Chapter 2

Sixteen years later - 1930

"I'm telling you, Alastair, this is by far the dumbest thing I've ever allowed you to talk me into," I growled, crossing my arms over my chest with a sigh as I cast a sideways glance at him, snorting in amusement when he growled.

"I didn't talk you into it, Lucifer. You agreed to do it, of your own volition. You're acting like this is the worst possible outcome." Sam responded with a roll of his eyes as he pressed his foot down on the accelerator.

"Name one thing worse, Alastair. I cannot fathom anything worse than what you are driving me to at this very moment. We are going to meet at the table. I know, as the king, I should not loathe this as much as I do, but from what I've heard, they are all stuck up or completely worthless."

"That may be true," Sam mumbled, hesitantly nodding his agreement as he narrowed his eyes in thought, considering this for a few moments. "I refuse to believe that there is not one elder or lieutenant that you won't get along with. There are fourteen of them, after all. In any case, you've been putting this off for sixteen years, Lucifer, and you cannot put it off any longer."

"I could have gone the rest of my immortal life putting this off. Do not tell me you are actually looking forward to this?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow in question as we pulled into the driveway of a colonial, one that appeared to have been handmade and very new. "We really are showoffs, aren't we?"

"That is what every other species would have you believe about us, yes," Sam mumbled with an affirmative nod as we stepped out of the vehicle and made our way up the unnecessarily long driveway, taking in our surroundings as we spoke. "You have been the king for over a decade now. It is prime time that you meet your elders. I actually cannot believe that they allowed you to take the title without an official meeting, if I'm to be honest."

"I am surprised by that as well, yes, but from what others have said, they fear me too much and would much rather keep their distance," I responded with a grin, trying and failing to stop myself from laughing aloud, as I found it hilarious.

"You would love for that to be true, wouldn't you?"

"You would love nothing more than for it not to be true. Wish all you will, Alastair, as it remains the truth, as they have done nothing but prove it to be so." I responded as we finally arrived at the front door, where it immediately swung open before either of us could knock.

"My king, please, come in." A man with short brown hair and light brown eyes said as he stepped to the side and bowed, motioning for us to enter the home.

"Thank you," I said with a sigh as I stepped over the threshold and looked around the entry room where a group of vampires was gathered. "I thought this was a meeting for the elders and lieutenants?"

"We thought it best for the elders who had thirds to bring them along as well, so that if something happens, you still know the leaders over the continents, without having to call another meeting too quickly." The man who opened the door said with a kind smile as he closed the door and stepped to the side, motioning for Sam and me to follow him into a room off to the right.

"Is that so? There are only four elders with thirds?" Sam asked as we entered a room that looked as though they stole it from a museum.

'Some vampires just have too much time on their hands.' I thought as I walked around the room, taking in the various artifacts and shelves upon shelves of books and keepsakes. 'Who truly feels the need to keep things that do absolutely nothing more than reminding them of their age?'

"Yes, not all lieutenants have chosen their seconds, as it is not always something they feel the need to do immediately." The man responded with a nod as he watched me walking around the room, waiting for me to sit with the rest of them, as it seemed they were all waiting for me to do.

"If you're waiting for him to sit down, I wouldn't suggest holding your breath," Sam said as he sat on the arm of a chair, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked around the room, glaring at anyone who dared to make eye contact with him.

"Very well. I am Erica, the elder of Europe. This is my second, Alaric, and his second, William." A woman with a thick European accent said, a cocky grin playing at the corners of her lips as if she had something to boast about.

'Alaric? I swear I've heard that name before,' I thought as I turned to look at the man that Erica had introduced, watching him for a moment until we made eye contact. "Have we crossed paths before, Alaric?"

"No, my king, I do not believe so. When is the last time you were in Europe?" He asked me; his grey eyes widened somewhat as he awaited my response.

