White Lies: (The Uruwashi Series #4) (31 page)

Still too stunned to move, Tristan could only whisper, “Easy enough for you to give orders from your cold hiding place. Why don’t you get your ass out there and do it yourself?”

Apos flinched back and up this close Tristan could finally see the subtle shifts in the monster’s face. He wished he couldn’t. “We don’t hide,” the other voice hissed. “We survive. Cold’s the only thing keep us stable while we heal. Fucking pythia,” he choked out before coughing deeply, wetly like a human with fluid in their lungs. “Won’t fucking fix us! Said we have to learn from our mistakes, check our ego. Fucking witches!”

The hand holding his wrist had tightened and Tristan looked down, sickened to see that the space between the knotted cords of muscle and brown flesh were oozing a dark liquid. “Let go of me.”

He expected a complaint, or to get his face bitten off but Apos let go like it was nothing, like it never happened.

“You have to kill them all, Uruwashi. You must! Kill the vampires! No child, Izanami can’t have a child to take!”

Tristan scowled. “Don’t you care that I killed your own scion? Xuejiao may have been wrong, but she didn’t deserve to die like that, burnt alive by the sun. You should be pissed.” He wasn’t sure why he was poking the way he was, only that he was so utterly exhausted, too worn thin to stop himself.

“It’s them,” Apos hissed. “My own children that keep me like this, a husk, a monster, unable to heal properly. It’s their pull, their connection to me—ah, I feel every last one of them, their lives, their deaths. And while I delight in having new children… the relief of their deaths also excite me.”

Tristan flinched back, disgusted.

“Yes, a dutiful parent should suffer for their children, but I have suffered far too long now. Eons upon eons.”

The husk of a vampire shifted again, a little more smoothly than before and Tristan’s instincts reared. The click of the safety on his gun was like a gunshot in the small space. Apos’s eyes moved down slowly to the gun and when they traveled up again to fix on Tristan’s, the vampire smiled darkly.

“That’s why you, you Uruwashi, you will leave here and do what your kind does and kill. You will kill off the vampires.” Apos ambled closer, forcing Tristan to step back. “I don’t care who, but many—MANY!” Apos threw his arms up in the air like he’d scored a goal. “So that I might thrive again and then, then I can help you stop mother!
We
will stop her!”

The last bit had Tristan stunned. Apos wanted to
stop
mother?

Tristan took another step back as the vampire moved toward him again. “Why would you want her stopped?” He gasped suddenly, resisting the urge to turn and look at nothing but an icy wall. It was what he felt on the other side of that icy wall that’d grabbed his attention.

A noise in front of him brought his attention back to Apos. The vampire was closer than he realized and surprised, he jerked back, tripping on his feet. He nearly tumbled to his ass but Apos caught him with a hard hand on his upper arm.

The vampire’s nose curled up like he was snarling, but it was hard to tell with no lips. “They followed you here.”

“But how?” he whispered aloud more to himself than the other man.

“Seems the rumor about your loyal followers is true.” Apos pulled Tristan in, reminding him that the vampire was holding him still. He got a look in his eyes and whispered, “I suggest killing them last.”

“Get the fuck off!” he screamed and jerked his arm. He wasn’t sure if the man was too weak to hold on or had simply let him go, but Tristan’s arm came free. Not without a cost though as razor sharp nails shred his jacket and clear down to flesh. Tristin stumbled until his back hit the icy wall the same moment someone cried out his name. Ash, she was really here. Too bad her and Innokentiy both were Earth. Damn, for all the times he wished he felt Desmond or Yuki’s presence at his back.

Chuckling, Apos lifted his fingers and shoved them into his mouth, awkwardly trying to suck them clean with no lips to help. “Interesting flavor,” the vampire hissed through his fingers and teeth. “Not quite what I expected with that mix of bloods… almost disgusting and then…” He groaned. “Definitely not. Bloody good. I’d love to have a clean taste.”

Tristan was bordering on panic and couldn’t find words.

“Ah! Then you’d be all four elements. Gods, what a beautiful monster I’ve made.”

The reminder that this man helped create Tristan cooled down his panic a little even with the others shouting and chipping away at the ice from the other side.

“You won’t bite me.” Until the words tumbled out of his mouth, Tristan hadn’t realized that was he’d been thinking.

