Clove : Book 4 of Lord Emperor Vampire Series

Back to plotting. Bwah hahahahah

ATOI: pick pick pick. Thanks. The hellcats were kittens in the front seat. :P

AsyenMari: Everything was coming up Milhouse. Sorry “The Simpsons” tv show reference. A rose by any other name….Everything was coming up roses = Milhouse. Everything was going my way.

Robbery update: We know who did it. Cannot prove it. Kind of funny that this punk that lives on welfare suddenly has wads of cash he’s flashing around two days after the robbery. I wish him a long and wasting life with an incurable illness. In case you didn’t pick up, I’m stilled pissed and I do believe I have anger issues. (I’ve been weeding with a scythe – does wonders for anger issues.) Still working on a borrowed laptop. I broke down and bought an adapter so I plug in a regular sized keyboard so I could write again.. Cops said I have less than 5% chance of ever seeing anything of mine again. Hmmm, I think I’ll be weeding some more today. Hack, hack, hack.

Thanks for the comments and encouragements to the LOYAL once again: Marin Liliz; laur; spirit; asyenmari; rosemary; milkxness; k; ayachan; meadows_peak; rosei and ATOI

Chapter 166: Breakfast with Father

I woke up well aware that I wasn’t alone on the bed. That in itself was amazing. Kevin. Poor Kevin couldn’t wait to get the hell away from me. I opened my eyes to see black hair everywhere and a…black wing. Claudius. I raised my head off the drool soaked pillow and looked, really looked at him. I take it all Vampires are beautiful. I slowly sat up expecting some pain or soreness in my lower extremities. There was nothing. Did Sex do… I blinked, I hit a steel wall when it came to memories of big brother and Father. Privacy. That was amazing. I didn’t know you could do that.

I looked down at the black haired Vampire. I think Sex made love to him. That is so…so… I didn’t know you could switch.. At least he was happy and calm now. I wasn’t sure I wanted his full emotional range. I reached over and pushed hair off his face. His eyes opened and matched mine. “Skell.”

“Claudius.” I was surprised that we knew I wasn’t Sex right from the get go.

“Where is Sex?”

“He is under sanctions. Xavier is still not happy with him.”

“Sanctions?”

“He tried to kill us. You don’t know how close he came to succeeding. Sex must be supervised at all times. If not by his double brother or you, then by us. He feels different, but he changes so fast. Can I?” I gestured to his black wing spread out across my hip. He nodded. I reached out and touched it. It was like mine but gleamed with health. He flared the feathers out and the sound they gave off was like crunching through the woods in fall. His individual feathers were larger than mine.

“Why are they black?”

“Hair color, I think. The doctors and scientists at Shadoe Inc have wanted to make me into a lab rat but I have declined. I have figured that if I had any questions, I could bring my concerns to Liam.”

“I’m supposed to discipline Liam today.” I ran my hands down the wing. So soft. Fingers caught the bottom of my face and turned it back to him. “Father?”

“You can do this?”

“I have done things, I don’t want to remember, and if I could keep them from the brothers, I would. They are not something to be discussed – ever. Killing is not a problem. Causing pain is not a problem.” I pulled my face out of his light hold. “I earned the name, the white demon of death.”

I turned my gaze back to the black wing. It was so much bigger than mine. I made him. Well Sex made him. That was so confusing. Armor was my maker. Claudius was my surrogate Father. Yet, Sex turned Claudius into a Blue Line vampire but they were lovers, no, mates. So Sex was Claudius son, but not really because they were lovers yet, Sex was Claudius’ father…I think. “You love my Big Brother?”

“As much as I am able. He takes the little I can feel and magnifies it.”

I looked down at my hands and lifted them. “The piano. I thought that was my desire. I wanted it so badly. I’ve found out that it is Sex’s priority. He left it with me, or sent it to me. When he finally fell.”

The wing glittered out of existence and the black haired vampire pushed himself up to his hands and knees, then winced and grimaced. “Are you all right?”

“This is not anything I did not ask for. Well, if I am honest, I begged for.”

“You can heal?”

“The Healing Light is a marvelous thing, Skell, but there is a blood price to pay for using it. This is a pain I am familiar with, and this time, I do not mind it. I will heal naturally through out the day and I will remember my love.”

