by Mandi Casey
“You are right,” she stated. “My coming here serves a purpose. Although, your company makes me feel awkward. Somehow I feel a connection with you, and I don’t like it. Maybe we are a kind of kindred spirits because we are warriors for our people. At least, I was a warrior for my people. Now I’d rather serve vampires than my own family.” She shook her black head as if to clear her memories and emotional drama that went with them. “I wanted to go over tonight’s details one more time. We must ensure nothing goes wrong.”
Irritated, Blake said, “How many times do we have to talk about this? You’ll be on the inside with your precious king. I’ll be scouting the area from the outside. We call or text each other if we see anything of out of sorts. That’s the plan.” It irked him that he couldn’t go inside, but the vampires would smell his wolf’s blood the second he passed the threshold of the house.
“Calm down, wolf. We’re better off having you outside. With a snout like yours, you’ll be able to smell trouble coming on the wind a mile away. The Judges and vampires don’t have a keen sense of smell like you and the members of your pack. So your placement outside suits us best, for everyone involved.”
“That’s your opinion. Not mine.”
Kasdeya whipped around and pointed her silver-tipped fingernail close to his eye. The silver patterns on her skin began to swirl at an accelerated pace. “If you can’t keep your emotions out of this, then don’t go. I can’t have a wolf outside, unable to think straight because his balls are all twisted in a bunch, being a liability to my mission. Do you understand me, wolf?”
He balled his fists and held them against his thighs. Blake’s temper continued to rise, both at the demon and himself. His pride burned with the reality she could be right. He was having a difficult time keeping his head straight. He didn’t want to do anything rash or impulsive because his soon-to-be mate was going to be surrounded by vampires and he couldn’t do anything about it. The wolf in him was waiting, wanting to take out his frustrations on the vampires for putting Sydney in such terrible danger by clawing out their throats and yanking their entrails from their bodies so they could view as they lay there on the ground, unable to put themselves back together.
He locked eyes with her. “Yes, I understand. Don’t worry your black heart about it. I’ll be fine. Let’s do this.”
Kasdeya shot out an arm and grabbed his wrist. “Not so fast. There is another issue we need to discuss before all of this gets started.”
His skin that she touched directly burned. Her unnatural essence made his flesh blister, like a contact allergy. She wasn’t of the earth, and his wolf was retaliating at her touch. He wouldn’t let her see the discomfort she caused. He didn’t dare show any sign of weakness in front of her. Someday they may be at war with each other.
Blake was tired of talking. He struggled with the itch for action. He wanted to get to his post. He needed to be there when Sydney arrived at the Blood Rites Ball. “Fine, what is it?”
“There’s been talk amongst the other Judges. The vampire king is concerned that Kieran has a spy in his house, perhaps one of his most trusted men.”
“Yeah, so, what does that have to do with anything? What do you think they are spying on, bloodsucking?” Blake couldn’t help it. He hated vampires. All of them. He didn’t get why what she had just told him was of any consequence to him or his being able to watch over Sydney.
“Kieran having a spy could seriously jeopardize our goals tonight. If one of his Knights is privy to the security plans, then they’ll be able use that knowledge against us. Now do you understand why that would be important?” Kasdeya raised a silver brow at him.
“That’s easy. Change the security plans.” Why did everyone have to complicate matters? There was a simple solution, right?
“How do you propose changing the security details when we don’t know which of the Knights is the double agent?” She quirked her head to the side, the silver patterns on her skin forming into a wheel with countless spindles and cogs.
Blake understood. There were too many persons involved. It was too late to change the plans. The ball started in less than an hour.
“Got it. So how do we plan on making sure this spy doesn’t cause any problems?” He waited, watching the patterns on her skin transform back into ancient symbols he knew nothing about and didn’t want to ever have the opportunity to learn about, either.
“We don’t. We’re going to let the betrayer come forth, for surely they will, and disclose their identity. As soon as they do, the Judges will kill them, and the ball can go on without incident.” Her confidence conflicted with Blake’s doubt.
He didn’t think killing a Knight would be as easy as she did. They were trained killers. The Knights had no qualms about hunting down and killing wolves or humans. “Don’t you think it would be better to discuss this with Kieran, figure out who the Knight is, flush ‘em out, and deal with ‘em before they can cause any trouble?”
“Kieran is already aware there is a frayed strand in the grand web of men who make up his coven. Don’t doubt the coven leader’s knack for anticipating his people’s movements. When he was approached with this information, he was already quietly investigating matters on his own. We don’t move until the Knight gives himself up. End of discussion.” Kasdeya turned her back on him, indicating the conversation was over.
“Okay, we wait. But if anything happens to Sydney...” Blake puffed out his chest and took an aggressive stance, the same stance he used in wolf form when other wolves challenged him. That didn’t happen often. There weren’t many wolves alive that could take Blake on in a paw-to-paw fight, if they fought fair.
