“There was nothing mediocre about our time together. I may have loved another, but I gave you my all in the bedroom. You didn’t seem to hate it.”
“I didn’t, that’s true, but after experiencing the way love actually feels,” I said shaking my head as a smirk grew on my face. “Mediocre might be an overstatement when it comes to what we shared.”
The ground slammed into me, knocking the breath from my body as my shoulder felt as if it had burst into flames. Cyrus snarled and lunged at something, but I couldn’t see what. All I heard was a blood-curdling shriek and I knew someone had succumbed to the hellhound’s bite.
I could barely see anything at all. Every time I went to raise my head, my vision nearly blacked out and a pounding like someone smashing a hammer into my skull stopped me from moving.
I slid my right hand over my chest and up to my shoulder in an effort to find the source of the searing hot pain. My fingers grasped at what felt like an arrow. Just the act of touching it sent fire shooting down my arm, and I cried out in pain, waves of nausea washing over me.
The sounds of fists hitting flesh and blood-churning snarls filled my ears. I could barely make out the sound of Theodosia’s soothing voice from somewhere in the distance. Her words cut through the noise as if she were right next to me, yet her voice echoed like she was still far away.
“You’ll be okay, dearie. Just have to deal with a thing or two first.”
“Try not to kill them,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I didn’t know if she could hear me, but I had to at least try to plead for the others’ lives.
Not sure why I even cared anymore. At that precise moment, death whispered in my ear that he was coming for me and for the first time since everything had come crashing down upon me, I welcomed the silent serenity of an eternity of darkness.
20
Liam
I’m coming for you.
It was like my very own life force drained from my body as hers faded. I hadn’t waited a thousand years for her, only to lose her now. Her essence depleted by the second as she drifted further away. If I had any hope of saving her, I had to put my current business on hold.
“You’ll stay here and wait for my return,” I commanded. “You owe it to her to give me that.”
The one who had been introduced to me as Master Lewis—though I had refused to acknowledge he was a master of anything—nodded.
“If anyone so much as looks at that door in an attempt to escape, take them out,” I said, looking toward the two vampires I had freed from the dungeon. I hadn’t known them from before, but they recognized me as their king almost immediately. Being grateful for the rescue, they were eager to aid me in any way they could.
Luckily, there had been a human imprisoned as well who offered his blood as nourishment to help us in our fight. After providing a bit of my own blood to help strengthen him, he’d ran off into the woods in search of the woman he loved. Couldn’t say I blamed him.
The only reason I hadn’t gone to Delia immediately was because I knew she was safe from the lunatics in Mallory Falls. They didn’t have her, of that I was certain, but if I could do what I had originally set out to do and make peace with these people, maybe they’d stop hunting her and we could get on with spending the rest of eternity together.
If that didn’t work, well, then, I’d just kill them all, and I wouldn’t feel an ounce of remorse for it either. The slayers had been a thorn in my side for over two hundred years. With the establishment of Mallory Falls so close to one of the main portals to Velum Mortis, it was only a matter of time before our species clashed.
There was a time I would’ve turned a blind eye to what my subjects were doing in the human world. Human life had meant little to me but coming out of the battle of a lifetime with the Fae king Cade had changed my view. I’d grown tired of war and longed for a time where we weren’t actively feuding with one of the species.
I soon ordered the vampires to stop going through the veil near Mallory Falls and abandoning the use of one of the portals located close by once I knew they were training to kill us. And for a time, they listened, but a faction grew within my kingdom who were hell-bent on rebelling against me. They didn’t agree that we shouldn’t feed as we pleased, killing indiscriminately as we went.
Just before the meeting with Mallory Falls, I’d identified the leader of the faction as my brother Lucien. My mistake was not doling out punishment immediately and suppressing the threat to my rule. It was to be next on my agenda, right after ending the killing between the humans and the vampires.
And I paid for it with twenty years of my life.
The problem waited for me even now as I still tried to broker peace. It wouldn’t be long before I’d be back on my throne, staring down my brother, but that was a problem I’d deal with later.
Right now, I had to get to Delia.
Storming through the door, I slammed it shut behind me and raced to Delia, her soul guiding me to where she lay. A battle raged on around where she was sprawled out on the ground. I feared my efforts for peace were in vain.
Kneeling at her side, I took her hand and brought it my lips, pressing them gently against her skin. I slid my other hand under her neck, holding it steady as I lifted her. Her eyes fluttered, pain washing over her face as she let out a weak groan.
“Liam,” she whispered.
“Yes, my queen,” I replied. “I’m here.”
I bit my wrist. Droplets of blood pooled at the surface.
Placing the wound against her lips, I said, “You must drink, my love. Let my blood heal you.”
Her lips barely touched my wrist, but as the blood dripped into her mouth, she began to suck. Her hands reached up, gripping my arm and holding it in place.
“That’s enough,” I said, pulling my wrist away a few moments later.
