22__Patient name: Viktor of Onyx

“There is absolutely no need for panic,” Viktor said as he looked at the Vampire Elders seated in his dining hall. He indicated a hand to the left where Kamilla stood beside Demetrius, glaring flames at him. “Kamilla acted without judgment. Let us not forget that she is new to this Kingdom and she was not raised by her father, Klayton, the late King’s closest companion. She doesn’t know our ways.”
Kamilla’s teeth clenched even harder as the Elders threw glances her way. Oh, she couldn’t believe this! How dare he?! After she’d been concerned for him and she’d felt sorry for him? She’d even tried to be nice to him!
That ungrateful bat-winged gnome. She wouldn’t be kissing him again anytime soon! An outraged “Hah!” escaped her before she could stop it and the entire room turned to look at her.
Kamilla tensed, resisting the urge to slip behind Demetrius and disappear.

“Uhm, Viktor!” said Damon loudly from his seat at the table. The other Elders all turned their attention to him, giving Kamilla a chance to breathe.
She made a mental note to make Damon a Bloody Mary cocktail later. That was surely a Vampire’s favourite drink, right?

“I think,” continued Damon, sending Kamilla another quick apologetic look. She sighed and crossed her arms. “I think that once we pay the Queen a visit, everything will be okay. Her daughter and the young Onyx Vamp must follow the laws, no matter what.”

Kamilla made a face and leaned into Demetrius as the Elders continued to discuss.
I don’t get it,” she whispered. “What’s so horrible about those two getting married?”

Demetrius’ expression grew grave. “It’s been forbidden for centuries, my Queen, for any of us to get involved with Cassius Vampires.”
“But why?”
Demetrius shrugged his big shoulders. “Honestly… I don’t know. I was born after those laws were made.”
Kamilla glanced up at him. What kind of law was this that was older than Demetrius and that had no reason?
Demetrius leaned over again. “But, Kamilla… what I don’t get is why Viktor is currently putting the blame on you for something he did…” He glanced at her with a raised brow. Kamilla shrugged sadly and Demetrius made a disapproving face. “How... ungentlemanly.”

“Now,” said Viktor suddenly as he stood, bringing the discussion in the room to silence. “That’s enough discussing. Damon and I will pay the Kingdom of Cassius a visit immediately.” His gaze landed on Rogan who was staring at his own fingers on the table very intently. He hadn’t said a word all morning. Viktor’s eyes narrowed. “Rogan.”
Rogan looked up, his eyes a dark swirl of black. His trademark smile curved slowly across his face. “Yes, Viktor?”
For a moment, Viktor only silently studied him. There was so much he hated about Rogan. The first thing being, of course, that Rogan was likely the one who’d murdered both his and Kamilla’s fathers. But, of course, that couldn’t be proven. And the bastard knew it, hence the confident smirk he wore.
“Have you nothing to say about this matter?” Viktor asked.
Rogan’s smile widened and he shrugged a broad shoulder, raising a hand to run through his blonde hair. “Not really, my King.” He looked at Viktor. “Have fun in Cassius.”
Kamilla watched the exchange with a shiver racing icily up and down her spine. There was something cold and eerie about Rogan that put her on edge. She’d felt it from the very first moment she met him. She narrowed her eyes on him as he stood with the other Elders to leave the castle.
“Ah, Viktor?” said Rogan as he turned back around with a raised finger.
Viktor eyed him. “What?”
“I must ask, has my King yet found out which of the Onyx Vampires made the killing?” asked Rogan.
Viktor tensed. The bastard. “I’ll let you know when I should, Rogan.”
Rogan smiled. “Ah. Not yet, I see. Alright.”
With that, he turned on his heel and disappeared through the open doors, the other Elders in his wake.
Kamilla looked back at Viktor. His gaze was currently sharper than polished fangs as he glared Rogan out of the room.
She tilted her head. Just what was their conflict all about?
****************
Kamilla sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor of Viktor’s study. They’d been gone for a while now and she was bored to death.
Since her wish was Demetrius’ command, Kamilla had sent him out to buy her a wide variety of board games and video games. As well as a laptop and cellphone because, damn, it felt like Onyx was a whole different planet the way she was so cut off from the world!
She’d been tolerant of it at first because she had other things to occupy her, but now that she’d decided that she was going to ignore Viktor’s very existence, she needed things to help her ignore him. Like Candy Crush.

