Chapter 9 Cyrus, the Conquistador
NINE
cyrus, the conquistador
I sit heavily on the large bed, running my fingers over the handmade quilt. Aurora wants to buy me? I keep playing the words through my mind, not completely comprehending the meaning. What happened to me being able to choose my buyer? I scoff out loud. Hell, I’m not going with her. It’s my choice.
Opening the large wardrobe, I find a pair of black pants and a matching shirt.
I have no idea what to wear to training.
So far, my training has consisted of not eating a lycanthrope.
Staring into the mirror, the blood spots on my shirt bring my mind back to the smell of Simon’s blood.
Human blood is intoxicating, but lycan blood… I have no words.
“What do I need to wear?” I ask softly, knowing Cyrus will hear.
“Something easy to move in,” he answers quickly. I pull the black outfit out and slide into the loose-fitting clothes easily. Looking in the mirror, it reminds me of something a Ninja would wear. “I’m downstairs,” he adds.
Pulling my hair high on my head, I stare at the woman in the mirror.
She’s me but not me. Her face is flawless, and her features are more pronounced.
Sharp cheekbones make her face more angled than before, while almond-shaped eyes are perfectly symmetrical and accent her features perfectly.
I feel like I’ve stolen someone else’s face.
This is not the future I’ve planned since childhood. I fight the sadness that comes with those thoughts. I close my eyes and take a needless breath. This wasn’t my plan, but it’s reality. Make the best of it, Violet.
I’m surprised to find Simon in the living area, wearing an outfit very similar to mine, and with no indications of a deadly injury. “Are you…Are you okay?”
The lycanthrope smiles. “I am.” He lifts his neck for dramatic effect. “See, no scars.”
“How is that possible?” I ask.
“Lycan have the ability to heal quickly from most injuries.”
“Except silver,” Cyrus says, coming around the corner. He’s wearing an outfit similar to mine and Simon’s. Seems I’ve dressed appropriately.
“Except silver,” Simon agrees.
“So, that’s true? A silver bullet can kill you?”
“Through the heart, yes. Anywhere else, it keeps me from healing. If I can remove the silver, then I’m able to heal.”
“I have so much to learn,” I admit.
“Then, let’s get started,” Cyrus announces, leading the two of us into the garden. We move to the back corner, underneath a large oak tree. The sounds of the city echo through the small area, while the high stone wall keeps us out of view. “Attack me,” he demands of Simon.
Simon scoffs. “Dammit. I knew this would be the first thing that happened.”
One side of Cyrus’s mouth lifts higher at Simon’s words. “It’ll be fun, old friend.”
The lycanthrope sighs. “Okay, but I’m shifting this time.”
“I would expect nothing less,” the vampire replies. With nothing more than a shiver, a large black wolf is standing in front of me. Holy shit.
“Simon?” I ask in disbelief. He nods as his pink nose nudges my shoulder. “You’re beautiful.” The wolf closes his eyes, and if animals could shrug, I’d swear that’s what happens.
“Quit showing off, and attack me,” Cyrus says, drawing the wolf’s attention back to him. A loud snort leaves Simon’s nose.
Instinctively, I move away, putting my back against the tree trunk. Within seconds, Simon is leaping into the air, landing on top of Cyrus. I watch as the two of them take turns holding the other down. Their movements resemble a well-choreographed dance where death is the desired outcome.
The speed at which they move is difficult to follow. Watching reminds me of a motion picture that’s been sped up. Without warning, Cyrus is standing next to me. His face is covered in scratches, and his clothes are torn.
“Are you watching?” he asks me.
“Yes…” I answer. How can I not watch? Simon is breathing heavily, glaring at the vampire next to me.
“Good. Your turn,” Cyrus announces.
I look at my buyer. “My turn? I…I don’t know what to do.”
“It’s easy. Win.”
I don’t know whether to be pissed off or terrified. Cyrus is training me by sending me into a fight with a lycanthrope. The only thing I’ve ever fought was zipping a dress that was tighter than it should be.
“I…” I begin.
“Simon,” Cyrus interrupts. “Attack her.”
