Karizma: Reborn

Chapter 26: Lukas

Lukas shoved his hands into his pockets as he approached Knight Life. Ryleigh had begged to go investigate the club with him, but he ordered her to remain home. Aside from being pregnant with his child, the pregnancy shot out a beacon to all supernatural entities that a Karizma was, in fact, alive. And since Bailey is still hidden, the only Karizma that makes sense is Ryleigh, Lukas thought bitterly. There was a bounty on her head all over again. Not just hers, Lukas reminded himself as he studied the doors of Knight Life. Kristopher's life was also on the line.

Knight Life stood quietly in front of him. It was the middle of the day, which Lukas had timed perfectly. Depending on what was inside, he did not want to worry about humans being in the middle of a fight, or finding something that a human should not find. Lukas was almost positive that Kristopher had already been grabbed, but Ryleigh began her argument to at least try to locate Kristopher. I owe him that much, Lukas thought. Lukas inhaled deeply and opened the club's doors.

The silence was thickening, and instantly Lukas' wolf was on edge. He gazed around the first floor of the club, but it appeared immaculate. The shelves of the bar were stocked with full bottles of alcohol, the dance floor had been swept and mopped, and the tables were polished. "Kristopher?" Lukas called out. He had contemplated remaining silent, but it would have been useless; the vampires would have sensed his presence the second that he opened that door regardless. Lukas slowly made his way up the stairs of the club to the second floor.

Lukas tensed when his eyes settled on the VIP section of the club. The couches had been overturned, the table had been obliterated, and a smear of blood was embedded into the carpet. Fuck, Lukas thought. Even though he had assumed that Kristopher had already been found, a part of him had hoped that he was wrong, that he would have found Kristopher in time and offered him asylum with the lycans. Ryleigh had even offered to cloak Kristopher the second that he arrived on their grounds to hide him until they could come up with a plan.

Lukas sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. He walked amongst the chaos of the second floor. Kristopher put up a hell of a fight, that's for sure, Lukas thought. He walked down the hallway to Kristopher's office, but the fight had not made it that far. It appeared that the fight had been contained to the sitting area of the balcony. Lukas sighed and approached the railing of the balcony. He smirked slightly as he noticed that Kristopher had replaced the part of the balcony that Lukas had broken. It felt like such a lifetime ago, Lukas thought. Lukas tensed as he heard the club doors open and shut. He felt his claws itch to brandish, and he turned his head toward the door entrance.

A tall vampire with ash blonde hair stood in the doorway, silent, as he observed the club. Lukas recognized him from the night that Ryleigh and Bailey came to the club. "Grayson," Lukas spoke. The vampire's bright red eyes shot up and locked on to him. "Easy. I come in peace."

"Wolf," Grayson responded. "Kris here?"

Lukas' jaw twitched at the neglect of his title, but he shoved down his annoyance. "No. It looks like there was a struggle. Do you know anything about it?"

"Do you?" Grayson challenged.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"You were here recently to promise that there would be no more bloodshed amongst witches, with a witch, might I remind you, and now my friend is missing at the first whiff of Karizma blood."

"You think I'd take out the Karizma Killer?" Lukas asked. "That is like declaring war on your people."

"Ah, but the Karizma scent alive itself declares war against your precious witch alliance," Grayson tsked. "Witches are no longer safe again, until the Karizma is properly dead."

"You would think that you'd be more concerned about your friend than the witches," Lukas responded slowly. "You know the punishment for failing to abide by your master's wishes."

Grayson growled in response, but said nothing. There was nothing else to say; Kristopher was to be sentenced to death for not following his master's orders, and Grayson knew it. Lukas knew it. Ryleigh knew it and was terrified enough for all of them. Lukas sighed and straightened himself. He slowly made his way down the stairs, his eyes locked on to Grayson's. Lukas' wolf offered a warning growl, but Lukas ensured that he did not react to it. Grayson's eyes had widened briefly. Lukas' wolf growling was one thing, but for Lukas to react to it, that would have guaranteed a fight. And a fight with Kristopher's friends is not something that I need right now, Lukas thought.

"You're not here for them?" Grayson asked.

"No, I'm here for him," Lukas said. "Once I smelled the Karizma in the air, I knew that she was not dead, which only meant one thing for Kristopher."

"Why do you care about him? Our kinds are not exactly friends."

"Oh, I'm aware," Lukas responded. "Let's just say that I owe him my life, as it were."

"No shit?" Grayson asked in surprise. "I didn't know Kristopher had it in him to save the Alpha wolf."

"I didn't know that Kristopher had it in him to spare a Karizma," Lukas said. It was only partially a lie. Despite everything that Ryleigh and Kristopher had been through, his intention had always been to spare her; Lukas just did not know it until that first night when her magic was in the air, and suddenly gone.

Grayson sighed and a ran hand through his hair. "I don't know where he would be taken. Kris was closer to Master than the rest of us. Only he would know where Master would take him."

"Is there a chance that he is already dead?" Lukas asked reluctantly.

"No, but only because that would be too easy," Grayson answered bitterly. "Master would want to make an example of his Karizma Killer. His obedient assassin for centuries has failed him and lied to him about it. Kristopher's death would be more public than that."

"Where is your allegiance?" Lukas asked cautiously.

"Where it needs to be," Grayson answered as he looked at Lukas curiously.

Lukas simply nodded. Grayson cared for Kristopher, but his care for his friend did not outweigh his allegiance to his Master. Sharing any information with Grayson was dangerous. "He was a good ally, while it lasted," Lukas said. Lukas went to walk past Grayson, but Grayson stood in front of him. "Grayson—"

"Alpha, don't keep looking for him," Grayson replied. "It's not a threat," he added quickly. "Kris was my friend for centuries, and even I know that my search ends here. Wherever he is, he is with someone who will kill him without blinking. There is a reason that no one disobeys the Master. And especially you, it would end in a war against your people."

Lukasnodded in acknowledgment and exited the club. He thought about sharing theknowledge that the war was already in motion, that all that abductingKristopher had done was move the timeline up, but he refrained. Grayson wasafraid of Master, and a terrified vampire was more dangerous than a friendlyvampire. If Grayson did not yet know about the war, then maybe it was betterthat way; he was not being recruited into Nathan and Naomi's plan to conquerthe world. I, however, do know about this war, Lukas thought. And the enemy harmingKristopher has only added fuel to my fire of victory.