Her mouth fell open, and then she smiled. “Touché. But what did you mean before?”
I sighed. “Xavier may never torment us again, but my status as an Untouchable will never change. My rebellious reputation has not diminished, and I am certain I will catch the attention of some other sadistic elite in the future. If, when they find out how deeply I care for you, they will finish what Xavier started.”
Mercedes bit her lip. “I want to say I don’t care, but I’ve seen what Xavier is capable of. I have friends and family at home. They’ll be targets too because of my connection to you.”
Despair swamped me, but I kept it from showing on my face. “You have a duty to them, and it would be the epitome of dishonor if I asked you to forfeit their lives.” I stood up, ignoring the icy fingers strangling my heart. “I will return you to the mortal world right now.” I had to, knowing I might not have the strength to let her go if I waited any longer. “You have my word that you will never hear from me again—”
“Shadow.”
I turned around. Mercedes was staring at me, a mixture of disappointment and sadness on her features. In a single, fluid motion, she was on her feet.
“Do you know what we’ve just done? We’ve defeated Xavier. No matter how much you want to credit me for my hacking skills, it was you who made me realize what incriminating evidence I found.” She walked up to me and took my face in her hands. “We both defeated him against impossible odds, and in the process we fell in love. After all that, you just want to give up?”
“Mercedes, this is not about giving up,” I said angrily. “This is about keeping you and your family safe!”
“I understand what you’re trying to do, and I appreciate it very much,” she said soothingly. “But I love you, and I…I can’t imagine living without you. I’m not saying I’m going to compromise the safety of my friends and family for my own selfish desires. But I intend to find a way for us to be together without endangering anyone. The question is, are you up to the challenge?”
Her smile grew teasing and sly, and I felt the corners of my lips curl upward on their own accord.
“I am up to any challenge that crosses my path.” My voice dropped to a low purr. Mercedes shivered deliciously in my arms. I kissed her because I could do nothing else.
My arms wrapped around her body and she met me all the way. As my lips moved over hers, I became fully aware of her human heat, and how deeply it was affecting me. I broke apart from her just as my fangs emerged.
Face flushed, eyes bright, Mercedes held onto me. “Shadow…”
I knew what I wanted, but this woman was still very young. And was her flesh as innocent as her soul? Before I could reply, I heard a knock at the door. I immediately went to answer it, feeling both annoyance and gratitude for the intruder.
I blinked when I saw who it was. “Brandon? What are you--?”
“You need to come with me,” he cut me off urgently. “You and Mercedes. The royal family has summoned you both.”
Suddenly I knew where Brandon had gone to complete his “unfinished business.”
“What have you done?” I hissed.
“I’m making sure you and Mercedes get out of this alive!” His voice rose to an angry snarl, which was very unbecoming of him. “And I saw an opportunity to make life better for Outcasts, something you would give anything for!”
“What’s going on?” Mercedes asked looking from Brandon to me.
Brandon’s face softened at her approach. “You both need to come with me now. The royal family doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
“What did you tell them?” I asked in a calmer voice.
“That a human found the true murderer of High Priest Abraham,” Brandon responded.
Mercedes paled. “The vampire royal family wants to meet with me?”
“They’ll question you, yes,” Brandon said. “But you’ll be fine. Just be very polite and very respectful, and they won’t hurt you. In fact, I would be greatly surprised if they didn’t give you an extravagant reward.”
Mercedes gave me a nervous look. She wasn’t pleading with me, and I admired her greatly for it. But while the royal family valued honor, they allowed the elites to do nearly anything they wanted. I had no idea how much respect they held for humans. One mishap and Mercedes could die.
But there was no choice.
***
Mercedes
Our journey to the royal family was a long process. When we got outside, there was an escort of no less than ten guards dressed in armor that was somewhat similar to the kind Xavier’s soldiers wore. The most striking difference was their helmets. Some of them were shaped like the head of a bird of prey while the others resembled the head of a big cat. It was very curious. Though I couldn’t see their faces, I could tell that they were eying me with a mixture of curiosity and disdain as all three of us were loaded into a sleek, enclosed vehicle.
None of us spoke throughout the journey. With all the guards, we all made a silent agreement that to say anything would be unwise. Brandon stared at the black glass that was probably a heavily tinted window. I guess that they didn’t want me or Shadow to see the path we were taking. I took that as a good sign. If their intention was to kill us, I doubted they would be so secretive.
I made sure my outward appearance was calm, respectful, and poised when, after an hour, we were finally led out of the vehicle. But my mouth fell open all on its own accord at the sight of the gargantuan building in front of me. I would have expected something medieval and gothic, but there was nothing medieval and gothic about a step pyramid made of the purest obsidian. Shadow put a comforting hand on my shoulder as we were led inside. If I wasn’t so scared, the artist in me would have been in absolute heaven. So many exotic designs, statues, carpeting, jewels…this was an artist’s paradise.
We stopped when we reached a set of double doors that was at least half a mile high.
“The human will enter first,” one of the guards said.
“What?” Shadow’s grip on me tightened.
“It is the will of the royal family,” another guard said. “Would you defy them, Harijan?”
