“Aha!” Arosh smiled and stood when she entered the circle where he was holding court. He spread his arms in welcome. “It’s my clever little cat! Where have you been?”
“Flying with Samson, Lord Arosh.” Spring had broken in the mountains and flowers were blooming, but the air was still cold. “We just returned.” She pressed her hands together and gave him a nod, which was the most common greeting in the court. “Thank you for this invitation to join you.” She turned to the guests seated immediately to Arosh’s left in the place of honor and nodded at them. “Greetings to your guests.”
The chilly air didn’t bother Tatyana once she’d learned how to control her amnis, so she was wearing a long-sleeved floral dress she’d borrowed from Cora, who was one of Arosh’s mistresses and ran the harem.
Cora had taught Tatyana most of what she knew about court protocol, and she was quick to point out that every vampire court was different.
So much fun.
Arosh stood at the head of a low table that curved like a horseshoe around the room. A fire burned in a brazier in the center of the circle, and fountains trickled in the background.
Tatyana felt the low hum of energy from her element, and that hum was the only thing that kept her amnis in check while surrounded by so many humans and strange vampires.
Piles of intricately embroidered cushions were piled behind each guest. The music was low, played by three women on stringed instruments in the corner of the garden. Other human women floated about the room, offering wine, light dishes, and goblets of blood-wine flavored with honey.
“This is the young vampire I was telling you about.” Arosh sat and pointed at Tatyana. “She is brilliant with numbers and computers.” He lifted a finger. “It is sensible to turn the young in this age, my friends. They have an understanding of this new science that threatens us. It is wise to understand your enemy if you want to defeat him.”
The visiting male and female vampire next to Arosh turned cool brown eyes toward Tatyana, looking her up and down as if she were an interesting bug.
“This is Oleg’s bookkeeper?” the man asked. “The one his daughter turned?”
The one who killed her own sire?
Tatyana heard the unspoken question, but she didn’t react to it. Vampires were worse than old women when it came to gossip, and she’d learned that lying and exaggeration were expected.
“Her story is her own.” Arosh waved a careless hand. “But she would be an asset to any organization. I am sure of it.”
Wait, what was this? Was Arosh trying to get rid of her? Was this some kind of matchmaking situation? A job interview or something?
This was… not good.
Tatyana desperately wanted to leave the scrutiny of the court vampires, but Arosh had not dismissed her, so she stood there, free for all to examine with their cold, analytical stares.
Some were dressed in traditional local clothing, others were shrouded from head to toe. One man she didn’t recognize appeared to be wearing military fatigues.
Arosh told Tatyana none of their names. She was being introduced to them, not the other way round. The invited guests murmured among themselves, but until Arosh excused her, Tatyana had to stay put.
She glanced at the Fire King and saw that he noticed exactly how uncomfortable she was at being put on display.
And yet he did not dismiss her.
Was it a test of patience? A trial of some kind?
She had been given sanctuary over a year ago, but now it appeared that Arosh wanted to pawn her off on someone else.
He’s waiting for you to come out of your cave, but others are waiting too.
Was Oleg not bluffing?
Did Arosh know something she didn’t?
Tatyana was on the edge of erupting in anger when Kato entered the garden with his young paramour Alexander on his arm.
“Brother?” Kato glanced at Tatyana, then turned back to Arosh. “Was my student waiting for me?” His kind blue eyes turned to Tatyana. “You are so understanding, my dear.”
Alexander quickly added, “I’m so sorry we kept you waiting for us.”
The tall human was nearly the same stature as Kato, but while the ancient water vampire was broadly built and as muscular as the statues of Greek gods he’d inspired, the human on his arm was a slim man with full lips set in a suntanned face and a long fall of wavy blond hair that went past his shoulders.
They made a stunning pair.
Kato crossed to Tatyana, leaving Alexander on the edge of the circle. He put his arm around Tatyana, and the tension drained from her shoulders.
She always felt safe with Kato.
The two vampires sitting on Arosh’s left immediately rose and bowed their heads low.
“Great father,” one said, “you honor us with your presence.”
“Your Excellence,” the woman said, her eyes fixed on the floor, “we are unworthy of your welcome.”
