Chapter 33 #2
“Still with the coven. Getting all the bloodsucking ducks in a row. Unsurprisingly, not everyone is as eager to have a flesh vampire around.” Désirée glares at me, and I know that’s asking a lot—not just of her and Alix, but also of their coven.
“How’s he doing?” Elly asks before I can speak.
“Surprisingly well, actually,” Désirée replies, clearly shocked. “Considering we have no hands-on experience with his kind, things are looking good.”
I start to speak, but Désirée raises her hand to cut me off.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to take, and I’m not going to make any random guesses either.
Right now, we’re just glad that apparently”—she shoots me a dangerous look—“he has already fed, because we were not going to offer up one of our own. You better start thinking about how you’re going to keep that under control, Malakai. ”
“Every coven has a member who needs to be disposed of every now and then. I’m certain we can offer our assistance in such matters.”
Désirée crinkles her nose. “Disgusting,” she says. “Efficient, smart, but disgusting.”
“Will he need to feed often?” Elly asks, sounding slightly nervous as she looks between us.
“From what little records there are of flesh vampires, thankfully only every few years. They can survive on blood alone. We’ll have to find out how long that ends up being before he actually needs flesh,” Désirée explains, then gives us both a long, hard look. “Now what?”
“What do you mean?” I ask her.
“Please, Malakai, we’re not stupid. You left to hunt down this supposed son of yours and came back with a flesh vampire. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that something went very wrong.”
“We found his sister instead.” Désirée looks at me as if to say, Another child?
“She mortally wounded William. Isabella, who was a vampire, fed him her blood.” Her eyebrows nearly fly off her face.
“And then we had a flesh vampire on our hands. But we still need to find Nagamaru—both siblings, actually. And there’s only one way to do so. ”
“Whatever it is, it’s a bad idea.”
“Oh, it most certainly is.” I chuckle. “It involves Yblis and his first wife.”
“Nope.” Désirée jumps from her seat, arms raised, startling Elly. “I’m not offering any kind of help from our side whatsoever for anything that involves him. No way in hell.”
Elly looks confused by Désirée’s strong reaction. She glances at me in question, but I just shake my head.
“This isn’t just a bad idea,” the vampire rages on. “This is the worst you’ve ever had. And you’ve had quite a few.”
“I know,” I say, trying to calm her. “But we have no other choice. Désirée”—she seems to calm down a bit upon hearing her name—“we wouldn’t do this if there was another way.”
She runs a hand through her hair and sighs. “I know,” she admits, deflating slightly. “Just... be careful, okay?” Genuine concern colors her voice and dark eyes.
Because the last time I went to see my brother, he imprisoned me for centuries. The last time I saw his first wife, she became the reason for that imprisonment.
Désirée sighs again and then stands in front of me. She pulls me up from my seat and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug. After a few seconds, she lets go and hugs Elly as well.
“Be careful and make sure he doesn’t piss his brother off, okay, Ella?” Désirée whispers while Elly returns the hug. “They tend to do that a lot to each other.”
Elly gives her another hug. “I will, Rae. Don’t worry.”
Elly hears back from the bounty hunter later that night, and I’m surprised. I thought she would make us wait unnecessarily long.
“Do we need to pack a bag or something?” Elly asks me after she agrees on a meeting place and time with Azraella.
I consider that for a moment. “Perhaps, yes. Depending on how things go, we can magic it over if needed.”
She nods, and we pack some clean clothes and toiletries. After going back and forth for a few minutes, Elly decides to change her dress for a pair of pants, a blouse, and a corset. I step over as she prepares to have her magic lace her up.
“You know,” I say while tightening the ribbons on the back of the corset, making her suck in a breath, “once this is all sorted out, we could go on a vacation.”
She cranes her neck to look at me, her smile brighter than the sun. “Are you serious?”
“Of course I am. We can go anywhere you want. Just name a place.”
“Anywhere?” I nod. “I’ll need to think about that. I’ve only ever been to the seaside, just once.”
“I’ll travel the world with you, love, if that’s what you want.”
“I might just hold you to that.” She smiles.
The joy in her eyes is everything, and I have to push down the urge to whisk her away right this instant. She has so much yet to experience and discover, and I’m excited to be the one by her side through it all. I’ll make sure to show her the entire world—both the human and the inhuman sides of it.
