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And how did I know this...?
Because I could feel them.
I could detect their heartbeats and hear their muted voices when a mortal would’ve been too far away to hear anything. The added power to my senses that bombarded my mind should have freaked me out. Should have overwhelmed me. But for some reason it was almost as if my body had just simply accepted it. It was as though it had simply embraced this change like it was as easy as breathing.
What shouldn’t have been natural had simply became natural overnight. My body felt stronger, my senses heightened, and it was as if subconsciously, I had always known a piece of me was missing. Yet a slither of it had obviously remained enough for it to be awakened, just like it had when facing off the witch in my father’s vault. Like it had always just been waiting for me to summon it, and let it be released into the world. It was like the faintest of melodies that had been singing in my blood and now, it had turned into a chorus.
It was calm and soothing like a comforting blanket, the envelope to me against the chill. Of course, Lucius had been concerned at first, admitting to me that he had been anxious after leaving me from the battlefield. But then I had also been relieved to know he trusted me to do this. To know that I was with family and I hadn’t dealt with it all alone.
Besides, in that moment he had needed to make the decision to leave and it had been the right choice. Which is why I had encouraged it. His first wife had been jealous of their daughter, and the love that he had for her, whereas as I only wanted him to embrace it. I was happy that he trusted my heart in this. So, in the end, I had simply placed my hand on his cheek and told him not to worry. That I had managed just fine and the proof of that, well it was finding me sitting on his throne like a badass and not to have found me falling apart.
So leaving these thoughts behind we walked into his office together, and the first thing I did was shout the name of someone I believed was long lost and I would never ever see again…
“Ruto!” I knew he wasn’t expecting my reaction to him. Which made it all the funnier when utter shock and awkwardness took over his features, and that normally calm, hard, exterior softened as I threw myself in his arms.
“Break any arms lately?” he asked after first clearing his throat, making me realise that emotions and expressing them was clearly not his strong point.
“No, but I did chop off the head of the guy who killed you.” At this, he ruffled my hair and said,
“Please tell me you did it with a dagger.” I winked at him and replied,
“Does a bloody big sword count?”
“Little bird, if it’s sharp and pointy, it always counts.” I couldn’t help but laugh, realising that this was probably the longest conversation we’d never had. But then my eyes went to Clay, and then to Caspian, who had both nearly lost their lives in an attempt to save mine. I then went to them both, with Clay embracing my hug as I knew he would.
“Hey, girl,” he said in that deep baritone voice of his, as well as patting me on the back. I then turned to Caspian and he quickly held up his hands, taking a step back and telling me,
“I’m good.” I laughed at this and would have replied with a funny comeback, but then Leissa stepped from behind him and she was the next one to receive a hug. Like always she was dressed in an immaculate 1950s pencil skirt dress, looking like some sexy pin up girl. Her hair pinned in big barrel rolls with deep red shiny lips to match the color of her outfit. However, her stiletto heels and little lace gloves were black.
It had been so long since we had seen each other that we instantly started chatting. However, this was when Lucius obviously hit his limit and staked his claim on me once more. He did this by placing his hands on my shoulders and pulling me back firmly into his embrace.
I could help but turn my head and grin up at him, knowing he needed this connection between us as much as I did. However, I also knew that, with time, things would settle between us. But for now, our constant touch was healing old wounds that had been inflicted by being constantly forced apart for so long.
After this Lucius motioned for us all to sit and the meeting to start when he led me to his chair and sat down, promptly pulling me into his lap. Luckily the comfy leather seat was big enough for the both of us to sit in, or this would have felt and looked more awkward than I would have liked.
As for the meeting, what was discussed was mainly about the aftermath of the war. Lucius wanted to know of the casualties, most of which were of the oldest turned vampires. These were the first leaves to have fallen from the Tree of Souls, each one turning Roque. Some had managed to be contained but unfortunately, for most of these poor souls, there had been little choice other than to end their lives.
A thick folder waited like a tome of the death on his desk, and I knew that it pained him with the knowledge that each one contained the name of someone he had turned all that time ago.
Thankfully, because of the outcome of the war, that list wasn’t any bigger and every single person in this room knew it could’ve been a lot worse. Yet this still didn’t make it any easier for him. I was just glad that all those souls had now been returned to him and well, partly to me too.
There still felt like an immeasurable amount of stuff we had left to discuss, left to deal with. But I knew it would all come in time, so I didn’t rush it… despite this going against my personality, somebody like me, who thrived on asking questions and gaining information like it was candy to a sugar addict. But for once, I was trying to be patient in this department. Then again, one look at Lucius and I don’t think I was the only one trying to be patient. Especially as he was forced to listen to the fallout of his people and what they had been made to endure at the hands of his brother’s hatred.
Hatred that turned into a Hellish infection.
Because it had been the result of the Devil’s imprisonment of his villainous son, Matthias, after his attack on the woman he loved. His own Chosen One, the Oracle, Pythia. It was this imprisonment that drained him of his power and that hatred had filled the roots of soul weed that kept him locked in his sarcophagus. And as for Lucius, it had been unknowingly his sacrifice that had released that power into the roots of Tree of Souls, taking thirty years for it to reach those he had sired.
As for the rest of the meeting, once the lives of his people had been discussed, talk turned to more lighthearted matters. This included the grand reopening of Transfusion. Strangely enough, I had to admit that I missed the place. I was looking forward to walking back through its doors under more certain circumstances. The last time I was there, I was still confused about Lucius in regard to our relationship.
But then the place also held so many wonderful memories for me, erasing those of my first experience quite quickly. It was the first place Lucius had kissed me. The first place we ever made love and he claimed my virginity. We were here the first time he admitted to me how he felt about me. Which meant that at its core, it was the place that held so many of my firsts, and I couldn’t help but feel an affinity with the place.
So yes, I was definitely looking forward to getting back there. Something that I realized would be happening in only two days’ time. It was also nice to hear that my own aunt Sophia had a hand in redecorating the place as with everything else going on at the time, I very much doubt this was something Lucius had been interested in undertaking himself.
According to Lucius, my aunt had received only one stipulation, and I couldn’t help but chuckle when I heard it relayed back to me.
Purple was banned.
This of course was my family’s colour, with purple being used to represent the King of Kings throughout history. Of course, he wasn’t the only royal to apply this colour to his statues. No, purple being known as a royal colour started with ancient monarchies. This was because the colour was difficult to produce, and when I say difficult, I mean if uck and ick had a baby, then purple would be the outcome.
