Emerald Keep

by Edmund Hughes

  Emerald Keep

  Edmund Hughes

  This digital book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this title with another person, please purchase an additional copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. All other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2018 by Edmund Hughes

  Kindle Edition

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I want to acknowledge all the people who have supported my work, either through advice, reviews, editing, or proofreading. And of course, my fantastic cover artist, Cherry-gig,

  Contents

  Emerald Keep

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  CHAPTER 32

  CHAPTER 33

  CHAPTER 34

  CHAPTER 35

  CHAPTER 36

  CHAPTER 37

  CHAPTER 1

  Jack’s mansion was filled with good food, good friends, and great wine. He had a half empty glass, his second drink of the day, perched between his fingers. Mayor Stinson was already well on his way toward striding the line between tipsy and drunk, gesturing with a hand as he explained the layout of his current community passion project.

  And yet, all Jack found himself able to think of was blood. He and Ryoko had spent most of the last two weeks directing the mansion’s renovations in the wake of the shooting and the brawl with Margaret. It had been Ryoko’s idea to throw a party afterward, and she’d put together a long list of guests, most of whom he hadn’t been familiar with.

  “I hope that wasn’t one of your nice glasses,” said Mayor Stinson, with a smile. “You’re bound to lose two or three per party. I know from experience.”

  Jack nodded, trying to make the direction in which he was paying his attention less obvious. There was nothing remarkable about the woman, beyond the fact that she was either clumsy or drunk enough to have dropped her wine glass. And then polite enough to attempt to sweep up the pieces with her hand, leading to a fresh cut on one of her fingers that glistened red with a drop of sweet, smooth blood.

  “It’s fine,” said Jack.

  He forced a smile, aware that he was lying through his teeth. It had barely been a day since he’d last fed, but his bloodthirst had been stronger than usual as of late. He was using his blood magic more freely. At times, almost casually.

  “By the way, the renovations look amazing,” said Mayor Stinson. “It was about time this place received that sort of attention.”

  “I have Ryoko to thank for that,” said Jack.

  The walls had been repaired and repainted, including the entirety of the mansion’s exterior. They’d replaced the mansion’s damaged front door, and at Jack’s behest, the front and side ones, too, with heavy-duty versions likely to withstand any attacker. The only areas that still needed attention were the windows, which had been replaced but not upgraded.

  He listed the improvements to Mayor Stinson like a child listing bullet points off a homework assignment, desperate to keep his mind off the smell of that fresh, delicious blood. Ryoko had arrived with the broom, and she shot a worried look in his direction as she began sweeping up the mess. Jack tried to reassure her with a forced smile and a quick moment of eye contact.

  “She’s quite the model employee.” Mayor Stinson perked his eyebrows in a manner that had an edge of knowing to it. “Make sure you take care of that one.”

  Ryoko was dressed in her black and white maid uniform, and though it was, admittedly, a very cute look on her, Jack found himself wishing that she’d been able to join the party as an attendee. She was loyal, almost to a fault, and she’d insisted on retaining her official role for the night.

  Her hair was twisted up into a perfect, black bun, and she had her deep green eyes focused entirely on the task at hand. She was pretty, with soft facial features and a petite build that was very dainty and feminine.

  There was no annoyance in her expression as she swept up the broken shards of glass, not even as some of the more inebriated men nearby made a show of admiring the way her uniform highlighted her figure. Jack scowled at them, knowing he couldn’t say or do anything without revealing their relationship.

  “Has she been doing okay?” asked Mayor Stinson. “It’s only been a few weeks since that attack. And… the death of her uncle.”

  “She’s strong,” said Jack. “Far stronger than she might seem.”

  He watched as Ryoko stood up with the broom and dustbin in hand and headed off to dispose of the mess. They’d grown close over the past few weeks. Far closer than a maid and her employer had any right to be. Ryoko let Jack feed off her almost every night, and his bite almost always led to the two of them embracing in a more intimate capacity.

  “She’s lucky to have someone like you in her life,” said the mayor.

  Jack nodded slowly, though he wasn’t sure whether he entirely agreed.

  “What were you saying before?” he asked, aiming to change the subject. “About the mine?”

  “Oh, right,” said Mayor Stinson. “My focus right now is on attracting interested investors to get it up and running again. I never got a clear answer from my predecessor why, exactly, it was closed in the first place. There is still a tremendous amount of value in those remaining resources…”

  Jack kept up the appearance of paying attention, but he felt his façade cracking as the woman who’d cut her finger made her way by him, in the direction of the bathroom. She smiled and let her eyes meet his for an instant. It almost felt like she was flaunting herself in front of him, with the smell of blood so thick and heady on the air, even from just a few drops.

  Jack cleared his throat and held up a hand, feeling a throbbing headache pounding through his skull.

