Candy: Book 5 of the Lord Emperor Vampire Saga

Hey Hey Loyal and True! I’ve run into a dilemma yet again. If you are on my mailing list, you know I have posted another poll over in the AFF forums regarding a character death in CANDY. Here’s the address:

http://www2.adult-fanfiction.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=10046&st=0&#entry186879

Ok…I’m thinking of either killing of William or Liam, or both, or neither or doing something really nasty to both of them. Take the poll, give me your thoughts.

Three chappies remain. (I think)


Chapter 225: The Plans of Vampire and Fey

The Wards set around the outer perimeter were child’s play to the Dark Fey. Ripley basically stalked ahead of us and when he found a barrier he knelt and laid his palm on it. I don’t know if the rest of the Bloods could feel what he did but the magic shivered over my skin as he subjugated that Wessel spell for his own. It was like it was mutated now. Instead of warning the main base of possible incursion, it would now tell us of human interlopers possibly attacking from behind. To Orel Wessel everything was still just hunky-dory.

The summer sun was fading from the sky but it wasn’t true darkness yet. I had ordered the Loyal back to the trees if they could handle some sunlight and if they couldn’t then it was in the vans until it was twilight enough that they could join the fray. Bruce had passed on my invitation to the Lycan Nation. I had thirty Alphas...mostly those who had sworn an oath of loyalty to Azrael. Frowny face had tied his succession attempt to Serephina who was a vital member of Orel Wessel. They had no love for the organization before. Now, they had a reason to rip and tear.

It was easy to take over the stone farm house. I had Marcus sweep the place. If these were just human farmers, they were free to get the hell out of the military zone. Of course they weren’t. This was an Orel Wessel outpost. While the outside looked like a charming century old farmhouse, the interior matched it, that was until Marcus mindfucked the soldiers and found the hidden staircase that lead to a hackers wet dream. I thought Hades was going to orgasm here and now when he walked into the room. This was the main gate to the Wessel Valley so the technology necessary to observe was built into the basement. It rivalled the batcave but not as cutting edge.

How the hell was Orel Wessel funded? I stood behind Hades as he took over the command center and began learning their defense system. Nothing was sure but death and taxes. Well since I was death...I think the taxman could help out in crippling the rest of Orel Wessel at least until Marcus could isolate each and every cell. An army travels on its stomach. In this day and age, the stomach is tied to money. Take away the money...lessen the threat.

I let Hades run the show. As the brotherhood admitted, we were not the best strategic planners. If Marcus called himself a warhammer, then I would have to be a mace. I had all the subtly of it. Smash and grab. Father still was all smoke and daggers.

“Carnage, it’s about a five kilometre stretch to the main compound.” Hades pointed to the camera on the far left. “This seems to be a clear path. There is a perimeter patrol that passes by the camera every five minutes. Marcus will take him out the next time he comes into camera range. This is within your range, isn’t it?”

Marcus came forward and leaned in to take a good look at the monitor. “I only need clear line of sight to kill. I won’t be able to retrieve anything at this distance though.”

I was watching the other screens. I could feel those chocolate brown eyes on me but I deliberately kept from looking over at him. “I doubt a guard would have the information we are looking for.”

Hades nodded then twisted in his chair to face everyone who had come down the stairs. “I know you work best as an independent Carnage, but take a pack with you. Once Orel Wessel figures out that we are attacking, there is a high probability that they will try and move Six, barring that...killing him. Five extra set of fangs would be better the odds.”

“Agreed. Xavier any recommendations?”

“Gregory and his Alphas.” Technically they were disbanded but this was a time of war. Besides, if anyone decided to give them grief over this, they could say that their King ordered them to do it.

“We move at twilight, Carnage. This gives you ten minutes to get to the main compound. Ripley, can you pick up any other Wardings?”

“Oh, yeah.” Ripley had taken off his leather jacket to reveal a sleeveless tight black tank with a crew neck. His bare arms were a swirl of silver light as his arcane symbols glowed. “There is one bitch of a big shield around this building.” He walked up to the console and pointed to the one dead center of the compound. The Fey re-opened his eyes that were a glowing mix of darkness and light. Odd statement but true. “I can’t sense anything inside it. There are no other Bloods anywhere in the compound but there are signature trails all over the place all leading back to that building. Anything that Orel Wessel doesn’t consider human is kept there.”

“Marcus?”

“The security here didn’t have first hand knowledge of it. It is a high security area.”

