by Eve Newton
Looking unapologetic at his betrayal of my confidence, Nico says, “From what you described to me, he is a very dangerous man, Liv. To your kind.”
“What do you mean? He seemed harmless enough. Rude to be sure, but I didn’t sense a threat.”
“Possibly because he either didn’t know you are a Vampire or maybe, more likely, because he does know, but is damn good at keeping his emotions in check,” Nico says.
“Liv, my sweet, we think this man is a Vampire Hunter,” CK says.
Silence.
I blink at him for a moment, wondering why he called me ‘Liv’. “A what?”
“A Vampire Hunter,” Eloise enunciates each word for me like I am dense. Well, I suppose I did set myself up for that, really.
Ignoring her, I look at CK. “A Hunter? How come I have never heard of them before?”
He sighs and says, “They are humans, but with magick backing. We have kept the information from the public at large so as not to cause panic or for those more inclined to act and to go hunting the Hunters.”
“Oh. I suppose that makes sense in a way, but wouldn’t it have been better if we knew so we could be on an alert for, I don’t know, say, someone trying to kill us?” I snap the last part. Before he has a chance to respond, I continue, knowing I’m stepping into a big pile of crap while I’m at it, “We were talking, having a coffee together and you’re telling me now he could have whipped out some magick device that could have finished me off?”
“I don’t think that would have been likely in a crowded airport, Aefre,” CK says using his ‘you are being irrational, Aefre’ tone with me. “But it does seem that the man you were talking to is Cade Sinclair, the best Vampire Hunter in the history of the Hunters.”
“Holy shit. Well, how can we be certain?”
“You told Nico that he said he lived in New York. So here we are,” CK says as if it is obvious.
“I think what he means is ‘Go Fetch,’” James drawls at me with a chuckle. I look from him to CK with questioning eyes.
CK just shrugs. “You have run into him twice. It doesn’t seem a coincidence, and as a result, you are the only one of us who has seen him.”
“And you want me to what? Wander the streets of Manhattan until I ‘run into’ him again? And then what if I do find him, or he finds me?”
“You kill him,” Gregor speaks up for the first time.
“What? I am not killing a human, Vampire Hunter or not.” I stand now to make my point and Cole stands with me.
“Aefre,” CK says patiently, “we are not asking you to kill him.” He looks at Gregor in annoyance. “We need to find out if he is the Hunter first, then if it is confirmed, we will act. Together.”
Feeling slightly calmer now that I’m not some poor human executioner, I sit again. “Fine. Although, how am I supposed to find that out? It’s not like he’s just going to blurt it out. Christ, the man is as taciturn as that lamp.” I gesture at the table lamp.
“We just need you to glean a bit more information out of him. Anything.”
“Of course, you do. So, I’ll just go ask him, shall I? Right before he sets me on fire.” My three boys look alarmed at that thought. I pointedly ignore Eloise’s look of delight as I turn back to CK. “May we speak privately please?”
“Of course.” He looks at everyone and they stand to leave, except Cole and Devon.
I open my mouth to speak once they have exited the suite, but CK holds his finger up, so I shut it.
A couple of minutes later he nods, “Okay, they’re gone. It’s clear, now you may speak freely.”
“First things, seeing as we are all here right now, I want to finish what we started. Today, tomorrow, we need a plan and second, I don’t like the idea of seeking out this guy if he has the power to kill me.”
“First things, I agree with you. It is ideal and, yes, we will arrange a plan. Second, I don’t think he has the power to kill you, Aefre. I don’t think anyone has the power to kill you. Remember your own Powers, my sweet.” He motions his hands out at his sides, palms facing outward to indicate my virtual armory.
I had in fact forgotten my own Powers under the threat of being sent on a suicide mission. It slipped my mind.
“Every weapon ever created means theirs as well. You just need to do a bit of mental digging. See what you can come up with. Be prepared. Not only that, I am certain that She hasn’t put you through all of this without somehow protecting you.”
