She smiled and picked herself up off the ground with his help. After she hobbled away, he returned to Lucious’ side.
Seeing the black blood running down the man’s neck made Lucious’ thirst flare. He covered his mouth, facing away from the Royal for the fear of turning into a ravenous creature similar to the one they had slain.
“You’re hungry,” Ealdraed stated.
“It doesn’t matter. I will deal with this later.”
“When you are attacking some helpless man or woman in the dark?” Ealdraed grasped Lucious’ arm and forced him to turn around. “This will be the only time I’ll permit it. Drink from me.”
Anger pushed past the thirst he had come to despise. “I do not plan to be indebted to you.”
“And you won’t be. This is a thank you for keeping the woman safe.”
Lucious glared at his emotionless face. This vampire had shown such concern and care for the human earlier. Why? “What will you gain from this?”
“As I have said, I do not take pleasure in seeing others suffer. You truly are a Council member, Lucious. You seem to doubt the words of others with ease. That may not be a bad thing. It will keep you breathing longer.” He stripped off his coat, tossing it on the ground without a care. With practised movements, he undid his diamond cufflink then rolled back his sleeve. Ealdraed extended his bare arm to Lucious and sliced the silver blade down the length of his forearm.
“Drink. To keep up with my brother, you will need to be strong.”
“Why would you help me?”
“My reasons are my own. Are we going to stand here all night or will you take what you need?” He lifted his arm higher.
Lucious’ eyes could no longer stray from the oozing nectar of life. Cursing under his breath, he grasped Ealdraed’s wrist and bit into his taut skin. With every black drop of blood he ingested, the thirst slowly started to subside. That wasn’t the only thing that happened. The blood of this man tasted closer to that of the fate. He still remembered Helena’s taste and wouldn’t ever mistake it for another’s.
He pulled away and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “You taste like a fate.”
Ealdraed chuckled as he fixed his sleeve back into place. “It is not that I taste like one. I was the first vampire Arthemis created and, therefore, I possess a similar taste to him. It is also why my blood is not like that of a mortal man or a common vampire. The darkness inside of me has eaten away everything one would call ‘human’.” He picked up his jacket and brushed the dirt off. “I believe that is why humans have given me a fitting name for my powers and for the monster that I have become.”
“And what would that name be?”
“The Devil, of course.” Ealdraed gave a bitter laugh. “I have burned every single person dear to me. The sinful stains on my rancid soul will never be wiped clean.”
7
HARTWIN’S ARRIVAL
LILIA
W hen a human tries to outsmart fate, would they know they were a mere pawn in the grand game or would they continue to fight against the current while still fulfilling the predetermined path?
Sitting between Maya and Ben at the dining table, she took a sip of her chamomile tea. Across from her, Reaver and Nora were elegantly cutting into their main course. She glanced at the food on her plate.
Would he dare poison me?
Her lips tugged into a soft smile. Reaver wouldn’t kill her until he got what he wanted. And, while they waited for Hartwin to arrive, she needed to be patient. The possibility that this mortal would want to claim the fourth realm as his own was preposterous. He would require a lot of power to reach godhood. Her eyes narrowed.
What if he has killed enough witches and stole their energy? That thought unsettled her. His energy levels remained dormant within his shields, and she could see nothing but his silver soul glowing within his body.
With a sigh, she reverted her attention to the food.
“It’s not poisoned if that’s what you’re thinking,” Nora said with a giggle.
Lilia picked up the knife and fork and cut into her breast of seasoned poultry. Carefully, she lifted a slice to her mouth and chewed it with a bored face. The food Reaver provided tonight was pleasant to the taste buds, but her heart remained uneasy. The warlock’s every move became another question at the back of her mind.
Maya assessed Lilia and the others from under her long lashes while she savagely cut into her meat. She tossed the cutlery aside, making it fly across the room, and glared at Reaver. “I’m sick of this tension. What are you planning, you old asshat?”
“Whatever do you mean?” Reaver asked, resting his elbows on the table. He webbed his fingers together and smiled. “Why would you, of all beings in this world, be nervous around me, demon?”
“I’m not nervous. I just hate liars and schemers,” Maya countered.
Lilia shook her head. The tension in the room kept escalating the longer Maya had her staring contest with the warlock. Lilia touched Maya’s balled hand, giving it a little squeeze under the table. “Do not pursue this.”
Ben cleared his throat, drawing their attention to him. “Lilia’s right. We can’t keep arguing over this. We need Reaver’s help.”
“At last, you understand!” Reaver said, clapping his hands. “Very good. We may resume with our meal. I am”—he glanced at his watch—“waiting for our final guest to arrive.”
“Is Hartwin coming tonight?” Lilia inquired.
Reaver scanned her face. “Yes, he should be here by now. Ah, speak of the devil…”
Into the room, a young man walked in wearing black clothes from head to toe. His curling soot-coloured hair formed a messy mop on his head and his tired purple eyes assessed the scene.
Lilia left her seat and offered him her hand. “It has been a long time, Hartwin.”
He inclined his head and went down on one knee. Taking her hand with his gloved one, he pressed her knuckles to his forehead and murmured a greeting under his breath. Once he finished, he got up.
