Hellfire | Hayley Marshall

Chapter 45

Eisa schemed nonstop for weeks.

It was easy. She set strict rules with her siblings— don't draw attention to yourselves, and don't communicate with Tristan and Lucien in a way that suggests you're onto them.

She did all the work, behind the scenes. Aya helped her set up individual meetings with every single Strix member who was from her sireline. She'd dive into their minds, testing their loyalty, and slowly, the number of those who were both helping The Strix and also the Mikaelsons on the side, started to grow exponentially.

Over the centuries, The Strix had grown numerous, though their selectiveness kept them from reaching numbers greater than six hundred. The current member total reached around five hundred and ninety three. By the end of her three weeks, Eisa had secured the loyalty of every single one of her sirelings— a whopping three hundred and five vampires.

Only four had needed to be killed. They were already on her hit list, and they'd made the foolish mistake of trying to appeal to her. She'd allowed them to kiss her feet before she kicked their heads off.

"We're making wonderful progress," mentioned Eisa to Aya, heading over to her bed with two glasses of wine. She handed one to the woman who awaited her, bare beneath thin sheets. "I applaud you, my general, for all your hard work."

"It's simple," said Aya with a shrug. "The compulsion was quite unnecessary, Eisa, you know I'd have done it if you'd just said 'please.'"

"It's just to make sure," said the Original, sitting beside her. "I'd like to think that all the sex makes up for it. You've been coming here every other night."

"What can I say?" Aya stretched her legs. "Your loft is quite comfortable. Away from your siblings, I might add." She sat up a bit. "Are you still sleeping with Lucien as well?"

"You know I have to, darling," said Eisa. "The less he suspects us, the better. It's not as fun, without Alexis, but I've let him bring a girl of his choice each time we meet. I'm hoping that soon enough, his inhibitions might be lowered enough for me to enter his mind."

Aya raised her brows. "Well, as long as you don't bed Tristan, I haven't a problem with it."

"Oh, Tristan, that's one I'll never go for. He tried to kiss me so many bloody times when my family stayed with him. It got rather annoying. We function decently as partners in leadership. As partners in bed... I shiver at the thought."

"What makes Lucien so different?"

Eisa thought for a moment. "Lucien's more good looking, in my eyes. Both of them are horrible, and they're men, which only makes it worse. But also, Lucien came from a humble upbringing. From poverty. He built everything he owns now... perhaps not in an honest way, but built nevertheless, instead of being born with it. There is some truth in what he told Tristan at the party. Tristan is so... elitist. Much like my brother was, in many centuries. Again, both terrible men, but Lucien is more tolerable to be in bed with. More resistant, I'd like to believe. I think Tristan might cry if I called him half the things I say to you and Lucien."

Aya snorted. "No bloody way are you saying those things to Lucien." She blinked, when Eisa didn't respond. "He allows you to?"

Eisa slid her finger over her own lips, then over Aya's. "I won't divulge Lucien's secret kinks. It's for him to enjoy. I don't judge, you know that. You're not in a position to judge either, Aya. Phew, if people knew what you call me..."

Aya covered her face. "It's not to be said aloud."

"Well, not yet. If I asked you to put on a show for me in front of everyone, calling me by my special name, you'd do it, and then, they'd all know. I'll keep that on hold for now, in case I ever need to punish you."