Chapter 31

31

T he dragons were in no mood to be talked to. At least, according to the receptionist who kept answering Vanth's calls. No, he didn't have an appointment. No, it couldn't wait. Yes, it was urgent. None of that seemed to matter because their gatekeepers were not interested in passing on messages, no matter if there was a perceived emergency. Vanth was at his wits end with them, so he walked downstairs to check on his ghouls and stock the van with supplies that they might need for their adventure.

Elektra was still going through Eiline's journals, and Vanth wasn't much use to her. Besides, he kept looking at her, and all his cohesive thoughts were leaving his head.

"You are like a love-sick puppy, and I'm so happy about it," Cecelia said, popping out of nowhere to scare the shit out of him.

"I don't know what you mean," Vanth replied, his ears going red.

Cecelia cackled like a banshee. "It's adorable. It's about time someone did a number on you. It's a shame it had to be a mean reaper that terrifies all the ghosts in the house, but at least she is pretty."

"You guys will get used to her. She's not going to reap any of you because she promised that she wouldn't."

Cecelia nodded. "You two kind of match. She will keep your nonsense in check, and make sure you do the human things like eat and sleep. You're even getting laid for once. I feel like I don't know what to do."

"What you will do is not spy on us when we are fucking," Vanth said, laughing as she pouted.

"Why are you so determined to ruin my Afterlife."

"Go haunt a sex club, you perve. I'll move you to one myself if that's how you want to spend your time."

"I don't know about a sex club, but I wouldn't mind an outing to Galen's place. He's not bad for an Irishman," Cecelia replied and pulled on his braid. "You should take me over there before you leave. In case you die horribly."

Vanth opened his mouth to reply when a wave of magic hit him hard enough to knock him back a step.

"What the fuck? Vanth!" Elektra said, coming down the stairs.

"That wasn't me, princess."

Cecelia flickered. "Vanth? Something is wrong. I don't feel so good. Something is tearing at me!"

Vanth reached for her hand and fed her some energy. "What do you mean?" he asked.

The strange magic was still scorching the air, leaving a taste of iron in his mouth.

"The other ghosts... Oh, Sweet Mother Mary. Vanth, it's taking us! It's taking us all!" Cecelia screamed, her body flickering.

Vanth grabbed her other hand. "Hold on, Cecelia!" he urged, panic overwhelming him. He tried to feed her more of his magic, but she began to vanish through his fingertips. "No, no, no."

Her big eyes turned silver. "I never told you that I stuck to you that day in London because you were so lost. More lost than me. And so alone. I knew I could never leave until you had someone that would have your back," she said and touched his face. "You look after each other now."

"Cecelia, don't let go," Vanth urged. "Don't leave me."

Cecelia smiled. "I can't stop it, honey. It's got us all."

"No! Cecelia!" Vanth's hands were empty. He had only seen a ghost disappear like that once before.

"Tarael?" Elektra whispered, her face pale. "What just happened? I've never seen that... I can't feel any of your ghosts anymore."

"It's because they were all just stolen," he said, voice flat. "There's either someone else in the city, ghost trapping for power, or it's Lazarus. I killed the last trapper. He's in the basement being a ghoul. I made sure all of his devices and research were destroyed." Vanth's power pulsed angrily under his skin, reacting to the boiling anger in his veins.

"What are we going to do? What do you need?" Elektra said, her hand wrapping around his forearm. "I'm with you."

She was calm and steady as a rock despite the power pulsing out of him. He held onto that calm and tried to pull it inside of him.

"We need to go and see the fucking dragons," he growled. "And this time, I'm not taking no for an answer. It might get me into big trouble. Or burned alive. You never know."

"Sounds like fun." Elektra kissed his cheek. "And I just thought of the perfect plan to get us in front of them."

The dragon district of Inferno lay at its very heart. Originally, the plans of the city had been circular, like ancient Baghdad, but the population of Inferno had grown around it, so from the air, it now represented a flower.

The heart was still a circle and still run by the dragons because the original five still lived there. The eldest, Azhdaha, was the not-so-secret king of Inferno. The dragons wanted everyone to look after their own people and have their own autonomy, but if problems got big enough to get the dragons' attention, then everyone in the situation was fucked. Nobody wanted the dragons' attention. Ever.

That was why Vanth was looking up at the black and gold building before him, wondering if what he was about to do was a good idea. Okay, he knew it was a very bad idea, but Galen was right. If Lazarus succeeded in raising an undead army, then only the dragons would be strong enough to protect the city.

Elektra sat beside him, dressed in her reaper suit and her sleeveless hooded robe. They would do their best to warn the dragons, and then they would head straight to the temple.

"You got this?" Vanth asked. He wasn't sure what the plan was exactly, but Elektra held herself with her usual confidence. She cocked a brow at him.

"Why? You nervous?"

"Shitting myself, and you should be too."

