Chapter 3
L ukas
One week before the club
The sheer amount of noise took some getting used to. The constant honking of horns coupled with men and women chattering away like farm animals was going to give me a permanent headache.
With the flick of my wrist, I could have made it all disappear. But that wasn’t accepted here, nor did I technically have that authority.
This realm didn’t hold any appeal for me, other than its women. I’d witnessed others taking and keeping human women and it intrigued me. Enough so I decided to pay a visit.
Maybe once I found a suitable companion, I would bring her back with me.
So far, no one had managed to hold my interest beyond the blood in her veins or the space between her thighs.
It was suggested to me that perhaps New York City wasn’t the ideal locale for finding a wife, but it was well-suited toward other conveniences.
After I was abruptly awakened from a thousand-year sleep, I’d found myself not only intrigued by the many changes in the world, but hungry.
Starving .
Famished for more than just blood.
After I walked into the coffee shop, the noise I was subjected to between the car and the store was closed away. The gentle hum inside was a relief, and I glanced around. Everything was the same as the first time I’d visited several days ago.
Men and women still sat busy with their phones and other devices, quietly sipping their beverages and picking away at pastries. The majority seemed lost, sucked into a digital vortex, but a few stared aimlessly out the windows with their eyes glazed over.
The scene was relatively novel for me. A man of my stature didn’t shop, they had someone else fetching things for them. That wasn’t to say I never left the palace, but I’d never done anything as pedestrian as this.
Neither was standing in line. Rather, I lined people up however I wanted them when the occasion called for it.
The path to the counter wasn’t entirely dissimilar.
The occupants were in various stages of distress that I recognized, although for different reasons.
Some leaked enormous amounts of anxiety into the ether; others—anger.
None were satisfied nor would they be. While I knew several were guilty of crimes, they weren’t of the particular class I judged.
Despite my appearance, I only received a few glances. My clothes were much finer than most of those around me, but I was well over six feet tall, and my hair color was so light it was almost silver. The length was more than halfway to my waist. I stood out. I know I did.
Everyone in the cafe was so wrapped up in their cellphones that the woman in front of me caught my eye. This one wasn’t distracted by flashy images or financial investments.
Patiently waiting for her turn, she was watching the customers ahead of her and the workers behind the counter. Her aura contained more than just patience, but also a peace. No—contentment.
Thinking for a moment, I realized it wasn’t that. It was resignation.
While I pondered, I leaned forward slightly and breathed in the sweet honeyed-almond scent of her hair. It complemented the vanilla musk of her skin. My mouth watered and my gums ached, while my sharp canines begged to sink into the delicate muscles of her neck.
Before I backed away, I breathed her in again and barely restrained the compulsion to throw the woman over my shoulder.
Suddenly, she glanced backward and the color of her eyes stole the breath from my lungs. Cyan blue.
She moved forward to place her order and said the word, “Please.” When she was handed Matcha tea, she said, “Thank you.”
No one else was doing that. They barked their orders, occasionally peering up from their cellphones to swipe a card. Then, they grabbed their order and left without a word.
I could’ve sunk my fangs into any one of their necks and not a single soul would’ve noticed. That’s how distracted the crowd was, with their attention imprisoned by flashing screens.
But not the gentle soul who’d stood in front of me a moment ago. When she walked away, I felt oddly bereft, as if I was suddenly missing something. I had to wonder if I’d ever passed her on the street.
Impossible. Surely, I would have noticed her.
The woman settled into an armchair and looked out a window while she sipped her tea. She held the cup with two hands, drumming her fingers against it. Sunlight shone against her deep, rich brown hair, warming it. She looked like the painting I was going to hang on my wall.
She was nervous. Her mood shifted; her mind focused on topics that deeply disturbed her. I was right to think she’d come to terms with something, and I wanted to know what it was. She may have accepted whatever it was, but it burdened her.
Her honeyed scent wafted toward me, aided by overhead ventilation, and I took a deep breath, memorizing her perfume.
“Sir? Your order? You’re holding up the line.” I swung my head around and stepped up to the counter. The cashier backed away slightly and I politely ordered black tea.
Before I sat down, I subtly lifted my hand toward the object of my fixation and cursed her to forget her phone when she left.
I didn’t have to wait long. The device chimed and she tapped the screen before setting it down. Then, she grabbed her drink and walked out the door.
Once she was out of view, I crossed the floor and swiped her phone from the seat. The rectangular piece of plastic and microchips would tell me everything I needed to know.
She was long gone when I went outside to the car.
My driver, Oswald, opened the door and I slid into the vehicle, the smell of new leather surrounding me. I could see why so many vampires and demons had fled their homes to seek their fortune here. This world had its vanilla, almond, and leather scented charm.
Retrieving the woman’s cell phone from my pocket, I placed the palm of my hand on the screen. It flickered and buzzed, refusing to cooperate.
“Oswald, take me to Kiam,” I ordered, before pressing the button to raise the privacy window.
My new friend had a way of finding out information, though he’d never divulged his methods. It didn’t matter what I threatened him with, he remained resolute.
That flagrant confidence even in the face of instant annihilation, was endearing.
When I met him, I’d been summoned by an inferior creature, and immediately thrust into a self-proclaimed vampire king’s mess. He was there assisting the man, and it was his unusual skills and complete lack of fear in the face of death that got my attention.
Kiam hadn’t trembled or faltered. His pulse remained perfectly steady. But the noise of everyone else’s blood rushing through their veins had been deafening.
The man was not a sorcerer. He didn’t possess a single solitary cell of born magic, yet he was a master of the craft. Self-taught and highly proficient, his skills would unlock this device for me while I suffered the weakened state this Realm had left me in.
The man’s house was set at the end of a winding drive, just north and east of the city on the Connecticut line.
