Caramel: Book 3 of the Lord Emperor Vampire Series

Spirit
Q: How can a shield made of blood and bone be in a sense, weaker than that of mirrors?
A: Claudius bone shield is stronger than one of mirrors. Unfortunately he built it around his sense of self, sealing most of his power inside with him. He is stronge for an Ancient,-- red blood strong. As a blue gene carrier, he would be stronger still but he has trapped himself inside his impenetrable shield. So if Claudius ever did get out of his shield, no one truly knows how strong he would be. Maybe even Hades strong. (wouldn’t that lead to some ass kicking *snort*)


Muchos gracius (mangling languages again) for those who are keeping up me with me. I know I still have to end Caramel, and I have the plot of Cloves working its way through my noggin. Which I guess is a good thing. So thanks again to the Loyal and true: Rosei; k; Spirit; Dark Avenger; A.taste.of.insanity; shiden; rosemary and meadows_peak


SPOILER ALERT:

I asked a question over in rants/journals regarding a plot point. Thank you for giving your opinions and basically telling me to smarten up and find a way out of it. I have, mostly due to your inspiration and awe inspiring devotion to characters in the CAKE universe. So thanks to L; oreade; HallowsEve; Anon; Rainy; Spirit; Shiva; k; Rosei; midnightballerina; a.taste.of.insanity

Chapter 131: Alexander

/AZREAL! AZRAEL! AZ!!!!/

I staggered in the Dark and fell to my knees. My neck was still bleeding. I can’t….stop the bleeding. “Az…”

“Turn on your nightlight. I can’t see a damn thing.”

Nothing. I couldn’t spark the healing light. I couldn’t call on my wings.

“Sex…”

“Help me.”

“Sex? SEX!”

“Over here. I’m over here.”

I heard the running of feet. I called out “Polo, polo, polo.”

“Marcus….What the hell is the matter with you?”

“I’m…..”

“You’re bleeding.”

“I can’t stop it…” I squinted my eyes shut as suddenly the light of the beach seared into my skull.

“XAVIER!” Azrael’s hands were red with my blood. I was light headed. Alarik had taken more than 10 swallows. I think he took fifteen maybe eighteen. That’s why I couldn’t do anything, my power bar was too low. I toppled over into the sand and just lay there staring up at the sky. I’m going to die here.

Xavier kicked sand in my face as he skidded to a halt. Now was a time of testing. My power bar was down. Did that affect Xavier? He gripped my neck and flared ice cavern blue. “What the hell is going on? Those are fang marks. Who ripped you open?”

“Alarik…Claudius’ brother.”

“What?’” X looked over at Azrael.

Azrael shook his head. “This would have happened after the branding.”

“He attacked us. I can’t find him. He killed the Loyal with us. He….he” My voice cracked. I was terrified. I fought him as hard as I could and the only thing I accomplished was ‘nnnh’.

“Bit you.”

“And he…forced me. He cut Sang Kyu and he dropped Father to his knees.” I cried out as my lower intenstines twisted. I was still physically tied to our body and someone was moving us. What if Alarik came back?

“Azrael, go. This is healing slow.” X ordered shifting closer so he could pick me up off the sand. “Did he rape you, Sex?”

I brought my arms up around him as the Healing light engulfed us. “He made me cum in my pants…but it’s only a matter of time. I couldn’t stop him. I really tried. I couldn’t stop him…”

I gasped for breath and opened my eyes. I was covered in black hair. I opened my mouth to take another gulp of air when the pain hit. I groaned. Father’s hands tightened around me. I was on a gurney. Why was I on a gurney? I reached up and pushed the air mask off my face.

“Sex?”

“Azrael. Xavier is taking care of him.” My voice croaked from the pure oxygen that had dried out my throat. The pain was easing up slightly. “Where are we going?”

“Shadoe Inc. They are better equipped than any vampire establishment.. You’ve lost a lot of blood.” There was a big wide bandage wrapped around my neck to control the bleeding that Sex had been suffering from.

“Who the hell is this Alarik?”

“He is my problem.”

“I’m the one with the ripped out throat. He’s got Sex freaked.”

“Let me talk to him, Azrael.”

“X is healing him. The bite was deep.” Our body was weak. Sang Kyu sat at the doors of the ambulance his forearm wrapped from wrist to elbow with white gauze but there was a long thin bloody line seeping though. “Are you all right?”

“I will live, Lord Alpha. As will you. That is all that matters.”

My neck was throbbing but each moment it was lessening. I turned my head slightly and looked at Father. “You know you were wearing a pink Pussycat Dolls tee-shirt?”

