Candy: Book 5 of the Lord Emperor Vampire Saga

Greetings friends and pseudo family, here is another instalment of CANDY. This particular chappie has hard to do...which was kind of odd. Instead of my usual moving pictures that I just have to see and describe, I just got HD stills. Iconic moments. I think you’ll probably find them as you read. The Dancing Lycan are done...I know how much you did love them, but it was a device that Britta used to try and keep her Nation strong. Yes, technically she was a bitch, but she did love her pack.

Kudos and thankies and tons and tons of buffet style goodies for the LOYAL and true. I’ve been remiss in my listing of my reviewers and my only excuse is...I don’t have one. I’m lazy but you stuck with me. So, while it is belated, I do appreciate each and every click, review, question and rating. Eeps, I haven’t kudoed since chapter 196. Sorry, Gomen...

Dramaelf; Jaclyn; Ana; Kyandi Rin; lavcea; lone_child; ayachan; Lioncourt; blaze; tash; laur; k; violetstorm; newmoon; twitch; spiritofbeyond; rosemary; Xun; DemonAkasha; AsyenMari; Marin Liliz; jewel2656; Garina; Duelriel ; Candy; Eremi22; Akemi; bunnicle; meadows_peak; yunasgrace; lone_child; Kurokotsu; steph291; lavcea; Rosemary; violetstorm713; laur; Asyen Mari; Marin Liliz; SpiritofBeyond; k; blaze; newmoon; Ana; Lioncourt; Ana; MisterVix; lone_child; Rosemary; Laur; Marin Liliz; blaze; k; newmoon; spiritofbeyond; steph291; demonaskasha; littleolmee; steph291; Michelle; Ana; Rosemary; Laur; milkxness; blaze; newmoon; Lioncourt; newmoon; milkxness; littleolmee; lavcea; lone_child; steph291; rosemary; lioncourt; blaze; Ana.

I read each and every review and sometimes you kick off a bit o’inspiration. So, we are a parasitic relationship; I feed off you, you feed off me. It’s all good. (Eww, I know the imagery is disturbing....)

K: thanks to you I have spent more than $50 purchasing everything I could find on Evanescense. Gah!

Sidenote: I’m trying for a new job....send me good karma...I need it.

Enough of the rambling....here we go...as always

ENJOY!


Chapter 202: An Old Friend Returns

Vinny, the Alpha, was a punk assed kid. He was only about thirty years older than me but the attitude was like a bully in high school. What’s the motivation behind a bully? Fear. Why do I know this, X was a nasty bully in grade and middle school. He turned worse when he lost his vision in high school. Behind it all – stinky fear. I tested the air with my nose. I could scent it on the wind. He was afraid of me.

I watched as he puffed up his chest and pumped his arms like a mini Arnold. He was going to try and take me down quick and hard. Not going to happen. The Overseer called us to the middle of the stage. Before she could start to speak, Vinny raised his paw and pointed a finger in my face.

“Nothing fancy. No turning Vampire. No wings of knives. Hand to hand combat. The best wolf wins.”

“No wolfs.”

“No Vampires.”

“Done.”

“Good.”

“Are you done now?” I glanced up at the Overseer. She was not impressed with our little changes to the rules. I nodded. “To the submission or to the death, High Alpha?”

“Submission.”

“When the challenger falls or submits, the pack must disband.”

“Aye.” Vinny nodded.

“Agreed.” I bowed my head to the Overseer.

She took a step backwards. “Begin.”

Vinny sucker punched me in the fangs. I sort of saw it coming but I wasn’t able to get my head back out of the way. He connected solidly but I was able to twist with it bringing up my elbow to tag Vinny square in the melon. I staggered but so did he. I knocked him off balance enough that his hands hit the wooden planks of the floor. I kicked at his back leg trying to land a solid strike to the side of his knee. I’d broken Armor’s leg that way a couple of times.

Vinny shifted and I ended up soccer kicking him in the upper thigh. He rolled with it, flipping a couple of times to get some distance between us so he could get back up on his feet. I had done a little damage. He listed and limped sideways but he used it to circle.

While I can’t help Lycan with the Healing Light, they do heal rather quickly on their own. I tried to press my slight advantage. He blocked everything. Okay, he was trained in martial arts. I blocked him as well. Since I had scored some points I kept flicking my leg out worrying the injury. Vinny kept jumping backwards and ducking sideways but I would still tag him.