So these two were water vampires. It made sense if they came from Alina’s court, as she was also a water vampire. Their blood could probably be traced back to the ancient king with his arm around her.
Water vampires tended to be the most politically minded of the four elements, but maybe there was something wrong with Tatyana because she hadn’t had any urge to politick or scheme since she’d been turned.
She was as introverted as ever and only wanted to be left alone to figure out her new eternity in peace.
“Arosh, why do you insist on flashing our brightest jewels when we have only just acquired them?” Kato kissed the top of Tatyana’s head. “I have been training Tatyana myself,” he said to the emissaries from Alina’s court. “Her amnis delights me.”
And just like that, the cold appraisal of the vampires around her turned to studied disinterest. If the ancient king of the Mediterranean had staked some kind of claim over the young one, she was not up for grabs.
The corner of Arosh’s mouth turned up, and he and Kato exchanged a look that spoke volumes. Unfortunately, whatever language they were speaking wasn’t for Tatyana to understand.
“Come,” Kato said. “If my brother has finished introducing you, Alexander and I were hoping you could join us.” Kato turned to Arosh. “Brother?”
“You may take her.” Arosh waved a hand. “Tatyana, you are dismissed.”
She pressed her hands together and bowed slightly. “Thank you, Lord Arosh.” She glanced around the table. “A pleasant evening to all of you.”
As soon as she reached the edge of the room, Alexander grabbed her hand and tugged her into the shadows. “What kind of trouble are you causing now?” He squeezed her hand. “You do keep things exciting around here.”
“Come.” Kato’s voice was barely over a murmur. “Let’s find a quiet corner so we can talk. There are ears everywhere at Arosh’s parties.”
~~~
Minsk, Belarus
Oleg strode through the darkened factory, his footsteps echoing in the hollow air. He glanced at the large four-wheeled tractors in the process of final assembly.
“The upgrades Polina did last year appear to have increased production,” he muttered to Mika, who was walking beside him. “This facility has moved from ten thousand units per year to being on track to produce over fifteen annually.”
“She was right to ask for the funds.” Mika Arakis, Oleg’s chief boyar, head spy, and personal enforcer scanned the massive factory as they walked. “Humans will always need to eat. Can you believe these machines?” Mika pointed to one. “Imagine how quickly you could plow a field with these.”
Oleg nodded. “Their ingenuity amazes me.”
“Very clever humans,” Mika said.
When Oleg and Mika had been human, it would have taken ten strong men over a week to do the work that one of these machines could do in a day.
Oleg shook his head. “Truly remarkable.”
His commercial and political interests in Minsk were overseen by his daughter Polina, who had been running this area of his empire for nearly two hundred years.
A father wasn’t supposed to have favorite children, but Polina might have been his. She was steady as a rock and had been at his side for over four hundred years. Her mind was a thing of beauty, and she enjoyed the logistics of empire.
If Oleg had an heir, it could very well be Polina.
She knew when an embrace was needed and when a slap was more appropriate.
The metallic aroma of vampire blood hit Oleg as soon as he reached the darkened corner where the factory’s safety showers were located.
Instead of a worker washing off chemicals, the spare white stall was occupied by a battered vampire with dark hair, pale skin, and a sour expression. He was tied to a chair with twisted barbed wire, his feet were on concrete, and his eyes burned holes in Oleg as he approached.
“Polya.” Oleg stopped at the edge of the area lit by searing white floodlights. “What did you find for me, my daughter?”
Polina rose from the chair opposite the bloody vampire and walked to Oleg, lifting her face to his and smiling. “Papa.”
He kissed her forehead and both cheeks before he pinched her chin affectionately. “This is the driver?”
“No, the driver is dead.” She nodded toward the vampire in the chair. “This one killed the human before I could get my hands on him.”
The human in question had been a thug who’d beat Polina’s employee nearly to death, then hijacked the shipment of electronics that had been headed for Brest to be distributed to their Polish partners.
Her people had tracked the truck to a warehouse in Baranavichy and quickly dispatched the humans and vampires guarding it before bringing what appeared to be the ringleader back to Minsk.
