The group stared in shock at the vampire before them, the resemblance between her and Evander striking them fast. Theodosia had the same exquisite facial features, the same small stature and wide, violet eyes. She watched them with a small smile playing at her lips, but Abel realised she had the same tell as Evander: her eyes betrayed her emotions, and Theodosia's eyes were saturated in urgency.
"How did you get here?" Amber snapped, wings unwound and eyes aflame.
"My son, Damien, used to sneak his little witch-wife into the house when he was younger. He was stupid enough to think I didn't know, this is one of her portals," Theodosia clasped her hands in front of her. "I came for a reason, I assume you're Abel Drake?" She arched an eyebrow at Abel, who nodded.
"Good. I haven't been fed much information by my oaf of a husband, but from what I've managed to squirm out of him I understand you and my youngest boy have some sort of...relationship," she waved a dismissive hand, "I know you care for him, and judging by his reluctance to come home and his apparent betrayal of our kind in favour of yours, I assume he feels the same about you. I want you to know I love my son...with all of my heart." Theodosia's beautiful face creased in sadness before she composed herself.
"I knew he felt his life to be suffocating, unpleasing, and when you're an immortal a happy life is essential. I knew he wouldn't be happy, which is why I began projecting the dreams to you."
"Why me?" Abel frowned.
"Lord Ejder Drake was a remarkable man, even Atlas feared him. It took a lot to bring him down, who better to protect my son than Ejder's own grandson? Or so I thought." Theodosia arched an accusing eyebrow at the young dragon.
Reagan stepped forward, her crossbow raised. "You're one to talk, I bet you're mother of the year."
"I'm not perfect," Theodosia glared, "I tried my best under the circumstances, but right now Mordecai has my son and I know exactly what that beast is doing to him. If my hunch is correct my other children, Danae and Damien, are plotting some sort of extravagant rescue, most likely with the help of Evander's friends. I need you to help them."
Amber eyed her suspiciously, scanning Theodosia's face for any sign of insincerity.
"Why should we trust you?"
"Trust a mother who wants to protect her son. I promise, on my life, I want Evander to be safe...with you. Now, Abel," the vampiress bore her eyes into the dragon's. "Promise me that when you get him back you'll protect him, protect him like I never could."
Abel breathed deeply, eyeing the portal behind Evander's mother, and nodded.
"Now and always."
OOoOoOoOoOoOoOO
Well. This was incredibly awkward.
Jamie leaned against the wooden panels of the most stately room he had ever been in as thick silence clung to the air. Theodosia had accompanied everyone back, and now they stood in a room full of seven vampires and a witch. Savannah and Wyatt had smiled instantly when they saw each other, a silent solidarity settling between them. The same could not be said for everyone else.
Amber stood beside her brother, both of their identical eyes glaring at Pericles who looked anywhere but at them. Reagan was eyeing Danae suspiciously, the fact she caught Jamie staring did not help. He couldn't help it, what was in the Aetos gene pool? They were all Victoria's secret models.
A friendly looking vampire sat next to Theodosia, his face a more angled and masculine version of Evander's, although he had tousled dark hair. Savannah sat on his lap, her head resting on top of his. Damien. Beside them, three vampires around Evander's age stood tall and anxious. A beautiful, olive skinned girl with glistening dark hair and amber eyes kept glancing at the ceiling at the sound of creaking footsteps. Jamie had heard her name, Charvi. Beside her, a slim, pale vampire stared at Amber and Jamie with wonder, his red eyes standing out in contrast to his black hair. Lastly, a beefier vampire stood glaring at Abel. He was quite intimidating, with dreadlocks that reminded Jamie of Castel, and mocha skin that complimented his red eyes alluringly. Brae.
"Good thinking," Savannah smiled at Wyatt and gestured to the crystals around everyone's necks. "No one knows you're here."
"What about them?" Wyatt nodded to Brae, Jack and Charvi who glared.
"I cast a cloaking spell on the room, no one knows they're here. But they will once you leave, you'll have a limited amount of time to save Evander."
Abel breathed deeply, straightening. "How are we going to do that? We can't all go charging in."
Pericles cleared his throat. "I will go first, I...they trust me."
"Because you brought him back here," Amber snarled.
Pericles ignored her, continuing. "Savannah and Wyatt can stay here and guard the portal. Mother," he turned to Theodosia, "you could distract father and Lord Atlas. Some need to stay here and ensure the portals and the witches who created them," he gave a pointed look to Wyatt and Savannah, "are safe."
Reagan stood, as did Jamie and the spiky haired vampire with red eyes. Jack.
"We will." They glanced at each other in unison.
