“Things change in this world, you should know that by now, shifter,” Carn’reau said in a calm and deadly tone making Trice sneer before saying,
“Aye 'n' somethings don’t, so despite th' kings plans to get us to find th' girl 'n' you be th' one to hand her over so he still gets to own our souls, is not happening today, my friend.” He said this with only the barest hint of an accent, telling me that when he wanted to, he could hold it back to get his point across. And despite the odds against us, I had to say, his tone spoke of deadly intent and determination.
But then Carn’reau looked down briefly as he ran the length of a wicked black talon down the head of his beast, doing so behind the ears and making it purr, as if he enjoyed the contact from its master. This was before saying,
“Tell me Trice McBain, just how do you expect to beat back my entire army, seeing as I know that you’ve already spent your last shift of the turning sky, on fighting Arachne?” I gathered at this that spider queenie was named Arachne and made a mental note to remember the name so I could do some research…well, that was if I ever made it back to my father’s library alive. As I wasn’t sure ghosts were known for their reading whilst haunting places.
“I'm sure I wull think of something… I‘m resourceful lik' that,” Trice replied with a wink making Carn’reau sneer before glancing off to one side and looking bored. Then he motioned one of his men forward and said,
“Bring me the girl and do so unharmed as the King demands.” The soldier nodded before taking a step forward and in turn made Trice push me further back behind him. This was before he pulled his sword free, igniting the air around it in a blue glow, and holding it at the ready.
“Think before taking this action Trice, Prince of Three…the girl could get hurt and then the wrath of the King would be on both our heads,” Carn’reau said making me skip over the threatening part of this statement and start to focus on the ‘Prince of Three’ bit. Something Trice didn’t like the sound of at all, as he growled low, and the sound was frightening enough to make the soldier falter in his steps. But then it was Vern who stepped forward, making Trice grit his teeth, hissing,
“Not th' time tae piss him off, Laddie.”
“Och, Fck.” Gryph then said under his breath before swinging his hammer at the ready for all the shit to hit the fan. And I really didn’t want these three to fight and potentially lose their lives over me!
Gods, but I just wouldn’t be able to bear it and looking both ways up and down the street, then I knew there was only one way to get out of this. Because what type of queen would I ever make Lucius if I didn’t do the right thing…the brave thing. So, I quickly stepped out from behind Trice before he had time to stop me and took one step telling the General,
“Please, I will come with you, just let these three go and I won’t make any trouble!” I said making Trice hiss,
“Amelia, git yer arse back ‘ere now!” But Carn’reau held up a hand to stop his men from going further. Then he raised a single brow and looked at me with intrigue as I came to stand next to Vern.
“You wish to sacrifice yourself to an unknown fate just to save these three, when they intend to deliver you to the same fate also?”
“I do,” I stated firmly.
“Why?” he asked truly curious.
“Because it may be the same fate, but it’s one I chose to make, so as I can save three lives whilst doing it,” I said looking up to Vern who was grinning down at me, before giving me a wink. But this ended on me suddenly crying out in surprise as I was grabbed from behind and hauled straight up in the air as Trice had lifted me off the ground, before setting me in front of Gryph.
“Ere’ tak’ this,” Trice said again, just like back in the tavern making me respond in the same way.
“Oi, you said that before!” I snapped making him tap me under the chin after telling me,
“Aye.” Then he turned back to face the enemy, making me hiss at him,
“I am trying to save your asses here!” He paused a step and looked back at me over his shoulder before saying with a grin,
“Aye 'n' we be thanking yer fur it, Lass, but leave this up tae us men tae decide, yeah.” I scowled at him and the second I took a step forward Gryph wrapped an arm around me from behind, and I swear the thing was that big it felt like it covered most of the front of my torso. It was like finding myself stuck behind a damn tree trunk!
“Easy, Lass.” Gryph cooed.
“Ah, but such a noble act for one so young, humanity at its best no doubt,” Carn’reau said, as if truly thoughtful, but then as he nodded for his men to continue Vern wasn’t done.
