The Vampire's War, page 12
Charon nodded. “Makes sense. We have some details to work out. But you got yourself a plan. I know I have to participate. We all do. I don’t think we’ll come up with a better strategy, and we’re losing time to get anything done.”
Charon’s swift agreement surprised Jaret, given his previous reluctance and distaste for obedience to anyone. Jaret squinted at him.
“So easy, huh?” Jaret asked. “What gives? No more fighting me?”
Charon giggled and got to his feet. He walked over and rustled the top of Jaret’s head. “I’m not always an asshole. You’re smart. I agree with you, so accept the compliment.”
“Okay.” Jaret spoke but with a hesitant voice.
Charon laughed louder and knelt between Brady and Jaret. He reached out an arm to each one, cupping their heads with his hand and pulling them toward his own between them. He stopped guiding them in when Jaret resisted, a foot away from all three smashing their heads together.
Brady grinned. “What are you doing?”
Jaret shot his friend a look. “Wipe the grin off your face. You encourage him again.”
Charon took advantage and yanked their faces together, causing Jaret to jump partway out of his chair as his cheek pressed against Brady’s and Charon licked them both across the face. Charon let go and jumped away, laughing as Brady and Jaret tumbled out of their chairs in a heap.
“Can’t you jack off and get these fantasies out of your system?” Jaret asked Charon as he and Brady got to their feet.
“Why fantasize when the real thing stands before you?”
“Because we said no,” Brady answered.
“I heard you. You can’t blame a guy for trying.”
Jaret pointed at Charon. “You live up to every stereotype of a gay guy. Like all guys, you think first, second, and third with your penis. Then because you’re gay and can shun all convention, you fuck, suck, and come with every man you encounter.”
“Guilty as charged. And proud of myself.” Charon laughed again.
Brady stared at Jaret with a huge grin. “You told me he thinks of nothing but sex. I figured you exaggerated since you’re a prude. But you told me the truth. I mean, we plotted a war that very well could kill us. And he bookends the discussion with sex before and after.”
Charon shrugged. “Right. Because I want to win the war to make sure I continue to enjoy constant sex. Not hard to figure out. Pun intended.”
The banter continued a few minutes longer when their senses buzzed about an approaching vampire, coming at a frantic speed through the woods. The three vampires spun around in a defensive posture as Jordan, Charon’s number two, sped through the trees and halted mere steps before them.
“Boss man!” He stared hard at Charon. “Come. Now.” His eyes lit with terror as he spoke.
After Jordan turned and raced away with Charon in tow, Jaret realized blood was dripping from the young vampire’s hands.
Part Five
Council Treachery
Chapter Thirteen
Mountain Attack
4 MARCH 2019
Nederland, CO
Rushing through the frigid Rocky Mountains reminded Jaret of the first time he watched The Shining. He and his friends had snuck to watch the movie during a sleepover, which scared the crap out of them, much to their delight. His pounding heart, the snow falling hard, and the desolate mountain landscape had Jaret worried Jack Nicholson’s character would pop out from behind a tree with an axe to hack at him. He knew as a vampire he could kill him without any problem, but what if the batch of fucked-up ghosts from the movie appeared along with Nicholson? What if the gang of crazy spirits, once trapped at the hotel, were somehow released into the wild? Then what? Jaret had plenty of experience with ghosts fucking with him and loathed the idea.
Jaret shook his head, snapping back to a reality which was worse than his fantasy. As they approached a hidden tunnel leading deep inside James Peak to Charon’s concealed castle, the blood trail running down the tunnel and into the palace entrance chilled Jaret to the bone. Much worse than a fictional story.
Jaret and Brady had stayed a respectful distance behind Jordan and Charon, sensing the need for them to be alone. At vampiric speed, the journey from Montgomery to Colorado took mere minutes but felt like hours because of Jaret’s fear. Jaret could hear Jordan babbling incoherent words the entire way in a frantic, high-pitched voice. Charon tried to calm Jordan but failed so far.
