Chapter Fourteen
The Sword and the Deal
“Is this some kind of a test?” Dante asked, staring at the establishment he had just gotten out of his chauffeur driven car to see. Gavin had joined him. “Welcome to Sovereign.”
Dante was looking at a run-down house, the front of which had peeling paint on rotting wooden panels, a neon sign with more than one broken bulb that said “OPEN” and beside that, covering a window, was a dusty banner reading “Finest Erotic Massage”.
“This way,” Gavin said, leading Dante through the door. The place was rank with the smell of old semen and massage oil. The dankness stifled the air and made Dante glad he didn’t have to breathe. The place was shrouded in red light, the soft sounds of moaning from beyond closed doors filtered through. “You actually get clients?” Dante asked.
“Absolutely. Of both sexes. You’d be surprised how far people who find themselves unattractive will go for a little comfort.”
Gavin led Dante through the main hall, turning right at what would have been a reception type of desk. Gavin leaned down and pressed some keys on the computer, and behind him, the entire wall slid to the side. It revealed another hallway, which Dante entered as the wall slid back. This one though, gleamed with silver and white, the rub and tug front a distant memory.
“I hope you understand I cannot show you all of our endeavours, but even so, this is a privilege afforded to very few and even fewer vampires. But you know what they say, desperate times call for desperate measures.”
Gavin turned again, and it was here that he stopped and Dante saw why; what he wanted Dante to see. In the middle of the room, a sword was encased in a clear tube. A flume of white gas rifting down within it.
“This, Dante, I hope will start to make you believe.”
“A sword is going to change my mind?”
“This is one of three unique pieces of legend. The sword, a book, and a suit of armour. It is said the way to true power is to hold all three. It appears your predecessor held two. Yet after the destruction of his mansion, only the sword was found. The book had been taken or lost.”
“You think the book was taken by someone yet the sword was left behind? It could not be all that alluring, surely.”
“No. The fact the sword was left proves the theory beyond a doubt. Whoever left it, knew that it carries a powerful, ancient curse. One that ensures none can touch it. There is some speculation a way to counter the curse exists in the book, but it’s never been proven. This is why you are here.”
“I thought you wanted my help with Nightingale?”
“I’m getting to that. You were once a part of Vincent’s inner circle. Do you know anyone that had access to his vault? Anyone who could potentially hold further clues to unlocking this mystery?”
“Vincent trusted no one. While I was in his service he mentioned nothing of this. I never knew the sword was even there. The one you should be talking to is Melina. Or...Julian.”
“Melina was to be our next target should you prove uncooperative. The former Prince has proven elusive thus far. We have been tracking him on and off for months, monitoring his movements and his contacts, never able to get a clean fix. But you proved quite easy. If only Nightingale were as easy.”
“Nightingale. Why the fascination?” But then it clicked for Dante. “You think the sword is his, don’t you? That he will be able to wield it?”
“That is one theory. He is strong and heals faster than any vampire out there. The prophecy itself never gives the being a physical description. Truth be told, we are not sure. Though it is our intention to find out quickly. He is one of two possibilities. The other is Nicholas Slade.”
“For that to be true, you’d need to believe in divine miracles. He passed several months ago. I was there.”
“Yes, you were, but you never saw a body, did you? The being is said to have absolute power over fire. They cannot be harmed by it.”
“There was no body left. Alpha wolf or not, no one could’ve survived that blast.”
“But he did...”
Dante snapped to face Gavin, hearing no lie in his voice. “We too thought there was no way anyone could’ve survived. Several weeks after the blast, we deemed it a cold case. It was only hours after the near catastrophe at Randwick, that we became aware of an escaped coma patient at the hospital. This should not have been possible as all entrances were closed. We understood the person to have leapt out of a window and survived the fall. I showed a surveillance picture from last year of Nicholas to the ward nurse who confirmed that was who had been in a coma for the last few months. So now, we look for both of them. Is Nightingale the being that is foretold, and if so, is he the one to wield the sword. Or is this the only thing that can kill Nightingale? And if so, who could hope to use it? Perhaps an Alpha Wolf.”
Dante thought about this, but truthfully the only thing processing was the idea that Nick could still be alive. He didn’t dare to hope, or even to worry. It was true he had not seen a body in the fire. Yet, he wouldn’t take the word of Gavin alone. “What do you want from me?”
“Our resources are vast, but we do
