“You will teach me how to use these weapons,” Vorn states as he strokes a hand along the steel barrel.
Sebastian struggles to calm the rage boiling in his soul. “I am an ancient, why am I struggling like this?”
“You need to feed before we reach the shadow realm. They will not like it if you drain a Fae.” Vorn hisses and stomps to the kitchen to make his call. “We can’t just show up unannounced. It doesn’t work that way.” Pulling his cell phone out, he grins at the look on Keane’s face.
“A cellphone?” He asks in surprise as Vorn makes his call.
“We need to meet, now. Bring Reese and Ariana. I will be bringing some guests. Prepare them for it. A human and a vampire.” Vorn stomps away and they can hear his voice lower. “I understand this is unusual, but trust me, they will not be happy if they miss this meeting. Understood.” The call ends and he turns to look at them.
“You do know I have exceptional hearing,” Sebastian snaps.
“I know it. Do you wish to tell your precious council about this meeting?” Vorn asks.
“Not yet. I will step out to feed. Give me a moment.” Sebastian leaves to choose a neighbor to drink from. They will not remember it and he will be in better control of his emotions.
“Keane, you should know the history between the Fae and Vampire, is volatile. This Caius bred an army of Vampiric Fae, in order to attack and destroy the Fae Kingdom. It was only with the help of the Shadow King and his bride that they were stopped.”
Sebastian slips inside unheard and startles both of them when he speaks. “Stopped is a polite way of saying exterminated. She killed every last one of them. In that battle, Caius was wounded and presumed dead, unfortunately, he escaped.”
“True enough.” Vorn looks at them and hopes this is the right answer. “Leave your weapons, they wouldn’t do you any good anyway.”
“How do we get into the Shadow Realm?” Keane asks tossing his weapons down on the couch.
“One does not just go to the Shadow Realm. It comes to you.” The lights flicker inside the house, casting the living room in darkness. “Here we go, try not to scream like girls.” Vorn snickers.
“Funny,” Sebastian starts to move, but Vorn snaps, “Don’t move, wait for the light.”
A bright white light shines blinding them for the moment. “Turn and find your shadow,” he whispers. “You are going to step into the shadow and keep walking until you break through.”
“Brilliant!” Keane grins and steps forward. When he reaches his shadow on the wall he pushes through and it stretches behind him. “Keep going,” Vorn encourages.
The shadow stretches covering him completely in inky blackness. It feels for a moment as if it’s not going to allow him through until finally, he breaks free. Sebastian is next. He feels the intense heat of the light on his back and he welcomes the relief the darkness brings. He leaps into the shadow with all the power of an ancient.
The darkness envelops him only for a fraction of a second before Sebastian is free of it. It snaps with a popping sound, leaving an inky mess behind. He grins until he realizes they are surrounded by Fae. Both shadow and light face them with all weapons trained on them. His fangs erupt and his eyes flicker with the flame of reckoning.
Vorn is the next to enter and immediately he bows to the Kings and Queens before him. “Forgive my snarly friend, he’s a bit temperamental.”
“Is it under control,” Reese demands.
“I can speak for myself.” Sebastian glances around the room, “You are the ones surrounding us with countless weapons. It would seem you brought your entire army with you. I am honored you consider me so worthy an adversary but is unnecessary. I came to share information with you and ask for your help.” Sebastian shocks them all by bowing. “I assure you this is a peaceful meeting.”
Chapter 18
Caius has lived alone for centuries, preferring his own company to those of this pathetic world. Humanity is a necessary evil for his kind. A food source, prey, nothing more, nothing less. The one question that has plagued him for his lifetime is, what if? What if the vampires were no longer dependent on them? Most of his species care not for his radical ways of thinking. They destroy his precious creations every time. The last time the Fae helped them. Everything evolves or dies off. All creatures have to evolve, why can’t they see it would be best for their species? He has not been strong enough to fight back, until now. With a hand resting on the book of the Herald he continues to scour its pages, seeking as much information as possible.
A grin of excitement appears as he discovers the four gates location. Scotland, Africa, America, and Siberia. Apparently, the twelve were not as stupid as he thought. Those that fell refused to tell him the locations of each gate unless he could gift them with immortal powers. Caius let them think he agreed with this plan, while he searched for the book. Freedom, true freedom, for all immortals is the ultimate goal. The next plan is to eradicate the Council. When he thinks about harvesting them, he giggles like a giddy child. The fools have been so busy “hunting” that they have left him to his own devices. Watching them take turns inside the bio dome and he knows that his assumption was correct. A predator can only cage its instincts for so long, and he is tired of being told how to live. After all, he has given them, they believed they could still control him by placing restrictions on his beasts.
