chapter 10
An unusual sound roused me from slumber. I bolted upright, the glare of a nearby lamp blurring my vision until I successfully rubbed the thick layer of sleep from my eyes. A thundering sound was filling the typical serenity of the quiet nights in Naos. Was it lightening?
I leaned over to wake Arrick, only to find that he wasn’t there. His side of the bed was perfectly made, as if he’d never been there at all. I pulled my bottom lip in-between my teeth and tried to ignore the sting of his absence. He was normally an early riser, maybe he just didn’t want to wake me? I traced my fingers delicately along the place he had slept, missing his presence with a significant ache.
In spite of the cool breeze that was wafting in through my open balcony, I was sweltering underneath my comforter. I flung it off me with a growl, as if it had done something to offend me. In truth, I was really upset that Arrick had left. Waking up with him already gone made me feel like I had been stood up, or that last night was some kind of… I mean, we didn’t do anything, but still. Was I being over-sensitive? Possibly.
I snatched a hair tie from my bedside table, pulling my hair up into a messy bun before fanning myself with my hand. Why was I so hot? Maybe sleeping next to Arrick’s warm blooded body caused it.
The pounding sound tumbling in from outside hadn’t ceased, so I pulled my focus away from my emotions and toward the noise that had woken me. It was definitely coming from outside. I hopped off the bed, and made my way toward the balcony, my over-sized t-shirt whipping around my body as the breeze flew in. I scanned the sky as I drew closer, noting that every star was sparkling with incredible brilliance. No, definitely not a storm, there were no clouds. The more I tried to figure out what the sound was the more I began to panic. Could it be Baal attacking the Château? No, Arrick wouldn’t have left me alone if it were.
Panic crushing my heart, I ran to the balcony, flinging myself to the railing and scanning the surrounding area. What I found set my nerves at ease immediately. The courtyard below me had been completely cleared of every statue, potted plant and stone bench. The area was ignited with the fierce light of bonfires mixed with large glowing lanterns. The glow of the radiant light illuminated the crowd and I scanned the massive gathering of guards. I’d never seen so many vampires and Blood Guards all in one place before. It was quite impressive, and filled my heart with an overwhelming sense of pride.
There were several groups marching across the forefront of the courtyard, obviously circling the entirety of the compound. There were twelve smaller groups, sectioned on training mats, sparring with each other. I watched their moves closely, recognizing some of their movements from my own sessions with Eli, and then realization hit me like a freight train. War was coming, and there was nothing we could do to avoid it. Seeing everyone preparing themselves for the impending battle not only made me proud, but also scared the hell out of me. However, there was also a savage determination growling inside me, slowly overshadowing my fear. I wanted to stop Baal once and for all, and eliminate any trace that he had ever existed. I didn’t want anyone to know the horror of his evil again.
Fortitude roaring within me, I sped away from the balcony and into my closet, pulling on my training gear as quickly as possible. With sweats, a fitted tee and sneakers, I splashed cold water on my face and flew out of my room, the door slamming shut behind me. The desire to train with the guard was pounding in my veins as strong as any craving to feed I had ever felt.
Within seconds, I was bounding out the exterior doors and being swallowed up by the mass of training guards. I immediately caught sight of Arrick through the crowd, our connection pulling us together with an invisible tether. He was standing with Eli and Bennett when I popped up beside him. All of the hurt I’d felt waking up without him vanished when a broad smile lit up his face at the sight of me.
“Hey, sleepy head,” he said, pulling me under his arm after appraising my appearance in my form hugging attire.
“Hi.” I smiled back at him like a nervous school girl.
“Ahem!” Bennett noisily cleared his throat, pulling my attention away from Arrick, my cheeks blazing as red as a strawberry. “I was just telling Arrick about our new training regimen.”
“New training?” I looked around, before turning my gaze to Eli. He never seemed like the kind of vampire who enjoyed change.
“Yes.” His arms were folded across his massively sculpted chest. “It is time a new guard is formed.”
“A new guard?” I said with alarm. “What’s wrong with the Blood Guard?”
“Nothing,” Arrick answered, squeezing me tighter against his side.
“Eli and I have been working together on this for a while now, and we both agree that or current guard isn’t trained in the most effective tactics to stand a chance against Baal,” Bennett explained.
