by Sophia North
"Boss! You’ve changed! What's happened to you?" Alfred exclaimed.
"Why are you still here squawking, man? If you have any hope of not gracing my wall as a stuffed, albeit interesting conversational piece, I suggest you find Simone immediately."
Alfred did not have to be told twice - he was in raven form and winging his way out the door by Dante's next breath.
"And as for you," he plucked the umbrella from Penny's hand, scooped her up and deposited her on the couch, "sit here and be quiet. Horatio and I need to chat."
Dante moved quickly and had Horatio by the throat, his feet dangling a few feet above the library's impressive Persian carpet. "How the fuck could you do this to her - to me? I trusted you."
"Please, I can explain everything," Horatio rasped.
Dante threw him into one of the wing-back chairs. "Talk fast. But take note: the only thing I am interested in is, why did you do it? And what it will fucking take to undo it?"
Horatio rubbed his throat. "I'm going to take a guess and assume you are referring to why I went to werewolves to protect Simone?"
"Protect? Try betrothed like she was your chattel," Dante snapped.
"I did no such thing!" Horatio responded indignantly. "I went to Marcus Lang because according to our files, he is the strongest clan leader in the land and fears no vampyre. I needed such a man to ensure no vamp got within a royal mile of Simone. But damn me, if she doesn't go and fall in love with one - so much for well laid plans."
Dante eyes narrowed. "Why would she need to be protected from vampyres?"
"She is a vamp gene carrier," Horatio replied sullenly.
"But Marcus said you were Fae. Hence, the binding bridal contract," Dante returned. "If you are a vamp halfling, why doesn't your name appear in our records?"
"It's not me. Her mother was half-vamp. My bloodline is Fae, which makes Simone extremely special. I had to do everything in my power to keep her safe - even make dodgy deals with werewolf lords."
Dante's mind reeled. Simone: I moved into the flat in June 2012 ... Dante: strange we never met - even if by chance ... Simone: was Zara your Mate?
No, not Zara - it was Simone. Simone was his Mate. The rush he felt nearly brought him to his knees. His body pulsated, ached with need. How had he not seen the truth?
His anger unfurled. A hunger unleashed.
When he finally lifted his head, Penny gasped in horror at the bloodlust she saw smoldering in his cat's eyes. For reasons still inexplicable to this day, Penny launched herself between Dante and Horatio at the same moment Dante went for the old man's jugular. But their collision never came.
"For fuck's sake, mate! Hands off the merchandise," Vlad growled, after returning the favour and pinning Dante to the floor. "And calm the fuck down."
Vlad's voice broke through Dante's fury and he relaxed under the pressure of the vamp's grip. "Much appreciated, brother. You can get off me. I'm myself again."
Carefully freeing his friend, Vlad offered him his hand. "Sweet Jesu, am I happy to see you, brother," he said, clasping Dante in a bear hug. "But could you kindly explain why you were about to eat Penelope? We were just getting to know one another and I reckon she was definitely warming to dinner. Bad form to snack on another vamp's current taste."
"In your fucking dreams, Viking," Penny aggressively replied, displeased to be spoken of as nothing more than a trophy.
Vlad slapped Dante on the chest. "You hear that tongue, mate? It's official. We're definitely soul mates."
Soul mate.
"Simone," Dante whispered.
"Exactly the reason I am so thrilled you decided to finally make it back," Vlad answered in response. "I've had a lead on her fucked up halfling father and feel confident I’ll have the rat bastard's name within the hour."
"No need, brother. I've beat you to it," Dante supplied. "Vlad, meet Horatio, the rat bastard in question. And please don't kill him. I've yet to discover how to break the contract he made with Lang."
Vlad marched up to Horatio, absolutely infuriated. "You signed the fucking contract with a mother-fucking Lang? Are you monk fucks really so stupid?"
"Evidently the Ophanim Order's files have their limits," Dante provided helpfully. "It appears to lack even the most basic facts about the Fae and their special contractual terms and conditions. Oh, and in the interest of full disclosure, Simone's mother was half vamp."
