by Honor James
“Dad, what?” he asked softly.
“We may be pulling out of the Earth Realm permanently. The generators were sabotaged. We know this for a fact now. We’ve had scientists working on the issue for the last three years in secret laboratories. They have the new models ready to install. Sometime in the next two months all the generators will be replaced with the improved models. If we withdraw we will seal the Veil permanently behind us, but not without all of the Races back in their Realms.”
Drake was in absolute shock. “Holy mother of the Gods.”
“Pretty much,” Drakos said with a firm nod.
Chapter Two
October 7, 2035
A summons wasn’t unusual. A summons to meet with Drake at his home was supremely off the charts unusual. That both he and his best friend were brought in, from separate assignments, for the same meeting. Hell, he didn’t even have a word to describe the enormity and weirdness of such a meeting.
“You, too, huh?” His best friend in question said. Seven-foot-two inches of solid muscle, bronzed skin from mixed parentage, and shockingly white short hair. Crystal clear grey eyes with spikes of blue, in a face that the humans likely would have likened to a Greek God.
“Apparently,” Viper said in return. Standing an inch shorter than his friend, he was darkly tanned, with shaggy black hair, black eyes with spikes of silver, and just as heavily muscled. It was the way of the Draygon, at least those that were warriors.
“Any idea what it’s about?” Ladon asked. He was pilfering snacks from the breakfast bar, at the Cook’s insistence, to nibble on.
“No. Drake didn’t give me a clue when he got a hold of me. Wish he had though, it’s been fucking bugging me for three days now.”
“You always were one to borrow trouble, as they humans say.” Ladon grinned at him, popping a piece of fruit into his mouth.
Grunting at that, he sighed. He didn’t borrow trouble so much as it eventually found him. Always did, he just liked to at least have a Gods damn heads up on it.
Then there was Ladon. Carefree, yet you couldn’t ever ask for someone better in battle at your back. He might behave like a goof at the best of times, but he wasn’t an idiot, or slow-witted by any means. He had a sharp mind, was handy with a blade, and could outthink most beings in the universe. Not Viper personally, but most everyone else.
“He’s ready,” a voice said.
Glancing up, Viper spotted Volos smirking at them. Following the Vhampire, Azure’s other mate, through the halls, Viper shared a look with Ladon. All he got to his questioning look was a shrug.
Hm. “So, Volos, what has you so damn chipper?”
“Who, me?” he asked, big eyed and projecting innocence. “Nothing at all, not one damn thing.”
That comment had Viper’s suspicious nature taking another spike upward. Narrowing his eyes, he glowered at Volos.
“That doesn’t work, you know,” the Vhampire said.
“What’s that?” Ladon asked curiously.
“The glower o’ doom that Viper’s shooting my way. Come on, I live with Drake. That dude has one that’s about a hundred times worse than yours. Plus I’ve dealt with his old man for years.” Volos gave a violent shudder and looked around like he expected Drakos to jump out of the woodwork. “That dude has a look of death that makes you want to just drop dead so he’ll stop.”
Ladon laughed at that. “You have a point,” he agreed. “Drakos has definitely fine-tuned his. Drake’s is actually pretty good, but with him it’s usually so startling to see that look, you are stricken speechless. He’s so naturally easy going.”
“Says you,” Volos grumbled. “At least he likes you, me he tolerates on the best of days.”
“What did you do?” Ladon asked.
“Why does everyone naturally assume it’s something I did?”
“Because it usually is,” Ladon pointed out.
Volos stopped, threw up a finger, paused, and shrugged. “Okay, you have me there. But come on, the guy is usually so fucking serious it’s a downer. I like to have a much lighter mood.”
“You do realize it comes not only from age, but also the level of responsibility he’s always had on his shoulders. Right?” Ladon asked.
