“No, I think we’ll just take our chances by doing the right thing. We’ll take you back to Ta’Zan,” Samael decided.
I smirked. “I think you and I both know you’ve got zero chance of doing that,” I replied. “There are only three of you, and, like you said, we’ve already left a trail of bodies behind. Do you really want to join them, or do you want to try and make your lives better?”
The big Faulty seemed interested. His pale blue eyes were fixed on me. “What are you trying to say?” he asked. Samael shushed him, but he shrugged. “What? I want to know what they’re offering!”
“Why? They’re dead meat, anyway!” the female Faulty said. “If we don’t get them, someone else will.”
“Not necessarily,” I replied. “We’ve managed to evade capture until now, haven’t we? We must be doing something right, don’t you think?”
Samael sighed with frustration. “You have to yield. Father will have you all, sooner or later.”
“Listen to me, Samael!” Kallisto snarled. “You three are complete idiots if you think capturing them and dragging them back to Ta’Zan will get you any closer to being in Father’s good graces. The Perfects will beat you into a pulp, then kick you out and tell you to be grateful that you get to live another day!”
“It’s not what it used to be,” Amane added. “From the moment he captured the first outsiders, the Faulties were basically obsolete and of no use to him. He’s always wanted to create the perfect being. The supreme creature. He’s always referred to us as Faulties for a reason. What good are we to him, if we can’t even regenerate, huh? What good are you to him, if you’re not anatomically perfect, like he wanted you to be? We all have visible traces of the animals we were made of. Scales, feathers, claws, and stone-like skin, fur and fangs that he’s often described as ‘useful yet grotesque,’” she said.
It made Samael and the others think. They seemed to relax their aggressive stances.
It was time to take it to the next level. “We’re not seeking to harm anyone, but we’ll do whatever we can to get our people back and to stop Ta’Zan from going after our worlds,” I replied. “We’ve got planets of our own. Laws and traditions. We love and accept one another for who and what we are. We don’t treat those weaker than us as inferior, in any way. We don’t kick them out into the cold when we don’t need them anymore. Ta’Zan will destroy all of that. Once he manages to figure out space travel, we’re all done for, Samael. All we want is peace. The way you’ve been living is… well, it’s cruel and sad. And you deserve better!”
“And you can give us better?” Samael replied, raising an eyebrow.
“Heck, we can try,” I said. “You just need to stop clinging to this false hope that everything will be better if you take us to Ta’Zan. It won’t. He’ll just use our genes to make more and stronger Perfects. He won’t take you back. If anything, the Perfects will wipe you all out, because they’re being taught that they’re the only ones who deserve to live. Which, by the way, is ridiculous. It goes against nature itself.”
“We can help you,” Kailani interjected. “We can help you reclaim your place in this world. But, first, we need to stop Ta’Zan. We can’t do that if we’re imprisoned, though.”
“I get it. You’re on your own here. You’re disenfranchised. You were left behind. Abandoned. I know. I’ve felt the same way for quite a while,” Kallisto said. “But these outsiders are different. They lift each other up. They don’t put others down. And there are many of them, but they’re no match for millions of Perfects, and you know it. If we let Ta’Zan do what he wants, he’ll destroy other worlds. He’ll kill innocent creatures. He’ll kick them out, like he did with us… and worse. No one deserves that. Not me. Not you. Not anyone.”
I took a step forward, prompting Samael and his two companions to move back a little. “We just want to find our people first. We want to stop Ta’Zan. We… We want to help you,” I murmured, my voice slightly shaky. “You know… deep down, you know this isn’t right. You might’ve been made in a lab, but every part of you is natural. And our instincts are the same. Our feelings, too. You know this isn’t the way the world is supposed to be. You know it doesn’t feel right. Don’t you?”
Samael blinked several times, taking deep breaths as he looked at each of us. His yellow gaze was intense, as if he was trying to see through us, down to our very souls. He also looked conflicted. We were definitely getting to him.