She spun back around to him. “Let me remind you, wolf, you need to keep your head on straight. If you do, nothing will happen to her. If you barge into the ball, like I know your impulsive little brain is going to tell you to do, you may just get her killed. No reckless moves, not unless you want the death of the Selected on your hands. Let me also remind you if you do something stupid that causes any harm to come to the king or his charge, you will have a war on your hands. Trust me. You don’t want the Judges coming after you. Your entire pack would be wiped out, and nary a trace of you ever having existed will remain. If that happens, the Selected will probably shack up with what you refer to as parasites. How would you feel having to watch from the afterlife as one of the vampires has sex with your beloved?”
Blake’s mind was screaming with hatred toward the demon Judge, Kasdeya. She was trying to goad him into losing his temper. Any thoughts of her being capable of emotions vanished. She was a cold, merciless demon bitch, nothing more. But he needed her in the fight against their invisible enemies at the ball. He’d play along and be the good little wolf, unless Sydney was in trouble, then all bets were off. “Agreed. It’s time to head out.”
The demon nodded as she fizzled into the air without another word.
“Kasdeya, are you ready for this?” King Alexander came into the reading room of his palace as she stood in front of the fireplace.
Fire, the best element, Kasdeya mused. Feeling the hot lick of the blazing flames against her skin was the only way she could find peace within herself as of late. Unlike vampires, she felt best when the sun was at its highest and the warmth caressed her skin. One of the downsides of having to protect the vampire king was that she didn’t get to go out in the daylight much.
She planned to stay on Earth after the contract was fulfilled, if the humans didn’t already kill the realm with their pollutants and disregard for their environment. Maybe she would find herself a deserted island close to the equator to live out her days alone and at peace. That thought made her laugh. She would never be at peace, not as long as Rage and her father were looking for her. She may have to address them sooner than she wanted. She needed to be done with them. Soon. Forever.
“Yes, my king. We are ready
. When you and Princess Katrina go to the ball, Torque will escort you in the bulletproof limo. I’ll be wavering within the time realms near you during your journey.” Kasdeya didn’t look forward to traveling in and out of the present, but it was the only way to ensure the king’s safety while he traveled. The longer she spent outside of the present, the more opportunity Rage had of detecting and then tracking her. Unfortunately, she was the only Judge that had bothered to master that skill besides Torque, but he became too drained during the process and wouldn’t be a fit partner to protect the royal vampires once they got to the ball.
“Are you sure, demon? I do not want my niece put into the line of fire if your lover decides to show up and throw a mantrum.”
Kasdeya laughed. She enjoyed the king’s attempts at humanizing their conversations. Mantrum was a man throwing a tantrum. If Rage showed up, tantrum would be the last descriptive word she would use for the actions and emotions he was likely to exhibit.
“My king, Rage wouldn’t think of doing such a thing. Besides, I highly doubt he’ll bother himself with finding my location. I’m sure he’s moved on by now.” It was a lie, and she knew it. But her love life wasn’t the king’s business. She preferred to keep him as distant from her on a personal level as she could. The king had other thoughts on the matter. He had made it clear, since they were to spend the next ten centuries together, it would be best for them to be friends.
Kasdeya didn’t need or want any more friends. They were only another means to get hurt by.
“Demon, you seem distant this night. What is amiss?” King Alexander pulled up his overly long sleeve of the masquerade suit his servants had labored over for months in preparation of the ball and sipped the warm blood from the golden goblet sitting on the end table.
“Nothing. I just want this over with. You know I don’t think it wise for you and Princess Katrina to venture out into the public. Especially when we know there is a traitor amongst the vampires and wolves.” Putting her fingertips forward, Kasdeya let the flames dance and crawl along her hands as she reveled in their heat. Normally the king didn’t allow any type of fire in the palace besides in the kitchen, but he humored her need for the flame, being that she was a fire demon. He let her have the fireplace in that room to be operational whenever she felt the pull to her natural element.
The king headed for the shuttered window, normally closed to keep the sunlight out, and examined the sun sensor. Seeing that the sun had fully set, he opened the blinds to peer out into the night.
From her place behind him, Kasdeya could see snow falling heavily, covering every square inch of the ground. The white stuff would only make it more difficult if they had to force the bastard traitor outside once they figured out who it was. Hopefully, whoever was setting Kieran up would do so inside his property. Apprehending him would be easier in a confined space. She figured the more the security detail was forced to spread out, the less of a chance there would be to apprehend the fiend betraying the coven.
“It is a fine night for a party,” the king said.
Kasdeya thought it sounded a bit like the king was trying to talk himself into believing his own words. She couldn’t help but snicker.
The king hated public gatherings almost as much as she did. “Yes, I’m sure you are correct, my king. I think we should take our leave soon. The Elders will be arriving shortly after we do, according to their escorts.”
King Alexander came to stand in front of her. She could still smell the warm blood lingering on his lips. Tempting, she knew the offer was open to her, but she disliked humans, and humans were the source of the blood the vampires consumed.
“You know, you could assign one of your charges that can time weave to take your place if you’re worried about Rage finding you,” he said.
Kasdeya didn’t like him pressing the issue. It was a done deal. She hoped. She also didn’t like the king being aware of her concern. Fully capable of fulfilling her contract to him, she didn’t need her charge thinking matters from her past were able to affect her ability to do her job.