Momentarily dumb-struck, Vlad wandered to the fireplace mantle and began to drum his fingers on its black, granite surface. "Let me see if I am getting this straight. Horatio, the half fae cunt that he is, had a child - most unmonkish of you by the way - with a half-vamp and Simone is the product of this liaison. How am I doing so far? Because here's where the mind fuck really starts. Penelope, my sweet - are you following along?"
"If you'd said it in Latin, I would be equally up to speed, you condescending prick."
Penny’s comment pleased him immensely and he smiled broadly at her before continuing. "Having correctly grasped the significance of Simone's existence, Horatio panicked. Amazing vamp data by the way," he remarked in Horatio's direction, but preferred to keep his gaze fixed solely on Penny. "But your lot should really start to diversify your knowledge base, as the following information will so eloquently demonstrate."
"What information is Horatio lacking?" Penny demanded.
Vlad moved to sit next to her and took her chin in his hand. "Agree to have dinner with me and I shall tell you, sweetheart," he whispered seductively.
Penny smiled sweetly in return. "I'd rather dine with Satan."
"Vlad!" Dante snapped irritably, "Move it along or I will."
"Bloody hell, brother - don't cramp my vamp, there was a distinctive crack between us, I felt it shift." He traced her full lips with his finger-tip. "Another time, dragon - it's his Polidori temper, you see - there's no reasoning with it." He pressed a hard kiss on her outraged lips and zoomed beside Horatio to continue with his assessment.
"So, in your infinite human stupidity," he barked into Horatio's ear, "you thought to procure the services of werewolves to protect your precious Simone from one of my kind's evil grasp. I mean, why take into account no vampyre has mated with a human in centuries? That we, the vamps, have stayed true to our treaties and laws. But no, the fucking Ophanim Order knows better. You self-righteous cunts."
"Now see here, young man. Paying for werewolf security to watch my daughter, does not mean I gave Simone's hand to Marcus Lang. I paid him to protect her person, not marry her," Horatio fired back indignantly.
"Oh my, so honourable. You ignorant twit. What you've failed to grasp is that fae signatures, be they halfling or full-blooded, for certain services rendered always come with a pesky little clause."
Penny's heart skipped a beat. "What clause would that be?"
At this point even Horatio sat up and took notice.
"That in exchange for the protection of one's progeny, the 'protector' will have their choice of the bloodline in marriage."
Horatio gasped. "I had no idea. Why did Marcus Lang not make that stipulation clear to me?"
Dante answered this one. "Because he’s a motherfucking Lang, full stop. But what I want to know is this: is he aware she is also half-vamp?"
"I sincerely doubt it. As far as he knew, I merely wanted his security firm to keep an eye on her. Nothing more than distant fatherly concern and all that," Horatio offered half-heartedly.
"He knows, Horatio. Marcus Lang's intelligence tentacles reach far. Simone is special to him, I saw it in the way he reacted to hearing of his man's death and my declaration that Simone belonged to me." A chilling thought raced down Dante's spine. "Who else knows, Horatio?" he half whispered.
"No one but your father, I swear on my life."
"You can thank your friendship with him for it, because it is the only reason you are still breathing," Dante replied coldly.
"Uhm, at risk of being the only reasonable one in the room - a feat no one who knows me would ever believe
possible," Penny piped up. "May I voice an opinion?"
Reigning in his ire, Dante smiled at Simone's best friend, determined to be pleasant. "It's a free country the last time I checked. Opinions are always welcome."
Vlad snorted derisively but said nothing.
"It seems to me, there's a lot of huffing and puffing over what, at its core, is essentially the same thing: love and a desire to protect Simone. Call me crazy, but shouldn't all you supernatural freaky-deakies be working together to do just that?" Penny asked.
Penny had hit the nail on the head. Dante relaxed from his attack position.
"Boss, I found her!" Alfred announced, rushing naked into the room.
"Christ Alfred, what's with the displays of flesh?" Dante snapped.
"The dragon does not like it when I change forms, I was being considerate," Alfred blandly explained, as if his explanation actually made sense. "But boss, I found Simone. Samsun has taken her to Lowerton."
