He could do no less in return. Besides, I cant have vampires coming to the ranch where I live. My friends will discover the truth, and I dont think you want that. Youve gone to great lengths to keep what you are hidden.
We can kill your friends, then. Simple. Easy.
No! he shouted, forgetting all about respect. There will be no killing, and that isnt negotiable.
More sighs. Why dont we propose a bargain, yes? You will see the females we have chosen for you, at least once, but you will do so only while here at the mansion?
This may not be an issue, anyway, with the upcoming challenges, he pointed out, trying to buy some time. True.
Still, Majesty. We need to offer the people hope for a future alliance.
He scrubbed a hand down his face. God, he wanted to fight them on this, but the sooner he got out of this meeting, the sooner he could scour the witchs brain. Deal, he said. Ill date the girls here. Once each.
Done. The gavel descended. Boom. Next order.
They spoke of a feud over a blood-slave, and Aden had to decide who won the rights to said blood-slave. They spoke of some vampires wishing to travel back to Romania, and Aden had to decide if that was acceptable. They spoke of an upcoming peace talk with another faction of vampires. Vampires led by someone they called Bloody Mary. Aden recognized the name from his history books, but wasnt sure that was who they meant. Could be her, but he didnt want to ask and reveal his ignorance.
He was supposed to travel to England for this meeting. Apparently, Bloody Mary and her crew could feel the pull of him, too, though they hadnt traveled to Oklahoma to find the source, for whatever reason. They were curious about him, however, enough to reach out to Vlads council for information.
Could be an ambush, one of the councilmen said.
Or another attempt to control our people.
So. On top of being enemies with nearly every other race, the vampires were also at war with each other. Sweet.
Well protect him. Or rather, the wolves will. They are behind him one hundred percent. There was a bit of displeasure in this councilmans tone. Were having trouble keeping our teeth off him. Theres no way Bloody Mary will be able to do so. Shes a savage!
Guys, he said, interrupting their debate. I have school. I cant leave until summer, anyway, so well discuss a trip to England then.
You could drop out of school. We have tutors, after all, one said.
Nope. Sorry. Not even they could talk him into abandoning Crossroads High. And how was he supposed to pack up and go to another country when even sneaking here was a problem? And really, hed had several recent encounters with so-called tutors. Look how well those had turned out. Summer or never. And if he decided to go, he was taking Victoria and Riley with him.
Or maybe not Riley. Many Ann would be upset about losing her boyfriend, even for a short period of time, and Aden hated the thought of upsetting her.
More murmurs resounded, but one by one, the councilmen nodded.
Next order. Many of their blood-slaves were missing. No one knew where they were. Vamps were angry and hungry and demanding new slaves. To obtain them, they needed Adens permission.
For right now, they can feed, but they cannot kill. They can feed, but they cannot enslave. Because of Victoria, he knew that if they drank from a human only onceor twicethat human could walk away without becoming addicted to the vampire bite, as he had. More than that was iffy.
Though the councilmen were disappointed, they called the next order of business. Adens supernatural pull, or hum. As they spoke about how strongly they were drawn to him, more and more of their gazes swung to Adens neck and stayed. He had to stop the humming nonsense, they said, over and over again, as if they were locked on the words and couldnt move past them. Maybe they were entranced.
I cant stop, he replied, shifting nervously.
The souls grew restless in his mind, as nervous as he was. Especially Elijah. The psychic began muttering about blood and death, and those mutterings were somehow familiar. As if Aden had heard them before. Where? When?
The pull is stronger the longer were with him, isnt it? someone asked.
Yes. Or maybe its because were so hungry.
What do you think hell taste like?
Nirvana.
Finally, there was silence. Absolute, utter silence. Was the meeting over? Aden looked around. All eyes were on him again, piercing, narrowed. Then the silence was broken as lips were licked and breath emerged from flaring nostrils. A few of the councilmen had their nails embedded in the tabletop, as if trying to hold themselves back.
They wanted to devour him, but they were fighting the urge.