“No,” she said in a firm voice. “Shirking my duty would make me just as bad as the traitor we seek to find. Let’s get this done with. I won’t be happy until you and the princess are safely tucked away in your sleeping quarters after the ball.” The king was a compassionate being, for a vampire. But he had no right to pry. It pissed her off just because of the contract the king felt there was an open forum for discussing things she didn’t wish to discuss with him. Being a contracted servant had its disadvantages.
The king headed for the door. Before he left the room, he said over his shoulder, “Maybe you misunderstand my concern, demon. I fear for the safety of my niece. If you are incapacitated, she will be in great danger. Make sure that doesn’t happen. I will check if she is ready to leave. Make yourself ready in the process. We will be leaving momentarily.” He exited, letting the heavy oak door shut behind him with a loud thud as it resituated into the doorframe.
Kasdeya rolled her eyes. Could anything in this Selected-forsaken world be any more complicated? The king’s pride had been spurned when she didn’t acknowledge his offer to make them lifelong partners. She didn’t want to be eternally connected to the vampire as his lover. Someday, the contract would be over. When that time came to pass, she’d decide what she would do, when she would do it, and with whom she would do it with at a location of her choice.
Time wasn’t an issue for a demon, unless the demon was in the Underworld. The Lords tended to make time slow, gaining immense pleasure from the torture they inflicted on those waiting to leave. Being forced in taking the contract in her father’s stead, due to his careless, offensive actions to the high Lord, had been a blessing in disguise. She would figure out a way to escape having to go back. Now she had her out, except it would take a lot of time. That was all right. She had a lot of time. She only had time. Everything else, her family, Rage, and her pride had been stripped from her because of her father.
She would have her revenge.
After Kasdeya’s unannounced visit, Blake went inside the den to speak with his father. He wanted to make sure the coven leader told his father about the traitor. Blake had resisted using the pack communication bond to discuss the ball and what they’d found out. He wasn’t completely sure none of their wolves were helping the rogues infiltrate Kieran’s coven, so he needed to speak to the pack master in person, in his father’s secured room with the electrical interference wires buzzing at full strength. He didn’t want anyone who could be a traitor to overhear what he had to say.
Blake found his father sitting in the dining room with his mother and a few younger wolves. They were enjoying a late supper together, as had become his father’s ritual. The young wolves liked hearing stories Morris told them about the great wars between the vampires and werewolves. Blake, at one time, also sat at his father’s knee to hear all about how his father had single-handedly saved the pack four generations ago when the vampires used Sydney’s great-great grandmother to locate the den.
Morris had just been getting home when he came upon a group of six vampires, two of whom were holding the Selected roughly in their grasp. The woman had been tortured, and there were a multitude of open cuts along the exposed skin of her arms. The scent of blood hung heavily upon the air. Morris had located the scent before he found the group.
Morris instantly changed into his wolf form and took them all out. He said the blinding fury at the threat of someone hurting his pack guided his assault. He described in detail how he defeated all six of the vampires even though he was a lone wolf. Only the Selected had stood standing after the battle. He then took her to the den to have her treated by the pack healers. Afterward, they forged an alliance. The Selected swore to never betray the wolves. Unfortunately, that alliance had to be renewed with the birth and activation of every Selected.
“Father, I need t
o speak to you. Mother, I’m sorry to interrupt your meal.”
“Blake.” His mother stood. “What’s wrong with you, my son?” Concern and love reflected at him from his mother’s eyes as her forehead wrinkled with worry.
“Adaira, leave the boy alone. He has a lot on his mind.” Standing away from the table, Morris gestured toward the hallway leading to his office.
“Mother, I love you. I’ll tell you about it later. Enjoy the rest of your supper with the cubs.” Blake kissed the top of her head and followed Morris out of the dining hall.
Once inside his father’s office, Blake closed the door. He punched in the key-code to engage the sound-wave barrier that would keep the rest of the pack from being able to overhear what they were about to talk about. He’d wait until the electrical buzz reached its maximum strength before he spoke.
“You better have a good reason for ruining my dinner. Blake, what’s this all about?” Morris went to the desk and sat in the overstuffed leather chair.
“I spoke with the demon again. She said the Judges are going to wait until Kieran’s traitor outs himself. I don’t know if that’s such a good plan, except I don’t know how to make the current plan any better or how to make the traitor’s identity known to us any sooner than before they attack the vampire’s ball.” Blake ran his fingers through his hair.
“You’ll do what you’re told. You’ll wait outside like we talked about. Don’t forget the obligations you have to your pack. I know she’s important to you. She’s important to us, too. But so are you. Make sure nothing happens to you tonight.” Morris lit a cigar and watched Blake through the smoke billowing off its glowing red tip.
“I’ll do as we agreed, but did you talk to Kieran yourself about the traitor? Does he truly know the Judges believe one of his own Knights has gone against him?” Blake didn’t know whether he could believe anything the demon said. Having to be sure, he needed to hear it from his father.
