Vampire King's Pet

Chapter Three: Incendio

Alexei's POV

"Genevieve. Nice to see you again. How are you?"

The witch didn't even slow her stride. Instead, she lifted a hand and waved me off as if I were an annoying insect buzzing around her head.

"Don't pretend we're friends, Alexei." Her sharp amber eyes flicked toward me briefly. "I'm only here because you said a young witch was in trouble. Now where is she?"

I sighed. Genevieve had never been intimidated by kings. Or anyone else for that matter.

It was one of the reasons I trusted her. The other reason was simple. When magic was involved, Genevieve was usually the smartest person in the room.

"Over there." I pointed toward the remains of the armory.

"The little brat locked herself behind a barrier and refuses to let anyone near her or her dead lover." The last words came out quieter.

Genevieve's expression softened immediately. Not much but just enough for me to notice. Loss recognized loss. For a brief moment she looked less like the infamous witch feared across two continents and more like a woman who understood exactly what grief could do to a person.

Then she started walking. I followed a few steps behind. "What is her name?" she asked.

"Avery."

The moment I spoke it, Genevieve froze. Only for a second. So briefly most people wouldn't have noticed. But I did. My eyes narrowed. "You know her?"

"No." The answer came too quickly.

She continued walking. Interesting. Very interesting.

Rain continued to fall lightly around us as we approached the barrier.

The magical wall shimmered faintly in the darkness, nearly invisible unless the moonlight struck it at the right angle.

Inside sat the girl. Avery.

Curled against the blackened wall of the armory.

Her eyes were closed. Her head rested against the stone behind her. One hand was intertwined with Daniel's.

The dead vampire looked peaceful now. Almost asleep. If not for the unnatural stillness of his body and the cooling flesh, one might have believed he would wake up any moment.

The frantic beating of Avery's heart echoed loudly in my ears. Too fast. Too uneven.

She was exhausted and injured. Running entirely on grief and stubbornness.

"Impressive," Genevieve murmured. She stepped closer. The barrier rippled beneath her touch. "Very impressive."

Avery didn't react. Didn't open her eyes. Didn't acknowledge either of us.

Genevieve tilted her head. "Hello."

Nothing.

"My name is Genevieve." Still nothing. "I am very sorry for everything you've been through." A pause. "I am also sorry for Alexei's manners. He's a work in progress."

I growled. Genevieve swatted the air in my direction. "Behave." I rolled my eyes.

The witch crouched slightly near the barrier. "Can you tell me how someone your age created something this strong?"

For the first time, Avery moved. Not much. Just enough. One eye opened. Then the other. Cloudy gray eyes regarded Genevieve with complete exhaustion. "My family is old."

Her voice sounded raw. Like every word physically hurt. "Very old."

Genevieve nodded slowly. "And strong?"

Avery's lips twitched.bNot quite a smile. Not quite a sneer. "Very."

I stepped forward before Genevieve could continue. The photograph was still folded in my pocket. Still burning a hole through my thoughts.

I pulled it free. Held it against the barrier. "Then tell me who this is."

Avery's eyes landed on the photograph. Every muscle in her body immediately tightened.

There. Recognition. Pain and something darker. She looked away.

My patience snapped. "Answer me." Nothing. Not a single word.

The ground beneath my boots trembled. A faint vibration. Barely noticeable. But enough. Magic responding to emotion.

Interesting and dangerous.

Genevieve shot me a warning look. "Alexei..."

"There she is." I folded my arms. "At least now she's listening."

Avery stared at me. Pure hatred simmered behind those exhausted eyes. And strangely—I preferred it.

Hatred was alive. The emptiness she'd worn earlier wasn't.

"Stop it and let me speak to her alone." I looked down at Genevieve and shook my head.

"I am staying right here." I squared my shoulders and crossed my arms over my chest. "That boy called us for help. He called us knowing she would return to nothing and no one. As his King, it is my responsibility to bring my subject home and ensure he receives a proper burial."

"According to Daniel, you're a shitty King." Avery's voice cut through the air like a knife.

My eyes snapped to her.

She slowly pushed herself upright from the ground, wincing as pain shot through her injured side. One arm wrapped around her ribs while the other steadied her against the wall.

Despite her obvious injuries, there was a cruel sort of amusement dancing in her cloudy grey eyes.

A low laugh escaped her when I snarled. "Since your wife and unborn child were murdered," she continued, "you've practically run your kingdom into the ground."

The world went silent. Even the crackling of distant fires seemed to disappear.

No one spoke of Mila. No one. Not after what happened. I had forbidden it. My warriors knew better. My advisors knew better. Entire villages knew better.

Yet this reckless little witch had spoken her name without speaking it. Spoken of my son. Of my greatest failure.

"Drop your barrier and say that to my face." The growl that left me barely sounded human. I stepped closer. The invisible wall shimmered between us. "I dare you."

Avery tilted her head. A smile touched her lips. "Make me, Alexei." Then, as if she hadn't just insulted me to my face, she casually lowered herself back onto the ground.

My vision flashed red. Literally. I could feel my fangs descending, piercing my bottom lip. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

"Genevieve." The warning in my voice made her tense. She looked at me over her shoulder, concern filling her eyes because she already knew what I wanted.

She also knew she owed me. Which meant she couldn't refuse. "Do your worst."

A heavy sigh left her. For a moment she looked almost disappointed. Then she stepped forward.

I backed away several feet as she planted both palms against the barrier.

Nothing happened at first.

