s vice grip on his chair armrests turned his knuckles a frosty white. If he didn’t check himself, he’d crack the wood soon.
Victor grinned from ear to ear as he nodded. “Thank you, sir. It is indeed an honor.”
“However,” Apollyon continued. “I agree with Naamah’s argument; now is not the time to call upon the Rebels.”
Victor’s eyes widened. “But, sir—”
A low growl rumbled through Apollyon’s chest. “They have followed your word for centuries while I was dead, they can wait a while longer.”
Victor’s brow furrowed as he worked his jaw. “So you are not going to impose war?”
“Of course I will,” Apollyon scoffed. “But these things take time and planning. If word of my existence were to spread among the locals, surely the Council and the R.E.D. would hear and both would have my head on a platter.”
“The Rebels will fight for you—”
“They will have their chance,” Apollyon hissed. “But there are other more pressing matters that must be dealt with first.” He brought his chalice to his lips and narrowed his gaze over the ri
m, daring Victor to argue further. Victor looked to the side and shifted his weight. Apollyon sat the glass on the desk. “Are you ready to accept your orders as my Hand, or was I wrong to believe you were capable of such an honorable service?”
Victor studied the wide desktop, looking at no one in particular. A restrained growl carried in his lowered tone. “I will follow your every word, Your Highness.”
Apollyon nodded, keeping his gaze trained on Victor. “I require a few personal items lost to me during my death. You will find them all in a chest in Castrum Draconis.”
My brow arched at the same time as Victor’s, but I kept quiet.
“The castle in Sweden?” he inquired.
“The chest is hidden inside the eastern wall of my late wife’s burial chamber. I require you to fetch those items for me immediately.”
“Of course.” Victor nodded.
Apollyon arched his brow.
Victor hesitated, his expression tight. He stood, remembered to bow, and then dispersed into a cloud of black smoke. His essence flew quickly out of the room, filling the air with the bittersweet scent of nitrogen. My shoulders relaxed in his absence.
“Naamah.” Apollyon faced my husband. “When Victor returns with my possessions, I will require travel to the land that was once Sumeria.”
My dear husband kept his expression guarded and slowly shook his head. “Iraq is stricken with human warfare, My Lord. Modern weapons are—”
“I am familiar with modern weapons,” Apollyon said between sips of his drink. “That is why I am counting on you for the best possible mode of transportation. Our stay will be brief; only six hours or so.”
My hands clenched tight around the crystal pitcher as my husband glanced at his lap in thought. I wished I knew what the Master was thinking. Returning to his homeland, however briefly, after nearly eight thousand years away, could not be a good sign. As always, Apollyon would likely not tell us his agenda, only what he needed us to do to prepare for it.
“An airplane would be the most inconspicuous from here to the Iraqi border,” said my husband. “After that, phasing will be the safest way.”
“How much time will the journey require?”
“About eight to ten hours from here to the Middle East.”
A sinister grin crept across the Master’s face. “Good. When you are done arranging the flight, call the Council members and schedule a mandatory meeting in four days’ time. Speak not of me, nor of Victor, or of anything else you witness in my presence. Continue your ruse as the Hand of my son. Should they become curious, tell them all will be revealed at the meeting.”
Naamah briefly chewed the inside of his cheek and then lowered his head in a half-bow. “Yes, My Lord.”
Apollyon waived his hand dismissively. Naamah stood and went to the office door, but hesitated at the threshold and glanced over his shoulder at me.
I jerked my chin, gesturing for him to go. “I have chores in the kitchen.”
He hesitated, but left the room. I faced the Master. He rubbed a palm against the plush mink fur over his chest and hissed through his teeth. Why the wound refused to heal was beyond my medical knowledge. It wasn’t infected, and it was too shallow to require stitches.
He paid me no mind as his hand slid under the thick coat. I held the carafe low, hidden beneath the desk so that he would not notice. Then I phased my little finger. I let my essence stretch thin like a thread, and guided it up the crystal, into the spout, until my invisible molecules touched the surface of the blood inside. I phased the liquid with my touch.
“More blood, My Lord? The pitcher is empty, but I can run to the cellar and get more.”
“No,” he huffed, still not bothering to look at me.
I knew the offer was a long shot. Apollyon never drank alone, and yet I found myself swallowing the disappointment. “Perhaps a new bandage?”
“Find other ways to make yourself useful, Maria.”
I smiled as bright as I could. “Sir, you gave Naamah’s job to Victor, and my job to Naamah. I’m not sure what that leaves for me.”
He snatched my forearm and stood. Taken by surprise, I tried to phase out of his grip, but his touch kept me solid. We might have been the same age, but I was no match for his strength. He flung me to the floor. I phased the entire crystal pitcher before it could break, but not before losing control of its contents and watching as the blood spilled across the rug and turned back into a red liquid.
