4.24 Assassination Attempt

The guard carrying Adam stumbled and fell. Adam's body sprawled on the floor. The senior guard crawled over to Adam's inert body. His fingers fumbled for a pulse. His hands came back slicked with blood. "Get the castle doctor. Now" he commanded one of his underlings.

"Yes sir," one of them mumbled dragging their eyes from their fallen ruler.

Standing the senior guard growled at the confused group of scared young vampires. "Take them to the dungeons" he stepped aside as the doctor was escorted inside along with several nurses. He found the trusted mage Alanon standing against the far wall. Waving him over he asked "can you do anything for him?"

Shaking his head Alanon said "no all we can hope is the surgeon can remove the stake. It missed his heart so there's hope."

Nodding the burly werewolf digested the mages assessment "come with me," the werewolf commanded.

Dragging his eyes from his friend Alanon followed the guard "where are we going?" he asked as they took the stairs down towards the dungeon.

"I need you to take a look at the ones responsible for this travesty" the guard explained.

Standing in front of the cell Alanon was surprised who many of the vampires were. "What am I looking for?" he asked confusion coloring his words.

"I'd rather not say. I want your unbiased opinion" the guard said

Nodding Alanon focused his attention on the imprisoned vampires. All from prominent families many of which had been long time supporters of Adam. Why would they attack him? He had never considered any of these young men as dangerous or capable of killing someone. He shivered as they stared back at him with blank uncomprehending eyes. Something was terribly wrong. It felt as if they weren't really there. "Are they drugged?" he asked "they seem to be in a daze or under a spell." He added the last hesitantly. Who among his kind was powerful enough to cast such a spell? Who would want Adam dead? Would one of his people be working for Serafino without his knowledge? 

Rubbing his chin with his one good hand the senior guard nodded "that's what I'm thinking too." Turning he leaned heavily against the wall.

"You're hurt" Alanon exclaimed upon seeing the blood left on the wall from the man's wound.

"My wounds are inconsequential compared to the esteemed one" the guard retorted pushing off the wall.

"Don't neglect yourself" Alanon insisted "we need your expertise to safeguard the castle."

"Once I ensure against further attack I will report to the infirmary" the man snarled. Nodding towards the prisoners "can you tell who put these children up to this attack?"

"It will take time," Alanon said regretfully "I will see what I can find out. Can you have one of them brought to me?"

"Which one?" he growled disliking the idea.

"That one" Alanon pointed "the one who staked the esteemed one." He watched as the bewildered youngster stared at his bloodied hands "give me an hour to set things up."

"You'll have him" the werewolf agreed "after your finished I will interrogate him."

***

Smiling Tommy lifted the faeries hand placing a soft kiss on the back "it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance" he smirked.

Velvet pulled her hand away. Skin tingling where his lips had grazed it. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before. Not once had her stomach somersaulted at the sound of her intended one. Not once had her body tingled in anticipation of his touch. Remotely she wondered if this was the way it was supposed to be between people. Was this the fabled love at first sight she had read so much about?

Her eyes were drawn to his lips. The way his tongue moved as he talked left her feeling weak and breathless. "So Velvet where do you come from?" the sound of his voice saying her name sent shivers all the way down to her toes.

With a mental shake she tore her eyes from his mouth and her thoughts of how those lips would feel caressing her skin. "Um what?" she mumbled as if waking from a trance.

"Where are you from?" he repeated "Keenan says it's a unusual for a bumble fairy to be away from their cluster."

She could feel his eyes upon her, curiosity shining bright. She felt her cheeks flush with heat under his scrutiny. She gave herself a little shake giving him a dramatic shrug "I guess you could say I ran away."

She could see the shock and dismay in all of their eyes as the group stared at her. "You can't go back" Keenan blurted out unable to contain his shock any longer.

"No I can't" she sighed as the sadness and loneliness settled around her like a large heavy cloak.

Grabbing her hand Tommy pulled her towards the dance floor "we're here to have fun. Let's dance." His infectious smile had her smiling up at him. "That's better" he grinned "I can't have my cute little bumble being sad."

"Don't call me that" her smile faded to a frown "my name's Velvet."

"So it is" Tommy laughed causing her lips to twitch "Velvet, sugar plum you've got to...." He looked up as a large hand fell across his shoulder. He found himself gazing into the no nonsense eyes of one of Keenan's guards.

"We have to leave. Now" the man said his words almost obscured by the low grumbling growl.

Tommy was forcefully pulled away from the beautiful bumble. "Your number" he shouted as he was pulled away from her "I need your number."

