Chapter 3
Grief
ALEK
He sat at the bar, his fingers following the rim of his glass. The intricately carved ice rose had already melted and was now mixing with the scotch. The brown color lightening to a golden color.
Alek had chosen to come to this bar several times over the few months since Lanias’ funeral. It had the classic feel of the bars in Romania with brick laid walls. The smell of candle wax filled it as the bar owner didn’t use electric lights.
Stools with velvet padding were just as comfortable as the velvet lined booths along the wall.
He’d been allowing himself to mire himself in a murky haze of depression.
Alek was accustomed to mourning. Over the last few hundred years he’d lost his identity, his people and his Queen.
The story of a falling kingdom rang all too true when it came to his life.
Removing his pointer finger from the rim of the glass he pushed the glass across the bar counter. “Another one.”
The bar keeper turned away from the only other customer, a wispy figure, who couldn’t even drink his drink. The poltergeist shot him a hateful look before it winked out of view appearing in a booth some feet away where it smoothly cuddled with a female wraith.
“Looks like I’ll be calling your son to pick you up once more.
” The bar keeper’s juniper-colored eyes were like bright headlights in comparison to his shadowy body that was the color of midnight.
He flashed his yellowed teeth, “You should try to go home early today.” He said, his three arms moving separately from the hands that were preparing Alek’s drink.
Alek snorted, running his fingers through his long silvery locks. “I am drinking to the old days. You wouldn’t ruin my fun would you Anansi?”
Anansi gave him a shrewd look, as his fourth hand sat his drink down. “A Monarch Vampire like you has too many old days to drink to.”
Grabbing his drink up, Alek offered him a sarcastic smile. “Indeed.”
“Which is why he should stop drinking.” A perturbed person said from behind him. A delicate hand with long nails removed the drink from his hands. Tiller took a seat next to him, his yellow eyes narrowed into slits on him. “He has spent more time here than what is appropriate.”
Alek flicked his hand toward his stolen drink. A thin line of red fog streamed from his hand encompassing the cup. When it disappeared and reappeared in his right hand, he grinned at Tiller.
“Well, hello, Fox, how have you been?” he asked cheerfully as he took a deep drink. “Did you bring the others?”
Tiller ordered his own drink, “And why would I bring them?”
“Well, aren’t you plotting on dragging me back?
” Alek asked as he polished off the rest of his drink.
It would seem his enjoyment of his drink was over; Tiller was here now.
“Though, I can’t help but wonder where your courage comes from?
” His moon-colored eyes flash a hard red.
“I still remember your invasion of my mausoleum.”
Tiller took his drink from Anansi. “Courage, desperation.” He shrugged and took a sip from his glass, the ice ball spinning within. “It helped us these last five years, didn’t it?”
“Maybe,” Alek said as he sighed. He glanced over his shoulder at the clock on the wall. “My time as a Jackal has reached its end.”
Tiller, who was lowering his cup, paused and glanced out of the corner of his eye at Alek. Setting his cup down with a short click. “Does that mean what I think it means?”
Alek hummed as he rolled his neck creating the sound of his bones cracking in an ominous way.
“A Surrem infiltrated the council and was defeated. With that and the evidence you uncovered about the other councilmen who were complicit in his crimes, the Veil is now rumbling with the aftermath.” Alek shifted so he leaned on his left arm, his chin supported by his hand.
“You have more than enough weapons to assist you, especially with Raijin gathering others like him. The Jackals have only begun.”
“The information about the Witches helped a great deal, but it wouldn’t be wrong to keep my most deadly weapon close at hand,” Tiller said.
“I am as finicky as the sword of King Arthur,” Alek said, pushing his stool back as he came to his feet. “I don’t dream of righting wrongs. I dream of killing those who killed my Queen and my people.”
He inhaled slowly and closed his eyes. “Blue eyes. The scent of summer.” His jaw tightened. “That is how I remember her.”
His fingers curled against the bar. For a moment he did not speak.
“And then,” he continued, more quietly, “I recall eyes as black as a starless sky. Nightshade.” His throat worked once. “And I am reminded that even that will fade.”
Opening his eyes, he looked down at Tiller. “Do you know how my kind mourns?”
