Authors: Elizabeth Hunter
“Not odd. No woman is appealing when compared to my wife.”
Arosh’s eyes narrowed for a moment before he smiled. It was the most sincere smile he had seen from the ancient. “Kato would approve of you. He took a number of mates over the centuries and was always very faithful to them when he did.”
“Where is my grand-sire?”
Arosh ignored the question. “Your sire, however, did not hold others in such esteem. He had little regard for family. He had little regard for anyone but himself.”
“I am aware of this.”
“You would be. Tell me, why did you kill him?”
“Wouldn’t you have? He had plans for me. I’m sure you can imagine.”
“And you wouldn’t have defied him.”
Giovanni cocked his head. “I’d like to think I would have, but probably not. Could you have ignored your sire?”
Arosh shrugged. “I do not know. My earliest memory is of a fire-scarred cave. There was no one.”
Carwyn frowned. “What? No one at all?”
“If there was, the fire burned them.” Arosh slipped another piece of orange between Zarine’s lips and ran a finger along her cheek. “That is too long ago to matter. All of my children have been sired to wind, so that must have been my own origin. Perhaps he left me. Perhaps he had no interest in my future. Unlike your sire, Giovanni Vecchio. Am I correct?”
“Yes.” Giovanni did not let his eyes wander from Arosh’s keen gaze. “My father was very… involved.”
“I can imagine he was.” He sat up and pulled Zarine with him, whispering in her ear that she should leave them. She nodded silently and backed out of the room, closing the doors behind her. Arosh watched her leave, then turned back to them.
“I knew your sire, Giovanni. I did not like him. His own sire didn’t like him. Ironically, you seem like the type of child that Kato
would
have wanted. He valued loyalty above all, but had the wisdom to appreciate others and respect them. Kato felt a deep responsibility toward those under his aegis. He was not only feared, but loved. A true ruler must have both.”
“I do not want to rule anything. I want only to live my life in peace and protect those who are mine.”
“Ah!” Arosh grinned. “You are a wise child. You have learned early what it took Kato and me thousands of years to learn. Peace is a treasure beyond earthly price.”
Giovanni took a deep breath. “Where is my grand-sire, Arosh?”
Arosh pulled the letter from his cloak, fingering the broken seal and staring into the fire. “Do you know, Giovanni, I asked your sire for a favor once?”
He and Carwyn exchanged glances, and he threw a careful mask over his face to hide the shock. To most, Arosh’s admission would be nothing remarkable, but for a king of legend to admit that he had once asked another immortal for a favor was shocking.
“No, I did not know this. You honored him by ask—”
“He refused.”
Giovanni almost choked. To be asked for a favor from a legend like Arosh was awe-inspiring enough. To refuse?
Unthinkable
. Arosh would have owed Andros a favor of his own. A favor from the ancient king was not something to be dismissed. Or refused. Ever.
“I offer my apologies, Arosh. My sire’s audacity—”
“Is not your fault!” Arosh only looked amused. “And you have killed him for me, so that is very pleasing.” He held up the letter that Ziri had written. “But it appears that you did not kill him on your own. You sired a child. And now you have a problem, Giovanni Vecchio.”
He nodded carefully. Now was the time for bargaining. “Yes, we have a problem.”
“And Ziri asks me to expose myself and my dearest friend to this annoying vampire in Rome.”
“Not for her. To keep the world safe from the—”
“Yes, the elixir.” Arosh curled his lip. “I had hoped to never hear about that dreaded concoction again. What a mess.”
Carwyn, ever fearless, piped up. “What were you thinking?”
Giovanni was tempted to muzzle the priest, but Arosh only laughed. “It seemed like a good idea at the time, holy man.”
“Ah well.” Carwyn sat up straighter and looked at the ancient fire vampire with suddenly keen eyes. “I’d very much like to kill the bastard that murdered my son. Or watch someone kill him, I’m not picky. So, if we could get on with it, please?”
“Yes, holy man, let us ‘get on with it’ as you say.” Arosh cocked his head and looked at Giovanni. “I have read Ziri’s letter. I know what my friend asks of me, but what about you, Giovanni, son of Andreas?”
The ancient fire vampire wanted something. And though Ziri had already asked for the favor, he wanted Giovanni to ask it as well. That way, a favor would be owed. He had no choice.
