Akeldama

"I see, and you believe this will work?" Conner asked, peering up at him.

"I honestly can't say, Conner. It isn't like I run into legends every day," Giovani said with a shrug of his shoulders. "However, if this does work," nodding down to the amulet, "then the incantation to banish her should work as well."

"I see," Conner mumbled low, knowing if it did, then it would take a lot of strength to banish his mother from her kingdom. He wasn't about to fail now. No. First, he had to ensure the amulet worked, then he would move forward with his plan. "Salvatore," he spoke in a firm tone. A tone he had used for many years when he was rallying his troops.

"Yes, my lord?" Salvatore replied, knowing that tone from anywhere.

"Coordinate with Giovani, muster what forces you can, and have them ready when I call upon you. Patience, I need you to poke your nose around at the manor to see which of the nobles that didn't side with my imprisonment would be willing to take my side when the time comes. Nico, I need you to sabotage the manor's security, so when the time comes, my forces will not be hindered by whatever my mother has in place," Conner said, giving out his orders, preparing himself for the battle to come.

"What about me, Conner?" Giovani asked, peering down at him through his violet sunglasses. A little hurt that Conner would leave him out.

"You have the hardest of tasks. Are you sure you can handle it?" Conner asked in a serious tone.

"I'm eager to be of assistance, my Prince," Giovani stated, not enjoying the smile that appeared on Conner's lips.

"I was hoping you would say that," Conner said, noting how the other three were trying not to laugh at the predicament Giovani found himself in.

"And what will I be doing?" Giovani asked, knowing he was going to hate it, yet couldn't back out of it now.

"Seeing how you have your own House and not a part of my mother's. I need you to contact the other rogue Houses that you think would side with me when I oust my mother from her throne."

"Why?" Giovani asked for clarification.

"Because a new Council will be needed, and I was thinking it will consist of half of the nobles that side with me and half of the rebel Houses, where you will be the ring leader. As with the rest of you forming your own houses and sitting on the Council," Conner said, shocking the four of them.

"Conner, you want us to sit on the Council?!" Patience uttered in a mixture of awe and nervousness.

"You four are old enough to run your own Houses; you have the strength due to my blood to ensure that you raise powerful vampires. Plus, I need people on it that I know I can trust, or are you saying you'd rather stay in my shadow," Conner teased. Smirking when he heard her low whisper of: 'Yeah, how else am I going to stare at your ass.'

"Sire, the Council isn't just going to give up their power freely," Salvatore stated when he inched to the edge of his seat.

"I know, but the old Council will be sundered, and a new one must fill its place," Conner said darkly. He couldn't wait to make those that had a hand in his wife's death pay for their crime against him. "My new fledgling has made a case to ease the suffering of those the old guard deems ill fit in their eyes. So I want you three to visit these clubs around the city and see if those that are unbound are willing to join your new House. Worry not, my children, although you will stand on your own, you will always be of House Ambrose. Also, begin teaching them blood arts; it seems my mother has grown lax in foregoing such learning. It will be a boon for us when the time comes to make my move."

"Sire, not to be rude in your praise that we can handle the task of running our own House," Nico said, growing bashful under Conner's gaze. "Yet it takes money, a lot of money to operate one." Unsure why Conner had a smile on his lips.

"Giovani, if you would," Conner said, gesturing to him to hand them the bank cards he had Giovani get due to how Giovani had spirited away the fortune Conner had amassed in his long life. Having Giovani liquidate some of it so his children would have the seed to grow their Houses. "Use what means you need to gather what forces you may. Seeing how she most likely has eyes on me and every move I make, I can't be seen moving against her, at least not yet. If she learns a hint of this, we all will be dead before the rising of the sun. Given the ones I have seen, they will likely need a steady stream of blood to regain their strength. Only in private you may tell them you're Houses are a part of mine."

"Here, seeing how we all can't be seen meeting like this all the time. I went and got us all burner phones. I've preprogrammed our numbers into each one, so if we need to talk to one another, do it by text unless you are sure your conversations aren't going to be overheard," Giovani said, handing each and every one a phone. Showing Conner how to access the contact list and how to text and what a text was.

