Page 27 of House of Darkness
I exited the carriage after Razvan, pausing to help Isabella and Estrella out after me. I tugged Estrella to my side. The act would start now. She didn’t need to know I also enjoyed how her warmth seeped into my dead flesh.
The Levis mansion was a gaudy behemoth of a structure, easily able to fit five of my castles within its walls, each inch painted yellow and trimmed with gold. Even the doorman was dressed in a stuffy ruffled suit adorned with thick gold jewelry. All while vampires starved and humans living under Levis jurisdiction scraped to get by. The opulence was disgusting.
Leonidas had similar tastes while he ruled, probably why he and Alexander had gotten along so well. One of the first things I did after his death was sell off all the ridiculous decor and let Bells distribute the funds. I left only the original statues from when my grandfatherbuilt the castle. At least his style hadn’t been so suffocating.
The doors opened, and angry shouts from within greeted us. I recognized Enso’s and Sorin’s voices, along with Alexander’s lazy drawl. It was impressive how he managed to sound half-asleep even while insulting the general of war, who was twice his size and could incinerate him if he wanted.
They stood in the entry hall, Alexander’s back to me and my generals facing him. Alexander was mid-transition to his beast form, bulkier than normal, with a mane of gold crowning his head. My shadows thrummed under my skin in response to the threat.
“I will not be insulted in my own house, boy! You couldn’t even stop an invasion in your own home, yet you expect to tell me how to run mine!”
“You forget your place, Alexander.” Enso’s voice boomed, making the very ground vibrate. He was mid-shift too, his amber eyes already slitted, green scales sprouting from his flesh. He held back, though—his horns hadn’t sprouted yet. Even restrained, I couldn’t remember the last time I saw him so angry. Alexander had touched on the one thing guaranteed to throw him over the edge. Just for that, he deserved to die.
I stepped forward. “What seems to be the issue here?”
Alexander spun to face me. His eyes had turned gold, revealing the lion within that unassuming figure. “You.”
“Indeed it is.” I placed myself firmly between the raging vampire and my three companions, tucking Estrella behind me.
He bared his teeth. “I will not follow a tsar who puts ignorant, useless generals in charge. Ones who can’t even protect?—”
“I’m going to cut you off there, Alex.” Alexander bristled at the nickname. “I have every confidence that Enso is the best man to lead the royal armies. I’d go so far as to say he’s the finest general of war toever grace the position, and I will not have my decisions questioned. Besides, you weren’t bothered by his position under Tsar Leonidas.”
His face contorted with anger. My fingers twitched. I couldn’t get my wings out in this jacket—an oversight on my part—but I could remove it if necessary.
He thrust a finger toward Sorin. “And this one is more concerned with his cock than forging alliances.”
I smirked. “Well, I won’t argue with that.”
“A clear sign you’re too immature for your position. You aren’t worthy of the title tsar, vampling.”
That was it. This wasn’t my first challenge, and I’d win this one just as I had every other. It was exhausting to constantly fight this uphill battle against relics who saw me as a child. Every step toward my goals was met with a step back, but I would fight as I had every day of my life. I knew no other way. I shrugged off my jacket and handed it to Estrella. “Could you go stand with Razvan and Isabella, doll?”
Her eyes flicked warily between us. I wondered how she would handle this, her first test as the doting acolyte. “Of course, sir.”
I knew she needed to, but it still felt sickening to hear her say the word. I turned back to Alexander. My voice emerged calm and monotone, a result of years of practice. “Perhaps you’d like a shot at the job, Alexander.”
I can fight my own battles.Enso’s voice was unexpectedly sharp in my mind.
I shook my head.He’s taking out his anger at me on you. I won’t let it continue.
“Very well. I challenge you, Roman. You are not worthy of your title, and I aim to correct that.” Alexander snarled as he fully shifted. Golden fur erupted from his warping flesh, a mane sprouting along his neck and head. Though he stood on two legs, he had the form ofa massive lion, with paws instead of hands, his clothes straining and tearing over his rippling body. He opened his maw and roared, the sound shaking the crystal chandelier and artwork on the walls.
My fingers instinctively reached for the karambits hidden at my waist, but I stopped myself. If he wanted a fight of beasts, he’d get one. He was too weak to challenge me in human form anyway. I quickly tore away my shirt as my body transformed. The familiar weight of my wings erupted from my back, stretching and flexing after being tucked away for so long. Talons extended from my fingers, and my vision turned red. Inky shadows stretched from my fists up my arms in jagged tendrils.
He lunged first, but I met him head-on. Our bodies collided with a resounding crash. There was some satisfaction in knowing we were about to destroy this stuffy room. Maybe we could take out a wall and open things up.
Cat claws dug into my arms, drawing blood that trailed down my skin. The pain made me feel alive. I bit down on his neck but came away with a mouthful of fur that tasted like sand and made me want to vomit. He reached for my wings, but I rolled through the maneuver and barreled into him.
We devolved into a rolling mess of gilded fur and midnight feathers. I tackled him, but he quickly managed to pin me beneath his massive form. Claws raked through my pinned wings, tearing away clumps of feathers and leaving a searing pain that made me hiss. I bit down again, this time finding purchase on his shoulder and forcing him to stay still long enough to impale his torso with my talons. My darkness seeped into the wound, and he yowled.
That moment gave me enough time to escape from beneath him. I typically fought best on the ground, but with his beastly size, I was at a disadvantage. I dug my claws into his shoulders as I got to my feetand took off, the air through my wings searing through my open gash. He was heavy, and it didn’t help that he fought me with every beat. Finally, we left the marble floors, which gave me enough momentum to hurl him through the far wall like a discus. Framed paintings plummeted to the ground on top of him with a resounding boom, and the house shuddered.
I landed with a smirk. I had always been quite the decorator, and the open concept was much more attractive in this vintage home. A crowd of Levis House members had formed around us. Alexander’s children stood shoulder to shoulder in the hallway entering the foyer, flanked by lieutenants. I ignored them as I stalked across the room and dragged the count from the debris by his hind paws.
“You just had to run your mouth, Alex. You never change.” He never would. None of them would. I fought tooth and nail every day for progress, only to be met with this. It was enough to make me scream.
To his credit, Alexander began thrashing immediately. He managed to take me down once more, but I wouldn’t let him pin me again. I threw a well-aimed punch to his muzzle, knocking him back before tackling him. My wings held me steady as he bucked and thrashed beneath me. I slammed another fist into his face, causing blood to splatter across the checkered floors. He leaned up, aiming for my jugular. Instead, I met him with my talons, burying them into his throat until they speared through the other side. He tried to roar but could only gurgle past the blood bubbling in his throat.
