Ahasuerus
I never liked the idea of fidgeting. Be it impatience or nerves. Tapping a finger on the table like Ira, or Brylee's foot bouncing on the floor. I believed in self-control, something we vampires prided ourselves on. Long hours meditating. In a jerky movement, I clasped my one hand over the other, stopping the unconscious rhythmic clicking of my black nails on the table. A habit many of us picked up because it sounded so satisfying when you had to think. And I had to, while we discussed something I never thought we would. Missing vampires. A new concept for me. It didn't matter if they were from Earth.
The plan was always for Qadir to take over the humans. We needed someone there to control them. But my son gave me constant headaches. Difficult for a vamp to even get one. What was he thinking with Agatha? He almost died! Now I had to involve the youngsters and count on them. If they survived until they reached three hundred. Only seventy more to go.
"I personally interrogated the men overseeing the teleportations. You know I couldn't have helped them."
I waved her half-explanation away. She didn't know, but I installed a tracking system behind the mechanics of her teleporter, and maintaining her equipment gave us the excuse to ensure she told the truth.
"It had to have been Samuel," I said, sat back in my chair, and strummed my nails again because how! How did he manage to get them all out?
"I think I solved your problem," Ira said.
"Mine? Interesting. Continue."
"Satya appeared."
My fingers stopped moving. "She died?"
"No. She did not. Your son locked her up. Qadir wanted the teleportation stone."
"How did she escape?"
"Hardly the issue here… The stone is gone."
I slammed my fist on the table. "You had one job."
"And so did you!"
Ira and I stared one another down. If we ever had to fight, I'd kill him, of course.
Brylee huffed, breaking the tension.
Ira went on, "Your one job was to keep our secret! Why would your father send them all to Earth?!"
"My father lost eight grandchildren… All male! He was not going to kill Basaam, who had a wife! My brother! And he would never kill Qadir, who had proven himself the way he did. He just got married, and Agatha was pregnant! For a riphath, you should understand family. Especially royal lines… No one on the compound knew about the brandings… a handful of people… it stayed that way."
"Why? Are we talking about the branding? Why did you even call us to meet?" Brylee asked.
"Because Yazen contacted me for a meeting."
"Why?"
"Because they're obviously there."
"So? Leave them be. They're out of your hair. Liam and Samuel are nowhere near anyone who could tell our secret… The dheka know anyway, and this chit is what? Almost twenty-two."
I met Ira's eye. He shrugged. "She makes a good point. They'd have to get back to Earth before then. If that's what they're trying to do."
I rolled my hand in the air. Could they catch up a little faster?
"You think they already have."
"Duh."
Ira barked out a laugh. "You've been spending too much time with Louis and Marcus."
My smile broadened. "Those two together are the best time I've had in a long time. Louis is something else… Strange, we could never figure out how or where his mother died… Might be for the best. Don't want a female raising a vamp son. Louis's two wives have all their days with his appetite—"
Brylee slammed a hand on the table. "You will not speak like that in my presence."
"Forgive me… So let's get back to the point. I fear Soren might have already branded the girl, and what now? What will their plans be if they're not on Earth?"
"Still, it doesn't matter!" Ira growled. "The dheka don't manifest for another race… Maybe the two wanted to… mmm… test their love."
Brylee laughed and placed her hand on his arm. "You old sap… No, I think Samuel needs to be taken in hand… He told them, helped them, and has to come home for his punishment. We need to control the information leaking any further."
I looked out over the horizon. Why bother? Throw one of my oldest friends into our ocean. For what?
"Do you intend to visit Yazen?" she asked.
"I have to… We need to know where they are."
Brylee stood ready to end our meeting. "Very well, let me know what happens… And Ahasuerus… I'd be more concerned about Qadir. If he has the stone… Maybe have a chat with him to find out what he planned to do with it."
I growled as she disappeared into the cubicle.
"Female gone… How is Marcus really doing?"
For the first time in a long time, I ruffled my hair and grabbed a bunch.
"That bad?"
"Marcus was a little disappointed not having his lust met… This girl who disappeared… at her auction. If I'd been there!"
"Yeah, Chris told me."
"Marcus took one look at her and wanted her… I know… how that feels."
"It's why you never see faces."
"He regrouped. His two wives are on En-gannim in the tower where they belong. Marcus comes home every day to sleep there; so I figure he got over his disappointment."
"But?"
"He's not well."