Velvet hurried after him unsure what she should do. The werewolves weren't taking any chances in letting anyone near the two young men she had been conversing with moments before. Her eyes were drawn to the TV as an emergency broadcast cut into the regular program. She gasped in shock as she absorbed the the awful news of the assignation attempt on Keenan's father. Turning in dismay she tried to find Tommy only to find that he and Keenan were gone. Numbly she sat down at their table staring blankly ahead. She hadn't known either boy for long but the place felt empty without their presence.

***

"What's happening?" Keenan asked after he had been ushered into the waiting vehicle. 

The men remained silent. Faces revealing little but a foreboding glower. "You will be appraised of the situation once we arrive at the castle," one of the guards said dismissing him.

"Is my father alright?" Keenan asked voice rising in alarm.

"You will be apprised of the situation at the castle young sir" the guard informed him.

Keenan looked down as a firm hand gripped his forearm. Glancing across at Tommy's worried face he frowned. "Do you know what's going on?" he asked.

"No more than you" Tommy muttered his voice low hoping to keep from attracting any undue attention them. "This isn't good. I've seen my father enough times in circumstances like these to know something bad has happened."

Digesting that bit of unwelcome information Keenan nodded. The werewolves were on high alert which meant the death threat was no longer just a threat. He leaned his forehead on the cool glass of the window watching the busy streets of Moonlight Falls pass by him. Was his father alive? Was he dead? Would he, an inexperienced eighteen year old be made supreme ruler over Moonlight Falls? He wasn't ready. He didn't know near enough to do the job his father did.

"Hey it's going to be alright" Tommy said giving his arm a firm shake.

He knew Tommy meant well. If this was a human world maybe his words would be true. For all he knew his life was about to end. At the very least be changed forever.

When the car stopped moving he followed the guards inside the castle walls. He and Tommy were escorted into an unfamiliar room. That in itself was ominous. Never had he been in the castle without being brought to his father's office. 

"Wait here" the guard ordered walking away leaving the two young men alone in an empty room.

***

A deep growl from behind them forced the newly engaged couple apart. "Excuse our intrusion. You must come with us. Now."

Kimberly felt Everett tense beside her. "Why?" he demanded putting a protective arm around her shoulders.

"This is not the place or the time to ask questions" the werewolf said unmoved by the humans belligerence.

"If you think we're coming with you just because you say so you have another thing coming" Everett tried to go around the man pulling Kimberly along with him.

"There has been an assignation attempt on the supreme one" the man grumbled clearly disliking providing the information in the open where anyone could hear "for your protection you must come with us."

Everett turned at the sudden loud gasp beside him. He caught Kimberly as she stumbled falling forward. Lifting her in his arms he followed the werewolves to the waiting car. Stopping he asked "what about my car?"

"We will send someone back for it" the guard said opening the door for them.

Resisting the urge to refuse Everett laid Kimberly on the backseat of the heavily armored car. Heart pounding in his chest his mind wandered back to when his parents had been ushered into a car from the castle. It was like the first time. This was how it began. He gasped as the car lurched forward. Cradling Kimberly's head in his lap careful to keep her from falling. He stroked her long soft hair frowning at the chalky whiteness of her complexion hoping the added stress wasn't doing her or the baby any harm. 

Kimberly moaned fighting to sit up "no no no" she cried out fighting off Everett's hands. "This is all wrong" she complained sitting up blinking rapidly "I'm sorry" she mumbled when she became fully aware of her surroundings "I can't reach him. I tried but I can't."

Wiping the large tears from her face Everett spoke gently "honey you haven't been able to contact Adam since he started wearing that amulet."

"Oh" she shook her head "I forgot."

Hugging her close Everett took a deep breath "where are we going?"

"To the castle" was the curt response.

"What about our daughter?" Everett asked worried that Phoebe was vulnerable home alone with her great grandmother as her only protection.

"A car has been sent to the house" one of the men supplied "the esteemed one's wife and great granddaughter are in route to the castle as we speak."

Everett nodded leaning back in his seat arm around Kimberly. She looked up at him as tremors invaded his body. "Are you alright?" she asked him.

"I'm fine" he closed his eyes seeking a calm he didn't feel. He hated the idea of going to the castle under these circumstances. It brought back to many unpleasant memories. He looked down as someone took his hand. 

"It'll be ok" she said looking into his eyes strong and steady "I'm right here. I'm not leaving your side. Not for second."

***

Heath looked up from his desk with an insurmountable mountain of paperwork waiting for him to wade through. His office door was flung open by an impressive dour looking werewolf. Heath stood up with a feeling of foreboding heavy in the air around him.

"You're coming with me" the werewolf snarled.

