Candy: Book 5 of the Lord Emperor Vampire Saga

If you were following the trials and tribbles of August of 2007, it was a crappy month, the beginning of a craptacular trifecta; but that was then. This August of 2008, I have broken my toe. Yah, me! Now I have to wear thong sandals…ew, icky, yucky, yuck, yuck. I’m old enough to remember when thongs split your toes, not your ass cheeks. And, and I tell you, I have discovered another shade of purple that the body can produce. Good thing I like purple. Anyhoo….kudos Lovelies.

Yea gods, I’m thirteen chapters behind in my kudos. GACK!! Where does the time go? Thanks for the clickies. I like them. Thanks for the read! I think I was spoiled by T4BB and it’s huge massive counter rate. THANK YOU for the reviews!! Discovering plot bunnies while still in the field, so to speak, helps out in the re-write when it comes time to try and make a living as a writer…which eventually will be my ultimate goal, since the younger generation (not you gentle Loyal, as you are all over 18 *eyes the screen menacingly*) doesn’t know how to spell, I should be fine. Bwah hahaha.

Mucho enchiladas go out to: littleolme; rosemary; spirtofbeyond; violetstorm; AsyenMari; milkxness; ana; lonechild; laur; scarlethyacinth; lioncourt; whitedragon; asialisek; k; twitch; humaninfiltrator; ri; steph291; steph8503; myxonexlove; mari; catmum56; romanticfae and saffie willis!

Yeah!!!!! Whoop whoop whoop. Thanks for the reviews. Thanks for the questions. Some of them have been addressed over the course of 13 chapters during which I didn’t respond to anyone – my toe has been broken in penance to you all. Just kidding – I’m a klutz, I kicked the coffee table. It kicked back.

On with the show!!


NO VAMPIRE WAS HARMED (MUCH) IN THE CREATION OF THIS CHAPPIE!


Chapter 213: Red, White and Silver

I still had a big problem. I had a half naked fairy sitting in my bedroom. I crossed my forearms in front of my chest. As I was more than half naked, I really couldn’t pull off the attitude that this situation called for.

“Pardon my French, but how the fuck is this going to help us now? I have a psycho sorceress after me and now all of the Fey Nation?”

Ripley frowned up at me. “The Fey won’t start to look into anything until this, Skell I think you called him, taps into me. It probably wouldn’t be the whole Nation, we aren’t that all into hierarchy. There definitely might be some cousins out for blood.”

One word stuck with me. “Define taps?”

He winced as he tried to get up. I walked forward a bit and extended a wing out to him. He reached up and stroked a finger along the whiteness of it. He took the top edge and let me pull him to his feet. He held the back of head. Blood spotted his hand.

“Does Healing Light work on Fey?”

“We heal quickly. Just because of that, we are called Immortal.” He turned his duo toned eyes to me. “You know just as well as I do that there is no such thing as a true immortal. Hellcats line up to die for you. Vampires can mummify. So we Fey also die. I can protect you from most magics. Lead bullets, will put me in the grave just as quickly as a human.”

“Lead does the same for Vampires. Serephina is not above using bullets.”

“So I gathered.”

“So back to my original question, does the Blue Line gift work on the Fey.”

“As far as I know, none of the Fey have ever been blessed with a Healing touch from the Head Vampire.”

“I am not the Head Vampire.”

“Aren’t you Lord Emperor?”

“In training. My wife is actually Empress.” I reached out and cradled the back of his skull. He groaned, and not in pain, as I sent touched the back of his head.

“Wife? Wives is more like it. You do know you married your sisters.”

“You know if you mentioned that little tidbit a couple of decades back, it would have been frying up my melon. I’m mated to my brothers. I get freaky with my father and while Claudia might be considered a sister in the Vampiric sense, Ping is a sister through true affection.”

“Which leaves you a Lycan and a Seer from the Collective. Busy little bee aren’t you?”

