Age of Vampires- The Complete Series

by Caroline Peckham

  “At last,” I breathed in relief as the helicopter landed at the heart of the military base with a gentle thump.

  A group of Elite started running toward us with their guns raised and my gut plummeted as they took aim.

  Fabian pulled the door wide, exiting onto the courtyard. The second the Elite spotted him, they lowered their guns and bowed low.

  The other royals followed Fabian out and the Elite glanced between them in surprise. They were dressed in dark uniforms with huge swords strapped to their backs and even more guns at their hips. It was a relief to find some strong allies here. If they helped us, maybe we could get Erik and Magnar back soon.

  I headed for the door and Callie and Julius followed me outside into the harsh glow of several floodlights. The wind fluttered the hem of my slinky pyjama top and Callie shivered in her own pathetic excuse for clothes. The soldiers gazed curiously at the slayers, but didn't mention their presence, evidently not wishing to question their rulers.

  “Where's General Herman?” Clarice asked, glancing across the faces of the Elite. Her own tiny nightdress was fluttering around her pale thighs and I had to admire her ability to emit so much power when she was dressed like that.

  Some of the Elite shared looks, then a man with a thin moustache stepped forward, bowing to Clarice. “He's taken watch over Realm D tonight, your highness. He won't return until the morning.”

  “Who's in charge here while he's gone, Kingston?” Fabian addressed the soldier as Danielle jumped out of the cockpit.

  “I am, Master,” he said, bowing his head again. “I'm afraid we weren't notified of your arrival, is there something we can help you with?”

  Miles folded his arms. “Valentina Torbrook has seized the city. We are seeking refuge.”

  “And help,” I said, stepping forward. The Elites' eyes scraped over me curiously. I pressed my shoulders back, fighting away the discomfort I felt under their scrutiny. “I'm Erik Belvedere's wife, countess of the New Empire and my husband has been taken hostage by Valentina. We need your assistance to get him back.”

  Fabian raised a hand to try and shut me up. “We don't have any intention of fighting Valentina and her army just yet.”

  I gritted my teeth, furious that he was overruling me. But there was nothing I could do about it. I might have been a countess, but it looked like the only ones these soldiers were going to obey was the royals.

  “Charge the helicopter,” Fabian commanded. “And fill it with supplies of blood and human food.”

  “Yes, sire,” Kingston replied, wafting some of his men away. They ran toward a large metal hangar on the other side of the base while Kingston stayed in place with the two remaining Elite.

  “I could help them?” Danielle offered Fabian but he shook his head.

  “You need rest like everyone else,” Fabian murmured and she nodded.

  “Is there anything else we can do for you?” Kingston asked, his gaze trailing to Callie and Julius again.

  “Accommodation for the night,” Clarice said wearily.

  “You can take the barracks.” Kingston gestured for us to follow him and I moved closer to Callie as we headed across the large courtyard.

  The other two Elite flanked us and Julius stiffened as one of them got too close to him.

  “Forgive me for my impertinence, your highnesses,” Kingston began as he fell into step beside the royals. “But those mortals you're travelling with...are they slayers? Their smell is stronger than any ordinary humans. I heard whispers of such people returning to the world.”

  “Yes, the girl is my wife,” Fabian said curtly. “And they aren't to be touched.”

  “They're our friends,” I called and Kingston shot me a curious frown.

  Julius's hand was on the hilt of Valentina's sword, Vicious, and the Elite seemed agitated by his display.

  I elbowed him, but he didn't drop his hand. After our encounter with the Biters, I knew he was on edge. But we had nothing to fear from the royals' soldiers.

  We arrived outside a large metal building and Kingston opened the door for us. “Here you are, sires. I'll bring supplies as you requested.”

  “Thank you,” Miles said as he headed into the barracks with Warren.

  We filed in after them, but Fabian remained outside. He moved to the doorway, looking to his siblings. “I'm going to see if Kingston can put me in touch with General Herman. I'd prefer if we were dealing with him, he's my own sireling and I know he'll have thoughts on how to bring Valentina to her knees.” He looked to Danielle. “Would you like to accompany me?”

