Arlen nodded. “And seriously injured, according to my brother.”
He didn’t look surprised at the existence of projectiles that could pierce draechen scales. That told Hareem quite a lot. Clearly, these special weapons created specifically against draechen were becoming more widespread throughout the paranormal world. If the vampires had them, anyone could.
This was a huge problem, far beyond just the disappearance of an important member of their community. Hareem had actually ordered starting research on it, basing their original studies on the diamond tipped bolts Karein had once retrieved from Caelyn Sutharlainn. But those items had been created by Prince Jud’Enealh Murdokain, and they were entirely different from bullets.
However, Karein had encountered this sort of thing before, which gave Hareem a clue as to how he should proceed. “I see,” he said. “Well, you’re right about one thing, Prince Arlen. We do have information that could help us find your brother. Rachen, you and the naga will go to the United States to visit the benandanti. Take as many men as you think you need.”
“Of course, Emperor,” Rachen said. “I’ll leave at once.”
Karein had told him the entire story of how he and Prince Kaelezrin had found Prince Talrasar with a group of hybrid witches. Since the benandanti used weapons against draechen—and had apparently created them—they must have been somehow involved. Of course, since Prince Talrasar’s appearance, they’d actually become allies of the draechen, in a sort of distant way. Otherwise, Hareem would have weeded them all out and eliminated the threat. This meant that it was possible the benandanti had been a target of the vampires as well. Hareem only hoped he wasn’t making a mistake in putting Rachen in charge with this. Sometimes, he still had doubts about the wisdom of trusting Karein’s twin, but he hoped that, in this, Rachen wouldn’t fail him.
Turning toward Karein, Hareem said, “Karein, you will be gathering the Wyverns once again and starting incursions aimed at the ninth caste. Not werewolves, though, just vampires.”
Karein nodded. “My people and I live and die by your command, Emperor.”
Overlords, Hareem hated that phrasing. But now was not the time to change minor traditions. “Go, and keep me posted,” he finished. “And be careful. These people are dangerous.”
His brothers both bowed, and after a small hesitation, so did Arlen. Hareem had the urge to embrace his two siblings—even Rachen, whom he didn’t fully trust—but he couldn’t, not with Arlen there. He considered asking them to contact Prince Kaelezrin and Prince Talrasar. Their assistance would be helpful. But no, he had to rely on his own strength and that of his family. Falling onto the aid of the recently resurrected couple had to be a backup plan, if everything else failed. And most importantly, Hareem didn’t think that it would be necessary.
Forcing himself to believe that, Hareem dismissed his brothers and Arlen. As the three men stepped out of his quarters, he lay down on the couch, a fist clenching around his heart. Would he forever lose everything and everyone he loved? He had to believe he wouldn’t. He needed to have faith in his brothers, because otherwise, he’d never be able to be the ruler Ornoz needed. He’d never manage to build a safer world for Taryn like he wanted. Yes, he had to be strong, and he’d begin proving it with the vampires.
* * * *
Rachen stared at the door in front of him, wondering if he should knock or not. It was stupid. He should already be on the plane to the United States instead of lingering behind like an idiot. Likely, Alwyn didn’t even want to see him. But a small part of him, one that Rachen usually tried to ignore, refused to leave Draechenburg without at least saying good-bye.
Berating himself for his hesitance, Rachen knocked at the door. Instantly, it opened, revealing the beautiful sprite Rachen had come here for standing in the doorway. It almost seemed like Alwyn had been waiting for Rachen to knock. Stranger things had happened.
“Greetings,” Rachen said. “I hope I’m not interrupting you from your activities.”
“Not at all,” Alwyn said, blushing. Rachen had the urge to kiss him breathless, but he managed to hold back. Of course, Alwyn chose this exact moment to threaten Rachen’s sanity by suggesting, “Would you like to come inside?”