“That’s a big leap of faith,” Devon says heavily. “I am not prepared to just accept that as fact.”
“Neither am I,” Cole says in agreement.
Yeah, me either, I add silently.
“We know that you aren’t vulnerable to Gladius Infernus, which leads me to believe that if the fires of Hell aren’t going to set you alight, then I am sure regular Earth fire won’t either,” CK says, full of confidence.
Huh. A working theory.
“Okay, let’s just try and set her on fire, then shall we?” Devon sneers but I look at him in inspiration. “Oh, Hell no!” he yells, standing. “Not a chance. Don’t be insane.”
“Dev, it’s worth considering. I don’t want you to set me on fire per se, but there might be a way to test it. Safely,” I add. “But enough about that, I am more concerned with the first plan and what we are going to do about it.
“I say we do it now,” Cole speaks up and we all look at him.
“Now?” I frown. “We have no plan.”
“Yes, we do. Same plan, different setting. Devon and I will go to find Eloise, granted now that James is here it may be trickier, and you call Gregor up here. Once it’s done, you and Constantine can Teleport or Astral or whatever to us and finish her off,” he says decisively. I am so proud.
“I’m in,” says Devon. “Once it’s over, the next phase kicks in and we find out once and for all what this Power of One is really supposed to do.”
“Agreed,” says CK.,
I’m left with no choice but to say, “Okay.”
“Great. Let’s go,” Cole says to Devon when he stands.
“Wait!” I stand as well and they both turn to me. “Be careful, and don’t let her make you do… stuff…” I say with a slight frown and they both laugh at me.
“Stuff is kind of implied, but I will look after your new charge. If we get in trouble, will you sense it?” Devon asks.
“Yes. I will stay focused. As soon as I finish him, she will feel it, so distraction is key until we get to you.”
“How do we stop her from Teleporting out?” Cole asks suddenly.
“Even just a slight nick from the sword will weaken them enough that they will lose the ability. That’s why I need you to distract her until I can get to her with it,” I say and receive three interested looks at that little nugget of info I was keeping to myself.
They both nod and with a swift kiss from each, they head off with grim faces to execute our plan.
Shit, this is kind of moving a bit quicker than I’d have liked, but strike while the iron is hot, I suppose.
“Call him,” I say quietly.
CK does as I ask.
Aware of his eyes on me, I start to pace as he talks quietly into the phone. He stands behind me, trailing his hands down the silky sides of my shirt, pulling me against him. I can feel how much he wants me. All I want, is to turn to him and forget everything else but I focus as the knock at the door distracts me. “That was quick,” I mutter as I go to open it.
Gregor’s eyes smolder at me as he sees me. He steps into the room when I move back to let him pass. Closing the door with a quiet click, I take a deep breath and square my shoulders. It’s show time.
Not saying a word, I sashay over to CK who has made himself more casual by removing his suit jacket and tie. I take his hand and with a look back at Gregor, I lead him over to the bed. Gregor is quick to follow and is at my side in seconds.
With a quick glance at CK to step back just a bit, I call the sword to my hand and spin
so quickly to thrust it into Gregor’s gut. I want words with him before I finish him off. He grunts in surprise and pain. His angry eyes snap to mine as he drops to his knees and I follow, hand still gripping the sword.
“What do you think you are doing?” he croaks out. “Constantine?”
“Ending you,” I growl at him as I twist the sword and pull it out. He gasps in pain as the wound is leaking blood and isn’t healing but is in fact getting bigger. He is weak now and unable to Teleport.
CK pulls me back before he bunches his hand into a fist and punches Gregor so hard in the face, his head snaps back, all but breaking his neck. Not that it will finish him off, but it had to hurt. “That is for daring to go anywhere near what’s mine,” he snarls, picking him up by the throat and throwing him against the wall.
Gregor sneers at us. “Told him finally then, did you? Told him that I fucked you. Did you tell him that you loved it? That you couldn’t get enough of it?” he rasps, picking himself up off the floor with great difficulty.
