Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance (Legacy #3)

29. Axel

29

AXEL

A xel followed the male in front of him down a passage in Bree’s home at the House of Four. It’d taken him three days to get back here. An entire day of driving from the portal station in Dark Haven had gotten him to Arius House, where he’d waited until well into the night to sneak into the sprawling house. He hadn’t wanted to run into his mother, but he’d wanted to gather a few of his things. Some extra clothing. His favorite chaosphere sweatshirt. Extra earbuds. He’d been in and out in less than an hour, but then he’d had to drive another two days to the Underground. It was a trip he’d made numerous times before, but he’d always had a driver. It took him longer to navigate all the mountain passes on his own.

And during the day.

Because even with sunglasses on, the sun hurt his eyes.

The drive had been torturous in other ways though. The entire way he’d thought of Kat and their child. Had she told Theon yet? Was Eliza holding her hair back when she got sick? Was she eating? Was she healed enough for him to take more blood from her?

No!

He wasn’t going there again. He’d make sure of it. It was why he’d left. To keep her safe from himself.

But wouldn’t he go to that place again? He was going to be a Night Child. A vampyre. His world would revolve around blood, yet the idea of drinking from anyone else was as appealing as finding himself on the losing end of his father’s wrath.

Once the transition was complete, it would get better.

At least that was what he had told himself over and over again, mile after mile. He just needed to get through these next two weeks of agony.

It’d taken another few hours to make his way to the Underground Districts and then to the House of Four. The guards at the entrance didn’t question him, which meant Bree was expecting him. That was confirmed when the male leading him through the passages now had met him at the door and only said, “Come with me.”

They finally stopped outside a set of large towering iron doors, and Axel had to wonder how they’d gotten them in here. The male pushed the doors open, standing aside and gesturing for Axel to go through. Hesitantly, he took a few steps and then paused as he looked around. It was some kind of vault or armory. Perhaps both.

Weapons of all kinds were along the walls. Swords. Daggers. Bows and arrows. Spears and whips. Even some weapons he didn’t recognize. But stacked on the floor were chests full of coin, gold, silver, and all manner of jewels and jewelry. This was a room Luka’s dragon dick would get hard over.

He wandered farther into the room, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He didn’t dare touch anything. This was new territory for him. Before he’d been their superior, although he’d rarely needed to pull rank with anyone in the Underground. But soon enough, he’d be one of them, and he had no doubt there would be more than one person lining up to prove they were stronger and more powerful than the fallen Arius Heir.

And the clan leader he was here to see was going to be one of the first in line.

He rounded a corner to find Bree. Her back was to him, her long black hair loose. She wasn’t wearing her usual red dress. Instead, she was wearing a red skirt that reached the floor with deep slits up the side. Her black top left her back exposed, and when she turned, it barely covered her chest.

She was holding a sword in her hand, and by the gods, it was a beautiful weapon. The hilt was gleaming gold, intricately designed with several rubies inlaid. The blade itself appeared black at first, but as Bree moved, the light caught on the steel, revealing it to be a deep crimson red. With a skill that only came from years and years of practice, Bree swung the sword, spinning with the movement. Her skirt flared out around her, and Axel had to admit it was impressive she could move like that in heels that tall.

He stood several feet away, waiting for her to acknowledge him. Was this to be his life now? He didn’t know, but he needed to figure it out, and that started with learning to control the bloodlust. It could obviously be done. Bree certainly didn’t appear to have a need to maul every Fae that came near her. The problem was neither did he. He’d almost prefer that over only wanting Kat’s blood.

She sheathed the sword before placing it carefully inside a case that sat atop a table. Snapping it closed, she replaced a lock that was clearly enchanted as it glowed beneath her fingers.

“That’s a lot of protection for a sword,” Axel said, unable to just stand there any longer.

She smiled as she ran her fingers along the top of the case. “What one person covets, another treasures,” she replied. Honey-colored eyes trailed along his body, a slight frown appearing on her full lips. “What are you wearing?”

“Travel clothes,” he answered.

Leaning a hip against the table, she asked, “How did it go?”

