"This is the form I've been using for over two thousand years, my Ivan. Only Dracul and you know about it, so keep it to yourself, please."
Instinctively I dropped to one knee, took her hand in mine, and kissed it.
"Yes, my goddess. But what about the others?"
"Don't worry about the rest. To them, I'll still look like the moth-woman. Anyway, where were we?"
Chapter Thirteen
It was broad daylight when both Freya and I came to. To us, it felt instantaneous, but for the others, it must have been half a day at least. Despite everything, the water was still hot. I looked around and found a piece of glowing-white crystal floating in the water. It pulsated gently, radiating heat in all directions.
"Have you ever--"
"No, I haven't," she cut me off. "I was never fond of the Vatacan and their hunters, so I didn't spend any time with them. Belobog did from what I remember. He's their patron deity and my only equal."
"Oh, so he's watching over them? Or actively helping?"
She shrugged as her body took the shape of my blue-eyed goddess. I reached for her, but she evaded my grasp. Annoyed, I darted forward and tackled her against the bath's ledge.
"Don't," I hissed. "Now that I know what you are, and what you expect of me, there are things I expect from you as well, my goddess. Or Chernobog, or Freya. How do you want me to call you, my goddess?" I whispered in her ear as I pressed my body against hers. I knew she could blow me away with ease, but she decided not to.
"In private, whatever you want, but in public, stick to Freya," she said and pushed me off with just enough power to send me into the water. I grinned looking up at her flesh.
"Can I get a bite?" I asked mischievously.
"Depends where," she whispered and pushed my head down into the water. I didn't need to be told twice, so I pushed my head in between her legs and bit down, drinking her blood. The mere feeling of her blood flowing through my veins was enough to send me into an ecstatic shock.
Freya pushed me away using her feet before she jumped out of the water, hissing at me like a cat.
"Idiot! I didn't mean that!" The torrent of abuse was nothing short of amusing, but it quickly came to an end. I sighed and got out; all the fun flooded away with her cursing.
"So, I assume you're going to stay here for a while? Or indefinitely?" I asked as I dressed in sturdy leather pants and a cotton shirt. Freya didn't even need to get dressed as the thick fog floating around her did it for her, covering up the private parts of her body. But to me, she was somehow stark naked, just the way I liked it.
"I don't see why not. I'm bored and could use some entertainment. In any case, I think we should meet the rest downstairs. I'm hearing some interesting things being spoken."
"Huh? What do you mean? You can hear all the way down there through all this stone?"
Freya winked and slid her arm under mine before she led me down the stairs.
"I can. I'm a goddess, no? Don't forget that. Though I may not be all-mighty, there isn't very much that I can't do."
"There they are. Took you long enough, lover boy. I was getting worried that you'd need saving from that fair beauty there by your side," Boris howled and laughed with his pack. A shower of icicles shut them up very quickly. I nodded my thanks to Katya, who sat on my chair. Hana sat to her left.
Harma and her parents sat around a smaller table that hadn't been there before. All three of them were picking at their food instead of enjoying the lavish meal. Three large portions of roast pork with fresh bread and wine stood on the table. I nodded at Harma as we passed. She stopped for a moment and bowed slightly.
"Day, my Lord. Thank you for the courtesy shown to us."
"Finish eating. We got some things to discuss once you're done," I replied and lead Freya to where Katya was sitting. She got up and let me take my chair, then took her place on my lap and snuggled against me, leaving Freya standing. She didn't seem too bothered and instead sat to my right.
"What? Not in the mood for a couple of jokes?" Boris protested.
"Not today, my friend," I replied and cut him off before he could protest again. "There's a couple of things you need to know. And they aren't pretty in the least."
Boris sat upright on his monstrous chair, surrounded by three of his women, or Werewolf-ettes, as they chose to stay turned most of the time. Selene sat right in the middle with her feet up on the table and showing off too much skin. If she didn't deal with death in the way she did, I might even consider trying her for myself.
The door to the basement opened revealing Vera, Andrej and the man we took prisoner earlier, the big brute of a cleric. I couldn't help but look at them questioningly.
"My lord," Vera said, "This man might have some valuable info. He's a man of his word, and he promised not to make any trouble."
"Marek?" Harma said. "Is that you?"
"Harma? You're alive! And treated well. What's going on?"
"I-- We now live with Lord Ivan. We've become his-- subjects," she replied and looked away quickly as if embarrassed.
"As are you, Marek. You have only one option open to you right now. Join me, and you can be with Harma. I see there's much more between the two of you than just camaraderie. Live here and enjoy life, but as my subject."
"Harma? What are you saying? Tell me this is a lie!" Marek demanded. He first stared at me as if I'd just killed his cat and then looked back at her again.
"Marek, my son," the Cardinal spoke up. "You should sit with us, eat, and pray. We can discuss it at length, and you can make a decision by evening. I think Lord Ivan would so benevolent as to agree?"
The old man's eyes found mine as if asking for permission. I nodded slightly.
"Sit and eat. We can talk later about what to do with you. Speaking of which, have you succeeded in unlocking the trunk, Cardinal?" I asked. I was slightly hopeful that he'd managed, but even if he hadn't, it wasn't that big of a loss I guessed.