“What do you mean; didn’t we do well in the first attack?” I thought we had. Despite our losses, and considering that we hadn’t seen the attack coming, I thought we had held our ground rather well. I didn’t think Baal had considered we would fight back with such ferociousness. He had relied on the element of surprise, but he didn’t count on us surprising him as well.
“We could have done better,” Eli said with disdain. “I should have adjusted training at the first sign of Baal, but I must admit I didn’t truly believe he had returned until it was too late.”
“I told Eli about our training session, and that gave us the idea to form a new branch of the guard,” Bennett said.
“Your training session?” Arrick looked at me confused, and I avoided eye contact. I hadn’t told him about that. Not that I didn’t want him to know I trained with Bennett, but I didn’t want to reveal how dangerously close I had come to killing myself when I had tried using my abilities alone. I was more powerful than I had realized and without a strong hold on it I’d almost lost control.
“Yeah, we thought it would be good to practice more…” I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I tried to find the words.
“I asked her to,” Bennett took over for me. “At the time I wasn’t entirely pro-Eli.” He gave an ashamed glance over to Eli who looked both amused and irritated with the information. “I had been privately training a small group of the guard with more diverse tactics than what Eli would teach us in class. I didn’t care whether he thought we were ready or not. I believed that we had to fight fire with fire, that Baal wouldn’t fight fair and neither should we.”
“And you decided it was a good idea to have Claire a part of your little vigilante group?” Arrick questioned, sounding protective. I pulled out of his embrace, rounding on him with a scowl on my face.
“Bennett didn’t make me do anything I didn’t want to do, Arrick! I wasn’t against Eli, but I agreed with Bennett. I didn’t want to learn just how to deflect the dark vampires, I wanted to destroy them!” The vehemence in my voice surprised me, but I couldn’t deny the honesty of my words.
“I know you want to stop him, Claire, but improper training can be dangerous. You could get yourself or someone else killed if you don’t know what you’re doing,” Arrick pleaded.
“That was my reasoning as well,” Eli agreed. “I wasn’t happy when I heard the truth of Bennett’s secret training, but I now agree with his logic. We need to be more aggressive, and that is why I have invited all of the guard and Bennett’s group to train with us. It is time we awake the sleeping giant. We might be a peaceful region, but no longer can we fight to just deflect Baal. Claire is right, we must destroy him.” At his words, several nearby vampires and guard cheered loudly, throwing their fists up into the air. The urge to thrust my fist in the air with them alighted within me.
His words lifted my lips into a smile despite the evil we would soon be fighting. It was time we all pushed aside our fear and embraced our vengeance. I knew I had to do the same, and the little voice inside me that I usually kept caged up needed to be released. Everyone kept telling me I needed to control my anger, but maybe they were wrong. Perhaps I needed to release it.
Eli and Bennett gave me a tour of the make-shift sparring area. We walked past training mats as men and women fought each other with severe intensity. The speed at which they moved was mind boggling. I knew vampires were fast, but the guards were visibly quicker. I stopped at one particular mat where a girl, shorter than me, lifted a male vampire twice her size off the ground by his throat before slamming him back down. He grunted loudly, his face reddening at her fierce grip before she released him with a deep growl, offering her arm to help him up.
“I’m guessing she’s one of yours?” I asked Bennett, with a smirk.
He smiled, pride blossoming out of him in waves. “Yeah, one of my best. That’s Kyri.” At the mention of her name, Kyri looked up, giving Bennett a devilish grin before calling on her next opponent in a stern tone. I couldn’t help thinking she was a miniature, female version of Eli. The crowds around her mat were rapt with attention, observing her every move with intensity. She might have been small in stature, but I could tell there was nothing small about her.
“Impressive,” Arrick commented, as we watched Kyri send her next opponent flying into the gathering crowd.
“That she is,” Eli added. “Had I known she was capable of such strength I would have put her against Bennett in training long ago. She’s been holding out on me.”
“She’d kick my ass!” Bennett joked. “I’m glad she started training with me.”
“Who hasn’t kicked your ass?” I asked with a giggle before sidestepping Bennett’s attempt to playfully punch my arm.
“Hey! I beat you fair and square.”
“Once!” I teased. “It’ll never happen again.” My cheeks burned from the intensity of my grin. The immense pleasure I felt beating Bennett that night training still played vividly in my memory.