"He will be. You all go through it! It's like us with the boredom… If he can accept it. He was on Zorea but—."
I waved a hand. "I understand. Too many variables all at once. You played it safe. Once the dust settles, I'll bring them myself."
"When can we expect you?"
"Let's say a month."
"Good…"
"How is Chris doing?"
"Spreading his seed."
I chuckled. "Like he should."
"Very true… I can't wait for a baby in the family."
"Me neither! We'll have to sit them all down and share our stories. If something happens to us."
"At some point… Maybe in a hundred years if Marcus proves himself."
"It's a date... I'm bringing Rodrigo with me."
"Good, I want him to figure out how to make us populate again… Without the city… I don't want to send half my people there."
"Yes, if anyone can figure it out… It will be the two of us."
"Have you figured out where Avrio hides his stone?"
"No… Maybe with Louis there."
"Look at us doing things we never thought we would."
"I think two thousand years is enough time to secure the future."
"Did Rodrigo experiment on Chris?"
"No! It was a lie… There is no way for the species to cross-breed… But again, Louis will tell us soon what Rodrigo has stored up in that brain of his."
***
Marcus and Louis were waiting in the cubicle, ready to travel to Mirach. I scanned my grandson to see how he was doing. Both seemed well, although I could smell fresh blood. His blood. Self-mutilating. That habit was not normal and made my fingers tap against my leg. Marcus had been fighting himself for a long time. And the pull Earth had on him. On all of us. Something they or anyone else didn't know about. The other reason my father sent them to Earth. An experiment.
When Marcus took En-gannim wives, he had given me hope. He wanted to rule. His life turned out exactly as I envisioned. Focused on the future… No kids yet. A pity. Now, this psychological problem?
Keeping him as busy as possible was now my goal, and taking them with me to see Yazen might help. To be on a planet so far away will help them realize what we were fighting for.
***
Yazen met us himself, which wasn't customary. So many things were happening out of order, and once introductions were made, Romero was nowhere to be seen. It was time for the older generation to let go, but I wasn't the only one struggling.
Entering the conservatory where we usually held these once-a-century meetings, Yazen said, "It will only be us today."
"Did it finally happen? Did Romero find his mate?"
Yazen sighed with a smile. An untroubled man, no stress, no politics, no revolutions besides one son, who left and joined the raiders. Even there— honor was held above all else. A noble race I wouldn't dare mess with.
"No, not yet. Romero still waits… Saleh will wander again. Romero will follow."
"Where is he? Business?"
"No… His absence is why I contacted you… I do not know if you have lost some of your sheep."
"I have…"
"They are here… Asked for refuge and help to disappear… With the raiders." A frown formed on my ever-wrinkled vampiric brow. "Yes, Romero was as shocked as you that they knew about us at all."
"I understand… Did you perhaps put them in jail for us?"
"No… Romero traveled with them to piece together their purpose for coming here."
"Clever… Is he safe?"
"There are two females with three men, and they seemed rather more afraid of… uh… you, than causing problems."
I chuckled. "Well, I spoke to Brylee and Ira… They agree that if there's no threat, I might be inclined to leave them here unless you want me to remove them."
"They are already on their way home. I do not know what happened, and it will be months before we do." He wavered and hesitated. I glanced at Louis, who gave me a nod. One of the reasons he was with me. "The thing is… Romero did not want me to contact you before he returned."
"Oh, meddling in your son's affairs… Why? Not like you."
"No… In truth… I have a bad feeling about this… I know you do not care for feelings; however, in our race, it is in our bones."
"Mm, unsettling… May I ask what gave you this feeling?"
Yazen looked away out over the tree tops of a beautiful atrium. Nothing happened quickly on Mirach, so all I had to do was wait. He considered his words, "I… do not want to cause offence… but the younger man in the party—"
"You need say no more. I had the same feeling…" He met my eye. "There is more going on here than a simple run from authorities." He nodded once. "He was too calculating."
"Yes."
"And given where we are… I fear the worst because I have more bad news…" Yazen sat forward. "The Zoreah stone is missing."
Yazen's fist turned into a dark mass on the table. It was beautiful to see. I glanced at Louis and Marcus to take in their reactions. Yazen followed my line of sight. To indulge the younglings, Yazen manifested entirely. He turned his arm into one solid sword and struck the chair, smashing it to pieces. Not everyone could manipulate the shadow like this. It took practice to perfect.