Den of Sorrows (10 page)

“No closure for those poor families,” Nissa said. “Not only do they lose their child but they don’t even get the peace of mind to know that their child has gone to be with their Maker. They will live thinking there is a possibility that their child is in the clutches of a horrible person enduring who knows what.”

“Why is it that in every race besides the vamps and the humans children are considered off limits?” Peri asked. “Why can’t everyone see that these children are their future? You would think that they would want to nurture their future, not destroy it one little life at a time.”

“It is disturbing,” Alston agreed. “But we can’t fix the problems of every race. We have to focus on dealing with the biggest threat right now and that’s the vampires. Not only are they taking and killing children but they are becoming bolder and running the risk of being discovered by humans. The human world isn’t ready for supernaturals.”

“Will they ever be?” Nissa challenged.

“Probably not,” Peri answered.

“What now?” asked Alston.

“Now we bring the wolves to Phoenix.”

“What are they going to do?” Nissa spoke up. “They can’t declare war in the middle of a human city.  Perhaps, it would be better to flush the vampires out. Start with the smaller covens. Let’s send a message. Perhaps, then the leaders of the larger covens will decide to fight back.”

“Draw the enemy out by lessoning their numbers,” Peri muttered under her breath. “That’s a great idea, Nissa. I have to admit I’m surprised.”

“I’m nearly as old as you are,” Nissa said, folding her arms in front of her.

“Age does not equate to wisdom,” Peri quipped.

“You two were getting along so well,” the male fae sighed. “Can we please just get through this without you two scratching each other’s eyes out?”

“Depends on whether or not I get bored,” Peri said with a wink. “Can’t make promises that I’ll find unpleasant to keep.” She rubbed her hands together. “Okay, so the plan is to take the wolves to the smaller covens. I’ll need you two to meet me at the Romanian mansion tomorrow night. We’ll need to move fast so we will have to flash the wolves to the locations.”

“Never thought I’d wind up being a taxi service for werewolves,” Nissa grumbled.

“What better things do you have to do? If you file your nails any pointier you might as well become a vamp yourself. And if your hair gets any shinier, you might blind someone. Quit pampering yourself and get your damn hands dirty for once.”

“Peri,” Alston huffed. “A please wouldn’t kill you.”

“Kids are dying. I draw the line at saying please when asking for help to save the lives of children. Instead, I say
get your ass in gear and help the innocent
. See you two tomorrow night.” She flashed before they could respond to her angry response. “Say please,” she snarled under her breath. “There are kids being snatched from their beds and they want me to say please? Damn high and mighty fae.”

“Some would say the same of you, beloved.” Her mate’s arms came around her as she appeared in the clearing that they often went to in the fae realm.

“What?”

“Some might say you can be a little high and mighty,” Lucian said as he pressed his lips to her neck.

“At least I put forth my efforts in order to help others and not make my appearance better or sit on a cushioned pillow. I’ve told my people before that they can’t hide behind their veil and ignore everyone else. The freaking world is going to burn to the ground around them if they don’t start helping.”

“Have they agreed to help?” he asked.

“Yes,” Peri said sounding a little too much like a petulant child for her liking.

“Then what are you fussing about?”

“They wanted me to say please when I told them to meet me at Vasile’s home. I mean come on, wolf. Why should I have to say please?”

“I’m not saying you do. But, perhaps, a little diplomacy can go a long way for future endeavors.”

“I hate it when you’re logical and calm.” She held up her hand before he could respond. “But one of us needs to be and we both know it sure as hell isn’t going to be me.”

“Fair enough,” he said as he turned her to face him. “Now, we have both served where we are needed. The rest of the night is ours. You can’t save the entire human race tonight.”

“What can I save?” Peri asked with a raised brow.

“Me. I am in need of your saving,” Lucian said in his deep voice. The cheesy line would have sounded ridiculous from anyone but him.

“Are you trying to write for those Hallmark cards again? Because that was vomit-worthy,” she teased him.

“Perhaps, but it worked,” he told her as he pulled her deeper into the forest.

Peri rolled her eyes. Yes, it had worked. But she wasn’t about to admit it. Instead, she followed her mate and let him pull them into the cover of the trees, away from all that was demanding of their time. She let him pull her into his arms and surrendered to his healing touch. In truth, Peri needed saving just as much as her mate, if not more.

S
incaro, master of the Phoenix coven or king of the coven, as some of his people called him, paced restlessly in his chamber as he squeezed the phone to his ear. “We have a problem,” he said into the phone. He had to loosen his grip when he heard the device begin to creak under the pressure.

“What problem?” Cain, the Ontario coven master, asked.

“The fae kind,” Sincaro answered. “They were in my city.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Three high fae were in my city all at the same time. It means something.”

There was silence on the other end for several minutes before the other man responded. “I’ve had pixies in my territories and hunting grounds.”

The older vampire growled. “Why are you just now telling me this? I should have been notified immediately.”

“I’m dealing with it,” Cain snarled back. “Your coven may be the largest, but that does not make you the leader of mine or any other.”