Claudius studied the lay of the land and took careful stock of camera positions. He whipped out a barrette and snapped it over his hair at the nape of his neck. Carnage was in the house when he straightened. “Give the Lycan and me time to get into position. When you start to attack, draw their attention to the perimeter. Once they get moving toward you have Ripley shatter the barrier. We’ll get in and start a search.”

“Every Blood in that place, if they can move, set them free.” I let my eyes scan over the monitors.

“Understood, my Lord Emperor.”

I gestured Claudius to my side and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Bring your grandson home, Father.”

“No Mercy.” Claudius turned and vanished in a cloud of black hair and leather.

After Claudius left the air in the place just got stale and repressive. Both Marcus and I were so busy trying to ignore each other that I actually jumped when Liam dropped a hand on my shoulder. “To copy a page from your meddling in love affairs, take your Dark Fey and get the hell out of here. Marcus has a job to do and right now he’s spending more time glaring at Ripley than at the monitors. Both of you will get Claudius killed if you can’t straighten this out.”

“I work better on the surface anyway.” Ripley grabbed the case and a walkie talkie from off the console. “Channel seven?”

“Right.”

Liam caught me around the back of the neck and hauled me in close. “Get your head in the game, Little Emperor.”

“I’m trying.”

“That’s not good enough.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” I shrugged his hand off and headed for the stairs that Ripley and the Dragon’s Egg had already disappeared up.

“Armor wishes that you would careful out there.” Marcus called out to me.

I bit my lower lip to keep from screaming back at him. Liam was right. I was all over the map and right now that wasn’t the thing to be doing. I nodded back at him and booked up the stairs. I could hear Liam lay into Marcus before I got to the top of the stairs. Damn it. Get a grip. Come on...I can do this.

Ripley stood in the doorway staring and frowning toward the inner valley. The silver on his arms, or I guess in his arms was still swirling, but not diminishing. It wasn’t growing in intensity either.

“My Liege?” I turned toward the rest of the Lycan who were still crowding the upper room.

“Partner up with the Vampires in the trees. We move out in ten.”

The remaining twenty-five Alphas all dropped down and did the hunching shoulders thing. They got up and ghosted out into the golden light of the setting sun. All expect for one. He remained in the Lycan bow and then made it even more official by setting his snout to the wooden plank floor. “My King.”

That was strange to be called that but Azrael earned that position. “Rise.”

“My name is Perry. You met my little brother once. He was Prince Haley’s playmate – Derry.”

I remember the bits and pieces I found of Derry out in my parent’s woodlot after Britta’s Alphas tore the little pup to shreds. “I remember him.”

“He was not an Alpha. The fact that you honoured him by sending him to the stars to be with the Elders is something that set my mother’s heart at ease. I thank you, my King.” He shuffled forward on his knees with his head still close to the ground then raised his face and licked at my hand. “I will strive to be as worthy, my King.”

He turned and high tailed it out of the farm house. I was left with a wet hand and a whole lot more confusion. When I burnt the remains of that little pup, it was more to protect Mom and Dad from any repercussions from me taking out Britta’s number one pack. It wasn’t done to honor the Lycan. I frowned. I ashed all of the Alpha pack that night. So...so, I gave high honor to all my enemies, at least within Britta’s eyes. That was probably the only thing that kept me alive all these years.

I turned and found Ripley gaping at me. “What?”

“A Lycan-- a combat tested Alpha Lycan has just sworn a death oath to you.”

“Huh, I guess so.”

“A Vampire.”

“Well....technically he was swearing to King Azrael.”

“Which is you.”

“Not really.”

Ripley shook his head. “Only a Lycan can hold any power over another Lycan.”

“Azrael is a Lycan.”

“Which is you.”

I shook my head. “Gifts manifest differently for each of us. Azrael was always bitching because he got the short end of the stick but now we know why he didn’t get many of the Vampire benefits and fewer Blue Line abilities.”

“I don’t get it.”

“We’re living it and we don’t get it.”

Ripley just looked at me. “Things just happen to you don’t they? You aren’t going out of your way to create situations.”

“As my winglets say, I’m a trouble magnet. Since I wasn’t assigned anything, I’m assuming I’m stuck with you.” I realized when I said it, I sounded like a petulant kid who had been told there would be no Easter bunny this year. “Uh, that came out wrong.”

He snorted. “Good thing I have thick skin otherwise I’d have thought you were rejecting me.”

“I have rejected you.”

“From your bed, but not as your ally.”

“That’s all you can be, Ripley. You saw how Marcus acted on Armor’s behalf.”

