Chapter 143 2-15 THE FOOTAGE
\-VANCE'S POV-
"What's this?" I growled, walking into my office at the pack house with Blayne setting up his laptop on my desk.
Duke averted his gaze from the large luminous moon through the window to look at me while he leaned against the wall. Fatigue adorned each of us and we wanted to crawl back into bed with our mates. Unfortunately, pack safety came first. The hunt for the enemy brought long days and reoccurring migraines.
Sianna and I were just about to go to bed when my Gamma urgently linked me about an imperative matter for my immediate attention. My wolf grumbled and was pissed that we were dragged from canoodling our mate.
It's been one week since we battled the barakian kriplings. The attack and the importance of preparations for any other attempt had us all working overtime. Therefore, Sianna had no time to dwell on the Esme situation. Thank goddess!
Apparently, Bette Clarkson had
warned Esme not to approach me. She would have done it subtly with Sianna. Esme was very impatient and made the move herself. In defiance of leaving Dark Wolverson, she attacked Blayne and it triggered his bad side. During the altercation, he held her throat a bit too tight and it snapped.
Well, all's well that ends well.
Her death meant nothing to me. It only irked me because I thought Sianna would misunderstand and accuse me of trying to cheat on her. On the other hand, the Kurtis guy bothered the hell out of me. After years of putting down the first Curtis mutt, here comes another one to haunt me. It was unfair to be paying for a dead man's sin, but his name was like a flaming composition in my blood.
Standing in the midst of my two best friends, I sighed. Sleep riddled me. I was tired. The meeting with the Supernatural Triad Council took all day and then we deplored the gatekeepers to hunt the necromancer.
Thankfully, the halo-moon serums helped Venus recover so fast that she was back to her normal self. Her grandmother, Dr. Stone, monitored her, and she resumed school. Venus was shaken, but ultimately fine.
Additionally, the pendant necklace that she wore would also repel the kriplings if they ever tried to get near her again.
"Liam sent this footage to me." Blayne brought the video up and paused it. " This is what took place at Assad's mansion." He looked from me to Duke, saying, "I watched about sixty seconds of it before rushing here to show you."
"Run it," Duke said with a yawn. He covered his mouth. Right. Liam and Donald were still doing espionage at the werelion king's
territory in Wisconsin. Silence pervaded and he pressed play.
The video began and we watched the screen concentratedly..........
A tall man with a red goatee and his bald head covered in tattoos strode into the formal dining room. Based on his army hunting apparel and strong gait, he could be the second-in- command.
While eating breakfast, King Assad set his knife and fork down and used the napkin to clean the tips of his fingers before giving his full attention to the other guy.
"Was the diving team successful, Squiggles?" Assad inquired, chewing. He brushed the side of his long curly
blonde hair back and his golden eyes flashed with intimidation. "No, my lord." He cut the chase and told him outright after a courteous bow.
Assad sighed with a heavy heart. He took up his brisket and bit into it. The displeasure on his oblong face seemed like suddenly the meat had lost its refined flavor. "Is there no expert that knows the seas well enough to be able to get me what I want?"
"Well," Squiggles began, "Merfolks could be very helpful if you allow Tygart to go through with his plan. He sent word that he would be detonating the hypersonic missiles to shake up the Merfolk tribes tomorrow."
"Rrrrrrr!" Assad roared in anger, slamming his palm on the surface of the table. "This whole fucking mess would have been avoided if he had followed my order and met with Mer- king Aegeus to strike a deal!" In anger, he slapped his plate from the table. " My brother is a hotheaded fool!" My lord, I have issued the order to General Kodjo to apprehend Duke Tygart. He will ensure that our ships are returned from sea since he is
rebellious in his mission," Squiggles reported. Assad eyed him with profused irritation as he continued,
And the human is here to see you." He better have results for me today or I swear I will cut his balls off." Assad
spat and gestured with his hand. " Send him in." Squiggles bowed and went to open the dining room doors. A lanky man with short black spiky hair walked inside the room with a kripling in its black smoky form circling his body. He stood at the opposite end of the table wearing a grey trench coat with Squiggles behind him. My body stiffened and my blood ran cold. So he was the motherfucker that sent his creatures into my pack. My lips pressed into thin lines and the pain between my temples increased. My wolf demanded his blood, instantly.