The blood on Jordan’s hands when he had arrived in Alabama haunted Jaret, and here in the tunnel the blood trail heightened Jaret’s dread. They slowed to a human walk as they descended to the palace entrance, always glittering, opulent, and pristine, but today the gorgeous setting seemed out of touch with the blood smear running down the middle of the marble floor.
When Jaret entered with Brady right behind him, they found Charon standing in the middle of the room. Jordan circled Charon, gesticulating in a manic frenzy and uttering incomprehensible chatter. Charon reached out and grabbed Jordan by both arms, spinning him around to stare into his eyes. “Stop. Speak so I can hear you.”
“Not with them.” Jordan pointed to Jaret and Brady. “Can’t trust. Bad. He came in. We tried. Boss man, we tried.” Jordan took a deep breath and shook his head. “Show you. I’ll show you. Only you.” Jordan tugged free of Charon’s arms and hurried down a hallway.
“Wait here,” Charon instructed. His hand trembled as he pointed for Jaret and Brady to go into a side parlor. Charon then left to follow Jordan.
Brady sat on the edge of a chair and glanced around the room. Jaret walked in slow circles. After a few minutes of silence, Jaret chuckled.
“What could possibly be funny?” Brady asked but tilted his head and smiled.
“This is the first time I think anything drove the two of us to silence, yes?”
Brady laughed and nodded. “Yeah. I even got you talking again after Henrik offed your whole family, remember? When Xavier brought me to Fremont? Even then we talked. I guess I don’t know what to say. I’m kinda scared.”
Jaret walked over and touched Brady’s shoulder. “Me too. But I’ll protect you.”
“I know.” Brady reached up and patted Jaret’s hand. “Let’s talk. Way less awkward to say something. Besides, since you broke the ice, so to speak, I have to ask, What the fuck is this place?” Brady motioned around to indicate the room and palace beyond. “We’re in the middle of a fucking mountain, but it looks like the Palace of Versailles on steroids.”
Jaret laughed. “Yeah, right? This place is fucking nuts. When Charon became a vampire, he created this palace as his secret hiding place. Styx taught him vampire rules but also concealed Charon from the Council. So he never had to follow Council rules. Charon wanted to make sure to hide from Council authority and humans and shit. So he built his own secret fortress inside this mountain. Then he gathered his boys, as he calls them. At first, they were human and had to agree to come here and never leave. But as you can see, they had everything one could ever want. Except freedom. Then, when this war developed, Charon converted them into vampires. But with a catch—he hid them from the Council and maintained his control over them. They became vampires obedient to him.”
“He has some fucking harem? Imprisoned against their will? That’s fucked. Won’t the Council go after him once the war ends?”
Jaret shrugged. “Don’t know. And I get why you think they’re slaves. But it’s more complicated. I mean, they kinda are. They also like it. They chose to be with him and have one constant gay party inside the castle. Now as vampires they get to go outside. I don’t know. They enjoy their life. Jordan is so loyal. Anything and everything Charon ever touches gets complicated beyond belief.”
“Yeah, complicated.” The sound of Charon’s voice frightened Brady and Jaret. “And we have a fucked-up problem tonight. Come.” Charon turned and marched into the foyer.
As they hurried through the castle with Charon in the lead, Jaret watched Charon for signs of what was to come. Charon’s typical bravado escaped him as the vampire walked with hunched shoulders and, more surprising, with a slight tremble in both hands. Jaret felt as if they walked from one end of Colorado to another by the time they navigated a couple hallways, two flights of stairs, and then stood inside a sizable room filled with electronic games.
Charon entered first, followed by Jaret, and Jordan had disappeared. A second later, Brady inched into the room and gasped.
Styx had assassinated two more of Charon’s vampires, displaying them on top of an air hockey game. The bodies lay next to one another holding hands. They appeared peaceful except for the gouge in each chest. As with Styx’s other kills, he had removed their hearts. He left a note on the edge of the game.
