“He is my king,” Kalil said.
“Not anymore. I am your ruler now. Follow any other and you will be executed for treason.”
Disconcertion laced his expression and his tone turned sullen. “You are not yourself, Miranda.”
She lifted her chin, defiant. “I am finally who I was meant to be. Get on board or be left behind, Kalil.”
“Please” he said, coming toward her and grabbing her arm, “let me take you to see Sadie—”
“Let go of me,” she ordered, her teeth clenched.
“Princess, do you need help?” One of the hulking Vampyre soldiers eyed her from the doorway. “No thank you, Takel. Please stay close just in case.”
Kalil looked at her in shock. “You brought Vampyres onto our compound? Vampyres? My god, Miranda, what has come over you?”
“I have been denied my true calling for a thousand years. The time of me cowering to my father, or any other man, is over. The Vampyres are here to protect me and my supporters. If you support me then you have nothing to fear.”
“You are mad,” he said, his voice hoarse with disbelief. “I won’t stand here and watch you turn into this person.” Shaking his head, he left the room.
“Well, screw him,” Miranda muttered to herself. He had always bored her to tears anyway. She walked over to her father’s desk, looking at the paperwork strewn across it. She figured that tomorrow she would have to get to work on that too. Yuck.
Sitting in his chair, she opened his drawers, absently snooping. She noticed a small hole in one drawer on the bottom right. Sticking her finger in it, she pulled the wood to find that it was a false bottom. Underneath, hidden in the dark back corner, were a bundle of letters. Pulling them out, she slid one out and read:
His Royal Highness, King Marsias of Uteria
The ninth day of the tenth month of the year five-hundred and thirty-three
Dear Marsias,
I write to you again hoping that your lack of response means that you have not received my other letters. Our rations are low and we will need more blood within a fortnight. We have no wish to raid your compound or abduct your people. The time for bloodshed is over. Please consider banking barrels and depositing them at the wall so that we may begin to negotiate peace. Our peoples’ futures depend on it.
Sincerely,
Sathan, King of Astaria
Suddenly, Miranda began to laugh. Large, bellowing gasps as her eyes filled with tears of mirth. Hiccupping, she wiped the wetness from her eyes, overcome with crazed rage. How could her father have kept this from her?
Seething with fury, she untied the bundle and began reading all the letters. Sathan had written to Marsias for over a decade, pleading with him to negotiate peace. As she read each of the letters, holding them with her shaking hands, she felt intense sadness. Had her father ever loved her? Had he even respected her at all? Surely not if he could keep something like this from her. His hatred had run so deep.
Closing her eyes, she inhaled a large breath. Although she hated Etherya, she said a prayer to her, thanking her for giving her the strength to finally defy her father. How many more men would’ve died if she hadn’t found the courage?
Images of the faces of so many fallen soldiers ran through her mind. Men she had fought with, side-by-side. Wives whom she had comforted after their husbands were taken. Children who would grow up without a father. So much of it could’ve been avoided.
Standing, she grabbed the letters and stormed out of the study. Takel’s worried gaze met hers.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Fine,” she said. “Get me some matches and meet me behind the castle. Larkin will know where to find them.”
Stomping out of the large, mahogany front doors of the house, she plodded to the back meadow. With a curse, she threw the letters on the ground. Takel appeared with matches, Larkin standing behind him.
“This ends now,” she said, crouching and lighting the letters on fire in several different places. “I’m so tired of the constant war and death. My father did a great disservice to our people. All of our people,” she said, looking at Takel, needing him to understand that Marsias had wronged the Vampyres as well.
The three of them stood in silence, watching the letters burn. Miranda clenched her teeth as they turned to ash. Once they were no more, she turned to look at her two strong soldiers.
“We have to unite the species. I need your help. You both are immensely important to this cause. I won’t let our people live with hate anymore. I’ll pull it out of them with everything I have. Do you understand?”
“Yes, princess,” they said in unison.
