Louis Gets Promoted

Louis

After the guards took Juliet from the bookstore, Soren and I sat across from each other for the longest time, staring at the roof. Not knowing what was happening was the worst. Going there and making a scene and getting arrested wouldn't help anyone. I had to keep it together. Juliet's words kept going over and over in my mind, 'If you don't know what to do. Don't do anything at all. Okay.'

Okay, baby! Even though I wouldn't do something stupid, I felt like a useless coward. How could she call me her husband if I couldn't protect her? Being at the compound with her was supposed to be Marcus's job. I couldn't count on him. Well, it was his test anyway.

"How can you live like this? I know Juliet is worth it… But why did you come back?"

"I don't know? Right now, Soren, I just don't know… She doesn't want to leave… She doesn't want to give up."

It had to have been hours I sat there before Liam came in through the back door, sat next to me, and gave me a cigarette. "Soren called me."

I took it and lit it, wondering when Juliet would be able to slip away again. How long would we be able to go on like that? We had four epic days. The four of us got drunk, played games, and watched TV like the old times. Liam was a fun guy. Cindy was hilarious. They were so liberal in their thinking. Anything could go on, and they wouldn't bat an eye—except when it came to Juliet. She was the one thing that made them pull out their own moral code… against the world. 

"We talked about this, Louis. She's fine. You prepared her for this. Didn't you split her lip? Gave her a few punches in the stomach. Juliet is smart. She won't push it too far."

"Yes, but I don't like the guard's face flashing in her mind. The nightmares she has... I think you should stay there tonight."

"Yeah, sure. Come, let's go. I'll even take Cindy."

I sighed with relief and stood. Soren sat, wringing his hands, worried. I didn't have the energy to read him—at all. I really didn't care what went on in his mind, although I knew pricelessly what he was thinking. "I'll tell you everything soon, Soren." He nodded and shook my hand. "And don't feel guilty. She would've done it for anyone. Literally anyone."

"Well, maybe not anyone," Liam added. I shook my head. She also lived according to her own moral law. Daddy's little girl.

***

I was waiting at the house to hear from Liam and wasn't expecting them back, but they were. "What's going on? Why are you guys home? You were gone for an hour? You said you would stay with her."

"They wouldn't let us see her. Said because she misbehaved, she was sleeping off her… beating."

"F—! I knew it… We won't see her again, will we?"

We sat around the table, going through every possible scenario. Getting shot was all we came up with. It wouldn't help. Drinking was our second option.

I had passed out at the dining room table somewhere while drowning our sorrows and was woken by a loud banging on the door. Groaning, I got up. Liam and Cindy were in their room. I was instantly sober, scared, and worried about what might have happened.

I opened the door with trepidation. The guard on the other side didn't give me a chance to speak or read him. "You three have to come with me." There wasn't much to say if he was going to take me in any direction that brought me closer to Juliet. Where else would he take me? I hoped… Maybe she killed him and was in jail. Best case scenario.

When we got in the car, the driver's mind flooded with images of what had happened. A relieved sob escaped me. I grabbed Cindy's hand. It was a mess. Gruesome. "She's okay. Marcus is here."

We were all so relieved. "What happened?" Liam asked the guard, driving.

All he said was, "The guards at Marcus's house misbehaved."

Tears welled up. Misbehaved? I was so close to drugging her and deciding for her. If she was raped, that was it. I was tired. I couldn't do it anymore. I would kill Marcus myself if it came down to it. No, it wouldn't work, or I'd be dead a long time ago. 

***

The lane with the trees was weird. A dome of branches all the way to the back of the estate. How did Marcus ever think the slight separation from Qadir would give him what he wanted. I got to actually see his house for the first time. All three of us were startled to see Carl, who was talking to someone. "What the hell, man? What are you doing here?"

Carl looked up from a dead body and smiled, "Are you going to read me? Or should I blab."

"I'm too tired. Lay it all out there."

"Come, Juliet is in the kitchen."

We had to step over the guy.

"Why?" I asked.

"She doesn't want to be in her room."

My fists balled.

Juliet lay slumped over the counter with no top on. I cringed at the lashes all over her body. The snake skin on her back lifted and oozed a weird pussy bloody mess. Her beating this time had affected her differently than when Qadir hit her. I wiped the tears away before I had to talk to her. "Tell me you brought me a cigarette," she croaked out, "Pain meds. Drugs."

I turned towards the guard. He showed me a little room off the kitchen with everything she needed. Packing it all out, we all did something. Liam gave her a hand full of painkillers. Cindy was doing the dirty work, cleaning and stitching the wounds. I had never heard her in so much pain. Complaining and whimpering. Soft cries. All I could do was help her to smoke, kissing her as much as she would allow me. Even so, I had to know, "Baby, did he?"

