Atticus

 

"So young prince, what brings you to my court?" The vampire king asks as he sits on his throne. Disgust fills me as I see the human people on their knees in front of him. Their empty stares across the empty room are haunting but I know I can't help them. They won't be alive long anyway by the thin, pale looks of them. Death would be a mercy for them. “Other than destroying my stables to please a few children,” he says, but he doesn’t care.

"My queen sent me to discuss the proposition you gave her," I say loudly. The four members of the council are sitting on their chairs to his left, and Wyatt is standing by the window. 

"She refused me. There is little to discuss. I found your dark queen more agreeable. She has helped me with the item I needed," he says, a mysterious smile appears on his face when I get angry. I’m sure my eyes are glowing.

"She is no queen," I grit out.

"Oh, but she is," the king laughs. The sound is hollow even to my ears.

"Little boy, you should run home to your queen before you find out what I gave the dark witch in return for her help," he says as he stands. I clench my fists, resisting the urge to fight him, and I turn to walk out.

I flash once I'm outside the throne room and go straight into my mother's home. When you are close to someone, you can go to wherever they are as long as it isn’t warded. Not many wards keep out a witch anyway, they aren’t meant for that. Our magic can easily find a gap and then open it. My mother’s city has a powerful ward, but only against other races, witches can leave or return if they wish. I just think of my mother and my magic guides me to her.

I find her in her sitting room, sitting in a large, leather chair with her familiar’s head on her lap. My mother’s familiar is a bear. An enormous white one with the scariest fucking eyes you've ever seen. The bear is called Bart, and I always find it funny to call him that. The Mother said he has a longer, complicated name and calling him Bart is easier. I understand that, Mags and Jewels have demon names that are very long and annoying. When you touch your familiar, their true demon name is whispered in your mind.

"Mother," I say, and she turns to face me. She looks tired, more than she usually does.

"You’ve finally come back to see me," she says. 

"Winter was ill, I couldn't leave her, and she is in the vampire castle now. I'm sorry I haven't been back sooner," I tell her. It’s not exactly unusual for me not to visit for weeks, I have my apartment in the city and don’t live in the castle. I have a room, but I prefer my space where none of the witches who want my attention can find me. My mother found the place for me, she understands my need for space sometimes.

"Come closer, Atticus," my mother holds her hand out for me. I walk over and take her small hand in mine. Not that I’m stupid enough to mention it, but my mother’s age is catching up with her. I know she must be close to a hundred and eighty years old by now. Her light hair is greying, and her magic seems weaker these last few years. She is still stunning, she always has been.

"With Winter at your side, you will become a real king. Whatever happens, my son, know that," she says. I kneel in front of her and push the big bear out the way. Bart grumbles but moves.

"Nothing will happen, you will be queen for many years yet, and, hopefully, if I can convince Winter to have my little ones, you will be a grandmother to them," I tell her. I'm talking at least twenty years after we have mated. I want to enjoy Winter first.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Go back to your mate, she will need you soon," she tells me but won’t look at me.

"Mother, are you well?" I ask her. She seems so pale. She looks away from me at the windows of her room. The room itself is one of the best places to see the city, other than the throne room. You can see our high walls in the distance, the fields inside them where we grow our herbs, and the jewel trees glitter all around the city. The rows of homes we built that are topped with different colour roofs; a city that's never been touched by the human world. It's wonderful, much like its ruler.

"I am well, my son. Don't leave your mate alone too long. I've warned you once, and I will once more," she stops speaking to look at me finally.

"The vampire king is messing in dangerous waters. Either way, there will not be a good outcome for your mate," she tells me. 

"Mother," I start but she waves a hand at me. I know the conversation is over. I wonder what my mother was like before she lost her mate. She has never been a bad mother, just distant with me. Mother always looked at me like I’m a ghost sometimes, I know I look very much like my father.

"Go," she says, and I nod. I stroke my hand over my mother’s cold hand before flashing to the training yard where Winter should be. I hear her straight away.

"I like Milo, and I'm keeping him," she shouts. Even when she shouts, it isn't that threatening. 

"He is a mini-demon Winter, not a pet!" Wyatt replies loudly, and I hold in the laugh as I stop on the top floor that overlooks the training yard. Winter is standing with her hands on her hips looking furious, as Wyatt stands opposite her. Wyatt is holding a tiny, blue demon, his face covered in black and white stuff.

"You’re just mad because he ate your Oreos," Winter replies. Yep, the demon is done for.

"We are not keeping him," Wyatt shouts louder, and I laugh. I tune out their argument as I look down the corridor. Watching Winter and Wyatt is one the council members. I don't know what his name is, but Wyatt told me he was the one that threatened Winter when she was alone. He has the royal vampire crown tattooed on his shaved head, but that's all that's special about him. I flash straight behind him and wrap my hand around his throat. I call my fire powers, so my hand is slowly burning him. Not enough to kill him, but it’s painful and burning his throat enough that he can’t speak. I can tell from the way he holds back a scream, and he tries to move my hand away that it hurts. Luckily I'm bigger than he is and a lot fucking stronger.

"If I catch you watching her again, I will find ways to make you wish you never saw her," I say in a deathly whisper and let him go. He drops to his knees gasping as he turns to glare up at me. "Cat got your tongue?" I laugh. "Don't worry, I don't need an answer, but my cats will have your tongue if you don't heed my warning, vampire," I tell him and walk away as he is still gasping for air. His vampire healing will heal him, eventually.