She opened her eyes and looked at me, a smile growing on her lips. A tear fell over her cheek as she said, “I thought I’d never see you again.”
“I told you not to come for me,” I said. My blood had begun to push the arrow from her flesh. I yanked it the rest of the way out and watched her face. At the first sign of pain, I was prepared to lull her into a trance until the healing was complete.
“I couldn’t stay away,” she replied.
“I know.”
And I did. No force in the universe could’ve kept me from her if our positions had been reversed.
“How are you awake? I thought there was no loophole this time,” she said, the strength returning to her voice.
“There’s always a loophole. It’s just that Theodona must have thought the one she built into the spell this time was unobtainable.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I heard them talking just before I awoke about how there was no way you could love me so quickly, but they were wrong. That had to be the key to unlocking the spell… There must have been a moment when you realized you did love me and that we belong together. That moment is when the darkness lifted.”
“I do,” she said. “I do love you.”
“I love you,” I said, bending to kiss her.
“How fucking sweet,” Harmon said, interrupting before I could taste her lips again.
I stood, baring my fangs. An instant later, I was on him before his heart could take its next beat. Sinking my fangs deep into his neck, the bitter taste of his sticky hot blood washed over my tongue.
I drank deeply and vowed not to stop until his heart did.
Her voice cut through the rage and chaos of the feeding.
“Don’t kill him,” she said and placed her hand on my shoulder. “Show them all that you’re better than them. It’s the only way to convince them to leave us alone.”
I dropped Harmon’s body to the ground, the fighting around us ceasing in that instant as if they’d all kept an eye on us to see what their next moves should be.
Clenching my jaw, I questioned her decision until I looked in her eyes and saw the sincerity there,
the longing in her eyes for this to all be over.
“As you wish, my queen,” I said, cradling her cheek.
“My king,” a voice said from behind me. I hadn’t heard it in twenty years, but I recognized it immediately.
Looking over my shoulder, I could see the shape of a large man falling to his knees.
Turning to face him, I watched as he hung his head and stared at the ground. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The friend I thought I’d lost to the slayers kneeled in front of me.
“Stellan,” I said. “Stand.”
He did as commanded and stood tall, towering over me like he always had.
“I’m sorry for failing you all those years ago,” he said, peering down at me, shame settling over his features. “I should’ve stopped it.”
“No,” I said. “It is I who am sorry. Sorry that I didn’t see it for the set-up it was. I thought you’d been killed, brother.”
Reaching up to him, I cupped the back of his neck and pulled him to me. We embraced for a few seconds before letting go of each other.
“I’ve continued to follow the path you set out for me.”
The punishment I’d placed upon him was extreme, but his actions against the humans had been extreme. I couldn’t believe he’d continued to bear it after all this time. Most would’ve abandoned it the second I was put under.
Shaking my head, I said, “You’ve served your penance.”
“No, my king,” he said. “I don’t trust myself without it. Even now I feel the urge to feed and I know I couldn’t stop if I did.”
“I want you to accompany me back to Lewis,” I said. “All of you, slayers and vampires alike.”
“We won’t follow you,” one of the slayers said, a female with hatred raging in her eyes as her gaze danced back and forth between Delia and me. Her lips curled back over her teeth as she stood ready to strike the first vampire to take a step in her direction. I recognized her voice as one of the ones having a chat while I was under.
“I don’t expect you to, but you should all be present for what’s going to be taking place momentarily. While you were busy fighting out here, I was discussing a truce with your leaders.”
The slayers looked to each other. Finally, one standing off to the side nodded toward the others and they all nodded back.
“We’ll go, but at the first sign of danger, we’ll fight.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less… Bring Harmon,” I said to Stellan.
“Before I go with you,” Theodosia said as she approached. “I need to know one thing.”
“Anything, my friend,” I responded.
“What happened to my Samuel?”
“Samuel?” I asked.
“I saw his blood in the dungeons. He was nowhere to be found. I must know. Has he fallen from this mortal coil?”
“Just the opposite,” I said, realizing that her Samuel was the human who had aided us. “He’s gone to find you. Set out into the woods an hour ago. I expect he’s made it to your cabin by now.”
“Then I must go,” she said.
“Of course. Thank you for everything you’ve done, Theo,” I said, bowing.
“Anytime,” she said and faded away, surely transporting herself back to her home to be reunited with her love.
And speaking of loves, I turned to mine and took her hand.
We made our way, the slayers following, to the chambers where the council members waited.
Either peace or death awaiting them…
21
Delia
I never expected to stand in front of the council with a vampire at my side, never expected to be arguing for a cease and desist with the creatures we’d been bred to hate and kill.
“Master Lewis,” I said, not backing down from his gaze like I might have done only a few days before.
“Delia,” he replied coolly.
“I’ve spared the life of this one,” Liam said, pointing toward where Stellan had dropped Harmon to the floor. “I’ve lost track of the times he’s acted against the two of us, and he’d be dead right now if it weren’t for Delia.”