"I have, indeed. I haven't looked at the contents, though I have a slight idea of what might be inside. Do you want to check for yourself, Lord Ivan?"
"No, not right now. Let me finish the meeting first, then you can show me in peace."
He nodded respectfully and turned back to Marek.
"Come, my son. Have a seat," the Cardinal said, as he got up and pulled a chair up for him. Humans. Was I that wrong? I'd been one a lifetime ago, so there shouldn't be that much hatred in me for them. Then why did I despise them that much?
"The first thing of import is that we've managed to destroy the portal and--"
"What portal?" Selene asked as she dropped her feet off the table and sat upright.
"Right, I forgot you aren't as familiar with what had been going on for the last few days," I replied. I was angry at her for interrupting me, but it was my own fault for not explaining things to them first. So I did just that. Boris snarled and growled as if he was eager to do battle. After all, he loved a good brawl more than anything.
"When do we get to see him?" he snarled. "My hands are itching for a fight!"
I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, which only served to piss him off even more.
"He beat me to an inch of my life along with Katya. If it weren't for Freya here, we'd both be dead now."
Katya shifted uncomfortably in my lap. She knew the truth all too well, but Freya looked indifferent.
"Anyone else to watch out for?" Selene asked. "Or was there just that one bad-ass?"
"From what I could see, only him. For some reason, the soldiers in the outer part of the keep weren't entering the inner keep. It was rather strange that no one interfered."
"Not strange," Freya interrupted. "The hierarchy is clear, and the clergy keeps a really tight rein on their people. Many have been watching the fight from atop the inner walls, but no one dared intervene."
"I see. Anyway, the small fry isn't important. Now that the portal has been destroyed, we'll have a moment of reprieve. And speaking of which, there's another some
thing I need to take care off."
"Like?" Hana asked. She was annoyed, that much was obvious, but I couldn't just let it slide every single time. However, it would only serve to prove her point if I reprimanded her.
"Tierney is taking me to an abandoned castle," I replied excitedly. "There's a good possibility that we might find a clue on how to awaken further or find something interesting. After all, if it really was the place he'd been put to rest, we might find all kinds of things there."
"And why does it have to be her?" Hana asked again. She was angry and hurt, but there wasn't much I could do about it.
"Because she knows where to go. It's almost a day's ride, and even by flight, it should take up most of the night. I can't risk any of you for something uncertain. I couldn't stand to live if something happened to either of you."
"You do know we can take care of ourselves, no?"
Now she was just pushing my limit. I genuinely cared for Hana, but unless she got her shit together, she was going nowhere.
"And so had I!" I snapped. She cowered into her chair and hissed at me. "Do you understand that there are so many 'creatures' out there who are so much stronger? You should know better, Hana!"
"Hey, calm down, please," Katya whispered. "Don't you see that she's just worried?"
I sighed, kissing Katya's forehead.
"I know, but I can't have her undermine my authority whenever she feels like it," I replied mentally. Maybe I hadn't thought all of this through enough? I had barely time for myself, even less the women. And what bugged me the most, was their nagging. All of what I did in the last days, and weeks, even months prior, was for them, not just for myself.
A deathly silence reigned over the room with no one daring to break it. I sighed again and turned to Hana.
"Hana is in charge until we're back," I finally said, breaking the spell. "And when I do get back, I'll make time for you, I promise," I added, putting my hand on hers. It felt like she was about to pull it away, but she didn't.
"Very well," Hana replied and placed her other hand atop mine. "What about the defenses? And the trade agreement we needed to establish? And all the other things? Food, tools, and clothing don't just appear out of thin air."
"No, they don't," Katya interrupted. "But we're there to take care of those issues for him. How about we let him do his job while we concentrate on ours? Hana?"
"Alright then, sister. But what about lady moth here? Does she take orders from us?"
"No, I don't," she replied before I could. "I'm Ivan's consort and rank above all the rest. Wherever he goes, I go. That's the end of this topic, lady Hana."
"Why you!" she snapped and lunged at Freya. Hana froze in mid-air as Freya held her hand up, palm facing toward her.
"Stop it," I ordered. "The situation with Freya is much more complicated than all of you together, so get over it. Once we're back from Bran, we'll talk about it at length."
Hana murmured something inaudible after Freya released her, and stormed off upstairs. Katya followed her after planting a kiss on my lips.
"Damn. I sure wouldn't want to be in your shoes, mister Vampyre," Boris joked. "Seems you got a handful with just one of them."
"Shut it, Boris. Take your girls with you and get lost. I got more important things to do than listen to your insults."
"Hah! They're not insults, they're jokes! Speaking of which, what do we do if that brute shows up?"
"Run," I replied. Try to delay him, but have everyone run like hell."
"Hmm. Is he really that strong?"
I nodded and closed my eyes, thinking back to the fight. He was a monster, a god in his own right. Every punch and kick broke bones with ease. It was a miracle that we managed to survive.
"Alright then, boss. I'm off to prepare then, just in case," Boris said and got off his massive chair, then disappeared through the double doors along with his followers. I finally looked over at the Cardinal who seemed to be ready for me.
