by J. J. McAvoy
“We will be breaking a treaty with those witches for one,” Daiyu said. “He doesn’t know what the witch looks like. He’s going to kill a few witches before he gets to this Adelaide if she exists.”
“Would you prefer war with the witches or the Thorbørns?” Taelon shot back.
“You voted; can I talk now?” I asked, looking between everyone.
“Vote,” President Swan demanded.
I nodded and looked at Namid, remembering the exact words Taelon said. “But I need you to drink from him again, Namid, before I vote.”
She glared at me, did what I said, kneeling back down and holding up his wrist.
“Wait,” I demanded. “Don’t drink until I nod. Only when I nod, and then as fast as you can.”
She looked at President Swan, but he didn’t stop me. My guess was that since it was my turn, she had to do what I said for the jury.
“I also think Theseus should go to the witches, but I’m sure he will find this Adelaide. I’m certain he will drag her kicking and screaming into the heart of the vampires and into this cave. He will kill her in front you, and not quickly with the snap of her pretty neck, but slowly…so slowly. She’ll hurt so much, and you will have to watch her die because you didn’t know, right?” I nodded when I saw it, and she bit in unison with me, but she didn’t stop this time she just drank, and her eyes shifted to the vampire as she did.
“What is it, Namid?” President Swan questioned when she released her bite but did not speak.
“I saw something, but it was in a fog. A woman, but it was as if I had something in my eyes, blocking me from seeing her...” she said slowly, somewhat dazed as she tried to stand up again, but fell to the side.
“Namid?” Daiyu called to her.
But she fell back onto the stones, and her body began to tremble, and then violently shake. Jason was up on his feet already, which in return made everyone else rise quickly.
“If you want her to live, let me go…”
“Jason! What have you done?” the man above him—who I guessed was his maker—cried out.
Jason looked straight to President Swan. “Mr. President, do you wish for this to kill your wife, too? My Adelaide’s magic is powerful. I do not know what is about these Omeron witches, but they are the strongest I have ever seen, and they are not afraid to use their magic.”
“Allow me to kill this traitor myself!” Mikhail snarled already off the rocks, but I couldn’t look away from Namid who just laid there convulsing, gasping for air she didn’t need.
Jason eyed the vampires that were circling, again looking to President Swan. “If I do not leave here unharmed, the curse in Namid will kill not just her but the one who sired her, and those she had sired. A whole line of vampires destroyed.”
“Impossible!” Taelon hollered back act him. “Such magic does not exist.”
“We shall see then, won’t we?” Jason laughed. “I’ve seen their magic. I’ve seen their powers…” His voice trailed off, pushed to the back of my mind.
I kept watching Namid, and I could see it. Shaking my head, I whispered, “It’s not that strong,”
“What was that?”
I wasn’t sure who asked. I couldn’t look away from Namid. I needed to see more, and so I ran to her side. It was purple, not a bright purple, but a deep, ugly, painful purple color. The chains crawling over her body squeezed tighter and tighter.
“Druella?”
My hands tingled; they itched with the desire to do something. But what exactly, I wasn’t sure.
“Break them. You can break them.” That silvery smooth voice spoke in my mind again.
Reaching down, I pulled, and she gasped. Her head whipped up to look at me. But the chains didn’t break. I repeated along with the voice in my head, “This spell I find I shall unwind, these chains I claim shatter in flames.”
Watching it happen, my words came to life and did what I wanted. I grinned with a familiar feeling coming over me…like when I was in the shower. Joy. I wanted to do it again, feel it again. It wasn’t just as if I had broken the chains, but I also felt like something was loose in me, like I was free. When I looked up, everyone stared back at me, eyes wide except for Theseus who instead was still and silent, not daring to move. In his eyes was nothing but concern. Jason, who was now being pinned down on top of the rocks, was staring at me wide-eyed.
