“Every lesson is written in blood. Every bond demands a price.”
Drakon was sitting in his suite in his castle. He was thinking back to the people he had chosen. Atreio was powerful and he was working on the newest member of the Bloodbearers.
For the past couple of weeks they had been training and Drakon was pushing Astucia hard as had Atreio. It shocked him how powerful they were as a team.
He knew in the past that there were bonded pairs. They were rare now and were generally siblings and often were twins.
“Astucia, you need to start to think about making an Honour Guard. Generally in the past each of us would have had between 5 and 10 of these special guards. What are you thinking about this?”
“What are honour guards?” Astucia asked
Atreio stepped forward “It is hard to really say what we are fully. We are powerful vampires usually as powerful as what the Royalty are for vampires and quite often as powerful as ancients. We all are defenders both with magic, mind and physical force. We are also the generals and we command the forces that each of the Bloodbearers have. We take our job very seriously and to lose the person you protect is seen as a dishonour. In fact many of us have taken our own lives when our masters have perished.”
“You still don’t understand what you are, Astucia. There were once enough Bloodbearers to frighten kings. Now there are two.”
Astucia stared at him.
Drakon leaned forward.
“Me.”
A pause.
“And you.”
“Which means,” Atreio said quietly, “if someone wanted the Bloodbearers extinct, they would only need to kill two vampires.”
“So basically we as Bloodbearers are expected to have armies and lead the people?”
Drakon smiled “We used to be that, you are correct. However as time has moved on from those like us we have become more hiding. Many of us have been killed so in fact there are only two of us. Myself and yourself. It’s why you need to have honour guards. I used to have 10 of them but many have decided to leave as I haven’t seen anyone for centuries. Only Atreio decided to stay with me and I appreciate it as he is the equal to anyone in combat.”
She smiled ““And if I don’t want an army?”
“Then don’t build an army,” Drakon replied. “Build something far more dangerous. Build loyalty.”
He nodded “That is very hard as we are a power. I have lined up some vampires to come and see you to be able to be chosen as Honour Guard.”
Astucia was beginning to understand that it was necessary to have people around you who could be trusted. She had always said that she never would create a vampire and that loyalty was bought with blood and was forced on them. She would never take away a person’s free will.
Her new motto had to be
Power can be tested. Loyalty cannot
——
The great hall of Drakon’s castle had been emptied.
No servants.
No courtiers.
No lesser vampires lingering in the shadows hoping to overhear something that was none of their concern.
Only Drakon, Atreio, Astucia, and the vampires who had been summoned.
Astucia stood near the center of the hall with her arms folded.
She looked toward Drakon.
“You still haven’t told me how many are coming.”
Drakon smiled.
“Because I knew you would complain.”
“I am not complaining.”
Atreio laughed from beside him.
“You started complaining the moment Drakon suggested you needed an Honour Guard.”
Astucia glared at him.
“I have survived quite well without one.”
“Surviving isn’t the same as leading,” Atreio replied.
That silenced her.
Drakon stepped forward.
“An Honour Guard isn’t simply a collection of powerful vampires, Astucia. They become extensions of you. Your generals. Your protectors. Your advisers. They command when you cannot. They stand when everyone else runs.”
His expression became serious.
“And if necessary, they die before allowing you to fall.”
Astucia’s smile disappeared.
“That last part I don’t particularly like.”
“You aren’t supposed to.”
The great doors opened.
Two women entered.
Astucia immediately noticed the resemblance.
Identical.
The women appeared to be somewhere in their late twenties, though Astucia knew that meant nothing among vampires. Both had long black hair, pale skin, and striking silver-grey eyes.
The woman on the left wore her hair loose.
The other wore hers braided tightly behind her head.
They stopped several feet away and bowed simultaneously.
Astucia raised an eyebrow.
“Twins.”
Atreio nodded.
“Seraphine and Selene Varos.”
Seraphine smiled.
“I’m the pleasant one.”
Selene glanced at her sister.
“No, you’re not.”
Astucia couldn’t help laughing.
Drakon stepped between them.
“They were born twins and Embraced together nearly twelve hundred years ago.”
Astucia looked at him sharply.
“Together?”
“At exactly the same moment.”
That caught her attention.
Drakon continued.
“Their bond survived death.”
Seraphine extended her hand.
A flame appeared above her palm.
Astucia watched as the flame slowly changed.
Red.
Orange.
Then white.
Selene raised her hand.
The flame vanished.
Astucia frowned.
She hadn’t extinguished it.
It had simply ceased to exist.
“Seraphine manipulates energy,” Drakon explained. “Fire, heat, electrical force, even certain magical attacks.”
“And Selene?”
“Nullifies them.”
Astucia looked between the twins.
“One creates.”
Selene smiled.
“One destroys.”
Seraphine shook her head.
“She likes making herself sound frightening.”
“I am frightening.”
“You scream when spiders crawl on you.”
“That happened once.”
“Atreio,” Astucia said without looking away from them.
