Renegade (Shadow Realms): An Urban Fantasy Dragon Shifter Romance

by Amber Ella Monroe

Vicq took one last look at Elaina and then stumbled from the courtyard.

  While emotionless and kneeling on the floor, Elaina had only one thought. One hope.

  Come back for me. Take back your Court. No matter how long it takes.

  Chapter 27

  The pain in Vicq’s heart raged and tore him down more than the stab wounds riddling his body. He couldn’t bear the thought she was lost to him forever. The willpower to turn around and whisk Elaina away was strong, but he feared that Russo might retaliate against Elaina instead of him. He just didn’t want to see her endure another moment of agony. He didn’t want her fighting his battles, but Elaina had a mind of her own. Why she thought it would be a good idea to kneel before Russo was beyond him? Yet, he knew Elaina more than anyone else. She knew damned well that he’d come back for her.

  In his current state—drained of nearly half of his blood—he was no longer able to shift anywhere. Fuck, he hadn’t even been able to break the chains binding him to the floor. Even now after feeding on the blood slave offered to him, his body reacted by trying to lure him into a slumber. But he was on enemy’s ground and he had to move out fast. He sensed Russo’s vampires following him through the mountains and valleys as he walked through the territory. Only when he was out of the jurisdiction that belonged to the Court did he feel the other vampire presences fading away.

  An hour later, when the sun begin to rise, Vicq took cover in a cave. Slumbering within miles of Russo’s territory was out of the question, so he fought the urge and continued to allow his body to heal at a slower pace.

  Dawn seemed to take forever, but as soon as he was safe from deteriorating under the sun rays, he followed some train tracks to the nearest train station.

  Right after crossing the threshold into his countryside manor, he collapsed on the floor beside the hearth, and his body shut down, taking him into a deep slumber.

  Chapter 28

  Vicq watched as Mr. Smith settled back in the sofa with the fresh cup of brewed tea that Leila had just handed to him. He pulled out a small flask from his pocket and splashed some whiskey into the cup with the tea.

  It hadn’t taken Vicq long to find the new sanctuary deep within the valley of Niagara Falls by following Leo’s blood presence. For over seventy hours, he’d lain on the floor next to the hearth, dead to the world. He’d woken up to the screams of his mother. Still, after all these decades, the earthquake that had caused his parents’ deaths still haunted him in his dreams.

  “How many vampires are there in this Court?” Mr. Smith asked.

  “Hundreds,” Vicq replied. “Thousands if you count the Dresdan that have been stationed to carry out duties outside of it.”

  Mr. Smith chugged down the tea without pause. “Are you certain my daughter is still alive?”

  “She is. I’m her Maker and I feel her presence and I’m certain that she feels mine,” Vicq said. “However, Emory is in grave danger. Some days I feel his presence fade and other days it’s as strong as ever. This gives me reason to believe that he’s being held as a blood slave.”

  “Blood slave?” Mr. Smith fumed.

  “Humans who provide blood to Dresdan,” Eli replied, shifting in his seat.

  “This is…this is just…” Mr. Smith shook his head and shot up from the chair and paced the small area. “I should’ve stayed with her back at Refuge,” he muttered.

  “I’m sorry,” Leo exclaimed. “We changed rotation and …”

  “No.” Mr. Smith stopped pacing. “It’s not your fault. Elaina has always been hands-on and tactical. Whatever she wanted, she went out and got it. I just didn’t know she would risk her damn life like that. Dammit.”

  From across the room, Leila sighed and fell back into Leo’s arms.

  “The point is, Elaina is our real victor here. She made a split second decision and risked herself so that the next mission could be carried out,” Vicq said.

  “And if you were dead, that mission would have failed,” Brandon added. “The Court members honored the previous Master, Zaket, even in his last days. He had given his word that he’d choose another Master worthy of the Court. That Master was supposed to be you, and there are many who are beginning to realize that.”

