by KD Bond
Kat ignored the razor-sharp glare by pulling out her headphones. The harpy connected them via Bluetooth and clasped her hands behind her head. Kat threw her black dirt ridden boots up on the table, while Drakes “Energy” started to blast through headphones.
Giving her mother a wink, Kat smiled as she turned her attention back toward Sky. Seeing her mother’s hands clench in a fist on top of the table only made her smile that more genuine. Sia shook her head beside her and hid a smile behind her hand. Sky cleared her throat, and all heads turned back to look towards their leader.
"Katrina, it’s nice of you to join us. Even though you’re late." Sky sneered.
"It’s my fault," her sister cut in before she could answer, "we were ummm, catching up. And we lost track of time."
Kat supposed it was true. And she wondered now, was that the reason Sia wanted to race. So, they wouldn’t be later than they already were. Sia, the model soldier.
Sky lifted a dark eyebrow in her direction in question. Kat shrugged.
"Okay, let’s get back on track shall we," Sky's voice broke through the tension.
And that’s when their mother stood and started handing out manila envelopes. "As I was saying, we need to be more vigilant. The vampire and werewolves war is starting to get out of control. The tyrants are bleeding into the human world. I’ve already talked to Luther, the leader of the weres…"
Sia cut her eyes at Kat, but Kat never took her gaze off the boss. Not even when mother dearest dropped a file in front of her. With a little more force than she did the others, she might add.
“Luther claims he can contain his pack to the phantom realm. However, if the vamps approach them in the human world, then all bets were off. We need to make sure the new Vampire King understands the weres position. The vamps need to agree to keep the war in the shadows, or they face us."
Kat gazed eyes across the table at the unique harpy that raised her voice to speak. Asia? Yeah, Kat believed her name was Asia. She didn’t remember much about this particular Knight, but she did remember she had a wicked gift. No one could forget a gift like hers.
"New leader?" Asia inquired.
"Yes," Sky replied, "Victor is no more."
Mumbles of astonishment arose as quiet conversations developed. Kat’s smile grew. They all been after Victor for some time now. The old vampire king was a menace. He killed inconspicuously, not bothering to cover his tracks. Most of the vamps could control their blood lust, but Victor had been alive for far too long. And the fiend let his mind lose control. He needed to be put down.
"And who, might I ask, took out our infamous vampire king? I was tracking him for years, and the little fucker slipped through my fingers every time," Asia erupted over the side conversations.
Sky cast her a glance... Oh was it my turn to talk, goodie. Kat waited until her mother finally finished dishing out the folders then resumed sitting.
"That would be me," Kat answered smugly before turning down the volume on her headphones. And again, the room fell silent. All eyes were on her once more.
"C’mon guys. You’ve got to chill out with all the stop and stare stuff. Is it so hard to believe I’m here and talking? Shit, it’s only been, what..." Sia cut in, "two years," "exactly," she continued, "two years. A blink of an eye in our time, so relax."
Zelda White, on the other side of Asia, cracked a smile, and tried to smother it quickly. The harpy was unsuccessful. Ahhhhh Zel, Kat missed her. That female always got Kat’s wicked sense of humor. Even though the ice queen rarely spoke, smiled, or blinked for that matter.
The silent Knight was stationed in Canada the last time Kat checked. It’d been a while since Kat saw her expressive face. And what a face it was. Zel looked like a porcelain doll. With her long silver-white hair and long thick eyelashes, she very well could be.
Kat cased her old friend a look that was all really, what the fuck and Zel laughed a rare and precious laugh. Everyone looked at the deadly snow angel as the sound escaped with disbelief. Only Kat knew Zel had a sense of humor. The harpy opted for quiet and reserved rather than loud and joyful — my kind of girl.
"Yes, it was Kat," Sky went on, not missing a beat. "But she had to cross quadrants to do it, which shouldn’t have happened. If all Knights were in better communication with each other, we could have ended Victor sooner."
