Free Burned by Jennifer Blackstream

 
    Burned
     
 
     
    “Master, I would beg you one last time, please reconsider.”
     
    Aldric slowly turned away from the towering mound of earth and faced his lieutenant. In the shadow cast by the great hill that housed the sithen of the Unseelie Court , the other vampire’s face glowed with unearthly paleness. Anton met his gaze without flinching, though the tightness around his eyes gave away his discomfort with challenging his master.
     
    “You question my sanity, Anton?” Aldric asked quietly, letting his eyes carry the unspoken threat. “Or has your fear seized control of your tongue?”
     
    Had it been anyone else to question him in such a manner, Aldric would not have hesitated to strike him with enough force to smash his jaw and half of his face. But Anton had been his right hand man for over a century, and that earned him a modicum of leeway.
     
    Anton’s jaw twitched, but he stood firm. “Master, you know I will follow you anywhere. No danger is too great.” His gaze flickered to the harmless looking mound of dirt and grass before them. “I mean only to say that entering the mound of the Unseelie Court , the source of all nightmares . . . all for a woman—”
     
    The sound of Aldric’s hand hitting Anton across the face shattered the peaceful silence of the night. Bones cracked beneath the force of his punishment and any lesser vampire would have cried out in pain. Anton fell to the ground in silence, cradling his face as the unnatural healing ability of the undead frantically worked to repair the damage.
     
    “You go too far, Anton,” Aldric growled, not a hint of sympathy in his voice. “My motive is irrelevant. The only thing that should matter to you is that entering the Unseelie Court is the course of action I have decided to take.” He flashed his fangs. “I killed you once. Do not make me do it again.”
     
    Anton bowed his head in submission, keeping his eyes on the ground as he cradled his rapidly healing jaw.
     
    “Does anyone else wish to venture an opinion?” Aldric looked at the other three guards, meeting the eyes of each one in turn. “Bron? Vincentas? Kurt?”
     
    They shook their heads, none of them hazarding a glance at Anton. Not even his own brother Kurt risked drawing Aldric’s attention. Aldric nodded in grim satisfaction. In his almost two hundred years, he had learned emotions were a weakness no leader could afford. He respected Anton. The man had been at his side for over a century. But disrespect and disobedience were completely unacceptable.
     
    He turned back to the sithen of the Unseelie and narrowed his eyes. In her invitation, the queen had told him where to find the fairy mound, but beyond that she’d given him no clues as to how one actually managed to gain entrance. He wasn’t certain if this was a test of some sort or not, nor did he care.
     
    An unlocked door is not worth opening , he thought to himself, examining the earth with cool and calculating eyes. He caressed the grass, the tender green blades tickling his palm. As he searched for a method of entry, he let his mind wander to the prize that lay inside.
     
    Saule . For the first time in centuries, the sun goddess had taken on a mortal form. For the first time in his undead existence, he had the chance to get his revenge on the deity who had betrayed him.
     
    An image of the sun goddess’ mortal form floated before his eyes. Long golden hair, blue eyes like a spring sky, and skin the color of the sun’s first morning rays. Centuries ago, thoughts of her had inspired him, her beauty nearly moving him to tears. Now the image brought nothing but pain and hatred. He had waited a long time for this revenge.
     
    A brush of power flowed down his arm. He froze, concentrating on the sensation in an attempt to determine its effects. No pain met the energy and he felt no change in his body to cause him alarm. Staring harder at the mound, he noticed a parting of the earth. Intrigued, he stepped