Discipline (Omega Queen Series Book 1)

by W. J. May

  “We were just leaving,” Ellanden said graciously, half-pushing to his feet. “Enjoy the rest of your evening—”

  “And this one’s a fae,” another man exclaimed.

  At this point, Evie was surprised he didn’t ask to see the pointed ears. She was about to make up some excuse for them all to leave, when the bartender suddenly appeared by the table.

  “Is there a problem here?”

  “No—” she began quickly.

  “Did you know you were serving a vampire?” a third man interrupted. He lifted his chin haughtily. “I was under the impression they weren’t allowed in this establishment.”

  The bartender raised his eyebrows slowly. He was an older man. One who’d had to put up with more than his share from the young upstarts who came for drinks at the local pub.

  “You were under that impression, were you?” he quoted sarcastically. “Fascinating, given that we’ve never actually had a vampire in this establishment...”

  When most people would flush, Asher tended to pale.

  “We were just leaving,” he murmured, fighting the urge to rip each one of them into tiny, intoxicated pieces. “I’m sorry for the trouble.”

  In an astonishing show of support, the bartender clapped him on the shoulder.

  “It’s no trouble.” He lowered his voice slightly. “But perhaps it’s best if you do go. I’ve known these kids for a long time, and it looks like they’re just itching for a fight.”

  The friends nodded quickly and pushed to their feet, discreetly making their way through the frenzied crowd and to the door. They made a show of leaving, even headed for a few blocks down the street. Then they doubled back the way they’d come and re-entered though the back entrance— quickly heading up to their room.

  “I don’t think anyone saw us,” Evie said quietly, pushing the door shut behind her. “But we probably should stay in here until morning. I’m glad we decided to get just the one room—”

  “Flippin’ ridiculous,” Asher muttered, pacing in front of the window.

  The princess watched him carefully, shooting occasional glances at Ellanden all the while. It was nothing new. Since they were kids, he’d had to put up with the same kind of thing: the sideways looks, the fear, the open discrimination. Granted, his father was a beloved hero and most of it was blunted by spending his time in palaces. But it still happened. There was something new every day.

  Most of the time, he let it roll off his back. His father was already sensitive about the issue of vampire integration, and he’d never want to complain. Most of the time, he just ignored it. Acted as though it had never even happened. But tonight...it had gotten under his skin.

  “We shouldn’t have left,” he muttered. “We should have stayed right there at the table.”

  The fae approached cautiously, perching on the edge of the bed. “So that news could have spread from town to town about the vampire who got himself into a bar fight? You think that wouldn’t have attracted attention?” He shook his head sympathetically. “I know it’s hard just walking away from things like that, but we did the right thing.”

  The vampire set his jaw, staring hard out the window. “It’s not hard for you. When people see that you’re a fae, they either want to screw you or touch your stupid ears. It isn’t the same when people find out you’re a vampire.”

  There was a heavy pause.

  “If it’s any consolation...I think plenty of those people wanted to screw you.”

  The men lifted their heads incredulously to where Evie stood by the door. It was quiet for a second, then Asher shook his head with a sudden laugh.

  “Don’t joke—I’m being serious.”

  “So am I,” she insisted, staring back at him with wide eyes. “I thought I was going to have to fend the bartender off with a stick.” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “And you should have heard some of the things Ellanden was saying behind your back.”

  The tension rolled away as the men dissolved into laughter. The princess joined them a moment later as the three of them stretched out across the bed. It had been a long time since they’d had the comfort of a mattress, and for a few minutes they simply lay there with their eyes closed. Enjoying the sensation, listening to the sounds of drunken laughter echoing up from the bar.

  “...so you really don’t like it cold?”

  Asher sighed, running his hands over his eyes. “No, Landi. I don’t like it cold.”

  AS IT TURNED OUT, THE entrance of the mine was even closer than the friends had originally thought. On the one hand—that was a good thing. The faster they got to the library, the closer they were to finding the stone. On the other hand—it was going to be very difficult to get supplies.

  “Of course it’s this town,” Asher said dispiritedly. “We’ve avoided every trace of civilization for the last two weeks, but now we have to go the market in this town.”

  The princess ignored him, braiding her hair in the mirror. She’d been listening to his complaints all morning, and while she wasn’t unsympathetic to his plight a part of her couldn’t help but be excited as well. They were almost to the library. Just a quick trip through a haunted mine.

  “If you don’t stop smiling, I’m going to punch you in the face,” Ellanden muttered.

  He’d woken up in a similar mood as the vampire, only for a different reason.

  “And there’s no need to stock up on supplies,” he continued. “The three of us are going to be killed long before we have time to get hungry.”

  Apparently, the prince had assumed they’d never actually make it to the mine. That they’d come up with a new plan, or their parents would catch them, or the mine would simply vanish into thin air before they could reach it. Now that they were there, his perspective had grown rather dark.

  Again, the princess ignored him—putting the final touches on her hair.

  “‘Three shall set out, though three shall not return’,” he quoted bitterly. “You know, maybe it means that none of us are going to return. Did you ever think of that?”

