by Marian Tee
“Do only heartkeepers get turned?”
Silviu frowned, seeing where this was going. “Georgina, it is not---”
“I lost my parents and that almost killed me, Silviu. There are people…who depend on me and I don’t want to lose them, too.” She sat on the bed, feeling like her knees were about to give out on her. She hadn’t liked thinking of her family back home because the thought of them without her hurt.
“When my father died, he left me an inheritance that was unfortunately tied by Chalysian laws. It means I can’t inherit until I turn 25.”
“And that would be?”
“Still a few months away. The thing is, if Lady Beyotch marries me off to someone with the right pedigree, she would be entirely within her right to do so and the court won’t challenge it. But I know she’s going to choose someone she can control, and that means I won’t ever get to touch my money.”
“What do you need the money for?”
“For the rest of my family. There are four of them - Rage, Knife, Dark, and Storm.”
Silviu’s brows shot up. “Those are their names?”
She shrugged. “It’s what my mom calls them. They’re very old and weak, but they’ve been with me since forever and when I was forced by Chalysian law to return here, I told them to stay in the States and wait for me. I wasn’t sure how they’d be treated here, how I could help them if I was under someone’s rule so...” George laughed painfully. “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.”
She looked up at Silviu pleadingly. “They’re my family. I want to care for them the way they cared for me when I was young.” She swallowed. “If you can turn them, too…”
“It is not done that way, ma threa. I’m sorry.”
“What do you mean? Can’t you just bite them or something?”
“No. Only demons and angels are immortals, Georgina. And we can only make immortals those whom we mate. Of course, in the past, there were also the nymphs and satyrs, but their lines were purged and all that’s left of them are the Woods.”
“So when you say the Woods of the Wraiths, you mean it literally?” she whispered.
“Yes. The trees there contain the souls of the nymphs that had perished and the bones of the satyrs that had been buried in its grounds. They are the first line of defense of Brimstone against attackers.”
That basically meant a forest full of vengeful ghosts – not to mention being the hunting ground of the good “civilized” non-human citizens of the kingdom. And she had actually risked her neck to take photos of it?
George, George, sometimes your stupidity amazes me, her know-it-all conscience said.
Silviu crouched down in front her. “Have your family come to Chalys. Write them a letter and once they are here, I will keep them under…our protection.” He almost said his, but chose not to since Georgina still did not know the truth about him.
“Are you sure?”She tried not to sound so hopeful. “You know that…” She swallowed. “I’m not exactly the marquis’ favorite person right now.”
“Do not think of that. Just write and I will make sure they will be safe with us. Trust me, ma threa. I always have your best interests in mind because you are my heartkeeper.”
The words were bittersweet, but she refused to dwell on why it was so.
George bit her lip and looked at him calculatingly.
Silviu tried not to smile.
“I also have a friend. Her name is Desire, and she’s…”
He sighed. “Yes, you may write to her, too.”
She looked at him calculatingly again.
He was exasperated. “I cannot have everyone under my protection, Georgina.”
“But what about the people below? They don’t…they seem too poor by Chalysian standards.”
“They are outsiders, not born here in Chalys. It is against our rules to take in those who left.”
“But---”
“That’s a discussion for another day, Georgina. Choose your battles carefully.”
She really didn’t like those words. It was as if he decided which battles she could win or not, and that meant she was really meant to lose them all in the first place.
Fucking arrogant bastard, George thought. She started to argue when Silviu suddenly stood up, his face becoming taut. She started to speak but he shook his head sharply.
I sense imps, Silviu told his Galeré.
After another beat, Mihail answered. Yes. They are not far. They are being led by the bats.
Let us meet at the Woods. We cannot risk wasting time joining forces, Ilie said.
Adrijan nodded. I will create a distraction if they come.
A pebble struck the window behind Silviu.
I am afraid you must start that distraction now, Adrijan. They are already here.
Silviu gripped her hands. “You must make your way to the stables. Granite will be there waiting for you and he will take you to the Woods. I must stay here and prevent them from getting to you.”
Outside, the night was quiet and still – too much so, and Silviu’s alarm communicated itself with her. She asked desperately, “Why can’t we go together?”
“You are not yet immortal, milady. Your safety is my utmost concern.”
She shook her head jerkily. “I’m not totally useless in a fight. I can---”
“You will only make me worry, and that can kill me. Now go, and whatever you hear---do not look back, do not come back, do not stop running.”