  “Excuse me for a minute,” he said. “I think I need to use the bathroom.”

  He slipped away from the mayor without giving him a chance for further questions. He’d been fairly confident about his ability to endure through the night without needing to sate his bloodthirst, maybe overly so. He headed for the kitchen, taking deep, calming breaths on the way.

  Most of the symptoms of his bloodthirst were manageable, with the right attitude. Or with copious amounts of alcohol. Unfortunately, the latter option wouldn’t be something he could commit to at his own dinner party without making a scene.

  “Sir?” Ryoko’s voice came from behind him, gentle and curious. “Are you feeling alright?”

  Jack turned around, leaning against the kitchen counter and letting out a sigh.

  “I’m holding out,” he said. “Mostly.”

  She smiled at him, and he saw her feelings for him push through her professional demeanor. Jack held his hands out and she took them into his, drawing c
loser to him.

  “I should have said something this morning,” said Ryoko. “I had a feeling this might happen.”

  “So did I,” said Jack. “But I guess… I don’t like the idea of letting my instincts control me like that.”

  He shifted his hand, bringing it up to cup the side of Ryoko’s cheek. She was still smiling, and she turned her head slightly to the side to kiss his thumb. Then she sucked on it, for a tantalizing, torturous instant.

  “We’ve already eaten dinner,” she said. “It’ll only be an hour or two longer.”

  Jack pulled her in close, feeling the tension in the kitchen skyrocket as his body made contact with hers. He could feel her breasts pressing against his chest, and he let one of his hands slide down to the small of her back as he embraced her.

  “Nobody will start looking for me for another few minutes,” he said.

  He kissed her, feeling her lips move against his with passion and a different kind of hunger. Ryoko had shown him her hidden side. A side of herself that was a contrast to the demure face she so often put on as a maid. Remembering just how involved she could get during their lovemaking sent a firm pulse of arousal through his body.

  “Sir…” she whispered.

  It was both a reprimand and a plea. Jack kissed her again, and then let his lips slip to the side, grazing across his favorite spot to bite on her neck.

  “You wouldn’t mind…” whispered Jack. “Would you?”

  He let his hand grope her buttock, his fingers teasing at the bottom hem of her skirt. Ryoko let out a low, tempted moan, and slowly shook her head.

  “Later tonight,” she whispered. “You shouldn’t. Not right now.”

  “Why not?”

  Ryoko took a step back.

  “It’s why I came to find you, sir,” she said. “Katherine just arrived.”

  Jack slowly shook his head, almost wondering if he’d misheard her. Katie hadn’t spoken a word to him since they’d returned from the island after confronting Emanuel and his thugs. He’d tried more than once to reach out to her, to mend the bridge and go back to the way things had once been. Hell, he’d sent the party invitations to her in an attempt to do just that. But he hadn’t actually expected her to show up.

  “So what?” said Jack. “What does Katie being here have to do with anything?”

  Ryoko frowned, looking unamused by Jack’s attempt to seem ignorant of her point. Katie had been the one Jack had fed off before he’d told Ryoko the full truth of his secret. In some ways, his and Katie’s relationship had been as close and intimate as he and Ryoko were now.

  “We should wait,” said Ryoko. “And you should talk to her.”

  CHAPTER 2

  Jack only reluctantly returned to the party after plastering a phony smile on his face for the sake of his guests. The two dozen or so people in attendance were mostly unknown to him, friends of the Mayor and other important members of the community that he didn’t share much in common with other than having lots of money.

  He spotted Katie over by the snack table, standing alone. She had on a low-cut red dress that did a good job of presenting her above-average-sized breasts, and her brown hair was twisted into a fancy braid which hung between her shoulder blades. Her face was oval in shape, and a small smattering of freckles dusted the bridge of her nose.

  She didn’t look over at Jack as he approached, keeping her attention entirely focused on a small cube of cheese on a toothpick that she held between two fingers.

  “Katie,” he said.

  “Jack.”

  He fidgeted in the space of the uncomfortable silence that followed. In truth, he wasn’t sure what to say to her that would help. The last time they’d spoken, she’d basically called him a monster, and probably for good reason.

  “No Bruce tonight?” he asked. “I would think your fiancé would take issue with you coming to a party that I’m throwing on your own.”

  Katie finally glanced over at him, wearing her annoyance openly on her face.

  “Bruce is finishing up his patrol,” she said. “He’ll be here soon.”

  The silence began to stretch again, and Jack couldn’t help but scowl a little.

  “You didn’t have to come,” he said. “I invited you to be polite. Not because I expected you to show up.”

  “I know,” said Katie.

  Jack gritted his teeth. Why did he let her get under his skin like this?

  “I’m not going to apologize, if that’s what you want,” said Jack. “I don’t regret what I did.”

