The Vampire Queen

by Brandi Elledge

  “Look, doll face, I’m sure even your hick butt has heard of the term ‘to be a fly on the wall.’ I can literally go anywhere and listen in on any conversation without anyone paying me any notice. By the way, the accountant has a little thing going on with the groundskeeper and one of the guards. She’s a hoe.”

  “Um, thanks for sharing.”

  “Even though you’re really hot, I think I’m going to have to side with the smoldering vampire on this one.”

  “What? Why? And exactly how long have you been here spying?”

  “You call it spying; I call it finding entertainment in this small, cruel world. A bug’s life is not long; surely, you don’t begrudge me for finding pleasure in the small things in life.”

  This creature was probably centuries old, but I wasn’t going to point that out. I was more interested in his first comment. “What do you agree with Stephan about?”

  “Since it’s past time that we took the gloves off, I’ll be honest with you. You are a newborn babe; you know nothing of this world. If a master vampire wishes to have his own army, he first has to get permission from his sire, the one who made him. Akeldama doesn’t allow anyone to have an army. She thinks it’s a conflict of interest.”

  “What’s an army consist of?”

  “Anything more than fifty vampires constitutes as an army. Akeldama has more than five hundred vampires underneath her, and none of the masters are allowed to make fifty vampires. The only way that will ever change is if someone kills the queen; then her line will automatically become theirs to rule. The point is the only way to create an army is to destroy the queen, and that is impossible to do as long as she has the crown on her head. So, yeah, you are kind of judgmental.”

  Tracker was right, and there were things that I had no clue about when it came to this new life I belonged to. Sometimes, things were so black and white to me, but I needed to realize that there were lots of shades of gray. I owed Stephan an apology. Another thing I wasn’t great at.

  “I can tell you feel bad, so here is some more salt in the wound. Stephan almost had a line before. He wanted to be his own master and Akeldama permitted it. He was the only one that she has ever given permission to. Of course, they were close back then, and she had hoped with his newfound freedom he would realize how much he wanted to rule by her side. Some say that him creating his own line actually had the opposite effect on him. Long story short, she kidnapped a very young Dani to lord over his head. You would have to ask him the details, but he ended up giving over the vampires that he had created to Akeldama in order to save one human.”

  There was a lump in my throat. “His sister?”

  “Ding. Ding. Ding. We have a winner.”

  “Was Dakin one of the ones he handed over in order to save his sister?”

  “You are on a roll tonight.”

  The cat jumped to the floor and wound itself through my legs, making a figure eight. “Look, I like your young blood approach of seize the day, but there are things on a larger scale that you just don’t understand.”

  “You’re right. There is a lot that I don’t understand, but Stephan hasn’t been very forthcoming in answers. Maybe we’re both at fault.” I scooped the cat up and sat on the bed. He curled in my lap and closed his eyes. “Could I challenge Akeldama?”

  “Only if you wanted to die.”

  I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes, as I petted the cat. I didn’t have a death wish, but I also had to do something and returning the princess wasn’t one of them. I could feel the sun coming up as I slipped into exhaustion. “One more thing. If I wake up snuggling a human in nothing but his birthday suit instead of a cat, I swear I’ll skin you alive.”

  “Maybe you could take on Akeldama,” he purred.

  I fell asleep with a smile on my face. Too bad I wouldn’t wake up with one.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Dani woke me up as soon as night fell, telling me I had unknowingly pissed off her royal highness. And in pure Akeldama fashion, she was demanding an audience with me. At some point, Tracker had turned back into a fly. I guessed it was more convenient for him to do his snooping. The moment I stepped out of my room, Stephan and Dani flanked either side of me as we approached the throne room on the first floor. Technically, I wasn’t sure what the room with an ugly ass throne in the back was called, but that’s what I had labeled it. We stood there with a patience I didn’t know I possessed as Akeldama whispered something to one of her guards. I tried to act like I wasn’t bitter just because I was at her disposal when I could literally think of a thousand other things I would rather be doing right now, like shaving my legs or watching Tracker lick himself. Obviously, I wasn’t doing a good enough job because Stephan did the Jedi thing I hated.