  “There—perfect.” The princess tucked away a flyaway curl, then pushed to her feet with a smile. “Let’s get going. There’s no time to waste!”

  Together, the three friends cautiously made their way into town—sticking close together and lingering absolutely no longer than was required. Upon Ellanden’s insistence, they stocked up on cloth and thin sticks of kindling—things they could use to make torches. They also purchased as much water as they could carry, and a coil of rope, before heading to the butcher’s to get blood.

  “How do you normally do this?” Evie asked quietly, hovering uncertainly outside. “Do you just say...hey, mind if I mop up your floor?”

  The vampire shot her an icy look.

  “I’m sorry,” she said innocently, “are we not joking about that yet?”

  With a look that promised to boil over at a later date, he knocked lightly on the window then murmured something into the man’s ear. The man stood up in surprise, looking his young customer up and down. Then Asher pressed a coin into his hand and he disappeared to the back.

  “Normally, I ask the royal chefs.” He flashed her another look, flipping the end of one of her braids. “And thank you for that delightful little insight into my life.”

  “Hardly a life...” the fae murmured under his breath.

  Asher gave him a hard shove, and the two started laughing.

  And that is where everything started to go very wrong.

  Because, as it turned out, one of the men they’d run into at the bar turned out to be the butcher’s apprentice. When he heard the curious order, he wandered to the back door to see who would have asked for such a thing. The three friends were milling about outside, oblivious to his covert gaze. And by the time they caught on to what was happening, he’d already gotten his friends.

  “Hey!”

  They rounded the corner of the shop like a gang. Most of them were fighting vicious hangovers, and some of them had actuall
y armed themselves with clubs.

  The friends glanced up at the same time, then froze.

  “You ran off so quickly last night, we didn’t get to finish our conversation.” The same man took the lead, speaking for the entire group. “Doesn’t your kind believe in manners?”

  “Says the man with the bloody club,” Evie snapped.

  She knew they were supposed to be taking the high road and avoiding any trouble, but this was a step too far. As it stood, gossip was no doubt already spreading like wildfire.

  “Aw—it’s his little girlfriend.” The guy took a step closer, unaware of the fact that he was treading on dangerously thin ice. “Tell me, love, would you put out for anyone? Or do you just have a fetish for people drinking your blood? I’ve heard some girls can get into it—”

  He was on the ground a second later, bleeding profusely from the mouth.

  Both Asher and Ellanden had stepped forward to do it themselves, but Evie had beaten them to the punch—quite literally. She rubbed her knuckles, staring down at him in disgust.

  “I’m sorry the only girls available all the way out here are probably your cousins, but let me make this perfectly clear. My friends and I have no desire to stay in your hick town, nor do we have any desire to finish the conversation you were attempting to start last night.”

  She gave him a kick for good measure, felling him as he tried to stand.

  “Furthermore, each of my friends could rip you to pieces, so my advice to you is to shut the hell up and let us continue on our way. Otherwise, we will finish this conversation. Got it?”

  Ellanden’s eyes flashed with anticipation. Asher stifled an unlikely smile.

  Usually, the male ego wouldn’t allow for such a slight. But the group was already nervous about the prospect of both a vampire and a fae. When the pretty girl they’d written off in the bar turned out to be the most volatile of them all, they decided to rethink their strategy...and retreat.

  As the friends stood there in silent triumph, they gathered their makeshift weapons and skulked angrily down the road, disappearing between two of the houses. All that was left was a single fallen club, which Ellanden twirled once between his fingers before adding to the pile of kindling.

  It was a crisis averted. A victory in every sense of the word.

  Except for one problem...they left without remembering the vampire’s blood.

  Chapter 14

  As soon as was physically possible the three friends left the little town behind them, vowing never to return. They were carrying a lot more than usual, but the good (and bad) thing about the mine was that it was highly unlikely they’d be able to replenish any supplies. They’d simply use what they were carrying and their packs would get lighter and lighter.

  The trick was making it last until they reached the other side.

  “So how big exactly is this place?” Evie asked casually, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt. “How long will it take us to walk all the way through?”

  Ellanden glanced down at her, in no way fooled. “Is someone having second thoughts?”

  “No, of course not.” She shook her head quickly. “This is the only way to get to the library and you know it. It’s just...what happens if we run out of water?”

  “We die,” he answered flatly.

  Her eyes flew up to him, but there wasn’t trace of humor on his face.

  “I only meant...it’s a mine. Aren’t there usually scattered exits and entrances throughout a mine? Little steps that lead to the surface, in case the thing collapses or something?”

  Ellanden nodded thoughtfully, pretending to think of it for the same time. “Of course. That must be what all those other people used to get out and save their lives.”

  She stifled a sigh. “Landi—”

  “I’ve agreed to go. That doesn’t mean I have to pretend to be happy about it.”

  The princess quickened her pace, muttering under her breath. “No chance of that...”

  The sun was high in the sky by the time they finally saw the outcropping of rocks looming up in the distance. Truth be told, given all the hype it was a little anti-climactic.