He rushed at me and kneed me hard in the midsection. I almost lost my sandwich. His hands grabbed at my leather clad shoulders and he brought his knee up hard again. I clenched my teeth and rammed my forehead forward catching him hard on the snout. There was a loud crack. I broke his nose. The smell of burnt popcorn and wet dog assaulted my nostrils. He shoved me hard in the chest. I was off balance and my forehead ached.

Vinny rushed at me. I stiff armed him in the chest deflecting him off to the right. I got my feet under me and pivoted on my right leg and kicked the Lycan in the back of the head. He slammed hard onto the stage and skidded. I followed after him and jumped aiming for that spot between his shoulders with my knee as my ramming point. My knee slammed down onto the wood. Fuck! He managed to roll out of the way and did a turtle spin on his back. I barely got my forearms up to block his kick. He connected solidly and hard enough that my hands went numb for a moment. He shinned my forearms again. I caught his ankle in my hands but they were a little weak and he easily broke away.

He rolled left. I rolled right and both of us got back to our feet. I dropped my arms and did a boxer’s bouncing shuffle, shaking feeling back down to my fingertips. I had only broken his snout. He looked worse because blood was still pouring from it. That just meant that it would make grappling with him a little harder.

He threw a punch to my head that I easily ducked under. I stepped in and gave him a solid shot to the ribs. He overhand rammed his elbow into the chest of my back. The force of it dropped my knees. I punched him hard in the upper thigh again then shifted my shoulders as he rammed his knee up to take my chin off my face. The denim of his jeans left a material burn on my skin as he brushed by. I kicked his support leg out from under him. He collapsed almost all top of me. I scooted backwards on my ass to get some distance and climb back to my feet.

He was a brawler. His technique was falling by the wayside because I was pissing him off. That would work for me. I took the attack to him. Right kick to the head. Right kick to the head. Hop forward on my left leg. Right kick to the head. Right kick to the head. Pivot on my left leg and roundhouse kick. He blocked every one of my blows but he wasn’t expecting the roundhouse to come from the opposite direction. Vinny ended up sprawled on the wood of the stage again.

He snarled and feral eyes gleamed up at me.

/You change, I get my feathers./ I cautioned him.

The light of a red laser scope glittered in my eyes for a mere second of a heartbeat. I ducked my head to clear my sight then twitched my gaze to trace-o-vision to track the laser trail back to it’s starting point. I saw it slip off me into the crowd of Lycan who were watching this farce of succession. A red dot showed up on Pings’ chest.

Not again. Not on my watch.

/I got it./ Skell kicked me to the curb.

No more playtime.

Vinny jumped up and rushed at me. I punched Vinny as hard as I could in the throat. He gurgled and fell over backward onto the stage. I ripped my wings wide and jumped down into the audience. Pups yelped in fear and the regular Lycan just scrambled as I landed in their midst. Ping’s face was startled as my metal wing snapped up in front of her face. The bullet hit my wing shield and wrenched me forward onto the small Lycan. The shock wave rippled from the strike point to the tip in one direction. The other direction actually rattled my spine. I swear I heard the shot again. I think Azrael’s Lycan gifts were transferring over a bit. I gritted my teeth together and turned sideways, doubling my wings back to back in front of my little Lycan sister. It still hurt to get a bullet in the wing.

“Stay down.”

“Skell?”

Yes, my hearing was sharper. I stared back along the bullet’s vapour trail and the laser sight into the woods beyond the arena. The sight was off. Which was good for me, and Ping. I narrowed my gaze and estimated there was about two hundred feet between me and my enemy. I heard the would be assassin chamber another round. I wasn’t getting shot again. I was weaponless. Wait…no I wasn’t. I could do it. I kept myself between Ping and the bullets and called on the Hand of Light. It was like warm water to my touch until I began to form it to my will. Then it was like bread dough, giving and moulding to take the shape I wished it too. I fashioned a spear. I made an atlatl. My world zeroed down to my enemy. I was locked on target.

I used my left arm as balance and to point at my target. The spear set into the thrower easily then I heard the shot again just as I reared back my left arm. Yes, I was a proficient killer with blades and guns. All of us brothers were but each had their own unique speciality. Xavier’s had the gun and mental abilities. Sex, I couldn’t come close to his knife skills and his flying ability. Azrael was closest to me. He was cool, calm and could cut to the chase quickly and he could kill with a clear head but the blue line had basically bypassed him leaving him almost a regular Blue Vampire . Now, we know why.

