“ENOUGH!” The demand I was shocked to say came from me as I had stood up and hammered my small fists on the table top. Everyone went deadly silent as I stared each of them down before I spoke.
“I vouch for every person in this room. And I ask you to all remember that it wasn’t long ago that many of us were enemies yet here we sit, all as allies with a common cause. If anyone doesn’t like that then there is the door but I am telling you now, everyone that stays are going to be working together as one, so before I make you kiss and make up I suggest you both shut it and quit the shitty remarks. Because then the next threat to be heard will come from me.” I saw Sigurd looking smug at Ruto so I continued with…
“And the next finger I see held up in anything but a question will find me biting it off! Am I understood?” Sigurd folded his arms across his chest and leant back in his chair before nodding.
“Ruto!” Lucius snapped out his name and he flinched at the sound of his King’s disapproval in him.
“My apologies, my Queen.” Ruto said to my surprise.
“Good. Now that’s settled let’s move on shall we.” I finished retaking my seat like I wasn’t a trembling mess inside. My heart was pounding and I could only hope no one around the table could hear it. This was something I didn’t hold much hope in considering there were Vampires in the room, speaking of which Lucius leant down and muttered softly,
“You’re doing fine, just keep breathing.”
“Kick ass Toots! Boo yeah girl power!” Pip said with a massive grin on her face and doing a fist bump in the air. Sophia smiled and I tried to hold mine in but let my gratitude be shown through my eyes.
“Calm yourself my sweetheart.” Adam cooed tipping her army helmet to one side to speak in her ear.
“Now, does anyone else have anything to add?” I asked hoping this time it wasn’t just more bad news because I was hitting that limit again and the last thing I needed was to lose it before I got the chance to be alone.
Vincent was just about to speak when the door opened and in walked a woman I loathed.
“Aurora.” She swept into the room as if she owned the place and when she saw me sat at the head of the table she did a double take. She wore an elegant, vintage looking chiffon dress which was a black see through material on top of a cream underdress that was cut across the shoulders and had sleeves that finished at the elbow. The full skirt complimented her long legs and to finish off the look she wore a belt that was two feathers back to back, in the shape of leaves and she wore her hair plaited to one side.
She was stunning as always and I don’t think I let on how painful it was seeing her. Sophia hissed at her, one she ignored and Vincent rose from his seat.
“You are not welcome at this table.” She stood at the only empty seat, one I knew would have been for me if Draven had been sat in his rightful place. She didn’t show any emotions on her face to whether she was hurt or upset by Vincent’s statement. No, she just stood in front of the seat looking regal and well, like the Goddess it was proved she was.
“I have not been formally removed from my council place and this is a council meeting is it not?”
“You know damn well why you weren’t informed!” Sophia snapped and Aurora twisted her head slowly to look at Sophia.
“Do I?” She asked with that irritating singsong voice of hers.
“Don’t play coy Aurora, it doesn’t become you.” This snide remark shocked me when it came from Zagan.
“You locked Dom to Tartarus!” Sophia shouted but even under this pressure she didn’t looked at all phased.
“Yes I did, upon his request as I am not a very good royal servant if I don’t obey, now am I?” She countered making Sophia rise out of her seat. I knew that we needed to hear her out before a brawl started and as much as I would have loved to have seen Sophia rip into her, now was far from the time.
“I want to hear what she has to say.” I said and Sophia shot me one of those ‘really?!’ looks that I just gave her a little shake of my head in return. She nodded and then sat back down accepting the little kiss on her forehead from Zagan in comfort.
“Thank you my…” I cut her off as there was one thing I couldn’t stand right now and that was any bullshit acts of loyalty.
“Let’s get one thing straight, you don’t like me and I certainly don’t like you but none of that matters when the King’s Demon is locked to Tartarus. So if you can help then say what you have come here to say, if not, then you can leave.” I finished my little speech and I was happy to report that I saw one tiny second of rage cross her face at me before she plastered back on her composed smile and sat down.
“I believe I am the only one who can help the King.”
“Yeah right.” Sophia commented dryly.
“I would have warned the King this could happen if I had been informed of his plans to enter Tartarus.” She said and it was clear she wasn’t happy to have been left out of the loop.
“And what would you have done after that Aurora, take up arms and fought beside us, ‘cause that would have been a first.” Sophia snapped.
“This isn’t helping Aurora.” I informed her at which she bowed her head to me and the respect was about as sincere as a snake’s.
“His Demon is locked to that place permanently now because of two things, one because he asked me to do this seeing as I am a direct descendant of the Gods and secondly because of this it was the only thing the Titan Cronus had the power to take.” She finished feeling quite pleased with herself from the looks of things.
“But why would Cronus even need to take something like that when Draven was the one releasing them?” I asked as it didn’t make much sense.
“You wouldn’t understand, you’re just a mortal.” This turned out to be a grave mistake to make as Sigurd wasn’t the only one on his feet as most were around the table.
“Insult her again and we will see how difficult it is to behead a Titan’s descendant!” Sigurd threatened and I saw a moment of panic before she composed herself.
