"So, either, we came to the castle during the world's best game of hide and seek or Dorian, Laurena and Cassie have all left." Helena said shrewdly. She stood at what served as Lauri's room watching Raphael's face turn furious at the implication. "If he absconded with my mate I will not rest till I destroy them both." Raphael said darkly. "Let's not get all murder-y just yet." Terry said as he walked into the room. "The council has been convened since we left. It's the reason we left." Terry said. "Because while the council is wise, they don't always agree, and tend to take much too long to come up with viable solutions to problems." Darius said walking in and immediately jumping on Lauri's bed, lounging against one of his elbows. "In any case, that's what happened to Dorian, Cassie and Laurena." He said, rolling his tongue around the word Laurena, making Raphael narrow his eyes. "One of the guards said they left with another guard Abraham, I think his name was." Darius said narrowing his own eyes. "It seems there's been some issue with the Vampires in the east." He said snapping his lips as he leaned over and looked up at Raphael who scowled. "Kieran. He's one of the old ones that seems to think that the old days were the best. The days that we were ruled by Nathaniel's cruel thumb." Raphael said scowling.
"So far everything I've heard about Nathaniel's seems to make him sound like a tyrant." Terry said. "He was a tyrant. Everyone in Vemos were lucky to survive his reign at all." Helena said dropping to the bed. Raphael raised his eyebrows. "Weren't the two of you his favorites of the whole court?"
"So, you should believe us when we say he was the most horrible, despicable person, demon or otherwise that has ever existed." Darius said.
"Hey. I thought you guys should know, the spell has already lifted. If the witches decide to attack, they will be moving soon." Simeon said knocking on the door. "Also, Dorian just messaged me, they replaced Kieran with another Vampire who isn't as suicidal as Kieran. We should go report the council. They are not going to be happy that the Princess is not here." He said.
Terry furrowed his brows, "How the hell did Dorian message you?" Terry asked. Simeon raised his eyebrows, he pulled out a bright orange Samsung from his pocket. "He texted me, duh." He said.
Terry's eyes bugged out. "There's cell service in hell?!"
Helena, Darius, and Raphael all pulled out black iPhone. "We're not heathens." They said waving their phones. Terry scowled. "And what plan are you people in? Demons R' US?"
"The Verizon guy is actually a demon of lust." Raphael said grinning widely at Terry's expression.
"Nope. I'm just done." Terry said throwing his hands up in the air and walking out of the room. Simeon laughed. "Come on. I could use your expertise in my tower." Simeon said whacking Helena playfully in the leg. "What expertise?" Raphael asked curiously. "He means her OCD." Darius said blankly. Simeon nodded, as he watched Helena get up. She laced her arm in Simeon's and the two of them trotted out the door. "Wait did they all just abandon us to give the bad news to the council?" Darius said going pale.
"Bastards." Raphael said before flopping on the bed himself, his eyes drifted shut, and two hours later when the council finally disbanded, Victor found the two of them sprawled against each other lightly snoring.
"Raphael! Darius!" Victor said slightly raising his voice. Victor watched amused as both of the boys nearly climbed each other trying to get off the bed. They both ended up standing straight and apart from each other.
Victor raised his eyebrows. "Hello, Rafe. I'm glad to see that your safe." Victor said his hands clasped behind him. "Darius, whose idea was it to launch a rescue mission?" Victor said his eyes glancing towards the now pale assassin. "Err," Darius said stuttering while Victor stared at him. It was the stare of the King wanting to know who had disobeyed his wishes. There was a slam against the door, Victor, Raphael, and Darius all turned and saw Helena and Terry slumped against the door both of them breathing heavily. "It was a group decision." Terry said in a breathless voice. Helena nodded. "Group decision. So, you have to punish us all."
"That is, if we need to be punished." Terry stammered. "Yeah." Helena said. "If we do in fact need to be punished." She said hastily. Victor sighed. "I'm afraid to ask, but where is Lauri and Dorian?" Raphael glanced at Terry and Helena.
"Why is everyone in my room?" Lauri asked. Everyone looked at the doorway where Lauri, Cassie and Dorian stood, Lauri's arms were folded as she took in the scene.
Victor narrowed his eyes. "Lauri. You look like you've been out."
"Cassie tricked me into riding with her. I know that you wanted me inside, but I was perfectly safe. Dorian and one of the other royal guards came with us." Lauri said smiling sweetly. Victor scowled. "Five minutes and I expect the three of you to report to the Atrium." Victor said. He walked out of the room, pausing as he walked by Lauri, he glanced at her up and down. "Nice Jacket." He said.
