Blood Father (Blood Curse Series) (23 page)

Arielle stumbled into the gaudy bedchamber, trying to catch her balance.

Lieutenant Jacob Tansy flung her into the oversized room with all its garish red furnishings, silk-covered tapestries, and strange, occult-like symbols displayed as tasteless artwork on the tiled walls. It had taken them at least seven hours, running at full speed, to reach the royal castle; and they were still a good three hours away from the arena.

But Thane was on his way.

His soldiers had sent him word through a carrier falcon, and from everything she gathered, he would be coming back to retrieve her. He wanted her beside him tomorrow…for the games.

Arielle grit her teeth and spat in the lieutenant’s face as he snatched her by the arm, dragged her to one of the four bedposts on the raised platform in the center of the king’s room, and struggled to bind her arms to the column.

“There!” he snarled, his wicked delight barely concealed. He wiped the spittle from his face and sneered at her. “Enjoy your solitude while you can, Miss Nightsong.” He grasped her by the jaw and squeezed until his thumbs pressed the walls of her cheeks into her teeth. “I have no doubt our king will break your defiance…and your will.”

Arielle glared at him with abject hatred, no longer caring what he said or did.

She had no doubt that Thane would try. But she knew something none of them knew: There was an enemy of equal power and superior cunning in their midst—a band of vampires in Mhier—that would give the haughty king and all his detestable minions a run for their money.

Soon.

Very soon.

The Silivasis would be arriving at the arena. They would begin to dig their tunnels, to hide their caches of weapons, to plot their final attack.

And hell would be unleashed in the land of the lycan tomorrow at noon.

The heavy door to the bedchamber swung open with a fury, and King Tyrus Thane Montego stormed in, his thick golden robe flapping behind him like a dark angel’s wings, all six feet six inches of his muscular frame approaching with arrogant swagger. His copious golden-blond hair hung about his shoulders in loose, honey-combed waves, and his piercing amber eyes shone with a fury that could only be described as unholy.

He took several long strides to the platform, leapt the narrow row of stone steps in a single bound, and glowered at Lieutenant Tansy. “Get out!”

Jacob Tansy bowed his head and immediately backed away, careful not to turn his back on the angry monarch as he found his way unerringly to the door and shut it softly behind him.

Thane stared at Arielle like she was a mystical creature from another planet. He paced back and forth in front of her, scrutinizing every hair on her head, every feature on her face, every curve on her body, and then he finally stopped in front of her and reached out to stroke her cheek with a malevolent hand. It was almost as if he had to prove to himself that she was actually there…

She was actually real.

“Arielle Nightsong,” he muttered in a harsh, gravelly voice. “The prodigal slave returned. I trust you have enjoyed your years as a member of the rebellion?”

Arielle swallowed her retort. She glared at him with an equal measure of hatred and derision but continued to hold her tongue. What was there to say to a being so foul, so repulsive? Words were pointless when actions could say so much more. No, Arielle would wait until tomorrow. She would let the Silivasis’ actions say it all for her. And she would rejoice when Keitaro was freed.

She closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to the ancestors:
Please, by all that is
sacred,
go with the
sons of
the father of my
heart
, and see that Keitaro is freed. Do not let my sacrifice be in vain.

“I will dine with your friend Echo tonight,” Thane said, apparently hoping to get a rise out of her. When she kept her eyes closed and simply listened, he snarled. “Mmm, that’s not quite accurate,” he amended. “I meant to say, I will dine
on
your friend Echo tonight. The warrior Walker is already dead, and so is your companion Kade. We know where the rebel encampment is located now, so it is only a matter of time before all are captured…and killed. You are alone, Arielle Nightsong, save the benevolent whims of your king.”

Arielle kept her eyes closed and her mouth shut. Just the same, she began to tremble. She couldn’t help it. Tyrus Thane Montego did not speak words that were not true. She felt as if the ground had just opened up and swallowed her whole, swallowed her hopes and dreams, and she held her breath to keep from coming apart, to keep from breaking down and giving full vent to an ocean’s worth of tears.
Dearest Ancestors
, Kade, Walker, and soon Echo…were gone.

The room grew deathly quiet as she internalized the full meaning of the king’s words.