Overlords, yes. Rachen certainly wanted that. In fact, he wanted to come inside Alwyn himself, to fuck the sprite until neither of them could walk straight. But that path was closed to him, especially now. He had to eliminate this new threat that had appeared and make sure no one would attack Draechenburg. Then and only then would he allow himself to consider approaching Alwyn in a romantic capacity. Perhaps by that time, Rachen’s mind and soul would be clear of the thoughts and emotions of others.
Because no matter what he’d have liked, Rachen still remained plagued by Karein’s and Kael’s memories, or rather his own, from the time he’d been trapped in Karein’s mind and the obelisk, respectively. The fae’s healing magic had helped, but Rachen’s soul still hovered between anger and uncertainty. He suspected that things would have been even harder without Alwyn here. It was one of the reasons why, more often than not, Rachen haunted the guest wing. Alwyn anchored him.
Still, that didn’t give him the right to do what his dragon wanted. “No, thank you,” he told the sprite. He felt a pang of guilt when Alwyn’s face fell, and rushed to say what he’d come here for. “I just wanted to let you know I’ll be leaving for a mission assigned to me by my brother. I won’t be around for a while.”
“Oh…” That single word showed so much disappointment that Rachen actually felt a little flattered. He had to admit that he’d been wondering whether Alwyn would even care about his departure at all.
“So,” he continued, “I guess I came to say good-bye.”
There were many other things Rachen would have liked to say, such as “wait for me,” and “I’ll return to you.” Because he couldn’t vocalize either of them, he just stood there, staring awkwardly at Alwyn, memorizing every beautiful inch of the sprite’s face.
And then, it happened. Out of the blue, Alwyn leaned toward him and pressed his mouth to Rachen’s. The kiss was chaste, innocent, a closed-mouth lip-lock that ended far too soon. Alwyn pulled back before Rachen could deepen it, that cute blush having returned with a vengeance. “Good luck,” the sprite whispered. “Take care of yourself and come back soon.”
Gobsmacked, Rachen opened his mouth to say something, anything that would keep this moment from ending. But he didn’t, and the door closed in his face, leaving him more confused than ever.
Once more, Rachen ended up frozen in front of Alwyn’s room. A part of him wanted to knock again, but even if he did so, what was he going to say? He had nothing to offer to Alwyn, not right now, not until he truly knew who and what he was.
Turning on his heel, Rachen walked away, heading out of the guest wing. His steps carried him to the cliffside, where the plane that would take him to the States was already waiting. Meanwhile, the Wyverns were making preparations for departure as well. Karein had just shifted into his dragon form and was stretching his large, black wings.
Sari was with him, and his lovely eyes immediately fixed on Rachen’s face. “Is everything all right?” he asked, still petting his mate’s scales.
“Fine,” Rachen replied automatically. He knew the feel of Sari’s lips from Karein’s memories, and his mind was oddly comparing them to Alwyn’s. Were they as soft? Did Sari’s blush look as tantalizing as Alwyn’s? How could Rachen even ask himself these things?
He’d once thought that Sari was his mate, and then that Talrasar belonged to him, too. He’d been so convinced of it that he’d almost killed himself when he’d realized that what he thought he felt were just echoes of emotions of other people. But now… Were those shadows disappearing? Rachen didn’t even know anymore.
Shaking himself, Rachen added, “I need a favor from you, Sari.”
“Sure,” the fae replied. “If I can help, I’d be happy to.”
“Keep an eye on Lord Alwyn while I’m awa
y. Maybe try to befriend him. He has no one here, and out of everyone in Draechenburg, you’re the one who can most understand his circumstances.”
Sari’s anxious gaze softened into a calmer expression. “I will. I’ll take care of everything. I promise.”
Turning toward Karein once again, Sari hugged the dragon. It was a little strange because of the size difference, but Sari made it work. For the first time, that bite of jealousy that always appeared when he watched his brother with Sari didn’t relate to Sari himself. Instead, Rachen asked himself whether he’d ever have this, too, with his own mate.
But he needed to get a grip and focus on the task his eldest brother and emperor had given him. Pushing back his own confused emotions, Rachen boarded the jet and took his seat in front of naga prince Arlen Isaiat.