  “Don’t let her get under your skin. It’ll just make her happy.”

  I was happy to know we were still talking to each other, but I was about to tell him what I thought of his intrusion when Akeldama cleared her throat. Her gaze swept over me with calculation and something else. Something that even though I couldn’t put my finger on, I knew I didn’t like.

  The Queen of Vampires said, “It has occurred to me that we agreed to desist after the first sight of blood for the first seven fights, which honestly is weakness in itself. This no longer works for me.”

  “What are you suggesting, Dama?” Stephan asked.

  “Your pet will fight six contenders tonight, and tomorrow’s fight will be to the death.”

  Dani squeezed my arm. “Can we ask why the sudden change of heart?”

  She gave me a seething look before turning a longing gaze on Stephan. “Things have changed so it seems. Besides, this way it will be more entertaining.”

  “For whom?” I asked.

  “Why me, dearie.” She tapped her long, red nails on the armchair of her throne. “Of course, the fights will stop the moment my daughter is returned. Maybe Lady Luck will be on your side, and you won’t have to fight tomorrow.”

  And that wasn’t going to happen. I refused to betray that poor girl who had had a lifetime of this pure evilness now smirking at me. I could tell that she wanted me to grovel or throw myself down on her mercy and beg to not fight tomorrow. Boy, was she about to be disappointed.

  “Cool, so if we’re done here, I’m going to go back to my room,” I said.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Yes, pet, go rest.”

  “Wait, Dama,” Stephan said. “How many men do you have out looking for the princess?”

  “Only my best. About twenty-five or so.”

  “Wouldn’t you say that I am better than the whole lot?” he asked.

  “What is your point, Stephan? I grow weary of this whole conversation.”

  “My point is we are all here waiting on her return. What if I helped you speed up the process by finding her and bringing her back.”

  She seemed to think about this for a second. “You are the best hunter. You would volunteer to do this for me?”

  Stephan nodded, and I premeditated murder again. I was going to break that perfect nose on that perfect face. I was going to bury him under a Georgia pine. That way every time I passed one on the interstate, I would recall his ghastly death.

  “I’ll find her, Dama.” The hell he would. “All I ask is that Tandi only fights one fight a night, and the fighting stops at first blood. Give me a week, and I will find your daughter and bring her home. We can stop this challenge, see the princess wed, and all be on our merry way.”

  Her emerald eyes glittered with jealousy. “Do you love her that much?”

  Stephan appeared baffled. “Love? Absolutely not. She isn’t much of a vampire, as I’m sure you’re fully aware of by now, but she is someone I have turned. And because of that, I feel a connection. As her sire, I owe her a duty to protect her. We all know she will not likely be the victor. This is a means to an end.”

  Akeldama looked suspicious but slightly appeased by his words. Dani’s fingers dug into my arm as a warning to remain silent, but
I was having an extremely hard time.

  “This display, as intriguing as it is, wouldn’t be because you hold affection for her?”

  “No, Dama. She is nothing but a young, inadequate vampire who I feel the need to protect.”

  Her gaze bounced between Stephan and me. Finally, her ruby red lips tilted up in the corners. “Come kiss me, Stephan. Just once for old time’s sake.”

  He started walking to her, his steps slow. “She is testing us, little one. Control your expression and don’t say a word.”

  “Stephan, don’t you dare do this. Let me fight these contenders. Please have faith in me. I bested the first one. Who’s to say I can’t do it again? And my powers… maybe they are different than the conventional vampire, but they are just as great if I use them right.”

  He climbed up the steps to the throne and my gut clenched. He couldn’t do this. Dani squeezed my arm harder, if that was possible.

  “This will save your life.”

