by Maya Daniels
“What’s going on?” The door was barely closed before he turned to his friend.
“Take a seat.” Pointing at the leather sofa, Claude walked to the bar in the corner, where he filled up a glass of scotch mixed with vampire blood.
Humans still believed stupid stories that vampires lurked in the night searching to find one of them and suck them dry – or – that they were not real. It was laughable to hear, but it allowed them to live by themselves without having to deal with paranoia or righteous assholes wanting to play heroes. Life would’ve been much easier if they could feed on humans, but they couldn’t. They needed the blood of an immortal to survive. So they manipulated, tricked and even abused and killed their own to keep breathing. Raphael knew this first-hand. Acid burned his throat and he pushed those thought away, as well. This was why he stayed away and hated being amongst his kind. Those fucking memories and thoughts that would make him want to end it once and for all.
Reluctantly Raphael perched on the edge of the sofa, unable to sit and relax but unwilling to anger Claude more than he already had. Shaking his head at the bottle Claude was pointing his way, he tried to stay calm. The longer his king stayed quiet, the worse the news was going to be. He knew it as well as he knew his own name. Gulping down one glass, Claude refilled it again before coming to sit opposite Raphael.
“Philip is dead.”
Everything around Raphael stopped like he’d been suspended in time and space. Claude’s words echoed in his head on repeat, and he found himself unable to even blink.
“Did you hear me?” Anger colored Claude’s words as he leaned towards Rafael from his end of the sofa, glaring.
“He’s dead.” Raphael’s words sounded hollow, even to himself. He tried to remember when was the last time he had seen or even heard from his friends. The six of them made a pact long time ago to not stand in each other’s way when Raphael decided he had had enough and was taking control over his life and his sanity. In his solitude, Raphael had lost contact with all of them.
“Yes,” Claude nodded his head a few times as if satisfied that he was heard. “Also, Valeria, Boris and Darian. All of them are dead.”
“This is not a time to play games, Claude. If you have killed them, you and I, we have a big problem!” Jumping from his perch on the sofa, Raphael loomed over Claude while clenching his fists so he didn’t grab the fucker by his neck and strangle him.
“Why would I kill them? We had a pact, we were all sticking to it! Do I look like a fool to you?” Standing up as well, Claude faced Raphael with as angry an expression as ever.
“Who was it?” The words were barely a whisper, but there was no mistaking the promise of death in Raphael’s voice.
“If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.” Lifting a hand to stop Raphael’s argument, Claude walked over towards his desk. “But I’’m going to show you anyway. I couldn’t find any clue about who was behind it until now. I’m still trying to get over the shock myself.”
Walking over to the wall, Claude moved the painting and started unlocking the safe behind it. Raphael found himself unable to move, so only his eyes tracked Claude’s movements. After rummaging through it, Claude slowly turned around, gingerly holding something in both hands as though it were some ceremonial athame. At first, Raphael couldn’t comprehend what it was that he was looking at. Then he realized what it was, his brain was just in denial.
“Is that…” his words trailed off.
“We found it in Philip’s hand. When he didn’t show up last night, I sent out a search party since I knew he was on his way. We found him in the woods not far from here.” Claude jerked his hands in Raphael’s direction as if asking him to take the object.
“That’s impossible!” Raphael shook his head as if trying to clear it.
“Oh, it is possible, I assure you. And they’re picking us off like ripe cherries, one by one!”
Slowly lifting his hand, Raphael’s fingers wrapped around the arrow in Claude’s hands. Taking hold of it, he brought it closer to his face, unable to stop himself from admiring the intricate designs on it that still had a faint glow. A mild shock passed to his hand from it, giving him goosebumps from head to toe. With an astonished look, he tried to comprehend that what he held in his hand was an object out of fairytales, a myth, as far as he knew. His fist tightened around it as he swallowed hard, thinking about what his friends might have been feeling in those last moments. Now he only had one friend left in this world. All the others were dead while he hid between four walls wallowing in his misery. Humans would sell their souls for immortality while he despised it. His chest tightened with a mixture of grief and anger.
“The Dark Fae are back, after so many centuries. I’ve only heard stories about this.” The words barely pass his barely-moving lips as his eyes lifted from the arrow and locked with Claude’s. “The Wild Hunt is coming…” The pregnant silence stretched between them as they stood there, considering the implications this brought with it.
The insistent knocking on the door made Artemis groan and bury her head in her pillow. If whoever was standing at her door didn’t walk away soon, they’d regret it. She wasn’t a grumpy person, just exhausted. Passing through the portal to the human realm undetected took its toll on her because she had to do it in her shifted form. Four nights in a row she went back and forth with no one wiser about her exploration. Well, no one but the dead bloodsuckers, but they can’t tell now, can they? her mind supplied as her ego chuckled. That was how she decided that to call her visits ‘explorations.’ If she just happened to find a wandering vampire, unintentionally, of course, it was through no fault of her own. She was just clearing the path sooner than expected, that was all. Just as her body relaxed again with the silence, her door banged open, making her jump from the bed in one motion.
