Deadly Beasts (The Curse of the Rose Book 1)

by T. M. Watkins

  “You lie.” He hissed, standing to his feet. “How could you know such things?”

  My mother sauntered around the lounge, slowly making her way back to me. “Because I have spies everywhere Master Lancaster. I know everything that goes on and I know that she wanted to take over as the master of your dynasty. Didn't you know? Surely as a master vampire, you know the rules of your own kind, don't you?”

  William stood there stunned, I looked around the room at the other men. They weren't so stunned.

  “Fifty years William. After fifty years of her being in the afterlife, she could return and claim you as incompetent to be a master because you had been mourning her passing for so long. As your wife she could take over the running of your dynasty and then one day oops, William is dead. Are you seeing the light now William? Do you see what she really was? When you took a new claim, she knew that you had moved on and that it would impede her plans. She never loved you, she loved the power you had and she was prepared to take it all away from you. And you like the gullible fool that you are, fell for it all.”

  She stood beside me, standing tall and proud, looking at him with contempt. “You are a fool if you think that she loved you and you are a fool for letting my daughter go. She gave you unquestionable and undying love. You may not remember her and you may not be able to see it but I can. I can see that when she looks to you, she looks with love in her eyes. You have insulted her, my people and her father's people. Be grateful that we do not unleash war upon your kind. That is your compensation vampire, a pardon for your boorish behaviour. My daughter and I will take leave now, farewell gentlemen.”

  She did her half bow thing and turned into the corridor behind us. I looked at William and silently begged him to remember, to say that he couldn't stand the thought of me not being here with him. To hear the words again, that he always wanted me by his side. But he didn't, he just stood there and said nothing. Surrounded by the elders and the master of the afterlife, he let our relationship burn into the ground around us and become nothing but a sad memory. I turned to follow my mother, knowing that this was the end of my life here. I wasn't coming back. Marty was still begging me not to leave, the tears hadn't stopped. She engulfed me in a hug, Nick wrapped his arms around us both. Even watching his followers react so bad, William still didn't move. Surely if they were so emotional to my departure, wouldn't he think that something was amiss? It settled it in my mind that he didn't want me. Maybe I was too high maintenance and this was his way of getting out of it. Maybe he did remember me and he was pretending. That thought stung.

  “Have you got your phone?” Marty whispered.

  I nodded as I wiped the tears.

  “Always connected, no matter what. Anything you want, any time you want something, you pick it up and call me, text me. I will answer.”

  “Me too.” Nick whispered. “And I'll figure out the chant, don't you worry about it. I'll fix him up, I'll make him remember you.”

  I smiled weakly, unable to give anything more. “It's too late Nick, the damage has been done.”

  As I walked out the door, I took one last fleeting glance at William. His face was the same as the day I arrived. Staring at me like I was a foreign object, unsure of what was before him. It was the coldest gaze I had ever been given, it was cruel and it ripped my heart into a few final pieces leaving me with a pain that I had never felt before.

  Chapter Sixty-two

  Tim's car was parked behind a cab, my mother stood by the open door and waited patiently for me. Tim passed the bag to his associate, it was the same guy as the day I came here. I struggled to remember his name, he smiled at me briefly and took the bag, waiting in the car for Tim.

  “If you need anything, here's my card.” Tim flicked it out to me. “Keep safe and stay away from alleys okay?”

  “Sure.” I offered a smile, knowing he didn't deserve to be caught up in the horrid mess that was the burning wreckage of my failed relationship. He stopped by the door to the back seat as my mother rounded the cab to get in on the other side, his eyes darted from her to me.

  “Anything at all, any time of the day. I'll answer.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, just never met a fae before, not sure on how to take them.”

  I shrugged, unsure of how he should react. I accepted her because she was my mother and had shown me nothing but love. Looking to the window of the parlour, I thought about my reaction about William the day that I had arrived. The reason I had come here was because I had wished for death, Adrian's visit to the store had caused a mighty upheaval for me and that was when I had found myself at the entrance of the alley. The words of Adrian and William were different but deep down they were both had the same callous nature.