“Good. Thank you for your support. It means more to me than you know.” Inhaling a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders. “Now I need to prepare for tomorrow. I’ll see you both then.”
Resolute, she headed inside, ready to unite her people with the Vampyres.
* * * *
The next morning, at nine o’clock sharp, she took her place at the podium in the main square of the compound. The sun was bright in the sky, illuminating a beautiful day. Two Slayer soldiers flanked her, one on each side. She figured that Slayer soldiers would help soften her message more than Vampyre ones.
Miranda had always thought Uteria such a beautiful place. It was a compound of about twenty-thousand people, comprised of aristocrats, soldiers and middle-class subjects. The smaller Slayer compound of Restia was comprised mostly of laborers and layman. Restia only housed about eight-thousand Slayers, and it had a certain small-town charm.
She’d always felt Uteria buzzed with a quaint but elegant energy. The large wall that surrounded it provided privacy and safety, as no one lived outside the wall. With their wars, that would be too dangerous. It was mostly country living here. Very few people had cars, choosing to walk the paved sidewalks and trails that Marsias and Miranda had laid over the centuries. She’d always loved the projects that consumed her days: building parks, planting trees and making their home more beautiful for her people.
The aristocrats mostly lived near the main castle, their large houses built to show off their wealth. The middle-class subjects lived closer to the wall, not needing fancy things or tons of space. They were a simple people who enjoyed the mostly sunny days that pervaded their world. Immortals lived in a primarily temperate climate, so the weather was usually mild and the rain was seldom. When it did rain, farmers near the walls of both compounds would cultivate their crops, harvesting them so that their people could eat.
The main square of Uteria sat a few blocks from the castle. It was comprised of tents from various street vendors and small stores that thrived on local business. Miranda looked at the crowd from her elevated position, excited that so many had gathered to hear her speak.
Life seemed to flow all around. Merchants selling fruits and trinkets. Children chasing one another as their parents observed. Dogs barking at each other as their owners struggled to pull them apart by their leashes.
She tapped on the microphone, causing a loud screech to sound. A large crowd had gathered to watch her speak. Standing tall, she began.
“My people, thank you for taking time from your busy day to meet with me. I have several announcements and when I am finished I will be happy to speak to each one of you individually, even if it takes the rest of the day or several days. As your princess, I am always here for you.”
A murmur ran through the crowd.
“You may have heard many things lately about the state of our kingdom and I want to set the record straight with you, from my lips to your ears.” Scanning the crowd, she continued.
“I know this will come as a very sad shock to most of you, but my father Marsias has passed from this world and is now on his way to spend eternity in the Passage.” Gasps echoed from the people.
“I loved my father deeply and am truly saddened by his passing. My only solace is that he will soon be reunited with my mother, the daughter of Valktor, and his one true love.”
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She paused a moment, letting the news sink in.
“It is also true that in my father’s final days he and I came to disagree on many things. He believed that we should continue to fight the Vampyres until the last Slayer takes his last breath. Now that the Deamon army grows stronger, that fate is closer than we know.
“I disagreed with his position. I felt that it was worth at least trying to negotiate with the Vampyres. After all, they had shown a bit of compassion by only abducting men, and not women or children, during their raids.”
“Fucking Vampyres! Blood-suckers! I hope they burn in hell!” One man’s loud voice screamed from the crowd.
“I understand your hate,” Miranda said, reclaiming control of the crowd, her voice loud and firm. “Believe me, it is hard to negotiate with a species who has raided us for centuries.
“But I ask you, what other choice do we have?” Lifting her arms, she held her hands, palms up, to the crowd. “Do you all wish to die? Knowing that the Vampyres will eventually come for our women and children, once all the soldiers are gone? Is that to be the fate of our people?”
“No! We support you, Miranda,” a loud female voice called.
