As for Nero, she had made the ultimate sacrifice when saving my Chosen One and it was one that, even with my blood and saving her life, I still didn't know if I would ever be able to repay such a debt.
Thoughts of the future was all I had whilst she continued to drink down my blood. That and some small comfort knowing that Amelia was at least safer now being on that boat. After all, any ferryman was charged with safe passage, which meant their cargo was their responsibility and that meant arriving at its destination in the same state of living as when picked up.
The moment I knew that she'd had enough was when I tapped the side of her cheek, one that now had some more colour to it. Then I told her as softly as possible,
“That's enough, or before long I'll be lying next to you to take a nap and I know of a particular Wyvern who is anxious to see you.” At the mention of Vern, she winced, and it was not the happy expression I would have expected to see. There was no light in her eyes in anticipation and glee, but only apprehension. I was curious to know why before she beat me to the question, with her explanation,
“It no longer matters.” I only needed to raise a brow before she continued,
“No offence, but he doesn't particularly like vampires.” My lips twitched because hearing this piece of information wasn’t exactly a shock, for I had never set out to be a King people actually liked. Therefore, I couldn't give a fuck about his thoughts towards me, but as for the witch’s life I had just saved, it obviously did matter, and I took the knowledge of this seriously enough to have care in the next few words I told her,
“If that is the case and it is something he cannot move past, then you must be the one to move and if he does not chase you down and claim you, then he is the one not worthy.” Her eyes widened at this as if she was surprised such a philosophy had come out of my mouth. But then again I was the famous tyrant King, and up until now she had thought me to be one without a heart.
After this I tended to her wounds whilst she told me snippets of what had happened. Parts of this I already knew from what the connection with the Eye had shown me the moment Amelia had touched it. But everything after that moment, I hadn't seen. I couldn't help but grin when I heard about how she had taken on the Harpy Queen single-handedly and how first before taking on the horde, she had pushed Nero down the well. Doing so and letting her fall to protect her before my girl could unleash Hell. Truthfully, I couldn't have been more fucking proud of her and I could barely wait until I got the chance to be able to tell her so.
Unfortunately, knowing that she was on a boat currently sailing down the flaming river, Phlegethon, meant there was little I could do about it until she reached the other side, for only the boatman could crossover freely into the other realms. Or if those realms with free treaties held in place were agreed upon with the surrounding kingdoms, then their people could also cross freely. However, I held no such treaty, therefore it was physically impossible for me to crossover unless I found the right portal. This was so that when my kind travelled to different realms using portals it meant arriving at checkpoints and in its basic form, it was the equivalent of arriving in different countries around the human realm.
Of course, there were always those who could find a way, the right witch or mage for example. Ones who could summon a portal if they were powerful enough, although how stable it would be I didn't know. But that was up to the individual taking the chance that they didn't end up somewhere they really didn't wish to be. No, the only chance I had known was to get back to my own kingdom and have my brother create a portal to each known checkpoint the boat would cross, hopefully arriving to at least one that held clues as to her whereabouts. Or even better still, finding my girl there.
But Nero had been right, she was at the very least safe on the boat and my only hope was that she rode it to the end, meaning that I wouldn't be long in coming for her.
After I summoned material from my tower, I wrapped up her wounds that had at least healed enough for the bleeding to have stopped. This meant she had a better chance of healing quicker. I picked her up in my arms and stood, before starting to walk back to the base of the tunnel that I had dropped down.
She explained to me after I had inquired how they had managed to get down this staircase when the top portion of it was blanketed in soul weed. She explained to me how Amelia had used the Eye to draw some of its power and channel it into her so she was able to use her own magic to aid them.
Naturally on hearing this I found myself shocked and utterly astounded that such a thing was possible, that anyone was capable of using the Eye in such a way. I had heard tales of its untapped power far beyond that of simply telling the future or recalling moments of the past, but what Nero described made it more than just a tale. Much more than just a myth. It made it a dangerous, powerful force and one, by Nero’s account, that was currently wrapped up in the torn skirt of a Harpy and strapped to my Chosen One’s back.
“Gods, but that girl will be the reason I will wake up one day and find myself grey.”
“And balding…don't forget balding,” Nero added, and I smirked down at the funny little witch and told her,
“There is someone on my council I think you'll get on well with.”
“Yeah, is she funny like me?” I grinned at the thought and told her,
“Most tend to think so.” Of course, I was referring to the naughtiest member of my council, and something I wouldn't readily admit to anyone other than Amelia, but in times like this I missed that Imp immensely.
I released my wings and flew up the centre of the tunnel making her cling on and suck a breath of fright before relaxing again after we had been in the air for some time. For the most part of this journey Nero was silent, and I knew her anxiety was down to seeing a certain shifter.
