Chapter 9: Snack Run

  Crystal opened the door of the condo, she noticed a suit and ashes on the ground right in front of the door, there was also a bottle that was full of a red liquid that she assumed was blood.

  “Roberto!” She entered the condo with Sean and Lamar right behind her.

  “Oh my God, help!” Crystal said as she rounded the couch. Lamar and Sean rushed over. They found Roberto passed out on the floor, blood on his shirt and a dagger next to him. Sean and Lamar picked him up and laid him down on the couch. Crystal lifted up his shirt, there was a small cut on his chest, Roberto was almost fully healed, but he still wasn’t awake. Lamar looked through his bag and found a healing potion and handed it to Crystal. She lifted his head and sat down, she rested his head in her lap.

  “Give him that,” Lamar said.

  “What is it?” Crystal asked cautiously.

  “Something that will help.” Lamar answered.

  Crystal opened the bottle, she used one hand to open Roberto’s mouth and with the other she poured the liquid down his throat.

  “What now?” She asked as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

  “Give it a moment.” Lamar instructed, Crystal did as she was told as she cradled his head in her lap. A few moments later Roberto opened his eyes.

  “Hey you.” He said looking at his wet faced fiancé as his eyes focused to the light. She gave him a kiss and cried even harder. He sat up and pulled her into his arms.

  “I’m okay, don’t cry.”

  “I thought I loss you.” She managed to get out between sobs.

  “What happened?” Lamar asked.

  “My buddy Carl showed up and we had a disagreement of sorts, he also was the one that sent the unpures to my place. Somehow he knew about Crystal and the baby. He wanted them dead so I can marry his sister for the sake of the royal bloodline.”

  “Where is Carl now?”

  “He’s that pile of clothes in front of the door.” Roberto said, he wiped away Crystal’s tears with his hand. She was beginning to gain back her composure.

  “You killed a royal.” Sean stated.

  “Yeah I did.”

  “You killed a royal.” Sean repeated as he sat down on the opposite couch trying to grasp the severity of what has happened tonight.

  “So what does this mean?” Lamar asked.

  “War.” Roberto answered flatly.

  “What do you mean war?” Crystal asked, you can hear the fear in her voice.

  “He killed a royal from another family. It doesn’t matter that he is a royal himself and it doesn’t matter that Carl tried to kill him. A royal was killed.” He did try to kill you right?” Sean asked.

  “Yeah, I think.”

  “What do you mean you think?” Lamar asked concerned.

  “Well he missed my heart.”

  “Great so you’re not sure.” Sean replied.

  “But I think he was the one behind the spiked blood as well.” Roberto got up and walked over to where Carl remains were, he grabbed the bottle of blood. He was thankful it didn’t break when he killed Carl. He walked back over and handed the blood to Lamar.

  “Can you run your test to see if this blood was messed with too?”

  “I can, but what would be the point, you already killed the guy.”

  “I just want to know.” Roberto sat back down next to Crystal and wrapped his arms back around her. They sat there in silence as Lamar tested the blood, it was positive, the blood was spiked.

  “What would be the purpose of this,” Crystal asked.

  “I’m not sure.” Lamar admitted, him not knowing made him anxious, was Carl working alone he thought or was there someone else he had to worry about now.

  “He wanted you to kill Crystal.” Her eyes got wide and everyone stayed silent.

  “How do you know that?” Sean asked, breaking the silence.

  “This spell is a fresher, he must have gotten this made a few hours ago. I was able to determine who it was meant for by following the essence of the spell and I didn’t have to follow too far.” Lamar said as a greenish cloud that only he could see surround Crystal.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “I’m glad his dead then. But we also have a bigger problem now, once Carl’s family finds out he is dead there going to come after me. Which is going to cause a war between our families, but knowing my father he is going to disown me. He might even send some people after me as well. I’m sorry for dragging you guys into this but am very thankful you were able to save Crystal.”

  “No worries, we weren’t seen so they don’t know you had our help. Besides it wouldn’t be the first time a royal family came after us, the first time it being vampires though.”

  Crystal realized she was still in her robe and pajamas. She excused herself to the bed room so she could change into something else.

  “Maybe you should reach out to your father before he finds out and talk to him, let him know that you were defending yourself.” Sean suggested.

  “He won’t care. My dad is all about the politics and power, I’m not in line to take over once he is done so he is not going to care that another Royal tried to kill me.”

  “Are you sure, it seems to me if you father is so consumed with power it would make him look weak for someone to go after his son.” Sean said.

  “Maybe.” Roberto admitted, he knew Sean had a good point but he still wasn’t sure.

  “So what are we going to be facing then?” Lamar asked.

  “We, there is no we,” Sean said.

  “We can’t just let them go up against a royal family alone.”

  “Did you forget about the council, we have our own rules we need to worry about.” Lamar knew Sean was right, but he just didn’t feel right leaving them to fend for themselves.

  “You guys have done enough already. You’ve risked your lives for use, and you saved our unborn child, I cannot ask you to do anything else.” Roberto said to them.