Ripley turned and lead me through the trees, bypassing groups of Loyal and Lycan as they laid out strategy. We ended up on a small clearing with a clear line of sight toward the Orel Wessel compound. Now that Ripley had retuned all their warding magic to VonD satellite one for easy infiltration the outbuildings were easy to spot. The fading light was an orangey red shaft that illuminated both of us. The Fey knelt down and opened up the Dragon’s Egg case.
“As William said, this is Blood Magic. Ancient Von Drachenfeld Blood Magic. It is only because you are of this noble house can we even call this. Only you, well anyone with your bloodline can activate it. This is a weapon of last resort, Lover. My magic would have to go to hell in a hand basket before you even think of touching it.”

“That’s all I need to do is touch it?”

“DNA, Lover. Remember what I said about it. A Dragon is a creature of destruction. It thrives on it. This Blood race was the first to retreat to the Unending Plains when the humans began to take over this world. They are Blue Line. I’ve heard about you and your destructive abilities. Think of a dragon doing that, now, times it by a thousand. Absolutely only as a last resort.”

“I get it. So, what the heck am I doing while my people attack Orel Wessel?”

“Emperor’s don’t engage in actual battle. They are like Generals, they direct.”

“I don’t ask anyone to do what I am not willing to do myself.”

“Which is why an Alpha Lycan swore a death oath to you. You are seriously fucking with my preconceived notions, Lover.”

I gave him a half hearted smile then closed my eyes and sent out a sweep of the area. I got a ping. Whatever Ripley was going to say faded off as I snapped my wrists and caught the daggers as they slid out of their harness. I raised my finger to my lips then shifted off the hill moving closer toward the compound. I had been able to fine tune my mind searching ability. Nothing close to Marcus but I could tell that that single ping about three hundred yards off to the left was not a Blood. I moved with purpose and honestly, with a whole lot of hatred. It was a cold ball of ice within my midsection.

Hell was Orel Wessel. Orel Wessel was Hell.

They still had a grip on Skell. The Darkness wouldn’t look like it did if everything was as calm and still as he let on. My baby brother was in pain because of them. I moved like butterfly. I came up on the sentry and did a quick mental sweep. He was alone. Just him, his rifle and communication device. I stung like a bee. I ripped the comm off his throat as I jammed the point of my blade into his carotid artery. He stiffened and spasmed. I caught him and wrapped my hand around his forehead ripping into his mind as his life’s fluid poured out to the forest floor. Now that Marcus showed me that I could call this up at will, I didn’t have to hang onto him until he died. I took his memories as I took his life. He dropped to the ground his hands clawing uselessly at his throat. It was an automatic response to dying because with the viciousness of my mindfuck, he wasn’t home anymore.

A pale ribbon of aquamarine began to wave and wiggle from his chest. It was amazing that their souls weren’t black with all the horrors Orel Wessel have done to others. I had a theory. I was sure that it was their conviction that they were in the right when they did all these unspeakable things to my people and make no mistake, those Bloods were my people. I knelt beside the dying body and forced the soul back inside. It writhed against my palm but I shoved it hard back into the husk. The body gave one last heave and then there was nothing.

The forest smelled of blood. If I wasn’t prepared for it, it might have triggered a bloodlust. This wasn’t the place nor the time for just a berserker attack. Claudius and Gregory had to get Six free from that place first. I picked the comm up out of the blood wiping it partially on the uniform then clipped it to my belt. I fit the earpiece and set the sticky backed mic against my throat. A prelim of his memories made me take his watch as well. He had set check in times and the idiot had programmed them into his watch. One was coming up.

Beep, beep, beep. I turned off the alarm on the watch.

Touching the mic at my throat, “Tango Tango Delta, Sector 4, checking in, All clear.”

“Tango Tango Delta, roger that. Can you make it over to the House. We’ve lost contact. The phone lines are tied up. If Dennis is tying up the phones again for personal reasons, he will be getting more than just a verbal reprimand this time.”

“Sure, Hank. Out.” I keyed the mic off and stood up.

Ripley was standing about twenty feet off really staring at me. “What did you do with that soul?”

I turned back and looked over my shoulder at the dead Orel Wessel soldier. “You saw that? Not really sure. I just wanted to make sure that it didn’t go to heaven, because it sure as hell doesn’t belong there.”

“Who the hell are you?”

I walked up to Ripley and matched him jade eye to two tone silver eye. “I’m a husband. I’m a father. I’m a brother and a son. I’m the Blood Emperor. Orel Wessel and Serephina have declared themselves my mortal enemies.” I reached out a bloody hand and cupped the side of the Fey’s face. “I have returned to them the lessons that they taught me. No mercy, Ripley. Show them no ounce of leniency.”

“Skell?”