  “And what if this other mission fails,” Mr. Smith asked. “And you don’t take back your Court and you can’t free my daughter? Then what? Am I supposed to stand by and do nothing? Because that won’t happen.”

  Eli rose and placed his hand on Elaina’s dad shoulder. “Look, Mr. Smith, there are many things you aren’t going to understand or even accept about us, but I’ve known Vicq for decades. He’s not going to let your daughter live the rest of her days with his enemy.”

  Eli glanced Vicq’s way after reassuring Mr. Smith, but even he held a hint of uncertainty in his gaze.

  Vicq rose from the armrest he was perched on. “Eli is right. Just like I planned, I’ll take back my Court and have my Queen. Brandon has already started the process of locating any covens who’ve denounced ties to Russo.”

  Brandon nodded. “We’ve already gotten the support of Ghost. We’ve made alliances with the Crow coven from the north, the Lunar coven in Alberta, and the Azote coven down in Mexico. They’re more than ready to help.”

  “All right.” Mr. Smith scrubbed his hand down across his face. “Just tell me what I can do. I’ll do it.”

  “Elaina tells me that you have some bounty hunters and vampire trackers in your Refuge that are skilled at tracking down rogues,” Vicq said.

  “Since we’re all being truthful here, yes, we do. We track down and kill the ones who murder,” Mr. Smith replied.

  “I have reason to believe that there’s a coven of rogues out there somewhere without a leader and they’ve been without a leader for a very long time,” Vicq said. “When we released Mercer, he revealed that they referred to him as Master right before he was captured by District 5. I have reason to believe that if I can find that coven, I can find Mercer again.”

  “Why would you want to find Mercer again?” Brandon asked. “I thought he specifically stated that he doesn’t want to be bothered.”

  “I’m going to take my chances and I’m willing to risk dismemberment if he goes batshit crazy on me, but Mercer may just be the answer to a unified Court. And I’m going to find him.”

  Chapter 29

  Two Weeks Later

  The search for Mercer had taken Vicq more time than he wanted, but after trailing Mercer’s essence for two weeks straight, the evidence had finally led him to one simple resolution. He’d have to befriend some rogues, not just locate them. At first, they weren’t willing to give up where Mercer might have gone. When they learned that the warlock vampire was planning to end it all, they were more receptive to cooperation with the hopes that someone might be able to talk him out of it. And befriend a rogue he did, one who led him straight to one of Mercer’s caves.

  “So, are you just going to die and leave your entire legacy behind,” Vicq asked.

  “What legacy? My legacy lies within me,” Mercer answered, weak from continued exposure to the sun. “I take it with me.”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “I want to see Fatima again. I want to tell her how sorry I am for thinking that she could trust her brother.”

  “You were mated to her?” Vicq asked, taking a seat next to Mercer on the dusty ground.

  “Yes, we mated while she was human,” he said. “They’re so fragile, you know.”

  “Yes, they are.”

  “She wanted to be turned, but I wouldn’t do it. I failed her.”

  “But to turn her, you would have had to kill her,” Vicq said.

  “And I wasn’t ready to do that,” Mercer said. “I wasn’t even there when she needed me the most. She just slipped away, and I couldn’t do anything about it.”

  “Is that when you turned rogue again,” Vicq asked.

  Mercer was silent for a long moment.

  “I don’t know the exact moment. I tried to
not take her death out on others, but I was lost without her. She taught me compassion for humans, and she showed me how to live my life. Before I met her, all I had were my gifts and my vampirism.”

  “Before Fatima and before you overthrew the Court, what was your life like then?”

  “I was destined to live eternity serving the Court alongside my cousin as a Superior. He was a warlock, as well. Do you know that there currently aren’t any warlocks in the Dresdan Court? We are a dying breed, which is unfortunate since it was our magic that created the first of the Dresdan. At all times, one of us was to lead the Court,” Mercer explained.

  “What happened?”

