SWNOVELS Forged in Blood: Chapter 23
Nicholas Ashe was once a formidable man and a prominent member of House Chó̱ma until he betrayed his roots and his family’s honor to further his own ends. He remains alive only because he was calculated enough to not technically break any oaths made to his father. Now he is the faculty head of Onyx and the sire of many of their vampire pledges. He is disliked by our counterparts at Lapis and Opal as fervently as he is by me. A fact of which he is well aware.
He sits behind the black mahogany desk in his office in the west wing of Zeus Hall, as far away from my own office as possible. “Alexandros, to what do I owe the honor of a visit from such an esteemed colleague as yourself? Surely you are not taking an interest in the Trials this year.” His attempt at sarcasm has no effect on me.
I take a seat without it being offered and glare at him. “I am simply here to deliver a warning, Nicholas.”
He puffs out his chest, making a show of bravado, but anxiety rolls from him like the mist pours down Montridge Peak at the end of every fall. “A warning?”
My jaw tightens and anger bristles beneath my skin. “Did I stutter?”
He sits up straighter, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “About?”
I am taking a risk bringing Ophelia to his attention, but the greater risk would be to allow one of House Chó̱ma or their Onyx sireds to bite her. “This is not the first time that I have had to warn your offspring to keep their hands to themselves, and one day I will not be around to intervene and stop my boys from tearing off your commanders’ heads.”
His answering snarl is an instinct, but one I refuse to tolerate. Leaning forward, I bare my teeth and growl, and he presses his lips into a thin line, sufficiently chastised. “The girl with the pink hair—Ophelia Hart. She belongs to my boys, and they do not share. Especially not with Ronan.”
Nicholas’s rage simmers ever closer to the surface, but he knows better than to challenge me. “If they have claimed her, she would have their scent, and he—”
“They have not claimed her. But make no mistake, she belongs to them. To House Drakos.”
He sits back in his chair, running his tongue over his teeth. He is well aware that by invoking the name of my family, I am making it clear that she belongs to me, and he is far too cunning to risk my wrath. Still, he chooses not to back down entirely, pushing me as far as he dares. “What’s so special about this girl that they want her so badly, yet they haven’t laid claim to her?”
“I do not claim to know the inner workings of adolescent vampire minds.” Keeping my eyes locked on his face, I pause and straighten my cufflinks. “But if you wish for peace to remain between the societies, you will ensure that nobody from Onyx touches the girl. Understand?”
The hesitation in his nod speaks to his reluctance, but I do not require enthusiasm. Only obedience.
“Ensure that they all know it too, Nicholas. Every one of them. Make them swear an oath if you must.”
His lip curls again. “I’m sure that won’t be necessary.”
“I shall leave it to you to ensure their compliance in whatever way you choose.” I push back my chair and suppress a smile when he flinches. Before I leave his office, I give him one last parting reminder of who holds all the power here. “If you would prefer it, I could have your father make you swear an oath.”
He bangs his fist on his desk. “Get out of my office.”
“Do not make an enemy of me again, Nicholas. Or I will exact my just revenge.”
On my way back to my office, I do everything I can to banish all thoughts of Ophelia Hart. But, as the day goes on, the worry of what she might be and what that would mean for all of us lingers like an uninvited guest in my mind.