Abel glanced around. That left him, Amber, Danae, Damien, Charvi, Brae and Pericles. That would be enough.
"Danae, Brae, can you guard the doors to the bedroom? Alert us if the guards are sounded?"
The vampires nodded, smiling at each other with familiarity and determination.
"That leaves us," Abel glanced around the room at Damien, Charvi, Pericles and Amber.
"Let's go."
Theodosia slipped quietly from the room, heading towards the drawing room where her husband's booming voice grated on her last nerve. Savannah and Wyatt prepped the portal, Reagan, Jamie and Jack taking defensive stances around the room, giving them a vantage point of any exits and entrances. Abel slipped from the door, following Pericles and hiding his excited smile as the others fell silent behind him. He glanced around the corridors, glad for the crystals around his neck hiding his scent as he smelt out at least fifteen guards dotted around the upper floors. Pericles stopped abruptly, turning and motioning for the group to stay back. He rounded the corner.
"You're dismissed, I need to speak with Lord Mordecai, alone."
Abel held his breath, releasing it only as he heard the guards agree and round the corner. They stopped dead, their eyes widening at the sight before them. Abel grinned.
He made fast work on the first guard, lunging forward and gripping his head, snapping his neck as he watched Damien do the same to the other guards next to him. He caught the vampire's violet eyes, a small smile playing at his lips as Damien winked, jumping up and rounding the corner as Charvi effortlessly lifted the corpses of the vampires, dragging them out of sight.
They took their positions, Pericles drew an iron dagger from his belt and lifted his fingers, silently counting to three before kicking in the wooden door to Mordecai's bedroom, spilling in fast.
Abel felt sick as soon as he laid eyes on the bed, it was empty but the sheets lay in a tangled heap, Evander's scent mingled with the twisted stench of Mordecai. The room reeked of terror, repulsion and lust. The sheets were drenched in it and the air heavy with it.
"I'm going to slit his throat." Abel promised, glancing at his friends. Amber looked just as disgusted, while Damien's knuckles had turned white as he clenched his fist. Pericles looked as white as a vampire could, guilt smothering his features.
"Yes, I could say the same about you."
The group turned at the voice, fingers of dread tightening around Abel's throat as he saw Mordecai emerge from the bathroom, a sadistic smile sown onto his face. Evander was leaning against him, his face pale and horrified, tears glistening in his eyes as Mordecai gripped his hair, pulling his head back and holding an iron knife to his throat.
"I had a feeling you'd do this, Pericles." Mordecai tutted, eyeing the older vampire disapprovingly. "It's such a shame, disobedience must run in the family, mm, Evander?" He planted a kiss on Evander's cheek, making a low growl vibrate in Abel's chest.
Mordecai's eyes landed on him with poisonous malice, the knife shook in his hand as he took in Abel from head to toe.
"You." He snarled. "You took what was mine."
Abel growled and started forwards, only to be grabbed by Amber and Damien, their eyes trained on the knife to Evander's throat that had begun to burn a thin line into his skin.
"Evander doesn't belong to anyone...let him go before I rip your fucking arms off and ram them down your throat." Abel seethed through clenched teeth.
Mordecai's grip on Evander's hair tightened, making him cry out in protest. He pressed the dagger to Evander's throat again, the metal hissing as it seared into Evander's skin, blood sprouting from the wound.
"I'll slit his throat right here rather than give him back to you. He's mine."
Abel didn't have to be an empath to know Mordecai wasn't lying. He couldn't lose Evander, not ever. Whatever had happened to him, they would get through it, they would get him through it. He had every reason to live, he deserved to live. Abel was not going to allow some rancid maniac to steal Evander's life away before it had even begun, before they'd even had a chance to...
"WILL YOU STOP SAYING THAT!" Evander took everyone by surprise by roaring, he grabbed Mordecai's arm and twisted it, shoving the dagger away from his neck. "I'M NOT YOURS AND NEVER WILL BE!"
Abel didn't hesitate, nor did the others. Pericles also lunged forwards, only to be tackled to the ground by Constantine. Half a dozen guards filed in the doorway, but Abel knew there would have more if not for Danae and Brae, who he could hear fighting in the doorway.
Abel swiftly eyed the room. Charvi was battering down on a guard, all the while lifting her dress and leaping nimbly from place in heels. What a woman, he watched in amazement. Amber was making quick work of two other guards, while Damien engaged in a fist fight, shouting manically about taking all and every one of them down. Pericles fought Constantine and another, while one guard had already been felled, his head rolling around the cream carpet, droplets of blood trickling from the open wound.
