The Lion's Den (45 page)

“
Who’s pathetic now?” he asked. He slid his claws under Marcus’ chin then digging deeply, he punctured the flesh. With a quick jerk, he ripped the vampires head from his body, killing him instantly.

“
Nooo!” Alicia cried out, sensing her Master’s life instantly drain away. She turned, leaving Adan, in hopes that she could flee the room. Kysen intercepted her path, blocking her. His hand reached up, catching her by her throat.

“
Where do you think you’re going in such a hurry?” Kysen said. He growled at her, pulling rank, flashing three sets of fangs. two at the top, one set at the bottom.

“
Kill me, I don’t care!” Alicia managed to say through feeble gasps.

“
Just what I had in mind.” Kysen punched through her torso, impaling her on his forearm. In his hand, he held her heart, the bloody arteries still attached, dangling from their ventricles. Blood gushed up from Alicia’s mouth spilling forth, splashing his shoulder and chest. Her eyes bulged forward, shocked by her own death. Kysen pulled his hand free, dropping her body at the same time. He looked at her heart as he held it in his hands, then he turned toward Adan.

“
Hungry?” he asked, smiling.

“
She was your kill, not mine. Besides, I want no part of them,” Adan said, turning down the proffered meal. “Were you badly injured?”

“
Not critically, but yes. I’m completely healed now, so no need to worry about me,” Kysen said, tossing the heart to the floor. “My main concern is getting to Darian, he needs me now.” He knew the location of where the others were. Adan followed him to a huge solid sterling silver door.

“
Jesus!” Adan gasped, looking at the door.

“
I assure you, he had nothing to do with the construction of this door, carpenter, though he was,” Kysen joked as he turned the knob, breaking the lock. Before he opened the door, he turned toward Adan. “Let me go in alone.”

Adan stepped back, nodding.

Kysen entered the room, looking around. He saw Christopher naked and chained, fluids he knew all too well were dried on his flesh. He turned to the sound of his voice being called out.

“
Kysen, Darian’s hurt and for that matter, so are we, please get us down,” Sergio said, trying not to pass out from the intense pain the silver chains caused.

Mentally, Kysen broke the locks on the chains, freeing the supernaturals. The four shifters of them fell to the ground, weak, exhausted, and still in pain as their flesh begin to heal. Sergio was the first to rise, followed by Miranda.

“
Thank you, Kysen,” Sergio said.

“
Your woman’s life is in danger, she may already be dead.”

“
What?!” Sergio looked at him. “Where is she?”

Kysen told him how to get to her then watched as he and Miranda sped from the room.

As Christopher was assisted by Adrian, he could feel sharp pains shoot through his stomach, causing him to double over. “God, I don’t think Iqve ever been this hungry before,” he whined.

Kysen looked at the two men. “He really needs to feed, he’s young. Your father is upstairs; he’s all right, although, badly injured as well,” he told Adrian.

“
Thanks,” Adrian said as he walked past him, with Christopher. Gabriel followed the two men, nodding at Kysen as he passed by him.

John looked at Kysen. “Do you need my help?”

Kysen shook his head. “I’d like to be alone with Darian now.”

John nodded and left the room. He had never seen Darian in that state. He, like the others, hated it. He respected his Master even more than before for what he had endured. He didn’t think it was possible for him to love Darian more than he had, but he did. As he made his way up the staircase toward the others, he gave thanks that he was still alive.

Kysen watched John ascend the staircase then he closed the door. He looked down at Darian’s incapacitated form. “My, my, my, what a fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into, my love.” He began walking toward him, taking a seat on the cold stone floor beside him. He lay down, taking Darian into his arms. His eyebrows creased as he witnessed a violent hunger pang rack Darian’s body, causing him to whimper softly. The whites of Darian’s eyes showed beneath his half-closed lids.

“
Feed.” Kysen opened a vein in his wrist, pressing the bloody wound to his immortal child’s slightly parted mouth. Another violent spasm raced through Darian’s body, causing his back to arch as the first drop of blood hit his tongue.

“
That’s it, Darian. Drink!” Kysen urged.

Darian’s pull was feeble at first, in spite of his raging hunger. The more blood he was able to bring into his being, the stronger his pull became. His limbs grew in strength and he took hold of Kysen’s wrist, at that point, Kysen pulled his wrist free, breaking Darian’s grip.

“
More!” Darian growled, fangs bared.

“
It’s coming, my love.”

Kysen offered Darian his neck and without a second’s hesitation, Darian plunged forward, biting viciously into the pulsating vein protruding under his Master’s dark chocolate skin. Darian crushed Kysen under him as he fed ravenously, drawing the blood into him with a forcefulness that was painful to Kysen. There was no pleasure, no rapture. It was need, pure and simple, Darian’s need. Kysen only held his child as he fed, until the urgency of Darian feeding began to slow, becoming less painful. Kysen panted, feeling weaker the longer he was drained. A wave of nausea rippled through him and he swallowed hard, fighting it back, knowing it was an effect of the massive loss of blood and the speed in which it was drained. Finally, it was over. Both men released moans the moment they separated, Darian rolling onto his back beside his Master.

He lay still, catching his breath. “Thank you, Kysen,” he said, once he was finally able to speak again.

Kysen looked over at him. “You’re welcome.”

“
I wish I could have seen you killing him.”

“
Ah, but you did, through my blood.”

“
I mean with my own eyes.”

Kysen smiled knowingly. “Well, one must take what one can get.” He sat up, struggling a bit due to his own weakness then looked over his shoulder at Darian. He didn’t like the expression on his face; it was a look of humiliation and uncertainty. “Darian, are you going to be all right?”

He turned toward Kysen. “I honestly don’t know.”

“
Darian, you’ll get through this. You’re still here when he is not.”