“She’s a witch!” Mikhail exclaimed pointing at me, his bushy eyebrows so high they looked like they were going to the top of his hairline. His voice and inflection made him sound like he was about to start the next witch trials.
At least we were already at court.
Chapter 19
I’d never been so grateful not to be a mortal as I was now. Being trapped and surrounded by hundred-year-old vampires in a small steel elevator would have been too much for the mortal me, especially since I could feel all of them watching every move I made. Moving was a habit of mine, something I did to blend in when I was with the mortals, flexing my fingers, blinking, breathing. I did it much more often than any of them, and so it made them curious, wondering if I was going to do a trick, like magically pulling a rabbit from my sleeve or something. At least they all had the decency to only glance. Mikhail, on the other hand, was a different story.
“Please stop staring at me like that Mikhail,” I muttered.
Silence.
Rolling my eyes, I glanced up at the numbers, wishing the elevator would move a bit faster.
“I think we’ll call you, Druella, the vampire witch,” Mikhail said slowly behind me, testing out the words. Then all of a sudden, he leaned forward, sticking his head over my shoulder and beside my face, much too close for comfort. His stare did nothing to help my lack of comfort. “Do you like it? I like it. Vampire witch.”
“Mikhail keep your distance,” Theseus warned, his attempt to reign in his rising anger obviously failing as the elevator climbed.
“Careful, Mikhail, if Theseus doesn’t snap your neck, the vampire witch here might turn you into a toad.” Daiyu grinned innocently.
But Mikhail looked back to me as if I were Satan, he then stepped all the way into the corner of the elevator, and she burst into laughter.
Taelon groaned, tired of them. “Is there any reason why you both chose to ride in my elevator instead of your own?”
“Oh, come on, you can’t hog her all to yourself,” Daiyu said, linking arms with me. “Druella and I are working on a friendship here.”
Did she forget that she offered to have me killed to punish Theseus? That was only like half an hour ago.
“I think this is how the rapture starts,” Mikhail muttered and even crossed himself, but it was the opposite way from what I was used to.
“He’s Christian,” Daiyu whispered for no reason.
“Yeah, I am. Do you have a problem with that?” Mikhail growled at her.
“May any god help me out of this elevator?” Taelon begged and then looked at Theseus. “What I would give to have a normal family like you do.”
Theseus looked over at him, and for the very first time since we got into the elevator, the tension in his shoulders relaxed. He didn’t say anything; he just chuckled, shook his head, and looked forward like he couldn’t believe he’d said something so foolish.
“You’ve never met the rest of the Thorbørns, have you?” Daiyu grinned, leaning over to look at her other brother. “Be grateful for us. Compared to them we are handpicked by angels for you, Taelon.”
“Ulrik Thorbørn is the worst of them.” Mikhail crossed his arms decisively.
Daiyu leaned into me once again to whisper, “Mikhail met Ulrik a few years after his rebirth and looked up to him, kind of like a big brother. Ulrik would play pranks on him constantly, and one left him alone in Vienna on Good Friday as a pig.”
Huh?
“As a pig?” T
aelon also asked, confused.
“The damn bastard,” Mikhail cursed. “He can take other people’s gifts for a short time and give them to another. He stole a shapeshifting gift, gave it to me, and tricked me. He told me I was going was to fly, and I ended up as a pig for three days!”
I clamped my lips together, trying not to laugh at that or imagine the pig version of Mikhail, but Daiyu being her normal evil self said, “Oink, oink.”
And I lost it, breaking out into a fit of laughter alongside Taelon. Theseus had a small smile on his lips and nodded as if that was exactly what he was expecting.
“Not funny, I nearly became someone’s Easter dinner!” Mikhail yelled at us, which only made us laugh more.
“Is no one going to ask how a power you thought was going to make you fly made you a pig?” Theseus questioned, and he glanced over to Mikhail. “You should have become a bird, but why a pig?”