"Yes, Katrina, you know the rules. It was reckless of you not to announce yourself to your fellow warrior. You could have endangered your sisters," Kamila mocked.
"Yeah well, that didn’t happen, and Victor was put down. So, announcing that little tad bit was unnecessary now wasn’t it?" Kat spat back, never relaxing, I don’t give a fuck about the world, position.
"Everything we discuss here is necessary. We wouldn’t want another unfortunate incident to occur; now would we?" Kamila replied sarcastically.
God that women got under her skin, "whatever," was Kat’s reply
"Listen, this argument is moot; in the end, Kat’s right. Killing Victor was a conquest for our side, and it needed to be done no matter the cost." Sky turned that black soulless-expression stare on Kat, "well done."
Annnnnnnd that’s why Kat bowed down to her master and was a good little girl, most of the time. Looking at her mother again, Kat pouted her lips and blew her a kiss. Their mother bared her teeth... Which only made Kat smile brighter.
"Keep your ears and eyes peeled warriors. We need to know who this new king is, and we need to find him before Luther does. If the war gets worse, I will put you in pairs," groans went across the room, and her leader held up a hand to silence their pretest. "So I would advise you all to find the king and fast. All the notes and reports from your fellow fighters are in the folders before you. Any questions?" Sky paused; the room remained quiet, "okay, you're free to go."
Finally, Kat took her feet off the table, pocketed her headphones then went to get up and leave.
"Kat, Sia a moment please," the dark lord added. In a tone that warranted no rebuttal. What the Fuck...
The others started to file out; even a few threw her a quick wave. Zel threw up her pinky and thumb enclosing her other fingers in the symbol of “call me.” Kat nodded, then watched Zel walk out with the others. Kat, Sky, Sia, and Kamila were the last four in the room.
"That is all Kamila; thank you." Their mother looked over at the new leader with confusion in her narrowed eyes. "I wish to speak to MY warriors alone."
The spawn of satan neutralized her expression. Kamila bowed a little and left without so much as a backward glance towards her two daughters. Whatever, it wasn’t like Kat wasn’t used to the cold shoulder from queen Kamila.
"So," Sky began. Kat propped herself to sit on the edge of the table and waited for her boss to continue. "I want you two to start working together effective immediately." Kat scowled, but kept quiet. Sky earned her silence after that little display of power. The harpy enjoyed watching Kamila be put in her place. Sky raised a dark brow, "no fight?"
"No," Kat and Sia replied simultaneously.
"Good. You two are my best warriors, and the dark lords are starting to take notice. There have been rumors about taking the two of you out, and I can’t have that. I need you both alive."
Kats blood started to run hot at the prospect of the phantom creatures coming after her. A menacing smile lit her face, bring it on bitches.
"Since you both live close to each other, it just makes more sense to have you working side by side, yes?"
Kat cut her eyes at her twin, but Sia didn’t look her way. So, she was staying in New York. Kat wondered why she hadn’t said anything.
"So, can you two handle working together, without killing one another?"
"Huh?" Kat turned back to her boss, "of course we can."
"Good. I’ll let you two work out your system. Just don’t get yourselves killed in the process. If you do, it’ll be oh so fun getting the witches to find a way to bring you back to life. Just so that I can kill you myself." With those parting words of prom
ised death, Sky left the conference room.
"Whoah," Kat mock shivered, "am I the only one with a hard-on?" Sia just shook her head and headed for the door.
So, the underworld was plotting to take their heads, were they? Mmmm Kat couldn’t wait for the first one to come and try it. The Knight palmed Hansel and Gretel at her thighs as she strolled out the door. Yep, her twins needed some candy. And this was the perfect distraction she needed to keep her mind off Luke.
Chapter Sixteen
Asia left the meeting with a sense of urgency. How the fuck had Kat killed Victor, the vamp was supposed to be hers. It may have been a team victory, but Asia thought she was the one with first dibs on the vampire king. At least that’s the impression she got from Sky.
