The Vampire King’s Captive

BRAN

If the man’s aim had been to pique Bran’s interest, then he had succeeded and that was the only reason he was still breathing right now.

Bran’s heart raced in his chest in hope, but his instincts told him that he should be careful. He knew better than to easily believe this strange man. For all he knew, the man could be lying to him.

And Bran was in the absolute worst mood to deal with a liar.

“My sister?” Bran asked, releasing the pressure on the man’s neck in order for him to speak.

“Yes.” The man gasped, choking. “Princess Iris.”

Bran’s face tightened in anger at the mention of his sister’s name and pain lanced through his heart. Without knowing that he was doing it, his fingers tightened around the man’s neck to the point of constriction and the man’s eyes bulged out so much that he thought they were going to pop out.

He dropped his hands and the man staggered back several steps, clutching his neck as he dragged in breaths both through his nose and his mouth. Bran didn’t spare him a glance. He couldn’t run; his guards wouldn’t let him.

His eyes darted around, searching for a more appropriate place they could take the conversation that the man so desperately wanted to have with him. Bran knew that he wanted a conversation. The man wouldn’t have come all this way if he didn’t want one.

He spied an alleyway a few houses down and with a flick of his fingers, his men grabbed the man, following behind him as he walked into the alley. Not only did it provide a privacy and secrecy incase it came down to the point where he had to kill the man, the alley was also vacant. The possibility of anyone hearing the discussion between hi and the man about his sister, was extremely slim.

After hearing what his own people thought about him, Bran wouldn’t want them to know how desperately he wanted to find his sister.

The maddening urgency to right his wrongs…

What would they say if they found out that he was holding the powerful sorceress, Maria, hostage in his cells?

They would think him a madman.

Bran stood with his legs planted wide and his hands behind him, staring down at the man. Literally. Not only was he taller than the man, he was also of higher rank than him. Bran initially suspected that he was a sorcerer, but if he was, why had he not defended himself with his powers when Bran had been choking him? Bran wasn’t sure anymore what he was.

So that was the first question he asked. “What are you?”

“A sorcerer.” The man answered with a swallow, staring warily at his two men who flanked him on both sides where he stood.

One of Maria’s kind. His blood boiled.

Without their powers, they were one of the weakest creatures in existence. Bran would have asked him to get on his knees, but he only preferred the other gender kneeling for him-while he was getting his cock sucked.

“Why did you not defend yourself just now?”

“I only came here to pass a message, Your Highness,”-the man swallowed again-“Not to fight.”

Christ, what a weakling. Bran wanted to kill him for that, if not for anything else.

Maybe he should kneel, seeing as he was as weak as women. Even weaker than a few women that he had come across. Maria, for example, held her own against him even though she was powerless and that, in itself, was power. Holding her own without hiding behind the shield of her powers.

He both loathed and admired the maddening female.

Bran folded his arms across his chest. “What information do you have of my sister?”

“Master Ariti said to tell you that he has your sister. He says that if you want to see her again, then you would come with me into his realm with Maria and he would give you back the princess.”

Bran’s eyes narrowed as he studied the man, searching for cracks in him, holes in his message.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

A tiny-extremely tiny-part of him lit up at the promise of seeing his sister again after so long, but the larger, logical knew better than to get excited. It was not the fact that Ariti was desperate to get Maria back that didn’t sit well with him. It was the fact that he was claiming that he would give his sister back to him.

“What stops him from coming here?” Bran took a step closer to the man. “You did.”

The man’s eyes darted and he stuttered. “Master Ariti d-does not leave his palace.”

Bran knew a trap when he saw one. And this one was a trap in its finest form.

If Bran made the mistake of stepping into that realm, he was as good as dead. Ariti had no plans of giving his sister to him; he only wanted to take Maria. Then kill him.

“How did you get here?”

“Y-Your Highness?” The man stuttered, obviously thrown by the change of topic.

“Here. Into this realm. How did you get here?” Bran elaborated, his eyes twitching, something that happened whenever he was growing impatient or angry. In this case, it was both.

“I opened a portal. It is one of my abilities.” When he said the last part, his chest puffed with pride. Did he expect Bran to applaud him? Award him a bit more respect over the fact that he could open a fucking door?

Bran barely held himself back from planting his boot in the man’s annoying face.

“Good. I suggest you open one that takes you back where you came from.” With those words, Bran turned his back on the man, already striding away.

“But, Your Highness,” The man’s eyes darted around, panic seeping into his face. Did he seriously think that Bran would be so gullible as to accept what he was offering? “I-”

Bran spun around, his anger spiking. “I have Ariti’s only child-”

“And he has your sister!” The man yelled.

Bran could almost hear the sound of the leash on his control snapping. He lunged at the man, deciding on the last minute not to snap his neck simply because he needed him alive to deliver the message of what had happened back to Ariti, and sending his body flying backward and hitting the ground with a backhand.

He’d let him go once for speaking his sister’s name, but that was it.

“Pick yourself up and get the fuck out of here, you spineless fool.” Bran spat, looming over him. “And make sure to tell Ariti that I am two steps ahead of him. If he wants his daughter back, then let him bring my sister here and we’d have a fair trade-which is more than what he deserves.”

With those parting words, Bran turned around and walked away without a backward glance.

Did Ariti really think that Bran would play into their hands?

He was no fool.

Unfortunately, Maria and her father had not figured that out yet.