Destroying The Lair (9)

The Ex-Fae prince, Eric's eyes narrowed as he watched the man in the old-style suit change from a respectful stance to barely veiled disregard and contempt.

Eric looked at his hand and realized something.

" So you disdain this prince now? ... Is it because you noticed the exiled mark on my hand? What arrogance! Geralt Ven Greyoak, you were once my subordinate, I wonder how you ended up on this planet? doing such 'work' at that? Now that I think about it, your disappearance was just before my exile."

The prince was smiling, a dash of suspicions in his eyes.

" Apologies Prince. I know you have questions about a lot of things. To my chagrins, I cannot answer those questions. "

" Oh? " Eric pressed.

"I am not one of your subordinates anymore and you're no longer a prince. Don't be mistaken, it's only because I previously swore fealty to your family that I still refer to you by your royal title. Nothing more."

"I now serve a greater man. Someone who will become the real master of this world and usher in a golden age."

"Is that so? Very well, I suppose I can extract the information after taking care of you. " Eric let out a predatory smile.

I didn't have the time to know him on a deeper level but even I could tell Eric was pissed.

It seemed the guy, Geralt, wasn't a stranger to Eric. Listening to the conversation, it looked like they knew each other exceptionally well.

A shared history huh? What were the odds? I didn't care to know more about Geralt but I was curious about how the guy went from a royal guard to being an asshole who committed mass murder in the human world.

Confrontation seemed imminent but I had a question for Eric.

"Eric, where the hell have you been? we went through it with your friend here." I spoke up from Chloe's embrace.

" Oh, it seems you are back with us. Sorry for the tardiness. I was familiar with the layout and the means used against us. So, I was snooping around. I had the hope to find the true mastermind behind this whole affair or at least find a clue. I found some things but a lot remains unclear. And I also realized that one of my acquaintances was, as far as this city is concerned, responsible." 

He cheerfully waved at me before answering theatrically all the seriousness from earlier disappearing like an actor shedding his role after the "cut" of a director.

"I see. Let's talk more about that later. Can you deal with him though? He is tricky to handle."

I asked because Geralt was the most powerful individual I had met, excluding the demigoddess, Atticus, and Chloe's father of course.

"Shouldn't be an issue, though I don't know how far you've come Geralt. Oh well, I didn't joust with one of my brethren for a long time. It should be fun." Eric crossed his fingers and stretched his arms.

Beneath the impassive face, the man in an old-style suit seemed to be wary of Eric. I could sense it. There was a short moment of hesitation on the man's face but he resolved in the next instant. His eyes became sharp.

The hesitation was mostly due to years of ingrained lessons about rising against his master, I suppose. At the moment, he certainly seemed to have thrown those away.

"Let's start, shall we?" Eric invited.

I didn't see any fight happening in the following moments. On the contrary, things became weirdly silent and peaceful.

Just when I was starting to believe they were having a staring contest, I noticed that between the two unmoving adversaries, ripples were spreading in the air. It felt like a calm pond being disturbed. The ripples seemed inoffensive but when they touched the ground a couple of feet away from me, it became dust.

My eyes narrowed in silent shock.

Such destructive powers!

Almost instinctively, I raised a barrier around the entire team save Eric who was seemingly duking it out with his fellow Faerie native. Cracks started to spread on the ground, we collectively took a step back.

Frightening! I always knew that Eric was likely not a simple individual given his status but this was far too exaggerated. This was only the power of two Fae, granted one of them was an exiled Faerie prince and the other an ex-royal guard.

I was not even sure they were giving it their all. It looked like mere greetings from where I stood. Chloe was calm, it seemed that she already knew of Eric's might. 

Now that I think about it, besides being a little hungry she didn't look worried. Her tense look had disappeared. That could only mean one thing. Unless there was a wild happening, she knew that everything was settled with Eric here.

I could now, somewhat picture how the ancient supernatural war went. It was no wonder it took the intervention of a god to put an end to it. Nothing short of that would be able to stop monsters like them.

Imagining thousands of them on the same battlefield gave me goosebumps. Thinking about it, humans seemed ridiculously fragile in comparison. No amount of technology or weapons could contend against these immortal monsters.

BANG!

There was a miniature explosion as air was violently displaced by the collision of their Glamour. The entire mansion started shaking. Despite their size in comparison to it, the effect of their fight gave the impression that two giants were fighting for supremacy on its roof.

Tap.

Removing my gaze from the invisible but violent fight, I turned toward Chloe who called for my attention. 

"I need to replenish my reserves. But I believe Kelia is in worse shape than I am. If you would oblige?"

She pointed toward Kelia who awakened in the midst of all this. She looked out of it and dangerously pale. She seemed to have been hollowed and carried a haunted look.

I didn't hesitate.

I rose from Chloe's embrace and came kneeling before Kelia's lying figure.

I raised my arm and presented her with my wrist. Kelia still barely conscious dipped her head gracefully before her teeth lengthened. She grasped my wrist and bit deeply. A familiar pleasure spread from the vampire bite but it was weaker than the one evoked by Chloe's. I quickly tamed it with a flex of my will. The sensation faded into a faint pull.

After a couple of minutes, Kelia released from my wrist, she seemed a bit spaced out, like she just took a sip of the most potent drug. In the next second, her focus sharpened. She seemed stronger and somehow elevated. To my senses, she was like a scarlet bonfire. Her energy crackled to the surface unable to be contained by her frame. The faint glow of her eyes reflected that.

She rose to a sitting position.

She exhaled heavily. "Much thanks, Samsara. This is wow, this is the best blood I ever drank. I feel so..." The usually silent girl seemed at a loss for words. She still had a hungry look in her eyes.

It wasn't an amorous type of look. If I had to describe it. It was more a look of covetousness, her vampire instincts were screaming at her to make me hers. She soon restrained them looking apologetic.

I just smiled. My blood was fatally enticing for vampires. I've come to understand that it was as much a question of taste as it was of power and potential.

Chloe nodded empathetically. "His blood is indeed an earthly wonder. May I?" Her voice came from behind me. I raised my hand toward her as she reached from my wrist but in a blurry movement, I brought her in my embrace and sat her on my knees. I directed her fangs directly to my neck.

She shivered as the blood hit her system and devoured hungrily.