"It's been almost twenty years now. Perhaps I have only heard your name in passing." I responded with a shake of my head as I turned my attention to the man, they called William, who was seated next to Alaric, then to the man who'd opened the door for us. "And you are?"

"Bartholomew, my king. I am the elder of America, and this is my lieutenant Justice." The man responded, motioning to a woman seated next to him.

"You already know who I am," Geoffrey said with a nod to me before turning to nod to Sam as well. "This is my second, Vanessa."

'Yes, unfortunately, I know who you are.' I thought as I sat in the chair next to Sam, nodding hello to Vanessa, holding back a laugh when I saw that both Bartholomew and Alaric rolled their eyes at Geoffrey. 'Hmm, maybe there are a few at the table that I won't completely loathe and despise.'

Sam seemed to note this as well as I heard him chuckling softly before clearing his throat to try to hide it when he saw the glance Geoffrey shot his way.

"I am Cristobal, and this is my lieutenant, Anastasia." A man with blood-red eyes and light blonde hair said, motioning to the woman beside him who kept her eyes blood-red as well.

"Is your entire continent like you?" Sam asked him, narrowing his eyes in disgust when Anastasia giggled and winked at him.

"No, not anymore, but we don't really mind," Anastasia responded with a shrug as she turned her crimson glare towards me, peeling back her lips into a distorted version of a smile, trying and failing to make herself seem appealing.

I tried my best to act as though I cared about any of the other elders or lieutenants as they introduced themselves and started a conversation about their businesses. Still, the truth of the matter was I would have rather given myself a lobotomy before I listened to another second of their relentless babbling. The only saving grace I found was watching a fight unfolding between Erica and Nero, the elder of Asia, as they fought over whose continent held more foragers.

Though it was an idiotic conversation, it was scores better than listening to what everyone else was conversing about, which seemed to revolve around politics and business.

"Since I've met you, I see no further reason for this meeting to continue. We've no other order of business, correct?" I said after giving them a few minutes to stop on their own accord, but after about twenty minutes of their mindless droning, I realized they weren't going to.

"Oh, I guess not, no," Godwin said with a shake of his head, furrowing his brows in confusion as he watched Sam and I stand.

"Then there is no point in us staying. We've things to do." I said as I nodded my goodbye to the coven and made my way to the front door as quickly as I could.

"My king, Sir, if it's alright?" Alaric said as he followed Sam and me out of the door, waiting until we were far enough out of earshot before saying anything more. "I hope you don't mind my saying, but you are not what I thought you would be."

"In what way?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the grill of our car.

"In the way that I assumed you'd be a stuck-up prick, just like the rest of them. No offense meant, of course." Alaric responded with a short laugh, his gray eyes overflowing with amusement as he cast a glance over his shoulder, making sure no one was listening before speaking. "I honestly don't understand how that group can willingly talk and talk about absolutely nothing for hours on end."

"No offense taken. You'd think a group of the most powerful vampires in existence could think about something a little more interesting than who has more foragers on their continent. Or what they think about the current situation with the elementals." I agreed with a chuckle before looking past Alaric, where Bartholomew and William were walking out of the house and heading off to the left.

"Not to sound like an ass, but I actually think the situation with the elementals is one of the more interesting topics they touched on," Sam said as he looked up at me, then noticed where I was looking and watched the two men as well. "Is your second dating the elder?"

"Hmm?" Alaric asked as he turned to see what we were referring to, then nodded before turning back around. "Yes, they've been together for a little while now."

"I can't imagine that works out well for the two of them, being the elder and lieutenants of two different continents," I said.

"Better than you'd think, as William is only a third, so he is not required to spend most of his time at our elder's side like I am. Once I take over as an elder, that will be a completely different story. It was a pleasure to meet you, my king. I didn't think I would mean that, but I'm glad that I do." Alaric said, bowing deeply before turning on his heels to go back into the house.

"Look at that. You don't hate every single person at the table." Sam said with a mocking chuckle as we got into the car and started our drive towards home.

"Oh, bite me, Alastair."