  “She loves me Tim, it's all I've ever wanted and if I end up dead, then so be it. My life is shit anyway. Yesterday I held hope for my life, today I hold none.”

  “Because of him?” He narrowed his eyes as he raised his voice, gesturing to the house. “There is more to life than having a man on your arm. You are young and you are beautiful, forget him. There are so many more that would gladly fill his position if you let them. If he is blinded to what he is losing then that is his own fault. Be strong, be the woman that I saw stand up to the vampire who degraded her. There is always hope for a better tomorrow, you just have to be positive. Now get in the car, forget about the vampire and live your life.”

  I hugged him, it was something that I guessed didn't happen much because he was a little shocked. He sighed and awkwardly patted my back.

  “G'wan, get in the car before your mother decides to stick one of those blades in me.”

  With a lot of sadness, I looked out the window at Marty and Nick who were standing on the front deck. The tears had not stopped and I wondered what it would be like for them once things had settled down. When the other elders left, what would the mood be like in the house? I'm thinking frosty. My mind wandered back over the days that I had been there, the sad moments, the frightening ones, the happy ones and of course the ones that made me blush. I didn't want to think like that, not just because it was over now but because my mother was sitting beside me. She had discovered taxi cabs and thought they were wonderful, declaring that she now didn't need to learn how to drive these beastly contraptions. Of course she had to refrain from talking too much because she sometimes forgot that she was around a type of being that wasn't aware of immortals. And of course, there was the many blades she was carrying that were well hidden all over her body. I could imagine what the taxi driver would think if he happened to see one of them. I rested my head on the window as I looked at the passing night sky, wondering where my life would lead now. Would I return to my parents world?

  “Your father is most eager to see you again. He will be arriving within a few days.”

  I turned to my mother, her face was eager and happy. “Uh, okay.”

  “In the morning I think it would be wise for us to get going on that shopping I was talking about. I don't think that dirty jeans and shirts would be appropriate for his arrival. Do you have a place that we can stop by and get your things?”

  I shook my head sadly, saying nothing.

  “Alright then, rest well tonight my darling because tomorrow we are going to shop until we fall.”

  “Its shop until we drop.”

  “Oh.” She grinned.

  The cab ride to the city was mercifully short, the driver was rather talkative and it kept my mind off the past couple of hours. My neck was sore from gawping at the building as my mother paid the driver. She lived in a high rise residential tower, it was a glittering glass monstrosity, basking in the lights from the other city buildings. I turned to the sound of the car screeching away from us, the red glow of the tail lights in the darkened street was getting smaller by the second. He sped off into the night with a lot of haste and I couldn't help but wonder if maybe he'd seen the blade on my mother's hip. Or that she looked like something from some bizarre comic con
vention. Minutes after leaving William's property, he asked about the odd attire that my mother was wearing. I told him we were on our way to a fancy dress party when he asked but as he looked at me, I realised that I was where the lie failed. All I could do was quickly add that my outfit was at the party waiting for me, to which he nodded and went back to his complaining about the city traffic.

  “Here's a free tip.” I said as I looked at my war lord mother. “In this world, that outfit is going make you stand out like a sore thumb. Tomorrow, you need to go shopping for yourself too.”

  She smiled broadly at me, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. “So long as you are there to help me pick, then I would gladly buy anything.”

  The guy behind the desk nodded at us as we walked into the lobby. His eyes didn't brighten to my mother's clothes, he just looked over his paper, gave his hello nod and returned to the sports section.

  “How long have you lived here?”

  “Not long, the guy behind the counter is a fae if you are wondering.”

  I nodded in response as we approached the elevators.

  “Single too.” She almost sung it.

  “Mother please.” I chided.

  She shrugged with a cheeky smile and pressed the button to call for the elevator. “We live in the penthouse.”

  A thin stick was produced and put into the reader below the buttons, my mother pressed the p button as the doors closed. “Remind me to get one for you. If you don't have this, you won't be able to get in.”