“I merely meant that she has not spent enough time in our world to understand such of the workings of higher beings.”
“You mean the workings of mad and broken Gods.” Vincent said also coming to my defence. Aurora didn’t respond to this but I could see that something behind those cool eyes snapped, she was just keeping a lid on it.
“Please, everyone sit. We know the situation Aurora and how we all came to be here so try not to bore us with what we already know and more of how we can resolve it…can the tie to Tartarus be reversed?” I asked feeling this conversation was going nowhere fast and to be honest, as well as needing to get back to Draven as quickly as possible, I was also shamefully desperate for a bathroom stop.
“The tie to Tartarus can be severed yes but only by the person who created the binding and also…” She stopped and tried not to smile at what she was about to say next.
“Oh by the Gods miss prissy fancy pants, just freakin’ say it!” This came from Pip who for the most part had been quietly watching it all play out. Aurora turned to glare at her and started speaking but only looking at me at the end,
“…and also the one reason the binding was made. And it was made because of her.” Aurora nodded at me but this wasn’t some big shocker she was hoping for as it was blindingly obvious as to why Draven would do something so foolish. Hell, it seemed as if I was the only reason in this world any supernatural being did anything foolish! No, everyone knew this was just a pathetic attempt to try and make me sweat in front of all these people.
“This isn’t news to us Aurora so try and stick to what can be done.” Sophia said looking bored and at her fingernails.
“Very well, the only thing that can be done is if I enter Tartarus whilst I presume your father still has the barriers down and lift the binding.”
“And you can do this?” I asked feeling a new hope bloom but just wishing it didn’t come from the Uber Bitch in the room.
“I can.” I rel
eased a pent up breath but as always did so too soon for she wasn’t finished.
“But I can’t do it alone.”
“I am sure that won’t be a problem as we are not short on council members willing to go with you.” Vincent said and all at once each member thundered their fists on the table top in a show of their support for the cause. Sigurd said,
“Hell, I would feel better knowing someone is keeping an eye on the bitch anyway...! No offense.” He added looking to Aurora which wasn’t sincere at all.
“None taken, barbarian.” She responded curling her lip in disgust.
“As touching as that all is, there is only one that must accompany me.” She continued and I knew something bad was coming.
“Who then?” Takeshi asked frowning at her as if he too knew who she was going to say…
“The King’s Chosen One…Keira.”
And then there was chaos.
Chapter 57
Do or Lovers Die
I held my head under the blissful cascade of water so much longer than was needed, seeing as I couldn’t get any cleaner. I can’t say how wonderful it had been scrubbing my skin free of dirt and blood or any evidence of the horrors I had encountered only hours before. But this was not how I first welcomed the new day.
No, first I had an outraged council to deal with, including the snarling Vampire at my back who looked ready to tear Draven’s ex in two!
“If you think I’m letting you anywhere near her!”
“No way Bitch face, you can go and swivel on a broom!”
“Not happening!”
“The King would never allow it.”
And so it continued.
I felt myself holding the bridge of my nose with my fingers and suddenly I knew what it felt like to be Draven. I held up my hand and tried to contain the situation before Aurora found herself getting lynched.
“Please, let’s just think about this a moment.” I said and just when I thought it would have been Lucius and Sigurd to shout out their disapproval with me first it was actually Vincent.
“There is nothing to think about.” I shot him a look to see him ignoring me and frowning at Aurora, who was looking slightly smug…what did she have…a death wish?!
“Aurora I will do it. Now please leave us.” I said spinning the room into shock.
“The Hell you will!” Lucius said at the same time Sigurd said,
“The fuck you will!”
“Aurora.” I ignored the two Alphas beating their chests at the little woman and said her name again in warning. She looked about ready to protest but one look around everyone in the room that was close to killing her and she stood. I waited for her to leave the room before I looked up at Lucius.
“Can you have Ruto follow her?” He knew why I asked this to be done as he too didn’t trust her. He nodded to Ruto and without an order given verbally Ruto got up and slipped from the room silently.
“You can’t be serious!” Sophia said leaning closer to me.
“Yeah Tootie, my home girl here is right. I mean if you are looking for adventure then me and you do tequila before climbing some sand dunes, ‘cause trust me that shit is funny to watch…do you remember how much sand you got in between your a…” Pip was cut off with a hand to the mouth when Adam flashed embarrassed panic before she spoke what we all could gather was a sandy and uncomfortable experience between the two lovers.
“Look guys, we are out of choices here.” I said but then jumping when Sigurd shouted,
“Bullshit!” To which I just gave him a pointed look that said please don’t argue with me on this.
“Ok so what is the alternative here because if anyone else has any bright and shiny ideas then please speak up…” I said waiting for the room to go silent as I knew it would because in reality we had no other options. The only one who could free his Demon was the person who had locked it there in the first place and the reason he agreed to it.
Everyone looked at each other in the hope that someone would say something but there was nothing. It was sweet and touching how they all wanted to protect me and the loyalty I felt warmed my fragile soul.