I had watched the DVD “300” and found it fascinating the things you could do with a spear. Sex had his archery so I learned the spear. If I tried hard enough, I could probably be just as good as my elders but why take on a skill that has already been mastered. We needed skills to compliment and complete each other, not compete. Not if we wanted to be Lord Emperor one day.

I focused all my attention on my target then took a few running steps forward and threw my spear with all the power I could. I knew my body took on an iconic pose when I did it. I had practised in front of a full length mirror. I acknowledged I had a touch of Sex’s vanity but this was also a weapon of destruction. Intimidation is everything in war. Image is important. As Azrael had said, the war was in the will; I shake the foundations, the enemy’s war machine would crumble. So I practised in front of a mirror. I was Zeus throwing thunderbolts.

The third bullet never made it to us. My hand of light spear devoured it as it sped back along the bullet trails. The blind the assassin had set himself in turned into a flurry of falling bodies then the tree exploded into blue flame. The concussion rumble was felt through my feet. I packed my wings away.

“Kyu, Baojia stay with Ping.”

Vladimir took point. I broke into a run and followed him. I heard more paws follow us. More than just the Imperial lovers. I kept my eyes forward. I would leave my back to Manu and Pytor to defend if any of the Lycan contenders wanted to make an issue out of succession out here in the woods.

The tree had been a tall old growth oak. It was dying in the flames that were engulfing it. One human was laying burnt and crumpled at the base. Dead. Vladimir shivered down into his pale white and grey form kicking off the clothes that were hampering him now. I had seen three fall out of the tree. One was laying there. That left two unaccounted for. I had charred the body badly. I couldn’t tell if he wore a uniform or if it was just army outlet paramilitary gear.

/Nothing?/

Vladimir snuffed the ground. /Now that Azrael have shown me what a talisman smells like…they have one…maybe two. This one headed east./

I watched as he circled the ground. /The other went north, down this path./

“We need intell, Imperials. Run them to ground.” Manu and Pytor turned east. The stout Maori turned into a black wolf and found the non-scent. The air behind me grumbled. /Vladimir, go. Now./

/I won’t leave you here…/

I pivoted on my heel and found myself staring across the glen at around ten Lycan. All Alphas. Gregor stood at the forefront. “Vladimir, you need to go hunt now. Don’t let them regroup and come after us.”

There was a moment of hesitation then Vladimir turned and started after the second survivor. I turned and faced the Lycan horde that had thundered up after us. Impressive. Everyone of the challengers and their Alpha packs, disbanded or not, were there. Of course, one particular non-Alpha and his pack were missing. Hennessey wasn’t going to leave the safety of the throne. Thirty-six Alpha males were roaming the woods. An unfortunate accident out in the woods would ruin his plotting. It would make me a hell of a lot happier but the Lycan was proving to know his limitations.

Even though Gregor had been defeated, his cult of personality thrust him forward into the role of spokesperson. I narrowed my gaze as I watched him carefully. He would be a staunch ally or he would be a deadly and dangerous enemy. If he chose to be an enemy to Von Drachenfeld or the Saitou Pack, I would have to take him down hard and fiery.

“What is going on? What have you brought to the Den?”

“The intended victim wasn’t me.”

“Silver bullets. Guns. No one has ever dared to advance their rank through these means.”

“Azrael has told you who has done this.”

Gregor snapped upright and looked at me. Really looked at me. “Who are you? You’re not High Alpha.”

Well, I would give props to Elder brother. He had gotten Gregor’s respect. He had to almost cut the Lycan’s head off to do it, but respect from someone like this was key. I bowed my head slightly in Gregor’s direction. “I am what has been prophesized. I have been tied to Haley Denning Saitou’s fate long before I was born.”

“Hashmalliam...”

“So I have been called. High Alpha Haley fell under my care. This is my affair.”

“This affects the whole Lycan Nation.”

“Then help me.”

Gregor wasn’t expecting that. As I understood it, Lycans were very territorial. Blood vengeance was a private matter, limited to family. As Azrael was now a part of the Dennings bloodline, Gregor technically was family. He might have been peeved that Haley had been re-declared the High Alpha but he was all for the betterment of the Nation.

