Risorgimento: Rebirth

by Maya Daniels

  Sebastian

  The woman is oblivious.

  Holding myself back, fisting my hands at my sides, I stride into the living room. I can feel April's bare feet padding softly behind me. I am acutely aware of her every breath, of each beat of her heart that is fluttering like a hummingbird in her chest. Yes, she is oblivious to the effect she has on me, but Marcus and Andrei are not. Two sets of eyebrows hit hairlines when I appear. The males are smart, keeping to themselves whatever comments were swirling behind the stunned looks on their faces.

  Pouring whiskey in the glass I left earlier, I slowly lower myself in the chair. April is standing at the entrance of the hallway, unsure of what to do. I should've let her stay unwashed, grime and dirt covering what is now revealed to my hungry sight. An oversight on my part. One for which I'm paying dearly now. She's not a girl. Oh, no. Very far from a girl, in fact. Dressed only in my t-shirt, her pale arms and legs are contrasting perfectly with the black color of the fabric.

  April is all woman.

  Even malnourished, that fact is evident to me, and everyone else. The swell of her breasts and the dip of her hips cannot be hidden, however. She fidgets where she stands, and with each movement, she taunts me. Aware that I'm staring at her, ready to pounce and devour her—like the monster she accused me of being—I glance at the drink in my hand. No deep breaths can stop what she has awoken in me. A groan passes through my firmly pressed lips. A snicker, followed by a cough, comes from Andrei, and I turn the anger at my own inability for control on him.

  "Enough!" April startles, taking a few steps back when I snap at Andrei. Clearing my throat, collecting myself, I point at the sofa across from me. "Sit, April."

  "Nah, I'm good." Her drying hair swings around her face when she shakes her head adamantly. "I can hear whatever you have to say from here. I don't need to sit, really. I'm fine." With an audible snap, she closes her mouth to stop the nervous blabbing. Crossing her arms over her chest in what I assume is an attempt to look more convincing, she nods at me once.

  Blowing a deep breath through pursed lips, I press my thumb and forefinger over the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes. Everything is going to shit. Everything I had planned for when I found her went wrong. I had looked at every step, every move, to the most delicate details, for centuries. Everything was set in motion, only waiting on her to appear.

  Rubbing my forehead, then scrubbing a hand over my face, I take a gulp of the whiskey. The damn thing is not doing what its meant to do. Eyeing her through the rim of the glass, I remind myself, Not yet.

  "Marcus report." Not looking away from her, I hold her captive with my gaze.

  "There is talk that one of the Guardians managed to escape when the human brought April to the hotel." Frustration makes him growl low in his throat. "It's impossible, we were thorough, making sure no witnesses were left. That leads me to believe that either we were not as careful as we thought we were…or we are missing something." I glance at him and see him frowning at Andrei. "We removed all devices from this place, right?"

  "Of course!" Glaring at Marcus, Andrei turns to me next. "Everything was removed and replaced with our own. We are sending them recordings occasionally, so they think that the listening devices are still in place. I'm sure of it. I made no mistake."

  "You have spoken to no one about April being here." Watching them both intently, I don't miss Marcus when he flinches slightly. "Who?" My question is growled through clenched teeth.

  "I called Bran, to notify Mary on my way to the Council towers." Mary is a master vampire in France. She is one of the first I recruited after finding that parchment. She's been helping with organizing spies, covering our tracks, and everything that has been delivered as information to the Council to keep them off our trail. I know she has been losing hope, but having the girl in my possession is the only thing that has prevented me from contacting her. Marcus has obviously overstepped his boundaries. When my glare deepens, he lifts both hands in surrender. "I only told them we found one runner. I know she will understand what I'm trying to say. They needed motivation, and it had been too long since they’ve had any. Their hope was dwindling, so I did what I thought was best in order to help."

  "Idiota!" Andrei burst out in Italian.

  "Shut the fuck up, asshole! At least I care that we keep the hope alive, and our allies that got us this far. We need everyone, especially now that she's finally here." Marcus squares off with him, both males glaring and trembling in rage. My own hand, the one holding my drink, trembles too, the ice cubes clinking on the glass.

