This took longer then I intended but it could not be helped, Enjoy!
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Chapter 6: Come What May
The assembly of Dawnlight vampires all turned towards the entrance of the grand hall as Lord Einar entered. The blue-haired man glided up to stand in front of Lord Wade and his wife Lady Abigail. With his usual smug grin he bowed, "Greetings Lord and Lady Dawnlight," his smooth voice bringing a smile to the Lady's face. "I have come to ask permission to visit you territory."
"On what business?" Wade asked with annoyance at his wife's smile.
"I come to help you with your dhampire problem," Einar informed him whilst openly checking the Lady Abigail out.
"There is no problem," Wade grunted.
"Now Wade," Abigail warned, "They have been a thorn in our sides for centuries." The Lady's clear distaste for the clan populated primarily by her husband's bastard children. She feared for not only her own safety when it comes to the dhampires but the safety of her young daughter also.
"We have no problem," Wade sneered at his wife, "We have not done anything to them to provoke them." He turned his attention back to Einar, "Only the wolves have a problem with them."
"The dhampires have caused me to be cautious of them," Einar said airily as he checked his nails, "As they have threatened the mate of my best friend." His gaze settled on Abigail again.
"You have our permission to deal with them," She said defiantly, ignoring her husbands growls, "Just remember who is the actual ruler here Wade." She glared at him, "I think you have protected them long enough. I know most of them are your sons but you have a daughter also, don't you think she is worth protecting?"
As though called a girl who looked no older than five years old ran into the chamber, she ran up to her mother and jumped into her arms. Einar's flirtatious expression vanished, the girl was the very image of her mother, black hair, soft mocha skin, hazel eyes and plump chocolate lips. "Now I have extra incentive to deal with them," he gave the girl a bow, "The thought of something so precious in danger only makes me more determined."
The girl looked at him as though he said something out of place, "You have blue hair," she stated flatly, "San I have blue hair?" She looked to her mother who just laughed at her little girl's reaction.
"My mother is a sídhe," he explained, "A fairy."
"So you're a fairy?" She asked excitedly, "Do you grant wishes?" She bounced on her mothers lap clapping her hands.
Einar was speechless, her enthusiasm made him want to give it a try. It had been years since he played with magic as he grew bored with it. He gave the girl's father a look of askance, silently requesting permission to entertain the little girl. An annoyed nod was all he received but it was enough to allow Einar to give the girl what she wanted. He stroked her hair lightly and the little girl giggled, little did she know he had turned the girl's hair the same shade of blue as his own hair. The room gasped at how fast the change occurred.
"What's happening?" The little girl asked.
"Look in the mirror," Abigail suggested to her, barely containing her laugh.
The girl squealed at the change she saw, "My hair is blue!"
"It is only an illusion," Einar explained, "It will fade over the next few hours back to your original colour. I do not think your parents would have been happy with me if I permanently changed it to blue."
"Indeed," Abigail chuckled, "I love the colour of your natural hair."
The girl smiled at Einar, "What else can you do?" She asked sweetly.
"I would first like to know your name, princess," the sídhe dhampire enquired.
"Kaelea," she whispered and turned beet red, hiding her face in her mothers shoulder.
"Kaelea, I can do some wondrous things," he kneeled at Abigail's feet, "And some terrible things but I only use my magic when I have to, like what I have come to try fix."
"Are you going to kill my brothers?" She asked turning back.
"If I have to," Einar replied, "I am hoping to talk them out of attacking my friend's mate's family."
"They won't listen," Kaelea said, "They hate us, they hate the weres, everyone," her voice lowered to try hide what she was saying, "They said they a going to kill mummy and me and take over the seven realms."
Wade jumped up, "I think you have overstayed your welcome, Midnight." The vampire lord glared at his peer with loathing, "I suggest you leave now and leave the dhampire clan alone."
Lord Einar stood to his full height, standing just a few inches taller than Wade, "You will forgive me if I happen to hold my friendship with Alpha Brynjar higher than others," Einar explained with distain. "His mate is in hiding because of their actions, you own daughter is scared of them and you wish me to leave them alone?" He raised his voice with each word he spoke, "Leaving them alone has resulted in them posing a threat to not only Dawnlight but the other realms also! So no I will not leave them alone, but I will give you my word that I will avoid killing them if I can, however if they refuse to negotiate I will eradicate them without remorse." He turned an left the hall, leaving the occupants silent.
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Just outside of the Dawnlight Pack's castle a group of about a dozen dhampires hid in the trees, the fortification of the castle was difficult to scale but not impossible. The clan's chief, Abaddon studied the previous path they had used years earlier, a crack in the main defence wall which had been easy to climb was now repaired. "Damon, scout the north wall and report back to me if you see any potential entrance points," the chief, "Pythias, the same for the south."
The two brothers nodded and left for their assigned destinations and Abaddon continued to study the wall for any little foothold that could be exploited. Unlike their immortal cousins, human dhampires do not have the speed to scale the wall with little to no effort. Abaddon felt no resentment for the fact that his human blood slowed his movements and made him more vulnerable to injuries, he felt the opposite. He loved his mother more than anything else in the seven realms, she may have been a mistress to Lord Wade but was not treated with the same respect other women who shared his bed received. He was her eldest and was born in normal human gestation like all his brothers, he had the blood thirst like regular vampires and had faster than the human rate of healing but still much slower than that of a full vampire. These traits left the dhampire to utilise the only thing that was not hindered by their mixed background their minds. A dhampires brain is their strongest asset, cunning and planning their only weapons.
Damon made his way back to the chief, "A vine is growing on the north wall. It looks like an old grape vine, the tendrils are thick and should hold the weight of a man," he explained quickly. "It sits close to the western wall."
Abaddon smiled, "Then we will be in the shadows," his grin widened, "Excellent."
"Why are we here, brother?" Damon asked the chief, "The Alpha's children are not here."
"I have a feeling the Alpha is missing his children," he spoke coldly, "That and the young bitch is needed for her contractual obligation."
