General Sterling

Twenty-Three

    Trees surround the area of our courtyard now. Not too far from here is the location where I transitioned. We're covered on all sides. Better than we were in the Heart of Darkness. We've been preparing for our trip outside of the Darkness boundaries. I've never left Darkness bounds. I've always been protected by the barriers and I don't know what to expect. We leave sometime tonight. I have one, maybe two hours to mentally prepare myself before I get some sleep, and sitting out here in the sun gathering heat in my body is the only place where I can be at peace. 

    Since our return, a couple of weeks ago, the General has taken up residency in my room by morning. The coven is making sure we have everything and often sleep in the spare rooms of our homes. Charlie is taken to her pink coffin so the only place unoccupied left is outside. 

    "You have been out here every morning for the past two weeks. Do you not sleep, vampire?" a demon is the last thing I thought I would encounter out here today. 

    "Privacy was easier to come by when I was dying in the shitters," I growled. He laughed. 

    "Adaleigh Darius dying in the shitters? Now that's a performance I would have paid to see," 

    "Thadiel Chambers. The f**k are you doing in Aleksander?" I asked. 

    "Orders directly from the dark lord. You have information for sale and we're in the market for information," his wings disappeared into his back as his feet stepped down next to me. 

    He placed a scroll on my lap and took a seat. Demons scare the ever-loving light out of me. Especially Lucifer's personal guards. Thadiel is by far the worst of them all. The scroll offers me one favor in exchange for the information whether the information is true or false. I rolled it up and handed it back to him and placed the location I was given on top of it. 

    "You're looking for one of your own," 

    "Uriel?" he asked as if he already knew. 

    "Yes," 

    "Who is your source?" 

    "Percy Reid. Son of Morgana Reid," 

    "Morgana Reid is in on this spell?" he asked. "Did they ask for anything?" 

    "She asked me for my blood," 

    "In exchange for what?" he asked. I sat up showing him the glowing light in my chest. He rolled his eyes. "Ten of those wouldn't have been sufficient for even just a drop of your blood. Did you give it to her?" 

    "No, but I'm hardly the only elemental in her pocket. The Reids are old money. Old testament. The Vampire Queen looks the other way for her. I've done a lot for them so she gave it up," 

    "Yes, I am well aware of your former affairs with the Reids. Percelian Reid is a very honorable man. He wouldn't pass on false information in regard to his mother's safety. As for the favor?" 

    "Don't kill the Reids and we'll call it even," 

    "What's the catch?" he asked. "Their lives will be in your hands. Should the question ever present itself to all demons, we'd have to ask you directly unless you give an exception," 

    "The exception would be if he hurts any of the Pierce/Duke heirs or Aviera Sterling. That includes any and all Reids," I pressed my thumb to my fang before binding the contact. As soon as it was blooded the paper burst into flames. 

    "Accepted. The Reids all exist on your behalf," he bowed. 

    "Were you going to kill them otherwise?" I asked. 

    "Every single one. Would you like for us to inform them of their new ownership agreement? Daegon has relinquished their title to the dark lord and now they belong to you," 

    "Yes, thank you," 

    "You could have wished for anything. Anything at all and you squandered it," 

    "Thadiel, I used to live on the streets. Killed people for scraps to feed my family. I'm sitting on top of Aleksander. My statue sits in the center of the town square while my sisters take their pick on what dress they're going to wear for the night. There isn't a single thing you could have offered me that I haven't already given myself," 

    "An escape from the loneliness even for an instant. That was a possibility. Peace for the soul of a savage," 

    "Peace?" I laughed. "I'll get plenty of that when I die one day, Thadiel. To wish for peace is to wish for death for people like me," 

    "Here," he placed charm in my hand. "Put it in your mouth and crush it when you want to see me again," I looked up at him. His face is close. His eyes are on my lips. "The fire in you is hellish, little dragon. I can show you what heaven feels like. All you have to do is ask," 

    I jumped back when his massive white and gold wings burst out of his back. Without saying another word he disappeared into the orange waves of the setting sun. I laughed shaking my head as I looked over the charm in my hand. It's an Enochian sigil carved into an arrowhead. Demons. 

    I got up and jumped down onto the balcony of my room. I was careful not to open the curtain too much. I burned him the first morning of our return and it's barely finished healing. I sat down in the bed next to him. He's been having nightmares. We don't talk about the things he's done, just the things he has to do. He's not much older than I am and he's done more than my father ever did in his life before he met his end. 