“Arosh, I would ask a favor of you.”
The dark eyes of the old king lit up. “And I may grant it. We shall see.”
Arosh led them down into the mountain and through a twisted maze of passageways that Giovanni couldn’t help but think Beatrice would enjoy.
“Kato always liked mazes,” Arosh called as he led them forward. “And this one keeps the more curious girls away. I only let a few attend to him, though he’s not dangerous to human women.”
To human women?
Giovanni couldn’t help but notice that he and Carwyn didn’t fall under that particular category.
They finally exited the maze and were led toward a chamber that reminded Giovanni of an old tomb. The large, stone doors were intricately carved and painted, and a channel of water fell from a hidden stream.
“The cisterns feed the waterfall and the fountains. He can’t reside near the sea, but I can keep enough water here to keep him content.”
What the hell were they walking into? Arosh pushed the doors open and the three vampires stepped into a large open chamber. The tiled ceiling was held up by richly painted columns and fountains flowed through the room. The walls were bare stone. Cold, but painted with rich murals depicting beautiful scenes of the ocean and sea life. They walked along a bridge that led them toward the sound of soft voices. As they crossed over a long pool, Giovanni spied his father’s sire and gasped.
Andros had been right. Ancient peoples had seen this immortal and the legends of Poseidon were born. Kato sat submerged to his chest in a large, Roman-style bath. He stared straight ahead and quiet women circled around him, pouring water over his thickly muscled chest, curling hair, and long beard. His eyes were a deep, sea blue. His hair was the color of bronze. The immortal didn’t appear sickly or ill. Kato, the ancient water vampire, looked like a god.
Giovanni heard Arosh shift behind him a moment before Kato moved. It was infinitesimal, a twitch. But suddenly, he was looking into the eyes of his grand-sire and he realized that something was very, very wrong.
The brilliant blue eyes held nothing; they were vacant and wild.
Kato’s mouth opened. Long, thick fangs speared behind his lips and in a blink, he had flown out of the water and toward the intruders. Arosh stepped back again, taking Carwyn’s arm and pulling him behind his body. A snarl ripped from Kato’s throat, and Giovanni could scarcely draw a breath before he was overtaken. Kato grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air.
“Gio!”
“Stay back, holy man.”
At Kato’s touch, the water was drawn from Giovanni’s body. He could feel it wicking away as the water vampire drew it out of him. No shield or energy could stop it as Giovanni’s skin dried. His lips cracked. It was as if he was a sponge being wrung out by the hands of the old king.
And he was choking. Kato held him up and Giovanni knew that with one squeeze, the hands of this vampire could end him. He had no fire in this watery tomb. The air was too thick with moisture. His dry hands reached up to the iron grip of his grand-sire, but did nothing. It was like pawing at solid rock.
However, just as quickly as Kato had lifted him, the water vampire froze, took a deep breath, and lowered Giovanni to the ground. A soft look stole over the immortal’s face, and he pulled Giovanni closer. The iron hand tilted his chin up, and Kato leaned over, placed his face at Giovanni’s throat, and inhaled. Then he smiled and lowered his chin. He placed soft hands on his grandchild’s shoulders and kissed his forehead.
Giovanni remained motionless. He had no idea what had just happened. Arosh, as if reading his mind, strode over and placed a hand on his ancient rival’s shoulder. Kato flinched under his touch, but turned a beatific smile on Arosh, as well.
“You have enough. Excellent. Otherwise you would be dead. Kato smells his blood. He reacts to most strangers like this, which is why your friend should not approach.” Arosh was almost whispering, as he placed a hand on Kato’s forehead and stroked his friend’s hair back with the gentlest of touches. “But you are of his direct line, and he smells his blood in you. This is why you are not in danger. I carry his blood as well, though it is not as strong.”
“What has happened to him? What is this?”
“This, son of Andreas, is the result of curing bloodlust. Your grand-sire’s amnis is shattered. Barely functioning. His body is as vital as it ever was, but the brilliant mind that was nurtured by the fifth element is broken. He is a creature of instinct now.”
Giovanni was reeling. “How is this possible?”
