Chapter 15 ∣ Target Acquired: Lord Micah
-Ronan
"If you don't stay quiet...I swear, I'll rip every bone out of your body before I kill you," my lips are near Annika's ear, her chest heaving up and down as I'd placed a gag in her mouth before we left. I station her in one of the alcoves of the dome-shaped roof overlooking the ballroom floor.
It's Remy's idea to have her stowed away from above. No one will be able to spot her at first glance, and if the hunters do show up, drawn out by this event, she will be out of harm's way. If Evicka is dead, Annika is far more valuable to me alive than dead.
Annika's dressed in a simple black dress that comes down to her ankles, her bare feet touching the marble floor. In anticipation of tonight's event, all of us leaders are dressed half ready to fight, and half dressed up for the 'occasion.'
She pulls at the chains on the ebony pillar beside her. I didn't bother to chain her ankles as it'll just be one more hindrance when I need to unleash her power.
Annika's eyes pool with hate, her brows narrowing at me in a death glare. She stops moving and turns her face away from me.
"You should be proud of yourself," I muse, "you're one of the most powerful beings alive...and you shall help me take the throne."
Her nostrils flare as she attempts to lunge at me. I catch her wrists in one hand and pull her to my chest. Annika wriggles in my grasp, her fight never leaving her. I run my free hand up her arm and to the side of her face, resting the palm on her cheek.
"Who knows...maybe I shall make you my queen," I chuckle as she screams, the gag stifling obscenities at me, "at least I know how to control you."
I didn't inject her with the undiluted silver, as I will need her full strength to kill Locaine. All that is running through her system is the Clexane. The silver chains are enough to keep her trapped for the moment.
"I've always wanted to taste that arousing blood of yours that Locaine became infatuated with," I twist a strand of her dark brown hair that falls in front of her face during her outburst. Her eyes slowly grow wide.
During the time I'd enslaved her, I'd never once drunk from Annika. Sure, I'd forced her into having sex with me and other sexual activities for my own pleasure, but it never struck me to taste her blood. It felt like a taboo, to drink from another vampire's beloved.
I believe this will be a special occasion and without that silver sticking around in her veins...it'll be perfect.
I spin her around, bring her against my chest as I hold her wrists firm between her breasts. Annika tries as hard as she can to escape from me, but after all this time, she isn't about to do it now. I pull her hair away from her neck, exposing her delicate white skin to me. Her smell is intoxicating, her veins pulsating beneath the thin layer of flesh.
The tips of my fangs trail along the length of her neck, her fear rising within.
Damn it...
I release my grip on Annika, letting her stagger away from me. When her eyes meet with mine, she appears confused...
...I don't want to take the risk of Locaine smelling her blood.
**
-Evicka
The snow drifts from the ominous charcoal cloudy sky, landing silently on my long black leather coat that is belted at my waist. I'd found some clothing the fit me relatively well at Theo's home. Under the long jacket, I wear a white long sleeve shirt and black skin-tight jeans with high heel shin-high boots.
My hair is currently down and hidden back under the hood I'd flickered up to shield myself from the growing cold. The wool scarf wraps around my neck, protecting me from the ever-growing frost. I thought Germany was bitter...
...Russia is completely frigid. A broad silver sword is slung from my left hip and a small pouch hanging from the right side of my belt, holding Origins safe from the weather. If I'm to ever understand how to stop this feuding, I will need Erebus' journal.
It isn't hard to find Remy's place of residence...after all, all you must do is follow the sumptuous vampires and their lavish cars to his mansion in the heart of Moscow. There is an iron fence, outfitted with an automatic iron gate that is allowing cars to enter the roundabout, a fancy fountain at the center.
I don't smell any hunters as I scout the mansion from a half a mile distance. It's roughly nine o'clock, their party will most likely be in full swing around midnight.
This mansion...it's more like a castle.
It's larger than any other home I'd come across for the recognized coven leaders. At least it will give me the advantage of multiple entries and exit points. I hear something in the distance that catches my attention. I exhale slowly, the misty condensation forming a cloud near my lips.
I pull the scarf up over the bridge of my nose, observing from under my hood.
Someone's following me.
I launch off the top of the building I'd settled myself on, heading in the direction of Remy's mansion. As I near the looming structure, I wrap around the back, seeing a small door off to the side. I didn't notice it during my initial scan when I arrived.
Stepping carefully through the packed snow, I take hold of the door handle.
Locked.
I lift my chin to the sky, my eyes searching for a window.