“Now, now, my good man, let’s not be too hasty for I believe a solution is to be found, perhaps just beyond the horizon of the King’s castle.” I frowned wondering what he was talking about, as it seemed as if he was trying to let his brothers know something but with his posh voice curse, this was the only way to do that. I looked to Trice to see him frowning as he too was trying to figure it out when suddenly Vern produced something from behind his back. It was a glowing glass bottle, one I remembered seeing him looking at in Nero’s shop before he managed to catch all her ‘ancestors’. Had he stolen it when I wasn’t looking?
This question died the second Vern looked behind him at his brothers and said,
“Is that not so, brothers?” Then he nodded as if telling them that he had a plan, making Trice shake his head slightly before saying his brother’s name in warning,
“Vern.” But Vern wasn’t listening and instead went on to say,
“After all, it does seem like the most sensible choice…I am just sorry our adventure ends here, chaps. Remember, fly high my brothers,” he said and then just as Trice shouted out,
“NO!” was when the last glimpse of Vern I saw was him mouthing the word ‘sorry’ and then he threw the bottle to the ground behind him so it smashed at our feet. A huge bellowing cloud of blue smoke exploded from it, just before sucking us in and doing so at the same time Trice was trying to reach his brother.
And it was only when the blinding light died, I opened my eyes again to find we weren’t where we had once been. No, now we were in some forest, all stood surrounded by trees instead of the army that had once surrounded us. A forest that strangely enough could have been one found in my world and for a few seconds I wondered if that was where Vern had sent us.
But then another thought quickly replaced all others as I scanned the space surrounding us to find Trice. The second I found him my heart started to break at the sight. As the realisation of what just happened started to seep in, and this began when faced with the haunting sight of Trice as he fell to his knees in utter devastation.
He then let his head hang down as he said only one thing…
“Please by the Gods survive the King’s wrath…”
“My brother.”
Chapter 27
Sacrifices and Screaming
A little time later I found myself curled up on the ground with the hood of my poncho over my head and my hands curled up under by my chin so I could keep blowing on my hands down the neck of the material. I was facing away from the other two just so they couldn’t see that I was awake.
And I was devastated.
Vern had sacrificed himself for us all and none of us knew what had become of him. Naturally, the brothers had been upset, displaying it in anger, which first came from Trice who actually sliced his sword through a whole tree trunk when roaring his frustration. Gryph had at least the foresight to grab hold of me and turn us both against the oncoming trunk, as it was near to us both.
Then he ruffled my hair a little and said softly,
“Go take a wee walk, Lass.”
I nodded and did as he suggested but it turned out that this hadn’t been far enough. I had walked until they were just barely out of sight as I didn’t think getting lost right then was going to help matters. So, I had found myself a place to sit. This ended up being a mound of hollowed rocks that were odd i
n shape, but at the time I didn’t think too much of it as for the moment they were just a place to lean against and gather my thoughts. But then the sounds of the forest seemed to be amplified by them, almost as if they were absorbing the sounds. Which meant that the voices I heard were echoed behind me and I ended up hearing the whole conversation between them.
And well, I had to say…
It hurt.
“What dae ye intend tae dae now?” Gryph had asked, being the first to break the silence.
“Exactly what we planned, we git th' fcking job done!” Trice snapped back making Gryph grunt or something. Either way it sounded like he didn’t like his brother’s response.
“Yer surely dae nae mean that,” Gryph stated making Trice scoff,
“And why not, this job’s bin nothing bit trouble.” I rolled my eyes wishing I could have spoken my own mind about that.
“Aye 'n' this job comes wi' a name, Trice.” Gryph made the point of saying and as much as I wanted to slap Trice, I equally wanted to hug his brother. But then I knew I also had to give him a bit of leeway here, as I knew he was upset, worried and angry with what had happened with Vern.
