***
April 3rd, 1974,
My dearest Genny,
I've started building a palace fit for a king, the time for war is nearing and a strong base of power will be needed when the war begins. It will be a center of control and it will be a place not easily conquered. The weapons these humans have invented over these recent years have made it so it will be possible to take them down. They once feared us enough to burn innocent people and yet they have built bombs strong enough to wipe out entire cities in one fell swoop. It only confirms my conviction that they must be destroyed before they take all of us out with their insane ways.
Merle has also returned for good now, or so The Council has decided. With all of the changes that have been rendered over the world in the last fifty years, they have decided it is better for the vampires to be banded closer together. You wouldn't recognize this world anymore Genny, there have been more changes in these past fifty years than there were for hundreds of years at a time. I think you would have enjoyed many of the new discoveries and inventions that have come out.
I just have to find the right time, the right moment to set off the spark of war, but I feel it is coming soon. I finally feel as though everything I've been plotting is going to reach its cataclysm and I must be prepared. The palace will be hidden within these mountains with enough security around it to prevent any humans from discovering it, and if they do, they won't be walking away.
There will be a garden in the palace and a fountain. I never thought that I would have cared about decorating and for the most part, I don't. Anna will be deciding what to do with the rest of the place, but the garden is mine, or more yours. I've had a fountain made especially in memory of you though no one will know that but me. The fountain will be for us, and what never was, but should have been. Those gardens will be as beautiful as you were to me. The fountain will be a constant reminder of what I can never have again and of what I must do.
The palace will be my main residence. Some of the aristocracy will reside in the homes being built within the solid outer walls. It is my money that is going into building the palace, but if they want the security of the massive walls they will pay a price for it, their loyalty being number one and their coin being number two.
Though The Council still rules, things are beginning to shift. Khalfan was killed yesterday when his car crashed over the side of a cliff and burst into flames. The fire could be seen from miles away, there was nothing left to his body but bones when he was pulled from the wreckage. It is assumed that his brakes failed. I know that is what occurred but I'm also aware it was no accident. Sacrifices must be made for the greater good.
With his death, I am now the oldest living vampire. They all look to me now. Yes Genny, the power is definitely shifting.
His son, Xavier, has stepped up to take his father's place as a history keeper. There is something about the way Xavier looks at me that is even more unnerving than his father's steadfast gaze had been. He's far more reserved than his father too and much more of a watcher than his father was. Sometimes I think he sees the real me. Sometimes I even think that I might actually like to be seen for once. I'd like to have someone acknowledge the vast pit of nothing within me, to have someone else see my misery.
***
January 12th, 2061,
My dearest Genny,
Anna came to me today to inform me she is pregnant again. I wonder if this one will be viable, and if it is, I wonder if she thinks that I am a fool. I laid with her once in the timespan that would have created the child but it's been years since I spilled my seed in the woman. No matter how I much I pictured you, and the fact that I stopped allowing her to even touch me years ago, I still couldn't bring myself to the point of completion with her.
I'll admit this only to you, but I think my inability to finish with her is because I knew I could not kill her after. That is the real joy in the act to me now, the death that accompanies it, and not the actual act itself.
It will be interesting to see if she will finally be able to carry this one to term. Perhaps it is my poisonous seed that her body has been rejecting these many years. I certainly wouldn't blame her body if it was.
***
August 5th, 2061,
My dearest Genny,
It's a girl. She was born this morning; I didn't bother to hold her and didn't care about the name though I'm told it is Melinda. I've yet to reveal that I know the child isn't mine. That is my secret to have and when the time is right, I will use it.
- CHAPTER 29 -
May 23rd, 2064,
My dearest Genny,
It has taken over a thousand years but Anna has been removed from my life, hopefully forever…
Anna looked up at him as he closed the door between their rooms and leaned against it. She straightened away from the crib where Melinda lay, curled up on her side with her thumb in her mouth. She was a beautiful child with her mother's golden hair and dove gray eyes. Atticus barely glanced at her though as he focused on Anna.
He'd seen the troubled look in her eyes often since he'd begun to exert his presence over those within the palace more forcefully. He still progressed cautiously with his plans but with his age, and the fortress he had created, he'd risen further into the role of the leader. He'd been nominated the head of The Council just last month. There were still more steps to take but the biggest one stood across the way from him now.
She was well loved by everyone; her death would be a blow to them all, when it came, but for her death to occur she couldn't be within these palace walls. It had to be the humans or at least it had to appear to be the humans that ended her life.
The apprehension in her eyes grew as she folded her hands before her and continued to stare at him. He imagined that part of her unease around him was because he hadn't touched her since she'd revealed her pregnancy to him. They'd kept up their pretenses in public but in private there was nothing between them anymore, finally.