"Hunter?"
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I turn around to face Micah, his chin-length white hair lightly brushing his face. The wind is dying down, the snow continuing to fall delicately to the ground.
I don't say a word, observing him. He's wearing navy blue fatigues, black combat boots, and a black trench coat.
Was he the one following me?
Well...going one on one is a lot better than fighting them all in the end.
I grip the front of my hood, pulling it back and against my neck. My winter white hair immediately breaks free, the gentle wind picking up the strands. I pull down the black scarf, revealing my face to him.
"You're that girl from the masquerade ball," Micah narrows his eyes at me, "Elani."
I keep my lips tightly shut, just nodding my response.
Micah's voice lowers into a growl, "You're the one killing the recognized coven leaders. Why else would you be sneaking around dressed like a hunter?" Micah notices the sword hanging from my belt. "You plan on killing more of us? What do you hope to accomplish?"
"Where is Annika?" I ask, ignoring all his questions.
"About to kill the king," Micah sneers at me.
What?
My mother has the same feelings towards these recognized coven leaders as I do?
Did she manage to get away and is hunting them as well?
"Wait a minute...you seem awfully calm..." I'm slightly confused. Wouldn't the coven leaders want to protect their king, especially if they know an attack is imminent?
"It doesn't really matter," Micah's fangs slowly began to elongate, "bringing forth a traitor to the king is way more enjoyable."
He's hiding something, but he isn't going to tell me anymore. If my mother is here, I'm going to need to kill Micah before I can find her.
Micah lunges toward me, the packed snow kicking up beneath his feet. I ready myself, placing my right leg behind me to bear all my weight. Right as Micah rams into me, taking hold of both my upper arms, I shoot forward with all my strength, somersaulting us onto the cold, wet ground.
As we flip over, I throw him away from me, knocking him into the iron fence. He takes an iron bar in each of his hands, his eyes shifting to a black rose. I shrug my shoulders, waiting to see what he is going to do next, anticipating his movements.
There's someone else near.
"You sense it too?" Micah questions me as I absentmindedly turn my attention to find where this power source is coming from.
"Another recognized coven leader?" I ask, returning my gaze to my challenger.
"The strongest only second to the king. He'll be here to stop and kill you soon enough," Micah chuckles pushing away from the iron bars, catching me off guard. He tackles me to the ground, his arms wrapping tightly around my waist.
"Get the fuck off me!" I growl, my fangs lengthening on their own as Micah struggles to keep me pinned underneath him. The snow holds our imprint as we wrestle around on the ground for control, neither one of us giving in to the other.
I punch him in the face, both of his hands flying up as the blow causes him a great deal of pain. I take that moment to kick him off me, his back hitting the snow. I reach for my belt, but my eyes grow wide when I find that my sword is no longer there.
Frantically gazing around, I notice it had shifted away from me during our struggle. Micah is recovering, hissing at me as we both dive for the sword in the snow.
That power...
"He's here," Micah growls as I worm away from him, taking hold of the hilt of the sword and pointing the tip of the blade in his direction.
Micah is by far the weakest of the recognized coven leaders I've fought. Or...perhaps my power is developing, growing with experience.
In his fury, Micah once again dives at me, only this time...I'm prepared. I sidestep out of the way, Micah running right past me. Everything seems to slow down in those few seconds. I swing the sword at the back of his neck, taking his head clean off.
The blood pours out onto the snow, staining it with a crimson red. For once, I come away unscathed from a fight against a recognized coven leader.
Perhaps I'm ready to face Locaine...
I breathe in sharply, a scream ripping from my lips as I'm hit from behind, losing the grip on my sword. Recovering from my daze, two arms lock onto my upper arms, roughly dragging me to my feet.
My eyes shift to see Julien and Ronan both latch onto me. I try to pull away, fear settling into my bones as Julien growls, "It's time King Locaine executed this traitor."
The power wraps around all of us as it finally comes to settle in the same vicinity.
Sandalwood...
**
-Lucca
I stand behind Evie as she's being restrained by Ronan and Julien. I smell the blood before I glance at Micah's dead body, his head severed.
Damn it!
I'm too late...
My strength returned to me just as the jet touched down in Moscow. I'd ordered Kato and Eryx to go and keep a watchful eye out for any suspicious activity. Specifically, I want them to guard Locaine, not entirely sure what's planned for tonight's event.
Every vampire I'd seen enter Remy's home are elite fighters within their respected covens, all dressed up to play the part of an aristocrat vampire. If the hunters do show up, they will be walking into their own grave.