“Oh, you’re awake!” Fern roamed his crystal-blue eyes over her naked body, making her want to slap him in the face.
“You have exactly one blink of an eye to tell me why you’re in my room before I separate your head from your body.” Undisturbed by her nakedness, Artemis placed her hands on her hips.
Fern has been trying for a very long time to get into her bed, so it came as no surprise that it took him long moments of looking at her with hungry eyes before he answered. He was a very handsome male, with his black hair falling straight over his broad shoulders and his blue eyes standing out stark against his caramel complexion. Many of the others would’ve jumped at the opportunity to have his perfect body tangled with theirs, but not Artemis. Her nature didn’t allow her to do what the rest of them did. It was in who she was as Fae that a male would have to physically prove he was stronger or more cunning then her before she would let him inside her body. Even if she liked him, and she did find Fern pleasing to the eye, unless he proved he was stronger than her, there will be nothing between them. Not even for the night. It made for a lonely existence, but she couldn’t go against her nature.
“The king wants to see you.” Fern didn’t even look at her eyes while talking; he was too busy trying not to let his eyes linger on her. “He didn’t look very pleased when he sent me to get you.”
Keeping her face expressionless while her mind started whirling with all the reasons Lazarus could find to be displeased with her, Artemis moved around the room, picking her clothes up. She’d dropped them haphazardly on the floor when she got back the night before, not caring about anything but her bed.
“Did he say why?” Shoving her legs into her pants, she wiggled her hips to pull the tight fabric up. A smirk pulled at her lips when Fern’s eyes stayed glued to her hips while he shook his head to indicate he had no idea.
“Let’s go then. Lead the way.” Pulling the boots on to her feet, she snatched the corset and started walking out.
“Wait!” Fern grabbed her shoulder, and before he could blink, his back hit the floor hard and Artemis was kneeling on his chest, snarling at him.
“Don’t touch me, Fern! I have told you that, many ti
mes. Next time you do it will be your last!”
“I didn’t mean anything by it.” Fern groaned, yet his eyes kept flicking from her face to her breasts. “There are so many of my kind milling outside in the halls and the tension is almost palpable in the air. Something is going on, I just don’t know what yet. I didn’t think you’ll want to be anything but battle-ready when you walk out.”
“You know that would’ve sounded more convincing if you could look me in the eyes, right?” Pushing off of his chest and making him groan louder, Artemis got to her feet.
Pulling the corset over her chest, she pulled her long violet hair into a ponytail as she walked through her door. She could hear Fern’s footsteps behind her as he caught up with her. Keeping her head straight and not looking at anyone else, she headed right for the king’s office. As she was about to take a left turn towards it, Fern stopped her in her tracks.
“He’s in the formal reception hall.” At his words, Artemis looked at him over her shoulder, her violet eyes sparkling with anger. There was no mistaking the worry in his voice. “He asked for you to see him there.” Fern finished by indicating with his arm that she should descend the winding stairway to the ground floor of the palace.
Turning around, she walked with head held high and squared shoulders, her hips swaying seductively. She could feel their eyes on her, their whispers behind her back, but she ignored them all. Artemis concentrated on staying calm so she could deal with Lazarus. He knew how to push her buttons and get a reaction better than anyone else she knew. Her hand twitched from the desire to have her bow in it, but it would be considered an insult to Lazarus to show up armed when she was summoned. Clenching her fist at her side, she entered the formal hall and was very proud of herself for not breaking her stride or flinching when she saw what waited for her there.
Lazarus was sitting on his throne in all his half-naked glory. Loose black pants made of the finest silk were covering his lower body, while his chest was bare and his black wings were spread on either side behind him. Unnervingly, his emerald eyes were tracking her every movement as though he’d known the exact moment she would walk through the doors. His beautiful face was expressionless, giving him an almost statue-like appearance. There were others present, but Artemis was a hunter. She knew who the biggest threat was, and all of her focus was on him. She ignored everyone else, at least for the moment.
“You sent for me.” Dropping on one knee as she reached the throne, Artemis bowed her head slightly “…my king,” she added as an afterthought.
“No need to bow to me, my daughter. Stand up!” Lazarus’s deep voice sounded kind and oh, so very fake. “You disobey my orders but bow to me.” His look was so intent that Artemis had no doubt that if he could, he would have burned her to ashes with his eyes.
“I haven’t disobeyed anything.” Standing up, she lifted her chin defiantly at him.
“I see.” Nodding, Lazarus turned his head slightly to look at Fern over her shoulder. Artemis’s heart jumped to her throat and dropped to her feet in the same moment. “Did you bring what I asked?”
She watched Fern brush past her as he walked up to the throne and handed her bow and arrows to Lazarus. How she hadn’t seen him carrying it was beyond her. A frown pulled at her face when she saw it. Her weapon was connected to her, it was part of her. What in the worlds were they planning to do with it? Fern walked back to stand one step behind her, but not before sending her an apologetic glance that she responded to with a glare. She would deal with him later.
