Spring's Vampires. Withered Rose: A Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance (Soulmates of Seasons Book 3)

by Eva Brandt

  That wasn’t completely accurate, as our abilities did suffer whenever we had to face the irritating rays, but it made sense that Baltasar would omit that. Mentioning a weakness was never a good idea in front of a stranger, even if the person in question was the beautiful and kind avatar of spring.

  Queen Eiar perked up in interest. “How intriguing. I’ve read a great deal about the undead, but I know very few such beings. What kind of vampires are you?”

  “I am a dhampir, a half-vampire born by a mortal mother and fathered by an ancient pure-blood,” I answered. “Baltasar is lamia-born, and Adrian is a living strigoi.”

  I wasn’t sure how to explain their respective situations, as I didn’t want to accidentally offend my friends by saying too much or too little. Adrian expertly took over the conversation and elaborated in my stead. “We don’t belong to the classical species of vampire. Baltasar’s heritage is similar to that of a shape-shifter, whereas I’m more like a sorcerer with an affinity for certain types of magic.”

  If Queen Eiar was unnerved by the reference to necromancy, she did not show it. “I see. Well, I’m happy to hear that you haven’t experienced any pain since your arrival. If you do notice anything amiss, don’t hesitate to let me know. I will handle it.”

  It was on that note that we finally reached the edge of the forest. My friends and I almost entered the field once again, but Queen Eiar lifted a hand, stopping us. “You shouldn’t go through the flowers. Fields like these are very treacherous in Chronikos. You can get lost in such a place for years on end if you’re not careful.”

  Years on end? Holy shit. “Uh... This is where we came through,” I said, a little weakly.

  Queen Eiar blinked at us in obvious surprise. “Oh, my. You were very lucky to make it out then, although I have to wonder how much time you actually spent in the fields.”

  “It can’t have been more than a day,” Baltasar reasoned. “We’d have seen the sun rise and set otherwise.”

  “You can’t register the time passage properly from The Labyrinth of Flowers. In that sense, I think it is a little bit like Tír na nÓg. But I wouldn’t worry too much. If you managed to leave the fields on your own, you can’t have been lost for too long.”

  Somehow, I doubted that. I remembered how irritating I’d found the endless fields of flowers. At the time, I’d deemed it solely because of my general dislike toward such an excessive amount of greenery. Maybe that hadn’t been the reason at all. We vampires tended to be patient creatures, but my body must have sensed the delay even if my mind hadn’t registered it properly.

  In the end, we determined that we had been in Chronikos for roughly two weeks. The knowledge was a little unnerving, but in the big picture, we hadn’t lost a lot of time. We could still complete our mission well within schedule. Two weeks meant nothing for an undead being.

  Now reassured, I decided to focus on the present, not the past. “How do we pass the fields if we can’t walk through them?” I asked.

  Queen Eiar winked at me, already lifting her hands toward the bright, blue skies. “We fly, of course.”

  She didn’t ask if we could do it, and we didn’t offer her the information of our own accord. It might have been a little lazy, since both Adrian and I had the ability and I could help Baltasar out if he needed it. However, flying involved getting closer to the irritatingly bright sun, which we sought to avoid, even if it didn’t harm us. The one time we’d tried it while in Chronikos hadn’t been that great, which was how we’d ended up lost in the field of flowers.

  Somehow, being in Queen Eiar’s presence changed the way our bodies responded to her realm. Maybe it was just the fact that she shone brighter than any star, but when the pleasant breeze descended upon us and levitated us into the cloudless sky, I felt no wariness, discomfort or distaste. In fact, I found that I enjoyed the way the wind enveloped my body like a protective cocoon.

  It smelled like flowers, but at the same time, it was different from the overwhelming scent in the labyrinth. The soft perfume appealed to me so much that I couldn’t help but wonder if Queen Eiar’s hair smelled like this. Probably. I wanted to find out. I wanted to touch her, to explore every inch of her with my mouth and my hands, to bury my fangs in her creamy flesh and taste her sweet blood.

  Well, that had escalated quickly.

