Of Dragons & Vampires

Chapter Eleven

"I-I don't know anything about the rebellion, I swear!"

Atlas sighed, turning to the bloodied mess held against the wall by his guardsmen. They had him by the throat, had beaten him to a pulp in front of his husband and daughter, and yet the Dhampir hadn't revealed a single useful detail. Yet.

"We tracked Evander to this house, Lysander. We know he was here." Atlas spoke firmly, looking the hybrid in the eyes. "Do not make me kill you, you may yet prove useful, as unnatural as you are." His voice dripped with disdain as he looked the Dhampir up and down.

Lysander looked into the eyes of his husband. Thomas was held by the throat by Constantine, their daughter cowering under the table. Lysander would do anything to pry the leeches hands off his husband's throat.

"Yes, he was here. But I didn't know who he was...I'd never seen the youngest Aetos before!" Lysander's eyes never left Thomas, he struggled against his captors as Constantine tightened his grip around his husband's throat, making the man choke. "Stop hurting him!"

"Constantine, let's not hurt our bargaining chip too much." Atlas waved a nonchalant hand. "Lysander, you're lucky I'm not slaughtering you and your entire family for your mere existence...now tell me, where did they take the boy? Or I swear to God I'll make you watch as Constantine crushes your husband's throat and tears your daughter apart limb by limb."

Lysander closed his eyes, Gods forgive him. "Isle Saero. The dragons said something about Isle Saero."

Atlas stopped in his tracks. Saero. He had searched for that island for centuries, the island Ejder Drake had created with his own hands, a safe haven for whatever rebellious rat decided to go against the natural order of vampire supremacy and...co-exist. He thought the location had died with the ancient dragon, that whatever winged worm or supernatural traitor that crawled to that island would stay there and rot.

"Where is it?" He snarled.

"I don't know."

"Constantine," Atlas called, smiling as his son began to tighten his grip on the mortals throat. He relished Lysander's screeches of protest as Thomas choked and gasped, the mortal's lips turning blue. Weak, Atlas mused, mortals and Dhampirs were a terrible creation, even more pathetic when put together. Under his reign they would learn their place.

"I won't ask again, where is it?"

"I don't know!" Lysander shrieked, "They went South! Three werewolves and a hunter were with them! Amber mentioned something about Spain!"

Atlas waved a hand, Constantine reluctantly dropped Thomas to the floor who fell to his knees gasping. Hands rubbing his throat and eyes streaming.

"Thomas?" Lysander whimpered, still held in place by the guards.

"Constantine take twenty of our best men and go South. There's a port there, a port where I'll suspect you'll find Mordecai's little runaway. Bring Evander back, and the dragons. Kill the rest." Constantine bowed low, signalling with a curt nod for the guards to follow. They dropped Lysander, flinging him towards his mortal. Atlas could have vomited at the sight before him, Lysander on his knees and kissing his husband's lips. Hybrid or not, the man was a supernatural, and supernaturals didn't breed with those less worthy.

"Lysander, if I hear you have betrayed your kind again, or have kept something from me, I shall burn your husband and child alive while you watch. Do you understand?"

The High Lord's voice cut through him like glass. He nodded, shielding Thomas and their daughter behind him as the vampire strode from the room.

Saero. He'd find it, and he'd ensure every supernatural who called that place home was torn limb from limb.