New Kingdom: Australian Court Ch. 01

"That wouldn't kill a vampire."

"No, but it held him immobile long enough for me to grab the blade in his belt. It wasn't easy, I was just a kid but somehow, I managed to cut off his head."

"Then what happened?" Joshua asked leaning close.

"So my mum is lying there, barely breathing, and I'm terrified. Suddenly my weird life just escalated into a world of monsters and death. I bent over my mum and tried to lift her thinking I could carry her back to the arena. I knew she wouldn't live long enough for me to find help and bring them to her. But I couldn't budge her. The strength I had in the fight was gone. And then I heard someone."

"Help?"

"The only help that could save her," Alex answered. "It was the big bloke that had pulled this bastard off my mum before. So I'm there thinking, he's gonna kill me but he just stares at me. So I did the only thing I knew to do. I begged. I begged him to help my mum. He waited a few seconds and then walked to her barely looking at her and never touching her. He tells me that she is beyond this human world and the only way he can save her is to change her into the same thing I just killed."

"So you had to make that choice."

"I did," Alex confirmed. "Without hesitation. I watched him bend down, bite his wrist and feed his blood to my mother. The whole time, he never quit staring at me. I don't think he ever looked at her until she woke up."

"Your mother is mated to the Conlaoch," Joshua said. "Is this guy ...?"

"The one and the same," Alex answered. "He took us home. I went from a homeless kid on the streets to a prince. But my mum ... struth. I mean, no guy thinks his mum is a dog but when she woke up, she was the woman she had never had the chance to be."

"So why do you resent it? It seems like you should be grateful."

"Oh, I am. I am grateful to Conlaoch but I know this life isn't what we are supposed to be. I am human. My mother was human and would still be if a monster hadn't taken that away from her. And now, the woman I call my mother is forever ten years younger than me."

"I still don't understand."

"I made the choice for her to live but our life, our world was taken away and replaced with his," he explained adamantly.

"Does Conlaoch know how you feel?"

"Oh yes," Alex answered. "And he's never begrudged my anger. As a matter of fact, he helped me hone my skills to benefit both of us. For all practical purposes, he immediately became my father. He provided a home, clothes, food and education. He even managed to take us on vacations, introduced me to sports, and made my life about as humanly normal as he could. But the best part was the training."

"Training for what?"

"I'm a vampire hunter. Until this fiasco with your blood, I had managed to keep our land clean of rebels. But now, we can hardly hold our own," he explained. "Hey, we're starting our descent."

The luxury jet glided through the skies in a slight downward progress until the tires connected to the runway. Without the uncomfortable pressure of standard commercial planes, the jet halted near the waiting vehicle.

"Doesn't get any better than that," Alex commented as he stood and stretched. "God, it's daytime here. I'm ready for bed and everyone else will be ready for work."

"What do you mean?" Joshua asked following Alex to the exit. "Oh yeah, you mean jet lag. We don't get it."

"Great," Alex mumbled opening the door. "What the hell?"

Before Joshua could ask any questions, he saw the large man exit the vehicle. He was very tall with broad shoulders, except for his long black hair, he favored Gabriel. This man could only be the vampire king known as Conlaoch. Seeing the grimace on the man's face, Joshua wondered if Alex had exaggerated the man's kindness toward him.

"Con," Alex yelled out. "What's wrong?"

Conlaoch waited until they had descended the steps before answering. He glanced at his accompanying guards and then briefly looked at Joshua.

"You've brought extra cargo," he simply stated.

"This is Joshua," Alex answered with surprise. "You knew he was ..."

"I'm not talking about the boy," Conlaoch interrupted. "Talk to me now. Quickly. Before he arrives."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Alex snapped. "Man I need about twenty hours of sleep."

Conlaoch stepped away and nodded his head to the guards. The men swiftly boarded the plane and opened the cargo hold. As they began unloading storage containers and trunks, Alex watched in disbelief as his charter was being searched for some unknown contraband. He finally snapped to attention and started to approach the guards when a look on Joshua's face made him stop.

"Alex, son, I'm asking you one last time to please tell me," Conlaoch said.

