Irshad pulled out his cellular phone, then strutted away back into the shadows, making a call. Terrus and Cason turned their attention to Nura. With one competitor gone, she pondered on an offering slightly above that of Hadeon’s. She lived a life of peace, quiet, and decadence. Her coven was secure, but her ambition tempted her to blow Hadeon’s out of the water. Her mind toggled back and forth between a step up and a massive bid. Everyone else waited for her to make a counterbid. “A quarter of my forces with access to my main house,” Nura offered.

  “Just a quarter?” Terrus asked.

  “My quarter is larger than his third.”

  Terrus and Cason looked over at Hadeon, expecting a counteroffer. Hadeon knew he lacked numbers to compete with Nura, but he understood the Monarch wanted total and unyielding devotion. “Allow me to keep adequate arms for each of my estates, and the rest are yours, with full access to all my lands. My devotion will be full and in perpetuity,” Hadeon offered.

  Both Cason's and Terrus’ eyes widened. That level of concession was one Nura avoided. Like Irshad, she lived for her autonomy. And like Irshad, being an ally was better than coming away with nothing. “My quarter is still the Monarch’s commanding in exchange for favor, of course,” Nura said.

  “Of course,” Terrus replied as they shook hands.

  Nura extracted her phone to contact a member of her coven. Hadeon smiled as he shook the hands of his new fellow delegates, Cason and Terrus. Nura stepped away from the new Delegation to complete her phone conversation. While she informed the member of her house, Hadeon introduced himself to the members of the Nine Guard. Nura ended her call, then reconvened with the group. “My forces will arrive in Romania tomorrow night,” Nura said.

  “Thank you, Nura,” Cason replied.

  “And congratulations to you, Hadeon. I expect your time as a delegate to be... interesting.”

  Hadeon and Nura shook hands, but Hadeon pondered on the word ‘interesting.’ She smirked, then departed the mosque with her group. Hadeon pulled out his phone and contacted his coven to break the news of his new position. “My forces and I will arrive for the ceremony tomorrow evening,” Hadeon announced.

  “There will be no ceremony, Prime Minister,” Terrus responded.

  The glow on Hadeon’s face dipped out. His heart chipped from lack of pomp and circumstance. Cason saw his disappointment. “We don’t have time for ceremonies and celebrations. It’s a time of great conflict,” Cason said. Hadeon nodded, then beelined out of the mosque. The Delegation and Nine Guard members departed for the airport.

  ON THEIR FLIGHT BACK to Romania, Cason and Terrus sat across from one another. They both contemplated the meeting with Nura, Irshad, and Hadeon. Cason worried about the consequences if the Monarch did not ultimately return. Infighting had too high of a price. Hadeon was a friendly individual, but his wrath concerned him. For Terrus’ part, he worried about informing Zoya and Ammar about what was to come. A stewardess brought them four blood beignets. Terrus smiled. “Thank you,” he said.

  “What are we going to do about Hadeon?” Cason asked, grabbing and consuming a beignet.

  “No one leaves the seat, except in death.”

  “He will be trouble once he realizes that Akram and Shujaa are not returning.”

  Terrus ate a beignet, not worried about their new delegate. After chewing and swallowing the beignet, Terrus considered the general’s words but did not heed them. He figured that if Hadeon became a problem, Cason and the Nine Guard would handle him. Cason waited for a response, but nothing from the priest. “You’re really not worried about our new member?” Cason asked.

  “No, because you are,” Terrus answered.

  “He still has his own forces. Loyal to him.”

  “We still have the Nine Guard.”

  Terrus reclined his chair then shut his eyes. Dawn approached. The windows on the plane all shuttered. Ultraviolet blocking technology protected the pilots from turning to ash. Cason stayed awake longer while Terrus slept. The general wanted to avoid uncomfortable conversations when they arrived back in Romania. Eventually, he slumbered with a bit of unease. After hours of soaring above the clouds, the plane landed back at the airstrip. The lead pilot parked the aircraft in a hangar. The hangar doors closed, and everyone onboard slumbered until nightfall.