  Peals of laughter make all our heads snap towards April. She is leaning one shoulder on the wall, her eyes dancing on her beautiful face with mirth. When she gets our full attention, she slaps a hand over her mouth, but chuckles and giggles pass through her fingers. Shaking her head, she pushes off the wall and almost prances to the sofa she didn't want to sit on a few minutes ago. Curling her legs under her, she pulls the t-shirt over them.

  "I understood that part." Pointing the finger at Andrei, she turns it towards Marcus. "Idiota." As soon as she says it, another burst of laughter echoes in the space. We watch her, stunned. It's a beautiful sound, transforming her face into something breathtaking. "And I'm sorry to tell you guys this, but this is actually wonderful news!"

  "What are you talking about?" Maybe Andrei was right. Maybe she is mentally damaged.

  "I've been hunted my entire life, not just by the Council, but everyone else, too. That does not exclude the humans that worship your kind like the gods the Council says you are." Shrugging a shoulder, she tucks her hair behind her ear. "I'm laughing because I'm a baby compared to all of you, but I can tell you know that hope is the cruelest bitch ever. If you have her to depend on, you are all screwed. And that makes my day. While the Council is occupied with you lot, I'm planning to be so far from here that not even a memory will be left behind." She looks at me with hope lighting her beautiful eyes. "They can't hold anything against you if I'm not here, right?" I watch her with my mouth hanging open.

  "You really think that will actually work, and we will let you leave?" Andrei looks at her incredulously.

  She sighs, shrugging unapologetically at all of us. "It was worth a try."

  "So, they know we have a runner, but not if she is the one we were looking for." Ignoring April's attempt at slipping through my fingers, I turn my attention to Marcus. The woman will be the death of me. I can tell. And I'm immortal.

  "That is correct." Tilting his head, he watches me intently. "I didn't see it that way," he tells me after he has given more thought to his words.

  "Exactly." Nodding in agreement, I turn to April. "You will stay here with Andrei. Don't try to do something stupid. He will not hurt you, but that doesn't mean he will not tie you up if there is a need." Lifting myself up, I place my unfinished drink on the small table by the chair. "I will not be long."

  April says nothing, her stormy eyes telling me more than any words she has spoken. Striding towards the front door, I don't turn around to look at her, resisting the urge with only the control I have been mastering for centuries. The woman is too cunning for my sanity. If I give her a finger, she will chew off my head.

  Marcus is right on my heels, his anxiety pulsing through our bond. His punishment will come later for jumping ahead of himself. Now, I must stay calm. April will fight to her last breath, unaware that her last breath will soon come to pass. I can't allow her womanly curves, the pull she has on me, or her mesmerizing eyes to persuade me to give in. This horror we are living needs to end, and she is the only answer. But that's a worry for tomorrow. Right now, I have a Council to deal with.

  The door of the Alpha Romeo opens, and I push myself out of it. Marcus stands at attention, holding it open while I straighten my jacket, buttoning up the top two buttons. The area around the Council towers looks deserted and menacing. A mockery of the human faith, the once Cathedral takes the entire span of my sight. Pale walls stretch in front of me, the bell tower on the
right reaching for the night sky like an accusing finger at whatever creator has made this rock in the space we call Earth. The domed roof in the back of the building softens the look, but all that is destroyed by the frescoes, statues, and broken pieces of crosses littering everything around us. Not even architecture is safe from their anger.

  Disgusted at what I'm looking at, I stride towards the arched entrance. My walk is leisurely, unhurried. Marcus stays a step behind, guarding my back. I can feel eyes on me, watching from all sides, making sure we are alone. There is no one at the entrance, leaving the wide doors open in invitation. The Council wouldn't dare to place guards at their door, showing weakness to all that they can't take care of themselves. That is the first thing I noticed when I came to this country. It suits me just fine, so I never said a word about it.

  Taking the steps one at a time, I pause, reaching for my phone. Dialing Andrei, I turn around in a slow circle, my gaze penetrating the darkness, searching for those that track my every move. Andrei answers on the second ring.

