Cam's Coterie

Cassia sighed, "This is really going to work, isn't it?"

I smirked, "I promised, didn't I?"

Cassia bit her lip and looked up at me with a mysterious expression, "Yes, you did."

I laughed, "You don't have to sound so amazed, my poor ego."

She smirked, and blushed.

We moved into the temple district, and toward the main temple in the center. I knew in theory there were altars to all the gods in the vast building, small naves inside one large grand room, but I'd never been inside. Of course, now I knew why my mother had never taken me to temple, like many of the other farmers did when they visited the city to sell crops, meat, eggs, and other supplies.

I kept a lookout for clerics, but there didn't seem to be any in our path, and I relaxed slightly when I set eyes on a beggar in a long black coat, with messy brown hair and a scraggly beard. The man definitely looked the part of a beggar. We approached slowly and obliquely, as if to pass, then I swung his way at the last minute, and dropped a bronze in his cup.

He looked up into my eyes, perhaps to thank me and maintain his cover, and my magic captured his tiny brain.

I ordered, "Tell me where the Silver Skulls hideout is, and its layout and security both humanoid and physical traps."

That seemed specific enough, and the poor guy's jaw went totally slack. His voice was scratchy, he spoke in that same mesmerized monotone all my previous victims of compulsion had.

"Underneath the Ruthless Arm Inn in Fishtown. There's a trap door in the stockroom, the handle is treated with a touch poison, the true way to open it is to pull on the empty lantern holder in the wall above it. There are also two roughs in the Inn's main room who keep watch, and they can set off an alarm. At this time of day, the only ones out working are the information brokers, once you get inside there should be fifteen people down there. All human, except for the master's pet vampire. No other traps downstairs, except the blades of our people."

A rough was like a mercenary, with even fewer morals and skills.

I frowned, "How does a human have a pet vampire."

He replied, "She's hiding from something or someone. Just showed up one day. Perhaps her kiss, I don't know, there's a lot of speculation and very little fact, but none of us argue, she could kill the lot of us if she wanted to."

It seemed far more likely to me she was not the pet, but their master was. Vampires had the same kind of compulsion I did, they could also cloak themselves with magic, they had enhanced speed and strength, they could grow claws and fangs kind of the way I grew horns, claws and wings, and they didn't age. They also subsisted on blood. They weren't a true race, more of a condition, and they didn't age.

I asked, "Have the tomes been sold?"

He said, "No, the master is still trying to figure out how to approach the witch covens, without getting us all killed."

Right, that made a certain amount of sense, and was also a relief. Perhaps that best case scenario wasn't as out of reach as I'd thought. Then again, those escaped coven apprentices from last night could wag their tongues if any of the new covens took them in, they certainly knew who I was, and that the tomes disappeared. Time would tell.

"The master's name?"

He said, "None know his true name."

I rolled my eyes, fine.

"Forget about this conversation, and forget about the tomes, who told you about them, and anything about us."

His eyes glazed over, and then cleared, it was a little creepy.

He nodded, "Thanks," as he shook his cup slightly.

We moved on, and I felt a lot better about things once the busy temple district was left behind.

"Alright, Cassia will put the roughs to sleep, then we'll head on down and confront the guild master. We only kill if we have to, it'll leave less of a trail if I can make them forget about the tomes and who they stole them from, and right under our noses. I'll deal with the guild master, you two keep the humans from sticking something in my back. Don't hesitate though, if they start a fight put them down hard and fast."

Faith smiled, "So the plan is to wing it?"

I nodded, "Basically, yes. The Eternal Rose coven were my enemies, and wanted me dead, that was self-defense and self-interest, vengeance, and even justice. They had to die. I don't want to get lazy and start to just kill everyone in our way. That would just make us as evil as our enemies."

Cassia smirked up at me teasingly, but I could see the approval in her eyes. She'd left the coven because they were morally bankrupt, as well as had thrown her life away. I didn't want her to become uncomfortable following me, like she'd felt guilty about working for her heartless coven and only stayed out of ambition. Plus, that wasn't me, I didn't cry tears over killing who I had too, but I didn't enjoy it either.

Faith nodded, "We'll watch your back, always."