“Sex bought it for me. He knows I like them.”

The fact that it clung like a second skin was more than enough to tell me that Sex picked it out. The fact that Father was wearing it was testament to their love. I was glad. Sex deserved some happiness. I guess I didn’t begrudge him his slice of heaven now that I had a piece myself. I closed my eyes. There was such weakness in this body. I shivered as Father moved away.

“Don’t leave me.” A hand came out and touched my face. Father knelt beside the gurney, his cool arctic eyes were full of concern…for me.

“Azrael?”

“Sex’s emotions are running through me and I can’t handle them. Don’t leave me.” I think Father knew how much effort it took to call out to him. I have never leaned on him even at the worst of times.

“As I have promised, my Fallen Angel, I will be by your side as well Angel of Death. You are my beloved sons.”

“Sex will be fine, Father. Xavier won’t let anything happen to him.” I reached up with my arm that wasn’t full of needles and grabbed his hand. “Don’t let go.”

“I have you, Azrael. Sleep. That will speed healing along.”

“We have to kill him. We have to kill your brother soon, or he’s going to take us out. I just got back with Marcus. I’m not ready to die yet.” My eyes closed of their own accord. I felt a kiss to my forehead as I began to drift.

I thought I heard Father whisper, “I failed you all.”

A whine ricocheted around the confines of my skull. I groaned and tried to raise my hands to my forehead. Oww. Mistake. Wait a minute…I was tied down on my back. I opened my eyes to see the lovely white of acoustical ceiling tile. I was strapped down to a hospital bed and I was stuck with an IV, patched with monitoring electrodes and surrounded by all the Alphas. Gees, I agreed with Sex. Waking up to seven Lycan around your bed is not a good thing.

“Haley, please stop whining.”

Haley leaned over the side of the bed and got in my face, “Why won’t you listen, Lord Alpha?”

“I’m not used to people trying to kill me.”

“That vampire killed four Loyal and the chauffeur. We do not know how far he would have gone if Sang Kyu hadn’t been with you. Maybe he would have raped you instead of just molesting you. Maybe he would have killed you there.”

“Alarik doesn’t want to kill us. He’s got plans for me and my brothers to save the Vampire Nation, but on his terms. Get me out of this.”

Ping stepped up, “When the doctor says you can go, you will go and not until then. Authorize this.”

Haley put a pen in my hand and Ping shoved a piece of paper under it. “What?”

“Just sign it.”

Kind of hard to write when your wrist is strapped to the gates at the side of the bed. Ping handed the paper back to Manu, “Call it in.”

“What did I just authorize?”

“A chartered flight from Tokyo. Your Female Alphas are chosen and they are needed here now.”

“Who’s with Claudia? Where’s Claudius? Get me out of this.”

“Half of your Loyal have moved into the Baroness’ home. Stubborn woman. I do admire her for her resolve. She is a good choice for your Alpha female. She will keep you in line since you cannot do it for yourself. Claudius went up to his penthouse. Loyal are with him.”

“Baojia, I want you to be Father’s shadow. Everywhere he goes, so do you. Be careful. I think Alarik is targeting Father. We’re just dessert.”

Haley reached through my wires and tubes and touched my neck. “Are you truly all right, Alpha Azrael?”

His eyes were sad, but there….there seemed to be a hardness there now too. The Lycan pup was growing up hard and fast. “I am only suffering the physical wounds. Sex has got the deeper ones.”

Haley laid his head on my chest. “This is all my fault.”

“Baby.” Ping came over and rubbed a hand along his back, petting his spine. “This is not your doing.”

“If I didn’t bring that petition to you, Lord Azrael…

“Then you would never have met Ping, and you wouldn’t have puppies on the way…”

“But you’re hurt…”

“This is just physical pain, Pup. It’s fading already.” I didn’t add the spiritual agony that Sex was suffering was ten times worse that me laying in the hospital. “Oh God, he didn’t hurt Edna?”

“The human was unharmed. She is the one who contacted the Loyal. She may have saved your life, Lord Alpha.” Vladimir spoke as he walked up to the side of the bed. “She force fed you while you were unconscious. You have Loyal even out in the human realm.”

Lanseng rushed into the room positively hyper. I had never seen the Seer so out of sorts. He skidded to a stop at the foot of my bed.

Vladimir turned toward him, “You see the future, Seer. Why didn’t you see this?”

Lanseng reached out and touched my ankles with those long artistic and mystical fingers.

“Lanseng!”

“I cannot see a future when there isn’t one.” The giant leaned over the foot of my bed and pressed his forehead against my knees.

What? What does that mean? I’m dead?

