| |
––––––––
IT TOOK THE SKELETON crews three nights to clear the main streets and thoroughfares of Nox. The Immortal Triumvirate called a meeting with the Guild Masters and their guildmembers now that they could reach the City Square again. Lord Dallinar was already drunk when he teleported to the headquarters. He had to use his wand to assist him to cast the spell. He pretended he didn’t see the sneers that came from the members of the Magic Guild as he tucked his wand into his back pocket. Onvier hid a smile behind his hand, but his orange eyes showed his amusement as the lilac-haired drunkard took his seat.
“Does anyone have any pressing business that needs to be discussed?” Lord Kreaton asked to open the meeting. All three Triumvirate members wore their usual black outfits. The master vampire wore a suit, the fairy wore a tunic and pants and the alpha werewolf wore a casual t-shirt and jeans.
“There was an incident in the coal mine, my lord,” Guild Master Reed said. The wearbear looked weary. His huge shoulders were bowed beneath the weight of his responsibility to the inhabitants of the Shifter District.
“What sort of incident?” Lord Graham asked in the pretense that he cared. His ginger hair and beard were tangled. His amber eyes weighed and measured the shapeshifters who were in attendance, seeking any rebels that he could have executed.
“One of the tunnels collapsed, killing a dozen men and women,” Guild Master Reed said gravely.
“I don’t see why you bother mining for coal,” Lord Dallinar said peevishly. “Why use that nasty stuff when you can use magic?”
“Because there is no longer enough magic to sustain our District, my lord,” the wearbear said with exaggerated patience. “Some of my people have suggested we should stop using magic altogether. They wish to trial using coal to power the Shifter District instead.” That brought gasps of shock to everyone except the shifters. They nodded to show their support for the idea.
Raum was in attendance tonight and lifted a dark eyebrow at the idea. The demon wore an impeccable gray suit, a midnight blue shirt and gray tie. His spies had informed him that the shifters had whispered about trying to avoid the Energy Tax. He hadn’t expected the werebear to suggest it so soon.
“You must be joking,” Lord Kreaton said. His shoulder length black hair was stringy and greasy, as if he couldn’t be bothered to wash it.
“Nox is changing, my lords,” the Shifter Guild Master said. “We must change with it if we wish to survive. Shifters are becoming weaker with each year the Energy Tax is extracted from us. We fear our kind will become extinct in Nox if we allow this to continue.”
“If you allow this to continue?” Lord Dallinar repeated, drawing his slender body up ramrod straight to glare at the Guild Master. “Must I remind you that we rule Nox?” He gestured at himself and his allies. “What gives you the authority to make a decision like that?” he demanded.
“You did, my lord,” Guild Master Reed reminded him, clenching his meaty fists as he struggled to contain his anger. “The Immortal Triumvirate tasked the Guild Masters with controlling our Districts. I’ve spoken to my people at length and they wish to trial forgoing the Energy Tax on Halloween this year. We wish to trial how well our District will run without having our energy stolen from us.”
Lord Dallinar’s emerald eyes bulged at the veiled insult. “So, we steal your energy, do we?” he hissed, then had to grab hold of the desk to keep himself from falling off his chair. No one dared to titter at him while he was so enraged. “As I recall, we introduced the Energy Tax to keep Nox running,” he reminded them.
“Whose fault was it that such drastic steps needed to be taken, my lord?” Guild Master Onvier said mildly.
“Don’t try to shift the blame to us,” Lord Graham said, hackles rising at the hint of rebellion that was growing in the room. “The Guild Masters begged us to make sure the Night Cursed could never turn on you again. We did as you asked and this was the result.” He waved his hand at the city that surrounded them.
“Your request is denied, Guild Master Reed,” Lord Kreaton intoned. “All Districts will sacrifice their energy or magic to the Energy Tax as usual this Halloween.”
“It will be the fiftieth anniversary of Nox’s creation,” Lord Dallinar reminded everyone belligerently. “We have a special celebration planned and we don’t want anything to spoil it.”
That was news to everyone and quiet murmurs broke out. Even Lord Kreaton and Lord Graham looked surprised. Raum looked down at his desk to hide his glee and amusement. The Immortal Triumvirate were going to be the ones who would be surprised come Halloween. If he, Kade Sinclair and Sebastian were successful in their hunt to find suitable partners, Halloween was going to be far different from usual this year.
“What is the celebration you’ve planned, my lord?” Guild Master Latour asked. The master vampire wore the usual black his kind preferred. He had a sallow face, wiry white hair and a slender body that belied his strength. His cheeks were hollower than usual and so were the faces of his guildmembers. The vampires were slowly starving. Like everyone else, they didn’t have enough magic stored in their District to feed them all.
“I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise,” Lord Dallinar said coyly and shook his finger mischievously.
