Chapter 17 - Anson
17
ANSON
For the first time in days, I feel an inkling of hope that I haven’t lost every part of my old human life. The shield my father threw up to save my life is proof of that. But it’s tempered by my fear for Ameera and the uncertain future I’ll have if whoever is trying to kill her succeeds. We need to find out who’s responsible. And then? Then I’ll make them wish they never tried to hurt her in the first place. I scowl. Hell, they’ll wish they’d never been born when I’m through tearing them apart.
I’m pulled out of my bloodthirsty reverie as Samuel pulls the SUV to a stop at the gate of the mansion and waits for the guards to let us in. I tighten my hold on Ameera’s hand as the gate glides open, relieved to be home, where she’ll be safe. Samuel drives us through, but one of the guards flags us down and approaches the driver’s side door after we stop. Samuel opens the window to find out what the guard wants.
“Mistress,” he says as he glances past Samuel at Ameera with a wary expression. “A representative for the Mari Mae?tri is up at the house waiting for you.”
She stiffens at his words, then instead of ripping him a new one for letting whoever’s here onto the property like I expected her to do, she asks, “Who is it?”
He shakes his head. “He didn’t say, Mistress.”
“Thank you for letting me know, Michael,” she says to the guard before addressing Samuel, her face a calm mask despite the tension coming off of her in waves. “Take us up to the house now, please.”
We follow the winding drive up to the house, and there, standing at ease at the top of the steps that lead to the front door, is a dark-haired man in a crisp black suit who looks oddly familiar to me.
“Oh, thank God,” Ameera murmurs, and the tension of a moment ago bleeds out of her.
“Who is that?” I ask as Samuel stops the SUV near the front steps, still wary as I study the man.
He’s just shy of six-feet tall, with broad muscular shoulders and a commanding presence that only enhances his attractiveness, which makes me distrust him even more. He looks no more than forty years old, though as a vampire he could be as old as fuck for all I know. His dark, almost black eyes, thick black hair and beard stubble, and olive complexion make me think he’s of Middle Eastern or maybe Mediterranean descent. He watches our vehicle approach with a shrewd, intelligent gaze that sets me on edge.
“My sire,” she replies.
That’s why he looks familiar. I’ve seen him before, in the huge oil painting hanging in Ameera’s study. And… now I don’t trust him at all, as ugly jealousy roars to life inside me. I know it’s irrational, but it’s too strong to ignore or compartmentalize like I know I should. We climb out of the vehicle, and I take Ameera’s hand in mine as we ascend the front steps toward her sire. I want this fucker to know without a doubt that she’s mine.
He smiles at Ameera as we stop a few feet away from him. “Ameera, my dear,” he says without a hint of an accent to tell me where he’s from. The timbre of his voice is deep and so fucking smooth I want to punch him in the mouth. “You look well.”
She bows her head in respect. “So do you, Sire.”
He glances at Samuel. “Good to see you, Samuel.”
Samuel grins. “It’s good to see you too, sir.”
“Harrison,” he says to Ameera’s head human guard, who replies with a polite nod. “And who are your new friends?” he asks as he glances at Dre and me.
Ameera introduces Dre before turning her attention to me. “And this is my consort, Anson Hale,” Ameera says with an adoring smile.
Okay, that soothes some of my jealousy, though not enough for me to let go of her hand. In vampire culture, a consort is more than just a husband or a wife. Hell, an actual marriage isn’t even required for the title, just a romantic commitment between two vampires, something I used to think was impossible before I fell in love with Ameera. The Master of the City’s consort is considered an equal, and a co-ruler of the brood. I’m not sure how I feel about the title or the responsibility, but I know how I feel about a commitment like that between us. I’m honored and thrilled she considers me her consort.
Her sire looks me up and down with a disquieting intensity that I struggle to keep from squirming beneath before a genuine appearing smile spreads across his mouth. “I’m Aydin Nacar,” he says. “It’s an honor to meet the man who finally earned my Ameera’s heart.” He turns his smile on his progeny, and even seems to preen a bit, like a proud father, as he says, “Congratulations, my dear.” His smile fades at the edges into a slight frown. “Now, if only my visit was a mere social call.”
Ameera’s smile fades too. “I understand, Sire,” she replies, then motions toward the front door. “Let’s go inside and talk.”
