“What’s wrong, Kae?” Jason asked. He was sitting beside me, with Elan on my other side. He was cautious to avoid compromising Elan’s position as one of the guards. He treated her like he did the others, with respect for her authority.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Meeting Karl left a bitter taste in my mouth. The man I remember was one of the Broken, but I didn’t think—he didn’t come off as dangerous. Now, I think he’s killed more than his share of people who weren’t out to harm him.”
“Oh, he’s seasoned in dealing out death,” Elan said.
Queet, what do you think? I reached out, wondering if Queet was around or if he had taken off exploring. He could always find me—that wasn’t a problem.
But there he was, right behind me, half-in, half-out of the chariot. On the spirit level, it didn’t really matter.
Fury, the man is dangerous. I didn’t want to mention this while you were there because I thought you might want to go looking for them, but he has a number of ghosts walking on his heels. A long line of spirits he’s responsible for killing. Rest assured, he is a powerful man, and a haunted one, and the combination can be deadly.
Paranoid?
Paranoid doesn’t begin to cover it. And he’s not exactly wrong. He has the spirits of hundreds following him, out to take him into their realm. When you deal in death on such a mass scale, you’d better be prepared to spend your days haunted.
Queet had spoken so softly in whisper-speak that no one else had heard him. I decided to relay the information, just in case something happened where I couldn’t—or where I forgot—to tell Tam when we got home.
“He’s a danger then, and greedy.” Jason brushed his hair back from his face. He was looking less pensive than he had when we first started out. A little more like the old Jason, though I knew it couldn’t be as simple as one trip to help sort him out.
“Yes, and yes.” I wondered whether to tell them about the dream I’d had of Rasheya. Finally, I decided I’d better. “Not long ago, I had a dream that I was out on the Tremble. I dreamt that Rasheya was calling for me. She wanted to tell me about a man traveling through the land there, and how he was powerful and deadly.”
“Karl?” Elan asked.
Jason shivered. When we’d been out on the Tremble, it had been a mind-altering experience. “If I never end up out on the Tremble again, it will be too soon. I managed it once, but after being in the realm of Chaos, it’s a little too close to home.”
It was then I realized that, even if I had convinced Thor to take a trip over to the Tremble, Jason couldn’t have gone along. He would have been too fragile.
“No, it wasn’t Karl. It was some other man. He had four wolves with him, and they flanked his sides as he crossed the Tremble. He terrified me, though I don’t know why. I’m not certain what was so dangerous about him, but he was…chaos embodied. He owned everything around him. I know he’s connected with the lycanthrope attacks lately—I just know it, though I can’t tell you how.”
Elan fell silent, pressing her lips together. Hans, who was sitting opposite to us, frowned. “Thor remembers the energy from one of his battles. You said wolves?”
I nodded. “He had four great wolves with him.”
“Thor said it wasn’t Loki. Odin, perhaps?”
“Odin’s too busy at Gudarheim to bother with the Tremble. When we get back, I can remind Thor to ask about it. But we should be on our guard. Given the attacks, and then the state we found Wyfair in, something is definitely afoot.” Hans scratched his head, about to say something else when the chariot stopped.
The door opened, and Thor peeked in.
“You’d better get out now. We have an issue, and I don’t want you locked in the chariot in case things go down the wrong way.”
As we emerged from the belly of the beast, I turned toward where Thor was looking and my stomach dropped. Dusk had fallen, and we were standing in the road, and up ahead was a great black carriage, pulled by four black stallions. Two men sat atop it, driving. Surrounding the carriage were at least twenty men, their eyes glowing with crimson light.
Vampires. And they didn’t look like they had rolled in on the welcome wagon.
Chapter 7
“WANT TO MAKE a bet it’s yet another old friend?” Jason whispered, standing beside me.
I immediately knew who he was talking about. Kython. Lord over the vampires in Seattle, he had originally been a Theosian, which settled the question of whether or not Theosians could be turned. And I owed him a debt. He had never called it in, and I had hoped he would forget.
One of the leathered guards headed over to the carriage and opened the door. Kython swung out, dropping lightly to the ground. He was beautiful, in a dark, magnetic way, with crimson eyes and jet black lips. He reminded me of Tam, given they both had a glaring intensity—they were hard to ignore, hard to even look away from. But Tam’s charisma was bound up in passion, and in compassion where he deemed warranted. Kython’s charisma was entangled with sheer power and the glamour all vampires possessed.
He was wearing a pair of black and white striped pants that made him seem even taller than he already was. He wore a black suit coat with tails, and beneath it, I glimpsed a cobalt blue shirt. His hands were sheathed in blue leather gloves. His raven hair flowed down to his butt like a waterfall, and atop his head was perched a top hat, black with brilliant blue feathers attached to the band. He was wearing platform leather boots that buckled all the way up to his knees. He had been carrying a riding crop the first time I met him; this time, he carried a scepter.
“If it isn’t Miss Fury, the beloved of UnderBarrow, the voice of Hecate,” he said, coming to a stop in front of me, his voice booming like an emcee. His men were all holding odd-looking weapons. I had no clue what they might be able to do, nor did I want to know. “You still owe me a favor, young one,” he said, starting to reach for my face.