This was excellent evidence to go after the werelions. Assad was the reason my little princess got hurt. So help me goddess, he will pay. My hands remained fisted for the rest of the footage. In order for a human to become a necromancer, he had to delve into the dark magic and, of course, give up something to seal his deal with a Grim Reaper. Chances were that this necromancer had no heart.
I was smoldered with resentment, but I mastered my anger to keep watching the unfolding.
"King Assad, I bring you good news," the human necromancer heralded with hands stretched out like a court jester at a celebration. "The fusion has been successful. The dragon egg's yolk worked like a charm." He bundled his fingers in a cone shape and kissed the tip before flashing them in the air and releasing a chuckle.
The king rose from his chair, palming the dining table. "Crawley, you'd better not be joking."
Like a joker presenting a gift, he dipped his hands into his coat doing a little dance. "Ta-daaa!" Crawley sang as he held out a five-inch prismatic shard in his hand. The kripling soared away from his master, high to the ceiling.
Blayne zoomed in and paused the video. We drew closer and keenly studied the crafted object. I pursed my lips and tapped the desk. The pussycats had achieved their goal. Damn it! Who knows what that shard could do? I lifted my hand and flicked it for Blayne to resume.
Assad jumped on the table and sprang to swiftly land in front of Crawley. With a small smile hanging on his lips, he took the shard from the necromancer's hand. "How does this work?" He was captivated by the success and held it high in the palm of his hand.
"First, a drop of your blood should be added on the top of the shard." Crawley pulled out a knife. Squiggles caught his hand and clasped claws
around his neck from behind.
"Be gentle Mr. Kitty," Crawley squealed while cringing his body. Squiggles squeezed his grip tighter and gritted in a deep voice, "Don't call me
that."
"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Crawley cried from the pain. "Mr. King, please don't let your second break me. I did well. I should get my reward."
Assad finally glanced at the two. He nodded and Squiggles released the necromancer's neck, glaring at him. Crawley curled up his nose at his assailant.
We saw Assad allowing him to slice his middle finger and dripped blood on the shard. It glowed in various colors in his hand. Crawley stepped away as the shard worked. In two seconds, that prismatic shard descended into Assad's palm, vanishing. My stomach stiffened. "That can't be good," Blayne muttered with conceived vexation. "Shhh!" I shushed him.
"You have become one with its power.
If you could get the Athoribis Stone from the ocean, you could infuse power from the shard into your pride members." Crawley stated." Nonetheless, the bloodline of the witch queen, werewolf king, and vampire king is now in your body. You can harness power from within you that you were never born with. Over the coming week, those powers will surface and you can learn to control
them." With his right hand across his abdomen, he did an overboard back- bending bow. "My job is concluded."
Pleased, Assad evilly cackled. Crawley rose and placed his hands behind his
back. Assad walked up to him and clutched his shoulders. "Indeed. However, you will get your reward
once I have seen the destruction that my new powers can do. Until then, you will stay at my side."
"As you wish, King," Crawley gave a nod.
"With each day that passes, the Supernatural Triad Council grows stronger. Even fucking humans have more territorial grounds than we do." Assad's deep, incensed voice carried, " All we need is that Egyptian goddess stone so that power can be increased and we can reclaim all that is
rightfully ours." Crawley held up one hand like a student in class. "And they will have no choice but to give you a seat on the Supernatural Triad Council." Assad beckoned to Squiggles. " Message Kodjo to stay aboard with Tygart. I want to test my powers on the merfolks." He menacingly smirked. " I've changed my mind. Let's go make Mer-king Aegeus bring the Athoribis Stone to us. Because after that, we will shake up the three realms." "I understand my liege." Squiggles bowed and turned on his heels.
