Bloodlust: House of Vampires

by Tabitha Barret

  I snickered. “You sure picked a simple woman.” I looked away, annoyed that we were even having this conversation. He should have whisked her off to another room and left me be. “My revenge fantasies don’t involve her at the moment, but that could change. Go back to your fuck buddy and leave me be.”

  He stood up and crossed his arms, causing his lickable biceps to bulge. “You’re being difficult. I needed time away from you. You have to know why.”

  I closed my eyes and recalled how he tore into the throats of our enemies, hungry for the next kill.

  “You just said it. You wanted someone without an agenda. I’m not that person. I was offering you a place by my side, not just another arranged marriage. I thought you were happy there, but I guess not. You certainly enjoyed the killing aspect though.” I hated looking at him, knowing that I couldn’t touch him.

  He wet his lips and looked off into the trees. “True, I liked the killing, but it was more about killing in your name because that was what you needed to get your coven back. I never cared about ruling the coven. I was just happy to be with you and I was willing to do whatever it took to stay by your side. Unfortunately, the price was too much in the end. The woman you became along the way was no longer recognizable to me. It had taken its toll on us. You swore to me that you would never be like your father, yet the day we were captured, I looked into your eyes and saw Mateo’s eyes staring back at me.”

  He wasn’t wrong.

  “I know that I allowed Marcario’s betrayal to shape who I was. Nikkos believed that seeing visions of my father would scare me into submission. Well, he was right, in a way. Seeing him again reminds me how much I hated him. I pleased him to ensure my own survival, but I wanted to rule from a place of reason, not violence. I know that I screwed up.”

  Silvijn dropped his arms and leaned over to pat my knee. “I remember the plans you had for the coven. I thought they were brilliant. That’s why it pained me so much to see your bloodlust override your intelligence. I allowed you to indulge in it, hoping you would get it out of your system. I realized too late that killing Marcario was the only thing keeping you going. You no longer cared about ruling and you only saw me as a means to an end.”

  A tear formed in the corner of my eye when I remembered my killing haze the night we were captured. Silvijn had called for a retreat because we were outnumbered, but I stupidly wanted to push through. We were closer to the compound than I ever expected to get. I feared we wouldn’t get the opportunity to seize the castle if we retreated. I could practically taste Marcario’s blood. I had refused to listen to reason. We were captured shortly after the call for retreat. Even then, my brain was still trying to figure out how to use the capture to my advantage. I just needed to get close enough to my brother for a killing blow. Instead, I nearly lost Silvijn and myself in the process.

  “I should have retreated. I’m sorry.” I wiped away my tears, embarrassed that I was crying like a child.

  He watched me wipe the tear away with his stone like expression. He slowly nodded and let out a breath. “I should have forced you to leave. That was my job. I was supposed to keep you safe.”

  “It wasn’t your job to save a stubborn, angry woman from herself. I went too far.” I ripped a blade of grass from the lawn and ran it through my fingers.

  Looking up at the sky, he shrugged. “I’m sorry I attacked you when we first arrived. I shouldn’t have been angry with you for saving my life. I was still bitter about our defeat. I truly thought Marcario’s men would kill us the second they made us kneel and stripped us of our weapons. I was fully prepared to die by your side. I hadn’t really thought about anything beyond that.” He sighed and looked at the ground. “I was mad that I had allowed us to be captured. I was mad that we had failed in our mission. But most of all, I was mad at Marcario for starting the whole damned thing. If only he hadn’t sent you to the bottom of the ocean, you could have claimed your seat at the table. I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you, even if you didn’t retreat when I told you to.” He cracked a small smile at the end, teasing me the way he used to when I didn’t take his advice.

  I smiled at his small olive branch. “Thank you. After everything we’d been through, I couldn’t watch you die.”

  Running his hand through his short black hair, he frowned. “You did the right thing. I’m sorry I wasn’t more gracious about it. I know you didn’t want to come here either. Accepting Marcario’s deal to save me was stupid and reckless, but also compassionate.”

