The king’s tone made it clear this was an order, which was fine with Marius. This wasn’t a safe place. The feeling of unease that had been plaguing him since they first arrived in the forest multiplied tenfold when they reached the front door.
Sebastian twisted the knob, and the door opened without any resistance.
A wall of decay slammed into them. Every one of Marius’s sensesrevolted, and he stumbled back a step. His nose wrinkled, and bile rose in his throat.
He’d seen death before, but this was far worse than that.
Both vampires turned sickly shades of green, and for once, Marius was happy his olfactory senses were less developed than the creatures of the night.
Sebastian made a retching sound, covering his nose with his arm as he entered the cabin. Marius grimaced, exchanging a look with Luna before following his brother-in-law.
“Oh, gods,” Marius’s eyes widened, and his stomach twisted at the awful sight before him.
This was far worse than anything he’d imagined.
Four bodies were piled in the middle of the room in a macabre display of death: three humans, and a headless vampire.
Clothes were shredded, bites covered every inch of skin, and the blood…
Gods above, there was so much blood.
Crimson painted the walls, the ceiling, and the floor. It was a macabre display of death and destruction. Wooden crates were stacked in piles of five against the walls, and blood coated their sides as well.
Scarlet pooled beneath the bodies, and a set of bare footprints led from the corpses to the door.
Luna whispered, “This is...”
Her voice trailed off, and she shuddered.
The king snarled, the dark sound echoing through this place of death.
Marius turned to the royals. “This was the First.” His voice was steady despite the bloody scene, and he clenched his fists. “I recognize the bites.”
They were eerily similar to the ones the human woman had suffered.
“It’s a vile creature.” Darkness echoed in Sebastian’s words, and shadows swept out from him. “We must return to Castle Sanguis immediately and regroup.”
He didn’t give them any time to argue. They joined hands, and once again, they traveled through the Void. The journey back felt much quicker, and soon, the cold stone of the throne room was beneath Marius’s feet.
The moment the darkness dissipated, Marius pulled his hand from his sister’s and turned to face the royals.
“The First. It’s not… normal.” Visions of grey flesh and black blood flashed through his mind, and he shuddered.
He expected them to be shocked. Maybe to scream or shout or at least ask questions. After all, the creature was the oldest of their kind. Instead, Luna pursed her lips and exchanged a look with her husband before sighing.
“We know.” She frowned and rubbed her temples. “I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this, that we would find another way, but now with the situation in Pern… I think we need to have a conversation.”
Marius narrowed his eyes and studied his sister. Had they hidden something from him? He didn’t exactly have a leg to stand on since he’d essentially run away the night of the ball, but he couldn’t help but feel slightly miffed.
“A conversation about what, exactly?” he asked.
“I did some research while you were healing.” Luna took his arm and led him up the dais, gesturing for him to take Sebastian’s seat. “It’s time I tell you about what I learned.”
Intrigued, Marius sat on the king’s throne. It didn’t surprise him that his sister had been doing research. Everyone knew she loved to read.People who wanted to gain favor with the royals bought the queen books, treats for her cats, or both.
Instead of joining them, Sebastian strode to the side door closest to the dais and called for guards. Several vampires entered the space, circling the king and listening as he gave orders. He sent several soldiers back to Pern to collect the bodies, while another team would try to track the First.
Luna sat on her throne and fanned her wings behind her. A Light Elf orb cast a violet sheen over her, giving her an ethereal look as she crossed one knee over the other.
