6: Into the unknown

I know, I'm just trying to think.” Sweeney shoved his hand into his pockets and stared into the distance. “I never thought this would happen, they had no reason to attack us.”

“You’re not making any sense, Sweeny, what's going on?” I asked, concern etched across my face.

“The sea raiders, we received information that they had been the ones causing all this trouble. I owe your house, a great deal. But I've got a bigger problem on my hands,” He answered and started pacing.

“So… what you're saying is that your men just realized that my clann wasn't the ones attacking you,” I say quietly as my face contorted into a puzzled expression. The pieces was coming together in my head as I tried to make sense of the situation. “I can go home?”

I took a few steps backwards and placed my hand on my chest, trying to steady my breathes. He nodded slowly but still had a distant look in his eyes, I chuckled loudly and walked to the bed. “You’re right Sweeney. You and your kinsmen owe us your lives.”

“I told you your father was wise to not fight back, now I'm indebted to him. But I wish that was the only problem.” He said and sighed.

“What's the bigger problem?” I asked, he raised his head and met my gaze.

For an instant, time seemed to stop. He stared at me and smiled sadly. My thoughts shifted to my experiences when I first arrived here. I had gone from detecting the realm to understanding its inhabitants. More than I’d like to admit, I've formed a relationship with Sweeny.

I had mixed feelings about returning home. They would just pawn me off to the next person who would want me in their bed. That did not sound like a life I aspired to live. I could travel but to where and it doesn't make sense to walk into danger. If residents of the Brockbank real were being abducted, imagine what would happen to Maeve Blackwell. Turns out, I don't have a lot of options.

“How disappointing,” I said and looked at Aisling who had started pouring wine into the glasses.

“Yes. It is, the sea raiders are the culprits. The scoundrels have been picking off our people and killing our men. Those who's lives are spared become slaves. Imagine that, a Brockbank at the mercies of those bastards.” He replied and Aisling flinched.

The jar in her hand trembled and wine spilled on the table. I blinked and turned my attention to him. “Why would the sea raiders attack you? You have the allegiance of the Laffertys, why haven't they sent any help?”

“I've asked myself the first question a million time in the last hour. I can't seem to come up with an answer. We have not requested help from the wolves of the west. We can fight our own battles.”

“That mentality will get you killed,” I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth as I walked towards Aisling.

Her hands shook as she grabbed a towel and cleaned up the mess. “What is it?” I said as I reached for the towel in her hands. I dropped it on the table and pulled her face towards mine. I studied her expression for a bit and kissed her.

I felt her body relax as our lips crashed into each other. I reached into her dress, pinched her nipples then proceeded to undress her. The world around us seemed to fade into the distance as our tongues rolled against each other. I slipped my hand into her cunt and she let out a low moan.

I pulled away from the kiss and continued fingering her vagina. My fingers were soaked with her juices, I smiled and looked at her. “Tell me. What's the problem?”

“Idris, the fisherman on Deev’s corner. He told me yesterday that they had come across some soldiers at the slave markets. They told tales of the sea raiders being led by Balor.” She answered and Sweeney chuckled from across the room.

I took my fingers out of her and stuffed it into her mouth. The warm sensation of her tongue licking off the liquid spread across my fingers as I turned to him. “What's so funny?”

“If Balor is leading the raiders then we're in more trouble than I thought. He either works for Mannus or someone who was willing to pay higher.”

“Think about the enemies you have then, who wants your head on a pike?” I asked sarcastically.

“Everyone,” He said with a smile. “That’s the problem. I'm Sweeney Brockbank, I run the finances for all the realms, there's a bounty on my head every minute.”

“That's why you're so eager about alliances,” I replied.

“Exactly. What I need to understand is the motive behind these attacks. It's hard to say who he is working for. We've sent spies but they've all wound up dead. The men she talks about were rescued from the slave markets. They know Balor is planning something insidious, they looked petrified from being tortured.”

I started to reply but a loud sound interrupted me as the ground beneath our feet shook. Aisling panicked and picked up her clothes as the sound thundered a second time. An alarmed expression crossed Sweeney’s face as he looked towards the door and exhaled. He turned to look at me, took three quick strides in my direction and planted a kiss on my forehead.

“What’s happening?” I whispered as the ground stopped shaking and a piercing battle cry echoed throughout the realm.

“I'm going to find out, stay here” He said to me and turned to Aisling. “Protect her with your life. Stay in this room, both of you.”

He looked at me once more and smiled wisfully. In an instant, he had shed off his human form and towered over me in his leprechaun state. My knees buckled at the sight of him but he caught me in his arms. I stared at his body as it glowed with a blend of olive and gold, it was quite the experience. I had never seen a Leprechaun in their complete form.