Elektra only tossed her red curls with a scoffing sound and got out of the van. Vanth followed her because he wasn't about to let her out of his sight. His heart hurt over Cecelia, and there was something about Elektra that stopped him from losing his shit. He couldn't feel a single ghost in Inferno. They were all gone. It had to be Lazarus. No one else in the city would be stupid enough to try it.

The doors to the building slid silently open, and Elektra's magic washed over Vanth like a wave of darkness and starlight. Her leather suit melted and changed to an elegant gown of indigo velvet and silk, sprays of stars in its train. A matching crown perched on her head.

"Close your mouth before something flies into it," she whispered to him. "It's just a glamor, so as long as no one touches me, it will be fine."

"You are so beautiful," he replied and tried to get his game face on.

The foyer of the building was mostly purple porphyry and bronze. It had expensive lounges for people to wait with plants in large, expensive pots. Everything about it was beautiful and designed to make anyone who went into it feel intimidated.

A woman sat behind an ornate counter of ebony wood inlaid with mother-of-pearl designs. There were guards standing watch at the elevators. Everyone that was waiting seemed to pause in hushed awe as Elektra strode past them, every inch an annoyed, entitled princess.

"Good afternoon, Miss—" the receptionist began.

Vanth instantly recognized her voice as the same unhelpful one he had been speaking to all day.

"It is not a good afternoon," Elektra said, staring down her nose at the shocked receptionist. "I am Princess Elektra Nova of the Celestial Court, Lady of the Twilight, and I demand to speak with Lord Azhdaha immediately. It is of the utmost importance and emergency. My counselor here has been trying to inform you all day, and you have disrespected my people. Now, you will take me to Lord Azhdaha, or there will be consequences."

Vanth watched in awe as Elektra tore shreds of the receptionist, her gray eyes flashing with indignation and fury. He tried to keep his expression calm and entitled as she forced the receptionist to do exactly as she wished. She was every bit a princess, and it took less than five minutes before she was escorted into an elevator before she started to make even more of a scene. By the gods, she was magnificent.

The elevator doors opened, and they were led through a long hallway filled with beautiful art and murals of dragons fighting legendary battles. Elektra ignored all of it. The double doors at the end of the hall opened, and a balding, small man in an expensive suit hurried out of the room. He carried a pile of files and was looking sweaty and agitated.

The guard that was escorting them knocked politely on the doors.

"Enter," a deep bass voice echoed through the door, and the guard opened it for Elektra and Vanth. They stepped inside the office, and Vanth wished he had told Galen to fuck himself and had never followed his ridiculous advice.

Azhdaha stood looking out over the city. He wore a white shirt and black pants, everything tailored to fit his seven-foot frame. His hair was long and black except for one wide streak of gold. It matched the golden hoops in his ears and torc around his neck.

Elektra and Vanth bowed deeply because neither one of them was stupid.

"Ah, Princess Elektra, it has been many centuries since I last heard from the Celestial Court. What is so urgent that you have upset my day?" he asked, voice like hot silk.

Elektra's glamor melted until she was in her reaper uniform once more. "Forgive the theatrics, my lord. I'm not here to represent the Celestial Court but the Temple of Magic and Bone. There is a great threat to the city, and it is urgent that you are made aware of it."

Azhdaha's expression didn't change. "What could scare the keepers of the dead so much? And what does it have to do with Inferno's most notorious necromancer?"

"I'm flattered you have heard of me," Vanth said and tried to pretend he wasn't intimidated. "I'm not the problem, but I'm hoping to be the solution."

Vanth and Elektra told the dragon everything Lazarus had done, including taking lesser magical creatures and ghosts to fuel his magic and ambitions. They told him everything with the exception of Vanth being the son of Orcus.

"We will leave the city after this meeting to do our best to stop Lazarus from damaging the Veil further. We only thought you should be advised of the threat," Elektra said finally.

"And why should you think I need to concern myself with any of this?" Azhdaha asked.

"Because you don't want anyone else ruling Inferno but you," Vanth said, his impatience and already agitated magic flaring. "Let's cut the shit, shall we? I know for a fact that there are certain buildings designed around the city to take the weight of a full-size dragon in case of attack. You won't let some asshole take the city from you, so don't pretend you don't care."

Azhdaha smiled, but there was no humor in it. "I care, but I will not cause a panic in the city with unsubstantiated claims. I wish you luck on your mission. Thank you for the warning."

And with that, they were dismissed. Vanth fought the urge to call the dragon various unsavory names and strode out before he did so.

In the elevator, Elektra's warm hand found his, and the roaring in his head calmed.

"They can't say they were never warned, Tarael," she whispered softly, the use of his name drawing him out of his anger.

Vanth lifted their clasped hands and kissed her knuckles. He could only hope that the dragons wouldn't remain so apathetic if they failed because it would be Inferno that suffered and never their powerful overlords.