  I looked up at him and held out my hand as a peace offering.

  Smiling, he shook my hand. Taking one last look at me, he headed towards the House of Witches.

  I thought about the night I had laid out all my plans for the coven. I had returned home after months in the countryside with my father. I was so happy to have survived father’s lessons that I had run right to Silvijn’s room to tell him what happened.

  That night, I cried in Silvijn’s lap, detailing all my horrors. When my tears subsided, I suddenly had a clear plan for the future. I laid out all the steps needed to undo the evil of Mateo Mielcarek and my ancestors. Silvijn listened closely and asked me questions along the way to challenge or fine-tune anything he thought would be problematic. By the following night, I had my plan all mapped out, though I knew it would take a lifetime to achieve.

  Watching Silvijn walk away, it dawned on me that he was the only one I had ever told about my master plan. Though I had vaguely spoken about improvements and changes I wanted to make, I never told anyone the extent of it, fearing that someone would steal my plans or warn those who wouldn’t benefit from them in the long run. I had planned to slowly roll out my agenda, but I never planned to divulge every detail until it was time to implement each phase.

  “Silvijn, wait.” I pushed myself off the ground and ran to catch up with him.

  Spinning around, he stopped and waited for me. “I didn’t say all of that to get you back, Marianela. I’m still trying to sort things out.”

  “Screw you. I’m not here to kiss you. I need to know if you told anyone about my plans for the coven.” I flipped him off and crossed my arms.

  Surprised by my comeback, he scratched the back of his head, and looked sheepishly at the ground. “Oh, umm. I don’t think I told anyone.”

  Putting my hand on his arm, I looked into his eyes. “Please, you need to think back to before I was trapped in the ocean. Was there any part of my plan that might have slipped out during a fight or a conversation? It’s important. There was a good six months after I returned home from the country before Marcario betrayed me. I intentionally kept quiet around my brother for fear that he would say something to my father by accident. I didn’t want father finding out that I was planning to do the exact opposite of what he told me to do. Up until the night he died, he believed I would carry out his legacy.”

  Silvijn’s face fell as he closed his eyes. “I told my sister something. We were fighting because our father wanted her to marry the Heir of the Nygard Coven. She hated Christov and refused to marry him. I told her that it was her duty to marry him. I didn’t want father to harm her. To ease her mind, I let it slip that you would put an end to arranged marriages and that the Nygard Coven would eventually be a separate entity. All she had to do was stall the wedding until after you took the high seat. Faustus would no longer have a reason to ask for a daughter from the Luzader Coven because we wouldn’t be tied to each other anymore. I’m sorry. I didn’t think about the consequences of that at the time. I was trying to help my sister.”

  Of all the parts of my plan to divulge, the part about separating the covens from under the Mielcarek banner to create separate states was probably the worst one to choose. In theory, it sounded like a good idea to separate, but in reality, the other covens were so weak after years of the Mielcarek armies marching on them and imposing trade restrictions that the lesser covens would be crushed by the economic problems that separation would cause. If someone heard that bit of informa
tion alone, without the corresponding information about the new trade agreements and division of land and livestock, they would be furious with me.

  “Oh, shit. What if she told someone? If she was angry with your father, she might have said something, or worse, she might have thrown it in Christov’s face. He would have run to Faustus and told him about my plan. I can only imagine how the Luzader Coven or the Nygard Coven would react to that information.” My heart stopped when I considered the mysterious “they” problem. All the lesser coven leaders could have conspired against me.

  “Marianela, I’m so sorry. I never meant to put you in jeopardy. I can only imagine my father’s anger if he found out about the separation of the covens. Without understanding how you planned to improve our way of life, he would think the worst of you.” He scrubbed his face as he contemplated how his conversation with his sister could have complicated things.

  I held my hand up. “We’re just speculating. It’s possible that I pissed someone else off for some other reason. I can’t jump to conclusions without proof.”

