by Tara Shuler
“Listen to me,” he demanded, his tone harsh and grave. “This could save your life – or mine, or Alexi’s. You will only use it when absolutely necessary. But this could be the most useful ability you have. Trust me, Alice. You need to work on this.”
I stared at him incredulously for a moment; then I sighed. My shoulders slouched forward. I was defeated.
“Alright, fine,” I relented. “I’ll try.”
A broad smile spread across Liam’s face, and he lit up brightly. I could tell he wanted to jump in the air and pump his fist or something, but for my sake, he managed to restrain himself. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath.
“Now, concentrate on making me like you,” he said. “Then try to get me to do something.”
Making my voice sound spooky and waggling my fingers in his face, I said, “Liam, stop making me do this.”
“Alice, be serious!” he said, sighing with exasperation.
“Alright, alright,” I said.
I tried to relax my body, and I concentrated. It was hard enough knowing I was influencing him to like me more than he already did. I knew how it must be making him feel, especially now that I was married to his brother. But he was right. He must be. After all, Alexi agreed with him. If they both thought this was a good idea, I was determined to give it my best.
A few moments after I started concentrating, Liam got this goofy, far away, dreamy look on his face. I took that as a signal that my ability was working, so I took a deep breath and tried to influence him.
“Liam, bring me a chair,” I demanded.
For a moment, I thought it didn’t work. He just continued to stare at me. Then I noticed him shake his head slightly as if clearing away a fog, and he immediately crossed the room and slid a chair over to me. He stood in front of me smiling proudly.
“Here you are!” he chirped pleasantly.
I must admit that it was a rather nice change having someone submit to me so willingly. For the most part, everyone in my life had been telling me what to do for months. Still, I felt a twinge of guilt. It just didn’t seem right.
“Sit down,” I told him.
He immediately slid around to the front of the chair and planted himself in it, looking up at me admiringly. I raised my eyebrow at him. It was surprisingly simple to get him to submit.
“Stand up,” I ordered him.
He stood up, standing before me like a willing soldier. These were simple commands. I knew he wouldn’t object to them. I needed to see if I could influence him to do something he normally wouldn’t do, and there was only one thing I could think of.
“Slap me,” I commanded.
His mouth fell open slightly, and I saw his bottom lip quiver. His eyebrows pushed together, and his forehead wrinkled.
“Slap me!” I ordered.
He hesitated briefly, and for a moment I thought he wouldn’t comply. Then he drew his hand back and poised himself to strike me. I scrunched my eyes shut and waited for the impact. I heard a whoosh and a loud thud. My eyes popped open.
“What are you doing?” Alexi shouted in a rage.
Alexi had Liam pinned against the wall by the throat. Liam’s feet dangled in the air, and his eyes were bulging from their sockets in a sickening grimace. He gurgled a plea and looked thoroughly confused. Alexi’s face was taut with fury.
“Alexi, stop!” I shrieked, rushing to his side and grabbing his arm. “Let him go! I told him to do it!”
Alexi’s grip didn’t loosen, but his expression softened slightly. His eyes tilted toward me.
“Alexi, let him go,” I said softly. “I told him to do it. I was trying to influence him.”
I heard Liam slump to the floor, gasping for air and coughing. Alexi cleared his throat and looked down at Liam.
“Sorry, Brother,” he apologized, offering his hand.
Liam stared at Alexi for a moment, but finally slapped his palm against Alexi’s and clasped his hand. Alexi pulled Liam to his feet.
“Are you alright?” I asked Liam.
Rubbing his throat, he nodded.
“Alexi, really,” I scolded him. “Do you really think Liam would strike me of his own accord?”
“I… I was caught by surprise, that is all,” Alexi said. “I did not expect to walk in and find my brother poised to attack you.”
“Yes, I understand that, but you have to be more careful,” I said. “You have to stop making such rash decisions when it comes to me.”
