“Nothing,” I replied, grinning.
“It's a trap?” Alexis gasped.
“Yes,” I said then finished off the last of my blood.
Max and James returned, laden with warm chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream. Max served to her on a chilled crystal plate and I received another wine glass of warm blood from James.
“You could be hurt or...” She stared at the cake.
“Alexis, I won't be in any danger. There will be countless Immortals at the summit and trained security teams. I‘ll be safe.”
She scowled.
“Dance with me,” I said, standing and stretching my hand out to her.
Sighing, she took it and I gently pulled her onto the dance floor. I twirled her around long into the night, memorizing everything about her.
Fourteen
the day of my departure was bright and sunny, despite the gloom hanging over the apartment. I scowled at my reflection. I had dressed to match my mood: dark blue jeans and a black turtleneck. Alexis's heart beat softly in the next room. She had clung to my naked body, not wanting to release me to the world as morning descended upon us. Nevertheless, nothing could keep time from moving forward. Dressed in only my t-shirt, she sat on the end of the bed, holding one of my handguns as I emerged from the bathroom.
She looked at me, frowning. “Nothing to worry about,” she said sarcastically, her eyes returning to the weapon.
“There really is nothing to worry about.”
I crossed the room, took the gun from her, and laid it back in the suitcase.
“Then why are you taking guns?” she asked, crossing her arms.
“I'm taking them in case I need to defend myself,” I explained.
“But...”
I sighed, kneeling down in front of her. “Alexis, look at me.”
She did not.
“Please, my love.” I was begging now.
She met my gaze, tears soaking her cheeks.
“I'm coming back to you. I promise.”
Alexis nodded, but fresh tears replaced the old ones I had wiped away.
“Come here.” Pulling her into my arms, I kissed her softly, then said, “Please look after Sophia for me.” The cat climbed into my suitcase and meowed.
She nodded.
“Remember our deal. If I'm not back in two weeks, Mr. Whitmore will send Jasmine for you. Here, take this and buy anything you want,” I said, handing her the cell phone and credit card. “This phone has unlimited international calling so you can call me anytime.”
She took them, sniffing. “I love you,” her voice cracked, breaking my heart.
“Alexis,” I breathed, pressing our lips together.
I took in her features one last time, and then quickly removed the cat, who hissed at me, and set her into Alexis's trembling arms. Zipping the suitcase closed, I disappeared out the door, closing it softly behind me. The taxicab slowly pulled away from the apartment as I tried to forget the sound of her crying. A deep emptiness filled me as the building faded from view.
Upon arriving at the airport, I handed my ID to a security officer. He led me past security, baggage check, and the staff-only door. We entered a large waiting area where Annora, Max, James, and Desiree stood talking. A blonde female flight attendant stood by the ramp to the waiting jet plane, ready to assist in any way.
“I almost thought we'd have to send a search party,” James said, giving me a smile and nudging my arm.
“Let's go,” I replied harshly, heading for the ramp.
“What's with her?” I heard him ask.
When I glanced back, Desiree shrugged.
“It's nothing personal, love,” Max said, putting his arm around James. “She just has other places she would rather be.”
I fidgeted in my leather-upholstered seat. They had sent the newest jet in the Hawker series, the most popular among those in the private jet industry. It was known for speed and luxury, similar in design to my own plane, but much larger.
The interior was impressive. It had detailed features, including a domed ceiling that changed color to simulate day, dusk and night. There were hand-woven champagne-colored carpets and the tables, counters, and cabinets were made out of the finest and rarest Australian Lace Sheoak.
Two bedrooms were decorated with the finest furnishings, including queen beds covered in silk sheets. It also had a full conference room. The council had spared no expense for this summit.
The two female flight attendants walked the length of the plane, offering pillows and wine glasses of blood. I waved one away when she offered me a glass. Max had been watching me from the moment I arrived at the airport and was now sitting across from me, frowning.
“What?” I snapped, my eyes icier than normal.
“What's your problem?” James asked.
Max gave him a soft smile. “Its okay, James.”
Looking down at my hands, I said, “No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you.”
“Is it so hard being away from Alexis?” he asked.
“No,” I shook my head.
“So what's the matter?”
Pained, I said, “I just have the feeling she thinks I'm abandoning her.”
“Of course she does,” Annora butted in. “She's a silly little mortal and has no understanding of duty and position.”
“You don't know anything about her or us,” I nearly shouted.
“I have lived a long time, Elysian, and I know enough about humans. She's using you and you're too blinded by your fantasies to see the truth.” She waved a dismissive hand.
My hands balled into fists and I stood. “My name is Jaden!”
“You are and always will be Elysian,” she sneered, “And you have lived far too long off your leash.”
I stepped towards her, seething in anger. Max was suddenly at my side with a steadying hand. “Jaden. We are fifteen thousand feet off the ground—not here.” His voice was calm but firm.
Trying to release my anger, I exhaled.
“Maxwell is right. We have more important matters to concern ourselves with. At least some of us remember where our duties and responsibilities lie,” Annora said, coldly.
