Fated Origins: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 4)

by May Freighter

  Lilia shook her head. “I am giving you a choice, mortal. The first time we met, without a second thought, you accepted Lucious’ string and merged your souls together with my help. You know how dark and frightening that path was. Don’t you wish for the suffering to end? How many more scars must your soul bear?”

  Studying the woman’s hand, Helena contemplated her words. If she continued to stall, people might die. If she accepted Lilia’s hand, she could disappear. What could a single human do in this fight? She didn’t know the rules, didn’t even know where to begin or what to say to stop Arthemis from awakening.

  “If I accept, what will happen to me?”

  “Whatever you like. You may slumber here forever, or I will wake you when the troubles are over.”

  “Am I supposed to take you at your word?”

  Lilia let out a laugh.

  “This isn’t a joke!”

  “No, it is not. The world may come to an end, and you care whether I will wake you or not.” Lilia’s expression turned cold. “Let me right the wrongs of the past, and you will have your body back. You have my word.”

  Helena rubbed her chest. Doing this would mean giving up the last chance to see Lucious. Yet, she couldn’t be responsible for the death of so many innocents because of her indecision. She cursed aloud and outstretched her hand. “Take it.”

  “A wise decision,” Lilia said, locking her fingers around Helena’s hand. “Now sleep…”

  LILIA

  Lilia’s soul filled out the shell. She could feel her chest rising and falling with each breath she took and hear the sound of Helena’s friends screaming her name. When she opened her eyes, their voices quietened and their faces turned ashen. Yes, at last, she was reborn.

  “You’re…” the demon started to say.

  Lilia cut her off. “I’m borrowing this vessel for a while.”

  “Lilia?” the human next to her whispered her name like a curse.

  Lilia stood and glanced at her lack of clothing. The steam in the room had almost masked the smell of sweat clinging to her bare limbs. “I believe I need a bath before we continue this discussion. Would you mind leaving me be?”

  “What did you do to Helena?” the demon shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders.

  Annoyed, Lilia slapped her hands away.

  At the same time, the hunter grasped the demon’s hand. “Maya, let’s go. She said she’ll talk to us later.”

  “What the hell, Ben? She’s freaking hijacked Helena’s body and all you can think about is letting this bitch have her bubble bath?”

  Lilia folded her arms and scanned the demon’s vessel. The darkness swirling within the vampire’s body had no room left for another soul. Demons were always bottom feeders who consumed souls, taking their chance at reincarnation away. “I would not throw stones so eagerly, demon. You have also possessed a vessel of your own and, from what I can see, that vampire’s soul is no longer there.”

  “Don’t try to act innocent! It’s you who is playing with fire and fate!” Maya shouted.

  “Maya, stop. Let’s go.” The hunter grabbed the demon’s arms and dragged her out of the room.

  Lilia shut the door once they passed the threshold and turned the key that sat in the lock. She pressed her back against the smooth wood. She didn’t expect to be greeted by a demon and a human hunter the instant she took control of her vessel. What she needed was Reaver. He had to do his part before she called in a few favours of her own.

  The steam in the room made it hard to breathe. Her attention turned to the stream of water coming from the metal hose attached to the wall. She tilted her head to one side, trying to understand how that contraption worked. Reaching her hand out, she touched the burning stream of water and instinctively jerked her hand back.

  Too hot.

  She scanned the rest of the room for a bathtub, finding none. Her brows knitted together as she poked her hand out again. The stream was inhumanly hot, turning her skin red in seconds. How am I supposed to wash with the scolding liquid burning my flesh? Do the humans in this century prefer to suffer while cleaning their bodies? Certainly, she had seen some strange things in her past cycle, but this? She shrugged and stripped down before hopping under the spray of water.

  Lilia gritted her teeth, letting a silent hiss escape her lips now and again as she quickly rinsed her body and escaped from the manmade torture cubicle. The water continued to run even though she had finished washing. Her frown deepened.

  Are these things a human replica of waterfalls?

