Chapter 23 Nikolas
Nikolas
I knew something was wrong. I shouldn’t have been able to fight Andras and live. Not from my experience with the Crimson Crew and not from what Isi told us. He’d never lie about an enemy as dangerous as the vampires’ ex-king.
I stare down our captive, then study Isidoro’s face. His expression is tight, borderline desperate. I can relate, I feel the same way inside. How did we mess up this badly? I’ve never botched a job like this before.
“Isidoro… Altamirano… You are…” Julian’s voice cracks and he spits blood. The wound on his head has probably healed by now because I don’t see any more of the sticky coppery liquid flowing down his face. “You—I should’ve known—”
He goes silent. He tries the restraints again, but doesn’t get anywhere with them. I saw how Isidoro secured them. When Julian comes to terms with the futility of his attempts, he stares out the window in thoughtful stillness.
Dread fills the chopper as we make our way to what I assume will be Isidoro’s place here in New York. The city, which is now washed in artificial light, sprawls under us and around, blissfully unaware of what has just taken place. Or what will follow.
Tommy and I messed up big. But this can be salvaged, I think. We can use Julian to get to Andras, and if he refuses to come, we’ll just kill his son. It’s a classic hostage situation.
I glance at Isidoro. His eyes meet mine, and I can tell he’s thinking the same. Great minds think alike and all that. Next to him, Julian is now staring daggers at both of us, which tells me he too must have caught up to where our strategic minds took us. Well, that should make things easier.
“Julian Corvath.” Isidoro turns to the other vampire, clasping a stray lock of his black hair and tucking it away so he’s not hiding behind it. “Where is your father?”
I catalogue Julian’s features. His face is a mix of delicate and masculine, and he’s got a straight, proud nose and striking dark red eyes.
Despite the shitty quality of the pictures Isidoro showed us of Andras, you could tell he had a harshness to him, to his features, demeanor.
I don’t get that from Julian, not at all, even though he’s bulkier than Isidoro.
The helicopter turns and starts descending. We hit the ground a moment later, and the loud blades finally come to a stop.
I think I catch a glimpse of satisfaction flash in Julian’s eyes, but it’s gone so quickly I’m not sure I didn’t imagine it. “Now, now. That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?”
Isidoro’s calm demeanor snaps in a matter of milliseconds. He pulls hard on Julian’s inky hair, his other hand shooting out to wrap tightly around Julian’s neck. “Do you think this is a game? Do not test my patience, thief.”
Wrinkling his nose as he seems to struggle to keep the airflow going, Julian snarls. “Technically, my father’s the thief. I can’t take any credit for stealing the throne from under your nose.”
I gawk at the vampire. Shit, does he have a fucking death wish? This dude is mental.
Isidoro squeezes Julian’s neck so hard his entire face turns red.
I don’t exactly know the specifics of vampire biology, but they do seem to possess a heartbeat and they do breathe.
Maybe it’s just to appear human or keep a warmer body temperature and not rot, but I can’t imagine that being strangled feels nice.
Isidoro’s eyes flash bright red. He extends his claws too, which sink into Julian’s neck. “Watch your tone or I will slit your throat right here and now and put your head in a jar so you can’t regrow it.”
Julian grinds his teeth and his eyes blaze with a fire that gives me the shivers.
A wave of displeasure rolls off him. “You can’t kill me, because if you do, you will never find out where my father is.
” He laughs then, and it sounds completely unhinged.
“He will wait for the right moment, trust me on that, and he will come for you when you least expect it. He stole your crown once, Isidoro, he can do it again. And this time, he won’t leave you alive.
I am your only chance to prevent that from happening, so you better treat—”
Isidoro growls, digging his claws even deeper. I’ve never really heard him growl before. It sounds like a sound some wild and rampaging animal would make, so in contrast with his impeccable appearance and soft features.
Blood trickles down Julian’s neck, but neither he nor Isidoro seem all that concerned about it.
A man, Samuel I think, knocks on the helicopter’s door, then opens it, breaking the tension. He holds out a phone. Isidoro’s hand lets go of Julian’s neck, claws retracting. Taking a deep breath that can’t seem to calm him down at all, he takes the phone and shoves it into Julian’s hands.
“In your father’s absence, you will issue an order that my two friends are not to be messed with. No hair is to fall from their heads. I want your people to worship the ground they walk on, is that understood?”
Julian just frowns, but a snarl from Isidoro gets him typing on the device. He must realize this part is not worth fighting over. “Done.”
The look Isidoro gives Julian is scathing. His claws extend fully. The air charges again and for a moment, I fear that Isidoro might go through with his threat and kill Julian. But when he swings, his claws don’t connect to flesh. They cut the zip ties we used to secure the ex-king’s son.
I look outside, my heart kicking up a notch as I expect something to happen. We are on a helipad in the middle of a field. There are trees on one side, a gazebo and pond on the other, and an impressive mansion behind us. I spy a tall gate and a wall down the driveway.
Before Julian gets to attempt an escape, Isidoro grabs his wrist and hops off the helicopter, dragging him along.
He snaps his fingers and the other two vampires from the night when my world changed forever appear at his side.
“Allen, Dima, take Julian to the interrogation room. I will deal with him later. Make sure you secure him.”
The two vampires each restrain one of Julian’s arms as they disappear in that weirdly cool dark mist.