  “We evolved. Humans evolved. And suddenly, vampire existence was known to mankind. I wanted a united front and better control over our numbers, and my cousin wanted to create an army of vampires just in case the humans decided to attack us. Well, guess who won?”

  “You did. You killed him, remember?”

  “No, I didn’t win. The Dresdan Court was without a Master for a very long time after that. And I failed at unifying the Court. When Zaket took the reins, I fell back into the shadows. If ever a vampire I trusted with the Court, it was Zaket. But history has a way of repeating itself, and there seems to be one common factor in every case.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Women. It doesn’t matter if she’s human or vampire. One little decision made by a woman can change the course of things forever. Fatima changed my outlook on life. Your Master Zaket chose a human wife, and when she died, she took a piece of him with her. Word on the street is that Russo has your mate.”

  Anger rose in Vicq’s gut. “She gave herself up for me. I—”

  “I caught wind of it from some rogues. Word travels fast, even outside the Court.”

  “I have to get her back.”

  “What are you waiting on?”

  “If I return, he’ll kill Elaina. It was part of the deal. Mercer, I need your help.”

  “Ah, of course. Everyone needs my help.”

  “I have very little to offer a warlock and Superior vampire in return, but I promise that you if you lead us, I will help you bring about a unified Court. I’ve never lost that vision.”

  Mercer shook his head. “No, Vicq. I won’t lead the Court. My mate is waiting for me on the other side. How many times do I have to explain that to you? I’m here to die. It’s what I’ve wanted all this time. No one will grant me my death wish or offer to cut off my head for me, in fear that I will retaliate or somehow come back from the dead with my witchy magic and haunt them.” He laughed.

  Vicq laughed. “Well, you do have an advantage over other Dresdan with your powers.”

  “But what if I told you that I could help you win back the Court.”

  “If that’s what it takes to get Elaina back and unify vampires, I will.”

  Mercer shifted on the ground and stretched out his legs. “I’m more than ready, Vicq. My blood magic is a gift. It can be passed on.”

  “You’re not suggesting that…?”

  “Yes. You have something that I need, and in return, I’ll give you what you need to succeed.”

  “What do I have?”

  “The ability to bring my swift end so I don’t have to suffer anymore.”

  Vicq dropped his face into his palm. “I don’t know about this.”

  “I will die here, regardless of what you do next. Every day, my life force drains from me a little more. A blood vessel dries up. A vein fails to pump blood to my heart. It could take another three weeks, or it could take a couple of months, but pretty soon, there will be no blood magic left in me. I can take my legacy with me, but I can’t take my blood magic with me.”

  Vicq sighed. “You’re asking me to kill you and take your life force.”

  Mercer nodded. “You will be more powerful than the Master who currently resides. That’s the way it should be. That’s the way it was until I messed it up. I see this as a way to redeem the Court and bring back the blood magic that will unite the vampire race again.”

  “And you won’t come back from the dead to haunt me?” Vicq asked, only half kidding.

  “No, I’ll be preoccupied with Fatima,” Mercer said. “I don’t have the desire to live in this world anymore without my mate. Please take the force that binds me to this existence.”

  “What if I can’t control the magic?”

  “My memories will be an open book, and you’re stronger than you realize.”

  “Are you sure you want that? Do you really want me to know your history and everything you’ve done, good or bad?”

  “I’m willing to reveal everything if you wish to accept.”

  “Okay, just give me some time to think.” Vicq stood and paced the small cave.

  “I’m a very patient fellow, but rumor has it that Russo is not.”

  “When do you have in mind?” Vicq asked, nervously.

  “Right now, Vicq. While you’re dancing in front of me, another vein in my neck dries up.”

  His heart drummed and he exhaled. “Okay.”

  “But there is something you should know. The magic comes with a price,” he said.

  “What’s that?”