Beside me, Elan stiffened, her hand on her sword. On the other side, Hans did the same. They didn’t draw their weapons, not yet. That would be a call to battle, and if we could possibly avoid it, we wanted no part in engaging a large group of vampires.
“That I do,” I said, staring straight into those glowing eyes of his. “And I also remember you promised that it would be nothing against my ethics. But for now, if you’re willing to let the favor stand, I’d appreciate it. We’re here to raid a medicinal supply, if you’ll let us pass through, and we want to get home as soon as possible.”
He waited, then let out a short laugh. “I love how you aren’t afraid of me, Miss Fury of the World Tree. Hecate’s voice, even though now you smell like the Bonny Fae and the deep woods.” He dropped his hand and crossed his arms. “I’ve taken over the entire NW Quarters. What gangs used to inhabit the area were killed in the famines, or by zombies or packs of roving ghouls. You’ll want to be cautious,” he added, glancing over his shoulders. “Night has a way of being deadly in the City of Ghosts. It used to be the bogeymen from the Junk Yard you had to watch out for. Now, they run like scared rabbits.”
I realized that he had just given us an invaluable warning, even though we already knew some of it. And we were playing tit for tat. He had gifted me with information, and he would expect something in return.
“We were planning on camping before entering the city proper at daybreak. I had heard there were gangs of ghouls running around, as well as the zombie packs and other assorted delights.” I paused, then slowly added, “I don’t recommend going across to the Green Lake area. There’s a trigger-happy sheriff over there who wouldn’t take kindly to vampires invading his turf. We only made it through because he recognized me from a chance meeting in Seattle years ago. I don’t think we’ll get a second pass through his territory.”
Kython cocked his head, staring at me for a long while. Then his lips crooked into a mischievous smile and he laughed. “Well, then, it’s practically old home week for you. I’ll take your warning under advisement. If you wa
nt to camp in safety, come with me and I’ll put you up for the night. If you stay here, you’ll be swarmed before long. It’s dusk, and the hordes come out at night.”
I caught my breath, wondering which was the safer route. The idea of being holed up in a nest of vampires wasn’t exactly comforting, yet facing packs of ghouls and zombies before we even hit the city proper wasn’t my idea of fun, either. Kython must have caught the indecision on my face because he laughed.
“Vampire’s honor, you’ll be safe. And your friends, even as tasty as you all look. Besides, it will give me a chance to reinforce my marker.”
I suppressed a groan. Given I had made a promise to him, and that was as good as an oath, I didn’t feel I had the wherewithal to refuse. I looked at the others, trying to ascertain whether they were getting the drift of the situation. I didn’t want a bunch of dissent going on in front of Kython’s group. But Elan and Jason both seemed to be waiting to take their cues from me, and even Thor was watching me.
Wording my answer carefully, I said, “We accept your offer of safe harbor for the night, and thank you for it. We will follow you to your quarters.” If we were in the chariot, Thor could take off with all of us if it looked like a trap.
Kython winked at me, then raised his scepter. “These weary travelers are under my protection. Know that, and be damned should you violate my orders,” he said in a loud voice that echoed through the empty streets around us. He paused, cocking his head again, though this time he looked like he was listening rather than curious, and then he motioned to the chariot. “I advise you get back in your vehicle. We must be off. I can hear the distant march of the ghouls, and they will be here shortly. Follow us, if you value your life.”
And with that, we headed back to the chariot, and Thor shut us safely in. We began to move and I leaned back, wondering if I had just made a horrible mistake.
TWENTY MINUTES LATER, we were standing in front of an underground bunker. It wasn’t the one I remembered from before, but more elaborate and decked out. Kython had made good use of the salvaged remains from the city. Thor stopped just outside the bunker to let us out.
I gazed at the heavily barricaded fortress—which was mostly underground—and at the heavy chain-link fence that had been triple-wrapped around the enclosure. In addition to three layers of ten-foot-high chain link, they had added a double layer of barbed wire. Bog-dogs, on heavy chains, were tied up around the gates and even though the creatures freaked me out, I felt rather sorry for them. I had no clue if they got off their chains much or were fed right, but neither was I inclined to inquire. They were dangerous, feral beasts and would eat me up even if I had a bag of bog-dog treats in hand.
The guards at the gates looked very much human, but they were burly and sullen looking, and I noticed that each one wore some sort of collar around his neck. They stared at us hungrily as we walked through the gates, though I had a feeling their eyes were solely on Elan, Kendall, Shawna, and me. I shuddered when, as we walked past the nearest, he reached out to grab my arm. His fingers hadn’t even made contact before one of the vamps immediately sprang on him, slamming him to the ground, snarling with fangs down as he loomed over him. The guard began to cry and Kython laughed.
“Oh, my toys, my toys. They do test the boundaries now and then but I guarantee that none will be allowed to so much as touch a hair on your fiery head, Queen Fury. Nor any of your other companions. You are safe here.” He snapped his fingers. “Take care of that.”