Taking strength from the small show of support, she straightened her spine. “I argue that the fate of our people is more magnificent, more hopeful, than we ever could’ve imagined. Although the Vampyres are inferior, we must find a solution and live with them in peace.” She glanced at her Vampyre soldiers below her, begging their forgiveness for her ‘inferior’ comment. They nodded in acknowledgement and she breathed an inner sigh of relief. Her people would need time and she had to placate them a bit to move them along.
“We can become the great people we once were. I’m tired of living in fear. I no longer want to lie in bed, anticipating if this will be the night our soldiers are taken. I want to have the strength to find a solution. Will you help me find a solution?” she said, her voice loud through the microphone.
Cheers rang out through the crowd and she felt a swell of support.
“There are those who support my father’s plan of endless war. Although I respect them for doing what they think is noble, they are wrong. I ask you to help me convince them that this new path is right. It won’t be easy but it will be worth it. All I want is a peaceful existence for our people, free from war and death.”
The people roared below her, thrilling her with their energy.
“In three months’ time I will fulfill the prophecy as Valktor’s one true descendant and kill Crimeous.” Opening the case sitting on the table beside her, she pulled out the Blade of Pestilence, lifting it high so everyone in the crowd could see. Whispers and gasps traveled across the town square.
“The Vampyre king was valiant as we traveled to free the Blade. He has made his position clear. He wishes only for his people to live in peace. Our goals are aligned.”
Lowering the Blade, she held it at her side as she spoke. “Once Crimeous has fallen there is nothing to stop us from achieving our true greatness. Peace and prosperity will reign!”
She reveled in the cheers of her people, wanting so much for them to be free and happy.
“Thank you for your support, my people. I will wait for the coronation until I have rid the Earth of Crimeous. It will be a magnificent day with a long and glorious festival. It has been too long since our people celebrated and I will make sure we put an end to that. Until then, I ask for volunteers willing to bank their blood so we can begin negotiating peace with the Vampyres. Sadie will be helping me with this and if you wish to volunteer, please sign up with her today.”
With her hand she gestured to Sadie, standing below the podium to the right, a lab coat covering her t-shirt and jeans, a baseball cap on her head. Shyly, she waved to the crowd, and Miranda smiled at her. “Thank you, Sadie. We are grateful you’re here.” The doctor saluted Miranda with her unburnt hand.
“And now, I will take your questions one-on-one. First, I would like to speak to those who have lost family members in the Vampyre raids. Then, I will speak to anyone else who wishes. Please be patient as I want to speak to all of you.”
The next several hours were filled with conversations with her people. First, she asked everyone who had lost soldiers to the Vampyres to sit with her in the grassy park, located one block from the town’s main square.
Nearly five-hundred Slayers gathered around her as she sat underneath one of the tall redwood trees that lined the park. With patience and understanding, she let them say their piece. Many of them were angry, unable to understand how she could align with the great enemy who had murdered their loved ones.
After each one would speak she would hug and console them. Wading through the crowd, she encouraged them all to say their piece. Afterward, she stood under the redwood, holding the microphone in her hand. Her voice bellowed from the speaker that Larkin had set up at the base of the tree.
She told them of Nolan and his efforts to save the abducted soldiers. Wanting them to comprehend Sathan’s efforts at peace, she explained to them about the letters he sent and berated her father’s ridiculous suicide decree. Eventually, some of them softened, if only a little, and a tiny spark of hope flitted in her chest.
Several hours later, she spoke to the others who had lined up for her. Many of them had concerns about the future but were steadfast in their support of her. She stayed at the town square until long after the moon had risen in the sky, wanting to make sure none of her people felt left behind.
Finally, the last of her people dissipated. Alone, she walked the few blocks back to the castle and headed to her bedchamber.
Entering her room, she felt restless. She changed into her nightshirt and lay on the bed. Lifting up her phone, she texted the one person she promised herself she wouldn’t:
Miranda: Went well today. You should’ve seen it. We’re on our way. Will keep u updated.