“I let you win,” he said, trying desperately to save face in front of everyone.
“If you say so,” I said, giggling and taking Arrick’s hand as we made our way past more training guards.
“We’ve decided to name our new guard the King’s Snake,” Eli said, bringing our conversation back to business.
“They’ll be a tactical, covert force that delivers precision and deadly attacks to our enemy. Their main objectives are to protect the royal family, and strike down generals in Baal’s forces,” Bennett joined in, all the laughter gone from his voice. For a moment I had seen the Bennett that I once knew, but it was quickly replaced with the new, hardened Bennett. As with everyone else, the attack and the reality of what we were facing had changed him.
“The King believes we need to be prepared for the possibility that we could lose this war. That when all the guard is gone, the King’s Snake will be the last line of defense,” Eli said with finality.
“Certainly it won’t come to that?” I asked. I didn’t even want to think of losing as an option.
“We hope not, but we must be prepared for the worst.”
“I understand.” I pulled my attention away from a pair of vampires that were sparring with two long staffs and turned toward Bennett. “Congratulations,” I said, leaning in to give him a hug.
“For what?” he asked, looking almost nervous by the attention.
“We couldn’t have done all this,” I waved my arm around at the massive crowd, “without you.”
He shrugged. “I’m not doing anything that anyone else wouldn’t have done.” I’d never seen Bennett look so uncomfortable about praise before. Normally, he hunted down every opportunity to get the attention focused on him, fishing for any compliment he could get. Had everything that had happened humbled him, or did he just feel uncomfortable because I was the one saying it? I was utterly baffled by his reaction till I caught sight of Arrick’s expression. It was written clearly on his face how much he didn’t like my hugging Bennett. He was masking his emotions well, but the clench of his jaw and the scowl in his eyes gave it away. Of course, he had nothing to worry about in that area, Bennett and I were just friends, but I couldn’t help but enjoy how jealous he was. What girl didn’t want her man wanting her all to himself?
“As you can see we have one member of Bennett’s old team training several of the guard in each group. We’re hoping they can share their new skills and train our soldiers. Many of the guard, with the exception of the most advanced members, are trained primarily on defensive maneuvers,” Eli stated. His arms were still folded across his chest, making him appear like a colossus but there was a slight twinkle in his dark eyes that I had thought I caught when I saw him eyeing those around us. Like most vampires he was a brick wall, not a single drop of emotion breaking through, but I didn’t need to sense his emotions to see how proud he was. We might be preparing for war, training to battle our most deadly enemy, but we definitely weren’t going to go down without a fight. From what I had read in the library, the vampires never even saw Baal coming when he made his first assault, which was why he’d nearly destroyed us. My ancestors never expected their own kind to turn on them. They were wrong.
“How many guards are going to be in the King’s Snake?” I asked curiously as I eyed two female vampires sparring with each other using daggers. Their movements were so fluid it was almost as if they were fighting their mirror images. One of them had her hair braided in a long, black ponytail, while the other had a sleek, blonde bun atop her head. The clang of their blades rang through the night with each strike, matching only the sound of their cries as they exhaled with the extreme effort of their movements. They were utterly inspiring, and I hoped that one day I could fight like them. In my eyes they were more than two vampires, they were warriors.
“We have twelve currently, but with more training we will have more. Eli is hand picking them himself,” Bennett gestured to Eli who was standing behind us, scrutinizing a group of three vampires brawling. “Kyri was actually one of the first to be accepted.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yeah, I mean there was no way Eli could say no to her. She practically demanded he let her in.”
“I hope she’s as good as she thinks she is,” Arrick commented. His words would have sounded condescending if it weren’t for his sincere tone. He didn’t doubt her abilities, but he knew how important that special force was. If our worst fears were realized, they’d be all that stood between Baal and my family.
“She’s better. Trust me,” Bennett answered back, confidently. “Plus, it’s in her blood. Literally.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Kyri is Eli’s daughter,” Bennett replied as if it was common knowledge.
I was shocked at first, but then I realized how much sense it made. She had his fierce countenance that demanded respect from those around her, the same challenging tone, and the same powerful aura about her.