The wolf is on me a heartbeat later. I’m on the ground with no memory of getting here. Two large paws are holding my shoulders to the grass underneath me.
“Fight him,” Cyrus says from the background. I struggle to get up, but even with my newfound strength, a giant wolf weighs more than I can move.
“I can’t!” I yell over the growls.
“Yes, you can.” He moves closer to my head. “Give her some incentive, Simon.”
On cue, the wolf snaps at my face. He’s so close, the heat of his breath blows the hair that has escaped my hair tie. Without warning, Simon bites down on my arm, sending shockwaves of pain through my entire body. I scream louder than the growl.
“Fight him, Violet,” Cyrus demands. “You’re stronger than he is.” How the hell am I stronger than a ten-foot wolf? “Let your instincts take over. You’re acting like a human.”
“I am human,” I retort.
“No, Violet. You are a powerful vampire. Use the strength Harrison gave you.”
The mention of Harrison’s name fills me with rage. If it weren’t for him, I’d be preparing to go to New York to begin my career. I’d be the maid of honor for my best friend’s wedding, not in Florida, being mauled by a werewolf and trained to be sold to a bitchy vampire.
“Good,” Cyrus says close to my ear. “I can feel your anger. Harness that power, and use it.”
I close my eyes, concentrating on bringing the anger from my emotions to my body. Without much thought, I imagine the anger congregating in my core. I open my eyes and push, knocking the large wolf off and onto the grass next to me. He’s not injured, but he’s not on me either.
“Good,” Cyrus says with a smile. “Remember what you did.”
“Remember? I don’t have a clue.” I jump to my feet, still angry.
“You harnessed the power within you. Vampires are born with immeasurable power. It grows as we age and learn how to control it. I sensed strength in you the first moment we met. It’s what’s helped you gain control so quickly.”
“Are you complimenting me?” I ask.
Cyrus smiles. “Don’t let it go to your head, little one. We have much work to do.”
The three of us spend the better part of the day in the garden. Each time Simon attacks, I’m a little faster at fighting him off. In a true fight, I wouldn’t stand a chance. But in the garden of Cyrus’s home, I’m holding my own.
My stomach growls, echoing off the stone wall. “You need to eat,” Cyrus says, interrupting Simon’s attempt to pin me to the ground for the hundredth time. My stomach growls in response.
“That sounds like a great idea,” I answer.
I watch as Cyrus disappears into the house, and Simon moves behind one of the large trees, carrying what remains of his clothes in his mouth.
Choosing one of the many benches throughout the garden, I pick one close to a large rose bush.
The sweet smell reminds me of my mother.
Out of all of her perfumes, her favorite smelled like a garden of fresh poppies.
“I brought two,” Cyrus says, handing me the glass bottles.
“Thank you.” I take the bottles, drinking the first one in one gulp.
Simon stalks around the tree in human form. The outfit he wore earlier is tied precariously around his waist, barely covering much. Redness fills my cheeks at his appearance. I’ve never seen a naked man, and the thought makes me feel like a ten-year-old.
“You don’t happen to have a sandwich on you, do you?” he asks.
Cyrus laughs. “I forget you need food sometimes.”
Simon joins the laugh. “Yeah, I don’t.” He turns toward the house. “I’ll be back.”
My buyer joins me on the bench. “You’re doing well, Violet.”
“Thank you.” I’m not sure that’s an appropriate answer for a vampire fighting a lycanthrope, but I’m going with it. Drinking the second bottle, I turn my body toward Cyrus. “Can we talk about it?”
“Talk about what?” he asks.
“Aurora.”
His energy shifts instantly. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
I scoff. “Cyrus, she wants to purchase me, and you did nothing to fight her on it.”
He falls silent, his eyes taking on a far-off look. “I’m not allowed to fight her.”
“Not allowed? What the hell does that mean?”
He stands, taking my empty bottles. “There are things you don’t understand, and things you are not capable of understanding.”
I stand, matching his energy. “Not capable? What does that mean?”
“It means Aurora is my maker. I am forced to do her will.”
A horrible thought enters my mind. “Is it the same for Harrison and I? Am I forced to do his will?”
