New Kingdom: European Court Ch. 11

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MicKay
MicKay
639 Followers

"That's ridiculous. She's like what ....eighteen?"

"Try two."

"Two?

"We found her as a newborn infant two years ago. What's does that tell you?" Phillip snapped and starting walking away.

"It tells me that American girls definitely grow up fast," Alex whispered and then grinned at Phillip's retreating back.

***

Edward finished dressing and turned to find Iona watching him. He looked at her expression and saw the fear that she failed to hide from him. The few short hours they had just shared were filled with conflict and unresolved questions. He had wanted to touch her gently and let their union be sweet and loving. But she seemed to panic pushing him to become more forceful, more physical. After finally agreeing to an altered pace, they were able to find satisfaction in each other's arms but neither were happy about the compromise.

"Iona, I want you to stay with Alena and the kids while I'm away."

"You make that sound like you're going on a business trip," she snapped and then added in a lower tone, "Honey, I'll be staying at the Holiday Inn in Pasadena. Why don't you go visit your sister and the kids while I'm gone?"

"Iona," Edward said with a pleading voice. "What do you want me to do? I can't walk out of here knowing that you're angry."

"I know that there are things that you can't share. And I've been very understanding on issues involving your work or your brothers. But now, you are hiding something from me. I can feel it."

Sitting beside her on the bed, Edward looked into her eyes for several seconds and then pulled her close. While she resisted at first, he smiled when she allowed him to pull her onto his lap.

"Only a few years ago, I could have given you everything. And now, I can't promise you anything."

"What are you saying?"

"I mean that changes are taking place that will eliminate my role in this world. The New Kingdom is transitioning into the last stage and, while I'm glad to finally hand the reins to someone else, I don't know how you're going to like the new life."

"What new life?"

"I will probably never return to the American Court. We will always have money but not the title unless the kids ask us to be advisors."

"Well that just sucks because everybody knows that I'm in it for the power. Edward, I wasn't exposed to your life long enough to understand it. And to be honest, I didn't like what I did understand."

"But everything will be new."

"I'm getting used to change," she said with a smile. "For the record, I've read the book. I knew this was coming. Why would you hide from me?"

"Ego, maybe?" he offered. "I can't seem to get a grip on not knowing what is waiting in our future."

"Our future, Edward. That's what we have. Our future."

***

Emma finished dressing in her simple ensemble of jeans and a white t-shirt. As she laced the tennis shoes tight, she glanced at Antony and caught him staring at her with an expression mixed with pain, fear and love. Not necessarily in that order.

"I'll be fine," she said and gave him a smile. "I'm no hero so you should know that I wouldn't do this if I didn't know that I'll be fine."

"Emma," he said quietly, "Gabriel has promised to protect you as he would his mate or children."

"Why would he do that? Did he give the same promise to Edward and Tec?"

"I don't know and I don't care," he snapped. "God , why did I let this stupid idea become a plan?"

"Because it's a good plan," she said as she walked to him. "We need to do this. Bring an end to this fear surrounding us and start living."

Before he could speak, a loud knock sounded on the door just before Tec walked in escorting Gloria close to his side.

"Are you two ready?" he asked without any greeting.

"Yes," Emma answered and then turned to her mother. "How do I look?"

"Perfect," she said mocking Emma's pose. "It's like looking in a mirror."

As the women laughed, the men noticed that they truly did look like a mirrored images. Dressed in similar clothes, both had their hair back in simple ponytails. The only difference was that one woman's life fed the existence of one man while the other woman sustained another brother. Neither could be lost.

"It's time to meet downstairs," Tec finally said.

***

As the group moved through the house, others exited the guest rooms and followed the procession. While the men had fought many times in the past, they had never had so much at stake. One careless move could destroy all of their lives. The group descended the stairs to gather in the foyer where they were met by Gabriel who insisted on arriving first.

When the last man had arrived, Gabriel looked each person in the eye and said, "The time has come for our people to bring an end to this rebellion. The fight will be quick which means victory can be soon but only if we follow the plan. I understand that everyone has something to lose and some of you may think you have a better strategy. But I warn you, if you act outside of the plan, lives will be lost. So I'm telling you now, if I sense that one man tries to be a hero, I will destroy you myself. Are there any questions?"