It took about an hour to walk almost halfway across the city, a good three miles to the coast where Fishtown resided next to the dock district. It stunk, like fish of course, which was how the district had gotten its name. The breeze off the ocean blew the scent of rotted fish guts from where the fishermen fileted the day's catch. There were also other unpleasant smells mixed in as well from refuse and trash. It was also the poorest human section of the city, and the buildings were ramshackle at best.

The Ruthless Arm inn was a wood building, and the dark wood looked half rotted. I was kind of amazed it still stood. The door creaked alarmingly as I opened it and the three of us walked in. It was clear by our dress we didn't belong on that side of the city, and we got a lot of suspicious looks. Every male in the place looked rough, and they all had belt daggers of one design or another.

Well, at least we didn't have to wait long for the plan to go wrong, I didn't see how we could pick out the two roughs that worked for the Silver Skulls, they all looked like men of questionable virtue, and there was no way we could sneak into the back of the bar into the stock room with every set of beady eyes on a part of my ladies' bodies.

Yeah, that was pissing me off, they weren't even trying to be subtle about eye fucking my mates.

I felt Cassie's hand touch my back, and I calmed slightly at her touch, which no doubt had been her plan. That was also when I came up with a new plan, that was really horrible, but what the hell.

I put my arms around both of them, and then pinched their asses. They both squeaked and looked at me in shock, and I spanked their asses firmly. Faith caught on first, and giggled like an empty-headed doxy, and pasted herself to my side, but Cassia wasn't far behind.

I laughed, "Bartender," and tossed him a silver, "I'm setting up a private party of sorts, mind if I go pick out a bottle or two in the back before we head upstairs?"

I waggled my eyebrows.

The bartender narrowed his eyes in disbelief, not buying it for a second, but he looked at the sword on my hip, at the silver coin, and then up at my eyes.

"Help yourself."

We moved into the back, to the silent disbelief of the crowd, that something like that really happened, and moved into the stock room.

I snorted, "Assume those two roughs we were told about set off the alarm, and they'll be waiting for us."

Cassia snorted, "You think?"

I laughed, "Yes, or they're really stupid, it makes me wonder though, if that whole crowd knows what's under this inn. If not, there must be a lot of confused people out there."

She pinched my ass, possibly in revenge, and smirked at my glare, "You liked it."

I grinned, "So did you."

She blushed.

I pulled on the empty lantern holder, and it swung down moving a lever in the wall. The trap door on the floor opened up, and I heard the subtle sound of a rope and pulley system of some kind. We slipped down the stairs and into a crude basement that was made up of stone walls and a stone floor. There was one door, and I headed that way.

When I opened it, there was a thief on the other side, and he lunged at me with a drawn dagger. I didn't even bother to draw my sword, and struck out and gripped his wrist, twisted his hand and his body followed as I painfully bent his wrist back behind his back as he spun around. I casually plucked the dagger from his hand.

"Which way to the guild master?"

"Fuck you!" he barked, and he tried to kick back into my knee.

I slid my leg out of the way, and then slapped the pommel of the dagger on the top of his head. He passed out, and I sighed. I was a master swordsman, so a thief wouldn't be much of an obstacle. I wasn't really judging, he has his skillset, and I had mine.

I was a little worried about the vampire though, she could be as fast as me, and as strong as Faith. That wouldn't be healthy to underestimate.

"This plan is falling apart."

Faith giggled, "We could always grab a bottle of wine, and head up to a room," she teased in her usual seductive voice.

Cassia said, "We're close, I can feel them at the end of the hallway. They're all in the same room. Fourteen of them."

Well, at least that was right, the beggar had said fifteen and one of them was knocked out at my feet. We moved forward, there were small carved out rooms of sorts on both sides of the corridor, with more stone walls that were filled up with loot and supplies, there didn't seem to be any doors at all. The hallway opened up into a rather large room, with sleeping pallets, a large table, a wood burning cooking stove and fireplace in the corner, which must be connected to the chimney in the inn.

There was also a dais of sorts, with a middle-aged man sitting on an elaborately carved chair like it was a throne. He had salt and pepper hair, a craggy face, and a wiry build one might expect to see in a successful cat burglar.