She watched the screen for a while, hoping that the text bubble would show up, indicating that he was typing, and then she threw the phone on the bed with a groan. For god’s sake, she was acting like a lovesick teenager. Disgusted with herself, she went into the bathroom to brush her teeth.
A few minutes later she climbed into bed, wincing as she felt a pain down below. Well, wasn’t that just dandy. Like she needed another reminder that she had let the Vampyre bone her brains out.
She had only been with a handful of men in the past, more consumed with her desire to train and defend her people than any desire she’d felt for a man. And then there was tradition. Young Slayer women were taught to save their virginity for marriage. She’d always thought that incredibly sexist, as Slayer men were expected to sow their oats before getting married. Not giving a fig for any rules that some old curmudgeon decreed centuries before the Awakening, she’d decided early on that if she felt comfortable with a man and cared for him, she would sleep with him.
There had been Sam, the sweet boy she’d dated in her first century. He had been so timid, quite innocent in his avowals of love for her. Then there was Madu and Ergon after him. They were both bad-asses who liked heavy metal too. She admitted to herself that she only dated them because it infuriated her father.
After then, there had been a long break with no dating and much training. Around the eighth century, she had dated a nice man named Goran. He had been a bit boring for her taste, but she had been lonely and he filled the gap. Sadly, he had eventually enrolled in the army and had been abducted by the Vampyres in one of their raids. Had Nolan treated him, trying to extend his life? Had he met Sathan in the dungeon? What if she had charted this course earlier? Could she have saved him?
Questions swirled in her mind, driving her mad. Thankfully, her phone lit up, saving her from drowning in her self-doubt.
Sathan: I saw. Heden is a whiz at these things. Don’t ask me how but he transmitted your whole speech to the tech room. You were amazing. Proud of you.
Her heart fluttered and she scowled at her phone, annoyed.
Miranda: Thanks blood-sucker. Will keep you updated.
She wanted to type “miss you” and then promptly decided she should be checked into Sadie’s infirmary to be diagnosed with mental illness. Forcing herself to put the phone down, she turned off the light and tried to sleep.
Chapter 27
Evie sat on the balcony of her tenth-floor condo, absently twirling a strand of her scarlet tresses around her thin finger. Narrowing her eyes, she thought of the chestnut-haired Slayer. It had been centuries since she’d seen a Slayer and she wondered what the annoyingly curious man wanted with her.
Sighing loudly, she clenched her teeth, attempting to tamp down the rage that loomed inside her. It was ever-present and she found herself drowning in it more times that she wanted to admit.
The war within her was constant. She wanted so badly to be good but honestly felt that it just wasn’t in her. It should’ve been. She’d tried so hard. Smirking, she shook her head. Well, not in the beginning, she admitted. When she was young she had been a monster.
Death and destruction had been her mantra during the first centuries of her life and she’d reveled in them. Nothing made one feel more powerful than crushing another’s life in your hands. But eventually that began to feel old and staid and she’d tried to move on.
As the practice of human psychology grew, she’d seen the best therapists, paid the most money, exhausting her resources. Unfortunately, they couldn’t help her, for they truly didn’t know what she was. Humans would never be able to understand the evil that was her father. She barely understood it herself.
Standing, she looked down at the humans as they blazed through the streets. Tiny ants, idiots who thought their lives meant something. They should know better. Life was a futile folly where one had to do everything they could to survive. It was a terrible dilemma. She’d thought about killing herself so many times but had never had the guts to do it. Instead, she let herself suffer, knowing it was what she deserved.
And now the Slayer with the confident gaze and firm chin had shown up looking for her. It pissed her off immensely. Why couldn’t he leave her the hell alone? If he didn’t, she was going to lose her temper. And wow, that wouldn’t be pretty. He’d most likely pay for it with his life. Deciding he was too handsome to kill, she hoped he gave up his quest and remained in the land of immortals. His future depended on it. Otherwise, he would be sorry. Very sorry, indeed.
The End of Hatred Page 23