“Shadow…” Brandon put a hand on his shoulder, both to offer comfort and caution.
“I’ll be fine,” I said, though my nervousness had increased ten-fold. “I promise.”
If the guards weren’t around, I could tell he would have kissed me. Instead, he gripped my hand briefly before I was led inside.
The room was incredibly large, lavish, and radiated a history I could not even begin to comprehend. But what caught my eye the most was a large obsidian statue of what appeared to be a jaguar. It was an unusual statue, mostly because the front left paw was missing. I couldn’t explain why I was drawn to it, but quickly regained myself. Apparently, while these vampires may live in a separate dimension, their roots were clearly in the mortal world. And judging from the design of the royal palace, the helmets the guards wore, and the vast displays of feathers, snake skin, obsidian, and jade, I was pretty certain I knew which cultures they took the most after.
They were human once, I suddenly knew. All of them. But they formed their own society and surpassed humanity. They found access to another dimension because they wanted to expand. But they still need human blood.
“Greetings, human,” a male voice said in an accent I couldn’t name.
Three vampires emerged from the shadows. A man and two women. The man was of medium height and of Asian descent. He had shoulder-length dark hair, lean features, and eyes so cold and wise that I wanted to shiver and ask him the answer to every riddle in existence at the same time. The first woman was tall and appeared to be Hispanic. She moved so fluidly that her red robes didn’t rustle in the slightest. Her brown hair was curled at the top of her head and adorned with a delicate, golden headdress that emphasized her flawless cheekbones and swan-like neck. The second woman was shorter, but every bit as elegant as her female counterpart. Her red hair ran like a river of fine wi
ne down her back. She too wore an exotic golden headdress that, along with her deep emerald robes, made me think of a medieval princess that a villainous dragon would love to get his claws on. But her merciless blue eyes made me wonder how long the dragon’s heart would stay inside its chest if it dared to cross her. Their clothing spoke of separate cultures, but I was not the least bit surprised to see that they all wore obsidian and jade jewelry.
I bowed very low.
“Your Majesties.”
I kept my eyes on the floor in a sign of respect. Not to mention I was terrified out of my mind. I was in the presence of three gods of inhuman power, beauty, and danger. One wrong word or move, and they would effortlessly snuff me out of existence.
Fingers even icier than Shadow’s gently touched my chin and tilted my head up. It was the red-haired woman.
“If I look outwardly, I would see less than nothing,” she murmured. Her accent was different from Yuan’s. I could tell it was a very old European one. “But inwardly…” She looked at the man who nodded.
“My name is Yuan, one of several vampire kings,” he introduced himself to me. “This is Ariadna,” he gestured to the Hispanic woman, “and Radella,” he gestured to the red-haired woman, “two vampire queens. We have much to discuss with you, Mercedes Strand. According to Harijan Brandon, you are responsible for discovering the mastermind behind High Priest Abraham’s murder. How did you accomplish this?”
Inwardly, I took a deep breath before telling them my story in a succinct manner. When I was finished, I couldn’t tell if they were impressed, angry, or indifferent.
“We have decided that there is no way you or any other vampire could have faked this evidence,” Ariadna said at last in an unmistakable Spanish drawl. “But what I would especially like to know is why would you search for this evidence in the first place?”
A cold chill went up my spine. I was treading on very thin ice here. These vampires were members of the royal family. They knew very well how Untouchables like Shadow were treated. Moreover, they enabled that treatment.
Be blunt and honest, I told myself. Don’t whitewash any facts. They’ll see right through it.
So I told them how Shadow and I met, how it was all thanks to Xavier’s manipulations, and how we devised a plan to take him down.
“Killing him outright would have only angered vampire leadership,” I said. “I knew someone as arrogant and cruel as Xavier would have some very dark skeletons in his closet. I found more than I bargained for, but as long as he’ll never be able to hurt Shadow again, I won’t complain.”
“Do you love him, mortal?” Yuan asked.
I nodded. “I do.”
Ariadna’s chuckle at my statement angered me, but I kept my face neutral.
“Whether she loves him or not is irrelevant,” Radella said. Her blue eyes locked on me, so pale and ruthless that I wondered if they were permanently in that predatory state I had seen Shadow sink into so often. “She is human, but she has done a great service to the vampires, and to the gods. This service cannot go unrewarded.”
Yuan nodded. “There are many rewards we could bestow on you. But you have impressed me, Mercedes Strand. So I will give you the honor of asking what reward you would name.”
That wasn’t a hard question. I knew exactly what I wanted.
***
Shadow
“Breathing helps, Shadow. Remember, we need to do so at least every four hours.”
It was nearly a minute before I knew I could talk without snarling.
“She will be fine,” I said more to myself than to Brandon.
“Did Blackhole make it back okay?”
“I sensed him in the apartment, but he let Mercedes and I be for a while. It was not easy for him. He wants very much to meet her.”
“I don’t blame him.” Brandon smiled slyly. “I can’t tell you how amazed I am, Shadow. It seems like the friend I knew mere weeks ago died so suddenly, it took me a while to notice it.”