“Is this not your weapon, my daughter?” His words were irritating her, especially his constant repetition of ‘my daughter’ as if it needed confirmation every two seconds.
“It is.” She didn’t blink or break eye contact, so she didn’t miss the barely-visible lift of his mouth. Anxiety almost drilled a hole in her stomach, and she wanted to scream at him but stood still.
“And you have an arrow missing? An arrow that can ruin all of our plans if it’s found!”
He said it conversationally, but all the color drained from Artemis’s face. Without thinking, she rushed up to his throne and snatched the arrows from his hands, rummaging through them. Lazarus didn’t say a word, just watching her. Sure as hell, one arrow was missing. Whoever found it could summon her now at their whim, since the weapon was tied to her essence. Her eyes darting left and right while her mind worked hard to remember where it could be, she ignored Lazarus, who stared at her, unblinking. After a second, she remembered piercing the vampire with an arrow before killing him with another. More importantly, how on earth did he know that her arrow was missing when she was so sure that no one knew about her sneaking through the portal? Pressure was building in her temples to the point that she felt her head was about to explode. At the moment she knew she needed to act calm, as if it were an everyday occurrence for an arrow attached to her soul to go missing. She could worry about the rest later, away from his inspection. Her eyes flicked to her father.
“I will get it back. I know where it is,” she told him, trying her best to act calm.
“And where is that?” His eyebrows lifted halfway up his forehead while his face remained the picture of innocence.
“In the human realm,” Artemis answered, having no other choice, and the gasps around her made her fume with anger.
“You will get your arrow, and when you return, you will receive your punishment for disobeying my orders.” Malice glinted in Lazarus’s eyes as he threw the bow at her, dismissing her.
“Yes, my king.” Grabbing hold of her weapon, Artemis lifted her head up and walked out of the hall the same way she had entered. She’d be damned if she showed anything but indifference to everyone here. She would retrieve her arrow and accept her punishment. It wasn’t like it would be the first time she was punished.
Inside Claude’s mansion, things were becoming increasingly heated up by the moment. Those that stayed there with him felt the tension escalating while Claude pretended that everything was normal and Raphael locked himself in the library. Whispers and pointed glances were sent Claude’s way as he sat nonchalantly on his chair surveying the crowd. He could feel their unease as well as their calculating glances making him smirk internally. They might think it was a perfect opportunity to challenge him, but if one of them decided to try his luck, it might do Claude some good, giving him the opportunity to take out all his frustration and anxiety on the unlucky one.
The longer Raphael stayed silent behind closed doors, the more the idea of a fight appealed to Claude. He knew that if anyone could find a way to put an end to this mess, it would be Raphael. The man was a walking library on his own and more powerful than Claude wanted to admit. While others of their kind collected riches and bought homes around the world, Raphael collected knowledge while investing in businesses that couldn’t be linked to him. How he managed to keep only one house and not make the humans suspicious was beyond Claude, who had to admit to himself that he got pulled along with the rest of them when it came to living a life of luxury. He loved power and prestige. Without it, there wouldn’t be any benefit to being an immortal since Anissa took all her secrets to the grave. While the rest of his friends were turned without a say, Claude had been the one who was seeking immortality when he heard the stories. Centuries later he never regretted his decision, but he was close to regretting it now. If what he suspected was coming, he might have bigger problems than merely keeping their kind hidden and staying at the top of their line.
A movement got his attention, pulling him out of his thoughts. A blonde bombshell was sauntering around, sending heated glances his way from under her lashes before she slowly lowered herself into a chair opposite him. Her dress covered nothing, the sheer fabric allowed her nipples to point at him and her sex to glisten in the muted light where she was seated, her legs slightly parted in invitation. Claude had seen her around but never paid much attention to her until now. As he looked at her, she took a leisurely sip from her glass, slowly licking the last drop f
rom the rim and making his loins stir. Her brown eyes flashed with an amber hue for a second, making sure he saw her arousal. Standing up, he crooked his finger at her to follow him as he headed for his rooms. If he had to wait for Raphael, no one said he had to sit and dwell on things. At least he’d found a way to make the time pass faster. Before she even closed the door behind her, he was on her like the predator he was. Her dress was gone and his fangs were rooted in her throat. A great way to pass the time indeed, thought Claude.
Raphael, on the other hand, felt like slamming his head on the massive mahogany desk he was sitting at. It had been hours since he started going through all the records they had on the Fae and the Wild Hunt, with no success. All he’d found was some assumptions written decades ago. They sounded like a science fiction novel to him. A snort escaped him at the absurdity of anything sounding unrealistic to a vampire. Rubbing his hands over his face and through his hair, he unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt before taking his suit jacket off. Draping it on the chair, he walked to the shelves in hopes of finding another book with some relevant information. Leaning his shoulder on the bookshelf, he tried massaging his temples to elevate the pressure building in his head. It was very unfortunate that immortality did nothing to stop headaches.
