“I was to be tortured and killed. For months, they forced the poison through my body. Whenever one of them was bored, they would come and cut me with the poisoned blade. After some time like this, I awoke one day to the door opening. I assumed it was another coming to continue their cycle of pleasure but to my disbelief, it was my beloved. I was dizzy with pain and malnutrition. She carried me to a waiting car, and we drove off into the night. I thought surely; my eyes were lying to me.
”Then she spoke, it was not my love after all. It was her sister. She had been trying for months to free me but could not. Her sister had made her promise to save me. It was too late, though, the poison was part of my body, and I would die soon. She had no choice but to turn me into what I am today. So, my Lord, he same poison that coursed through my body as both a human and a vampire, is the same as in Mariska. I can save her.”
Chapter Six
“You can save her?” Asked Daemon as he jumped up from the best. For the first time since he had come back to life earlier that day, Elso saw hope in his eyes.
“I believe I can be my Lord.” Said Soljen, his voice was steady, but Elso could see he was happy to be of service to his Prince.
“Elso? What do we do?” Asked Daemon.
Elso thought for several moments before answering, “I think the easiest thing to do is going to be a blood transfusion.”
“Will that hurt the child?” Ask Daemon. He saw Soljen’s head jerk at the mention of a baby. He could see his old friend wanted to congratulate him but knew that now was not the best time.
Elso was careful in her response, “I do not believe so, I think that it will be our best chance for both of their lives.”
Daemon nodded his head; he wouldn’t argue with the wise taltos. He sat down on the bed and looked at Mariska as Elso and Soljen talked amongst themselves and sent for the needed materials. Daemon smiled at Jamesson when he came into the room, and Elso embraced him. She requested that Jamesson let Mariska's parents know what they were going to do, but they would still need to stay away for as long as possible.
The fewer people around to trip over, the easier the transfusion would be. None of them spoke the words that they were all thinking. It would be bad if Mariska's parents were here and they weren't able to save her. With everything ready, Soljen replaced Daemon on the bed for the best vantage point to transfer the blood. Daemon did nothing but attempt to stay out of the way.
“Are you ready?” Elso asked Soljen.
He nodded his head and Daemon watched as Elso placed the needle into Soljen’s arm. She had already put the other end into his beloved Mariska. The blood moved through the tube and into Mariska. Daemon had long ago learned to overcome his desire to drink any blood from humans. It had been a skill that not many of the undead could ever master, or even wanted too. Because of his position as the Guardian, though, he was given a special serum that prevented his desire to drink.
It was meant to ensure that he would never put his followers in danger by killing an innocent but in this day and age, it was just a nice convenience. He did have to revert to many of his human natures, though, like eating and exercise. He missed his vampire life; he missed the thrill of drinking blood and compelling the person not to remember who he was. He missed knowing he could kill a human, but he never did. Maybe with Mariska and the new child, he would once again go back to being a vampire.
“My lord, look.” Said Elso, pointing to Mariska.
Daemon looked at the woman he loved. The color was returning to her face, and she started to move around.
“Mariska?” Said Daemon, holding her hand. “Mariska my love, can you hear me?”
With heavy eyes, Mariska moaned and spoke as she tried to blink off the haze, “Daemon?”
“It's me, Mariska, easy,” He said as she attempted to sit up. “Soljen is giving you his blood. Otherwise, I don’t think that you would be coming back to us.”
“What? And miss all the yelling?” She said jokingly.
She looked into Daemons eyes and was filled with joy. “Thank you for hearing me,” She said.
“Your welcome,” said Daemon as he kissed her lips tenderly.
Elso had removed the needle from both Mariska and Soljen and she and the captain left the room to Daemon and Mariska.
“I cannot believe I am going to be a father,” He said lovingly.
“I cannot believe vampires can get women pregnant.” Replied Mariska.
Daemon looked at her with confusion, “you mean, you didn’t know?”
“I had no idea. Growing up, my family talks weren't really about the birds and the bees and the undead.” Said Mariska jokingly.
Now Daemon looked at her with concern, “Mariska, I think we need to talk about this pregnancy then.”
She looked at him and grew worried, what was he about to tell her that would cause him so much hesitation. “What?” she said curtly.
“When a vampire impregnates a human, there's only one way for the fetus to survive,” He said sadly.
“Right, I just assumed it was like in the lame movies where a mother had to drink blood or something creepy like that.” Replied Mariska.
“No, unfortunately, it's not that simple. The child inside of you will only survive if you, in your human form, do not.” Said Daemon, unable to meet her eyes.
“What?” said Mariska, barely able to whisper.
“As the child grows, your life force will be depleted. When the child is born, you will join me in the world of the undead.” Daemon finished.
Mariska felt like her world was closing around her. She hadn’t known. How could she make the decision to choose between the life of a small child growing inside of her and her own life as a human? She loved Daemon, and she loved the unborn child, but did she love the child enough to give up her life? Did Daemon love her enough to let her make the decision?
