He reached out to try and read Elias’s mind, but as he felt his way around, he came up against one roadblock after another. It was as if he had a brick wall around his mind, and when Elias’s lips curved into a smug fuck you smirk, Diomêdês knew that somehow he did.
“If you want to know something, ask me,” Elias said as he lowered his eyes over the naked female between them. “Otherwise, stay the hell out of my head.”
Isadora shivered at the arrogant words, and just as he had been the night before, Diomêdês was intrigued that Elias’s defiance only enhanced her arousal. She liked the idea of the two of them arguing. The two of them wrestling for dominance. And he was under no delusions that she would get to see it happen more often than not. For while Elias was stubborn as a mule, Diomêdês could be a determined asshole. After all, he’d waited out an agonizing death sentence only to come out of it victorious—though Vasilios would no doubt see that tale differently.
Isadora arched back toward him, and Diomêdês dragged the tip of his fang over her shoulder, letting her know he was right there with her. His first-sired never ceased to amaze him. The side of her that was so free with her heart, so willing to love, and the side of her that craved passion, whether it be in bed or out of it, wasn’t shocking to him in the slightest.
She’d always liked a good fight. Ii miikri tou polemistria. His little warrior.
She was such a fierce female. Beautiful, strong, yet at times incredibly vulnerable. And it was that final emotion which pulled at him and urged him to give her what he knew she wanted for the both of them. A chance at a full relationship with a third they both craved in one way or another. So he did something he never usually would—he capitulated to the other male in his bed.
“I want to know what you are thinking.” He tracked the tip of Elias’s tongue as he swiped it along his lower lip. Then Elias moved in closer to Isadora and lowered his hand down to where theirs were already working in and out of her, and added extra pressure.
“I’m thinking…” Elias said.
Isadora groaned and removed her hand to grip Elias’s shoulder. She bucked her hips forward as Elias’s finger slid over Diomêdês’s and they both pushed inside of her.
“That she’s sexy as fuck, and I want to sink my cock inside her.”
Diomêdês was about to agree and flip Isa on her back, but before he had a chance, he felt the unmistakable draw of the only one who had the power to summon him—Vasilios.
His hand froze mid-stroke, and his entire body tensed under the forceful demand that he go where the other Ancient bid him to. The urgency in the command made the hairs on the back of his neck rise.
“Diomêdês?” Isa’s voice was soft, a breathy question that lingered in the air as he removed his hand and got out of the bed. Elias followed his movements closely as he went about changing into his black pants, shirt, and coat. He tied his silver hair back at the nape of his neck, and as the summons came again, Diomêdês replied—I hear you.
Then get here or I will make it so.
Fucking Vasilios. It seemed his extracurricular activities were over, and now he wanted to have a goddamn sit-down strategy session. Nice to know once his sexual appetites were satisfied, he was ready to deal with the issue surrounding their basic survival. Once Diomêdês caught up with his brother, he was going to make sure to point out the fact that his cock needed to stop thinking for him for a change.
“Diomêdês…” Isa was now sitting in the bed, her hair spilling over her shoulders in waves as her worried eyes searched his for answers. “What is it?”
Honestly, he had no idea. But for Vasilios to summon him, he knew it had to be something of great importance. He walked over to the bed and reached for her face. Cupping her cheek, he stroked his thumb along her lower lip. “I am not sure, my Isa, but I must go.”
His attention shifted to the man now sitting with his back against the headboard, and he warned, “Take care with her, Elias. If I find one hair on her out of place upon my return, you may have a difficult time taking your next breath.”
“Understood,” Elias said, and Isadora nodded before placing her hand over Diomêdês’s where it lay upon her cheek.
“Take care. We will be here when you return.”
Diomêdês aimed one last look beyond her shoulder, and then shut his eyes and followed Vasilios’s summons.
