Fated Origins: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 4)

by May Freighter

“Of course. I only came here to check on you and your wellbeing. I shall be returning to my work.”

  Helena sat up abruptly and slapped her hand to her forehead with a groan.

  “Do not move too fast or you will feel worse,” he chided.

  “And who’s fault is that?”

  Arthemis folded his arms behind his back and headed for the door. She was amusing to observe. Her spirit hadn’t bent to his will, and it pleased him. A change of pace was welcome.

  “What will happen to my friends?”

  He stilled with the door handle in his hand. “What do you wish for me to do with them?”

  “I want you to let them go. Perri needs rest and probably a hospital after what you put her through.”

  Staring at her, Arthemis assessed the fire in her eyes. The fear from earlier was replaced with her need to defend those close to her—a beautiful soul she was. “I will think on it if you come to dinner tomorrow with a smile.”

  Her brows scrunched together. “Fine.”

  “It is as you mortals say ‘a date’ then.”

  HELENA

  After he left, Helena couldn’t sleep. Arthemis’ voice and touch had affected her more than she wanted them to. Just seeing his face had her remembering Lucious and his embrace. She couldn’t give in to this man so easily. He obviously was plotting something behind her back. He couldn’t possibly be interested in her.

  She listened for a long minute to the hallway outside. There was no movement. She sluggishly got out of bed and took out a pin from her jeans’ pocket. Once she pricked her finger, she smeared her blood on the demonic bracelet Malachi gave her. The blood seeped into its leathery strands. She was glad she couldn’t see the moving eyeballs that were visible when Lucious used his ability to see the energies that the naked eye couldn’t pick up.

  “Malachi, can you hear me?” she whispered.

  She heard his voice in her mind, “I’m here. Are you well?”

  “Arthemis drained a lot of my blood. I won’t be getting out of here any time soon,” she thought back to him.

  “He also had the mirrors in the Council building removed. I cannot create a portal to get you out.”

  Helena cursed under her breath. “Is there anything else we could do? If he doesn’t let Hans and Perri go tomorrow, he may try to use them as bargaining chips. I can’t let that happen.”

  “You care too much about your friends and too little about yourself. It may be a good time to start thinking of—”

  She cut him off. “I am not going to run away and leave them behind. And, so far, the vampires here are treating me well.”

  “I would imagine that means you are needed for something, or Arthemis is still hung up on the idea of protecting his mother.”

  “Even after she locked him up for so long?”

  “He is immortal. His train of thought is different to yours,” he replied.

  Helena sat in the armchair and looked at the dancing shadows on the wall that the trees outside created with their branches. She had to find out more about Arthemis’ plans and how he was going to execute them. To do that, she needed his trust. “Were Maya and Ben able to find a new hideout nearby?”

  “No. The vampires have tightened their security and increased the number of rotations they do on the streets. They are hoping to find something suitable by tomorrow.”

  It made sense. Arthemis didn’t seem like someone who would allow for an external force to eliminate him. The only possible solution left was if she somehow managed to bring him down. But, without Lilia helping her, she was in a bind. She didn’t know any powerful spells or had brought any weapons with her that could be used to kill an ancient vampire. And since killing Arthemis would eradicate the other vampires, she couldn’t hurt him.

  “When you see them, tell them I’m fine and that I’ll contact you with more information when I have something.” She severed the mind-link connection. Letting the demon bracelet take some of her life force may have been a mistake. She was even more tired now than she was before. Getting back in bed, she closed her eyes and let sleep take over. She needed every bit of strength she could muster to spend the day with Arthemis tomorrow.

  ARTHEMIS

  Arthemis took a seat at the desk in his office and looked at Ealdraed and Laclia who had followed him into the room.

  “Do you have something to report?” Arthemis asked, reclining in his leather chair.

  Ealdraed took a step forward. “The hounds have turned nearly fifty vampires so far.”

  Arthemis raised his hand, halting Ealdraed’s speech. “Only fifty? With such a large population of humans, I would have thought they would turn at least a thousand.”

