by Brandt, Eva
My mother wrinkled her nose in apparent displeasure. Once upon a time, I would’ve wondered why she bothered to pretend she could feel. Today, the sight just made me tired.
“And I’ve told you time and again, Mother, this is my duty. I am the sole prince of The Pure Kingdom of Alaria. The people might turn to Father to give them guidance and to you to guard our homes, but they turn to me to support them in battle. You know that.”
My mother waved a hand, dismissing my words like she always did. “That may be the case, but you need to learn to delegate more. Enforcer Diaz and Enforcer Christensen are very competent. They can handle missions on their own, without you having to get directly involved. Honestly, I’m more concerned about your complete lack of desire to find a consort.”
This was the worst possible time for her to bring up my marital state. The simple comment brought back the memory of Lucienne, stirring a surge of... something in my chest. Want? Desperation?
It was becoming more and more troublesome to find definitions for the things Lucienne had made me feel. How did regular people function like this? It was so distracting.
I only realized my mother was still speaking when I caught the tail end of her sentence and was alerted to imminent danger. “... and I think she would be able to bear you strong, honorable heirs.”
I had no idea what woman my mother had been enthusing about, but I had no desire to make any inquiries about her identity either. “Perhaps,” I said vaguely, “but I must consider all the options with care. I’m afraid I don’t have time for such an endeavor right now. We are still sorting through the information provided by the Banished, and we need to act before it becomes obsolete.”
I had never thought that I’d stoop so low as to turn scavengers into an excuse to get out of a matchmaking conversation with my mother. However, she was not Cyrus, and if she stayed for much longer, she would notice something wasn’t right with me. So far, I had managed to put up a more or less convincing facade, but it was holding up just because it didn’t occur to anyone that I could ever find my soulmate and still be walking around as if nothing had happened.
My mother had been the one who had cast the Alarian Vow spell on me when I had been a baby. If there was an anomaly, she might sense it, and I did not want that to happen.
I was not afraid to die, not as long as it was for my soulmate’s sake, but something was bothering me, and I had to look into it before I could surrender to the laws of my people.
Fortunately, my mother understood priorities as well as every other Alarian, as she didn’t press me further. “Very well, son. But I do expect you to give me a real reply about Cardinal Vaughn’s daughter this week. There’s only so long I can hold off her betrothal.”
Well, that answered the question on the identity of the woman whose womb my mother had deemed appropriate to carry my offspring. The day before, I might have agreed with her, as Eileen was everything I could have expected to find in a wife. Now, the idea of touching her made me... Well, appalled wasn’t precisely the right word, and I didn’t have time to sit there to find out what did fit.
“We’ll discuss it soon, Mother,” I replied nevertheless. “I promise.”
After all, having a conversation didn’t necessarily mean I’d have to agree with her about anything. And to be fair, her idea had some merit. Assuming that I’d find a solution to my current predicament, I’d still have to provide an heir for the family before my unavoidable death.
The thought of bringing another innocent into the world to carry my curse appealed even less than that of marrying Eileen, but that was something to think about later.
My mother departed without me having to reiterate my request, which left me free to read the information my inquisitor had sent. Once again, Bjorn had proven that he was more than worthy of his position by being able to extract intel not only from reluctant people but also from reluctant devices.
It still wasn’t clear how the scavengers had known to come to the werewolves’ meeting spot, but that was one thing we might never find out since Lucienne had killed the person who could’ve told us.
Just the same, I did my best to put together a coherent plan using the data I had received. My project would’ve been easier had I not been plagued by a foul migraine that refused to go away, but for the most part, I managed to ignore it. I was less successful in ignoring the news that Guardian Whelan was up and about.
Not ten minutes after my mother’s departure, Serena showed up and provided me with the troubling report about the werewolf’s condition. “Originally, Healer Vaughn estimated his recovery time would be of at least three days. She cannot explain the rapidity of his healing, although she believes it may be related to his werewolf nature.”
That did indeed seem the only explanation, although it didn’t convince me. Eileen would’ve taken that into account when she’d made her first assessment, and while we didn’t have other werewolf guardians, we were still familiar enough with their physiology to not commit such mistakes.
Judging by the tension in her stance, Serena must’ve realized this as well. If I hadn’t known any better, I could’ve sworn she was troubled or uncomfortable. But a Pure didn’t have to feel emotion to have an instinctive grasp of the nature of a situation. “You believe something is not right,” I guessed. “What is your take on it, Enforcer Ayers?”
“His injuries seem to have healed much too quickly. Given the amount of blood found on the scene, it would be safe to assume that his healing factor had trouble dealing with the silver poisoning. And while this may not be something that requires immediate attention, there is one other issue that I have noticed. His partner’s demeanor has been a little odd. He was notably distracted while at the site of the attack and the Guardian Canteen has reported that he hasn’t checked in for his regular stock of feeding serum.”
