Drakkar coughed. Pain cut through his chest like a knife.
Yup, most likely a broken rib or two.
The superficial marks would fade by the time he went to school, benefits of being a vampire. However, the ribs, those would take a little longer. Guess he’d have to forge a note about activities for the office. Absinthe would never pen one herself.
Drakkar rolled onto his back and attempted to sit up. He hissed as his back ignited. Pain radiated from the deep gashes surely left by the whip his mother used. She left him lying on the cold stone floor when she was done, throwing an order to clean himself and the mess he created up before closing the door behind her. That was where he stayed until darkness fell and she was gone for the night.
Wondrous blessings of the Goddess.
The coppery tang mixed with the mustiness of the basement turned his stomach. All he wanted was to make it to his feet without losing his cookies all over the floor, just another thing to clean up before he headed to class.
He slowly rose to his feet using the wall to steady himself, every inch a test in sheer agony. It wasn’t until he was on his feet and leaning on the wall for support that some of it subsided. He grabbed a towel from the laundry basket and wiped the blood from his face. Tears burned his eyes, but he would never let them fall. It would be a weakness in her eyes. A weakness he would never allow her to see.
Weakness was forbidden in Absinthe’s world.
“The future? You’re telling me that Annabelle gave you a vision of the future?” Jared stalked down the hallway after Zephyr. Since his father in-law blurted out the news on the night of his daughter’s birth, he’d been trying to get the details out of him.
“Copil, I’m not sure if what I saw was the future, but it is a possibility we must prepare for,” Zephyr said as he led the way to Jared’s study.
When they entered, they were greeted by not only Echelon and Lance -fresh from his honeymoon, -but the newest member of the Conservator inner circle, Sheridan Avery, head of Paranormal Investigations. Her presence only made him more curious about what Zephyr saw in that vision. Under normal circumstances, only the members of the household would be present for such meetings. Bringing in an outsider such as Ms. Avery was more than disconcerting.
He made a quick round of hellos before taking his seat behind the mahogany desk. Zephyr, on the other hand, dove right in to the problem at hand, Anabelle’s vision.
“As you all know the Princess, my granddaughter, was born two nights ago. A glorious event that I will forever be grateful to witness. Thank you for including me, Copil.” He nodded toward Jared. “But even after such a wonderful event, there is now a threat hanging over this family, and by family I mean all of you, as well.”
Jared leaned back in his chair, his fingertips steepled in front of him. “So she gave you a clear vision of the threat? What does Absinthe have in store for us now?”
Zephyr shook his head. “It wasn’t Absinthe, or at least not directly linked to her that I could tell. But that doesn’t rule her out.”
“Z, you’re talking in riddles. What did you see?” Lance growled from the leather couch.
“What I saw” Zephyr shot an irritated look in Lance’s direction, shutting the wolf up. “was Anabelle being taken from the house by a teenage boy with blond hair. Not just any boy, someone she didn’t seem to be afraid of.”
“You’re saying someone is going to kidnap my baby girl?”
“I’ll rip his throat out.”
“I would never let that befall her highness!”
Everyone spoke at once. Zephyr attempted to speak over them, but got nowhere. The noise was almost deafening until a high pitched whistle cut through and quieted them all.
“Damn, next time warn a guy when you’re going to go all dog whistle on them, Sheridan.” Lance stuck a finger in his ear and wiggled it.
“I’m sorry, but I wanted to get part of what you said straight.” Her blue eyes bore into Zephyr’s. “You did say a blond teenage boy. Might it have been a vampire?”
“I do believe it could have been.” Zephyr’s brow furrowed. “Why?”
All eyes cut to the human in the room. Sheridan swallowed. “Last night my daughter brought a vampire from school home to stay in our safe room. My brother in-law tried to kill him, but that’s really not relevant.”
“And what was so important that you thought to tell us about him now,” Jared asked.