  The men he’d killed had been modern day slavers and unrepentant about it. Jack had made a mess of them, and the only guilt he harbored was over how much he’d enjoyed it. It had felt good to snuff them out, even knowing how he must have looked in Katie’s eyes.

  “An apology wouldn’t change anything,” said Katie, in a quiet voice. “It wouldn’t fix the stupid fucking mistakes we’ve both made.”

  There was an edge to her tone that made Jack suspect that she wasn’t just talking about his actions against Emanuel’s gang. What was it then, he wondered? Was she referring to Jack’s mistake in coming to Lestaron Island in the first place? Or the massive blunder that had been letting Mira, a vengeful vampire, into the mansion?

  Or was Katie talking about her own poor decisions? Not killing Jack immediately after he’d been embraced. Letting him feed off her as a band-aid solution for his condition. Letting him do more than just that, in the heat of the moment.

  “So why are you here then?” asked Jack.

  Katie crossed her arms and let out a slow sigh.

  “Another member of the Order of Chaldea knows about you,” said Katie. “He’s an old friend of mine.”

  “An old friend of yours?” asked Jack.

  “His name is Pierce,” said Katie. “We… studied together.”

  “Pierce,” muttered Jack. “Where do I know that name?”

  “Margaret… might have mentioned him,” Katie said, blushing a little.

  Jack let out a small chuckle. Margaret was the last agent of the Order that he’d encountered. She’d come close to capturing him on behalf of the Order of Chaldea. So close that the only thing that had stopped her, in the end, had been a stray bullet intended for him. They’d visited her in the hospital while she’d been recovering from the wound, and Jack remembered the conversation Katie was talking about.

  “Right, I remember,” he said. “Margaret made it sound like this guy was an old flame of yours.”

  Katie’s face turned bright red, which made the freckles dusting the bridge of her nose stand out even more.

  “That’s not… I mean… We were just…” She scowled and shook her head, trying to compose herself. “Look, my point is, I talked to him about you. I told him the truth of the situation, Jack. He’ll be here tonight.”

  “You… what?” Jack stared at her, unable to believe what she’d just said. “You told him about me?”

  “Margaret had already given him the gist of what was going on,” said Katie. “I just filled in the specifics.”

  “The specifics?” Jack felt a sudden flash of anger. He reached out and grabbed Katie’s elbow. “What the fuck did you tell him, Katie?”

  “Let go of my arm, Jack.” Katie’s gaze turned icy. Jack tightened his grip.

  She still had one hand free, and she used it to slap him across the face. She put her strength into it, and it stung more than just his pride. A hush fell across the rest of the room as all of Jack’s guests discreetly turned their attention in his direction. Katie roughly pulled her elbow loose and stomped away, her heels clacking against the floor with each step.

  Jack felt his face burn with embarrassment as he tried to think of what to say or do. Katie could be volatile at times, but it was clear enough that her anger was a hangover from the argument they’d had the last time they’d spoke, rather than just from him grabbing her arm.

  He knew that, and she knew that, but the onlookers didn’t. Jack shrugged and held h
is arms out, trying to think of something, anything, that he could say to save face.

  “Looks like she’s mad at me,” he said. A feeble attempt was better than nothing, he supposed.

  “Furious is more like it.” Mayor Stinson grinned at Jack, and a few chuckles broke out across the room as the tension finally broke.

  Two full glasses of wine later, Jack sat at the kitchen counter, considering his options. He’d told Margaret that he was willing to talk with the Order of Chaldea, provided that they didn’t show up on his doorstep intending to purge the “nightwalker threat” that he represented.

  It was one thing to make an offer like that, and it was another to follow through with it. Jack felt on edge as he made his way back into the lounge, scanning the faces of his guests for anyone he didn’t recognize.

  Bruce had arrived and was standing with Katie and one of her friends, telling a story with animated gestures. Ryoko was carrying a tray with a wine bottle on it and refilling the glasses of anyone who waved her down. Jack felt a little awkward, standing by himself and waiting for what was to come.

  He didn’t have to wait for long. The doorbell rang, and Ryoko hurried off to let the late arriving guest into the mansion. He examined the man who entered through the foyer, sizing him up and receiving the same scrutiny in return.

  The man Jack assumed was Pierce was tall, with short shaved black hair and dark skin. He was handsome and around the same age as Jack and Katie, with the type of build that would have been well-suited for contact sports. He wore a windbreaker and a pair of track pants with seemingly no shame at being underdressed for the occasion. He was already staring at Jack, even as he made his way toward Katie and Bruce.

  Watching Katie react to Pierce’s arrival stirred mixed emotions within Jack. She smiled and immediately hurried over to pull him into a hug. Jack glanced over at Bruce, expecting Katie’s usually overprotective, jealous fiancé to react poorly to the situation. Instead, Bruce grinned at Pierce, pulling the man into a second hug as soon as he’d finished with Katie’s.