Chapter 47
Vixen
The nursery Rion and Kitty had assembled looked like something out of a magazine.
A crib, change table, and dresser made of ivory-painted poplar with matching Queen Anne feet took up most of the room.
A white antique rocking horse and taupe-colored padded rocking chair completed the ensemble.
The walls were a soft lilac, and the drapes ivory like the furniture.
Beautiful ornate ceramic butterflies hung on one wall, and a framed print of a unicorn on another.
Vixen sat in the chair with Aurora in her arms, tears streaming down both cheeks. Will crouched beside them, one hand on Vixen’s forearm to reassure her. It was difficult to comprehend the short span of this infant’s life. It already felt as though they’d had her forever.
She wished May could have been here to meet her.
May would have been such a wonderful big sister.
The ache of losing a child never dissipated, and Vixen had lost two.
One through adoption, and one to the higher realms. She was finally at the point where she could carry the burdens without fear of them crushing her, but this incredible miracle in her arms was still bittersweet.
“She’s fallen asleep,” Vixen murmured. “I don’t want to let her go, but the others need our help.”
“She’ll be fine here, we can come back,” Will promised.
She dried her tears with the back of a hand, and carefully arose from the chair. “I know. Sorry, I’m just a little emotional.”
“I’d be worried if you weren’t,” he said as she placed the baby in her bed.
When she turned, he was waiting to embrace her. She sighed softly, eager to soak up every part of him. His scent, the feel of his shirt, the tender way he held her, they were reminders she was not alone. She never would be again.
“All right, I should check on Tobias,” she said.
“Love you.” He kissed her softly on the lips.
“We’ll be continuing that later,” she said with a mischievous grin.
His responding smirk sent her stomach aflutter. The effect this male had upon her was next level. She flashed out before either of them could distract one another.
Tobias lay on the single bed in Rion’s window-less home theater. It had been placed there when Rion had been in Hell, and for some reason nobody had ever removed it.
As usual, Tobias had the appearance of a corpse while in the Fade.
Paler than usual, still, and cold. She watched him for a moment, in awe that this one male had done something nobody else in all the realms could.
He’d united light and dark, and forged a new path forward.
Technically, they’d had to lose in order to secure this, but it didn’t matter. Their future was safe.
After a swift inhale, she sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand to his chest. It didn’t feel anything like a mortal, or any other type of being. It just felt dead.
She knew Uriel had healed vampires before, and she suspected Kitty had too. Ugh. It’s been so long since I performed a miracle, this is definitely outside of my wheelhouse.
Nevertheless, she was stubborn. Tobias had risked everything. She would find a way to do this. He needed to be well enough to address his followers as soon as possible. There had been losses, and his leadership was integral to the new beginning they’d fought for.
At first, Vixen tried to grasp the inner workings of his body with her Holy energy.
Heart. Organs. Brain. They all seemed unreachable.
She let her aura swell enough to encompass them both, and allowed her divinity to delve deeper than flesh and bone.
The core of his being, the center of power greater than any vampire had ever known, was well protected. But, it was there.
Gently, she wove a miracle and released it. She felt her Holy light merge with his Undead essence, and she knew it was working. To heal this male, she needed to work backwards, and do it from the inside out.
After a few minutes, he opened both eyes. “Vixen?” His brows knit together as he tried to understand why it was her beside him. Then, his gaze fell upon her hands on his chest. Hands, that were aglow with Holy light.
“What the…”
“We have a lot to discuss,” she said with a smile. “But for now, I have restored some of what you lost. I hope this will be enough for you to go to the palace, I know you must be anxious to check in with everyone.”
“You’re not dead…” he managed.
“Nope. I was, but now I have these back.” She called forth her Holy form for a couple of seconds, then let it recede.
“Back? Damn… every time I think I’ve seen it all.” He chuckled. “I’m glad we didn’t lose you, kid.”
“Kid? Now that I’ve got my true form back, I’m an eternity older than you.”
“This is getting weird.” He laughed and sat up. “All right, what’s the plan?”
“The sun is already setting; you’ve got about fifteen minutes until it’s safe to come out. Do you need to feed?”
“Is it safe for you to do that so soon after a miracle?” He asked.