“Aye, one she lied about, dae nae forget who this lass is.” I frowned in question, wondering what the hell this meant? Did they know a lot more about me than they had let on? I mean I still didn’t know how Trice knew my name, as he had never really answered me on that one.
“Actually, I forgot, who is this lass tae us Trice, fur I can’t remember anymore?” Gryph asked sarcastically.
“She’s our fcking ticket tae getting our souls back 'n' now added tae that our brother, that’s who she is 'n' nothing more!” he snapped angrily, making me physically wince against the pain of hearing that.
“Yer dae nae mean that.” Even Gryph said, disbelieving he could be this heartless. However, his response was again another lashing out at me, making me tense when he shouted back,
“Aye, I fcking do!” It was said in such a way that I even felt the vibrations of it against my back.
“Are ye forgetting that th' lass tried tae sacrifice herself fur us, does that nae mean anythin' tae ye?!” Gryph asked in an astonished tone, as even he couldn’t believe what he was hearing coming out of his brother’s mouth.
“Aye, that she is foolish,” he said and I closed my eyes and turned my face away as if I could see them right in front of me and had to cut it off. Gods he was right…I had been foolish.
Foolish believing that he cared for me as anything more than just a job to him. A way for them to get their souls back.
“Trice!” Gryph snapped out his brother’s name.
“No Gryph, they have our brother, th' one who actually sacrificed himself fur us all 'n' now our only focus is getting him back, 'n' that’s it!” Trice said in that commanding way of his, which seemed to have little effect on his brother.
“Aye bit tae whit end, Trice? I want him back as much as ye dae, bit we dinnae know whit th' king even wants wi' th' lass, 'n' whit if tis her life that’s on th' line…can we really tak' that risk knowing whit might happen…?”
“Aye, we can,” Trice said firmly, making me suck in a deep breath knowing now that I had been played. He had flirted, pretended as if he cared, and it was all just to get me to be compliant. I knew that when their conversation continued.
“Ye dinnae mean that…ye lik' her,” Gryph said making his brother snap back, clearly affronted,
“Fck off Gryph, she’s a fcking job!”
“Bullshit,” he replied calling his bluff.
“Aye yer right, she’s th' job of all jobs, th' one that grants our souls back, or did ye forget that?!” Trice said in return but Gryph had his own ideas on what that meant.
“Aye 'n' whit good is that soul if tis rotten by th' choices we make?” Trice growled at this.
“I made a vow tae us all, Gryph, 'n' I am not going back on that noo just fur some bonnie lass.”
“Aye, just some lass yer falling in love with,” Gryph said making me suck in a startled breath.
“Fck aff ye soppy git, she is a job,” Trice said again, making me grit my teeth every time I was referred to as a job.
“Aye, yer keep telling yersel' that, 'n' maybe that shit will stick,” Gryph commented in an amused disbelieving tone.
“You’re going soft, as yer Gryphon feathers,” Trice said mocking him and he agreed in a sarcastic tone I wasn’t used to hearing from the big guy.
“Aye maybe a'm, as Hell clearly turns ye that way or th' other.”
“And what th' fck is that supposed tae mean?” Trice snapped and I could just see him now, by the sound of his tone knowing that he was no doubt crossing his big arms over his chest.
“I don’t know, ye tell me, you’re th' heartless bastard that is willing tae hand over th' lass tae one of Hell’s most brutal Kings, ‘n’ after she wis ready tae sacrifice herself fur us…but hey, ye go right ahead 'n' fool yersel' intae believing that shit is right, just don’t fcking drag me intae that lie wi' you, brother,” Gryph said and I let out a shuddered breath as the emotions became too heavy to hold back.
