Against All Odds [Kaliss 3]

PROLOGUE “But what about Jewel? I can’t just up and leave with him getting further along in his pregnancy. His magic isn’t working right,” Helio said in concern. “His magic is for crap,” Briar muttered. “Briar, be nice,” Helio admonished and fluttered higher on the banana tree. Briar quickly followed, saying, “I am being nice, Helio. Did I do anything when he made tulips sprout from my butt? No. Did I do anything when he changed my shower water to sewer water? No. Did I do…” Helio giggled. “Briar, his magic will clear up when he has the baby, and until then we have a responsibility to make sure he and his child remain safe.” Turning to his best friend and brother, Briar replied, “Helio, we have a responsibility to follow our visions and you know this. Mother gave them to us for a reason. You have to go to Heskel’s Coven.” Shaking his head, Helio replied, “Briar, we are the protectors of the vampire. We talked about this when we were Lucinda’s prisoners. Our job is to protect the Re at all costs. The prophecy…” “Helio, we don’t know what our purpose is other than to follow the visions we are gifted with and we share those things. That means I know what you saw, and it was you going to Heskel’s Coven. There has to be a reason. Now stop making excuses,” Briar hissed as he nibbled on the leaf under his tiny dragon feet. Helio huffed, a tiny billow of smoke coming out of his nostrils as his tiny pink wings fluttered in annoyance. “You go. If you think it is all that important…you go.” Shaking his long lavender hair Briar fluttered his tiny blue butterfly wings just as Helio had done. “You know the rules. The visions decide our destiny. This one is all on you. Besides, this way you know Jewel and his child will be safe.” Giving a loud, “Harrumph.” Helio fluttered around the atrium. He loved this place so much. It almost reminded him of the gardens he and Briar had lived in for a large part of their long lives. Briar quickly caught up to him as they circled the area, asking, “What is wrong with you, Helio? You’ve never refused a vision before… not even when we knew it would mean we would be prisoners for so long.” “That’s because I knew we would be together and eventually find our home with Ezra and the other vampires,” Helio answered. Briar sighed, landing next to Helio on another plant leaf. “I get it, you don’t like that we are not going there together.” “Briar, we have never been apart on a vision quest since the day we appeared in this realm. Not one single day. Why now?” Helio asked with a shake in his voice. Helio watched as his best friend shook his head. “I don’t know, Helio, but it has to be important. If it’s any consolation, I don’t like the idea of not seeing you for so long either. However, we can’t go against our destiny. You know this.” “We are here to protect the prophecy, Briar. How can I do that if I’m clear across the country?” Helio asked. “You act as though you can’t come and see me within seconds of your departure,” Briar stated with a laugh. Sighing heavily, Helio asked, “Why is Ezra sending a group to Heskel’s Coven anyway?” “You really have to start paying attention when we have lunch with Nelson and Jewel,” Briar said with an eye roll. Helio shrugged. “I don’t always understand everything they talk about, Briar. Heck, I’m doing all I can not to throw up at whatever Jewel decides to eat. Did you see what he had today? Raw roast with horseradish sauce and applesauce with ketchup. It was disgusting.” Nodding, Briar replied, “It was pretty nasty. Okay, listen up. The new police chief, Sabien something or other and his friend… I don’t remember his name…” “Okay, who isn’t listening at the lunches again?” Helio asked with a snicker. “Just sit there and listen. I may not remember names, but I do know why they are going,” Briar grumbled. “Fine, just get to it already,” Helio grumbled back. Briar pursed his lips. “Everyone thinks you’re the sweet one.” “Because I am. Now get on with it,” Helio said firmly. Briar got more comfortable on the leaf, saying, “It seems that Heskel hasn’t been the best of Scions. He’s been outright bad. According to this Sabien guy, Heskel has a room he starves some of his people in if they tick him off. He is forcing the people of his coven to pay taxes much higher than their normal five percent.” “That’s horrible,” Helio gasped. Nodding Briar continued, “Yeah he forces them to dole out twenty percent and not only that, he forces his coven to steal from human blood banks, so he doesn’t have to purchase as much blood from the Re’s blood supply. Also, the man refuses to allow male to male matings.” “What? How is that even possible? I thought the laws say to interfere in a mating is punishable by death?” Helio asked. “They do, but that doesn’t stop him from beating the heck out of anyone he catches fornicating with the same s*x,” Briar said in disgust. “Dang,” Helio rasped. “Not only that, but Sabien’s friend told them something that makes them think that Heskel was in on the plan to kill Ezra’s father.” “No!” Helio gasped Briar looked at Helio. “Our very existence on this planet is to protect the vampires even if it is from one of their own. Ezra can’t just remove Scion Heskel from his position without some type of proof. Orion and Nelson are taking Jael and his Imperial Guard team to Heskel’s Coven to get that proof. Sabien and his friend are going to show them the starvation cells and they are going to go over the office with a fine-tooth comb. It seems the other guy is like some kind of computer guru. Ezra is keeping Heskel and the other Scions here in a fíor-rúnda,” Helio looked at Briar in confusion. “Ezra will be locked in a room with no one but the Scions. There are no phones, no outside communications, no guards, other than one private guard chosen by the Re, for the Re.” “Oh no, he can’t do that. He can’t be alone in a room of men he can’t trust. If one is corrupt then maybe others are as well,” Helio said. “It’s the only way to give Orion and the others time to get anything they can on Heskel. Jewel said that Ezra thinks Heskel might also be in on the murder of that guy Nelson and Jewel found during the ceremony. Ezra also thinks that Heskel might be trying to take over as Re,” Briar said. Helio looked away. He knew what Briar was getting ready to say and he didn’t want to hear it. He knew Briar had seen the same vision as he had. Helio had been asleep when the vision came. He and Briar knew the exact location they were in from the moment a vision started and this time was no different. The problem was in this vision, Helio was without Briar. He was in an office sitting next to a very handsome man with short black hair. They were looking through some papers together… then the next thing Helio had seen was blood dripping on the papers next to him and when he looked at the handsome man, his eyes were red, his fangs had dropped, and blood covered his bottom lip and teeth. “What if the reason you are not coming with me is because this is where I die?” “Helio, that isn’t going to happen. Nelson and Orion wouldn’t allow it, besides as powerful as you and I are, it can’t happen,” Briar insisted. Looking at his best friend Helio whispered, “Not if it was a surprise attack, Briar.” Shaking his head, Briar insisted, “I don’t know what that dream was all about, but it wasn’t your death. I know that in my heart.” “I hope you’re right. If not, I am going to find a way to come back to this world and smack the crap out of you,” Helio mumbled. “I don’t get it. How can everyone think you’re the sweet and nice one?” Briar asked in confusion. “Because I am,” Helio said, then disappeared to his destiny whatever that might be.