“Oh, I know that.” Volos waved it off and got moving again. “Thus why he needs to have more fun in his life. At least he’s loosened up a bit, or he had before his dad dropped the crown on him. You should’ve seen his face when he got back and told us. Azy of course thought it was terrific. Me, I was all bummed out ‘cause I knew he’d be an even bigger killjoy with the crown.”
“You could try to be supportive, you know,” Viper said. It earned him looks from both Ladon and Volos that made it seem he’d sprouted a second head. “It would be a decidedly nice change from what you normally do. Hell, ask to help him out now and again.”
“I do help him out, more than he realizes. Which is how I like it. If he knew what I was actually doing on the sidelines for his dad as helpful measures, fuck, both he and Azy would have my nuts in the grinder. I like my nuts, dude.”
Viper didn’t have anything to say to that. What could one say to that?
“Come on, he’s outside with Azy,” Volos said, leading the way once more.
Stepping out in the yard, Viper immediately honed in on the princess and his King. They had a child with them, too. Odd, he couldn’t recall hearing about them having a child. That sort of news didn’t exactly stay secret long amongst the Races.
“Drake, they’re here,” Volos called.
Looking up, Drake got to his feet after pressing a kiss to Azure’s lips and the baby’s crown. Walking to them, he nodded to Volos. “Rain needs a bottle, can you foist one from Cook?”
“You’re so lucky I love that baby,” Volos muttered. “Cook’s mean.” But he went off to get the requested bottle.
“Glad you two could make it, we’ll talk over here for a minute,” Drake said. He led them off to the side near a table that had a folder weighted down on the top. He dug it out and handed it off to Ladon.
“I need you both on a special assignment. This is one Dad set up prior, but left to me to ensure it got rolling. All the details are in the file. I need you to read it here, it cannot leave the estate, and you cannot speak of it outside of our Realm.”
Ladon shot him a concerned look, then turned to reading. Viper could have read over his shoulder, but that wasn’t his way. Instead he waited as Ladon cursed a few times, then cursed a lot more as he handed the folder off.
Taking it, Viper flipped it open and started to read. While he didn’t verbalize his reaction to what he was reading, he felt pretty much the same as Ladon. Finishing quickly, he took a look at the photo clipped to the folder and frowned. There was something about the woman captured in the image, something he couldn’t place.
“I can’t give you her name, not yet. You’ll find it out when you meet with her. Sorry, but it’s a precautionary measure Dad insisted on,” Drake told them. “This is where you’ll meet up with her. She’s been warned you’re coming, that you’ll be armed, and has seen images of you both. She does not know your names either, again, it’s a preventative measure.” Drake passed him a slip of paper.
Glancing at it quickly, Viper memorized the address and handed it to Ladon, who glanced at it before returning it to their King. “When?” he asked.
“I need you there as soon as you can. The meeting will take place tomorrow night at midnight. If you are late, she will leave. We have one shot to get you all coordinated on this. She will explain just why you are going to be hanging with her. Dad took care of letting her know that, but you can always prod a bit. One thing, lads.”
Viper shot him a look.
“I shouldn’t say this, fuck, Dad will kill me, but I have to give you some sort of heads up. This is important. Hugely important. Not just to our Race, but all the Races. I’m sorry for the pressure of it all, but there it is.”
“So basically you’re telling us to not fuck
it up?” Ladon asked with a grin.
“Pretty much, yeah,” Drake said with a chuckle. “Now, come and meet Azy and Rain.”
Chapter Three
October 8, 2035
Violet paced in the small confines of the home she had taken for protection. She knew that there was every chance that she might die in the next few hours, but it was her eternal hope that she would live. She paused and looked out the blacked out window once more. She gazed from person to person on the street and then backed from the window once more.
She touched the pack that she had there and ready. She could all but feel what was coming her way, and that was not good.
Once more, she began to think of the things that she needed to do. She began to think of all that she had to accomplish and the things that she needed to ensure that the Draygon King was aware of so that she could be sure that the mortality and birthrate for that race could once more become what it should be.