As soon as we made it back to my own realm, I carried her inside the throne room and could already sense that the Wyvern was waiting for us. It was his brother that spotted us first and the moment he made our presence known to Vern, the shifter was storming down the length of my throne room with purpose.
“What happened, what did yer…?”
“I suggest, for your own good, you do not finish that sentence, especially not when I just saved your woman’s life.” At this he paused a step and looked astonished, then as if it dawned on him how I would have done this, he shouted,
“What?!”
“Erm…I think I should point out here that I'm not his woman,” Nero said looking uncomfortable, making Vern scowl down at her,
“You dinnae speak!” he snapped, pointing down at her in annoyance.
“Erm, excuse me!” she barked back in return.
“You heard me, lassie, fur ah doubt yer hearing git damaged!” I closed my eyes for a second and held back my own annoyance, for I didn't have time for these two and the shit that they needed to obviously work out. I wasn't here to aid in couples’ therapy even if it was clear that these two needed it.
“Yes, and if you don’t watch it, then it will be your vocal cords getting it for I am this close to turning you into a posh twat again!” Nero snapped holding her thumb and finger an inch apart and in front of his face. However, he just got closer to her face and said,
“Then that wull juist mak' me sound lik' a gentleman whin a'm spanking yer ass. Noo hand her over ah wull ta'e care o' her from ere,” the Wyvern demanded, making her cry out in outrage, which was one he ignored. Meanwhile, I had hit my limit and had quite enough of being in the middle of these two. So, I gladly held out my arms ready for him to take over, despite Nero's protests.
But then something stopped me when she suddenly gripped onto me so tightly, I felt her entire body freeze solid in my hold.
“Hey, ah said…wait whit's wrong, lass?” Vern asked, obviously seeing her reaction for himself and knowing that something wasn't right…it also wasn’t because of him. We both knew that when she couldn’t seem to take her eyes away from staring in the direction of my throne. The look on her face was as if she had seen the
ghost of her ancestors speaking to her only of the death they wanted for her, like a darkness upon her soul.
I turned to look in the direction, seeing now my brother after he had just created a portal and was stepping through it. Nero then started to tremble in my arms and the scent of fear was clinging to her like a sickening veil.
“Nero, tell me what's wrong?” I asked in a stern way to get her to speak.
“It's him, oh Gods…” I frowned, looking back at my brother wondering what it was she thought she saw in him.
“That is my second in command, he rules my realm when I am absent. he is…” I started to explain more but she finished off my sentence for me with a word I prayed was wrong,
“A traitor!” she hissed as if close to spitting it on the floor.
“Why do you say this?!” I demanded, and she looked up at me with fearful eyes, ones that I knew were not lying to me when she explained,
“We both saw him there; he created a portal just like that. But then it can't be right, Fae had said…she told me she saw…”
“What, what did she tell you?!” I asked with more desperation now and Nero took a sneak glance back at the man who she believed had been there calling the shots. but she must have been wrong. There was no way he could have been that shadowy figure that I had barely seen in the Eye’s visions. No, it couldn't be true!
Of course, no matter how many times I told myself this, the knowledge was obliterated the moment she turned back to me and said,
“Fae told me that the Eye had shown her who was responsible for all of this, the same man that had been there with the Harpy Queen…she recognised him, and she wasn't sure that you knew.”
“Knew what, tell me Nero!?”
“Speak, lass,” Vern said seeing how close now I was to the edge. She gripped onto me harder as if fearing that once she said it out loud I would toss her aside. But the only person in the whole room that I would take action against for such knowledge would be the person under scrutiny now.
Because of what she said next, there was no way possible she could have known other than that of the Eye showing Amelia the truth.
This was when she told me…
“…That he is your brother.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Hope in Hand
The second I heard this was when I knew I had to hand over the girl before I crushed her already battered body in my hold. Vern took her quickly, as if knowing I was too close to the edge to be handling his woman, because despite Nero's denials, I could see it in his face that was exactly who she was to him, his woman. Even if he hadn't claimed her to be so yet, to him she was already claimed in his heart.
As for my own heart, looking at my brother now and it felt like it was being ripped in two. I saw him frowning at me as if knowing that something wasn't right, but I couldn't let on. Not yet, anyway. So, I granted him a nod, silently telling him everything was fine just so he wouldn't escape by creating another portal. Then with clenched teeth I muttered to the shifter,
“Place Nero on the ground and pretend to assess her wounds, do it quickly.” Vern didn't argue, he simply did as I asked knowing the importance of what I had just been told and my reaction to it. Vern now had his back to my brother and as he was leaning over Nero it meant that I was out of sight, thanks to Vern not being of slight frame.