"My Lord," he said, stepping up to me, and favoring his right leg over the left. He must have been beaten badly for him to favor one leg over the other.
"Seems that you weren't loved back there," I commented nodding at his stride. He shrugged and smiled weakly.
"That's why I'm here now, no? And please, my name is Bruno, Cardinal Bruno," he said, offering me his hand. I wasn't one to shake hands readily, but he seemed earnest, so I indulged his whim.
"How about you show me the contents of the trunk, Bruno. Then we can talk about your friend Marek."
"Most certainly. Please, it's right over there," he said, pointing over where the fireplace stood. And indeed, the top cover was off. I hurried up to the wooden trunk and studied the contents it held. There was a necklace filled with some red substance sitting in a large, glass box which took up most of the room inside the trunk. Next to it, were an abundance of rings and smaller necklaces, pendants and black ink along with a feather pen. And lastly, a rolled-up parchment sat in between the boxes and stuck out like a sore thumb.
"What is all of this, Bruno?" I asked curiously.
"My Lord. From what I understand, this jewelry is magically enhanced to strengthen one's magical or physical powers, one's endurance or agility. I can't identify them by eye just like that, but there's enough of them here for all of your officers and-- allies."
I nodded enthusiastically, but my eyes kept wandering off to the necklace, or whatever it was on the left. It was shaped like a cross but was made from glass. The red liquid inside sloshed around as if it were alive, even though it was perfectly still.
"What's with this pendant?" I asked, pointing at it.
"I don't know, my Lord. This is the first time I've seen anything like it. Though hold on, let me skim the text."
Blood of the first, come to life after centuries of strife,
Your true form you will take, across bodies you will rake,
Blood will flow wherever we go,
But your real name will stay hidden until he's awakened.
"That's what it says, my Lord. How about you read it out loud? It may react to someone as powerful as yourself."
"Now, now. That's quite an interesting artifact you got there. And I thought it was long lost," Freya chuckled. "And please, go ahead. Read it out loud. I think you'll be in for quite the surprise," she joked.
"What the hell is it, Freya? Tell me if you know anything about it," I said. Women and their riddles, I was sick of them, especially those surrounding me day and night.
"And how about me?" Dracul asked. "Are you sick of me as well, Ivan?"
"Is that a trick question?" I asked in turn.
"Depends. If you give me the right answer, I just might tell you about the pendant."
I froze. The bastard knew what it was, or at least what its purpose was. And if Freya knew as well, then it must have been something that either belonged to him or that he created. Why else would the two of them know about it?
"To be honest, yes, I'm sick of you as well, Lord Dracul."
"Hah! I knew it! At least you're honest. So how about--"
"But! I need you and your power. It doesn't really matter if we're sick of each other or not. All that matters is that we need to stay alive. Don't you agree?"
He snickered and mentally clapped my back.
"Read the second and fourth lines first out loud, then the third and finish with the first. That way, you'll remove the barrier, and my greatest achievement will finally be mine again!"
Chapter Fourteen
The glass dome holding the pendant in place shattered with an ear-splitting crack. Even with my 'defenses' against such things, I was caught off guard and stepped back to regain my composure. Dracul cackled all the while in my mind as if it was the funniest thing to happen since he was partially reborn.
Freya shielded her and Bruno's ears with magic. Still, Bruno dropped to the floor and lay there unmoving. I bent down and pressed my fingers against his neck. He was still breathing. It wouldn't do if a guest died in my pres
ence, and especially one that could prove to be useful in the future.
"What are you moping about?" Dracul yelled. "Take the pendant and put it around your neck!"
"You sure are in a hurry today," I replied deadly calm. "What is it to you?"
"Hah, do you really need to know?"
I shrugged.
"I don't need to, but I sure would like to know. If it affects me, or the people around me, it's only natural."
"Yeah, yeah. Right, if you want to know so badly, I'll explain its purpose. That pendant serves as a container for a mixture of my blood and a demon's soul."
"Oh, right. So, that's it?"
"What? Of course it isn't just that! Young people these days are so impatient!" he cursed and walked around in my mind. It was a pleasant sight to behold since not much could rattle him. "Once you activate the pendant, it will attune itself to you. Once it does, it will be your new best friend, that's a promise."
"Hmm, and what does my new best friend do? Eat other souls?" I joked.
"No, it doesn't. Well, not in the way you just thought of. But yes, it can eat souls. See, whenever that 'mixture' is summoned, it turns into a wicked kind of spear. It's not a spear in the original sense, but a weapon of mass destruction."
"Oh? And how do I get this weapon to appear, Lord Dracul?"
"Hah! That's the spirit! A little humility never did anyone harm."
"No, it hasn't."
"So, the easiest way is to ingest the contents and fight the demon off. Once it's mixed with your own blood, you'll have full control over it telepathically. It will be like using the shadows to do your bidding."
"And the other way is?"
"There is no other way," Dracul replied with hoarse laughter. "Sorry, but if only you could have seen your own face! Priceless!"
I sighed and stared at the vial in my hand intently.
Lord of Shadows book 2: Bloodlines Page 10