Read Keeper of Dawn and Blood :: The Heirs

I was beyond hungry. I was beyond aggravated. Grief was still a heavy stone in my gut and if I still wasn't allowed to meet my wards within the next five minutes, I was going to do something stupid. I couldn't help the dripping disdain that seeped through my expression; it was simply there, goading the Nephilim into a snarl.

He tried to tug his hand back, but I dug my heels in, refusing to give it back.

"What business do you have with Bodhi Sharma?" The arrogant male in my way barked.

I was just as intemperate as this stranger. He didn't deserve my words or my time, but people were starting to lose their drunken stupor. A few glazed eyes were turning towards us with a seriousness that was going to be deemed problematic. What would be worse? Tarnishing the Runebane family with another debacle, or not establishing my abilities as a Rook? I was in a bind no matter what, and at this very moment, I hated this Nephilim for seizing the indecision that gripped my stock-still pose, his quick hands trying to break down my guard.

A peek at Perpetua's corner proved that Bodhi, this Nephilim's ward, had risen to his feet and was now hauling one of my triplets through a side-door. Andraste, the petty princess, and the wildcard of the three siblings, Godrick, were yet to appear but I'd find them soon enough.

My thoughts veered to my uncle, whose cold body was probably being wept over by my fragile mother. I couldn't fail in this enormous task set before me. I was a legacy Rook and this job had meant everything to him.

"My name is Nilsenna Underhill and I am a servant to house Runebane," I snapped, a vicious energy suffusing each word, "Do what you must to protect your ward, but I will take no chances in ensuring the safety of my own. Prepare yourself, Nephilim."

I'd glanced fear before, but the look on his face was... something close to terror. He'd doubtless known about the reputations of the Runebanes and their overzealous protectors in passing, but meeting them in person was another reality altogether. Underhills, to be sure, weren't the ultimate prize in Dasbridow - but even he couldn't deny that our pedigree was a particular birthright given exclusively to the Runebanes because of the longstanding friendship our ancestors shared. Since the fateful binding of that first generation, not once has my family served another Elven line and still to this day, the denizens of Dasbridow quipped about the prowess of Underhill Rooks, who were all known for being ruthless guard dogs at the feet of their masters.

A splurge of Vampiric power shot through me like adrenaline. It pulsed in my veins, gathering like the swells of a tsunami as I yanked the sturdy Nephilim forward using my hoodie. I spun directly in front of him and flipped him over my shoulder. Breathless, he rubbed his head on the floor, staring up at me in a daze. I skipped over him, the bottom of my foot finding the middle of his face as an afterthought, and I didn't need to check behind me to see that I'd broken his nose... the satisfying crunch I'd felt was a telling enough answer to my question.

Before he could screech thunderous profanity at my slyness, I was already on my way, vanishing through the rhythmic throng of dancers and disorderly gossipers. Nothing could stop me now, for I was directing my path to where Perpetua had gone like a crazed bull, single-minded determination enhancing my quickness as I shoved my shoulder into the still-swinging door left behind Bodhi.

"Let go of me!" An angsty, feminine voice drifted into my line of sight.

Over by a spiral staircase, Perpetua was caged in by Bodhi's muscular frame. He was leaning over her and attempting to kiss her face, but she twisted her head at the last minute, making him angry.

"Oh, come on. Are you really going to be a prude when your sister spreads her legs for every guy in Crestbridge?" Bodhi's sharp, antagonistic voice tore at Perpetua's ego like a knife, and I was jolted back into motion at the way she flinched.

Protect your ward, Nilsenna.

The back of his head was facing me and when Bodhi attempted to plant another intrusive kiss on Perpetua, I kicked the back of his left leg, making him kneel. My ivory-skinned ward released a soft gasp at my emergence, her shocked, silver eyes seeking mine like a magnet over Bodhi's mop of black hair.

I stepped onto the back of his calf, pinning his leg to the floor, my bicep swiftly locking around his throat like a vise. "You are not worthy for the likes of Perpetua Runebane. Touch her without permission again and we will have a problem, do you understand me, vermin?"

"Who the hell are you?" The Elven swine in my hold thrashed.

I replied calmly, "Nilsenna Underhill."