  He bit the inside of his lip and nodded. “I am sorry if I’m to blame.”

  Putting my hand on his shoulder, I looked into his eyes. “I understand why you told your sister. It didn’t come from a place of malice. You were trying to calm her.”

  “Thank you, Marianela.” He patted my hand and headed towards the House of Witches.

  My mind swirled with all the possible reasons for my watery prison, including the possibility of Marcario working with the other coven leaders to get rid of me. I needed answers, but short of interrogating Nikkos, I had no way of getting them.

  Chapter 9

  Passing the shifter house, I heard flapping overhead. Looking up at the sky, I watched as Talen landed next to me and shifted. I admired the graceful way his feathers retreated into his body.

  “You’re kind of sexy with those shiny black feathers.” I winked at him as I continued towards my house.

  “Thank you. You’re very sexy in your short skirt.” Smiling, he lightly bumped my arm.

  “Please tell me you’ve had a better day than me. I’m still annoyed by everything that happened yesterday and I just found out that my coven might have taken my future plans for the coven out of context, which could be why they want to kill me. Tell me something good.” I needed to hear something positive before I lost my mind.

  Nodding, he rubbed his chin. “Well, I avoided two bullies and stole this today.” He pulled a silver pocket watch from his blazer and tossed it to me.

  “What do you mean you stole it? Why would you do that?” I tossed the stolen watch back to him. With my luck today, Nikkos would find me holding it and punish me for stealing it.

  He caught the watch and shoved it into his blazer pocket. Frowning, his good mood vanished. “Old habits are hard to break.”

  His curt reply made me feel bad for questioning him. I stopped and wet my lips. “I’m sorry. I’m the last person to judge anyone. Was the person you stole it from giving you a hard time? Did you steal it to get even with him or something?” I figured that I was missing a key piece of information.

  Looking away, he shrugged. “Remember how I told you that my family weren’t good people? They were thieves and pickpockets. They built a business around my siblings and me stealing things. We would fly around and steal anything of value so they could sell it a few towns away in high priced auctions. Once people started to recognize their own jewelry up for auction, my parents would take the money and move farther away.” The shame in his voice and the sadness in his eyes broke my heart.

  I threw my arms around him and pulled him into a hug. “My family crushed entire covens in order to gain more power and kept them down for generations. I’m seriously not one to judge.”

  He pulled back to search my face. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  I slowly nodded. “Sadly, yes. I was supposed to follow in their footsteps, and I partially did, but I want to be a benevolent leader, if I’m given the chance.”

  Chuckling darkly, he ran his hand down my cheek. “The story you told me about ravens helping the vampires makes more sense in that context, yet your ancestors were still slightly better than common thieves. I grew up with practically nothing. I had to earn my food, my shelter and even the small bits of affection my family offered. Honestly, I’ve had a better life at reform schools than I had with them.”

  “What happened to them? Were they ever arrested?” I fluffed a piece of his hair to tame one of his curls.

  “They were often arrested, but they always managed to escape. They only stole from humans who had no idea they were shifters. They were also very sneaky and clever. I lost track of them over the years.” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter to him but I could see the pain in his eyes.

  “You’re better off without them.” I let go of his shoulders and took his hands in mine. “We’re both better off without our parents.”

  Sighing, he nodded. “I agree.”

  We walked hand in hand back towards Vamp House. “I have to get to class, but can I see you later?”

  His warm, inviting smile told me everything I needed to know. “I was hoping to spend time with you tonight. I want you to teach me how to communicate with you the way your ancestors spoke to the ravens. I want to be your eyes and ears.”

  I dropped his hands and looked around; making sure that no one saw us. “It’s not safe, Talen. I’m marked for death by more than one vampire. It’s one thing for people to think we’re flirting or having casual hook ups, but if they know you’re helping me in any way, they will come after you.”