Besides, I do still have a recently purchased vacation home to surprise her with.
We leave the bag in the transportation circle in the library and head to the Underworld. Azraella meets us at the bottom of the stairs to the city, looking pissed off as usual. Her mood sours further when she sees me.
“You were serious when you said he was going to tag along,” she sneers at Elly. “Well, at least you didn’t transport inside this time. One less reason for him to be pissed when he sees you.”
“You transported to the Underworld?” I ask Elly without acknowledging the bounty hunter. She huffs, but I continue to ignore her.
“Just the one time. I haven’t tried it again, but he knew and wasn’t happy about it,” Elly admits with a sheepish grin.
“I can imagine.” I laugh. “He doesn’t like surprises.”
“Hey,” Azraella snaps, and we turn back to her.
She hands Elly a patina silver coin, both sides carrying my brother’s Mark. Elly shudders slightly when she feels the magic in it.
“Take this with you. It allows you to transport there and will alert him of your arrival.”
Elly nods, studying the coin.
“One more thing.” The bounty hunter points directly at me. “I did not know about you tagging along. I will deny it if I’m asked.” Then she looks at Elly. “And you can count on me collecting that favor.”
“I know,” Elly replies, clasping the coin firmly in her hand as if to ensure it can’t be taken back.
Azraella gives us another long, hard look. “Well, good luck then, I guess.” With that, she turns and walks away.
“Lovely personality,” I mutter. “I wonder what my brother sees in her.”
“Because you’re such a ray of sunshine yourself,” Elly deadpans.
I snort. “Wait until you meet Yblis. He’s a delight.”
My hand reaches out to her, and Elly gives me the coin. Accepting it, I pull her close, and, using the magic in the coin as a guide, I transport us to his castle.
Elly gasps audibly when we emerge and she sees the place.
We stand in the courtyard, surrounded by the brick structure of the castle.
It looks like a medieval castle, complete with a depressing atmosphere.
My brother could have every luxury in the world, yet he still lives like this? After all these years? Wonderful…
“There’s no one around?” Elly asks as she spins to take it all in. The main gate lies behind us, closed off. On our left and right are different chambers, all dark and deserted. In front of us is the entrance to the throne room.
“There should be a few servants. But he generally enjoys his solitude.”
A sting in my hand makes me snarl, and I drop the coin. It sizzles and melts until nothing remains of it. Single-use, of course.
Elly looks at me with a frown. “You’re keeping that skin?” she asks, nodding at the warm honey-colored skin.
“He doesn’t know about the other one.” Her frown deepens. “I’d like to keep it that way.” I loop her arm in mine, and we head to the door leading to the throne room.
We enter without knocking because I know very well he’ll turn me away if given the chance.
Our shoes click on the pietra gray marble floor, and I quickly glance around to see that everything is exactly as I remember it.
The walls of dark stone and heavy chandeliers with candles hanging from the ceiling give the place an ancient feel despite everything being very sleek.
The back wall holds a large fireplace, a magical fire roaring in its heart, casting moving shadows.
My brother’s anger upon seeing me hangs heavy in the air.
His fingers dig into the armrests of the ornate stone throne he’s sitting in.
He looks infuriated, the shadows from the fire behind him only making him look more murderous.
Despite how he clearly despises seeing us, he’s as well put together as I’m used to from him.
A black suit with dark red thorns embroidered on the lapels, and his long, dark brown hair hanging over his shoulder in a fishtail side braid.
His red eyes are locked on me, his posture radiating rage. “You dare show your face here?”
I grin at him, and his attention shifts to Elly.
“And you.” She flinches against me, stirring some of my own rage. “I allowed you entrance in good faith. And you bring him with you? I should toss both of you out on your asses.”
“Don’t talk to her like that.”
Yblis’s head snaps back to me, and I know I’ve angered him further.
Off to a great start.
“Yes, you’re right. I shouldn’t.” He bristles. “I should just throw you back into that hellhole of a prison.”
“No can do. I trashed the place when we left.” Slipping my hand into my pocket, I give him my smuggest grin, unable to stop myself from antagonizing him. Just like old times. It’s not as if we never got along; I just always liked annoying him too much for my own good.
“That won’t stop me,” Yblis snarls.