Sheridan wrung her hands in her lap. “As I told Conservator headquarters this morning, he introduced himself as Drakkar Dragoni. Given his age, I believe he is your nephew. Absinthe’s son.”
Jared’s gaze shot to Zephyr. “Absinthe has a son? How come no one ever thought to tell me this?” He swung back to Sheridan. “Wait, you said his name is Drakkar?”
She nodded. “That’s what he said.”
“Son of a bitch.” Jared fished through his desk drawer feverishly looking for something. As quickly as he started, he stopped and slammed a cellphone on the desktop. “Arthur told me to be wary of this. Damn if he wasn’t right.” He turned it on and brought up the cellphone owner’s name.
Drakkar
“I was so blind. I should have known. It wasn’t a coincidence that Echelon found this. She’s been watching us all along. Only now she’s using her son to do it.” Jared wiped a hand down his face.
Lance rose and crossed the room, picking up the phone. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?” His eyes glowed. “I never would have left if you did.”
“Exactly why I didn’t tell you. Come on, you and Beth needed that trip. You know it,” Jared reasoned.
Narrowing his eyes, Lance backed off slightly. “That may be so, but you can’t keep shit like this from me. Not something this important.”
Jared lifted his hands in surrender. “Alright, last time. I promise.” After a moment of silence, Lance gave him a curt nod and returned to his seat.
“Highness,” Echelon spoke up. “Now that we have a name for the threat, what do you want to do about it?”
“You will protect my granddaughter and heir to my throne with your lives.” A deep commanding voice resonated behind them. Zephyr, Echelon, Lance, and Sheridan’s heads whipped around to face the new arrival. As soon as their eyes connected with the new comer, they fell to their knees and bowed their heads.
Jared rose to his feet, moving around the desk. “Welcome, Father. Have you come to see Annabelle? I can have someone . . . .”
Over six-foot-four, King Xavier Dragoni towered over everyone in the room, including his son. It was a mystery, how until recently, no one knew the king was Jared’s father. There were so many similarities in their mannerisms, not to mention they shared the same bone structure. Since the reveal, however, Xavier made it his priority to be present for anything involving Jared, sometimes to the point of smothering him. His ice blue eyes surveyed the small gathering. Xavier waved, urging them to return to their seats.
“Yes, but after hearing what is being said, I feel you need me here, first.” The King took Jared’s seat. “So, how are we going to proceed with protecting the child?”
“The child has a name, you know. Annabelle.” Lance growled as he rose to his feet.
Zephyr placed a hand on the wolf’s shoulder, shaking his head. Curling his lip, Lance fell back into his seat, but made no apology for his outburst.
Xavier sighed. “Jared, please tell your wolf to relax. I am not here to trade barbs with him tonight. I only want what’s best for you and your family. I want to assure your safety.”
“First of all, I am not his wolf. I am my own person. No one owns me,” Lance bristled. “And B, we are all concerned about the safety of this family, not just you.”
“Lance, back off,” Jared warned.
“No, I’m not about to let his High And Mightiness come in here and insult all of us, the ones who have been here since the beginning, just because he feels like the inadequate father figure. You see how the hands-on Daddyship went for your sist
er. Is that what you really want to have happen to you? Or how about Annabelle?”
“Enough!” Jared voice exploded in the room and echoed throughout the house. The baby monitor sprang to life with the cries of an awakened baby. Alex’s soothing voice came through the speaker until a quiet click followed by silence let them know she shut them out.
Jared swore under his breath. “Are you happy now? You woke up not only the baby, but Alex, too. I can’t stand this crap between you two anymore.” He aimed a pointed glare at Lance. “Xavier is the king and my father. While I may not agree with how he handles things, I do respect the fact he has an interest in my family as more than just political pawns. In his own way, he cares about us. Deal with it.”
He shot a look at his father. “Lance is not only my first in command around here, he is and always will be a part of my family. I trust him more than anyone else in the world. He would never do anything to jeopardize this family. So get that into your thick skull. I need all of us on the same page here. No more fighting amongst ourselves.”