“I do,” he finally whispered. “It’s not right. It’s not right that we’re out here. It’s not right that we’re treated like scum, simply because of our appearance,” he said, looking down at himself. “It’s not right, no.”
I nodded slowly. “Okay. Well, I’m not going to ask you to join us,” I replied. “But I am asking you to stop trying to capture us. Maybe even sit down for dinner with us.”
“I want to know how you can help us,” the burly one said firmly, ignoring Samael’s irritated look. “I’m serious. I’m tired of scrounging for food out here. We used to have it much better.”
The female Faulty chuckled softly. “Much, much better.”
“We’re more than happy to share our plans with you,” Ben said. “And pleased to show you a better way to live. We’ve worked hard to get to where we are today, though. It won’t be easy.”
“Hey, it can’t be worse than this,” the female Faulty replied.
Fair enough. For them, it had to be bad. To go from their father’s most cherished creations to simple servants and unnecessary extras—that had to hurt, especially when they’d been trained to love and worship Ta’Zan, to see him as the single most important thing in their lives.
In his absence, they clearly needed someone else to follow. I was more than ready to lead them. Not only was it going to help us get our parents and our friends back, but it was also the beginning of a potential alliance that would effectively stop Ta’Zan from spreading out into the universe, like the pestilence he and his Perfects had become.
If these Faulties needed guidance, I was willing. If they needed strength, I had it. Most importantly, if they needed a family, there was always room in ours.
Elonora
We settled back inside the cave, after Kailani granted them access through the cloaking spell.
“You need to know that I’ve got your blood samples now,” she said. “Which means that I can do all kinds of dark magic on you, if you try to play us in any way.”
She lied, of course. She didn’t have any dark spells in her repertoire. But none of us corrected her. It was just a protection measure meant to discourage them from betraying us, like Kallisto—who, in fact, played along nicely.
“She’s perfectly capable of it, I’ll tell you that,” she said to the three Faulties as we gathered around the small campfire that Hunter and Ridan had prepared by the cave entrance.
Hunter and Ridan then went out to hunt. One or two deer-like animals were enough to feed the entire group, including those of us who only consumed blood.
The rest of our crew stayed put, adding more twigs to the fire and getting to know the three Faulties a little better. They still seemed relatively uneasy in our presence, but I knew it was only a matter of time before they’d warm up to us.
Speaking of warm, I found myself sitting next to Nevis again, who barely said a word to me. He did, however, steal glances whenever he could. Sometimes, we found each other staring, then quickly looked away, blushing like two little kids. Even with the hot mess that we were in, I had to admit it was pretty cute, and completely not what I’d expected from him.
“I’m Samael, as you know,” the reptilian Faulty said, then nodded at his companions. “This big fella here is Rasmus, and our little birdy is Leah.”
“And you used to be with Kallisto,” I replied.
He nodded. “We parted ways. Too many of us in one group won’t fare well in areas where the Perfects are expanding,” he explained. “The fewer, the better. Kallisto chose to leave. She wasn’t with us for lon
g.”
“Everything moved incredibly fast during the first few days,” Kallisto murmured, staring at the flames. “In the morning, I was watching Amane run away. By nightfall, I was out in the wilderness, too, scrambling for warmth and companionship.”
“We found each other then,” Rasmus said, “and by the next evening, we were separated. The Perfects spread out like a plague. Worse, actually. Even the virus that killed the Draenir took more time to wipe them all out.”
“What did you do for Ta’Zan?” I asked.
Rasmus smirked. “I was on the security detail. I was responsible for keeping the sick Draenir out of our compound at all costs. It was risky, because the virus was easily transmitted. Fortunately, my thick skin kept me safe until we managed to set up a wider perimeter around our safety zone,” he said, patting his own shoulders. His skin was strange, indeed—not just thick, but stone-like. I doubted it could be easily pierced with a blade, unless his opponent got lucky enough to hit him in vulnerable soft spots, like his sides and neck.
“I was a scout,” Leah added, scratching her feathered arms. “I’m quite good up in the trees, so that made me useful. Until the Perfects were made, with their perfect eyesight and perfect… everything.”
