LaVius finished it off with a thrust of his blade to the heart, and turned to Decio. He looked at him with gratitude and surprise. “Well,” he began, slightly winded, “I’m glad to see you for two reasons. You were a great bit of help... and that brute wasn’t you.”
When Kane and Mystique arrived, they immediately saw Decio, still in his own form—and not locked up. But they also saw Elena with Domnina who was on the ground. Domnina quickly got her bearings and stood with Elena’s help. She dusted the sand and dirt from her gown before LaVius could take notice, and straightened her back as to appear normal. Kane raised his head in doubt, and kept his eyes fixed on her. He knew what was going on, but Domnina evaded his stare.
LaVius took a walk over to Elena and Kane joined him. They noticed a dead gatekeeper lying on the ground and the one that had come to warn them stood nearby. Mystique kept watch on Decio and of course he made no moves. Elena raised her eyes to the ominous, frightening men that towered above her: her uncle, the lord of darkness, and her father, the sovereign of all agramon. She thought she should say something, but somehow words escaped her. Instead, she bit her lip.
“Why!” Kane blasted.
“How!” LaVius boomed.
“Well...” Elena honestly strained to think of the right answers.
The two men groaned; their brows turned in furiously. Abruptly, the surviving gatekeeper, known as Viscerious, approached them. “She opened two cells,” he informed. “The first one was the wrong one.”
LaVius and Kane shifted their eyes to the larger than life man in black. “And how did she do that?” LaVius asked abrasively.
“She used the key,” the man answered.
“What!” LaVius roared. “How did she get the key?”
LaVius, Kane, Domnina, Mystique, and Decio all looked at Viscerious with question and awaited his response. The gigantic man looked at the floor shamefully, and barely breathed his answer. “She overpowered me.”
Domnina and Mystique smirked proudly, the men’s mouths dropped with utter shock. LaVius’s eyes never left Viscerious’s as he walked past him. “Get rid of the bodies. I’ll deal with you later.” He just shook his head in disbelief.
Kane then looked at Decio. “Well, it’s back to the cell with you.”
“No!” Elena yelled. She ran to Decio’s side and they held each other.
Decio just stared deep into the eyes of Kane. “I haven’t changed,” he declared. “Look at me! It would have happened already.”
“Yes, look at him!” Elena pleaded. “If he were going to change he would have already, especially while fighting that beast over there that now lies dead!”
Kane was not wholly convinced. He was feeling very protective of his daughter and of Mystique, yet knew that during a fight, the beast in him would surely have made itself known.
Mystique came over to him and turned his face to hers. “Kane, look into my eyes. I think they’re right.”
“But you know of the prophesy,” he warned her. “There would have to be a reason for him to—” he paused hard and shot a look at his sister before finishing “—be destroyed.”
“Yes, but it may have been averted,” Mystique explained.
Kane looked at LaVius to glean his feelings about all of this. LaVius looked at the ground harshly and went upstairs, leaving Kane to decide.
“Then he will stay free,” Kane concluded. “Serenity help me if I’m wrong.”
Chapter 22
As the next two days passed, Elena and Decio spent most every moment together. All the while, Kane watched intensely. He followed Decio as he hunted; he watched from the veranda as the couple walked and talked. He scarcely let Decio out of his sight. His condition was too uncertain. Kane watched Decio’s gestures, movements; he watched his eyes for any sign of change, but there was none. At Mystique’s urging, he tried to consider that Decio simply would not change. He wished that would be true.
The day came of the full moon, and Elena and Decio approached the colossal doors of LaVius’s sanctum. Two guards of enormous size and obvious strength sat outside the door. “Hello, gentleman,” Decio greeted.
“Sir”, one of the men answered as they stood up and into position.
“Might we have a word with his imperial highness?”
The broader man smirked. “He is not seeing anyone at this time.”
“But I’m sure that if you tell him—”
“I’m sorry, sir, but I assure you it is impossible at this time,” the man interrupted.
The taller of the guards growled lowly as a warning and Elena stepped in. “What are your names?” she demanded.
