Anarameha

Chapter 45

Keoni stared at the gun that was pointed at him. He'd been in this place so many times before. Getting shot by a laser gun was not fun, but as a vampire, he could survive it. Avoiding the situation was far better than having to heal, especially when he had more important things to deal with.

The gun was one that he was used to, having been the person that sat down with the king and discussed the options and choices for weapons for the guards. They both liked the efficiency of the gun. The bonus of them was that the battery packs were far cheaper and easier to produce than the bullets. A small box of batteries was equal to several crates of bullets, so they were far more economical.

Better than the cost effective gun was the beauty that held it. Keoni was floored by the sight. She was alive, seemingly unharmed and clearly on a mission to get revenge. It made his insides turn with anxiety and jump with delight. Such mixed emotions were never good for the nerves.

Keoni stared in disbelief. A wary smile crossed her lips. Ana hoped it was true but didn't want to get her hopes up. Anyone could be in the suit.

Slowly Keoni lifted his hands, raising the helmet off his face. Ana let out a pained laugh as she lowered the gun and returned it to the holster. In seconds, she had her arms around his neck, hugging the life out of him.

"I missed you too," Keoni murmured as he hugged her back.

There was so much relief between them. It was like a heavyweight shedding from their bodies.

Ana kissed him. The moment was overwhelming, and she couldn't ignore how much she needed Keoni right now.

Behind them, someone cleared their throat. Ana stopped kissing Keoni and looked over his shoulder. A slightly embarrassed soldier gave the princess a smile, not that she could see with the helmet covering his face.

"Seras?"

Ana let go of Keoni, pushing him aside.

"Well, that died rather fast."

The soldiers that could see what was going on chuckled, then politely bowed to their princess. Seras removed his helmet and smiled. Elated that Ana was alive did not do enough to describe his mood.

"It is so good to see you, my lady."

"And you, Seras. I thought that you guys were dead."

"It's rather difficult to kill us. That's why your father liked us as he did."

Seras realised his words, grimacing.

"My apologies, my lady and my condolences."

"It's okay, Seras. We all want to think it's just another day, an ordinary one where nothing unusual is going to or will happen. Unfortunately, we have a task, and it is to find justice for those who have died because a monster decided that he wanted to rule a city that does not belong to him."

"Yes," Keoni interrupted. "We came for weapons."

"Well, isn't it lucky that you walked in before I snapped the key in the lock?"

Ana put the key into Keoni's hands, giving him a smug smile.

"Better hurry or I'll leave without you."

"And risk losing each other again? You play a mean game, woman."

A soft chuckle escaped as Ana leaned on the wall. She would keep an eye on the corridor while the guards were busy. As Keoni walked into the room, Ana watched. Distracted and obsessed, she could not detract from the soldier in the suit. He was too much and caused heat to rise in Ana's cheeks.

She glanced away, hoping to calm the rising need that was developing quickly. It was not the time or place for the thoughts that would lead to actions. The kiss was heated and even though it was brief, it was enough to cause problems. A militia soldier could have found them and used their distraction to their advantage.

The soldiers moved into the room, collecting weapons and the necessary accessories quickly. Rather than snapping the key, Ana pocketed it. That way, if they needed to get back into the room, it would be easy.

"Right, Pierre has taken over my father's office. I know that because, during my escape, I had unfortunate luck when I happened to see him fornicating with Leearin, my mother's lady-in-waiting. She was supposedly an ally but I think it was nothing more than a ruse to get someone close to me so that he had a spy. As a side note, I'd like to dispose of that desk. Burn it after having the demons exorcised."

Her dry humour had a sniggering crowd of guards. Ana's lips thinned as a smile tightened.

"I also crossed paths with Desmi, my father's advisor. If he is as true to me as he claims, he will have gathered the remaining staff and ensured that they are safe. I see empty corridors, and I wonder if there is anyone left that I can trust."

"You can trust Desmi," Keoni offered, moving closer to Ana. "He was always on your father's side. Your father trusted him emphatically. When he found out about the whispers, he warned your father about who the possible candidates were and yes, Pierre was on the list. When I was approached, we formed a plan. Your father demanded that Desmi protect the staff because the family's protection was the duty of the guards. Desmi has been in service to your father for longer than I can remember and he has always been true."

"But that was several years ago, Keoni. A lot of time has passed, and in that time, he's been under Pierre's rule. You don't know him anymore. No one does. How can we trust anyone in this building?"

Keoni didn't have an answer for Ana. He'd always believed that the king searched far and wide for the staff that he had. He had strict requirements that ensured they had loyal staff. The fact that Ana's just told him that Leearin was having sex with Pierre proved how wrong he could be. Was he wrong about Desmi too?