I carefully schooled my face so that I would not display how much these new revelations disturbed me. “Well, Guardian Whelan always has been very stubborn. If anyone is capable of recovering with such speed, it is probably him. His partner might be experiencing some restlessness due to his injury. You know how vampires can be when they get attached to someone.”
Did the two of them have a romantic relationship of some kind? It wouldn’t have been that unusual, as Alarian law didn’t prohibit fraternization within the ranks of the Guardian Corps, as long as it did not involve the individuals in question breaking the rules on feeding. As far as I knew, Malachai Braun had never shown signs of being dissatisfied with the serum we provided to replace the blood he needed as a vampire. Had something changed?
Gods, this would have been easier to handle had I not had to deal with that throbbing headache on top of everything else. I wondered if the Alarian Vow had decided to kill me slowly, as a punishment for the fact that I’d stepped into this one all on my own. The idea unsettled me deeply.
“In any case, Enforcer Ayers, I understand your concern,” I belatedly added, pushing back the thought. “We will have to watch them a little more carefully. I want you and Enforcer Diaz both on this operation. We will be leaving within a couple of hours, once I report in with my father, and we cannot afford any mistakes, especially not because of the guardians.”
“Will they be joining us for the attack, then, Your Highness?”
“Yes. I need them there.”
Serena did not question me, nor did she display any sign of being taken aback by my decision. “I understand, Your Highness,” she answered with a predictable salute. “Praised be the High King. With honor, we move forward.”
Secretly, I thought that my new plan had very little to do with honor. My ulterior motives for both supervising the two guardians and including them in the attack on the scavengers might be very questionable indeed. At the end of the day, though, it did not matter.
If I was right, the werewolf had done something to Lucienne, something that had made it possible for me to stay alive despite the enchantment that should’ve killed me. It was one of th
e few explanations that made sense, considering the information I had at this time. I needed to find out if this was true, and I had to take the appropriate steps to make sure Lucienne was safe. And if anyone else was involved... Well, they’d find their deaths at my hand long before I had to do the same to myself.
Six
Confrontation
Declan
The warehouse where the group of scavengers was hiding loomed in front of me, ominous, dark and silent. From my observation post, I inspected it with narrowed eyes. “Are we sure this is the right place?” I asked through the coms.
“According to the information we received from the Banished, yes,” Cyrus Diaz piped up, his voice thick with the cold contentment only Pures could ever exhibit.
I gritted my teeth in irritation, suppressing the urge to provide a biting reply. I had been relieved when Eileen had decreed me fit to work, knowing that the mission would take my mind off my angel and help me in my self-appointed task to make the city safe for her. However, some of that gratitude had faded when I had learned who I would be working with.
It was not that unusual for guardians and enforcers to team up to engage larger groups of scavengers, but whenever it happened, the result was never pleasant. Enforcers were all Alarians and often almost exclusively nobility. I’d known guardians who had lost both their positions and their lives because they hadn’t been able to take the pressure. Cyrus was usually not as bad as others, but he didn’t have to be. My life was hanging by a very thin thread now, and if I wasn’t careful, even someone like Cyrus could snap it, whether he intended to or not.
Fortunately, not every enforcer was a complete dick. “Can anyone see any motion?” Serena Ayers asked. “There’s nothing from my vantage point.”
“Nothing here either,” Malachai replied. He had been stationed in a different observation post, but he wasn’t very far from me, so it stood to reason that he wouldn’t have any encouraging news to report either. It grated on me that he was not at my back, but it was not my place to complain about such things. Besides, perhaps it would be for the best since it meant Malachai would gradually grow accustomed to working on the field without me.
More voices joined ours over the coms, both guardians and enforcers confirming the fact that they had no visual on the opponents we had come here to catch. “Could it be that they were warned we might be coming in the time since the fight at the club?” Enforcer Valerian Christensen asked.
“Anything is possible,” Prince Darius replied, silencing everyone. “We’ll go in anyway. Some of the vermin have been known to hide underground.”
Upon the prince’s command, everyone started to approach the warehouse. I descended from the roof where I had been posted, using the wall to make my way down in order to avoid rattling the rusty metal ladder of the fire escape. As soon as my feet hit the tarmac, I crouched down low, careful to stay out of sight of any possible enemy.
I needn’t have worried. There was no sign of any living being nearby, paranormal, Accursed, or of any other type of species. I couldn’t sense anything at least, and judging by the disgruntled silence on the coms, neither could my companions.
Just the same, we made our way into the warehouse, like we had been ordered. Cyrus broke the door open, and the whole group spilled into the darkened facility. Almost instantly, the scent of blood struck me, so powerful it made me recoil.
“Dear gods,” Malachai gasped out, taking a few steps back. “What in the world happened here?”
It was more or less a rhetorical question since everyone could see what had happened. The interior of the warehouse was splattered with blood, and scattered limbs and disembodied heads still littered the floor. A burnt-out pentagram glowed lightly in the center of the structure, lit up from the ritual that must have taken place.