  “Of course,” she agreed.

  Clarice and Miles nodded and Fabian headed away with Danielle, shutting the door behind them.

  Several rows of beds sprawled out before us on either side of the long building. They were low to the floor with thin green mattresses and wooden boxes at the end of each of them.

  Julius and Callie headed to the closest ones to the door, taking seats opposite each other. Julius pointed further down the room as he eyed the Belvederes. “Best you lot keep your distance.” His eyes slid to Clarice. “I don't want to wake up to you breathing down my neck.”

  “How can you even think about sleep right now?” Clarice glowered at him.

  “Because I'm going to have sweet dreams of how I'd best like to kill Valentina,” Julius said with a smirk.

  Callie's eyes lit up at his words. “Wait, that's not a bad idea. I could try and slip into Valentina's dreams. Maybe it'll help us fight her.”

  My stomach swirled at the idea. “Can you give her nightmares?”

  “Yes,” Callie said with glee in her gaze.

  “Do it,” Julius said eagerly. “Conjure an image of me slicing her head off over and over and over and over-”

  “I get it,” Callie laughed, falling back onto her bed. “Let's just hope she's sleeping.”

  I sat down on the bed beside hers, sure I'd never get any rest. The need for blood was bubbling under my skin and I really didn't want to drink in front of her. I prayed she'd be asleep by the time Kingston returned with it.

  Warren and Miles headed toward the beds further along the room, but Clarice started pacing, her eyes glazed with thought.

  Julius watched her move back and forth, his brow creasing as she walked up and down.

  Callie shut her eyes, but I didn't think she’d be able to fall asleep too easily. A dark frown crossed her features and her hands were curled into fists. I wondered if she was anxious about slipping into Valentina's dreams. If that woman was even sleeping right now. But if she was, Callie would have to face her on her own.

  I leant across the space between our beds, taking her hand. “You're not alone,” I breathed and her eyes flickered open.

  She smiled softly. “I know.”

  She was so resilient, like Dad. If anyone could face Valentina one on one it was her. And she had the strength of our family behind her, plus her slayer gifts.

  Her eyes fluttered closed again and I released her, my gaze moving to the door as I waited for Kingston to arrive.

  I ran my tongue over my fangs, wishing things didn't have to be this way. But the sooner I drank, the sooner my head would clear and I'd be able to make a proper plan to get Erik back.

  Callie's breathing deepened and my brows arched in surprise. I couldn't believe she'd fallen asleep so quickly. Julius caught me looking and grinned. “It's her gifts, she can sleep whenever she focuses.”

  I nodded, smiling at my sister, wondering what it was like to visit other people's dreams. I didn't think Valentina's dreams would be much fun.

  Clarice glanced at Callie, her curiosity obvious, but when Julius shot her glare, she turned away again.

  Kingston finally appeared with a plastic box and another male Elite followed him carrying an armful of potatoes.

  “Don't tell me that's your idea of breakfast?” Julius growled as the Elite dropped them onto the end of his bed with a shrug.

  Kingston placed the box on the floor
, opening it up to reveal bottles of blood inside. “Here you are, your highnesses. There's blood and clothes in here. I'm afraid all we have are uniforms though.”

  Clarice nodded to him, still seeming lost to her own thoughts.

  “Thank you,” Miles said, jumping up to take a few bottles for him and Warren with a couple of the black uniforms.

  Julius took a potato from the pile and waved it at the Elite. “I'm not eating a raw potato. Either go and cook it or bring us something else.”

  Clarice released a laugh as she eyed the potatoes. “Kingston, will you heat a few of them up please?”

  “Of course, my apologies.” He bowed low, shooting a glare at the other Elite before making him gather them all up and carry them from the building.

  Clarice grabbed a bottle from the box, uncapping it and sipping the contents. The scent of blood hit my senses and I fought back a groan of longing. I felt Julius's eyes on me as I resisted the urge to take one for myself.