  “The rogues. If you take the magic, you’ll have to take responsibility for the rogues because you’ll be the only one who can keep them in line. But if you seek unity, I have no doubt that you’ll be able to control and oversee them with the full support of the Dresdan Court.”

  “This is a lot to take in, but the responsibility falls on me now,” Vicq said.

  “Then don’t wait another moment.”

  Chapter 30

  Elaina never understood why Russo made her attend meals where the only people that ate were his human blood slaves. Why did he attend their dinners to watch them eat while he sat there stewing in a hoard of bad decisions? Maybe watching them reminded him of all the things he had in life when he was human?

  And the blood slaves performed as if the meal presented to them was the best they’d ever had.

  Elaina sighed and settled back into her chair. Russo stared at her from across the table, but she avoided his gaze. She realized that the more time he spent with her, the more he rubbed off on her. Soon, she’d become hateful of everyone around her, wishing she could be with someone that she loved wholeheartedly. Someone who could love her back the same way.

  But Russo wasn’t capable of loving anymore. It seemed that he took more pride in owning people than he did in gaining their mutual trust and respect.

  “Why so sad, Elaina,” he asked her, leaning forward and placing his forearms on the table.

  “I don’t eat food. I don’t understand why I’m here,” she said.

  “Here’s the thing. If you want a healthy blood slave, you have to feed them right. And the only way I know that’s being done is if I know what they’re eating.” He said this with no shame while they listened.

  “You’re a monster.”

  He smiled. “And if they eat a balanced meal, then so do you. And then so do I. See how all of this works out?”

  Elaina rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t how much more of this I can take. I don’t see how you haven’t died of boredom and cabin fever. Do you ever step foot outside the Court?”

  Russo frowned. He slid his seat back and rose from the table. “Carry on.”

  After commanding her to stand, Russo led them into her sleeping quarters. She was chained to the bed nightly because Russo feared that she would flee or try to kill herself when he was away. He slumbered elsewhere, which told her that the coward was afraid she might betray him. He knew what was coming for him. Maybe he was smarter than she thought, after all.

  While in the room, he slammed her body against the wall face first and imprisoned her against it.

  “Don’t you ever talk to me like that. I’m your Master, and you will act like it. You will shut up during meals from now on. I don’t care if you don’t like it.”

  Elaina laughed. “I
may be your Donor now, but I’m still Elaina Arakelian. I will say what I want. I won’t bite my tongue for anyone. You knew what you were dealing with when you dragged me into your Court. I made it clear that I wouldn’t shut up for anyone.”

  “Is this who you really are?” he sneered.

  “You just bring out the worst in me.” She thrust her elbow back and jabbed him in the ribcage.

  He retaliated by burying his fangs in the back of her neck.

  Elaina cringed, and despite what she’d just told him, she bit her tongue again and let all of her anger fade from her. Who was she fooling? He had her right where—and how—he wanted her.

  As he pulled from her vein, she shut down everything. All past memories. She’d learned to feed him the same one over and over again. The one of her slicing through his Superiors on the day she’d become his Donor. Those memories didn’t seem to faze him anymore. Not even now as he reveled in the feeding and moaned against her neck as he fed off her blood and the remnants of her anger.

  “That was good. Let’s fight again,” he said.

  “Don’t push your luck,” she said.

  “Fine. Now what you’ll do is go back to the table and sit your ass down until I tell you it’s okay to leave. You will watch them eat until I give you permission to get up.”

  Reluctantly, Elaina did as she was told.

  Fifteen minutes into the feeding, one of the maids ran into the room with blood splatters on her apron. She waved her hands about frantically.

  “Oh my God,” she screamed.

  Several Superiors entered the room in an attempt to shield their Master, but by that time, it was too late.

  Vicq barged into the dining hall with the force of a tornado. He was covered in the blood of his enemies. And not only that, he had more than a few Dresdan causing chaos. He’d brought the rogues with him. Dishes flew from the table and smashed into walls as Vicq and whatever malevolent force he possessed entered the room.