What should he do? Stand and run? Or just stay here, like this, until they got themselves under control. If they could. Should he shout for Victoria? No, he didnt want her in the line of fire, just in case. Besides, he had to learn how to deal with these people if he was going to lead them.
Not that thought again. He wasnt going to lead them.
Slowly, Aden pushed to his feet. The councilmen rose with him, their gazes never leaving him. Do not show fear. I have a lot to do, he said. Ill leave you now.
No reply.
He stepped around his chair, never turning his back to the vampires. One step, two, he moved away from them. Slow, easy, as if he hadnt a care. But they were predators, and he was their prey, and with his retreat, they lost control.
With a cry, the closest man launched himself at Adenand that was all the permission the others needed to follow suit. They flew at him, teeth bared.
TWENTY-THREE
OUT OF HABIT, Aden had his daggers drawn before the first vampire reached him. Of course, bringing a dagger to a vampire fight was like taking a feather to a boxing match. Useless. He slashed, made contact with his opponents chest, but the metal bent. Yep, useless.
Both of his wrists were batted away. The daggers flew from his grip, skidding to the ground. Teeth sank into his shoulder, stinging. One of the vampires had teleported behind him, and a second set of teeth sank into the base of his neck. Adrenaline pumped through him, giving him strength, and he managed to wrench the vampires off him and toss them aside. But when one was removed from him, two more would appear. Soon they were all over him, trying to push him down, their teeth sharper than anything he could have imagined. Unlike when Victoria had bitten him, there was no pleasure. Only pain. Burning, agonizing pain.
He should have expected this, prepared for it, but too many other worries had consumed him, and honestly, hed grown lax. Hed been here before, and no one had attacked him. And damn it, he was king! They shouldnt treat him this way.
The vampires were heavy, their hands roving. They were like sharks who had scented his blood, and were biting, heads shaking, trying to rip pieces of him into their mouths. Finally, they managed to buckle his knees. When he hit the cold, hard ground, he lost the air in his lungs and a wave of dizziness swept through him.
Fight! Elijah growled.
Am! Aden kicked, sent someone flying. But what else can I do?
You have the ring. Use it!
The ring. Hello. Aden jerked his hand from between the jaws of a councilman, the ring glinting in the light. With the pad of his thumb, he slid the opal out of the way, then flung his arm out, liquid flinging in every direction.
Flesh sizzled. Vampires howled, releasing him to clutch at their now burning faces. Aden scrambled to his feet, panting, sweating, determined to hit the doors as fast as his feet would carry him.
Only, he saw their beasts, the ones theyd been warded against, rising from themfrom all of themmere outlines, yet visible enough for him to discern outstretching wings, eyes blazing red, snouts dripping withsomething. Poison? Acid? He stood frozen.
Those beasts spotted him, and like Victorias had done, they reached for him, as if they were desperate to feel him. He should have been scared. Well, more scared. But those fiery eyesthey somehow calmed him. Maybe because they werent projecting menace. They were almost like puppiesgranted, beastly demonlike puppieswho just wanted him to scoop them up, take them home and pet behind their ears. Weird. Most likely wrong.
Snap out of it! Julian growled.
Seriously, dude. Caleb knocked on his skull. Now isnt the time to just stand there.
Run! Elijah commanded.
Too late. His hesitation cost him, big-time. Though the vampires were bleeding, gaping wounds having melted their flesh, they were forgetting their pain, finding him with their eyes, and straightening. Stepping toward him. Teeth chomping, mouths probably watering for more of his blood. He held out his ring to threaten them, but there was no more liquid inside. Hed used every last drop.
Worse, his arm was shaking, puncture wounds all over it, and his action merely wafted the scent of his blood in their direction. They closed their eyes, savoringuntil savoring was no longer enough. Until they wanted more.
Adens heart pounded in his chest, and the vampires hissed, excitement reaching a new level. Again someone flew at him. Again the others quickly followed. More teeth sank into him. More stinging, more burning.
Aden fought with every ounce of strength he possessed. He kicked. He hit. He even bit, but nothing broke that tough vampire skin. Nothing proved strong enough to push them away.
