Alliances (Guardians of White Light, #1) (2 page)

Before he knew what he was doing his hands were around Arthur’s neck choking him. He had the power to rip his head from his body in one swift motion of decapitation. He shook with indecision.

“You want to talk of retribution?” he roared.

“You…were…renowned. Respected. Now you hide...coward. You’re…weak,” Arthur rasped, struggling to speak with his vocal chords constricted by Mathias’ large hands wrapped around his neck.

His words snapped Mathias out of his haze of rage.
What am I doing?
Why am I letting this punk kid affect me?
He broke his hold and stepped back.
It’s not worth it.

“The sun will be up soon,” he spoke in a low growl.

He turned his back and walked away.

CHAPTER TWO

From beneath the ground level of the age-old crypt located in Loch Cemetery, Mathias re-positioned a heavy concrete slab that doubled as the floor tile of the crypt and the trap door entrance to his hidden lair below.

Prior to the high-profile killings by Immortalia that had led to a worldwide vampire hunt; he had resided in an estate on the outskirts of town. The estate was the epitome of vampire stereotype. A mansion located on the edge of town, heavy drapes in every window, Gothic-style architecture. Nothing lived or ever grew there. It had become too dangerous for him to continue living there. And so now he lived beneath a crypt in an underground cavern that he’d fashioned. He kept to himself and fed only on animal blood from the butcher, waiting for the day when the troubled times would pass. They would never find him here.

As he approached his chambers his senses suddenly began to scream a warning at him. He stopped mid-stride and breathed in the scent of the intruder.
Gabriella
. It was she. There was no doubt in his mind. He never made a mistake when it came to his instincts.

He threw open the door and demanded harshly, “What are you doing here?”

She lay atop his neatly made bed sprawled out in a sexually promiscuous position wearing a red velvet slip that left little to the imagination.

“I missed you, lover,” she breathed in a seductive whisper.

Despite his agitated disposition he felt his body stir in response. He remained still as she sauntered towards him and began to circle him, predatorily. Her hands brushed against him, her fingertips dancing over his body, trying to coax him to arousal. She was good. No doubt about it. But she meant nothing to him. She served her purpose and helped ease some of the lonely nights, but that was all. He didn’t care for her and he could give her nothing aside from hollow physical gratification. She knew that, yet many nights she still stood in his doorway. A young thing, barely twenty years in their world, he figured his worldliness and secretive nature intrigued her.

“What happened?” she asked, fingering a blood-red scratch on his hand.

Mathias glanced at his hand that she held in hers and saw the gash that she was concerned with. He hadn’t even noticed it. It must have occurred during his scuffle with Immortalia in the alley.

“No idea,” he lied. Not the brightest of their species, she had little understanding of the existence and lore of vampire groups like Immortalia. And, he hadn’t the patience to explain. Nor did he want to involve her in such things.

Gabriella’s features morphed to her vampire face. Mathias moaned from the medley of pain and welcome pleasure that racked his body suddenly as she sank her fangs into the gash on his hand and began sucking, tasting him.

He entwined his fingers in her silky scarlet-red hair and jerked her head up to look at him. He wiped the blood out of the corner of her mouth and licked his fingers clean. She grinned with pleasure, her eyes willing him to take her and violate her as only he could.

Mathias knew the look and he was far beyond the point of no return now. He had every intention of giving her what she wanted. He thrust his hands forward, propelling her violently onto his bed. He pounced on top of her, roaring in pain as she dug her claws into his back. God, she was good.

***

Mathias awoke to a distinct rapping coming from the trap door entrance to his lair. He recognized the knock. He glanced at Gabriella. She was sound asleep, exhausted from their liaison earlier. He didn’t want to do business while she was here, but he knew it had to be an emergency for someone to knock at this hour. It was daylight.

Swiftly, he threw on his pants and strode towards the trap door.

He unfastened the lock and moved it aside, “Luke,” he greeted.

“Old friend,” Luke said, laying a friendly slap on Mathias’ shoulder. He sensed the other presence in the lair immediately and veered towards the bedroom. He took in the sight of Gabriella entangled in Mathias’ sheets, awash in a deep sleep. He raised his eyebrows. “She’s sleeping here now?”

“Don’t read into it. Daylight was too close for her to leave. That’s all.”

“I
came
here in the daylight.”

“She’s not…worldly like us. She’s young.”

“Twenty. I know; I ran the background check on her. It’s a good thing she doesn’t have the resources to run one on you,” Luke said, cracking a smile.

“What does that mean?” Mathias asked, as he led him into another room.

He referred to it as his office, but it was more than that. Moved from his estate, it had been his training quarters and armory during happier days when he had been a renowned warrior. He was no longer a part of that world anymore, but he kept the room in case the need to go to war presented itself. With Immortalia’s current modus operandi it was becoming more and more likely. It was the last thing he wanted. His heart wasn’t in it anymore, not since he’d lost her. And a warrior without heart wielded no power. He would do all he could to prevent a war between vampires and humans. In fact, he was already doing just that.

“That you fuck around with vampires, but you only
love
human women.”

“I
did
love a human. But never again. Now, it’s just sex. That’s as far as it will ever go again.”

Luke shook his head with disapproval. “You’re not built that way, Mathias. Your grief has set you apart from the world.”

“Yet, I still affect it.
We
still affect it. Without Legion humans would already be at war with us.”

“But now you must step from the shadows.”

Mathias’ eyes narrowed with intrigue. “You’ve found what we’ve been searching for?”