Mikhail looked away, his arms tightening. “He said the way to use the power was to think of the saying of when pigs fly because it was supposed to be impossible for people to fly, too.”
At that point, Taelon, Daiyu, and I were just balls of laughter. Theseus shook his head.
“Ulrik was the one who saved you from the butcher’s knife, right? No more hard feelings?” Daiyu teased.
“I hate him,” Mikhail shot back. And when we finally reached the ground floor, he came out first and pointed directly at Theseus. “Next time you see your brother, tell him that I am going to have my revenge—”
“You still haven’t gotten it?” I questioned and lifted my finger to point at him. “Not if I get you first, let’s see if I can make you a toad.”
At the end of my index finger, a tiny orb appeared, glowing a soft orange color. The moment he saw it, he vanished so quickly that Daiyu let me go and stuck her head out the elevator, grinning before turning back to me. “Very well done, young one. You act more like one of us by the hour.”
I flexed my hands and luckily that put an end to the glowing. “I haven’t forgotten that you threatened my life.”
“Very bad, young one.” Daiyu glowered, but amusement was still on her face. “Vampires do not hold grudges. Well, the mature ones don’t, at least not over words. If we did, we’d never have friends or places to go. You can’t be immortal and petty at the same time. Thank you for a very interesting morning. I’m going to take a nap and see what else you come up with before dinner.”
“We will not be here,” Theseus said, stepping up beside me. “We will be leaving for Ankeiros.”
Daiyu rolled her eyes at him and looked at me.
“In the 791 years I’ve been reborn, his reputation for being a destructive wonderer is the only thing that does not change. I suggest you learn to travel lightly. He’ll be dragging you all over the world, invoking chaos, terror, and fear.”
“I don’t mind traveling.” I’d lived my life in one place for so long that seeing the world was a bit exciting. “But I doubt I’ll invoke any of those things.”
“Oh, but you do, young one, you do.” Daiyu’s voice had lost all humor. Her eyes were sharp and clear. “Your existence, your gift for magic might be the most terrifying of them all, just look around you now.”
Feeling the mood shift, I did what she said and looked around, but everyone was busy going about their lives like we didn’t exist. Just a few hours ago, all of them were openly staring, judging, and talking about me. It was a complete one-eighty. It wasn’t that I wanted to be the center of attention, but it felt like they were forcing themselves not to stare.
“In the animal kingdom, when a predator enters the jungle or sea, all the other creatures run. They keep their distance, avoid eye contact, and they don’t engage—it’s the same for us.” She chuckled like a madwoman looking across the floor. “They were all like this when Theseus first came here, too, cowards.”
“The only ones who should live in terror and fear are the ones who come at me with ill will. No vampire has anything to worry should they be genuine,” Theseus said, and Daiyu ignored him, tapping her chin as she pretended to think.
“I wonder what tales shall be told of you two, Theseus Thorbørn, the Vampire Eternal, Prince of Night and his mate Druella, the Vampire Witch?” She shrugged as if she couldn’t be bothered to think on it anymore. “Whatever shall come of you two, I’m sure I’ll be entertained until you visit us again. Goodbye, young one; Theseus.”
She nodded to both of us and strutted to her elevator as if it were a catwalk. It was only when she stepped inside and the golden doors closed that I saw the engraving of her on them. In the image, she sat in front of a straw bed, a large body in the background, dressed in armor. Her helmet was to the side of her long hair that pooled behind her back. She held her own sword to her neck, and she was smiling. It was chilling, mocking even, and unafraid, completely like her.
“Why am I not surprised she was a warrior, too?” I said gently; with her personality, she probably was like the only female commander of her time. I could only imagine the stories, and the art she had of that time.
“Not just any warrior,” Taelon said. “The daughter and killer of Genghis Khan.”
What? What was with this family and killing their mortal families? And more importantly, why didn’t I ask her more about herself. Why had she killed him? What was her story?
