Sink or Swim.
1729 Words
Seth sat at the dining table watching as Cooper led his mate to the elevator. His mate! I am losing my f*****g mind. He thought. Nothing he did, would cease the voice inside him, screaming its domination. The need to follow and stake his claim gripped him so strongly. He fought hard against the demon within to stay seated at the table.
“I’m glad you stayed Seth, there is something important I wish to discuss with you,” Xcoph said leaning back in his chair, arms folded across his chest.
“Goddard, insulting Elisabeth and deliberately provoking her, by calling her names like ‘dog’ as you did tonight will not be tolerated, do I make myself clear? The treaty will only save your life, not what I do to your body in the interim.” The ancient snarled.
Goddard gulped nodding. Seth turned back to Xcoph and plucked the thoughts right out of the man’s head. Goddard had placed a termination request with the Paranormal Council. Lisa’s fate was to be determined at the upcoming Summit meeting at the end of October. Seth automatically opened his mind, sending the information to the other two warriors sitting across from him. Drake’s eyes seemed to glow within his head as his gaze met Bens. Both men rolled their shoulders, trying to release some of the coiled tension in their muscles. Seth was trying valiantly to control the demon within. For the first time in thousands of years, the ancient feared himself.
“Well, that’s it for me, goodnight gentlemen.” Goddard got to his feet, without a backwards glance he strode to the other side of the dome, passing through a set of double doors he disappeared. Seth’s head snapped around, eyeing Xcoph.
“She is not some animal you can have destroyed on a whim!” Seth growled menacingly snapping his teeth together with an audible click.
“How long have we known each other?” Xcoph asked him leaning forwards in no way intimidated by the ancient’s behaviour.
“I have known you since you were a babe, the minute you were born,” Seth replied running a hand down his face. Edward shot the other warriors at the table a small smile.
“Yes, and in that time my old friend, when have you ever seen me condone the execution of an innocent creature, let alone one as enchanting as Miss Templeton?”
“You cannot control the choice of the council Edward. If I must, I will take the necessary steps to protect one of my own. The same way I protected the men I work with now, as I did all those years ago. They had similar death sentences. If by some happy coincidence I see Mr William Goddard before the Summit, I will show him real animal behaviour. Let him attempt to muzzle me!” Seth removed his sunglasses so the man before him, his godson could look in his eyes and know the truth. Edward swallowed a groan.
“Seth, I will do what is in my power, but as you know William Goddard is the favoured nephew of Queen Damiphorus and the representative of the house of Kolof. He has a great deal of clout.”
Drake swore. Kolof was the most revered house in the entire succubus nation, his Aunt the favoured Queen.
“You let a succubus in here?” Ben snapped in a furious whisper. Seth swore under his breath having forgotten about the elf prince seated at the end of the table.
“Ben, the succubi form one leg of the treaty,” Edward stated calmly.
“Yeah right, just like the fairies. Did you happen to get the report about the fairy attack on 132, or was that bit left out of the report too?” Ben spat coming to his feet, his chair tipped over hitting the floor behind him. Drake dove for his friend, putting a calming hand on the Elves arm.
“Ben, not all fairies are evil, just like not all succubi are evil.” Edward entreated.
“Not all are evil, is that right Mr Xcoph? I will have to tell Sarantha; my grieving mother the next time I see her. No doubt, the memory of Damiphorus taking my father’s life force before her eyes have faded some! She came upon him lying on the forest floor while Damiphorus sucked him into a dry, shrivelled husk!” Ben yelled all pretence of calm gone from his face. Blue flames licked up his arms, his blue-green eyes danced with the growing need to do battle, the blue tinge to his skin became darker in his rage. Drake jumped back with a startled yell. Seth snapped out a fist, knocking his comrade to the floor, unconscious.
“Damn Seth, you could have given me some warning,” Drake complained bending to check Ben’s head for injury.
“I didn’t know Ben’s father had been killed by Damiphorus, or I would have kept Wills history to myself.” Edward sighed rubbing the back of his neck.
“Don’t delude yourself about the natures of others Edward, even though the treaty is signed, atrocities are still performed. Do not forget, even though warriors surround you, some of us are still cold-blooded killers. Elisabeth saw deep into Goddard’s mind, he has plans to suck out her soul. I will be there when he tries. Her soul belongs to me”. Seth purred the last against the back of his godson’s throat, before walking over and lifting Ben over a shoulder like he weighed nothing. Edward watched his friend, mentor, godfather and idol stride toward the elevator that would take him all the way down to the murky depths of Tartarus.
