Deadly Beasts (The Curse of the Rose Book 1)

by T. M. Watkins

“I have reported her, calm my friend.” William's free hand went up in an effort to placate the annoyed vampire. “But in doing so, it offered Mary insight into her true nature. The witch used a memory chant upon her to erase me from Mary's mind. In the room where I keep the memory pool, Mary filled it with the nature of her heart. Delicate and beautiful, pure goodness wrapped in a steely exterior of thorns.”

  “Did you know at the hospital William?” Augustus frowned at him. “Did you see the child before you and know what she truly was?”

  “No.” He shook his head sadly. “The evil of her past had cloaked her true nature, all I could see was a lost and dying human.”

  “Fool!” Augustus snapped. “Your wallowing for that harpy has almost cost her life. What would the fae do if one of their own died so needlessly?”

  I frowned at Augustus, wondering what the hell he just said. But it was nothing compared to what he called William's late wife. A harpy. Wow, clearly she wasn't liked by more than just Marty and Nick, which made me wonder what William saw in her. His hand slipped from mine, in a blur of movement he was across the small space with his hand wrapped around Augustus' neck.

  “Say that again and I will have you chained to a pole for the midday sun.”

  The growl in his voice could be mistaken for the beast from the alley, it was so similar it sent a shiver up my spine. Hezekiah stood to his feet, urging William back beside me.

  “Calm down lad, I'm sure Augustus meant no harm.” His attention turned back to Augustus. “If you were half the seer that you claim to be Augustus, you could clearly tell that she is only half fae. Surviving an infection born from a lycan attack, we all know that there isn't a human alive that can withstand the bacteria. We can all see the darkness of Mary's life, the glimmer of immortality is but a speck among the inkiness of her soul. For any dark being to see her true nature, the darkness has to be lifted. And as for what happened at the hospital...” He shrugged casually. “The cloak of darkness over Mary would have been far too great for William to see that she was more than a mere mortal, I know that our friend would not have let her lay there in the foolish care of the human health system if he truly knew what she was.”

  Hezekiah paced the room, slowly making his way to the fire place. He leaned on it and pondered his thoughts as he looked at me.

  “Wouldn't you agree that she bares a striking resemblance to a certain fae warrior? It would certainly explain her bravery to stand before a lycan and not fear it. And as for the other side of her lineage well, I do believe there is a little bit of human there. Is it possible that the mighty warrior has fallen to the very being that they sought to hide from?” Hezekiah chuckled. “Gentlemen, do you remember when the great Alvarie went missing for a year?”

  They all nodded.

  “Is it possible that this is the reason?” He gestured to me. “Could it be that the beloved icon of the fae world found love in the human world and created a child?”

  I was stunned, I wanted to say something even though I knew I had to be quiet. Though I didn't know what I wanted to say or even if I was able to.

  “Are you mad Hezekiah?” Gabrielus questioned. “That's not even possible! There is no way that Alvarie would entertain such a thought.”

  “To us it would seem preposterous.” He grinned. “But this world is not for us to try and understand gentlemen, she is not completely human, we can all see that. It is obvious, is it not? The room of flowers and the land around here as been going up and down like a yo-yo. What does that say to you?”

  They nodded, I wished Hezekiah would elaborate.

  “The frailty of her humanity suggest that her one her of her parents had to be a human, that much is clear. As for the other side of her lineage and the possibility of it being Alvarie, there is only one way to tell. A blood sample would confirm it.”

  “You know the risks of it Hezekiah, they won't be happy.” William retorted.

  “'Tis true lad. There would be a reason that a half fae would be abandoned like that. Clearly the parents knew it was in her best interest to keep her a secret.”

  “She isn't a secret any more.” Augustus grumbled. “All of the lands are talking of the one who stood up and fought. They all know it isn't possible that a human could do it and now William tells us that a witch has come here. How many has she told in the time before she was dragged before her council? Even the most stupid of witches could pick a fae, darkness nor not. The clock is ticking friends, the fae world will soon know of the half cast child and search her out.” Augustus turned and looked at me, cold and full of smug attitude. “That is of course, if they don't already know.”

  Hezekiah muttered something as he stroked his beard, slowly making his way back to his seat. “Perplexing situation, I agree. If any fae were to approach, I think it would be best that we keep Mary's best interest in mind rather than keeping the peace with the fae. Maybe propose setting up talks to find out what they want, try stalling them for as long as possible.”

  “That could lead to a disastrous situation.” Elias thumped his fingers against the leather of the arm rest. “A smart fae will sniff our plans out and bide their time, wait for daylight and storm this place. If we order extra security they will think we are expecting war, if we do nothing it is foolish on our part. What do we do?”

  “Keep our ears to the ground lad, we are only speculating that they know. For all we know, the witch council may have dealt with her before she opened her mouth. We have patience and wait. It is unlikely that they will approach until after the lycan has been dealt with, they will know that it would be unwise to remove Mary whilst it is still roaming free.”