“I was a nurse,” Samael said. “I looked after the wounded. I know my way around the plants and minerals of these islands. I whip up a mean disinfectant.”
“And you?” Leah asked, looking at us all, curiosity shimmering in her round black eyes.
“I’m Elonora,” I started. “Hybrid. Vampire sentry, to be precise. Got a few tricks up my sleeve. Can’t be out without covers during the day. Blood is my only form of sustenance.”
Leah nodded slowly, then looked at Nevis, who straightened his back and proceeded to announce himself with the full pomp of his Dhaxanian heritage.
“I am Prince Nevis of House Carandrir, First Son of Petrias and Melina, Pure Blood of Royal Dhaxanian, Ruler of the Dhaxanian Kingdom of Neraka, King of the Frost and Protector of the Ice Crown. And, as of recently, Lieutenant Major of GASP,” he said, his tone firm and solemn.
We all stared at him, eyebrows raised in wonder, as we had never heard such a formal presentation of himself. Heck, he’d only asked me to address him as “Your Grace” back at The Shade party! Now, he was doing the complete title.
“Sheesh,” I murmured.
“King of the frost?” Douma chuckled in the background, firmly tied to her rock. The device in the side of her neck continued to blink blue and green. According to Douma, if the light turned red, she could call out to her Perfect siblings on a different frequency. The last thing we wanted was for her to give away our position.
Samael, Rasmus, and Leah nearly jumped out of the cave, startled by her voice.
“Why are you allowing her to speak?” Samael gasped. “She could call the others!”
“No, she can’t,” Amane replied, pointing at her neck. “Her trill is clipped.”
Samael then breathed a sigh of relief, motioning for Rasmus and Leah to join us once again around the fire. The evening grew chilly outside, and I’d gotten accustomed to the daytime warmth of Strava. The fire, in combination with Nevis’s close proximity, was quite effective in keeping my temperature elevated.
“I’ve never heard your full title before,” I said to Nevis.
“I suppose I was too busy demanding that you call me ‘Your Grace,’” he replied.
I chuckled softly. “In hindsight, ‘Your Grace’ rolls easier off the tongue than that long-ass title of yours.”
“I’d rather you call me Nevis, still. It’s a bit more… intimate,” he muttered, but the look in his icy blue eyes burned right through me. My throat was already parched, and I wondered if I should break eye contact—even though every fiber in my body told me not to. I couldn’t get enough of those sapphire-colored pools nestled beneath long, dark eyelashes.
“And you?” Leah asked Dmitri, who was still sitting by Douma’s rock, his soul-eater blade on the ground in front of him.
“Me?” Dmitri replied, both eyebrows raised. “I’m Dmitri. Half-werewolf. Can’t shift, though. What you see is what you get,” he added, grinning as he pointed two thumbs at himself.
Leah smiled. “I don’t mind getting all that,” she said.
Dmitri’s face turned crimson, his eyes wide and his mouth reduced to a tiny little line. None of us remembered anyone hitting on him with such brazenness. I sucked in a breath, trying very hard not to laugh. Kailani snorted, then covered her mouth to stop herself from doubling over.
“Th-Thank you. I think?” Dmitri murmured.
“Damn right, thank you!” Zeriel interjected, laughing as he sat next to Vesta. “When’s the last time someone came on to you?”
“When’s the last time someone came on to you?” Dmitri retorted, jokingly narrowing his eyes in a faux glare directed at Zeriel.
“I’ll have you know I’m quite popular among my Tritone ladies,” Zeriel said, grinning.
“Yet, here you are, with your heart beating like thunder whenever the fae looks at you,” Nevis replied, the corner of his mouth twitching.
That was enough to make both Vesta and Zeriel turn as red as Dmitri. Douma was being deliberately ignored, but she wasn’t bored. She was checking us all out, probably listening to our heartbeats, looking for weak spots… anything that she could use against us later.
“And what are you, exactly?” Samael asked Zeriel.
“I’m a Tritone.”
“What’s that?” Samael replied, slightly confused.