I watched him. He looked satisfied with it. This was just beyond my realm of understanding. I didn’t want any lingering after affects of the shower rapes but I didn’t know now to call on the Healing Light. Hell, I didn’t even know I could heal. It thought it was an side effective of bursting into blue flame every five days -- healing, cooling my lower back and growing hair. I didn’t know that’s why I was always hungry and thin. Speaking of burn.

“Can you show me the burning room? Xavier said that to keep the Phoenix under control we have to burn a little every day.”

“May I touch you?”

I narrowed my gaze at Claudius. “What for?”

“I would like to test the amount of heat in your lower back.”

I was blatantly aware that I was naked in bed of the Vampire the rest of my brothers called Father. Blue eyes watched me. There wasn’t any lust or other intent that Fatherly concern. I…trusted him. Trusted him? I examined my feelings. Yes, even though there had been pain and heartache seeping out of every brother to varying degrees, it was gone now. Claudius had only touched Xavier when big brother asked him to. Father had only ever knocked Azrael around and that is because he needed it. Sex… There was no sadness anywhere now. I matched his gaze and nodded.

It was a clinical touch. His hand splayed across my lower back. “It has been a couple of days since you did burn, Skell. Your back is quite hot. You will have to do at least a twelve second burn. If Armor kept Xavier’s kilt, it should be in the closet.”

“Kilt?” He pulled his hand back and winced himself off the bed. I turned my head away. Claudius was my Father and even if he wasn’t, he was my brother’s lover and you just shouldn’t be looking at a siblings mate in the all together. He turned and saw my unease. He picked up the white linen shirt that was part of the costume all of them had worn the night before and pulled it on. The cloth hit him about mid thigh. He flipped his hair out of the neck. That hit him just a little bit lower than the hem of the shirt. The wings wanted long hair. I just didn’t know why the hell mine had to drag on the floor.

“Xavier blooded that scrap of leather. It is the only thing that withstands the heat of the Phoenix. I do believe you would prefer not wandering around naked.”

Naked usually meant something bad was going to happen. Doctors or unwanted attention. I was surprised I wasn’t cringing off in the corner somewhere right now.

“You have bonded with the brotherhood.” It was a statement, not a question.

I furrowed my brow. Hmmm?

“Separately, each brother has strength and weakness. Some have Phoenix gifts. Some have Blue Line gifts. Some have Ancient gifts. Together, it’s like a jigsaw puzzle. You cover each other’s weaknesses. United, you will stand against all your enemies.”

“Divided…we have fallen.”

“But you are still standing, Skell. You are not alone.” Father slowly reached out and cupped the side of my face. I appreciated that he telegraphed his movements to me—giving me the time to avoid his touch if that is what I wished. “Your brothers are with you. Armor and Marcus are with you.”

“You are with Sex.”

“Yes. You have all of Von Drachenfeld who hold you in their heart.” Father kissed me on top of my head then proceeded to dismantle Armor’s room as he searched for that elusive kilt.

There was a reason he was called Carnage. He systematically destroyed Armor’s room searching for the “kilt”. I just sat on the bed and watched. He was locked eternally as a young man. Twenty-two years old, jet black hair, fine porcelain skin and aristocratic features. His eyes were to die for. That color blue was rarity. Well, I guess not really, Claudia had those chips of ice…and the children. I was getting a headache. How did the brothers keep everything straight? Claudius was the birth father to the Baroness…er, Empress. We…, I include myself because I’m here now, offered up the genetic makings for the ‘winglets’. But Sex was mated to Claudius, while Xavier was married to Claudia even though his was truly mated to Armor.

I’m getting a headache.

“Eureka” Father turned and help up several kilts in different lengths and colors but they were all leather.

Someone actually uses that word.

He tossed a red number at me then returned the remainder to the closet. I slipped out of bed and wrapped the leather around my waist. It had hook and loop tape around the waistband. “Our weight fluctuates?”

“In the beginning, when we did not understand the toll the phoenix wings were placing on your body. Come.” Claudius lead the way out of the bed chamber which was at the back of the floor and basically showed me every room, in the place. It was only about five in the morning but that was regular up and at them time for me. I needed to set a routine. I felt lost without one. I’m more like Azrael in that regard. I don’t like flying the seat of my pants.