"Milord?" she asked hesitatingly.
"It's time for you to leave the palace." The color drained from her face so rapidly that even her lips paled. It felt freeing to be able to talk to her so bluntly. She wasn't his wife and she never had been. His fingers brushed over the ring tucked into the pocket of his shirt, when Anna was gone he'd be free to wear the ring of his true wife.
"Milord," she squeaked. "I don't understand."
"Oh but I think you do. You are going to leave here, you are going to take that child with you, and you are going to do so without protest."
She looked as if he'd slapped her but fire began to burn in her eyes as she glanced at the toddler staring at them from her crib. A mother bear protecting her young. "I will do no such thing. You have no reason to cast me aside in such a way. The people will turn on you, they'll see you for the monster you are!"
Atticus released a harsh bark of laughter. "They haven't seen for over a thousand years and neither have you. The people love you, I'll admit it, but they won't be able to blame me when they learn of your infidelity."
Her eyes flickered with fear but her jaw remained thrust forward. "Such a baseless accusation will not stand."
He advanced on her so quickly that she never saw him coming until he was pushing her against the wall and pinning her there. "I cannot abide a liar Anna." Those words seemed so strange coming from him, the biggest liar of them all, but there had always been a reason for all of his lies. "So why don't you just drop this charade of yours. That child is not mine."
"That's not…"
Atticus slammed his hands against the wall beside her head, causing her to jump in response. "Do not lie!" he bellowed.
Tears formed in her eyes as she shrank away from him and the child began to cry. "I'm sorry! It was only one time!" she gushed out. "Please, you must forgive me milord!"
She grabbed hold of his arms. A ripple slid over his skin, his stomach turned as bile surged up his throat. He threw her hands away from him. "Don't ever touch me again!" he snarled at her.
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Her eyes widened, her lower lip began to tremble. She grabbed for him again but seemed to change her mind as her hands fell limply back to her sides. "Atticus please forgive me, I was just so lonely. All of our children were grown, we barely speak anymore, my father is dead, my sister is dead. I had no one else!"
Jane had been killed in a plane crash five years ago while going back to visit Italy. He'd expressed his condolences to Anna but he hadn't spoken to her about it since then.
"I don't care," he said flatly and straightened the edges of his jacket. "If you take that child and leave without complaint I won't reveal that she isn't mine. I'll allow her to come back one day to take her place amongst the court. She will have a life, but you will not continue to have one amongst these walls. If you put up a fight or deny the truth, I will kill the child." Anna's hand flew to her mouth; she shook her head in denial. "Do not doubt it for a second."
It was a lie. If his plans went right neither of them would live long enough for the girl to be able to come back to the palace, but he wasn't going to reveal that to her. "Atticus…"
"Pack your things; you are to be out of here before nightfall."
He turned on his heel and walked toward the door separating their rooms. "Where will we go?" she whispered.
"I've had a home set up for you in the woods, far from here. You will be taken care of and you will have servants, but you will not be welcome amongst your peers again."
"Like you haven't lain with countless others over the years!" Her voice, shrill with terror, caused him to wince.
A cruel smile curved his mouth when he looked back at her. "I can assure you that every woman I've lain with over the years has always been the same one in my mind, and it wasn't you. Nor are there any women walking around with my bastards."
There was still no color in her face but she thrust her shoulders back and lifted her chin defiantly. "You're a heartless prick to throw us out like this."
He released a chortle of laughter and turned to walk back to her. She stepped protectively in front of the crying child. Atticus grasped hold of the crib rail on either side of her and leaned closer. His nostrils flared as he savored in the distress wafting off of her in acrid waves of sweat.
"I'm a soulless prick dear, get it right," he informed her before turning and walking back to the dividing door.
"Aren't you even going to ask who the father is?" she blurted as he opened the door.
"I already know and if you tell him that I know, I can assure you they will be the last words you ever utter." He closed the door between them and threw the lock into place.
It was three hours later when he escorted her down the stairs and into the grand entranceway. Anna kept the child pressed against her chest and her head held high as she was paraded past everyone. Gideon stepped forward first; his hazel eyes narrowed as he looked from Atticus to Anna.
"Do you not want a trial?" he inquired. Anna shook her head and glanced down at Melinda. "Are you not going to deny these accusations?"
"No," Anna said quietly. "I'm not."
Gideon's jaw clenched, his eyes flickered between him and Anna, but though he looked like he wanted to protest further, he shook his head and stepped away. They continued down the main entranceway past Braith, Caleb, Natasha, and Jericho but no one else offered a protest. The vampires within may not like the way she was being treated but infidelity wasn't to be tolerated from a still married woman that had no open understanding with her husband. He handed Anna over to the waiting contingent of guards that were to take her out of the palace. The crowd that had gathered began to disperse, he heard the whispers growing amongst them, the disbelief, but Anna had offered no protest against his accusations.