  I nodded as I leaned on the smoky glass wall behind me, I was tired from such a weary day. Going from being captured by lycans, being rescued by my mother and a man that I had wrongly judged, rescuing my now ex-boyfriend from the clutches of a vile woman and killing her as well. It had been a long day and I was tired, I felt sick and crazily, I felt hungry too.

  The elevator whisked us higher into the building, all I could think of was how lonely I felt without William. I had to be stronger than this, I was the product of a warrior. I was built to be strong. But if that was the case, then why did I feel so weak?

  “For tonight you can borrow some of my things, is that alright?”

  “It's fine, thank you.”

  A ping announced our arrival, breaking the odd moment. As the doors opened we stepped out into a small entry area, it was cold and clinical with white tiles and white walls. My mother put the stick into the wall beside the door and pushed on the handle, opening it to a warm room.

  “Welcome home Eliria.”

  I stepped into the entry hall, feeling the warmth engulf me. The door clicked behind me, I turned to my mother who was still beaming happiness.

  “Please be at ease here, I want you to always know that this is your home. Come, let us take a quick tour and then it's off to bed.”

  She took my hand and pulled me through the short hall and into a grand living area. It was spacious and had an amazing view of the city. The lights shone like the stars in the night sky, it was the most beautiful the city had ever looked. A large circular lounge dominated the room, it faced a stone fire place that was far too haunting for me to look at. I hated fire places now. If William hadn't stepped through one to figure out what was going on in limbo, he would still have his memory.

  “I haven't done much with the place yet. I kind of wanted to wait until things were settled and we discussed the future.”

  I looked at the white walls and then back to her, offering her a forced smile. She smiled back at me, filled with sympathy as she hugged me.

  “It's going to be okay sweetheart, if it's meant to be then he will find a way to you. If it's not then you will move on and find someone more worthy of your love.”

  She wiped the tears from under my eyes, I looked up into hers. The pretty blue were glazed with a sheen of wet, she blinked and it was gone.

  “The detective was right Eliria, you do not need a man in your life to be happy. Be happy within yourself and whatever else that makes you happy will be a bonus.”

  I nodded, weary of all their good advice. My mother pulled on my hands, tugging me into the dining room. I had to suck it up and ignore the thoughts otherwise I would get the same conversation over and over again. You don't need a man Eliria, be happy Eliria. I was happy. So what if it was caused by a man?

  The rooms were all the same, sparsely furnished and painted in a boring white throughout. My bedroom was across the hall from hers, she said if I needed anything to let her know. The kitchen was fully stocked if I was hungry and I could help myself whenever I wanted. With a hug and a kiss on the top of my head, she parted to her own room. I trudged into my room, again with the white theme and minimal furniture. On the end of the enormous bed was a stack of clothes, I guess it was lucky that we were roughly the same shape. After taking a sobbing shower, I sat on the chaise lounge by the window, staring out at the city lights. The emotional drain of the day had finally taken it out of me, I fell into an uneasy sleep on the lounge.

  Chapter Sixty-three

  I dreamed of a snake slithering through the grass. Long dead yellow strands of grass that moved gently in the wind. The snake slithered and hissed its way through, slowly getting closer to its prey. I could see the snake getting closer, with my own eyes I watched from the ground that I was laying on. It reared back with its mouth opening exposing the two long fangs. As it struck me, I woke with a fright. It was in these moments, in the fear filled seconds after a bad dream, I would look down at my little dragons for comfort. When I did, I remembered they were gone and wept for them. I missed them, as much as they were the bane of my existence I did actually miss them. The sun was rising, I stood to the window and wondered if I was facing the direction of his house. Wondering if he was still there or somewhere else. Maybe he had gone into the underworld to continue his pleading to Anton. Maybe he had finally figured out that Carmella was nothing but trouble and now that I wasn't around he was off living the life of a free man. Internally, I scoffed in my mind. It was likely to be true. With all of the issues about feeding, I knew that he would go back to his ways of old now that I wasn't around. What did I care? He wasn't mine any more.

