Darkest Prince (16 page)

Dario’s butt kicking session came to mind, his skill, speed and powerful moves. Before Khalon had a chance,
I had grabbed him, flipped him over my hip and he was sprawled out on the floor. Power rippled through my body, my inner vampire coming out to play! “Stay down Khalon. It’s time I show you all what I have learnt!” I crooked my finger at Thane and quirked my eyebrow in a taunt. I’d moved fast, I’d opted for a move that he wasn’t anticipating  and the look that he was giving me, told me that Thane had got my number – this is where I had to have my wits about me. If Thane got the upper hand, then my plan would fail.

Thane ran at full speed, buzzing past me over an over, each time, trying to connect a fist or a foot. I dodged his moves predicting them. He had done this as part of his training
regime with new recruits, only to conceal his identity as a vampire he hadn’t moved as fast. I anticipated a move, lunged and made a direct hit to his groin. As he bent over, I lifted my knee to his face. Blood made my vampire senses kick in. My fangs elongated and desperately wanted to sink into Thane. Despite my temporary victory, Thane struck hard and fast. We moved with precision, each scoring blows that would’ve made a grown man keel over. I fought dirty, aiming low, striking his groin again. I followed through with another elbow to his nose. Curses flew from his mouth as I countered his moves until I was able to flip him onto his back. I made a stabbing action to his chest letting him know that if I’d had a blade; it would be sticking from his chest.

I backed away feeling somewhat victorious. Winking at the young wannabe assassin I rounded
on Carlos. “I think you have proved your point Shyla. Now if you have finished with playing with my men, I suggest you make yourself presentable for our meeting.” I could feel his anger through the bond. I felt my breath catch and steadied my breathing making sure that no one else picked up on the fact that he had this hold on me. His power called out to me and my traitorous body responded.

I wiped away a trickle of blood that was leaking from my nose as Thane and Khalon moved closer to Carlos.
Khalon pointed at the young assassin and said “Return to you quarters, if you breathe a word of what has transpired in this room, I will make sure that those words will be your last.”

My fangs ached to sink into their skin and rip away their throats.

Carlos faced Thane and Khalon. “Escort hunter to his room and get cleaned up. I want you heading security whilst the Prince is here. Dario and his men will be arriving for a meeting with the chairman of the Security Council and the Chief Executive of Security. Shyla DeLuise has requested a meeting. No one and I mean no one is to harm Dario or any of his men, there is a temporary truce until the government have returned to their office. Do I make myself clear?”

I made a mental note of his words, noticing that the truce would only last until the officials were out of the picture.

Khalon and Thane looked both surprised and annoyed. They gave a curt nod of their heads and hauled the young hunter to his feet and propelled him from the room.

Carlos spun on his heel so he faced
me; his eyes took in my appearance, checking over the many small bruises that were beginning to appear. They lingered on the smattering of blood that had dripped from my nose to my chest, before finally landing on my face. “I take it you are no longer feeling the need to burn off some energy? Has your little show of power satisfied your need?” He was smirking at me, he knew exactly what he did to me when he revved up his power, and he knew that I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

I smirked back at him
, “That was better than sex!”

Heading out of the door I heard him say, “Then I had better pull
some moves and make you rethink that a round with Thane and Khalon is better than spending a night with me.”

He had no right to make my insides ignite, no right to make my body react the way that it did, but there was no mistaking the fact that there was something between us. Lust? Attraction?
Or, maybe it was the bond? Whatever it was, I needed to ignore it. He was bad news and so was Dario.

As we walked back to his private quarters I felt a slight ruffling in my mind. I turned to glare at Carlos.
“I’m sorry; I just wanted to make sure that you were okay.” I gave a small smile and waited for him to catch up the few steps that had separated us. “I thought you would be nervous about meeting the government, but you surprised me earlier by requesting a meeting with them.”

“
Why should I be nervous? You said yourself that they wanted me to work for them. Unless you think they have some sort of authority over me?” I eyed him suspiciously. “Carlos, please tell me honestly, did they put a contract out on me?”

