by L. L. Ash
Back flat on the mattress, he seemed upset about something. Not angry, but rather confused or concerned.
“Lily, may I ask you a question?” he asked finally in a low, quiet voice.
“Always,” was my only answer.
“Tonight...there was a woman...”
Oh God...payback was a bitch.
“She and her companions talked about some things. It’s not important… but she stood up to me. She was such a new daywalker, she still had her humanity intact and her attitude wasn’t lacking. But they all asked for my help.”
“Your help doing what?” I asked, feeling absolutely relieved.
“She said there was someone after her. Trying to kill her.”
“And you’re going to help her?”
“No. It’s none of my business.”
“What do you mean it’s none of your business?”
“I mean it’s a dispute between the daywalkers. I can’t get involved every time they have a squabble.”
“So why are you talking about them?”
He sighed.
“It was something she said. But I wanted to ask you about the night we met.” His head turned toward me, back still against the sheets. “That night, why did you go to that girl? Why didn’t you get into your car when you sensed danger?”
I moved to my side, tucking my hands under my head.
“I thought about it, believe me. But I couldn’t, in my heart, leave her until I knew she was ok.”
“But why? You approached a man almost twice your size with a fearlessness I’ve not seen in a decades.”
“When I saw him hurting her, I just stopped thinking. So many people have gotten a peek into our situation with my mother and nobody has helped. How people can see children being abused and not do anything about it is beyond me. But when I saw her, I remembered every time someone turned a blind eye to us and I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t just turn around and leave her.”
“So empathy made you turn around? To put yourself in danger?”
“I guess you could call it that. It’s a lot more complicated than that. But it’s really simple, too.”
“How so?”
“Because helping her was the right thing to do. It is my job as a human to help her. To help anyone, if I can.”
“So you would tell me to help this girl and her companions?”
“Would it harm your or any of your people?”
“Probably not.” He shrugged awkwardly. “The daywalkers are weak. Just a few of my men could take out an army of them.”
“Then I think you should. It’s the right thing to do, and if it doesn’t hurt anyone, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t.”
He hummed thoughtfully and looked toward the stone ceiling.
“I’ll take your thoughts into consideration. Thank you, Lily.”
“Why are you asking me, anyway?” I asked carefully. “I can’t imagine I’m any help to you.”
“Your innocence and humanity give you a special view on things. You’ve brought to light things I hadn’t considered when I talked to them.”
He paused.
“She also said that she can turn, back and forth from human to creature. That she had been a werewolf just weeks before.”
“A what? A werewolf?” I demanded.
He grinned at me.
“I still have so much left to teach you, Agápi Mou.”
“Maybe we should have a class or something. I always feel about twenty steps behind.”
He looked back toward the ceiling.
“Then maybe you should come with me for a while each day.”
“What?” I sat up, in shock.
“You could learn about things as they happen,” he said, looking back at me with warmth in his icy eyes. “But you must promise to remain silent when I meet with others. You must be seen only and not heard until you are acquainted with how things work here.”
“Yeah, sure. I can do that. My lips are sealed.”
I drew my fingers over my mouth, pretended to lock my lips shut then threw the imaginary key.
“What nonsense.” He smiled, lifting a hand and touching the pad of his thumb to my lips.
Instantly they were open and my breathing picked up. All ideas of my mouth being closed was forgotten now.
“May I take you again, Agápi Mou?” he asked in little more than a whisper.
I just nodded eagerly.
God I hoped he took all of me.
He left again afterwards. He drank my blood and used my body but he wouldn’t share his mind or his heart. Not that I blamed him. He had no reason to trust me with either, but my deepest parts ached to have all of him, not just some of him. I wanted his love and friendship, two things he had specifically stated were off the table. At least we were on good terms and were talking and interacting again. And we would spend more time together now. I looked forward to shadowing him around the huge manse.
But he had left the moment we were done, looking pained. I didn’t ask because I didn’t want him getting mad at me again. So I laid there silent and naked as he pulled on some night pants and left the room, looking distressed.
I just curled up under the thick comforter and cried.
When he eventually came back, it was past one-thirty in the afternoon and far later than he normally came to bed. I could smell strong alcohol on him as he collapsed onto the mattress. Facing away from me as was his usual, he went to sleep.
“Mistress,” a voice drifted across my ears. “Mistress, I apologize for waking you. The master is asking after you.”
Huh?
I blinked open my eyes and saw a young girl, maybe twelve years old looking at me with big eyes.
Holding my sheets to my chest, I sat up, feeling completely embarrassed.
“Ok, thank you,” I told her and she nodded, quickly leaving.
I breathed in relief when the door closed and jumped out of bed. On the little table was a plate of food for breakfast and a black dress laid on the settee.
I fingered the dark velvet, impressed with the quality before getting some underwear on and throwing my hair up in a messy bun. The dress felt like a warm hug over my body and flowed like water across my curves, moving and swaying with every movement. A pair of black slipper-like shoes were on the floor and I slipped those on too before stuffing a few bites of food into my mouth. I kept nibbling on breakfast in excitement until the door opened. Calix stood there looking all regal in his suite and a stoic look on his face.