  There was a soft knock at the door, slowly it opened and I saw the bright eyes of my mother peeking at me.

  “Good morning.” She hummed. “I thought we might have breakfast out, how does that sound?”

  I smiled back at her, she was doing her damnedest to help me through this by distracting me.

  “Sure, sounds great.”

  The shrill of the phone took her away from the door, I quickly dressed and found her in the kitchen, beaming pure happiness. She hung up the phone and smiled wildly at me.

  “That was your father. He has had a change in his schedule and will be here tonight. Isn't that wonderful?”

  “Sure.”

  Alvarie chuckled as she wrapped her arm around me, engulfing me in a hug. It was far different when she was in normal clothes instead of her armour, now it felt softer and warmer.

  “Be brave darling child, he loves you just as much as I do. And we want only the best for our little darling.”

  “I'm not little.”

  She nodded sadly as she pulled from the hug.

  “Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound harsh. Just saying I'm an adult now.”

  “Nearly twenty as well. We should have a party for you.”

  I stood a little shocked. Not once in my entire nineteen years had I ever celebrated a birthday. In fact, I would have to retrieve the birth certificate from my apartment to remember what day it was.

  “That's a bit far off, it's not until the end of the year.”

  My mother shook her head with a big smile.

  “You were born January twenty, a brisk morning that...”

  “But they said I was newborn.” I interrupted. “The priest that found me said it was freezing cold, he slipped on the ice to retrieve me.”

  She smiled at me and shook her head again.

  “To a human you would appear newborn but I
stayed with you until you were old enough to be weaned off the milk. You had taken to solid food well and Caylin said that you would be fine without me if I wanted to leave. I didn't want to leave, please believe me.”

  Her smile faded as she gripped my hands, pain developing fast in her face. “It was for the best that you were hidden, you understand that, don't you?”

  “Of course.” I said softly.

  She engulfed me again, I could hear the pained sigh as she finally let go. For my mother I guess this was has upset as she got. It was pretty hard going, I was on the verge of tears again.

  “Come, enough of the morbid past and let's get going on a better future. Clothes shopping.” She scoffed with a crazy grin. “Who would have thought that I, Alvarie the great, would actually go clothes shopping?”

  I giggled as we walked to the main door, for once I was happy.

  Chapter Sixty-four

  Surprisingly, my mother did actually own normal clothes. They weren't exactly fashionable but at least they didn’t make her stand out in the crowd. It was still cold in the city, she had selected similar clothes for the both of us. Jeans, thin shirts, warm boots and thick jackets. We were in a little coffee shop a few steps away from the apartment, it was dark, cosy and incredibly warm. The waitress had taken us to the most secluded booth in the place, it was tucked in behind the counter at the back of the shop and it was perfect in my mother's eyes. The woman brought us out a cup of steaming cocoa to start with while we waited for breakfast. I had to say that this was a great distraction from William. Actually being free from the constricting walls, I could walk down the street without fear and I loved it. I knew that no matter what, my mother would protect me. If anyone dared to hurt me, she would slaughter them without thinking twice. I hadn't realised it, but I had been bobbing the marshmallow with my spoon as I thought about my sudden good mood. Looking up, I saw her smiling at me. She was an incredible woman, her beauty was unnerving. Her hair always looked like it had just been washed and dried, perfectly plaited and laying gracefully down one side. The few steps from the apartment to the shop had caused a rosy flush over her pale skin, her crystal blue eyes were wide as they stared at me with happiness. When I looked at her I saw a stunning woman and I wondered if I was that beautiful. Tim had said it yesterday but I hadn't paid much attention. Nick had stated that I could rely on him if I was ever lonely, though he would probably say that to any woman. Marty always fluttered her eyes at me and almost got herself clamped because of her inappropriate comments to me, though she might have been doing that to make William jealous and do the whole commitment thing with me. Adrian, well… I guess we all know what his deal was. Gerard might have wanted something but I think it had to do with the fact that I was his entry into the fae and elven world.