“Annora,” Desiree warned.
“I haven't forgotten my duty to the council or my House,” I said through gritted teeth.
“I'm talking about your responsibility to me, your master. Not to the human whore you have living in your apartment.”
“Annora, stop,” Desiree said.
“Shut up!” My voice was much too loud for the small space.
“Jaden,” Maxwell's hands tightened around my wrist and James came to stand beside him.
“I owe you nothing. Alexis wants me, not as a slave to grovel at her feet, but as her equal. Something you could never understand,” I hissed.
Annora scoffed but stayed silent.
“And I really don't care that you don’t like it,” I continued.
“She will never truly understand our world,” Annora replied, crossing her arms.
“Alexis doesn't have to understand it,” I said. “It is enough that she understands that I am my own person and she respects me. It is enough to know she reciprocates my love.”
“And what about your responsibilities to your people, to me?” Annora shot back.
“My only responsibility is to my people, one I am bound to, whether I like it or not. However, this separation is only temporary and I will be returning to her once this summit it over,” I replied.
Tension hung in the plane like a thick fog. Both flight attendants huddled together on one side of the cabin. One clutched a pillow and the other's hand shook, making the crystal wine glass she was holding rattle.
“When you return to her, do you two have plans?” Max asked, drawing my attention away from Annora's gaze.
Sighing, I met his calm brown eyes and smiled. Max always had a level head; never once had I ever seen him lose his temper.
I returned to my seat. “I am hoping Alexis will want
to return to London with me. If she does, I plan to tour the countryside with her, showing her all the sights and spoiling her. If she wants to stay in L.A, a road trip to Mexico and the Grand Canyon. I haven't seen either in a few hundred years.” My anger was subsiding
Max sat beside me. “Then we need to keep a level head and concentrate on the task at hand,” he said, looking at Annora then back at me. “So we can all return to our loved ones swiftly and in one piece.”
“Thanks, Max,” I said, relaxing.
Annora shook her head, returning to her seat.
“Maxwell is right,” Desiree said, taking a wine glass of blood from the frightened flight attendant. “We all have to focus. If anyone tries to murder another council member, this would be the best opportunity.”
“All those Immortals in one place will be too hard for any Hunter to resist,” James said, frowning.
Desiree crossed to her seat and James retrieved two glasses of blood from the still shaken flight attendant.
“I hope they know what they're doing and this doesn't turn into one giant blood bath,” Max added, leaning back in his chair.
“Don't worry. I'm sure we can handle a few Hunters, if it even turns out to be Egipcions,” I replied with confidence.
“And what if it's not?” James asked, handing Maxwell one of the glasses.
A silence fell over the cabin. If one of the other Houses was behind the attack and moved for a power grab, we all knew that depending on the House, this might be a one-way trip.
It wouldn’t be a great surprise if this was a coup. The laws they’ve enacted over the years have torn Houses in two. Eight hundred years ago there had been twenty council members. Now with Ivy dead there were only nine.
Shaking off the dark thoughts, I stood and moved into the bedroom, closing the door behind me. I will do whatever is necessary to return to Alexis—even if it means abandoning the council to its fate.
Setting the suitcase on the bed and unzipping it, I removed the guns and silver bullets, placing them on the blue comforter. I redressed in skintight black leather pants, a black with red lace corset and long black gloves. Slipped back into my knee high combat boots, I securely fastened the gun belt into place then holstered my weapons. I took a calming breath, clipping my cell phone to the belt—it was my only connection to Alexis. Pulling on my black leather jacket, I steeled myself then returned to the main cabin, settling into my leather seat as the jet made its final approach into France.
Fifteen
the rain poured down on us as we drove to Lord François's mansion in the French countryside. There had been few summits in my nine hundred years. The first one, in 1397, officially declared that we had eradicated the Egipcion Hunters, thus ending the war and my stint in the Immortal Military. That time, it had been one big party and each House added five new members. I frowned and turned to stare out the window, the mansion coming into view.
It perched like a regal crown high atop a snow-covered hill, its stone spires pointing skyward. Gargoyles sat on every corner post of the large metal fence, glowing infrared cameras for eyes. Our car crawled forward as a mile-long line of limousines and luxury cars paraded in a slow stream toward the mansion. Desiree shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Nervous anticipation hung over everyone, making us restless.
The last summit I attended was near the middle of the Second World War. Fifteen younglings lost their lives that year. I locked my jaw as the memories flooded against my will, my hands becoming fists.
I had stood rigid, my heart rate rising, unable to believe what was happening. Fifteen younglings knelt before the crowd. I wanted to look away as the tall, muscular executioner stepped forward, a large silver-bladed axe in his hands, but it was not permitted. It would be a dishonor to the sacrificed.
“Please, great council. Spare my love!” A brown-haired Immortal fell to his knees before the council. They stood in the custom white and gold uniforms, their faces devoid of emotion.
“I beg of you!” he pleaded, his face in the dirt.