Zeriel smiled with kingly confidence. “Unlike this icicle here,” he said, nodding at Nevis, “I don’t go around announcing my royal title. But, to answer your question, I’m the king of Tritones on Calliope. We’re amphibious creatures. Quite fierce, if you annoy us.”
“Talks a big game,” Rasmus grumbled, visibly amused.
Zeriel scoffed, hilariously exasperated. “Why doesn’t anyone take me seriously? I don’t get it. I’m a king. And a fierce one, at that. I have legs that turn into a fish tail underwater, and I’m downright lethal!”
“You don’t look as fierce as you think.” Vesta giggled. Once they locked eyes, however, her amusement faded away and her aura burst gold—much like Zeriel’s. Man, it was such a joy to be a sentry, sometimes. “You’re cute.”
“I’m cute?” Zeriel repeated, frowning.
“Not threatening. Handsome, yes. Cute, yes. But not fierce,” Vesta said, trying to dig herself out of the hole that she was digging herself even deeper into. The paradox was simply spectacular. Our Nerakian fae was head over heels with the Tritone king, and the Tritone king was totally sweet on her.
Fortunately for all of us, Leah moved on quickly, shifting her focus to Ben and Rose. “What about you two? What are you supposed to be?”
“I’m a vampire,” Rose said. “I’m Rose. And this is my brother, Ben. He’s a fire fae.”
“How… How are you so different if you’re siblings?” Samael asked. “The one thing we know is that biological siblings always have physical traits and abilities in common.”
Ben smiled, putting his arm around Rose’s shoulder. “It’s a long story, but, in short, this isn’t my original body,” he said. “I died once.”
“Yet, here you are,” Rasmus replied, then looked at Kailani. “You. You’re a witch. That, we know. And you can do blood spells, too.”
“Think I made that pretty clear,” Kailani said with a grin.
“But there’s something else about you,” Rasmus said, “though I’m not sure what. There’s this glow about you I can’t explain.”
Samael nodded briefly. “Rasmus is a little special. He can sometimes see things that we cannot.”
“What, like auras?” I asked.
Rasmus shook his head. “Not always. It depends. Right now, Kailani, Vesta, Ben, and you are glowing, though slightly different from one another.”
I wondered what it was that the four of us in our crew had in common. But
Leah brought the introduction part to a close. “What about the other two who went outside?” she asked.
“Hunter and Ridan,” Rose explained. “Hunter is a white werewolf, and Ridan is a dragon.”
“And you came here looking for your people, huh? The ones that Father took from Noagh,” Samael replied.
“Yes, and we will do whatever it takes to get them back, along with all the prisoners that Ta’Zan took when he nearly obliterated our fleet,” Rose said.
“Ah. That was you, too.” Rasmus sighed. “I’m sorry for your losses. Many must have died up there.”
My throat tightened. Nevis gave me a soft nudge, prompting me to look at him. His expression made me melt on the inside—there was something akin to affection glimmering in his blue eyes. It was his wordless way of comforting me.
I gave him a weak smile in return, then focused back on the conversation.
“We need to find out where Ta’Zan is keeping our people,” I said. “That’s our priority right now.”
Samael’s shoulders dropped. “We don’t know where he moved,” he replied. “If we did, we’d already be there, banging on the gates.”
“The Perfects would chase you out, anyway,” Amane muttered.
“We’re at a disadvantage here,” Rose concluded, her brow furrowed. “We don’t know where Ta’Zan is keeping our people, and neither do the rejected Faulties, it seems. On top of that, we’re constantly being hunted. We need a break here.”
Leah cleared her throat, giving Samael and Rasmus a sideways glance. “I know of someone who might be able to help us.”
“Help us? Does that mean you’ll work with us?” Ben replied, his aura lighting up with hope.
“Well, yeah. It’s not like we have any better options left,” Samael said. “Besides, I’d like to have Father look me in the eyes and tell me I’m not wanted anymore. I deserve that much.”
A Shade of Vampire 63: A Jungle of Rogues Page 9