They didn’t speak as they buckled their seat belts, and they didn’t speak when the jet doors closed and the plane finally took off. It was only when the aircraft stabilized at a reasonable altitude that Arlen finally broke the silence. “Do you think we’ll find my brother?” he asked.
“Yes,” Rachen answered without missing a beat. “Sagenamadeen Zager is important for my brothers, and therefore, so is his mate. It might not work the other way around, but Draechenburg will put a lot of effort into this regardless.”
“Draechen are very strange. Just when we think we’ve got you all figured out, you react in the most peculiar of ways and completely topple everything we’ve ever believed.”
Rachen just shrugged. “We’re just like any other people. Some of us are good. Others are bad. The majority are in between. And really, this is in no way surprising. The threat is very real, and no one could have thought that we wouldn’t intervene.”
Arlen just gave him a look, obviously knowing that things weren’t quite so easy. Rachen wondered what the naga had guessed about him, about Hareem. He wondered what the real reason was behind Arlen’s decision to come here himself. Most of all, he asked himself whether he’d been right when he’d told the naga prince that they would find Camden and Sage. Because really, at this point, no matter how much Rachen hated to admit it, nothing was certain. Well, nothing except the sweet taste of a lovely sprite, whose kiss still lingered in Rachen’s memory. Rachen didn’t know if he deserved the hope and acceptance he dared to read into it, but he’d cling to it, regardless. He had a feeling he was going to need all the help he could get in the coming battle.
Chapter Ten
Camden stumbled through the streets of Barcelona, knowing he was being followed but not bothering to attempt shaking his pursuers. He’d left the beach and Patala behind and ended up in the human city that was actually very close to Camden’s home. He just knew that the vampires were somewhere around here, watching and waiting, eager to jump him. Even if they’d taken the naga guards prisoner, the bats still didn’t have what they’d truly come here, Camden’s powerful blood. This was what Camden was relying on, the one trade off that could possibly save his mate.
Hoping he hadn’t made a terrible mistake, Camden just stopped and entered a nearby alley. The smell of tortillas reached his nostrils, and Camden distantly remembered there was a restaurant nearby that he really liked. Nothing fancy, just good food without the forced trappings of additional frills. He’d have liked to go there with Sage one day. It would have been so nice. They could have purchased a shared meal and fed each other, tasting the spice in their kiss. They’d have laughed as the sauce got all over the place as the extra pepper brought tears to Camden’s eyes. Maybe Camden would have soothed the burn with his mate’s kiss.
And Almighty Varuna, he was really losing it. He’d thought that he could control the cold, but it was already numbing him, numbing his reason. Camden shook himself and focused on the knowledge that Sage was still alive. He couldn’t find his mate if he had nothing to offer to the vampires. And if he let the cold take over, that was what he’d be. A big fat nothing. Maybe it was suitable, given that he’d survived when his twin had died.
Thankfully, his senses cleared when he felt that odd yet familiar approach. He’d sensed it once before, at the beach, just before they’d spotted the vampires. They had come for him, just like Camden had known would happen.
Camden sat on the dirty ground and clutched his bag to his chest. They’d probably take it from him, and it didn’t have any valuables inside it anyway. He was just using it as some sort of armor, an anchor to gather his wits while he waited to be caught. He had promised his mate not to dwell on useless guilt, and that was what he intended to do. He needed to get a grip and focus on rescuing Sage, with the one resource he had at his disposal.
All his life, he had been told ad nauseam that if someone found out about what naga blood could do, their entire civilization would be in danger. Camden had known that, and had shared the information with Sage regardless. But it hadn’t been Sage who’d revealed their secret to the vampires, and it wouldn’t be him who would pay the price for this entire mess either. Camden would rather die a thousand horrible deaths before he allowed that to happen.
The thought gave Camden courage. Just in time, too, because the same vampire from before emerged from the shadows and smirked at him. “Well, well,” he said. “What do we have here? A little lost… snake?”
Camden shot to his feet and faced his opponent head-on. “I’m not lost. We both know what I want. You took my mate, and I need him back.”