Dirty, get down and fight dirty. There was Caleb again.
And yeah, Caleb was right. Aden hooked his fingers into one of the vampires open wounds and tugged. There was another howl, and that vamp wrenched himself away. Over the howl, Aden thought he heardroaring? There it was again, and again.
Yes, roars. So many roars, they were reverberating off the walls. And then the vampires were being snatched off Aden, not one at a time but all at once. There were snarls and growls, teeth chomping, screams, all blending together in a soundtrack of horror.
What the hell was happening?
He sat up, intending to scramble out of the way. When he saw what was happening, he froze. The beasts had solidified. Victoria had said they needed time to do so, yet somehow, someway, theyd solidified in a blink. Their scales were iridescent, their teeth like ivory sabers. They smelled of sulfurrotten eggsand the tips of their wings were like daggers.
Even they couldnt penetrate the vampires skin, but they could hold vampires between their huge jaws and shake. Probably breaking bones, rattling skulls. Each vampire was screaming in pain.
The tall double doors burst open, and several more vampires raced inside. When they saw what was going on, however, they stilled, gaping in terror.
Beasts!
What do we do?
This has never happened before!
Stop, Aden shouted. Please.
All of the beasts stilled and looked at him. Bodies were dropped with a thump. Those vampires didnt rise, but curled into themselves, crying. One of the beasts roared, and the new vampires backed away, pressing themselves against the wall. Aden remained in place.
Even when one of the beasts approached him.
Victoria flew into the room, then, shouting his name. He didnt turn away from the creature in front of him, but held out his arms to stop Victoria, least she try to pass him and fight to protect him. Of course, she ignored him, and her body slammed against his.
All of the beasts roared this time.
Victorias hands clutched at him, trying to pull him into her side so that she could teleport him. Theyll kill you. We have to leave.
No, he said, no. Move away from me, Victoria.
No! More tugging.
More roaring.
Please, Aden. Utter fear layered her voice.
Move away from me. Now! Theyre not going to hurt me. He hoped. Theyre protecting me. Again, he hoped. No matter what, he didnt want her in the crosshairs.
A moment passed in suspended silence before her hands fell away and the heat of her left him. Without another word, Aden forced his heavy, puncture-infested legs to move him forward. The beast closest to him issued another roar, wings flapping. The others moved, some flanking his sides, some behind him, becoming a wall of fury and menace.
What are you doing? Julian demanded.
Run, Caleb begged.
II see nothing, Elijah stated. I dont know what you should do anymore. And I dont like it. I dont like this.
Still Aden forged ahead. I was right, he said gently. You were protecting me, werent you? No reply.
Could they understand him?
Why would you do such a thing?
The one in front tucked those deadly wings away and crouched down, placing his face inches from Adens. Moist breaths sawed in and out of huge black nostrils. That dripping mouth, with those protruding teeth, nudged Adens arm.
For a moment, fear petrified him. Then he realized there were no new injuries on him, no new stings. Then realization set in. You want me to pet you, dont you, boy?
Again, no reply, but Aden reached out. Even though he was almost positive he was right, his hand shook. He flattened his palm behind the beasts ear and rubbed. Rather than a snapping of teeth, a wound, a torrent of pain and the loss of a limb, he received a purr of approval from the beast.
The others clomped closer to him, claws scraping against the floor as they settled at Adens feet, seeking his touch.
I dont understand this, he whispered.
Me, either. Julian, dumbfounded.
But, dude. We rock! Guess who? Caleb, a strutting peacock.
I never saw this coming. Elijah, awed.
Why did the creatures like him? Why had they protected him from the very people they lived inside? It made no sense.
All he could think was that they must like the pull of him, the strange vibration he emitted, drawing the vampire, witches, fairies and goblins to Crossroads. Those creatures hated the pull, though. Thats why the witches had called their meeting. To decide what to do with him. Thats why Thomas and then Brendal had come to the ranch: to save themselves and their humans from his evil.