His head was shaking before he’d even said the word no. “The only vampires they are interested in are the ones that have come through the police departments. Any other authorised kill has come directly from me.”

I slowed my pace and couldn’t help feeling annoyed. “Did you put a contract out for me when I had been sired?” I lowered my guard, let our minds meet, hoping that I would know if he answered truthfully.

“There was no contract on you Shyla
. I did send my men after you, but that was to bring you back, and Dario’s kill order was from me, not the government.” He gave a small shrug of his shoulders, “The hunters that fired at you, they had been bribed. There are more people in play here than you could ever imagine Shyla.” I didn’t doubt his words. Anyone could be bought if the price was right!

Whi
lst I didn’t like the idea of the kill order on Dario coming from the government, it made logical sense to me that Carlos had issued it. It did make me wonder how many of the kills I’d made were to further his cause and not issued from the authorities. Perhaps I shouldn’t dwell on such matters, not when there were more important matters that needed attention.

I knew when Dario had arrived, not because his arrival had caused a commotion,
but I could sense him. I let my vampire radar flare and welcomed all the red lights that accompanied Dario.

A
weight that had settled around my vampire heart felt as though it had lifted. Letting my mental barrier down, I felt him there instantly. His presence in my mind, offering warmth and comfort. There were no words spoken through the link, but I could feel his soft caress embracing me. I’d missed the mental connection, missed how he made me feel so cherished. I let the emotions sink into my body, wrap around me and enjoyed how it felt.

Selfishly I
remained quiet, not wanting him to know how much I relished the contact that he was offering. He had blocked me, left me feeling alone and broken. He could do it again and I don’t think I would ever cope with feeling so lost again.

Slowly I retreated, closing my mind to him once more. I pulled on a pair of black combat trousers and tight fitting t-shirt. A pair of standard issue boots was under the bed, I was just putting them on when Carlos opened the door to my room. He was wearing full fatigues and looked dangerous.
Not just the clothing, but his expression was frightening. Rising from the bed, I took several steps away to put a bit of distance between us. His eyes tracked the movement making him feel all the more dangerous.

Hoping that my body looked relaxed and that I wasn’t showing any signs of the fear that I was feeling
. I asked, “What’s got you all worked up?” He closed the door behind him and leant against the door. I could feel his anger, but it didn’t excite me. Power excited me. This was something dark and woven deep within.

“
The King, Prince Dario and the whole fucking entourage have arrived. His men have surrounded my grounds and are standing like sentinels in the conference room.” This was not good; I had made him give me his word that no harm would come to Dario or his men, but hadn’t bargained on Marco attending.

“Will you offer armistice to Marco, even if it is a temporary reprieve like the one that you kindly offered to Dario?”
I held my breath as he paced the floor. Carlos flexed his muscular arms as his fists clenched and he grit his teeth together.

Finally he stopped pacing and took a steadying breath. “If you wish that I grant a temporary reprieve, then I will, but know that there is a price for such a request.”

This was like doing a deal with the devil. I swallowed back the bile that was rising in my throat and thought I had taken a swig of water from the chalice that came from the fountain of hell.

My mind reeled at the possibilities as dread spread through my body.
“I would be a fool to agree to such a thing without knowing what you want from me.” I wasn’t delusional, I knew that whatever deal I was about to make, included me.

“I will agree to grant a truce for as long as you remain here with me.”

Frowning, I looked at him and asked “Why do I feel that there is more to that request than you are letting on… When you say remain here with you, what are you expecting from me?”

“It’s a simple enough request for the life of the King….What is your answer?”

I thought about all of the guards that were currently situated in the training facility. Carlos had specifically said that no harm would come to Dario, but once the government had made it back to their office, then the truce would be over. I had to assume that the same rules applied with the King, he wouldn’t want to ruin his reputation with the humans. He had worked hard to get them to trust him. Killing the King without a direct order from them would bring forth a war that they wouldn’t want. I could only hope that I was right!