His struggles ceased almost as soon as they had begun. A second passed in ragged silence, and even Perpetua took a moment to consider me, her shoulders straightening in confidence. The Underhill name was a pistol, and all she had to do was pull the trigger.

Perpetua finally spoke to me, "Grandfather assigned you as my Rook? I didn't think he'd get someone so young."

Oh, yes, heavy doubt concerning my capabilities as a young Rook were going to be a constant issue, I surmised.

"What do you want me to do with this... gentleman?" I said, pulling his head back.

"Oh, you mean Sharma? Let's just get out of here. I don't want Andraste and Godrick to find out about this."

My ward glided over to my side, nearly stumbling in her heels. Yes, once again it became painfully obvious to me that Perpetua Runebane was totally inebriated, lacking a sharp tongue as well as any kind of coordination should she wish to evade Bodhi's advances, proving her defenselessness against that brute. That was why I threw Bodhi head first into the railing of the staircase, and moved to catch her when she nearly tripped on her own two feet.

This creep had well and truly tried to take advantage of my vulnerable ward. If I'd been a second too late... I couldn't stifle the shivers that were going up and down my spine as I imagined Perpetua's fate at the hands of Bodhi Sharma.

I sighed in relief when Galahad came bustling through the side-door. He was chattering away with Andraste, my second ward. She was not happy at all to see me. Slightly taller than her sister, she had lighter tresses and darker rings of silver in her eyes. Wearing loud makeup on her face that silhouetted every feature to perfection, the gorgeous triplet raked disapproving eyes down my body, then snapped a pouty look towards her grandfather.

"You hired a hobo to protect us? What happened to that illustrious line of Rooks we were promised?" Andraste said.

My, oh, my. This was one of my masters for the foreseeable future. I cleared my throat and bowed my head at her, "Nilsenna Underhill, at your service."

Her face showed no signs of change at first, but when I began to steer a wobbly-kneed Perpetua towards her sibling, only then did Andraste stare at me with slightly less scorn. Her manicured hands ran over her triplet's face with worry, but drunk as she was, the introverted sister didn't make a scene. Her glazed eyes darted to Bodhi, who was groaning on the ground and collecting himself slowly.

"What happened here?" Andraste asked, slowly and carefully.

I looked to Perpetua for disclosure, but she shook her head and that was that. I told a lie, remembering Galahad's words earlier on: be their secret-keeper, it's up to them.

"He had an accident. I was just about to help him up when you guys arrived."

Galahad browsed the empty lobby that we were standing in. "Where is your brother, girls?" he wondered.

"Who cares about Godrick?" Andraste lamented, taking Perpetua's hands into her own, "He's probably doing something unbecoming of the Runebane name, grandfather. He's always been a piece of work, you know."

"We need to do the pledging ceremony for your Rook and it requires all three of you," The elderly Runebane turned to me and pointed his umbrella back towards the lecture hall,

"Nilsenna, I desire you find your ward immediately."

I slanted a look at the female triplets standing together and asked, "Where might one find Godrick Runebane?"

Perpetua hummed and was on the precipice of answering until Andraste silenced her. I narrowed my eyes. She merely crossed her arms, a challenge thinning her scarlet-red lips. She truly was the brat of the silver-eyed triplets.

"Find him yourself. You're an Underhill, aren't you? Our family Rooks are legendary, or at least that's what I've heard... Do try and impress me, Rook. Sniff out your master, doggy."

'Strangle down the chagrin', I told myself.

In the end, I was able to do it, mastering myself as I always have and always would. Tanjiro... How did he ever live under such dehumanizing slander? It would only get worse from here. And the worst part was, I had to protect Andraste Runebane, one of the Elven triplet heirs of the Runebane family, no matter how much her malignant commentary afflicted me.

Back into the lecture hall I went, a darkness shouldering inside of me as I stalked through the masses. Andraste, Perpetua and Godrick. Three wards, one mission. Where the hell was the male triplet, though? I hoped that this last acquisition wouldn't take too long.

Just as I re-entered the pounding dance floor, people began to recognize me as the gruesome outsider who had attacked the Nephilim. I was given the stink-eye from afar and the few students who were bold enough pointed outright at me, their voices cutting through the music like a knife. Time was running out for me in this gooey atmosphere of hedonism, as the rich nobles were quickly losing interest in their dancing and drinking; the intrigue of a newcomer too much to resist.