  His attention turned to William, a dark gaze watched him sharply. “But in the meantime, we should deal with a more important issue. Your wife, know this friend, if your wife were to return then you should turn her away. Your allegiance lies with Mary now. She is tied to you forever more and we will not sit by and let that woman come back into this world and destroy a light being. This is your only warning William, do not entertain thoughts of letting Carmella return. You should send word to the master of the after life and insist on her permanent placement in his care. This is not something that we are prepared to barter with you about. Carmella will not allow you to have a bond with a light being, you might love her and think the world of her but those in this room who knew her, knew what she was like. If you can not agree to our terms then we will be forced to take Mary away from you, claim or no claim we can not allow for the mistreatment of a light being.”

  William sighed heavily as his head bowed, his eyes closed.

  “Decide now William, do not let another minute pass before you tell this poor girl of her fate.”

  He lifted his head, his eyes filled with sadness, searching for some kind of resolution. This was it, this was where I would find out what I truly meant to him. But as the seconds ticked over, all I could think was he was taking too long to decide. Did the kiss mean nothing? Did I mean nothing? My heart was slowly crumbling into pieces as the clock ticked ever onward, taking any hope of a bright future away from me.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  William let out a pained sigh, one that broke my heart. His reluctance was cruel and if it weren't for this stupid claim business, I would have told him to stick it all up his arse.

  “Agreed as you have requested. I will send word to the master.”

  “Now would be ideal.” Elias gestured to the fireplace. “That way we won't have any unexpected visitors.”

  His hand slipped from mine again as he rose from the seat, striding to the fire place. My heart was racing, wondering what he was doing. At the left hand side of the fire place, he placed his hand and pushed on it. Left, always the left my mind whispered. The fire place swung on a pivot, turning side on. William stepped into the darkness, looking back at me sadly. He didn't want to refuse his wife's return but he had no choice. His sadness was marred by the flicker of anger, he was blaming me for this.

  As the stone f
ire place clunked shut, I quickly wiped the tears that had welled, not wanting to look like the blubbering fool that I felt like I was. I should have realised that I was just a distraction until his wife returned. The fire flickered back, burning brightly as a collective sigh was let out around the room. This was perplexing to say the least.

  “Well at least she won't be back.”

  “Hush up Elias!” Augustus snapped.

  Elias looked up at the ceiling with disdain then back to me with a glint in his eye. This was a vampire that clearly thought he was God's gift to women. It didn't help that he looked like it either. I was willing to put money on there being one incredibly sculpted body under that stuffy suit. His gaze twinkled from the light of the fire, the sultry smile never faltered.

  “She ain't gonna say nothing, are you darlin'?”

  “Elias, act your age!” Hezekiah grumbled. “And show some respect. You are in the presence of a light being, the likes of which this world hasn't seen in a millennium.”

  “I'd say longer considering she's a mixed breed.” Gabrielus muttered. “Do you know anything about the fae Mary? What of your past?”

  My mouth opened, my brain willed it to say something but I had nothing. I stared at Gabrielus, the man flicked the strands of his blonde fringe out of his hazel eyes, returning it to the arm rest.

  “Uh no, sorry. At least nothing that I thought could be real. You know, fairy tales for children.”

  They nodded, surprisingly the conversation was easy going and relaxed.

  “All they told me was that I was found on the steps of a church. I was named Mary for the mother of Jesus and Arnold for the priest who found me.”

  “And what of your husband?”

  I frowned at Gabrielus, wondering why he thought I was married.

  “You've given yourself to a man, why is he not here with you?”

  I shook my head, feeling sick at reliving this particular nightmare again. Instead of one vampire, I had four of them now. Telling me I was a tart because I was unwed and no longer a virgin. Why did they have to be so full of morals?

  “I have never given myself to a man.”

  Gabrielus opened his mouth, frowning at me angrily.

  “Gentlemen, I think it is pretty clear if you read the underlying message that Mary is giving us.” Hezekiah interrupted. “We understand Mary, you have not given yourself to anyone.”

  Thank the stars, a vampire with a brain.

  “Today's world is a different, we can no longer assume that the people of today will keep themselves for their husband or wife. And moreover it seems that it is a world where the weak and innocent are preyed upon by those...”

  Hezekiah looked at me, waiting for me to answer.

  “In a position of power.”

  He nodded solemnly. I looked around, Gabrielus was no longer looking angry at me, Elias looked forlorn and Augustus was straight-faced, lacking in emotion.

  “There is no issue any longer gentlemen, if we were to analyse the guidelines that we demand of our claimed humans or even the light and dark beings themselves, we could look to the word given. Mary has not given herself, it has been taken. In our eyes we should look upon her as still the innocent child that she is and when she takes her partner, then she shall truly give herself. Agreed?”

  They all nodded silently. Great, let's talk about me and sex. Bright red cheeks? Why yes, I do have them, thank you for asking.

  “Great, now that it has been dealt with, we shall move onward. You have not searched for your parents, why?”

  “They had nothing to go on, I asked the previous director before... him and they said that there hadn't been any births that had been recorded in any of the nearby hospitals. All they could suggest was that my mother must have had me out of a hospital and didn't want me.” I looked down at my fingers that were knotting themselves on my lap. “Dumped on the steps of a church in the middle of winter, I guess I could be grateful that I didn't become a frozen baby.”