“I’m no fool
Carlos; I’m not a puppet that you can control. I will not allow you to try and control me this way. You have a good heart, but you are narrow minded in your own needs and wants…. Obsessed with revenge.” I held up my arms in exasperation and continued my rant. “Why would I want to be surrounded by that when I know that you could be a better person, a better race? You have created an army, trained them to silently kill to protect the humans, yet you think killing the King because he dared to set foot in your castle is the answer? If it got out that the government were here, what do you think will happen? The humans will no longer accept you and your race. They will hunt you down and destroy the very thing that you have created. Vampires would no longer be passive in this vendetta that you have chased for centuries.”

He took a step closer and tugged me close to his chest. I went willingly. His temper had evened out and he looked
so lost as he processed my words. “It’s all I know Shyla, it consumes me from the inside, eating away at me through my waking hours…. I need you Shyla; I need you to keep me grounded. I need you to make me whole.” Lowering his head, he gently kissed me on the forehead and said, “I give amnesty to the King for the duration of this visit, but if there is a threat to my life or yours, then all bets are off, whether the government are here or not.”

I heaved a sigh of
relief; it was good to know that he cared enough to keep me safe. I didn’t want to think about the reasons; my mind would go into meltdown if I thought about it for too long.

“Come, before your sire tires of waiting.” He placed a hand in the small of my back and guided me towards the conference room. I kept my breathing even, focused on the task in hand and knew that the shit was about to hit the fan.

A ticking clock or a foot tapping would’ve made the entry into the room more bearable, but entering to the sound of silence was somewhat more daunting. Dario and Marco were seated at a smaller table in front of a large desk, both men turned to look at me as I made my way to the government officials. I noticed Mackinley and Arius among the line of guards closest to the King and Prince, and gave a small nod of my head as acknowledgement. The four walls were lined with the King’s and Prince’s men. None of the young hunters, nor thane and Khalon were present, which given the fact that they needed to blend into the background and not be noticed, meant that they couldn’t really come and rub shoulders with the vampires that they might be sent out to kill.

It was then that I realised that Carlos was entering a room full of vampires, and he was doing it because I had called this meeting.
Was he doing this… for me? Or to prove to his uncles that he was a force to be reckoned with?

The government officials
wore similar blue pinstriped suits and both wore a tie that had a pin attached to it, it was obviously a symbol, but I wasn’t about to bend over to take a look. One of the men wore glasses that were heavily tinted. On either side of the officials, stood two guards that held semi automatic weapons, they had them poised and ready to fire.

“Gentlemen, thank you for meeting with me.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank King DeLuise and Prince Dario for showing their support in my quest to bring peace between the races.” I turned to face Carlos, “and thank you Carlos, for graciously offering amnesty during our meeting.” I sent a silent prayer that all parties would adhere to a peaceful meeting and that Dario and Marco understood that this was a one time only offer. As soon as the meeting was over, Carlos would go back to plotting his revenge. I was sure of it!

Dario rose from his seat and the guns were aimed in his direction. Carlos gripped my wrist letting me know that I was to remain by his side. “Thank you Dario, please, remain in your seat
, I’m able to think better when I can pace the floor.” I pinned the two goons with the guns with a glare and said, “Hold your twitchy fingers boys, it would feel less intimidating if you could lower your weapons.” They looked to the two officials, once they gave a small nod of their heads; the goons lowered their guns, but held them so they could fire if the need arose.

“Mrs DeLuise, if I may… My name is
Donald Logan and I’m the Chairman of the Security Council, and my colleague here is Grant Matthews and his position is Chief Executive of the Security Council.”

I approached the Chief
and offered my hand. Donald stood from his seat, reached across and gave a firm shake. Grant remained seated but shook hands and gestured to a chair opposite him. It meant that I would have my back to the King and the Prince. I flicked a glance in their direction, not wanting to do anything offensive or disrespectful; Dario gave a warm smile and nodded for me to sit.

Donald remained standing and addressed me. “My colleague and I have been following your progress over the years, we are very keen to invite you
to join our team. I want you to understand that this decision was made over a year ago.” Donald looked beyond me to where Dario sat, before looking back at me. “Every attempt to bring you back to the training facility failed. As a result you find yourself in a rather tenuous position. Your purpose in life has changed. Yet you still act with flawless virtues, meaning that you are more desirable than ever to have as a member of our team.”