Lauri waited until Victor walked completely out of earshot. "Oh my god." She said putting a hand on her chest. "Are you okay? What happened?" She said looking at Raphael.
Raphael leaned forward and grabbed Lauri pulling her into his arms. "Tired, but otherwise okay." He said resting his head on her shoulder. Lauri looked at Terry in surprise. "He's very cuddly when he's tired." Darius said. "Enjoy nice Raphael while it lasts. We sort of had to trick the witches in order to get him out. This isn't the last we've heard of them." Terry said. "Well aren't you just the bearer of bad news today." Dorian said as he walked in, immediately whacking Darius in the arm. "OW. What the hell, man!"
"I know what you did." Dorian said darkly.
"That was thirty years ago! How did you find out about that anyways?" Darius said angrily.
"Christian Morales." Lauri said.
"Please tell me that's not the new coven leader."
"No, that's the new nine covens leader."
"Well, he's going to kill you." Helena said looking at her brother. "I should get popcorn." She said.
"What did you do?" Terry asked looking at Darius before turning to look at his sister. "What did he do?"
"Wait, is this that instance with his sister and the three-headed dog?"
"It was a demon cat, and I was not the cause of it." Darius said.
"As amusing as this argument is, we have a bigger problem." Simeon said, making everyone turn to look at him. "The witch Amaya is at the gate, and she is not happy."
The Council
The Atrium where the council was being held had seen a great many terrible things. As it were the Atrium was generally where the royals fed on the blood of the innocent. The royal family was not in fact Vampires but at the same time they were. Some of the Royals like Victor and Raphael delighted in the shedding of blood, but that is what they actually fed on. All the demons in Vemos fed on one thing. And one thing alone. Human emotions. They as demons couldn't feel things at the intensity that humans could so demons longed for emotions. They longed for hate, and love. Disgust, fear and sorrow. Every emotion fed demons differently, but none could ever satiate them. That's why Vemos had long used the portals that were placed throughout the kingdom that could take to different time periods of earth. Those portals had been closed when Gianna had escaped. The council believed at the time that was the best for the kingdom. And every moment that they faced disobedience from Victor's sons they believed that what they did was right.
"IT WAS FOOLHARDY TO GO AGAINST ELIZA." Councilman Lucien bellowed, his face red. Terry rolled his eyes. Lucien had hated Terry long before he had even come here. He knew that most of that hate stemmed from the fact that he had lost Gianna during Nathaniel's rule. Like almost everyone that had come across Gianna Lucien was yet another demon who had wanted her all to himself. Which made Terry hate him even more.
"Foolhardy or not, it's already been done." Darius said moving to stand beside Terry. "Done? Yes, it was done so well that we now have an evil witch at our door!" Lucien hissed from his chair. The other members of the council nodded solemnly.
"I detest that word." The council turned their faces white as the witch Amaya walked in her red hair shining like a beacon in the dark. "Evil. We are all demons of some sort living in this hell kingdom. Always craving humans. Craving to drain them dry. To destroy them utterly. Doesn't that make us all evil?" she said shrewdly. Lucien narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here what evil have you wrought?" Lucien said. "Evil? Did you not hear a word I just said?" She said rolling her eyes. "Anyways it's these morons that have wrought the evil." Amaya said gesturing behind her at Darius and Terry who both scowled. "Or did you think Eliza would just forgive and forget?"
"Did Eliza really think that Victor would ever stand down from the throne? That we in the council would ever let Nathaniel come back?" Lucien said. "What makes you think that Eliza killing Raphael would ever satiate her thirst for power?" Amaya said. "What are you saying?" Lucien said rising from his chair, as Victor, Laurena and Dorian walked into the Atrium. "War. I mean war. Did you hear me?" Amaya said looking around the council. "You people think you can make the rules. You have spent so many years making rules, serving judgements on those who loved Nathaniel's rule but now you have wrought the evilest of all of Vemos to band together to destroy all you hold dear. Zafira kidnapping Laurena was just the beginning." Amaya said her voice rising with glee. "What do you get from war, Amaya?" Dorian said his eyes narrowing. "Dorian, how my heart soars to see you again!" Amaya said jubilant. Dorian scowled, "What are you doing here cousin?" Dorian said sighing. "Did you just say cousin?" Victor said turning to look at Dorian. "My family is everywhere." Dorian said sighing. "Don't be like that Dori." Amaya said pouting. "Amaya. You bring death and destruction everywhere you go."