“Yes?”
“I like them.”
He laughed.
“I suspected you would.”
But Astucia sensed something else.
Something between the sisters.
She reached outward carefully with her gift.
Then stopped.
Their emotions weren’t separate.
They overlapped.
Fear became courage.
Anger became focus.
Pain moved between them like water poured between two cups.
Astucia stared.
“You can feel each other.”
The twins exchanged a glance.
Seraphine answered.
“Always.”
“If she is injured,” Selene said, “I feel it.”
“If she is afraid, I know.”
“If she sees something—”
“Eventually I can see it too.”
Astucia looked toward Drakon.
“Bonded.”
“Yes.”
“How rare?”
“Extremely.”
Atreio stepped forward.
“Which is why you should understand what you’re being offered.”
Before Astucia could answer, footsteps echoed from the corridor.
Two more vampires entered.
The man came first.
He was enormous.
Not merely tall.
Broad.
Powerfully built.
His dark beard was streaked with grey, and an old scar ran from his temple to his jaw.
Beside him walked a woman who was considerably smaller.
Her auburn hair fell across one shoulder, and unlike her husband, she carried no visible weapon.
Astucia immediately decided that made her more dangerous.
They stopped.
The man placed his fist over his heart.
“Lady Astucia.”
The woman bowed her head.
Astucia glanced at Drakon.
“More surprises?”
Drakon smiled.
“Cassian and Elara Thorne.”
“Husband and wife?” Astucia asked.
Elara smiled.
“For seventeen hundred and forty-three years.”
Cassian looked at her.
“Forty-four.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You’re counting the year we spent trying to kill each other?”
“We were still married.”
Astucia laughed again.
Even Atreio smiled.
Drakon shook his head.
“Those two have been having that argument for several centuries.”
Astucia studied them.
“And their gifts?”
Cassian stepped forward.
“Hit me.”
Astucia blinked.
“What?”
“Hit me.”
Astucia looked toward Drakon.
He simply nodded.
Astucia moved.
Fast.
Her fist struck Cassian directly in the chest.
The impact echoed through the chamber.
Cassian slid backward several feet.
But remained standing.
Astucia stared.
Cassian smiled.
“Again.”
This time she didn’t hold back.
She struck him hard enough that the stone beneath his boots cracked.
He moved perhaps a foot.
Astucia stepped back.
“What are you?”
“Stubborn,” Elara said.
Cassian sighed.
“My wife enjoys diminishing centuries of training.”
Drakon stepped closer.
“Cassian absorbs physical force.”
Astucia’s eyes narrowed.
“How much?”
“We’ve never found the limit.”
Cassian lifted his hand.
“But there is another part.”
He punched the floor.
The stone exploded.
Astucia instinctively stepped backward as cracks raced across the chamber.
Atreio grinned.
“He doesn’t merely absorb force.”
Astucia understood.
“He stores it.”
Cassian nodded.
“And returns it.”
Astucia looked toward Elara.
“And you?”
Elara stepped beside her husband.
She placed her hand against his shoulder.
Something changed.
Astucia felt it immediately.
Cassian’s presence disappeared.
Not physically.
Magically.
Astucia reached toward him with her empathic gift.
Nothing.
She tried again.
Nothing.
Her eyes widened.
“I can’t feel him.”
Elara removed her hand.
Cassian’s presence returned.
“Shielding,” Astucia whispered.
Elara nodded.
“I can shield minds, emotions, and certain forms of magic.”
Astucia became very interested.
“How many people?”
“Normally twenty.”
Astucia’s eyebrows rose.
Elara smiled.
“With Cassian?”
She placed her hand against him again.
“Hundreds.”
Silence filled the hall.
Astucia understood immediately.
“The bond amplifies your gifts.”
Drakon nodded.
“That is the secret of bonded pairs.”
Astucia turned toward him.
“You knew.”
“Of course.”
“You deliberately brought me two bonded pairs.”
“I brought you possibilities.”
Atreio corrected him.
“You brought her four nightmares who will probably destroy half the castle during training.”
Drakon considered that.
“That too.”
Astucia walked slowly around the four vampires.
Seraphine and Selene.
Twin sisters.
One controlling energy.
The other nullifying it.
Cassian and Elara.
Husband and wife.
One capable of absorbing incredible physical force.
The other capable of shielding entire groups from mental and magical attack.
But power wasn’t enough.
Astucia stopped.
“Why me?”
The humour disappeared.
Seraphine answered first.
“Because we know what you’ve done.”
Selene continued.
“And what you’ve survived.”
Astucia said nothing.
Cassian stepped forward.
“We’ve served kings.”
Elara joined him.
“Queens.”
“Emperors.”
“Masters.”
Cassian’s expression hardened.
“Most wanted obedience.”
Elara looked directly into Astucia’s eyes.
“We heard you wanted loyalty.”
Astucia remembered Ashlana’s words beside the fountain.
Blood may create a bond.
It does not create loyalty.
Loyalty must be earned.