"What? Why?" Heath shook his head waving at the paperwork on his desk "as you can see I'm swimming in work. I can't just drop everything to go with you."

The man's upper lip curled displaying the man's impressive canines "Have you not seen the news?" he snarled.

"No. I prefer to work in silence" Heath could feel dread weighing heavily on his chest. He switched on the ancient television set. The loud obnoxious voice of the anchor man filled the room. Standing outside the familiar building of the castle. "Our esteemed ruler has been taken to the infirmary after an attempted assignation. His condition is unknown at this time. Sources from inside the castle inform us the esteemed one's condition is critical. Stay tuned as we keep you up to date with what's happening live at the castle."

Stunned Heath fell into his chair. Ears ringing he brought his trembling hands to his face "how is he?" Heath asked his voice devoid of emotion. "How is my father?" he demanded of one of his father's trusted guards. 

"Not good" the man said his voice held an undertow of anger "you must come with me. Now."

Nodding Heath stood on numb wobbly legs. At any moment he felt as if he was about to fall. How could this be  happening? His father had always been bigger than life, invincible. Vaguely he was aware of the werewolf giving orders to his staff. The murmured condolences from his secretary and staff. Nodding he went through the motions wondering if he would ever be back in the post he didn't want. Would he still be the guy in charge of Midnight Hollow if his father died? 

Would Keenan be the next to sit on the throne? Would this spark the war Serafino was intent on starting? They needed his father's straight, clear headed thinking now more than ever. They couldn't have an inexperienced boy in charge not if they hoped to defeat Serafino. 

Exiting the building Heath said "I need to go by the house..."

"That won't be necessary" the guard grumbled.

"I'm not leaving without my family" Heath protested coming to a standstill on the sidewalk.

"Sir it's unwise to stand in the open like this" the werewolf urged him to move.

"I'm not going without my family" he repeated a definite stubborn edge in his voice. 

The guard took Heath's arm physically pulling him towards the car "we can discuss this in the vehicle out of the line of fire."

"Fire?" Heath choked on the word "you don't think I'm in danger do you?"

"You are the esteemed one's son" the guard gave him a stern stare "what do you think?"

It was a sobering thought. One that allowed the guard to guide him to the waiting car. A man opened the back door as Heath arrived. He was all but pushed into the vehicle. Righting himself in the backseat he looked up to find the calming light blue eyes of his husband gazing in concern at him. Unable to restrain himself he pulled Don into his arms. "They could have told me you were in here" he said "I was refusing to leave without you."

"Daddy is grandpa going to die?" Owen interrupted his eyes worried clinging to his older sister.

"I don't know," Heath sighed feeling the weight of needing to be calm to help his children cope through this difficult ordeal. "I hope not" he sighed dreading what was to come next.

***

As soon as Quinn arrived in her safe haven she could sense something had changed. Something terrible. A blow that could wreck the entire fabric of the dimension

"You should have let me have him," a malicious voice said behind her.

"Silver what have you done?" she demanded turning to face the vile creature.

Shrugging he leaned back on her couch a smile making his lips quiver. "I didn't do anything. If you had let me have him I would have protected him."

"He's not for you" she repeated hands clenching into fists.

"So you say" his eyes glittered behind his pale lashes.

"He's still very much in love with his wife," she told him.

Glaring at her Silver hissed "I could take care of that obstacle."

"You will not harm Adam's wife" Quinn snapped.

"He's bonded to me" Silver stuck his chin out jabbing a finger under her nose.

"His body. Not his mind is bonded to you," Quinn corrected.

"I can satisfy him in ways she never can," he continued lost in thought or lust "I remember every inch of his superb body. The way his heart beat in rhythm to my touch. What does she have to offer but a dried out wrinkled husk?"

Quinn shook her head knowing nothing she said would do any good to dissuade him. Silver would continued to want what he couldn't have.

"He's a young virile vampire. In the prime of his life," Silver continued eyes clouded and hazy "he needs someone like me by his side."

"He isn't yours" Quinn repeated as if she hoped this time she'd reach him with her words.

"What good is he to you if he's dead?" he asked "seal the bond. Make him mine for all of eternity."

"If I don't? she asked.

"Watch your precious dimension crumble around your ears" he took a step forward "you know I can save him. Give him to me. Save your dimension. I'll never bother you again."

She could do as he wished. He could save Adam's life where she couldn't directly step in and do it herself. Saving Adam's life would balance the teetering forces cascading into chaos. She had seen the future without Adam's influence. Without him the virus leading to horrible future mutations would be released. 

Silver gave her a knowing smile. He had her over a barrel and she knew it. She needed Adam to save the future. The dimension. Adam would be his. He could smell the sweet scent of victory.