“Daemon, I,” she started to say.
“I know,” he said, looking down at his hands.
She had never seen him so sad.
“I don’t expect you to keep the baby. We will talk to Elso and find a way to end it. If you had known, maybe things would be different, but I cannot ask you to give up your life.” Said Daemon.
Mariska rose from the bed and walked over to the large window at the end of the room. She saw the pain in his eyes, but she needed to make the decision without thinking about his emotions. She had spent her entire life trying to protect the undead and others like them from a force that was far more powerful than she was. Her parents had created escape routes and tunnels in her own bedroom, knowing if they fell, she would also fall as a mere mortal. If she were a vampire, like Daemon, she could change the world.
Did the world still need changing, though? With Yelda gone and the Naqi family on the run, would she ever need to be more than just a human. Mariska had known the answer before she had asked herself the question, though, Yelda was sure that there would be more. Over the years, Mariska had heard of a group of werewolves that were growing restless. They wanted the power that the Naqi had wanted, the power of the keepers. Mariska knew that she and her family would always be needed. Someone would always need protection.
“No.” Said Mariska.
Daemon didn’t look up, he just nodded his head and looked at his hands.
“I understand,” he said, “I’ll make the arrangements.”
He rose up and headed for the door.
“Daemon!” Yelled Mariska.
He jerked his head towards her as she spoke, “You idiot! If you don’t start letting me finish my sentence before running off, I am going to start throwing heavy objects at your head!”
He froze and looked at her in shock.
“When I said ‘no,' I meant; no, I will not give up our child.” Mariska started to walk to him as she spoke. His face had already lit up.
“No, I will not destroy a person we have created so that I can keep being human. I have dedicated my life to help others, think of how much good I could do if I
had forever to do it.” She said as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Really?” said Daemon, the look on his face was that of a child who had just received the beset gift in the world. His smile lit up the room.
She kissed him passionately and replied, “really my love.”
He picked her up in his arms and swung her around, electing a scream of joy from her. As he spun her and they kissed, the door burst open and in walked Elso, Apardia, Roje, Jamesson, and Soljen.
“Ha! Look at that! Already there is magic, all the people we love in once space to tell at once!” Daemon shouted with joy.
“What’s going on?” Demanded Roje.
Mariska blushed as she spoke, “well, I guess it’s time to tell everyone. We’re pregnant!”
Everyone’s jaw dropped momentarily before turning to happiness. Cheers and rounds of congratulations went around from everyone except one, Elso. Mariska watched her face go from joy to sadness.
“No!” she screamed in pain.
All eyes turned to look at her, she moved through them blindly to the window and looked down at the front gate. The others followed. There, the standing formation was nearly one hundred werewolves. In front of them was a giant wolf and a cage that had a single occupant, a taltos.
The group looked at the scene below and back up at Elso as she spoke in a whisper, “Father.”
Chapter Seven
The chaos that had consumed the castle in the short amount of time since the news spread of the beasts at the gate was consuming. Mariska couldn’t believe how quickly everyone had jumped into action. It was as if they had someone new attacking them daily. She had briefly kissed Daemon and her parents before they each disappeared off to do different chores that Elso had given them. Elso knew where they would be most useful and no one would argue with her.
Mariska left to lead a team of vampires outside the high castle walls and bring in the roughly two dozen families that lived between the protective gates and the tall walls. The families that lived in the large houses between the two structures were those that served the prince and the keepers. While they also tended to the troops and their needs, the forces were more responsible for their own care than anything. The workers were referred to as servants, but it was just an old habit.
They made more money than most college graduates in different countries, their food, shelter and education for their children were all taken care of, and they would have work for as long as they wanted it. As Mariska rode from house to house on a castle four-wheeler, she helped them to gather what they would need for a few days. All the homes were equipped with ATV’s; it made the evacuation quick. She was the last one in before the gates went up.
As she jumped up the steps, two at a time, she was excited to see Daemon again. She reached the lookout point just as he finished up talking with Soljen.
“What’s going on?” She asked, a little out of breath.
“We are sending down an envoy to find out what's going on. Look.” He said as he pointed to a lone man walking to the outside gate.
“Shouldn’t you be sending like, ten men?” asked Mariska.
“No, it’s a sign of good will and peace. See? They are only sending one man also.” Replied Daemon as he pointed down to the field.
He was right, a single wolf was coming to the gate. Mariska held her breath as the gate dropped some and the two men talked back and forth. As quickly as it had started, the conversation was over, and the man was returning to the castle. Mariska watched him walk up to a wall directly below where they were standing. She hadn’t seen any doors there before.
Seeing her confused look, Daemon said, “it’s a magical servants entrance, only visible to those who have the needed blessing. We have them all over the castle.”
Mariska was amazed, within minutes, the man emerged from an unsuspecting wall several feet from where they were stand.
“Sir, a letter.” Said the soldier as he handed a note to Daemon.