“So, tis true then, he is yer brother,” Vern said quietly and I nodded, for there was no reason to keep that information from him now. I looked down at Nero and told her,
“I need to access your memories, I have to be sure…do you understand?” Nero didn't argue this point, she simply accepted it and nodded her head telling me,
“Anything I can do to help you, I will do it.” Vern looked surprised at this bold declaration, but thankfully it was another moment that he must have thought best to keep to himself, for he would no doubt be questioning Nero about this once this was all over. I looked over to him and said,
“Once I've accessed her memories and I have seen the proof of evidence against him, I will need your help and that of your brothers to take him down. You'll need to get word to Gryph the second I stand and walk over to my brother, for he will fight and try to create a portal, but we cannot let that happen.”
“Aye, It wull be done,” he said with a certainty that actually surprised me, then he went on to ask,
“Out o' curiosity how many kin he tak' thro' a portal?”
“Only himself and one other,” I replied seeing where he was going with this, confirming as such soon after,
“Then it wull tak' all three o' us tae seize him at once,” Vern said surprising me, and my look must have said it all because his reaction to this was to tell me,
“I'm a fucking bounty hunter 'n' ah dae this shite fur a living, trust me if thir's one thing ah dae well tis be catching folk...well, two things ah dae well…” At this he winked down at Nero making it obvious what the second thing was and she groaned before rolling her eyes, telling me
“When you're in my head, do me a favour and rid me of the image Vern just painted so I may be able to sleep at night without having nightmares.” Her comment would have been funny under any other circumstances.
“Och, ye wound me, lass,” Vern said, with one hand over his heart. Like I said, I would have smiled at this but seeing how this conversation originated, then it was the furthest reaction from my mind. No, embedding a fist into my brother’s face should he be the one who betrayed me, definitely took priority in my mind.
“You ready?” I asked, and then movement in the corner of my eye showed my brother’s patience to know what was happening had run out and he started to walk towards us. Vern glanced over his shoulder at this and then started whispering something which at first seemed as if to himself. It was also something neither me nor Nero could understand. There was, however, one other person in the room that did…his brother.
Gryph, looked directly at him, nodded once in understanding, and quickly intercepted my brother. Then he started reeling off an extensive amount of information, questioning him on a number of things that he believed my brother may have been able to help him with. Thankfully, the distraction worked long enough for Nero to say,
“Let's be quick then.” I nodded and put a hand to her forehead and we both closed our eyes at the same time. I went back to the moment that I needed, soon seeing it all start to play out. However, this time the figure standing on the broken castle walls was no longer blurred and void in a memory.
Although, admittedly, it also wasn't a face that I could see and this concerned me as it was far from evidence damning enough to condemn my brother.
However, after going back a little further I saw the evidence that I couldn't explain as being anyone but my brother, for he was the only one that I knew was capable of creating such portals so quickly. It was when he first appeared, as her visions were being played in reverse. he created a tear through the realm of Tartarus and slipped through as if it was as easy as breathing.
This then made me think back to the point that Amelia must have touched the Eye and gained the power she needed to obliterate the army surrounding her. It was at that moment I filled in the gaps and the voids in Nero's memory for she was currently at this point hanging down inside the well for her own safety.
The puzzle pieces I created showcased my brother creating a portal the moment Amelia's power was unleashed. I looked back at it now and I remembered that it was also the exact moment my brother had returned to my castle. This, of course, being only moments after the connection with Amelia touching the Eye had took hold of me.
This was damning indeed.
Added to this were the days of him disappearing just when those of us needed to speak with him. I also thought back on previous conversations. Like when he had declared he would be the one to find out more information about the witch instead of my general, who I had first issued with this task. Was it because he feared what Carn’reau may have found out?
I also thought bac
k to when he had asked about the Eye and convinced me that it didn't need to be moved. Was this because he knew she would be drawn to it when she woke and that was all that was needed for him to have the Harpy Queen steal it away?
In fact, the only piece of the puzzle I didn't have was how she had been able to take both my Chosen One and Nero along with the Eye. However, the moment I released Nero, giving her back her mind she answered this lingering question that I must have subconsciously left planted there,
“It was the hex,” she told me.
“What do you mean?” My frown said it all, or more like the all I didn’t yet know.
“It wasn't the type of summoning hex we all thought it was, I'm just sorry that I realised it too late.”
“Ur nae tae be blamed, lass,” Vern said to comfort her, at the same time running the back of his fingers down her cheek.
“Tell me of the hex,” I said, needing to know.
“The hex wasn't trying to summon Amelia to the witch, the hex was so that others could be summoned to her, wherever Amelia was.” The moment she told me this, it was as if a light had been switched on in a dark room, spreading light on the parts I hadn’t been able to make sense of.
Now I could see everything so clearly. Mainly how the Harpy had been able to get inside. She most likely had others, perhaps her sisters waiting nearby so they could transport both the girls and the Eye to Tartarus. This also meant that my brother was working with the witch, and in between had seemingly been collecting those he could use and manipulate.
Roots Of Rage: A Vampire King Paranormal Romance (Transfusion Saga Book 9) Page 21