When no one responded, Gabriel nodded his head and said, "Where is Alesso?"

"I'm here sir," the quiet man said moving through the crowd. "But George has not returned. I fear for his safety."

"If he is alive, we will bring him home," Gabriel answered. "But his deception has placed him in this jeopardy. Are you ready to fulfill your part?"

"Yes sir," he said nodding his head but never looking up from the floor.

"Antony," Gabriel said.

Antony moved forward with Emma tucked beneath his arm. As he approached Alesso, he hesitated and looked at Gabriel before holding her hand to the quiet assistant.

"If anything happens to her, I promise that your suffering will know no end," he vowed and walked away.

"Go now," Gabriel said to Alesso and Emma. "We will be close behind." When Emma turned to leave, Gabriel caught her hand and said, "I promise that you will be safe."

When the two humans had left the house, Gabriel looked at Tec and nodded his head. Watching his brother escort his mate out the door, he waited until he remained alone with the warriors who would lead the numerous soldiers waiting outside.

"Instruct your men to follow orders and everyone will return," he reminded them. "I am ordering you to eliminate anyone who tries to alter the plan. We will move fast. The only delay will be delivering those who surrender into Phillip's care. His men will accept the transfer and move them to the house."

"What will the human do?" someone asked.

"Yeah, why doesn't he babysit the cowards and let Phillip fight with us?" another voice asked.

"Because he is not trained in subduing our kind," he answered and then smiled. "He kills vampires for a living. It's time. Let's move."

As the men, exited the room, Alex walked up to Gabriel, "Hey thanks for that heartwarming introduction. I really felt the ice cold barriers drop when you told them that I was trained to kill their own people."

"Your training won't save you if you don't alter the object of your desire," Gabriel replied.

"Hey about that," Alex said. "It's no big deal. She's a very pretty girl but I'm a man who likes to stay within his species."

"Arrogant fool."

"Excuse me?"

"Do you honestly think that your wishes will matter if she should be attracted to you? Our mates, including your mother, were all humans who liked to stay within their species," Gabriel said walking away.

"So," Alex said when he was standing alone in the foyer, "you think she's interested too."

He grinned, grabbed his gear and followed the others out of the house.

****

Kabah sat on his thrown staring at the remains of the human servant. This news would not be accepted well by the others. Even now he wondered who he could blame for the negligence that had cost them everything. He knew that power did not include their physical strength - even that had limits -- but their power was based on control and control was a result of the ability to invoke fear into others. With no money, they would be not able to accomplish this goal.

Wondering how much time he had before the others would learn of his failure, Kabah stood to his feet, kicked away the pieces that had once been a man named George and contemplated his next move. Over and over, he reached the same conclusion: Run.

Turning to the door, he was surprised to find that five of his brothers had entered the room. His welcoming façade slipped when he recognized the same malicious humor in their grins he had used with George. His day would not end well.

"Kabah," one of newly arrived brothers said, "you look distressed."

"He doesn't know the meaning of distressed," another added, "like we did when we were able to assess the damage."

"Damage?" Kabah asked nervously.

"Do not lie now brother," Hamak chided. "Our brothers have just arrived to share some very bad news. Our empire is nearly destroyed. Now, on the brink of war, when we should be preparing for battle, we are almost destitute."

"How can we possibly recover?" another one asked as they moved further into the room.

"I will look into it immediately," Kabah promised. "Give me a few hours to have my people research...."

"Your people?" Hamak asked. "Your people?! Is this not one of your people lying in pieces on the floor?"

"I can explain," he responded. "The New Kingdom discovered the enemy in their camp and was able to reverse the ...."

"We know what happened! What we need to know is how we can recover?"

"Well that's simple brothers," Kabah said with a smile. "We were only skimming from the New Kingdom wealth before. After we've annihilated them, we will take everything they possessed. We will be richer than ever."

"We certainly will," one agreed nodding to the others as they circled Kabah. "Because we will now only need to split the lot by five."

In a swift motion, the five Panthralges attacked their brother thereby increasing their share of the spoil but decreasing their number of warriors.