THE SECOND DIOMÊDÊS appeared outside of Thanos’s bedchambers, he knew the exact reason he’d been sent for. Vasilios stood on one side of the corridor clad only in a robe, a grim expression on his face, and at his feet lay the mutilated remains of one of their own.
“Nice of you to finally show, brother.”
Ignoring the dig, Diomêdês took a step toward the heap on the stone floor and crouched down for a closer inspection. Fucking hell, the scene was grisly. A gaping hole had been left in the center of the vampire’s chest, and the blood that had pooled around the body was starting to congeal. By the head, which was facedown in the thick crimson liquid, was what was left of the vampire’s heart. It was punctured and shredded in a way that both Diomêdês and Vasilios had only ever seen once before, and the realization of what he was looking at was both alarming and indescribable. “Eton?”
“Apparently so.”
Diomêdês shook his head. “But why? Thanos is alive. He might be sequestering himself, but their bond remains. That is what keeps Eton in check. Thanos’s years of control and—”
“It appears that while you and I were…forging connections that would keep certain people within arm’s reach, Eton was distancing himself from Thanos in ways neither of us dared to imagine.”
Diomêdês craned his head to stare up at the other Ancient. “Distancing? This is more than that, Vasilios. He knows what this means. He would not have forgotten what you told him the last time.”
“Quite right you are. But I think that is his plan,” he said, and then mirrored Diomêdês’s position on the opposite side of the corpse and rubbed a hand across his chin. “He severed the bond, brother. Broke it.”
Fuck. This was not good. There was only one way to break the first-sired bond, and that was when the Ancient willed it so. The bond between the two made the Ancient and their first-sired virtually impossible to kill, because their life was tied to another immortal being.
They had twice the healing ability.
Twice the strength to fight or escape danger.
And twice the know-how to do it.
But once that bond was broken, it left them vulnerable. It left them as susceptible as any other vampire within the race.
So, no, this was not fucking good at all.
“Who is this?” Diomêdês asked.
Vasilios sighed and reached for the dark hair on the vampire’s head. He raised the face, took a look at the grotesque features, then dropped it back down to its original resting place. “Kronos.”
“One of Alasdair’s?”
“Indeed.”
“I can’t believe Eton would do this. Now. After all these years, when he knows what we are facing.”
“Perhaps that’s exactly why he has done it.”
“Meaning?”
“Thanos was pulling away, had even mentioned wanting to die after what he considered a betrayal. He believed Eton took his choice from him. What better way to repent than to give back one’s free will?”
“At the cost of his own sanity? His own life?” Diomêdês said, straightening to his feet. “The cost of innocent lives?”
“He wanted to redeem himself in Thanos’s eyes, make things right. Maybe he thought after years of this creature, this demon, being dormant that he could control it. Or maybe he didn’t and that’s the entire point. Whatever his reasons, he obviously thought they were justified. But now…now we have a slight problem.”
Vasilios stepped over the prone figure on the ground and brushed his hands together.
“Slight?” Diomêdês said.
“You are right—perhaps a large one is a better way
to phrase it. This is far worse than I imagined it could be, and horrid timing. I knew after the trial that something was going on with him. I could see it in his demeanor.”
Yes, Diomêdês recalled their discussion directly after Isadora had vanished with Elias the day of the trial. Vasilios had followed him to his chambers to tell him of Leo’s display of power, and that Elias too might pose a threat much larger than they were aware of. They’d decided then that they also needed to keep an eye on Eton.
“If we can track him down, I can try to incapacitate him. But that only ever lasts so long. He knows it, and so do we,” Vasilios said. “What was Thanos thinking to let it go this far? To let Eton believe this was the only option. He knew what their disconnect would mean. I should have known better than to entrust our safety with that impulsive little whelp.”
Diomêdês couldn’t disagree. Thanos had been careless, reckless, even, with their lives, not just his own. But Diomêdês had a feeling he knew why.
“He broke him,” Diomêdês said, and Vasilios fell silent. “Eton, in his own way, condemned him first. Not only now. But back then…before.”
