The man pondered for a moment before answering. “I am Septimus.”
“I’m Atticus Rain, and I’ll be the one who takes your life.”
“Not today.”
The man shadow walked toward Krys, who had staked the other Vampire but was struggling to see in the darkness. Septimus briefly regarded his minion but didn’t look eager to pull out that stake since Krys was standing too close, so he climbed a ladder to the platform above the door. He pulled foam away from the wall, revealing an escape hatch.
Atticus stalked forward and roared, “Is your life more important than honor?”
Septimus gave a hollow laugh. “Do you think honor means anything to an ancient like me?”
“Then know this: If you run, I will burn down everything you own until your mouth is full of ashes. I will build a dungeon where you will suffer in untold ways, and I will remind you how you ran like a coward. If you have any younglings, they’llcurse your name for all eternity. Everything you’ve created, I will destroy.”
“What brings you here, Atticus Rain? Honor? Money? Another woman?” He stood quietly. “That’s it, isn’t it?” He belted out a sonorous laugh. “What desperate Vampire made you? I see nothing but a man grasping for his lost humanity. We are the devils of this world, you and I. The life takers.” Septimus tilted his head to the side. “You would spill the blood of your own kind… for what? A woman? Do you actually believe you’re capable of love? It’s an evolutionary flaw, and you know it.”
Atticus glared up at his nemesis, the hate of a thousand suns flowing in his veins. “If I am a demon in this world, I would gladly go to hell for love. You’ve spent lifetimes in search of what? Experiments? What child’s play do you entertain yourself with?”
“Child’s play?” Septimus gripped the metal railing and bared his fangs. “We own this world. Other Breeds are nothing but mutations. They stand in the way of us claiming what is rightfully ours. My work is important.”
“Torturing young women and men? Impregnating them? It sounds like you’re just playing God.”
“Perhaps I am a god.” Septimus stared hawkishly at him. “You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve uncovered, the impossibilities I’ve created.”
“For what purpose?”
“To destroy and rebuild. What else? Haven’t you learned from history that the one thing that can take down humans is a plague? Humans are frail, and I would never eliminate my blood supply. But surely you can conceive of a different type of plague among Breed.”
Immortals couldn’t catch diseases or viruses; their bodies wouldn’t accept it. Septimus must have been toying withgenetics—searching for ways to disrupt the normal genes and introduce them into the population.
“Trial and error,” Septimus said. “Trial and error. You take those in the population who already have defects and see what happens when you mix them together. If only we had known about genetic manipulation in my time.”
Krys turned his gaze toward the Vampire’s voice. “What the hell are a few more defects in the world, dipshit? Who gives a fuck? They’ll have some defective kids and probably won’t find a mate. Same old story.”
Septimus canted his head, still looking at Atticus. “Not if you use their blood to infect the Breeds that procreate, and then we only have to contend with the Mage population. They’ll have no higher authority or other Breeds to protect them. Their Learners are weak in this new age. Creators no longer build armies. How long before they turn on themselves? Then Vampires can claim their rightful place in this world and rule them all.”
Krys snorted. “The guy who wants to rule the world is hauling ass because he’s scared to fight. I guess that’s why you need to get rid of us all—we can kick your ass.”
It was obvious that Krys wanted to instigate a fight to keep the Vampire from escaping, but he was putting his life on the line by taunting him. In total darkness, Septimus could kill him in seconds.
Atticus squared his shoulders. “I never believed in fate until now. If the fates brought us together, they’ll do it again. Before you run, ask yourself how you feel about leaving behind all your research that’s housed in this building.” Atticus spread his arms wide and gestured around him. “Am I to believe you keep all this valuable information on computers? A man of your age doesn’t trust technology. You have filing cabinets filled with paper because material things you can easily control. If you think we’rehere to take pictures and leave, you’re wrong. Fight me now or fear my wrath.”
Septimus let go of the railing and stepped back. “I should have killed you that night, but I took pleasure in knowing you suffered.”
“As I will take pleasure in making you suffer.”
Chapter 29
When Melody sped up the driveway to our home, the pack was already outside. They stirred with wild excitement as Hope and Melody helped me into the house.
As they ushered me to the art room, I stopped. “No, take me to my bedroom. I want to lie down.”
Hope opened their office door, which was located on the wall to the right of the fireplace. “You can’t have the baby upstairs. It’s easier if you take a room on the ground floor during childbirth.”
“But your office?”
Tak gave me a cheesy grin after stepping into the room.
Curious, I gasped when I walked in and saw the changes. They had pushed a bed against the immediate left-hand wall, and all the windows were draped with thick curtains.