  They mobilized in a motorcade when nightfall arrived and rode off to the castle. Terrus and Cason rode together. They remained silent for most of the journey, thinking about how to handle Hadeon if he got out of hand. Terrus thought this might be the optimum time for Ammar and Zoya to concede to binding with Akram and Shujaa, respectively. Hadeon could not overtake them, but making allies would become near impossible if he felt betrayed. Cason concerned himself with whether he may need to dispatch Hadeon. He lacked faith in Ammar and Zoya, changing their stance on binding.

  The motorcade arrived at the castle. Orras, Cila, and Twyla greeted them at the door. The seven members of the Nine Guard exited the vehicles. Orras and Cila dashed towards them. An exchange of hugs ensued. Joy covered all their faces. From above on a balcony, Ammar and Zoya observed the reunion wearing the same cloaks from their promenade in the garden. Both wondered what was to come. Cason, Terrus, and Twyla all looked up at them. None of them had a concept of their feelings at that moment.

  Twyla whispered in Terrus’ ear. Her words alarmed him. Terrus cut his eyes towards Cason with worry. Cason wondered with confusion. Twyla and Terrus beelined for the war room, and Cason followed. Ammar and Zoya noticed the rush and became curious. They entered the castle.

  Cason, Terrus, and Twyla rushed to the war room. They locked the door behind them. The trio remained standing. Cason looked at Twyla suspiciously. His fangs showed. “Speak, little priestess,” Cason commanded.

  Twyla stirred for a moment. Cason’s glare sharpened, waiting for Terrus’ apprentice to speak. Her silence exhausted his patience as she was mute on the way to the war room. She found the words. “We received a call from a Lawrence Walter.”

  “Who the fuck is Lawrence Walter?”

  “He is our attaché.”

  Cason and Terrus looked at each other. He was unaware of this attaché or his function. Twyla meandered to the video conferencing screen. She powered it on and pulled up a video message thumbnail image from Lawrence Walter. On the screen was a man approaching elderly age. He held a stern visage with silver hair and brown eyes. All of their attention went to the screen. Twyla pressed play, and Walter spoke on screen with a deep, barely grizzly voice, “Hello. I’m Ambassador Lawrence Walter, attaché for the Vampire International Empire. This message is for Prime Minister Amina. I have received a message from a pack of werewolves stating that you have two humans in custody. One named Zoya, the other named Ammar. Please respond to this claim immediately. We don’t want to have a conflict involving all three races.” The video ended with the thumbnail reappearing.

  Cason leaned against the table. He stewed on Walter’s words with his head down. He thought about how they got into this new predicament, then concluded that it was the Monarch. Their decrees and plans caused this problem, but he refrained from lashing out. If only they accepted their fate, he thought. But he knew his king and especially his queen better than almost anyone.

  Terrus worried about the empire’s wellbeing. He knew what the Human Union would do if the existence of vampires, werewolves, and the war became known. He paced for a moment, and Twyla watched. She concerned herself with her own life and of her master. Terrus stopped. “Call him back, Twyla,” Terrus commanded.

  “Yes, master,” Twyla said.

  She navigated to Walter’s contact information, then pressed the button for a video call. A small screen appeared showing Cason, Terrus, and Twyla. A ring sounded as they waited for an answer. After a few rings, Walter answered the call, and his face appeared on the screen. He sat in a large black leather office chair. The office he sat in had a colonial design. The shelves in his background held bold old books and figurines. He wore a white dress shirt because he believed in retaining a semi-professional appearance as an extension of his military career background. But he also possessed a degree in business, for whatever that was worth in his current occupation. “Greetings, Delegation. Where’s Amina?” Walter asked after seeing them without Amina.

  “She’s no more, Ambassador,” Terrus answered.

  “No more?”

  “She died in battle.”

  Walter shut his eyes and lowered his head in mourning and respect for the late Prime Minister. He remembered their conversations and meetings. “My condolences. Amina served you all well as Prime Minister. She’ll be missed,” Walter said.

  “Thank you, Ambassador Walter,” Cason replied.

  Walter’s mind switched from mourning an acquaintance and friend to brass tax. He folded his hands in his lap, then sighed. “I take it you all have seen my message. Is it true that you have two humans in your custody? And that you abducted them?” Walter inquired.

  “We have two humans in our custody. However, they’re in danger from the lycans,” Terrus responded.