“That went well. Good job, Edward. Maybe next time you could poke yourself in the eye with a fork.” he whispered sarcastically, setting Ben’s chair to rights.
“What the hell was that about? You said Ben hasn’t lost it like that in decades”. Drake rubbed his arm where Ben’s magic seared the skin.
“I think Lisa being here has affected more than just my behaviour, all of us have been acting against the norm. Look at Cooper, his smart-arse mouth was bad before but now he is worse. How many women did you see today Drake? I can smell four different perfumes, is that normal for you? Ben has lost his mind; I have never seen an elf lose his temper in a flash like that. I have been acting out, laughing and irrational and I hate to admit, jealous as well.” Seth stated. Drake leaned back against the wall.
“Can’t blame Lisa, she’s done nothing. The kid has too much to deal with already, without lumping that s**t on her shoulders.” He muttered. Seth grunted his agreement.
“Should we tell her what the i***t Goddard did, with the summit? I mean she has a right to know.” Drake looked worried, he stepped back as Seth carried Ben’s dead weight through a door to the right and down a hall. With a wave of his hand, the lock sprang and the door opened. Seth walked into the dimly lit suite with Drake on his heels. He tipped Ben off his shoulder and into his bed, where Drake had pulled back the sheets. Stooping Seth removed Ben’s boots before covering him and walking out of the suite. Ben would awaken with one hell of a headache, but at least he would be alive.
Cooper waited in the hall against the wall, in a pair of jeans and nothing else, his bare chest and shoulders covered with the short mat of soft ash-coloured fur that covered his whole face and head.
“What’s up, my brothers?” Drake took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders.
“Goddard petitioned the Para council to have Lisa eliminated, it’s going up before the summit.” Cooper's jaw dropped, the fur around his neck stood on end.
“What do you mean eliminated?” he growled showing elongating canines, his fur tuft ears twitched atop his head. Drake leaned against the opposite wall.
“Seth picked it out of Xcoph’s head just after you and Lisa left. Goddard’s placed a termination request with the Paranormal Council; her fate is to be determined at the upcoming summit meeting at the end of October.” Drake growled. Cooper whimpered like a kicked pup.
“They can’t do that. He has no right.” Cooper whined.
“Seth made it clear, he now considers Goddard on the menu.” Drake chortled. Coopers answering grin was as evil as his intent.
“I did not. I merely stated, if I saw him, I’d show him some real animal behaviour.” Seth cut in coming into the hall. Cooper gave a whoop before frowning at Ben’s door. He peered curiously back at his fellow warriors.
“Ben skitzed mate. Turns out Goddard i.e. the favoured Nephi-poo of the Queen-O-suck. Damiphorus, the one and only, is the one who murdered Ben’s Dad.” Drake told Cooper roughly.
“Oh s**t, what happened?”
“Ben ignited his magic. He singed the fur right off my arm.” Drake complained showing the wolf the bald patch on his forearm. Cooper whistled.
“Then what happened?”
“Seth punched him in the face. K-O’d Benny boy and we put him to bed”.
“No doubt he will thank you in the morning. Igniting magic, he must have been cut man. Last time I saw him do that was in seventy-three after a gnome killed a human kid. He wiped out the gnome’s entire village, afterwards he swore to himself he would never use his magic again.” Cooper hung his head sadly, hurting for his friend.
“So, what are we going to do about Lisa and this summit?”
“You will not do a damn thing. I will find a way to deal with the threat to my mate. Do not think you get to sit on your hands either. This year is the six-hundredth-year mark gentlemen; you’re soon to have the longest two weeks of your lives.” Seth mentioned rather blasé. Both men’s heads snapped up alert.
“What do you mean?” Drake asked slowly, clearly confused.
“It’s the six, sixty-six boys. The veil to the underworlds will get very thin. Guess how long it’s been between the last one and now?” Seth asked sardonically.
“Oh s**t, that’s this year?” Cooper repeated.
“Exactly, oh s**t is right. I am going to need all of you and more onboard for this. Battles are going to erupt all over the world. Sweeps begin Monday at five pm bring your friends.” Seth called turning away towards the training centre.
“Great thanks boss, how the hell am I going to sleep now?” Cooper called to the vampires retreating form. Patronizing laughter echoed back as he disappeared through the door.
“Vampires.” Drake and Cooper muttered going through their respective doors.
- Writer