“As expected,” Axel replied, a bite to his tone. “You set me up, Bree.”

“I did no such thing, darling,” she cooed. “I promised to find her for you, and I did.”

“You knew what would happen,” he argued.

“I showed you I deliver on my promises,” she said sharply, pushing off the table. Her heels clicked on the stone floor as she came toward him, and when she reached up to brush his hair back, he jerked his head out of reach. With a pout, she chided, “And this is the thanks I receive? It’s rude, Axel.” When she reached again, he let her run her fingertips along his jaw, and she smiled. “Much better.”

Axel grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand from his face. “I didn’t come back here for this, Bree.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Then what did you come back here for?”

“I…have nowhere else to go.”

“And you think insulting me is wise in this instance?”

“I didn’t intend to insult you,” he replied quickly. “I simply need some time to adjust before we discuss…all of that. I do not think that is an unreasonable request in this instance.”

The words appeared to placate her as her shoulders relaxed. “Of course. It’s been so long for me, I forget that the transition can be rather jarring.”

“Exactly,” Axel said. “And I haven’t fully…turned.”

He nearly choked on the word. Maybe Cienna was wrong. Maybe two weeks from now he would still have his shadows. He wasn’t using his magic, keeping his power wells full as long as he could, because for some insane reason he thought if he didn’t use them, it would keep the inevitable from happening.

But he knew Cienna wasn’t wrong. He’d been too close to crossing that line for a while now. He’d taken so much blood from Katya. More than enough to trigger the curse. Axel had thought it’d be an instantaneous thing. Slowly turning was far worse. As much as he’d hated coming back here, he didn’t know where else to go. He hadn’t been lying when he said he had nowhere else to turn. At least here they would understand what was happening and be able to answer his questions.

Linking her arm through his, Bree said, “Come join us for dinner. Relax. Get to know everyone.”

He let her lead him from the vault room and back along the passages, trying to memorize the halls they were taking.

“Of course, I’ll have a much more comfortable room prepared for you,” Bree was saying.

“Thank you, Bree,” Axel said. “I appreciate it.”

They strolled into the dining hall, still arm-in-arm, and Axel quickly slid his Arius heir mask into place when he found Mansel and Julius already seated. There were a few others. The male who had led him to Bree upon arrival. Another male and two females. Bree didn’t introduce anyone as she led him to the end of the table, gesturing for him to take a seat to her right while she sat at the head of the table.

Plates of potatoes and barely seared meat were placed in front of them. The vampyres were also all given a crystal glass of blood.

Including him.

Axel stared at the red liquid. Dark and thick. He didn’t want it. Didn’t need it.

Maybe Cienna was wrong after all.

“Anything you can share with us from your brief visit to the kingdoms?” Bree asked, slicing into her food.

“My…what?” Axel asked, distracted and still staring at the blood.

“Your trip outside the Underground. What news do you bring back with you?” she answered, waiting expectantly.

Finally tearing his eyes from the glass, he looked at her. “I don’t have any news.”

She clicked her tongue. “You were gone for nearly a week and have no news from the outside? Not even a weather report?”

“It’s winter,” Axel said, picking up his cutlery. “So snowy and grey.”

“Not the weather I was referring to,” Bree said casually before turning to Julius. “And you?”

“Nothing as big as the Sirana Villas massacre,” the male replied. Rather than blood, his crystal glass held wine.

“Those fools,” Bree scoffed. “But it works out well for us, I suppose.”

“Agreed,” Julius said.

Theon had filled him in with the barest of details about the Sirana Villas, but he didn’t know how much had made its way down here yet. They likely knew more than he did.

“How do the murders at the Villas work out well for you?” Axel asked, cutting into his meat, red juices running all over his plate.

“For us ,” Bree corrected, picking up her glass of blood and taking a sip. “The more they kill off themselves, the less work for us when it’s time to make our move. Let them tear themselves apart.”

“Right,” Axel muttered, eyeing his meat and opting for the potatoes instead.

“A shame, though,” Mansel said. “Losing all those Fae and mixed lines.”

