“We do not.” Lord Belshazzar kept his tone even and quiet. “It is the law. This trial is to prove your loyalty to the vampires. This Challenge is to prove you’re loyal to the law. It is the law that issues this Challenge.”
“Find something. Anything else. Want me to wipe out a village? An island? A vampire enclave? I’m all for it.”
Lord Otto sat down. “It is law.”
“Find something else!Adelie is my truest friend. She is my confidant, and I need her help as queen. And you want me to fucking kill her?”
Lord Xenon found his chair as well. “It is law.”
“Fuck your law. Fuck it. Find me another Challenge.”
“You have forty-eight hours to complete this,” Lord Belshazzar explained patiently and then sat his own ass down as well. They were all on their asses staring at me—except for Cato. He remained standing, his expression utterly blank while he watched me. I gave them all the middle finger and turned to walk out, fully expecting that they would call me back and tell me the real Challenge. Or kill me on the way out.
Lord Belshazzar moved and blocked my way. “This is not a lie, Gwen. You are required to kill the one you love the most. If you want to be queen, you must. We want you to be the queen. You are the best, the most suited for this.”
His eyes were soft, but unmovable.
“You’re not kidding. I really have to kill her.”
“Make it quick, Gwen. Don’t drag this out, for either of you. It only gets worse. I can tell you, the longer you let this take, the more horrible it’s going to be.”
I shook my head hard. “I had fucking breakfast with her twenty minutes ago.”
“The law must be upheld.”
My blink was ever so slow and my blood ran cold. “Do…do the male candidate have to perform this Challenge to?”
His ice blue eyes narrowed. “I’m not allowed to answer that. As you know.” He shook his head sharply, entering my personal space with a step forward, when I opened my mouth to argue. “Careful. You’re veering into death territory if you ask me again. The only reason you got away with that question the first time is because it was for the male candidates. One warning can be given. That’s it.”
I pushed him out of my way. To hell with them!
My fists shook, cramping from squeezing so hard.
My gaze landed on Cato.
My father didn’t blink. He held my regard.
My mother… His wife… His love…
The need to flee was overwhelming.
I kicked the door open.
And then shoved past Nial standing there.
“What’s the trial?” He walked behind me with his long legs, easily keeping up with my hurried stalk. “Gwen, what’s the—”
Using my speed, I ran not only through the stronghold but down the mountain and out into the cold air of the Chilean winter. I ran hard and ran fast. I just kept running until I finally exhausted myself, nearly an hour later. There was a small copse of evergreen bushes, and I dropped down under them, wrapping my arms around my knees and rocking madly. Everything but the challenge I shoved aside for later review—my emotions couldn’t handle any more.
I had to kill my friend.
That was the law?
Who makes laws about killing your best friend?
Didn’t they understand that I needed her help?
Sweet and caring Adelie was my right-hand woman, and I needed that. Someone who would remember things for me. Something that would pick out fancy foods and place settings when I didn’t even remotely care. Someone who…cared…about me. And I her.