“Well, if she’s half as tough as Eli, then I know we will be in good hands,” I commented, glancing back at the sparring mat where Kyri was exchanging blows. Her opponent had landed a lucky strike to the side of her head, but she retaliated by doing a roundhouse kick, knocking them to the ground. I watched as the vampire rolled over onto his knees, shaking his head before spitting crimson blood onto the pavement. Little Kyri packed a lot of power. That kick to the head definitely rattled that vampire’s nervous system.
As I made my way farther down the line of clashing vampires and guards, my eyes fell across a sight that brought a squeal of joy ringing out of me. Of their own accord, my arms flung into the air to wave at Robin and Dmitry who were standing on the very last mat. I dashed over to them, Arrick in tow, with a cheesy grin on my face. Seeing them training with everyone else made me immensely happy. Not only was it good to know they’d have my back, but it was also good to know they’d be well trained in defending themselves.
Robin bounced up, waving back at me before doing her best to shove one of her loose curls back into her ponytail. A sheen of sweat was beading on her brow, collecting the nearby light of lanterns and making her skin look like it was glowing.
“Look at you!” I said appraisingly, eyeing Robin’s training get-up. She always looked so sweet, and fragile, but in sweats and a t-shirt she looked pretty tough. Especially when the flush of her cheeks displayed how hard she was training, not to mention the thudding of her heart that I could hear like a drum inside my brain. In fact, I could hear everyone’s heart hammering like a thundering stampede. If they were human, I could imagine my thirst being hard to control.
“I know!” she giggled sheepishly, until a gasp exploded out of her as quickly as a popped balloon. Dmitry tackled her to the ground, sitting on top of her, his hands holding down her wrists. I jerked forward, my instincts taking over, any thought that they were simply training completely left my mind. I had one foot on the mat when Arrick’s iron grip wrapped around my waist, preventing me from taking another step forward. I looked up at his stern face, ready to demand he let me go, when I saw him nodding for me to watch the mat. I turned back around as Dmitry growled, lowering his fangs toward Robin’s pulsating neck. Everything inside me told me to stop him. Seeing Robin lying there, seemingly helpless, was making my blood boil.
Just as Dmitry’s fangs were inches from her neck, Robin jerked upward before rocketing to her side. Before I realized what had happened, she had taken Dmitry’s place and was sitting atop him ready to sink her fangs into his waiting neck. The look of downright shock on his face was priceless.
“How did you do that?” he asked, completely bewildered as she climbed off him, a triumphant grin on her face.
“Easy,” she replied cutely, smiling. Bennett chuckled heartily from behind me, and we all joined in, to Dmitry’s chagrin.
“He thought he had you didn’t he?” I whispered to her when she came up to stand beside me and let the next couple spar.
“Sure did,” she whispered back, sticking her tongue out at Dmitry who still looked thoroughly surprised. “He released his grip the tiniest bit as he was leaning in, and that was all the chance I needed.”
“Wow,” I nodded my head, totally impressed. “I didn’t realize you knew how to fight.”
“Growing up in a palace full of vampires, you kinda have to. My dad was always afraid some vampire boy was going to try and… cop a feel,” she giggled at her choice of words.
“Cop a feel?” I snorted loudly.
“Hey! His words, not mine,” she chortled. “He always tried to sound hip. Once, he even read one of my gossip mags cover to cover!”
“Now that’s determination,” I winked at her. Her dad was definitely a special vampire, unlike any other, and I was sad he was gone. Gone, but not forgotten. “Your dad was really awesome.”
“Yeah…” she smiled sadly at me for only a second, then took a deep breath, “He really was.”
“Where’s Liz?” I stood on my tip-toes to scan the group.
“Oh, she didn’t last very long. After a few rounds she called it quits.”
“This training is really important,” I huffed.
“She knows.” Robin patted my back, wiping her brow with a towel. “Liz put in a good effort tonight.”
“Really?” I knew physical activities weren’t Liz’s thing, but safety was more important than whether or not she broke a nail.
“Really.” Robin nodded encouragingly.
“I just want her to be safe.”
“She will be, Claire. It was good that you brought her here. I’ll make sure she trains with me. She can get a few rounds in every night before everyone else gets here. I think it was starting to overwhelm her.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Thanks for looking out for her. You’re a good friend, Robin.”
“So are you.” She smiled, giving me a one-armed hug.