"Well, maybe dear cousin, I'm trying something new." Amaya said walking towards Victor. "War is unavoidable. We are a species that crave war, subjugation, and everything that mortals abhor. You are kidding yourself if you think otherwise. You have been kidding yourself." Amaya said pointedly looking at the council. "You preach that you are above warring humans but the truth is, we crave to have a worldwide war. Which is exactly what we will get if we allow the witches, and the Vampires band together to come and attack this castle.
"Kieran is not unreasonable." Lucien said angrily.
"Actually, he's extremely unreasonable." Dorian said raising his eyebrows. "And very much without a head." Laurena added.
Dorian closed his eyes. "OOOOOH. Were you being a bad boy again?" Amaya said cheekily. "You went out for a horse ride, eh?" Victor drawled. "Technically we did go on a horse ride, just not where we told you." Laurena said grinning. Victor scowled. "And you wonder why war is about to happen?" Lucien said. "She should have never been allowed full rein in the castle!" Lucien said glaring hatefully at Laurena. "And him! You should have banished him, the moment you took over!" He said, glaring at Dorian. "You are just lucky Dorian is so polite." Amaya said darkly. "Otherwise he would've actually killed you all for the death of his sister." She said. Lucien turned red and looked like he was about to argue back when one of the other council members threw a knife that landed just below Lucien's knee.
"WHAT THE HELL!" Lucien screeched, going down with the impact of the knife. "Enough with your bullshit." A green-eyed dark-haired woman, stepped down from the council area and walked towards Victor and Amaya. "I think you were headed to a point before we got distracted." She said glancing distastefully at Lucien. The councilwoman was one of two other ladies that sat on the council. Sylvia the Grey had seen many different wars and many different Kings. She was just a lady of the court when Dorian and his family had been dethroned, by the Darkling family. And she knew the day was coming when the throne would change hands once more. "We need to call the Wolves of War." Amaya said. Sylvia's eyebrows rose. The Wolves of War, were as the name would suggest Wolves. But they came from every Kingdom in all the nine realms of hell. There leaders changed the same way packs wolves did, by an Alpha being defeated. The Wolves of War had the power to settle conflicts immediately and without the use of bloodshed, mostly because everyone in the Kingdom of Vemos was terrified by the thought of being killed by any of the wolves, to be killed by a Wolf of War was to be destroyed utterly, your soul shattered and scattered along all the hell realms.
"Those psychopaths?" Victor said his eyes wide. "I agree with the King. They are psychopaths, and they don't listen to anyone." Sylvia said. "Actually, there is one person still alive that they will listen to." Amaya said grinning widely. Victor and Sylvia turned to look at her in surprise. "Isn't that right, Dori?" Amaya said.
Dorian scowled, "Sometimes I really hate the fact that we're related." He said sighing. "The Wolves of War, their current leader is an old friend of mine." He said.
"What old friend?" Victor asked narrowing his eyes. "Please tell me you don't mean Silas. Because if that's who you're talking about, he's not really a friend." He said cautiously.
"That's exactly who I mean." Dorian said.
"Who are the Wolves of War?"
"The people you call when you are left with no choice." Victor said sighing. "You do realize the wolves always ask for something bizarre as compensation for doing a job?" Lucien said with narrowed eyes.
Sylvia raised her eyebrows. "And how would you know that?" She said darkly. There was a shuffle and the remaining five members of the council stepped off the raised platform. The platform itself sunk down into the floor, they shuffled towards Lucien and Sylvia. "We as the council cannot listen to this conversation no longer." Rogelio of the Southern gales said, taking Lucien as he walked past Dorian and Victor. Sylvia scowled as she followed the council as they passed. "What, do they mean?" Darius asked looking at Victor. "It means that we are most likely going to break one of their laws and they would rather not be here while we discuss it." Victor said.
"Also, the Wolves of War are out of their jurisdiction." Dorian said.
"What?" Darius said his eyes wide. "There is actually someone who doesn't have to answer to the council?" He said glancing at Victor. "There are always those that are above any law but their own. The Wolves of War are just one of those groups." Victor said. Dorian looked at Victor, "With your permission. Your highness." He said quirking an eyebrow. Amaya grinned. "This is going to be so much fun!" She cackled gleefully.
"And suddenly I'm terrified."