I had been honest in this Challenge so far.
They could give me the same courtesy.
“Yes, you do have some say in it. In fact, you have the final word once we’ve narrowed down the candidates to five individuals.” His eyes roamed my features. “Overlords tend to pick well. There haven’t been any bad matches in over two thousand years.”
The righteous anger flooding my system dissipated—a little. “Fine.”
He blinked. “Fine? No argument?”
“There’s nothing I can say right now that will change any of this.” I shook my head slightly, my jaw grinding together. “This is currently the law.”
His head cocked. “Currently?”
I snapped my mouth shut. Too much information.
Lord Xenon stared, his gaze unflinching. “Candidate, you would do well to know that there have been plenty of queens in the past who have tried to change the law. But it never passes. And do you know why?”
My eyes narrowed, not speaking.
He answered anyway. “Because the magic won’t work if the law changes. And every vampire is made up of magic. Meaning, our race would be annihilated. So it is in your best interest to flush any ideas you have to change the law down the drain. If you don’t, you’ll only be setting yourself up for disappointment.”
I could only stare.
My heart was breaking.
My chest physicallyached.
He didn’t move to console me. He simply waited for me to come to terms with it.
Eventually, I sucked in a mouthful of oxygen. “You’re lying.”
“I am not. You have my word on it as overlord.”
I shook my head rapidly. “There has to be something—”
Lord Xenon held up an instant hand, cutting off my words. “While these laws cannot change—the Original laws—there are plenty that…may…need updating. Laws that were enacted by Kings, not the Originals, long ago that are still in place.”
“How many are there against women?” I probed immediately.
“Too many to count.” His eyes roamed my features once more. “Do you wish to continue as the Queen Novitiate?”
My chest pumped hard with all these secrets coming to light.
But my answer was simple. “I do, Lord Xenon. I want to rule the vampires.”
The lord nodded, and the Original vampire amulet was placed in his palm. He simply held it in front of me, his direction easy, “Bleed on it. One drop will do.”
My fangs descended.
I pricked one of my fingers.
I held my finger over the amulet, careful not to touch it.
Ping.
One drop of crimson blood splattered its surface.
“Please move away, candidate,” he ordered—not unkindly. “We must work now.”