Rory only changed form if he absolutely needed to, even he was nothing compared to Sweeney. “I see why you're king,” I said with a chuckle then the ground started to shake again.

“Ich, heilm yhu” He replied and before I could blink, he had placed me on the bed and exited the room. I could hear him shout orders to the soldiers stationed at my door.

“What was that?” I said aloud as a loud sound resounded throughout the realm.

“The mad king, he looked glorious going for war,” Aisling replied as she straightened her clothes.

“No, not that. What did he say?” I asked.

“Oh, it's an old language. The language of kings, he said you shine brighter than gold.” Aisling replied.

I thought about what she said and started to ask her how she knew about the language but stopped myself. Of course she knew, I occasionally forget that she was royalty too. Her family might have been torn apart but the Kinsellas were famous in the realms.

I tried to concentrate on something other than the sound of people shouting and fighting that rent the air. Soon, I heard the sound of gunshots and painful shrieks as beings disintegrated. I swallowed and locked gazes with Aisling.

“Did you say War?” I echoed, wide-eyed. “We're being attacked by the sea raiders!”

I jumped up from the bed and races towards the box that contained my armory. “Come Aisling, help me open this.”

We struggled with the box for a bit then it opened. I hurriedly searched for what I needed and put them on as quickly as possible.

“You’re not seriously preparing to fight, are you? I won't let you Maeve,” Aisling said as she tied the laces of my boots with a defiant look on her face.

I smiled and rubbed my palm against the Blackwell emblem on my shoulder. “You can't stop me. I'm a Blackwell, we don't go down without a fight.”

I closed my eyes and inhaled as I transformed into my vampire form. “Remember what you said about dying where I die?” I said to Aisling.

“Open your eyes,” She replied with a shaky voice. “Look at me.”

“Would that be for your reassurance or mine?” I asked and arched my eyebrow. I moved around in the armor to make sure I felt comfortable.

“Both,” She answered and exhaled slowly. I shook my head in response. She started to speak again but was interrupted by the sound of the door crashing on the ground.

I opened my eyes and took a defensive stance as I studied the men who had stormed into the room. There stood three of them, they each had a bottle of dark brown liquid in their hand. Their eyes travelled around the space and when it landed on me, they stepped back in surprise.

“A vampire!” The first person said, his voice dripping with surprise. His eyes darted to Aisling and he looked at her lustfully. “A fairy, you lot make the best sex slaves.”

“What are you doing here? I bet you're whores!” His companion yelled.

I pushed Aisling behind me and sneered at them. “Are you here to fight for you lives or you would rather stand there like cowards?”

“I'll have your tongue for that!” The second man said and rushed towards me with a sword.

When he was close to me, I grabbed his hand and bent it behind him. He let out a painful scream as the sword dropped to the ground. I dug my teeth into his neck, ripped off some flesh and broke it. “Who’s next?” I growled at the two men stared at me in terror.

Blood dripped from the sides of my mouth as I studied my attackers, four other men had joined them in the room. They stepped over the bodies of the soldiers who were stationed at my door as they made their way in.

When one the newcomers saw the head of his companion on the ground, he rushed towards me in blind rage. I cut his head off with the sword that had been left on the ground by the first victim.

“This is getting rather boring,” I said as the other men started encircling Aisling and I. I studied their face which expressed their heaitation to fight.

“Don’t fight her. I’d recognize that fighting style and emblem anywhere, she's not just any vampire” One of the men said.

I turned my gaze towards him as he fisher in his pockets for something. “What good is she? She killed Secni and Devon. She deserves to die! Let me do the honours!” Another man yelled angrily and I smiled in response.

“Two dead bodies might not make a difference to you but, I would be glad to make it three” I answered and felt the weight of the sword in my hand.

“Don’t let her goad you into doing anything stupid. She's a Blackwell, she's worth more than anything or anyone in this realm.” A second soldier said as the first one balled his fists.

“Come with us,” He said to me. “We will not fight you, we will not harm you. Simply get on the boat with us.”

“I have no intention to go anywhere with you. Sweeney’s instructions were to stay in this room, you'll have to carry me out of here dead.” I retorted and sprinted in the direction of the man who wanted to kill me.

I get to where he's standing, kick him in the groin, punch his face and bite off his arm. His painful screams filled the room, drowning the sound of fighting in the court. I turned around and started to move towards the other men but one of them stretched out his hand and threw something at my face.

My body began to tremble as pain shot through it. I immediately transformed into human form as my eyes land on the object which had fallen in front of me.

“Garlic,” I mutter as I started to feel a burning sensation at the point where the bulb had hit my forehead. I fell to the ground, lying next to the bulb which made me powerless as the seconds rolled by.