Page 17

Chapter 16

My Dearest Empath

Raiden

I walked into my bedroom, my entire body tense. Pacing in front of the windows that overlooked my favorite city, I tried to calm my breathing.

I’d left Silvana’s and came directly back to the manor. One would think with how quickly I’d moved, I’d flown home. I had gone there originally to tell her I wanted to work with her. She wasn’t wrong, I’d been watching her. Micah had started calling it stalking—but truly I needed to set my eyes on her. I wanted to know everything about her and instead watching her had just brought more questions.

She was downright viscous to the males she came into contact with. The women she saved, though, pure grace and complete kindness. It was as if she was a completely different female when it came to interacting with the women who were hurt around her.

I’d left before she was finished hunting tonight, and after the message, I wanted to wait back at her home for her to return where we could talk uninterrupted. However, she walked into the bedroom smelling like another male and I’d lost my head for a moment. The thought of what she’d done to Emerson trailed through my mind as I’d watched her undress. A mix of seeing her curves for the first time mixed with her actions, made me want to claim her so much more.

My teeth ground together just thinking of how she felt pressed against me. The perfect fit. Not that I’d expected anything less. Everything about her seemed to be a perfect fit for me, from her smart mouth to the way she threw a dagger at me while I watched her undress.

Honestly, I had fully intended to announce my presence to her when she entered the room, but something about the look on her face told me to wait. To see where it went. Damn Fates clearly intervened on my behalf, because fuck, it was a show. I would gouge out another male’s eyes for witnessing what she’d given me freely.

Part of me knew she knew I was there. That it was me watching her in the shadows. But she continued on anyway. Slowly dropping that little dress to the floor. Peeling off her boots. Showing off where she kept all those weapons hidden along her creamy skin.

I could feel my cock hardening all over again just thinking about it. In my six hundred and forty-three years on this plane of existence, I’d never seen anything as stunning as Silvana standing across the room in just her underwear and a few daggers strapped to her curvy body.

Tonight was the first time she’d shown even an ounce of feeling the same as me, aside from the faint blush that would peek on her face when I’d say something inappropriate. I knew I needed to tread lightly with her, but the male vampire ruler part of my brain wasn’t interested in slow. It was interested in claiming everything about her. Immediately. Her blood, her body, her soul, and most importantly—her love.

I walked across the room and sat in a high-back black velvet chair. Leaning one elbow down on the chair armrest, I set my chin atop my knuckles. The chair faced out to a set of open windows that overlooked the city of Darkmoor.

To most eyes, my city would look desolate and dismal. But to me, it was the capital of my kingdom. It was where the majority of my subjects resided. Yes, most of the time it was quite dreary with its old Gothic architecture and the gloomy skies that almost never produced much sunlight. It was perfect for a vampire community, though.

It wasn’t like the Court of Ice with its towering mountain ranges covered in white snow and tall evergreens always frosted over in glistening ice or powder-soft snow. Small villages dotted in between mountain ranges clear away from any prying eyes and whispering voices. The only thing keeping all of them from being taken out by avalanches was powerful ice magic residing in the courts. It was a beautiful but dangerous place to live in.

The Court of Wolves was encapsulated in endless forests full of trees as big as buildings and as thick as ten grown men side by side. Their streams were crystal clear and filled with an array of wildlife. It was a peaceful place, I imagined, for those capable of shifting into animals and running wild on all fours.

Even the Court of Ravens was gifted wide open skies as far as the eye could see, soft rolling hills of green, and rarely did they have a cloud in the sky above. Soft winds made it the perfect place for its many bird shifters.

However, the Court of Shadows was perfectly named. We had the biggest cities along both sides of The Black Sea. The citizens in my court rarely saw the sun—even the human ones. It rained day in and day out, clouds constantly permeating the sky above us. This city had been my home since I was a small boy—long before I was gifted this new life. My days were spent helping my father with his fishing business to keep my little sister, Ophelia, and my mother safe.

Sometimes it felt like just mere years ago that I was on a small fishing raft with a man who looked just like me but felt as if he had so much more power inside of him. I rubbed my hands over my face. It didn’t take me long after those days ended, to realize he wasn’t as powerful as I’d made him out to be in my childish mind.

A quick knock at the door broke me out of my deep dive into another lifetime. Getting up, I opened the door to reveal who I already knew would be there. Micah was inevitably here to give me shit. I stepped aside to let him in.