"Very wise, Gio," Conner said, testing out the nickname Iyana had given him. Hearing Patience snort when she heard it.

"My lord, don't you start with that, too," Giovani stated as he crossed his arms.

"But it just rolls off the tongue," Conner mused, pocketing the card that contained the rest of his fortune that Giovani had converted into modern-day USD. "Nico," rising to his feet, knowing he couldn't stay any longer without drawing too much suspicion from his mother, "do try and not create a harem of female vampires; I don't think Regan would be too pleased with that," he joked, noticing how Salvatore looked away as his shoulders lifted as he silently laughed.

"You best not hurt my new sister, or I'll string you up like I did back in the 1800s and leave you like that for a decade," Patience warned in a deathly tone, seeing the blood draining from Nico's face.

"I'll leave them in your care, Giovani," Conner stated, peering over at him.

"I shall try, my lord," Giovani nodded, knowing how stubborn Salvatore could be when he couldn't understand the logic he was using. Praying that Conner knew what he was doing as he watched how his maker slipped out the door.

"Hey?" Iyana's voice called to him as she appeared at his back. "Can we talk for a minute before you take off, alone? It's about what I am."

"Oh? Has Giovani not informed you of what you are?" Conner asked with an arched eyebrow when he turned to gaze at her.

"He has but not very well," Iyana said in frustration.

"Ah, he must have gone into that technical speak he normally does," Conner stated, seeing her nod. "And where was it that you wish to discuss this?"

"Follow me," Iyana said with a wave. "Okay, what exactly is a Crusnik, and how are we different than normal vampires?" she asked once she had turned around after closing and locking her bedroom door.

"Other than our duel set of fangs, we are able to survive off of other vampires where they are not," Conner stated factually, seeing the confusion in her eyes. "Have you not felt them?" Seeing Iyana shaking her head in response to his question. Jabbing his fingernail into the tip of his finger, allowing his blood to well up on the pad of it. Holding it out as a lure to draw out her second set of fangs when her eyes were glued to it. Sticking his finger into his mouth when Iyana's hand went to her mouth.

"Why now, they feel so weird," Iyana uttered, running her tongue along them, feeling the curvature of them.

"Because this is the first time one of us has offered their blood to you. So you hadn't needed to use them. The reason we have dual fangs, unlike my mother's children. It is because to feed on a vampire, one must be able to get through their skin and hold onto them while you feed. Hence why your second set of fangs is curved. Trust me, a vampire isn't going to simply stand there while you drain him or her. Unless you aren't like me and only take a pint or two from them. But once they know what you are, they aren't likely to let you go, so it would be best just to drink them dry. Have you not heard the tales of what normal vampires call those of us?"

"Yeah, who hasn't?" Iyana answered.

"Well, those tales were originally about me. I had fun in my youth and took delight in the hunt. You'd be surprised the looks on their faces when the hunter becomes the hunted," Conner said with a cruel smile. "Other than that, not much of a difference between the two of us. We still suffer from the sun. We still must sleep during the day. Yet, unlike them, if you're ever in a pinch or failed in luring a human to your embrace, you may take solace in the fact you may extend your life on vampiric blood. Although I should warn you, vampire blood has a little more kick to it than normal human blood."

"Thanks for speaking with me; I know you're busy," Iyana said in a kind tone as she saw him to the hidden door. "Maybe, when you're not too busy, you'll come back and show this old girl some of those tricks you've learned over the centuries," she purred in a lustful tone. Seeing that sinful smile of his gracing his lips when she uttered those words.

"I don't know, Lady Iyana, if I did, I don't think you could go back to what you've experienced before," Conner said in a cocky tone.

"You never know, but remember, I am very flexible," Iyana said, wiggling her eyebrows at him as she held the door open for him. "Until next time we see each other," she spoke, running her eyes down his body, mentally undressing him in her mind.

******

Slipping into the shadows once Iyana had shut the door. It wasn't the first time he's felt eyes on him when he has done this. More so when he was alone. His eyes darted about, feeling that presence drawing nearer.

"You weren't this guarded for the past hundred years, li'l immortal," came a silky disembodied voice from all around him. Conner spun around, his unnatural eyesight peering around the dark, twisted landscape that was in-between the land of the living and the land of the dead. It wasn't a place he hadn't seen before; after all, he had wandered that place for years.