“Your father sure knows how to pick you all,” Theseus replied as if he could read my mind.
“Some would argue so does your father,” Taelon said, offering his hand to Theseus to shake. “My father will not say it, but I shall. Thank you for insisting with Jason. Once we investigate how much he has told the witches and how strong they are, he will be put to death. I will make sure of it. Though I wish you would have explained how you came to have knowledge of his betrayal.”
“You are free to keep wishing,” Theseus stated, his face void of any emotion. He was trying hard to contain his thoughts it seemed.
Taelon, understanding his mood, looked at me as he spoke. “I would have liked us to leave on calmer terms, but it seems there shall be no rest with you two here. I hope you do not forget us once you arrive in Ankeiros. No matter what, you are a vampire of these lands.”
“I doubt I could ever forget everything that has happened here.” I stretched out my hand to Taelon when he offered his.
He lifted it and kissed the back, and Theseus let out a small grumble, which only amused him.
“Good luck taming this one, Druella. Remember, should you ever need anything, I gave you my oath eternally. Lucy will call if only to demand where to mail your clothes,” he said, letting me go and moving to the side.
Charline stood back to normal with no red powder on her to be seen though I could still smell traces of the powder on her hands. After I had broken the spell, she’d broken Jason’s arms, tackling him on the rocks.
“Lord Thorbørn, Ms. Monroe.” She bowed her head to us, and I grinned.
“You don’t have to do that for me, you know?” I told her, and she just turned, leading us to the car.
The walk back, Theseus and I were silent. I noticed no one said goodbye, and it made me realize goodbyes for vampires would be akin to see you later. Chances were, vampires would meet again; forever was on their side. As we reached the doors, I did also notice what Daiyu had said. However, it was different from when I had first entered. It had only been hours, not even been a full day, although I wasn’t sure since time was slipping away—no not time exactly, but my care for time. When I hid among the mortals, I had to set alarms, be out when others were about, be in when others were in, clock in to work, clock out of work. But now, after meeting Theseus, keeping track of time seemed meaningless.
Times flies when you’re having fun. That was the saying, but were we having fun?
“Druella?”
I met his gaze, and I realized he was waiting for me to get into
the back of the Range Rover first. His grey eyes were curious, too, questioning even, though he didn’t say a word. Giving him a small smile, I got inside, and he entered behind me.
“Are you alright?” he questioned when I was seated. “Are you hungry?”
“Did you know that I had only had human blood a handful of times before I ran into you? I mostly drank from wild animals…deer.”
He grimaced, frowning slightly. “You wish to drink those again? The blood of animals cannot possibly be satisfying.”
I shook my head; he didn’t get it. “But I was satisfied, Theseus. A week ago, I was satisfied with my life as a vampire. I barely noticed the difference between my mortal self and my vampire self.”
“And now I have ruined—”
“No.” I took his hand and squeezed. It wasn’t that, either. “Now, I’m living. It’s it funny? Technically we’re dead, but I’ve lived more in the last few days, knowing you than I have in all of my life. I’m having an adventure, meeting people I would never have dreamed of meeting. I’m experiencing and learning so much with each passing moment. It’s all crazy, chaotic, and nerve-wracking, but…I think I’m having fun. Is that weird?”
He chuckled, and his body relaxed as he lifted my hand and kissed the back. “I can see why your magic did not leave you in rebirth as it did the rest of us.”
That piqued my curiosity. “Why?”
“You are a Philomath.” When he saw my expression, he went on. “It’s from the Greek word philos meaning beloved, loving, as in philosophy or philanthropy, and manthanein, math- to learn, as in polymath. A philomath is a lover of learning. You, Druella, are not just in love with art, history, and romance novels. You are in love with everything. The moment you see something, you either wish to know what brought it about or how you can do it yourself. Just like you were determined to learn to waltz just by watching.”
He seemed amused by the memory, and I tried to yank my hand away, but he held on tighter, snickering at me.