It was personal between them. The bloodsucker killed one of her best friends. Someone Asia loved dearly, and for Knights, that feeling was rare. They didn’t have much time for anything outside of their calling. So to find someone she could be herself around was ecstatic. With Blaze, a lion shifter, she didn’t have to be a Knight, she could just be Asia.
Asia and Blaze were best friend’s inseparable almost. Most thought they had a romantic relationship, but that just wasn’t the case. They loved being around each other. Neither wanted a relationship, seeing how they were both busy in their business, but they did on occasion fool around. It never got serious between them. Asia couldn’t have a relationship that lasted too long, especially with her abilities. They always seemed to scare off her partners when she lost control in bed — every Knight loss control of their powers during sex at some point in their lives. Typically during the first two centuries of experience and at just one hundred and forty-seven, she was still learning her powers.
Blaze, however, never seemed to mind when she let go. Asia never caused him any physical harm. But she knew it was awkward. But he never made her feel weird or ashamed of something that was natural. They accepted each other flaws and loved one other despite their shortcomings.
They knew each other since they were kids. Their mothers happened to be best friends, and naturally, that made them close. They studied together, trained together. He was a true friend.
When word reached Asia of Blaze’s pack being attacked by Victor and his minions, she left her post in Rome immediately. Once she arrived at his village, Asia realized she was too late. She should’ve called Sky for a teleport, but she figured the lions would be able to hold their own.
Come to find out a few of the lion's soldiers had been lured out of the village, by Victor's bloodsuckers. They left the border defenseless. Women and children were all slaughter by that fucking monster. The beast left no one alive in his wrath, not even the infants sleeping in their cribs. It was a total massacre.
Asia went nuclear, marching over to every vampire lair she knew in search of Victor. She’d killed countless of them in her quest for their king before Sky pulled her out. Asia wanted all of them dead, and she didn’t care how long it took to make that happen. No one deserved that ending.
Blaze was a fighter. Warriors code was “anything goes,” but they all had their honor. The righteous ones anyway. No one should die trying to defend children. If one were to die, it should be in battle. But the stupid king took the shifters right. And now she couldn’t even avenge his honor.
Asia hurtled out of the portal in the underground tunnels. The harpy landed in Rome and made her way to her little cabin outside of town. Asia was grateful she parked her beetle close by. She hopped in and began driving down the quiet road.
The harpy wanted needed to hunt, but she knew she needed to calm down first. When Asia first heard Kat admitting to taking her kill, the urge to jump across the table and strangle the female was strong. In correlation, Asia wanted to do the same to Sky. The Knight’s leader was the only one who knew what killing Victor meant to Asia. So she didn’t understand why she would put an open kill order on the detested king. A small part of her knew the female was doing her job. And Goddess knew she hadn’t been around when shit went down with Blaze. So of course, Sky didn’t know what had happened. Asia couldn’t take it personally. Maybe it was just the fact it was Kat who took the kill.
Asia never liked the lightning twin. The female was too reckless. But the chick had morals. Kat would have granted Asia the kill if she’d known.
Pulling up to her cabin, Asia slammed her car door and walked onto the porch. Unlocking the door, Asia pushed her way in, taking off her leather jacket and throwing it over her accent chair. The cabin was small and rustic, but Asia loved it.
Walking into the sitting-room, Asia grabbed the darts off her dartboard. She went to lineup and throw to release some built up aggression. Just as Asia cocked back her elbow to throw, the air behind her shifted. The harpy’s anger began to sizzle. Not bothering turning around, Asia threw her first dart which landed in the center of the bulls-eye.
“What?” Asia grunted.
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Sky said behind her.
“Just peachy,” Asia threw another dart which also landed in the center.
“You know why I pulled the order to capture, right?
Yeah, she knew, but it still hurt.
“You went against my orders once again and took the search into your own hands, Asia. That was reckless and dangerous, and you could have gotten yourself killed. This needed to end, so I put the kill order out there for anyone to grab and Kat beat you to it. I know the other Knights may have still captured him for you, but Kat didn’t know about Blaze. Hell, no one knew about your relationship to the shifter until you went rogue.”