"MY CARPET!" Mordecai bellowed, gripping Evander's wrist and twisting, forcing the boy to spin around before he shoved him to the ground. Abel lunged forwards, tackling Mordecai to the ground before he could harm Evander.
Mordecai was by no means small, he was almost as muscular as Abel and just as strong.
Evander watched with terrified eyes as the man he loved and the monster who hurt him fought hard on the floor, each throwing punches and fighting for dominance. Abel managed to grip Mordecai's neck, lifting him from the floor and throwing him into the canopied bed, the frame collapsing onto him. He lunged, ready to finish the job until Evander caught onto him.
One look into Evander's haunted purple eyes was enough to make him crumble. He instinctively wrapped his arms around his vampire boy, resting his chin on Evander's silky hair, ignoring the lingering scent of Mordecai and fighting through to the sweet smell Evander always emitted. Evander stiffened but then melted into the embrace, burying his face into his dragon's chest.
"Evan...I'm sorry," Abel choked, tears springing to his eyes, "I'm so sorry...I should have protected you.."
Evander hushed him, pulling back and cupping Abel's face. "Hush, it's not your fault," he glanced to the side to see Mordecai tear through the thick drapes on top of him, his eyes twisting into what Evander could only describe as insanity as he saw Abel's arms shielding Evander from the rest of the room.
"We need to go, now."
Evander nodded, whistling as a signal and grabbing Evander's hand. Mordecai lunged but was tackled by Pericles. Evander met his eldest brother's eyes, staring at the remorse in them before Pericles brought his head down and cracked it against Mordecai's forehead.
"Go!" Pericles shouted. Constantine was unconscious in the corner and the other guards had been felled, but more would come. Evander mouthed a thank you at him as Abel yanked him from the room, his arm around his shoulders.
Amber stood guard at the back, followed by Damien and Charvi. Brae and Danae joined them, Brae's eyes lighting up at the sight of Evander but his eyes darkened as he saw Abel's protective arm over his shoulders.
"Get to the portal!" Amber shouted. They ran. They ran as fast as they could, Evander breathing a sigh of relief as Pericles joined them.
They burst into a lower room, Evander's eyes widening as he saw Wyatt and Savannah on their knees, struggling to keep the portal closed. Wind howled around them, the power of the portal ripping the panels from the wall, the furniture churning into a cyclone.
"GO!" Wyatt bellowed.
Abel pulled Evander forwards, only for the door to burst open. Constantine entered, his nose a bloody mess. Atlas followed him in. At the sight of him, Amber screamed in fury and lunged, hacking at the man who had killed her grandfather. Abel wanted to join in, he so wanted to join in, but he had to get Evander out.
"Take him and go!" Pericles shouted, casting a glance at his younger brother before sliding his iron dagger from his belt and lunging at Constantine. Constantine had his own idea and did the same, pulling a small short sword from his belt and meeting Pericles's blows.
"Everyone go!" Savannah shrieked, her hands shaking from holding onto the portal.
Jamie grabbed Reagan and sprinted, they threw themselves through the portal. Evander started forwards, grabbing Charvi's hand and pulling her. He pushed her through, then Jack, then Brae. Danae threw a final small dagger into the eyes of a guard who tried to enter the room, before slamming the door and bolting it. She grabbed Damien and ran for the portal, grinning at Evander beside it as she was pulled through.
"AMBER!" Wyatt screamed as the red-haired dragoness was flung against the wall by Atlas, only for the vampire to be frozen in place by Wyatt, the wood of the floor melting beneath his feet and consuming the High Lord up to his knees, before solidifying around him. Atlas cursed, attempting to rip his limbs free.
Amber took the opportunity and ran, leaping through the portal. Abel grabbed Evander's hand, ready to tug him through until the younger boy stopped and looked back.
"PERI!" He shrieked, his face pale as he watched his brother yell and bring his dagger down hard towards Constantine, the metal hissing as it seared through the vampires neck. The room fell silent save the howling of the portal as Constantine's head fell from his body, an expression of disbelief etched forever onto his face as his head rolled in front of Atlas.
Atlas screamed.
He tore his legs from the splintering wood and with one swift movement, gripped the short sword from Constantine's headless body and staked it through Pericles's chest, the end of the iron metal cracking through his back. Constantine gasped, his eyes finding Evander's.
"NO!" Evander screamed, starting forwards as his brother fell to the ground. Abel grabbed him, wrapping his arms around Evander's waist and pulling him into the portal. "LET ME GO! PERICLES!" Evander shrieked, the last thing he saw as Savannah and Wyatt leapt into the portal after them was Atlas ripping the sword from Pericles's chest with a squelch and a satisfied smile on his face.
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