I chuckled as I walked beside Father. They expression on their faces on the beach when I volunteered to take over the exercise portion of the day was comical. I liked working out. It felt like it was the only time I was truly in control of part of my existence. The way they looked at me was as if I suddenly announced I was off to hetero-land.

Father showed me how to run the burn room. It was wicked the way the roof slid back to the early morning sky. I could fit through that opening if I wanted to fly. This was set up better than that concrete bunker I would get locked in on the fifth day. I was treated like a dangerous wild animal in Orel Wessel’s care. I was a man here. I walked around the partition and looked up at the sky. I never wanted to leave here. I was happy here. I let a smile ghost across my lips and I let the flame within loose. My blue fire spiraled around me reaching up…up…out into the air. I wasn’t terrified of them any more. The Phoenix wings encircled me. The warm air picked at my hair and blew it upward. Just tilting the wings this way…I was lifted off the floor gently. I dropped back down to the warmth of the floor. I opened my wings and saw the ceramics lining the walls were glowing red from the heat.

“That is twelve seconds, Skell.” I closed my eyes and willed the Phoenix back into non existence. I held a hand to my chest. My heart wasn’t going wild like a trapped dove. I wasn’t a mutant. I could feel tears dripping off my face. Brushing at them, I didn’t know what I was feeling only that I wasn’t terrified. Since I got to Von Drachenfeld, I haven’t been afraid at all.

Father stood away from the entrance but beckoned me toward him. I think his position left him feeling like he was standing in front of an open oven. I startled him. Hell, I startled myself when I bounded out of the chamber and jumped on him. I hugged him to me with all my strength. Tears were still streaming freely but I didn’t care. It was a true emotion and I didn’t have to be guarded. His hand came up and stroked the back of my head. Words weren’t necessary. The fact that Claudius was here for me was enough. It was more than enough. I wouldn’t be lonely any more. I wouldn’t be lost any more.

“Let yourself feel, my youngest. That is a gift that I envy.” I got another kiss to the top of my head. I don’t know now long I clung to Father but my stomach made itself known with a low growl.

“Come. With every burn, you send your body’s metabolism into overdrive. You need to eat regular meals, and you need to snack every hour.”

My face must have done something out of the ordinary because Claudius stopped and turned towards me. “Do no judge us by what Orel Wessel taught you. They did not know what was going on. We were managing your special condition. Allow us to care for you, Skell.”

“Father…”

He cocked his head off to the left slightly. “Son.”

Son. I liked that. I liked that a lot. “Teach me how to fly.”

“I cannot Phoenix.”

“With feathers. I was not allowed freedom to learn.” I tapped my temple. “I have my brothers memories and sensations but it like playing a video game of flying a plane. It’s different when it’s the real thing. I would like to learn from you.”

He bowed his head in my direction. “I would be honored, Skell.”

A tall thin human came motoring around the corner and then kicked in the NOS when he spied us. What was his name again? Chesterton floated back to me. Another vital member of the POD. I had to chuckle over that. What else could you call this place that intermingled Vampires, Lycan and humans? Well I guess you could call it Xavier’s Arc. Nah, pod works for me.

“Lord Claudius, Lord….” He paused and looked at me intently with dark russet potato tinted eyes. “Skell. I have the Lady Regent on the telephone. She has been calling all night since the eleven 0’clock news. I am afraid that she will not be put off any longer. Violence has been promised.”

“Thank you Chesterton. Can you get breakfast ready for Skell? He just did his first controlled burn and can you get the male Alphas together. We need to get through introductions and then they are going for a run.”

“Of course, Lord Claudius. What is your favorite breakfast, Lord Skell?”

The Lord title was throwing me off but Chesterton’s last question just floored me. No one has ever asked me what I wanted to eat. I just got scraps of what everyone else had. I was always hungry so I ate what ever was placed on my tray. “Whatever you fix will be great.”

Sadness filled his features. “If you do not mind, Lord Skell. I will fix Azrael’s favorite for you. We will experiment with what you like when you have settled into home.” He bowed his head and turned heading back to the kitchens.

Home. I liked that.

Claudius’ face had returned to unreadable as he regarded me. “Orel Wessel has much to answer for.” He picked up the phone and held it to his ear. “Lady Regent.”