  Gathering her clothes off the ground, she entered the other room where on a large bed a demon sat and stared at Lilia in disbelief.

  “Gosh, use a freaking towel!” Maya complained, covering her eyes.

  “Do you have clothes for me?” Lilia asked, ignoring her outburst.

  Maya reached for the pile of material rested on the bed and threw it at her. “Put those on after you wipe down with a towel. Be thankful Ben went out to get you something proper to eat, otherwise, I would maim you right here for indecent exposure.”

  Lilia overturned the clothing in her hand. It was very different to the gowns and under-dresses she had grown used to.

  “What? You don’t know what jeans are?” Maya snapped.

  In all her life, she hadn’t been judged by a demon in such a way. Even when she made a deal with Lazarus to awaken her in this cycle, he never once berated her.

  Have demons lost their patience and love for the hunt?

  Maya slapped her forehead. “It’s been like thousands of years since you were last walking around. Of course, you’ve no idea what jeans are.” She peered past Lilia at the bathroom. “And you don’t know how to shower, either. Have you washed your hair?”

  “I do not plan on jumping into the hellish waters again unless I am desperate,” Lilia replied.

  The demon burst into a fit of laughter and slid off the bed. She grasped Lilia’s arm, dragging her back into the washroom. Once she took the clothing out of Lilia’s hands, Maya fiddled with something in the shower. She motioned for Lilia to come closer. “Try it now. It won’t burn you, I promise.”

  “Why would a demon help me?”

  “Because I’m Helena’s friend, and I don’t think she’d like attracting flies wherever she goes. Get in and use the soap and shampoo.”

  Uncertain, Lilia followed the procedure the demon talked her through. Under the warm water, bubbles formed on her hands and suds ran down her body, which brought a tiny smile to her lips. She had never seen such a wondrous sight.

  “When you’re done,” Maya interjected, “wrap this towel around yourself.” She placed a folded piece of fluffy woollen material on the sink and stepped out of the room.

  Lilia turned off the water like the demon had shown her and wrapped the towel around her chest. It soaked up the water on her skin and warmed with her body’s heat.

  “I’m finished,” Lilia called through the door.

  Maya re-emerged with the clothes. She yanked the towel off Lilia, wiping down her damp arms and legs. After tossing the towel on the floor, she directed Lilia on how to put on undergarments, jeans, and something called a T-shirt.

  “There, you look like a human being,” Maya said, admiring her handiwork.

  “I am not human,” Lilia corrected her. “My vessel is.”

  “Potato, potatoh. Whatever floats your boat.”

  Lilia stared at her, trying to figure out the association between boats and potatoes. She didn’t have time to play games. She needed to visit her son’s tomb. But, before that, she had to get Reaver to complete his end of the bargain.

  “We must seek out Reaver at once.” She pushed past Maya who caught Lilia’s shoulder.

  “You’re not going anywhere until you explain what happened to Helena.”

  “She sleeps within me. Now, may we go?”

  Maya raised a brow. “Sleeps? So she’s still in there? You didn’t erase her soul?”

  “At first, I planned on i
t, but Michael chose to give her a second chance for some reason. I will not betray his final will. When everything is over, she will have her body back.”

  “I know Lazarus and you had plotted to wake you up when your soul was reborn to save the Human Realm. What I don’t know is what the threat is and how we can stop it.”

  Lilia shook Maya’s hand off and sat on the edge of the bed. She saw a bowl of fruit on the table by the drawn curtains and her stomach growled like a starving beast in a cave. Taking a bite out of a red apple, she said, “My son must be killed before he awakens in this cycle or his servants will enslave humanity.”

  Maya scowled at her. “Why would vampires just up and start taking over the world? They have worked hard to hide in the shadows for centuries…”

  “They will not have a choice. Arthemis rules them all, will or no will.”

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  Lilia gave a lengthy sigh. “He can control his descendants without their permission.” She picked up the bowl of fruit. “I will eat as we travel. We must find Reaver. He should have found what I need by now.”