"Tell you about what?!" he demanded turning to face the man he considered his father.

"About her," Conlaoch answered looking over Alex's shoulder. "Why do you have her?"

"Her who?" he asked turning and stopped when he saw her.

The face that had haunted him during the flight was now approaching him with an expression of fearless resolve. He had continued feeling those currents of electricity because they had never been separated. As she drew closer, he could feel the pull grow stronger. Spinning from the excitement, Alex looked at her, to his father and then at Joshua who refused to look at him. Realizing that he had been used by the twins, he intercepted her approach.

"What the hell have you done?" he demanded glaring down into her face.

"What needed to be done," she snapped in return.

"And you," he said turning to Joshua. "It never occurred to you how this would appear to your old man? He's going to rip me apart."

"No. No he won't. I will tell him...I will think of something," Abigail stammered.

"Think fast, girl," Conlaoch. "Because there he is."

***

Iona sat quietly in her seat. Other than touching Edward's hand, there had been no communication in the group. Alena and Gabriel had returned to their seats and remained silent. She had watched her sister's expression for some hint of the new tension. As Alena remained quiet, she sat, turned towards the window, tapping her foot anxiously.

Gloria and Tec had remained withdrawn since she had inquired about the DNA in the children. Since he had not given a satisfactory response, she had drawn her own conclusion and sat quietly apart from everyone else.

Heron had regained his strength since his visit to America but he had not regained favor with his brothers. They verbally abused him and never neglected a chance to remind him of his treason. He sat alone in the last row with his head bent staring at his lap.

Suddenly, a wave of friction passed through the group. Iona realized that the brothers were in communication. She watched Edward, Tec and Heron relax but Gabriel looked at Alena and relayed some information that she did not appreciate. Her sister clinched her jaw and turned her gaze back to the window as the land below came into view.

Their landing was smooth and uneventful but everyone remained seated until the distraught parents had moved to the door. Edward stood and looked to the others.

"Ok, we came here to keep Gabriel from killing Con's boy," he announced. "Change in plans. We now have to keep him from killing his own kids."

***

Alex watched as the sleek silver plane shimmered in the sky and then almost magically appeared on the ground. He tried to imagine the next few minutes. His final few minutes. Maybe it would only be seconds. Either way, Gabriel would kill him. He'd ask for explanations and listen to the girl's story at a later time. Maybe Gabriel would then collect the pieces of Alex's dismembered body and hold a memorial for a lost soldier.

Looking at each twin's face, he wondered if it were even possible for them to diffuse their father's temper before he reached Alex. Neither had proven trustworthy so Alex grabbed control of his own fate and walked toward the now parked jet. His determination faltered when the door opened and his eyes clashed with those black, angry orbs.

Alex stopped dead in his tracks when both Gabriel and Alena leaped from the plane. As they were approaching him, he knew that he would never stand a chance against this team. He was the legendary warrior and she was appeared to be a suitable mate.

"Gabriel, I can explain," he said when they were within ten feet of him. "I swear to God, I didn't know. I promise you....," he stopped when Gabriel's hand rested on his shoulder.

"We know," Alena said. "We know you are not responsible. And we also know who is."

The two continued their walk towards the group and quickly grabbed Joshua and Abigail from the guards. For a moment, Alex was tempted to intercede on behalf of the twins but decided to remain safely in the background. He looked at Conlaoch who winked at him. Apparently, the great vampire had saved his ass once again.

Gabriel twisted Joshua into a simple hold that held him close. Alena wrapped her arm around Abigail's shoulders but gave a look that threatened to do bodily harm.

"A car, please," Gabriel requested of Conlaoch.

"Take mine," his brother offered.

Everyone remained silent as the parents and their children were escorted to the car and driven away. The remaining passengers and their belongings were safely unloaded to join the group.

"Brothers," Conlaoch greeted, "Welcome to my home. Help me clean up this little rebel mess and then we can celebrate."

"You may not extend that offer after you've heard what's happened," Edward warned. "I'm fairly certain that we've brought the final battle to you."

***

Joshua squirmed in his seat as he withered under his parents' glares. In retrospect he would have never agreed to Abby's stupid plan. At this moment he was having difficulty remembering why he had condescended in the first place.