“So, was this everything you’d hoped for?” His voice had a hint of humor to it as he walked into my room. I’d told him I invited Silvana to come and stay, and he’d said nothing. Just walked away to arrange a room for her.

“Would you care to tell me what the big plan is?” he asked.

Often, I thought about the fact that if anyone else spoke to me the way this male did, I’d have killed them many years ago.

I sat back down in my chair resuming my practiced pose of nonchalance. “Honestly, Micah, you and I both know what the plan is. She’s coming here and never leaving.” I shrugged.

Micah stared at me for a moment before he burst into a fit of laughter.

“Look, Raiden. I know I haven’t technically met this female yet, but what you are proposing is preposterous on every single level.”

I sighed. “Fine. The plan is simple. She’ll be here before sunrise, we’re going to figure out where exactly the Eternal Outcasts are running this operation in my court, and then we’re going to fix it. While doing all of the above, I’ll make her fall madly in love with me and she’ll never want to leave. Sound more thorough to you?”

Micah was still chuckling under his breath, and I truly wanted to throw something at his head. Shaking his head, he finally sat in the chair next to me.

“At least with her next to you, I don’t have to worry as much about you venturing the city streets alone,” he said between fits of laughter.

The thought of needing to worry about my own security was laughable at this point. There had been many days lately when I felt as if this was all just a big show. All some sort of joke—these courts.

The drama. The intrigue. It seemed to be more about power and money lately, than bettering the lives of the vampires and humans in our care, and I was tired of it. When I’d taken over the seat of power in the Court of Shadows, my sire told me the only thing that truly mattered at the end of it all was humans and vampires living simultaneously in harmony. We couldn’t live without them, and the quicker we realized that the easier our lives would continue to be.

Micah quieted down and gave me a careful look. “I just worry about you, Raiden. Not as your second. More so as your best friend. I worry about the risks you take and some of the rifts and waves you’re beginning to make within the courts.”

I smirked and looked back toward the view of Darkmoor. He was referring to the trouble I was starting with the Court of Ice. Their ruler had been in power for a long time. He was rarely seen outside of his court, and that seemed to suit him fine for the last hundred or so years. But rumors were starting to come down his mountain about how his inner court was being run—not all of us were thrilled by what we were hearing. Especially not me.

It wouldn’t surprise me if he was The Victor they’d all been talking about, but I wouldn’t voice those thoughts until I had more proof. I didn’t want to push war upon my court unless it was absolutely necessary.

I shrugged off what Micah was saying and changed the subject. I wasn’t worried about the other courts. At least not at the moment. I had enough going on in my own court to deal with first.

“Any word from our people?”

Micah eyed me for a moment, his face telling me all he needed to say: this conversation wasn’t over.

“Actually, yes. Your female is a ghost. I know next to nothing about her, even with her name and the drawing you made. People have seen her, of course, but no one knows where she came from. There are no records of who sired her, her family, nothing. We have plenty of information on her friend Cedar, but nothing connects him to a female until a little less than a hundred years ago.” Micah shrugged as if this news didn’t shock him given what we’ve learned about Silvana thus far. “As far as the missing, I think your theory is accurate. Given what I found on the missing women, those I could track down, of course, they have vampire genes within the last five generations of their family lines.”

I nodded my head at this and then glanced back up at Micah. He was staring at me as if he had more to say but was hesitating. “What is it?” I tried to keep my voice patient, but at the same time, I wasn’t. I could always tell when something was up with him.

“I received a letter from Paine and Arabella this morning.” He pulled out a piece of parchment from the ruler of the Court of Ravens from the pocket of his jacket and handed it to me, a worried look on his face.

I looked down at the letter in my hand, already wondering why they went through this route of communicating instead of coming here, and began to read it over?—

* * *

My dearest empath,

I hope this finds you well. Normally I wouldn’t do it this way, but with the contents, we can never be too careful these days. I need you to pass a message on to our holy darkness — he’ll know what it means.

The world isn’t what it seems, make haste on your search. The ice queen is the key to what you need to know, but she won’t divulge willingly. She has many secrets to keep in the dark, more so than any of us can fathom. I’ve consulted with those who know more than I and they all agree. Frost is coming in the darkness — remain enlightened. Keep those you trust close.