“Draeg,” the tall one asserted.
“Draeg?” she snapped.
“Yes.”
“And your name?” she asked the other large man.
“Kab... Kabold,” he unintentionally stuttered.
“Well, Draeg and Kabold, do you value your lives?”
The two guards were frozen solid, but their eyes turned to meet each other’s. They didn’t know what to think.
“I think it best if you answer me,” Elena insisted. She then subtly flashed them a sideways grin, showing her sharp-looking teeth.
“Yes–yes milady,” they answered.
She grinned slyly. “Then you’d better let us in to see my uncle or you’ll be sorry.”
“Um... uncle?” Draeg fumbled.
Elena just stared at them with wide eyes and pursed lips, as if to say, yes, you imbeciles.
Draeg turned to Kabold and whispered, “He said to keep everyone away.”
Elena grew impatient. “I’m waiting!”
The two men turned further away and toward the double oak doors with their whispers.
“But you heard her. She said he was her uncle. Do you think that makes a difference?” Kabold wondered aloud.
Draeg inhaled deeply. “I don’t know about this. I think it best if we stick precisely to his instructions,” he concluded. “Otherwise he’ll have our heads—or worse.”
Elena had enough of waiting. “So, are you letting us in or what?”
“No!” The two men said in unison, and then swallowed hard just in case they were making a grave mistake.
The doors began to open slowly, and the dark lord himself stood behind the two men with a stern look. They stood firm and didn’t turn around to see it. “It is very wise of you to follow my orders,” spoke Lord LaVius in a low tone.
Draeg and Kabold let a silent sigh of relief until LaVius continued, “But a mistake to interrupt me with your murmuring.”
The two men turned to him, their backs stiff, their spears tall, and apologized. LaVius sighed with frustration, and then his eyes fell upon the young couple. “What is it you two require of me?” he asked.
“Please, my lord. If we may—speak to you privately?” Decio cordially requested.
“Very well,” LaVius obliged. “Come in and sit.”
They followed his instruction and entered the massive room. The two guards closed the doors and sighed so deeply with reprieve that LaVius heard them and rolled his eyes.
The room was tall, wide, and rounded. Part of the seamless wall was stone, carved to look like the bark and limbs of an enormous tree, and held books, papers, and scrolls of many sizes. Everything was perfectly organized; not a thing looked out of place. Murals were painted on the remaining wall around the fireplace and on the ceiling. The images were of magical creatures of all types, and a mist that surrounded them like shadows; at the top the colors were warm, at the bottom they were bluish-green and cool. LaVius sat behind a very large desk that looked as if it were carved from one solid trunk of a tree. It was oblong, and there were three legs on each side that looked like those of a wild animal. “What is it you want?” LaVius asked.
Decio gripped Elena’s hand and smiled. “We wish to be married tonight,” he answered.
LaVius was not surprised, but even he had dreaded this moment. He knew Kane was against this even now, and
had no desire to go against his wishes. “And why do you come to me with this?” he grumbled.
Elena jumped to her feet and rushed to his desk. “Because you can marry us!” she blurted and stared at him with pleading eyes.
“You must be insane!” he blasted. “I will not go against your father’s wishes.”
“But you must! We are in love!”
“I mustn’t do anything,” he informed her.
“Even if the countess asks you too?” Elena asked sweetly.
“You must be out of your pretty little head, girl. Domnina would do no such thing.”
“Even for true love?” the countess asked as she entered with Mystique—to LaVius’s great surprise.
LaVius inhaled sharply. “What is the meaning of this, woman?” he questioned. “You do not seriously expect me go along with this. I will not be moved.”
The countess closed the doors behind them. She was dressed in a flowing white evening gown; her dark hair was up as it was before the injury. She was the picture of her glowing, healthy self. Mystique wore deep plum velvet that flowed like silk. Her hair was sculpted into a beautiful bouquet of curls, with just the slightest hint of auburn to warm them. Both women were a vision. LaVius knew they were dressed for an occasion and sighed knowingly. His chest grew tight, his jaw clenched. He stood dauntingly, his fists ground into the desk.