"Do you have anything to say," Gabriel asked him.

"Where's Nola?" he asked and then shook his head. "I mean, I know what you meant, what you want me to say but I need to know. You wouldn't leave her there alone. Would you?"

"She's safe," his mother answered.

"I'll tell you everything," Joshua promised. "Please tell me where she is."

"Joshua, no!"

"Shut up Abs! This was a stupid plan that's caused us a lot of problems. Alex will never trust us and Nola may be gone."

"We would have been here within a few days. Why couldn't you wait until then?" Gabriel asked Abigail.

"Because this isn't my destination," she answered. "It was the means to an escape. I had to find him."

"Find who?" Alena demanded.

"Our brother. We have to find the boy the Panthralges mentioned."

***

Several hours later, Conlaoch and his brothers sat in his office finishing another round of whiskey. Their mates had been escorted to the various guest suites and were now resting or exploring their new accommodations.

"Well, I'll say this much," Conlaoch started, "I'm glad we couldn't father children but you have to admit, our DNA produced some attractive offspring."

"That same DNA may be scattered all over a room right now," Heron added. "Gabriel was fairly pissed."

"Sure he was," Edward said. "But he won't hurt those kids. Just scare the hell out of them."

"He scared the hell out of me," Heron confessed.

"I wished he could have scared the hell out of you before this disaster happened," Tec snapped. "Gloria has made up her mind that I've abandoned her at some point. She suggested moving in with Antony and Emma."

"Antony won't allow it," Edward offered. "But Emma, well hell, you both may be out on the streets."

"How did it happen?" Conlaoch asked. "I know you two and Antony weren't mated but Tec, Amen, and I were. I didn't cheat. I don't think I could."

"I've tried to tell Gloria that but she's convinced that I did."

"I guess I just assumed that you did," Edward said. "It is odd that they had yours and not Gabe's."

"Now there is a changed man," Conlaoch said. "My god, the last time he was here, he left women pining in his wake. What happened?"

"Alena," Edward answered. "She's been the key. If she hadn't been there, he would have torn through Alex without another thought."

"Which would have been a shame," Conlaoch replied. "I've grown fond of that boy. Quite as fond as I imagine Gabriel is of his kids."

"Oddly enough," Tec said with a smile, "I feel a certain bond to Gloria's daughter. I wish now that I had kept her closer to us but ...." he stopped merely shaking his head.

"God Almighty!" Edward exclaimed. "I'm surrounded by old men."

***

Alex had silently watched the guests be shown to their rooms. He now stood on the balcony at the end of the corridor holding the suites for Gabriel's family. Some had been given private rooms but the brother and sister were assigned to a suite that contained two separated bedrooms. The parents had chosen similar quarters so their young ward could be close to them with the privacy of her separate room. Separate from the parents and definitely separate from their son. He smiled as he watched their continual care for these children.

He paused and considered the word children. Phillip had explained that the twins were no more than a couple of years old but they now looked like young adults easily passing for twenty. Their reckless actions reminded him that they were definitely young and still remained childlike. Shaking his head he turned to look over the balcony but was startled to find Edward's mate standing there watching him.

"Are they still in there?" she asked motioning toward the twin's suite.

"Yeah. Do you think someone should check on them?"

"Not unless you know someone who should be offered as a sacrifice," she answered with a smile. "Look, they'll be fine. They have to understand boundaries and consequences of their actions. But I know my sister and I've seen Gabriel in action. Both would die for those kids but they need to explain the problems we now face."

"Hey," Alex said as she turned to leave.

"Call me Iona."

"Thanks," he accepted. "Iona, why did she do it? She would have been in here in a few days and everything could have been different."

"Apparently, and I'm only gathering the bits and pieces that my sister is sharing, Abigail was trying to contact the boy that the Panthralges had mentioned." With a quick wave, she left him standing alone on the balcony.

Alex turned toward the gardens but never noticed the foliage. He saw the pretty face that had used him to get her way. Fool that he was for thinking she had stowed away on his plane to be with him. She had escaped to find the boy who was like her. Another freak would be her mate while Alex would only be seen as a possible meal.