“I am sorry, Alice, but that is rather difficult for me,” he admitted.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and laid my head on his shoulder. His strong arms closed around me and held me close, and I felt his long, pale hair gently tickling my cheek.
“I know it is,” I said gently. “But please, for me, try to control yourself.”
I could have stayed there for endless hours, feeling his strong embrace, the rise and fall of his chest. But Liam cleared his throat uncomfortably. Alexi and I broke our embrace.
“Um, clearly you have the ability to influence people,” Liam said. “Maybe we should work on another ability for now.”
“Oh, for sure,” I agreed readily. “I think I’ve had enough of this one for the moment.”
“Before you continue, I am afraid I have some rather bad news,” Alexi said.
I could hear an edge of real concern in his voice, so I immediately turned my attention back to him.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It is what I originally came here to tell you both,” he said. “We have a problem.”
“Don’t we always?” Liam asked.
“This is a larger problem than we have dealt with recently,” Alexi replied. “I have finally learned what Dmitri is planning. He intends to wipe out hunters, and then destroy the Council.”
My stomach lurched, and my heart thudded in my chest. I grasped the back of the chair behind me and struggled to stay on my feet. Alexi caught me just as my knees buckled.
“Max!” I gasped.
Alexi clutched me tightly as my knees trembled weakly. I tried to stand, but I simply couldn’t.
“Why does he want to get rid of hunters?” Liam asked. “I can understand him wanting to be rid of us, but why hunters?”
“I do not know,” Alexi said. “My source only told me what he is planning. I would imagine it is part of a larger plan.”
“I think I know why,” I said suddenly, grasping the chair and sliding weakly into it. Alexi and Liam both looked at me, waiting for me to fill them in. “Well, I don’t know what his larger plan is, but I would imagine that he knows the hunters would team up with us to go after him. He knows the Council controls the hunters. They always have.”
“This means you are undoubtedly his number one target,” Alexi pointed out to me.
“Well, that’s no surprise,” I said frankly. “I’ve had a giant target on my back from day one.”
“Yes, but now you are not just a pawn,” Alexi reminded me. “When he kidnapped you the first time, he was only attempting to manipulate me. Now, you are the Chancellor. Now, you are good friends with a hunter.”
“We should take Alice somewhere safe,” Liam suggested.
“No!” I gasped. “I’m not going to run and hide at a time like this!”
“But…” Liam started to argue.
“Alice is right,” Alexi interrupted him. Liam and I both turned to stare at Alexi in disbelief. He continued. “For one thing, we need her. And for another, we are also needed. We cannot fight Dmitri and also guard her properly. She must stay with us.”
“Alexi, I…” Liam tried to object.
Alexi held up his hand. “I understand how you feel, Liam. I am no happier about this than you. However, this is how it must be. There is no alternative.”
“Liam, I’m the Chancellor, now,” I said. “I don’t even really understand what that means, but I do know that it means I can’t run from every little thing that comes along. I basically have the fate of our race in my
hands, and I can’t shirk that responsibility.”
Liam sighed heavily, and with his head hung in defeat, he relented, “Then we need a plan.”
“I agree,” I said. I looked at Alexi and asked, “What can we do?”
Alexi looked pensive. His eyebrows furrowed deeply as he lost himself in thought. His eye twitched slightly. I brushed a strand of his long, white locks away from his face. Alexi had been keeping his hood down around me since our wedding, but only around Liam and me. He was still very sensitive about his scar, and I guess nothing I could have said would have made him realize how beautiful he was to me.
“We take the fight to Dmitri,” Alexi answered.
Liam’s eyes lit up, and a slight grin twitched upon his lips. He nodded faintly, his face taut with thought. His smile widened.
“Yeah,” Liam said. “Yeah, exactly!”
“Wait, what are you two thinking?” I asked.
“Look, Alice,” Liam explained quickly. “Dmitri almost certainly thinks we are either going to run in order to protect you, or we’re going to hole up in the compound in order to meet him on our turf.”