I lightly slapped Ripley on the cheek. “Which you should take as, “this inn is closed.”

He opened his eyes and his eyes were more molten silver than before. “Build an addition.”

I zapped him with Healing Light. A sharp shocking volt. He winced and scrunched up his face but...no more blood. He almost gagged turning his head away from me. What? Oh. I was licking his blood from my finger tips. I wanted to find out if his essence was sea salt or if that was just that Atlantic seaboard looking shoreline in the other plane. No, the sea salt was on his skin. Red liquorice? I licked at the little bit on blood left on my thumb. Hmmm, yup.

“It is easy to forget that you are a Vampire, Lover.”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t act like one.”

“Forgive me, I don’t have my “How to act like a Vampire Manual.”

“Funny, I do.” Ripley ran his hand over the back of his head. “You do good work, even if your bedside manner sucks.”

“I’m known for my sucky bedside manner.” Oh, Gawd, that came out wrong. Ripley turned and arched an eyebrow at me. He was not so subtly letting me know that he was giving me a freebie.
“Actually, I was surprised to see you made the latest edition.” He crossed over to his suit jacket that was laying on a side chair and pulled a leather bound book out of his pocket. “Just goes to see that not everyone is on the side of Empire...” He turned back to me, “or didn’t that occur to you?”

“I know I’m not the most loved Vampire in the Nation. I’m probably not the most liked Lycan in the Den right now either.”

“That would be just petty jealousy on behalf of your brethen. Damn, look at you, Lover.”

I was too damned busy trying to figure out how to get this kilt off to tell Ripley to drop dead. One of my better suits had disappeared, or I guess I should say, it was traded in for this. It wasn’t exactly vacuum-formed to my waist, but it wasn’t coming off either. There wasn’t a seam. I realized that Ripley had quit speaking and was looking at me as I basically felt myself up in front of him. “What?”

“Just enjoying the view.”

“This undying plane...”

“Unending Plane.”

“Plane, train, automobiles...I’m not about to start up a new fashion statement. I have meetings I have to make today.”

“With your permission, Lover.” Ripley stepped up into my personal space again but this time he flashed me a smile and scooted behind me. “There’s no seam or opening. Maybe?”

I felt his hands cup my ass. I hiked a wing up and made him take a step back. “You are so over the line right now Sliverstyx.”

“I’m not copping a feel. Maybe these jewels are a release mechanism. If you want me to stand pushing the jewels on the front of your kilt, I’ll be more than happy to come around.”

I ended up pressing on all the bedazzling parts of me. The kilt did not release. I could feel individual presses on my rear and again we came up nada. I hiked my fingers into the waistband and tried to push it down. Ripley saw what I was doing and took a hold of the hem and yanked. Nothing.

“Maybe there is something inside the waistband?”

I ran a finger around the inside of the kilt but there was nothing. “Again, with your permission?”

Ripley knelt on the floor and reached up inside my kilt feeling around the hem and moving higher as no trigger was found to get me out of this thing.
“Xavier? Why is there...?” I turned and looked back to the entrance to the bed. Claudius stood there his voice having trailed off as he took in the scene. Here I was all ivory and pale with a tanned surfer stud muffin on his knees with his hand up inside my kilt.

Ow...ohhh...OWIE! Ripley tried to pulled his hand back and I got a sharp pull to the short and curlies. He tried again. Holy Moley! He was caught on my pubic hair. I tried to back up and yanked on my sensitive skin again.

“Wait...you’re caught on my charm bracelet.”

“Should I wait for an introduction?” Claudius’ tone was neutral. I didn’t know if he was amused or pissed.

How posed can you get with a strangers hand down your pants, well, up my kilt with your Father looking on with disapproval? There was a banked fire in his eyes. No doubt for one second, he must have thought that I was Sex. I straightened and remembered my manners even though every little tug made me want to scream. “Lord Claudius Du Bussey Von Drachenfeld, former Lord Emperor of the Vampire Nation, former Chief Executive Officer for Shadoe Inc, former Liasion to the Vampire High Council this is Ripley Silverstyk, Fey.”