A vicious punch to the face breaks his nose but CK doesn’t stop there. Another one and another. So much for my words, this is so much better!
I go to CK. “Stop, my love. We need to end this.”
One more punch so hard it would have knocked the head off a regular Vampire. “Finish him,” he orders.
Lifting the sword, the flames licking the air, I can feel its Power weakening him even more. I check on CK to make sure he isn’t affected before I say to Gregor, “Just so you know, as much as I hate you for everything you have done to me, this isn’t for me, this is for Fraser.”
His shocked eyes go dead as I sever his head from his body, and it disintegrates before our very eyes.
I stand stock still as CK grunts next to me, doubling over. “We need to get to Eloise,” he says, “Now.” And without further ado, I grab his arm and we Astral to Eloise.
We swirl into Eloise’s bedroom to find her also slightly weakened, gripping Devon by the arm. But she looks bewildered as if she doesn’t know why. This is good. Finding Cole as well, they both look slightly disheveled but alive and well. I nod at them. James is nowhere in sight, thankfully. I spin to Eloise and run her through, cutting off her ability as I want words with her too.
“What have you done?” she gasps at me in agony as the wound cuts through her, expanding slowly.
“Killed Gregor. You are next,” I say blandly.
She looks scared for a split second. “You can’t kill us,” she says confidently.
“Oh, Gregor would disagree, if he were here to,” I say, twirling my new best friend in the air closer to her. She winces.
“You okay?” I say as a sidebar to CK, who nods. It is taking everything I have now to keep the sword under my divided control to both protect CK and destroy Eloise. A slight sweat breaks out on my forehead and I grip it tighter.
“Just fine,” he says.
“Just so you know, I am going to take great delight in this,” I say to her pleasantly and now I can see the fear in her eyes. She tries to make a dash for it, but she is weak and all CK has to do is reach out and he has her by the throat in an instant.
“You’re helping her do this?” she says to him, big green eyes all sorrowful. “After everything we’ve been through, you are choosing her over me?”
He scowls at her. “I will always choose her as she means everything to me, you mean less than nothing, Eloise. I have put up with you all of these centuries because you were chosen, as was I. Don’t pretend it was any more than that.”
“But I love you. You know that I have always loved you,” she begs. “I know you feel something for me.”
Listening with interest to this, I tilt my head, wondering how he will respond.
“No, Eloise,” he says. “The only thing I feel for you is contempt. You are a manipulative bitch who has gone out of her way to destroy the happiness of my love and I, too, will take great delight in seeing you finished.”
He grabs her by the wrist with his free hand and twists her arm up behind her back as he releases her throat. “Whenever you are ready, my sweet,” he whispers as he forces her to her knees. Needing no more encouragement than that I slice the sword through the air – mindful not to touch CK with it as he steps back – and with a savage grin that is the last thing she’ll see, I remove her head.
She disintegrates to nothing.
Letting the sword disappear back into my virtual armory, I go to CK’s side as he has dropped to his knees, weakened briefly by her demise.
“Are you okay?” I whisper.
“Never better,” he replies with a soft smile. He helps me up. My two boys are looking at me warily, seeing the destruction I have just caused.
Devon recovers first, crossing to me, arms open. “Are you okay?” he asks as I step into his embrace. I nod, having gone into a bit of shock. I step back and Cole is there with his support. “Christ, Liv. That was badass,” he says quietly.
I turn to CK and say, “So how does it feel to be the last one standing?”
He laughs. “Strange. I can feel that they are gone. We have been connected for so long…” he trails off. “I wonder what this will do to the Vampire population at large,” he says, then concerned.
“What do you mean?”
“I think he means that as he is the only Initial Vampire left, he is the only one now that can create new Masters. The hierarchy is going to collapse if you aren’t careful,” Devon says, as ever, one step ahead.
“Fuck. I never even thought of that,” I say. “CK, what the hell are we going to do?” I ask, not at all pleased at the thought of him breeding new charges left and right.
