My eyes shot to him, trying to keep the anger down. He was one of the men who killed the witches when they ambushed us.
Levana’s shocked, dead face was forever frozen in my mind. I pushed it away just as someone else caught my eye.
General Lee.He stood tall, his hair cleanly brushed and his mustache well-kept, wearing the uniform provided by the council, making him look every bit the part of a general indeed.
Adrian had brought his army—his most loyal vampires. They were cruel attack dogs waiting for his every order. But General Lee had been a shock. Specifically sent from the vampire council to oversee the transfer of power.
They said it in a way that made it seem like he was here trying to keep the peace, when he was actually just another one of my brother’s lapdogs.
And a huge fucking issue.
“Congratulations on your rise to power,” Roman said, forcing his head low. I had seen him on occasion at my father's galas, but never really talked to him. “We brought you gold and jewels?—”
My brother let out a bark of a laugh that had both Roman and his son jerking back as if they'd been slapped.
Here we go.
Adrian had been relatively well-behaved today. But with him, it only took something small, like offering him something as common as gold when he had an entire kingdom filled with it.
“You really think I have any use for gold?” he said as he waved his hand around. “There hasn't been a new king in a millennium, let alone one born to a powerful family such as mine, and you thought it would be smart to offer megold? Don't insult me.”
I held in my scoff.
A powerful family such as mine.
Even though he was an unverified bastard, he sure as hell seemed to belong here. It irked me to no end.
I had suffered for my role. Icontinuedto suffer for my role. But somehow he had gained enough power—and rabid followers—that he had been able to kill our father with his bare hands.
The outsiders didn’t know just how crazy he truly was, though. Not until a moment like this.
It would have been better if they had shown up with nothing, simply bowing in front of him and pledging their loyalty.
It was all for show anyway. The real Blood Rites wouldn’t happen for a few more weeks at the earliest. That was when everyone in the family and his followers would blood-bond themselves to him.Thatwas where the true power lay.
This was just a show of wealth. Royals peacocking in front of a madman in hope to gain his favor.
The rumors about him had spread far and wide, and it would be impossible for any vampire out there not to know he had taken over, so families and clan heads from all over decided to make the trip on short notice. The vampire world ran on connections. On the checking of each other’s power and shared resources of blood, wealth, and land. It would be especially insulting for them not to show up for the new king since my brother would undoubtedly put them on his shit list.
I once thought he was crazy enough without power. Tearing witches’ heads off. Stalking the lands in search of easy vampire prey to kill. But knowing him now, that was nothing but a preview of the real him.
“I’m sorry, My Lord?—”
“Kill them.”
Roman jerked back, fear twisting his face. The lackey to my side took one step forward, ready to end it all, but Brother Dearest raised his hand.
His head snapped to stare right at me, looking so much like Father in that moment. But his piercing blue eyes, somehow crueler than my father's ever were, glittered with excitement.
“Aurelia, you do the honors.”
This time I didn't fight my sigh. He was constantly putting me through it, testing how far I would go before I broke.
He thought I was nothing more than a spoiled princess. That I had lived my life just waiting for a chance to get married off to be pampered until my death.
I played the part well. It had been my role since birth, so I fell right into it.
But what he didn’t know was how I had been forced to be the beautiful princess on the outside and the cruel attack dog on the inside.