Darian sat up, facing him. “I couldn’t protect them, Kysen. Not only that, I was … .” His voice trailed off and he turned away.

“
Your pride is hurt, my child … nothing more. This happens, Darian. There have been vampires within your own coven over the years, who’ve come through this exact type of situation. There is always going to be a vampire stronger than you are … always. Some of them will wish you ill; they’ll want to possess you, hurt you; this happens. It’s one of the many predicaments I’ve tried to prepare you for.”

“
There was no way you could’ve prepare me for what happened.”

“
No, this is true. You were no match for him, and perhaps, I did fail in that sense. I should have taught you humility. If I had, you’d be handling this much better than you are now.”

Darian’s head shot up and he looked at Kysen, confused. “You’re criticizing me for feeling the way I am? You have no idea what I’m going through right now, Kysen!”

“
You’re angry, dejected, you feel humiliated because you were completely and effortlessly overpowered. For all of the impressive strength, ingenuity and self-confidence you possess, you were made to look absolutely useless, weak … pathetic?” Kysen leaned forward, toward him. “Does that sound about right?”

Darian winced, each word piercing a hole in his shield.

“
Darian, I know you better than you think I do. Maybe you’ve forgotten that, but I haven’t. You were always on top of the world, on top of your game … the best. Moreover, you still are, what happened here means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Wallowing here in self-pity will be your downfall,
not
what Marcus did to you.”

Darian reflected on Kysen’s wise words, he nodded.

Kysen chuckled. “Ahhh, the job of a parent is never done. You always keep teaching, your child will always need to learn more of life’s lessons, even after sixteen hundred and fifty-three years, is it?”

Darian nodded. “Kysen, you mentioned that this sort of thing happens to all vampir

”

Kysen held up his hand, silencing Darian. “I know where you’re going with that question. Don’t.”

“
Kysen, has it ever happened to you?” Darian asked, ignoring his Maker’s orders.

“
Stubborn as always, I see. Nothing’s changed,” Kysen said, with a sigh. “If it will make you feel better about your own circumstances, then fine. I was about two thousand years old, living on my own with my own coven. It was what Irikara wanted for me. According to her, I’d been far too attached after eighteen hundred years together. I thought we would be together forever. …” He paused, reflecting on his own emotion at the present time as well as in the past concerning his love and worship of his Maker, Irikara.

“
You love her very much, don’t you?” Darian asked, watching him.

Kysen nodded. “Yes, as much as she loves me; as much as I love you. But, I digress. As I’ve said, I was on my own, I had six vampires living with me, four of whom I turned, the other two were those who pledged allegiance to me when I killed their Master and took over her territory. I had complete control over that territory for two hundred years, my reputation, much like your own had spread across the continents, reaching the ears of a vampire who was almost as strong as Irikara.”

“
I can’t imagine the extent of her power. All I know is what flows through you and that’s telling enough.”

Kysen nodded. “Drinking from her has been one of my greatest pleasures and privileges. Back to the tale. This vampire, he came for me and I was powerless against him. He massacred my entire coven in front of me, and then took me for himself. You can imagine all of the things he did to me. I don’t think I have to go into the specifics.”

Darian shook his head. “I can imagine. Kysen, I would have never known.”

“
No, you wouldn’t have. Irikara received news of what had happened to me. She came for me, challenging the vampire who had taken me, killing him. Much like you, I was ashamed, bewildered … didn’t know how I was going to regroup from what had happened. You must understand, Irikara is a Goddess and she chose to grant me the gift of her powers. And in one instant, another had shown me just how useless my powers were against him.”

“
What did she say?”

“
Exactly what I’m telling you. Get over it. Darian, I chose you for a reason, this self-pity you’re exhibiting now is not befitting a warrior such as yourself. When you left me eight hundred years ago, you did what I couldn’t do with Irikara. You wanted to experience life on your own. You wanted to take this world into your hands, and make it your own. Whatever fears you experienced at that time didn’t hinder you and your reputation grew over the years. Look at you, my love. You’re Master of one of the most powerful cities in all of the world. Chicago has been your territory for over a hundred years; you have a coven that would die for you if you so wished it. You have friends who love you and would fight and die for you if need be. You have nothing to be ashamed of.” He took hold of Darian’s chin, lifting his face upward. Leaning forward, he kissed him passionately. Moments later, he broke the kiss. “My child, stand tall on your pedestal again, and show no shame or uncertainty. You are a powerful Master vampire, direct descendant of the Goddess, Irikara; the Original Fount of our line and my immortal love, my son … my Chosen One. There is no greater honor.”

“
No.”

“
Thank you.”

Kysen smiled slightly. “Do try not to get yourself into this kind of trouble again.”

“
I wasn’t trying to get myself into trouble at all. However, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“
Oh, by the way, you may want to send someone back for your airplane. Marcus transported you all here in it.”

Darian sighed. “The thought of him and his on my airplane,” he shook his head. “I’ll retrieve it later. Let’s go, I want to check on Elise.”

“
She was injured badly, she’s probably dead,” Kysen said nonchalantly as he rose from the floor. Reaching down, he helped Darian to his feet.

“
I still want to see for myself,” Darian said, adjusting the tattered remains of his clothes in an attempt to make himself look presentable. The two men left the room, heading into the living room where Sergio was leaning over Elise, licking her wound, sealing it. Elise was alive but unconscious. Her strength was gradually returning, but she was still very weak.

Xavier walked briskly toward Darian, taking his Master and lover into his arms, kissing him. Kysen watched to two lovers reunite for a few seconds, then he returned his attentions to the shifters in the room.

Sergio was lifting Elise in his arms. “We should get going,” he said, walking through the hole that used to be a wall of beautiful imported French glass windows.