“Your star-player hasn’t been playing fair at all,” I said. “Did you know he worked with he witch, Theodona, to not only put down Liam, but to also strengthen himself? He isn’t the master slayer you thought he was. He’s a cheater and a liar. Who knows how long he’s been enlisting the witch to help him.”
Master Lewis’ mouth dropped open, his eyebrows knitting together. “I had no idea he’d done such a thing. It is forbidden to work with any witch, especially one from the line who betrayed your father.”
“Yeah, about that,” I said. “It’s bullshit.”
His eyes widened, and he stared at me as if I had fire shooting out of my ears.
“There are bad witches, yes, but there are also good witches, just like there are bad humans and good humans. Bad vampires and good vampires. You see where I’m going with this? There is no black and white when it comes to any of us. Only shades of gray.”
“She speaks the truth,” Liam said.
He continued on about how his people had fought against a great battle with the Fae. Both sides suffered many thousands of casualties before defeating the Fae king and driving them back into their own realm.
As he brought the council members closer to peace, describing the trials and tribulations of such a war and how he was wary at the thought of another, I glanced behind us to where Harmon had been sprawled out on the floor, but he was no longer there.
Searching the crowd of people, all I could see were faces intently watching the historical event playing out in front of them. Focusing my attention toward the front, I couldn’t help but get the sinking feeling that something bad was about to happen. I’d once trusted Harmon with my life, but those days were long gone. I glanced at Stellan and Meredith. They both stood off to Liam’s side, engrossed in the words he spoke to Master Lewis, sporadically nodding their approvals.
A glint of light caught my attention and I turned just in time to see Harmon sprinting full force with a silver-tipped sword pointed in front him. The others hadn’t noticed, and I wouldn’t have either if I hadn’t been looking for him. His steps were silent, as if he were running across a field of clouds, his speed unhuman-like.
He fast-approached Liam, and I knew there was no time to say anything, so I did the only thing I could think of to do.
I ran at him, placing myself between his blade and Liam’s heart.
Pain ripped through me, puncturing my body and soul as darkness fell over my eyes and I hit the ground with an excruciating thump.
22
CLiam
The crowd gasped as I heard the sound of something hitting the floor behind me. What commotion had I missed during the speech to Lewis? Turning my head, I expected to see Delia standing there, but she wasn’t.
Whipping around, my heart broke into a thousand jagged shards as I saw her lying on the ground, blood pouring from her chest as the breath left her body and her heart ceased to play its rhythmic beat.
Harmon stood over her, holding a sword at his side. Its tip dripping with the blood of my queen. I felt her essence leave a moment later, like my own heart being ripped out of my chest.
In the span of a few seconds, she was gone. I should’ve known the bastard would try something. I should’ve heard him coming. I should’ve taken control and stopped her from intercepting to save my life.
Stellan placed his hand on my arm as Meredith held onto the other.
“Your Majesty,” she said, squeezing her fingers into my flesh.
To the average eye, it would’ve appeared like her goal was to console me, but she was using every last bit of her strength to keep me in place, to keep me from going against everything I had been preaching against and killing every last person in the place.
“Fuck peace,” I growled and leapt through the air with nothing left to lose.
A second later, I clawed at Harmon’s face, knocking him backward.
/> His death wouldn’t be as quick as hers.
Pummeling my fists against his face, blood flew from his nose and mouth, splattering on the floor. Thin lines of crimson trickled from his ear.
“No,” a female shouted as a commotion broke out behind me, but I didn’t care. Let them come at me. I’d take care of them all just as soon as I felt that Harmon had suffered enough.
Strike that. Death was too good for him. He deserved to suffer for a very long time for stealing her life.
Sinking my teeth into his neck, I fed until there was nothing more than a few drops of blood left in his body. Clawing at my throat, I opened an artery a second later. Blood rushed from my body and I pulled him to my neck, forcing him to drink.
My blood would turn him soon, and when it did, he’d pay for killing my queen for as long as it pleased me. Centuries from now, maybe longer, when I felt he’d suffered enough, only then would I allow death to take him.
A pair of strong hands grabbed my shoulders, trying to yank me away from his lifeless body, but I shook them off effortlessly. Not one person in the room, including Stellan or Meredith, could stop me.
“You must stop,” Stellan roared and pushed at me with as much force as he could muster. Stellan at one-hundred percent probably could’ve had a chance at subduing me, but thanks to the punishment I’d placed on him, he couldn’t budge me now. “This isn’t what she would want.”
“She wouldn’t want to be dead either,” I spat.
“She’s had your blood,” he yelled, breaking through the noise in my head. “Maybe it’s enough.”
“I’ve never seen a human change without being drained first,” I said, loosening my grip on Harmon. He’d had enough of my blood to turn. “Take him back to Velum Mortis and lock him up,” I commanded Meredith.
“But Your Highness, what will I tell Lucien?”
Beyond the Veil (Vampires of Velum Mortis Book 1) Page 14