Tiller reached inside of his suit jacket and pulled out a USB and placed it on the bar. “That is the information I could find about the rest of them. They hide well, and some, from what I’ve researched, have disappeared completely from every surveillance radar that the council had on them.”
Red mist wrapped around the USB swallowing it from sight.
“Don’t think I wasn’t prepared for this but tell me one thing.” Tiller asked, “How worried should I be for Veil City? I hope that you won’t bring your war with them to our streets.”
Alek turned around giving him his back, “My hunt is not bound to a single territory. That is all I can say for now.”
He didn’t look back as he made his way out of the bar. The door slammed loudly from behind him, and his nostrils were immediately filled with the scent of wet cement, iron and the multitude of beings who occupied Veil city, home for monsters and other beings.
A dark blue Rolls Royce pulled up in front of him. Alek smirked as he vanished from sight.
“I didn’t think you would meet with him before leaving.”
This was said to him the minute he appeared within the car. His son Mihai didn’t look at him but focused on the road before them as he pulled away. Mihai was everything he wasn’t. Darkly handsome, with blue eyes that had entranced more than his fair share of humans.
He gripped a flask in his hands and lifted it out to Alek, “Do you want some?”
Alek could smell the irony blood inside it. “No, I’ve eaten.”
“More for me then,” Mihai stated with no change in his stoic expression as he took another swig.
The black T-shirt he wore stretched over his muscular body. Exposing the skull faces caught in mid scream that decorated his right arm. “Sorin isn’t pleased you didn’t tell him about leaving today.”
Alek laughed. “When is your elder brother ever happy with me? He didn’t like when I allowed you or your two brothers to live.
And now he adores you. He didn’t like drinking the blood of runaway soldiers and yet, he enjoyed the battles.
And now? He dislikes the role of crime lord and yet.
” He looked Mihai over. “You four took to it like fish to water.”
Mihai snorted. “He doesn’t want you to go alone.” He settled his flask in the center counsel. “He still believes that he is a prince and that he must play his role to you.”
Alek lost his humor at his second son’s words.
“Prince of what? Our kingdom is now the streets of the Veil, our titles mocked by rats. The elders hide, your grandfather and grandmother live like worms in dirt. Well golden dirt, but dirt nonetheless.” Alek shook his head.
“There is no need for you four to leave your seats of power. I only need your men and the item I requested Dmitri make.”
“He made it, but don’t expect it to be an easy battle,” Mihai said as he drove closer to the red district where most common vampires hung out.
Many called it Russian street as they were under the impression that the area was run by the Slavic vampires.
The Slavic’s had lost power the minute Alek had arrived with his sons.
Mihai pulled to a stop in front of a high-rise building. The night lights of the city reflected off the glass along with the occasional flash of light from a fairy that had flown too close.
Opening the door, Alek stepped out and he was greeted with a line made up of ten vampires on each side. Their bodies bent at the waist in greeting as all said simultaneously.
“Welcome, Monarch.”
Entering the building he was greeted by a slim Black woman in a dark blue dress. In her arms she held a tablet, she offered him a welcoming smile, her white teeth flashing at him.
“Hello, Mr. Delgado, your sons are above waiting on you.” She glanced behind him spotting Mihai, who kept his gaze averted from her friendly one. “Mr. Mihai, once you’re done with the meeting above, the Director of Rimini wishes to speak with you.”
Mihai grunted in answer, as Alek offered the young thing a smile.
“It pleases me that my son has hired a few more bright females to work here,” Alek said.
The young woman offered him a wink. “Well I’m grateful to have been hired.”
“Orion.” Mihai said her name harshly. “Return to your desk.”
She flinched, as her smile dimmed and she responded with a short nod quickly turning on her heels as she rushed back to her desk.
Walking around Alek, Mihai continued toward the elevator.
Alek followed him, a curious look on his face. “You are still impatient with women.”
“They are still flighty, useless creatures,” Mihai argued just as they entered the elevator. “Women are good for two things.” He lifted his flask. “Blood and sex.”
Alek thought of fierce eyes and an arrogant smile immediately. His anger exploded inside as if his son had insulted her. He ignored his son, flinching as he tried to regain control. “Your words, watch them. I will not be so forgiving the next time you speak so callously of women.”
Mihai straightened, his expression dark and contrite. “Yes, Father.”
Alek released a short breath.
The elevator door opened with a sharp ding.