There was a time Aidas avoided the Night Court. He hated it, even though it was his heritage and the Vladimir family had run the court for centuries. It was one of the oldest existing Vampire courts in Aron City.
Heavens knew the bloodshed that had been on the castle ramparts and soaking into moss covered ground the past centuries. Not anymore though, anytime Aidas came back to court peace was restored.
Even if it was for a short while. But he had to visit court, it was a duty that he had to perform. It wasn't as if he needed to either way, The Night court could run on it's own with or without his presence. But once in a while, he had to drop in, show all of them who was was in charge.
It was there in the Night Court that Aidas discovered his thirst for life after sunset, seeking ghosts and whatever else preferred the world without the glare of the sun.
As a vampire, naturally, he hated the sun. It didn't burn like the books and myths believed but it was an annoyance for them. Which was why most Vampires preferred night to day. It was also what made the Night Court better, set snugly in the middle of two towering mountains with various chambers built in the mountains to avoid the sunlight, The Night Court received as little sunlight as possible.
In the shadowless black, Aidas ears were perfect, his senses heightened.
There was an additional strength that came with coming back to the Night Court.
The once glorious castle had succumbed to the weather of countless years, the cold grey stone stoic in each storm.
The trees surrounded the caste like great armies defending their citadel. Their armoured trunks reached out in the air protectively. The great expanse of green enhanced the castles eerieness, located in the deepest parts of the outskirts of Aron City's Forest, it wasn't a place easily accessible to humans, tourists or any other Supernatural alike unless they were actively looking.
Spooky also didn't quite cover it and eerie was an understatement. Anyone who had managed to make it so far towards the castle would be weary enough to proceed.
"Is Azure in Court today?"
Aidas asked as he examined his closet, looking for what to wear to address the vampires in court. He had been received by his cousin who looked rather displeased by his presence. Not that Aidas cared about his feelings either, he had probably been getting too comfortable in his position.
"No, but reports say she had been here for a while, is it possible she flew once she heard you where here?"
Aidas shrugged.
Even if Azure was to flee, there was no way she would go that he wouldn't catch her. And she loved the Night Court too much to leave.
"No, ask again. My stupid cousin is probably protecting her. I wouldn't put it past him."
"He's such a sucker when it comes to women."
Aidas muttered under his breath as he pulled out a coat. He frowned at it, but it was the most comfortable garb of clothing he owned.
"Okay. I'll ask him again. With a little more persuasion this time."
Imelda answered as she watched Aidas examine the suit in his hands with another.
"Good. Anything else?"
Imelda hesitated.
Aidas raised his eyebrows.
"You do have something to tell me. Go on, is it about Lacey?"
He asked and Imelda shook her head confused.
"No. It's not. Someone's here to see you."
"Who?"
Aidas asked with a frown. There was a very short list of visitors he received in the Night Court. Because nobody made it a note to come in the first place.
"You would want to see her. She has a lot of interesting things to ask of you."
"Imelda... This suspense is only making me grow impatient."
He growled.
"Okay. It's Suna. Suna Aarvi. Hunt Adler's beta."
Aidas turned to Imelda with a glare, promptly dropping his suit on the sofa.
"What? She's here?!"
Imelda shook her head.
"Not in the castle. Of course she can't go in without drawing too much attention to herself. But I believe she's outside."
Adidas was still very silent. He didn't even care that Hunt Adler's trusted beta came all the way to the Night Court to see him. All he could think of was Lacey and he wondered if the visit had anything to do with her.
"I can bring her up the secret stairwell if you'd like. Or we could meet her outside."
"No."
"I'll go see her. Keep everyone here occupied!"
He ordered as he started walking towards the door.
Suna waited nervously in her Jeep. There were a lot of things she had done, but going against her Alpha Hunt Adler wasn't one. She wondered how mad he would get if he knew that she had met with Aidas, without his permission, not like he would even permit such in the first place.
But there was no time for games or his antics. Time was running out and it was only a matter of days before they discovered the next body.
She appreciated Hunt's efforts but she wanted to keep him out of it, especially since he was on the murderer's hit list. She had to do her job as his beta to protect his life, even if it meant at the expense of disobeying him.
Besides, the past few days he had been distracted. By that new girl that looked like Lila, his dead mate. She could never understand his attraction towards her, it wasn't as if he even liked Lila to begin with.