"No," she croaked out again.

I drew in a ragged breath. "So Carl, tell us!"

"We haven't heard from you guys in two weeks. Marcus's phone was tampered with. We thought it was broken… It should've put us on the defense long ago… Anyway, Jabin was controlling everything. I haven't talked to Charlene in two weeks, either."

Juliet wanted to actually sit up and say something. Carl quickly went on, "Don't worry. Kubra was so upset that Ben left her there alone; he went after her. They've not surfaced. It was so weird seeing Kubra so concerned… I still don't know if we can trust him… But anyway.

The communications here at the compound had been down. Blocked from any outside calls. Marcus killed Kubra's father when he found out about all the manipulations… Oh yeah, Marcus caught Mr. Creepy jerking off, watching Juliet in the tub. He gauged out his eyes for looking at her and broke his arms for touching her."

Carl Yawned. I took a good look at him. His eyes were lazy, and his body sluggish. "Marcus went with Qadir to Palmyra, where his father made a move on Sita."

His joke got a chuckle from Juliet, "She deserves it."

"Yeah… That's about it."

"Didn't I tell you? Bad luck." Juliet said, grabbing my hand as the needle went into her flesh.

"Take it back!" Juliet rolled her eyes but took it back.

"Did you see him hanging from the pole? He made the guards bow in front of Juliet."

Liam and I whistled at the same time. Our eyes met, "Don't we feel stupid…" Liam said.

"Jabin actually faked Marcus's voice to confuse you… Did you doubt him?"

I sighed. It was a start, but I was still doubting.

Heavy footfalls came stomping up the walkway, running down the corridor towards the kitchen. A nervous ripple ran down my spine. We stood up straight, frozen, wondering what the hell would happen next. All I saw were the guns and one in front of the rest. His manner wasn't opposing. I breathed out the heavy breath I was holding. He came to an abrupt halt in front of us. "Louis du Pont?"

I took a drag of the cigarette, putting it back into Juliet's mouth when she begged with her thoughts. I held out a hand to the guy. It was a reflex. Propper behavior and all. He reluctantly shook it, reaching for something around his neck, and handed it to me. "My name is Jessy. Marcus is going to En-gannim. You're in charge of the compound until he returns... The emblem in your hand makes you King…." They all went down on their knees in front of me and chanted some creed. Gooseflesh covered my arms. They got up, "Forgive us for not showing proper respect. We have a lot of things to do… Who is Carl Bertram?"

Carl hesitantly stepped forward.

"If you will, kindly come with us, sir. Marcus needs you to teleport him to Washington right now." Jessy stepped out of the kitchen with Carl in tow. Carl turned and waved at us. When I didn't follow, Jessy turned around. "You have to come with us. We have a lot of orders from Marcus. We need to sit down and talk. There are going to be a lot of arrests tonight. You're going to be needed in the office."

I snorted and glanced from Liam to Cindy. If I didn't have to, I wasn't going to leave Juliet… I didn't want to. What the hell was Marcus thinking! I was the one who stayed with her. I turned away from him and sat next to Juliet, stroking her hair, "Baby?" She was out like a log. Cigarette between her fingers. I took it and put it out.

Cindy rubbed my back in understanding. "Nothing will happen to her again. You can help, Louis."

I stood up with the talisman in my hand. "I don't want to leave. She'll be all alone."

Jessy handed us a phone, "For her. We can bring you back when she wakes up. We'll stay close. Five minutes tops. We all have to listen to you now… Two hundred thousand soldiers… And all the people in the compound!" I stood dumbfounded. Blankly, staring at Jessy. But he was waiting. He had to. What did I know about leading an f—ing army? Ruling a bunch of vamps.

Liam pushed me out the door and closed it. "Go away, Louis."

"You better call me!" I slapped the door like Juliet had done so many times.

***

Carl

Unfortunately, we needed to split up again. Louis and I greeted each other; he said some things and was ushered into another car. We had to drive to the teleporter station, well, the diner. It wasn't far from the barracks, and along the road, a stream of men marched in neat rows. Headlights from transport trucks heading towards the compound kept beaming into my eyes. They were fortifying.

Marcus was waiting, sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. Jessy was with me, and it made me feel better. It seemed Marcus trusted him, and next to Kubra, he would be a friend of sorts.

"Marcus!" I touched his shoulder.

Slowly, he sat up, "Jessy. If I don't come back… And… my grandfather invades. You know what to do. Help Louis know what to do. Take Liam into your confidence. He'll kill anyone if you don't want to… I don't think it will come to an evasion… If it does, the humans will come and help. Play nice. But don't let them think we don't know what we're doing." Jessy nodded.