“You have an interesting form, Lilia. It is an unfortunate fate that your vessel has to undertake,” he said in a gravelly voice.
From up close, she could see the tiny mole under his right eye. Even the way his bony face looked, he’d not aged a day. Seeing him now was like taking a peek at the past horrors they had lived through when sealing Arthemis away. Her son would never forgive her for what she had done to betray his trust. She was almost certain that if he ever awoke again, she and Hartwin would be the first people on his list whom he would want to eliminate.
“Hartwin,” Reaver said as he circled the table to join them, “it was very hard to find you in Romania.” He smiled, offering his left hand in a form of a handshake.
Hartwin stepped away from Reaver’s touch. “We are not friends, warlock. I am here because Lilia needs me.”
Reaver’s smile never faltered. “Oh well, I guess we no longer need to play around.” His attention focused on Lilia. “Give me the list of the final ingredients needed to open the tomb, and I will procure the items for you.”
She ignored him. “Since Runa is no longer with us, do you have it, Hartwin?”
“I couldn’t acquire that which we seek as I did not expect you to return,” he replied.
“What are you missing?” Reaver interjected, slightly annoyed.
Taking in a measured breath, Lilia replied, “We need the blood of another Royal. Without it, we cannot open the gate.”
“Do you know how difficult it is to trap a Royal?” he snarled at her.
She raised a brow.
Hartwin spoke before she managed to state her displeasure. “Show some respect to your elders, mortal.”
“Without my help, you wouldn’t get far,” Reaver said, straightening the sleeves of his suit jacket. “You wouldn’t even know where to begin.”
Hartwin stared at him for longer than was necessary. Ominous dark energy rolled off of him in waves, prickling her skin. She pulled on his coat’s s
leeve. “Not here.”
His glowing eyes flicked back to her, and he relaxed. “As you wish.”
Ben and Maya flanked her.
“Anything we can do to help?” Ben asked.
“We will rest here tonight and decide on our course of action in the morning. It may not be impossible to change the final ingredient to the blood of another powerful being that is similar to a Royal,” Lilia explained and left the room. She heard almost silent footsteps trailing behind her, knowing that Hartwin was keeping watch on her.
She climbed the stairs and arrived in front of the room she was given earlier in the day. “Please, come in.”
Hartwin opened the door for her and waited for her to take a seat by the window. With his hands resting in his pockets, he sauntered in.
“You are uneasy,” he said it more as a statement.
Lilia laughed softly. “Of course, I am. The others may not notice it, but I am petrified. This world, this body, the feelings this human harbours towards creatures of the night, they are all new to me. Would you have guessed she is in love with a man named Lucious? He was supposed to be here. He was meant to be my protector in this cycle, yet Michael urged him to let go of his love and to return to his duties on the Council. Does that make any sense to you?”
Hartwin gazed out the window at the view of the vast, illuminated garden. “I am certain Michael did what he thought was right.”
“He did not consult me!” She covered her mouth, stifling a sob. Tears threatened to escape her eyes, and she looked down at the expensive scarlet rug. “Michael was the only man I have ever loved. How could he do something like that to me? He knew exactly how important my task is.”
“You mustn’t let your emotions rule your judgement. We both know what will happen once you take your son’s head. Until then, you must remain in control of your vessel.”
She nodded. “You are correct. If Helena finds out the truth, she will never forgive me.”
Hartwin smiled at her. “We may beg for forgiveness in the next life. In this lifetime, I am tired. Existing is something I do because I wish to see this journey through. With the end nearing, I can almost taste the salty air of my hometown, feel the breeze on my face, and see the shimmering ocean in the sunlight.” His eyes grew distant as he envisioned his past. As if his peaceful image shattered into many tiny fragments, his expression hardened. “Please, Mother, grant me my end and let us meet in another life as strangers.”
Long since Hartwin had left her room, Lilia stared out into the night beyond her windowpane. Just like he did, she wished for this torment to end. Existing only for the sake of revenge, forgetting those she once cared about and abandoning her morals—each step she took was to get here. The fear in her would never cease to exist. After all, she was preparing to kill her own child. What kind of a parent would she be if she was happy about such a dark idea? In her eyes, she was a terrible mother. If only she had kept a closer watch on Arthemis before he sired his first childe. If only she could save those people…
Bodies of young and old lay at her feet. Their throats were torn, necks snapped, bones broken. Not a single chest rose with a breath. Not one mother cried out for her child. Crimson painted the dirt under her leather turn-shoes as she clutched her chest and waded through the sea of the dead. These mortals deserved more than such a barbaric treatment.
She shed a tear. Arthemis went too far. Although these mortals were better off in the Well of Souls, coming to such a pitiful end would leave a scar on their essence. Their unhappiness in this cycle may cause them great pain in the next life.
Her heart ached for them. She turned the corner and halted. “Arthemis? What are you doing?”
“I’m making a friend,” he replied with the face of an innocent.
Horrified, she watched her son feeding his black blood to a dying man. Arthemis stroked the man’s dark hair with affection. A second later, he whispered something into the man’s ear and snapped his neck.