  Even knowing that this was crazy, I could not completely control myself. The desire I experienced was so powerful that my fangs lengthened uselessly, and I ended up slicing into my own lower lip. I hadn’t done that since I’d been a fledgling.

  Fuck, this was stupid. I could not afford to succumb to my visceral desires in such a way. Our stay here was only temporary, and an infatuation, no matter how intense, didn’t detract from the importance of our duty.

  Adrian shot me a narrow-eyed look, having obviously noticed my lapse. However, he knew better than to mention it in front of the queen. “You have a beautiful realm, Your Majesty,” he said instead. “Thank you for granting us the honor of seeing it like this, by your side.”

  I hadn’t paid much attention to the view at all, too distracted by my lustful thoughts. Thankfully, my friends had been there to keep the conversation with the queen flowing. Adrian’s words might have sounded a little too much like a polite platitude, but they still earned us a reply from her.”I am happy to be able to share it with you. We have indeed been blessed by the gods. I am fortunate enough to have many wonderful people supporting me in making sure Tis Ánoixis is prosperous and continues to grow as a realm.”

  The wind made her curls dance wildly around her face, brushing the loose material of her silky gown aside to expose more of her beautiful body. The petals of the flowers in her crown seemed to caress her cheek. I had never seen a more beautiful woman in my life. I was in so much trouble.

  Fortunately, it didn’t take us much longer to get to our destination, and that distracted me from my pathetic mooning. “Oh,” I murmured as I took in the sight of the settlement. “That’s... unexpected.”

  Beneath us, The Labyrinth of Flowers ended in a grassland so green it shone brighter than the emeralds some of the greedier nobles in Aeternum liked to collect. When compared to the vibrancy of the flowery fields, the simplicity of the plains should have felt underwhelming. It didn’t. Instead, even from above, I deemed the sight refreshing, like the first sip of blood after a long vampire sleep.

  A little further ahead, a glowing spring joyfully cut through the plains, and the only way across it seemed to be a very unstable bridge of water lily pads. On its other side, a city stretched out, beautiful and wild, unlike anything I’d seen before. Every structure had been grown, rather than erected. From the distance, some of the buildings looked like actual trees or amalgamations of vines and grass. As we got closer, the details became visible, and so did the city’s inhabitants. There were so many of them, all from non-human species, some of which I didn’t even recognize. As we flew past, they stopped to greet their queen, their cheers sweeping over the area in an explosion of exuberant enthusiasm.

  Queen Eiar smiled fondly down at them but didn’t stop. Instead, the perfumed breeze swelled a little further, reaching out to the citizens and making them even happier. She didn’t forget about us, either. “We call this city The Gardens of Edenia,” she explained, her voice still perfectly audible despite the nearly deafening noise coming from her people. “It is the center of Tis Ánoixis and my home.”

  “It is a suitable name,” I replied, this time completely honest. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a settlement quite like this in all my journeys.”

  “Not even in Tír na nÓg?”

  “Some of the more reclusive hamlets in Tír na nÓg do have this vibe, yes,” Adrian answered, “but in my experience, the construction method you used here is hard to work with for larger towns.”

  Queen Eiar laughed, not unkindly. “Not in Tis Ánoixis it isn’t. I’d love to hear more about how you do things in your realm.”

  Before we could respond to her re
quest, she started descending from the sky, and I realized we’d finally reached her home. Queen Eiar’s palace couldn’t have been more different from Emperor Octavian’s coven and the Grand Lich’s crypt if it had tried. Everything within view was so vibrant and alive. The garrisons and walls that separated the palace from the city were trees that grew directly from the ground, and the residential buildings gracefully arched above us, teeming with the same magic that Queen Eiar emanated.

  Still guided by the winds our host commanded, we flew past the garrisons and landed next to a massive tree that guarded the entrance to the main keep. The moment Queen Eiar’s feet made contact with the ground, the tree stirred, literally coming alive. It opened its previously invisible eyes and brought its branches—hands?—to the part of it that must’ve been its chest. “Queen Eiar, welcome home.”

  The voice of the tree identified this new being as male. Was it some kind of tree demon? Anything was possible. It didn’t really matter, since it—no, he—seemed to have the queen’s confidence. “Thank you, Green,” she said. “I take it everything has been going smoothly in my absence? No issues?”