Next to him curled up on a large pillow bed of sorts, was a young woman who had to be the vampire. She looked eighteen, but for all I knew she was a thousand years old. She had jet black hair, light blue eyes, and an aristocratic beauty to her oval face, with high prominent cheek bones. Her skin was a light tan, darker than my fair half-elf, and lighter skinned than my well-tanned witch beauty.

She was five foot eight, with a slinky lissome body, rounded B cups, with mouthwateringly long and toned legs, and she had on a black dress which was conservative, but it was conforming enough to be quite sexy regardless. She was quite attractive, and her light blue eyes held curiosity and interest, and also recognition, and I was sure this was the vampire who'd ghosted past us on the third floor of the coven's mansion last night.

There were also twelve men, holding assorted weapons, from swords or daggers, to pipes and staves. A quick glance across told me none of them truly knew how to use them, oh they'd be confidant, and probably take out an untrained person easily enough. The men were flanking and in front of the dais.

I nodded politely, as no one had attacked.

"Good evening. I have no quarrel with you, or a need to spill blood. But... you took something last night that belongs to me, and I'll have it returned, one way or another."

The guild master laughed incredulously, "I see, so I should just hand it over? We can be friends, send each other gifts on the holidays perhaps?"

I nodded, "It's out of your league my friend, you have your hands on the knowledge that made the Eternal Rose coven the premiere coven in Mythfall for millennia. If you try to sell it, you'll just wind up getting dead, and simultaneously kick off a witch coven war in the city, not that you'll care about that, since you'd be dead. Of course, there's also the small matter of us just killing you, now."

It was oddly... polite, the way we were talking, but I really didn't give a shit about their little guild. I also wouldn't shed a tear at killing those that preyed on society. There was also the matter of my cock whispering in my ear, about the sexy as hell lithe vampire in the room. I bet she was powerful, she was also in somewhat of a jam if she was down there hiding with the dregs of humanity. An... opportunity perhaps, but only if she was here out of desperation, if she was a heartless killer and thief, I had no interest in her.

She was also... different, as dickishly shallow as that sounded, it was the simple truth. Her beauty was more classically aristocratic, instead of my exotically beautiful half-elf and the softly alluring girl next door beauty of my witch. She also had a lissome body, instead of the lush or sumptuous built for sin bodies of my mates. Sure, that was a bit shallow, thinking about some variety for my cock, but that's usually how it worked, all initial attraction was shallow, it would be time and who she was as a person that would truly make the decision.

I wondered how I could get close enough to touch her and read her fantasy.

He tilted his head, and asked insultingly, "Can you count?"

I nodded, "I counted all fourteen of the ancient powerful witches who were also sword masters last night, and I killed twelve of them. Are you suggesting thirteen humans and one vampire can equal that? One last time, good master, give me what I want, or I'll kill you all and take it. Is that clear enough?"

The vampire said, "He speaks the truth, I watched him take down the most powerful witches in the city like a farmer reaps wheat."

Her voice was fairly normal, not unpleasant, but not especially alluring either. It was neither sweetly honey-toned like Cassia's or seductively sultry like my Faith's. Of course, part of that judgement may have been the arrogantly sharp tone she'd put into the words.

The guild master said arrogantly, "Deal with it Lysa, in the usual way, it amuses me."

She stared at all of us a little reluctantly, and I could feel my skin start to heat slightly, compulsion magic?

"Come bow down before the guild master."

I laughed in her face, or at least I did until I noticed Faith was moving forward. Of course, Cassie was shielded from magical influence with her witch shield, and I had both shields dealing with it. Our shifter however had neither, a miscalculation perhaps.

I reached out and gripped her arm, and she started to fight to pull away from me while the men in the room laughed and brandished their weapons, as if telling me straight out she would be slaughtered at their guild master's feet, while kneeling and bowing her head.

The intense and immediate rage that rose up in my chest shocked me and took my breath, as my heart pounded, and my body flushed with adrenaline. I was no longer amused, or calm. She was mine, and I wasn't sure what enraged me more. The idea of her being in danger, or the idea of her kneeling for another man. Which is perhaps why, I may have overreacted.

