“Is that a family motto?” Lucias said mockingly. “Your wife said something similar, but only one of you will be keeping your word.”
With that he rushed forward, jammed the needle he had been holding behind his back into Ethan’s chest and pushed the plunger down, forcing the contents into his heart as he roared out in pain.
Lucias leaned down. “Very soon, you will be powerless to deny any request I make of you, servant,” Lucias whispered into his ear with satisfaction. He pulled the needle back out and took a step away.
“I must warn you, this will be quite, unpleasant. But once the transformation is complete, you will be faster and more powerful than ever before, and you will be mine.”
With that, Lucias headed for the door, stopping just short, he turned to Kaleb. “Release him, I will retrieve the girl,” he said and left the room.
✧
Kaleb felt his rage bubbling just below the surface as he leaned down next to Ethan and whispered, “It looks like you are someone’s prisoner now.” He roughly unlocked the cuffs around all of Ethan’s limbs and tossed them aside, filling the room with loud clanging sounds. His father had promised him revenge, and now with his vengeance so close he could taste Ethan’s blood on his tongue, it was being ripped away.
With all of his chains removed, Kaleb shoved Ethan off of the table and watched him fall to the hard floor beneath. Kaleb stared with hatred as he moaned and writhed in agony while the poison Lucias injected began to take effect. The transformation was excruciating, he had watched it countless times over the years as his father built his army.
Using some of their kind’s most talented scientists, Lucias had succeeded in creating a serum from the black plague and his own blood which not only increased power and speed, but also bound the infected to him inextricably. But there was a price. While not enough to kill them, the infected were sensitive to direct sunlight and silver. They were also overcome with bloodlust immediately after being injected, requiring a large amount of blood to complete the transformation, otherwise they would perish within a matter of hours. After the transition, while the bloodlust would dissipate, they would need to feed far more frequently than a normal vampire to survive.
Kaleb was the only member of Lucias’ forces not infected. Because he was his son, he was already bound by blood, but his father had made it very plain that if he ever failed him, he would endure the same fate as the others.
As he walked towards the door, he was overcome with the same rage he had felt all those years ago and couldn’t resist the impulse that streaked through his mind. He rushed to Ethan and kicked him in the ribs, relishing in the sound of several of them breaking from the impact.
A moment later, he stepped out of the door and shut it behind him as he leaned back against it closing his eyes. He took several deep breaths, trying to assuage his anger with the knowledge that, instead of dying slowly by his hand, Ethan would live to lose everything he loved.
In that moment, Kaleb saw his brother’s face as it had been on that night, the last time he would ever see the only person that ever loved him.
He was a young vampire, not yet fully mature when his father had allowed him to tag along with David and the four other soldiers. They were going on a mission to gather new recruits in a nearby vampire colony. Finding the legendary Ethan had been a happy coincidence, or so David had thought.
“Should we send word to father?” Kaleb whispered as the six of them lingered in the alley behind the inn they had watched Ethan enter only a few hours earlier.
“No,” David responded harshly. “There is no way to know how long he will be here and it would be difficult to track him from this place on the open road without being discovered. Besides, father has already been clear that he no longer wants to pursue him and prefers to focus our efforts on acquiring new soldiers.”
“But how can you do this if father has commanded otherwise?” Kaleb questioned with worry knowing what happened to vampires that disobeyed the commands of their sires.
David smirked slightly. “He did not directly command me on this matter. So long as he does not know of our plan, I am free to act as I see fit. In this instance, it is far better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission. For two decades we searched for him and suddenly we have given up because father fears the rumors of his strength. It makes us appear weak, but he is blinded by the guidance of that bitch seer.” He placed his hand on his little brother’s shoulder. “Kaleb, he does not hear the grumblings of our men who have started to question his authority. If we capture this vampire and present him to father, he will have no choice but to reward us. He will make me his second in command, and you will be the youngest captain in the army.”
Kaleb couldn’t deny that the thought of being a captain, of finally being looked upon with love and respect by the man who barely acknowledged his presence, was what his heart yearned for above all else.
“What should I do?” Kaleb asked as the other five began discussing their strategies for the attack.
“You, little brother, will stay back and once we have him you will bring the horses.”
“But I want to fight, I have been training my whole life!” Kaleb stated defiantly, tired of always waiting behind.
“Kaleb,” he said as he ruffled the younger vampire’s hair, “you are not yet mature and do not have full control of your abilities. I cannot look out for you and remain focused on the battle. You will stay behind, but do not worry, all father will hear is that you aided with the capture, he need not know in what capacity.”