Holy crap, I could hear her from over here. Pissed is a polite word for what…Shayne, my big sister. I had a sister. I grinned like a cymbal banging monkey. I had a sister. I had parents…I had nieces. I stopped smiling. Xavier had promised them cars on their sixteenth birthday.

I gestured for the phone. Father was glad to hand it over. That should have been an indicator in itself. “…and what the hell is the meaning of that public groping up on that stage. I thought mom was going to have another heart attack when she saw that on tv.”

“Sister.”

The harangue ceased. “Azrael?”

“No, I am someone you haven’t met yet. I am what was created these past few years. My name is Skell.”

“Skell…what about…”

“There are four of us now. Everyone is intact. I am sorry that we didn’t contact you immediately but we had to secure my position back in the Nation before everyone knew we had returned.”

“This is not a secure line.”

“We want to meet everyone soon. And Xavier wants to know if Lane and Lois have been good?”

“Since you disappeared, they have been rather subdued. I never realized how much they loved Uncle Eddie.”

“I think he wants to get them cars.”

“You just showing up and giving them a hug would be enough. Wait a minute. Secure your position? Is the old regime re-established?”

“Yes.”

“Holy crap. How long have you been back?”

“Three or four days. So…do they get belated birthday gifts?”

“Baby brother. You would be their birthday present, but if you want to give them wheels, it’s your money. When you are visiting?”

I looked over at Father. “This evening?” He nodded. “I’ll bring the kids.”

“You’ve met them? You’ve got great children.”

“They are beautiful.”

“Call Mom. You don’t want her getting to you first. I’ll inform the Regency Council of the change in the Nation. Later, baby brother.”

I hit the disconnect. Claudius shook his head and lead the way to the kitchen. “I can terrify the most hardened criminal with just a look but the women in your family, I have absolutely no influence over. Your mother is constantly flicking coins at my behind. Your sister…I actually dreaded having to negotiate across the table from her.”

I held a hand over my chest. “I have warm fuzzy feelings for everyone.”

“Speaking of feelings…”

I knew what Father was going to say, “Sex was spiraling into despair, Father. Xavier couldn’t snap him out of it. I had to get his attention. I like him. I have a bit of all my brothers within me but I think I’m the closest to Sex. What Sex does, effects us all. He would have dragged us all into the Darkness, and he no intention of ever coming back.”

“This is why his he is sanctioned.”

“Yes.” I looked down at the phone.

“Say what you want, Skell.”

“From what I understand, Sex used to be wild. His emotions blew him all over the map. His strength and speed made him almost uncontrollable. He could take the worst agony and come out on the other side a little bruised but intact. He found you. He has slowed himself because of you. He is trying to anchor himself. Don’t make him run again. It’s exhausting for everyone.”

Father laid a hand on my bare shoulder. “Do not fret, Skell. Sex is not going anywhere without me. I may be three paces behind him, but I will never lose sight of him again. Actions speak louder than words. Now, shower, eat and I will introduce you to the Imperial Alphas.”




No one commented on my eating but I could see the stares. I swallowed my mouthful of corn beef hash and forced myself to sit up straight. This was a hard habit to break. I was just waiting for the submission collar to kick in to tell me breakfast was over. I rubbed absently at my bare neck.

“You can eat any time of the day, Skell. The kitchen staff will prepare anything you want.”

Azrael’s meal choice was odd. Corn beef hash, hash browns, oatmeal and chicken wings. Now that I think about it, my brothers really loved chicken wings. Oh and orange juice and blood. “This is something to get used to.”

A little blue pill was sitting by its lonesome on a napkin. This little thing would make me less of a skeleton. Well, I haven’t been skeletal in a while. I picked it up and looked at it. I would take this any day compared to getting an epi-pen to the neck. I popped it in my mouth and swigged it down with OJ. I was done. There was still food left on my tray. If I ate any more, I would be getting sick when I did my run.

As it was when I got out of the shower, Father had set out the stack of clothes Azrael had picked out for me. Truthfully, Sex’s hand-me-downs were a little too revealing for me. It felt like I would be exposing myself at any second if I moved the wrong way. So when I saw blue jeans and a black tank, I almost did cartwheels. Even better when the jeans were actually at my waist.

