Candy: Book 5 of the Lord Emperor Vampire Saga

Peach
Q: Where can I purchase Cake?
A: “Cake: Book One of the Lord Emperor Vampire Saga” can be found as a coming soon project at the website https://www.yaoihousebooks.com/site/stories/cake.php
When? Soon. (fingers, toes, eyes and legs crossed…no scratch that last one, I gotta go to the bathroom) Check out How Do you Write? Are you kidding me in the humor section, Chapter 45 for some more info. I’ll update there when I get more news.

Attention Readers/Writers: You might get this notice in your reviews.

Your disclaimer does not meet AFF Standards.

Fix it…they don’t seem to be kidding – your work will be removed if you don’t . Just a heads up. I’ll be copy and pasting this disclaimer to all my original works.

"Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited."

Kiix

Kudos (not kuties) go out to: step8503; spiritofbeyond; rosemary; milkness; violetstorm; laur; mari; whitedragon; myxonexlove; littleolmee; lioncourt; ana; scarlethyacinth and asyenmari. Oops and Peach which I think was from the HDYW??ARKM!! but since I answered it here…taddah!!


Chapter 216: Bitten

I turned and gestured for Sang Kyu to come forward. He knelt so I didn’t have to reach up to touch his forehead. His shield was hardy but he dropped it so easily for me. I was a little taken aback by how trusting they were--all the Imperials were. They had seen the picture that Marcus had drawn of Serephina so they knew what the bitch looked like. I gave him the image of the thin pale vampire....wait....wait.

Sang Kyu took a deep inhale as I stopped sending the image. /My King?/

I was going to have to get used to that. /What’s wrong with the picture, Kyu?/

I had give Sang Kyu the image of the boy with the narrow shoulders of a tweener. The hair was white and hung in a blunt cut around the shoulders. His face was lean...too lean for a growing boy. He stood about five foot and looked like he was going to sprout up to Alexander’s size. His features were a little more square than mine. The jaw line a bit more prominent, the nose a little too straight but the lips...those lips were pure sin so those were mine and so were those jade green eyes.

/He’s not a vampire./ The big Lycan finally muttered.

Six wasn’t a vampire. He was a child and he was standing in the full light of day without looking like he was evaporating. Unless, Orel Wessel did enough genetic experimentation to make a fledgling light proof, which I doubted, then he wasn’t a vampire. I couldn’t tell if Six was a human or a vampire, or something else. No matter. He was Skell’s son. No, he was Our son.

/Maybe not./ Skell’s voice filled my head.

I made sure Kyu had the picture then I stepped back away from him, giving him time to process it himself. “We have her image. I want her scent, my Imperials. Sang Kyu, share that image. I want his scent too. We have to find him.”

“Lord X?” Ripley frowned as I spoke in Lycan and with directed silent speak. Which to him was a lot of eyes flashing and glaring and growling and gnashing of fangs.

“With your permission, I would like to try and give you a picture.” I turned on my head and reached out my hand.

Ripley ducked my touch. He held up his hand to ward me off and hissed through his teeth. “Not that I’m turning you down, Lov...Xavier, but Lord Claudius is right. I’m the only one not reeking of your signature. Which, is actually rather odd.” He glanced over towards Bruce, “He’s not scent marked either. Do I want to know why everyone smells a little like you?”

“Blood Starvation.” Sang Kyu offered up the simple explanation then turned and started sharing our target objective with his pack.

“Blood Starvation?” Ripley pulled the shades down to the tip of his nose. “Do I want to know?”

I shook my head, “I don’t eat what I own.”

“You don’t eat...” His eyebrows rose then he pushed the sunglasses back up over his silverish eyes. “This seems to be important, I take it. I’ll enjoy being scent marked?”

Manu grinned wolfishly at him. “It doesn’t hurt that much. Well, actually it does at first, but you get used to it.” Ripley twitched as Pytor ghosted around behind him and ran a hand along the collar of his suit jacket then leaned in to snuffled in Ripley’s hair. So maybe they were warming up to the new pea in the pod.

“Used to it.” Ripley repeated dully.

“Do not scare the Fey. It is a pheromone chip, Ripley. Let us just say, that it is better to safe than sorry.” Father arched an eyebrow at Pytor and the red Russian stepped back to his Maori and they gave each other a buddy buddy shoulder nudge. Yeah, I guess the Imperials were taking the Fey into the fold.

“Our sorceress had a little help today with our Councillor. She has a white haired little boy with eyes that look uncommonly like mine.” I ran a hand over my forehead. “I don’t know if he had a part to play in it or if he was just a distraction or if he was like a drone like Renfury.” My Lycan were beginning to quiver with anticipation as they took the image of the little boy lost into their thoughts. I gestured to the white Russian as he stepped up into Sang Kyu’s touch. “Vlad has got the better nose. Ripley...I need you to go with your sniff buddies to the park. I don’t want any more magical incidents just in case our little sorceress left us more surprises.”