  Stepping closer, he put his hand on my cheek. “You mentioned the crazy vampire yesterday, but there’s more to it, isn’t there? I saw the holes in your shirt. Someone stabbed you in the stomach and the back. I didn’t want to call attention to it then because we were having a moment, but I noticed. People are vindictive here, but what I saw goes beyond the normal petty fights. What really happened?”

  “There’s a vengeful vampire who has an assassin on her side, as well as two loyal vampires, who have made it their purpose in life to kill me. They burned down a school to get here. Who the fuck burns down a school and instead of escaping, lets themselves be transferred to this hellhole?” The more I thought about Ceyla’s insane plan, the more I worried about waking up on fire.

  He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn’t form the words. He shook his head and blinked a few times. “What the fuck? These people are determined and crazy. You need to stay far away from them.” He placed his hands on my cheeks, imploring me to take his advice.

  “I wish I could stay away from them, but there’s nowhere to go. As you said, they’re determined. If they want me dead, they will keep coming for me. I don’t want them anywhere near you.” I tugged on his blazer and placed my head against his chest.

  “Marianela, you need help. I can be your spy and let you know when they’re near. You just have to tell me who they are and what they look like.” He leaned down to press his lips to mine. Running his thumb over my cheek, he put his forehead against mine. “Let me do this for you.”

  I hated the idea of Ceyla threatening Talen. She would kill him out of spite. “I’ll consider it, but I’d prefer it if you stayed out of it.”

  “Just think about it.” He kissed my forehead and rubbed my shoulders. “Now, about this casual hookup part. That’s just a cover story for your enemies, right? I have no intention of this being casual, just to be clear.” He kissed the end of my nose and winked at me.

  His charming side made me want to giggle like Valene had. Maybe Silvijn was right about starting fresh with someone without baggage. Talen has his own issues and hang ups, but we didn’t have a shared history bogging us down.

  “I plan to love you tomorrow, the day after and the day after that. Does that sound better?” I felt freer than I had in a long time. I wasn’t giving up the hope of reuniting with Silvijn, but I couldn’t walk away from Talen. I felt th
at we were kindred spirits who wanted to become something more than our families wanted us to be.

  “Yes.” Talen pulled me close and rested his chin on top of my head. “And the day after that.”

  “And the day after that.” I replied with a wink.

  Sighing contentedly, I waved goodbye so I could get to class. For the first time I felt hopeful about the future. It was nice having something positive to fight for.

  Chapter 10

  After a long night of listening to the teachers drone on about how wonderful the Mielcareks were, I wanted to change my name. Marianela Smith or Jones would be a better name. I was tired of carrying around all the baggage that came with the name.

  I walked through a group of vampires playing truth or blood and went in search of Talen. Spotting him sitting in a tree, I quickly shook my head, telling him not to approach.

  During art therapy class, I had made a few quick sketches of Ceyla and her men so Talen could identify them. I also wrote down the raven communication methods. I had to substitute a few symbols for items easily found around school. He would never be able to find hemlock or mistletoe, so I used sand and pine needles instead. It was pretty straightforward, so it wouldn’t take long for him to learn.

  Included in the instructions were hand and arm signals and foot movements so I could communicate with him. The signals needed to be understood from a distance while he was in a tree or flying overhead, so I fine-tuned them for ease. I still didn’t like the idea of him getting involved with Ceyla, but he was right. I needed help. I needed someone to watch my back, as long he stayed hidden.

  I dropped the folded up sketches and instructions in the weeds and walked away so he could pick them up when no one was looking.

  I left him to review my notes so we didn’t look suspicious.

  Heading towards the lake, I continued analyzing my fight with Ceyla. She was a skilled strategist for sure. I could tell that Declan had little input in the planning of the ambush since he would have drawn me into a fight and cut me apart. Landon likely had a hand in helping Ceyla since he had managed to lie to my father and Jacob, the vampire who oversaw the Dark Forest Academy for the Mielcarek Coven. How the bastard had pretended to be loyal to them while screwing Ceyla I had no idea, but it was an impressive talent.