Could it be true? They all speculated and not so secretly.
Atticus refrained from smiling, though inwardly he was alive with pleasure as he turned and walked back to the stairwell. He could already feel the interested gazes of the women following him but he'd just gotten rid of one woman he'd never wanted in his life, he wasn't about to pick up another one.
***
March 20th, 2075,
My dearest Genny,
It is done; Anna is dead and the child is presumed so. I feel no compunction about having had Anna or the child slaughtered. There are always sacrifices to be made and it is such a relief to have her out of my life forever.
The time for war has come. There were some on The Council that voted down the idea. They'll pay for that when the war is over, but the rest have decided that they've had enough of being held down in this world, enough of being slaughtered due to the human's ignorance and stupidity. They've also agreed that for the war there should only be one leader. Due to my age, lineage, and the stronghold of this palace they have agreed that I should be king for the time being.
I will not be giving that position up.
I've made many strategic moves over the years to acquire an armory that could shatter this world. I have established a number of humans amongst positions of power over the past fifteen years throughout the world. I financed their campaigns, made them what they are, and even placed one in the White House. It's amazing how quickly they were willing to sell out their beliefs and principles for a chance at more wealth and power. They didn't know they were making a deal with the devil, that they still are, but they will push the right buttons and make the right moves when they are told to do so.
Though some of them know what I am, they are still willing to help me in this war in exchange for a position of even more power and money after it is over. I will fulfill my promises to them; they will after all be needed as food when all is said and done. As much as I'd like all humans dead, even I am not insane enough to think that could be possible, we would all starve.
My goal is so close at hand that I can taste it, I'll finally have my revenge. It will finally be over. The first of the massive bombs will go off today; there will be nothing left except for what I have chosen there to be, which are certain colonies within this nation. I sent men to look for Camille last year, I haven't heard back from them as I told them not to return. They were to stay with her if she was located and take her to a safe location. I hope they found her but even if they didn't, I must move forward.
- CHAPTER 30 -
December 29th, 2082,
My dearest Genny,
It's finally over. The blitz attack we leveled upon the humans didn't give them much of a chance but for a weak and spineless race, they lasted longer than I had expected and there are still some stragglers living like the vermin they are, in and amongst the surrounding forests. We had many casualties too. Some lines were completely eradicated, including the Champon line. It was a big loss but we will recover.
Other humans have become our servants and slaves, and some have positions of power within the town. They are foolish enough to think they are important but if they are willing to help keep the other humans in line then let them act how they will. I'm sure they know their necks could be snapped on a whim.
Due to the technological leaps and bounds the humans had made over the years, I was able to have a series of chains made that will keep the humans enslaved to us for as long as we have a use for them. Which won't be long. I have also established places where the rebellious ones that are not claimed as slaves will be taken to be drained immediately of their blood. There is no reason to keep them alive if no one wants them, but it would be foolish to waste their blood by just killing them outright.
I thought I would feel better after this war ended. I thought somehow winning this war would help to appease this monster inside of me now that you have finally been avenged. I think I feel even more hollow inside now than I ever did before. There is nothing left for me to fight for; I have no reason to continue. Everything, every horrific, unforgiveable thing I have ever done has brought me to this moment of absolute nothingness. What do I do now?
I feel like such a fool. I thought I'd feel you around me more when I finally succeeded, I thought someho
w…
I don't know what I thought but I am consumed by the nothingness even more now than when I was working toward avenging your death. I'm unraveling unbelievably fast. I think they can all see the insanity in me now but then I am barely trying to hide it anymore. What is the point? I am the king, my laws will be obeyed, and those that have stood against me will pay.
It's all I have left to live for, there is nothing more. I am no coward though; I will not end my own pathetic existence. I will continue on until everyone that has ever wronged you or I have been punished.
***
"Merle," Atticus greeted.
His cousin looked up at him as Atticus stepped into the room with him. At the far end of the hall sat a massive gold throne he'd had created and positioned on the dais. Merle stood by the table that took up nearly the entire length of a room that was easily half the size of a football field. He had big plans for that table and this sparkling, pristine room.
"Your majesty," Merle greeted with a brief bow of his head.
Atticus closed the doors behind him before moving leisurely into the room. He didn't smile at his cousin; there was no reason for pretenses anymore. "You didn't think I should have my position though, did you?"
Merle's jaw clenched. "I saw no reason for the war and the slaughter just because of a woman. You did not even care for Anna."
"It was the principle of it. Humans have driven us from every land; they've hunted and persecuted us at every turn. They've taken more from us than I am willing to give anymore. They took the only woman I ever did care about from me."