“You’ve gone too far this time!” Lilia shouted from across the field.
“Mother, wait. I have tried this on animals. He will return, and he will be my friend. You told me I cannot have friends in this world because I am different. I decided to make them different as well.”
“You are playing with the laws of nature. You cannot do this!” She ran to his side and grabbed his arm. “We are leaving to live in the mountains again. If you cannot co-exist with the mortals then we must live on our own.”
Arthemis rose to his full height and studied her with eyes more beautiful than the sapphires glistening in the sun. He had become much taller than her. His golden hair brushed his shoulders, the ends of it dripping with the blood of others. Even his body had become stronger, muscular, defined. He no longer was a child but a powerful creature that instilled fear in her heart.
Her hand started to tremble under his intense stare.
“Is it wrong for me to have a friend or two? Am I nothing more than a wrongful existence in this world?”
“That is not what I meant.”
“Mother, please…” He smiled at her, capturing her with such a simple, carefree expression. “Must I return to the cold shadows of the mountains? Can I not remain here? I promise I will not kill without a reason.”
Even though her mind told her to doubt his words, her heart swelled. She understood his pent up frustration. He was not like the others. He was always alone and feared. How could she take away his only chance at making a friend?
“I understand. Once your friend wakes, we will take our leave. I expect you to honour your word, my son.”
Arthemis grinned and hugged her close, crushing her against his stone-like body. “I will. I won’t kill another.”
Lilia’s eyes filled with tears, and she covered her face. Indeed, Arthemis never did kill again. Not with his own hands. He used his children to sire others and to bring more death to this realm. She should have stopped him then, should have fought against his charming face and persona he hid his dark heart behind. Because, to this day, she had not seen the true Arthemis, not like his first childe did.
“Have we reached an understanding?” Reaver asked, irate.
“Like hell, we did!” Maya half-shouted, resting her hands on her hips.
Nora giggled in the corner seat. She held a doll in her lap and started braiding her hair to the low hum of some tune.
Ben, stiff and silent, stood by the wall, observing the argument with disapproval etched on his face.
Lilia had lost track of everyone else. Her head hurt from this squabbling. The living room they had gathered in, although spacious, seemed to barely contain their agitation and dissatisfaction, amplifying their emotions tenfold. Or, perhaps she was imagining it. She rubbed her temples and hushed the others.
“We will travel to England tonight,” Lilia said.
Reaver grinned. “That would be the best course of action. I heard the Royals are gathering in London as we speak.”
“Why would they get together?” Maya asked, frowning. “I heard the Class 6 vampires haven’t been seen in one place since Arthemis went missing.”
Hartwin appeared next to Lilia, making her heart jolt nervously. “I have received the summons from Kallias also. They are planning on awakening our father.”
Lilia paled. Since the other Royal vampires were plotting to bring Arthemis back into this world, things must be dire. Ealdraed, who was once a devoted son to Arthemis, never seemed happy when he killed humans. “Did he tell you why they want him to awaken? Do they know where the tomb is?”
Hartwin shrugged. “I have no more information than you do. It was a brief message passed on through the secret network we have devised long ago to keep in contact if need be.”
“We must hurry and get to the tomb before the others do,” Reaver urged.
Taking a step back, Lilia pondered their options. Would the vampires know where the tomb is? If they didn’t, why summon the other Pillars of Arthemis? What could be going on in the va
mpire community to cause them to act with such irrationality? Have they forgotten and forgiven the destruction my son brought with him?
“Lilia, what do you want to do?” Hartwin asked, bringing her out of her worries.
She looked at every single face in the room. Some had eyes glowing with excitement while the others admirably held in their fear of what was to come. “We go tonight.”
Leaving the room, she felt Maya’s hand grasping her upper arm and twisting Lilia’s body to look her way.
“What do you plan on doing now that there’s a possibility they know we’re coming?” Maya asked.
“And why do you believe they know?” Lilia asked. She already knew the answer. The man Helena was so invested in, he was on the Council. If they got to him, he had no choice but to obey an order from a Royal. They did create the First Council, after all.
Maya scowled at her. “Don’t treat me like an idiot. Did you tell anyone about the location of the tomb? What are the chances we’re marching right into their hands?”
“Only those involved in the ritual knew of the location. I did not share it with another soul, and Diya has not been reborn yet. It leaves only the remaining two Royals and…one other.”
Maya pulled her into the kitchen, which was at the other end of the villa. She closed the curtains that permitted the afternoon light to peek inside the house and folded her arms. “Who was this other person?”
“A demon named Malachi. He was someone Diya trusted. A man she had Yakshi with. He oversaw the ritual and did not participate in it. We needed someone strong to keep watch.”
Hartwin arrived in the kitchen, his expression turning grim. “If you are discussing the matters of the past, I assure you I was not the one to disclose the location of the tomb. Like me, Runa would not betray the secret to anyone.”
Relief washed over Lilia at his words. This meant that even if the Royals were gathering, they had no idea where the resting place of Arthemis was. They still had a chance to take care of everything before the others realised that something was amiss. “That is great news. We can continue with our plan as long as we can find a powerful being of my sister’s bloodline.”
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