They’re watching Cassia.
That’s the first thing that makes my temper spike.
Not fear. Not hunger.
Possession.
I don’t want their eyes on her. I’ll have to make sure they know not to look at what’s mine. My chest tightens at the thought. I can’t deny this anymore.
She is mine.
One of them steps forward, a man with pale eyes and a sneer carved permanently into his face. His stance is casual, but his shoulders are tight. Ready.
“Well, look at that,” he says, clapping slowly. “The King himself. And he brought a date.”
Cassia shifts behind me. I feel it. I don’t turn.
“Careful,” I say calmly. “You’re already standing in a grave. Don’t dig it deeper with your mouth.”
A ripple of laughter moves through the group. Not nervous. This is the laughter of creatures who think they’ve found cracks in something ancient.
Another vampire steps up, a female, dark hair pulled tight, eyes sharp with resentment.
“Of course, you’d say something like that. Arrogant asshole. You rule like a god,” she spits. “Not a king.”
There it is.
There’s always been rumors about me. Rumors that I started to keep them all from knowing the truth. I keep that part of me a secret because if they knew, they’d be determined to find a way to take control of the Underworld, and I’m not the key. There is no key. The Underworld is balance that is set straight by my father, just as he made me who I am to balance out those who would cause nothing but chaos.
I tilt my head slightly. “That’s refreshing. It’s been a long time since someone accused me of being a god. Still, I’m curious why you think so. Explain.”
“You don’t listen,” she continues, emboldened now. “You dictate. You punish. You vanish for decades and expect obedience when you return. That’s not leadership. That’s tyranny.”
Cassia inhales sharply behind me.
Interesting. They think I vanish for decades when I’m always here. I never leave. This female has it all wrong about me.
I’m not a tyrant. I simply don’t bend to the will of people who want to cause trouble and mass murder. There are some vampires who like to call humans their sheep. This is something I don’t allow.
“Kings don’t owe their subjects comfort,” I reply. “They owe them order.”
“And what about loyalty?” the first vampire snaps. “What about respect?”
I smile, slow and cold. “Those are earned. Fear is simply efficient.”
A murmur moves through them. Anger now. Not bravado.
The first vampire’s gaze flicks to Cassia again, lingering. “Hard to take you seriously when you’re dragging around a human girl like a shield.”
I feel Cassia tense.
“She’s not my shield,” I say evenly. “Merely a witness. The world needs to know what’s about to happen here. I’m giving you all one final chance to keep breathing. Don’t test me. You won’t win.”
Their hesitation is palpable. I can feel it.
I feel something else too.
The shift in the air. The slight change in foot placement. The intake of breath doesn’t match the rhythm of the conversation.