"Prepare to go to sea," Assad told Crawley and left the room in the opposite direction, going through two large brown doors.
The kripling returned to his master. The creature encircled him as he also danced his way from the room singing "I'm Slim Shady, yes I'm the real
Shady. All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating. So won't the real Slim Shady......." The footage ended there. Disgruntled, Duke and Blayne's
questioning eyes swung to me. Simmering with rage, I found my chair immediately to sit down. "Now's the time to move, Vance." Blayne's tone was brooding and angry. He crossed his arms and widened his stance.
"I agree. We can't wait for Assad to be able to manage whatever powers he has acquired." Duke sat his butt on my desk, steaming.
Collectively, we recalled the way the kripling targeted our children. My hackles raised as I marinated in hatred for the enemy. My muscles tensed because I was wrestling the impulse to attack them right at this moment.
"I want Crawley dead." Leaning back on the headrest, I placed my fingers on my temple, massing them with my eyes closed. I was at my wit's end. " And I want Assad to suffer."
There is a tale that has been passed down for generations about the Athoribis Stone. The stone is said to be buried with Princess Naunette in her sarcophagus at an oceanic trench of the Pacific. Only merfolks could go there without much danger. Submarines would risk being imploded. The trench was too deep for divers. Hence, it was a perilous feat.
The Egyptian goddess' body inside the anthropoid coffin, where she is wearing the amulet, is depicted by the
forearms that were carved to be crossed at the breast. The myths describe it as being covered in sceneries with red-painted phrases
and characters and stark blue hues that are associated with the Dead Spells, which are represented by, among other things, figures like the embalmer's tent and the horizon's lions of Bastet.
"Attacking over water is hazardous with the merfolks in their element." Blayne began strategizing. "We will be at a disadvantage."
"Unless we can convince them that the war is between us and the werelions."
Duke voiced, while going to the liquor cabinet and pouring three glasses of whiskey. "Maybe send a signal that we aren't their enemy."
"We can't use a transponder or the ships will detect our message. We need magic." Blayne huffed, folding his hands while looking at Duke.
I listened and at the same time stayed in my own flaming thoughts. This was worrisome. I tried to control my breathing before I tore this whole office apart. The Supernatural Triad Council (STC) will need to be informed of this
discovery. The six gatekeepers could join us in this battle. There was no way that I was going to sit and allow Assadand his pride to become more powerful. Finally, we comprehend the purpose of the kidnapping of our children-to acquire their blood-so that the component of our royal relics would create the shard. Owlyn of the witch queen, Lucretia of the vampire king, and recently my daughter's blood was
taken. Each operation was executedsimultaneously, not giving the STC any time to meet. After that, the two girls were dumped in an unconscious state in alleys in the neutral human territories. Venus would have been treated with the same disregard if Valen had not rescued her.
"Even though Assad's brother is the one attacking the merfolks against Assad's order, the fact remains that the pussycat plans to attack us with that shard." Duke handed each of us a half-full glass. "We need Marlena and possibly some witches on this one."
Once Duke mentioned that, I got on my phone and sent Marlena an update. I left the rest to her. "Marlena will get back to me and then I will finalize a battle plan."
They both nod with worry on their faces. In one go, I drank my premium malt whiskey. The werelion will remember the day that I took out their king. I called it a night and left my drinking buddies there. Entering my home, many scents swarmed me. My sharpened sense hooked onto the most prominent one of roses and strawberries. Following its trail, I ran up the stairs to the master bedroom.
Maneuvering through the darkness, I found my bed empty. A tight frown settled on my lips as my heart panged from missing her. Sianna was not in the room. Worse of all, she was not in the house.
Where has my Luna disappeared?