“This is our way,” Lord Joffrey said. A gentle breeze rustled the thin man's long, straight brown hair. “To remain a peaceful society, we must follow our laws and thus cannot show favor to anyone.” His brown eyes held no feeling, his voice blunt and piercing as it carried across the open field.
“It is okay, my love. We will see each other in the afterlife. I know it,” a kneeling, black-haired woman said, her voice filled with unknowable pain.
A towering, auburn haired, gray-eyed council member nodded to the executioner. “Begin,” Lord Kayne said.
“NO!” The man screamed and moved to save his love.
“Hold him,” Lady Marianna ordered. She was a tall, stocky woman in her early forties, with short, curly silver hair and remarkably light brown eyes.
The Immortals nearest the man grabbed him by his arms and shoulders and held him firmly. The executioner raised the axe and the sun reflected off it as it fell.
“No!” The man screamed.
It connected with the black-haired woman's slender neck and her body fell to the ground. Blood dripped from the axe and stained the earth as the executioner made his way down the line, each Immortal recalling what it felt like to be mortal, frail, and without hope in their last moments.
The crowd departed, apart from the one man who held his love against him, her severed head in his lap.
The car hit a pot whole, bringing me once again back to reality. I shift uncomfortably in my seat. That man was never seen again. Rumor said he killed himself. I hoped once again to never know the pain he suffered that day. It would kill me to lose Alexis.
The cars dropped us off at the massive open oak doors. We entered the manor and stood in the great entrance hall while human servants took our coats and baggage. Various artifacts sat against the walls, including a sixteenth century suit of armor and two pristine sets of equestrian armor.
The manor also had two large studies with impressive nineteenth century French carpet. In all, it boasted seventeen large bedrooms, five modern bathrooms, and fifteen rooms for servants and other staff. The entire manor was decorated in fourteenth and seventeenth-century pieces. The manor's main feature was the enormous circular ballroom. There were large glass windows eleven feet high, from floor to ceiling, and the fifteen hundred square foot floor was designed in a Fibonacci spiral of white and gold diamonds. Lord François had excellent taste.
The servants showed us to the guest rooms we were to occupy for the rest of the summit. However, I had no time to settle in, as several guests had already begun filing into the manor and my duties needed tending. The guards, Nathaniel and Zachary, quickly bombarded me with potential oversights in our perimeter security. I dove into my work.
After my initial inspection, I stood on the main balcony and watched as Immortals filed endlessly into the mansion. It seemed like the whole ordeal was unnerving for every one of them. Someone was responsible for the Seventh’s demise and I knew from experience that our enemies would not show themselves. Not until they were confident we felt safe behind our fifteen-foot electric fence. Afternoon passed by and soon all the guests had arrived and settled into their rooms.
“The last of them have arrived. Close and secure the gates,” I ordered into my walkie-talkie.
“Ten four, Jaden,” came the reply.
Music from the mansion reached me in delicate waves. The violins played a soft melody, drawing my mind back to Alexis and the dances we shared. I longed to again see her deep emerald eyes gaze into mine as I spin her around the dance floor. The emptiness had returned, a swirling black pool within me.
The voice on the walkie-talkie drew me back to the present. “Lockdown is complete.”
“Alright, keep a close eye out and report anything suspicious,” I said.
“Will do,” came the reply.
It was nearing the witching hour and the remembrance ceremony was in full swing. I did a scheduled perimeter check before settling in a nearby eucalyptus tree. F
rom there, I could see the whole courtyard, even into the banquet hall. My phone vibrated and I quickly pulled it from my belt.
“Alexis?” I said into it without looking.
“This is Mr. Whitmore,” the male voice on the other end said.
“Mr. Whitmore?” I asked, surprised.
“I hope you do not mind. Lady Annora provided me with your number. I would have waited for you to contact me, but I had to urgently speak with you about the Hoffman account.”
“What's going on?” I asked, worried. The Hoffman family was one of our biggest clients.
“It appears the U.S. Government is investigating them for tax fraud. Two of their agents showed up here two weeks ago waving a warrant, demanding ledgers and access to accounts.”
“Dammit! Have you provided them with anything?” I asked.
“Not yet,” he said. “I bogged them down with paperwork and meaningless legalities. It should keep them busy until next week. I wanted to discuss matters with you before going forward.”
“Did they say what they were looking for?” I asked, my mind trying to find legal or illegal ways around giving them access to the Hoffman accounts.
“They were pretty closemouthed about the extent of their investigation, but I overheard talk about a third-party financial source.” I could hear Mr. Whitmore flipping through papers on his desk.
“Like a piggybacked account?” I asked, shocked.
“Exactly!” was the reply.
“Impossible. I have been all over those account records. I would have noticed if a third party was piggybacking their money onto the Hoffman account. Go over all the records again and double check everything. Then call me tomorrow. I want to know if somebody is using our company for embezzlement.”
“Very well,” he said and I hung up the phone.
“Someone's embezzling money through your company?” a female voice asked.
I looked down into violet eyes. “Alayna!” I squealed, jumping from the tree. I landed softly, taking her into my arms. “How are you?” I asked.
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