Deadly Beasts (The Curse of the Rose Book 1)

by T. M. Watkins

  I gripped his hand and begged with my eyes as best as I could, it seemed that my words weren't working. He was doing his poker face thing again, staring at me blankly.

  “Her request is reasonable William.” Gabrielus chipped in. “I could understand her want for normality, being trapped inside of buildings with little hope of escape could become quite maddening. A meeting with each of the leaders or representatives is a grand idea, however I would suggest separately so as not to cause a fight. I couldn't imagine the fae and elves being too impressed at us for dragging them into the same room as each other. However, I must agree with William on this one Mary, I would not think it would be wise to allow you to be there. I know you must want to see an end to this but it would be foolish on our part to allow it.”

  An elder gent walked into the room, he donned a full tuxedo and held a small silver platter out to Hezekiah. He took the note and dismissed the fellow, opening the folded parchment. Hezekiah frowned at the note and passed it to Gabrielus.

  “The fae have opened the gate to this world and have started to enter into a field about five miles down the road. Surprising how they managed to get that right, wouldn't you agree?”

  The men nodded as Gabrielus huffed, tossing the note onto the table. “And they have sent a formal request to open negotiations. There is a list of demands if you are interested.”

  William quickly snatched the note off the table, grumbling at it, frowning and muttering all manner of nasty things under his breath.

  “What?” I whispered.

  His eyes looked up at me over the note, anger was raging through him. “They demand that you bring your mothers line back into order by mating with a fae warrior to be approved by them, they demand that you serve time in their army for one year as punishment for not disclosing your nature to them as soon as it became known and they demand that you cease all fraternisations with all vampires.”

  “And if I don't?”

  William sighed as he folded the note and tucked it into his pocket. “It is possible that they might try to forcibly remove you and give you no choice in their demands, they may throw you in jail for refusing,” He gulped. “Or they may kill you.”

  “But they can't get in here, right?”

  He shook his head but I couldn't help but think it was a lie. Would he lie to me to protect me? To let me think that I was safe for a brief moment?

  “How did they get this message here?” I frowned.

  “The message from them came via telegram however the notification from our source is always through Morse code.”

  Huh, now I wished I had learned it. I didn't think it was necessary, thinking it was an antiquated message system from the wars of yesteryear but I guess I was wrong.

  “I want to send them a message.”

  William looked at me with a frown, tilting his head back slightly as he weighed up the options. I looked around at the other elders, wondering if this was going to tip the scales. If he agreed would it be perceived as him weakening to my demand?

  Chapter Forty-seven

  Strangely, William was obliging in my request. I guess that it didn't make him appear weak in the eyes of the other elders. Since the discussion about my predicament had begun, he hadn't been the slightest bit happy or even mildly amused at anything that had been said. But for the first time tonight, he had a slight smile on his face. He had taken me to the communication room and had spoken briefly to the man behind the counter while I had been writing the message I wanted to send to the leader of the fae army. I stared at the blank piece of paper for some time, wondering how I could plead with them to walk away from me. Something dawned on me as I stared at the stark white of the paper. I looked up at William who was leaning on his side, resting against the counter.

  “Just a question, if I am no longer half fae, will they leave?”

  He frowned with a slight grin. “I have no idea, what are you thinking?”

  “Becoming a vampire completely. No more fae, no more elf. Just one hundred percent vampire.”

  William turned to the guy behind the counter who shrugged. “Worth a shot.” He mumbled. “Why don't you send a message to them telling them that?”

  I grinned and quickly scratched out the message.

  Greetings fae friends, Please note that the person you seek has become a vampire in an effort to end all issues you have with her. She is not interested in departing from her vampire love, her friends or her new found family. She is not interested in your demands for her to do time in your army nor take a fae lover to bring her mother's line back into order. She does not understand why you think that you need to come into her world and demand things of her instead of minding your own damned business. It is not her fault that she is a half cast and as such any demands made to her because of it are pointless in her opinion. If you want for her mother's line to be in order, then seek her out and demand that she take a fae lover. As much as it has been a delight in having you in our world, please return to your own, and with all due respect, don't let the door hit you on the arse on the way out. Love, Mary the vampire.

  William read the note with a smile of delight that I had never seen before. “Well if that doesn't piss them off then nothing will.” He passed it over to the guy. “Send it with haste my friend, I am eager to hear their response.”

  The guy nodded and took the note, William walked over and took my hand to lift me to my feet. “Send any correspondence to my quarters.”

  He guided me out of the dull room and into the darkened corridor, leading me back to our quarters. The meeting had finished for the evening, the other elders had decided that they were rather hungry. I was hungry too and I had hoped that there might be a feed somewhere for me but William seemed to have his mind elsewhere. Our walk to our room was slow, it was languid and unusual for William.

  “Okay, out with it.”

  “What?” He grinned.

  I rolled my eyes and stopped, looking at him with my hands on my hips. “Something is going through your mind, so tell me.”