The absolute bewilderment that crossed Vasilios’s face was almost comical, until it twisted into disgust. “The fuck he did. Eton saved him. And we three have seen what happens when Eton is not contained. Thanos knows his role,” he thundered. Vasilios pressed his fingers to his forehead, his vexation evident. “If it comes down to it, is the Adjudication room equipped for this?”
“Yes. We had it fitted out for this very occasion, should it occur.” Diomêdês looked to the motionless body between them. “I remember those years Eton spent chained up underground. I don’t wish it to come to that.”
“Neither do I. But we both know there is no other alternative. Only a very final solution.”
“The alternative is Thanos. But since he has now—”
“Fucked us all. He has left us no other choice. And that is on him.” Vasilios ground his teeth so hard that Diomêdês heard the sound of it over his own blood, which was rushing around his ears.
Everything was fucked up. As if they didn’t have enough going on, now they had to deal with this. Speaking of… “Where is the third male? Is he still in the holding cell?”
“No. He is currently in my chambers with Thanos and the others.”
“And you just left him there?”
“I didn’t really see another option, brother. There were more pressing matters at hand. Plus, he is scared of his own shadow and terrified of Alasdair. I believe he and Thanos can contain him.”
“Thanos has come out, then?”
“Yes. He is how I knew to come here.”
“Interesting,” Diomêdês said. “How did the other, the third, escape the cell?”
“I don’t know, but I plan to find out as soon as we work out what to do about this,” Vasilios said, gesturing to the victim by their feet.
“Indeed,” Diomêdês said. “Perhaps we should check out the cell before we return. It may offer some insight as to how he escaped. That way, we might know what it is we face with him as we do your new yielding and my—
“Yes, Diomêdês? What is that treacherous male, Elias, to you? I can smell him and Isadora all over you.”
“He is somebody to keep my eye upon. Much like yourself, I didn’t feel a need to consult you before I took actions into my own hands. As for Eton…I just might have an idea on what to do with him, and if you are quite done, we should go.”
“I am done for now. But do not think I am the only one who will have an opinion on this. My new yielding has merely sucked a couple of cocks. Your new plaything tortured and tried to kill two of our own. You might want to add that equation to your plan when we go to hunt down Eton. I don’t think his inner demon will understand that having the traitor who maimed his first-sired in your bed is the best way of trying to protect our species.”
And while Vasilios had a point, the recollection of Elias in his memory, staring back at him while Diomêdês had slain his enemy centuries earlier, made Diomêdês believe there was a reason why that ballsy bastard had been put in his path, and he would do everything in his power to find out what it was. Even if that meant letting Isa bed the male for a time.
AS ALASDAIR HEADED for the tall bureau in Vasilios’s chambers, he kept a close eye on his cousin. He pulled on a pair of grey sweatpants and a black V-neck, and once he was fully dressed, he pivoted to face the naked man he’d left between the sheets.
“Leonidas, take your friend into the bathroom for a minute and freshen him up. He looks as though he is about to vomit. I need to talk with Thanos.”
Leo shifted to the edge of the mattress and got to his feet, drawing the sheet with him and wrapping it around his waist. “Okay.”
He reached for Alasdair’s hand, but his attention was once again on his cousin, who was now seated in Vasilios’s plush settee, circa 1800s.
“What did Thanos mean when he said the bond was broken?” The question was whispered, and had a slight curve hitting Alasdair’s lips. Even after all the time Leo had spent in his and Vasilios’s presence, he still forgot the fundamentals. That no matter how quietly he spoke, the vampire on the other side of the room could still hear him.
“Nothing good, file mou. Nothing good. Now go.”
Leo’s eyes filled with pity, as though he knew what Alasdair was about to deal with wouldn’t be easy, and then he walked over to his friend and took him by the arm, leading him into the bathroom.