  “That’s it?” Asher said incredulously, staring at the tiny tunnel nestled in the rocks. The locals had apparently ‘sealed’ it by dangling a chain in front. “That’s Aluthan’s Hammer?”

  Ellanden pushed past him, looking grim. “It’s a lot bigger underground.”

  Together, the three friends climbed the little hill—grabbing fistfuls of the long grass when the slope became too steep. It wasn’t until the princess reached the top that she realized there wasn’t a sound to be heard. No crickets, no sheep. Even the birds had stopped chirping.

  “Last chance,” the fae said hopefully, looking past the mine to the lush forest that stretched along the surface. “We can go that way instead. And, you know...live.”

  There was a wistfulness in his voice that caught the others off guard. That reminded them that, while his complaints about the mine had all been grounded in fact—citing the multiple deaths and that people had sealed it off for a reason—fae weren’t designed to do well beneath the ground.

  They were creatures of nature. Children of the stars. There was a reason all their strongholds were built in places of natural beauty—deep in the heart of the forest, at a mountain’s peak, or at the crest of three waterfalls. They were meant to be out in the open, not toiling away in the deep.

  ‘They shall fall out of step in a land without time

  And toil in shadow where stars cannot shine.’

  The princess eyed the entrance to the mine, wondering at the labyrinth of tunnels and caverns that sprawled just beneath. Beyond the reach of the blinding sun.

  “‘And toil in shadow where stars cannot shine’,” she murmured under her breath. This certainly qualified. In fact, the ‘toiling’ aside, the realization made her feel a lot better.

  They were on the right path. They were making the right decision.

  “Tell you what,” she began reasonably, “if anything jumps out of the shadows Asher will kill it. And if you ever get scared, I promise you can hold my hand.”

  The fae gave her a look that made her suddenly quite afraid for her own life. Then he whipped out his sword and slashed straight through the chain. It fell to the ground with a clatter.

  “After you.”

  Famous last words.

  With a look of fierce determination Evie pulled in a breath, then stepped bravely into the shadows. Placing one foot carefully in front of the other as she ventured into the dark. Asher was just a step behind her, glancing about with eyes well-suited to the shadows, moving with silent grace.

  Which just left one.

  The fae stared after them, his every instinct screaming not to follow, lingering as long as he could in the light of the sun. Finally, when his friends’ footsteps began to fade, he let out a quiet sigh and ducked inside the tunnel, leaving nothing behind but the broken chain.

  EVIE’S FIRST IMPRESSION of the mine was that it had been greatly exaggerated. Yes, they were technically venturing beneath the ground. And yes, it was a bit claustrophobic to look around and see nothing but rounded walls of packed earth. But it lacked the fear factor she’d been expecting.

  For twenty minutes they’d been walking in a straight line, and they’d yet to even light the torches. The princess had been right about the escape route. Every so often notches had been cut into the left wall, leading to a hole just big enough for a body to slip through. Between the notches little holes had been drilled into the ceiling, letting shafts of sunlight illuminate their way.

  But that was just for the first twenty minutes. The princess had finally started to let down her guard, when the tunnel suddenly deepened. The slope slanted sharply downward, the sunlight disappeared, and a foul stench drifted up from the darkness. Something that smelled of damp, and stale, with a touch of something worse that her mind refused to identify.

  Her heartbeat quickened at every sound. When
a little beetle skittered across their path, she leapt back with a silent gasp. Asher caught her. Ellanden lit the first torch. And they continued on their journey.

  Time ceased to have any meaning. They could have been travelling for minutes or hours before Asher finally suggested that they stop. The tunnel had widened suddenly into the first of the caverns, and by the light of a single torch the friends looked around tentatively.

  It’s enormous!

  Evie hadn’t fully realized the angle of their path, but it had to have been very steep indeed because the stone arched up over a hundred feet above her. Long stalactites hung from the ceiling, each one pointed down at the friends like the tip of a sword, while even larger stalagmites sprang right out of the ground. It was as though they were in the mouth of some monster, winding their way cautiously through its rows of serrated teeth.

  The fae shivered, tightening his grip on the torch. “Let’s not stop yet—let’s keep moving.”

  Asher looked at him in surprise. “It’s been almost half a day. I wouldn’t be surprised if the sun has gone down.”

  Ellanden just shook his head, pulling the princess back to her feet. “I don’t like this place. Let’s get through it, maybe go a couple of miles before—”

  “Ellanden,” Asher interrupted sharply, “you’re tired. Evie’s panting. We haven’t had anything to drink since this morning. Let’s recharge for a moment and catch our breath.”

  The fae froze where he stood, not seeing his friend’s worried eyes.

  “Just for a moment.” Asher patted the ground beside him. “I promise.”

  With a curt nod Ellanden said down where he stood, drumming his fingers nervously on the sides of his leg as Asher shrugged off his pack and began unloading their supplies. A canteen of water was passed silently between the princess and prince—both afraid to take more than a few sips, lest they run out before reaching the other side. A pair of biscuits was unearthed a second later, but the vampire kept rummaging through the knapsack with a little frown.