Marcus stood. "Let's go, Carl. Back to Washington. I have to go face my grandfather."

Jessy and I made eye contact, measuring each other. I would be his contact with the humans. As of right now, we were in each other's lives and had to trust one another. Pretty much the same as any army brat.

"Oh, and if Kubra arrives with a human girl. Immediately to Juliet's side or Louis. Kubra can put the watchers back into commission. Tell him to do it immediately. But you lot can figure it out."

Jessy nodded and kneeled in front of Marcus. Then, we were suddenly alone.

After a minute of me taking a moment, Marcus looked my way. "Thank you for not killing me when I touched Juliet after Louis branding."

He chuckled, "If Charlene wasn't there. I don't know."

"Marcus, man, I'm proud of you… After everything I'd seen these two weeks… I'm sorry you have to carry this heavy loud."

"Thank you… I guess—in a way—we're in the same boat."

He was right. We had one goal; to protect two girls… And the sun hadn't even come up yet. Everything happened in one night. Overwhelmed, I pressed a few buttons to teleport us. All of this was getting to me… It was just too much… All of the time. I was exhausted, running on fumes, in over my head on all fronts. We literally only came back from endless days spent on Palmyra. I hadn't even told anyone I went with Marcus. I had actually been to another freaking planet. Seen it. Felt it. Saw so many werewolves that my world became a little bigger and smaller at the same time.

Even if I wanted to, I couldn't help Charlene before… It would change. I had a teleporter plate. Earth was open to us. And Qadir was locked away in a cell for the second time. We were moving in the right direction.

My father was waiting when we stepped out. I sighed. Bertram had gotten everything he wanted. Warden and Jack were ready with whatever Marcus had planned. It was like seeing friends. We were all so connected. Marcus and I had spent every minute together… I didn't want him to leave… If this glimmer of hope went belly up. Kubra would connect the watchers with their vamps, and the army would suddenly be four hundred thousand. Some flying, teleporting. My father wanted the relationship to work. The world would stand as one against the others… This was going to change everything.

Jack had become Marcus's personal escort to En-gannim, seeing that he had been there before. I was thrilled—as much as I could be. Glad I wasn't going to be the one to face his grandfather just yet. I hoped never.

***

Ahasuerus

Preoccupied with what would happen on Earth, I had to keep bringing my mind back to the tasks at hand. It had been two weeks since Jabin was in my study the last time, bringing me everything Kubra had so cleverly deleted and edited. It wasn't the time to reprimand anyone. Especially not if Kubra would be Marcus's right hand man. Jabin and I had a good laugh at the audacity of the young generation. Yes, I would have cared if the lot decided to tell Marcus but he was where he needed to be for now. By his father's side and away from Juliet.

I had to give my grandson credit for the fortitude he showed the previous year. No, since he branded her… Not one of my children would've had the patience to see it through. Where he got his mental strength from, I still didn't know… When would I receive some good news?

The door to my office opened. It was my interim secretary and not Jabin to tell me what I wanted to hear... Where was he! There were too many reasons for the sudden growl in my chest. The young man didn't understand me as well as Jabin did; now was not the time to bother me with nonsense. Vamps didn't condone rape… yet I gave the order earlier. It had taken a long time to figure out how to make her break. Analyzing her life's feed had given us all we needed to know. Then we only had to find the right man to give her the choice. "Speak."

"Someone came through the teleporter from Earth."

"Where's Jabin?"

Nervously, he said, "It's Marcus."

"What did you just say?"

"Your grandson is waiting for an audience with your Majesty."

I stood and sat again, turning away. Did Jabin's plan work? Had Juliet killed herself? It was the moment of truth. "Is Jabin here?"

"No, your Majesty."

What happened? I stood again, "Well, show Marcus in." 

Marcus and another man walked in, dropped to the floor, and kowtowed. That was where they stayed, showing proper etiquette.

"Get up, boy. So I can have a good look at you." He was the spitting image of me eight hundred years ago. Pride swelled in my breast. His countenance and the way he carried himself made him mine for sure. I sighed, "Good. Where's Jabin?"

Marcus's hands were behind his back militarily. That was what he was used to. It didn't mean he showed me less respect than the guy bowing in the corner, not standing straight in my presence. "I killed him, Sir."

'Sir' I had not been called that before.

"Is 'sir' an adequate earthly term to use? Does it show respect?"

Marcus changed his stance and bowed with his hands in front of him, stretched out, and joined together. "Yes, your Majesty. It's filial."

