Gone.
Villa had moved from the castle to the home he and his mate had made in the forest in mere seconds, he knew once the bloodhounds were released nowhere would be safe for him or his mate, even though he was strong enough to kill them, it would cause suspicion, so it was better to work and stay in the shadows than anything else.
He walked steadily up the stairs, each step he took was now a reminder of what he had, and what he fought for, and it was in this conviction that he could easily lay down his life to make sure his mate was safe and happy, but that day hadn’t come yet. He walked in with a smile, as laughter echoed all around the house, it was enchanting hearing it, this is what he was fighting for.
“I’m back!” He called out and out from the kitchen archway Lake ran up to him and squeezed on his leg. “Papa!” He yelled excitedly. “Hello my little prince, tell me, what were you up to.” Villa teased the child he had come to love as his own, care for like his own and gladly protect and kill for if need be. “Nothing.” Lake giggled his answer as Villa tickled him. “Papa staap!” Lake’s pleas were unheard as Villa kept on tickling him.
“Okay I will you, staaap!” He laughed in between his words until Villa stopped tickling him. “I’m waiting.” The vampire teased again and Lake urged him to come closer. “I was baking a cake with dad, your favorite, don’t tell him I told you.” The little demon whispered in Villa’s ear, the vampire grinned and held out his fist, the two bumped their fists and promised. “Now let’s go see your dad, and you my little mischievous runt are going to help with packing.” He instructed as Lake held on to his large bicep, Lake found comfort in having a father like Villa, he had time for him, always found something he wanted to do with him, and never once did he break a promise.
The two walked away from the foyer to the kitchen where Ajax and Mier were stuffing themselves with sweet treats and ice tea. “My love.” The vampire remarked as he placed a kiss on Mier’s forehead. “My other loved love.” He chortled placing a kiss on Ajax’s hand. “Are you always this charming or are you buttering me up for something, because if it were the second option, you should’ve gone with food then flattery.” The fae exclaimed and the two burst out laughing.
“Do you ever stop joking around, I’m being genuine here.” Villa argued but the fae was adamant. “Oh I know that, but I’m pregnant right now, so the way to my heart is straight through my stomach.” Ajax defended as Mier finally laughed as well. “I have to agree with him.” He asserted and Villa raised his hands in surrender. “As you say my love, but I do have grave news.” As Villa spoke the happy atmosphere in the house suddenly fell down a stair, Lake who had found himself comfortable in Villa’s arms and had fallen asleep stirred as well.
“What happened?” Mier questions holding on to his stomach for comfort. “Alquin knows Lera and his mate fled, along with the child he thought was his, and in his blind rage Alquin ordered a demon hunt, he believes he’s still in the kingdom, therefore, he’s hunting him down, if he were to use his best trackers, then he will find us, though he can’t capture us, he will know we’re here, so we need to leave.” Villa expressed calmly making sure his mate was also calm, he was pregnant and didn’t want to trigger anything with his witch.
“I guess we need to start packing, but even though, where will we go?” Ajax questioned as he too held on to his stomach for comfort, Mier was going through all the possible places to go. “If we go to the fae, they are preparing for war and he would most definitely find us, the vampire kingdom is now stable but some of the resistance members are still there, the witches might sense me but not you two, which is still risky, the best option right now is the vampire kingdom, but I have to do something first.” Mier had explained all their options, he knew the safest place would be the place no one would expect him to be but he needed to get rid of a few vampires and demons first.
The witch stood up and walked back to the garden, he breathed in the scent of roses as they blew freely in the wind. “What are you planning?” Villa asked his mate with concern as Lake still clung to him like a koala. “Summoning assassins.” Mier replied with a smile and Villa nodded whilst stepping back to give his mate space to work, a tetragram appeared on the ground, black smoke seeped from it as it was branded onto the ground. “I summon the shades of dark death, come to me children of shadows and do my bidding, alom aten exphon’o mira.” Mier cast his spell and from a shadow portal two men and two women walked out from it with dark smiles and smirks.
“Father you haven’t called us to play in a while, I was beginning to think you had forgotten about us.” The male who had been leading the four spoke softly with a feminine tinge that it was hard to comprehend that he was actually a man. “I’m sorry my dear Tres, we can catch up later though, I need you to go to the vampire kingdom, kill every demon and vampire who would want to run off and tell Alquin anything regarding the vampires, erase them completely.” The witch ordered as Villa stood back astonished by the kind of power his mate had.
“Hey dad.” One of the women called out. “Hello—.” Villa responded waiting for a response. “Meca.” She exclaimed. “Hello dear Meca.” The vampire asserted laying his charm which was quickly accepted. “I like him, great catch.” Meca exclaimed with a wink at Mier who blushed a little. “Thank you, now go, you have four hours.” He replied but Tres scoffed. “We’ll be done in two.” He mumbled before he and his companions vanished.
“Tell me, dear mate, did you just happen to summon children of darkness and they called us their fathers.” Villa inquired and the witch chuckled. “I believe so but those four along with the other six are what is left of a race long forgotten, I found each one of them barely clinging to life, healed them, helped them, and gave them a home in their own dimension.” The witch replied as his mate held him closer to him. “You’re a beautiful soul you know that, and I love you more as each new thing I learn about you invokes pride in me.” The vampire exclaimed as his lips lowered and tasted those of his witch.
Mier moaned to the kiss until Villa separated himself from the witch. “You get your fill tonight, right now we need to pack.” He contended as Mier glared at him. “Fine, fine, I will get on it.” He groaned earning a slap on his ass cheek from Villa making him turn a shade of red. “I didn’t know I was this comfortable.” Villa mumbled in surprise as Lake fixed his own position in his arms sighing in perfect content. “You are, and the kid loves sleeping in your arms, accept it.” Ajax chortled as he moved boxes and crates from one end of the room to another.