Silviu pulled her face down for a rough and passionate kiss. “Be safe, my heartkeeper.”
She kissed him back, her heart knocking against her chest rapidly. “You too,” she whispered against his lips.
The moment she stepped out of the room, she heard the windows exploding and the familiar screeching sound of demon imps.
George ran. Behind her, there were more crashing noises, like doors being thrown against the wall, more glass windows shattering. When she reached the foot of the stairs, she threw open the door to the dining hall.
The raucous laughter stopped, a silence falling over the crowd as they stared at her.
She almost begged them for help, but she stopped herself. What the hell was she doing, getting them involved with her shit? George started to turn away when the bartender said, “Human, come in.”
George shook her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I’m…”
“We will help you.”
Her eyes widened.
Behind her, the sound of screeching became louder.
The bartender barked, “NOW!”
And then she heard it, the sound of jaws snapping, the rasp of saliva as the imps located their target.
“Don’t mind if I do,” George muttered as she hurried inside.
Chapter Eight
Bats here in Chalys on a moonless night.
Random fact: Did you know that bats leave in such huge groups that they can sometimes show up like mega storms on radar screens? o_O
#funfacts #imsosmartitskillinme #bats
War broke out in an instant, with the creatures on her left and right shapeshifting as the imps rushed in. Bottles were hurled, claws flashed, fangs sank into flesh, and there were screams, hisses, and growls.
She hated that she had brought destruction to them.
She fucking hated it and she didn’t care what Silviu said. She was going to fight alongside them.
George grabbed the bottle next to her and was just about to charge into the fight when someone gripped her wrist. “Settle down, young lady. This is not your fight.” It was the bartender, and he was briskly taking his apron off.
“It’s my fight---”
“No. You have a bigger fight to finish. You are the heartkeeper, aren’t you?” He pulled her with him towards the kitchen.
“I…uh…”
“No need to lie, we hear things first, being demons ourselves.” The kitchen was yet untouched but the maids and cooks inside had a fierce light of battle in their gazes, knives clutc
hed in their hands.
“Keep them away,” the bartender ordered.
George let out a horrified gasp. “No! Just run---”
The kitchen maid she had spoken to earlier shook her head. “This is the only home we know, dear. We fight for what is ours.” She pointed to the back exit. “Now go. Your horse is waiting for you.”
Outside the exit, Morton the bear shapeshifter was waiting with an impatient looking Granite. “I never knew that one as this still existed,” Morton exclaimed in wonder.
The bartender helped her up on Granite’s back.
Inside, the sounds of battle had already reached the kitchen. Morton bowed to her. “It was nice meeting you, heartkeeper.” He charged forward, transforming himself into a rampaging bear by the time he crashed into the kitchen, leaving a bear-shaped hole on the wall.
The screams reached her, and George’s fingers tightened around the reins. “I have to go back.”
“If you want to save them – if you want to save us, make the Duke change the rules and take us in.”
“But I don’t even know---”
The bartender slapped Granite’s back and he neighed before galloping off. His wings spread out by the time they reached the road and they were airborne in the next moment.
Still the screams reached George, and tears stung her eyes at the carnage she was leaving behind – the carnage she had caused. Oh God, was it her fault? Had she drawn attention to herself when she had been noisy during dinner? She should have just fucking shut up.
Granite neighed, his head twisting down.
George followed Granite’s gaze and realized they were looking down at one of Silviu’s friends, the black-haired man with ebony eyes. “Let’s go to him!”
She had already abandoned dozens inside the inn. She was not going to abandon another one.
Mihail looked up at the sound of beating wings, thinking it would be Silviu but instead it was Granite with the duke’s heartkeeper on his back. “Go!” he said harshly.
She shook her head fiercely. “Come up and we’ll fly to the Woods together!”
“You have your orders! You must fly---”
“Will you stop wasting our fucking time? I’m sure they’ve told you I’m stubborn to death! Either come up here with me or we’ll both die!”
With a curse, Mihail limped towards her and swung himself up, grudgingly accepting her hand and even more reluctantly impressed at the way she didn’t make a sound as he nearly crushed her fingers in the process.
As they started to ascend, she asked, “What happened to you?”
“Another tangle with the archdemon,” he said shortly.
Granite suddenly dove low, and if not for the man behind her keeping her on the horse’s back, she would have fallen off. “Seatbelts,” George muttered to herself. “Why the fuck don’t these have seatbelts?”