-Feathers

* * *

I read the letter three more times before I looked back up at Micah. Handing it back to him, I looked him in the eye, so he knew I meant this with absolute certainty. “Burn it, don’t leave behind any ashes where it’ll be found.”

Micah blinked and slowly nodded his head before speaking. “I have no idea what he’s even saying, Raiden, do you? I’m assuming the ice queen refers to Silvana, given your nickname for the female. But the rest is open for interpretation.”

I leaned back in my chair, setting my chin back on my hand, running my finger over my bottom lip before looking back at him. “He’s saying that we don’t know everything we need to know, but we need to act anyway. Silvana is the key to what we need to know, but I can’t just jump down her throat. Not that I’d even be able to with her. But Keres is coming. He’s going to act—whether we’re ready or not. I’m going to assume that Paine has spoken to a visionary.”

Micah stared at me for a moment. No doubt trying to play catch-up in his mind. “How would the ruler of the Court of Ice even know about Silvana?”

“That’s why I think he’s found a visionary. I know they’re rare—I still can’t believe we found Allie. But it’s the only explanation I can come up with. I know he’s had one in his circle for many years, but I’ve never been sure how their magic works.” I took a deep breath before continuing with the next part that I knew he’d ask me about. “You and I both know that we don’t know anything about Silvana and her past. You just told me so. We don’t know how old she is or where she came from. We have no idea who sired her. Nothing, Micah. You know how unlikely that is. A vampire doesn’t come out of nowhere. So, her knowing something about Keres isn’t that far-fetched.”

“So, what do you want to do about it? Question her?”

“Absolutely not. At least not yet. Let’s get her here first. I’ll get closer to her, and we’ll figure it out.”

“Raiden, it’s clear she has ice magic and she’s angry; she could very easily have been sent by Keres himself. Have you thought about that?” He sounded worried, and I understood his concern, but I wasn’t interested in hearing it.

“It’s not up for discussion right now, Micah. I’ll handle it.” My voice was firm and left no room for argument. It was a rare occurrence when I did this, especially with Micah. But this was one thing I wouldn’t budge on.

Was Micah correct in his assumptions? There was a possibility, of course. But I wasn’t ready to sign off on that path of logic just yet. Something in my gut was telling me that wasn’t what was happening here. I couldn’t ignore that.

I couldn’t ignore her—as much as the logical part of my brain urged me to slow down, I couldn’t. It felt like Evika herself were here, pushing me to embrace this path of life. So I would—no matter what it cost me.

* * *

I could feel the sun was close to rising, and it was taking quite a bit of my willpower not to rush back to Silvana’s and drag her to the manor myself.

I was about to do just that, but then Bastian was at my door. He took a step backward, a momentary look of stun on his face.

Clearing his throat, he nodded at me. “Hello, My Lord, you asked for us to let you know when your guest arrived. I just showed her to her chambers if you’d like to visit with her.”

Letting out a breath of relief, I smiled to myself. “Thank you, Bastian. Which room has she been assigned?”

A small bit of red peeked onto his cheeks as he looked down toward the floor and then he glanced toward the door next door to mine.

“She’s next to me?” I asked quietly.

“That’s where Micah told me to take her, My Lord,” Bastian said.

With my hands on my hips, I stared at the ceiling for a moment. “Of course he did. Thank you again, Bastian.”

He nodded and walked away.

Gathering my thoughts, I walked next door to my room. Knocking quickly on Silvana’s door, before I could talk myself out of this, I stood and waited. I wasn’t sure exactly what my plan of action here was, but I knew the sun was rising soon, and she may want to rest. I had time—I just needed an excuse that wasn’t ‘Hey, welcome to the neighborhood’.

The door swung open, and it took everything in my power not to barge through and pin her to the wall. I’d bet money that her blood tasted just as sweet as she smelled; the raspberries and honey scent hitting my nose—a total contrast to her attitude.

What the fuck was wrong with me?

Gritting my teeth, I reminded myself I was here to talk to her—not drink her Fates-damned blood. At least not yet. She was looking at me expectantly, clearly waiting for me to speak. But I didn’t have anything—especially now that I’d had a moment to look her over.

She was dressed to kill; of that, I had little doubt.