And that’s the way she preferred it. No one needed to know about their relationship. It was just them, and that was enough.
“I don’t need another lecture boss; I got it. Victors dead and that’s good enough for me.” Asia threw her last dart at the center of the board with frustration.
“Is it Asia. Is it really, enough?”
Asia didn’t respond because her boss was speaking rhetorically. She already knew the answer to that question. No. It wasn’t enough.
“I didn’t think it was,” Sky replied, reading her mind.
Cracking her neck, Asia walked over to the dartboard, pulling the pin out of the circular pocket. Holding them, she clenched her fist as a single tear escaped, rolling down the side of her cheek. Victor took the only thing Asia had to live for. Her parents were killed way before she reached maturity, and Asia didn’t have any other siblings. Blaze was the only family Asia had. Without him she had nothing. Asia brought her hand up to her drenched face.
“I have something for you.”
Asia didn’t care, but she answered anyway. “Oh yeah, what’s that?” Asia choked out.
Asia remained with her back towards her leader as she tried to collect her emotions. No sense in having her leader see the weakness she still carried. She was a Knight. She should be used to death, even if it was personal.
“He was there that night,” Sky spoke, blissfully ignoring her meltdown. “Zafrina and I hunted down every single one for those bloodsuckers that destroyed the shifters village. But we left one……. for you.”
Asia spun around rapidly, causing her head to spin. Standing by her boss was an impossibly attractive male with dark hair and pale skin. His pupils were wide with fear, and his mouth and hands were bound. He was bloodied, shaking, and wiggling uncontrollably in Sky’s hold. The vamp stopped moving once his eyes fixed on her, and he recoiled back. Probably because Asia was giving him the nastiest smile she could muster.
“So, I ask you again little one. Is it enough?” Sky tossed the perp to the floor, grabbing him by the back of his neck, so he was on his knees before her, “or do you want him?”
Ooooooh yeah, Asia wanted him. She took a step closer to the enemy. Loving the way he stumbled back on his ass trying to get away from her. She could almost hear his whimpers through the gag in his mouth.
Stopping before him, Asia looked at her leader with love and devotion
. Sky didn’t have to give her this gift. She was the boss, what she said goes. And there wasn’t a damn thing they could do about it. But she did things like this that made them not only have to follow her but want to follow her.
Casting a look down Asia smiled at the vamp, then looked back up at Sky, nodding her head.
“Have fun,” Sky teleported out in the next heartbeat, leaving her alone with her new friend.
Slowly, Asia kneeled in front of her captive, reaching out to pull the binds from her foes mouth.
The vampire wasted no time once his lips were free. “Please, please I didn’t want to do it I swear. It was all Victor's idea; I was following orders,” the vamp babbled out.
Asia didn’t speak; however, just continued to look at him, tilting her head to the side to inspect her pray.
“Don’t hurt me. I didn’t want to kill those kids, it just happened.” The fiend was still trying to scoot away. “If those damn lions would’ve just listened to us, none of this would have happened. They had it coming. If they’d just compiled……...AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!”
Asia drove the dagger she kept in her boot into the side of the beast. The bellow that escaped his lips was poetic. Asia didn’t remove the mouthpiece to hear his lies. No, she wanted to listen to his pain.
Asia took out yet another dagger, and this one went into his shoulder blade. This scream was just as agonizing as the first, which was the sweetest melody she’d ever heard. The vampire was bleeding all over her carpet, and his cries were bouncing off her empty, save couch and TV, living room. Her place was in the middle of nowhere, so there was no one around for miles to hear his shouts of agony.
“Please end this quickly, no more pain. I killed them all swiftly, at least give me that.”
Asia sneered, pushing the asshole to his back and putting a boot over his trachea. “I owe you nothing,” Asia spoke through her teeth, bearing her small fangs.