A sudden hush made me gulp. Every vampire and guard ceased sparring, and turned toward the Château, their attention riveted. I stepped away from our group to get a better look and saw my father entering the training grounds with Rennek. He took a few steps further, and the momentary pause died away. As everyone went back to training he and Rennek took their time as they surveyed each group. At each mat the group would stop to bow, fisting their hands on their chests as a show of respect.
It was the first time I saw my father outside of the Château. Among so many other vampires and guard he seemed bigger than life. He was a mountain among hills. Just by looking at him I would have never guessed he had such a gentle and loving nature. He looked every bit the warrior, and it was awe inspiring to see the respect that poured out of everyone as he visited their mats, encouraging their hard work and commenting on their movements. I could also feel their nervousness, wanting to impress him with their skills.
I waited impatiently as he and Rennek made their way through the crowd. I was anxious to talk to him. Our last conversation hadn’t gone very smoothly and I regretted that I had fought against his wishes. I suppose it was a bit funny, too. I spent my whole life without my real parents, and now that I had them I was acting like a typical teenager; rebelling against their rules. Of course, the scenario was much different than it ever would have been normally. If life had taken a different course maybe he would have been refusing to let me date, or punishing me for sneaking out. Instead, he had asked me to hide a weapon of our enemy that I somehow had the ability to use myself. The goddess certainly had an unusual path set out for us all, but I hoped it would result with a happy ending for everyone.
“Your majesty!” Everyone said in near perfect synch as my father stepped toward me. Bennett, Robin, Dmitry and Arrick bowed at my father’s presence, and normally I would give a small curtsey out of love and respect but I couldn’t hold my elation. I leapt into his arms, hugging him with as much strength as I could muster.
A deep chuckle rolled out of him, surprised by my levity. “What’s gotten you in such a good mood?” he asked me as Bennett and Robin stepped onto the mat to begin sparring. Dmitry took a few steps to the side, his eyes locked onto Robin within a protective expression.
“Nothing. I’m just happy to see you,” I replied, releasing him and nodding a greeting to Rennek.
“And I am happy to see you, Claire,” he replied, smiling through his thick beard. “I actually came out here to see you.”
“Oh? What’s up?” I asked, my attention dodging between my father and the sight of Robin and Bennett brawling.
“Do you have a moment?”
“Of course.”
“Let us take a walk then.” My father gestured me forward, and we made our way into the gardens side by side. Arrick and Rennek followed a ways behind, like two bodyguards.
My father walked the path, leading me deep into the gardens through routes I’d never taken. We passed the rose gardens and sculpted hedges, strolling through a canopy of willow trees.
“I hope you’re not still upset about the stones?” he said finally as we approached a bubbling pond, a small cascading waterfall pouring into it. I never knew there was a pond in the garden so I skipped ahead to the pond’s edge and peered inside. Brightly colored fish swam below the glassy surface.
“I could never be mad at you father,” I answered, sitting on the water’s edge. He smiled, taking a seat beside me. “What did you want to talk about?” I suddenly felt a little nervous and worried. It was usually never a good sign when someone wanted to take you aside to talk. From my experience it meant they had bad news. I doubted I could handle more bad news at the moment, so I swallowed hard, and waited for him to speak.
“I’m going to be leaving soon.” He took a deep breath, and gauged my reaction. All I could do at first was stare in shock with my mouth hanging open.
“Why? We need you here!” I squeaked through a sudden burst of emotion. How could he leave us?
“I know, and that is why I must leave.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense. Where are you going that’s more important than being here?”
“I must go to Titan,” he said, a sudden grimace creasing his features.
“Titan?”
“Yes. If we stand any chance of winning this war we are going to need more than just one region on our side in order to defeat Baal.”
“What about Noire? Nicolae said he would help. I know you don’t trust him, father, but you need to give him a chance.”
“I’ve spoken with Jarvan, and although Nicolae has kept his promise of assisting us, he doesn’t have the means necessary,” my father explained as he took my hand in his.
“I don’t understand.”
“The Noire region wasn’t developed to fight. Their society was molded differently,” he said, struggling with his words. “They have no soldiers, or guard. Noire has dignitaries and socialites. Being a vampire is a status symbol to them, and nothing more.”
“What about the Blood Mates?” From what I’d learned blood mates were created the same way as guards were in Naos, and they were just as powerful.