  “Hmm, maybe I could lock myself in the bathroom to try and hide from you. Bottle everything up and make you try to drag it out from me, all the while being painfully and annoyingly difficult. How does that sound?”

  I huffed and started to walk again, hearing the pounding noise from the grand oak room that vibrated through the walls. He caught up with me, his grip was soft on my shoulder as he stopped me, turning me around.

  “Would you really become a vampire to stop them?”

  There was an 'or' lingering, unspoken but it was there. Or what though? Something hit me, something that seemed a little too profound for this hour of the night. Or become a vampire for me. I grinned, liking how I could figure him out.

  “I'd prefer to become a vampire so that I could be with my love, a grand gesture to him to show my undying love for him. To thank him for the effort he has gone to, to look after me in my hour of need.”

  “Hours.” He grinned.

  “Days and weeks.” I grinned back.

  He grinned with an amused chuckle, wrapping his arms around me. “So if I said that it was entirely possible that it could happen and it could happen right now if you wanted?”

  “Then I'd say, lead the way.”

  The sounds of a puffed vampire calling out to William echoed through the corridor. As he drew closer, I could see it was the guy from the communication room.

  “Forgive me Master Lancaster but you weren't answering your phone.”

  “Because we aren't that fast on our feet.” He mumbled a little annoyed.

  I frowned at William, he scoffed and rolled his eyes. His grumpy persona was getting old, the poor fellow just wanted to explain why he was calling out to him in such a way.

  “How can I help?”

  “The fae sent a response almost immediately.”

  He was wary as he held out the note, waiting for it to be snatched with anger. William's eyes darted to mine and his hardened exterior was let down as he ca
lmly turned his attention back to the fellow and took the note. No anger, no nastiness. He read the note and then looked at me, a soft smile slipped across his face.

  “Send word to Dimitri that I must speak with him at once.”

  The fellow nodded and scurried away into the darkness of the corridor.

  “What's going on?”

  “It would appear that your threat of becoming a vampire has caused a shift in their stance on you. I'd say mission accomplished my love, well done.”

  He grinned and took my hand, leading me past the stairs that I knew we had to take. Instead he moved us closer to the masters meeting room.

  “William, why are we going in here?”

  “Because this is where Dimitri will expect us to be. I do remember asking the fellow to send for him.”

  The guard opened the door with a pleasant nod and closed it when we passed, encasing us into the room that held mixed emotions for me. William ignored the sneer on my face as I looked at the corridor, instead pulling me into the meeting room.

  “Please just tell me what is going on?”

  I sighed as I flopped onto the lounge.

  “They asked that you refrain from becoming a vampire until they plead their case. They have requested that a representative come here and speak with you in person.”

  “And you're willing to allow this?”

  William settled onto the lounge beside me, taking my hands into his. “These are your people Mary, as much as I love the thought that you would become a vampire for me, I know it would be wrong to be so selfish. You are half nornaya which means that so long as you are with me, you will always have vampire tendencies.”

  His fingers caressed my jaw, smiling at me in a way that could melt me into the lounge. “This is the person that I adore, the person that you are. You do not need to change.”

  “Master Lancaster, you wished to speak with me?”

  William turned to the doorway, Dimitri was slowly making his way into the room.

  “Yes, thank you for coming so quickly.”

  The old man nodded with a wily smile, sitting onto the lounge opposite us.

  “The fae have requested to send a representative to speak with Mary. I propose that upon inspection and removal of all weapons, this representative be granted a short meeting.”

  He gently tugged on his wiry white beard as he narrowed his eyes at William. “Master Lancaster I believe you are withholding information from me, who is it that is truly seeking an audience with this girl?”

  William sucked in a deep breath as he momentarily closed his eyes. Turning to me as they reopened, he smiled softly.

  “Her mother.”

  Chapter Forty-eight

  Please do not turn. We seek an audience to plead with you. To meet you. To tell you of why things happened the way they did. Please agree to the meeting. It will be just me and I will lay down arms. Alvarie.

  I had read the note over and over again, wondering why all of a sudden she wanted to be a part of my life. Why I wasn't worth it in the last nineteen years. Dimitri and William had quickly discussed the pros and cons of allowing Alvarie into the keep. They agreed that it was possible that it could cause issues however Dimitri would take his little battalion and meet with her above ground, ensure that she would lay down arms as she offered and escort her directly to this room. It was a risk but they both agreed that it was one worth taking. So now I was sitting on the lounge with a hammering heart, my hands were shaking and I was quietly freaking out. I was about to meet my mother.

  Half an hour had passed, I had been to the bathroom several times. Not just to throw up but to ensure that I didn't lose all bodily functions in front of her. I don’t know why I was freaking out, I don't know why I thought I had to go to the bathroom five times in the time that had passed but that's what was going on. William was by the main doors, talking to the guard as I paced the floor in between my dashes to the bathroom. He wandered over to me, gripping me by my shoulders in an effort to stop my pacing.

  “Relax before you wear a hole into the floorboards.”