Ripley peered around my hip. “Du Bussey? As in Black Death?”

“I have been called that. Mr. Silverstyk, why do you have your hand up my son’s kilt?”

I clenched my teeth together as I got a wicked peek at the world of waxing. I winced and tensed all my muscles. My wings shuddered and it sounded like a gentle rainstorm in my bedroom. Riley lifted his wrist and sure enough there were silver chain with little bangles on them mixed with white short and curlies. “We are trying to get it off. I didn’t know you went regimental, Lover?”

Ooohhh, I could feel the degrees drop in the air. “You have three seconds to back away from Lord Xavier.”

“You have a lot of formers in your name, Cutie.”

Glacier coldness radiated from Father now.

“Yet, here I am.”

“Don’t get your pigtails in a twist, Cutie. I am here to do the same thing as you do?”

I watched as a black eyebrow arched up. I swear I saw his shoulder tense as if Father was getting ready to drop a blade. “Claudius is not known for his sense of humor, Ripley.” I warned him quickly.

“So, I gather. As you are this multi-dimensional child’s shield from blade and bullet, I am now his magical shield. Just as you will take the physical bite, I will be there to take the metaphysical blow. Right now, I am assisting Lord Von Drachenfeld in attempting to remove the gift the Unending Plane has given him.”

I did a quick little model turn to show Claudius the new kilt, covered in diamonds, rubies, sapphires and there were even disks of jade. I was damned sure that if I could get the kilt off and hold those disks close to my eyes, they would be a close to perfect match. I frowned. Considering how much stones were on this gift, it wasn’t heavy.

“Unending Plane?”

“Our beachfront property.”

Ripley popped back up to his feet. “Cutie, you have been to the Unending Plane? You Von Drachenfelds are a spectacular bunch.”

Claudius narrowed his gaze, “My name is not cutie.”

“It should be.” Ripley sucked in his breath and fanned his face with his hand. “There are just too many hotties in such a confined little space with....great big mattress in the middle of it.”

“Ripley. Knock it off.”

The intercom crackled to life. Paul was still sounding a little frazzled. “Lord Von Drachenfeld. The courier is here.”

Oh crap. I had forgotten. Once a month I made a donation to the Wigs for Sick Children. I continued to do this in honor and memory of Edna, Riot’s mother. Since the Blue Line liked it’s winged wonders to have long locks and would refill my shorn hair just like a paper towel dispenser, it was no big deal to donate and I wanted to. Claudius would so as well on occasion.

I could feel Ripley’s silvery eyes on me as I headed back into my office. I grabbed an elastic and whipped it around my white mane at the base of my neck. Claudius dropped a hand to my shoulder and I just nodded at him. He dropped his dagger that he had ready that always honed to paper slitting sharpness.

“STOP! What are you doing?” Ripley looked at us totally aghast. Well, I think it was aghast. I didn’t know the fey well enough to gauge his expressions.

“Father is cutting my hair. The courier is waiting.”

“You truly didn’t learn anything from your Father? You cannot do this.”

“Why?” Claudius looked back over to Ripley.

“You are willingly giving yourself away! Don’t you know that spells can be personalized through actual pieces of yourself?” Ripley shook his head as both Father and I looked at him. “DNA. Magic, Blood Magic is worked through DNA. As I said, if the offering is willing it is unbelievably potent. What are you doing?”

“We donate hair to charity to make wigs for children with cancer.”

“WE? Who else is we?”

“Myself. Claudius, my children.”

Ripley blanched even more. “I said this Serephina has pieces of your past, your present and your future. When did you start donating hair to this charity? Was your hair still red?”

“Yes.” Claudius answered for me. My inside grew cold. I endangered my children?