  “Montana,” Clarice said softly, picking up another bottle and holding it out for me. “Drink.”

  My eyes swung to Julius as I expected to find him grimacing at me, but instead I found sympathy in his eyes. “Go on,” he urged. “You have to.”

  I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but it only swelled in response. Callie had fallen asleep so at least she wouldn't witness this.

  I took the bottle from Clarice's hand, turning my back on Julius and twisting the cap off. A moan of longing escaped me before I started draining the bottle, lost to the sweet, metallic blood within.

  The world fell away around me as I sated the single need which held me captive.

  I have to drink so I can focus fully on Erik.

  I have to drink so I won't ever be tempted to hurt the slayers.

  I have to drink because I have to damn-well drink!

  I sighed as the ache in my throat ebbed away. The bloodlust still had its claws in me, but I shut my eyes, waiting for it to pass. I'd had enough. I didn't need more. And slowly, my body realised that and the possessive need flowed away from me like running water.

  I placed the bottle on the floor, heading to the box and picking out a black uniform in my size. The empire's flag of red, white and blue was embroidered on the breast pocket of the jacket. I tugged the clothes on over the skimpy nightwear I'd been stuck in since we'd run from the castle, buttoning up the jacket.

  Clarice took out a uniform for herself and whipped her nightdress over her head, leaving her stark naked in front of me.

  She didn't seem remotely embarrassed as she started pulling on the uniform, but I averted my eyes from her curvaceous body, turning to face Julius instead.

  He stared at her with his mouth hanging half open, his eyes bulging out of his head. He quickly turned his gaze to inspect his nails instead, his jaw ticking as he glared at them.

  “How about you give some warning before you bare your parasitic body to the whole room?” Julius snapped at her.

  Clarice's eyes narrowed on him. “Well you've made it quite clear I'm not remotely attractive to you so I don't know why you're so bothered.”

  “I'm not bothered. I'd just rather not look at an undead monster's breasts.”

  “Funny that it took you at least thirty seconds to stop looking at them then,” Clarice said airily and I squirmed uncomfortably from the awkward conversation.

  Kingston returned with a plate full of cooked potatoes and I was glad of the distraction as he started apologising profusely to the Belvederes. He handed them to Julius, his gaze lingering on the slayer as he backed away.

  Julius glanced at Callie but she was sleeping soundly and my heart squeezed at the thought of her facing Valentina right now. He tucked into the potatoes, not seeming entirely enthused with his plain meal.

  Kingston lingered in the doorway and cleared his throat.

  “Yes?” Clarice asked.

  “The soldiers are quite agitated since your arrival. They're worried for their wives and husbands in the city. I wondered if perhaps you would come and speak with them to put their minds at ease?”

  Clarice's eyebrows raised. “I'm not sure what I can say that will comfort them.”

  “At least if they are better informed, it will help them come to terms with what has happened,” Kingston urged.

  Clarice nodded. “Alright.” She turned to me. “Do you fancy accompanying me, Montana? It would be good for your people to get to know you better.”

  My stomach writhed at her words. My people? They weren't my people, no matter what my title said. But I had so much anxious energy pounding through me, maybe the distraction would help. Besides, I could figure out how prepared they were to assist us with Valentina.

  “Okay,” I said, putting on a pair of boots before following her to the door.

  As we stepped outside, a breeze whipped through my hair and tugged it out behind me. I noticed Clarice doing up a few more buttons on her jacket so her cleavage wasn't exposed.

  “Do you think you and Julius are ever going to get along?” I asked as Kingston led the way across the courtyard at a fierce pace.

  Clarice released a lilting laugh. “We're getting along a lot better than we did a thousand years ago.” Her face fell as she glanced back at the barracks behind us. “I think this is as far as our alliance is going to go though, Montana. The slayers will never see us as anything but monsters.” She gave me a look of pity and anger heated my blood.