Bree sighed. “There is no news as to their whereabouts?”

“None,” Julius answered. “It’s like they simply disappeared.”

“How do dozens of Fae just disappear?” one of the other vampyres down the table asked.

“The mystery everyone is trying to figure out,” Bree answered. “Although I would like to find them first. Tell our clan if anyone finds them before the rest of the realm, they’ll be rewarded handsomely with a permanent position within the House and at this table.”

The four vampyres all went still, glancing between themselves before the male said carefully, “But you only allow four of us seats at this table.”

“Then I suppose one of you better be the ones to find them if you don’t want to lose your position, hmm?” she mused, swirling the blood in her glass.

“Yes, your grace,” he answered, the four of them all standing. They left their half-eaten plates on the table, quickly filing from the room.

“There are plenty of empty chairs,” Axel commented. There were at least a dozen seats down the table. “Why only allow four?”

“It keeps the competition among themselves rather than letting them entertain the idea they might be able to come for my position,” she said nonchalantly. “The same principle applies to the kingdoms. Let them fight among themselves, weaken their own defenses. Then we can come in and take it all.”

“And why do you want to find the missing Fae first?”

“Why wouldn’t we?” Bree countered. “The Legacy have kept the Fae so caged for years, they’ve forgotten their own power. If they came together?”

“They couldn’t overpower the Legacy,” Axel argued.

Bree laughed. “Child, so much can be accomplished when pushed to your limits. The Fae have been wronged since the inception of this realm, and with the mixed bloodlines? It would not be an easy victory, and there is no telling who would win such a war. But a Legacy victory is certainly not inevitable.”

“Truly if we can find a few of the mixed, it would give us a significant advantage,” Julius said.

“For so long that operation was rumors we could never substantiate,” Bree replied conversationally. “Until you, Mansel.”

“Glad I could be of service,” he replied. “Participation in the program certainly wasn’t a hardship.”

Bree hummed. “I’m sure not, but you do not know if it was successful?”

Mansel shook his head. “They never tell us, and Valter never let it slip. But she was conspicuously kept out of sight for several months some time after.”

Axel was having trouble following all of this, but he didn’t want to seem too eager for information either. Forcing himself to take a bite of meat, he said, “My father kept his secrets close and his motives closer.”

“The motive in this was more than obvious,” Bree said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “If successful, he’ll take the child for his next Source.”

“What child?” Axel asked, trying to keep the panic from his tone. There is no way they could know about Kat.

Bree held her glass out, the blood gone, and let it be refilled with wine. “Surely the rumors swirl in the kingdoms as they do here. About what the Villas are truly for?”

“I know what they are for,” Axel said tightly. He’d been there a few times with his father, and while he’d never taken part in the activities there, his father sure as fuck had. So had Theon and Luka, although the partners he saw them take to private rooms were always Legacy with an enchanted ring on meaning that was likely very consensual. But of course he knew about the forced breeding that went on in the upper levels of the Villas.

“And the rumors of the hidden villas?” Bree asked before taking a healthy gulp of her wine.

“What hidden villas?”

“Axel, darling,” she chided. “You expect me to believe an heir of a kingdom does not know of the hidden villas?” When he just blinked in confusion, she tsked under her breath as she took another drink. “The hidden villas are where they cross Fae and Legacy, sweet one.”

“That’s forbidden,” he said immediately.

Her head tilted, silky, dark hair slipping over her shoulder. “That’s what they want you to believe, isn’t it? I have found the most ridiculous sounding rumors tend to carry the most truth. Ask Mansel.”

Axel’s gaze slid to the Legacy across the table from him, and the smirk on his face told Axel he wasn’t going to like anything he was about to learn.

“Well?” Axel demanded when Mansel continued to stare back at him. “Speak.”

“You are out of your element, little heir,” Mansel sneered.

And then he was choking on shadows as Axel’s power leapt across the table, slamming into the male and shoving his chair back from the table. “And you forget your place,” Axel snarled. “You think just because you are down here and in her house, you are more than I am? I am still above you, and the Underground is still my domain.”