We walk from the field where the helicopter landed through a rose garden, emerging in front of a massive mansion surrounded by more blooming flowers.
“Samuel.” Isidoro turns to the remaining vampire, who’s been following us. “I will need help with planning and organizing the coronation.”
“Yes, Sire. I will get started on it right away. When would you like to hold it?”
Isidoro clasps his elbow and taps fingers along it. “In two months’ time. I want to secure the ruby first and find where Andras is hiding.”
Smart. It would be a shame if Isidoro’s enemy decided to show up at the ceremony uninvited and crash it. Knowing how big Isidoro has always been on public appearances, it’s probably his worst nightmare.
Samuel rocks his heels. “Understood.”
Isidoro snaps his fingers and just like that, his last servant is gone, too.
He turns to Tommy. “I know our deal was that I eliminate the Crimson Crew threat, but you have my word that they will never bother you again. They will be given a choice to join my clan, and those who oppose it will be dealt with swiftly.”
Tommy shrugs. “Works for me, I guess.” He throws a look at the house, taking it in. “What are you going to do with Julian?”
“Don’t worry about that. I will make him talk, one way or another.”
This sounds ominous, and knowing Isidoro, he will follow up on it, too. Well, his affairs are none of my business. Our mission is over, Tommy is safe, I am ready to start fresh, this time as myself. That’s all that matters to me.
Isidoro opens his arms wide as we reach the base of the stairs leading inside his home. “Would you like to come in for some tea? Maybe something to eat? We can talk next steps before you have to catch your flight in the morning.”
“Our flight?” I raise an eyebrow.
“We had a deal, and I keep my word, old friend.”
I hum. “Sure. Except that we kidnapped the wrong vampire.”
Isidoro waves us off. “I am not so worried about this. I have Andras’ son.
He will think twice before trying anything.
Besides…” He looks at the sky, his eyes growing distant.
“Andras is not one to miss his own Gala. This kind of thing is a big deal for us, vampires. There must be a reason Julian was posing as him, and I intend to get to the bottom of that.”
That is a good point. You don’t just pretend to be someone for shit and giggles. “Well, I trust you will figure this out. But if you need our help, just say the word.”
We shake on that and Isidoro guides us to his opulent dining room. His staff serves us the best tea and cakes, some sandwiches too. Dona Chela joins us, kissing and hugging both me and Tommy before she sits down.
“There is still so much that we don’t know about your kind, right, Niko?” Tommy says, putting a raspberry tart on his plate. His face radiates with excitement as he looks at it. “I’d love to learn more.”
Isidoro takes a sip from his glass with what must be blood. “Then perhaps I can share some stories? It has been quite a while since I reminisced about the past.” He peeks at me, letting his lips curve into a smile. “I always wanted to share them with you, and now, finally, I can.”
“Yes, please! And then maybe we can do a bit of brainstorming about your coronation. I’ve never been to one.
We are invited, right? Have you decided where you are going to hold it?
And is there an actual crown? Do I get to put it on your head since I am the keeper of the ruby? That would be sooo sick.”
Tommy barrages Isidoro with questions that my vampire friend doesn’t seem to mind at all. My heart flutters, full of joy at how well my best friend and my person get along.
After we’ve had some food, Tommy unceremoniously hands Isidoro the ruby, thus making him officially the vampire king.
The official ceremony will be in a few months, where they will repeat the ritual publicly, but for now this will do.
My sweet gremlin passes out on the fluffy couch afterwards, tiredness, food and the events of tonight finally catching up to him.
I sit on the armchair across and watch him sleep for a while, tingling all over.
He’s so precious, my little devil. The cutest, smartest and craziest man I have ever met.
He’s my world and he’s made it abundantly clear that I am his.
I press my hand to my chest, feeling like a thousand butterflies live there.
I’ve never felt so giddy and I honestly don’t know what to do with it.
It’s too much in the best way. Chuckling at myself, I go out to the patio for some air.
Isidoro is already there, leaning forward on the railing and looking at the sky.
“Part of me still can’t believe vampires exist,” I say, bumping him on the shoulder.
“Ah, don’t pay it no mind. It will be as normal as a morning coffee in another month or two.”
I wonder if that’s right. And while it’s a little concerning and scary that vampires lurk in the world without us, humans, even noticing, it’s also exciting.
It gets my blood pumping like I am about to jump off a plane.
This changes so many things, and yet so few people seem to know about it. And I am one of those lucky few.
“By the way,” Isidoro says, smoothing out his shirt.
“If you are interested, I am on the lookout for a new ally in Eastern Europe. Someone with skill, integrity and an open mind, who can help me grow my influence and eliminate a couple of fragmented pockets of former underworld factions. In case this tickles your fancy. You had a good run as a mercenary hotshot.”
I… I hadn’t really thought about the future other than tying a few loose ends here in the States before settling down in Greece permanently and enjoying the beautiful mansion Isidoro has gifted me and Tommy.
He’s already wired us enough money to last us multiple lifetimes too, so figuring out work wasn’t a priority.
But now that he’s brought it up, a twinge of nostalgia bubbles up inside me.
I loved my job. The money too, but it would be a lie to say I didn’t like the power it came with, the adrenaline.
Isidoro smiles knowingly, his red eyes glowing a little. “I see I might have intrigued you.” He pats my shoulder. “We will talk more once you’ve settled down. Now, go wake up your Tommy and get going, or you might miss your flight.”