***

"What was that?" Alesso asked stepping behind Emma. "What was that noise?"

"Sounds like an animal being tortured," Emma whispered squinting in the darkening horizon. "Let's keep moving."

"What? No! What if it gets us? Oh god, poor George."

"Listen, Gabriel made it clear what we need to do. The sooner we complete our part, the sooner this whole thing will be over," Emma said leading Alesso by the hand.

"I don't think we will survive," he mumbled quietly.

"What?"

"Not you. George. And me. I don't think we will survive."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because we should have been killed for our deception but Lord Melchiorre kept us for ...for bait."

"Is that so?" Emma asked stopping to face the man. "The only thing you have to do involves me. So should I be concerned that I'm being used as bait?"

"Oh no! No! He would never endanger your life!"

"Then keep moving so we can return home," she replied. "We shouldn't be far now."

***

"My lord," said a vampire servant of the Panthralges. "Two humans are approaching the temples. We could smell them when we woke."

"How far away?" one of the beasts asked the man bowed on the floor.

"The will arrive within minutes, my lord, but ..."

"But?"

"There are vampires approaching behind them. I believe it is a trap, my lord," the servant answered.

"Of course it is," the Panthralges replied with a laugh and kicked the man across the floor. "Brothers, let us see our guests and bring an end to this New Kingdom tonight."

***

"Are we close?" Emma asked Alesso. "I don't remember much about this place."

"Very close," Alesso answered quietly. "Emma ... I'm sorry."

"For what ...." she started but shrieked when Alesso kicked the back of her knee causing her to fall to the ground.

Before she could stand, he placed his foot on her back between her shoulder blades and pinned her to the ground. She struggled to move but was unable to budge the weight holding her in place. Submitting to her only recourse, Emma began screaming for him to move and someone to help her.

"Shut up, bitch," he yelled pressing his foot harder on her back. "Hello? Hello? I bring a piece offering to you, lord. I am a friend of George and a friend to you. Hello?"

"Alesso," Emma sobbed from the dirt, "don't do this. Please Alesso, please let me go."

"I said shut up!" he screamed kicking her side so she rolled on her back.

"Well, well. What have you brought to us, Alesso," a graveled voice called from the hidden entrance. "Is this our little American girl? Why would you invoke your employer's anger by bringing her to us?"

"She is nothing," Alesso answered ignoring the girl on the ground.

"Antony Melchiorre must disagree with that assessment. He has fought to protect her from us and has even come into our home to take her away."

"She is nothing to me," the man clarified. "Lord Melchiorre... is nothing ... to me."

"Is that so? Do you know you were followed?"

"No, my lord," Alesso answered. "I was careful to constantly look behind me."

"I wasn't asking if you were followed," the Panthralges said exiting the temple door. "I was asking if you were aware that you were followed."

"What? No! Oh no, please my lord, please take the girl."

"For what price? Protection against your employer's wrath?"

"No," Alesso answered. "I will give you her in exchange for George. He came here earlier and has not returned nor called me to say that he is safe."

"Ah! Is that all?" the Panthralges said with a chuckle. "Deal. Brother, bring me the messenger."

As the Panthralges bartered with Alesso, Emma rolled again moving to the large stone nearby. She could hear the exchange and fleetingly wondered about Alesso's loyalty to Antony. What had pushed him to turn against his employer? Certainly Antony had not earned this betrayal. Was Alesso really acting on behalf of his feelings for George? Contemplating this possibility, Emma moved behind the stone and cringed when she heard Alesso's cry of anguish.

Turning to look at the reason for his cries, she saw that the Panthralges were delivering their end of the bargain. They had brought George out of the cave and were giving him to Alesso -- piece by piece. While Antony had prepared her for the brutality distributed by the Panthralges, Emma was not prepared for sight of the lifeless head that rolled with two feet of her hiding place.

"No!" Alesso cried. "No, George, no!"

"Hush little man," one of the beasts said walking closer. "Everything will be fine."

"How?!" he demanded with a sob. "How will everything be fine?"

"You will join you friend very soon," the Panthralges answered reaching for the man before him.