“Alpha dies?” Haley turned toward Lanseng as well. “Lanny!”

“I don’t know. For the first time, I don’t know.” Lanseng slowly straightened up. Twin tracks of tears trailed down his face. “I have heard of it, but I have never encountered it before. I am young for the Blood Collective . I am under a thousand years old. Your enemy is a dead soul. A dead soul has no future. Anything it touches or affects in some way falls from view. I cannot see any of you. I just knew something was wrong.”

I gestured for him to get closer with the freedom of my index finger. “Someone get the damn doctor in here and get me loose.” Pyotr disappeared.

Lanseng knelt beside the bed and I was still able to see his anguished face. I grunted and jerked on my non-lansed wrist. Strength was coming back…in trickles but it was something. I wrenched my wrist free, brought my arm up and around Lanseng’s head. “We’re fine, my wolfhound. Just a little weak.”

“I lost Sex last night. I never thought anything of it. When you switch in and out, your fortunes change. I just thought…”

“This is not your fault.” I looked over at Haley, “It’s not your fault either.”

“It is my fault, and mine alone.” Father stood at the entrance. Gone were the pink shirt and black shorts, instead he was in leather. Black killing leathers. Father was going into assassin mode. “Azrael, do not let Sex follow me.”

“Father…”

“Alarik has locked onto Sex because I hold him dear. If it is as Lanseng says each of your gives off a different energy, he will be searching for Sex’s unique signature. I may be able to get to my brother before he realizes I am there.”

“Father!” I went to wrench the intravenous out of my arm and found myself pinned back to the bed by Lycan and Seer. “Don’t….he’s trying to draw you out.”

“Then it is even more imperative that I remove myself from you and your brothers.”

“It’s five against one.”

“Lanseng, can you tell me my future.”

“I can’t.”

“Can you tell my brother’s future?”

“He has none.”

“Remember that, Azrael. Alarik has no future.” Father turned then paused, “Ping, what is your mission.”

“To protect the Lord Emperor.”

“Keep my son’s safe,” Claudius matched cold gazes with me, “And make sure one of you marry my daughter on Friday.”

“FATHER!”

“Do not challenge me, Azrael. I will break something on you to prevent that body from following me. I did it before. I will do it again.”

With that Father disappeared down the corridor. “Don’t let him go.” Everyone just stared at me. Argh. Damn it. “Get off. Get off me.”

“Calm down, Lord Alpha.” Vladimir said in nice calming tone as he pressed down and crushed my sternum..

“Get off me.”

“Everbody out. NOW.” Liam stormed into the room, his face dark with barely contained fury. Gees, nobody listened to me but one word from Billiam and they scatter like cockroaches. Liam closed the door behind them then turned on me. “What the FUCK do you think you’re doing? This is why you were told to stay out it.”

“I was told to sit there and look pretty.”

“Apparently you can’t even do that. Look at you. Blood Starvation, branding, a vicious attack that you and the pack barely survived the night before and four dead ranked assassins and a chauffeur today. You are piling up an impressive body count, little emperor. It would be impressive if it were the enemy and not your own men!”

Liam stalked up to me and looked at the blood bags hanging from the stand. “Maybe Honeybee didn’t phrase it politely, but little emperor…” He reached out and stroked my cheek. “You are too young. You haven’t mastered the gifts of a normal red vampire yet much less those of Emperor, or those of the Phoenix..”

“I am trying.”

“I know you are, Azrael. And you are better than a normal three year old fledgling but you still have a long way to go. Xavier told me that only an Elek can take on an Elek. I’m going to say the same thing to you. Only an Ancient has any chance against another Ancient. You are powerful…no one denies that, but you are like the atom bomb. That warehouse explosion is the proof. You are a danger to friend and foe.”

“Father went after Alarik.”

“I remember him. Katrina’s brat. Couldn’t do much without his homies.” I found that statement funny in an odd sort of way and it must have shown on my face. “You lose your ability to laugh, little emperor, they have won.”

“Who?”

“Those that say that you are a fraud. I’m not a scientist, I have no clue how to fake a Royal Blood blue. These are content to snipe at your from the sidelines. They would not attack. It’s about time, Claudius stepped up. He should have killed Alarik when he had the chance at Katrina’s funeral. No one would have raised a complaint. Katrina Du Bussey was much beloved by all”

“Except for her son.” I relaxed back down on the bed. I was still weak….and Liam knew it. “He called Father, Alexander. He said his name was Sasha.”