I flicked a glance between the two men before my eyes settled on Donald Logan once more. “You are asking me if I want to join the Security
Council?” Donald nodded and waited patiently for me to speak. “You’ve obviously got a particular role that you want me for, if I decide to join you, what will you have me doing? Going out and mindlessly killing vampires? I should remind you at this point in our discussions that I am now a miscegenation of two species.”

Grant Matthews rose from his seat and spoke. “
I’m sure that Carlos has spoken to you about his men being bribed, he advised you that there are others involved.” I gave a slow nod of my head as I remembered the brief conversation that we’d had about his men firing at me. “Then I think it is time to make you aware of what you will be getting involved with should you decide to join us.” He cast a quick worried glance at Donald and the two men that had guns held them up.

I jumped up from my seat to have several guards leap in front of me. Carlos, Marco and Dario were out of their seats ready to protect me, and power poured from them. Grant motioned for the men with the guns to hold their fire and said “You’ve got nothing to worry
about, we’re all friends here, all on the same side.”

It seemed that everyone was waiting for me. I’m not sure what they were waiting for exactly, but given that my sire, the King and Hunter were all ready to do battle, all with the same purpose in mind, I guessed that I had to calm them down enough to restore the conversation. Forcing my fangs to retreat, I gently touched each guard that had leapt in front of me, ready to die in order to protect me and said “Thank you, please, return to your position.” They
stepped away but remained close.

I could feel Marco using his mind control holding Donald and the two goons in place. Dario
wrapped an arm around my shoulder and gently pulled me back to the protection that the three males offered. Carlos cast a glance at me before catching hold of my wrist. Great!

Grant cleared his throat and said, “Carlos, you are born with magic in your blood, your mother was a witch, your
father a vampire.”

Carlos quirked his eyebrow and said, “Yes Grant, now that we have had a quick history and reproduction lesson, what does that have to do with Shyla?”

“I’m afraid it doesn’t just affect Mrs DeLuise, it affects all of you.” He walked around the large desk and perched on the edge of it. “I have worked with the government for seventy years.” I let that bit of information process in my brain and wondered how he didn’t look a day over thirty. “I’m a seer,” he lifted his glasses and the three males hissed in unison. Grant lifted a hand to silence them and said, “There is a magic user amongst us, practicing the dark arts. I have seen his intention, he wants to create a new breed, one that is strong enough to wipe out the hunters and vampires.” That had the male’s attention. I’d stopped listening to his words, more interested in watching his cloudy grey eyes. There was no pupil or iris, no white that surrounded the seeing part of the eye. His eyes were like looking at a cloudy sky, the clouds moved and swirled as though there was a breeze blowing them.

Carlos gave my wrist a small
sharp-squeeze, bringing me back into the room. “Don’t look at them Shyla, whatever you do, never look into a seer’s eyes like that again. He can strip your mind; make you believe whatever he wants.”

Grant turned towards
Carlos, his eyes pinning him, but all I could see were the ever moving grey clouds. It was eerie and creeping me out, could he see us? Did his eyes see normally? “How did you know that Carlos?” Carlos’s answer to Grants question came in the form of a shrug of his shoulders. Grant turned to look directly at me. “I am able to strip your mind, but I am only able to replace it with a future that I have seen. A pretty worthless talent when we are trying to stop you from being wiped out.”

Whoa…
There were too many freaky factors going on here. I needed a break so I could think.

Grant replaced his
tinted glasses over his eyes and turned to face Marco. “Perhaps the King would be kind enough to release Donald and the guards.” He didn’t wait for a response, his head whipped back to me. “Shyla, our team would benefit greatly with you on our side. Think about it. Let’s break for an hour and reconvene and discuss this matter further.”

Donald and the others were looking
perplexed, Grant had moved from his side and we were obviously finishing a conversation that they hadn’t been party too. I blew out a breath through thin lips and nodded. “I would like to discuss another issue with you before we break.”