  “We can’t go yet,” the demon said.

  “Why not?”

  “You need to get Helena’s passport and talk to her parents.”

  4

  THE ROYALS

  LUCIOUS

  “L ucious, wake up. We have a ceremony to attend,” Hans’ voice broke through his sleep.

  Lucious groaned. Sitting up, he noticed that he was no longer on the floor but rather stretched out on the bed. He scanned the room, landing his questioning gaze on Hans. “Did you lift me onto the bed?”

  “No, I did not. Now get up and change. The delegates are here, and we cannot make them wait any longer.”

  With another disgruntled groan, Lucious slid off the bed and ran a hand over his face. He found the box with the crystal sphere resting on the bedside table and shot up. “Helena!”

  “What about her?”

  “I have to get in contact with Zafira. I need someone to check on her.”

  Hans patted him on the shoulder then ambled to Lucious’ wardrobe and chose a black suit out of the grim selection. “We can ask someone else to do that for us. Please, we must hurry.”

  Lucious reached for his phone, ignoring the other Councilman in the room. He dialled Zafira’s number. There was no answer. He left a message, hoping she would get to Helena faster than Ben could convince her to do something stupid.

  After placing the clothes on the bed, Hans assessed Lucious again. “I will tell you this one last time before I order the hounds to dress you, put on the suit, Lucious. We cannot make these elders wait. They are our only chance at restoring order in our territory.”

  “I know. I just cannot abandon my worry when it comes to her.”

  “You must. You are no longer bound to her. You’ve let her go. It is time Helena carves her own path in life, don’t you think?”

  Lucious raised a brow. “You say it as if I have dragged her through life until now.”

  “Take my words however you like, but Helena is not a weak-willed woman. She will always do what she believes is right.”

  “It could get her killed!”

  “Then that is the choice she makes and the path she takes. You are a Councilman, Lucious. You are bound by responsibility and are not permitted to leave Europe, for your safety and stability of this fragile new Council. Do not throw away your sire’s final wish for some baseless unease.”

  While he put on the suit, Lucious thought hard about Hans’ words. Helena was stubborn and had a knack for getting herself into dangerous situations. He was torn between his duty and desire to flee this place and keep her out of reach of others. Such ideas were thoughts of a fool. Too much rested on his shoulders. As a Councilman, he could not travel to the US without an invitation from their Council. Otherwise, it may be seen as an act of hostility. It could spark a war between two continents, and with the lack of stability in Europe, they were bound to lose.

  He used to believe that being on the Council brought more power and freedom with such a high position. The longer he spent in this lonely seat, the more pressure piled on top of him. Without control, there would be chaos. No wonder the number of people fighting for a seat had decreased with the centuries, and Eliza maintained her hold on Europe for over a thousand years. The invisible shackles, once closed, would not come off until he perished or abandoned his post like Xi Yi had. To this day, she had been branded a criminal and the only way to erase that was for her to die.

  “Are you ready?” Hans asked, peering around the door.

  “Yes.” Lucious buttoned up the last button of his jacket and followed him out of the room.

  Since the mansion they stayed in was not big enough to house the delegates, the meeting had to be moved to the Andaz Hotel in the heart of London. Kallias had prepared the venue and the invitations, which Lucious had no problems with. Seeing Kallias, dressed in a blood-red tuxedo and beaming with excitement brought forth a sense of suspicion in Lucious.

  Whatever this Royal is planning, it cannot be good.

  They were led into the hotel’s private events room. Mahogany chairs and furniture lined the yellow marble walls that shot to the ceiling where a large golden star was encircled with the zodiac symbols and ocean-blue paint. For Lucious, this seemed overboard while he, Hans, and Kallias crossed the chequered floor to the three seats at the end of the room.

  With a grin, Kallias sat in the middle, forcing Lucious to take the seat on his right and Hans on his left. Vampires of all ages sat in their seats. Many of which were left empty. A quick count of the heads informed him there were only twenty-eight delegates present. Less than what they needed to secure the support of Europe’s vampires.

