The Promise of the Trees - Sword, Ring, and Crown Book 3 (Complete - Editing)

Chapter Twelve - Luis

I stepped out of the portal between Aleria and the Earth along with a group of fifty soldiers, and Dominic. Knowing that I was being reckless, I gave the soldiers the command to find the elder vampires in the city and kill them with Joseph's blood darts. The blood of their maker was supposed to be fatal to the vampires and had sprung up the myth of holy water. Even the smallest microbe of Maker blood would be enough to kill the vampires, so the hunters of old would mix the blood with water and fling it at a vampire's face because it needed any orifice to kill the offspring. That was the reasoning behind my decision to leave me alone with Dominic. The soldiers agreed, knowing that we were few, and it would be easier to canvass the city if we spread out. When the soldiers had taken off to do their task, I faced Dominic.

"She will not come." Dominic mumbled through his swollen lip. Joseph had taken delight in roughing him up once he returned. I had tried not to feel sorry, but I had a moment of pity for him when I saw Joseph get that look, the one that usually led to eternal nightmares for the victim. I had distracted him with this idea to bring Dominic to the Earth to divide Matt's attention.  One of Dom's eyes was swollen shut and the skin around it was a dark purple, but it could have been much worse for him. I doubted I would be thanked. 

We were standing in the same back alleyway in San Francisco where I first met Matt and it was all I could do to keep my heart beating. The link stretched thin, and it felt as though it might snap. I felt like I might vomit from the feeling, which, in combination to the fetid air wafting from the trash bins, was likely to happen soon.  Dominic looked just as ill. 

I snarled at him, the shift to Earth having had an unintended effect of unbalancing me. Joseph stayed on Aleria to negotiate with Madeline. Though he did not share a link with Madeline, she did have a large chunk of his lifeforce within her. He couldn't stray far, now that she also had his ring.

 If she was smart, she would find that force within her and destroy it.  If it were not for the fact that he had my heartwood, I would have helped. He knew this, and he kept steady eye on the bag that always remained with him. 

"If she comes, then she is forfeited from the contest automatically. It's why you left Zovria behind, right?"

I  shrugged, "And?"

"Everything goes to Zovria. The sword, Joseph's ring, and Aleria's crown all go to Zovria." His lips thinned despite his injury and he winced. 

I knew that but hearing him say it made me angry. "Zovria belongs to Joseph."

"Zovria is a woman of Aleria. In her eyes, men belong to her. If she gains all that power, do you imagine she'd share it with a male, no matter how powerful or godlike he might be?"

I knew full well what Zovria's intentions were. I knew that Joseph would try to trap her in the underworld once he gained control of Aleria. That Dominic had figured it out in a span of an hour just pissed me off. At my grimace, he looked smug.    I grabbed him by the ear and pulled. With a grunt, he rose from the asphalt where I'd thrown him. 

"I bet you're extra mad that Joseph sent you to this particular trash bin, am I right?" Dominic gave me a bloody grin.

I didn't relent in my abuse of Dominic's ear as I tugged the taller man down to whisper. "You better hope that Matt comes to save you! If I have to endure you much longer, I will kill you, links or no." I let go of his ear and smacked him on the back of the head. 

Dominic winced but wouldn't relent. "You know I'm right. Zovria can't be trusted. Joseph especially can't be trusted. That's why you haven't made good on that threat."

I growled and stalked forward out of the alleyway. "If I'm being honest, I had no choice. I had to come back here. Joseph wants me to bring his blood to the sick vampires. Besides, he's bitten Zovria. She has his taint."