“She would only need one stand of your red hair. That is your past. One strand of your white hair. That is your present. A single strand from any of your children. That is your future. This is what she used to make her cursian.”

He lunged forward and grabbed me on both sides of my head. He stared into my eyes and I felt something like a tingle rip through me right to the core. His two toned eyes swirled and blended together and began to shine, no, glow. No there was a silvery light glowing from his arms. Once again memories long forgotten, or so I thought un-remembered, filtered up to the forefront. It was as if Ripley was channelling power, tapping into a power source and arcane patterns like tattoos were glowing under his skin. It was as if his body had been marked with spells; circles of power; runes of forecasting; charms of protection and patterns of destruction. Magic had two sides, just like the Force: the Light and the Dark. I just knew that this particular Fey walked in both worlds. He had tainted his silver eyes with dark grey. I moved to touch his forehead. Claudius grabbed my hand and jerked it back to my chest.

“Do not break his concentration, Xavier. Can you not feel the power in this room?”

Ripley had said that I would draw on him, that I would tap into him just like a keg. I would draw from him but...this tingling feeling coursing through my body was him tapping me. There was always a price to pay for magic. Right now, I was the currency.

“I have you, my syn. Pack your wings away.”

Ripley actually stiffened as I called on the Blue Line to dissolve the wings. The bedroom was filled with blinding light, like magnesium burning in an oxygen rich environment and then I was on my ass, sprawled across Father. The tingling was gone but I could only see a white square every time I blinked. Fear that I haven’t felt in about forty years hit me hard. It was the same fear I had to deal with by myself when I was so young and going blind. Claudius wrapped me up in an embrace. He let my fingers scratch up his forearms and hands as I hung on to something solid.

“Silverstyx!” Claudius shout was answered with a curse and a groan.

“Father...” My voice was barely a whisper.

Claudius dragged me closer and I felt his breath in my hair. “I have you, Xavier. The fairy has stopped glowing.”

“I heard that, fang face.” I could hear movement dragging on the carpet. “This is the bitchiest ice cream headache I have ever had.”

“What the hell did you hope to accomplish?”

I blinked and blinked some more. More than just darkness with an indistinct white cube was forming on my retina now. I was getting down into glows and oranges.

“Exactly what I got.”

“Which is?”

“I have her fingerprint.”

“Explain yourself.”

“Every magician has their own special and unique power source they pull from, that they ‘conjure’ for the lack of a better word. Depending on the strength and talent of the magician, it could be tapping into their own life force, which shortens it; or, like your Father, Lover, a High Level Mage who can tap into the ether or the life force of this plane; or if they are Blood, they can tap into the Unending Plane. Our little sorceress is killing her soul to get to you.”

I brought one hand up to my forehead. “We already figured that much out.”

“Yes, yes, yes. Good for you.” I heard more rustling and a big sigh. “To me, blood is blood. It is power; it is life. I saw you licking your fingers, Lover. What were you doing?”

“Tasting your essence.”

“What do I taste like?”

“Red Liquorice.”

“Really? How odd. Anyways, what you have done with my blood, creepy by the way, I can do with magicks. I have her essence. I will be able to sense her magic anywhere. It will cling to anything she has forged; talismans, charms, spells, traps, assassins. Her presence will make my markings glow.”

I blinked again and shapes began to take form again. I just kept blinking like an little owl until my vision came back into focus. “You are one potent little power plant, Lover. And...we got rid of our kilt problem.”

Sure enough I was butt naked on the carpet of my bed room, safely ensconced in Father’s arms and the strange silvery Fey was on all fours at my knees. I think the kilt disappeared when I willed my wings away.

This was how Paul found us, looking like we were playing a nasty game of twisted. I think this was the last straw for him for today. His face just flushed red.

“I’m taking a personal day.” He turned and marched out.

Great. Just wonderful. I blinked again and saw an elegant black silk handkerchief flutter over my chest and ended up lying over my groin.