“For now,” Mansel choked out.

His shadows tightened, Mansel’s eyes bulging a little as Axel picked up his glass of blood and took the smallest of sips. It tasted nothing like her. This was lukewarm and salty. A water Fae no doubt, and it made him want to spit out the small sip he’d swallowed.

“And even when I cannot control the shadows that are keeping you from breathing, I will still be stronger than you, Mansel. I will still be more than you in every possible way. Wouldn’t you agree?”

The male was glaring at him, but he finally gave a sharp jerk of his chin and Axel released him. Perhaps it was a waste of his power, but fuck had it been worth it. He glanced over at Bree to find her eyes glittering with delight, and that satisfaction faltered. This was exactly why she wanted him at her side.

Mansel’s hands were clenched into tight fists where he still sat a few feet away from the table. When Axel’s shadows started drifting towards him again, he gritted out, “The hidden villas are where Fae and Legacy bloodlines are crossed in an attempt to create stronger Fae.”

“And what happens to the young?” Axel demanded.

“Depends on if they were a request or not.”

“A request?”

Mansel nodded. “The rulers request certain…combinations. To add to their defenses or to replace a Source. If they’re powerful enough, they are used to further the research.”

Further the research.

What in the actual fuck?

“And you were part of this?” Axel asked sharply.

When Mansel’s eyes flicked to Bree, Axel turned to her as well.

“He was,” Bree said. “With Valter’s Source. As he mentioned, we do not know if the results were favorable, but suspicions are they were.”

“You are telling me Eviana has a child? That you sired?” Axel asked, looking back at Mansel.

His smirk was back. “That darling Fae does whatever Valter tells her to do, like the good little Source she is. It took a while to get her under control, but we did it. Would have done the same for Theon’s Source if he hadn’t been so godsdamn territorial.”

“What happens to the rest of them?” Axel asked, ignoring Mansel. “The other half-Fae, half-Legacy young that are born?”

Bree shrugged. “We don’t know because it’s all rumors and whispers. If they’re not powerful enough, it is said they are killed. If they are a coveted combination, the rulers work something out.”

But what if it was an heir’s child?

That was all Axel could think about as he listened to Bree, Julius, and Mansel continue to discuss the Villas. When it was discovered that Kat’s child was an Arius Legacy crossed with a fire Fae, she and the child would be killed. If it was after he was born…

The mere thought of what could happen had him swallow the bile trying to crawl up his throat. He’d been in such a panic to protect Katya, he hadn’t weighed all this. It wasn’t Theon’s job to protect her and their child. It was his. He should have brought her with him. But then who would protect her from him ?

“And once you turn completely, you will pledge loyalty to the house, correct, Axel?” Bree was saying, drawing him back to the conversation.

“What was that?” Axel asked.

Her smile was pointed. “I assume by coming back here, you have agreed to pledge loyalty to my clan, yes?”

“As I said before, I think I need to take things a little at a time with this while I adjust.”

Her features darkened. “I found her for you, Axel. My only request was repayment of that favor.”

“You did find her, but?—”

“I’m surprised he is not more distraught,” Julius cut in, those icy eyes studying him. “Over her death,” he added. “The way you acted that day in the dungeons, one would have thought you’d be beside yourself with her death on your hands.”

“Hush, Julius,” Bree chided. “He is moving forward, not looking back. It is better she is gone. It would have distracted us all from our goals, and that would have had to be taken care of.”

All the pieces clicked into place at those words. She had let him go. Had unlocked his door and let him go find her, assuming he would be so overcome with bloodlust and mania that he would kill her. He likely would have if Theon and Tristyn hadn’t been there, but they all assumed she was dead.

What if they learned of the child?

Your job in this is to keep her safe and protected when she is vulnerable.

Cienna had known even then. Had tried to tell him. Katya would not be safe anywhere. Neither was their child, but they had a chance if he was with them. No one would fight for them like he would. Sacrifice for them. Bleed for them. Kill for them.

Because they were his to have.

His to protect.

His to love.

He didn’t need a fucking bond to choose them.