Prince Arron sat on the edge of his chair, excitement on his thin face. “Fascinating. Was it exactly like the first time or was it in any way different?”
“You knew this was going to happen to me?”
“How could you do this without consulting us?” Lord François asked, rubbing his temples.
“I need not your permission, nor do I have to justify my actions. I knew my blood would heal her,” Prince Arron shrugged. “Anything else was unforeseen but impressive.”
My eyes narrowed and I frowned. “But I'm already immortal.”
“Before you drank my blood, trace amounts of human blood remained within your body. Now, that percentage of human blood is nearly obsolete.”
I looked at my hands and noticed that many of the old scars had faded into compressed lines, almost invisible. “But how is this possible?”
“The original source of demon blood came from my father. He wanted strong, pure demon sons. To achieve this goal, he ravaged human women, my mother among them. I was born into darkness metaphorically but also physically. When I was born, my father already had seven sons and like my father, their lust for power and human blood mirrored his. He decided I was weakest among them and abandoned me,” he said, fingering the ring on his left hand. “My brothers created the first Immortals. I believe that over time, my father discovered that every human his sons turned were a little less demon and more mortal. A discovery that led to his insanity, the civil war, the fall of the Immortal City, and the death of my brothers and my beautiful wife.”
“You mean to say we could be bred out?” I asked. The other council members scoffed.
Prince Arron nodded. “Exactly. After the Civil War, I began to study this phenomenon. My research, although only preliminary, has been very eye opening. From what I have gathered, when we change a human, only a percentage of the original demon blood is passed on. But if an Immortal was to feed off the original source, the remaining human DNA could possibly be eradicated. It may even alter their physical make-up to resemble the original source.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You mean they wouldn't look human anymore.”
He nodded. “My father was not human at all, even in appearance. My brothers and I were born, not created. Our bodies are more demon than human.”
“But you look human,” I pointed out.
He rose and stepped out from behind the desk. “An ability I learned long ago and perfected over the centuries,” Prince Arron said.
He stripped off his tunic and before me stood a monster pulled right from fairytales. I could see every single one of his bones through his nearly translucent, ivory skin.
Great, emaciated wings extended from his back, unfurling themselves before me. The flesh stretching between each bone was onyx black, with two razor-sharp claws at the base of each wing. I stepped away from him, afraid.
“Will I...?” I could not say the words. It was too horrific to even imagine.
His wings folded and he pulled the tunic back on. “Become like me?”
I nodded.
“Honestly, I don't know,” he said, returning to his seat.
“You don't know?”
“You're an experiment. My beautiful wife, Miri, was the last to drink of my blood. She was human and her transformation was beautiful. My blood not only turned her into a breathtaking Immortal, but also allowed her to transform into a magnificent wolf.”
His black eyes focused in the distance and he became quiet.
Part of me felt sorry for him, but the other part was seething with contempt for what he had done to me.
“Your transformation is a complete unknown. It is quite exciting, isn't it?” he continued, the sadness quickly replaced by intrigue.
“I don't want to be your fucking lab rat!” I screamed, my anger boiling over.
“Jaden!” Lady Marianna warned.
Prince Arron raised a skeletal hand, silencing her. “Would you rather I had let you die?” he asked.
I opened my mouth then closed it, locking my jaw.
“You see, we both got something we wanted. I get to continue with my research and you get to live.”
“I'm not a research project. You should have given me a choice!”
“I'm trying to...”
“I don't care what you're doing. I never asked to be a part of it. I do not want to be a demon! I want to live with Alexis in peace—”
“Jaden!” Lady Marianna hissed.
“What is done cannot be undone,” he said, “Therefore, how this situation came about is inconsequential, as is your anger.”
“Besides,” Lord François interjected, “we came here to discuss what is to be done about your actions, which are clearly dangerous to our way of life.”
“We're not a danger. I swear we will disappear into the background. You will not even know we exist.” I sank onto the chair they had left empty.
Lady Elizabeth placed her empty glass down and brushed her blonde hair back. “It is too late. Your actions have already made us vulnerable.”
Lord William rested his chin on his hand. “I don't believe we have anything more to discuss until she takes the Test of the Seer.”
“And if she passes?” Lord François asked.
“She will have to become a councilwoman. It is our way,” Lady Nadia said, her voice low.
“There is a position available,” Lord William added, his blue-gray eyes shining.
Lord Kayne clenched his fists and leaned forward in his seat, his gray eyes dark. “You can’t be serious. She is far too young and irresponsible. Her current actions are proof of that.”
“True, but perhaps young blood is what we need. She could be good for us,” Lord William said, then sipped his wine glass of blood.
Lord Anton rubbed his bald head and whispered, “Or she could be our undoing.”
“This is a moot discussion. Until she passes the test, we are playing with conjecture, not facts,” Lady Marianna interrupted.
“Then we must arrange the test immediately,” Lord William said, setting his empty glass down.
“What about the human girl?” Lord François asked. “She is the root of this problem.”