  “I will save my life. Trust me! Please.”

  He made it to the top of the stairs and moved toward Akeldama with intent. He placed his hands on either side of her armchair and leaned forward. From where I stood, there was no passion in the kiss; it was more robotic, but it was still a kiss. The deed was done. As he straightened up, I schooled my features. My expression reflected total boredom, even though I was seething on the inside. I knew he could feel my emotions just as I could feel his. At this moment, his guilt did nothing for me. I had feelings for him, strong feelings, and he just kissed his ex-lover in front of me. I knew he was doing what had to be done, but it didn’t mean that I had to like it.

  Akeldama immediately tried to read my body language as Stephan walked back down the steps. “Do you have anything you would like to say, pet?”

  “Yes, actually, I would,” I said. “You wouldn’t happen to have the Bravo station, would you? None of us expected to stay this long, and my show comes on tonight at nine Eastern time.”

  She gave me a disgusted look and shooed me with her hand. “Be gone.”

  I turned to Dani. “I’m guessing that’s a no?”

  Dani’s brown eyes twinkled. “At least you won’t be fighting the whole night thanks to Stephan.”

  Oh, yes, thanks to Stephan. I would praise him for not letting all of this play out and taking a bullet for me, or in this case, swapping spit with the devil. Yes, praise him. Not. I didn’t know if I was more upset about the kiss, the jealousy that was currently humming through me, or his lack of faith in me. So I’d just pick one and go with it.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Akeldama piped up. “I can see how confusing this must have all been. I didn’t agree to your pet not fighting six contenders tonight, Stephan. But I do appreciate the offer of finding my daughter, so here is what I will do. She will fight two tonight.”

  Stephan’s guilt was quickly gone, and now anger rolled off of him in waves. “But I thought—”

  “Stephan, darling, there is nothing I can do about it. The contender tonight is very excited, so I mustn’t break his heart, plus there is the ogre.”

  “What ogre?” Stephan roared.

  “I opened the portal two weeks ago to see what I could bring over, and this horrible ogre awaited me, so now I have him charmed so he can’t escape the dungeons.” Akeldama shrugged her dainty shoulders and waved her hands in distress. “I’ve already promised everyone that he would fight tonight. And I’m not entirely sure that we can keep him in the dungeons much longer. He is so strong he is fighting the charm.”

  Dani’s voice shook. “She won’t survive a fight against an ogre.”

  A wicked smile came across her beautiful face and for a moment, Akeldama let her act drop before becoming distressed again. “Then Stephan would have to try and kill the ogre, and those things are nasty creatures. I don’t want to lose you, Stephan. Oh. I have got myself in a pickle, haven’t I?”

  “Cancel the challenge and have the ogre killed while he is under the charm and in the dungeon,” Stephan said through clenched teeth.

  “Oh, I wish I could, but everyone is already talking about the fight. I’m sorry, Stephan, but there is nothing that I can do.”

  “Like I said, Dama, you know that I have a better chance of finding your daughter than anyone else, and I will do it. But in exchange, I ask that I fight the ogre.

  Her green eyes turned to slits. “As you wish, Stephan. As you wish.”

  I jerked out of Dani’s grasp and fled the throne room. I assumed we were done, and I couldn’t stand another second of looking at her smirking face. Both siblings flanked me once again. Dani, reading the tension between Stephan and I, told me she would see me after the fight and veered off into a different direction.

  We reached my room. After I opened my door, Stephan started to follow me in. I stopped him with my arm on the doorframe, barring him entry. “Listen, no offense, but my inadequate self is super tired. I think being so incapable of even the smallest task has just worn me out, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to take a quick power nap.”

  He put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Tandi, please—”

  “Uh, nope. Terms like please don’t work for either one of us apparently. Whatever you’re about to say is going to fall on deaf ears, so you might as well move it along.”

  Forcing the words into his mind, I said, “And you will not find the princess because I won’t help, you jackass.”

