Wicked Sun: Vampires & Vices No. 3, page 11
Mangus saunters off to the drinks table, snatching up an entire bottle of bloody wine. When Mangus turned out to be alive, Sebastian had been utterly floored that he’d been so wrong about everything. Mangus, on the other hand, had nearly ripped Seb’s head off. Katerina is dead because Sebastian had insisted she was responsible for the princes being killed off. But everyone had gotten it wrong, and none of us have been able to figure out what really happened. It was probably hunters, but we can’t know for sure, and without Brisa to investigate, we may never know the truth.
A human fledgling scurries up to me and bows low, her sheath of perfect hair shining like glass under the candlelight. She’s Sebastian’s, and I’m surprised he hasn’t turned her by now. “The live feed is all set up,” she says in a sultry voice. “We’re ready to go.”
“Thank you.” I peel myself from the doorframe and stride to the front of the room, eyeing the camera on the tripod.
Sometimes technology amazes me, sometimes it feels like we’ve always had it, and sometimes I want nothing to do with it. Tonight, I’m grateful. While many coven leaders traveled here, most had downright refused. There are over two thousand covens, and many leaders worry about their safety, refusing to venture from home. They’re smart to stay back. With so many of us in one place, we’re primed for an attack. But it’s not hunters that worry me. Whichever way the vote goes, a lot of vampires will be unhappy.
Someone scurries forward and hands me a microphone. I tap on it, and the sound thumps through the room. I hope whatever I say will bring our kind closer together instead of splintering us further apart. The solution Mangus and I have proposed is so simple. One governing system with universal laws, covens operating as they are now, and all vampire-run businesses paying fair share in taxes and blood donations so we can keep our people healthy and a strong Vampire Enforcement Coalition tasked with enforcement. But with so many egos involved, egos who want a royal family to run things, there’s a good chance none of this will happen.
And Sebastian has the biggest ego of them all.
He claims the three of us princes should take over, but I’m sure he’d just kill us and instate himself as king. I’ve been around long enough to know how royal families actually work.
I clear my throat as someone hands me a sealed envelope. The crowd quiets and watches in anticipation as I tear it open and read the contents, careful to keep my face a mask of indifference.
“Thank you all for being here and for your votes. We polled all the courtiers and every coven leader to come to this agreement, and we demand that you respect the outcome.” Some nod their heads while others do nothing. The energy in the room grows impossibly tense. “Let it be known that a majority vote has been reached. With a vote of seventy percent, you have chosen a democratic vampiric council to replace the monarchy.”
A few people voice their dissent, but many more cheer their approval. I have to fight back a grin. “The council will consist of Brisa’s three remaining princes––me, and my brothers, Mangus and Sebastian. We will be joined by six other leaders representing the six continents.” Vampires don’t live on Antarctica, but everywhere else in the world has thousands, and the amounts are roughly the same from continent to continent. “The leaders of each continent will be voted into power by the coven leaders presiding over their respective continent. Elections will be held every ten years, and council leaders can be reelected.”
“What happens if one of the princes dies?” a courtier calls out.
“If one of the princes were to perish, then the seat would remain vacant. However, if there isn’t an odd number of council seats, then the council may bring in a new member but only if all council members agree on who that vampire will be.”
Silence . . . because this effectively ends the monarchy.
“This isn’t our way!” someone shouts, and then another vamp responds, “Times have changed, you old git!”
“Enough,” I roar into the microphone and glare out at the crowd. “It has also been voted that if you choose to leave the protection of the council at any time, you will be hunted down by the VEC and brought before a tribunal.” The room falls to silence, and several vampires send me death-glares. “The VEC is hereby instructed to enforce our laws by any means necessary.”
A few more people grumble, and I drop the paper, speaking to them now as a man. “These results should come as no shock. Many have wanted to create a different system for years. We loved our queen, but she is gone now, and her royal blood bond is irreplaceable. It’s time we step forward into the future. We did it eighteen years ago, and we do it again today.”
I get a few cheers from that. I clear my throat and continue. “It’s also been voted by a margin of sixty percent that all of Brisa’s laws will stay in effect until the first council meeting, at which time they’ll be voted on by your elected leaders and princes. Elections are to be held by January first, and the council’s official commencement meeting will take place at an undisclosed time and location shortly after.”
People start talking again, throwing names around about who should represent their continents. Most of the courtiers are European, and they’re the loudest of them all. Several are standing and throwing their arms about, making claims and nominations.
“I’m not done,” I roar, and the crowd reluctantly quiets. “Let it be known that anyone convicted of attempting to usurp the council and stage a coup will be given true death by way of the sun.”
Silence . . . finally.
“That is all.” I put the microphone down, and the buzz returns. I nod to Mangus in the back of the room and start toward the exit. We need to talk in private about Eva. Now that this has been taken care of, I need to get to her. Using Brisa’s access to video surveillance and radar logs, Mangus was able to track her to the Italian coast. He’s agreed to help me get her back. In a way, I think this has become a means for him to process what happened to his wife. He couldn’t save Kat, but Eva still has a chance.