“Alexis has nothing to do with this. It was my decision alone that exposed us,” I said.
“But she was the catalyst for your actions,” Lady Elizabeth pointed out.
Lord Kim’s almond eyes narrowed as he leaned forward. “Lady Elizabeth and Lord Kayne’s points are valid. Besides, if we remove the human female, it would not solve our problem.”
“The human’s fate will be decided after the test,” Lord William replied.
“Why wait? We should decide now,” Lord François said.
“No, we will wait. As you all are aware, if Jaden fails the test, the decision will have been made for us,” Lady Marianna interjected.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Prince Arron leaned forward to rest his bony arms on my desk and I made a quick note to have the whole room sanitized once they left the estate. “No one who has failed the Seer's test has survived,” he explained.
“Great,” I said under my breath. “I don't suppose you could tell me anything useful about how to pass?”
They shook their heads.
“When will I be tested?” I asked.
“We will send for you,” Lady Marianna answered. “That is all we may say.”
I stood and stretched to my full height, giving the council a curt nod before I left the study.
Needing a distraction to get my mind off the meeting, I returned to my bedroom. The water was running in the bathroom when I entered the room. I stripped out of my clothing and joined Alexis in the large soaker tub until her delicate fingertips pruned from the bathwater.
I looked at the clock. It was a little after one in the afternoon.
“Would you like a tour of the house?” I asked as we dressed.
“It would be a good idea. If I'm going to live here I would like to be able to find the
kitchen without getting completely lost,” she replied, pulling her blue sweater on.
I laughed. “Are you hungry?”
“Maybe we could stop on our way by for a quick bite,” Alexis said.
I closed the space between us and took her into my arms. “I would love a quick bite.”
She giggled and pushed me away from her playfully. I lifted her into my arms and dispensed her onto the bed with my own fit of giggles.
“We can start the tour right here. This is our bed, where you will spend a majority of your time,” I said in my best tour guild voice.
“Oh really?” Alexis challenged.
I brushed my lips against hers. “Really,” I whispered.
She took my lower lip into her mouth and held onto it with her teeth. I moaned and she released me.
“Wow, you really like it when I bite you,” she commented.
“No, I love it when you bite me,” I corrected. She blushed and I kissed her.
Her stomach growled.
“Come on; let's get you something to eat!” I said, climbing off the bed and holding my hand out to her.
As we made our way down to the kitchen, I pointed out the bathrooms, media room, library and formal living and dining rooms. The large industrial kitchen was efficient, all stainless steel fixtures and white quartz countertops. The head cook, an assistant cook, and two wait staff sipped tea around the large center island.
“Well, I heard she is young and beautiful, so it has to be the one with green eyes,” a short, plump waiter said.
“All we know is she's on the premises and wants all staff at their posts. Which probably means large feasts and lots of work,” the head cook stated.
“Well, it's better than just sitting around all day. I mean, who hires two cooks and two wait staff members and never uses them?” the thin, brunette assistant chef pointed out, crossing her arms.
“And don't forget the butlers and maids, grounds keepers, stable hands, a driver, and a helicopter pilot,” the man added.
“And our services are hardly ever used and we all live on the grounds. It's bloody strange,” the female wait staff member said.
“It's not strange, Emily. It's downright eerie!” the head cook said.
“Quite eerie,” I said, announcing our presence.
The staff jumped and turned to stare at us. Alexis blushed and clutched my arm.
“We were hoping there was food available,” I said, giving them a dazzling smile.
The wait staff gave quick half-hearted bows and disappeared through the service door, the assistant cook on their heels. “What would you like, madam?” the head cook asked, avoiding my gaze.
I looked at Alexis. “Do you have a cheeseburger, with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onions? Oh and seasoned fries and a coke?” she asked the cook, who smiled kindly at her.
“Is this for two, my lady?” he asked, his eyes shifting to me for a second before returning to Alexis.
“Just the one. Have it delivered to the observatory once it is ready,” I ordered. He bowed.
“Observatory?” Alexis asked as I led her from the kitchen.
“It was a birthday present from Ivy,” I explained.
“She gave you an observatory as a gift?” she sounded surprised.
“We had a complicated relationship.”
“Apparently,” she said, questions in her eyes, but she did not voice them and I was glad. I preferred not to speak of Ivy. Her death made even happy memories a sore subject.
“They were talking about you, weren't they?” she asked.
We turned a corner and continued down another hallway. “The staff?”
She nodded.
“They love to speculate about what I look like,” I explained, smiling.
She stopped and gaped at me. “Wait, you mean they've never seen you?”
I stopped and shrugged. “Oh, I'm sure they have at one point or another, but they quickly put me from their memory.”
“Why?” she asked.
Taking her hand we began walking again. “They're afraid of me.”
“Why? Don't tell me you're a mean boss,” she giggled.
We stopped outside the observatory room doors. “No! It is a natural instinct for prey,” I grinned.