“Of course. I wouldn’t offer otherwise.”
She wasn’t the same. She could sense it, and knew Tobias could too. The Vixen she’d been was still in there, but remnants of the angel she used to be had filtered back in. Now, she was so much more. It would take some getting used to, both for herself and others.
So far, everyone just seemed relieved that she’d come back. Her purpose had grown exponentially, both with her impending guardian role, and brand new parenthood. For the first time, she knew she was exactly who and where she was supposed to be.
Tobias
By the time he made it out to the great room, Will had already resurrected four mortal servants. The male was starting to wane, and it showed in his movements.
“Thanks, but I can take it from here.”
Will turned to face him and grinned. “It’s about time you got your lazy ass out of bed.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He opened a vein and knelt beside the nearest servant.
“Oh, you have arisen.” Rion walked into the room with Lori in tow. “Excellent.”
Tobias gave the servant a pat on the shoulder, and moved to the next one. As their maker, he could resurrect them in a fraction of the time it took for an angel to do it. He’d just needed to recharge first.
A combination of the Fade and Vixen’s miracle had rejuvenated him to a point he hadn’t reached since before he started oathing half the vampires in the In-Between and accumulating more servants than all of the remaining original kings put together.
One by one, the remaining servants awoke and joined the group. Tobias allowed them time to shower, eat, and get caught up on the status of things, before they prepared to relocate to Diabolus Loco and the underground palace.
“Thank fuck you’re back,” Althea babbled as soon as he materialized with everyone from the penthouse.
Tobias glanced at Rion and then back to the female. This was not relief over his return. This was some version of desperation. Without breaking eye contact with her, he opened a link to Rion.
“What haven’t you told me?”
“There is much we have yet to discuss. One thing at a time, Martelli.”
“I assume you’re going to call a meeting, but there’s something you’ve gotta do first,” Althea pressed.
“We shall reconvene in the throne room when you are done,” Rion said out loud.
“Sounds good. Alright, Rhodes,” Tobias said. “Lead the way.”
She strode off through the rabbit warren of passageways and communal spaces. He followed. Who else had they lost? What could possibly make her this upset? Was it Keziah?
Althea led them to the lowest level of the palace, and one of the furthermost rooms from the staircase. He tried to recall which of his Kiss resided down here and couldn’t connect the dots. I’ve got too many damned subjects. I should know these things.
As soon as she pushed the door open, he figured it out. Derek Turner’s scent rolled out to greet them, along with the stench of old blood. Too much blood.
The male lay atop his bed, his sage green shirt drenched in a rust-colored liquid.
Keziah sat one side of him, holding his hand.
On the other side, the angel Aniel stood over him, her hands poised over his body.
Had he been lying her like this since the battle?
That implied she had been weaving whatever Holy voodoo she was performing for three days straight.
“I cannot heal him,” the angel whispered. “I have tried, but he was staked directly in the heart. I’ve managed to prevent him from being extinguished, but if I stop, he will perish. I’m not certain how I have managed this, but I cannot continue for much longer.”
“Please Martelli, you have to do something. He took a blow meant for me. It should be me lying there,” Althea begged. “He’s a good kid; he has too many years ahead of him to die here. His immortality has barely started.”
With a sigh, Tobias stepped forward. His gut told him this was not something he could prevent. As maker, his blood would rejuvenate the male like none other. As a member of the trinity, his blood held even more clout. But, a stake to the heart? Nobody survived that.
I did. Kitty saved me. It can be done.
With a grim expression, he opened a vein and let a few drops fall onto the seam of Derek’s lips. When nothing happened, he coaxed the males jaw open, to enable the blood to dribble into his mouth.
For several agonizing minutes, nothing changed. Then, he spluttered, swallowed, and grabbed Tobias’ wrist with both hands.
Slowly, Aniel removed her hands. Both knees buckled and she collapsed into Althea’s arms. The vampire led her to a chair and helped her to sit down. Almost immediately, her eyes closed and she went to sleep.
“Are you with us, Turner?” Tobias asked, when Derek’s eyes remained shut.
At last his lids opened, and he stared up at Tobias in shock. He stopped feeding and wiped his mouth. “How am I not dead?” He asked. “I felt the sword pierce my heart.”