Lance and Xavier’s eyes met. For a brief moment it looked like both wanted to tell Jared where he could shove his little togetherness speech, but common sense prevailed. They backed off and settled for eyeing each other warily for the rest of the time they were forced to be in each other’s presence.
Zephyr cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Now that that’s settled, we have to figure out what to do about Absinthe’s son. We can’t just-”
“What is this talk about? Absinthe doesn’t have a son,” the King interrupted.
“Yes, Father, she does.” Jared nodded. “Sheridan’s daughter attends school with him. His name is Drakkar.”
Xavier shook his head. “The human girl is mistaken. I can assure you she does not have any children I am not aware of.”
“How can you be so sure, Majesty,” Echelon asked.
“I know because I was the one who ordered him killed over a hundred years ago. He was a human half-breed. You all know the law in place then. He needed to be taken care of.” Sadness fell over Xavier.
“But, sire, this boy is only seventeen. It’s not the same child,” Sheridan said quietly.
“True.” He nodded. “Because of my arrogance and foolish decisions . . . . If I’d known, I never would have ordered his death. Hind sight is always the most clear.”
Zephyr rose from the arm of the sofa. “Xavier, what did you do?”
The king ran a hand through his hair. A pained expression ghosted the features of his handsome face. “It’s not what I did. She did it to herself.” A tear rolled down Xavier’s cheek. “She made sure she would never bear another child and provide me with an heir.” Xavier wiped a hand over his face, collecting his emotions before he spoke. “The royal physician sterilized her. So you see, she is definitely not the mother of this Drakkar.”
The silence following the King’s last statement lingered. The air was sucked from the room and no one found their voices.
How could any of them respond to something like that?
But the bigger question, if Drakkar wasn’t Absinthe’s biological son, then who was he really?
Maybe this had nothing to do with Absinthe’s obsession to bring down the royal house of cards. Maybe this was something else entirely.
“Sooo, Bermuda was nice. There was a private beach and we swam, necked in the ocean . . . .” Lance broke the uncomfortable silence.
Zephyr smacked him in the back of the head. “What the hell are you babbling about?”
“Hey!” Lance rubbed the spot where Zephyr hit him. “Just trying to lighten the mood. Seriously though, do you have any idea how hard it is to get that pink sand out of every crevice? Really tough.”
Jared grimaced. “Alright, enough of the visuals. We still have to figure out how to handle Drakkar, and if he is working with Absinthe.”
“I agree, Highness. Which is why I have come up with a solution,” Sheridan chimed in. “My daughter already has an acquaintance with him. Perhaps their friendship could be useful. I think I could get him to trust me.”
“Copil, she does have a point,” Zephyr agreed. “Its possible Abs has been her charming self with the boy and he could be persuaded to-”
“Absolutely not. I am not putting her daughter in any kind of danger just to keep mine safe.”
“But she wouldn’t be in danger,” Sheridan argued. “Serenity has proven she can handle him. And I truly believe he wouldn’t hurt her.”
“And you know this how? Did he flat out tell you?” Jared stood his ground. He didn’t want to use anyone.
Sheridan stood and crossed the room. She held out her hand. Jared looked at it a moment before placing his on top of hers. She then placed her other on top of his. “Because I’ve seen the way he looks at her, and she him. There is a spark there. I’d love to deny it, but it’s there. I think she’s a good influence on him.”
“But-”
“Jared, I’ve taught her everything I know. She can protect herself against vampires, shifters, demons, and whatever else this world throws at her. Let us do this. Please.” Sheridan smiled gently. “We will be okay.”
He pulled his hand from between hers, shaking his head. “No, you don’t know what she’s capable of. Absinthe has no regard for any life human, vampire, or otherwise. She would kill you and not bat an eyelash. If he’s been raised by her, then chances are he’s just as cold, if not worse.”