  “Did you put them in danger, delegate?”

  “We aren’t totally sure.”

  Walter chuckled, thinking that his correspondents would never be the same. Although Amina was a politician, she always spoke with Walter plainly and directly. It became apparent that Terrus would not interact with him in the same method. The ambassador cleared his throat, already annoyed with the priest. The sound of the clearing alerted them that Walter was not pleased. He scratched the side of his face to gather his words. “Well, whatever your reasoning for having Ammar and Zoya, you have started some shit,” Walter said.

  “What do you mean, Ambassador?” Cason asked.

  Walter sighed, then slid a piece of white paper towards him on his desk. The paper had a list of names. He looked down at the sheet, angered by the involvement of human beings in the vampire-werewolf war. Walter believed in protecting his own at the cost of other species. However, his job prevented him from deviating from diplomacy. Displeasure grew on his face. “The Nasreddins: Yonas, Marjani and Mazaa. And Isabel Rossi. Do those names mean anything to you?” Walter asked.

  “No, they do not, Ambassador,” Terrus answered.

  “Would these names mean anything to Ammar and Zoya?”

  “Possibly.”

  “I’d bet my pension because Yonas and Marjani are Zoya’s parents. And I’m guessing that Ms. Rossi is at minimum an acquaintance of Ammar.”

  Everyone in the war room stirred. Both Cason and Terrus wondered what was on Walter’s mind as he stared at them. Twyla poured herself a glass of blood, then drank. Cason respected Walter for his direct approach in conversation. With that in mind, Cason understood how to engage with the ambassador. “What do the mongrels... sorry, werewolves want?” Cason asked.

  “Ammar and Zoya. A simple trade,” Walter answered.

  Twyla shivered in fear for her new friend. The blood in her glass swayed as the glass shook. Her heart raced. Terrus looked over at her and noticed her immense unease. He walked over to his apprentice, then put his arm on hers, but it provided little to no comfort. The priest moved her chin with two fingers to grab her attention. Once their eyes met, she reverted to her training and stood upright with a flat gaze. Terrus nodded, appreciating her return to decorum. “Bring Zoya and Ammar to us. Right away. Tell them nothing,” Terrus commanded.

  “Yes, Master,” Twyla responded, then departed to retrieve the two humans.

  Terrus returned to the viewing scope of the camera. Cason turned his head towards his fellow Delegate, still somewhat blaming him for this entire ordeal. He turned his attention back to the ambassador, thinking he had a suggestive plan of action. Before asking what that plan was, he wanted more information about the situation. The general stood at ease. “Where do they want to make the exchange?” Cason asked.

  “An old castle in Dahlak,” Walter answered.

  “When?”

  “Two nights from now.”

  Terrus slammed his fist onto the table, then paced. Cason smirked, then shook his head. Walter squinted, wondering what Cason was thinking. Cason remembered that castle. He also knew that there would be a full moon the night of the exchange. If there was to be an exchange. Zoya and Ammar needed to agree. The general knew their family would be a great motivator. However, a full moon meant werewolves were at their most lethal.

  Walter read their reactions. He lacked expertise on the unique characteristics of both vampires and werewolves. He saw both races as a potential threat to human life. Therefore, his goal was for Ammar, Zoya, and their loved ones all to survive. “I know you and the wolves have your problems, but your goal is to rescue the Nasreddins and Ms. Rossi while making sure that Ammar and Zoya survive,” Walter demanded.

  “You’re the ambassador, Ambassador,” Cason replied, insulted by his gall.

  “I’m an ambassador with firearms at my disposal, while you only have arrows, per the Treaty of Fire.”

  Cason seethed. He fantasized about gouging out pieces of Walter. Bits of his fangs showed. Terrus sensed the tension exuded from his fellow Delegate. The priest worried that Cason’s temper would create more obstacles. He stepped forward to speak. “Was this demand given to the werewolves who contacted the union?” Terrus asked.

  “I’m your attaché. Not theirs,” Walter answered.

  “I see. Ambassador, we will meet them and make human life our priority.”

  “Thank you, Priest.”