  “They don't see me that way, so they can change their minds about you too.”

  She nodded vaguely as if she wasn't convinced of my words and hurt lanced through me that she believed Julius and Callie saw me differently now. That wasn't the case. And I didn't need her acknowledgement of that for it to be true. But I wished Julius would stop taunting her and start trying to build a real connection with her instead.

  “I'll talk to Julius,” I said softly, but she shook her head.

  “There's no point, Montana. We've done too many wrongs against each other. We're enemies. And that's always the way it's going to be.”

  My skin crawled as I slipped into the confines of Valentina’s consciousness.

  Everything was dark around me but I could tell I was indoors. I glanced down at myself and rolled my eyes as I found that I was dressed in filthy rags. No doubt that was how Valentina loved to picture me but that wasn’t going to be what she got. I brushed my hands over my clothes and replaced them with the fighting leathers I always wore in Magnar’s dreams. Fury hummed at my hip and I gave myself a huge sword too, strapping it over my back.

  The faint roar of a crowd sounded ahead of me and my ears pricked up as I strained to listen to it. I moved along the dark corridor, closing in on the source of the noise while trying to stay calm. I was the one with the power here and I just had to cling on to that fact. I could control everything that surrounded us with nothing more than a thought.

  Valentina loved to wield her gifts over others and she was going to feel what it was like when the tables were turned. I was about to find out just how strong my gifts were. This was my domain.

  At the end of the dark corridor, I came to a metal door. I pressed my ear to it and the sound of the crowd cheering reached me again.

  I took a steadying breath and gripped the handle in my fist. I wouldn’t let her see an ounce of fear in me. There was no way I’d be showing her what Magnar’s absence was doing to me. This was about her, not me. And it was time we got some answers.

  I pushed the door wide and stepped out into an echoing chamber filled with cheering vampires. I frowned at them in confusion but their attention wasn’t on me. All eyes were turned in one direction and I began to push my way between the press of bodies in an effort to discover what they were looking at.

  “Long live the queen!” a male roared excitedly.

  “We love you Valentina!” a female shrieked even louder.

  My lip curled back as I realised who all of these people were here to see. I kept moving through the crowd until I
was finally offered a clear view of the bitch herself.

  “Your beauty knows no bounds!”

  “I would cast myself to ash for a moment in your porcelain arms!”

  Valentina sat above everyone else, perched an a huge throne which was built out of piled human skulls. She wore a red dress and her dark hair spilled over her shoulders beneath a glittering golden crown.

  Erik and Magnar kneeled on either side of her, both shirtless and wearing black collars around their necks as if they were a pair of guard dogs. They stared up at her with unconcealed admiration and she smiled knowingly as she turned her gaze between them.

  Erik leant forward and pressed a kiss to the dress where it swept over her knees. My mouth parted as I realised the dress wasn’t made of material at all; it ran over her body in an endless flow of blood.

  As Erik pulled back to gaze up at her again, his lips were stained red and I had to fight hard to recoil from the sight.

  “Let the Scarlet Empire reign forever!” a male yelled beside me and I ground my teeth as I glared up at Valentina. It was time for her to lose control of this particular sordid fantasy.

  I pushed my will into the crowd and their cheers turned to boos.

  “Ugly bitch!” a female screamed as she hurled a rotten apple at Valentina’s head.

  “I hope you choke on that blood you trout-lipped whore!” another bellowed.

  Valentina stood angrily, scouring the crowd as they turned into a mob baying for her blood. They advanced on her and the false Magnar leapt up, swinging his swords to keep them back as she was forced to retreat.

  “No man would ever love you willingly!”

  “Down with the false queen!”

  The crowd ripped her throne to pieces, screaming insults at her. I felt her trying to reclaim control of the dream but it was pointless.

  A wicked smile gripped my features as her panic washed over me and I twisted her dream into a nightmare.

  I claimed control of the false Magnar and Erik too and they turned from the crowd, the collars falling from their necks as they advanced on her with revenge glittering in their eyes.