There was no funeral held for Orpheus or the Shadows. After all they'd done, they were simply buried. But there were endless funerals for the hunters who had lost their lives. Ruby, Talon, Halle and the hunter, whom Ruby learned was named Marissa, attended every single one.
They'd eventually cleaned up the battle field and restored any damage so the remaining hunters could live there once more. It wasn't until a whole week later that Ruby finally returned to the mansion.
She found Orpheus's office now occupied by Emelia, who was sitting behind the desk when Ruby strolled in. The vampire jumped to her feet, eyes wide as she quickly rounded the desk. "Ruby! What's going on? Everyone is freaking out. Where is Orpheus?"
"Orpheus is dead."
Emelia reeled back, but to Ruby's surprise, something akin to relief shone in the vampire's eyes. "Oh."
Ruby nodded, "I killed him and his Shadow army."
"Good."
She arched a brow, "Emelia, why did you work for him?"
"I don't have to answer to you."
"Unfortunately," Ruby said, flicking her wrist and bringing the night in full force around them, "you do."
Emelia eyed the stars, all seemingly pointing at her, with a narrowed gaze. Her lips pressed thin. Finally, after a moment of silence she said, "He found my weakness and used it to his advantage."
"And what was this weakness?"
"My son."
Son?
"What happened to him?" She asked fighting for a cool composure.
"Nothing yet," the vampire shrugged though her gaze darkened significantly, "but Orpheus knew that I wanted him safe. If I didn't work for him, then he was going to carve up my boy and send him to me in pieces."
Ruby barely flinched at the morbid description. She knew Orpheus had meant every word. "Well I need someone to run this place and to actually hold High Vampire society's best interest in heart. Seeing as how I'm not knowledgeable in all of the politics of it, I'd like you to do it."
Emelia's eyes went round and her demeanor quickly shifted "Of course. I'd love to."
"Good. But I'm going to keep an eye on you. If I get even the slightest whiff that you're up to something, I will come to you and I promise, what I do to you will be ten times worse than Orpheus."
The vampire considered her, "I believe it."
"Attacks on hunters have to stop. Only attack if they attack you."
"Okay."
"No working with Shadows. They should be eliminated at all costs."
"Of course."
"So we have a deal?"
Emelia nodded and waved her hand, "Yes, yes. Of course."
"Good. I also want the vampires who were part of Orpheus's inner circle to be evaluated."
The vampire's eyes shot to the door, "I know you can trust them-"
"That isn't why," Ruby said. She thought of the way the guards were lifeless husks, tortured to the point where their only function was to obey him. She shook her head, "They aren't okay."
"Understood." Emelia was quiet for a moment, surely bristling under Ruby's command. After a while, she added, "There is a true army you know."
"What?"
"Orpheus didn't want you to know anything about it. I hadn't known why then. But we do have a true army of powerful vampires."
Ruby nodded, brows furrowing. He'd done a good job at keeping it from her.
Seeing that they were done, she turned to go to the door when a thought struck her. Facing Emelia once more she asked, "Who's your son?"
Her lip quirked, "Jeremy. He doesn't know and I'd like to keep it that way."
Ruby's brows shot up but she said nothing more. Now that she knew they were related, the similarites between the two vampires was obvious. However, it wasn't her business. She didn't plan to stay.
She left the office, jogging down the stairs, Ruby shoved through the doors to outside. The sun was rising high in the sky, the dewy grass crunching beneath her boots. She smiled at the familiar sounds of birdsong amongst the grunts of vampires in the training yard. Cutting through the lawn she found a sleek and deeply familiar black pickup truck waiting in the drive.
Talon leaned against the door and at the sight of her, grinned that heart wrenching smile that now he reserved for her alone. As she neared he opened the passenger side for her.
"Thank you," she said, smiling like a school girl as she hopped in.
"Are you ready?" He asked as he sat beside her.
"Ready for what?"
"Our date of course."
"Oh," she breathed, a shot of nerves crashing in a tumult of wings in her stomach. He turned on the ignition and threw his arm over the back of her seat.
"And this."
Before she could ask, he brought his lips down on hers. More butterflies soared inside of her as her lips moved with his. He pulled away with a dizzy grin, "I know I'm supposed to wait until I drop you off at home to do that but-"
"Life's too short to wait," she said before winding her fingers behind his head and kissing him once more.
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