Sable’s eyes shift off her sister, pinning me down.
Good, she took the bait; I can practically see the hook in her jaw.
“I should thank you for ridding us of Everett. Could you do me another favor and kill her? I promise I won’t tell a soul. It’s in your right after she tried to kill you last night.” Sable smirks.
Sable’s a creature so grotesque, she should never breach the surface.
I don’t care what transgressions have passed; I could never kill my brother.
Never.
I step between them again. It might not be the best idea to give Selene my back, but I’d rather the monster I semi-know than the twin, who has a serpent smile and usurper mindset. “You need to leave,” I order Sable.
“Leave?” Her lips pull taut, like a fishing line. She’s swimming, trying to run, but my hook is in, and I know who she is. “And I thought we could be friends,” she croons.
Coating her poisonous words in honey doesn’t mask the flavor. I know what she is trying to do.
“I don’t need friends,” I grunt.
“Oh, you poor fool. Without friends, you’ll never survive this court.”
“The people you spread your legs for are not your friends, Sable,” Selene jabs, but hidden under her sharp tongue is a new tone, a warning laced with care.
“Jealous I get to open my legs for others? It must be boring to fuck the same man, knowing that man is fucking so many others.” Sable’s face glows like a rising sun.
“I don’t fuck a man,” Selene responds with no sign of insult. “Galen is a king, and he comes tomybed.”
I cast my eyes down, but all I see are symbols of King Galen. I kick a vine with my boot. Anything can crumble: a marriage, a king, a peace treaty.
I feel bad for the queen, but it’s the price of the crown, this castle, and the room she gets to live in.
Was it her choice? No.
That’s the cost of fate. Some are born poppers, and others are royalty. But we all die the same; the breath leaves our lungs, our skin rots, and our bones decay all the same.
Better trapped in a gilded cage than a barren one.
“You two are worse than pups fighting for the nip. Leave, Sable!” I snap.
“He barks, but does he bite?” Sable steps closer and, in a patronizing manner, pats my chest.Her fingers might be smooth, but even velvet can hide a razor blade. Eventually, she will strike.
“I’m not scared of teeth, Titus; this is a vampire kingdom, after all.”
“You threaten the queen; your crimes will be reported to King Galen. Leave before I make you,” I command.
“Make me?” Sable’s face gleams with twisted satisfaction. “I would love to have your hands on my body.”
“I killed your brother,” I snarl. How low can she go?
“Then I should thank you. Tell me how. I don’t mind getting on my knees,” she croons.
There is no pole long enough I’d touch her with. “Now I know why you are not the queen.”
Before Sable drops her hands from my chest, she presses her fingers deep. The tips of her fingers blanch red and white, like the sclera of an angry god that now has its sights set on me.
“There’s your first mistake, Titus. Insulting me. I wonder how much it will cost you?” Sable chuckles as she steps back. “Oh, there it is, a little drop of regret in your eyes. Don’t worry, I accept apologies. I might let this pass. I know the adjustment to court life is hard, but if you think Selene will help you, think again. She failed last night, but she will try again.”
Selene comes to my side. A strange warmth stirs in my belly. Comfort I haven’t felt in years.
