Smart man. I’d always liked Nathan. “No. There’s more.”
He eyed me carefully. “And with all due respect, Jessiah, I really hope you didn’t come here to try and convince me to take a stand against your brother.”
Though my hackles rose at the very suggestion, I forced myself to relax. “Quite the opposite, actually. The army you’ve been building here… I’m asking that you send them with my soldiers when we go to aid the kingdom of Pericius.”
Xavier sucked in a breath, but crossed his arms over his chest and remained silent.
Nathan sat forward, the front two legs of his chair slamming to the ground, and burst into laughter. “You can’t possibly think I’d agree to that after you told me Huntyr and Wolf—the King and Queen of Scarlata—specifically told youno, can you?”
Yeah. I knew this was a waste of my time.
He was still laughing like an idiot when I stood up to leave.
“Come on, Xavier. We need to get back before they notice we’re gone.”
Just as I reached the door, he called out, “Wait!”
I spun slowly to face him.
“How many soldiers are we talking?”
Chapter 5
Rummy
The feasts were my least favorite parts of life in Scarlata.
I understood the concept, of course. A kingdom full of starving vampyres needed to eat something.
But to me, it served as yet another reminder that I wasn’t one of them. That I didn’t belong here.
Even Huntyr and Wolf could be themselves here.
Though it’d been two years since I’d learned the truth, I was still wrapping my mind around the concept of Huntyr being one of them.
My presence at these events wasn’t exactly optional, though. Trust me, I’d tried. And typically, I’d end up sneaking into the woods to hide until the loud celebrations of the feast fizzled out and the quiet of the night returned. Occasionally, I tried to drink myself into oblivion on one of the roofs here in Scarlata, but Huntyr found me every time.
You’re part of this kingdom,she would say.It’s not the same without you there.
She tried her best to include me, though sometimes I wondered how much of that was for me, and how much was because she wanted this tiny piece of home in her new kingdom.
My presence reminded her of everything she accomplished since she’d left Midgrave. It helped quell the loneliness she felt after leaving so much behind.
Tonight, though, I wouldn’t hide. I adjusted my leather jacket, zipping it to just below my tits, and flipped my blonde hair over my shoulder. Then I made my way outside.
The sound of the feast immediately flooded my senses. Like the other night, vampyres laughed and danced and drank. A massive fire lit up the center of the city, drawing in all the inhabitants of Scarlata. The feast was more than just a large dinner for those with aspecialappetite. It pulled the people together. Huntyr and Wolf never wanted the vampyres to feel like they needed to hide and sulk for their meals ever again, so instead, they celebrated. A few hunters gathered enough animals to feed the entire community, and the bond that formed over the last two years was one that would live on for centuries.
A pair of teenagers ran past me, one bumping my shoulder, heading for the center of the city, giggling and mumbling half-assed apologies.
Damn. What I would give to go back in time, to be that young again, to forget that any of this shit ever happened.
Though maybe that was a terrible idea. I wasn’t an exceptionally happy teenager, either. But there was a certain bliss that came with the ignorance of the widespread misery around the world.
“There you are,” Huntyr said from behind me. I turned and let her loop her arm through mine. “I was coming to get you. I figured we could walk together.”
Irritation tried to bubble up, but I forced it back. Most of it, anyway. “I don’t need a babysitter, contrary to what you might believe.”
She rolled her eyes and squeezed my arm tighter. “Maybe not, but have you considered that I might want the companyof my best friend? Is that so absurd?” Her voice dropped to a teasing tone.