She was back in her chunky black boots—where no doubt two of her daggers were housed. But instead of the small scrap of fabric she called a dress from earlier, she was in skintight black tights and a black lace corset. It was strapless with small silver clasps that ran up from her navel and ended at the low-cut V between her breasts. The entirety of it was covered in black lace and perfectly sculpted around the curves of her waist and sternum.

I cleared my throat before meeting her eyes. “Do you have daggers buried in this one too?”

“Is there something you need, Raiden? Or did you just stop by to analyze my outfit choices?” Her tone was sharp, but not even she could hide the faint blush gracing her pale cheeks. I suddenly wondered if her entire body blushed when she did, or if it was just her face.

My eyes almost darted below to check, but I did value my life at times.

“Mmm, yes, actually. May I come in?”

I could tell she wanted to tell me no, but she stepped aside anyway. It was, after all, my home, and while I’d never pull that card, I knew she was thinking about it.

I looked around the room quickly. It wasn’t just any room in the manor, it was meant to be my wife’s room, so it was the twin to mine. The large bed was set against the wall opposite the fireplace. Bookshelves filled with an array of novels wrapped around the hearth. The far wall had four matching windows where two chairs sat to overlook the city. The room itself had dark emerald-green walls with silver and black accents throughout, including the black silk bedding.

There was a wardrobe in the far corner and a second doorway that led into the bathroom. I wondered if she’d looked inside of it yet. I noticed she had her bag still sitting at the foot of the bed. One of her daggers was currently on the table in the seating area with a whetstone next to it. No doubt she’d been sharpening and cleaning them before she got ready to rest.

I looked back over my shoulder and realized, assuming I was correct about the two in her boots already, that the fourth weapon was in her right hand, tapping the flat side against her thigh as she stared up at me. She seemed antsy at my presence. That shouldn’t make me as content as it did, but I’d examine that mindset at a later time when I was alone.

“I’ll ask again, maybe getting lucky this time, what do you want, Raiden?” I wasn’t sure if she was uncomfortable or just impatient, but getting under her skin truly was making me happier than it should be.

I searched for a reason, aside from my obsession, to explain my presence. Choosing to sit on one of the chairs where she was previously sharpening her daggers, I leaned back and folded my arms across my chest. “I just wanted to check in and make sure the room was up to your standards.”

Her eyes narrowed and she slowly nodded her head, still standing across the room from me—as if the distance was necessary for her too. Or maybe she just didn’t trust me. “The room is fine, although I’m curious what the door through the bathroom leads to.” Her eyes narrowed as if she already had an idea.

“Honestly?” I asked.

Her answer was quick. “Always.”

“Well, honestly, Silvana, you’ll have to venture through the door and figure it out yourself.” I knew teasing her may not be the wisest thing I could do, but I couldn’t seem to care.

Her eyes widened slightly as if she wasn’t expecting me to be so brazen with her.

“I have no desire whatsoever to venture past that door, Raiden. You’d do well to remember that, lest my daggers find a new home in your throat.” She shrugged.

“Mmm, you can try, my little ice queen, but you’ll find I’m quite fast.” I almost didn’t recognize the octave my voice took. Her nonchalance drove me slightly insane with lust the more she talked.

She glanced down below my hips, then back up toward my eyes. “I’m sure you’re quite fast, My Lord.” She smirked. “Was there anything else you needed this morning? I’d like to get unpacked before I rest.”

I gritted my teeth at the implication, trying not to allow my mind to wander too much further down that road. I stood from the chair and took a few steps closer to her. “I can promise you, there is nothing fast about that experience. Except maybe how quickly you’d be screaming ‘My Lord’.” I smirked down at her as she frowned slightly. “However, no. I don’t need anything else at this moment. I’ll have someone come to collect you a few hours prior to sunset so we can eat and get started on sharing what we know before the sun sets. Feel free to venture wherever you wish inside of the manor, all of the windows are protected by my magic once the sun rises. They’ll blackout on their own. Have a nice rest, Silvana.” I bowed my head slightly toward her and turned to leave.

“Can you still see the sun through the windows?” she asked quickly.

I turned back to look at her. She looked hopeful. “You can’t see it, no. But you can feel the warmth if you hold your hand up to the window or stand near it.”

She nodded her head. “Thank you, Raiden. I’ll see you later.”

With that, I turned and headed back to my chambers. All the while, wishing she’d open that door to see where it led.