"Who are you?" Conner asked, his voice echoing along the dark landscape.

"Come now, I'm a little hurt you don't remember me. You are using the gift I gave you to travel through my domain. A place I know for certain you made yourself at home in." Conner arched an eyebrow when that chuckle had a feminine feel to it.

"Then please forgive my feeble mind for not holding on to all the years I was here," Conner spoke, wondering where this speaker was. "May I have your name once again."

"Erebus^[2]." As the name was whispered on what that realm considered wind, Instantly, the realm seemed to reorder itself before consolidating into a towering hundred-foot tall being that his eyes couldn't properly distinguish where her body began and her realm started. If he had to guess, and it would be accurate, she and it were one in the same. "Be at ease, my li'l vampire." Conner really wished he could remember what exactly had happened when he was stuck in that place as her chuckle filled the air. "I didn't reveal myself to you for payment for my gift. I've grown to enjoy the conversations we held here. So I seek to renew them. When, of course, your mind isn't preoccupied with thoughts of war."

"You know what happens outside of this place?"

"I'm a primal being; there is no power that can keep me from seeking to encroach upon the realms of man and gods." Conner felt her power bearing down on him as she spoke those words. Turning his head to the right when he felt the exit back to the mortal realm opening, knowing full well where it would lead him. "Your destiny awaits, young immortal. Until we meet again." Looking down when those very shadows that made up that realm crawled up his feet. Those tiny immaterial fingers crept up his legs as it sought to encase him in its embrace. He has been wondering why it always felt like a woman's touch when he shadow walked.

******

"Conner!" Regan exclaimed the moment he materialized into the guest room he had been using. She didn't know why, yet whenever he did that, she couldn't feel him like she had been able to ever since he turned her. Pressing the left side of her face against his chest when she hugged him hard.

"Hello, Regan," Conner said, peering down at her, lightly patting her back. He knew he was going to have to ponder on this newfound information. In all his years, he never thought beings like that existed. Then again, if his mother was real, why not them? "Have you fed again since you've returned?" Seeing how she looked off to the side when he asked that, knowing what her answer would be. "Lady Harland, I see the night hasn't stolen the beauty that you command," Conner greeted, seeing the number of blood bags on the small round table that sat between the two wing back chairs.

"Charmer," Mary spoke with a soft smile on her lips. "I'm happy to see you too, Conner. Please, come, sit," she said, gesturing to the chair.

Conner arched an eyebrow when Regan scurried over to where her hand grip exerciser lay. Watching how she was using it to gauge her strength.

"I got it for her on the way back," Mary whispered with a smile on her lips as she watched Regan progress in learning how to control her superhuman strength.

"I hope you got more than one of those; also, what is it?" Conner asked, leaning across the gap. Nodding when Mary whispered what it was into his ear. Feeling the tips of her fingers running down his left cheek. His eyes glanced over when he heard the ping of metal as its spring snapped when the metal couldn't withstand the strain Regan had placed it under. "How many is that?"

"That was her third one; she's getting better," Mary reassured him. "Now, how did your talk go?"

"Well, but things will need to be kept..."

"I understand," Mary said with a nod. "I'll be sure to keep Regan out of her sight."

"Okay, I wasn't going to ask, but what the hell is her deal?" Regan inquired, peering over at him. "It's like she acts like she's the source or some nonsense."

"Because she is the source of us," Conner said factually.

"No way, she couldn't..." Regan's words stilled in her throat as Conner nodded.

"It is wise to keep whatever you have on your mind to yourself. She wouldn't hesitate to dispatch you even if you're my child," Conner stated in deathly undertones.

"You're not joking, are you," Regan uttered in a fearful tone.

"No, I am not, not when it comes to her. So, don't ever be alone with her. If you must speak with her, either have Mary or me with you, at least then she wouldn't do something drastic... I think."

"Regan, do you think you can behave yourself for an hour?" Mary asked, getting to her feet.

"Yeah, I am twenty-four, you know?" Regan huffed.

"Good, Conner, come along; we have some rust to remove," Mary stated, swaying her hips, causing her ass to shake as she approached the room's door.