  Walter ended the call. Terrus turned off the monitor, then rubbed his beard. He knew Cason could lead them to victory under normal circumstances, but the circumstances were far from normal. Ammar and Zoya in the field was concern enough. With an additional set of humans, victory had a low probability. An idea formed for Terrus. He turned to Cason with a hint of excitement. The general wondered why he had a glow. Terrus grabbed both of Cason’s shoulders. “This is our chance!” Terrus said with excitement while having a whispering volume.

  “Chance? For what?” Cason asked.

  “This was why the Monarch told me to be patient with the humans.”

  Twyla returned with Zoya and Ammar. Terrus’ joyful face altered to stoic. The humans came in, concerned about why Twyla rushed them to the war room. Both scanned the room for answers, and all they received were answers in silence. Ammar lost his patience. “What the fuck is going on?” Ammar asked, glaring at Cason.

  “Have a seat, human,” Cason responded.

  “I’ll stand.”

  Zoya stood with him, joining in his suspicion. Cason approached them, focusing on Ammar. As he closed in, the disapproval between the Cason and Ammar rose. Ammar took one step forward toward the general. Cason halted. The two glared at one another. Cason glanced at Zoya and calmed. “The lycans have your father, mother, and sister,” Cason announced with regret.

  “What do you mean, have them?” Zoya asked.

  “They must’ve abducted them from your home. I’m not sure.”

  “Get them back!”

  “The lycans want to make an exchange. Your lives for theirs.”

  Shock, then tears burst from nowhere. She balled in tears, petrified for her family. Ammar wrapped his arms around her. She laid her head on his chest. His cloak got wet as he glared at Cason. Cason took a step forward with a sobering expression. “They also have an Isabel Rossi,” Cason announced.

  The fire in Ammar’s eyes burned hotter than the Sun. He glanced over to Terrus, released Zoya, then lunged at the priest. His hands clenched the lapel of Terrus’ shirt. Ammar pressed Terrus against the wall. Twyla’s jaw dropped from Ammar’s aggression. Cason showed no concern because he thought Terrus deserved it. With his blood boiling, Ammar landed a hook on Terrus’ chin. Another hook landed. And another hook landed. No effect. “This is all your goddamn fault!” Ammar exclaimed.

  “We have a plan to get them back,” Terrus replied.

  Ammar released Terrus from his grip. Terrus fixed his garb while staring at a still seething Ammar. “I want to know every detail of this plan before I agree,” Ammar said, backing away from the priest. Terrus stared at Zoya, then back at Ammar. Terrus’ intentions became apparent to Zoya. She shook her head. “No. No. I won’t let you,” Zoya said.

  “It’s the best move for all of us,” Terrus replied.

  “I don’t trust you.”

  “When we left two nights ago, we met with leaders of certain covens. Vampire houses. We offered them Amina’s seat on the Delegation for reinforcements.”

  Ammar and Zoya sat down next to one another, with Terrus keeping their full attention. Terrus, Twyla, and Cason remained on their feet. Cason kept his back turned to the humans. Terrus continued, “We filled that seat with a Ukrainian known as Hadeon. He committed his entire coven to the empire and our war. The biggest card we had to play was the promise of resurrecting the Monarch.”

  Zoya leaned forward in her seat, not believing the words from Terrus’ mouth. “I hope you have a plan since your queen won’t be coming back,” Zoya said.

  “Hadeon will leave the empire in ruins, while you and Ammar will be dessert for his nightly supper.”

  “You could still lay to us. No. Not happening.”

  Cason dropped his head, then turned to face Zoya. Cason and Zoya’s eyes locked. At that moment, she realized that Terrus’ words were indeed fact. Ammar’s head dropped. He rubbed the back of his neck, stressed out that any plan for escape. But he remembered his Isabel and the exchange. “What about the exchange? Wouldn’t bound to put my Isabel and Zoya’s family in more danger?” Ammar asked. Cason sighed, then took a seat beside Ammar. He leaned forward in his seat, staring into the wall. He tried to concoct a plan where they kept their bodies and humanity while saving their loved ones and keeping Hadeon pleased. With all his creative military strategies over the centuries, such a solution did not take form. “There’s no chance of a solution that will please everyone,” Cason announced.

  “So, we bind with your monarch and put our loved ones at further risk, or we reject binding, and we all die. Including our families,” Ammar replied.

 

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