“Come with me, and I will tell you.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Svaneti, Republic of Georgia
November 2012
“Pride, my friends, is the deadliest of fires. While other flames burn the surface, pride burns from within. It works its way from the heart until it consumes you. And like any fire, it will eat its prey until it is smothered or quenched.”
They were sitting in Arosh’s private rooms. A low fire burned in an earthen fireplace, and silk-covered couches encircled it. The panels of the ceiling had been drawn back, and the night sky was cold and clear. Smoke drifted up to be carried away by a breeze as Giovanni, Arosh, and Carwyn sat around the fire, drinking the sweet red wine the ancient fire vampire poured.
“My three friends and I were more proud than any other immortals who walked the Earth. We had reason to be. We were kings and queens. Civilizations existed at our pleasure. And in our arrogance, perhaps we forgot…” A smile lifted the corner of Arosh’s mouth. “We were not gods.”
Giovanni stared at him. “How did it happen?”
“I will go back to the beginning. I do not know all that Ziri has told you. He only wrote that I should answer any questions you had about the elixir.”
“How did it come to be? What has it done to my grand-sire?”
Arosh took a sip of wine. “I was the first to reach Kufa at the beginning of the eighth century as the Romans counted, but Kato followed soon after. The city was becoming rich with ideas. Innovation. An interesting atmosphere in a region that hadn’t seen such enlightenment for too long. Years later, I was introduced to the alchemist. Jabir was from Khorasan, a province in Persia where I had kept a home for hundreds of years. I was familiar with his people.”
Arosh’s dark eyes were amused. “Jabir was so bright for a human. Our discussions quickly progressed to the point where I confided in him my true nature. I suspected he was trustworthy. And if he proved not to be?” Arosh shrugged. “He was easily disposed of. Kato joined us in our discussions soon after I revealed myself. Jabir was enthralled with us both.”
Giovanni asked, “What of Ziri and Saba?”
“They arrived years after we did. Ziri already had a home in the area with some distant members of his clan. Saba lived as my wife while we were there. She chafed at the ridiculous restrictions of that culture regarding their women, but tolerated it for us.”
“So…” Carwyn cleared his throat. “You and Saba were…”
Arosh smiled. “Saba takes whatever lover she chooses. The four of us have always been close, but she only tolerates me for brief periods.” His smile widened. “We are too much alike and value our independence too fiercely.”
Giovanni said, “But you were all in Kufa with Geber—Jabir at the end of the eighth century?”
“Yes. The alchemist was doing fascinating experiments regarding the artificial creation of life. Ridiculous premise now, but at the time, it was a serious study. Jabir was the first who saw the possibilities that combining our blood could have.”
Carwyn reached for the bottle of wine. “How did he get the idea to begin with?”
“He saw how we healed each other. Kato and Saba had been fighting with daggers one night—she has always had a fondness for them—and Ziri and I were sharing wine with the alchemist. Kato managed to put a slice in Saba’s face.” Arosh laughed. “She was so irritated with him! Of course, he simply bit his tongue and cleaned the wound for her without a thought. Jabir noticed it and became fascinated.”
“With the healing properties?” Carwyn asked.
“Yes. He began interviewing us. Making many notes about us. Our blood. How we healed. How we fed. He asked so many questions. Jabir noted four unique properties of vampire blood. Our blood healed, sustained life, and sated hunger. But it could not be consumed by humans. He tried, and it made him quite ill.”
Giovanni held his glass out for more wine, and Arosh filled it. “And he combined the blood?”
“Yes, we already knew that blood of the same element did little to heal a serious injury. The four of us had discovered that through the centuries, but we had never made the connection between that fact and our elemental affinity.”
Carwyn’s eyes narrowed on Arosh. “What do you mean?”
“Jabir concluded that the dominant element in immortal blood—fire for me, earth for you—is what gives us our strength. To feed our own strength does little to repair our bodies, but to strengthen the other elements within us?
That
is what gave further strength and healing.”
Carwyn said, “I’m still not understanding this.”
Arosh leaned toward the fire. “Think, holy man! Blood contains all four elements. My blood has the strongest heat, the fire. Yours has the strongest
substance
, that is what enables you to control the earth as you do. Samson’s blood connects him to the air. Kato’s to the water. I have no need to feed the fire within my blood—”