Astucia looked at them for several seconds.
“Then understand something before you kneel to me.”
Drakon watched silently.
Astucia’s voice grew harder.
“You will never be disposable.”
The four vampires stared at her.
“I will never order you to die simply because my life is considered more valuable than yours. If you become my Honour Guard, you become my family.”
Seraphine’s expression softened.
Astucia continued.
“You will disagree with me when I’m wrong.”
Atreio smiled.
“You may regret that rule.”
Astucia ignored him.
“You will question me when necessary. You will tell me when I am being foolish.”
Drakon cleared his throat.
“She’s going to need more than four guards for that.”
Astucia turned.
“Would you like to test how hard I can hit?”
Drakon smiled.
“Continue.”
Astucia turned back.
“And you will never confuse loyalty with obedience.”
Silence followed.
Then Cassian slowly lowered himself onto one knee.
Elara joined him.
Seraphine and Selene followed.
Four ancient vampires knelt before Astucia.
Cassian placed his fist against his heart.
“Then I offer you my strength.”
Elara placed her hand over his.
“And I offer you my protection.”
Seraphine bowed her head.
“My power.”
Selene finished.
“And my silence against those who would use power against you.”
Astucia looked at them.
Something uncomfortable tightened in her chest.
She had commanded before.
She had killed for rulers.
Protected them.
Enforced their laws.
She had spent centuries surrounded by power.
But this felt different.
These vampires weren’t being assigned to her.
They were choosing her.
Drakon stepped forward.
“There is one final part.”
Astucia looked toward him.
“The oath.”
Drakon nodded.
Astucia looked back at the four kneeling vampires.
“No.”
Atreio frowned.
“No?”
“They don’t swear first.”
Astucia drew the small blade from her belt.
She sliced her palm.
Blood welled across her skin.
Drakon’s expression changed.
“Astucia—”
She ignored him.
She held her bleeding hand before the four vampires.
“If there is going to be an oath between us, then it goes both ways.”
Cassian looked up.
Astucia spoke.
“I swear that I will never waste your lives for pride.”
Elara stared at her.
“I swear that your voices will be heard.”
Seraphine slowly smiled.
“I swear that your families will be protected as fiercely as my own.”
Selene’s eyes remained fixed upon her.
“And if one of you falls…”
Astucia hesitated.
“…the rest of us bring you home.”
Nobody spoke.
Atreio’s expression had changed completely.
Even Drakon seemed surprised.
Astucia lowered her hand.
“Now you may swear whatever ridiculous ancient oath Drakon prepared.”
Seraphine laughed.
Drakon sighed.
“It took me three hours to translate it.”
“I’m sure it was very dramatic.”
“It was.”
Cassian stood.
He looked at Astucia.
Then he extended his hand.
Not as a servant.
Not as a subordinate.
As an equal offering his loyalty.
Astucia clasped it.
One after another, the others did the same.
Cassian.
Elara.
Seraphine.
Selene.
Atreio moved beside Drakon.
“She has four.”
Drakon nodded.
“She’ll need more.”
“How many?”
Drakon watched Astucia speaking quietly with her new guards.
“Traditionally?”
“Yes.”
“Five to ten.”
Atreio smiled.
“And for Astucia?”
Drakon was silent for a moment.
Then he smiled.
“I have a feeling tradition is about to become very inconvenient.”
Across the chamber, Astucia suddenly looked toward him.
“Drakon.”
“Yes?”
“If you’re choosing the next ones without me, I will kill you.”
Atreio burst out laughing.
Drakon sighed.
“And there she is.”
Astucia turned back toward her four Honour Guards.
Four ancient vampires.
Two bonded pairs.
And for the first time, the beginning of something that belonged entirely to her.
Not a House.
Not a Cadre.
Not servants.
Her Honour Guard.
_______
Four members, now her family. She was so pleased as each of them were amazing.
Elara, she was thrilled to have as a family member as she could shield her from the visions even. If she was losing herself to the visions Elara would jump on and put the shield up.
Cassian she had learned was a former gladiator and he managed to win his freedom from his former master and then won Elara her freedom as well. They had been together ever since being the support and the love that they each had needed. Their bond has made them far stronger than they would ever be alone.
Cassian was amazingly agile for someone as big as he was. He also was one of the best fighters she had seen. He would be able to fight with her and make sure that they all stayed protected.
Seraphine was a fighter but she fought with energy as well as her physical prowess with weapons. She was good with two daggers
Selene who was a nullifier with her powers and she was also a fighter but unlike her twin she preferred distance weapons.
They were beginning to work more as a team and they were becoming close friends as well. The next step was to get at least one more Honour Guard and hopefully it would be someone she could learn to trust.
As months passed she felt that she had been away and they needed to press on and get fighting. She started to feel close to Atreio but she started to have feelings for Drakon.
What was going to happen next was anyone’s guess as who knew when the 7 and most especially Mneme rear their heads to cause more trouble.
Crazy Canadian Writing 