“An assassin’s bullet took the rightful High Alpha from us. Another assassin has just tried to take down the Den Mother. If this continues...Hennessy will decimate the bloodline. He has already tried to take down a newborn. So, Gregor Dennings, Seventh Litter, Fourth born female, First Litter of Olga, First Alpha...help me protect the Bloodline. Help me keep the Lycan Nation strong...or stay out of my way.”

“That is not the first time you’ve told me that.”

“And your answer this time?”

/Anyone not a Lycan found in the woods is to be brought before Lord Hashmalliam. Unharmed?/

/Preferably alive./

Thirty battle hardened Alpha males took to the woods. Gregor stood before me and regarded me carefully. “Britta held you in high regard even as she cursed you.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“You are not joining in the hunt?”

“You saw how well I mastered the wolf. I trust the Imperials to run them to ground.”

“You killed Vincent.”

“That is the price of war...and make no mistake Gregor, this is a war. You’ve seen how far Hennessy has fallen to the point that he uses humans to remove his enemies. You don’t want a Lycan like that dictating the future course of the Nation. It would only lead to ruin.”

“What does the throne mean to you?”

“That seat belongs to Haley’s daughter. I am just making sure that there is something for her to inherit.”

Gregor turned towards the woods. “They have them.”

Two men were brought forward. The older was dirty from being driven to the ground but he stood easily between My Imperials. The other, a little younger was bleeding. It was obvious that Vladimir had to use his fangs to subdue this one. Gregor stepped over and took the other side.

He might not have fallen to his knees and offered up the Lycan shoulder bow, but he might as well have. I would allow him to rebuild his Alpha pack. Ping and Arashi were going to need a strong staunch ally. I ran my eyes over the two humans who had foolish wandered into Lycan woods to carry out an act of unspeakable horror.

There was a hit of recognition. I snapped my head around. Orel Wessel. I had practised our mental abilities but I was a sledgehammer. A sledgehammer was good in certain situations. I willed my metal wings out. Again, I was aware most of the male Alphas were here, watching this. This was more than just hunting prey. This was still a war of succession.

I willed out my wings of deadly silver.

The middle aged man stood between Manu and Pytor, loose and deceptively relaxed. He was the one who had the flare up for a brief moment before he locked everything down. I didn’t need that little bit of confirmation. I could smell him. Orel Wessel had its own unique scent –piety and hatred. The other one…he wasn’t one of the Golden Army of the People.

My wings grated on each other and I rumbled like a tank as I walked over to the younger man. Younger than me…he had to be in his late forties and his eyes told a tale that screamed soldier of fortune. Orel Wessel didn’t work with mercs. I reached out and pulled at the chain around his neck. Another dark talisman…not a big and not as well crafted as Haley’s assassin. This held some faint traces of the maker – the black artist.

“Where did you get this?”

The mercenary just stared passed me. This one wasn’t the one who would be in control especially is Wessel was here. I took my sledgehammer to him. He started screaming and trashing. Vladimir and Gregor held him as I ripped memory after memory free. I didn’t care about his name. Why he did what he did as a solider of fortune. I was only looking for why. The here and now. Again, I knew I just looked as if I was holding onto the chain of the amulet. There was no reason for the human’s screaming. Nothing that they could see anyways.

I was shaking the Lycan Nation’s foundations.

There…I found what I was looking for. The other prisoner, how standing between the two Lycan lovers, had came into a regular waterhole for mercs. He only approached him and the other man who was now charred at the base of the oak. The conversation was short and sweet. Five thousand each for back up duties. The whole set up had seemed fishy but the well was rather dry lately. Against his better judgement he took the job. Wessel gave him the necklace and where to meet to start the job.

I ripped the talisman from his neck and retreated from his mind. He was basically brain dead. His eyes were dilated, drool, snot and blood poured out of his mouth, nose and ears and eyes. His body still thrashed between the two Alphas. I lifted the talisman up. I knew nothing of magic. There was a “feeling” of dread about this. It was dangerous for being so small.

I took my left wing and stiffened the end of the trailing edge. I slammed it forward driving it deep into the mercs heart. Vladimir and Gregor dropped their hands from his body as I lifted him. My metal feathers were punched through his heart and lungs, severing his spine. I held him aloft until all his autonomic responses ceased. His blood stained my silver wing red and pooled on the ground. His essence was coffee. I braced my weight and found my balance then tossed the body off into the woods with one flick of my wing. Blood splattered the Lycan behind me.

