“Whoa. Dude. That’s… a lot.”
He shrugged. “Like I said. Delicious.”
“Yeah, also chock full of caffeine. You don’t want to overdo it, or else you won’t sleep for days,” I replied. “Don’t get me wrong, even as a vampire, I still enjoy the occasional cup, but you’ve got to take it easy. Too much isn’t good for you. In fact, how are you still standing after twenty mugs? How is your heart still functioning?”
“Different metabolism, maybe?” Herakles sighed, and motioned for the meeting room’s double doors. “Come on, we’re due to start soon.”
“Look at you, all ready to work.” I chuckled.
I followed him down the diamond hallway, remembering my first impressions of him. Not much had changed from the early days, other than his hairdo, of course. Herakles was still the pirate, the rebel who obeyed only the rules that worked for him, personally.
He was, however, indispensable to our crew, given his impressive physical and cognitive abilities. Like Amal and Amane, he was probably as close as a Faulty would ever get to being a Perfect, and that made him valuable. Herakles was still a good team player, despite his roguish attitude. He never left any of us out to dry, and he was a damn fine instructor, too. In the end, Raphael and Douma both insisted that he be a part of GASP’s Stravian leadership. He’d earned his place.
Inside the meeting room, Derek and Sofia, Douma and Dmitri, Raphael, Rakkhan, and Wallah were patiently waiting for the rest of us to come in. Herakles and I sat next to each other, joining the council around the large glass table. A massive screen was mounted on the wall behind Derek, and I knew that would be the place to look at during the meeting. Derek had developed a thing for slideshow presentations.
Amal and Amane came in after us, accompanied by Ridan. The dragon was an integral part of GASP, as well, and Amane’s soulmate. The two were ridiculously happy together, much like Douma and Dmitri. Personally, I was just a tiny bit jealous of them. I’d yet to meet someone who’d capture my attention like that. I wanted to, though. I felt as though there was a little piece missing from me, even when I was busy doing something else.
I had an eternity ahead of me, and part of it included the Nevertide throne. That was still far away, since my parents were perfectly capable and willing to keep leading the kingdom. It gave me the freedom I needed to explore every corner of the universe, to grow as a vampire-sentry, and to amass the most incredible experiences. I hoped one of them would be finding someone to love.
“Varga! You’re still here!” Ridan exclaimed.
“We have the spring batch to train, remember?” I answered, smiling.
He nodded. “That’s right… Two more weeks of combat training left, right?”
“And excellent instructors to get the job done,” Douma interjected, giving me an appreciative nod.
“I do my best,” I said with a smirk.
Derek and Sofia were as close as ever. Derek was glowing—for good reason, too. Ta’Zan had done something to turn him into a day-walker. He was the only vampire who could be out in the sun without burning up like a pyre. The witches, along with Amal and Amane’s Sciences Department, were still studying Derek’s blood in an attempt to figure out what treatment Ta’Zan had used to fix his sunlight sensitivity, but they were still a long way from untangling that mystery. On top of that, he and Sofia were in the middle of preparations to become parents again—this time, however, they wanted to adopt. Soon enough, they were going to start looking for a child that would need their love, care and guidance. They had plenty to give.
Elonora came in, joined by Nevis, Ben, and Rose. They were part of the original search crew that had come to Strava over a year ago, looking for our founders. They were essential to this annual meeting, as they had first-hand experience with the planet and its people, from the very beginning. And I, for one, never said no to spending some time with my little sister.
Since she was now going steady with Nevis, Elonora had moved to Neraka about a month ago. They lived up on Mount Athelathan, among the Dhaxanians, though they often came out for GASP missions and family reunions in The Shade and in Nevertide. It was good to see her smiling and blooming by Nevis’s side. After the Connor incident back in college, I’d doubted she’d ever let herself fall in love again.
Lumi was the last to enter the meeting room, accompanied by Bogdana (who still benefited from the swamp witch’s “youth serums,” it seemed). Lumi was our oldest and most seasoned swamp witch, and Bogdana had a personal tie to Strava, as a frequent visitor in the past, and as Ta’Zan’s surrogate mother. Both were valuable in our mission to take this planet to the next level. Lumi, in fact, was instrumental.
“Okay, I think that’s everyone,” Derek said, looking around the room. “Thank you all for joining us today.”
“We couldn’t miss this. It’s the actual anniversary of the Blackout, isn’t it?” Elonora replied.
“It is. One year to the day,” Raphael said. “Needless to say, I’m glad you’re all still alive and kicking.”
“Are you, really?” Nevis shot back, raising an eyebrow.
It made both Raphael and Elonora laugh. Looking back, I remembered the crush that Raphael had developed for Elonora—Nevis hadn’t taken it well, dropping the temperature whenever Raphael got too flirty with my sister. I stifled a chuckle of my own, knowing that, ever since those early days, Raphael and Nevis had developed a solid friendship, peppered, of course, with snarky back-and-forths regarding Elonora. Their dynamic reminded me of Nevis, Avril, and Heron.
After all, almost two years ago, Nevis had first set his sights on Avril, during the Neraka debacle. The shoe was now on the other foot for the Dhaxanian prince, and I found it absolutely hilarious.
“You know I love you,” Raphael replied, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
“Oh, if only Heron were here to watch you boil,” I chimed in, prompting another wave of laughter.
It got cold so fast that my teeth started chattering. Looking down, I noticed the frost climbing up my legs, further decreasing my already-low vampy temperature. Nevis was wearing a dry half-smile—it quickly faded when Elonora noticed what he was doing to me and pinched his side. He let a faint squeal out, and that just made us all unravel.
“Paws off my brother!” Elonora said.
Nevis’s gaze softened on her. He loved her more than anything, and then some. I found comfort in knowing that my sister’s heart was well looked after. Nevis was strong and powerful. He was definitely the right guy for her. My Lenny was driven and relentless, like a bullet, sometimes. She needed someone who could keep up, someone who would cherish her exactly the way she was.
“How is everyone this morning?” Derek asked, drawing our focus back to him.
Dmitri chuckled. “I’m due for another training session on Calliope with Lumi and my brothers,” he said. “I’m close to going full wolf!”
“Oh, that’s wonderful news!” Sofia replied.
“The werewolf doesn’t need the full moon to come out,” Lumi explained. “That’s just ancient lore that everyone took for gospel. Jovi, Dmitri, and Aida only need the night to transform. Granted, it’s a long and difficult process to unleash the beast, but they’ve come so far, already. I have faith they’ll all be able to shift with great ease, soon enough.”
“Voss is already a pup during the night,” Dmitri said. “But that’s because Lumi got him started so young.”
“Jovi is already going full wolf. Aida’s done it once, too. You’re next, Dmitri,” Lumi replied.
“How are Jovi and Anjani, by the way?” I asked. “I haven’t seen them since Richard was born.”
“Oh, man! They’re great!” Dmitri said, lighting up like a Christmas tree. “But I would’ve picked a better name for the baby. Richard is so… stern and noble.”
“And what? The Blackhalls aren’t stern and noble?” Elonora replied, her lips pressed into a thin line.
“Hah! Good one, Lenny.” Dmitri scoffed, crinkling his nose. “He’s gorgeous, though.”