Luke nodded and passed Mathias a package. As Mathias moved to take it from him, Luke suddenly gripped his hand. “You need to prepare yourself for what you’re about to see,” he warned him in a haunting whisper.

“Come on,” Mathias scoffed.

“I’m serious. We’ve seen a lot over the centuries, things that would churn other people’s stomachs. But
this
…it’s different.”

Mathias took his words in and braced himself as he opened the envelope and withdrew the documents. Inside were a wad of photos taken from an instant camera and what appeared to be blueprint sketches.

Mathias felt a lump form in his throat as he viewed the pictures. He had to force himself not to retch as he continued to examine them. He had seen his share of disturbing things during his long existence, things that haunted and would stay with him for his entire eternal life. But Luke had been right; this was beyond that.

They depicted an unknown vampire, a test subject, bound and naked, being force-fed a human. In what, according to the time-stamp on the photos was mere moments later, smoke, then flame engulfed him and he was burned to ashes from the inside out.

“How is this possible?” Mathias spoke aloud as he continued to examine the package.

“Whatever it is, it has the same effect on us as drinking a shit-load of Holy water,” Luke offered.

Mathias set the photos down and examined the booklet of blueprints behind it. They were sketches, mirroring the photos Luke and his team had taken, documenting the vampire experiments. He skipped to the last page, wishing to avoid further disturbing imagery. And then he saw the words that horrified him more than the photos themselves: TESTS SUCCESSFUL: MASS PRODUCTION APPROVED.

“This is worse than we thought. To mass-produce this they have one of two options. Either they’ll hit the water supply or mass-inoculate humans with whatever the hell that drug is that they’ve created,” Mathias said.

“Mathias, I know you don’t want to hear it but Immortalia is right. War needs to occur. If the humans do this, it’ll be the end for all of us. To never feed on humans again? It’s unnatural. This cannot come to pass.”

“It was the impetuous and arrogant actions of Immortalia that caused this in the first place. It’s what they wanted, to drive humans to this heinous action so the vampire world would have no choice but to call for war. Now, the only way to survive is to become the supreme species. Perfect manipulation.”

Without warning he slammed his fist angrily against the abrasive soil wall. Luke remained silent, understanding the reason behind his extreme reaction. He watched as Mathias slowly approached his weapons cabinet and withdrew a broadsword. He ripped it from its sheath and spun it around in his hand with impressive expertise.

“I will pay Silas a visit after sundown,” he announced, as he ran his hand gently along the steel blade.

“Mathias, that’s suicide. He’s wanted you dead for years and now you plan to show up alone at his highly secure estate? Even if they don’t stake you on sight he’ll never let you out of there.”

“Desperate times, my friend. If you don’t hear from me within forty-eight hours, you’re to move in on the research facility.”

“If we move in we’ll be declaring war, a war that you have been trying to prevent.”

“If Silas doesn’t listen there will be no alternative. You’re right that we can’t allow the humans to mass-produce this vampire disease of theirs. It will destroy us,” Mathias explained.

“Understood,” Luke agreed. With his orders received he headed towards the door. His hand on the doorknob, he stopped and glanced back at his old friend. “Mathias, I’m sorry.”

Mathias could only nod as he watched Luke leave. He exhaled deeply, contemplating the distasteful task that lay before him. The fate of he and his comrades rested upon the edge of a knife and it would be determined this night.

CHAPTER THREE

Silas sat comfortably in his marble high-backed chair. Golden serpent effigies snaked around its legs and it towered above all other chairs in his throne room signifying his higher station to all those who approached. Either side of him sat two vampire women. They were his favorites. His lovers. His slaves. Their sole function was to please him.

Before him stood his son, Arthur. He was providing his report on his activities of the last few nights.

“Why have some of my warriors failed to return?” Silas asked him suddenly, sensing his son’s unusual nervous disposition. He was concealing something.

Arthur shifted his weight uncomfortably as he uttered, shakily, “It was Mathias. He interfered.”

Silas was taken aback at hearing that name. But he managed to compose himself, refusing to display weakness such as any sort of reaction in front of his subordinates.

“Hmm. It’s been a long while since I’ve heard that name,” was his mellowed response.

“He has forbidden all vampires in his town to feed off humans. He believes the humans will not target us if we keep it clean, so to speak. Instead, they feed off animals and vermin and blood from the butchers. It’s disgusting,” Arthur reported.

“He’s trying to prevent war. Hmm, he’s changed since….since that day. Since her,” Silas spoke aloud.

Time was, the Mathias he had known would not have hesitated to go to war, or to fight for a worthy cause on behalf of his species. But now he cowered? He protected them? Humankind? He had dismissed his own kind in favor of them. It was an irredeemable act.

“He needs to be assassinated, my Lord,” Arthur pressed.

“All in good time. We don’t have resources to spare right now. We must not split our focus. Mathias is but a footnote in our greater scheme. He is not the great warrior he once was. He cowers in the shadows. His threat is minimal, albeit his actions greatly misguided.”

Arthur heaved a heavy sigh. “As you wish.”

***

Two females giggled as they delved under the covers. Silas closed his eyes and moaned with pleasure as his vampire vixens attended to him. He’d called them to his chambers to relax him. All the talk of Mathias had unsettled him. It weighed heavily on his mind. He needed a distraction.

He reached under the covers and gripped the hair of each girl. He tugged roughly and they both let out a muffled cry. Their pain heightened his pleasure.

He was about to join them when he felt a sudden chill. He froze and eyed the window.

He almost jumped out of his skin when he saw the silhouetted figure of his old enemy standing in the corner, leaning against the heavy crimson drapes.