  “You’ve already told me that. I don’t expect you to, but I needed to buy some time… I had to save you.”

  “Oh, yes, ever the martyr.” I spoke the next words directly to his mind. “Are you telling me that you will leave the princess be? That you will not hunt her down?”

  He didn’t answer, and he didn’t need to. His look of contrition said it all. “Tandi, let me in so we can talk.”

  “Two words, buddy. Georgia. Pines.”

  I slammed the door in his baffled face, and when I was sure he had walked away, I threw myself on the bed face first where I bawled like a baby. I knew I obviously had flaws; maturity was not really my forte along with patience, manual labor, and my utter distaste for anything tie-dyed. But I had my strengths, too, and if he couldn’t see them, well, then the hell with him. I could’ve saved myself if he would have just trusted me, but to him I would always be the little weak vampire incapable of fighting. I let out several hiccups as I wiped the tears from my face I thought if I was being honest with myself I didn’t even know what the hell an ogre was so the chances of me beating one was slim to none, so why was I really this upset? That kiss. I couldn’t stop picturing it in my head. I was head over heels for Stephan and my emotions were all over the place. With that admission I started crying all over again. It was going to be a long night.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I was dressing for my next fight when Tracker strolled in my room in cat form. “Does no one think it’s suspicious that there is a cat roaming the hallways?”

  “Are you serious, doll face? Only the people I want to see me can actually see me. So, about tonight’s fight.”

  “You have a suggestion?”

  “Um, yeah, no. I just wanted to know what time it started. I kind of have a date and need to bounce.”

  I didn’t ask him what form his date would be in because I really didn’t care.

  “I got this hot little number, and she’s a beaut. She’s a purebred Egyptian Mau, and she really knows how to purr, if you know what I’m saying.”

  “No, I actually don’t, and I can honestly say that I don’t want to understand.” Here I was putting on my shoes to go battle God only knew, and this was the conversation I had to endure. “Truth be known, I’m actually a dog person. They seem to be more friendly and loyal, less self-centered.”

  Tracker flicked his tail in agitation. “Humph. I could have sworn you had a crazy cat lady look to you, but I must have been mistaken.”

  I just shrugged and pretended I didn’t know an insult when it was flung
my way. “I need blood. Want to donate?”

  That shut him up. I couldn’t possibly understand why my Pops thought it had been a good idea to send Tracker to me. He really was useless. One might say he got me through the first fight, but I was thinking it was purely coincidental on his part. I gave myself a quick look in the mirror, and not for the first time today, thought maybe yoga pants and a black thermal shirt was too underdressed.

  “I wonder if I should take a quick trip to see Pops, so I can get a banging outfit.”

  Tracker pawed at the laces on my shoes. “You do realize that you can glamour yourself something to wear without traveling through the fae lines, right? The only difference is that the clothes you glamour here on this plane will eventually turn back to whatever you were originally wearing, but the magic in the fae lines allows whatever you create to become tangible.”

  I actually hadn’t thought about it, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. If I had to fight, I might as well be cozy. Besides, my new butt looked bootylicious in yoga pants. And why in the world was he going into detail about such frivolous things when he should be coaching me about the imminent fight?

  “Tracker, do you have any advice for me at all?”

  The cat rolled over onto his back and stretched out all of his legs like a starfish. “I’m not much of a motivational speaker, and I’m not really good at pep talks, which your grandfather knows. But in his defense, I don’t think he realized how needy you are. Since I’m not prepared, I’ll just say this: Do…or do not. There is no try.”

  “Really? You’re quoting Yoda? You can’t even come up with your own encouraging speech, so you have to steal something off of Star Wars?”

  “Is that what you think? Perhaps this Yoda stole that line from me, doll face.”

  I shook my head as I walked to the door. “Come on, turn into a bug, and let’s get to the courtyard.”

  “We’re not waiting for the vampire to come and escort you?”

  “We are absolutely not.”