Apos smiled, Tristan thought that’s what that was anyway. Who knew, maybe the vampire was constipated. “Only if you ask nicely.” The vampire giggled and it sounded like his other voice, the one he’d repressed the past few minutes. “No, no. Not ready yet, not yet, not ours to have—Oh, shut up.”

Frowning, Tristan inched away. The only reason he hadn’t shot the vampire yet was he didn’t feel any real threat from the man. Sure, he knew that this was the absolute oldest person he’d ever talked to but Apos wasn’t interested in forcing his own agenda on Tristan. He made his opinions clear but it was up to Tristan to make the final decision. Everything was on Tristan.

Fuck
.

“Look, if you’re not going to tell me anything useful, then let me the fuck out.”

Apos stared for a long time. The shouts and curses of Ash, Innokentiy, Simon and Lance at his back made him more tense than the ancient originator of the vampire species before him.

“Fine. I saw what I wanted to see. I won’t leave this place, so you know where to find me again.”

Tristan smiled, it wasn’t a very nice smile. “What if I decide to send a whole army of shinwa after you and burn you to the fucking ground?”

The old vampire shrugged before putting his back to Tristan, zombie shuffling back to his dark corner. “You won’t. You’ll be too busy.” He hummed his affirmation. “Yes, far too busy. Too many other problems to worry about than a weak, old vampire.”

Tristan frowned wondering what the vampire knew, especially if the pythia wasn’t telling him things. “Where do I find Jason?”

The vampire threw back his head and laughed. He laughed so hard he nearly fell over rather than tucking himself into his corner. “Go on. I’m done—Yes, we’re tired now. We’ve nothing more to say.”

“Apos!” Tristan moved to take a step forward in protest but never got to take that step. Next thing he knew he was laid out flat on his back, blinking up at the star filled night sky with the burn of two Master vampires in his blood.

TRISTAN panicked, but not because he felt two powerful vampires nearly on top of him, but because this was all too familiar—coming to laid out flat, staring up at a dark night sky full of stars. But it wasn’t that warm August night. And the ground wasn’t hard. There was no beat of fire. No screaming. Still, the memory was strong and he lost it.

He gulped down a lungful of cold air, hands up to claw at the sky. His wrist was caught, wrenched down and shoved against his chest. Off to the side someone squeaked out a protest and then Lance’s soft voice was calming the other fae, their conversation fading off as they moved away.

Tristan gasped, ready to jerk away, to fight when a figure cut his view of the sky. Like being wrapped up in a warm blanket, he immediately relaxed and smiled.

“Hey,” Tristan croaked out.

“Did you not know it was me?” Ash asked softly, sympathy and understanding in her expression.

“I did… Under the panic, I did.” He shut his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

“What happened?”

He rolled his head back and forth, opening his eyes. “Not really sure. I met Apos, we talked—he bullshitted.” He shrugged. “Then I was here.”

She shifted her weight, sitting down on her ass so that Tristan had to sit up to keep his eyes on her face. “We woke on the plane.”

Tristan flinched, attention finally settling on Innokentiy. The old Viking was standing off to the side with his hands clasped behind his back, making himself accessible to the conversation but not intruding until he was invited. Behind him, Lance and Simon left in a second car.

“Apparently we were in the cargo hold of Yuki’s plane. Lilith put a ward on us so we couldn’t leave our boxes until Lance released it, but you and Simon were already gone.”

She probably spelled the vampire pheromones to shut off too since even in their daytime sleep, Tristan would have felt them. Innokentiy especially. He tisked. “That fucking pythia—I get that she’s your niece, but Jesus, what a pain in the ass.” He still wasn’t sure how the two large boxes were loaded on the plane without him noticing. It wasn’t like they were on the tarmac for long before takeoff and he didn’t see anyone at the cave before he left with Lance. All of the sneakiness had to have happened right behind Tristan and the fae.

Ash quirked a small smile. “She was a bit high strung as a child.” She sobered and said, “I would have come with you. All you had to do was ask.”

“I know but…” He huffed. “I needed to do this. Now. I know you’re a vampire and you’ve got more time than me, but I’m not patient. And I don’t have much time.”

Ash looked on the verge of tears. “We don’t know that.”

“No. But it still feels true.”

“Tristan…”

The couple stared at each other in silence for a long moment, both of their emotions raw in their expressions until they both seemed to react at the same moment and grab for each other. Tristan grunted as Ash’s fangs smashed against his lips. A moment later Ash gathered her wits and urged Tristan to open. His tongue slid into her mouth with a moan that Ash echoed.