I shifted my attention to Father.

“No.”

What? The room just stilled. I looked back at Ripley. “No?”

He took the Oakley’s off and folded the arms closed. “No. I have surrogate bonded with you, Xavier. I’m your shield. Where you are, so am I.”

“You said that Serephina had left an immobilizing spell in the hall. What if she left one out in the park?”

“Then don’t go to the park.”

I finally understood the term, you could have heard a pin drop. “Give us the room for a moment.” I didn’t ask. Everyone shuffled out pretty quickly without grumbling or eye contact.

Ripley glanced around and his lips thinned but he kept his ground. Claudius shut the door behind him but I could tell that supernatural hearing was in full force – all the supernatural’s with supernatural hearing were pressed up against the door.

“I am not familiar with your ways, Ripley. The only things I know are from the stories in kids books – human kids books. You told me that the Fey don’t respect...”

“I do believe I said Fey don’t bow.”

“Either way, I won’t have you undermining my authority...”

“I am not undermining your authority.” Ripley’s silvery grey eyes flashed at me. I watched as the colors swirled as his emotions began to rise. “I am not your yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir, mage. You’ve got enough wolves here for that. YOU are a hothead.”

I was stunned into silence.

“The Black Death is the only one back in council chambers that has any sort of control over you. You would have killed that vampire if Claudius hadn’t jumped your bones.”

I couldn’t deny it. I was ready to take Renfury to the next world.

“I am your Surrogate. I don’t think you truly understand what that means. I am as close to you as I can possibly be. I am your second set of skin. I am always at your side especially until the threat is neutralized. It doesn’t matter is this is a full scale war, I will call you stupid and a dink when you are acting stupid and behaving like a dink.”

Ripley walked up and poked me in the shoulder with his finger. I think he expected me to take a step back but I didn’t. That poke hurt though. He settled for shoving me with the palm of his hand. “Serephina is ringing your bells are drooling like Pavlov’s dogs. You can’t be this easy to manipulate.”

“What do you mean?”

“The sorceress escalates her attack by setting a trap in a hallway that she knows generally isn’t used. She shows up in the park with a distraction that you are fixating on.” He paused and looked at me. “What are you planning on doing right now? Head to the park. You have your five Lycan. You have your six Loyal. You have your Father, which doubles the number of protectors you have with you but one spell, carefully laid out can negate that all. Why do you need to go to the park?”

“She has my son.”

“Really? You know that for a fact? Do Vampires have a special ability that the rest of us Bloods don’t?”

If I thought Ripley was pissing me off before, he was stepping it up a notch. I laid out my agenda as simplistic as possible for a Fey to understand. “That is what I’m trying to find out. We go to the park and sniff around.”

“You are kidding me, right?”

“Each person has their own unique signature...aside from magic. The Imperials have excellent snouts and even better memory.”

“Scent...So you’re sort of talking about DNA.”

“Exactly.” Give the fairy a gold star.

“What did I say earlier?” Ripley’s forehead furrowed and he frowned at me.

“About what?”

“DNA.” He paused for dramatic effect but I couldn’t follow him. I shrugged my shoulders and counted to twenty. “DNA is used in Blood Magic. Blood Magic being one of the most powerful of the magicks, also one of the darkest. I work a spell on this ‘distraction’ and we can tell if he is from your loins or else his hair is just bleached.”

“So where are we going to get DNA if not from the park.”

“Why did I freak out on you when you went to cut your hair?” Ripley reached into his suit jacket and pulled out the small bag he had placed the dark talisman in. He fished in his other pocket, pulled out his hair clips then grew them back into his silverish chopsticks. I watched as he pulled a long white hair from the pouch. “Viola, the unknown DNA.”

I opened my mouth then just closed it again. Ripley tucked the white hair back into the bag. He shoved it back into his pocket and did that thing with his sticks and then I found myself wrapped in a warm embrace. His face was pressed hard against mine. I tensed for a moment but realized that this wasn’t a sexual come on.

“Serephina has given you a deep wound, Lover. Deeper than you want to admit and you are bleeding. Those that care for you can do nothing but stand here and watch you bleed. You have to cauterize it. Right now...you are reacting like a wounded animal. She is depending on you doing just that.”

His voice dropped. /I can tell you right now, there is a trap out in that park. I don’t need to go out and check it because that is what I would do to my enemies. What I have done to my enemies./

My shoulders stiffened and Ripley tightened his hold on me.