***

Abigail sat alone. Her parents had finally left and Joshua had disappeared soon after. She had been so confident in her plans and now she felt like a silly child. Her father had tried to reason with her in a gentle tone but her mother had unleashed her fury. She had quickly become frustrated with Gabriel's softer explanations and had blatantly told Abigail about the dangers she had created for everyone.

She thought of beautiful Emma, who had been so sweet to her in Italy, now lay dormant somewhere unable to defend herself or even run from an attack. What would Antony do if he lost her?

The others had to quickly leave their new homes and fly across the map because she had foolishly stepped out from under her father's cloak of protection. Once on her own, she was surely targeted by her adversary. A fact that she had known but thought she could handle. If this mysterious boy was made like her then would he not be willing to meet with her?

Even as her mother told her about the threat she had brought to the people of Australia, she had refrained from mentioning his name. No one would be cruel enough to cross that line. All hope had shattered when he realized how he had been used. Her foolish plan had destroyed a friendship for Joshua and anything else that she had dared to dream.

Convincing Joshua to agree to her plan had been easy. Manipulating her parents had been the trick. One that they now fully understood. When Nola had been found hiding in their suite, Abigail was the advisor who suggested sending him off to Australia. The separation would be a just punishment. They would join him soon enough and he would understand the consequences of his transgressions.

When Alena had connected all of the dots, she verbally unleashed a string of threats that promised to have Abigail confined to her rooms forever. Gabriel had finally escorted his mate to their own rooms.

Sitting alone, Abigail thought of the man no one mentioned. The human who had come to their rescue as a soldier had later saved her from the grasp of the Panthralges. He had deserved to be treated better and not accused of being some monster who abducted young women. His eyes were surprised to see her when she exited his plane and for a fleeting moment, there was that burning wave of energy that she felt from just being near him. But then, he quickly understood that he had been a pawn in her game.

Maybe she should have included him in her plans. No. She had included Josh and he was angry with her too. Could she ever convince anyone that her intentions had been good? Probably not. Even now, she struggled with the reasoning that had propelled this ridiculous move. Maybe her mom was right. She needed to be locked away and everyone else could make decisions for In her seclusion, she could dream about the life she really wanted. And the person with whom she wanted to share it.

As though he were conjured from her thoughts, Alex suddenly appeared in the doorway. She jumped to her feet and started to approach him until she saw his expression. There were no remains of the few smiles, winks or flirtatious looks he had given her before. He was angry.

"I just wanted to see that you were comfortable. I mean, as comfortable as possible before you make the next jump for a booty call."

"A what?" she asked genuinely confused.

"I can't believe you," Alex continued. "I can't believe me. Jesus, if you knew what I thought when I saw you come off that plane...fuck!"

"No. No!" she replied. "I...I...I thought I could meet him, the one the Panthralges had told us about, and see if we..."

"Please don't try to explain!" he shouted. "Do you think I need to know now?"

"I should have explained it to you sooner," she whispered.

"You shouldn't have explained it to me at all! Do you think I want to hear what you freaks do for fun?"

"You think I'm a freak?"

"I honestly don't know what the hell you are. Or care. You're supposed to be two years old; you look twenty-two but act like a child. I'm too old to be confused by a pretty face. Oh yeah, you are a pretty one but we have some homegrown beauties right here and I've been gone for too long. So excuse me while I find one right now," he stated and turned to leave.

"Alex, darling," a feminine voice cooed from the hall. "I heard you were home hours ago but you never came to me."

"Sorry," he answered. "We had some confusion upon arrival. I was just on my way to visit you now," he added sending a cold smile and wink to Abigail.

Alex remained standing at the threshold as the woman walked into view. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned close for a kiss. Beautiful, long auburn hair fell in waves around the face and down the back of this woman. Her eyes were bright green with sparkles of gold reflecting throughout. She smiled at Abigail who just continued staring at the beautiful woman.

"Who's your little friend?" the woman asked Alex.

"No one important," he answered pulling the door close. "Just an unwelcomed guest stowed away on the plane."