Slay My Soul

The vampire King paces angrily. As if that is going to solve his problem. Useless. This man is no King.

“That’s the fourth shipment they have intercepted!” He rages. I roll my eyes. Yip, queue the temper tantrum.

I watch the King hurl the books from the bookcase across the room, then he shoves everything off the desk and upends it in fury. I fight against the urge to clap and congratulate him on fixing the issue maturely, instead I wait for him to finish his hissy fit before righting a chair so I can sit down.

“Make the fifth one, the last one they get away with,” I say.

“What do you mean? We need those deliveries!” He hisses.

“They have hit everyone without fail these last few weeks, so set a trap on the next one.” I mean, really? Do I need to use sock puppets with this idiot?

“Yes! It’s time I put an end to my granddaughter’s interference. She’s overdue her visit here anyway. I have been kind enough to give her a mourning period for her mate. I will use the next shipment against her,” he declares, as though he had come up with the idea himself. “We will catch Eve and bring her to heel.” My mind imagines Eve kneeling in front of me, looking at me with love. I thought of the dream I had made for Eve, of the way her skin felt. Her lips were soft and plush against my own. Of the sensation of having her in my arms. I shake my mind free. I can think of Eve later, right now I need to plan our trap.

“We could have Asmodeus ambush them while Eve’s men are attacking the convoy and have some of our own people in the back of the trucks in case Eve isn’t there to go back with them like trojan horses.” The King looks at me as he weighs the pros and cons.

“You think it will be that easy?” He sneers.

“The attack will create disorientation as well as the urgency to get away, the people in the trucks will be safe. Any Demons that die don’t matter. There are hundreds more to replace them,” I shrug.

“Fine, try it. Do not let me down Belestine,” the King scowls at me. “We may not get another shot like this. Ensure you have backup plans for your backup plans.”

“Of course my King,” I say, bowing my head mockingly. “I will have your granddaughter back in your tender care before you know it. Book the next convoy and let me know when it will be scheduled and its route. I will start planning the truck teams and speak to Asmodeus, to coordinate the attack.”

“Make sure no one kills her either. I want her alive. Injured is fine. Unconscious too. But it is mandatory she is whole and breathing.” I nod in agreement.

“You have my word,” I swear. The first honest promise I have made to him. “I will personally guarantee she arrives at the castle safe and sound. I will bring her myself.” I pause and decide to test the waters. “Your highness, if this goes to plan and you bend her to your will and you name her your heir. Would you consider a non-vampire to court her? I mean she’s already a mutt, so it wouldn’t really matter who courts her ?”

“Only the purest and most loyal of my vampires will be allowed to attempt courting,” he says, scoffing at the idea of her with one not of his race. “I need any children she has, to be dominant in the vampire side of their blood. She will produce a powerful line of vampires to rule over those still standing when the war is won.” Well, that settles that then. I eye the King intently, in a whole new light. Not as the leader that I have pledged my service to. I look at him as prey. He narrows his eyes at me. “Is there a problem?”

“None. I was just making a mental list of things to start with for our plan,” I say, offering a small smile.

“Was there a reason you asked about courting?” He demands.

“Simply wondering if any of my men stood a chance or if I should head off the broken hearts in advance,” I lie.

“No. Your men do not stand any chance,” he snaps. The words hang between us. I hear his secondary meaning even though he thinks he is being clever. He plans to kill the Dark circle once he finishes using us.

“I will let them know she is off limits sire,” I say, bowing. He sniffs haughtily and waves at me to leave, while he bellows at a servant to clean up the mess in the office - the mess that he made himself.

I go to see Asmodeus first, stomping my feet on the steps of the dungeon to release some of my pent-up anger. I entered the agreement with the King a long time ago, before Carino’s second had gotten greedy and tipped the scales in our favor with the Demon scroll. Back then, I just wanted to obliviate the useless Light Circle and the overbearing Shadow Circle so my people could actually live their lives, without having to be punished for spells that flow through our souls as naturally as blood flows through our bodies. Killing off the uppity Dragons and Lycans, as well as the self-righteous wolves, was merely a bonus.

When the Demons entered our ranks, it was a game-changer. We had the numbers to not just win, but wipe the floor with them easily. The original plan had been to kill Eve. But then one of the King’s sons had been killed and Sirus had defected. The King turned his eye to Eve to inherit the kingdom, but only if he could break her and remake her in his image.

I thought killing her mate would either break or kill her. Either way, it would halt her destined fate in its tracks. But the Fates have given her a replacement. Time is ticking, she only has two more mates to claim, if the information that was sent to me is accurate. I thought she was too dangerous to let live. But the King is adamant the new era will need her. I had urged him to launch a full-scale attack after the death of her mate, while they were at their weakest. But the king had surprised me by declining.

I have watched her fight against the smaller armies we sent out. I have watched her outmaneuver, outsmart, and outdo us at every step we took against them. I began to find myself becoming intrigued with her. I had used Reece to give her a beautiful dream instead of the nightmares I had plagued her with prior and entwined myself into it, so I could figure out what it was that had caught my attention. To figure out if it was best to end her or continue with the king’s plans of taking her alive. Instead, I found myself loving the moment she had climbed into my lap. Craving the way she looked at me with love and affection. I knew then I would claim her as my own once she was captured. Taking her from that bastard Carino would also sweeten the pot.

The King’s declaration that only full-blooded vampires will be able to vie for her attention has unfortunately meant I will have to change gears. The vampires will not lead us into the new age. I will ensure they never see it. This world will be ruled by my circle. I might keep some non-witches alive too, to keep my future wife happy. I grin to myself as I emerge into the smelly dungeon and head to Asmodeus’s cell.

“My, my, don’t we look smug. Did the King give you a lollipop for being a good lapdog?” The Demon taunts, immediately destroying my momentary happiness and replacing my smile with a scowl. “That’s better,” he says, relaxing. “I thought you might have been possessed or had a nicer twin brother for a moment there.”

“We have a job coming up, so listen carefully. Failure is not an option. The next job is taking the leader, Eve, alive and bringing her back here.” Asmodeus surprisingly listens intently, without a single snarky comment. He nods and even offers suggestions to strengthen the plan, increasing our chances of success. For once I'm not dealing with a pissed-off Demon, I'm dealing with the leader of the Legion, who strategizes with cunning and vast knowledge.

There are only two reasons I can think of to explain why he is being so cooperative. One, he knows once Eve is out of the picture and unable to complete the prophecy, winning the war is a sure thing. Thus completing his end of the deal and setting his people free to find their mates. Or option two, the man is excited by the idea of a woman being in the dungeons. I mean, to be fair, the poor fuck has been celibate for a painfully long time. There is Adele down here somewhere, but she is barely alive, and certainly not worth the attention of even a blue-balled Demon. To be honest I don’t care about his motivation as long as it gets Eve here within my reach.

I nod as we finish off our plans and I stand to leave. Asmodeus’s eyes swim with feral excitement. If that fucker thinks he is getting near Eve, he has another thing coming.

Eve will be mine.