"Keep doing that and work on your hypnosis," Conner spoke in a teacherly tone, jamming the amulet that Giovani had given him between the wall and the top molding of the door before following Mary out.

Chapter Nine

"You wanted to see me?" Conner spoke in a monotone voice as he stood in her fore-chamber, where she greeted many of her little sycophants. It had been three days since they talked to one another. Three days he could genuinely say were pleasant without hearing her voice in his ear. Repeating Mary's words in his head as he stared indifferently at his mother.

"Yes, have you addressed this anger of yours?" Helen asked, slyly studying her son. Something seemed off with him as she didn't notice that anger she had seen that day. She knew it couldn't have been dealt with so quickly. Anger like that simply didn't go away overnight.

"I have," Conner answered, keeping to his indifferent tone, something that was extremely hard for him to do. When all he wanted to do was lunge forward and rip out his mother's throat.

"I see," not believing a word he spoke, "tell me, son, why that girl or any of them?"

"Be specific."

"Why turn those former humans into what you are? Come now, did you believe I didn't know what you are?" Helen asked with a coy smile. "You are my child; I know everything about you as a mother should." Waiting for Conner to utter some witty retort to that, and yet nothing emanated from his mouth. Which unnerved her a tad bit; she knew he wouldn't've wasted such an opportunity to run off on some tangent.

"My reasons are my own," Conner said offhandedly.

"Were you lonely? Is that why those five carry your blood? Conner, if that was the case, I could have made you friends," Helen said in a motherly voice. Noticing how that still didn't get any kind of response from her son.

"Is that all?"

"Of course not," Helen said, rather hurt that her son would rather be somewhere else than by her side like in the days of old. Lifting herself out of her throne, wondering what was brewing in that mind of his. "Walk with me, Conner. It's been too long since you and I have surveilled our kingdom together," she uttered in a warm tone. Seeing that twitch on his cheek as small and fleeting as it was as she looped her arm around his, telling her no matter how much he hid it. He couldn't hide all of it from her eyes. She was his mother; after all, she knew her son.

"Do you remember when you were just a boy," waving to one of her favorite nobles at the time as they passed her, "how we would do this in that castle in Transoxiana?" Helen said fondly, recounting how she created the jingshi^[3] before moving into the region where she and her children terrorized the Seljuq Turks when they waged war with the Ghaznavids before they moved on westward.

"No," Conner lied.

"Shame," Helen sighed in a little pout. "Well, I do; you would always hold my hand as we wandered the ramparts thinking you would fly away whenever a gust of wind came along," she said, giggling at the memory. Noting how the eyes of the nobles were on them as they moved about the manor. She was doing this for a reason, to show them her son was still one of them. That their House was as strong as ever. Bringing her son to a stop as she chatted away with one of the many noble men that sat on the Council. Ignoring how the shadows grew long as they were drawn to Conner as they continued chatting away. Wondering what else her lover had bestowed upon him while he was at death's door. For whom else would gift her son such gifts?

"Do you remember when we reached Constantinople in the 1100s? How we had a run of the place," Helen sighed in longing. "I do miss that city; it wasn't the same when the Turks took it over," she uttered in nostalgia.

"No," Conner lied once again. He wasn't going to give her any ounce of pleasure.

"I know you do, Conner, you're just being difficult," Helen said, patting her son's arm. If she knew killing that woman would cause her son to become like this and seek shelter away from her bosom, she would have allowed him to marry the woman. Then again, her son was never going to marry a daughter of Adam, not if she could help it. Hence why she wanted him to marry Lynn, at least then she knew while turned she was corrupted. Just like she planned on doing to the rest of Adam's offspring. Although, they were spreading around the world like a plague. "Maybe a culling is in order," Helen mused to herself.

"See, that wasn't so bad now, was it, son?" Helen said once they had returned to her private chambers.

"I think you think you're being all motherly, yet it's rather creepy," Conner said in a monotone voice. He was so eager to return to his room; at least then, he could control who he was around. Moreover, he had seen how his mother had shied away from the area near his door where he had placed the amulet over it. Pondering if it was its influence or who was in his room at the time. He would have to test that some more before he made his move. This was one fight he couldn't rush haphazardly into.