The Medici Queen

by Emily Bex

  Turning toward her, he saw her face and it almost melted him. She loved him, his warriors, his people, and her heart was always given to them with everything she had. Pulling her into his arms, he crushed her to his chest.

  "I care not about the Council, but I do care about you, and my familia. Please say yes, that you will come, be with me, stand strong with me always."

  "I’ll always be at your side. Even when you stand in battle, my heart goes with you."

  His heart lit up and he kissed her passionately, pouring all his feelings through that kiss. "I love you, mi amore. Now get up and get dressed, we have some work to do outside." Winking, he slapped her ass then stood and grabbed his clothes. "Don’t just sit there, move it, woman! You are not going outside bare-assed for the world to see. Come on, we have some teleporting lessons to work on."

  Kate laughed. Teleporting? What do I wear to learn to teleport? Something that will protect me if I crash land? She went to her dresser and removed the leathers Luca had given her when she finished training and carried them into the bathroom to put them on. She slid into the butter-soft pants, which clung to every curve and slipped on the fitted jacket, zipping up the front, deciding not to pull up the hood, and left her hair free. She pulled on a pair of black knee-high boots and returned to the bedroom. "Ready, lover."

  "And about time, wo-" As Shade turned to her, his heart did a flip inside his chest. His mouth hung open and he kept blinking as his cock responded to the vision before him. "Cazzo, kill me dead where I stand. You are looking hot. I mean scorching! How the hell am I supposed to teach you anything when you look like that? Damn, woman! Where the hell did those leathers come from?"

  "They’re mine. I earned them, just like I earned the crossbow. Luca had Cory make them for me when I finished my training. He mailed a pair of my jeans and a shirt over to him, so he’d know my size. I had no idea when I’d ever have the opportunity to wear them. It has a hood, and a mask that covers the lower part of my face so only my eyes are exposed. So, if you need an extra warrior...you know where to find me.”

  Shade shook his head. "Well, let’s get some skills down pat first, and then we will discuss the warrior, si?"

  They walked outside hand in hand, both of them in leathers, and Shade had never been happier.

  21

  As Shade led bel outside, the moon was high in the sky and the stars were out, a good clear night to teach her a few things about teleporting. He had no idea how this was going to go, but better to find out sooner than later. Walking her out into the open field far from the house, it took them a while to get there, but he wanted her away from anything she could crash land into.

  "Now listen, mi amore. The first step is to think about your landing location. You have to visualize it in your mind. Keep your eyes open and keep your mind alert. As you go, you will learn speed and how to turn your body. So, picture the house in your mind, get a clear picture of it. Close your eyes and see it. Make yourself want to go there. Do you have it in your mind’s eye?"

  Kate closed her eyes and concentrated, seeing their home in every detail. "I can see it. Now tell me what to do."

  Stepping close behind her, he put his hands on her waist. "Now, I want you to jump up at an angle. Not straight up in the air, lean into it, trust me. Take yourself there. Don’t go too fast, just a comfortable speed. It’s straight across the field. When you land, talk to me and let me know you have landed. Concentrate on where you need to be." Letting go of her waist, he stepped back. "Go!"

  Go? That's my instruction? Go how? Kate focused her attention on the house and felt her energy build. As she started to lift, she gasped and clutched at him. Letting go of the image in her head in a moment of panic, she felt her feet back firmly on the ground as she clung to his arm. She was breathing rapidly. "Maybe you should go with me?"

  "Bel, listen to me, you cannot be afraid of your skills, it will hamper you. If you fall, you heal by the morning. I’m right here. I will feel you if you fall, and I’ll be there."

  Taking her in his arms, he cuddled her to his chest. "Relax your breathing, come on. The house is over there, across that field."

  He spun her around facing the direction of their home and let go of her. "Imagine this. Our bambino is afraid and screams out, get to him, bel. Go, he is terrified, go!"

  Kate saw the house in her head again, a clear picture. She felt the energy build, like her cells were alive and moving at a high rate of speed. She let go. Let go of her fear and the pull of gravity and let her energy take her. She felt the lift again, and the forward motion. She could feel the wind in her hair and she watched as the house came into view. Wait. Did he tell me how to stop? She felt panic again and crashed to the ground. She rolled to a stop across the grass and discovered she was just outside their house on the front lawn, and Aegis ran to her, licking her face and whimpering.

  Shade waited and felt her body hit the ground. "Cazzo!" “Bel, get up, are you all right?”

  “I'm all right, lover. You didn't tell me how to land.”

  Luca had felt her panic and rushed to the front yard to see Kate in leathers sprawled across the grass, the wolf licking her face. “Kate? What the fuck?"

  Kate laughed. "No problems, Luca. Flying lessons."

  Luca held out his hand and Kate grabbed it and pulled herself up. Luca gave her some instructions, "Just picture yourself landing, the same way you picture your destination." He laughed. "Good thing you wore those leathers."

  Shade sent her instructions on coming back to him. “Okay, brush yourself off and this time, you come back to me, but land in my arms, they will be outstretched. Learn to control the speed and energy. It’s energy and mind control, mi amore, that’s all it is. You can do it. Now teleport to me, woman!” Shade waited to feel her take off and held out his arms at an angle toward the sky.