“Best not to question miracles, hmm?” Tobias smirked. “I have a meeting to attend.”
“We’re coming with you,” Althea decided.
Keziah was already helping Derek to his feet. She kissed him on the cheek, and whispered something to him. The fact Althea didn’t bat an eyelid surprised him. Althea moved to Derek’s other side, and propped him up.
“We’ve got you, yeah?” She said kindly.
Tobias watched with intrigue. So much for protest of not wanting to train the male and threats of castration. The weight of his gaze had become tangible, and Althea made eye contact.
There was no malice in her smile, simply fondness for the vampire she’d been too quick to judge. “I know I gave you shit for parking him in my corner, but I see now why you did.”
“I thought you didn’t share?” He teased.
“For him I have decided to make an exception. Kez and I agreed. I assume that’s not going to be a problem for you?”
Tobias laughed. “Who you take to your bed is your business. Knock yourself out.”
“He’s one Hell of male. A bit like his maker.”
“I second that,” Keziah said.
With the twitch of a smile, Tobias turned and made his way back to the throne room.
A deafening roar filled the air when he walked in.
The throne room, though vast in size, struggled to contain all of its occupants.
They stood shoulder to shoulder, like at a rock concert, packed in like sardines.
Every member of every New York Kiss who had fought in the battle was present, along with Westergaard, Marquez, Ngdugu, Yamamoto, and a handful of guards and attendants each.
Once the roar died down, they began applauding.
He’d done it. He’d pulled off the impossible feat.
He hadn’t done it alone, and the bonds forged during this ordeal would be eternal.
Not only the Immortal Trinity, but the Vampire Alliance he’d created as well.
He thought of Christo, and wished he’d been here to see it.
It was difficult to accept the fact he’d been ready to die.
I’m going to miss the Hell out of that bastard. He was the best servant I could have hoped for, and for the first century of it, he wasn’t even officially a servant. I’m going to appreciate every damned moment of this second chance we’ve been given.
Tobias climbed the dais and stood in front of his throne. Will and Rion assumed their places either side, and the room fell quiet.
For the first time in his life, Tobias didn’t wish he was anywhere else. He didn’t regret stepping out of the shadows or taking the throne. He didn’t hate having the eyes of so many upon him – which was new. The only thing he felt was grateful.
“If we never have to do that again, that would be great,” he said.
A chorus of laughter rang out, proving he’d set the scene well.
“I want to thank you all for your service in the impossible war.
Those from the lower realms believe they have won. They think they’ve left us licking our wounds and cowering in defeat. They’re wrong. We were victorious.”
A triumphant roar swept over the crowd.
“We chose how this would end. Every single one of you played a crucial part. I will not forget you were here when it mattered. I’m aware of the sacrifices made and lives lost. We will mourn them together, and I assure you they will not be forgotten.
From this night forward, we’ll make this new beginning count.
From this night forward, we will not live in the shadow of the lower realms. We will live free. ”
Another roar ensued.
“This is why he’s the king,” Will said in both his and Rion’s minds.
“Indeed. For someone who did not want this, he is certainly adept at it.”
He could feel Will turn to him, though he did not look. “It had to be you, Tobias. Do you see it now?”
Tobias held a fist in the air in response to the crowd. Everyone began clapping and cheering again.
“I see it.”
The three males sat down, and the meeting was officially underway. O’Brien took notes of those who had perished and details were confirmed on a service to honor those lost. Ideas were discussed about a physical memorial to be displayed in the palace.
New agreements were proposed among the Undead.
Tobias would always be connected to those who had oathed to him, but he certainly didn’t want to govern all of them.
It was decided he and the Trinity would act as a council for any Undead factions around the world.
The four remaining Original kings would continue to preside over their own domains as they had always done.
The laws of the Undead would be rewritten to reflect this new hierarchy, and to protect the mortals of the In-Between. Unnecessary and intentional mortal deaths would not be tolerated. Alliances with demons not under the Trinity’s umbrella would also not be tolerated.
By the end of the meeting, Tobias felt liberated. He wasn’t biding time anymore, because he had purpose. He’d made a difference, and the future looked pretty damned good.