Which meant, Simone was now under Anton’s control.
Dante was halfway to the lift when Vlad's voice echoed down the hall to him. "Brother, you may want to take a moment and think through your options more carefully. Far be it from me to point out the obvious, but fuck it, it needs to be said. You're letting your temper rule you."
He froze. Wilhalf already proclaimed his anger would lead to his downfall. He turned and strode back to the library. "You have a plan?"
"Brother, it's me. I've got it covered." Vlad picked up the phone. "Roxy love, send out the word," he spoke warmly into the receiver. "Operation Blood Moon is on for tomorrow."
Chapter Thirty-Four
THE FAINT SOUND of dripping echoed the pulsing throb in Simone's temple. Drip .. drip .. drip. Time passed in a most painful manner. The floor, or whatever she was actually lying on, was hard and uncomfortable.
A flickering light poorly illuminated her surroundings. There was no natural light whatsoever and the damp walls were carved from stone.
In front of her, long iron bars ran from the floor to the low ceiling. Beyond them, she could make out the bottom of a staircase. Its stone stairs spiraled upwards for a few steps until disappearing from view.
She was in a cell, but even by cell standards, this one wasn't held in very high regard. It was more like a medieval dungeon or worse, ancient catacombs. The underground cities for the dead.
Warily she got to her feet. Thankfully her numb legs didn't buckle under her weight. Rubbing away the tingling sensation, Simone noticed something move in the far corner of the cell.
Or did her eyes deceive her? No, she definitely could see a human shape when the light flickered more strongly. There it was again.
'Oh, god please don't be a dead body,' she thought in a sudden panic. It would probably be the type of thing the deranged vampyre Samsun would do. Leave her to rot in a dungeon, where no one could hear her screams and only a dead body for company.
Now she was just scaring herself. The supposedly dead body had moved, she was sure of it.
Swallowing down her fear, Simone took a couple of nervous steps.
"Hello," she called out, her voice sounding far too croaky and hoarse. "Hello," she repeated more clearly this time. "Are you okay?"
She paused as the figure groaned painfully in response. She could see it was a man, or a male vampyre, hunched in the corner, his long thin arms wrapped around his legs. His head drooped pitifully downwards.
A sudden, terrible realization assailed her. "Are you Dante's father?" she asked in a hushed tone.
At this, the figure slowly moved his head upwards. "Dante?" he muttered in a low voice.
"Yes, Dante!" Simone said, hurrying to him. "Are you his father?"
"My name...Alessio Polidori...father of Dante," he replied in obvious discomfort.
"Oh my goodness, it is you!" Simone exclaimed. "Alessio, I know your son. My name is Simone."
Alessio looked up at her and blinked a few times.
"Simone...so beautiful," he muttered, his head dropping down again. Talking appeared to be taking a real toll on him.
"What have they done to you?" Simone asked, bending down to take a closer look. Whatever it was, they were slowly killing him.
In sympathy, she sat down next to him and placed an arm around his shoulders. Resting her head against a slimy wall, Simone sighed. There had to be a way out of here.
"You...know...Dante?" Alessio asked in a weak voice.
"Yes," Simone answered encouragingly. "I...help him with his visions." What else could she say?
"Like Zara."
"Yes, like Zara," she agreed, feeling her face go red.
"Very...good," Alessio said, turning to her, his eyes bloody and face pale even for a vampyre. "Dante...needs...Mate," he eventually struggled to get out.
Simone didn't know what to say. Dante's father was in no shape for her to try and explain she wasn't who he thought she was - that she wasn't Dante's Mate. "He's coming for you. For us. You must stay strong," she said, lightly squeezing one of his hands, determined to keep his spirits raised.
Alessio managed to smile back at her.
"Where are we?" she asked. "Is this Lowerton?"
"Dungeons," he gasped, as a spasm of pain racked his body. "Deep underground. Lowest point...Lowerton."
Simone could believe it. The place felt like the bottom of the world. It almost made her feel claustrophobic. She had other questions but Alessio was slipping in and out of consciousness. He needed rest, not an interrogation.