    The Queen asks for too much. I personally can't say no. I live for this. There is nothing else in this world that can make me feel alive the way my new position does. Being out on the field. Taking what I want without the responsibilities. I'm a soldier and I will continue to be one until this world is ready to let me go. 

    The General started his life the same way I did, but somewhere along the way, he found that everything he's conquered will one day actually belong to him. The deaths of the fallen are starting to weigh on him. The battlefield is no place for a king. It's the King's duty to trust in his men. The Queen had to fight her way through this world but it's not the same war. 

    He doesn't care if he sees the day where he gets to meet his mate again and hold her in his arms for the first time. I think that s**t scares him. He wants to live in the now but his mind only races to the future. I don't think I could live like that. It would be hell for me to stare into the eyes of my future the way he looks at the princess. It's sick. I'd want nothing more than peace then. 

    Yet, he has a choice. He can say no to his future's mother. After all, the king outranks the Queen. Even if his place is in this very moment. What the f**k is she going to do? Kill him and leave Edwardian mateless? The General bends the knee out of insecurity. He doesn't think he's worthy. None of them do but destiny has spoken. He was worthy the moment he was born to be hers. 

    Why am I even thinking about that? Why am I making excuses for this man? I feel bad for him. I care. But love is an unorthodox emotion. What really is love and how does one determine that what they feel is in fact, love? I already know the outcome of this love. It's doomed. There is no Adaleigh Darius and Armadian Sterling unless we're being introduced at the same time. That's not what I want from him. Monogamy isn't a reason either. So why? Why am I okay with this happening? Why is he?

    "Get some sleep," he growled. His hand buried itself in my hair before he pulled me back to lay down. "Sleep, Ada. You're going to need the rest," 

    He turned away and instantly went back to sleep. I shut my eyes for an instant. The feeling from killing those pups always comes back when I shut my eyes. I let it play out every time. There's no use in pretending like I feel remorseful or guilty for what I did. I made a choice and I have to keep going. This is a small obstacle. There will be worse things, of that I'm completely sure of. I don't have the luxury of saying no. 

    I sat up and was met with the sweet relief of the darkness. I got up and prepared for the night. I have to admit that while I am worried about what's out there, I'm excited to see the way mortals live in their natural surroundings. Charlie is quiet. She didn't want to come with us but we can't leave her behind. We'll be gone for a while. Not only do we have to turn mortals, but we also have to teach them to survive, how to cope with the darkness, how to accept the stretch of time they will be receiving, and the fact that they no longer belong to themselves. 

    "I think we should let her stay here with Alex and Ashleigh," the General stopped me when she walked out of the room. "She has nine years before you need to feed her again. Without her, we'd be able to come back sooner. It'll take a few months," 

    "Are you siding with the kids on this?" I smirked. 

    "Is that what I'm doing?" he squinted his eyes and shook his head.

    "Alright, go and tell them the baby can stay," I agreed. 

    "I hate you right now," he growled as he went in the direction Charlie had gone. I braced myself as she came running towards me in full rush. She smacked into the side of my body and wrapped both her arms and legs around me. 

    "I love you," she cried out. 

    "Get off," I pushed her away when she reached for my breast. She slid down the side of my body until her bottom hit the floor. She's looking up at me with a massive grin on her face. "I'm going to need you to behave. There is no way for anyone to communicate with us. You do as Ash and Alex say. Got it?" 

    "Yes," she jumped up tucking her hands behind her back. Ana and Ash are trying to hide their crazy smiles. Lady Sterling is here. She's talking to the General. 

    The thought of her coming out today to see her son away worries me. They argued for a bit before he growled at her and sent her away. Lady Sterling straightened her dress and turned to look at me. She is beyond pissed. she gave me a single acknowledgment nod before she turned away and made her way back inside. I went over to the horses and tried really hard not to laugh. I am going to pretend that I am not making a big deal about having to go out there. 

    He got up on his horse without even glancing at me. I jumped up making sure I'm able to sit properly on the saddle I draped my skirt over the other side and followed behind him. I caught up to him once we were near the border. Going outside is easy. It's as simple as walking through a doorway. 

    "Are you afraid?" he asked. 

    "Should I be?" 

    "Maybe, I don't know. It's your first time," he glanced back at me and then down at my saddle. 

    "What?" 

    "Why do you ride like that?" he changed the conversation. Good, I'm not ready to admit I'm afraid and least of all to him. 