  “We are trying to keep the humans from realising what is going on,” Laclia interjected.

  “That is not good enough,” Arthemis countered. “Our presence once instilled terror in the mortals. Your covert actions are not producing the results we need to restore our race.”

  Ealdraed stopped his sister from adding anything by placing his hand on her shoulder. “I told you that humans have the power to wipe us out. One wrong move, and we will not see the day when our forces outnumber theirs.”

  “With so many gifts my blood has given you, you believe we are less powerful? An army of one thousand strong vampires could level this world to the ground in the past!” Arthemis slammed his fist against the desk, splintering the old polished oak.

  “There are not enough vampires to oversee everything. We are short on men to keep the newborn vampires in check and pick humans off of the streets,” Laclia added. “Please, Father, see reason and give us time.”

  “You have two weeks to build me an army, children. Orion will not wait long to strike first. And without my true body, I am no more powerful than a demon.”

  Laclia bowed her head. “We will do what we can.”

  Arthemis dismissed her after asking Ealdraed to stay. Tapping his fingers on the desk, he asked, “What do mortal women enjoy?”

  “Why do you ask me this?” Ealdraed observed his creator’s face, and his brows drew together. “Are you planning on doing something to that girl?”

  “It was a simple question. You have experience of being loved by a woman, based on the memories you had of the witch from a thousand years ago.”

  “We all loved Lera. She had kept us together in the fight against the gods but that was a long time ago. Women of today are not the same,” Ealdraed explained.

  Arthemis grimaced. “I cannot believe you shared a woman with three lesser creatures. A dragon-shifter, a Nephilim, and a half-demon at that!”

  “They are my brothers in arms!” Ealdraed retaliated.

  “So they exist today? Would they fight for me?”

  Ealdraed straightened his posture and shook his head. “They are scattered around the world and are waiting for Lera’s awakening. Vampire politics are of no interest to them.”

  “A pity. We could have used them. Your memories have proved to me that they were strong warriors.”

  “Leave them out of our business. For now, tell me why it is you wish to know about women. You cannot be serious in pursuing Helena. She is Lucious’ lover. I hope you haven’t forgotten that Lucious is your pillar and now my blood-brother as well.”

  “I have not forgotten, yet a desire to possess her remains. I believe these feelings are Lucious’. He had not completely given up control of his body. I often feel him stirring at the back of my mind as he tries to break the chains I have bound him with.”

  Ealdraed was thoughtful for a minute. “Then all the more reason to avoid engaging his woman.”

  Arthemis growled at his son. “What’s yours is mine, Ealdraed. I have given my children immortality. What I ask for in return are your obedience and respect.”

  “I did not ask you to change me! I was happy living the life of a father, a son, and a brother to my siblings. You took that away from me! You forced me to kill everyone I loved to prove that my sacred ability was real.” Ealdraed�
��s energy levels spiked and his hands erupted with golden fire. “I have not forgotten the truth.”

  “You have become a part of something greater—a part of me,” Arthemis said in a calming voice. “I gave you a new life and a new family to defend. What more do you require?”

  “My old life back!”

  In a blink of an eye, Arthemis held up Ealdraed by the throat. He slammed his son’s back against the nearby wall hard enough to make the artwork fall from its hooks. “You are ungrateful like your brother who is rotting away in the dungeon below us. I did what I had to do to protect my mother. She was the reason I fought hard to become stronger.” His hand tightened on Ealdraed’s throat. “You cannot understand the grief and betrayal I felt when she locked me away in that tomb. My own children conspired to have me entrapped when I gave them nothing but power.”

  “Runa and…Hartwin were right…to do so,” Ealdraed said between gasps.

  Arthemis threw him across the room. His blood boiled in his veins as he recalled the treachery his loved ones had committed.

  “What is going on?” Laclia asked, bursting into the office.

  “Bind him with silver and lock him in the dungeon,” Arthemis ordered. He adjusted the sleeves of his shirt while his daughter stared at him, unmoving.

