Page 44 of Dark Reckoning
“How much longer until Sage and Adrian get back?” Nakago asked me.
“Hopefully, soon.” I walked out onto my balcony, and looked down. “Mon Dieu!” I gasped.
“What?” Nakago asked, then rushed to join me, looking over the balcony. “Holy shit. Is that them?”
“Yes,” I whispered as I gazed in shock at the sight of dozens of monsters surrounding the vampires. They were as Sage had described them. Hideous and terrifying. The vampires were huddled together, keeping their distance and it appeared to be a barrier keeping the two separated. Was it my barrier?
“It's so many,” Nakago said, a frown on his face as he watched the scene below.
I shook my head. “This is just the beginning. We knew this was coming... why we prepared.” There were at least a hundred of them trying to break through the barrier.
“Is our barrier keeping them at bay?” Nakago asked because Jude's vampires weren't being attacked, just stalked by the creatures.
“I don't know,” I said and continued to look on. There was a chorus of yells and panicked threats coming from the vampires who looked to be trapped between my home and an invisible barrier keeping them safe from the creatures.
My vampires who were inside began to contact me, letting me know about the monsters. I told them to remain calm, that our barrier would keep us protected. I sent the message out to all of my vampires so that they would remain calm.
One of the monsters tried to grab a vampire, who jumped away, but the monster was blasted back by the power of whatever had protected those vampires. That barrier Adrian and Sage put up was mighty if it worked this way.
“Looks like the barrier is doing its job,” Nakago said after seeing the results of the barrier.
The monsters couldn't climb my building either. When they tried, they were burned as if by electricity. Unfortunately, it didn't kill them, but they were learning not to try to get into my home, or attack the vampires trapped. Suddenly, I heard Sage's voice in my mind. He contacted me to let me know he'd be here soon. I turned to face my child, my favorite child, to be honest.
“Sage is on his way.”
“Good, having so many unwanted and uninvited bastards in our territory is making me very angry. I want to kill them all,” Nakago said.
I nodded, because it was our instinct. We were predators, after all, and protecting what belonged to us was how we survived. If all went to plan, even those vampires who'd gathered outside to attack me and mine would also belong to me if the spell could be performed. Time would tell. Nakago wasn't the only one feeling anxiety. I didn't fear death, but I didn't court it either. I wished the other emperors could have just left me the hell alone.
“It looks like we're all safe, at least for now.” I sighed and walked away from my balcony and over to my sofa, settling down.
Nakago lingered a bit longer, observing what was happening below. Once he was satisfied that the monsters couldn't harm us, he stepped back into my office and looked at me. “Those things are creepy. I want to kill them so badly.”
“Me too, but Sage was right. It's best that we stay safe until the Echelon Imperial can deal with the matter.”
Nakago nodded. “At least I don't think any more of Jude's vampires will be coming.”
I nodded. “Do you agree with me... about killing all of the other emperors?” I asked Nakago, because I valued his council.
He took a seat in the chair opposite me. “Yes, they've left you no choice.”
“I didn't know that by severing the line, I would stop all vampires from gaining more power. I think if that hadn't happened, they wouldn't care that I'd killed Lord Barron,” I said.
“Hell, I'm not going to lie, that kind of stung. No telling what powers we would have been granted after the ritual, but I totally understand why you had to stop it. I was with you one hundred percent,” Nakago said.
I snorted and smiled. “Vampires are powerful enough, in my opinion.”
“They see you as a selfish traitor.”
I nodded. “Because I am. I doomed not only my kind, but apparently the entire world with my actions.”
Nakago shook his head. “But you didn't know.”
I gave him a sad smile. “I... I knew something bad would happen. Magic that powerful never came without a hefty price. For centuries, I tried to get mages to help me, and they all refused. They all warned me that it was dangerous, but no one ever told me why. I figured whatever the danger was, I would pay the price. Even if it was my life. When Sage became my child, I saw it as a sign. Finally, I had a mage who couldn't deny me. And through him, I also had Adrian.”
“I still don't blame you, Salino. You were trying to save your brother. Family has always been important to you. And, let's be honest, having all vampires linked to you, having to obey your edicts, it's a risk Adrian was willing to take anyway. This wasn't solely on you, Sage and Adrian wanted to help,” Nakago said.
“True,” I agreed. “And speaking of my lovelies, they're nearby.” I could sense Adrian too. He was mine, but not in the same way that Sage was.