“Gryph…” Trice said his name in a remorseful way but Gryph snapped this time,
“No, Trice. I know ye, I know ye better than Vern, than even that our father 'n' our mother did! Ye love this girl 'n' yer running fcking scared. She wanted tae sacrifice herself fur us just lik' our mother did 'n' noo yer fcking scared! Weel, ye may want to believe in yer own shit bit I don’t, 'n' when I earn me soul back, I want tae dae it so it comes back just th' same wey that when before we sacrificed it th' first time. We tainted it by doing a deal wi' a fcking Devil, Trice. We became whit we are, 'n' noo when I git it back, I am not doing it just tae taint it again, only this time by coating it in th’ blood of some innocent girl,” Gryph said and by the time he was finished I had tears flowing down my cheeks, unable to help myself.
“Gryph, come back…GRYPH!”
After this I heard a roar of anger which I knew to be Trice’s and I found my legs couldn’t hold me up any longer. So, I slumped down against the rocks, trying to process everything I had just heard. Then I lowered my head into my hands and couldn’t stop the tears from falling. Everything had turned to shit and now if felt like I was being hunted by most of Hell and the sacrifice was more than just my life, but now the three brothers I cared about.
Despite the betrayal I felt by Trice, I still couldn’t stop myself from caring.
Gryph, Vern and yes, even Trice all deserved to have their souls back. Which meant that I had to do something about this, and running was no longer an option. Because I might want to save my own life but surely there was one card I had left to play here. I just needed to get there, and I knew now Trice wouldn’t help me. He only had his brother in his mind, and I couldn’t find it in myself to blame him, even if it meant him sacrificing my life without a blink. Even if it meant seeing me only as a job.
Meaning, I couldn’t trust him to help me.
No, there was only one being in all of Hell that could help me now.
It was time to bargain.
So, a little time later Trice found me and told me that it would be dark soon, as evidently that was what happened in these parts. He told me that he had lit a fire and for me to stay close to it for my protection and to keep warm. It was also obvious that he knew I was upset as I refused to speak to him. But I could tell that at first he thought it was because I was worried for Vern, not because I had heard what he and his brother had said. I knew this when walking past him, intent on storming back to his makeshift camp. He grabbed my arm and held me back, so as to tell me,
“Don’t worry, we will git him back.” Then, just before I could answer, he heard Gryph’s voice calling his name, only with the echo off the unusual rocks, he heard the voice being reflected behind him. This then became obvious what had happened. Because Gryph’s voice had been as clear as if he were stood next to him, not as far as way as he was. This was when realization finally hit him, and he
had the good graces to look pained by the idea.
“Och, Lass.” I cut him off pretty quickly.
“Oh, don’t worry, I know you will,” I told him in a hard tone before turning on my heel and walking back to where Gryph was, making his hiss a cursed,
“Fck.”
I reacted this way because even though I may have understood his reasons, I still wasn’t about to pretend to be okay with him ready to throw me to the wolves just to get it. To do it so callously and not even act like it was a hard decision to make.
That was my problem.
So, I walked back to the camp, walked straight up to Gryph and reached up to try and pull him down to me. This obviously surprised him enough to do as I wanted, making him dip his head lower, so I could frame his face with my hands.
“Thank you for caring about what happens to me, Gryph. I will do anything I can to help you get back your soul and I promise you, when you do, it will be untainted and clean,” I said, then I kissed him softly making him freeze first under my words and then the affectionate gesture I granted him. Then I tapped him twice on his cheek after pulling back after the quick kiss,
“And remember, ladies like soft feathers.” Then I winked at him and turned to find Trice stood there after watching the whole thing. He looked as if he had been punched in the gut but also as though he wanted to do the punching, only most likely to some other poor tree that wouldn’t survive it. But I walked past him and as I did, he said my name, my actual name, not ‘lass’,
“Amelia.” I paused long enough to give him my reply,
“What’s been said has been said, now let’s just get to this fucking castle and finish it, so that what’s done is done,” I said unable to look at him fully but still I noticed the way his hands fisted in frustration. Then I walked away and sat down by the fire. After this I tried to ignore them both, because it made it easier that way, on both sides.
Kingdoms Of Hell: Vampire Paranormal Romance (Transfusion Book 7) Page 22