How was she going to get the two of them out of here?
"One guard...top of the stairs...key," Alessio muttered, answering her unspoken question. "Need to try and bring down here..."
"Then what do we do?" Simone asked, finding it slightly disconcerting to discover the old vamp could somehow read her mind. Not even Dante had managed to accomplish it, so how could he?
But Alessio never answered, having faded out of consciousness again. She rubbed the back of his head and waited, shivering in the cold damp air. This was not the place to be imprisoned in a light t-shirt.
Simone wondered if Dante knew about her current predicament. He would surely go ballistic when he did. If only there was a way to contact him, let him know she was still alive and with his father.
She started to lose herself in her wonderings, when voices suddenly drifted down from the top of the staircase. She heard laughter, a horrible, mad sound. Then, the unmistakable tread of someone coming down the stairs.
The light in the cell brightened to reveal a tall, sleek vampyre standing on the other side of the iron bars. His long, unruly blonde hair fell several inches below his shoulders. When their eyes met, a malevolent grin appeared on his face.
"Welcome, Simone!" he greeted in a loud, enthusiastic voice, opening his arms as if he were calling her in for a hug. "Oh dear, how silly of me. I forgot there are bars between us! I am free and you are not!"
"You must be Anton," she said as boldly as she could manage.
Anton bowed theatrically at her. "At your service. And how, pray tell, are you finding the accommodations?" he asked. "I see you've met the rabble!"
"Why are you doing this?" Simone pleaded. "Are you really so cruel?"
Anton laughed hysterically at the notion.
"Cruel," he sneered derisively. "Pain and sacrifice are necessary when one is on a higher path. And my brother requires healthy doses of both it would seem. Otherwise, he has a tendency to stray. 'Tis most problematic."
Assuming the posture of a lecturing professor mid-contemplation, Anton continued. "I had thought his father's imprisonment enough to accept my incredibly generous offer. But la, I made a slight miscalculation in the importance of dear old dad. Yet, your addition...well, my dear Simone, your addition firmly tilts the scales in my favour." Anton came forward to grip the bars of the cell and smile his grotesque grin at her again. "A stroke of genius by my master, really."
Master? Excellent, finally Simone had something to work with. "You have a Master
! I see. I've long suspected someone else pulled your strings," she said provocatively. "Tell me, do you think your subservient nature might be rooted in Daddy issues?"
"Don't try and trick me with your psycho babble," Anton spat out in disgust. "I heard enough to last me many lifetimes having endured endless hours of your pitiful radio show. Honestly, what does Dante see in you?"
Interesting. She'd definitely hit a nerve. "Yes, your recent call did raise a few flags. I have to say Anton, in my professional opinion, you've got some seriously deep sexual repression. I mean, why would someone murder their best friend's girlfriend?" Simone taunted.
"Ha! How very droll of you, Simone," Anton sneered. "Dante is a fool for attaching himself to such weakness. Humans! You think so small. But it won't be long now until you will all know your rightful place. Shame, you won't be alive to witness it."
"I'm not afraid of you!" Simone responded with all the courage she could muster. "And the only killing to be done, will be when Dante ends you!"
"Ah, ah, ah," Anton corrected. "When my brother arrives, which I expect to be shortly, he'll be too busy being the proud beneficiary of our Master's ultimate power to care about saving you. And once his enlightenment is complete...oh my dear, dear Simone, he will happily eliminate you. Beautiful, isn't it?"
Simone's stomach lurched at the glee she saw in Anton's eyes. They burned with such a fevered intentness, it was frightening to behold. He'd really lost all sense of reason and was full throttle insane.
Anton tilted his head abruptly, as if hearing an unperceivable sound. "What's this I hear? The striking of a match methinks, the whoosh of flames as Lowerton becomes its own funeral pyre. Oh my, the party's really getting started, Simone. I hope you can stand the heat! Tirrah. I'll see you shortly, at Dante's feast."
The vamp bowed and raced up the stairs, his laughter echoing inside the dungeon. In the far corner of the cell, a pair of eyes glowed and sank away into the darkness.
Chapter Thirty-Five