Jaret walked over to read the message:
Dear Boy,
I wanted to make sure you remembered me after all our time together and my giving you the wonderful gift of eternal life. Your flirting with the nasty Council hurts my feelings. Such a crude betrayal. I understand your rapture with the long-haired twink. I do. His looks could turn me gay. Perhaps capture him for your realm once we finish this business. I might agree to spare him if you comply with me.
However, you best come around to compliance and soon. Did you forget my behavior? Has it been so long you fail to remember the chaos I bring? Why, we have not even touched the tip of the iceberg as to where we are headed. Think of these two lovelies as a warning, along with the other two from Savannah. How many more boys do you want to lose before you join me?
Charon, you disappoint me. You stole my magic—I will never underestimate you again. But you best return the favor. The victors write the history. Whose side would you like to be on? Dead with the ole oppressive Council? Or alive with me?
Best to you and your decision,
Styx
“He’s fucked-up,” Jaret observed.
Charon pointed to the bodies behind Jaret. “Phil and Travis. Two more.” Charon bent and shook his head as he stared at the ground. “And he got inside here. No one gets inside without my permission. Not even one of my men can enter unless I allow them. The Council couldn’t find me. So how did he get around my defenses?”
As if on cue, Jordan raced into the room almost breathless from his distress. “I know what happened.”
“What?” Charon snapped.
Jordan drew a deep breath. “Kiki saw Phil and Travis come back with a hot guy. Thought they found someone for sex or something. He didn’t get past palace defenses. They brought him in.”
“I thought you said no one could enter without your permission?” Jaret asked Charon.
He nodded. “True. I failed to think of someone coming here by invitation. Phil and Travis disobeyed me and died because of it.” Charon turned toward Jordan. “Make sure everyone hears what happens if you disobey my rules. The rest of you could end up dead too.” He returned attention to Jaret. “If I give permission for one of the boys to leave, it allows them to return. Of course, Styx could slip in with them. Stupid of me. At least my magic held. We can secure everything again, and this time without a loophole.”
Jaret jumped back a foot when Charon made two fists and slammed them against both sides of his own head. “Fucking stupid.”
Jaret launched at Charon and grabbed both his arms before he could hit himself again. “You could kill yourself, you know. Stop. It won’t bring them back.”
Jordan came over and grabbed Charon in a tight embrace around the waist as tears streamed down his face. “Stop, Boss man. We’ll figure out how to win. We have to.”
“Did you fix the problem? Did you recast the spell?” Jaret asked Charon.
Charon shook his head. He kissed the top of Jordan’s head and pushed him away gently before walking a few yards away, closing his eyes, and muttering under his breath. “There. Fixed.”
Charon walked over to the other three vampires, who had all turned to face away from the carnage. He hugged Jordan to him and addressed Jaret and Brady. “Could you two give us a moment to remove our friends? Two doors down on the left you’ll find a dining room. I’ll join you shortly.
Jaret and Brady obeyed his instructions, again finding themselves alone in an opulent room, a dining room complete with a crystal chandelier, marble fireplace, and table set for sixteen people, the finest China glistening under the light.
“For someone so cutting edge and defiant, his décor sure seems traditional,” Brady observed as he paced the room. “I’ve landed in the court of Louis XIV.”
Jaret slumped into one of the chairs at the head of the table. “The palace is eclectic, to say the least. I’ve seen a different dining room, which looked like a modern one with a glass table and faux view of the ocean. I think he lets the boys decorate different rooms to their liking. And I’d guess a vast majority of the creative expression comes while they’re either high or drunk.”
“Or both.”
They fell into silence until Charon stormed into the room with a glare. His typical bravado had returned. “We act. Fuck the Council and its caution. Styx wants war, so he’ll have war.”
“So he didn’t scare you into complacence? Or reduce you to fear?” Jaret asked.