Secrets. Secrets had a way of eating away at you and making your whole being turn inside out. They could hurt you without you even realizing that it was happening. And that’s what was happening to her. She was hurting with all of the secrets that she held tightly inside of her mind.
She knew that she needed a release. She needed someone to share the burden with her, but those beings would never exist for her. The men she was marked with that were hers, they would never come to being before she was hunted and killed, and that terrified her. It hurt to know that the men that were her mates would never be found before her death.
Life and fate, two fickle bitches to be sure.
A heavy knock to the door jolted her into motion. She was only expecting one, well technically two, visitors. The ones that Drakos had arranged to come and watch over her, to help her as well.
Violet opened the door, her whole visage wrapped in a cloak so that none beyond her two protectors could see her. She didn’t like this type of facade, but it was one that she had to play at this time. “Come in.” She had recognized the men that Drakos had arranged to meet her, their images burned forever in her mind’s eye.
Once both large men were inside, she looked at them and cocked her head to the side. “Has Drakos told you what this mission entails?” Keeping her safe.
“No, ma’am,” the pale-haired one said. “We were told to report and then the details would be explained. Only thing that we were told was to ensure that you stayed alive,” he told her in his deep voice.
Violet rubbed her temples and nodded. “Have a seat, please?” She asked quietly and moved to take a seat herself. “I will tell you all that I can. I can’t tell you too much because I do not trust being on Earth any longer. I need to get back to the Draygon lands. I need to get back to the relative safety that Drakos has long offered me. Can you do that for me?”
The men shared a look and nodded. “We can,” the pale-haired one continued to answer. He moved to sit down across from her while the dark-haired one went to stand out of sight of the window, looking out. “Tell us what we need to know, and we’ll get you where you need to go.”
She pushed her cloak back from her face. She allowed them to see just who it was that they were dealing with. “My name is Violet King. I am the Alpha Queen of the Spirytes.” She whispered her confession. “And I hold a number of secrets close to me. Ones that will ensure the continuation of the race of beings that you both belong to.” She recognized what they were, both men were Draygons. Drakos was smart, very smart. “I know how to stop the infertility and the deaths. I also now know who it is that wants me dead to claim my crown. My birthright.” She was born to lead all of the Spirytes, not just those of her lineage and lands.
The men shared another look, this one passing information back and forth, she was sure. The pale-haired one looked turned back to her. “I am Ladon, and this is Viper, at your service, Your Highness.”
Violet felt as if she had been punched. “What?” She whispered. “Your names. What were your names again?” She couldn’t have heard that correctly. She couldn’t have heard it, because there was no way in hell that she had heard their names right. “Ladon? Viper?” She felt ill. Jesus H. Christ, the words that flowed up and down her spine seemed to burn, and she knew that the end had come.
Her whole world spun, her vision began to blur. She was a dead woman walking, their names only confirmed it.
The dark-haired one, Viper, moved to her side and gently pushed her head down. “Slow breaths, Highness,” he said in a rough voice. It sounded like his throat had been sandblasted, yet it was warm and rich, too. Oddest combination. “Now we know why Drakos and Drake wouldn’t give us her name,” he muttered, likely to Ladon.
“No shit,” Ladon grumbled. “They knew exactly what they were doing, both of them.”
“Gods.” Violet felt as if her whole body was on fire when they touched her. She felt the incredible rightness of them touching her. But it was more than that. She felt the connection, the stunning and hungry desperation that her whole body felt and needed.
Her wrist was gently taken and a glass of water pressed into her palm. “Drink, slowly though, we don’t need you choking,” Ladon told her. Viper let up on the pressure on her neck but didn’t remove his hand as she straightened, his fingers resting lightly on her nape.
She shivered when his bare fingers touched the markings that ran up and down her spine. He touched the markings that she had when she hit puberty. It was, goodness, it was hot and made her whole being clench with need. “Don’t stop.” She liked the way that felt, the way that he touched her and liked it more when both of them touched her.