  “None whatsoever.”

  Queen Eiar nodded, having obviously expected this response. “Excellent. Now, Green, I’d like you to meet our new guests, Cezar of the House of Aeternalis, Adrian Burke, and Baltasar of the House of Sideris. They hail from The Immortuos Voievodat and were headed toward Tír na nÓg when a storm knocked them off course. Their boat was damaged and they were washed ashore in Chronikos. We will be assisting them in finding a new means of transportation, and in the meantime, they will be staying here. Gentlemen, this is my advisor, The Green Man.”

  “It is a pleasure to meet you,” I said, offering my hand to the creature now identified as The Green Man. I’d done stranger things than shake the hand of a tree demon.

  My friends mimicked me, and The Green Man tentatively offered his... branch in turn. Vines squeezed my fingers in a stern, but polite grip. “The pleasure is all mine. Welcome to Tis Ánoixis.”

  Satisfied with the exchange, Queen Eiar proceeded to give her advisor a few new orders. “Green, have the leprechauns prepare a set of rooms in the guest wing. And while we wait, serve us a small snack in my interior garden.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty. I will handle everything at once.”

  “I’m sure you will.” Turning away from him, Queen Eiar gestured for us to follow her. “Come, gentlemen. I still have much to show you.”

  We could not have refused her to save our lives. It might have been a horrible idea to indulge in the pleasure of her company further, but I couldn’t bring myself to regret it. As long as she was willing to give us the gift of her attention, I would embrace it. I could see no other option.

  * * *

  Baltasar

  “Thank you again for your generosity, Your Majesty. You really shouldn’t have troubled yourself so much on our account.”

  “Nonsense.” Queen Eiar leaned closer to a blooming flower and caressed its petals with gentle fingers. Here in the gardens of her palace, she seemed even more beautiful than before. It should have been an impossibility, but there it was. “I believe that everything in life can be turned into an opportunity, into a new beginning. Perhaps our meeting is a sign that Chronikos has been cut off from The Voievodat for too long.”

  That point of view was almost unbearably naive and much too optimistic, but I didn’t have the heart to criticize her. “Do you believe The Land of Time could be an ally to our realm?” I asked instead.

  She responded with an inquiry of her own. “Why not? Don’t you think it’s possible?”

  I wasn’t in the best position to reply, since my family didn’t have much influence with the Grand Lich and the emperor. I threw a glance toward Cezar, hoping he would be able to provide an adequate response. He was the nephew of the emperor, and while he didn’t actually have a chance for the throne, he was still familiar with the internal politics of our realm in ways I would never be.

  Unfortunately, Cezar’s brain seemed to have stopped working properly at some point today, possibly when we had met the beautiful queen. I had known him to hold eloquent, two-hour speeches while blood-deprived, but this time, the only thing he could manage was a pathetic little, “Maybe.”

  Queen Eiar tilted her head at him curiously. “Maybe? Is that a yes or a no?”

  Cezar tensed, and I suspected that if he hadn’t been undead, he would’ve gone bright red in embarrassment. “My apologies,” he said, his voice as calm and collected as always even if I knew he was anything but. “I meant that you might have a point. It could be possible. But it depends a lot on the perspective of the emperor as well. We’re probably not the best people to ask.”

  “Oh, of course I understand that.” Queen Eiar smiled, a gentle curve of lips that held a hint of self-deprecation. “It was only an unofficial question. I do apologize if I’m making you uncomfortable. I wouldn’t dream of requesting anything that goes against your leader’s commands.”

  “You didn’t make us uncomfortable, Your Majesty,” I rushed to reassure her. “We only wish we could offer you more feedback, but unfortunately, it’s not our field of expertise.”

  Queen Eiar nodded. “That’s fair. Do not worry about it. I’m sure that if it is something that is meant to happen, it can be discussed at a different time, more elaborately, with a representative who doesn’t happen to be here on a holiday of sorts.”

  Our mission was in no shape or form a holiday, but we didn’t disabuse her of the notion. I felt bad about deceiving her when she had been so kind, but what other choice did we have? Hopefully, we would be able to find the information we were looking for without disturbing her too much.