“Wait, you feed on them?” she asked, her voice a whisper.
“Of course. Why else would I have them and their families live on the grounds? It's very convenient, and if one accidentally doesn't survive, the damage can easily be contained,” I explained casually.
She pulled her hand from mine. “We're not animals!” Her eyes held the same fire as our first heated discussion in the metro station.
I stepped back, surprised and confused. “You're angry with me?”
“You can't use us and dispose of us! We're not—I'm not garbage!” Her voice carried in the empty hallway.
I flinched. “I didn't mean... I'm sorry.”
Alexis sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you. Please just try not to talk about them like they're expendable. Or food. It's unsettling. Besides, these are good people who work for you. You should have some respect for them,” she said, her anger fading.
“I will try,” I replied.
“I know this is all you've known and I should be more understanding. It's just hard.”
I took both of her hands in mine. “No, it is I who should have been more thoughtful. You are human. I should have considered your feelings on the subject before speaking. Besides, with the quickly increasing number of humans I have been interacting with lately, I cannot go around referring to them as food. Despite my base nature.”
She smiled.
“What?” I asked pushing the observatory doors open, revealing the large telescope.
“It's just... if someone told me last year I would be standing in the hallway of a mansion telling my immortal lover not to call humans food, I would have had them committed,” she said.
I laughed. “Well, I certainly never expected you.”
“It has been quite the adventure,” Alexis said, following me into the room.
“I have a feeling our adventure is far from over,” I replied.
Thirty
despite the FRIGID breeze, the sun shone brightly the next day, illuminating the landscape. I was overjoyed to finally to show Alexis the best part about my estate: the land. I woke her early and rushed her into warm clothing—hat, coat, and gloves. The front of my limestone mansion looked like it belonged on the front of a postcard, with its empty flowerbeds and snow-covered shrubs lining the front. Actually, it was.
I showed Alexis the faded postcard. “This was sent to me by Grace Firman in eighteen fifty. She had long, curly black hair, deep brown eyes, and the voice of an angel. She loved to go skinny-dipping with me after sundown. Her father was a wealthy horse ranger looking to move his family across the U.S. to what is now Nebraska,” I explained. “In eighteen forty-six, it was an uncharted wilderness. If you settled the land, it was yours. He hired fifteen gunmen looking for adventure, gold and free land. There were eighteen of us at the start of the journey, but Native Americans and Mother Nature were ruthless. By the time we reached our destination, we were down to eight, including Grace and her parents. The family's ancestors now breed fine racing horses.”
“What happened to Grace?” Alexis asked, taking the card from me.
I shrugged. “She never fully recovered from an illness she acquired on the way to Nebraska. Her father sent her to her aunt's in Westchester, where she died four months before her nineteenth birthday.”
Alexis read the back of the postcard:
“To my dearest friend,
I find my mind returning to the time we shared beneath the stars as I lay here surrounded by doctors and worried family members. My father writes often expressing his love and hopefulness that I will recover soon. The new farmstead is quickly coming together and my mother is with child. I know it saddens you to think of me lying here suff
ering as I am, but know I am loved. I pray you do not weep for me when I pass from this life. I only ask that you think of me occasionally and if time allows, build my home out of large, strong white stones and oak trees, so no matter the season it will remain, just as my spirit will forever remain with you.
Eternally Yours, Grace.”
Alexis handed the postcard back to me, her green eyes sad, her lips a thin line. “She loved you.”
“Yes,” I replied softly.
“Did you love her?” she asked.
“No, not like she deserved. For me, it was purely physical. It has always been the case, apart from you.”
“Even with Ivy and Annora?” she asked.
“I loved Ivy the hero, teacher, and leader. Maybe love is not the right word. I idolized her as a larger than life character. In my eyes, she was unbreakable,” I said. “We each had our duty. Mine was to serve and learn. Hers was to teach and punish. It would never have been an equal partnership.” I fingered the small postcard.
“And Annora?” Alexis asked.
“I was her slave. Property. What more is there to say?” I tucked the postcard into my back pocket.
“But I thought you loved her?” she asked.
I looked up into the cloudless sky. “It was not love. I know that now. She was all I had, the only world I knew. I was young. The dependence I formed was out of fear and loneliness. Annora used various forms of abuse to groom me into what she thought was her perfect servant,” I sighed and met Alexis’s beautiful eyes. “I need you to understand I was a different person with her. After years of abuse, I did everything and anything she commanded of me.”
“Slaves don’t really have any choice,” she said, as if giving my actions justification.
I looked away. “Once, shortly after my sixteenth birthday, a duke arrived at her castle. Annora told me nothing about him apart from his title. She commanded me to have sex with him while she watched,” I paused. “I liked it.”
“Jade,” Alexis said.
Returning to her eyes, I frowned at the sadness I found within then. “I liked the power I had over him. The power over life and death. I held him as Annora drained the life from his body. He wasn’t the first or the last. I did things, things I can never take back because I thought she loved me.”
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