Then sparks appeared beneath her fingertips. Tiny golden sparks. Like flint striking steel. Within seconds they multiplied, spreading across the surface of the invisible wall until flames erupted outward.

Fire roared to life. Orange and gold tongues licked across the barrier's surface.

The magical wall immediately began to crack.

An angry scream erupted from the other side. The barrier shuddered violently.

A fracture appeared. Then another. Then another. Well.bThat didn't take long.

"STOP IT!" Avery stumbled toward the wall.

"I asked you politely to take it down before I called her," I snarled. "This is on you, witch."

Her gaze swung toward me. For a split second I swore I saw flames dancing inside her grey eyes. Not reflected fire. Actual fire.

A dangerous heat that sent an unfamiliar chill down my spine.

Slowly, Avery pushed herself back to her feet. She reached into her pocket and pulled out something small. A necklace. A talisman. I didn't even see her take it off.

The moment she placed it around her neck again, the air changed. I felt it. Every vampire around me felt it. Raw ancient power. Terrifying.power.

Avery stepped forward until she stood directly opposite Genevieve. Then she placed her hands over Genevieve's. The barrier continued cracking around them. Yet Avery simply stood there.

Waiting and watching.

"Tribus." The word rolled from her tongue. Confusion swept through the gathered crowd.

Around us, my men had stopped working entirely. Every eye was fixed on the two witches. The sound of cracking magic echoed through the ruins. The barrier splintered further.

Something about the energy pouring from Avery made my body tense. It should have frightened me. Instead, it stirred something darker. Something dangerous.

The sheer force radiating from her was enough to threaten everyone present. And somehow that only made me want to know what she was capable of.

I quickly shoved the thought aside. The spoiled brat spoke again. "Duo."

"Avery, don't do this." For the first time, genuine alarm filled Genevieve's voice.

Avery ignored her completely. Instead, she smirked. The moment she did, every instinct I possessed screamed that something was about to go very wrong.

"Unus."

The barrier shattered. The sound exploded through the clearing.

The second it fell, Avery laced her fingers through Genevieve's.

"Incendio."

Blue fire erupted instantly.

Not orange. Not red. Blue.

The flames consumed both of their hands. Genevieve screamed. She tried to pull away but couldn't.

Their hands were locked together. Fused.

I rushed forward. Without thinking, I grabbed their wrists and tried to wrench them apart. Pain exploded through my hands. The flames were so hot my skin immediately began to blister.

The scent of burning flesh filled the air. My flesh. Yet I didn't let go.

"Let go of her." The words came through clenched teeth. "Or so help the Gods..."

The fire spread higher. The skin on my hands blackened. Still, I pulled. Genevieve was my friend. I wasn't losing her. Not here. Not to a grieving teenager.

Avery met my gaze. Her expression never changed. "I have lost everyone I have ever loved." Her voice was eerily calm. Terrifyingly calm. "I'm not afraid of death."

The fire reflected in her eyes. "But it seems you both are."

The look she gave us made one thing abundantly clear. She wasn't bluffing. If death came for her tonight, she intended to drag someone with her.

"Genevieve," I barked. "Put a protection spell on both of you." Avery wanted to die. Fine. But she wasn't taking Genevieve with her. "She's not going out on her own terms."

With a snap of my fingers, my warriors immediately surrounded us. Three moved behind Avery. Only one was brave—or foolish—enough to touch her.

Marcus.

He wrapped one arm firmly around her waist while securing the other beneath her chin, preparing to restrain her the moment we managed to separate them.

Genevieve took a shaky breath. Then nodded. She was ready. Or as ready as she could be. The flesh where their hands touched already looked horribly burned. I wasn't entirely sure they weren't fused together.

"I'm so sorry," Genevieve whispered.

Then we pulled. Hard.

"Elementa solis, elementa diei, veni huc." I had no idea what she was saying. But something changed. The air grew lighter. The pressure pressing against my chest eased. Even Avery's resistance began to falter.

"Potestates Noctis et Diei, te voco. Invoco te ad defendendum me. Ita sit."

Power surged through the clearing. A shockwave exploded outward. I barely managed to catch Genevieve before she hit the ground.

Immediately, I bit into my wrist and pressed it toward her lips. "Drink."

She shoved my hand away. "No. Heal her first. She has werewolf venom in her system."

"I couldn't care less if she dies." My voice was cold. "Drink before it closes." I forced my wrist back toward her. After a long moment, she relented.

As a witch, drinking vampire blood was uncommon. But when severe injuries were involved, it accelerated healing and prevented permanent damage.

Once I was certain she'd taken enough, she grabbed my arm.

"Please, Alexei." Her voice was weak. "She's only a child."

I glared at her. Genevieve knew exactly how I felt about the wolf responsible for Mila's death.

And Avery still refused to tell me how she was connected to him. Was he her father? An uncle? A cousin? A distant relative? I didn't know.

Only that he was a werewolf. And she wasn't answering questions. Not yet.

"Ben." I stood. "Stay with Genevieve while I check on Marcus and the girl." He immediately took my place.

As I walked away, I flexed my fingers. The burns were already healing. Blistered skin peeled away and reformed before my eyes.

If I were a wolf, those injuries would have left permanent scars. But I was a vampire. My skin simply grew back.

I had watched men heal from far worse. Hell, I had skinned men alive for information, waited for them to recover, and done it all over again. The memory didn't bother me. Not anymore.

My gaze settled on the injured witch being restrained several yards away. Now it was time to deal with my other problem.