  “But Father, he is—”

  “Ready to betray me at a moment’s notice.” Narrowing his eyes on Laclia, he asked, “Will you defy me also?”

  She bit her lip and shook her head.

  “Good. Call Bion and secure this rebellious son of mine.”

  Ealdraed brushed the dust off of his shoulders. “You will run out of children before they learn to love you.”

  “I do not need love,” Arthemis snarled at him. “I need obedience from you!”

  “Is that what you’re planning to do with Helena? Will you chain her up if she disagrees with your goals?” Ealdraed shot back. “And what if Lilia awakens? Will you hurt your mother and break your promise to her?”

  “Kneel,” Arthemis threw a command at his son, forcing his limbs to move automatically.

  “You cannot control a person’s heart,” Ealdraed continued begrudgingly. “The world has changed, and you must change with it to survive.”

  Arthemis indicated for Laclia to find Bion. When he and his son were alone, he replied, “You are mistaken. I will be the one to reshape this world.”

  “The humans won’t stand for it.”

  “They will fall in line!”

  Lowering his head, Ealdraed muttered under his breath, “It was a mistake to awaken you…”

  Arthemis’ energy burst through his mental shields. He stormed over to his son and punched him hard enough to break his nose. The satisfying crack of the cartilage made him smile. “Since I need you to maintain my power, I will not kill you.” His expression darkened as Ealdraed lifted his head to meet his cold gaze. “A century in isolation shall do you good.”

  “I am not afraid of your punishments.”

  “Then you are a fool, my son.”

  19

  DINNER DATE

  HELENA

  M ost of the day, Helena spent in bed. Her limbs were too weak to support her and the light-headedness didn’t want to leave her. She had asked Hans to sneak some of his blood into her tea, so she could recover sooner. It would be days still before she could run around.

  Seven o’clock came and a knock on her door sounded.

  “Come in,” she called, sitting in her armchair. She was wearing a mini lilac satin cocktail dress with dark purple tulle material around the skirt. Her legs were exposed and the blue pumps she had on would definitely hurt her ankles later. That is if she doesn’t fall down the stairs in them and breaks her neck.

  Arthemis entered the room in a pristine black suit with an undone top two buttons. Her breath caught in her throat. On the outside, he looked like Lucious. Every time she saw him, her mind reminded her that this was not the man she was in love with. Her traitorous body, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care. She remained attracted to him and his gorgeous appearance.

  “I have come to fetch you for our meal,” he said with a broad smile.

  Helena stood up, wobbling slightly on her heels while she tried to find her balance. In an instant, he was at her side, offering her his arm. Gingerly, she looped her arm through his and held on.

  “You look beautiful this evening,” he said, looking at her.

  Helena avoided his gaze. She didn’t want to feel attracted to someone who wore her boyfriend’s mask. “Thanks. I would have preferred to wear something comfortable to dinner. This way, I feel too exposed.”

  He brushed the curve of her neck with his chilled fingers. His eyes stared at her jugular with what seemed to be an insatiable hunger that made her nervous.

  She pointed at the door, saying, “We should get going.”

  “We should, indeed,” he replied.

  Helena frowned. He was beginning to utilise words Lucious often used and his accent was almost British. The previous night she was certain he was a completely different person.

  Was he trying to become Lucious? That thought terrified her. She couldn’t let that happen. Where was Lilia when she needed her annoying voice in her head?

  They made their way downstairs. He helped her get down the last steps by holding on to her waist. She had to fight the urge to slap his hand away. Did sleeping in a tomb for God-knows-how-long make him desperate for female companionship? She wasn’t planning on reliving the nightmare she had suffered at Andreaz’s mansion. Being a woman in his harem for more than a few days nearly killed her. Not only that, the memories of that time made her nauseated. She lost her appetite by the time they arrived in the large dining room with the Council’s hounds standing at the exits like guard dogs. She spied the other Royal vampires at the table, all except for Hartwin and Ealdraed. Their solemn faces didn’t bring her any illusion that this meal was going to be a blast.