Kaleb scowled and crossed his arms over his chest defensively. He hated it when David treated him like a child.
I am a soldier, I can fight. I will not stay back like a woman. Once the battle starts I will join and he will not be able to stop me, he decided as he listened to the rest his brother’s plan.
Knowing of Ethan’s speed, they could not wait for him to get far from the building before they attacked. Luckily, there were only civilians in this colony so they did not anticipate any interference from the locals when they heard the sounds of battle.
Under the cover of darkness, Kaleb pretended to obey his brother’s command as he watched David and the others move to various points around the inn in preparation for the attack. He fingered the grip of his sword nervously as he waited.
No sooner than they had reached their posts, the door to the inn swung open and Ethan stepped out, saying something over his shoulder to someone inside before he closed the door and started walking towards the stable.
Kaleb noted that he did not appear armed, perhaps he would immediately surrender and there would be no battle at all. He found that idea disappointing.
Ethan was only a few paces out of the door when the five vampires surrounded him with their weapons drawn.
Two of them started laughing. “I expected more, he is not even armed!”
“We are taking you prisoner, in the name of my father, the one true ruler of this world,” David stated seriously, despite the continued chuckling from two of his companions.
The laughter stopped suddenly when, in a blur that was almost too fast for Kaleb to track despite his preternatural sight, Ethan moved out of the circle only to return to the exact same spot a moment later, just in time to watch the two heads roll to the ground, followed by the bodies of their owners.
The smell of blood reached Kaleb’s nose and he was suddenly flooded with fear realizing that this vampire had just used the soldiers’ own swords, which were still in their hands, to decapitate them.
Ethan turned to Kaleb’s brother and stated calmly, “I am no one’s prisoner. You can let me pass or suffer the same fate as your humorous comrades.”
Every urge to fight that Kaleb had felt only minutes before had left him as he stood frozen in the shadows silently praying that David would simply let him go. While his brother’s skill with a sword was unmatched by any in his father’s army, he knew this was a fight he would not survive.
&nbs
p; Several moments passed and all Kaleb could hear was the unusually fast beat of his own heart.
He watched his brother nod almost imperceptibly, and in a flash the three remaining vampires attacked. Ethan jumped up and flipped backwards over them landing crouched next to one of the bodies. His stood with the newly acquired sword in his hand and said, “I will give you one last opportunity to walk away from this.”
The response came with the two soldiers rushing him again. Ethan met each swing of their swords with one of his own, the loud clang of steel echoing into the night. To anyone watching him, his movements appeared as effortless as if he was merely taking an evening stroll.
When one of the soldiers cried out and stumbled back as his severed arm fell to the ground in front of him, David saw his opportunity. Ethan’s back was to him as he continued to battle with the other man. The plan was to take him alive, so he pulled the club from his waist and rushed with it in one hand, his sword in the other. A good blow to the head could knock him out for hours, perhaps even days. David leapt into the air, coming down hard with the club aimed at the back of Ethan’s head, but before he found his mark, Ethan turned and raised the sword.
Kaleb sunk to his knees as he saw his brother suspended in the air, impaled through the heart on the sword Ethan was still holding up high in the air.
He dropped David’s lifeless body to the ground and quickly took the heads of the other two vampires which were still clinging to life before throwing the sword to the ground.
Kaleb remained silent as he watched Ethan dust himself off, but he couldn’t help the gasp that escaped his throat when Ethan turned and looked directly at him. And just like that, he disappeared into the night.
CHAPTER 27 - Alexa's Choice
Without a word, Lucias entered the room and grabbed Alexa by the arm, which she didn’t fight, she was just praying he was taking her to Ethan. She had been hit by his pain several minutes earlier which robbed her of breath and knocked her to her knees. It took several attempts and nearly all of her concentration to shield herself, and even that only lessened the pain, she could still feel it and knew she needed to help him somehow or he would die.
Lucias pulled her down the hallway and stopped in front of a door where his son was still standing.
“Is he freed?” Lucias questioned.
“Yes, Sire.”
“Excellent,” he said turning to Alexa. “You can go in and join your husband now. I should warn you, he is probably in a bit of pain at the moment, so try not to mind the screaming,” he said with a wicked sneer.
Alexa’s hand was shaking as she reached for the metal door which Kaleb had already unlocked. She pulled hard, barely moving the heavy door, but the small crack broke the soundproof seal and she could hear Ethan’s pained moaning. She tugged harder and Lucias put his hand up preventing her from opening it further.