Reaching for another one of the papers she’d found in Viktor’s desk drawer, Kamilla rolled it up and held it to the fire crackling in the fancy fireplace. The glow lit up her eyes as she stared at the fire. She’d never seen anything more hypnotically beautiful. Except, of course, Vik—. No. Stop that thought right there.

The edge of the paper quickly caught aflame and she held it till the flame nearly licked at her fingertips.
Watching the paper until it turned to ashes, Kamilla leaned an elbow onto her knee and sighed.

Viktor, King of Onyx. What a pain in the ass! Even when he wasn’t there, he occupied her mind. Damn him to hell’s mailbox! She had to make the most effort to not become concerned for him again, even if Charming tried to convince her otherwise.
Kamilla pursed her lips at the thought of him. What he’d told her last night still made no sense at all.
Why would Viktor, who thinks it’s superior to be a Vampire, want to be a human?
No matter what angle Kamilla looked at it, it just made no damn sense. Could Viktor secretly wish he was human? Hah! Kamilla scoffed. No way. One couldn’t fake the kind of arrogance you saw in Viktor’s blue orbs. He adored himself way too much.
With a shake of her head, Kamilla reached for another paper. As she rolled it, her eye caught writing.
Kamilla frowned and lifted the paper, turning it over. Oh! The other side had typed out writing on it. It looked like a worksheet of some kind.
Oh, snap. She’d squashed up something that was probably important to Viktor! Cursing, she quickly rolled it out on her thigh, flattening it as best she could. Oh, great. Something else he could hang her from Witcher’s for.
Kamilla’s hand stopped flattening the paper when she read the words framing some kind of logo at the top of the page.

“Laboratory of Genetics and Medical Science?” she read quietly. What was this? Kamilla’s eyes scanned the page, flitting over the diagrams and tables drawn.
She looked back at the top and froze.
“’Patient name: Viktor of Onyx’? What?” Kamilla said. Wait. Something didn’t add up here. First of all, why did Viktor have records from some Lab? Secondly, why in the hell had he gotten his name recorded as “Viktor of Onyx”?! Did these Vampires not have surnames?! Kamilla shook her head in disbelief.
Even so, there were millions of surnames he could have picked from. Smith, Davidson, Johnson. Thousands of surnames! But, no. Viktor had to call himself “Viktor of Onyx”.
Kamilla sighed in resignation. There was no helping him. At this point, she was close to giving up on Viktor’s mental stability.
With a heavy sigh, Kamilla picked the paper up again. She read on, looking through the senseless diagrams. The tables made more sense. Much more sense. More sense than Kamilla was comfortable with.
She froze as she read the table contents.

“Symptoms: Dizziness, intense migraines…” Kamilla nearly turned to stone when she read the last symptom. “Loss of memory and elapsed time periods.”

She stared at the words. He’d been getting himself checked out. Kamilla’s head was a buzz of confusion and questions.
Did Viktor know about Charming? Did he know he had split personalities? Kamilla glanced at the symptoms again. If Viktor didn’t know about Charming, he at least certainly knew that there was something wrong with him.
She bit her lip. How long had he known and kept it to himself? He hadn’t even told Damon. Why was he like that? Did he always have to deal with all his pain by himself?! It wouldn’t kill him to ask for help.
Kamilla looked back at the paper. If she could just find it… it would tell her a lot… hah! She found it. The date.
Kamilla’s eyes narrowed in on it and her mouth fell open. The report was from three years ago. Viktor wasn’t even in Onyx then. He was still in England.

She got up and hurried over to his desk, plopping down in his huge chair. She pulled open the drawer she’d found the old papers in and searched through the contents.
Beneath the pile of newspapers, Kamilla discovered a black folder. She stared at it for a minute before convincing herself to do it. When you were married to a Vampire King, you had to grow a pair.
Kamilla placed the folder on the desk and opened it, spreading the thick stack of papers out. Her breath caught.
“Laboratory of Genetics and Medical Science” graced each paper, standing out like neon lights.

“Oh, no,” Kamilla whispered. “He knows.”

As she looked at the varying dates on the sheets, the air slowly grew cold throughout the room and she looked up with a frown but quickly froze.

Across the room, by a tall bookcase, hidden in the dark, he stood.
“Having fun?” came the mocking question.

Kamilla gulped. Oh. Shit.
Rogan.