"Don't be disturbed. I was only asking. At ease, soldier. I was also a military man when I was young. You growing up there will take some getting used to."

"Yes, sir."

I walked over to the window. If Juliet was dead, he would be more upset. The lit skyline was beautiful against the dark night sky. The stars were so close and vivid. The Milky Way arm was a constant for us. "I take it Jabin's latest test didn't pan out."

"Almost, Sir. By a few minutes."

Marcus already figured out what we were trying to do. I bobbed my head. "Kubra know?"

"No, Sir."

"You didn't think about that relationship when you killed his father… For that Chit."

"No, Sir."

"Well, nothing to do about it now… We have been in rule for five thousand years, Marcus. It is the first time a boy from our family has been this clever and determined in what he wants. Your father had that same drive. I hope yours brings you peace… Are you sure she's worth it?"

"Yes, sir."

I scoffed. Such a final direct answer. "When did you make the decision?" Marcus paused, thinking... I glanced over my shoulder. "Speak freely."

"The first time she hugged me because of a couch."

I snorted, eyebrows raised. "On the footage, she seems like a stupid girl."

He actually chuckled, "Yes, sir. Very stupid."

It was hard seeing him happy. I wanted him happy, however, for other reasons. Tangible things. Financial. Generational hierarchy... Kids. "I have to say I would love to meet her… But I don't think you're that stupid."

He didn't answer.

"So what will happen now is… your chit will go through another test. And if she survives and comes out victor, we will talk again. I don't know how she does it! Her good luck is uncanny. Everything works out for her." My eyes covered the expanse of the city. "Come, Marcus."

He walked over and drew in a slow breath at the view. It was pretty magical at night. The pink water lit up from within and cast a glow where there would be streets on Earth. The liquid ran in between the stone buildings. Everything… Clean. Organized. Peaceful. "Do you understand what's at stake? You're supposed to lead these people into the future. Into more prosperity. Garnering more technology from the other planets, we can still trade with. The possibilities are endless… It grieves me that you would give it all up for one girl… Take Marcus away. Show him to his rooms. You'll be staying here where we can spend some time together. You'll not be going back to Earth."

He turned to me and bowed. My gaze was pointedly fixed on my prize. With whatever means necessary, he would forget about her. "What's going on at the compound and with Qadir's plans?"

Out of the corner of my eye, he turned his hands behind his back again. "I have taken over the compound." Impressed, I spun on my heels and clapped my hands together. The first good news in a while.

"Your father?"

"Jail." I clapped again, laughing for the first time in a very long time.

"The fact that you're so resourceful, Marcus, makes me very proud. If I could just get rid of this girl, I know you would take your place. Your prize will become mine. How did you do it?" He didn't answer. Hesitant because I wouldn't like his answer. However, I wanted to know. "How?"

"I was protecting her. It's all for her."

I shooed them out of the room. Irritated, I rubbed at my forehead. "You! What's your name?"

"Jack, your Majesty." He bowed even lower than my secretary.

"You take the food to the troops and citizens in the compound. Who is in charge?"

"Louis Du Pont."

I burst out in a bout of laughter that didn't want to disperse. I kept laughing and laughing. My irritation gone in an instant.

Louis… I liked.

***

Marcus

Well, that went better than I thought. He didn't care that I took control of the compound's fate. I thought he wouldn't trust me… If I behaved, Ahasuerus would leave Earth alone. No, he would even support my endeavor. I sighed heavily, sitting on the edge of my bed… I kept breaking my promise to myself—that I would never leave her again. All I did was step away. Every time, it seemed… I moved further and further to ever being with her. When will this end?

At least the troops and Juliet would get food. Qadir was in a cell. Louis was in control of my army. Jessy was there. Kubra would join him, and Juliet would be okay for a while. And I would spend time with my grandfather. For the first time, I was free, on another planet in another system… One I—I swallowed hard—was supposed to rule... I didn't want to. Even looking out at the amazing view had meant nothing if I had no one to share it with. Of course, after I branded Juliet, I had the choice to come home. Selfishly, I couldn't even think about it.

His reaction seemed too good to be true… All of it did. Everything just happened too quickly. I had made one split decision and moved forward more than I had in the last four years.

I put my head in my hands. Because of me—Juliet had to go through another test… he said. I was trying to rack my brain about what it could be. The only missing piece was Michael… How long had it been… Three… Four weeks? What did Ahasuerus want her to do… What was his goal? Juliet's only weakness was her willingness to lay down her life… Where was Michael? Could he be on the planet with me? Kept safe for later use. If he wanted her out of the way and couldn't kill her… Would I just sit here and wait like the last two weeks? Do as I was told and hope for the best.