  Not discouraged, Kallias clapped his hands once the doors closed, sealing everyone in the spacious chamber. “Greetings ladies and gentlemen. I believe there should be more of you here than a measly forty-seven percent. Mind explaining to me the reason behind this boycott?”

  The closest elder Lucious recognised as Zeno Demetriou from Greece raised a wrinkled hand in the air. Grey hair on his scalp was combed back and his sunken brown eyes looked through his bushy brows.

  “There are many unanswered questions regarding the deaths of the previous Council,” Zeno said in a throaty voice. “An explanation must be given!”

  Kallias’ smile faltered. “Of course, but first, how long has the Demetriou line been one of the most powerful bloodlines in Europe?”

  “We aren’t,” Zeno replied.

  Kallias chuckled. “Oh, my mistake.” All humour vanished from his face. “Then why are you sitting closest to me?”

  The elder’s lips pressed into a grim line. He stood and moved down to the middle. Once he claimed a new chair, he cleared his throat and waited for Kallias to speak.

  “Very good. Know your place when you speak to a Royal. My blood runs through your veins, yet you dare act mightier than me?” He laughed softly, making Lucious shift uncomfortably. “To answer your question about the death of the previous Council, it was a tragedy. Eliza put all of her marbles in a bag and seemed to have lost it. Opening a Blood Gate, summoning demons into our world, causing havoc to purge the hunters? She was put down for endangering the lives of every single vampire in Europe. Or is that not a good enough reason?”

  Another elder, a woman who looked no older than twenty-three with long mahogany hair reaching her waist lifted her hand.

  “Speak, Esme,” Kallias said.

  “And who was the one to kill Eliza?” she asked with her French accent seeping into each word.

  “A human woman called Helena Hawthorn,” Kallias replied.

  Lucious shot out of his seat and glared at him. “Do not bring her into this!”

  The elders’ chatter filled the room. Their worry and whispered accusations were not missed by Lucious. With his bubbling rage, his hand caught fire and the chatter abruptly stopped.

  “Isn’t that Eliza’s power?”
Esme asked.

  “It is,” Lucious growled.

  “If a human supposedly killed Eliza, which is not possible, then why do you have her power?”

  Kallias captured Lucious’ wrist and nudged him to return to his seat. Once Lucious complied, the Royal let out another light-hearted chuckle. “The answer is simple. He was bound to a fate.”

  A bald man with dark stubble on his cheeks and jaw almost burst out of his seat with laughter. “A fate?”

  “Kallias…” Lucious hissed his name in warning.

  The Royal ignored his threat. “You all know what this means, don’t you? In preparation for the cycle to come to an end, those who chose not to show themselves tonight are no longer welcome here. Their territories will be forfeit and their power ceased.”

  “That’s ridiculous! You need a majority vote from us for such actions,” Zeno shouted.

  Kallias ambled down to the middle of the room and touched Zeno’s hand. The elder’s eyes rolled back into his head, and he screamed in pain while Karl closed his eyes. Seconds crawled by, and Zeno slid out of his seat and fell to the ground, panting and shivering.

  “You broke some of the Council’s rules, Zeno. You have sired two men every fifty years for the past three centuries. That’s three more than you should have,” Kallias said, facing the others. “I am certain many of you who pretend to uphold the laws created by the First Council are worried now. For those of you who do not remember the last cycle and my sire, our father and creator, I am Kallias, Seer of the Past, and the third son of Arthemis.” He squatted next to Zeno. “Do not piss me off again. You may get hurt.”

  From the corner of his eye, Lucious saw Hans knotting his shaking hands together. His knuckles were pale with the pent up frustration he tried to contain.

  Lucious gave him a nod and marched over to Kallias. “You’ve done enough to frighten the delegates. They are our right hand in ruling this territory. Leave them in peace.”

  Kallias’ lips tugged into another unsettling grin. “Thank you, Lucious. It reminded me of my next point.”