His gaze burned and his grip on my wrist tightened until the bone cracked. I bit back my screams of pain, not wanting Naamah to hear. Apollyon lowered his face to mine and snarled.
“Do not think your husband’s pathetic plea will keep me from undoing you, Maria.”
He threw my arm against the hardwood floor, the impact sending a surge of hot pain through my whole body. I couldn’t stop the sharp intake of breath that time. He rose slowly, still glaring at me. I remained on my side, a show of submission, but anger burned every follicle in my body.
Patience, I told myself. I must have patience. That is how we killed him the first time.
Chapter 2
The final drop of blood trickled down the tilted glass and onto my tongue. I licked my lips while swinging my feet under the bar stool like a child as I relished the euphoric energy buzzing in the center of my body. It feverishly spread along my arms and legs, out to my fingers and toes. My chest sucked in a deep, contented breath and then exhaled.
Jesu leaned against the refrigerator, drink in hand, as he watched me.
He’s not guarding the fridge, I tried to convince myself as my upper lip curled. His gaze traced the contours of my body. Those lingering green eyes triggered a carnal urge and my senses opened to him. The sweet smell of spring rain and fresh-cut grass enveloped me. His scent was everywhere, mixed with the usual predatory vampire stench, and something else… something faint, yet powerful. My eyes lit up as instinct finally registered the faint scent and sent tingles shooting down to my lady parts. I never realized desire had a smell, but his flesh called to me. My primal instincts screamed for a touch; to hunt and feel my prey succumb to me.
No, I can’t. Not with Jesu. My hands wrung as I tore my gaze away.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I winced, struggling against the horribly wrong urges. “Just peachy.” I tried to think of something to talk about. Anything to take my mind off the bloodlust. “You never finished explaining what the R.E.D. is. I assume it goes deeper than a few rich humans and a vampyre hotel.”
Jesu swallowed the last of his drink and set the glass in the sink. “The idea began as an agreement between Jalmari and King Charles XI of Sweden. After my brother claimed the throne, our clan enjoyed peace for time by living in secret from the humans, but the world was quickly becoming smaller as the human population grew. Jalmari knew we would soon have to come out of hiding, but he did not want it to result in violence.”
I bit the inside of my cheek and tried not to scoff. Jalmari not wanting violence? Yeah right!
“So,” Jesu continued as he came around the bar and sat on a stool next to me. “He took matters into his own hands and went to King Charles. Jalmari proposed that they help each other. They formed an agreement. We would not harm them, and they would not harm us. We would continue to be nonexistent, and they would help provide us with the resources we needed to stay that way.”
“I can’t believe Jalmari was able to convince him,” I muttered.
Jesu chuckled. “It was not easy, but it helped that Sweden had recently come out of a long war with the Kalmar Union. They had just gained their independence and were trying to rebuild. The last thing Charles needed was a vampyre threat, so he cooperated. Unfortunately, the agreement did not last. The humans chosen to help us were Charles’ knights and they did not trust us. Plus, they aged and died so much faster than we did. It was a hassle trying to convince each new generation. Jalmari gave up until the late 1700s, when he heard of a scientist named Carl Linnaeus. Carl was fasc
inated by our kind and understood our dilemma. It was Carl who thought of the name and officially established the Reclusive Eternal Dragons as a secret fraternity of men specially trained and dedicated to our cause. Now there are R.E.D. branches established all over the world, with many divisions and networks all working in secret.”
When Jesu finally paused, I realized I could feel the strain in my brow. That’s how wide and taut my eyes were. I shook myself and then leaned my elbows on the counter with a huff. Never mind the fact that yet another semester of my college years was blown to smithereens by what Jesu just said.
“You do not believe me,” he teased.
“What’s not to believe? A secret society of humans that work for vampyres—”
“No.” Jesu’s voice was stern. “They do not work for us, they work with us.”
My brow lifted. “What’s the difference?”
“There is a delicate balance of laws between the R.E.D. officials, and all the Major clans. Remember that small group of very powerful humans that run the R.E.D.? They comply only for the safety of their species, as we comply for the safety of ours. The sole reason the fraternity is successful is because both sides realize the level of chaos that would follow if either side were to breach those laws.”
“Right. So the R.E.D. keeps vampyres and vampires a secret by providing them with fancy hotels and co-species night clubs like the one Jalmari took me to?”
Jesu frowned. “Club Korento is solely my brother’s idea of a fun investment, but yes, the R.E.D. provides our kind with many services. They aid the locals in housing, finding third-shift jobs, animal and human donor blood, relocation, any number of things that might prove difficult to come by without giving ourselves away to the public.”
“And all we have to do is keep our true natures a secret?”
“You make it sound easy.” He grinned. “It encompasses a great deal of work.”