Father was dressed atypically. Well from the images I had in my head from everyone else’s recollections. He was usually in a suit, or in dressy casual or leather. He had on khaki’s and a t-shirt that had mock sleeves and his hair was twisted somehow and stuck into a bun at the nape of his neck. What was even better was that he was barefoot.

He caught my inquiring glance. “I am on vacation. I have been working every day for the past two hundred and thirty years. I am going to spend time with my grandchildren.”

“Didn’t Sex want you as First?”

“Marcus is First. I have seen the things he had to do to attain that rank. It would be belittling to all he has accomplished to even challenge him. That is why Hades is still Second. He has seen Marcus grow into his power. Do you not think if he wished it, he could have taken back the rank of Head from me. When the time comes, I will challenge back to third. Until then, I am only a doting Grandfather, a Father to my sons, a teacher to you and a lover to my Sex. I think that will keep me busy.”

Claudius motioned me to the floor. I laced up the Docs as he brushed at my hair. That felt good. I dropped my shoes and just enjoyed the brush strokes. “Oh, a word of advice. Do NOT let your daughters fix your hair. Apparently I needed flowers and they crazy glued them in. I had a page boy haircut for six months.”

“Six months? I thought the wings liked long hair.”

“Healing Light likes long hair. I did not have to heal anyone or anything for six months. My hair grew back just as a normal Vampire until I had to heal Haley one day. Then I had my long hair back.”

I didn’t mind the little whips Armor had made out of my white hair but I was used to just a long braid down the back. Father changed it up a bit. I had two braids on either side of my ears that hung free and the rest was secured back in a high braid off the top of the back of my skull. I ended up with a bandana tied over under it with my larger braid hanging out the back. This was all topped off with big honking goggles. Sun didn’t bother me but …eh.

“Good for flying. Keeps the bugs out of your eyes. Crashing is real easy when a fly smacks you in the eye blinding you. It doesn’t matter if you are twenty feet or 100 feet, the ground is hard no matter what, which you know from yesterday.”

Okay, goggles are good.

“Schedule for the day. You have to be at Shadoe Inc by 8:00 a.m. Marcus will there for the assigns by 8:45. 10:00 you will have to discipline Liam. I have sent out notification to the top 15 Ranked to be there for the whipping. This change in the guard is to solidify your position. Hades might be a problem. All hell is going to break loose if he does decide to do something about it. I have ordered a doubling of the Loyal just incase. After that, the day is clear. We can make arrangements to go and visit the Xaviers after school is out.”

“This is you stepping back?”

Father smiled back at me and tapped me on the shoulder as a signal to get up. “Of course. I would have just gone ahead and organized everything without telling you. This old dog can be taught new tricks, Skell. I just need time to get things down. Indulge me.”

“I am glad to have you here, Father.”

“Ready to meet your Imperial Lycan pack?” Somewhere a grandfather clock struck six. Puppy howls started up down the hall. “Better than an electric alarm clock. Not so great when you want to sleep in.”

I bounced in my new Docs and clapped my hands together. Okay. My first official day in the Von Drachenfeld household. Oooff. I landed on my knees as a fattish Lycan puppy took out the back of my knees. I turned and looked at the black pup with the white braid hanging over one bright glittering golden Lycan eye. “Love you.” I got puppy slobber up the side of my face. The other four trailing puppies swarmed me, licked my face then continued on tails a wagging as they headed for the kitchen for breakfast. I laid there like road kill.

“My daughter strikes again.” I rolled over and looked up at an Asian beauty. Her own golden eyes crinkled as she smiled down at me. “I know I said you cannot touch female Lycan, but truly Lord Alpha, she is family. Don’t let her walk all over you. What are you going to do when she turns into a teenager?”

“Buy her anything she wants.” I sat up.

“She has you wrapped around her paw already. Good morning Alpha. Haley and the Imperials are awaiting you in the Great Hall. Lord Claudius.”

“Lady Ping.”

Father held out his hand. I blinked for a moment then took it. He gently pulled me to my feet. “Welcome to your new life, my son.”

At this rate, I was going to need knee pads. I loved it. I absolutely loved it. I was home and part of a Pod – my family. I grinned and trailed Claudius bare feet toward the Great Hall.


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