    "Sidesaddle? It's appropriate for women to ride this way," 

    "You are so adamant in following your mother's teachings but you hated her,"

    "You do not want to bring up mother issues with me, General," 

    "You got anything better to do? We're riding all night. Don't fall off your horse," 

    "First, I'd never fall off my horse. I'm a vampire. Second, if you want to talk about what happened back there with your mother all you have to do is bring it up. Don't f**k my night because she screwed yours," 

    "You didn't deny what I said," he pressed ignoring my comment. 

    "I'm not talking to you about her," 

    "Because I'm right," he exulted.

    "I'm not doing this with you. I rather ride in silence," I sneered.

    "Whatever you want," he shrugged. This is not going to work. It's not. Why would it? 

    "The fact that she taught me traditions doesn't mean I keep them because they came from her," I growled. 

    "Then why would you?" 

    "I love the traditions she taught me. Our lives are based on tradition. Not just the ones she passed on to me either. The ones I got from my father, my other mentors, and the new ones my sisters and I started on our own. It's something unspoken. Something special to me," 

    "Like your shoes?" 

    "What's wrong with my shoes?" 

    "I've heard countless women complain about them but I've never heard you," 

    "I love my shoes. I have several pairs of different ones," 

    "I know you do I've seen them. Why? Aren't you uncomfortable?" 

    "Some of them are uncomfortable but that's not why I liked them," 

    "You're telling me you're willing to let your feet ache while you're out doing moon knows what just because you like the way they look?" 

    "Yes, that's how pretty they are," 

    "You sometimes wear dresses that cover them," 

    "The dress is designed according to my shoes," I shrugged. He turned his horse to come back and go around me to look me in the eyes. 

    "Are you joking?" he asked. 

    "No, I'm not what's wrong with that? Are you telling me that you just put on what you please without thinking about how you'll look in it that?" I motioned his clothes. 

    "No, I don't. I just wear what's placed for me," 

    "That's why," I rolled my eyes. "You have people dressing you. You're dressed according to what others think you should wear and you accept it. This is what I want to wear what I want people to see when they meet me. Sometimes I go for a hm, that's busty female. Sometimes it's, she seems ladylike, other times I just want everyone to know I f*****g kill people for a living," 

    "The leather?" he asked. 

    "Yes, the black leather with the red silk," I confirmed. "You get the idea right?" 

    "I had no idea. I didn't know you thought of small things like that. I figured it was fighting and strategies all the time," 

    "What? No. I don't like thinking about that until I actually have to do it. I have everyday problems away from my profession," 

    "Like what?" he laughed. 

    "I hate that Ash is walking two steps behind me. She knows what I'm going to do next before I do and I'm scared for her," 

    "Oh," he glanced at me and then shrugged. 

    "You do one," I offered. 

    "I don't have one. All I think about is my next assignment," 

    "Pft, try again," I rolled my eyes. 

    "Fine, I hate women," 

    "Ouch," I laughed. "Be a little more honest, General," 

    "I don't know why I said that," he groaned. We both laughed. "I don't hate women. I adore them. It's just that they don't know what the hell it is they want. I need this but I don't know what to do with it once I have it. I want you to do this and for you to take responsibility for what I had you do without me being involved. I need to take a nap but I'm just going to lay there wide awake for no reason," 

    "That last one was me?" I asked. "Why do you worry about that?" 

    "Because Ada. You're my partner. We have each other's back and you can't have my back if you're not functioning in perfect conditions. Do you think I don't notice the empty bed, the amount of blood your taking, the distance?" he growled. I looked back at him see that he's genuinely upset. 

    "No, I didn't. You have a lot of s**t that you have to worry about. I expected to be at the bottom of that list or not on it at all," I admitted. 

    "What? Why? We've been keeping each other alive for years now. Did you think your well-being isn't my priority?" 

    "No," 

    "Is my well-being your priority?" 

    "Not the number one no. That would be Charlie. Then Alex and my sisters. The Queen and King. My coven," this is not where I expected this conversation to run to. "Then you," 

    "That sounds about right," he sighed. "How do you do that? How do you handle all those problems and still make me feel like I'm a top priority?" 

    "What? You feel that?" I laughed. 

    "Yes, I do," he admitted.

    "Maybe because I take care of myself the same way you do. I have a lot of things to do and at the end of the night, I just need to f**k and feed. You're the closest source and more than willing to give me what I want at that moment. We're essentially the same person in that aspect of our lives," 

    "You're okay with that?" he asked. 