“On second thought, we should make sure you are properly attired to greet your husband before you enter,” Lucias whispered against her ear, sending panic through her at the thought of being separated from Ethan after being so close to him.
Before she could protest, Lucias reached up and ripped the robe from her body, leaving her completely exposed.
He put his hands on her shoulders and spun her around to face him as he slowly looked up and down her naked body. Fighting to keep the contents of her stomach down, Alexa swallowed hard, then stood up straight and lifted her chin defiantly.
Lucias chuckled with amusement at her little effort to appear strong. “You know, this ensemble needs something,” he said gripping his chin as if he was trying to decide what. “Ah, yes, I know,” he said as he reached out with both hands and scraped across the tops of Alexa’s exposed breasts as she screamed out it pain.
He smiled with satisfaction as blood began to run from the wounds while Alexa struggled to contain her fear. “Perfect, now you may go,” he said waving his hand dismissively as if he were shooing away a fly.
He nodded to Kaleb, who grabbed the door and pulled it open just wide enough for Alexa to enter. She peered into the room cautiously before she saw Ethan lying crumpled on the floor. The sight of him looking so broken removed all of her fear for herself and she rushed towards him, only to be stopped dead in her tracks as he roared, “GET AWAY FROM ME!”
✧
It felt like days had passed while Ethan laid there on the floor as Lucias’ poison burned through his body like molten lava. It didn’t help matters that he could barely breathe with the broken rib that had punctured his lung and was not healing due to the injection. He needed blood, a lot of blood, and quickly.
He fought with everything he had not to scream out with the pain, refusing to give Lucias the satisfaction, but he couldn’t help the occasional moan that escaped his throat.
When he heard the click of the lock, he swallowed hard trying to separate his mind from the pain in preparation for whatever torture they had in store for him.
It was several moments before he heard the door move, and then it hit him. The smell of fresh blood filled his nose and strength flooded back into his body as the beast fought to get out. He pushed up onto his knees as another wave of scent hit him and he froze. In that single moment, the fear that had been chasing him around his entire life had finally caught up to him.
He clung to that fear as he fought the bloodlust inside him that was growing more powerful by the second and roared at her to get away from him.
Ethan jumped up and rushed to the other side of the room, putting as much distance between himself and his wife as was possible.
When he finally dared to look at her, he groaned loudly as the sight of her naked, bleeding body further incited the beast within.
“What can I do?” she whispered, still frozen by the door as she watched her husband and felt his pain through their bond.
He pinned her with his stare and she gasped when she saw his eyes, the irises glowing red. “Stay away from me!” he growled.
“What did they do to you?” she said quietly taking a tiny step towards him. She looked down and saw the deep purple of his broken ribs, knowing that it should have been nearly healed by now.
“I am infected,” he replied shakily as he continued battling the beast.
“You need blood,” she said taking another step towards him.
He let out a sound that was akin to a whimper. “Alexa, please, do not come any closer, it is all I can do to keep the beast contained,” he said through gritted teeth. “I just have to make it a couple more hours.”
“And then what,” she asked, already knowing his response.
“It will be over, and you will be safe,” he whispered as he slid down to sit on the floor with his face and palm pressed against the wall, like he was anchoring himself to it.
“You mean you’ll die,” she said angrily. “No, Ethan, I can’t let you do that.” She took several more steps towards him and he jumped to his feet.
“Damnit, Alexa!” he roared, “I’ll kill you, do you understand that?” His body was shaking violently from his pain and the effort to restrain the beast with her so close and the smell of her blood surrounding him.
She closed her eyes and swallowed hard as she reinforced her shields against his pain, knowing the time had come.
Opening her eyes she whispered, “Yes, my love, I know that I must die to save you. I made that choice a while ago.”
✧
Alexa nervously followed Ethan’s mother through the door to her parlor.
Josephine sat on the cream striped sofa and patted the seat next to her. “Please sit down, I won’t bite,” she said with a small chuckle. It was funny coming from an actual vampire.
Alexa did as requested and Josephine took both of her hands and closed her eyes. They sat like that in silence for several minutes before she opened her eyes and stood.
“You are a very strong woman, Alexa. That is very clear. I am going to share some things with you that will be difficult to hear, but I need for you to know.
Perhaps I am being selfish, and for this you must forgive me, but I love my children and I would do anything in my power for them. As a mother, I am sure you understand.” She said looking to Alexa as if asking for permission to continue.
Choices of Fate (Fate Series) Page 27