“Are you still up to joining me?” he asked, his voice low.
“Sure. If you don’t mind.”
He shook his head and held out his hand.
“If you’re finished, I’ve a meeting in a few minutes.”
I pressed my palm onto his and our fingers entwined as we moved out the door. I had no idea where we went. I just knew we went down a handful of hallways before going to what looked like an office.
A huge desk took up about half the room with a set of wing back chairs in a corner next to a nook of bookshelves filled to the brim with what looked like very old books. Calix brought me around the desk and motioned to a smaller, but still comfortable looking chair. It was behind the desk with his chair but not in the forefront.
I sat, trying to look as graceful as I could as he settled into his, looking like a king on a throne.
“Is the chair alright?” he asked, looking at me over his shoulder.
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
“And you remember our deal?”
“Right. Stay quiet. Seen not heard. I’ll stick to it. Promise.”
He gave a sharp nod before looking forward and shuffling a few papers.
Not a minute later there was a knock on his door.
“Come,” he called, his voice echoing through the room.
The door opened and a man stepped through with Petrick at his side.
“Prince,” the unknown man said, bowing a little. “Ma’am.”
“Mistress,” C
alix corrected sharply and the man looked surprised for a second before nodding again.
“Apologies, Mistress.”
“Thomas Giles,” Calix said over his shoulder at me. “My representative amongst my people here at the castle.”
I nodded back, since everyone seemed to nod here and he gave a sharp one to me, approvingly, before turning back to Thomas.
“And how goes it?” he asked with little patience.
“As always,” he said. “Though some get restless. It’s been a long time since you’ve graced them downstairs.”
“And I’m supposed to be the friendly leader?” Calix’s voice sounded annoyed and amused at the same time.
“It doesn’t hurt, Prince. They like to see you around. Makes you a little more relatable.”
“Good. I’m not supposed to be.”
Thomas frowned and sighed.
“Please, just think on it.”
Calix frowned too.
“As you please, Prince.” Thomas bowed again then backed up three steps before backing away and leaving the room.
“May I speak?” Petrick asked, taking a chair across the desk.
“Don’t you always, Petrick?” Calix gave him a wan smile.
“You keep me around because I do.” He smiled back before leaning forward, the smile melting away. “I suggest you take a round through, sir. Take a few feeders with you, make a production of it, then leave. It’s been a month since you’ve been to see them. They need to see and know their leader if you want to keep your thumb on them.”
“Ugh. It’s a waste of time and a bunch of baby kissing.”
“But necessary.”
“So be it. Arrange it, Petrick.”
“Yes, sir.” Petrick nodded and left quickly.
“Wow, that was...medieval,” I commented when we were alone.
“What was?” He looked confused.
“That whole interaction. Master, Mistress, sir, Prince.”
“We have titles for a reason, Lily. You will understand eventually. And yes, they are my underlings. They don’t get the pomp that I do. I am a prince, they are not. Treating them otherwise would mislead them cruelly.”
“Ok. I’ll shut up.”
He sighed.
“The point of you being here is to ask your questions, talk and get to know the way of life here.”
I nodded.
“And you did well. Thank you for waiting for the room to be clear before speaking.”
I nodded again.
“But you may ask questions around Petrick. Unless they question my judgement. Save any disagreements you have for when we are alone.”
Nodding again.
“Speak, Lily.” He looked annoyed.
“Yes, Master,” I met his eyes and he lifted an eyebrow.
“Fine. So be it, Lily.”
He turned around and shuffled more papers. I stood.
“May I look around?” I asked him and he nodded, not looking up.
I fingered the old but preserved books in the bookshelf along with a few knick knacks. Up on one wall was a sword. It looked a lot like one of those English broadswords. Beside it stood a cross-shaped figure that supported what looked like an ancient Roman military uniform. A bronze or gold helmet sat at the top. It was rounded on top with angry looking studs, following down to the long sides that covered the cheeks and upper neck and a sharp nose guard sat between the eye slits. Elegant engraving contradicted the studs which told me it was an officer or rich man’s uniform. Beneath that was a heavy-looking metal breastplate made of what looked like scales, running down the chest. It was covered at the shoulders with a huge, heavy red cloak clasped at the shoulder with an immense brooch made of the same metal as the breastplate and helmet. Further down was a leather fringe skirt-like thing that had metal tips on the ends and sat over the off-white tunic underneath. Fabric pants hung from beneath the tunic and next to those on the floor were a pair of leather and fabric boots. It all looked old and priceless. On the wall beside the sword was another weapon. This one was a two handed ax. There was also a bow and a quiver of arrows hanging from hooks on the wall, like they were just sitting there, waiting for someone to take them off and use them.
“Awe-inspiring, isn’t it?” Calix’s voice asked from my side as I stared.