“Unfortunately people this is our only option. We may not like it…I mean shit, Hell is the very last place I want to go to right now but I went there once in hopes of freeing Draven and this time I get to actually do it. There is no talking me out of this and like Lucius said, my ruling is final.”
“Now wait a minute, when Dom said that I doubt it was thinking you were insane enough to go on a suicide mission with that spiteful bitch!” I pushed my chair back a bit to look at him head on.
“So are you saying your word isn’t trustworthy?” I asked knowing I was backing Lucius into a corner. He growled down at me and if I knew there was nothing he was backing it up with I would have crapped myself.
“You know it is.” He forced out through gritted teeth.
“Then it’s settled, I get to make the final decision as is according to our King.”
“Fuck! You are making a mistake, woman!” Sigurd snapped almost going red in the face. He had his hood back as you could see his eyes and the snake that was circling one iris in sight of his rising temper.
“He is right, this will not end well Keira.” Vincent said adding his doubt to the mix.
“Ok, so tell me honestly as I can see everyone is avoiding it like the plague…”
“Oi, can’t we let that drop, I mean that was how many lifetimes ago! And they eventually got over it.” Pip said nodding to the room after throwing up her hands dramatically. She was obviously referring for her innocent part in the spread of the Black Death back in 1603, one she was punished for, which was of course how she met half of her husband...the terrifying half.
“Alright Pip, my bad for bringing it up. What I meant was can anyone tell me what I really want to know, which is what will happen to Draven if I don’t go through with this?” One look to Sophia’s sombre face and then to Vincent’s I already knew and that was why nobody wanted to tell me.
“He will die won’t he?” I said swallowing hard and forcing the question past my dry lips.
“He will get weaker by the day. He can last a time but the fight first with the Titans without his angel side and then to do the same again without his demon was too much for him, along with…” Zagan didn’t finish as I already knew what pushed him over the edge and it was the reason I was sat here and no longer slowly bleeding to death.
“I get it. So we have no choice.”
“The hell you don’t! You can chose to live that’s what you can do…Look it’s shit, I get it, I really do but do you really think the right option here is to not only lose Dom but you as well?!” Sigurd said and it came easier to him than anyone else in this room because he didn’t have the same connection to Draven that we all did…however no one but me argued his point.
“Losing him when I am able to do something to stop it is not an option for me and I wouldn’t want to live in a world where I chose differently,” It was at this point people were starting to get that they couldn’t change my mind. I could tell from the deep sighs of defeat that travelled the room.
“So the only thing we have to plan for is when this all goes tits and belly busters up over our heads and asses...! Am I right or am I right?” Pip asked the room and I shook my head at her version of being serious.
“Yeah Squeak, that is what we must do.” Lucius said and she beamed at him before confirming what we all knew,
“Great! Well that we can do because I will tell ya one thing for a Bucky o'Hare toy and that is, that Bitch has a stick up her ass for a reason and it’s not so she can look taller!”
“I think in that Pip we can all agree. So I have a plan.” I said and for the next hour we all agreed on what needed to be done. There was something not right about Aurora and her offer to save Draven. Not unless it was for her gain, so the only plan now was to find out what it was and before I found a knife in my back in the depths of Tartarus.
I
was kind of hoping we were all just being paranoid and that some small part of her actually cared whether her King lived or died. But counting on that would have been not only foolish but down right dumb!
Once things were settled I rose from my seat only to have Sophia clearing her throat like there was something else to deal with. I froze with my hands on the armrests before straightening.
“Uh…we kind of have another issue to deal with.” She said and I sat back down. I had to refrain from Draven’s trait of holding the bridge of his nose once more and just closed my eyes instead.
“And I was so hoping that dawn would bring better news.” I muttered thinking about taking early retirement from the royalty business.
“We still have your friend…”
“Yeah, you know the pink one with righteous dress sense!” Pip added and suddenly I shot up in my chair.
“RJ?!” I shouted her name feeling so bad that I had forgotten all about her. Ok, so it’s not like I hadn’t been a bit busy worrying about the world ending and a million other things that all included death but still, I should have checked.
“Is she?”
“She’s fine but we had a little…uh, well something happened when I …” If Sophia was tongue tied than this was definitely bad.
“What she is trying to say is that when she came to it was when we were all fighting an army of the dead. As we were a bit busy at the time all we could do was protect her but…” Vincent stopped mid flow and I gathered this was the part that no one could get past.
“That Seth dude is totally in Love with her!” Pip shouted suddenly making us all jump as she clapped her hands and bounced in her seat.
“WHAT?!” I shouted back thinking it was unbelievable.
“Forgive my wife, she is a hopeless romantic and gets carried away.” Adam said only Pip was having none of it.
“I am not hopeless, you loved that candy thong I made you wear for Valentines, and even more so when it came time for me munching the front, beside my nipple tassels didn’t exactly last long and you said…” In the end Adam decided the best way to shut his wife up was to grab her face in both his hands and kiss the words from her brain. All I can say is it must have been good because Pip came up for air with the biggest grin…and amazingly, no words followed.
The Pentagram Child: Part 2 (Afterlife Saga Book 5) Page 14