Chapter 6
Corvinus
In just three weeks’ time while the ladies worked day and night deciphering passages, trying to understand visions, we’ve managed to assemble a group of highly skilled and hopeful warriors.
The great room below is filled with masters and lords along with skillful and adept vampires hoping to achieve positions with the elite warriors’ group. We are close to finalizing the new hierarchy to put this group back together again and the excitement on the young vampire faces is hopeful.
It is an elite calling, but not one just anyone will get. The warriors must not only be highly skilled in combat but go through a rigorous and extensive background check in order to even apply.
Bernard, a trusted employee for over a century in time, hands me an Italian handmade crystal tumbler filled with the amber colored Delmar.
A scotch that can sooth even the most frayed of nerves.
It should serve its purpose in keeping the edge off tonight, at least until this little foray and my speech is through.
Then tomorrow, I can head out to find the missing vampiress who seems to have caused such a stir.
If it were up to me, I’d let her be. My jaw tightens as the crowd gathers around the podium in the lower level.
Show time, I guess. I place the almost still full glass on the table at the top of the curved stairs and make the descent, letting my presence be known.
I raise a hand of welcome as I reach the podium.
The excitement in the ornately decorated room is palpable, and it is my job to corral it, and ensure the energy is used to further our cause, build a new and elite group of combat warriors who will take the place of the traitors but well-oiled fighting machine we lost.
The crowd watches me with growing enthusiasm, and slowly the side conversations begin to diminish until the room is quiet. “Thank you for coming.”
The bright and eager faces make me proud to lead such an effort.
“You are here tonight to help us rebuild the warriors who have been a valued part of our hierarchy for centuries. The future must look different today than it did yesterday, we must ensure the rogue vampires and other enemies alike are never able to infiltrate our flanks again. We will rebuild the vampire warriors with the help of many of you here today.”
The eruption of cheer is hard to diminish.
I let it go on for a short while before cutting it short with a tap to the microphone.
“I know everyone is excited, as are we. I gesture toward Overmaster Descallia and our new queen, Lucianna.
For many of the young vampires, they are meeting her for the very first time and are in awe of her striking composure and brilliant glowing green eyes.
“Overmaster Descallia will not suffer traitors, not after what the master vampires have been through with the rogues. They have threatened our very existence since the beginning of time. Well, at least since the time when the convergence of ideals parted ways. That my friends, ends today.”
More cheers, until I hold up a hand to stay the boisterous crowd.
“The rogues wanting to continue raining terror on unsuspecting souls, to gain free and easy access to their blood. They live for the hunt, the kill and chasing their prey, and relish in the torn flesh and empty vessels that they leave behind.”
“No more!” a brash young vampire yells.
“They are truly barbarians in a world that has evolved. An age that has access to our lifeblood in so many other ways, but yet, the thrill of instilling fear in their victims is still what these bloodsuckers want.”
“No more!” yells an entire group of vampires, pumped up and ready to take to arms before even being selected or given a sword.
“We’ve managed to stave off their deadly attack, but this last one was worse than all others combined.
They came close to tearing our dynasty apart, to gaining access to the secrets we keep so far below ground.
The vampire masters and lords must regroup to ensure nothing like their assault and infiltration of our covens never happens again. ”
I pause for emphasis, gazing out onto into the white Italian marble floor, barely visible through the vampires in suits and tuxes with their vampiresses who wear long gowns that trail and almost completely adorn the floor.
But there’s only one who my eyes search out.
The purple- haired beauty in a short low cut dress of solid black, with strappy heels that I plan to have around my neck in short order tonight.
She feels my eyes on her and sends me a wink but I can feel the sorrow in her heart.
She wants to be up there too, where she so rightfully belongs.
“You have each been asked to attend tonight after careful consideration of all who have applied. There is no higher honor than the work you have been asked to consider.”
The room erupts into a clapping response.
I adjust my cuff links and wait until the crowd has quieted.
“We will be reviewing scores from the tests you were all asked to complete in short order. Between now and then, please be sure to hone your sword fighting skills. If you are lucky enough to be selected, you will undergo strenuous exercises to test your combat readiness. Good luck to you all.”
I walk down the stairs of the makeshift stage placed in my great room earlier in the day. Overmaster Descallia meets me halfway through the crowded room. “Excellent speech,” he says. Quite an honor for our usually quiet overmaster. “Thank you, sir.”
Lucianna walks toward us, closing the gap quickly. Something is wrong, I can already sense it, my eyes tracking the room, my senses honing in on the smell of my sexy little vampiress who is no longer standing in the corner of the room. “Where’s Embry?”
She nods. “That’s what I was going to say. She’s gone. One minute she was there and the next she wasn’t anywhere to be found.”
I know the reason, but this time I have no fucking clue where she went. All I know is that when I find her, that paddling I warned her about, she’s going over my knee and next time she pulls this disappearing act she’s going to think about the worry she causes.
Lucianna’s eyes begin to glow so bright. “Find her please, Corvinus. I had a vision, just as you were talking. Isala and Lucas were with the witches at the academy. I think Embry shared the vision. All of a sudden, she was gone.”
My chest constricts, because this is far worse than a little disappearing act to blow off some steam and get her feelings right. My first thought goes to her weapons. She would have gone to get her trusty sword, the one she never battles without.
Descallia looks toward his queen, and her eyes glow a dark green hue that spills out over the floor. The man will not deny her a thing, and with that I know my job will be to find Embry and not return until I’ve brought her safely home again.
“I’ll leave as quickly as I can and keep you apprised. The witches, were you able to console Devora? I’m sure she’s still mad as hell that she hasn’t gotten the shadow books back. Will they be halfway friendly or will Devora have worked them up into a frenzy again?”
His dark eyes meet mine. “I have no doubt you are about to find out, Corvinus. We’ll get the test sessions set up while you’re gone. We can still keep our momentum here until you return to the skills set.”
I don’t waste time replying, far too worried about Embry and what she could have seen in that vision, and what she could be running into if she journeyed back to the Mystic Forest. I search the closet by the front door for her sword, which is gone.
I hasten up the stairs to change, and strewn on the bed is her black dress, heels, and a white folded note.
I open it with my heart in my throat.
Dear Vampire,
The shadow books finally make sense. We know where Isala and Lucas are and what they may be up to.
It’s my chance to make a difference. Stay and put the warriors together.
I can take care of myself. You will see.
I will make you proud. And then, I’ll even let you give me that spanking that about right now you probably think I so aptly deserve.
I need to do this, for myself, for my gramma, for the vampire community, but most of all, I have to take the thing back that they took from me.
Give me the space to do that, vampire. And then I will be yours. Love, Embry.
I read it for the second time with a tightened jaw, and a third before making up my mind.
She may want to do this herself, and I may let her take the lead, do everything she can to best them both, but she’s sure as hell not doing it alone.
I quickly change into dark pants and a black sweater and lace up my sturdy black boots before heading downstairs to gather my weapons.
I pause before transporting, sending a text to both Romano and Descallia, letting them know that we know exactly where she’s at.
The last time I found her at the cavern in the Mystic Forest, but she was lured there, and she won’t be easily fooled again.
I also know when she gets there she’ll need to recover from the journey before trying to battle.
I transport, making the long exhausting journey to Romania landing right in the middle of the Mystic Forest. Because I know one smart ass bird who knows this forest and everything about everyone who travels through it better than anyone else.
That’s where Embry will go to recover and to garner support for her battle against the witches, Isala, and Lucas.