Liam gestured at a chair, staring at it intently then sighed and went and got it. “I miss my powers. I didn’t realize how much I used them.” He sat it backwards beside the bed then swung his leg over it. He rested his forearms on the back rest. “Sasha is a demonstrative form of affection for Alexander. Claudius’ human name was Alexander Kornasnov. Yes he was one of the lost blue genes, Katrina was gathering but he was a known brigand. He was marked for death on sight in many villages and towns. He may have told you that he was just a thug, but Alexander was a terror. He killed. He raped. He stole. He drank. You name a vice and Alexander had mastered it. He had grown up big and tall and strong because of the blue gene. If he had wanted, he could have turned into a conqueror. He could have turned himself into the Czar of Russia and no one could have stood in his way. He has toned down his act a lot since then.”

Liam reached out and poured me a cup of water. Carefully he cradled my head, his eyes moving to the wide white bandage around my neck. I could only manage about three swallows. He lowered me then brushed my hair off my face.

“I remember when Sigmund invited him to Court. Katrina had dressed a wild animal in silks and gold and tried to get him to perform like a courtier. It didn’t go well and Katrina never invited Claudius back to Sigmund’s court. It was a shame really, it was the most enjoyable court since I merged with Sigmund. You remind me of him, Azrael. It’s my way or the highway and you got the balls to back up what you want to do.”

“Thanks.”

“Not meant as a compliment, little emperor. Claudius had to learn to think before acting and I know, he was with Katrina when she was murdered. We never did get the details, but I have a feeling that Claudius ran off half cocked and left his wife vulnerable. Since her death, he has become the Father that you know. I haven’t seen that wild Russian fire since.”

“He allowed Sex to call him Sasha, but he never mentioned Alexander. I find that interesting.”

“Can he kill Alarik?”

“No.”

I stiffened and groaned as my throat protested. Liam laid a hand down on my chest then spied Sex’s torc and locket. I was surprised I still had it on. Father probably didn’t let them take it off. “He loves Edward doesn’t he?. It’s more than just physical attraction.”

“Yes, and Sex loves Sasha. If Father can’t kill Alarik, we have to stop him.”

“I said, Alarik can’t do anything without his homies. Vampires are a many and varied people Some have gifts, some have other types of gifts, some, like you Azrael, have them all but that if few and far between. Then there are those who have none at all. That is what Alarik is.”

Huh? I had a sore neck that begs to differ.

“Alarik is a….funnel. Other vampires can share their gifts with those types of vampire. You know how a funnel works, wide mouth for gathering; narrowing down to greater velocity; leading to direction of control. He is like a fireman’s hose, just point and open. These non-gifted vampires are rare and when they are discovered they usually end up as slaves. They are little stronger than humans except they need blood. They can withstand sunlight from day one. Alarik was different. No one would have dared moved against the House of Du Bussey to try and get him. Alarik turned himself into an independent contractor. He gathered younger vampires to him who had exceptional power and talent and they went to work. The House of Assassins made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. He was a Du Bussey and he was interfering with the House.

Alarik was the face of the group, and took the ranking assigned them, but make no mistake, he was a vicious little bastard.”

“I probably should ask Father this, but….”

“Alarik cut off his mother’s head with a sword. He didn’t use any vampiric power to do it. Just the hate in his heart. Then he just vanished.”

“If he has no power of his own…he put a binding on me and father at the same time.”

“He can take the power of, I think the House tests were four vampires, at the same time. There is no way anyone…maybe my Honeybee would be able to fight off a four vampire binding.”

“Father is going to die.”

“Claudius knows how his bastard of a brother works. He knows enough to shut down his power source before going after the transmitting tower. And he is right….you and your brothers would just get in his way. His code name is Carnage. That is the Alexander legacy. How vicious does a human have to be to get the attention of the House of Du Bussey? Even if he wasn’t a blue gene carrier, they would have sent someone from the House to gather him into the fold.”

“He earned his number one ranking.”

“Yes he did and he has defended it three hundred and eight times, one loss. Katrina’s death made him stop and think, Marcus’ predicament made me find his soul and Sex has given him his heart. I can’t say given back his heart, because I don’t think he had one, or used it if he did. He has been more Carnage than Claudius. I think you know that.”

“Alarik sees this…softening as weakness. That is probably why he has come out of the shadows. Your Father is going to teach Alarik the error of his ways.”

I was tired…really tired. “So what am I supposed to do?” I yawned.

“You look like a baby trying to stay awake. Sleep you won’t miss anything. Oh, and I brought this for you.” Liam pushed himself off the chair, set it back where it was and headed for the desk by the door. A familiar yellow and black book flashed in his hand then he held it up. Wedding Planning for Dummies.

Oh joy.

* * *