He never liked Lila, their union was forced and they had both been fighting to honour their mating bond. There wasn't even a bit of chemistry between the two of them despite them being mates. It was the most bizarre thing.
Then, a year later another woman showed up claiming to be someone else. Something about it didn't sit right with her.
And no, she wasn't a big fan of Candy either. She was a big distraction to Hunt. And one thing about distractions was that they could turn to weaknesses and weaknesses could be a pesky problem.
Her ears picked up movements in the trees and she suddenly became alert. She opened the door and jumped out of the car while studying her environment. It was close to midnight, she could barely see as daylight was burning fast but Aidas Vladimir could see her.
Suna Aarvi was a small woman. But Aidas was careful not to judge her by her looks. Lycans were very dangerous creatures, even more dangerous than their cousins Werewolves. And there was a short list of Supernaturals who could win a fight against a Lycan.
He was not deceived by her looks.
"Why do you want to see me?"
He whispered as he stood behind a large oak tree knowing that her sharp ears would hear him clearly.
There was a long silence and Suna used her Lycan eyes to look for Aidas.
"Come out! Come out where I can see you."
"I will, once you tell me what I want Suna."
He replied teasingly and Suna felt mad at him.
"You know why I'm here."
She said and Aidas shrugged.
"No, frankly. I don't. Would you like to elaborate?"
"I'm sure you've heard about the murders around the city."
"Of what concern are those to me?"
Aidas asked as he cocked his head, Suna was still trying to map out where exactly he was.
"They will be... Soon. I need your help."
"What do I get in return?"
Aidas asked. Of course he was intrigued by the murders. But it frankly wasn't his business and Aidas was far too busy to be proffering solutions.
"What you get in return? Well... You're a candidate for Mayor... And if you've not noticed, Hunt is topping you in the polls."
She pointed out and Aidas scoffed in distaste. That bit was true, but it wasn't his fault Hunt Adler was terribly good at hiding his hideous personality. He thought.
"And what does that have to do with this?"
"The council is desperate Aidas. Very desperate. They need solutions. They need to solve the problem faster. And with you on board, it will help you gain their support. And their points."
That seemed far too good to be true.
Aidas thought as he narrowed his eyes at her, stepping out of the shadows. He approached her and she turned on instinct once she sensed someone coming towards her.
She turned to look at him, there was no fear in her dark eyes, even while he towered over her.
"You expect me to believe you'd jeopardise Hunt Adler's chances at being Mayor just because you want me to help you with a case?"
He asked incredulously and she nodded.
"Well, this should tell you how desperate I am. And I mean my words. If the council knows we're working together to combat this evil, trust me, it'll be good for your candidacy."
"And? How bad can this threat be? What's making you so desperate?"
He taunted.
There had to be a reason. A reason why she had chosen him. A reason why she was so desperate. But he knew she wasn't going to divulge it easily.
Or quickly.
He could at least press her for more tangible information.
He had heard about the murders, done a little of his own research but he never followed through with it.
"We're dealing with demons here Aidas. And if there's anyone I know that has fought head to head with demons, it's you and your court."
She said and there was a brief eery silence. Aidas watched her wearily. So that was why she needed his help. He wouldn't deny it, he did have a sort connection with demons. He had fought to banish them when a rogue coven had decided to summon them to Aron City.
There had been no other demon occurrences after that.
And that had been eight years ago. Long for a human, fleeting for a vampire. He remembered the occurrence as though it was yesterday.
"How sure are you that you're dealing with demons?"
Suna shrugged.
"I'm sure. Demons seem to be the only Supernaturals who would suck the life out of their victims. And, I've never seen a supernatural tear a witch apart like this one did."
True, demons did hate witches. And for good reasons too. Witches were masters of nature and all things balance. They were also even referred as servants of the serpent. The demons had felt betrayed when the witches fought against them. Their very spells was what banished them to the Underworld forever.
"I'll examine the cases. But I won't promise you much."
Suna opened her mouth to hesitate but Aidas raised a hand to stop her.
"We're talking about demons. First, we have a lot to do by identifying what level of demon it is. Then, we have to found out who summoned it and how to banish it."
He paused for a while.
"And... Well... Let's just hope it doesn't shape shift. Because then, we're doomed."
Suna smirked.
"I'll take that has a yes. Does that mean you're in?"
Aidas grinned.
"Of course I'm in."