“If he’s going to jump the house then please help me secure things that might break or fall during the trip.” Ajax pleaded and the vampire helped him eagerly. “Where is Everin?” Mier asked as he came down the stairs. “Trying to convince Lampard to join the cause, he’s being hard.” Villa replied with a chuckle knowing that resistance, when it came to Everin, was futile, you would eventually bend to his will either of your own accord or by force. “That should be interesting but inform him of what’s going on please.” Mier implored as he came down to the floor.
Villa waved his hand and an image of Everin appeared. “Come home immediately, even if you’re doing something for the greater good, our mates aren’t happy.” Villa quickly asserted and Everin looked around to see the house being pack and the image of him vanished, outside a hard thud resonated and they all knew it was Everin. “Why are we packing, never mind I sense demon hounds four and half hours from here, they’re searching for something.” The fae exclaimed as he walked in.
“Alquin knows about Lera, he’s hunting, and we are clearing out and going to my kingdom.” Villa replied as Everin had crouched down to speak baby gibberish to his unborn baby. “Are you even listening to me?!” The vampire yelled and everyone turned to Everin, Mier facepalmed so did Villa, Ajax shook his head as his fingers ran in the lengthy brown locks of his mate, Everin then turned around with a smile and towered slightly over his mate. “Now I’m listening.” He mumbled and the vampire glared at him.
They continued with their conversation as they packed as well, Mier knew he wasn’t going to miss the demon kingdom, it had brought him pain and suffering, he had almost lost everything because of the demon king Alquin, he was almost broken, but he survived and that’s what mattered, now he was leaving it and starting somewhere else, though he wanted to go home, he knew he couldn’t, it would only put them in danger and he didn’t want his family in danger.
Tres along with his other three siblings walked into the house from a shadow portal, they seemed clean except for the bloody hands of Meca, she seemed to not mind the blood as she strutted into the house. “We have done the task given to us father, any vampire or demon who would ever betray you has been completely erased, no trace at all magical or otherwise.” Tres gave his report with a smile that Mier and Villa reciprocated. “You’ve done well, go rest but be sure to start training again, I may need you in the near future.” Mier commended and instructed the four with a smile.
“It’s okay dad, we got you, and congratulations by the way.” It had been Meca who replied as the shadow portal opened again and they walked back to their dimension created by the witch. “The shadow kin, I thought they were extinct.” Everin cut through the silence as they stood in the lounge. “Not all of them.” The witch replied as he headed for the door. “Wait shadow kin, half demon, half fae, the demon nobles eliminated their race and you saved them, wow.” Ajax commented and the two larger males in the room laughed.
“When it comes to Ramier don’t be so surprised.” Everin mumbled as he placed a kiss on his mate’s cheek, they walked out of the house and followed Mier into the garden of roses. “You might want to hang on.” The witch warned and the three mystics found themselves hanging on to the sides of the house. As if time and space folded in on them, then burst out, that’s how they burst from the ground and launched into the sky. They entered a neutral zone where speed and an empty void was the only recognizable thing. It didn’t last for more than five minutes at Mier’s second top speed.
They broke through the dimensional barrier again and passed into the vampire kingdom, it was a spot familiar to Villa, deep in the forests of the kingdom, surrounded by nature and away from prying eyes even though the prying eyes had been gotten rid of. “The air is so fresh and clean here, oh there is a perfect spot for a picnic, great picking Mier.” Ajax happily commented as he looked around the lush green forest, though the vegetation was different than that of the demon kingdom, Ajax appreciated it more.
“Let’s get to unpacking and cooking, I’m hungry.” Everin whined as the others rolled their eyes, the fae king was always hungry no matter what time of day it was. “Fine, fine come along.” The witch comforted as they got back into the house. “Your son is still asleep even after that.” Ajax uttered and Villa laughed. “He’s been training hard, let him sleep, plus tomorrow we’re training more so he needs the energy.” Mier explained as he flicked his fingers and everything began moving to its rightful place.
***
“Have you any idea what you just did?” Saytor growled as he looked at Alquin. “Don’t forget who you’re talking to.” Alquin hissed back and Saytor didn’t hold back his anger. “I would say my best friend, my former lover, my king, but none of that is this manipulative and vindictive asshole in front of me.” The demon general seethed and a fist connected with his face.
“You forget your place Saytor, I am your king!” Alquin yelled as Saytor was in shock, this was the first time Alquin had ever hit him on purpose or besides training. “So you’re the king, you send bloodhounds and an army to find your mate, to get information they killed five of the elders.” Saytor accused and Alquin held no remorse. “What do they matter to you, they’re the ones who helped Lera break away from me, they deserved to die.” Alquin replied harshly and Saytor lost his rage and looked at his friend with pity.
.
“I may not know what you plan but I will say this, elders help us find light in the dark, they guide us with the history of our people, they teach us what we must avoid in life and as a race so that we may flourish, and you my dear king have just killed them, in your selfish spite.” Saytor argued as Alquin moved to stand before him, they were evenly matched in height but Saytor seemed taller. Alquin placed a kiss on Saytor’s cheek and whispered. “I don’t care.”
This act alone pushed Saytor to the edge and he wanted nothing else to do with the man who had become Alquin, and his devotion was to Marcos. “Very well my king, forgive me for my insolence.” Saytor fell to one knee with his head low. “Leave.” Alquin mumbled and the demon on his knee walked out but with him the last remaining loyalty he had toward the redemption of Alquin was erased.
He was no longer the man he knew, this was the Alquin he had tried to keep buried, but now that task was a failure, he knew there was no going back in the path he had taken, Power corrupts.
+++
LMJ
Comment