“That does seem like the smart thing to do,” I said. “Home field advantage? What am I missing?”
“Right, it technically would be the smart thing to do in your average situation,” Liam said. “But, and I’m sure Alexi will agree, this is not an average situation. Dmitri has… well, he’s lost his mind. We have to do something he won’t expect… throw him off guard.”
I was starting to understand what he was saying, but I also knew the danger involved in leaving the area in which we were familiar and comfortable.
“Are you sure that’s best?” I asked Alexi.
“Not entirely, but I believe it is worth discussing,” Alexi said.
“We can’t discuss it for long,” Liam said. “If we’re going to act, it needs to be ASAP.”
“I have an idea that may help us,” Alexi said. “If you will excuse me, I will attend to it at once.”
“What’s the idea?” I asked him.
“I do not want to get your hopes up in case it does not go as I hope,” he told me, brushing his hand lightly over my hair. “Please, just give me a few hours and then I promise I will let you know what I discover.”
I sighed, but nodded my understanding. He kissed me on my forehead, bowed politely to Liam, and left the room in a billow of cloak and hair.
“I swear, it’s like he thinks I’m incapable of understanding anything,” I lamented.
“He means well,” Liam shrugged.
“So, back to training?” I asked.
With renewed vigor, Liam leaped to his feet. “Let’s go!” he agreed.
Chapter Two
It had been hours since Alexi had dismissed himself to see to this mysterious idea of his. Liam and I had been training until we were both physically and mentally exhausted, so we retired to the cafeteria for something to eat.
“I wish we knew Dmitri’s motivations,” I muttered, mostly to myself than anyone else.
“Hmm?” Liam muttered absently, chewing a bite of the sandwich that he was concentrating on blankly.
“I was saying I wish we knew what was compelling Dmitri so powerfully,” I said. “I mean, he’s gone crazy, obviously, but there has to be something causing him to behave this way.”
“Maybe he’s charmed?” Liam suggested, his voice horribly muffled by the ridiculously large bite of bread and peanut butter.
“Oh, god, Liam, at least swallow before you talk,” I groaned.
“Sorry,” he muttered, crumbs flying from his mouth and landing on my shirt. I sighed heavily and he meekly laid his sandwich on his plate, taking a long swig of milk. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and I tried to restrain my annoyance at his manners, or lack thereof.
“Honestly, I don’t think he’s charmed,” I said. “This is something more powerful, I think.”
“Something more powerful than a charm?” Liam asked. “Like what?”
“There are a lot of things that are more powerful than magic,” I reminded him softly. “Hate, fear… love.”
Liam nodded knowingly.
“He might be compelled by hate,” Liam suggested. “I doubt he is afraid of anything. It certainly isn’t… wait… maybe it is!”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“Okay, you mentioned hate, fear, and love, right?”
I nodded.
“Well, Dmitri was in love, once,” Liam said. “He was deeply in love with this human woman named… oh, god, what was it?” he snapped his fingers as he tried to remember. “Olivia! That’s it! Well, he and Olivia were about to be married, and the day of their wedding day, a group of vampires Dmitri had wronged in some way years earlier, attacked. Olivia tried to defend him, but she got killed. Alexi and I were pretty young at the time, but we were there. Father was the best man and we were sitting out there among Dmitri’s family and friends. I still remember seeing her lying there in front of the altar with her blood seeping down the aisle and Dmitri weeping over her body. It was horrible.”
“Wow,” I said reverently. “That would certainly be a powerful motivator for revenge.”
“Indeed it would,” Liam agreed. “I mean, if something like that happened to you, I would…” he stopped and cleared his throat. Then he picked up his sandwich and devoured nearly half of it in one bite.
As he chewed, I began to mull over what he’d just told me. I nibbled a carrot stick and swirled it absently in ranch dressing. Maybe he’s onto something, I thought. Love is the most powerful motivator of all.