/There is a reason I am called renegade among my people. My eyes were once the pure silver of the Royal House. I did what had to be done to save my family. I have stained my soul with the darkest of magicks and it shows in my eyes. I cannot return home but everyday I wake to see the sun and know that my mother and father and sisters are under it. I bear the burden of my punishment but I do not regret doing what I did. My family is alive because of what I chose to do./

“What does this have to do with me being a dink?”

He chuckled into my ear. “Nothing. I just needed to you stop. You send like against like.”

I shrugged my shoulders and Ripley got the hint and stepped back. “Don’t get it.”

“You always hear about the fight between good and evil. That is a complete human morality tale. In the real world, good gets eaten by evil. You fight evil with evil. Dark against Dark and it’s usually the darkest who is the winner.” Ripley reached out and flipped my hair over my shoulders. He turned and picked up my dress shirt and held up so I could slip back into it. “There is a legend among my people. A legend, not a myth. You do know the difference between the two, Lover?”

I buttoned my shirt and then let the Fey slip my vest on. “A legend has a kernel of truth.”

“Beautiful and smart. What a combination!” I stood there a little shaken and unsure as Ripley wrapped my tie around my neck and then began to tie it into the standard knot. “The world, just like the Unending Plane likes balance. When the equilibrium gets skewed the world likes to reset the scales as it were. Why did you think I sort of freaked when I found out that you, well part of you, were ultimate destruction? You are balance, Lover. Well you will be, maybe. If you live that long. Serephina is trying to take you out of the picture. It’s my job to make sure you stay in focus and on the page. You don’t strike me as a color within the lines kind of guy but at least stay on the page.”

His hands brushed over my shoulders then he turned and picked up my suit jacket. I turned and let him pull it on my arms. He took my hair and smoothed it out and over my material.

“Your world is dark right now. Your friend is killed. His house is in shambles. His family is devastated. His Nation should be in total chaos right at this moment. In centuries past, the grounds would be red with Lycan blood and it wouldn’t have just been adult Alpha crimson. Puppies would have been crushed under paw in a free for all.” Ripley stepped around and brought his hand up to my jaw. “You stopped it. You took control and you soothed the Nation. I doubted anyone would have thought that you would be King but ultimate destruction, or balance, which ever you want to call it, works in mysterious ways. The Line of Dennings is done when you step down. A new line, a young vibrate line will take over the guidance of the Lycan Nation. You thinking straight yet? I can keep on nattering but you’re out of clothes.”

The door to the room slammed open and Claudius filled the opening. Ripley looked over my shoulder and smirked. /You are surrounded by love, which is strange for the Destroyer of Nations. Your people will lay down their lives for you, Lover. It’s your job to make sure they don’t have to./

“I get it.”

“Good, now keep your Father from wringing my neck.” Ripley ducked behind me but Claudius flare of blue flame had flashed out when he saw that was fully dressed and not doing a full monty.

“You dance a dangerous line, Ripley.” Father stated evenly.

“Damn, you’re not going to let me call you Cutie, are you?” Ripley out of a dramatic sigh then leaned forward and set his chin on my shoulder. “As I said, your Father is the only one here who can forcibly stop you. I will trip you if I need to; and I hope that when I need to, I will get back up from your family. I don’t these things that can kill me when you come close to losing control just because I like to play with ocanlov fire. We good, Lover?”

I let out a big sigh. Yeah, I was a little calmer now. Yes, I was going running off half cocked. That would get my pod killed. Ripley was right, Serephina and Orel Wessel were pushing my buttons and I was reacting like an RC toy. Wessel had ‘us’ for seven years. They had watched the brotherhood like lab rats. Even though I was loath to say it, they knew us – intimately.

“Advise me.”

“That wouldn’t be code for something naughty, would it?”

“Ripley.” Father’s voice wasn’t that forgiving.

“Yes, yes I know, Claudius. Broken fingers...yadda yadda yadda.” Ripley stood up. “Inform the Regency Mages that there is a trigger spell in the park. Tell them not to send anyone who is related to the Lord Emperor in Training nor Mage Xavier. Anyone else should be safe.”

“What are you going to do?” Claudius frowned

“You fight fire with fire. Our lovely little blonde wants to use blood magic...we’ll use blood magic.” Ripley did a little flourish with his fingers and snapped the arms of the Oakley sunglasses open and set it back on his two toned eyes. “Orel Wessel, the Golden People’s Army thinks they have a powerful sorceress. Wait till they get a load of me.”

Ripley flashed his white, white teeth at me. “Go about your CEO-ishness, X. Claudius don’t let him run off on his own. I’ll get this back to my lab and get to work on finding out who this little bit o’whiteness is. What?”

“Lab?”

“What, you think magic is done in a dark and dank basement? Merlin, X, you grew up with Merlin and you never looked around.” He should his head. “Take the time to smell the roses, Lover. Eternity can end quicker than you think.”