  Land in his arms? Is he kidding? She took a deep breath and looked at Luca. "Okay, well, wish me luck."

  She envisioned the field where she started, and imagined Shade there, his arms open to her. She felt the flow of energy change as she lifted again, enjoying the freedom as she moved through the air, letting her momentum pick up. She saw him in the open field, waiting for her and envisioned herself there. She landed with too much speed, but right into his arms, knocking him off balance as he lifted them both skyward, before taking her safely to the ground.

  "Well, much better. Now we need to work on your landings. You need to be able to land softly, quietly. Right now, every rogue in Virginia will hear your crash landings. Let’s try something else. I am going to take off, just follow me. Don’t worry about where we are going, concentrate on the energy of being with me and keeping up with me. You can do this, just practice, and once you understand how it works, you won’t even have to think about it, it will just happen, si?"

  He took off, rising slowly and heading for the mountain range. He could feel her trepidation, but then felt her lift and follow him. He turned his head and saw her catching up quickly. “Slow down, mi amore. Breathe normally, and calm your heartbeat. Just glide and follow me. When you want to turn, just turn your body in that direction. It will go where your mind tells it to. Enjoy the beauty all around you.”

  She followed behind him as he led her over the mountain range. She loved the freedom and the wind through her hair. She loved the view of their property from up here, and the realization dawned on her that any rogue vampire could teleport over them, see the lay of the land, the warrior camp, and she had a sense of their vulnerability against other immortals. She caught up to him quickly, not wanting him to get too far ahead of her, and reached over, taking his hand.

  He took her to the top of the mountain before turning around and guiding her through the turn with ease, never letting go of her hand. He watched her face and felt her relax. They completed their turn around the mountain when he let go of her hand and went into a dive, speeding away from her. “Come on bel, dive. I got you.”

  She followed, picking up speed, and felt the
smile spread across her face. She spread her arms and felt the wind on her face but realized by spreading out her arms it slowed down her speed. She pulled her arms in closer to her body and quickly caught up to him again.

  “You’ve got it, mi amore. That’s the way!”

  He grabbed her hand and headed for the house, this time, going much faster, building up speed. Her smile was wide, and he knew she loved it. Shade let go of her hand as they teleported back and forth over the fields of Bel Rosso.

  “Watch this.” He went up high in the air and did somersaults, then teleported back to her and urged her to do the same.

  Feeling brave, she decided to combine what she had learned with Luca, when he taught her to run the wall and do a back hand-spring into her new teleporting skills, and only hoped it didn’t end disastrously. She dove for the roof of the stables and turned her body to land feet first. As her feet touched down, she pushed off and did a back flip before straightening in the air and lifting back up high into the sky. She could hear the horses respond as her feet hit the roof, and Angelo and a few stable boys ran outside, looking skyward.

  Shade laughed as he watched her take his challenge and pull it off with ease. He teleported in and landed in front of Angelo. "It’s okay, just teleporting lessons. Relax, I’ve got this one." Taking off again, he followed her and slapped her ass as he passed her, speeding ahead, higher and faster.

  She raced to catch up, laughing out loud. He started to outdistance her, and she pushed hard, focusing on reaching him when she felt light-headed and lost focus. The dizziness overcame her, and she started to free-fall, unable to regain control, falling like a rock straight for the ground. “Shade!”

  Shade could feel her as her body lost energy and she screamed for him. He back flipped midair and caught her in his arms, curling her into his chest. Landing inside the bedroom, he carried her and laid her down.

  "I got you, mi amore, it’s fine. Catch your breath and lay still for a bit. It takes a lot of energy to teleport. That’s why you have to practice, and this is all very new for you. You did well."

  He stripped himself of his leathers and boots, and helped remove hers as well. She was like a rag doll, her body limp from the expenditure of energy. Pulling back the duvet and sheets, he snuggled them in beneath the covers and pulled her atop his chest, his hands caressing and soothing her.

  "Relax, your warrior has you, nothing will harm you. Sleep and dream. Tomorrow is another day. Ti amo."

  She laid her head on his chest, feeling the exhaustion take over as her eyes felt heavy. She slid her arm around him and tossed her leg across his.

  She told him she loved him, and then, just before drifting off to sleep, she whispered, "I'm going to be fucking awesome at this vampire shit."

  Shade felt the rumble of his laughter roll up his chest and out of his mouth. "Si, mi amore. My queen is fucking awesome with her vampire shit and her wild menagerie of creatures. To top it off, she already talks like one of my warriors."

  Shaking his head, he knew one thing; he loved this woman to her core.

  22

  The new warriors had arrived from Florence. Shade let Marco choose the five additional warriors he wanted here from the Florence warrior camp for the next six months or more. He’d give them six months, then decide if he wanted to keep them here, return them all or exchange a few. He now had seventeen Medici warriors residing at the Bel Rosso estate. Marco had joked with him, telling him he’d better come up with a plan for Florence. He was running out of fully trained warriors to come to the States.