Daemon looked around at the group of people before he started to read out loud;
“For many years, our numbers have grown. We have long watched as our kind hides in the darkness of the night, lives among mere humans and breeds with those that are unsavory. For too long, we have watched the undead kill and destroy any that cross them. No longer. You have done us a great service by killing our mutual enemy. We cannot afford mercy. Surrender or die. You are no longer the keepers, and we will kill all, including the Guardian.”
Mariska looked down in horror as the huge pack started to howl. It was a chilling sight to see.
“Sir,” said the man who had brought the message, “there's more.”
“What?” asked Daemon.
“Sir he said you have thirty minutes to surrender before they kill the knowing ones,” said the soldier.
The group sucked in a collective gasp and all eyes turned to Elso. To threaten to kill a taltos was a dangerous thing. Everyone but Daemon was silent now.
“The ones? They only have one though don’t they?” He asked the soldier.
The man nodded his head and raised an arm, a signal to the men below that he had given the message. They looked down to the man in the cage and watched in horror as a knife was stuck into his side. Not a fatal wound but a painful one. Within seconds of watching this, Elso began to scream in horrifying pain and grip her side where the blade had gone into her father. Jamesson ran to her side and lifted her shirt; his face went ghost white as he revealed a deep wound.
“Father, no,” said Elso sadly.
“Elso, what's going on?” Asked Daemon.
“We have, we have been linked,” said Elso quietly.
“What does that mean though Elso?” Asked Daemon.
“I believe that the taltos I killed in Egypt put a spell on me. He must have known that my father was a captive of the beasts. Anything that happens to me or my father, it will inevitably happen to the other party,” replied Elso.
“Oh my god,” whispered Mariska, “what can we do?”
Elso just shook her head, “there is nothing.”
“Shit,” whispered Mariska, looking to Daemon.
He could see right away that something was wrong. She knew something that no one else did and whatever it was, she was hiding it from Elso. A person who he had found it was almost impossible to hide things from. Her eyes darted back down to the field in an act that no one but Daemon saw. The rest of the group was preoccupied with helping Elso and checking to see if she was okay. What he saw horrified him, below on the field a werewolf was running full speed across the lawn and disappeared into the wall. He had found another passageway.
“Son of a bitch,” mumbled Daemon.
He couldn’t let the others see what the fool was doing. If Elso knew, then she would stop at nothing to stop the wolf, including her own death. Daemon quickly directed Elso into the building with several of his men under the pretense of seeking medical treatment. It wasn’t until she was inside that Daemon spoke.
“I have to help him,” he said to Mariska. “Your friend is a fool.”
Mariska knew that Jamesson was stubborn and a pain, but he was no fool. He wouldn’t go down there if he didn’t love Elso and he didn’t think he could save her and her father. Mariska thought for a moment.
“That’s it!” She said, “send your troops out from the north gates. Provide a diversion.”
Daemon didn’t hesitate; he knew the plan would work if Mariska saw it. He yelled for his troops to leave the north gate in a voice loud enough that anyone within a mile could hear. His men on the ground looked at him in confusion but scrambled to follow the orders. They were not ready for battle, and it would take them, at least, ten minutes to get to that point. The wolves outside the gate though didn’t need ten minutes. Abandoning the cage, they shifted and ran to meet the force head on at the north gate, leaving several hundred feet between them and the caged taltos.
“Brilliant,” murmured Daemon.
He and Mariska watched si
lently with their breath caught in their throats while Jamesson quietly moved to where the unguarded cage was. He broke the lock and grabbed the frail old man. Mariska was glad that her best friend held a significant amount of strength even for his kind. He was able to toss the man onto his shoulders. While she watched his happen, she heard Daemon speak into his cell phone to Soljen, who was now getting his men ready to meet the pack outside the north gate. Daemon quietly redirected his troops to the small entrance where Jamesson would be coming in.
As he suspected, Jamesson made it within fifty yards of the door before he was spotted. Two wolves ran out ahead of the pack and tackled Jamesson. Mariska shrieked, thinking her friend was surely dead. However, the old taltos had a surprise left inside of him. Her and Daemon watched him raise a delicate hand, and the two animals went flying through the air. Troops ran from the entrance and pulled both Jamesson and the taltos to safety. The pack began to follow them through the narrow opening, but they quickly withdrew when they were met with armed vampires.
“Oh my god, he’s hurt,” whispered Mariska.
Daemon wrapped his arms around her and picked her up into his arms.
“What are you doing?” She asked, confused.
“it’s the quickest way down my love,” he said with a sly grin.
Before she could protest, he was leaping over the side of the castle, and they were falling hundreds of feet down to the ground. She didn’t realize she was screaming until they hit the ground. She heard him laughing with joy.
She just glared at him as he set her down, “if you ever do that again, you won’t live to see your next birthday.” She said as she stormed off.
Chapter Eight
VAMPIRE:Vampire Guardian Series: Paranormal Mystery Vampire Alpha Male Romance (New Adult Contemporary Paranormal Royalty Fantasy Romance Collection)) Page 8