Their meeting continued with less controversial topics being discussed. When it finally wound to an end, the Immortal Triumvirate retired to their private sitting room on the floor above the main chamber.
“What was that nonsense about us having a special celebration this Halloween?” Lord Kreaton asked, rounding on Lord Dallinar once they were alone.
“I thought fairies couldn’t lie,” Lord Graham said with a glower. “We haven’t spoken about this.”
“I intended to raise the idea with you both tonight,” Lord Dallinar said as he crossed to the armoire where their alcohol was stored. “I thought it would brighten the spirits of the citizens if we held a city-wide party.”
The master vampire and alpha werewolf exchanged puzzled glances. “Since when do you care about the spirits of the inhabitants of Nox?” Lord Kreaton asked in a doubtful tone.
“I don’t,” the fairy lord replied with a shrug, which caused him to spill some of the whiskey on the carpet. “It is intended to be a distraction to halt their incessant complaints about their energy and magic being taxed.”
Lord Graham grinned, but it was cruel and malicious rather than amused. “We can order everyone to wear a costume, just like the Night Cursed population.”
“Why don’t we let the Night Cursed out of their compounds for the night?” Lord Kreaton said dryly. “It would be amusing to see them shambling about.”
Lord Dallinar doubled over, slapping his knee in mirth. “That’s a brilliant idea!” he exclaimed. “Why didn’t I think of it myself?” His allies looked at him in derision that he missed as he gulped down his whiskey.
“Perhaps this isn’t such a bad idea,” Lord Kreaton mused, stroking his chin in thought. “Forcing the citizens to wear Halloween costumes will remind them of who created Nox in the first place. Seeing the condition of the drained Night Cursed beings will be a stark reminder of the power we now possess.”
“What’s the matter, Lord Kreaton?” Lord Graham asked slyly. “Do your people need to be reminded of who is in charge? Are your fledglings becoming unruly?”
“What’s the current situation with the rogue shifters in your District?” the master vampire retorted. “I’ve heard more and more of your kind are losing themselves to their beasts every night.”
Lord Dallinar snorted out a laugh, then poured himself more whiskey. “My people don’t have any problems controlling themselves,” he said archly.
“Your people have lost so much of their magic that your fairies are losing their wings,” Lord Graham snarled. “Soon, they won’t have any magic at all. The Fae District will become as dark, filthy and poverty stricken as our Districts.”
“Now, now,” Lord Kreaton said as the pair glared at each other. “Arguing amongst ourselves won’t solve our problems. We should focus on the party Lord Dallinar suggested. Next year, we can worry about how to ease the burden the Energy Tax is causing.”
In reality, none of them had any ideas about how to fix the mess they’d made. Putting it off would hopefully give them time to come up with a solution.
They went their separate ways a short while later, heading home to relax for what was left of the night.
When Lord Kreaton’s carriage pulled up out front of his mansion in the Vampire District, he found one of his minions waiting for him at the gate. He waited for the skeleton driver to leave before speaking to him. “You have news for me, Hovnar?” he asked.
“It could be nothing, my lord, but I saw a man a few nights ago who seemed suspicious,” Hovnar replied. Over six feet tall, he had a thick African accent. The white scar on his cheek stood out starkly against his dark skin. His hair was shorn close to his head and wore a black t-shirt and jeans. He’d become allies with Lord Kreaton after his leader’s kiss had been destroyed.
“What was so suspicious about him?” Lord Kreaton asked.
“He was wearing a hood to hide his face,” his minion said.
“Many of our kind wear hoods,” the master vampire pointed out in a bored tone.
“I was spying on Jardine as you ordered when I saw this man,” Hovnar went on, ignoring his ruler’s sarcasm. “I wasn’t close enough to overhear what she and the demon she met with were discussing, yet the stranger seemed to be able to hear them.”
“Was he closer to them than you were?” Lord Kreaton asked.
Hovnar shook his head. “He was further away. He should not have been able to listen in to their discussion, which made me suspicious of him. Only a powerful vampire would have hearing that good.”
Lord Kreaton mused about it and a sense of dread began to rise inside him. Had his old enemy finally found his way into Nox? Was Sebastian hunting him right now? “Keep your ears open for the name ‘Lord Sebastian’ being mentioned,” he ordered, then mentally cursed himself for adding the title that had been stripped from his nemesis.
Hovnar bowed. “I will do as you say, master.”
“Report to me immediately if you hear any rumors about him,” Lord Kreaton added. “I want to know if Sebastian is in Nox. If he is, he must be eliminated before he can begin to gather allies.”
Hovnar bowed again. He kept his head lowered until Lord Kreaton swept down the path and entered his mansion. Only then did he straighten up and lope away. He didn’t notice the crow that flew overhead, following him at a distance.