  The door opened to the sound of marching, the personal escort had arrived. Dimitri entered first as the thumping of feet stopped in the corridor.

  “Master Lancaster, Miss Arnold, your guest has arrived. I shall leave you with my men to ensure your safety.”

  “Thank you Dimitri.”

  The old man nodded and hobbled out of the room. Slowly I began to edge my way closer to William as the army escort filed into the room. By the time that the thunderous sound of their feet had stopped and the door closed, I had made my way behind him completely.

  “Welcome.”

  “Thank you Master Lancaster.”

  Her voice was soft and sweet, it pulled at me with unknown feelings.

  “William is fine.”

  “Of course. I wasn't aware that it would be just you and I for the meeting.”

  William sighed and took a step to the side, exposing me to the row of Dimitri's men and one beautiful woman. I looked at her and it was like I was looking into a mirror. The same brilliant blue eyes, the same brown hair. Alvarie was more built, the warrior in her had created some serious definition but she was still perfectly feminine. I had never felt so awkward in my entire life, I was standing before a woman that I knew was my mother, there was no question about it but I couldn't speak. In fact, I wanted to go diving for the nearest sink to throw my guts up again.

  “Maybe we should sit and relax for a moment.” William offered.

  Alvarie smiled and moved to the nearest chair. She moved with ease, folding into the chair with elegance and sophistication. William nearly had to push me into the nearest chair, it felt like I was rooted to the floor.

  “I came here in the hope that I could persuade you not become a vampire. It's not that I hold any grudges against their kind but I fear that you might be misguided in your future. We sent the message as a way of starting the negotiations, you know... start with the extreme and test the waters. It was never expected that you would go to the extreme as well, refusing to entertain any negotiations and becoming a vampire.”

  “So what do you propose then?” William asked knowing that it was unlikely that I was able to speak.

  He was probably right. She smiled gently, her eyes were worried as she looked from William to me.

  “I'd like to get to know Eliria.”

  “Who?” He frowned.

  Alvarie pointed to me, I could feel the blood draining from my face.

  “What name did Caylin and Andros give you if you don't go by that name?”

  I frowned at her, unable to understand the words coming from her mouth.

  “Sorry,” I finally spoke. “But I have no idea what you are talking about.”

  “Caylin and Andros, the people I left you with.” She was frowning just as much as me now. “You were raised by them, right?”

  I shook my head slowly, feeling the world crumbling around me. She hadn't dumped me, she had left me in someone's care.

  “I don't understand.” Her eyes glistened as the tears slowly formed. “Who raised you if they didn't?”

  I cleared my throat, readying to tell my mother what I knew she wasn't going to want to hear. Clearly she has been betrayed by these people.

  “I was dumped on the steps of a church, hours old. The priest found me and when no one came to claim me I was put into an orphanage. It was the priest that named me Mary.”

  “And you were adopted?”

  Again, I shook my head. Desperation filled her as she moved to the edge of her seat, gripping the arm rest.

  “Have you had a good life?”

  Before I knew it, tears had tripped out of my eyes. I didn't need to speak words for her, she could tell by my sad silence that it had been far from a good life. Her face contorted as she struggled to maintain composure. The pressure on her fingers had caused them to go white as she dug them into the leather, anger filling her pretty face. She drew in a deep breath as she clo
sed her eyes, sliding back into her chair. A few moments had passed before she reopened them, a calmer woman in place.

  “Your name, the name that your father and I chose for you is Eliria. You were placed into the care of people who I thought I could trust to raise you with their newborn son. They agreed that they would pass the two of you off as twins and I paid a hefty sum of money to them to ensure a good life for you. In fact I have continued to pay money to them to keep you happy and well fed. I told them that I wanted you to have a good life and want for nothing and that the money I sent to them was to be used for you. All of my anger towards them pales by comparison to your sorrow at the life you have led, I am sure. There isn't much that I can offer you, just that I will now direct the money to you and not them and when I leave here I will find them and I will make them suffer.”

  She grinned a wicked smile as her fingers tapped the arm rest. “Unless of course, you would like to help. I would find the time with you most interesting, to see how much of my people flows through you even though you have lived with humans. What do you say Eliria, do you want to exact revenge on the people that caused your heartache?”

  “Shit yeah.” I grinned.

  Her eyes widened with delight at the thought of a mother daughter bonding session. Maybe a mother daughter blood bath. William cleared his throat, looking at me with his usual pensive gaze.

  “You forget that there is someone out there that is after you. All little murder fests are on hold until it is dealt with.”

  The wicked grin dropped from my mother's face as she looked at William. “What is this you speak of vampire?” She snapped. “Who is after her?”

  “An unknown entity. She came to my care after a lycan attacked her, since then she has been attacked by a witch, abducted by men who posed as fae royalty and of course, we've had the fae mercenary who had been standing at my fence for days. He managed to actually kill her with a dremalian spike and overdosed the chemical. It's lucky that death didn't want her, otherwise she wouldn't be here. So really, I guess you could take your pick on who or what it might be.”