He gave her a confused look but didn’t move his hand. After a moment he must have understood, though, because he pressed his palm to the top of her spine, covering more of the markings.
“Listen, I hate to rush you, Your Highness. But we really shouldn’t stick around here for too long. Things are starting to get weird out there, and this isn’t exactly the best neighborhood after dark.” Ladon rubbed his thumb to her wrist lightly. “If you want to get back to our Realm, we should do it sooner than later.”
She nodded and licked her lips. “Yes. We should go back,” She agreed. “I know where we can cross without going through the AEDA checkpoints. I can’t go there. They would ask too many questions. They would ask who I was. I can’t do that. I can’t allow the humans to know who I am, and I definitely can’t allow any of my people to know that I’m alive. Not yet. First, I need to ensure that those who want me dead never are able to fulfill that desire.”
“We didn’t come across one of the checkpoints, Your Highness. We know all the cracks in the Veil to get to and from the Draygon Realm,” Ladon said. “I do have to ask though, what do you mean you need to see to those who want you dead? Who wants you dead?”
“Good,” Violet said with a smile. “As for who.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “The list is long. Very long,” she admitted. “I know of at least two factions within the Spirytes that want me dead. They want the throne that I would sit upon. They want the ultimate rule of all of our people, and I can’t allow that to happen.”
“They are the most immediate in your mind, then?” he asked her. “We need to know all threats against you, Your Highness. Your safety is our priority, everything else is secondary. So don’t scrimp on any of the details, please.”
“They are, but there is also the Vhampire side as well. Vhampires are assassins, the Spirytes that want me dead have hired assassins to ensure that I am dead. They want me dead and have hired the best of the best to ensure that happens.” All for a crown, one that was heavier than she had ever thought it would be.
“I’m guessing you don’t know who they are, or which factions they are with?” he asked. At the negative shake of her head, he nodded. Looking to Viper, he let out a breath. “We need to talk to Artaxias, I think. He’d be the best one to know which factions might be after her.”
“He’d be the best one to find out which are after her and kill them as wel
l,” Viper said quietly.
“There is that,” Ladon said with a chuckle. “Though I think his mate frowns on such things. We should talk to Gavriel as well, see what news he’s heard from the Spiryte Realm of a political nature.”
“Yes, I believe that talking to both of them would be a very good idea. Artaxias has been around a great long time. I knew him before I had to go missing. He is a good and honorable man. Okay, we will go and talk to him. As for Gavriel.” Violet smiled. “He’s a good kid.” She was far older than Gavriel and felt it in that moment.
“They’ll both be home now, we could stop to see them before we head for the Veil. My only concern, Your Highness, is that it will leave you exposed longer. If someone is already on your trail then this could be dangerous. Then again, nothing at all might happen, it’s hard to say,” Ladon told her with a shrug.
“No matter where I go or what I do there will be trouble finding me. Believe me, this is something that I know far too well. I’m not safe anywhere and now that both of you have come into my life, I know it’s only a short matter of time before I’m dead.” She saw the looks on both their faces and gave a sarcastic smile. “Yes. I know that’s something that you didn’t know. These beings that are after me, there was a prophecy that they would find and destroy me when I found the men that are mine. Viper and Ladon.”
Viper’s hand tightened on her neck. “Is it destroy, or kill?” he asked her. When she jolted, he moved so he could see her, sitting on the stool in front of her chair and moving his hand to her arm. “You said the prophecy speaks of destroy, and yet you’ve said they are out to kill you. They are not the same thing, Your Highness. They are miles apart, depending upon the context in which they are set.”
“They want me dead. I apologize, I used destroy, but it is killed. Dead. They want my throne, they think that by killing me they will take the throne, but they won’t. It will go to another. I don’t even know who,” she admitted. “So I believe that in this case, both fit. Destroy, kill, all of the above.”