In fact, the silence became so glaring that she had to open her eyes once more just to make sure Thane was still standing in front of her. While she could feel his breath on her face, sense his malevolent presence all around her, they were both so incredibly quiet that she hardly believed he was there.

“You have nothing at all to say to me?” he finally bit out through clenched teeth.

Arielle took a deep breath and held her tongue.

“Ah,” he snarled. “Then I suppose you may listen, instead.”

Arielle gathered her courage and tried to find a center of calm.

“Tomorrow, you will accompany me to the arena as my soon-to-be bride: the new queen of this realm. You will bathe this night in scented oils, and you will soften your skin in a milk and rose-petal bath. You will dress in a gown made of silk, and you will appear beside me on the dais more beautiful than you have ever been. I will provide you with several maidservants to see that this is so.” He flashed a wicked smile. “But know this, Arielle Nightsong: The only thing beautiful about your life will be its appearance.”

Despite her determination, Arielle faltered. She swallowed convulsively, choking down her sorrow.

King Thane raised his angular jaw and peered down at her like she was nothing more than a gnat buzzing about his face. “You will indeed be my slave in every way. You will grovel at my feet; you will beg for my forgiveness; and you will worship me until the day you die—at my hands.” He reached out, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and yanked her head back so he could plant a harsh, unyielding kiss on her mouth.

There was nothing tender or amorous about it.

His lips were laced with hatred. His tongue was intrusive and foul. His breath was rancid with the desire to commit violence. When he finally pulled away, Arielle had to struggle not to vomit.

“Is that all?” she asked defiantly, immediately regretting the words.
Why—oh why—couldn’t she
just
control her tongue
?

Thane smiled then, a wide, maniacal, wolfish grin, and the visage was illogically grotesque on his deceptively handsome face. He threw his shoulders back, leapt down from the platform, and began to stroll away in a regal, dismissive manner.

And then he stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. “Oh, there is one more thing.” He prowled back to the dais like a lion in his prime, the king of the jungle asserting his claim. He climbed the steps one at a time, slowly placing each foot on the narrow stone steps, as if to menace her with his very approach.

Arielle stared at him, transfixed and waiting. What more did he have to say?

And then he drew back his massive arm, clenched his fingers together in an open palm, and struck her across the face with what felt like the full brunt of his fury.

The full brunt of the last ten years.

She didn’t have to respond.

All the lanterns dimmed.

And the world went black.

Kagen Silivasi tried to settle into the eye of the storm, to ignore all of the pounding waves, swirling winds, and clashing thunder rattling in his head. He narrowed his focus, instead, into a pinpoint of light: the immediate situation, the conditions directly before him, and
t
he present moment
.

All four of the Silivasi brothers perched outside the arena walls, careful to remain invisible. They peered through several tiny holes they had drilled into the stones and waited for the optimal moment to enter the dome.

The high, stone structure was more oval than circular, and raised above each supporting column was a lit torch, the golden fires burning like macabre lanterns in a creepy cavern. The day was overcast; the ever-present sun
and
moon were eclipsed by clouds; and the sky was an unusual shade of deep, cobalt blue—it was almost as if the realm itself had prepared to witness the deaths of the combatants.

Kagen heard Marquis grunt as he shifted nervously where he crouched. Now that the crowd had taken their seats, the guards had taken their posts, and the juxtaposition of the players inside the stadium had become definitively clear, it was up to the Ancient Master Warrior to make any final adjustments. Despite the fact that he spoke telepathically, Marquis still cleared his throat.
Nachari,
it appears as if
all the spectators have been seated on the eastern, northeastern, and west-eastern side of the arena—
some
in the corners above the pits that will release the beasts,
some
in the
center with the clearest view of
the
…
main event.
He was careful not to say “the execution of our father.”
I note four sentries in the stands by the rails
and one positioned in front of the northeastern gate
.
T
he
former
are probably there to control the crowds, and each appears to be a Beta.
The latter looks like an Omega from here, and he is more than likely poised to open the gate and release the beasts.
You will take
all
five sentries
out
as quickly as possible
, and then you will turn your attention to whatever beasts are released from the northeastern gate.

Nachari leaned closer to the wall, no doubt scanning for each of his assigned targets, and then he sent an affirmative charge of energy to Marquis across the common wavelength.
I
understand
.
His voice was as serious as it was calm.

Marquis continued soberly.
Nathaniel?

Yes, warrior?

