Del’s focus shifts to the king. “What’s going on?” he demands in a hoarse whisper, eyes pinned to the parchment.
“Queen Veya didn’t follow my orders,” Nerian says as the letter floats to the ground amongst the glass and dead girls.
“Surely we can allow the slip in judgment, my king,” Del says, eyes on Nerian, his knuckles turning white around the hilt of his sword.
“Surely, we cannot,Deleos,” Nerian barks at him, and Del’s chin jerks back. The king points at Del, finger shaking with rage. “I thought about my precious Violet and those eyes that always captured me. And I remembered the day I brought her here to surprise us. You looked disgusted by her.” Nerian’s eyes flick to the crate in the corner. “Which I found odd because your eyes were so similar. I hoped you would find her beautiful, just like yourself, Deleos.” He cackles, a sound that bounces off the walls and rains shards of panic, shredding me from within.
His demeanor flips, the king’s face darkening with cruel intention. “It’s not just violet eyes that you share, is it, Deleos?!” he screams.
“A coincidence, I assure you,” Del says blandly.
“Of course. We can make this quick and move on then,” Nerian says. “We have kingdoms to discuss, and a war to wage.”
My chest squeezes so painfully I’m afraid my ribs might crack. Sending the girls to the Night Kingdom was my idea. There was risk in any choice we made, but my guilt will be unbearable if we lose Aurelia.
If we haven’t already.
Nerian snaps to the crate in the corner so quickly I don’t see him move. He rips off the lid, throwing it at the stone ceiling, and splinters fly as we turn away to shield ourselves.
My nerves slide along my skin at Nerian’s strength and speed. We weren’t able to compete with it two hundred years ago, and I’m not so certain our odds have improved.
At all.
Spinning back, we watch Nerian yank Aurelia from the box, her panicked eyes and bruised face staring back at us.
She’s alive, and I take a breath.
The king drags her by the arm, his cruel strength digging into her skin as he wrenches her to his side.
Her chest puffs rapidly with her fear, but she locks onto my gaze instead of Del’s.
Good girl.
“King Nerian, I’m sorry for my bold choice,” I begin, taking a step toward them. “This girl was intended for me to enjoy later.”
Nerian narrows his eyes at me. “Nice try.”
Aurelia spins her focus up at Nerian. “Please, my king, I never wanted to go to the Night Kingdom. Iwantedto be a vampire like the others.”
Gods, this girl can talk her way through anything, just like Del.
“It’s true, Nerian. This was my selfish choice,” I add. “The girl from the dining room our first night whet an appetite I didn’t know I had.”
Nerian sneers at me, and then his eyes flick to Del, who is mastering a bored gaze. “Well, then, let’s enjoy the meal you were so keen to have together,” the king growls, and his fangs sink into Aurelia’s wrist.
She cries out, and human life drains before my eyes.
My past haunts me as I stare at Nerian with his fangs in human flesh, Del and Aurelia at his mercy. My throat has been under those fangs. But I got to live—I got to walk away because Kade sacrificed himself for me, because we had something the king wanted more than my death.
A Hunter Captain’s life.
Del is tense beside me, frozen and maintaining control.
The Goreon King’s eyes grow wide as he drinks, then rips himself from Aurelia. “She tastes as beautiful as I thought she would.MyViolet.”
I hum at him. “She’ll make a lovely vampire,” I admire, nausea swirling as I try to hold the line between this negotiation and my revenge.
I don’t know how we can get to her without Nerian snapping her neck. Second shifts beside me, just as eager and powerless.