Ripley gave me a backhanded wave and headed for the door.

“One of you go with him, please.” Boajia looked at everyone of the Imperials but since they didn’t make a move to follow the mischievous Fey, he growled then turned and followed after the surfer.

Father took a look at me. “I take it our little Fey took the wind out of your sails?”

“More like kicked my training-wheels out from under me. Jees, guys, tell me these things.”

Vladimir came forward, “That is not our place. Your safety is our concern.”

“I’m running where angels fear to tread and I don’t even see it. Thank you Father. However, we do have Orel Wessel back in our face and we will need current intelligence. I’ll leave our little white haired fledgling in Ripley’s hands for the moment.” My cell phone rang. I reached into my jacket and pulled it out. Speak of the devil. Not that my Dad was a devil or demon or anything like that, but that was just wickedly good coincidental timing.

“Dad?”

“Edward?”

“Close enough, Xavier.”

“Sorry...your voices all sound the same.” There was a pause then there was an electronic chortle. “Oh, gees. Sorry. That was rather...well you know.”

I smiled in spite of myself. “I was just going to get a hold of you. We have another run in with our little blonde friend.”

The Regency Mage seriousness came on the line. “Casualties?”

“Nothing to speak off...”

/Say nothing of the boy./ Claudius cautioned.

I widened my eyes at him. Like I was going to do that, not until it was confirmed. I could see Mom and Dad descending on Orel Wessel just themselves to free another child of their lineage, a new grandbaby. “You need to send a clean up team to the Victoria Park, eastern gate, close to the playgrounds. There is a trigger spell there, so don’t go yourself or send....”

“I know what a trigger spell is, Xavier. How the hell do you know?’

“I’ve got myself a Mage. I’ll introduce you to him later...what were you calling for?”

“Got the bitch’s name.” I stilled. One, I was surprised that the Regency had record of his Serephina and two, when the hell did my Dad swear?

“Spill it.”

“Monahan. Sarah Monahan. Ring any bells?”

Monahan? As in?

“Sole survivor of a massacre about twenty-four years ago.”

Shit.

“Monahan, that’s was the name of that bastard of a boss that had you murdered.”

Memories slapped at me hard.

I finished my round of the house. I shot the housekeeper through a pillow trying to silence the noise as the other mind was next door. One more to go and I could get the hell out of here.

I opened the door and sensed…innocence. I paused. There was a purity here that didn’t belong in this house. I took a couple of steps forward. A tiny little head, covered in yellow curls lay asleep on the pillow. Monahan had sheltered her from the world. I turned to head out.

“Who are you?”

I closed my eyes. Now she was a witness. I tightened my grip on the gun. “I am the Angel of Death.”

“Where are your wings?”

I willed them out and stretched them wide for her to see, then let them fold into rest on my back. I turned and looked at the little girl sitting in bed. Her eyes were wide and her mouth had formed an ‘oh’. “You came for Mommy a few years ago.”

“It was time for her to go.”

“Is it time for me?” I closed my eyes.

“Do you want it to be? You will be left alone. I had to take everyone else in the house.”

She stared at me then shook her head. “I want to have babies. Lots and lots of babies.”

I crossed to her bed, “Then lie down and cover up. I’ll send you to sleep.”

“You’ll sing?”

“No, little one, you don’t want me to sing.” She lay down and I touched her forehead. “Sleep, sleep until the police arrive. You can tell them you met an angel.”

“Xavier? Son?”

“Yeah, Dad.”

“You all right?”

“Yeah...send someone to the park.”

“Of course. Who’s this Mage you got? Nobody mentioned anything from the Academy.”

“His name is Ripley. Ripley Silverstyx. He’s a Fey.”

“Silverstyx? THE Silverstyx? Where the hell did you find him?”

“In my bed....you know him?”

“Any magicker worth his salt knows of the Dark Fey.”

“Good rep?”

“Let’s put it this way, if you want your enemy dead, it’s a good thing.”

“Then Ripley is a very, very good thing. Thanks Dad. I’ll get the park blocked until your team can get here.”

“Be careful, Son. All of you.”

“You too.” I snapped the phone closed and pivoted on my heel to see everyone looking at me. “Our mysterious little sorceress is a blast from the past, which we knew because she has been using her hatred of me to fuel her magic.”

“Xavier?”

“Her name is Sarah Monahan. She hates me because I killed her family with my bare hands and I left her alive twenty-four years ago.”

“Monahan...why does that name sound familiar?”

I snorted once. “He’s the man who had me killed as a human. He ordered Armor shot through the throat at that first Rave you ever dragged us to.”

I shoved my cellphone back into my jacket. “This is what you get when you show mercy. It comes back and bites you in the ass.”

I had a bitch of a headache forming and it wasn’t even noon yet. Great...just great.


* * *