  "Sire." His voice is but a breath in the speaker of his phone.

  "Summons seem to test my patience and my peace." Speaking loud enough that I can be heard inside the Tower, I keep turning around, shoving my hand in the pocket of my pants. The sound of fabric snapping when I flick off the side of my jacket echoes around me. "Remind me again why am I not vacationing somewhere else?"

  "You wanted to show your respect to the Council, Sire." This time, speaking louder, Andrei plays the word game well.

  "Ah, yes!" Musing out loud, I finish the circle, spotting nine strategically placed Guardians. The Council is seeing me as a serious threat if they haven't sent random errand boys to watch my every move. Good to know. "I get disrespected while showing respect. It serves me right for wasting my time, I suppose. I will be famished when I return…shortly." Putting emphasis on the last word, I flick my fingers at Marcus to start walking. "Make sure there are enough humans there. All female, of course. I hunger for more than just blood this evening." I'm confident he understands the meaning behind my words. We will be in deep shit if he doesn’t.

  Flicking the phone off, I slide it in the inside breast pocket of my jacket. Its weight drops, pulling on the fabric at my shoulder, settling right above my heart. As with everything else, even my clothing is carefully planned. No room left for mistakes.

  The inside of the Council Tower opens up in front of me like the gaping mouth of a great beast as soon as we enter. An oriental runner, in reds and gold, is rolled in the middle of it, softening our otherwise silent steps. Tall candelabras, holding what looks like ten large pillar candles, are placed every few feet, their flickering flames when we walk past another alerting the occupants of this place. So, the Council is paranoid. They just don't want everyone else to know about it. A smirk pulls on my lips, one I don't hide. Let the bastards see that I'm onto their schemes.

  We are almost halfway through the vast space when a murmur of voices reaches my ears. They have sectioned the open area, closing off the front part from the throne room. At the arched doorway, two sentinels stand guard, one on each side, their gazes locked on something behind me only they can see.

  Marcus is more anxious than ever, forcing me to close off my connection to him. I know the moment he feels me cut him off. The air grows cold at my back, but I ignore him, not slowing or speeding up my progress. I don't stop at the sentinels to wait to be announced either, forcing them to move along with me as I enter the throne room like a king expecting everyone to bow at my presence. It's an empty space with only eight thrones. Lots of candles placed around are giving off enough light for the glazed eyes of the crumpled humans on the ground to see the faces of their masters.

  A few gasps stop all the chatter.

  "I have been summoned." A slight tilt of my chin is all the respect I can fake at the moment, my disgust ringing clear in the last word. "Here I am." Stretching my arms out on both sides, as if expecting applause, I look from one Council member to the next, ignoring the lurking onlookers hiding in the shadows like worms. All eight of them are here. Irina and Niklas, glaring at me, as I expected. Khan, Abraham, and Sharif sit between Elizabeth, Kali, and Eshe. Four male and four female gods, as they call themselves.

  Killers is what I call them.

  "Sebastian, you finally grace us with your presence." Kali's soft voice reminds me more of a gentle breeze than the monsoon she really is. Her long, dark braid drops in her lap over her jewel-colored sari. The tiny gem between her thinly-shaped eyebrows blink at me in the candlelight.

  "I will remind all of you. I was granted permission to enter your territory." I don't turn around to see the sentinels falling back to their posts when Irina flicks her red painted nails at them. "I don't sneak around like a rat, hiding." The jab hits the target before I'm done speaking.

  "How dare you disrespect us!" Khan booms, his thin, goatee-breaded beard quivering from the volume. The robes shift on his body, the handle of his katana sticking out of them. The crystal that makes up their thrones chimes with his voice. The echo amplifies from the vibration. Huh! That's quite interesting, and something to look into later.

  "As I said, I'll remind you again that I asked permission to be here. It was granted." Placing my hands in my pockets, I lift an eyebrow at Khan. "If that is not revoked, and I'm being summoned like a petulant child, I would say the disrespect is pointed my way, not yours."