He looks at me blankly, completely at a loss for once in his long life. “I don’t know,” he says eventually.
“Restructure,” comes Ahmed’s voice from behind me.
We all turn towards him to see he is there with Corinne.
“What?” I ask stupidly.
“Restructure,” he says again as if that helps me. “Aefre, nice to see you again.”
I incline my head and smile at Corinne. She moves forward and takes me by the arm, “Come,” she says. We blink out back to my bedroom. Not two seconds later, the boys have all followed, concerned about my wellbeing. I’m more surprised that CK bothered to bring Cole and Devon with him, than anything else.
Corinne tuts at them. “Leave us,” she commands, and they obey without a word.
“They all love you, you know. You are very lucky,” she says.
“I know,” I say simply.
She smiles and waves her hand over me. Suddenly, I’m standing in a long black crushed velvet gown that falls to the floor with long flowing sleeves, a plunging neckline and high collar. Glancing down at myself, I look like Elvira and sigh, “Really? Nothing more original?”
She smiles again. “It is only befitting of your new standing, My Queen,” she says as she curtsies.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
M y mouth drops open in shock. Queen? Queen? What the fuuuuck?
“This is your destiny, Aefre,” she says. “A thousand years later than we would have liked, but here you are now.”
Queen? Queen? My mind hasn’t quite caught up yet. I sink to the bed, taking a breath. “This is what The Power wants of me.”
“You may ask Her when you see Her,” she says vaguely.
“See Her? When will that be?” I ask urgently, standing up again.
She ignores me and walks back out to where the four men are standing, so I follow.
Ahmed is looking very pleased with himself and claps his hands together, “Ah, Aefre. You look marvelous.” He bows causing the other three to look at him strangely.
“Aefre, what is going on?” Constantine asks suspiciously.
Ahmed speaks for me, “Constantine, Devon, Cole. Meet the new Queen of the Underworld. A new beginning, for all our kinds united under one ruler.”
My eyes are getting wider as he speaks, as are the others.
“
So not only Queen of the Vampires but Queen of the Underworld?” I squeak in horror. That is some fucking promotion from lowly Master Vampire to the ruler of a nation.
“Yes,” Ahmed says, oblivious to my growing terror.
CK is looking at me as if he has never seen me before, whereas Devon, ever my darling boy, is grinning like a fool at me and Cole just looks like he is going to pass out. Not that I blame him, not feeling too steady in my Louboutins myself. (I note gratefully that Corinne has at least some sense of style and allowed me to keep my shoes.)
“Queen?” CK asks. “Queen of the…” he expands his hands in a large circle around him, “…Underworld?”
“Yes,” Ahmed says again as if we are all a bit dense. “One ruler.”
“The Power of One?” I ask suddenly.
“You are no longer the Power of One, my dear. That was a way station, a tool to help you get where you needed to be. You are now…”
“Queen,” I interrupt. “Yes, I get it.”
“Holy fuck, Aefre. I always knew you were special, but this. This is just unbelievable,” CK says in wonder.
I smile at him when he crosses to me to hug me tightly.
“You are now the most Powerful creature in all the realms,” Corinne speaks again. “You must act quickly to gain control. This news will spread quickly once it is out and you will have everyone clamoring for your council. Appoint your proxy and a select group from each of the species to speak for the others.”
“I need to create a new Council?” I ask.
“You don’t have to call it that. Call it whatever you want to but yes, you need a board. As soon as possible,” she impresses. “Constantine, go with her now.”
“Go where?” I ask.
“She wants you, go now. Don’t be afraid.”
Looking as bewildered as I feel, CK takes my hand and with a quick glance at Devon and Cole, who are still both silent through all this, we shimmer off out of the room and end up in the massive canyon with the orange sky and black rolling clouds.
“This is it, from my dream,” I say quietly, looking around. The shadows are there, the far away screeching, the rush of Power that I feel is all too real now.