A circle had formed around me once I'd reached the edge of the dance floor. Damn it. I was so close to reaching the lavatories. My idea had been to check them for Godrick.

The Nephilim that I'd fought earlier shoved his way into my circle and called for my attention.

"Vampire! You're not going anywhere! You and I will finish this fight."

His nose was... busted. Blood decorated his upper lip but despite his drawn shoulders and prepared stance, he probably wouldn't survive an encounter with an Underhill, no matter how trained he was. I may have been an amateur guardian, but the grueling tutelage of Underhill Rooks was unparalleled.

Fire or water. Tanjiro knew when to switch between either, apparently. If I fought with fire, all around me would burn. Maybe I could run with water.

Our audience was salivating with excitement as I replied carelessly, "Can't we just forget this ever happened? Bodhi Sharma knew what he did. As a fellow Rook, you should know that we are the hands and feet of our wards. Mistakes and consequences must be met with retribution, after all."

"And what of your mistake, vampire?" The Nephilim hissed.

I stepped forward so that we were nearly toe-to-toe. I didn't want anyone else to hear what I was about to say. After all, I'd promised Perpetua that I'd keep silent on the matter.

"I was acting in the capacity of a Rook. Just as you were. So really, my mistake is not a mistake at all. I am entitled to manifest any method of protection when my wards are in perceived danger. It won't be too hard to prove that Perpetua was in discomfort either... based on how he steered her away and tried to grope her in private. Have you anything else to say, Nephilim? Or should I bring their grandfather into it? You remember who he is, don't you? Galahad Runebane."

His face tightened and without a word, he backed off. His silver hair bounced off the lights as he disappeared into the crowd of murmuring students. Everyone was utterly gob smacked over the fact that I'd just defeated him with a mysterious, threatening speech.

Shaking my head, I continued on my way to the male lavatory. The couple in front of it sped away at the sight of me and I kicked the door open. Elven males rushed out, their hands fumbling with their zippers. I glanced at the stalls, finding the last one still occupied. Luckily, I could hear suggestive noises coming from it and the smell of cigarettes emanated over to where I stood, leaning against a mirror.

Running a tired hand through my hair, I called out, "That better not be you in there, Godrick Runebane."

The person smoking in there continued to blow rings up at the ceiling. I expected to hear the smoker talk back, but instead a female voice rattled out to me, sounding breathless and wet-sounding, "He's not available to you... Now or ever."

Godrick was in the middle of receiving a blowjob. Great. I could deduce that much from what was going on behind the stall, with the female on her knees and the sound of a certain male groaning nearby. This was beyond my payroll as a Rook, surely.

Clearing my throat, I went for a respectful tone and said, "Your grandfather seeks an audience with you, Godrick. I'm afraid I can't leave without you."

More smoke rings disappeared over the door of the occupied stall, and then a deeply amused voice grated, "He can wait ten more minutes."

Ten? I smacked my head back into the mirror. With the chandelier lights glaring down upon me, I attempted to block out Godrick's punctuating groans of pleasure for the next ten minutes. When eventually, a loud climax arrowed into sight for him, I breathed a sigh of relief, as if I too was partial to the eruption of euphoria because now I could leave this dank hole of nightmares.

Two staggering bodies leered on their way out of the last stall and leaned against one of the sinks. Godrick was the taller and sturdier body of the duo, flopped around the giggling, feminine one, his defiantly, ash-blonde hair askew as he kissed her neck. Taking stock of my blank expression, he popped a new cigar between his teeth and gestured for me to lead the way to his grandfather.

After a beat of hesitation, I did, holding the door open for them on my way out of the lavatory. Godrick's eyes were more of a slate-grey in contrast to Galahad's, but they held the same depth of obscurity in them.

It was like looking at a younger and cockier version of the old man, I noticed.

On his way to the door, Godrick paused and blew smoke right into my face. I coughed, turning my head away, then waited for him to move around me. Seconds trickled over. Nothing happened. When I finally did stare at into his eyes, determining the reason for his unprompted pause, only then did the inactivity leave his bones.

Godrick was watching for my response. He was testing me for some reason, I thought to myself.