To Ashes

Long Days

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Chapter Two

Long Days

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'How is he?' The man sitting at the kitchen counter was almost ethereal in his beauty. His features had more refinement and beauty than a perfectly sculpted Greek statue. His hair was long and golden. The man's name was Arwen, the fallen Sun Fae King. He had been forced to step aside and let Kadrek take his throne. Arwen had stepped down with grace, unwilling to cause a scene which may have resulted in a scuffle. The decision had been made by the vote of his people, however corrupt and misled that vote had been. Arwen knew the moment he left the public eye his life would be in danger.

With no choice and few allies left, Arwen had been forced to leave the fae realm and seek parlay with Alois, the vampire master. The peace between the two was fragile at best and built on an understanding and common bond with a particular phoenix. The plan to send Eric into the arms of their enemy was a terrible one, even with all the precautions they had attempted to set up. More than anything, Arwen hated the fact that the vampire master had fed Eric his blood, creating a powerful soul bond between the two.

Eric deserved so much better than a fallen fae king and a disreputable, self-serving vampire. He deserved to live a long and peaceful life in the little beachside apartment he'd purchased with the money his dead family had left for him. Instead, he was a prisoner of war to a madman.

Arwen blamed himself bitterly.

'He is as well as can be expected. Kadrek is more interested in parading the boy around like an expensive trinket. He hasn't laid any marks on him.' Alois poured a glass of red wine and sat on the edge of the couch, observing the crumpled sun fae.

'We have to tread carefully. He's going to use Eric to get to us, to me. If we try anything, he'll hurt Eric,' Arwen said quietly. This building felt hideously alien to him. It was Alois's headquarters. Everything in the skyscraper was modern and sleek. The floors were carpeted and every noise - from traffic to the air-conditioning, was muted. It was a far cry from the softly glowing walls and elegant architecture of Arwen's ancestral home.

'And if we do nothing, he will rot Eric away or turn him into another one of his followers. I don't believe Eric will bend for him,' Alois said, swirling the contents of his wineglass.

'He won't,' Arwen agreed.

'Then he could be worse off. Kadrek has already murdered enough of my coven. I won't be idle,' the vampire hissed.

'My own wife and remaining children won't speak my name out of fear of retribution from my people,' Arwen said bitterly. 'Don't talk to me about murder.'

'You were not able to get them out?' Alois asked as though he didn't already know the damned answer.

'No. It was safer to leave them in the city. They have disowned me, and I cannot protect them now. Not from Kadrek.'

Alois scoffed. 'When did you get so pathetic?'

Arwen's head snapped up, showing ethereal glowing eyes. 'Excuse me?'

'You sound like you have already given up. If that is the case, why not turn yourself over to him? Then you can stop sparkling up my home,' Alois said dryly.

'How dare you!' the fae glared at the slim vampire.

Alois rolled his eyes. 'Good. If only you could keep hold of that anger. Then you might be of some use to me.'

The sun fae flicked back his golden hair. 'Don't think for an instant that I agree with what you did to Eric.' It amused the vampire, the strange relationship his little phoenix had with the fallen king. Arwen almost always referred to Markus as Eric Peterson, as though anything of his old life wasn't worth acknowledging. Ironically, it was likely a sun fae (Kadrek) that was responsible for the wraith attack that resulted in Eric having his previous life erased.