  Shade had made his calls and sent out word through the master’s grapevine that he was having an “Open Call” for warriors. He was seeking interested warriors to come and be trained Medici style, becoming among the world’s finest. His school in Florence took in young boys, as early as age ten, who grew up in the camp and learned their skills along with their basic education. Here in the States, he’d start the camp with vampires who were already adults, who’d been self-taught or trained by other warriors. Shade would break their old habits and retrain them his way. But first, all applicants would have to pass a basic requirements test to qualify for his camp. He’d put them through a rigorous test of their skill sets with various weapons, test their strength and stamina, and above all, their loyalty, respect, and honor.

  In the end, he’d select only a few who could pass his strict admission codes and qualify to train as an elite warrior. This wasn’t the first time Shade had begun from scratch. After the death of his parents, he’d had to start anew, and he’d made the camp bigger and better than his padre’s. He had every intention of refining that with even higher standards here in the States. He’d need scores of warriors here in the future, and this was where it would all begin.

  But, for now, it was time to have his meeting with his current warriors here at Bel Rosso. They needed to understand his expectations and their new assignments and responsibilities. He’d rely on them a great deal and put them to the test. They’d have to give him 110%, but he’d give just as much, if not more. He had Marcello assemble them into the new training facility, as he wanted all to be present. As he and bel walked together down the road toward the camp, this was the beginning. History was about to be made, Medici style.

  Walking through the gate of the camp, Aegis walked a few feet behind them, and Shade could hear the laughter and small talk of the warriors carried on the night air. He signaled to bel to be quiet as they walked to the training facility door, which was wide open to allow the soft breeze of the early evening to blow throughout the building. His warriors had no idea their queen would be attending this meeting, and he didn’t want to miss their astonished faces when they realized she was with him.

  Marcello had arranged for folding chairs to be set up in the middle of the facility floor. In front of the rows of folding chairs, someone had placed a plush, upholstered chair from one of their lounging rooms. Apparently, the bastards thought he was getting old and needed a cushy chair! He watched silently as some of his warriors stood in small groups talking, others lounged haphazardly on the folding chairs, ribbing each other. It pleased him to see them relaxed because tonight would be the last time they enjoyed such luxury.

  Before he had a chance to announce himself, Marcello raised his voice loud and clear, “Master and his lady in the house!”

  The warriors all turned their heads and jumped to their feet in respect. Their surprise at Kate’s presence showed on their faces. Aegis had followed her through the open door and into the room, standing a few feet behind her. Raven quickly ran to another room and came back carrying an identical plush chair and placed it beside the other, their chairs looking like thrones before the royal court. Shade chuckled softly and led bel to her seat, leaning in and giving her a sound kiss on the lips.

  Shade remained standing, holding up his hand. “At ease, warriors, take a seat. We have a great deal to discuss this night, but before we start, let me just say a few things. As you can see, your queen is present. Get used to her presence among us. I will not conduct my business without her. My padre believed our mates had no business in our world of master and king, but I do not follow that belief. We live in a different world, times have changed and right now, we begin a new future for Medici. I have learned well from my padre, but I am also a different master than he. My queen rules beside me in every aspect.” Turning to Kate, he smiled. “Is there anything you wish to say, my queen?”

  Kate had taken a seat in the chair and motioned for Aegis to sit. The wolf sat regally beside her, as if attending a meeting of vampire warriors was an everyday occurrence. Kate was caught off guard at Shade’s request for her to speak to his warriors, but she was not unaware of how much he had ventured from protocol in this male dominated culture. As she stood to address them, Aegis stood as well, and all of the warriors stood in unison. She could hear the whispering and mumbling among them as they took in the wolf, some of them seeing the animal for the first time, confirming for them the rumor o
f the rare gift their new queen possessed.

  Kate shook her head, waved her hand and indicated she wanted them to remain seated. “Please, sit. You have all honored me in pledging your fealty. I know you make that pledge out of love and respect for your master. You each humble me. I want you to know I don’t take my role lightly. I understand my responsibility to uphold the legacy of Medici, to carry those traditions forward, and tonight, I pledge to you I’ll do everything in my power to be deserving of your loyalty. As you protect me and mine, so I protect and honor you. I welcome you all here, to this new beginning.” The warriors nodded their heads to her as she took her seat.

  Shade smiled at Kate, as he took his seat beside her and began the meeting. “First of all, let me welcome our brothers from Florence. Please make this your home and feel free to ask questions. I know Marcello has seen to your accommodations and instructed you on the rules and the feeding schedule.

  “There have been some changes in posts since our return from Florence and they will go into effect starting this night. Skelk, who was a previous warrior of Master Canton, has now pledged his allegiance to Medici, taken the blood oath and is on board with us full-time. I expect all of you to show Skelk our Medici honor, and respect and treat him according to our code of ethics. Welcome aboard brother!”

  Shade made eye contact with Skelk and watched as he nodded his respect in return.

  "Cory, our leather magician, is now in permanent residence here at the camp. I am damn sure most of you know where his shop is located already. He will be making the leathers for all of the new recruits as well as continuing to service your needs as well.