The Elders file out.
The crowd in the corridor erupts in cheers. Mrs. Vasek is openly sobbing with joy. Sebastian grins ear to ear. Maxim looks satisfied, which for him is practically euphoric.
And Viktor...he’s already heading for the door, that familiar darkness settling back over his features like a shroud.
“Viktor?”
He pauses but doesn’t turn around.
“Thank you. For everything.”
“Just be happy, Nik. One of us should be.”
And he’s gone.
It takesanother hour for everyone to leave. There are hands to shake, thanks to give, tears to dry. Mrs. Vasek hugs Claire so hard I worry she might crack a rib. Sebastian makes inappropriate jokes until Maxim drags him away. The General clasps my arm and tells me my father would be proud.
Finally…finally…we’re alone.
Claire sits on the edge of the bed, her cell phone in her hands. She’s been staring at it for several minutes.
“Are you sure about this?” I ask, settling beside her.
“No.” She takes a deep breath. “But I have to try.”
She dials and taps speaker phone so I can hear too. It rings and rings and?—
“Claire? Oh my god, Claire, where are you? I’ve been trying to reach you for days. I called the university, I called your landlord, I was about to call the police?—”
“Hi, Derek.”
“Are you okay? Did those vampires hurt you? Did they drug you? I knew they were dangerous. I told you, Itoldyou?—”
“Derek.” Her voice is calm and steady. “I’m fine. I’m more than fine, actually.” She takes a breath. “I’m getting married.”
Silence.
“...What?”
“To the King. King Nikolai. I’m marrying him. I’m staying in Krovenia. Forever.”
More silence. I can practically hear his brain short-circuiting through the phone.
“Claire, this isn’t funny. Whatever they’ve done to you, whatever they’ve made you think?—”
“No one’s done anything to me, Derek. No one’s made me think anything.”
“They’ve glamored you. That’s what vampires do, they get in your head, they make you believe?—”
“Krovenians can’t glamor people, Derek. That’s not a real thing. It’s from movies. It’s fiction.”
“That’s exactly what someone who’s been glamored would say!”
Claire sighs. She looks at me, a mixture of frustration and sadness on her face. “I knew you’d say that.”
“Because it’s true?—”
“It’s not true. But I don’t expect you to believe me right now.” She pauses. “But know that I love you, Derek. You’re my brother and when you’re ready to actually listen, when you’re ready to hear the truth instead of conspiracy theories, I’ll be here. We both will.”