/My dear one…/ I called out to Endellion.

/My Hashmalliam./

/Can you eat this?/ My hand tightened around the chain.

/Like candy, my Lord./

I reached up into the ether and felt the warm leather grip. I pulled the black blade of the Destroyer of Nations into this physical realm. Endellion, the eternal, the devourer of souls my dearest. Now that she understood that she was could not influence me she had turned into a wonderful friend. She has only come out a few times but it always been in times of need and in glorious mayhem. I fed her the souls of my enemies. She had said that Orel Wessel tasted like chicken.

I dropped the talisman on the ground and hung the point of her blade over it. /Ohhh, pretty./

/Explain./

/She has woven her hatred into the spell. She has given it a tiny piece of her soul. /

She. What woman would hate Haley so much? I didn’t know him well but he wasn’t someone who engendered hatred.

/No...my Hashmalliam. Not for the pup...for you..for your brothers. They had done her wrong and she will have her vengeance./

/This woman started this?/

/This I cannot tell from the little bit here. Feed me her hatred, My Hashmalliam, it will warm me then feed me your enemy. I will be content./

I drove Endellion down into the center of the talisman. A dark illumination exploded out of it as Endellion sank into the metal. The dark aura tried to claw it’s way free of Endellion’s touch but it sucked into the blade like so much milkshake at the bottom of a paper cup. I could feel the good vibrations through the leather wrapped hilt as Endellion devoured the power and little bit’o hatred.

/Do you have a name for me?/

/Just her hatred. It is strong and has been growing. Be careful of this enemy, my Hashmalliam. She will die to get to you./

/Noted./ I turned my head back to the remaining assassin. I reached out and found the other talisman.

“Edward.” I stilled and snapped my eyes up into the calm blue eyes of Orel Wessel. He had the air of authority. I couldn’t see them sending out a non-com to track me. “You are much more than anything they said you were in the reports.”

“Colonel?”

“General, Edward, anything less would be a slight to your position and importance. Running with wolves, that was an unexpected report and had to be investigated.”

“Your cell’s location, General.”

“You know I am not at liberty to reveal that information.”

/Release him and back away./ Manu and Pytor did as I asked. I jerked the talisman hard and snapped the chain. Once the magical amulet was off of the General, all the gathered pack behind me could feel him. Unlike the other merc...the good General didn’t feel any fear. He knew that this mission was a suicide. He walked in with his eyes wide open.

His eyes opened wider and I brought my armoured wings up and ripped both tips through his lower intestines. “Well, I’ll just have to get it the hard way then, won’t I?”

My green eyes were cool and hard as I forced more of my wing into his guts then I ripped them wide. The General ended up in two pieces. Blood filled the air first. His essence was dark bitter chocolate. Baker’s chocolate. His screams now rose up. His twitching legs had landed against my left foot. I kicked it away. I didn’t need that part. My wings were disgusting covered with blood and entrails. I flared them wide to show the Lycan Nation at my back what happened to those who declared themselves my enemy. I dissolved the wings in a glittering shower of blue light.

He was going into cardiac arrest and shock. I knelt in the fluids leaking out of him and laid my hand on his chest. “Ah, ah, you are not getting away from that easily, Wessel.” I poured out a stream of Healing Light into his body. Basically, I was giving him life support until I...we got what was needed.

/Xavier...I need you now. I am sorry for your loss, elder brother, but you can grieve when all this is over. Ping demands vengeance and so do I. Orel Wessel is involved in your Pup’s death. Come and make them pay./

My chest tightened with unshed tears and my throat felt like someone was choking me to death. I blinked down at the mess Skell had left me.

“...ed..ward...” The dying Orel Wessel gasped up at me, his eyes pain filled but also full of the knowledge that death did not come on swift wings. I stared down into his eyes and let a small sad smile cross my lips. Without that dark talisman, he was just a human. No, I wouldn’t allow this creature to taint the human world I still held dear. This was an Orel Wessel. As Azrael had said to the assassin who pulled the trigger, merciful is not something we, the brotherhood, were known for.

I reached forward into his mind. “My name’s not Edward.”

His screams echoed hauntingly through the woods of the Eastern Lycan Nation.