“I could say the same for you,” I said coolly. “I did not believe you would fight so fiercely against your status mere days after having a change of heart regarding your acceptance of it.”
“I told you I’d help in any way I could,” Brandon said in a serious tone. “I keep my word, my friend.”
Shame curdled in my stomach at his sincerity. Despite our differences, Brandon had been the only real friend apart from Blackhole that I possessed during my long centuries of torment. And as I told Mercedes, I had done nothing to earn it.
“Why would you promise such a thing to me?” I asked quietly.
“You are my friend. And I have this feeling that you will change vampire society for the better. You and Mercedes.”
I gave him an incredulous look before laughing. “You are delusional.”
“I was,” Brandon said quietly. “But I’m not anymore.”
A companionable silence followed. Just as I was gathering the nerve to thank Brandon for all he had done for Mercedes and I, we were called by the guards.
She will be fine, I told myself for the thousandth time. At least they had not killed her, or Brandon and I would be dead by now as well.
Upon entering the royal chambers, I immediately saw Mercedes in the presence of vampire king Yuan and vampire queens Ariadna and Radella. It was all I could do not to sag in relief when I saw Mercedes was completely unharmed.
Brandon and I knelt on our knees.
“You both may rise,” Queen Radella said.
We obeyed, but I did not dare approach Mercedes for fear of stoking the royal’s ire.
“Your human servant has informed us that she desires a certain reward for bringing High Priest Abraham’s true murderer to justice,” King Yuan informed me. “She desires that you, both of you, along with Harijan Brandon’s lover, shall never come to harm by an elite ever again.”
Incredulity swept through me. Brandon was all but gaping at Mercedes who merely smiled.
I told you I’d find a way, her eyes said.
“It is far from an unreasonable reward,” Queen Radella said. “Especially since all of you played a substantial role in this great service to the gods.”
“We still find it very hard to believe that a human, no matter how skilled in technology, could have found irrefutable evidence of Xavier’s involvement.” Queen Ariadna didn’t bother to hide the condescension in her tone. “We believe that the Brothers of Duality themselves aided you, mortal, and your Harijan allies. If you are truly favored by the gods, then you can guarantee that we will ensure that no elite will ever harm any of you again.”
“Our priests and priestesses will meditate, and we will summon you once the gods have spoken,” King Yuan said. “In the meantime, you will be granted full protection against the elites. You are now dismissed.”
I took Mercedes’ arm and started to lead her away, but she brushed me aside.
“Wait,” she said. “Where is Xavier now?”
The royals exchanged grim looks.
“He will be sentenced to die in the Lazarus Pit.” Queen Radella uttered in a voice as frozen and desolate as an arctic winter. “Currently, he is being held in the Dungeons of Chaos where several Kshatriya are…softening him up.” Her lips curled upward. “Would you like to see him?”
Much as I wanted to get Mercedes out of here, I craved to see that bastard one last time. I glanced at Mercedes who looked uneasy, but nodded.
“If it will help…”
She trailed off, but I knew what she meant. The guards led us to the Dungeons of Chaos where criminals who committed blasphemies awaited their judgment in the Lazarus Pit. It was not uncommon for humans to be sentenced there along with vampires. I suspected Xavier’s plan had been to frame Mercedes for a blasphemy and then hand her over to the royals.
I gripped my love’s hand as we were led deeper into a hell worse than the one we just experienced. The incessant screams and moans of unbearable agony surpassed the ones in Xavier’s lair. Despite being an eli
te, even he did not have access to the worst torture machinations known to mortals and immortals alike.
“I think I want to wait outside,” Mercedes said. She looked very ill.
“Mercedes, if this is too much for you, we will leave immediately,” I said, meaning every word.
“No. You need to do this,” Mercedes insisted.
“I’ll take her outside,” Brandon said. “Just don’t take long.”
I watched them go and felt a deep admiration for both of them. Beyond the door in front of me was the vampire who had put them and those they cared about through unspeakable torment. Yet they had no desire to gloat. They did not need to see him in order to find closure. All they wanted was to put this all behind them and move on with their lives.
I did not admire myself for what I was about to do, but I did not hate myself for it either. As Mercedes said, I needed to do it.
The guards let me enter and I was greeted by fresh screams. Several armored and masked Kshatriya carrying everything from silver spears to garlic sprays stood aside to reveal the burned, battered, half-naked, chained form of Xavier. My fangs nearly emerged in response to the satisfaction and pleasure rushing through me at the sight.
Xavier lifted his head. His once cruelly beautiful face was now so charred and cracked it was all but unrecognizable. But I would know his eyes from anywhere at any time, no matter how red and bloodshot they were from continuous garlic sprays.
He blinked at my approach, perhaps in a vain effort to clear his vision somewhat, and an incredibly thin raspy laugh escaped from his ruined lips.
“I trust…this irony…is not lost…on you…Harijan?”
“It is not,” I said in a calm voice.
“Have…your moment…you…cannot…hurt me…anymore.”
“I wanted to hurt you,” I whispered. “And I would have. But it was Mercedes who defeated you in the end, not me. You were beaten by a human, Ancient One. A human you intended to destroy me. I trust that irony is not lost on you?”