The two women went over to him and each placed a hand on his shoulder gently. He tried to ignore their pleading eyes. He stared forward and grumbled, “Your womanly wiles are of no consequence.” He then turned his eyes shiftily to his wife. “I said, I will not be moved,” he reminded.
She smirked. “Oh, LaVius! See reason!”
“When have I heard that before?” he jested.
Mystique laughed to herself.
Suddenly, the doors blasted open. It was Kane. “What is going on in here?” he demanded.
In the doorway, all one could see of the guards was the bottoms of their feet as they laid on the ground unconscious.
LaVius rolled his eyes to the back of his head. “I need to get better help,” he breathed.
Chapter 23
Kane stood in the doorway fuming. His jaw was tight; his chest heaved visibly beneath the red tunic that was untied to his waist. He wore black pants and tall boots and stood there looming, angrily.
Mystique wanted to go to Kane with this first. However, she knew she and Domnina would have to get LaVius on board to help put Kane’s mind at ease about the situation. Neither idea was going according to plan.
LaVius simply scoffed at the women as he sat. He then turned his eyes to his wife’s brother. “Kane, I assure you, I had no part in this.” He leaned forward onto his desk. “They tried,” he informed while looking at the other four who stood in the room. “But it was a fruitless effort.”
Domnina’s eyes glowered at him as he sat back comfortably in his chair and folded his hands. He just smirked.
She then turned to her brother. “Kane, all we want is for you to accept this.”
His eyes widened with genuine surprise. “Accept this? Accept this!” he roared. He looked as if he would implode.
Mystique hurried over to him. “Kane, please...” she begged, and tried to hold his arms as they were flailing around. “Kane, look at me.”
He did look at her; he stared directly into her eyes and through to her soul. “You went behind my back.” His tone was solid, forceful, and deep.
“Kane, it wasn’t that way, I swear to you. I only wanted to see if LaVius would—”
“No!” Kane blasted. “I won’t hear any more of this!” He went over to Decio and grabbed him by the throat. He wanted to make him change. He was going to force the beast to emerge. The women screamed.
“No, Kane, no! Stop this! Please!” Mystique pleaded.
Elena tried to break her father’s grip to no avail. “Father, no!”
All at once, Decio blasted his strong hands into Kane’s chest forcing him back. The vampire’s eyes began to redden. Elena jumped between the men, but Decio shoved her out of the way.
Kane’s lips curved into a satisfied grin as he stared the younger man down. “Yes,” he drawled. “Let it come. Release the beast—I know it’s in there.” His eyes too became red and Domnina and Mystique knew this was about to take a terrible turn.
Domnina slithered over to her brother and whispered, “Kane...”
LaVius went over to the doors that led to the sunlit grounds. He pressed them open and moved to the side. Kane then punched the vampire with such force that thrust him outside. Elena ran after them as the fight had begun.
Domnina and Mystique stared at LaVius crossly, then went out the door. All they could do was watch the carnage unfold. They too knew this was the only way.
They watched as Decio put up a valiant fight. His strength was immense, his speed unparalleled. Kane beat him, and flung him, and choked the young immortal. Decio stood his own and fought with terrific force, but no beast would emerge from him. Kane was relentless, he would not give up until Decio’s inner agramon was revealed. The clashes from the fight frightened the wildlife from the trees, and rumbled the earth for nearly a league.
Finally, Kane stood still and wiped the blood from his lip. He breathed huskily. Decio’s shirt had been torn from him. While his pale skin glistened in the sun, his muscles contracted, and his jaw clenched, but both men sensed the fight was over.
Kane walked right up to Decio and firmly gripped his shoulder. “Then you shall marry my daughter. But I’ll be watching you.” His eyes flickered white then back to their normal shade. It would serve as a reminder to Decio of the beast within his bride’s father; a reminder that he didn’t need, for he’d seen Kane tear apart two other agramon.
