King Hall (7 page)

Darkness finally took me.

Pacing the formal living room of my biological dad’s house, still in confusing, impressive pain, my jaw — fangs not relinquishing in length — was clenched so hard my teeth were grinding while the tears continued tracking down my cheeks. The place looked like, well, a King’s home. A traditional King’s home with Victorian furniture of ivories and oak, little lamps with dangling crystals, and ivory carpeting that smelled brand new. If my Core didn’t ache so acutely, I would have asked him where his real quarters were, because this sure as hell wasn’t a Vampire’s home. This was a home for political entertaining that would suit all kinds.

A yank of my shirt kept my hands busy. I was a mess of emotions and a bundle of energy. After waking on the couch with King Venclaire watching over me, I had jumped away from him and began my stalking. Going one way toward the mass of Vampire guards — all dressed in black fatigues — he had lining one wall, and then toward him, Ezra, King Fergus, and Jack, who were all covertly watching me and quietly talking together. As if I couldn’t hear them.

Keeping my head down, my wolf riding my tone, I growled, “How much longer?”

Pearl was in another room with King Nelson who was working on her injury. Honestly, I didn’t really care. She wasn’t dead, and she wasn’t going to die, from what I had heard. Right then, all I cared about was Dominic. I kept trying to call him telepathically, but I wasn’t getting a response, and I didn’t appreciate what they were whispering over there.

King Venclaire murmured in a soft, soothing voice, “King Kincaid should be here shortly. We’ll know then. You should sit down.” He had tried his power on me, too, but it hadn’t helped the throbbing inside my Core; his mien had altered to neutrality at that fact.

I shook my head, my hair flying about my flushed face. “Just let me go check.” I glanced to the door, my wolf snarling at the guards moving to block it. “I need to find out what’s wrong with Dominic.” I rubbed at my chest. My Core was bursting with power, so much so that it branded, but there was an empty place too. The spot where Dominic resided.

It terrified me.

“Lily, please sit down,” King Fergus murmured just as gently as King Venclaire, and I couldn’t help the growl my wolf shot in his direction. “You’re going to exhaust yourself more than you already are.” He said this with dried blood splattered all over him.

King Venclaire was also covered in blood, as was Ezra and Jack. Jack had carried Pearl while she was bleeding, so that explained his appearance, but I was betting there were a few less men in red robes out there tonight judging from the others’ stained clothes.

I shook my head again, feeling very much the wolf inside me. “No,” I growled low. “I’ve got,” a yank of my shirt, rubbing my chest, “
too much
.” A deep breath, a few jumps in place, a shake of my limbs. “There’s too much in me. I need out.”

Both Kings went mute, staring, their countenances the same now: a quiet detachment.

My wolf rumbled a soft growl, my chin tucked down and my eyes glowed. I understood they weren’t going to allow me to leave, so I pivoted, stalking once more.

King Fergus whispered, “That’s not a good sign.”

“What’s not?” Ezra probed, not bothering to keep his voice down, knowing I could hear him and not seeming to care.

“A mate, a wolf,” my biological dad murmured quietly, smoothly.

I turned in my prowl to see King Fergus nodding.

“Quit talking about me as if I’m not here!” My wolf’s growl that exploded from my chest was low, rumbling pure menace, as fear and irritation grabbed hold. A pulse of power shot out from me in my panic, straight at their group. They visibly jerked, and I snapped my glowing gaze to the men at the door. Caged in. “Let. Me. Out!” Another shot of power pulsed from my Core, my magic giving me what I needed to escape, and the men at the door stumbled, falling to their knees.

The two Kings were swiftly in front of me, while Ezra and Jack crept up behind me.

I gradually crouched, plenty Shifter, a smidge Vampire, as they surrounded me.

King Venclaire held up his hands as I rested on the balls of my feet, one of my hands on the ground in front of me, the other ready to grab someone, my eyes glowing bright. His tone softly hypnotic, he whispered, “Lily, you need to calm down. King Kincaid will be in here in a matter of moments. I can hear his car pulling up the driveway now.” He lifted a thumb over his shoulder where his men were picking themselves up. “I don’t want any of my men hurt so, please, calm yourself.”

I took a delicate breath, managing to sanely spell out, “I don’t like being caged in.” Another deep breath. “Back away.”