Prince Darius approached the magical symbol and knelt next to it. He swept his fingers over the edges of the pentagram without actually making contact with the substance. His nostrils flared and his eyes glowed with a surreal light. “It’s fresh, and the ritual was not completed. They haven’t been gone long. Some of the prisoners, whoever they are, may still be alive. We follow them.”
He turned toward me, pinning me with his icy silver eyes. “Guardian Whelan, can you take their scent? You’re the best tracker we have.”
“Yes, Your Highness. At once.”
The amount of blood in the warehouse made it difficult for me to get a good lock on the scent of the scavengers, which had undoubtedly been the whole point of the group leaving such a mess behind. However, I was nothing if not determined. When I could not get it right in my usual, humanoid form, I allowed my transformation to flow over me. It was not ideal, but I’d done worse things for less important reasons. As I fell onto all fours in wolf form, my senses sharpened further, and I caught the scent I had been looking for.
If the others were uncomfortable with my shift, they did not show it. I was the only werewolf guardian, and I probably always would be, but I did not mind it, because, for the moment, my abilities served us well.
I jerked my head toward the exit, already in hunting mode. The rest of my improvised pack raced after me, following my cue despite the fact that I was in no way their leader or their Alpha.
The scavengers had left in some kind of vehicle. Several vehicles, in fact. I wondered if they intended to attempt to make their escape onto the freeway. Assuming they had been warned that my team was after them, they would want to leave the city as soon as possible. However, as far as I knew, a fairy mound lay in that direction, and no scavengers would ever bypass them. The fairies weren’t kind to trespassers, and even less so when said trespassers were Accursed.
Perhaps some other means of transportation, a plane or a helicopter, was waiting for the group and would pick them up before they could reach the mound. If that was the case, my team and I would lose them, and the fates of the hostages would be sealed.
We needed to hurry.
Everyone rushed toward their motorcycles, but I did not bother with that. I simply started running. It was already early evening, so I could use the cover of darkness to avoid causing a panic. The rest of my team would help, making sure the humans wouldn’t take note of the strange wolf running wild through their streets. I was fast enough in this form to outrun a regular vehicle, so keeping up with the bikes would not be a problem.
As I made my way out of the warehouse district and into the still busy traffic, with Prince Darius and the others behind me, a selfish thought passed through my mind. I was glad that, at the very least, my soulmate was in her own home, safe and sound, where no one could harm her. I was glad that Lucienne had not been among those unfortunate souls who had died in the warehouse. And I was, beyond anything, glad that Malachai had managed to keep me from performing a deed just as monstrous as the actions of the scavengers.
Because of that, in the name of the mate my friend had saved, I would save the mates of other Accursed, even if those Accursed did not deserve it.
* * *
Lucienne
I was fucked, and not in a way Diane would have encouraged. My foul luck had struck yet again, and I had somehow ended up well and utterly lost with no knowledge of how it could have happened.
The last thing I remembered was leaving my apartment, and then, all of a sudden, I was here, in a different neighborhood, one I didn’t think I’d visited before. It was already dark outside, which did nothing to reassure me. To make matters worse, I didn’t have my keys, wallet or even my cell phone with me.
This could be a problem.
I took a deep breath, then grimaced when the action made me inhale more of the rancid air in the alley than I would have liked. The dumpster was doing a good job at concealing my hyperventilating self, but that didn’t mean I enjoyed its proximity. The scent snapped me out of my incipient panic attack. I was fine. I hadn’t been assaulted or anything, so I could still make my way back to my apartment in one piece. I’d just have to track down some kind of official, a
police patrol perhaps, explain what had happened and I’d be safe and sound. Nothing could be simpler.
I peeked around the corner of the building to make sure the coast was clear and nobody dangerous was lurking around. As far as I could tell, the street was deserted. That didn’t sit well with me, since things that seemed too good to be true generally were, and everything that could go wrong generally did. But I couldn’t hide behind a dumpster forever, and I had to start somewhere. The street was, in this instance, the natural choice.
Steeling myself, I shuffled out of my hiding spot and started to make my way down the street. I had no idea where I was headed, and the street names didn’t help me much, but hopefully, if I walked around long enough, I’d run into a landmark that would at least look familiar. A payphone would be even better since I could just call the Garniers and that would be that.
Things did not go as planned. There might not have been any suspicious elements lying in wait to ambush me, but I didn’t find anything that could help me either. Every single street appeared to be a constant repetition of the same pattern of identical blocks of flats, with very few differences between one another and no sign of any inhabitants.
It was strange in the extreme. Sure, I might have been a little relieved that I didn’t have to face gangs of hooligans, but walking around like this through empty streets was eerily reminiscent of a scene in a zombie apocalypse movie. It just wasn’t natural. Even in the suburbs or the lesser populated neighborhoods of the city, there was always activity of some kind. At the very least, I should have seen a homeless person or a dog scavenging through the trash to get something to eat. There had been nothing.
Before long, I had begun to think this had to be a strange hallucination. It was also one that bored me. I wished something would happen already so that I could either find my way out of this labyrinth or forcibly wake up.