“No,” he answers, moving toward the wall. “Aurora is not like Harrison.”
I sigh louder than intended. “Cyrus, help me understand. You’re speaking in rounds or euphemisms or something. I need a bit more to go on.”
His shoulders lower, and his body relaxes. “Aurora enacted a spell on me.” I resist the urge to interrupt and ask questions. Instead, I wait patiently for him to continue. “An ancient spell. One that mixed her powers.”
“Mixed powers?” I lose the battle with my patience.
Cyrus turns toward me. “Before becoming a vampire, Aurora was a witch. A very powerful witch.”
For the first time in a while, I’m questionless. I stare, hoping for more.
“Aurora found me in 1566.” He pauses. No doubt to allow that date to sink in.
“1566?” I repeat.
“I arrived on the coast of Florida in the fall of 1565. I was a twenty-two-year-old, newly widowed, arrogant know-it-all. King Philip sent us to get rid of the French.” Pale-blue eyes make contact with mine.
“That’s amazing,” I whisper.
He scoffs. “It’s arrogance at its finest. This land didn’t belong to the Spanish or the French, but both countries were determined to make it their own.” He looks away. “It was there that I met her.”
“Aurora?”
“Yes. She was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen.
She’d arrived with the French troops but played the part of damsel in distress very well.
” He looks back at me. “The stories of the ships carrying only men weren’t true.
There were women. Not many, but a few. Most were…
” He stops whatever he was about to say.
“I tend to think she used magic, along with other things, to secure her passage.”
“Was she already a vampire?” My question feels na?ve as soon as it leaves my mouth.
Cyrus scoffs. “She’s been a vampire longer than I know. Longer than anyone knows. Soldiers began disappearing. At first, one a month, maybe two.
“No one noticed?”
“They noticed, but we were in a new land, with new diseases, and no medical care. It wasn’t unusual for someone to die from cholera or pneumonia.” He shrugs. “As strange as it sounds, it was normal. It wasn’t until the disappearances picked up that I was sent to investigate.”
“Alone?”
“There weren’t that many left. Plus, I was arrogant enough to think I could kill whatever animal it was.” His eyes look far away. “Little did I know, it wasn’t an animal.”
“It was her.”
He nods. “It didn’t take long to find her. Hell, all I had to do was walk alone outside the walls of the fort. I heard her before I saw her. She teased me, moving in front of me at vampire speed, when my human eyes could barely detect movement.”
“She was toying with you,” I add.
“She was smart but followed a pattern that I figured out quickly. I was able to slice her torso as she ran past. It forced her to stop in front of me.”
I slide forward on the bench, feeling like a kid at story time. “She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I fell in love instantly.”
My stomach knots at his words. I have no reason to be jealous, but for some reason, his words strike me wrong.
“She told me I was different. I was smarter.” He pauses. “Without warning, she was on top of me, drinking from my neck.” My mind flashes back to Harrison and our walk by the river. “Instead of killing me, she drained nearly every ounce of blood from my body before giving me her blood.”
The look on my face no doubt reflects the emotions welling inside. “Violet. I’m sorry. How could I be so selfish?” Long fingers wrap through mine. “I forgot what Chamberlin…”
“It’s okay,” I lie. “Please continue.”
Blue eyes look deeply into mine before he speaks again. “For two centuries, I was her killing machine. When Aurora wasn’t using me to kill, she was using me for…other things.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I admit.
“You don’t have to say anything. It was a long time ago, and that part of my life is…was over.”
“Until she showed up earlier?”
“Yes,” he answers. “Over the years, she’s grown bored with me, and I’ve done my best to stay out of her reach. She shows up once or twice a decade, barking orders, then disappears again.” His fingers tighten around mine. “I can’t stop her from taking you, Violet.”
I stand, moving away from my buyer. “I won’t go.”
“I can’t fight her. Not only did she turn me into a vampire, she cast a spell that won’t allow me to go against her wishes. Believe me, I’ve tried.”
“Then we just have to uncast it,” I retort.
“That’s impossible.”
“Not necessarily,” Simon says, chewing on a turkey leg. “I might know someone.”