The kiss was only a few passionate seconds before Tristan broke it. “You taste funny,” he said softly and the moment he did, he knew exactly why. His eyes widened as he fought not to flinch away. “You ate someone.”

“Tasted,” she corrected sternly. “Just a taste. It would have been utterly foolish to show up to the resting place of the supposed First Vampire without having fed. I needed seikonō. I needed to be strong enough to protect both of us.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Tristian could see Netty nodding his agreement.

“Fine, no arguments there… but, what do you mean
supposed
?” Something in the tone of the word when she spoke said she was skeptical.

Ash shook her head. “We went inside but were stopped by that wall of ice. By the time we got through you were passed out on the floor. That creature in the corner was laughing… You weren’t harmed, just unconscious. But that thing in there wasn’t a vampire… A yokai perhaps—a demon from yomi, but no vampire.”

Her words felt like a physical attack and he flinched. “Is that speculation or fact?”

Innokentiy’s sigh drew their attention to him and he moved closer. “Speculation.”

Ash scowled like she didn’t agree but nodded anyway. “Whatever that thing was, we’ve killed it and burned it.” She shook her head. “The First Vampire would not have been defeated so easily. If at all.”

Tristan jerked. “What? That’s—” He frowned. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he believed with all his being that that thing in there was in fact Apos, the First Vampire. Sure, he didn’t feel a single speck of vampire goodness from the being, but someone had used seikonō. He felt the seikonō before the wall went up and it was, in a word… immense.

“I want to see him.”

Ash shook her head. “The inside of the cave has collapsed.”

“But, I’m sure it was him. He was weakened,” Tristan said, distracted by his own musings. “Apparently he’d been burned alive and sleeping it off for the past few millennia. He said… he, that whatever I did in France, to Lucien,” he added and glanced at Ash. “He said it awoke him and that he had to see me.” Again, that twinge of anger at knowing his mind had been messed with arose and he refused to look Ash in the eye. “He said he and Jason, the First Pythia—Lilith’s father, they created me. That
they
made the first Uruwashi… from a vampire.”

Well, it was mostly what he’d said, anyway. The others both reacted, recoiling at the news. It was only theory before, Akane’s theory, but now he felt that despite who that creature was, that was truth. That Uruwashi were born from a spelled vampire.

“Whatever that was inside, Apos, not Apos, he said he and Jason spelled the first vampire scion and that was the start of my kind. And I believe him.”

Netty’s eyes were wide, his entire expression saying he was on the verge of losing his shit. He was afraid of the pythia. Now it seemed that his fears were more than justified. The pythia were strong, too strong for their own good, it seemed. That Ash had been spelled human should have been proof enough.

Holy shit. Did that mean she was Uruwashi now? Is that how it happened for the First?

Ash’s expression fell. She’d heard his thoughts. “N—no.” She glanced at Innokentiy who was now regarding her as one would a leper. They were both utterly horrified at the idea. “That’s not possible.”

Of course it was. After all they’d been through, of course it was possible. Tristan swallowed hard and looked to the kodaijin. “Have you tasted her since she was put right?”

Netty straightened. “I haven’t tasted her but that tiny lick back in Greece.”

Tristan nodded, remembering the insignificant prelude to their metaphysical orgy.

“She was all vampire, I assure you.”

That was then, before the curse had been lifted by that mysterious man. Something could have changed. “You know what an Uruwashi tastes like, right?”

The Viking took in a deep breath, puffing up his chest. “Indisputably.”

Ash was nodding a little too quickly, eyes a little too wide and wild as she stumbled to her feet. In a daze she went to Innokentiy and into his arms. Not a word was spoken between them as Netty lowered his face to her neck.

Tristan swallowed hard and watched the vampire bite her, take his quick taste and back away, gently releasing his great, great, grand-scion. He was shaking his head. “She is all vampire.”

The other’s let out their held breath.

“Jesus,” Tristan hissed. “Thank god, we don’t need any more complications.”

“We should get going,” Ash said quickly and turned away. But he’d seen the look in her eyes, she was shaken.

“Hey.” Tristan managed to grab her arm before she was out of reach. “Are you okay?”

She turned to blink blankly at him. He wasn’t sure if he caught her off guard or she was putting her old mask into place.

His expression softened and he smiled a little, warmly. “I was worried about you, you know. Before the fight, after... I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Me?” she chirped looking surprised. “You were the one taken by a kodaijin.”