Charon shook his head with fierce motion. “On the contrary. He showed the wrath with which he’ll rule. The way he intends to keep me under his thumb. I’d never survive. And I won’t obey him. Give us a couple days to mourn, then return and we’ll send him my message of submission, but first a request to meet. We’ll set him up to come into our trap.” As Charon spoke, his face turned redder and redder.
When he finished speaking, Jaret stood and went to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing. “Good. We’ll be back.”
Jaret and Brady showed themselves out, remaining quiet until they stood in the frigid mountain air. The quiet night, with a soft breeze blowing through the evergreen trees below them belied the turmoil roiling the vampire community. They walked, neither indicating a purpose or destination, two midnight hikers enjoying the scenery but deep in thought. Lost in the solitude, both startled when an orange orb appeared before them.
Thomas’s image spoke a magical communication: “You two and me. Tomorrow night in Denver. I’ll tell you where. No fucking games. Be there.”
Chapter Fourteen
Thomas’s Ire
5 MARCH 2019
Denver, Colorado
Thomas’s message from the night before forced Jaret and Brady to change their plans. Neither had intended to remain in Colorado, but Thomas had summoned them to Denver, so they stayed in Estes Park. Jaret took Brady to his family home, which he kept as a sentimental remembrance of his human life. He never altered its appearance from the home in which he grew up, except to decorate every Christmas for the holidays. His sister, Jenn, often visited him in spirit form when he came home. Brady and he arrived with plenty of time to share a bottle of wine, play with Darth, and then settle into their respective rooms to sleep through the day.
Jaret woke the following evening and wandered through the house while he waited for Brady. To distract himself from the emotion threatening to spill out, he concentrated on the business at hand. Why did Thomas want to meet with them? Thomas seldom, if ever, scolded Jaret because he liked rebelliousness, having lived a life of defiance dating back to his human years and continuing to the present despite Thomas having a seat on the Vampire Council. Jaret could tell Xavier tamed him somewhat. But Thomas maintained a fierce distaste for rigid protocols. His summons felt like a warning shot.
Jaret and Brady hurried to Denver once Brady finished primping. They expected a quick subpoena from Thomas based on the tone of his missive but got into town without any more information. They sent magical questions to Thomas but got no answer so decided to hit a gay bar.
Beforehand, however, Jaret thought of an idea, so he stopped by a hardware store to purchase a security system. As they meandered toward the bar, he opened the box as Brady watched him with a smile.
Brady held up his hands. “I don’t want to know.”
“Good. Drink instead.” Jaret motioned toward the bar and followed Brady inside.
Settled onto bar stools in front of a TV showing music videos, they chatted and watched the people around them. Feeling a little nervous but with a nice buzz from his third coconut rum and coke, Jaret giggled and leaned against Brady. “Like old times, hanging at a gay bar and watching all the hot guys.”
Brady patted Jaret on the head. “Always a good time. Helps ease the tension, all these boys enjoying life. I’m so geeked how we still get wasted as vampires.”
“Wonder what Thomas wants.” Jaret thought aloud. “Weird he hasn’t asked for us yet.”
“I think something’s up with the Council. I don’t know anything for sure. More Council secrets maybe.”
Jaret started to agree when a guy thrust himself between their bar stools and grabbed both of them around the shoulders. Jaret glanced at a very handsome man between them, maybe in his thirties, smiling through glassy eyes. “Two pretty little numbers such as yourself, all morose and serious at the bar. You need something to liven things up.”
Brady grinned. “We look morose to you?”
Dude mock frowned and nodded.
“What do you have in mind?” Jaret asked.
“Depends on what you’re up for?”
Brady tilted his head and smiled when his ringing phone interrupted them. He held up a finger to the guy to indicate he had to take the call.
“Hello?” Brady asked. “Got it.” He poked his phone off. “Gotta go. Sorry sweetheart.” Brady smacked the guy with a full kiss on the lips and grabbed his ass as he also yanked at Jaret’s arm to get him to follow. Outside and hurrying down the sidewalk, Brady explained. “Thomas ordered us to the Brown Palace Hotel. Again with these vampires and their old school fancy places.”