    "What more do you want? You already know your place, Armad. All I know is that I'm ages from mine. We're not the kind of people who wait. It's why you have trouble taking what's in front of you now. You're waiting for something you believe you have no interest in but you can't wait to have it. It's killing you to know that you have to wait for something that's already yours. 

    "I know it's not the same but I started working for the witches as a distraction. I did everything I did, hoping I'd see my brother again. Needing him to come back in one piece. I expected too much of him and I think he knew that. He probably died thinking he disappointed me and I hate myself for that. 

    "You shouldn't expect things from her or yourself. You're not going to be the same man you are now when you meet her again. She's not going to be a little girl anymore. She barely is now. She's going to have a lot of fun. The look in her eyes says it all. 

    "My advice is, forget about it. Pretend you don't know. Or don't. Just make sure you have what you need to keep those thoughts buried until you are who she needs you to be. The night you learn to say enough. I'll be there to take your place so you can make us all proud," 

    "You just want to be General One," 

    "You bet your f*****g ass I do," I nodded. He laughed. 

    "There's nothing for you to be scared of, outside of the barrier. The air is warmer, the sky is different. We can run faster than our horses. The only reason we use them is so that they don't figure out what we are. Some mortals are nosy. You can put about fifty of them on this horse and still lift it with one arm or in your case your breast," 

    "b***h," I rolled my eyes. "Then why did your mom come to send you off?" 

    "What? She came to pick some things she needed up and asked me for gold. You thought she came to send me off?" he laughed. 

    "You two argued,"

    "If I'm not arguing with my mother then something is very wrong," 

    "Very well then, I feel a lot better. I was a bit frustrated on what to expect on that side," 

    "Why haven't you been sleeping, Ada?" he asked. 

    "The dragon scale's compatibility with my flame isn't enough. I'm going to need another one in two years," 

    "What if we get you one now?" 

    "I'd need about six before my next transition. My body has space to grow before now but it's reached its maximum stretch. I've been getting a hold of it nicely for now with this scale," 

    "Six?" he asked. "The most I've heard of is three," 

    "Three for the first transition. My body was able to withstand the power of the first without them. This is the second," 

    "f**k, you should have told me sooner. Have you told anyone? Nymph?" 

    "Nymph? Nymph and I are not friends. I don't trust her or anyone else. Not even my sisters. Not where it concerns what I am. I'm not exactly sure why I told you," 

    "Well, you did and I'll help you get them," 

    "Did you read my coven journals?" I asked. There is nowhere else he could have gotten that information.  

    "Is that what those are in your bedroom?" he asked, eyes wide. 

    "Yes, what did you think they were?" 

    "Information about what you are?" 

    "Right, and it's strictly hereditary to my coven. General, you're not supposed to be able to read them. They're written in Draggonian. Only the eyes of the five great dragons can read them," 

    "They're written in your handwriting." 

    "My handwriting mimics the writing of all Dragon Flames before me. You can read my handwriting? Since when?" 

    "Always," he shrugged. 

    "What is your mother's maiden name?" 

    "Marion," 

    "You're f*****g lying," I shook my head. "There is no way in hell you're half Marion," 

    "What the hell does that have to do with anything?" 

    "General, the Marion bloodline is directly descended from the Ice King. The Dragon of the North. It all makes sense now. Why we're so alike," I laughed. "You're the ice flame," 

    "No, I mean I can make ice but I can burn things. Fire is hot," 

    "The ice flame is cold. A flame so cold it burns. How has your mother not figured that out yet? Unless-" 

    "She's protecting it," he finished. "I'm going to kill her," 

    "If you make a big deal out of this, it defeats the purpose. When we return we can ask her," 

    "Why don't I need a dragon scale like you?" 

    "You're a male. You're born with them. Dragons are all different but they have one thing in common. They're rarely ever males. Female dragons come and go. In this generation we have me, we have Ash. Dragon of the West. Lightning. Darian Hellsing. Dragon of the East. Wind. All females. All in need of a scale. Male dragons are often killed right after birth. Your birthmarks. The two on your shoulders. The four on your abdomen. The two on your lower back. Those are the locations of your scales," 

    "How do you know that?" he demanded. 

    "I've had you multiple times. You're not exactly bashful," 

    "You only like me for my body," 

    "You literally never stop talking about my breasts. How is that any different?" 

    "It's not. I just never hid it from you," 

    "i***t," 

    "You're a sneak," 

    "Do you know what this means?" 

    "What?" 

    "General, you're royalty after all,"