  If nothing else, it would be for her sake as well. A being like Queen Eiar didn’t seem very inclined toward necromantic magic, and if her sister was similar, she might not have sensed the danger. It wasn’t ideal that we needed to keep the information from her, but in the long run, it would be for the best.

  Once everything was in order and we dealt with the threat that had brought us here, we’d come forward, explain and apologize for our deception. Hopefully, she would understand.

  As that decision took root in my heart, the grass in front of us began to sparkle. The sudden development made me instinctively tense up. Queen Eiar took it in stride. “It appears the leprechauns have made the preparations I requested. Let us take a seat and relax a little bit. You need a small break after your jaunt through The Labyrinth of Flowers.”

  Confirming the queen’s words, the glow faded, leaving behind a large blanket with a meal already spread out on it. The cups and plates hadn’t broken during transportation, but that was not so surprising. If the magic of Tis Ánoixis could erect a city like this, it would certainly be able to prevent minor household accidents.

  “I know that vampires are technically hemovores,” Queen Eiar said as she sat down, “but as far as I’m aware you do consume other things for enjoyment, correct?”

  “That’s true, Your Majesty,” I replied. “We’d have a boring diet indeed if we were limited to only one type of food.”

  Also, high-quality blood was in short supply in The Voievodat, and even the members of the nobility who had their own blood-slaves on staff rarely came about blood that did more than just nourish them. But perhaps it would be best to not point that out to Queen Eiar. She didn’t seem uncomfortable with us or worried that I’d lunge at her to drain her dry, but by her own admission, she didn’t know much about vampires. That attitude might change if she realized just how dangerous we were.

  “Of course, this is only a temporary arrangement,” she said, as if in response to our thoughts. “I will find a source of blood for you, so that you may have appropriate meals during your stay. If there are any specifics regarding blood that you’d like to notify me about, please, feel free to mention them now.”

  I stared at her, befuddled by the behavior. A lot of species had trouble accepting undead in their midst.
The shifters of Terra Bestias, who should have empathized with us a little more, hated us with a passion. Beings like angels or fae fell in the ‘no comment’ category since more often than not, they saw us as an anomaly that shouldn’t have existed on the planet at all. The only other realm who didn’t reject us outright was Ton Daímon, but that was mostly because the demons didn’t care about the core nature of anyone and tended to direct their aggression at all species equally. And yet, despite all this, Queen Eiar showed no sign of being in any way apprehensive.

  “The only important thing I can come up regarding our potential blood supply is that it needs to be from an unpolluted source,” Cezar offered. “That is to say, the person or animal donating their blood needs to be healthy. But in any case, we don’t necessarily require it during our visit here, Your Majesty. It is not an issue.”

  “What kind of host would I be if I kept such basic necessities from my guests?” Queen Eiar arched a delicate brow at us, all the while pouring a steaming, golden liquid into the green cups the leprechauns had brought here. “Allow me to at least make the attempt.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty,” I answered automatically. She was so close that I could hear her heartbeat and almost see her blood flow through her veins. When she flipped her hair, her neck came fully into view, and the tantalizing sight made my mouth drier than the sands of Ton Daímon. Her flawless skin reminded me of the rose garden around The Palace of the Undying in Aeternum. To this day, I did not know how Emperor Octavian managed to keep the flowers from withering, but they had a special, magical glow I’d always found secretly alluring. Queen Eiar was so much more than that. Something about her reached into my very core, stirring the wildest, most animalistic part of me, the beast that was far more savage than my undead side. Sometimes, being lamia-born really was a pain in the ass.

  When she pushed the cup of liquid into my hands, I took it, desperate to keep myself busy and distracted with anything that wasn’t the desire to taste her blood. I didn’t expect much since tea had never been something I’d enjoyed. However, whatever herbal drink she’d prepared was nothing like what I’d had before in The Voievodat or any other realm I’d visited. In fact, it wasn’t tea at all. When the liquid first hit my tongue, it tasted sweet but spicy. A few seconds later, the flavor changed, turning somewhat salty and metallic.