Xavier leaned back in his chair, studying Sheridan. “I think you should let her try, my son. I believe she may have the best shot. Who better to get close to him than someone his own age? Someone who can relate to him on his own level.”
“Let’s face it; if we go charging in there and make demands on the boy we will spook him. Nah, Sher, -and, as much as I hate to say it, -your father are right. Peer pressure is the way to go here,” Lance said.
“Z, Echelon, you have anything to add,” Jared challenged.
“No, Copil. I think they covered everything.”
“Highness.” Echelon rose and placed a hand on Sheridan’s shoulder. “If it would be of help, I shall keep an eye on things. Maybe if a position opened up at the school, I could be available there should I be needed,” She hinted.
“That could be arranged easily. I might have a few connections at Conservator headquarters.” A conspiring look passed between the women.
Jared sighed. “I guess the decision has been made for me then.” He gazed around the room at the familiar faces. All of them would have his back and keep his family safe. Who was he to second guess their plan? “Fine. We go with this for now. If for some reason you or your daughter is threatened, we trash it and find another way.”
Drakkar wiped his hand across the fogged mirror in his private bathroom. The moisture created streaks across his reflection. The bruises from his mother’s handiwork were already fading. By the time he was ready to leave for school, they should be non-existent.
Standing in the middle of the room wearing only a towel around his hips, he turned to the side, revealing angry slashes from the flogger. Though the cuts were deep, they stopped bleeding after the hot shower. Clean cuts, they would heal without leaving a scar across his back; much like the other times Absinthe took her frustrations out on him.
His stomach growled, a reminder his punishment drained him of too much blood. He would have to feed. There was no denying it. But at least he wasn’t as famished as the last time.
This time he might actually let his meal live.
He pulled on his clothes, careful to not aggravate the broken ribs. Those were going to hurt like a mother for at least a couple of days. There was no denying that. Thank the Gods it was Friday. He could rest up for the weekend and not have to worry about being hindered by them at school.
Running a hand through his damp hair, Drakkar left the bathroom, shutting off the light. He didn’t want to look at himself anymore. He was completely disgusted with the way he allowed himself to be manipulated. If
it wasn’t for the humans he encountered the past few days, he wouldn’t have failed in his task.
Get the child and bring it to me. His mother’s voice echoed in his head.
It was simple. He was right there, about to follow the woman on the porch inside. How hard could it have been to take a baby from Bonatelli’s female?
But no. He never had the chance. Everything went black after the Escalade pulled up. The next thing he knew, he was staring into the toffee colored eyes of Serenity.
“How did I fail? And how did I end up at the park?” He spoke the questions aloud, not that he expected anyone to answer him. He was all alone.
Well except for her.
The ring from his cellphone broke the silence. Drake crossed the room and picked it up off the night stand. He smirked, noticing who it was and answered it.
“Sorry to disappoint you, Nick, I’m still alive.” He grimaced as he picked up the backpack from his chair.
“There was never a doubt. Hey, how bad is the damage?”
Nick’s voice was actually a welcome intrusion. Drake really didn’t feel like being inside his own head, especially after what Absinthe did to him.
“Eh, I’ve had worse.”
“No doubt.” His friend fell silent for a moment. “I wanted to . . . . I mean . . . . Ah, crap.”
“It’s alright, I know what you’re trying to say, and you’re welcome.” Drakkar sighed. “Look, there’s no way you could have handled it, so just let it go.”
“You’re probably right. But that doesn’t mean you should have to-”
“Enough, Nick. Conversation over.” Drakkar shut his bedroom door and started down the hallway. “Can you give me a ride? There’s no way I can ride the bike to school.”
“Ah, the other reason I called. We got a free pass today.”
Drakkar stopped midway down the staircase. “Meaning?”
“Meaning, the powers that be called today a national holiday on account of the new princess being born. We got a three day weekend.” Nick sounded too happy for his own good. “So how are we going to spend it?”
Drakkar ~ Beyond the Lie (A Dark Order of the Dragon Novel Book 3) Page 6