The room of scions is quiet as we enter and take up our positions at the head of the room where two massive golden wingback chairs have sat since the day this place was complete.
Maybe Lucia sat in them, over the years. Or a halfbreed.
But these chairs belong to Josep and me.
And when we sit it all becomes real.
He and I look at each other, smirking.
Because while we might both be in the middle of betraying each other, teamwork makes the dream work.
Thisisthe dream.
I raise my right hand in the air, commanding my scions to give me all their attention. “There will be no frenzy, do you all understand?”
Some of them are licking their lips in anticipation, but all of them nod out an affirmative.
I let Ryet do whatever he wanted for the most part. Because he only plays a small part in my ascension to Dark Lord.
Not only is he the first third-born vampire in hundreds of years, he is the one who will save us all. But just because he’s the one we’ve been waiting for—and the start of a brand-new vampire bloodline— this doesn’t mean he’s the one who gets to see it all through. Because, realistically, when it all comes down to it, he is just food.
These men—well, these men are a whole other breed of scion.
And when I pull the new Darkness out of Ryet when that baby is born, they will be my Dark Army.
I lower my hand and command them to, “Proceed!”
They start drinking. One at Syrsee’s neck, one at Ryet’s. And then they move on, following the men in front of them, until they have had their drink of my two blood lovers.
When they have gotten both sides of the Darkness inside them, one by one, they come up to Josep and me and we begin a new version of the long drink.
A death that isn’t death, but a revival.
Not a drink to kill, but one to renew.
And when we have drained them to the point where they are almost unable to stand, we lead them out into the back woodswhere the dirt is loose, and rich, and wet. Where they dig their own shallow graves, lie down inside, and cover themselves with the earth.
Josep and I wait until every one of them has been concealed and is protected.
Then we dig our graves, sit down in them, take one last look at each other. Then lie back and sink into the Darkness.