As one, all four took a fluid step back.

Gradually rising, I cocked my head and listened. My biological dad hadn’t lied. I could hear King Kincaid’s car on the driveway, but I didn’t say so because it was possibly my
Vampire hearing helping me there. I resumed pacing, brushing between Jack and Ezra. They didn’t try to stop me, but they were watching me even more closely now. Whatever. I just wanted Dominic to get his butt in here and hold me tight so I could do the same to him.

Hearing the front door open, I stalled, ready to pounce on Dominic as soon as I saw him. He was seriously going to get an earful. No mate should ever leave the other hanging like this.

I flexed my fingers, shuffling on my feet, eyes glued to the doorway.

King Kincaid and Fi came in to view.

They stopped under the archway of the door.

All oxygen left me.

My feet went flat and I started backing up, shaking my head rapidly.

My heart beat a chaotic rhythm, dread filling me soul-deep. Chest constricting, I gasped for air that didn’t come. I grabbed my throat and my chest, staring at their tear-stained faces.

Appearing as if they had aged a hundred Com years, their bloodshot eyes found mine.

I banged against a wall, leaning heavily on it. “Don’t,” I whispered thickly, knowing their expression. I had seen it once before. Last year, on my mom’s friend’s face, right after she had found her dead. “Don’t you dare say it.” A sharp shake of my head. “He’s not dead.”

“Lily,” Dominic’s dad spoke, his voice rasping, cracking. “Come here, honey.” Gently, he released his grasp on Fi’s shoulder, who wobbled and wiped her wet cheeks as he crept toward me. “You’ll be alright. Just come here.” His arms were opened wide, his feet still moving, and his voice broken, splintered, like my heart, the very depth of me. “I’m so sorry, honey. There was nothing we could do.”

I choked on a gut-wrenching sob, my mind screaming denials. “He cannot be dead!” I jammed a pointed finger at him. “He is not dead.”
Mine! Dominic was mine!
Shaking hard, I demanded, “No, goddammit!”

Dominic’s dad was so close. Too close made this real. It couldn’t be real.

A cool breeze brushed my hand. A window. Mind raging, I screamed, “
He. Cannot. Be. Dead!”
Dark eyes, so like Dominic’s, gazed back at me with compassion. Almost on me.

Twisting sharply toward the window, I threw myself at it. The screen busted with the force of contact, flying out with me. I didn’t even feel the impact as I hit grass, rolling. I didn’t look back as I heard the shouts.

I ran.

Ran away from death that seemed to follow me everywhere. All I’d ever loved was dead.

I wasn’t going to deal tonight with my life’s mate gone forever.

My feet kept moving, my heart and Core shredded beyond repair.

Sitting high on a tree branch — downwind — I watched my mate’s funeral service. Hugging the oak tree, no tears fell. There were none left. I had cried them all out during the four days since he had been shot in the head when Hell’s Gate was attacked. The bullet hadn’t even been silver. A blunder on the shooter’s account, but the wound had still been deadly. Even though I had been on the run, barely staying ahead of the Mys soldiers tracking me, I had watched the news.

I knew how my mate had died.

I also knew they were calling me the new Prodigy Shifter. The power passed to the mate if the Prodigy Shifter had already mated and the mate was a wolf. I fit all those categories. The power now warming me full was, indeed, the Prodigy Shifter power.

There were two problems.

One: I didn’t want it.

Two: I was a hybrid.

Two very important issues, although, all Mysticals worldwide would think my second issue more important than my first. Normally, Elders or Kings, one from each of the four factions, came together during an Awakening. The Elder, or King, who was part of your Mys faction led the change that brought you into your power, but the other three were needed. Four powers, side-by-side, but still individually separated, all but for a singular touch. Hence, the no hybrid Law. The reason for the Executioner. Why being me, a hybrid, was a death sentence walking.

There was logic behind their barbaric madness. If every Mys started breeding with one another, then there might eventually be no separation. No separation meant no Awakening. And no Awakening for a Mys meant death. Death meant the end of the Mys race altogether.

Although, understanding the reasons didn’t mean I would let myself be killed.

Here I was, now the Prodigy Shifter. I really didn’t care. I just knew I would gladly give this power to someone else. Then, get the hell out.