  Arthemis guided her to a seat next to the head of the table which he took for himself. He said to his children, “Introduce yourselves to my mother’s vessel. Laclia, you start.”

  The blonde woman next to Helena wiped her plump lips with a cotton serviette, leaving drops of blood behind on the perfectly white material. She dropped it on the table and produced a fake smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I am Laclia, Seer of the Future and a bitch if I dislike you. Try not to get on my nerves.”

  “Laclia!” Arthemis’ voice boomed throughout the room. “Show your respect to the fate.”

  “Isn’t the fate the one inside of her? This is a mere human soul who is as lost and confused as she looks,” Laclia retorted.

  Is she always this catty?

  Arthemis’ eyes started to glow red, and a man across from Helena who she recognised as Cenric spoke up with a French accent. “Father, pay her no heed. She is upset because you have imprisoned Ealdraed.”

  “What happened to him?” Helena asked, looking between the sullen faces of the Royals.

  “He disobeyed me,” Arthemis said, narrowing his eyes on Laclia. “Are you planning on doing the same?”

  “No,” the blonde mumbled.

  “Good. Next.” Arthemis pointed to Cenric who winked at Helena.

  “I am Cenric, third son of Arthemis and Seer of the Mind. If you haven’t guessed it, I can read your every thought. And no, Laclia is this catty only when she is unhappy.”

  Helena blushed. “I didn’t mean to—”

  “You cannot help tes pensées. I will keep them to myself,” he added with another charming smile. His dark fringe fell over his aquamarine eyes as he rested his arm on the back seat of the large dark-skinned man next to him. “Bion, your turn. We all know you’re quite the talker.”

  The other Royals chuckled, but Helena didn’t get the joke.

  Bion lowered his head, hiding the scars on his face. He had to be over seven-feet-tall since his frame was massive compared to everyone else’s. With his brown eyes on her, he said in a gravelly
voice, “Bion.”

  Helena waited for him to add something else, and he didn’t. He expectably looked at Kallias across the table from him.

  Kallias laughed and waved to Helena. “We’ve already met. She knows me, my name, possibly my underwear size, too.”

  Helena cringed. He was as foul as ever.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, sire,” Laclia started saying, “why is she dining with us? Lilia always had dinner in her separate quarters. She never mingled.”

  “I want Mother and Helena to see that we are not bad people. We are trying to restore balance to this world. Balance that had been lost when Mother locked me away,” Arthemis said, picking up a wine glass with blood in it. He took a sip and grunted in discontent. “Is this human blood?”

  “Yes, Father,” Cenric replied.

  Arthemis turned the glass upside down, pouring the contents onto the white linen. “I do not drink human blood.” He pointed at the hound who was closest to him. “Come here.”

  The hound rushed to Arthemis’ side with a perplexed expression. “Yes, Master Arthemis?”

  “Give me your wrist,” Arthemis ordered.

  The dark-haired man obeyed, producing his exposed wrist. Arthemis wrapped his fingers around it and looked at Helena. “Watch me and do not divert your gaze.”

  Her brows drew together. He bit into the hound’s arm, and her stomach twisted. There was no way she was going to eat anything after seeing him drinking a vampire’s blood. His intense eyes bore into her. Uncomfortable was not even close to describing how she felt. She wanted to teleport out of there. A nagging feeling told her that if she couldn’t, eventually, she would be his main dish.

  When he had his fill, and the hound swayed on his feet, Arthemis said, “Bring our guest some human food. What would you like?”

  “I’ll have some water instead,” Helena said.

  “Nonsense.” Arthemis waved to the hounds who were guarding the door to what appeared to be the kitchen. “Bring in the grilled sea bass. Mother used to love fish.”

  “I’m not Lilia,” Helena corrected him. Was he thinking of me as his mother or as a woman? She was getting mixed signals and both options disturbed her.