You will take the southern end of
the arena, parallel to the
main
entrance
.
Again, whatever beasts come out of the southeastern gates, you will dispatch; but not before
attending to the
three
o
mega guards
on the ground floor of the arena
.

Nathaniel purred deep in his throat—he probably didn’t even know he was doing it.
There is a guard posted outside the southeastern gate, probably to release the beasts, as you’ve indicated, and two flanking the main-floor entrance, one on either side. They are Omegas, and I will kill them as easily as I would slaughter a calf in a field.

Kagen tilted his head back and forth, ever so slightly, thinking,
W
ell
,
that was succinctly put
.

Indeed
, Marquis responded to Nathaniel.
But your responsibility does not end there: From the way the rebels described previous games, the king will most likely position our father on the far southern end of the arena, with his back turned toward the royal dais, which means that his opponent, Cain Armentieres, will
enter
on the southern end with his back turned to you.
Needless to say, you will not a
llow this
a
lpha
l
ycan to execut
e our father—no matter how
compromised
or
weakened
they have made him. While your instinct may be to go for Keitaro first, do not.
It is possible that he can hold his own for a time, despite their machinations.
We must eliminate the Alphas, or we will never escape with
our father
.

Kagen let out a slow, feral hiss, struggling to contain his emotion: Ever since he had absorbed Arielle’s memories, he was able to connect Cain’s name with his face. Now that he had his own memories back—he could recall that fateful night in the valley, the night Keitaro had disappeared—he also knew that Cain Armentieres had been there. The lycan had virtually eviscerated Kagen’s hamstring and his throat.

Nathaniel placed a reassuring arm on Kagen’s shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze.
Do not lose your focus during the battle, Kagen. Your enemy is my enemy. And there will be no vultures to return his heart to his body
when we are through
.

Kagen gave Nathaniel’s hand a crisp pat and slowly nodded his head, even though his brother couldn’t see the gesture.

Marquis seemed to hesitate then, as if he were thinking his next words over carefully.
There is one more thing, Master Warrior
, he said, still addressing Nathaniel.

And that is
? Nathaniel asked.

Marquis sighed.
It would appear that these repulsive lykoi intend to launch their ceremony by lighting their own version of an Olympic
t
orch.

Nathaniel breathed a revolted sigh.
Queen Cassandra, on the raised platform
.

The beautiful yet tortured human was already bound, gagged, and strapped naked to the two enormous posts jutting out of the raised podium at the southwestern corner of the arena; and her quivering body was coated in tar in the most vulgar of places. The fire pit at her feet had been arranged with highly flammable logs in a v-shaped manner in order to sweep the fire upward as quickly as possible.

Are we going to let that spectacle ensue
? Nathaniel asked.

Marquis snorted.
Any diversion is a good diversion
,
but even I have my limitations.
I
f it
is
at all possible,
put the fire out as soon as it is feasible to do so. Whether or not it will be in time to save her, I cannot say
.
But know this, warrior
:
You have only one goal today
,
one priority
,
one yardstick by which you will measure every choice you make and
every
action you take
,
and that is to save our father.
If
you can spare this evil woman such agony, then do so; but if it interferes with saving Keitaro, then
let her burn
.

“
Damn
,” Nachari uttered beneath his breath.

Kagen shifted anxiously on his knees, but he said nothing. The woman had been a power-hungry witch according to Arielle, or at least her memories. She was as evil as her husband, and she had chosen to commit adultery with Thane’s top alpha general, one of his best friends, knowing exactly who and what her husband was. While it went against all decency to allow any female to perish in such a harsh manner, to risk Keitaro’s safety in favor of hers—well, as far as Kagen was concerned, Marquis was right: If necessary, the bitch could burn.

As for you
,
Master Healer
, Marquis went on.
You will enter the arena on the northern end, directly beneath the royal dais. I am giving you King Thane himself because to give him to anyone else would just be futile and a constant distraction.
If Arielle is nearby, then she is also your
charge
.

Kagen sighed, a breath of relief. He absently patted the custom leather case at his hip, the pouch containing his silver-tipped scalpels, and he ran his forefinger over the outline of the largest blade: a polished handle made of ivory, with a four-inch precision tip. As a surgeon, he could wield it with uncanny dexterity and accuracy.