I lifted my other hand, and black shadowy flames burst from hand and flew across the room, engulfing the smirking fucker on his carved wooden throne. He screamed in torment, as the flames slowly licked and consumed his flesh and blood body, leaving nothing behind but his clothes and the throne, as always, my flames only consumed life.

Faith immediately stopped fighting me, the compulsion was broken by removing the object of it, and she turned her head into my chest as I pulled her close, and I glared at the vampire, who was quaking in fear. The rest of the room was completely frozen. She looked truly shocked, which told me she hadn't been around for the beginning of our fight, when I'd flooded the third-floor corridor with fire.

Of course, she hadn't, or she'd have died and been a mysterious third pile of ashes on the carpet.

She asked in horror, "What are you?"

"No one to be trifled with, and if you ever use compulsion on me or mine again, I will kill you."

My body was literally shaking in rage, by all rights I should kill her for that, she had just tried to kill us after all. The only reason she wasn't dead, was because I had Faith in my arms, and I didn't want to waste more magic. I could've killed him with a thrown dagger after all, and I was disgusted by my temporary loss of discipline.

Of course, I'd never had to manage or suppress that much anger or emotion before. Apparently, to say I was overprotective and possessive of my mates, was an understatement. I suspected my half-demon instincts in addition to my male instincts played a part in that fierce response. Regardless, it wouldn't take me by surprise again, and I'd know better in the future.

My body tensed at some change in the atmosphere I couldn't put words to, and I released Faith, "Change," I ordered, and one of the twelve men rushed us and brandished their weapon, which seemed to release all of them from their frozen shock and galvanize the into action.

I pulled out my sword as I casually moved aside from his clumsy overhand attack, and I kicked his leg from the side, cracking the kneecap, and finished him off with a slice of my sword. The two other men who were right behind the first, went down under my Faith's claws, and a death spell from my beautiful witch.

That made the odds nine to three, and four of them tried to come at me at once, which was stupid. The most they should have done was double or perhaps triple teamed me if one had been able to circle behind, otherwise they'd just get in each other's way, which is exactly what happened. I spun left and took the one on the far left with a fast dagger strike with my left hand, while I parried another's strike. The last two on the right ran into each other as they both adjusted to my new spot, and I spun back and struck out at both of them. They were so tangled up they couldn't recover or even attack me back as I sliced their throats with sword and dagger, as Faith tore out the throat of the second attacker I'd parried.

The vampire yelled, "Enough!"

The last four backed up, eyes wide. My Cassia had also taken down one more in that quick furious exchange, and by exchange, I meant my attacks, to their deaths. I was sure they were wonderful thieves, burglars, and scam artists, but they couldn't fight worth a shit. I wrinkled my nose, as I picked up the smell of piss, and noticed two of them had dark stains on their pants.

I tried really hard not to snicker, but when Faith did as she cutely wrinkled her button nose, I just couldn't hold it back.

She ordered, "You four, leave, and never speak of this or the tomes. Come back in an hour."

The men filed out, and the vampire crossed her arms imperiously as she stood straight and proud. I had to give her credit for holding that arrogant pose, but I could see the fear in her light blue eyes.

She waved at the chest against the wall, "Your tomes are in there, take them, and go. You will never see me again."

"Cassia."

She moved off to check, while I kept my raptor's gaze on the sexy vampire. She was... magnificent, and she didn't belong down here. She had an aura of authority and high breeding. She belonged among the nobles, feeding and preying on a higher class of people, it was in her carriage, looks, and even her dress. Like she stood among the squalor, but she wasn't stained by it.

I told my cock no, but it didn't listen.

I asked curiously, "Why are you even down here, with these men, and why did you even try if you saw what I did last night?"

She sighed in disgust, "Greed," she admitted, "Thirty percent. My part of the take as the burglar would have been tens of thousands of gold, for what those tomes will go for on the market. As for the other, let's just say I have no desire to see my kiss's vampire master."

A kiss was like a pack, for vampires.

"How many?"

She raised an imperious eyebrow, as if answering my questions was below her vaunted status, but then she answered my question anyway in a haughty commanding tone.