“Haven’t you put it together yet, girl?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She frowns. “You need to know what’s at stake for the entire vampire species if you don’t win the next trial. Most of the masters whose covens make up this hive never agreed to be a part of it, Eloise. Valeska and her sire conquered them one by one. She’s already so powerful that there are rumors that even the forebears—the most powerful of their species—won’t be strong enough to stop her with Damien at her side.”
I groan and look at the ceiling. How many times have I heard that dire warning? “Obviously I’m doing everything I can to keep that from happening. In fact, I’ve almost died twice trying to prevent it. In case you can’t tell from the safety of the observation area, I’m doing the best I can.”
She meets the daggers I send her way and holds her ground. Blowing out a held breath, she takes my hand in hers with a tenderness I doubt she feels. “The day you challenged Valeska, people were afraid to dream that you might be the answer to our prayers. But when you won the first challenge, everyone in the resistance celebrated. You proved you were capable of winning this thing, and we dared to hope. You are the first real hope we’ve had of stopping her. Abolishing the hive in favor of independent covens is what’s best for everyone, and you can be the catalyst to make that happen.”
I snatch my hand away. “If you think I need more pressure to succeed, let me set you straight. I’m at capacity. None of this is helping. But yeah, if it will make you feel better, I’ll keep in mind the future of the vampire species when I’m wrestling a shadow bear or swimming a river of lava next trial.”
Marabella turns away with a huff of exasperation. She paces toward the window, looking out over the Japanese garden. “You’re strong, Eloise. Much stronger than I ever expected. If you believe you can win the next challenge, you will win.”
“I think I can win,” I say. “I won’t know until I see what?—”
“No.” She slashes a hand through the air. “You will win. You were strong the day you came here. I’ve made you stronger every day since.”
Something in her voice gives me pause. “How exactly? Providing me with powerful allies is great, but they aren’t in the challenges with me, Marabella.”
“The charmed shakes, Eloise. The herbs, the enchantments, the blood that flows into you now from that bag in your arm. You had magic the day you came here. Everything I’ve given you since has been to make you stronger and more resilient.”
The shakes definitely helped me recover faster, but did they make me more resilient during the challenges? I don’t think so. I owe most of my survival to training with Cassius and Maeve and help from Phantom.
I close my eyes, suddenly exhausted. “As soon as I’m able, I’ll train with Damien again between my donations. The only reason Valeska won this time was because Olivia spied on us and gave her the map of Tenebris that Damien gave me.”
“Olivia spied on you?” Marabella’s voice drops in disgust, then her eyes widen as she puts it all together. “She exchanged the map for her turning. That bitch!” She points a finger at me. “She and that slimy sire of hers are officially banned from Marabella’s for life.”
I nod. “Thanks. It isn’t the end. The map might benefit Valeska again, but I’ll make sure I know everything there is to know about Damien before I step through that archway.”
Marabella folds her arms over her chest, chin lifting. “You are officially off the schedule for now, although I insist on one more donation for George. I will clear out a room for you down here, and you will have guards. I should have suspected Olivia. That snake has always had her eye on the prize of immortality. This time no one disturbs you without being cleared by me first.”
My lashes flutter in surprise. This is very unlike Marabella. “That will be helpful.”
She waves a hand dismissively. “The only way I want you to thank me is by winning the next trial and…”
“And?”
Marabella approaches my bed again and looks me directly in the eye. I get the sense that this entire conversation is really about this, what she’s about to tell me. The air between us suddenly grows thick and heavy. “If you kill her, you will be queen, Eloise. You will have the right to take her place. No human has ever been a master before, let alone a queen, but Lazarus tells me that technically you earn the title if you kill her.”
“I don’t want it.”
She breathes out a sigh of relief. “Then you will have no problem doing the right thing and rejecting it. Once you reject it, you must do three things. First, order Marcel to dismantle the troops and split the soldiers among the separate covens. Second, order Lazarus to transform the palace into a library for all covens, and third, tell Everald to sell Valeska’s personal wealth to fund the transition of power. The covens will need capital and goods to make the transition to self-sustaining units successfully. Everald is in the best position to lead that transition. George will use his position as master to help other covens peacefully make the break.”
“You’ve planned this from the beginning. You made sure that three powerful vampires had my blood. Lots of my blood. You made sure they were blood bonded to me so they must obey me.”
She nods once. “I took a chance, you understand.”
“Because I might lose?”
She snorts. “You won’t lose. Despite that awful performance today, you want him more than she does. You know him better than she does.”
“Let’s hope you’re right about that.”
“No, I took a chance that you wouldn’t want Valeska’s power for yourself. That you wouldn’t want to be queen of Night Haven.”
“I’m human. I can’t lead a vampire coven.”
“You say that now, but you’ll be tempted.”