Mystique and Elena ran and threw their arms around Kane. Domnina sighed with relief that this was over and latched on to her husband’s arm. He raised a brow and looked down at her. “I suppose there will be a wedding after all,” he remarked wryly.
“I suppose there will,” she smiled. “And tonight’s the night.”
Chapter 24
The grandest room in the citadel was Brimstone Hall. It was incredibly vast. Enormous stone columns curved up high, and the ceiling was open to the elements of the night sky. As night began to fall, many folks gathered there. Word was spread that the dark lord required their presence, and all that were requested made sure to attend without question of the late notice.
The imperial lord waited at the end of the long hall. He sat upon a large throne atop eleven marble stairs that curved outward facing the assembly. He wore a silken cloak, the color of night. His luxurious hair was pulled backward on the top and sides and was secured neatly at the back of his head; the length of his hair remained long and draped over his broad shoulders. His demeanor was serious; his lips were still. Kane stood beside him, tall and dark. His garb was entirely black; his shirt was tucked, his jacket was long and velvet. Both men were fiercely handsome, and together were an incomparably ominous presence.
Decio entered and was regally dressed. He kneeled on one leg on the stair before LaVius and bowed. Before rising however, he raised his eyes to Kane searching for any sign of approval. Both men spoke only with their gaze, but remained silent. Kane was ever cautious of the young vampire.
The countess appeared next to LaVius, signifying the bride was ready to begin. She kept her place at his side, and signaled with a nod for the bard to begin their gentle melody. Mystique appeared with Elena on her arm. LaVius raised his hands slowly telling the guests to rise.
When Decio saw Elena, she took his breath away. Kane took note of this. He then turned his eyes to his daughter and was equally taken aback. She was clad in sapphire silk from her neck to her feet, and encircling her waist a magnificent girdle of gold and mother of pearl, a wedding gift from the countess herself. Kane was overcome with emotion. His beautiful child; he’d watched her blossom over the years into a determined, vibrant, and beautiful lady—just l
ike her mother.
As the harpists played, the bride and her mother drew near. Kane gazed at the two women and breathed lowly in an attempt to conceal his true emotion, but inside he cried with a happiness that he had only felt two other times in his existence; the first was when Mystique reentered his life, the second was the first time his daughter, now grown, had smiled when she looked into his eyes. Mystique knew what Kane was feeling as she stared up into his endearing eyes, and she smiled.
Decio took Elena’s hands and exhaled. His dark heart was filled with love and longing for her, and her alone. Both had longed for this moment. They felt they were meant to be together and had conquered countless tribulations to reach this point. She stared into his eyes lovingly and breathed his essence into her own. The smiles on their lips were those of genuine love and devotion. Kane saw this and realized he had made the right decision—the only decision. He would never again stand in their way. Mystique went to Kane’s side at the top of the short staircase, and LaVius walked down and began the ceremony.
Lord LaVius wished them prosperity and for their love to endure. He spoke many words in an ancient tongue that seemed to seal the vows. Closing, LaVius officially pronounced their union and Decio dipped her gently in his arms as they kissed.
Suddenly it began to snow. Soft downy flakes of the purest white fluttered onto the joyous scene and whitened the entire hall. The crowd cheered and every soul was filled with merriment.
Mystique smiled brightly and began to descend the snowy stairs past LaVius and toward the young couple. She thought that Kane followed. But suddenly LaVius stopped her with his words. “We are not finished here, Mystique.”
She paused and turned to meet his gaze. She was caught by surprise and searched his eyes for a reason. She then turned to her daughter and Decio who smiled and backed away slowly, and knowingly. Mystique didn’t understand. The snow gingerly came to a halt as she turned to see Kane just descending the staircase toward her. His dark attire and alluring frame was brilliant against the backdrop of the fallen snow.
As he neared her, he reached out his hand to her. She took his hand and he pulled her close to him. “Mystique, you are my life. You are the sun that warms my skin, the light that guides my path. You are everything to me, and I should have done this a long time ago.” He opened his hand and revealed a ring. “Will you be my wife?”