She looked over her shoulder, wanting to know what Granite seemed to be doing his best to fly away from. “Bats?” she squeaked out.
Mihail did not turn around. “Do not blame them. They are being forced by their masters to hunt us down.”
Granite made another dive, but this time George was able to hang on tight to the reins. Behind her, she felt Silviu’s friend gasp, and when she turned around his face was white with pain, blood seeping out from his shirt as he pulled out an arrow.
“Where the fuck did that come from?”
“Archer…demon. They follow where the bats lead them and strike.”
The air was tainted by the metallic scent of his blood, so strong that even she could easily smell it. Somehow, the scent seemed to drive the bats behind them insane.
His face whitened even more. “No.” He looked at the bats. “NO, DAMMIT!”
The bats were diving to the ground, and George could only stare in horror as they all hit the ground, killing themselves in an instant.
“Why?” she whispered. Granite had slowed down, his flying taking on a steadier rhythm as they made their way closer to the Woods.
“They smelled my blood and knew…I was kin. They did not want to let another arrow hurt me, and so instead they killed themselves.”
He closed his eyes.
She took his hand, knowing that there were no words to say, her tears falling silently.
“Do not cry,” Mihail gritted.
She shook her head. “I’m not crying!” But her voice wavered in the end.
“You really are…as stubborn and as dishonest…as they say you are.” Mihail’s voice was tired, his body not healing as quickly as it should because of the hell-forged arrow.
George squeezed his hand, saying fiercely, “I don’t know what powers I will get when I become immortal but if I can do anything to help you, I promise you that we’ll go Sicilian Mafia on them and take revenge.”
“Silviu…did say…you were once a gangster and…I think the word ‘ghetto’ was used.”
Damn Silviu and his big mouth, George thought. Coughing, she said, “Umm, yeah, something like that.” She couldn’t make herself admit that her gangster days were just a disguise. Surrounded by these powerful half-demons, it was only natural she’d have massive insecurity issues about being human.
In moments, they arrived at the edge of the Woods next to a ravine. Silviu and the two other men that made up the Galeré were waiting for them. Silviu quickly pulled her off Granite’s back while the two others helped their comrade.
I am sorry for their deaths, Mihail. We heard and saw what happened from here.
According to your heartkeeper, Your Grace, she will do her best to avenge their deaths and promise me that we will “go Sicilian Mafia” on them.
There was a moment of silence, with Silviu, Adrijan, and Ilie stunned to hear the usually sober Mihail crack a joke.
Adrijan recovered first. So it will be, my friend. I will join you. Will there be costumes?
Perhaps. We shall ask the future duchess when that time comes.
Safely cocooned in his arms, George felt Silviu’s chest suddenly rumble against her cheek. “What is it?”
“It is nothing. I thank you for taking care of Mihail while he was wounded.”
“Granite took care of us, not me, and then later…” Her voice trailed off.
“We will avenge them as you promised,” Silviu said.
She reddened. “You told them about my high school days,” she accused.
“I was proud of your creativity, milady,” he answered innocently.
“Yeah right!”
He pressed a kiss to her hair. “As I am even prouder of you now.”
Only her family had used to tell her that, and she did her best to blink back tears. Fucking hell. What was it about Chalys that had turned her into such a big crybaby?
“Once you gain Lady Beyotch’s blessing, does it mean that this endless chase from those demon imps will stop?”
“I would hope so. As long as you are not yet immortal, they can still hurt me through you. If they hurt you, I will feel it too. And if they take your life, I will be made mortal.”
“I wish I can tell you that it will be easy to make her agree to you marrying me, but…maybe Ilie can marry me first as the marquis? We can divorce after a while and then I can marry you. Could that work?”
“Even if it does, I won’t fucking let you take another man’s name.”
She scowled. “But do you think it will work?”
“I have a plan, milady, and it will work. There will never be a need for you to take another man’s name.” His eyes suddenly bored through her. “Unless you have changed your mind? You would like to be a marchioness now instead of just my wife?”
Just the thought was enough to have his jealousy flaming into life.
Before George could sputter angrily at the way he had just accused her of being a gold digger in a roundabout way, his wings suddenly sprung out, his arms tightening around her as he started to fly down.
“What the fucking hell,” she gasped, her heart threatening to jump out of h
er chest as they flew with lightning speed to the very edge of the ravine.
They stopped inches before hitting the ground, his beating wings creating gusts of wind that sent the waves crashing against the opposite walls.
Silviu flew them upright and slowly lowered her to the ground.