A throat clears, and I swing back to find Sebastian with the microphone. I narrow my eyes at the man who’s always been a thorn in my side.
“There is one last thing that needs to be brought up before we end this proceeding,” he says, voice sweeping through the crowd. They quiet for him in a way that they didn’t for me and it makes me want to scream. “There’s still the unfortunate matter of how our beloved queen lost her life.”
I go utterly still. Mangus appears next to me and tugs me closer to the edge of the room. “We don’t need to be the center of attention right now,” he whispers under his breath, but I want nothing more than to storm up there and knock the microphone from Seb’s greedy fingers.
“As some of you may know, but many do not, I was there when it happened,” he goes on, pressing a hand to his chest as if the memory pains him. “It took me a week to heal my wounds, and I’m lucky to be alive. My poor prodigy was able to get me out, though, and I owe her my life.”
He nods toward the pretty human woman who’d helped me earlier, then finds my gaze and smiles cruelly. “As you know, many were not so lucky as I, our beloved queen among them.”
Beloved? No. Feared and respected, but never loved.
“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself,” he goes on. “But Brisa wasn’t staked, she was burned by sunlight.” Whispers erupt, and I’m seconds away from ripping the man’s head off. But in such a public setting, there’s nothing I can do to stop him now. “You see, Brisa was in the middle of creating a new child. Her first in centuries and the only daughter she ever wanted.”
My throat goes dry. “No,” I whisper and Mangus shakes his head once.
“The human girl that Brisa was attempting to change was part nephilim.” More murmurs. Those with angelic blood are not always easy to spot, but I had sensed something different in Eva the moment I’d met her, and had confirmed it when I’d tasted her blood during our first kiss. It was a big part of why I chose her to spy on Tate for me. She wasn’t just another one of his human pawns, she was something more, even if she didn’t know it. Of course, Brisa had confirmed everything and then tried to take Eva for herself.
Sebastian wipes a tear from his eye. An actual tear!
“Oh hell, what a load of crap,” I mutter.
“It was during the middle of the ritual when blood had already been exchanged that the nephilim’s hands began to glow.”
I knew something would happen when she tried to turn a neph, but didn’t know what exactly. My stomach hardens at Sebastian’s description of the events. This is not good for Eva. It changes everything.
“Evangeline Blackwood is her name. And her angelic power replicated that of the sun. She used it to attack and kill our queen.”
People are talking now. Some don’t believe it, but most do. Some are afraid, but most are angry. I still don’t know how to feel.
“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” I speak up, striding toward my brother against my better judgment. Mangus winces but follows after me. “How can you be sure it was the sun?”
“Are you questioning me?” He laughs bitterly. “I’m not surprised. Ladies and gentlemen, Eva was supposed to be Adrian’s child, but Brisa took her from him. He’s only defending her because he wants her for himself.”
I won’t deny it, but I won’t admit it either. “If you’re mistaken, then you would be hunting down an innocent. And how do we know that’s what really happened when you were the only witness? It’s her word against yours.”
“My fledgling survived,” he challenges. “She’s a witness.”
“She’s your witness! She’s your fledgling! We all know they’ll do anything to please us.”
“So you’re claiming Eva is innocent? She’s hardly innocent! She’s a neph with the sun in her fingers, and she needs to be brought to justice.”
“And she’s very much alive!” Someone comes striding into the room, and I turn to find the vampire I threw into a lake instead of killing. She skips up to Sebastian and kisses his cheek. “I saw her alive, and so did you.” She glares at me. I’m waiting for her to call me out on what happened that night at the castle, but she doesn’t say anything. Sebastian had sent his minion after my girl, and he needs to pay for it.
“I felt her power,” the woman continues, addressing the crowd. “My father speaks the truth.”
“There hasn’t been a light-bearer in generations,” Sebastian says. “If she is what I think she is, then this could change everything.” The term light-bearer presses at me like a knife. It’s a legacy among the neph, and if Eva really is one, she’ll never rest another day in her life. Everyone will want a piece of her. “Evangeline Blackwood is one of two things to us. She’s either our greatest enemy, in need of snuffing out,” the crowd likes that idea, “or she’s our greatest weapon that we must possess.”
“And what would you do with her?” someone calls out.
“Trust me with her and I’ll give you the one thing our queen never could.” His grin spreads like an ink stain. “I’ll harvest her power for ourselves, and together, we will once again walk in the sunlight.”
CHAPTER 19
Staying away from Felix and Seth proves to be impossible because they’re swapped out for my current guards. Tate insists it’s to make me feel more comfortable, but I don’t believe that for a second. He’s trying to tempt me into taking their energy. They sold me on this idea that they only “help” the humans who are ready to pass, but that’s got to be a lie. I’ve reiterated that I won’t do it, even on those humans who are dying, so what better way than to force it on me through sheer proximity?
