Blue Flames

Chapter 29

The time I had spent with humans gave me a clear idea about how they looked upon immortals as superior beings, whether they admitted it or not. The ability to work magic- the main characteristic of immortals- made them understandably powerful.

I also knew that within the immortal world, there were various degrees of authority and power. Tonight I realized that the Five were on top of the power pyramid, no matter what other immortals liked to say.

Wherever Arthur went, he was treated with respect, bordering on fear sometimes- or often. Other immortals gazed at him with expressions of combined awe and dread; witches, shapeshifters and vampires alike. Everyone knew that the Five were on an entirely different level. They may be classified as vampires, because they were the origin of the race, but they weren't really vampires. They were unique, five of a kind. 

They were simply other.

I spotted Venus with a group of witches. She was probably sneaking past their defenses as they spoke, without them being the wiser.

While I understood why she was doing it, I had misgivings about it. One's mind was a sacred place, and what she was doing bordered on mental rape. A harsh term, but one very close to the truth.

But if a portal opened again, no one knows what horrors would come through. The world did not need that.

A hush suddenly fell over the place. Heads turned toward the opening doors. I tried to look, but my meager height did not allow me to take a glimpse of the newly arrived guests. 

They were not the fae, however. All I could sense from that direction was a strong vampiric presence as conversations resumed again. Venus moved to receive the new guests. Arthur glanced at them but remained in conversation with the people surrounding him.

"Who?" I whispered to Charles, who was tall enough to see above most heads in the room. Lucky asshole.

"The remaining two," Charles replied, narrowing his eyes at the guests. His jaw ticked.

It was subtle, but I felt the change of the energy in the room. None of the Five revealed their true presence, of course, their cloaks firmly in place. But no one could mistake the sudden flare of magic.

Arthur took his leave from his companions and approached Charles and I. His eyes met mine for a second before looking over our heads.

"Let us meet the rest, shall we?"

Charles and I followed him. He didn't need to move far, the crowd parted to let through a group of people. It was easy to pick up the two brothers, Idar and Leon. Their aura was similar to that of Arthur, Burak and Venus.

As the two men sopped a few feet away from Arthur, their entourage dispersed except for two vampires, clearly guards by their attire, and a female witch who had her arm linked through one of the men's.

Charles and I were on either side of Arthur.

"Arthur, dear brother. It has been a veritable age since I saw you last," the shorter of the two men said. It was Idar. 

Hair as dark as Arthur's and eyes the same shade of deep brown, were the only features he shared with Arthur. His skin was a couple of shades lighter than Venus, and his build was close to Arthur's in bulk but shorter in height. 

Hanging on his arm was a gorgeous female witch with dark blonde hair and fair complexion, her cat-like eyes a blue bordering on gray. Her features were essentially feminine and dainty, with an upturned nose and naturally pouting lips, the beauty spot on the bottom corner of her eye lending even more to her sultry charm.