"It's time King Locaine executed this traitor," Julien more over is speaking to Ronan. As I arrive, all attention is turned toward me while the two of them pull Evie harshly around to meet my gaze.
Her hypnotic eyes hold mixed emotions. This is completely stupid of her...running off to the one city of the world where all the recognized coven leaders are located. Then, to top it all off, killing one of them and getting captured.
I'm angry, frustrated and perturbed...tormented by the simple fact that I can do nothing for her.
Princess...
I can't reveal her.
Not knowing who I can and can't trust. My heart aches for her, watching her defeated whitish blue irises quickly glance away from me. I want nothing more than to swoop in and save her from the monsters, taking her in my arms and making her mine...forever. Her beautiful white hair is in disarray, her pale skin reflecting the moonlight as the clouds part, the snow storm finally coming to an end.
"Lucca," Ronan breaks me out of the trance I'm in.
"Yes?" I reply, trying to keep my voice steady and reasonable, the collar of my coat flipped up, keeping the snow away. I look Evie up and down, relieved to see she'd found some suitable clothes for this type of weather, remembering she had on very little when she'd run away from me.
"It's time," Ronan repeats, Julien, and he yanks Evie in the direction toward the front of the mansion. She pulls away, digging her heels into the ground as she glares at the two of them.
"No!" She screams. My muscle tense, wanting to aid her, but I can't, not without consequences, we will both regrets.
Julien smirks, "Afraid to die?"
Evie doesn't respond, trying to shake herself free. Both Julien and Ronan are powerful, their grip like an iron vice.
"You should be," Ronan growls, pulling her once again toward the entrance. The sudden force causes Evie to trip for a second before finding her footing. As they pass by, she glances away from me.
She's angry and scared...
...and she thinks I want to kill her as well.
With nothing I can do at this moment in time, I follow behind Julien and Ronan as they approach the double dark oak wood doors. A vampire who oversees greeting guests is taken aback as he watches the strange scene before his eyes. He steps back, holding the doors wide open for Julien and Ronan to pass through, Evie restrained between them.
The entrance is grandly lit with thousands of red and black candles, giving a very eerie feeling to guests. But, they aren't really 'guests' after all. As they guide her across the white marble floor, eyes are falling on us from the staircase to the parlor and the balcony. Every vampire is curious as to what's unraveling.
Two recognized coven leaders dragging another pureblood...
...yea that's a sight to see.
The lighting in the ballroom is much different than in the entryway, giant golden chandeliers with crystals hang from the ceiling, obscuring much of the roof itself. The red marble walls are lined with gold filigree. The exquisite craftsmanship continues onto the white marble floor as well, tiny etchings in an ebony stone accent the borders.
If they want Locaine to execute her...
...he'll realize it's his daughter instantly.
This can work in our favor if only he doesn't act surprised and cause suspicion. I'm not mind linked to Locaine, so I can't warn or inform him secretly that his daughter is about to be brought before him for judgment.
I just hope my look is enough.
The ballroom is filled to the brim with 'guests,' waiting for the hunters to attack. Little do they know they are about to receive a different kind of show.
There are audible gasps from vampires as Julien and Ronan lead Evie through the throng of grouped up vampires, weaving their way until a path is finally cut for them. The center of the ballroom is empty, save for Locaine and Remy, both looking confused.
I keep up behind the trio, a semi-circle forming around us as we make it to the center of the ballroom. Evie's eyes are glued to the marble floor, not wanting to look into the eyes of her executioner.
Locaine's eyes meet mine, locking for a moment...
...please.
**
-Locaine
Something's wrong...
My eyes linger on Lucca's for a split second. I then glance from Ronan and Julien, unsure of what exactly is happening as between the two of them, they hold a captive pureblood.
My black combat boots are tied up over my dark cargo pants. My scarlet long sleeve button up shirt seems to blend in with the nearby walls. I turn my attention to Remy who's just as confused as I am...that is...until Julien speaks.
"We have the traitor in custody," Julien announces, bringing my absorption back to the three standing before me.
"What are you talking about?" I ask while furrowing my brows.
Why are they holding a pureblood captive?
Is it not a hunter who has been picking off the coven leaders one by one?
"Her," Ronan viciously takes a handful of her white hair and snaps her head backward, generating a sudden gasp from her lips as Elani's face is revealed to the entire ballroom. Holding my gaze, her whitish-blue eyes are full of hatred and presentiment with a small hint of aversion.