However
, Marquis added,
d
o not forget,
the
vile
king may be the least of your immediate concerns
; on top of dealing with an
a
lpha
monarch
and trying to save a woman who may
—or may not—be
your
destiny
,
you will be faced
with five other immediate challenges
.

Kagen peered through the peepholes in the weathered stones and watched intently as he listened.

There are four
b
eta sentinels posted on top of the dais—do you see them
?

Kagen’s eyes swept swiftly over the platform. Oh yes, he saw them. In the center of the elevated platform were two garish, enormous thrones, and on either side of the pair were four guards, dressed in military finery—there were two on the right and two on the left.
I see them
, he snarled.

Good
, Marquis said.
Then you also see the two
a
lpha lycans posted on the ground floor of the arena, just beneath the dais—they are probably extra security for the king
.

Kagen nodded instinctively.
I see them, too
.

I will take the Alpha on the western end, just as I will dispatch both of the
b
eta sentinels posted on either side of Cassandra’s platform
. A
ll w
ill
be closest to me on the western side of the arena, but you will need to dispatch the Alpha toward the east before you even attempt to
seize
the actual dais and
dispatch
its
occupants
.

Kagen nodded again, this time, for himself.
Understood
.

And then Nathaniel said what Marquis could not.
Then you will take Keitaro
?

Marquis grew deathly quiet. When, at last, he spoke, his voice was grave with determination.
I will bring our father out of the arena and protect him from whatever
occurs
around us.

Nachari shifted where he crouched.
You do know
… He started to speak, but his voice trailed off.

Nathaniel picked up where Nachari left off.
We
all
know that the best laid plans of mice and vampires often go astray
.

Things might get even uglier than we anticipate
, Kagen chimed in,
and one or more of us may get
hurt…rather severely
.
Or worse.

Just the same
, Nathaniel said.
You stay at your post, Master Warrior
. Y
ou protect and
defend
our father…at any cost
.
It is why we
are here.

We all have each other’s backs
, Nachari cut in,
but we are
far more likely to succeed
with
our individual
assignments
if we know that,
come what may, you have Keitaro’s.

Marquis grunted in an affirmative fashion. There wasn’t much more he could say.

The Silivasis had chosen him for such a critical mission because he was the harshest and most dispassionate of them all, at least when it came to approaching war as a lethal tactician—without emotion and without compassion. Marquis would fight like a wild beast for their father, and he would let the spectators die, the sky fall in, and the stadium burn to the ground—with everyone in it—if that’s what it took to accomplish his goal. If anyone could bring Keitaro out alive, it would be the Ancient Master Warrior who had led their family with such honor and courage for the last 480 years.

We are ready
, Marquis said by way of a reply, and to a degree, it was true:

Not only had they planned, prepared, and surveyed every possible inch of ground the night before, but they had moved in and out of the temporary, pre-game encampment, feeding on the abundant human prey all around them. Each male had taken more than his share from an unsuspecting merchant, a carnival peddler, or a soon-to-be onlooker. They had primed their bodies for an epic battle: Their muscles were twitching, and their adrenaline was flowing.

They had waited 480 years for this moment.

Kagen stilled his thoughts and reached out one last time to his brothers, telepathically.
Th
en th
is is it
, he said solemnly.

Nathaniel purred like a satiated cat.
Indeed, it is
.

Marquis said nothing, but Nachari reached out and felt for the hands of the males beside him.
Brothers, take my hands
. Without hesitation, each of the Silivasis linked arms with the sibling beside him as Nachari bowed his head in prayer:
To Perseus, the Victorious
H
ero, god of my reigning moon; to Cassiopeia, the keeper of
Nathaniel
’s soul
;
to Draco the Dragon,
Marquis’s
eternal guardian
;
and
to
Auriga, t
he Charioteer
,
protector of Kagen’s
heart
: We
offer you homage, even as we
kneel before you in supplication: Give us
,
this day
,
the strength, the
wisdom, and the
power
to defeat our
enemy
.
Bless our hands, our
weapons
, and our
minds
that
our
every
decision will be correct
, our
every
action true. This day, give us back our father
,
return Arielle to our care
,
and make us victorious
against our
rivals
.
And to
Libra
,
the celestial god of
balancing scales
and
of
meting out justice
, we ask
for
this single,
supreme
blessing:
May the rivers run crimson with their blood.