“Perhaps not, but I am the oldest, and that does make me the leader of any who cannot defeat me. Know your place, Cain, or I will end you. We need to deal with this immediately. If the fae find out how we’ve been able to hide all of these centuries, things could get very ugly.”

“You mean ugly as in mangy, snarly ugly?”

“The wolves are the last thing we need sniffing around. Kill any pixies you come across, regardless of whether or not you get any information from them.”

“What about the fae?” Cain asked him.

“I will deal with the fae. It will take someone nearly as old as me to take them out. I’ll make some calls.” Sincaro disconnected the call without another word.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and nearly threw something when the door to his chambers opened. “What?” he snapped.

“You asked me to notify you when your dinner was ready,” the female vampire responded.

Sincaro breathed out a sigh. “Ah, yes. Thank you. Bring her in.” He felt his teeth growing as he began to anticipate what was to come. The only time he had any peace was when he was feeding the monster inside of him, and the only thing that satisfied it was blood.

He turned around slowly as he heard the door open and close again. Her scent filled the air like a fragrant buffet. She was pretty enough, but his kind didn’t care about looks. There was nothing sexual when they fed, contrary to the popular fiction that humans loved to read. Vampires had no desire to couple with their food any more than a human would want to couple with the cow they were turning into hamburgers. No, humans were strictly food, nothing more.

Sincaro stared at the young woman. She’d been feeding him for many, many years now. And as long as the fae, pixies, and wolves minded their own business, she would continue to do so.

“Come here,” he told her, knowing she would obey. She hated him, but she also feared him, and that’s what guaranteed her obedience. She walked toward him, her shoulders held back and her chin lifted stubbornly even after all these years. She was a strong female and, no doubt, would have been an asset to her race. But, she’d practically fallen in his lap and he wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

As she stopped before him he reached out with his hand and tilted her chin to the side to inspect her neck. The wounds healed supernaturally fast, so he didn’t have to change the locations of his feedings very often. He preferred the neck because of the larger vein, but he could feed from the wrist if needed—it just took a little longer. When he saw that there were no signs of puncture wounds on her skin, Sincaro struck as fast as a snake, sinking his fangs deep into her neck. He heard and felt the satisfied pop of the vein as it was punctured and then tasted the flood of warm iron as it filled his mouth.

Bethany had been with him since she was a child. She was strong and she wasn’t fully human, which meant she was able to withstand a larger drain than others. It was one of the many reasons he enjoyed having her for his meal. Sincaro drank until he began to feel her weaken and then finally released her. She swayed on her feet and he knew that the only thing keeping her standing was pride.

“It’s too bad you are not a female of my race,” he purred to her. “You would have made a fine queen. I’m sure those of your race would agree with me that you are a strong female. In our world, only the strong survive.”

Her jaw clenched in obvious rage and he chuckled. “Why does my comment anger you?”

“I am human,” she bit out. “Even if I wasn’t, I would never be anything like you.”

“Yes, you are human, but that is not all you are. How many times must we go over this? I do grow tired of your stubbornness.” He let out an exasperated sigh as he pulled a kerchief from his pocket and wiped his mouth. He then wiped the blood from her neck and ignored the way she flinched away from him.

“One day, if you live long enough, perhaps, I will be able to prove to you exactly what you are. Then again, your kind might very well be hunting me and mine at this very moment, so you might get to meet your relatives sooner rather than later. Though you should know one thing, now that you have been tainted for years by the bite of a vampire, they will not want you. No male would ever take you as his own and the humans would never understand or accept what you are. So you see, you are better off here with me.”

“If what you say is true, then you alone are the source of all my troubles. You alone would cause my rejection. You are the one who tainted me. You are the one who continually says I am not human. You are the one who ruined me,” the female growled at him.

His hand flew out before he had time to curb it and connected with her cheek. She flew across the room and crashed into the opposite wall. Had she been fully human, the blow would have shattered her cheekbone.

“Unthankful whelp,” he snarled at her. “You are only alive because I say you can live. Do not forget who holds the fate of your life.”

She pushed herself up slowly from the wall and spit out a mouthful of blood.
Such a waste
, Sincaro thought at the sight of it.

“This isn’t a life. This is a miserable existence and I’d rather be dead.”

“Perhaps, I will grow tired of your disrespect and you may get your wish.” He made a motion for her to leave. “Get out. We’ll see if your attitude has changed after a few days in the maze.” Her eyes widened and fear began to roll off of her. “Not so brave now are we?” he smirked.

She exited through the door and back into the care of the female vamp who’d dropped her off.

“Take her to the maze,” Sincaro called out to the vamp. He would check on the female in a few days and see if she’d learned to keep her impudence to herself.

With his hunger sated, Sincaro could once again focus on the problem of Perizada, Alston, and Nissa, the three high fae that had been in his territory. It was a problem that was going to have to be remedied very, very quickly.

He wasn’t as familiar with Alston or Nissa, but Perizada, she was one he knew all too well. Though it had been a very long time since their last encounter, he still had the souvenir she’d left on his chest just over his heart.

“Maybe it’s time for a little payback, Perizada of the fae,” he said into the empty room as a wicked grin spread across his face