“It’s incredible. And beautiful. Where did you get this?”
His finger reached out and touched a couple of those metal scales on the breastplate.
“It’s mine,” he said with a sigh, his trailing fingers dropping back at his side. “When I was a young man.”
“You’re still a young man.” I turned to him, seeing an expression that looked like longing on his face.
He smiled, though not happily.
“No, I ceased to be young a long time ago. I’ve lived a dozen lifetimes. Nothing about that is young. I meant when I was a human. Like Ariston is now.”
It was hard imagining him ever being young and human like Ariston.
“I spent my days training and my nights celebrating. I was quite a decorated soldier those first hundred years.”
“An officer?”
“Yes, eventually. Though I prefered to fight with the men.”
“You look like you miss it.” I looked into his eyes again.
“The modern days have their conveniences. Traveling, for instance, is much easier. But life was so much simpler in those days. Fighting and food and drink and women. That’s all a young man needed.”
“You miss life from a thousand years ago?”
“Yes. That and youth. It is the one thing I envy my brother. I don’t blame you for preferring him.”
“Who ever said I prefer him?”
“Your actions do,” he said, not even looking at me as he touched the armor one last time before turning.
“Is that why you’re mad at me?” I asked him. “You think I’d prefer your brother over you?”
He huffed.
“I don’t think, Lily. You’ve said so much yourself at the Archontikó.”
I thrust my bottom lip out and pouted.
It was true. Just a couple of weeks ago I begged and pleaded to be given to Ariston instead of Calix.
What had changed? The thought of being with anyone else now hurt inside of my chest.
“Calix? What has happened to me?” I asked him just as a knock sounded on the door.
He turned to me and met my eyes, the intensity of our gazes clashing buzzed straight through me.
“Come,” Calix called, eyes still on mine until the door opened.
“It’s all arranged, sir,” Petrick said, poking his head into the room. “Should we leave now?”
“Now is as bad a time as any,” Calix commented dryly before putting his hand out to me.
I paused, watching him as he reached for me without giving me the benefit of his eyes, but then I stepped forward and took his hand silently.
After a few steps, Calix moved my hand from his, to his arm, removing the skin on skin contact. The buzzing lessoned and I was able to think a little more clearly as we walked.
About thirty men and women in white followed as we went down a sweeping spiral staircase down to another large wooden door. Petrick pushed them open and we entered like some kind of king and queen meeting their people.
The room silenced as we entered, Calix’s back straightening painfully. He had this ora of majesty and power about him that left me a little in awe as we continued on.
“Prince,” one man in particular bowed slightly like Thomas had.
Calix turned to him, taking his hand in a shake.
“Kindish. How is your family?”
“Fine!” The man smiled his vampirishly toothy grin. “My son seems to have found himself in love.”
“Poor bastard.” Calix grinned.
“Aye, that’s what I told him.”
Calix let go of his hand and said, “If there’s a ceremony, let me know.”
Kindish bowed again and acknowledged him. “Princ
e.”
Moving on, Calix greeted a few more people, pressing his hand over mine on his arm between greetings, but he never introduced me or included me in conversations.
Since I was effectively being ignored, I took my time looking around. I saw what looked like a hundred or so people, men and women of varying age vying for Calix’s attention. All shared the pale skin and ice eyes of the night walkers, but they had a large variation of features from slanted eyes to full lips, sagging skin of the elderly and some that were forever frozen in their teens. But all of them looked to Calix like he was a god.
I guess he kind of was.
The thought made my skin tingle. I looked toward him, up and down his long and muscular frame, feeling moisture gathering between my legs.
Calix abruptly turned and looked at me, his face breaking into a grin when he caught me watching him.
Just the look had me warming from the inside out, my face flushing.
It was embarrassing.
Calix turned again, giving me a knowing look before finishing his conversation.
“My brothers and sister,” he said loudly, addressing the whole room. “I’ve good news for you. My mate has taken seed.”
The room erupted in cheers.
“And in celebration, I’ve brought you a feast.”
The men and women in white moved forward single file and I saw the ice eyes around me begin to glow in excitement.
“Drink up. Yamas!”
The room filled with different versions of ‘cheers’ before they began to feast on the humans. Leaving them standing or moving them to couches or tables, they bit and drank.
My stomach began to get queasy watching, and somehow Calix seemed to know because he abruptly turned me away and we strode out of the room. Petrick was following us toward the stairs but I saw Calix flick his hand toward him and he stopped. We continued on our own up the stairs, his hand cupping my elbow as we went. I felt the air around us vibrate and hum like pure electricity playing between two live wires. It sent the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end, shivers running through me as we made it upstairs.
“This is taking too long,” Calix growled before he stopped, scooped me up and sped down the hallway with nothing but blurs for walls.
My brain was a little discombobulated at the speedy power that he seemed to possess, but as he stopped outside the office, I managed to keep my feet under me when he set me down.