“Ebony and ivory.” Ripley flashed both of us a wide white smile. “Damn, Lover, Cutie. I am so looking forward to working under you, or over you, which ever preference you have but I think we have had enough foreplay for today.”

I made a move to get up but Claudius tightened his arms around my chest. I just let my eyes focus in better as I watched this strange Fey get dressed. Even in a navy blue three piece, perfectly tailored suit with a lavender dress shirt and silk lavender tie and matching handkerchief, Ripley looked like a surfer. He turned and looked down at us his brow furrowed for a moment then his eyes lit up with mischief. “Sex and Kitten!”

Claudius let out a big sigh. “I really should have taken more care in coming up with an alias.”

“I have your poster as well, Cutie.”

“Because of what you have pledged to do for my Son and his family, I will overlook your aggressive familiarity.”

Ripley struck a pose and cocked his hip forward. “Cutie, if that’s your thang, I can be all over your familiarity aggressively.”

I felt a chuckle on my back as Claudius let out a laugh. “My husband would have issues with you.”

Actually Sex was all ears but was holding a wait and see attitude. Ripley cocked an eyebrow then offered a hand down to Claudius. “I honor the marriage bed, Cutie. As I have told, Lover, here; I am only dreaming.”

Claudius left me lying on the carpet but took the Fey’s hand. He climbed to his feet and towered over the smaller man. “Dreams are a wish your heart makes, Fey. Dream if you must,” Claudius leaned forward, his hair sweeping forward in a black wave, “but if you touch my dream, I will break your fingers. Are we communicating?”

“Roger, tower control. Loud and clear.”

“Excellent. Then allow me to say that it is a pleasure to meet you, Prince of the Royal House of Selden.”

Ripley stilled. “I think you have me confused with some other Fey, Lord Von Drachenfeld.”

“In one of my many ‘former’ titles, I served as liaison to the High Council. I was there when the Fey Nation declared Hrypanleah of the Royal House of Selden renegade.”

I sat with a scrap of silk covering my modesty and just watched as Father laid out the lay of the Land to our new, ahem, ally.

“Cutie, I have underestimated you. You are more than just a deadly face.”

“As you have pointed out, I will be between the blade or the bullet meant for my son and his family; my family. You bring great power and assistance in our time of need, Prince Silverstyx. You also bring another set of problems with you.”

“My problems are my problems.”

“It will not be pretty if your problems become my problems.”

“I like you Cutie. I know exactly where you stand.”

“You will find that I will be standing before my Lord Emperor.”

“Then I will be at your side, Black Death.”

“Okay, you guys want to do the secret handshake now so I can get up and get dressed.” Arctic blues and stormcloud silver looked over at me and drank in my nakedness. Oh for heavens sake. I tossed the scrap of silk to the carpet. “Take a picture, it lasts longer.”

“Damn, that poster doesn’t do you justice, Lover.” Ripley pursed his lips and shivered. “I am definitely going to be having sweet dreams tonight.”

Ewwww. He offered his hand to me. I reached up and he pulled me to my feet. His two toned eyes stared at my own jade chips. He still held my hand. He raised it to his lips and kissed the front part of my fingers. “By looking into your eyes, I can tell you have the ass of a dancer. I’m going to scare your mage division. Don’t leave the building without me.”

Ripley gave a big sigh and sauntered out of the room. I felt like I’d just been punked. “Father?”

Claudius just shook his head and opened the blood mark on my closet. “You do have a talent for drawing heads of state to you, my son. You definitely have a personality.”

I do believe I got four. “The cult of personality isn’t something I can claim. I don’t know why royals are coming out of the woodwork but they are coming when the need is at it’s most needy.” I stepped around Father and dug out fresh boxers and a silk blend wife beater tee. He pulled out a charcoal grey suit with a light blue pinstripe.

“Not that I don’t like talking to you, Claudius, but why are you here?”