“There are only a handful of blood mates in the entire Noire region. Their creation was monitored by the royal family and the high council. They are stronger than vampires, and out of fear of them rebelling and turning out like Baal, their creation was limited. I can’t say that I don’t agree with their decision.”
“You think it’s good that they didn’t allow Blood Mates to be created?” I asked, surprised by his words. I didn’t think my father would be against such a thing, especially since he’s trusted Arrick to watch over me for so many years.
“In their society, yes. Remember,” my father waved a finger at me, “blood mates are more powerful than vampires, and the Noire region is all about power. Nicolae was smart to not allow the other vampires in his region to create them. If he had, your region might not have developed as it had. There would have been a constant struggle for power, and the throne. Blood mates would have been used as soldiers.”
I swallowed hard as the truth of his words sank in. He was right. Had any vampire been allowed to make blood mates, then Ana and her family would have had an easier time of taking the throne from Nicolae. Who knows who else had wanted the throne as well.
“But isn’t there something they can do?” It sounded bad hearing it, but my father was right. The vampires in Noire were a million times different than the ones here. If any of them had ever fought in their entire existence, they’d forgotten years ago. The only fighting they probably knew how to do was litigating an argument about some new law, or the best way to govern the citizens and punish the protestors. Growing up in Noire, I’d admired the royal family, but now that I’d seen the way society worked in Naos, I couldn’t imagine living any other way. Here, everyone was equal and in Noire…
“There is, but I am hoping it doesn’t come to that.”
“Come to what?”
“Nicolae is going to elevate the requirement on blood donations and begin a stockpile, in the event Baal wins. We will need an emergency supply should this war last longer than expected. Neither of us wants to see a repeat of the dark ages.” I shuddered remembering the horrifying diaries of the soldiers who resorted to feeding on themselves and each other; their fear and hunger driving them mad.
“When are you leaving?” I asked, an idea sparking in my mind.
“In one week’s time. I wanted to tell you before I left. I need you to look after your mother while I am gone; she worries so much.”
“I want to go with you,” I said in a commanding voice.
“What?” he replied, surprise widening his eyes, before sadness closed them. “Somehow I knew you would say that.”
“If you really think that this region can help us, then I want to be there. I’ve encountered Baal face to face; maybe I can help convince them to be on our side.”
“I fear that it’s not convincing them that I am worried about.”
“Then what are you worried about?”
My father searched my face before he pulled me to him, kissing the top of my head. “Do not let my worries trouble your mind, Claire.”
“That’s easy for you to say. I don’t think I’ll stop worrying until this is all over.”
“Then let’s hope that happens sooner than we think,” he forced an optimistic tone, but so had I. We had no other choice than to believe we could win this war. If we didn’t, then there was no point fighting at all.
“Do you really think they will help us?” I asked, dipping my fingertips in the pond and teasing the fish below. They swam to the surface attempting to eat my fingers like they were little bugs.
My father stood, pacing back and forth before the pond as he stroked his beard. I watched him for what felt like hours, trying to be patient and allow him time to think. I chewed on my bottom lip, tucking it under my fangs to distract myself and keep from pestering my father with the dozen questions I wanted to ask him. There was so much about our world that I wanted to know, so much I wanted to learn.
“Long ago,” my father began, clearing his throat, “the queen of Titan was attacked by Baal’s most merciless general, the Jackal. He is as vile and evil as Baal; laughing maniacally as he devours his victims. Legend says that in his first life, the Jackal was an evil wizard who worshipped the dark arts and practiced necromancy.”
“Necromancy?” I rolled the word around in my mouth, and it tasted foul.
“It is believed they can communicate with the dead, and call to the powers of the underworld to do their bidding.”
“Did he create the stones?” the question flew out of me precisely as I was thinking it.
“I’ve assumed as much for many years. When Baal discovered the Jackal’s power he recruited him, offering him eternal life for his… abilities.”
“I can’t imagine Baal would want to keep him around once the Jackal had taught him everything he knew. He doesn’t seem to be one who would want to share power.”
“No, he is not,” my father hid a smile, but I could feel the pride he felt at my inquisitiveness. “Some think that Baal used the very skills he learned to trap the Jackal in a stone.”
“What do you think?”