The vampire chuckled. “Just like that? Oh, I’m sorry, Prince Isaiat, but you can’t order me around like you would a chimera.”
“I know that,” Camden answered. “But you wouldn’t have followed me at all if you hadn’t needed something from me. So, we’ll make a trade.”
“A trade,” the other man repeated with a huff of laughter. “And why would I want to do that? I can just kill Sagenamadeen Zager and take your blood. You’ve walked straight into my hands after all.”
As he spoke, more vampires appeared, surrounding Camden from every direction. But Camden had no intention to flee. He couldn’t have gotten far if he tried to anyway, because the cold also caused him to get slower and weaker.
It occurred to Camden that, for once, the disease plaguing his people could be useful for something. “You can’t hurt Sage, because if you do, I’ll die, too,” he told the vampire.
Another laugh escaped his foe. “As wonderfully dramatic as your threat is, it’s as useless as your order. I won’t allow you to kill yourself, through whatever means.”
“You’re an idiot,” Camden answered bluntly. “You might think you know everything about naga, but you don’t. I have a condition. We all do. We call it ‘the cold,’ because it’s like an awful chill that gripes every part of us, numbing our psyches and our muscles. And guess what? If you hurt him, it’ll happen to me, and you’ll be left with a worthless husk of a naga. How’s that for a reason?”
“You’re lying.” The vampire narrowed his eyes at Camden. “That’s not possible.”
Camden threw his hands into the air. “Well, you’re free to test it out. I’m right here.”
“I think I just might do that,” the other man answered, making Camden wish he’d held his tongue about that at least.
Faster than the eye could see, the vampire grabbed Camden and pinned him to the wall of a nearby building. Camden could have fought. He was no weakling, and as a chimera, his abilities extended to superior strength, speed, and heightened senses. But he didn’t. This had been his choice, and the price he’d decided to pay, from the very first moment he’d left Patala.
As the vampire’s fangs pierced his flesh, Camden’s thoughts went out to Sage. He begged his mate for forgiveness, for allowing someone else to touch him like this, for not being good enough to save Sage. All this time, he’d been a horrible mate, and he’d failed Sage in every possible way. Things could have been so different if only he’d made the right choice, if he’d never allowed his parents to treat Sage like they had. They might have had a reason for their behavior, but Camden didn’t. He
should have protected Sage, just like Sage always protected him.
And then, the pain coming from his neck melted as he imagined something else, an image of himself and Sage finally having a family. Children born out of their love, with Sage’s ice-blue eyes and Camden’s forked tongue. Camden closed his eyes, smiled, and surrendered to the inevitable.
* * * *
Since meeting Sari, Karein had started to think that he had a hope of becoming something more than the Dog-Catcher, the hunter the entire ninth caste dreaded. And yet, here he was again, basically in that exact same situation, this time seeking information on vampires.
It all came back to him with striking ease, like he’d never stopped the incursions he’d always considered necessary evils. Perhaps he’d have hated himself for it, but he was thankful for his expertise now. The vampires had hurt a man Karein considered a friend. This went beyond the rules enforced by the Directive. It was personal.
According to Arlen Isaiat, the last known location of the vampires who’d kidnapped Sage and possibly Camden was Spain. Karein knew better than to go there. These circumstances required a different approach. Namely, they had something, or rather someone, Karein wanted. Karein would fight back and take as many prisoners as was necessary until the kidnappers came to him.
It was with that resolve that Karein left Draechenburg, followed by his faithful Wyverns. Leaving his family hurt him, especially since Sari’s pregnancy was advancing, but it only cemented his decision to deal with this problem as soon as possible.
“I’ll be fine,” Sari assured him through their bond as Karein launched himself into the air. “We’ll keep in contact at all times.”
“It won’t be the same,” Karein argued, knowing he was practically pouting, but unable to help himself.
“No, it won’t, but I knew when I mated you that there would be times when your duty would summon you away from me. It can’t be helped. Just remember that I trust you, Karein. I’m sure you’ll do the right thing.”
Naga's Concubine [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 4] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 14