Emma forced her limbs to move as she heard the screams and then sickening sounds of flesh and bone being separated and crushed. Her stomach turned as she knew the man who had escorted her to the tombs was now dead. The fear of that same cruelty so close to her heels spurred her to keep running.

"Would someone please catch the little mouse scurrying away?" a Panthralges asked with a boring tone. "And then bring me the heads of these vampires hiding in the dark. Damn you, Philandros! You barely have two dozen men! And I thought our numbers were down," he said with a laugh to his brothers.

Emma ran wondering if she was moving as slow as it seemed. Tripping over an invisible object, she fell hard to the ground and crawled behind some brush. Catching her breath, she reminded herself to keep moving.

The vampires under Panthralges control quickly climbed from their caves and graves to follow their masters' orders. Several ran for the human girl hoping to earn a taste of her sweet blood as a reward. Quickly advancing over the pitiful creature, one vampire grabbed her hair flipping her to her backside. As he dragged her to his lord, he felt a conflicting question but was too eager to please his master. Some of his group ran with him cheering his success while others raced to devour the few soldiers sent by the New Kingdom.

Approaching one of the Panthralges, the vampire was careful to avoid breaking the neck of the pretty blond woman. He knelt before his master and turned to the woman when the awful truth became apparent.

"My lord ...." he started.

"Well done dog. Go help the others."

"But my lord...."

"I said to help the others!" the Panthralges raged kicking the vampire away.

Watching him scurry backwards on his hands and knees gave a beast a moment of pleasure. Turing to the small female, he chuckled at the sound of her sobs and futile attempt to crawl away. Again. He quickly grasped her ankle and pulled her back towards him and once again let her go so she could attempt to escape. Finally growing bored, he pulled her close wrapping her hair around his claw and turned her to face him.

"What the hell?!" he demanded.

"What the hell?!" another Panthralges demanded looking at the two armies before him.

Looking from his prey to the battle field, he was shocked to see the earth between his warriors and those of the New Kingdom shift. As though it were regurgitating the dead, the ground opened and a multitude of vampires, brandishing a variety of weapons, leaped out to intercept his soldiers. Seeing the additional vampires was not the most startling sight. He was almost spellbound when he assessed that the leader was neither Gabriel Philandros nor any other of the Third Creation. It was a human.

Thinking of humans, the Panthralges remembered his captive and struggled to twist her face toward his. She quit sobbing and started laughing. Seeing his confusion only made her laugh harder. Her mouth opened slightly revealing the glistening white fangs of a vampire.

"Who are you?" he asked with a whispered.

"My mate," Tec said from behind him. "And you will now release your hold."

Underestimating the strength of the female vampire, the Panthralges turned to see Tec move closer. In harmony, the mated pair attacked the red beast quickly taking advantage of his confusion. When the lifeless body fell to the ground, they were covered in the beast's blood with Tec holding the abnormally large heart.

"I still hate this plan," he said to his mate. "But it was good plan."

"Yeah, but I didn't think I would lose any hair. How much did he pull out?"

"I almost lost it when he did that. You look beautiful. Now, go. You can catch up with Phillip and your daughter if you leave now."

"But I could stay and help...." Gloria started.

"You can help," he interrupted, "by going home so I will know that you are safe."

Playfully, he turned her away and with a swat to her rear he nudged her toward the path Phillip had taken only a few moments ago. Throwing a smile over her shoulder, Gloria nodded in consent and raced after her daughter. Within moments she could see him moving ahead carrying the petit blond in his arms. If Tec was angry with the Panthralges treatment of her, then surely he understood how she had felt watching her fragile human child treated so harshly.

***

As the battle continued, the New Kingdom soldiers fought the enemy front line quickly moving closer to the tunnels. The vampires were prepared to fight their own kind and were shocked to find a human as either their leader or their fiercest opponent. The man had unsheathed a long, thin blade that appeared flimsy but proved to be lethal. He led the New Kingdom footman to intercept the first attack while the brothers of the Third Creation sought the Panthralges and others in the tombs.

"You fight like a demon," one vampire said as the human saved his hide from an opponent's grasp. "Does everyone in Australia fight like you?"

MicKay
MicKay
639 Followers