If I don’t give in, I’ll eventually do it by accident, and I won’t be able to directly blame anyone but myself. And then what? Will I be hooked on human energy? Will I want to do it more––trading one form of vampirism for another? Something terrible was unlocked within me when my hands glowed, and I want nothing more than to go back in time and undo all of this from ever happening. If only I could be like the nephilim whose gifts never emerge, living life thinking about ordinary stuff instead of worrying about sucking my friends dry. The De Luca family must really want my gift to come back, enough for them to force the issue.
“Hey, I need to talk to you guys about something in private,” I whisper to Felix and Seth as we finish up dinner a week into their new assignment.
We’re given free time most evenings which the three of us use to hang out in my room and watch movies. I’ve even tried to keep my distance from the other nephilim, but Remi keeps showing up. She’s crashed most of our movie nights, so I need to take my friends somewhere she won’t check right away.
“Is everything okay?” Felix’s voice is brimming with concern as he slings an arm around my shoulder. He might not be so kind after I tell him the truth, and I savor the friendly gesture while I can. It was a little strained at first, but after a few days, things between us went back to how they were before we dated. It’s nice to have my friend back, and I want to keep it that way.
But a week of having them as my constant companions has made this secret unbearable. A primal need is building, urging me to taste their energy. My instinct says it'll be as easy as breathing, not something I’ll have to practice or study. Something that will happen the second I let the floodgates down. They deserve to know the risks.
“Not here.” I feel like everywhere I go in the Casa someone is watching me. Listening in. Waiting for the moment to strike. The De Luca family lives all over the world, but this is their home base, and Camilla called them all here only recently. They won’t confess why, but from their lingering stares, I suspect it has something to do with me and my power.
“Let’s go swimming,” I offer. “It’ll be the perfect place to talk.” The weather has grown bitter over the last few weeks, turning most people off from wanting to swim in the cool pool water. If Remi comes looking for us, she probably won’t check there first.
“Sure,” Seth says in an agreeable tone that surprises me. The guy still hasn’t warmed up to me. He’s here for the job and for Felix. Not me.
I eye his blushing cheeks and fight back a smile. I know exactly why he’s keen on the idea of swimming. Witnessing Felix in swim trunks is a real treat; I used to melt every time the Moreno’s would take me along to the pool.
We go back to our rooms and then head down to the pool twenty minutes later. I smile at the empty room. I love being right. It’s just us tonight. Nobody to pry, nobody to tattle. I slide into the cool water, and Felix cannonballs in. Seth chuckles and jumps in after him. We swim for a few minutes, and before I know it, I’m making unnecessary waves again.
“You okay there?” Seth stops me. “Is this an angel blood thing?”
I shake my head. “I actually think it’s a vampire venom thing.” I quickly change the subject to why I brought them here. “I wanted to talk to you guys about something important. Something that you won’t like.” I swallow hard, and the three of us swim to the edge of the pool. I lean against the side and let my legs drift up. I can’t bring myself to look them in the eye, so I gaze off toward the closed door.
“So what is it?” Seth prods.
Now or never. “Do you remember the energy demon things? I know we talked about this before, but then Tate tampered with things, so I’m not really sure––”
“The what?” Felix questions.
“The energy demons?”
They stare at me, and I get the confirmation I need. Tate really did clear so much from their minds.
“Let me back up and explain,” I say timidly. “Cameron Scout was the first one to alert me to them. They’re people who steal energy from human auras, similar to how vampires take our blood.”
“Auras?” Seth questions. “You mean the energy color things people are supposed to have around them? I didn’t think those were real.”
Felix’s lips twist as he ponders.
“Okay, let me explain.” I swim out to the middle of the pool and turn on them, “Auras are real, people can even take pictures of them, so let’s not try to contest that, okay? An aura is like this energy field of color around a human. They change throughout the day depending on what’s going on with someone, but the core colors tend to stay the same.” I swallow hard, afraid I’m going to lose them. “Long story short, supernaturals don’t have auras, and neither do the nephilim.” I shrug. “I don’t have one. I thought it was just that I couldn’t see my own, but it turns out that it’s because of the whole neph thing.”
“You can see these auras?” Felix’s eyes widen. I’ve got him curious. “Can you see mine right now?”
“If I think about it, yes, I can.”
“What color is it?”
“Right now? Mainly blue. But that’s not the point,” I rush on. “Just let me explain. It turns out that nephilim can take energy from these auras.”
Seth frowns. He’s not sure about all this.
“I promise, they can. They do it to strengthen their gifts, but when they do it, it hurts the human.”
“Have you done it?” Seth asks.
“No, not yet, and I don’t want to, but there’s this voice inside screaming at me to try. This is why I wanted to bring you somewhere private to talk. I think Tate brought you here to tempt me. He wants me to get a taste of your energies.”
Felix shakes his head. “No, Tate wouldn’t do anything to hurt us.”
“He’s right. Tate is on our side.”
I scoff. “Are you kidding me? You’re in constant danger because of him. Why do you trust someone who––”
“You’re wrong,” Seth’s interruption is harsh. “We don’t have anything to worry about, and you shouldn’t either.”
“Come on, let’s go. It’s getting too cold in here anyway,” Felix sounds almost robotic, but sure enough, they climb out of the pool, going for the towels like our conversation didn’t happen.