Alasdair waited a moment to make sure he was able to hear the two beyond the door. There was no way in hell he was taking his ear off that target just because Leo had given himself over to them. Right now, he was more than aware that their world was in a state of upheaval, and he wouldn’t allow this disruption to lower his defenses or instincts.
When he heard Leo tell his friend to take a seat, Alasdair felt something warm inside of him. It was faint, that was for sure. But the compassion his new yielding was showing toward his friend was evoking some new kind of emotion from him. Something gentle and totally unexpected.
Shifting his focus, Alasdair tried to reach out to Thanos’s mind as he crossed the room. But like the hood and mask concealing his cousin, he was blocking him out. Thanos was not going to make this easy on him. Not that Alasdair could blame him. The last time he’d seen his cousin hadn’t been under the best of circumstances. In fact, it was under some of the worst. And ever since that day, Thanos had refused to see him—along with everybody else.
Alasdair stopped before the stony male and waited for some type of acknowledgment, but when nothing came, he spoke up. “Cousin—”
“Go away, Alasdair. Yours is the very last face I wish to see.”
So that was how it was to be. Thanos did blame him for what happened.
“At least in part,” Thanos said, intruding on Alasdair’s thoughts, and he wanted to demand that Thanos stand and face him. Surely in all the years they’d lived on the earth, what was left of Thanos’s face was no worse than some of the sights they had seen.
“Thanos. I understand—”
“You understand naught, cousin.” The term was sneered in a way that was anything but familial. He sounded as though he were addressing his worst enemy. “You didn’t understand my request that you leave me behind that day.”
Alasdair bristled at that. He’d had no choice other than to do what he’d done. If he’d left Thanos back in Leo’s office, he would’ve died.
“Yes,” Thanos boomed, and shot to his feet, causing Alasdair to step back. “And I understood that. But you, you did not. Nor did you understand when I shouted for you to leave me the fuck alone while you hacked me apart.”
Then, in a sudden movement, Thanos tore the mask free and shoved his face in close to Alasdair’s. And. Fucking. Hell.
Not much shocked Alasdair after the few thousand years he’d been alive. But what he saw in that moment was truly shocking. The right side of Thanos’s face, from the nose down his neck
, was a jagged road map of scar tissue and dug-out craters where his cheek, nose, and jaw once were.
“Not easy to look at, is it? Now imagine looking at it daily.”
It was hideous—and that wasn’t a word Alasdair was apt to use. In the place of a once beautiful face was now a wickedly abhorrent distortion.
“Thanos,” he said again, trying to school his disgust, and for the first time in his immortal life, Alasdair experienced shame. He felt ashamed of his reaction, and part, in making what he was now staring at. “Let me—”
“What, Alasdair? What could you possibly think that you could do for me? Your desire to aid me is a little too late. And not only has it caused this,” Thanos said, pointing to his face, “it has brought on a much more dire consequence.”
As Thanos turned his broad back on him, Alasdair’s eyes narrowed. “You speak of Eton’s abandonment?” He took a step forward and grabbed hold of Thanos’s arm, spinning him back around. “Eton would not have left because of your appearance. He is devoted to you, as all the Ancients are to their first-sired’s. But you’d know that if you had bothered to talk to the male instead of wallowing in self-pity and loathing. So while you can lay blame for many things, my cousin, perhaps you should search yourself for the whys of Eton’s desertion.”
As Thanos held Alasdair’s stare boldly, the silence stretched between them, and Alasdair took the moment to examine the side of his cousin’s face that was still familiar to him.
Thanos’s blue eyes were both still intact, as was his shoulder-length blond hair and high cheekbone, and as Thanos waited for whatever else Alasdair planned to say, he didn’t blink. Not even once. An act of take a good look at the freak if ever he saw one.
But it was time to let this male—my cousin—know that no matter his appearance, he was still part of his blood. Part of their family. And Alasdair refused to turn away.
“You need to go and find Eton.”
Thanos scoffed, and the slash of a line where his mouth had once been angled up. “That’s the last thing I need to do.”