It pisses me off when she calls him sire. She’s the goddamn Master of the City, for fuck’s sake. She shouldn’t have to be subservient like that to anyone. I grit my teeth as Ameera opens the door and I trail her inside, seething as Aydin Nacar follows us into our home. Ameera leads us through the house and into the living room just off the kitchen that she rarely spends time in, let alone entertains guests. She pulls me down onto the plush sofa next to her, and the others take a seat on the love seat and club chairs around us. Nacar chooses last, unbothered, as he sits down on the most uncomfortable chair and surveys the room with a warm smile that grates on my nerves. Aydin Nacar is the most human acting vampire I’ve ever met. How can he be so fucking old yet still seem so… normal?
“I’m so proud of you and all you’ve accomplished for yourself here,” he says, then looks at Ameera. “You’re everything I could’ve hoped for as my progeny.”
Ameera smiles and places a hand on my knee, her tight grip giving away her unease with this situation. “I can only hope my own progeny will be as fortunate as I am.”
Nacar’s brows rise. “He’s one of yours?”
“Yes,” she says with pride alight in her eyes. “He’s only been turned recently, but he’s made great strides in following my teachings.”
I’m not sure how great I’ve been doing considering I tried to greet the sun just a few days ago, but I’ll take the compliment since it means so much coming from her.
Nacar’s smile falters. “How recently?”
“It’s been about two weeks now,” I say, sounding as defensive as I feel at the moment. No matter how much I don’t like this guy, I need his approval, for Ameera’s sake, even if I don’t give a shit what this fucker thinks of me.
“Was that before or after you defeated the Twins?”
“After,” I reply, feeling uneasy now too.
He sighs at my answer, then leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “That’s what I was afraid of,” he says as he rubs his hands together, his concerned gaze focusing on Ameera again. “Which brings me to the reason I’m here. It’s been brought to the Mari Mae?tri’s attention that you were aided by Anson Hale when you killed Devin and Dorian. If he was still human at the time, then your claim on Unity’s vampire brood is in question.”
“What the hell?” I say, shaking my head. “What was she supposed to do? Face them alone?”
“In this instance, yes,” Nacar says. “Only a vampire consort may aid the Master of the City with the actual slaying of any rivals attempting to usurp their position.”
“Well, that’s fucking bullshit,” I continue, my temper rising even higher. “It was two against one. Ameera wouldn’t have survived if we hadn’t worked together to kill them.”
Nacar’s expression is sad, yet resigned. “Vampire law is vampire law.”
“Are you buying this?” I ask as I look at Ameera, who has yet to respond to her sire’s revelations. Her face is far paler than normal, and her eyes are wide as she stares unseeing at the floor, her hand gripping my knee even tighter than before. I lay my hand on hers in an attempt to ease her distress.
“Vampire law is vampire law,” she says, parroting Nacar’s statement in a subdued voice.
“This is bullshit,” I say. “Ameera delivered the final killing blows against both the Twins. I only helped subdue them.”
“In the Mari Mae?tri’s eyes, that’s aid enough to question Ameera’s claim on Unity.”
I grit my teeth, biting back an angry retort detailing where and how deep Ameera’s sire and the Mari Mae?tri can shove their bullshit rules. But I don’t want to make things worse for Ameera if I can help it, even if I’m pissed off at how unfair it is.
“How the hell does the Mari Mae?tri even know what happened?” Dre asks after a long moment of silence passes. “None of us told anyone about it.”
His tone is far more confrontational than it’s wise to be with a Grand Master vampire, and I tense, ready to defend him if need be.
“The Mari Mae?tri have eyes and ears everywhere, detective,” Nacar replies, emphasizing that last word. Ameera didn’t introduce him as a police detective, so Nacar knows far more about us than I’m comfortable with, and it pisses me off.
“If you already know so much,” I say with a sneer as my temper gets the best of me, “then maybe you can enlighten us about who tried to kill Ameera twice in the last two days.”
Nacar stills at my words and his eyes darken toward black as he finally acts like an actual vampire for the first time since his arrival. A long, uncomfortable moment passes before he speaks. “What?” he asks in a terrifying and forbidding voice.
Too angry and agitated to have the sense to back down from such a powerful vampire, I continue. “Some fucker shot her in the chest with a silver bullet last night and made another attempt on her and me tonight. I thought maybe, in your infinite wisdom, you could shed some light on who might be responsible.”
His eyes grow even darker as he stares off at nothing, and there’s a hint of fang in his mouth when he speaks again, clearly not talking to any of us. “I was assured they wouldn’t act until after I spoke with Ameera.”
If I thought I was angry before, then it was nothing compared to the rage that comes over me now. “You knew there was a threat to Ameera’s life?” I ask as I surge to my feet.
