My pulse skipped a beat. My mind raced through the possibilities, each worse than the last. Barbie, Sy, and all the candidates were trapped in enemy territory, their fates held in the demon queen’s hands. And Killian’s public rejection had lit the fuse.
“Talking about weaknesses, aren’t we?” I snorted. “And you just let Queen Lilith call the shots, Your Majesty?” The words escaped before caution could stop them.
“Mind your tongue, boy!” His fucking power slammed into me, knocking the breath from my lungs.
Every vampire in the throne room dropped to their knees. I stayed standing through sheer stubbornness, then brushed off his power with the combined strength of the heirs now flowing in my veins. My father’s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn’t known about the bond we’d forged. Despite our rivalries, we’d grown up like brothers. Now, with Barbie and Sy uniting us, our bond was stronger than ever. We were the Covenant—unbreakable. We stood together so Mist of Cinder could survive.
A flicker of renewed respect crossed his gaze, and the red in his eyes receded slightly. My father respected nothing but power.
“Question your king again, boy, and learn what judgment truly means.” he thundered.
“My apologies.” I inclined my head, not in submission—never that—but enough to temper his rage. “I’m simply concerned about the political implications.”
“Political implications.” His laugh made me want to spit in his arrogant, cruel face. “You children play at politics as if it’s a game with rules. Let me enlighten you, boy. Whoever claims the true bride claims the high throne. Power calls to power, and currently, Queen Lilith holds the best hand.”
“Well, if you’re so smitten, Your Majesty,” I said with a lazy smile, “maybe you should mate with her yourself. Killian just broke things off, and she’ll need a stronger shoulder to cry on. You could be the one to step in. She’s so fucking powerful—she might even be the true bride, ready to produce the One for you.” I snapped my fingers to drive my point home. “Then everyonegets their happy ending: you as the high king and her as your high queen.”
King Malik moved in a flash. Before I could react, a hard slap cracked across my face, the force enough to send a lesser vampire flying. But with my newfound power, I barely staggered, my hand flying to my stinging cheek.
Fuck. He’d left five fingerprints on the face that I cherished.
“What was that for, Father?” I asked, reminding myself that my job was to get the intel and get the fuck out. I needed to stop provoking him, no matter how tempting it was.
“Insolent boy!” he hissed. “When will you learn? While you’ve been sampling every neck in the kingdom, others have been scheming and gathering power to ascend to the high throne!”
“They’re unworthy,” I shot back. “The realm faces a far greater threat, the God of Ruin. His Shrieker army?—”
“They’re tomorrow’s problem. We’re not going to risk our necks in a war that will leave us weakened, only for the other kingdoms, especially the shifters, to turn on us later. Remember, while the realm is scared and in chaos, we seize the opportunity to secure our position.” He returned to his vast throne and settled into it like a great bat, his cape spreading behind him. “You will sabotage the other princes during this trial. You will claim whichever bride shows the most potential, even the Barbie girl. And you will produce an heir worthy of the prophecy. Do you understand? House Vampire must rise above all others.”
“If we don’t deal with the God of Ruin first,” I tried, “there’ll be no realm left for you to rule and no power for you to grab.”
“You lost the chaos heir’s pet. I’ve heard another has emerged. Focus on securing the true bride.” His fangs gleamed in the firelight. “Get to the Underworld before the other heirs and get the job done!”
I studied my king father, the vampire who had given me life yet saw his own son as little more than a piece to be moved at his whim. He had no idea what Barbie truly was, what Sy represented. He was playing chess while the board itself was burning.
I wasn’t going to offer him the truth, though.
“How?” I challenged him mildly, just for the fun of it. “Even you can’t enter the Underworld without an invitation, Father.”
He glared, clearly regretting having returned to his throne, where he couldn’t backhand me again so easily.
“You’ll figure it out,” he said, his voice dropping to a lethal calm. “Or you’ll learn what it truly means to disappoint your king. I’ve indulged your rebellious phase long enough. Deliver results, or I’ll find an heir who will.”
The threat hung between us like a blade suspended by silk. I had three half-blood, five-times-removed cousins who would drain me dry for a chance at the title of heir. They were more ambitious than I was and utterly devoted to my father’s vision of vampire supremacy.
“Fine, fine,” I said, waving a dismissive hand. “I’ll go to the Underworld—alone.”
The king had his agenda, and I had my purpose. I would enter the dark realm alongside the other heirs. They were more my family than my father or any vampire in this court could ever be. Together, we would get our girls back.
“Excellent. The trial takes place in a maze of rails in the eastern region of the Underworld,” he revealed. “Do not return until you have proven yourself.”
Prove myself, my ass.
“Thank you, Majesty,” I said, not bothering to bow. He ignored me anyway, already returning to his documents, dismissing me like a servant who had outlived his usefulness. “And excuse me. Time is of the essence, isn’t it?”
I left the throne room at a measured pace, my mind racing faster than a shooting star. At least I had intelligence to share. The Underworld location was vital. My father’s demands echoed in my skull, mingling with the constant ache of withdrawal from Barbie’s divine blood, a taste I’d never know again.
Killian’s earlier words haunted me:“When push comes to shove, we’ll have to move against our parents.”
