Queen of My Immortal Heart

Chapter 8: Luke

As he entered the dining hall, the room was in chaos as women ran from the hall screaming. The men stood, swords out and ready, yelling for the women and children to take cover. Luke scanned the crowd and spotted his father, also in his wolf form, standing in front of Valtar and Ara, growling and snapping his teeth. Gandmir was next to him, his fangs extended in a hiss. They were looking up. As he entered the dining hall, the room was in chaos as women ran from the hall screaming. The men stood, swords out and ready, yelling for the women and children to take cover. Luke scanned the crowd and spotted his father, also in his wolf form, standing in front of Valtar and Ara, growling and snapping his teeth. Gandmir was next to him, his fangs extended in a hiss. They were looking up. Luke jumped on a table and leapt down next to his father. He looked up and felt a rush of fear and anger. There, floating in the air, was Lucard Satan, King of the Cast Outs. He was staring down at them, a look of amusement on his ugly scarred face. Lucard was a vile excuse for a man, Immortal or mortal. He had been changed by the former King, Arturo, back in the early fifteenth century. He had taken the role of King so viciously after Arturo had been killed by Valtar and his father. His maggot of a son, Mortimer, had been born of one of his many mistresses the same year as Nicole, but had been born mortal. Lucard had changed him over when he was twenty. “Where is she, Valtar?” Lucard shouted, setting Luke’s fur on edge. His hackles rose and he growled low in his throat. The bastard was looking for Nicole! “You’ll never get your hands on my daughter, Lucard! You’ll have to kill me first!” Valtar shouted back. Luke and his father both growled and snapped their teeth at him to add emphasis to Valtar’s words. “You give her up so easy, old man.” Lucard said with a chuckle. “Killing you, at your age, would be a snap for me. A little too easy though. I’d rather make you suffer greatly before I kill you.” Just then, a scream echoed down the hall from the library. Luke charged for the hall just in time to see Mortimer dragging Nicole by a silver chain around her wrists. With the silver, she could not trace. Her delicate white skin hissed as the silver burned her, causing her to cry in pain. “Not a step closer, werewolf!” Mortimer growled, holding his silver sword to Nicole’s neck. Luke took a step back, but growled and snapped at him. “I’ve got her, Father!” Mortimer shouted as he edged pass Luke. Nicole’s eyes met Luke’s and he caught a silent plea from her telepathically. He didn't think he could do that until he blood bonded her, but his wolf must already have some deep connection with her for telepathy to work. He'd think more on it later. He concentrated hard on her words, as they were a soft whisper in his head. “Luke, protect my parents. Please. You can come for me later. Just please don’t let them hurt my parents.” Luke whimpered, but stayed back. He would do as she asked of him, no matter how much he wanted to charge and kill Mortimer. “Good going, son. Let us be off then.” Lucard said as he floated down next to Mortimer. “We’ve got what we came for. Good evening, your majesties.” Lucard said, an evil laugh ringing in the air as they traced away, taking Nicole with them. All was silent for the space of a heartbeat, then Ara let out a cry filled with so much sorrow and pain, it broke every bit of glass in the entire castle. “Our baby girl,” she sobbed into Valtar’s shirt. “They are going to kill her!” Luke walked up to his father and they both transformed back into their human form. Gandmir’s fangs retracted and he lowered his sword. “We’ll find her, my love.” Valtar said quietly, rubbing her back gently, trying to soothe his wife. Pain and fear shown brightly in his eyes too. “She’s a strong, intelligent young woman, your highness.” Ulrik said. “She’ll be fine until we can rescue her.” Luke hoped his father and the King were right. Nicole was indeed a very strong, powerful, smart woman, but if Lucard and Mortimer kept her trapped in silver, her powers would be useless. “Why are they doing this, Valtar?” Ara sobbed again. “They want our kingdom, my dear. Nicoleta is the only one who stands in their way.” Valtar explained gently. “That can’t be all of it, Valtar.” Ulrik said quietly. Luke, Valtar, and Ara all looked at him. “What do you mean, my friend?” Valtar asked. “If it were just a matter of over throwing Nicoleta, they would have attacked before now. They would have tried to kill her before she was ever crowned. There has to be another reason for all this and for why they waited until after she was crowned to take her.” Ulrik explained. All were silent as they pondered his words. It made sense to Luke. He had received word from Kalgan back in 1923 that Mortimer had led a small band of ten Cast Outs to attack Nicole during her visit with him in Scotland. Mortimer had found the Immortal Silver Blade, the only weapon in existence that could kill a true vampire like Valtar, Ara, and Nicole, besides the sun. He had attacked her in a field and tried to kill her, but Nicole had disarmed him and taken the blade when he’d traced away. She’d given it to Kalgan to be destroyed, which he had assured Luke it had been. “The Blade!” Ara gasped, obviously reading Luke’s thoughts. “Kalgan did destroy it, right?” “Of course he did, my love” Valtar assured his wife calmly, wiping her tears away with his silk handkerchief. “How do we know it was destroyed, your highness?” Luke asked. “Believe me, son. I trust Kalgan McCrae greatly. He would have destroyed it as I ordered. He is a close friend to our dear Nicoleta and would have done anything to protect her.” Valtar answered confidently. “Then they couldn’t possibly have it.” Ulrik said. “There has to be another reason.” “Good point,” Valtar said thoughtfully. “So, that still leaves the question of why they attacked now.” “I’ll call a meeting of the IAKM immediately, you majesty.” Ulrik said. “Together, we’ll find a way to save your daughter.” “Thank you, Ulrik.” Ara said, stepping forward to kiss his cheek. “Yes, thank you, old friend.” Valtar said, clapping him on the back and shaking his hand. “In the meantime, I’ll get this place cleaned up and call the heads of the other chapters across the world to keep their eyes out for her.” “Good plan, your majesty.” Ulrik said. He bowed to them both and turned to leave. Luke bowed, then turned to leave with his father when Ara put her hand on his arm. “Yes, your highness?” Luke asked. He looked down into Ara’s big green eyes and felt a stab in his heart. Nicole resembled her beautiful mother so much. If not for the different eye and hair color, he could swear he was looking at his lovely Nicole. “Luke, I know you have just returned to us and my dear Nicoleta. I thank you for still caring so much for my daughter after all this time.” “I love her, your highness.” Luke said. “I will get her back or I will die trying. This I promise you.” “I know you will, Luke. After all, you will be a lonely King without your Queen by your side.” Luke blushed deeply. Had she read his thoughts about Nicole agreeing to marry him? “Yes, I did.” Ara said, again making Luke blush. “I apologize for not asking your majesties again after all this time, but it just felt like the right moment earlier and I couldn’t wait any longer.” Luke said, looking from Ara’s smiling face to Valtar’s questioning one. “It’s alright, my dear boy,” Valtar said, placing his hand on Luke's shoulder. “We gave you our blessings centuries ago! Just do right by our daughter and that’s all we can ask.” “You know I will, your majesty. Thank you for your blessings again.” Luke bowed again, kissed Ara’s palm, and left quickly to assist his father in gathering the members of IAKM. They needed to find Nicole fast before Lucard and Mortimer had a chance to hurt her, or worse, kill her. Luke picked up his pace as he bound down the front stairs and across the court yard. He had to find his precious Nicole before it was to late. He just wish he knew where to look.