“Excellent, take me.”
He spluttered, but I was already heading in the direction from his thoughts.
“Didn’t you hear me? It’ll be both our heads if we’re caught even near that room—–literally; Vermont likes to behead his traitors and hang them out front for days as a message.”
I wasn’t really in the mood for idle conversation so I erased his memory of our entire encounter, leaving him standing in lonely confusion over why he’d left his post to be there as I turned the next corner.
At the designated room there were two guards posted outside. I strolled up confidently, hands in my pockets, ready to make the guards open it for me and walk right in. My steps faltered when I attempted to slip into their minds and was met by a very rare mental barrier. They wouldn’t have the discipline to learn how to protect their minds, and there was no point in them trying to when I was the only person with the talent to infiltrate thoughts. These two had been supplied with a starlight matter enhancement I could break through, but it would likely kill them.
No murder.
I hadn’t exactly promised Astraea, but I was trying to be good for her.
The guards immediately became alert at my approach, drawing swords. Had I known of their mind protection sooner I wouldn’t have sauntered up to them so brazenly without at least attempting to divert them away from the door to avoid a confrontation.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” one grunted, approaching me with enough hesitation to reveal their fear.
Unease began to crawl my skin. No, something stronger than unease had me resisting the impulse to head right back to Astraea. But I was right here with the trident beyond those doors, and I supposed if cause for murder didn’t find me, at least violence always would.
“On behalf of the star-maiden, thanks to the goddess’s merciful nature, I’ll grant you one opportunity to open those doors, wait until I retrieve what I need, and then scurry off to your master.”
They exchanged a glance. The second guard’s throat bobbed as he lost his valor.
“You’re Him, aren’t you?”
“I have a few names; you’ll have to be more specific as to which you’re hoping for.”
His blanching expression was all the confirmation I needed.
“Nightsdeath,” the other said, the word like a tremble from his lips.
I smiled cruelly, embodying the reputation that would always instill fear in the minds of men.
“So, do we have a deal?” I asked.
They shifted on their feet, not lowering their swords, but as much as they were loyal to their position, they knew it was over against me.
The second guard moved first, and my rising ire for the delay in getting back to my Starlight melted away the mercy she’d rubbed off on me. I couldn’t risk the clamor of a fight or their shrieks of pain, so, right as his sword rose above my head, I shattered through the barrier of his mind, and it killed him instantly. Magick always had a price, a balance, and in taking the Matter for protection, it killed him when it was broken.
I caught his blade before it could clang against the marble his body slumped to like a sack of wheat.
Then it left me, as I grew more impatient by the second, pinning a cold dare on the other guard who stared at his comrade in complete terror.
Specially chosen guards with no spine,I thought.
“Are you joining him or are you opening that damned door?” I said, running low on patience.
He finally straightened, breaking his fighting stance and scrambling to his side, where keys chimed.
In the room I didn’t pay the guard much attention; I’d catch his thoughts if he tried to run. It was a hall the size of a ballroom, with an impressive collection of glass cases to display all of his treasures.
I was distracted by some of the items, wondering what other rare things Vermont could have traded over the decades for this volume of objects.
Many were barbaric. I came to each grim discovery with a note of disgust.
Four sets of fangs: three for each vampire race and one for the fae. They almost looked identical, but I was fascinated to discover the differences. The blood vampire’s were the longest and narrowest, for a deeper puncture. The nightcrawler’s curved at the tapered end, more effective to rip a vein or tear flesh. The soul vampire had shorter fangs, more similar to the fae’s, but the fae’s were marginally sharper.
There was also a right-hand set of elongated nightcrawler nails; they didn’t often use those to attack humans—perhaps in battle against other species, however.