“I think we should tell Alexi about this,” I said.
“Tell me about what, darling?” Alexi asked.
I grinned at my food. Alexi always had a way of showing up exactly when I needed him to. I turned to face him.
“Well, we were wondering about Dmitri’s motives,” I said. “I figured if we knew what was driving him, we’d have more insight into what he’s planning. Then Liam mentioned a certain woman named Olivia, and…”
“Olivia!” Alexi interrupted me. “Of course! Now I understand! Oh dear, this is not good. Not good at all.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Alexi pulled a chair up beside me and sat down, his face grave as he processed the information fully. He shook his head solemnly.
“I should have seen it before,” Alexi said. “The talisman. I believe I know why he wants it.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Oh, damn,” Liam interjected. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“I would bet that I am, brother,” Alexi said. “He is going to attempt to bring her back.”
“Who?” I asked. And then it dawned on me. I gasped her name. “Olivia?”
Alexi nodded.
“He can’t really do that, can he?” I asked.
“I am afraid it is possible, or so legend has it,” Alexi said. “But this means you are in even greater danger than we ever thought possible.”
“No,” Liam breathed, his voice nearly imperceptible. Then he shouted, “No! Not her!”
Liam stood up so quickly his chair overturned. Then he grabbed the edge of the table and flipped it with a horrifying scream, sending our dishes clattering to the flood amidst a flurry of splintered wood and toppled chairs.
“Well, I guess I’m finished eating,” I mumbled.
“We will not let it happen,” Alexi said to Liam.
“You’re damned well right we won’t!” Liam shouted. “No wonder he wants her so badly!”
“What are you two going on about?” I demanded.
“Darling, I do not wish to alarm you,” Alexi said gently, taming an errant strand of my hair and tucking it behind my ear. “Unfortunately, this is something you must know. If Dmitri is planning what we think he is planning, he will most certainly attempt to abduct you again. He needs your Grace ability. He plans to use the talisman to transfer your life essence, including your Grace ability, into O
livia in order to bring her back from the dead. It is an ancient ritual, but I do not believe it has been attempted in centuries. It is forbidden.”
“What?” I gasped, my mouth gaping. “You can’t be serious!”
“You know we will never allow any harm to come to you,” Alexi said.
“Alexi… he’s planning to… kill me… to bring her back, isn’t he?” I stammered.
“I am afraid so,” he answered.
“Damn him,” Liam muttered. “Damn him to hell!”
“Liam, this outburst will do no one any good,” Alexi protested.
“What are we going to do?” Liam pleaded, his hands clawing at Alexi’s cloak.
“Do not panic,” Alexi said. “I have contacted a priest in Rome. He was a colleague of Father Jacobs. He was a friend to our father. He has a plan that can help, but unfortunately I knew nothing of this when I spoke with him. I must see if I can get him back on the telephone to inform him. Excuse me.”
Alexi planted a firm kiss on the top of my head and turned to leave. But he stopped short of the door and turned to Liam, saying, “Under no circumstance should Alice be left alone for any reason. Understood?”
“Don’t worry, brother,” Liam said. “I wouldn’t leave her alone right now for anything in the world.”
Alexi nodded and made his retreat, and Liam looked at me, his face ashen and looking far older than his years.
“Shall we get back to training?” he asked.
My stomach rumbled loudly, and I looked longingly at my carrot sticks underneath the rubble, ranch dressing oozing down the legs of nearby chairs. I shrugged.
“Might as well,” I said, though every part of me ached horrendously and my stomach felt like it might implode from emptiness.
“Let’s train outdoors for a change,” Liam suggested.
“I don’t think Alexi would like that very much,” I argued. “It’s too open. Too dangerous.”
“We’ll take some Council members with us,” Liam said. “The compound is well guarded.”
“We’ve been attacked here before,” I reminded him. “We can’t be too cautious.”