Elani?
This is the same girl from the masquerade ball. The one with the hunter pet.
Was she a secret agent for the hunters that night?
Did they plant her in the ballroom that night to watch our movements?
"Locaine?" Remy's voice sounds beside me, pulling me away from my thoughts.
I'm not one for torturing my own kind...
...but if she genuinely did kill the recognized coven leaders, that marks her as a traitor.
Our enemy.
Maybe I can get some useful information from her before I execute her...
Elani's eyes pull away from mine, scanning the ballroom lowly. Her breathing is short.
She's trying to find a way out.
There is none...not with the remaining recognized coven leaders present.
"Bring her to me," I command, motioning for Julien and Ronan to step forward. What I do notice, is that Lucca remains where he stands. Usually, he enjoys being part of this violence, but something is keeping him away.
Is he...
...pleading with me?
I'm trying to comprehend the foreign looks that Lucca is giving me.
"Get on your knees," Remy growls at Elani as Julien and Ronan halt about five feet away from the two of us.
Elani's eyes still have an intense fire as she hisses defiantly, "No."
"You will kneel before King Locaine!" Julien pushes down on her arm as Ronan follows suit, but surprisingly...her strength matches their own.
"I will not kneel before your demon king," venom drips with every word she speaks, catching me off guard for a moment.
She bites back a scream, Julien kicking the back of her knees, forcing her to the ground. She slams down hard on the white marble; her eyes are transfixed on the ground.
"Are you working with the hunters?" I question her.
Her silence answers me back.
Ronan pulls back once again on her hair, forcing her eyes to look up into mine. "I believe King Locaine asked you a question," Ronan is angry as he warns her, "I suggest you answer him, traitor. Or, he'll do far worse before he kills you."
When Ronan finishes threatening Elani, her eyes briefly flash with terror before returning to their fiery self.
"If you're going to kill me," her voice is low, "then quit threatening me with my impending death and get it the fuck over with."
My anger rises as she really doesn't care whether she lives or dies.
She must be working with the hunters.
Elani's face snaps to the right, the impact from my backhand causing shock to linger in her eyes. My peripheral vision catches Lucca advancing forward.
Now he wants to join in?
Lucca stops his movements, his body tensing as though he's having an internal battle. He's ten feet behind Elani, observing me.
"Why are the hunters killing the recognized coven leaders?" I ask her, my eyes returning to her slightly shaken form.
"They're not," Elani whispers dangerously before admitting, "I am."
"Why are you working with them?"
"I'm not working with them," Elani glares at me, apparently thinking I must be stupid. I hit the other side of her face, but this time, she's ready for the impact. She hardly moves, her eyes becoming more resentful. She's daring me, almost in a way like Annika used to...
...testing my patience.
I glare back at her while stating, "I'm trying to make sense then...of why a pureblood would turn on her own kind."
"There is no sense to it," she retorts while reiterating, "I will not tell the likes of you anything!"
"Very well then," I suddenly move quicker than she anticipates, snatching the front of Elani's coat before jerking her to her feet. My eyes lock with hers before I say, "Have it your way."
Ronan and Julien's grip release her. She stumbles forward in my hold, both of her hands wrapping around my right wrist that holds her firmly. With my left hand, I take hold of the black scarf she has around her neck, pulling it up over her head and discarding it to the floor.
Elani's face is inches from mine as she continues to stare up into my eyes. I feel her tense beneath my touch as I tilt her chin up and away, exposing her neck to me. Her heartbeat picks up, accelerating much faster now as her breathing quickens.
"I had planned to give you a merciful death," I whisper to her, my lips next to her ear. She flinches away at my words when I say, "But...you don't want to provide me with any information. I will make your death as painful as possible...for the justice of Lord Blaise, Lord Enzo and Lord Micah."
I breathe in deeply, my eyes shifting just as I catch out of the corner of my eye, Elani's own eyes are now a black rose.
Fighting to the very end, though...
...her strength is no match for my own, holding her firmly in place.
I pull my lips away from her ear, opening my jaw as my fangs elongate. Elani's eyes instantly revert to those whitish blue irises, a bloodcurdling scream escaping her lips as I bury my fangs deeply into her neck, through one of her carotid arteries and catching her windpipe. Her scream doesn't last long as she goes silent, her tenure on my wrist releases, her arms falling to her sides.
My eyes widen, tasting her blood in my mouth.
Evicka...my Evie...
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The Pureblood Vampire Huntress by K. A. Young.
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