He smiled sadly. “Actually, Wren nabbed me first. But, I guess we’re even anyway. You know, I kinda like him.”

She stared at him a moment and then a curt laugh burst from her. “Looks as if Lilith called that one.”

He smiled again, warmer than before and drew her against his chest to hold her tightly to him. He could tell that Innokentiy was a little antsy but ignored him.

“When Desmond came back and told me that you had been taken, I nearly killed him.” She looked up at him. “Literally, I mean. I—how would you put it? Beat the shit out of him. Were it that vampire could actually shit.”

Off to the side, Netty snorted a little laugh.

Tristan smiled. He could just imagine it, actually. And strangely, her innate violent tendencies touched him. She did it because she cared. And Desmond was an asshole.

“I was so worried,” she whispered, her brows pinching together. “Did she… hurt you?”

Tristan wasn’t sure if she thought maybe Xuejiao had bitten him or his mental state. The first was a big negative. Interestingly enough, Xuejiao never once threatened to eat him or taste him. She just wasn’t interested. No, she had more important things on her mind, which brought him to option B. Yes, Tristan’s mental state was nearly shot, especially after watching that vampire, that child burn alive.

He shook his head. “Not physically.”

“I’m so sorry you had to endure that, my love, but killing her was the only answer. You understand that, don’t you?”

He could only shake his head in answer. What did he even say? That he was fine? Because he wasn’t. There were so many emotions in him that needed to be released but he couldn’t. Not yet, not when he had so much to learn and do. So much to understand.

Innokentiy made a little noise and the others looked to him. “I think this is where we part now.”

Ash nodded. “Where will you go?”

He lifted a hand to his bearded chin, frowning thoughtfully. “I have people to see, questions to be answered… perhaps we won’t have to take drastic steps to stop Mother.”

We
. Tristan felt the unwavering commitment of that simple word. Innokentiy was an ally, a powerful one at that and Tristan was touched at the man’s vow.

“And should you ask it of me,” Innokentiy said with a serious expression, staring into Tristan’s eyes. “I’ll do the deed myself. I will kill these women to stop Mother from her coming, if you wish it of me.”

Ash bowed her head gratefully. “You do too much, Master.”

“Not in the least,” the Viking answered emphatically. “I would hate to force Tristan into something that would ultimately…” Innokentiy swirled his hands, searching for the words and then sighed, shrugging. “Destroy the good in him.”

“Nice that you think I’m still good,” Tristan said before his mind had made up the decision to say anything at all.

Ash sighed and he could tell she was tired of trying to convince him otherwise. “Master, again, I find your kindness overwhelming but in terms of allowing you to burden the duty of their end… I don’t think it’s such a clean cut matter.”

Netty frowned a little. “No, I think you’re right. But the offer still stands. I will do whatever you ask of me. Consider me your faithful servant from now on.”

Tristan was at a loss for words because, for all of Innokentiy’s lack of seikonō power that he’d ever let others feel, Tristan still felt the power of the man’s words. He meant every single word.

Ash smiled and bowed again. “I will leave the task to you then, for now. We need to hurry if we wish to make it to the plane before sun.”

Tristan had no idea what time it was but nodded.

“One more thing,” Innokentiy said. “Be careful… both of you. There were others at the razing, kodaijin and ancients alike that had far too much interest in you, Tristan. And anger and resentment towards Ash.”

Tristan frowned. Yeah, he’d gathered that. He was the enemy and Ash was too because she loved him.

The Viking was nodding. “Any vampire who allies themselves with either of you will garner unwelcomed attention from our brethren. Stigmas, taboos and blind prejudice are hard to change, most true with vampire. And, for now anyway, your fae seem to be safe, but I would be mindful of Lance and Simon going forward. They are not the warriors the elves are, sorcerers that the pythia are… vicious like the mermaids; they are gardeners.” He shrugged. “Lines are being drawn in the wrong places. We should not fight amongst ourselves, but it’s the way of the shinwa and heikō, always at odds with the wrong foes.”

“You take care of yourself, too,” Tristan replied. “You have our cell numbers?”

The Viking dug into a leather pouch on his thigh and came back with a little phone. “I’ve my own phone.” He smiled proudly. “Not sure exactly how to work it, but I have it.”

Tristan smiled. “I’ll check in with you in a few days.”

Netty nodded to them both before breaking out into a huge smile. Then he was just gone.