“I think…” he said, stopping his pacing, “I think that Baal would do such a thing, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Jackal rears his ugly head again in this war. He was once a formidable weapon in Baal’s army. I can’t imagine he would give up such a weapon so easily.”
“Neither do I.”
But, then again, if Baal had turned the Jackal into a stone, he could still technically use his powers. I suddenly felt relieved that I didn’t have the stones with me. What if one of them was the Jackal? It made my skin crawl to think that such a monster could be anywhere near me. No, Baal wouldn’t be that stupid. I had gotten all the stones I had from his minions. There was no way he’d let them have such a powerful stone. He’d want to keep a stone like that in his possession at all times.
“He is more evil than Baal, Claire, and if he is still alive we will need the help of Titan or there will be no chance for us. Goddess help us. Baal kills for conquest, but the Jackal… he enjoys it. He draws his power from the underworld and every death just feeds his strength.”
“Then we must get Titan to help us!” I jumped from my seat, standing tall and confident. The future looked grim, but I knew I had to follow my own guidance. I focused my rage on defeating Baal and the Jackal, too, if I had to. I refused to accept failure. We would win, we had to. There was no other option.
“I will let you accompany me on one condition, Claire,” my father said, resting a hand on my shoulder as he looked down at me. “You cannot take the stones.” I opened my mouth to counter his words, but he shook his head. “Do this for me daughter, please.”
I didn’t want to agree to this. I had done so now because I didn’t want my own people to fear me, but if we were traveling to another region we would need the protection of the stones. Who knew what dangers we could meet on the road?
“Fine,” I replied, my fingers crossed behind my back. I immediately felt guilt stabbing at my heart, but I did my best to conceal it from my father. I didn’t want him to know I was lying. I hated lying, but I knew I had to. I understood his fear of the stones but he just didn’t get it. They could help us, I knew they could. Besides, no one had to know I was bringing them with me. I would keep them hidden and if I did end up needing them, then everyone would be glad I brought them. Yes, I was going to bring the stones with me to the Titan region. I might be sneaky, but I’d rather be able to save our butts if Baal decided to attack us along the way.
“Thank you.” He cupped my face, a genuine look of relief washing over his features. “Now promise me you’ll spend some time with your mother before we leave. I believe she could use some cheering up, and I know only her daughter can do that.” He winked at me, making me smile.
“I promise,” I responded, happy that there was at least one promise I would be keeping to my father tonight.
“Good. I had better get back to work or Rennek will have me doing paperwork all night,” he joked with a hearty laugh as he peeked behind him to see Rennek and Arrick entering the tiny courtyard. “Ah, and that’s my cue. Have a good night, Claire. Try and have a little fun, for me? I hate to think that my daughter has only the worries of the world on her shoulders.”
“I’ll try,” I answered back, with a smile.
I knew it would be hard, but the grin on Arrick’s face as he approached told my heart that it might not be as hard as I thought. Last night he’d made me the happiest vampire I’d been in ages, and I could only imagine what he had in store for me tonight.
“Have a good chat with your dad?” he inquired, wrapping his arms around my waist once my father and Rennek were out of sight.
“I did.” I kept my answer short, not wanting to get into details.
“Excellent. So, are you ready?”
“Ready?”
The wild look in his eyes told me he had something crazy in mind. What could he be up to? I had fun on the beach, but I wasn’t in the mood for spending an hour in the shower washing off all the gritty sand.
“Training, of course! With me!” He squeezed me in a bear hug, growling into my neck before lifting me up and twirling me in circles.
“Arrick!” I squealed as the garden spun wildly. I slapped his arm playfully until he finally put me down. “You’re going to pay for that sir,” I hissed through my fangs, “nobody spins a princess!” I planted my hands on my hips and did my best annoyed look, even though I was thoroughly amused.
“Is that so?” he raised an eyebrow at me, before offering his hands to me, palms up. “I do believe I deserve to be punished then, princess.”
“Oh, trust me, you will be,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “On the mat! Now get those cute buns moving.” I swatted his behind, and made my way out of the garden toward the training grounds that were still roaring with brawling vampires and guards. I couldn’t wait to spar with Arrick. I’d never seen him fight before, and I couldn’t wait to pin him. Maybe if I beat him he’d be a little more confident in my abilities and wouldn’t have to feel like he needed to protect me all the time.