  Crystal came out of the bedroom, she was wearing a pair of to big sweatpants that she doubled knotted the drawstring and an oversized t-shirt, both belonging to Roberto. Luckily she took the time to put on her Air Force Ones when she first got his text about the house being surrounded or she would only have some slippers to wear.

  “That’s better.” She said coming back into the living room.

  There was a knock at the front door, “Who could that be?” Roberto got up to answer the door, as he opened it Mycal came barging in, Daniel was right behind him

  “So we killing some royals I hear.”

  “What are you two doing here?” Roberto asked.

  “Lamar texted us, said you guys are in trouble and he needed back up.” Sean gave Lamar a dirty look.

  “No.” Sean said, “we are not getting involved.”

  “Last time I checked my parents were dead and I was a grown ass man.” Mycal responded. He hopped over the back of the couch landing in a seated positon on the middle cushion.

  “It’s not an ideal situation, I will admit,” Daniel walked around and sat on the couch. “I did some digging and your buddy Carl wasn’t working alone. I’m pretty sure he had some help from a dusker.” Daniels news wasn’t that shocking to Lamar he had figure out that it had to be a dusker involved seeing how he was the target.

  “Are you sure?” Sean asked, he didn’t want to believe it.

  “He is right, think about it. Roberto came directly for me, he passed by hundreds of people to get to where I was but he didn’t attack any of them as enraged as he was,” Lamar said.

  “Shit.” Sean replied.

  The room grew silent as they all took time to try to piece things together at their own speed. “We are so dumb.” Mycal said breaking the silence. “Lamar is next to become a council member, the youngest in duskers history. I bet that there are some people who are not so happy about the idea”

  “No one really knows, besides a few council members, and besides I turned the offer down.”

  “So, do you think whoever this is cares, you’re a threat to them and getting you out of the picture benefits their agenda?”

  “Which is what?”

  “That’s the part I don’t know, but what I do know that there are plenty of duskers who would rather see themselves on the council then you.”

  “So what’s the plan now?” Crystal asked.

  None of them had an answer for her, it was all just speculation at this point, they needed to get proof, but first they needed to deal with the Carl situation. If a war between the vampires were to break out it can be bad for the supernatural community and the humans. The impact this can have could be catastrophic and there can be a ton of collateral damage. They sat around trying to figure things out, Crystal and Lamar decided to make a gas station run for coffee and snacks.

  “I don’t think I said thank you.” Crystal said hopping in Lamar’s passenger seat.

  “For what?”

  “Saving me duh.” She said dramatically.

  “Oh yeah, no you’re good. No worries, we were just happy we made it there in time.”

  “Yeah me too. So how long have you been dusking?”

  “Pretty much all my life, you know for a human you’re really okay with all of this, aren’t you a little freaked?”

  “I’m only half human. My mom is actually a dusker.”

  “Really?” Lamar eyes lit up, he never met a half before and he always wanted to, he heard they were not as powerful as a full dusker but they had some skills.

  “Yeah, her name was Martha Brown and she was a Warrior class.”

  Lamar excitement slowly dwindled. Everyone in the dusker community knew about Martha Brown, she was one of the most powerful warrior class in her time. Strong, brave, smart, and not bad on the eyes either. They all knew the story of how Martha’s partner betrayed her and left her to die so he could save himself.

  “Don’t do that, don’t get all somber and quiet. I know you know what happened to my mom, everyone does, but don’t be like that and give me the sympathy eyes and voice. It happened ten years ago, does it suck yes, but I’m okay.”

  “Sorry.”

  Crystal groaned and gave him a side eye.

  “No not sorry for your loss, well I am sorry for your loss, but not now, I mean.”

  “It’s okay,” Crystal laughed. “I’m just messing with you.” Lamar laughed back nervously.

  “In all seriousness it’s going to suck doing this mom thing without her here to guide me on this, she taught me so much dusker stuff but nothing about being a mom. When I think about it she really wasn’t the best mom.” Lamar looked at Crystal.

  “Don’t get me wrong I love my mom and she loved me, but she wasn’t the motherly type if you know what I mean.”

  “I didn’t get the chance to really know my mom, she was killed when I was still a toddler.”

  “Oh God, I didn’t mean to imply…”

  “No apologies needed, your feelings are valid, that’s how your life for you was, I cannot or ever will tell you how you should feel.” Lamar pulled into the gas station.

  “Thank you.”

  Lamar and Crystal grabbed some coffees and other snack foods and loaded back up into Lamar’s truck. They listened to some R&B and sang at the top of their lungs on the ten minute drive back to the condo. They got back and greeted the door man. He offered to help them with their bags but they declined. They rode the elevator up to Roberto’s floor and when they opened the condo door they were greeted with shouting.

  “YOU’RE INSANE!” Sean yelled.

  “It’s not a bad idea.” Daniel admitted.

  “What is going on?” Crystal asked putting her bags down on the coffee table.

  “These fools,” Sean said pointing at Daniel, Mycal, and Roberto, “they want to kill the Eastside royals.”