“I am here at the Empress’ bidding. You have been called before the Advisory Council to explain yesterday’s coup of the Lycan Nation. Something about not declaring a formal proposal of war.”

“War?”

“I know that you were just doing your duty as Benedek to the Saitou clan, however, to those outside of your inner sanctum, you are beginning to build a new Empire.”

I sat on the bed and pulled on powder blue socks. “I have no intention of Empire building. I am not a megalomaniac. I don’t have to recreate the world in my own image.”

“I bet Nero did not intend to burn down Rome.”

I looked up at Father with a DUH plainly viewed in my eyes. “Some of the worst villains in history did not start out with the intention of becoming so. They thought they were doing good for their peoples. You must remember that the High Council is called Advisory Council by name only. Claudia is a figurehead at the moment. It would do better for you in the long run to assuage their misgivings and fears.”

I finished getting dressed and then tore the elastic out of my hair. My whiteness cascaded around my shoulders and down my back. I smoothed down my tie and buttoned my vest. “I am harmless looking now?”

Claudius reached forward and tucked my handkerchief a little straighter, “You could never pull off harmless, Xavier.”

“And that’s a good thing?”

“That is a very good thing, my Lord Emperor. Never let them forget who you truly are.”

A claxon began to sound. Unlike the electronic squeal of modern technology for emergencies, such as fire and threats, the warning of magic went back to the old, old ways. It was a sound like this that brought that little pup into my life. Claudius ran a thumb under my eye.

“My Maker, Katharina once told me, someone had to leave you to make room for a new person to enter into your life.”

“Ripley?” I winced as the claxon continued to ring.

“I think it is a way to try and cope but it is a comforting concept.”

The intercom rang. “Lord Von Drachenfeld.” That was a different voice. Since we were already heading out of the door, I had snagged the file off my desk and continued on out to Paul’s desk. There was a pale, pale temp from the secretarial pool sitting there was the phone continued to ring off the hook. She jumped to her feet as she saw me standing there. “Sir, security has detained someone in the elevators. He deliberately set off the wardings. He claims to be with you. Security wants to know if this is true.”

I glanced back over my shoulder, “Well, Cutie? Should I claim him?”

“It’s up to you, Lover.” This was said without a smirk on his face, but there was a twinkle in those arctic blues.

I gestured for the phone. “Mr. Anderson?”

“Sir...this man claims to be part of your personal security detail.”

“He is, Mr. Anderson. Toss his ass out into the lobby and tell him we’ll be there in a few minutes. Lord Claudius and I are coming down now.”

The poor secretary probably thought this was the best thing to happen. A trip up to the upper floors. I think she had been there for all of fifteen minutes and looked overwhelmed. “Cancel all my appointments....” I gestured towards her.

“Kernel, Adelle.”

“Ms. Kernel, please cancel all my appointments. There is an address book on my desk, please call Smother and Leroy and tell them to come and pick up their assignments from security at the main lobby.”

She did a little curtsy. “Sir, the phones?”

“Just take messages, Ms. Kernel. I’m off to deal with matters of state.”

Her eyes took on a rounded appearance and her mouth curled up into a bow. The last I saw of her was her scrambling back to Paul’s desk and grabbing for the phone.

“I think Paul needs an assistant.”

Claudius took the folder from me and began to shuffle through it with the experience of a First. By the time we reached the lobby, he had them separated and sealed in individual envelopes. He pulled out a pen and did quick calligraphy. It’s sad to say, my writing still looked like a kindergarten scrawl. The doors opened to the lobby and Ripley was standing surrounded by security. His hands were handcuffed together but he didn’t seem to be put out by being captured.

Claudius handed over the envelopes then gestured at Ripley. The Fey shook his arms and the handcuffs landed on the floor. “Your physical security is really good.” He smiled as he walked up to me. “They don’t seem to have much of a sense of humor though.”

I gestured for him to walk out of the door ahead of me. “Welcome to my world, Ripley. Welcome to my world.”


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