  "We have a reason to summon you. Does your arrogance know no bounds?" Irina spits at me angrily, barely staying seated on her throne. The crystal chimes softly again. Interesting indeed. Niklas glances at her, and one side of his mouth lifts in a triumphant smirk, but he schools his features fast.

  "Let us not waste precious time, then. I'm here to answer your questions, or accusations, if there are any." A storm is churning in my gut, but I hold tight control on it with everything in me.

  "You have one of the runners," Elizabeth says bluntly, reclining on her throne, the yellow gown shifting when she crosses her legs. Her dress is silky and elegant, unlike Irina's see-through one.

  "Ah, that I do!" Grinning at them, I can't help but chuckle when confused and stunned eyes meet my gaze. "I have great plans for that one." Nodding at them as if what I just said is an inside joke amongst us; I shrug a shoulder.

  "Excuse me?" Kali stutters, outrage twisting her face.

  "Hey! I am not to blame because you still have those pests running around!" Glaring at her, I fist my hands, displaying all the anger I was hiding from them. "I got my hands on one. It is my right to punish as I see fit for the disrespect they show to us."

  "Oh…" Eshe breathes, her midnight skin gleaming in the candlelight. I'm taken aback by the disappointment I see in her eyes. What is going on here?

  They all watch me intently for a while. I glare, my fangs peeking from my pulled back lips. All of them but Eshe and Khan look convinced. I do have a reputation after all. With a calculating look, Khan clears his throat. Eshe looks sick, making my mind whirl with implications.

  "Very well." Lifting himself off his throne, Khan comes in front of me. "I will go with you to witness this punishment." He dares me to deny him with his glittering eyes.

  "Sure."

  Shrugging, I turn around, walking out without waiting to be dismissed. The murmurs start to double in volume behind me. I don't stop, nor do I look to see if Khan is following. I can feel his power like a slimy snail gliding and prodding at mine. His car is waiting next to ours, as I expected. There was no way I was getting out of this without them checking the girl first. We split ways, and I settle in the back seat a moment before Marcus gets behind the wheel.

  "That went to shit fast," he growls.

  "Just drive."

  April

  After Sebastian and Marcus left, the air in the apartment feels lighter somehow. When Sebastian is around, everything around him buzzes with energy, reacting to him like metal shavings respond to a magnet. With just Andrei present, I can finally breathe. The blond va
mpire is slouched in one of the chairs, subtly watching me from the corner of his eye. I know this only because he turns his full focus on me every time I shift in my seat.

  “You know that I am right.” Testing his patience, I can’t keep quiet for long. When he just considers me mutely, a sigh is wrenched from my chest. “The Council is not letting this go, Andrei. I know because I made it my life mission to not fall into their hands. No runner has stayed alive longer than a few hours when they are aware of their existence. I don’t want to die.” A lump forms in my throat while blinking away the tears that are threatening to roll down my cheeks.

  He keeps searching my face for something that only makes sense to him. Jaw clenched tightly, his penetrating blue gaze makes me uncomfortable. When long moments pass, and he just keeps staring, I wonder if he even sees me. When Sebastian was telling me his story, the reverence in his voice was something I’ve never heard before. It reminded me of how I felt when I used to talk about my mother. She was my hero, someone that I looked up to and loved more than anything, even after she left with just one fleeting glance over her shoulder. These men, monsters, vampires, whatever you want to call them, have gone to great lengths based on a story. It matters nothing to them if it’s me or the mutt that follows me around, as long as they believe it’s their queen.

  Sebastian mentioned something about my blood calling to him. Apparently, that’s how they found me. With that comes the memory of his own flowing through my throat. My stomach does an involuntary lurch, my body trembling in contrast. Disgusted at myself, I rub my hands over my arms in sharp, jerky strokes. Goosebumps prickle my skin when the rich, sweet flavor blooms again on my taste buds, unbidden.

  “You still don’t believe what Sebastian told you to be true.” Andrei’s voice makes my heart skip a beat. I was stewing in guilt and disgust at my reaction to the master vampire.