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I felt like I was living the way I was meant to be. Free.
The people were incredible. Later on, Malachi got a kiss from a pretty, petite vampire drunk on alcohol-infused blood cocktails, which made our night. And so did the drinks.
France was the same; though littered with garbage, it was still beautiful. The people were standoffish, but I’d expected this behavior from reading about the country.
Berlin was a dream, and Budapest, too. When we landed in England, we’d been here for eight days already, and I was so intoxicated by the possibilities of what could be my future that I’d almost completely forgotten the goal.
Our backpacks had turned into suitcases delivered to the Royal Residence before us. That was why, when Malachi led us into the Galata Tower in the beautiful city of Istanbul after I’d spent the day journaling in my notebook, I was a little subdued.
“The King and Queen live in a protected section of Transylvania,” Malachi said after we were too silent for too long.
We’d gotten to know this little fae man with the absurdly deep voice over the past few days. He wasn’t nearly as stuck up as my initial assessment of him had been.
“What?” Neo asked blankly.
“There are little safe havens for new or transitioning members who have been through unthinkable things. The King and Queen live in one of those.”
“Why?”
Malachi glanced meaningfully between me, Sariel, Johnny, and Marilyn. “You’ll see,” he said as he approached one of the booths in the far back. “I hope you’re ready.
He swallowed, his eyes dropping to the floor in a show of emotion. “This is where I say goodbye. It was a pleasure seeing you around.”
“Thank you, Malachi,” I said.
“The pleasure was truly mine,” he smiled sadly.
And then, he was gone.
23
WORDS OF ADVICE
Sariel
Traveling via portal did not get easier. After eight days of hopping between European cities and, at one point, trying to out-drink the Irish in Dublin like a fool, I wanted to think that I wouldn’t feel like I’d been punched in the gut each time I passed through the doorways.
I thought wrong.
The little woman on the other side had looked one cough away from death when we approached her. She pricked her finger with a pin she’d used to hold her hair up, and then proceeded to drop it in the same little shallow dip in front of the door. She’d then bid us be careful and fared us well.
A Guardian was waiting for us when we arrived. The sucking sensation of being in the portal subsided, leaving us amid a cluster of other buildings.
Aria shuddered next to me. This Guardian was meaner-looking than the others, his armor white and gold in a clear indication of rank. Based on the condescending scowl on his face, his rank was high, too.
“You must beAzazel’soffspring.”
Mikey and I both tensed at the sneer in the way he said Azazel’s name. Me because I wasn’t sure how Mikey would take it, and Mikey because he wouldn’t lose respect for our father after only a few days, unfortunately.
I could appreciate anyone who shared my disdain for my father, but I could not accept things that might upset the careful camaraderie that had formed between us brothers over the past few days. He’d been deferring to me a lot since accepting my offer.
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye to gauge his reaction. He was wearing his signature impassive look as he observed the Guardian.
“We are,” I said. Aria moved closer to me.
He’s a General or something. Like Marilyn,she communicated.I think he’s here to escort us to the Royal Residence.
Yeah. I figured as much.I took her hand in mine, lacing our fingers.There are others on the roofs and in the buildings.