“He’s the last one,” she said quietly. “There were no humans left by the time we got inside. Three dead ones though. I believe they killed them as soon as they realized we’d found them.”
Humans had minds that could be bent with amnis. Humans could tell secrets even if they were trusted.
“And how many vampires?”
“Four.”
Whoever was targeting Oleg’s shipments was devoting resources to the job. This had gone beyond regional friction. “Did you lose anyone?”
“In this hijacking? One. His people were skilled fighters, but the moment I grabbed this one, they all reacted. They were looking at him for cues.”
“So he was in charge.” Oleg glanced at the glaring vampire. “Language?”
“None that we heard. No names. No documents.”
So not only good fighters but disciplined.
Oleg looked at the half dozen other vampires hanging around the periphery. Polina’s staff. Let them witness an interrogation? Or would it be better for them to only hear the screams?
The vampire would be more likely to talk with a smaller audience.
“Tell your people they can wait outside,” he muttered.
Polina barked at them and the waiting vampires scattered, leaving Oleg, Mika, and Polina alone with the vampire who had stolen their truck.
Polina nodded at Mika. “Mika, nice to see you.”
“Polina.” Mika was examining the beaten vampire with narrowed eyes. “This seems to keep happening.”
“Yes, quite annoying.” Polina tossed her long dark hair over her shoulder and stared at the man. “He gives me nothing. Perhaps he might speak to you. I hear you’re very skilled with matters such as this.”
Mika looked at the man and smiled, baring his fangs. “Ah, but do we have the time for my methods?”
The vampire didn’t even flinch. Whoever he was, he was tough.
Or stupid. Perhaps both.
Oleg’s factories in Minsk were the backbone of his legal manufacturing business, and usually the excellent roads that crisscrossed the country were perfectly safe.
But this had been the fifth hijacking in six months. Someone was targeting his businesses. No human companies had seen an increase in theft, so it wasn’t a general crime wave.
This was an attack on Oleg.
He circled the man in the chair. “And no documents on him?”
“I looked for a wallet but he had nothing.” She held up a phone. “Nocht compatible, and his case wasn’t waterproof.”
Water vampires always had waterproof cases on their phones, and the man wasn’t floating away, which meant he was either an earth vampire like Polina or a young wind vampire who couldn’t fly yet.
Oleg bent down, sniffing the blood that lingered on the man’s collar. The cuts on his face had already healed. The man hissed but said nothing.
“I don’t recognize his scent.” He turned to Mika. “You?”
Mika walked over and sniffed the man’s blood, then shook his head.
Oleg sat in the chair opposite the beaten vampire, where Polina had been sitting when they came in. “You know who I am?”
The silent vampire nodded.
“So you know you have a choice,” Oleg said quietly. “You can tell us who hired you and she will kill you.” He nodded toward Polina. “She’s my daughter. I trained her on the sword myself. She will be quick. It would be painless.”
The vampire might have glanced at Polina, but he still said nothing.
“Or you can stay silent, and I will burn you from the inside out,” Oleg said quietly. “Do you know how that works?”
Nothing from the nameless one.
“First I’ll cut off a hand.” He shrugged. “Probably a hand. Then I force my fire into your veins.”
The man’s eyes ticked. It wasn’t quite a flinch, but it was something.
Oleg continued quietly. “I don’t know why my amnis loves blood so much, but it seems to follow the veins. Runs under the skin.” He snapped his fingers and brought the soothing red-and-orange fire to his fingertips.
The liquid flames ran over Oleg’s skin like mercury, slipping between his fingers, crawling up his arms, and moving from the palm of one hand to the other.
The vampire’s eyes locked on Oleg’s fire.
“Once my flames get inside your skin, you won’t die. It will take a long time for you to die. But you will feel every moment of it,” Oleg said. “Or you can tell us who hired you to steal this truck.” He shrugged. “Either way, you are dead, so being loyal to whoever paid your people is useless. They are dead. You will be dead. Your silence doesn’t matter anymore.”
“My silence keeps the others safe,” the man blurted. “So kill me however you like.” His eyes rose to Oleg’s. “But I won’t talk.”
Copyright 2025 Elizabeth Hunter All rights reserved.