  “No amount of cold could harm you, you are a light being.” Hezekiah offered.

  “With a human parent.” Augustus added.

  They all looked at each other, confusion was flicking from face to face.

  “Okay, so this is how we see it...” Hezekiah began. “You would have been placed on the steps of the church as a request for forgiveness. The fae had lived for a millennium hiding from the humans. To interact in such a way isn't frowned upon per se but it isn't exactly encouraged either. Once the fae learn of your existence they will come to meet you and decide your fate. They aren't a harsh being, their punishments are fair but to be a half cast child is something that they have not dealt with... ever.” He frowned as he looked to the other men. “Us five men, William included, we are the ones that decide the fate of the vampire world in a broad sense. We don't have any major rules merely guidelines with expectations. One of the guidelines is that we vow to protect those that are in need of it. Like William has done for you, we do for others as well. We do not know what to expect from the fae but rest assured that we will offer our protection so long as you need it. But I must know Mary, do you wish to meet your parents?”

  “They dumped me on the frozen steps of a church, Arnold said he slipped on the ice and hurt himself. They abandoned an innocent child and in turn made a man of the cloth hurt himself. I spent eighteen years in an orphanage, if they had come for me before I was fourteen, I wouldn't be living with the pain that I do right now. There is no excuse that would ever warrant forgiveness. So tell me, why would I want to meet them?”

  Augustus chuckled hard, I turned to him and saw one hell of a happy grin. “So cold and cruel my dear, you would make a worthy adversary if the world were different. With an attitude like that, no wonder the lycan emptied his bladder in the alley.”

  “Eww.” I crinkled my face. “Really?”

  He nodded with a devilish grin.

  “You know he was my boss, right?”

  “We do.” Hezekiah responded. “Now, is there anything that you would like to ask of us before William returns?”

  I laughed, how strange this was. All of the rules were thrown out the window, replaced with this, the complete opposite of what I was expecting. I could ask them pretty much anything I suppose.

  “How do you think I should react to his hesitation about me and his wife?”

  “Appalled.” Augustus chipped in. “If it were me, I'd be utterly appalled.”

  I nodded, he was right.

  “How do you feel about it Mary?”

  My lips pursed hard, trying not to quiver as I looked to Gabrielus. “Hurt. I don't know what to think any more. He claims me but he has hesitation in letting his wife go. I can't help but feel upset.”

  They all nodded as the glances darted around the room. This was the time, I knew I could get honest answers out of them. Sure Marty and Nick might tell me things but I would always wonder if they held things back out of favouritism for their leader.

  “You don't like his dead wife, why?” I turned my gaze over the men. “You, you answer.”

  Elias raised his eyebrow at me with a smutty grin.

  “Money and power was her goal in life, she never loved him. He turned a blind eye to her antics, knowing she was sizing up the next candidate. Not caring that she was readying to leave him for another vampire that supposedly had more money than he did, who was claiming that he was able to get onto the council of elders through his contacts.”

  “We were readying to insist upon a DNA test after the child was born, that is of course if it survived which we knew it wouldn't. We could see her for her true worth, even if he thought that she was a good woman, we had seen differently.” Augustus had a glimmer of wickedness in his eye as he looked at me. “We know she wasn't true to him.”

  Something clicked inside of me, thoughts of the severe dislike they had for her.

  “This master of the afterlife, can anyone request a person to be kept there?”

  “No, only a light or dark
being can access the master and in regards to permanent placement, only the next of kin can do that which in this case would be William. So don't be thinking that we've had anything to do with her delayed return.”

  The eyes of the men darted around at each other again, it was the cold and nasty one that always told the terrible truth.

  “She could have returned the next day if she asked, the fact that she has not returned for nearly forty years is a testament to her nature and her lack of affection for William.”

  My eyes widened at the statement, she had been gone for forty years. He's been wallowing in this house for that long.

  “She told him that his heart would always belong to her.”

  Augustus snorted as he shook his head.

  “Of course she would. One final blow to the man that adored the ground she walked on. Keep him forever bound to her even though she had no intention of returning to him.”

  The fire in the fireplace flickered. It was an odd flicker, one that seemed unnatural.

  “Quickly dear, anything else before he returns?” Hezekiah's eyes flashed with worry.

  “I've been having visions, supposedly of my future. Are they real?”

  “Without a doubt but they may be a warning. What are they of?”

  “Married and pregnant to him.”

  The four of them looked supremely at each other and then turned to me.

  “Well then all I can say is congratulations, don't forget to send the invitations to us.”

  “I'd say bummer for me.” Elias winked.

  Augustus shook his head again with a scoff.

  “You all forget that there still can be a warning even in the most pleasant of visions. His wife died in childbirth, remember that.”

  “She was human Augustus.” Gabrielus retorted. “We all know that vampire and human pregnancies never eventuate. He was foolish to allow it.”

  “Maybe he wanted her dead.” Augustus grinned darkly. “What better way to be free of the bitch then to let her proceed with a pregnancy that he knew would end in death?”

  The three men looked at him rather shocked. I would have too but all I could think was, could it be true? Could William be so cold as to allow it to happen?