I heard a crunch and glanced back in time to see the vamp who had thrown the guard down wrench his neck to the side, breaking it as quickly and smoothly as I broke a breadstick. Shivering, I averted my eyes, saying nothing. Elan, who was walking beside me, unobtrusively felt for my hand and I took her fingers in mine, holding tight.
We continued on to the double doors on the side of the building. One story high, it looked more like a stone bunker than a palace. Guards by the door swept it open, bowing as Kython sauntered through. The other vamps followed him, with us in their midst. I had taken the time to count them as we paraded forward. Kython had met us with a contingency of fifteen vampires. They were all men. I wondered what he did with the women he turned.
The bunker was lit by fires in sconces on the walls. There was plenty of light, though it was the soft orange of fire rather than the illuminated colors of the faerie lights in UnderBarrow. The smoke from the flames was annoying, but not so bad that we couldn’t breathe.
We approached another door and yet another guard opened it. I could see a stairway leading down. I caught my breath, feeling suddenly claustrophobic. Jason didn’t look all that happy, either, but we kept our silence as we made our way down the stairs, swept along by the rest of the vampires. Again, I couldn’t help but wonder—had I made a mistake?
When we got to the bottom of the stairs, the hall opened into a large chamber that looked like a nightclub that had jumped the shark. Only this nightclub was lit by lanterns rather than lights, and the music was from a live band. Here, I saw plenty of women, many of them with their fangs down. Kython had no dearth of female companionship. I glanced around, rather surprised that I wasn’t seeing any collared women, though.
Kython dropped back to my side. “What do you think of my new digs?”
I glanced around at the elaborate red and black tapestries that cloaked the walls, the velveteen furnishings that looked worn and tattered, the gilt-edged photo frames, and the heavy wood tables, and thought this would be one of the most claustrophobic and depressing places to live. But I plastered on a smile.
“Well, it’s more elaborate than your first quarters that I remember.” I took a chance and added, “I see a lot of collared men, but…”
“But no collared women? There’s good reason for that,” he said. “I don’t want my slaves and bloodwhores intermingling. No need for unplanned pregnancies here. Babies and vampires don’t mix, and while I have no problem sinking my teeth into a ripe, gorgeous woman, I will abide no baby-killers under my roof.” He sounded so serious that I wondered what had happened to make him adopt the practice.
“Well, for that, I and everybody else in my party would thank you.” I happened to catch his eye, and we stared at one another. He dropped his guard for a moment and I saw beyond the cocky vampire. In its place, I caught sight of a war-weary Theosian and immediately, I recognized the feeling.
Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, “It’s been a long road, hasn’t it?”
He paused, then nodded, still serious. “Too dark and too long in some ways. I cannot help what I am, but I’ve changed in the past few years. I’ve seen the darker side of human nature in a way I never expected to, and decided that I will never willingly go beyond some boundaries that others—humans included—have no qualms breaking. Fury, every woman in this bunker has come voluntarily. I take slaves without guilt from the men, but women…if they are here it’s because they have chosen to be here. And in case you had any doubt, you and your friends will be safe tonight.” Abruptly, the mood shifted and he turned and sauntered up to his throne.
I let out a long breath, realizing that Kython and I had just experienced a relationship-defining moment. Our masks had dropped and we had seen each other for who we truly were.
I returned to the others. Thor had been watching me and now, he nodded with a faint smile.
“We’ll be safe tonight,” I said, fully believing it.
Kython sat on his tattered velvet throne and held up his hand. The music stopped.
“We have guests with us tonight. They are under my protection and you know what that means. A no fangs–on approach. Wayalin, please show Queen Fury and her friends to a guest room.” He waved his hand again and the music started up.
A lovely female vampire, a gorgeous blonde with long, sleek hair, wearing a leather halter top and black jeans, approached us. “I’m Wayalin. Welcome to Kython’s World. Follow me, please.”
She sounded like a tourist guide, but
I said nothing as we fell in behind her. We followed her to a suite of rooms with an adjoining bathroom. The bathroom had been modified to include a composting toilet and a working shower, though the hot water tank was powered by a wood fire.
“The water tank refills itself, the way we’ve rigged it up. I’ll light a fire if any of you want showers.”
“I don’t know if that’s necessary, though some hot water to wash our hands and faces would be helpful.” I didn’t want to wait for the time it would take to heat up as much water as a shower would require, and there were too many of us for the water tank to manage.
“I’ll have a basin brought in with water for washing, and also some food. We have some bread and cheese if you’d like, and there’s tomato soup.” She sounded a little too bright, a little too eager.
I glanced closely at her and saw that her fangs had descended. She was too aware of us, I thought. Too thirsty.
“That’s kind of you. Thank you.” I took a subtle step away, and Thor, who was again watching, took a step forward. As he shifted position, she flinched and backed off, her fangs sliding out of sight.
“I’ll have it brought right in.” She turned and hightailed it out of the room.
“She’s a thirsty girl,” I said, watching her go.
“She is at that,” Thor said. “But vampires have no power over the Elder Gods, and she knows well enough to leave us alone.”
When we were alone, I thought about discussing our situation, but decided against it. The room could easily be bugged, and I didn’t want Kython listening in, regardless of whether I considered him true to his word.
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