Sleep for a year. Or two.

In a cave.

In a deserted area.

Preferably, on another planet entirely.

I didn’t want to deal with anyone right then. Numbness had etched its way into my veins, and it wasn’t relinquishing its hold. I would never again have love like I’d had with Dominic. I was now forced to walk my life alone. I didn’t know any other way to feel but how I did.

The preacher was saying a lovely speech about Dominic. He had already said his main eulogy at the church, where I had secreted myself in the attic to hide from the Mysticals in the overfilled pews. Dominic’s dad had said a few words about him, as had a couple of his friends.

Staring at the black casket with the black wolf emblem, I heard the grass crunching softly behind the tree. Not moving, I inhaled deeply, and felt my eyebrows come together. I sniffed again, testing the air for traces of individuality. I knew that scent, but I couldn’t place it immediately.

Another deep inhale, stalling thoughtfully. Recognition dawning, I peered down. It had been over two years since I had scented him last, but he had been in my life for so long there was no disguising his scent, especially with my Shifter power now Awakened.

And still, I only felt numb.

I merely waited silently, watching as the Mage moved under the tree and leaned against the trunk with his hands in the pockets of his black dress slacks, noiselessly watching the funeral. No one near the casket could see me in the foliage of the tree, being so far away, but they could see him if they happened to look this way. Not wanting to get caught, and not stupid enough to think he didn’t know I was up here, I muttered softly, “Get up here.”

“Thank you. Your perch would probably have the better view,” Antonio, the only father figure I had known growing up, whom I had thought dead, stated quietly, not peering up at me. He toed off his black dress shoes before jumping agilely, grabbing the nearest branch. Appearing all of upper twenties in Com years (meaning he was probably close to eighty since Mysticals’ bodies aged like a Commoner until the age of twenty-two, then slowed down dramatically), he moved easily through the branches to sit on the limb beside me. After a few moments of silence, he whispered gently, “I’m sorry about Dominic, Lil.”

Hearing him say my nickname was odd. “Thank you.” I didn’t know what else to say. No one was sorrier than me and, truly, words were only words. I would rather not hear them.

He seemed to understand this, his full attention back on the service, staying quiet.

Resting my head against the tree, I found it peculiarly comforting I could at least still feel the rough scratch of the bark on my cheek, even while being empty on the inside. Minutes passed as the preacher finished his kind words. I watched as the huge mass of Mysticals began saying their condolences to King Kincaid and Fi once again, absolutely knowing I was in the correct spot. I wouldn’t have been able to handle that.

Watching the mourners walk to their vehicles, Antonio eventually broke our silence, asking, “Are you hungry? I have a turkey sandwich in the car.” Not the words I had expected.

With a slow blink, I realized my stomach was growling loudly. I tried to remember the last time I had eaten, but couldn’t remember when. Never a good thing for a Vampire.

“I also have a few bags of blood,” he murmured gently.

I swallowed hard. I hadn’t quenched my blood thirst since Dominic had died. Now that he was gone, I would have to start back on the bags-o-blood. The thought made me more than slightly nauseous.

He rested the palm of his hand softly, lovingly, on my cheek. “Let’s go for a ride. You can eat while we talk.”

“That’s why you’re here?” I asked, voice void of emotion. “You want to talk with me after leaving without even a goodbye?” The last time I had seen him, it had been the day of my Vampire Awakening when he and my mom had brought two strangers – the Vampire and Elemental portions — to assist. Shortly afterward, he had walked out the door behind them, his feisty pet eagle with him. He had left us.

“It’s complicated. I had to go,” he stated tenderly, running his fingers through my hair. “I am sorry though, that I never gave you a proper goodbye.” He was being so gentle for the chilling man I knew he could be if he so wished.

Stomach rumbling again, I sighed. If he wanted to talk, he could talk. He would only find me again if I ran right now. Plus, I did have to eat. Two birds, one stone. “Fine. Let’s go.” A bag of blood rested in my clutching hand while I glared at it. I really didn’t want to drink. It didn’t look appetizing at all; my attention was better served watching where Antonio was turning down a back road, driving at a slow pace in his Hummer. No frilly car for him, and nor had he ever had one. He was the person who had taught me the art of the getaway.