A mix of trees bordered the edge of the road, providing shade and safety for the prolific number of crows guarding the property.
The soundproof vehicle I rode in blocked the noise, but one of the birds flapping its wings by my window was moving its mouth and letting me know my arrival had set off the alarm.
Oswald pulled the car up to the front entrance of the massive estate, and the birds fluttered away to perch in the trees once again.
Kiam’s home was built in shades of beige and tan, but the bricks were marred by mold, moss, and trails of ivy that threatened to devour the entire gothic structure whole.
The mansion almost blended invisibly with its surroundings, shrouded by trees and shrubbery. If one didn’t know any better, they may have thought it deserted if they even spotted it at all.
My door was opened, and I placed my feet on the gravel, closing my long coat around me.
It was springtime; but the air still contained a chill.
Temperature variations didn’t bother me much, but I was used to dressing formally, and my coat was comfortable.
It was similar in style to my regular wardrobe of longer suit jackets and tunics with its craftsmanship.
The moment I placed my hand on the doorknob, the door swung open. “Lukas,” Kiam said, moving to the side to let me pass. “How are you?”
Such a useless question.
“Here,” I said, handing him the phone. “I need access to the contents.”
He took the device, and I followed him down the hallway, passing brass candelabras full of flickering flames and narrow tables displaying artifacts.
Gilded daggers, gem-encrusted skulls—both animal and human, along with devices and knickknacks I didn’t recognize were strewn about shelves and tables.
The air held the scent of old relics, woodsy, green, and the faint aroma of vanilla.
His home could’ve used a good dusting, but he didn’t employ anyone to assist with household chores. It must’ve been an unshakeable habit from his human days, doing all the work himself.
We entered his cluttered office; the shelves stuffed with scrolls and crumbling tomes. Piles of books were stacked five feet high on the floor, threatening to topple at any moment.
The only clean places were his desks. The multiple monitors and other devices were immaculate; the shiny wood surfaces they were set on free of dust and blemishes.
“What is this about?” He asked, staring at the phone before plugging it in.
“Someone piqued my interest.”
He glanced up. “Oh?”
“Yes.”
“What was it?” He looked down at the phone again, rubbing his hand over it. The candles in the room flickered and my skin prickled.
“Her scent.” I rubbed my chin. “I’m not entirely certain. I’ve had women more beautiful than the stars themselves.”
Not that the woman wasn’t gorgeous, but there was something else that drew me to her beside her fragrance and polite mannerisms. It was a mystery I didn’t want to consider, not just yet.
Kiam raised a brow. “I’m sure you have. I downloaded her information for you. Here.” He handed me a small piece of plastic when he stood.
“Tell me,” I demanded. I wasn’t going to wait until I got home.
He leaned against the edge of one of his bookcases, dislodging a scroll that was ignored when it rolled across the hardwood floor.
“Cassia Chamberlain. Age thirty, originally from Westchester, New York. No kids. Lazy boyfriend. No pets. Parents died in a car accident when she was twenty. Self-employed graphic designer. Likes wine, plums, and donuts, collects cactus plants. Her favorite color is green, conveniently for you.”
My nail tapped against the nickel-sized file of information he’d retrieved. The boyfriend would be removed as soon as I located him.
The lack of family would make this easier, certainly. We didn’t have donuts back home, but they could be arranged.
Her age was ideal for preservation. This would all go much more smoothly than I’d hoped.
Kiam placed his hand on my back before he walked out of the room. “Relax. When’s the last time you had a fresh meal?”
I followed him through the house and into the kitchen, watching him retrieve two glasses from the cabinet. The room appeared rarely used, in keeping with our kind. While we could eat normal food, it wasn’t a necessity.
At my age, blood wasn’t either, but I indulged as often as possible.
“Still no servants?” My finger left an exploratory trail through the countertop’s dust. It was exceedingly rare that a vampire of his stature and abilities didn’t have any staff.
An etched crystal bottle full of red liquid was pulled from the wide refrigerator, and he poured two generous servings. “I prefer no one going through my things.”
“I miss virgin blood,” I remarked, after taking a whiff of the beverage. There was no way to secure any in this place without causing undue attention. Nor was I fan of cold blood.
“Will you return after you find Cassia?”
I hadn’t given it much thought, seeing as I’d found the woman only a few hours ago, but that was the logical plan. “Of course.”
“And if she protests?” Kiam swallowed the rest of his drink, licking his lips afterward.
My shoulder shrugged. “Why would she? It wouldn’t change anything, regardless.”
Why wouldn’t she want to be with me? She’d have anything she wanted, riches beyond her wildest dreams. And I knew I was beautiful. My body is immaculate. There was no one better for her.
If she couldn’t see that, it would mean my discernment was sorely lacking.
He set his empty glass down on the counter, sending up a small cloud of dust. “It matters because she’s human. If she doesn’t like you, it might be messy.”
“Why wouldn’t she like me?” My hands curled into fists by my sides. The thought hadn’t occurred to me that she’d find me unsuitable.
“I’m not saying she won’t, Lukas. Just preparing you for the possibility of strife.” He sighed. “She’s pretty, she must have options.” He scratched his head and lifted his cup.
I drank the remainder of my beverage and set the glass down hard enough it cracked. The blood wasn’t good enough. I needed to hunt, needed something fresh. I wanted to rip someone’s tendons straight out of their neck while they screamed for a mercy they’d never receive.
Wisely, my friend didn’t mention the non-entity of her boyfriend. That man was already dead—he just didn’t know it yet.
“I’m her option. It is already done.” He furrowed his brows. “Stop arguing with me and get yourself together.”
His face stretched into a grin that I was certain had caused heart attacks in his victims. He grabbed our empty glasses and tossed them in a garbage can. “We’re going out to eat,” he announced.