“No, I’m Xavier. You’ll know when Skell is here.” I reached for the walkie talkie he had clipped to his belt. Setting the right frequency, I pressed the call button.

“Azrael.” Hades voice snapped over the crackle.

I just about correct Hades but then recalled that Azrael was my official assassin’s calling card. “Encountered a lone patrol. HQ knows something is wrong at the farm. What’s Carnage’s status?”

“He should be in position in two more minutes.”

“We’re moving back to our position.”

“I’ll give you the signal.”

The forest settled back into silence. Well, a sort of silence. I could hear the Lycan panting. Ripley glanced past me to the gloom of the little hallow then turned on his heel. I don’t think the Fey was expecting this, but then again. I was the Head of the House of Assassins. You don’t get to be a Master Assassin through a popularity contest.

We made it back to the little hill crest. Ripley still had a tightness around the edges of his mouth and at his eyes. I reached out and caught him around the back of the neck and pulled him close. His eyes snapped wide as I leaned forward and pressed my mouth against his.

/You still look like hell. Power up while you can./

He tensed in my hold for a moment then I turned the spigot on. Whatever plain that loved me filled me with power. I licked at the seam of Ripley’s lips. He kept his mouth closed until I brought my other hand down over the black jean covered globe of his ass. He gasped and arched forward into my groin. I flicked my tongue against his and it was like someone had plugged the cord into the electrical outlet. I shuttered as the sensation ripped through me. The Fey began to draw on me, or maybe it was more fair to say, through me.

The crackle of the walkie talkie broke our connection. Ripley staggered backwards, pushing me away. I toppled over onto my ass and ended up staring at the sky. Why the hell did I feel so weak? It was like there was a huge void within me right now. I was just like a balloon that had been filled to maximum capacity and then the knot was just loosened. I was deflated.

“Don’t tell me I have to be in a liplock with you in order for you to do this?”

There was silence for a moment then Ripley’s face loomed over me. “You are far too damned sexy and potent to do that and I need to concentrate on what I’m doing. Your eyes look glazed.”

I felt glazed. Stick my ass in Tupperware and call me cupcake.

Ripley reached down and pulled me until I was sitting upright. “My apologies, Lover. A mage’s conduit is normally given years of training to withstand the demands of source flow. If the need wasn’t so damned desperate...what?”

I had a stupid grin on my face. “X?”

“Hellcat’s ahoy.” I leaned back on one arm and looked down at the forest behind us. Red and white, white and red, red and black and black and red furries came walking out of the trees with an arrogance that only a true cat could pull off. Snowflake and Morose lead the Hellcat pride up to us.

/You got a little female hellcat kit to call your own. Well, Skell can call his own./ Morose kept walking until he was in my face and rubbing his head along mine. Snowflake was a little bit more standoffish, or maybe a little more dignified. You could definitely tell which brother these Hellcats belonged with. I turned my head and spat out red fur.

Ripley was grinning as well. “Can you hear them?”

“Just these two and her Majesty, of course.” Morose ducked his head and let me use him as a crutch to get up off the grass. I got headbutted to my ass and almost fell on my face. Ripley caught me around the waist until I could get my legs under me.

There were a total of fourteen Hellcats. I straightened my legs and locked my knees. “Thank you for coming.”

/Oh, they expect to die for helping out./ Snowflake added matter of factly.

“All of them at once?”

/These are next years monthly sacrifices./ I got the roll of a Hellcat eyeball.
Oh, that made things so much better. A single Hellcat soul was still a wicked power spike that I didn’t like experiencing.

Hades voice was slightly distorted as it crackled over the walkie talkie. “Carnage is in position.”

Ripley gave a slight head bow to the Hellcat pride then turned back to the valley. “I can see why her Majesty calls you her Beloved Death. Ready?”

“Let’s bring my son home, Dark Fey.” I closed my eyes and re-opened the spigot. I didn’t wrench it wide. I needed to be on my feet as long as possible.

“Good...good, you’re a quick learner. I just need to drink from the stream not be washed away in a flash flood.” Ripley lifted his arms and began to glow, a dim pale light that intensified to a pale light blue then moved up toward sliver.

/Good hunting, boys./ I called out to Morose and Snowflake.

Almost as one the fourteen Hellcats started forward. Tiger forms, cougar, panther, lions and lioness in the quad colour palette of the Hellcat race slipped passed followed by Lycan and a little further back Vampiric assassins.

Ripley began to pulsate with light, almost like the close encounters of the third kind and he began to laugh. I could feel the power he was using to rip apart the wardings and magical shielding. The warning claxon began to ring. Orel Wessel had been breached.

About fucking time.

* * *