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SEBASTIAN HAD BEEN searching for a suitable match since forming a new triumvirate a couple of weeks ago. So far, he hadn’t had any luck. He was concentrating on females in the Fae District, hoping to discover someone with enough strength to help him and his allies defeat their enemies.
It still felt strange waking up in the huge bed in his mansion. He’d grown used to sleeping on the hard floors of caves or basements of empty buildings on the outside world and similar conditions in Nox. It was going to take time to acclimatize to having the comfort of a home again.
He walked naked over to his closet to choose an outfit. As always, he picked a black long-sleeved shirt, black trousers and a black hooded cloak. The sun had gone down only minutes ago. He could still feel a hint of residual heat baking against his mansion. By the time he’d finished drinking a glass of blood, the heat had dissipated and it was time for him to begin his hunt again.
Sebastian left his house and sprinted through the Vampire District, heading towards a bridge that would take him to the Fae District. His uncanny hearing picked up a whispered conversation coming from an abandoned warehouse. He came to an abrupt stop when his name was mentioned.
“I thought Lord Sebastian would have arrived by now,” a female voice said.
“He should have heard the rumors about Nox and who created it,” a male said. “He went into hiding, but surely he heard that Lord Kreaton was one of the beings who cursed the humans.”
“You were wrong when you thought Sebastian was going to come here and form a rebellion against the Immortal Triumvirate, Jardine,” a female voice said smugly. “We’ll have to keep searching for the rebels who will attempt to overthrow our rulers.”
“Crowmon’s hounds killed a lot of masters and the witches and wizards did their share of damage as well,” Jardine said. “We need someone to step up and take charge before the masterless fledglings become overwhelmed by bloodlust.”
“Guild Master Latour won’t be able to keep them in line,” the other female said icily. “Sebastian is rumored to be one of the strongest master vampires in existence, but not even he would be able to control a city full of starving fledglings.”
“I predict the fledglings will turn rogue within a year,” Jardine said in a grieving tone. “Once they lose control, they’ll tear their food apart and the Immortal Triumvirate will order them to be executed.”
“Xiara Evora can’t kill that many lawbreakers alone,” another male vampire said.
“Our leaders have more than one assassin on their payroll,” Jardine said. “I’ve heard they have a stable of killers that they send out to murder their enemies.”
“This is the first I’ve heard of this,” the icy female said. “Where do you hear these rumors?”
“From the demons,” Jardine admitted coolly. “I have an alliance with Raum. We share information that could prove to be mutually beneficial to us both.”
Sebastian’s eyebrows rose at that knowledge. Not many vampires would make deals with hell spawn. It was either very brave of her, or very foolish.
“You can’t trust Raum!” one of the males said incredulously. “Every word that comes out of his mouth is a lie!”
“Not every word he speaks is a lie,” Jardine refuted. “He mistrusts our leaders as much as we do. He passes on the important rumors he hears to aid us in our cause to see they’re overthrown.”
“It’s madness to have an alliance with demons,” the other female said. “They’re all evil and Raum is the worst of the lot.”
“Many say we’re evil, too,” Jardine pointed out.
“Most of us are,” one of the men muttered.
Jardine chose to ignore him. “If Lord Sebastian isn’t going to come to Nox as I’d heard, then we’ll have to find someone else to become allies with.”
“We’ll think about who might be suitable,” the other female said. “This meeting has gone on for long enough. We should leave before we’re discovered.”
Sebastian waited for the foursome to exit the warehouse, then he followed the smallest vampire at a distance. He was curious about Jardine and he figured it was high time that they met.
As if sensing she was being followed, Jardine headed for another abandoned building several blocks away from the warehouse. “I know you’re there,” she said when she stepped into the dark building. “Show yourself!” she ordered.
Sebastian stepped inside to see the tiny master vampire holding two daggers. From her combative stance, she knew how to use them. He sensed she was over five hundred years old. She had a delicate build and she was beautiful, with waist length black hair and dark gray eyes. Like most of their kind, she wore black. Her dress was long enough to brush against the toes of her black boots. The sleeves were long and covered her wrist sheaths where she kept her daggers. She wore a cloak to protect herself from the rain. “Jardine, I presume?” Sebastian said, keeping his hands at his sides to appear non-threatening.
“Who are you?” she demanded warily.
“I heard you were looking for me,” Sebastian said and pushed his hood back.
Jardine stared up at him with her mouth open in shock. “Lord Sebastian?” she asked in amazement, recognizing him from his description. She could feel how old and powerful he was, but he seemed far stronger than she’d expected.
“I heard you want to form an alliance with the people who intend to overthrow the Immortal Triumvirate,” Sebastian said.
“That’s right,” she confirmed, tucking her daggers back into their sheaths with practiced ease. “An artifact was smuggled into Nox many years ago that could be used against Lord Kreaton. I don’t know its current location, but I know someone who knows where it is.”
That information could be crucial and Sebastian knew he was going to need every edge he could get. “What would you require in trade for this artifact, madame?” he queried.
“A guarantee that vampires will get better living conditions,” Jardine replied. “We’re starving and now that so many masters have been killed, the fledglings will soon turn rogue. They’ll be slaughtered indiscriminately like rabid dogs.”
Sebastian could tell that the master vampire truly cared about the plight of their kind. She was a rare vampire who hadn’t embraced her inner evil. Jardine was doing her best to convince the other masters to join her cause. She would be a good ally in the fight against the Immortal Triumvirate. “I give you my word that my allies and I will ensure our kind are not left starving,” he vowed.
Jardine peered up at him and hope blossomed on her lovely face. “You’re one of the rebels who will overthrow our leaders!” she exclaimed softly. “I knew you would stand against them. I’ll spread the word among the other masters and we’ll rally behind you.”
“You would trust a traitor?” he asked sardonically at her shining endorsement.
Jardine waved his words away. “We’ve long suspected Lord Kreaton lied about who killed his kiss. A guest at his estate said you weren’t interested in the human girl you were supposedly obsessed with. We suspect you were set up, but we aren’t sure who killed his kiss or why.”
“Lord Dallinar and Lord Graham also lost their family and pack around the same time that Lord Kreaton’s kiss was murdered,” Sebastian told her. “I believe they had an alliance even back then. The deaths of their people had something to do with them forming a triumvirate.”
Jardine didn’t seem surprised by that. “You need to be careful, my lord,” she warned him. “If word gets back to the Immortal Triumvirate that you’re here in Nox, they’ll have you executed.”
“By one of their secret assassins?” he asked in amusement. “Many have tried and they’ve all failed,” he said confidently. “It would take someone with exceptional skill to get close enough to me to end my life.”
Jardine realized he’d overheard the supposedly private conversation she’d had with the three other masters. “I’m sure you’re right, my lord,” she agreed, hoping she wasn’t wrong. Rumors about a secret Assassin Guild had been going around for the past decade. No one knew who they were, or even what they were. They seemed to be able to get to anyone, no matter how well protected their targets were.
“I have business to attend to, but I’ll be in touch,” Sebastian said, then used his boosted strength to vanish before her eyes. He headed for the Fae District to continue his search for a match.