He looks at me with a terrifying emptiness in his eyes, but he doesn’t deny my accusation. It only enrages me more.
“You son of a-” I bite out, too angry to form anymore words as I surge forward, ready to pound his face in for not warning Ameera. Fortunately for me, she rises and grabs my arm before I can launch myself at her sire and make an already unpleasant situation worse. I whirl to glare down at her, my rage seething through me.
“Easy, zem?r,” she says as she rests a hand on my chest with an out-of-place serenity in her eyes.
“How can you be so fucking calm about this?” I ask, my fangs and vision sharp with my emotions. “This fucker knew someone was going to try to hurt you.”
“His hands were tied, Anson,” she says. “Vampire law is vampire law.”
I’m really getting sick of that trite non-explanation. “Fuck vampire law and fuck the Mari Mae?tri,” I reply. “As far as I’m concerned, they can both kiss my ass.”
Nacar chimes in, his smooth voice grating on my already irritated nerves. “Vampire society isn’t like the human one, Anson. There’s little room for sentimentality. What might seem unfair to you is merely vampire pragmatism. It makes the balanced approach I’ve chosen for myself and my progeny a far more difficult road to follow.”
“But you’re a Grand Master of the Mari Mae?tri. Surely you have some influence on their decisions.”
“I’m merely a cog in a much larger machine,” Nacar says with a sad expression. “My influence only stretches so far.”
“So now what?” I ask. “We just wait around for whatever hitman they hired to take her out when her guard’s down? All because I was still human when I helped her? We were already a committed couple then. What difference does it make whether I was a vampire yet?”
“To the Mari Mae?tri, it makes all the difference in the world,” he says. “And the Mari Mae?tri didn’t hire a hitman. Ameera must prove her worth and reassert her claim on Unity by defeating the Executor.”
Ameera gasps before I can ask who the hell that is and I glance over to see her wide, terrified eyes. Well, that’s not good.
“But… no one’s ever done that,” Samuel says and I glance over to see that he’s looks even more frightened than Ameera. Hell, even Harrison is terrified, and it freaks me the fuck out.
“Who the hell is the Executor?” Dre asks, sounding almost as confused and disturbed as I feel.
“The hand of the Mari Mae?tri,” Nacar replies. “She’s an ancient and skilled warrior who carries out the will of the Grand Masters when more direct means are required.”
“So she’s an executioner,” I say as fear washes over me.
“Not in this instance,” he says. “She’s merely a means to an end for Ameera to prove herself worthy of leading Unity’s vampire brood.”
This fucker is just arguing semantics at this point. Either way, there’s a strong probability that Ameera won’t survive, even if I’m allowed to help her this time now that I’m a vampire. The very thought of losing her tears me apart inside, eating at my control. No wonder most vampires choose to repress all their emotions. This would all be so much easier if I didn’t give a shit. As it stands, I feel terrified and helpless because my magic, the best means I have to protect the woman I love, is gone when I need it most. Without it, I don’t think I have the skill to aid her. I’m too green, too inept as a vampire to be much good to her.
Despair weighs down on me, erasing my anger and leaving only it behind. I sink back down onto the sofa, hunching over and cradling my face in my hands at the thought of continuing my life as a vampire without Ameera. This is so much worse than the depressed state I was in when I was ready to greet the sun because this time I’ll be losing her, and I sure as shit won’t want to go on without her if that happens.
“I’m useless,” I murmur to myself.
Ameera puts an arm around my shoulders and leans close to my ear. “No, you’re not,” she says. “Don’t say that.”
I pull my hands from my face and look at her, feeling my eyes burn. “Without my magic, I am,” I say, my voice bitter with self-loathing.
“Ah, yes,” Nacar says then, reminding me that Ameera and I aren’t alone. “You were a mage in your human life.”
“The strongest I’ve ever seen,” she says with so much pride gleaming in her eyes that it makes me feel even worse about myself. I know she didn’t say it to make me feel bad, but fuck, now I feel more useless than before.
“Well then,” he says. “If that’s the case, then all hope isn’t lost.”
Ameera and I turn wide eyes toward her sire. “What do you mean?” she asks.
“If he’s that strong, then he may be able to regain his powers.”
I still for a few seconds before I speak again. “What?”
“It’s been many centuries since I’ve seen the spell done,” he says. “But I have a photographic memory and I can recall every detail. I can’t guarantee anything. But if the spell works?” A small smile plays at the corners of his mouth as he drops a revelation that changes everything. “Then you can have your magic back.”