by Tricia Barr
It was fine. Kol could be the strong one. He doubted he’d act much different if he were alone. Eduard was his father, after all. He’d long ago stopped cowering in the presence of that brand of power. The difference was that he respected his father; he had no respect for the leech.
Draven motioned to someone else out of sight, and a short, stocky, spiky-white-haired man—who looked as if he had an addiction to hair gel despite a receding hairline—rounded the corner and made quick work of unlocking the cell.
If it weren’t for the weakening lead, Kol could’ve taken advantage. He’d been trained to defend himself without shifting—and suddenly realized Oberon’s foresight and genius for insisting that they were. But he could barely keep himself upright, and he was fairly certain that without his and Char’s bodies leaning against each other, they’d both be lying prostrate on the poisoned floor.
Mr. Hair Gel tore Char from Kol and shoved her at the cell’s back wall—slightly less poisonous than the bars on every other side—where she crumpled like a pile of laundry, clearly in pain. He yanked Kol to his feet by jerking his good arm—thankfully. It was quite the feat, since Kol was nearly two feet taller than the man, but the short vampire was strong and had little trouble getting Kol upright.
Draven looked Kol up and down, like he was looking for something.
Kol remained silent, certain that a string of cuss words would escape as a result of the way Mr. Hair Gel had treated Char if he allowed even one word to escape. Plus, he had to focus on staying on his feet. Crashing to the floor with a broken arm was not something on his bucket list.
Without looking at the tall vampire, Draven said, “Steadman, begin broadcasting.”
Broadcasting?
Steadman pushed something on top of his recording device. A blue light lit up and pointed at Kol.
Kol’s mouth went dry, but he still managed another quip. “Yes, please Steadman,” he said. “We must show the other vampires how to bring down a dragon.” He waited for the blow or some other show of force from Mr. Hair Gel next to him. A kick, a punch in the gut, or a twist of his broken arm so the other vampires could watch him scream.
But... nothing.
“We’re in,” Steadman finally said in a high-pitched, nasally voice, and Kol realized Draven had been waiting for that cue.
“Not just the vampires,” Draven said, his tone calm and even. “Although they are watching.” Draven brought his hands together, interlocking his fingers and dropping them in front of him. “No, your shifter friends in their no-longer-secret fishbowl can see you too. As well as your father.”
Kol didn’t have a retort for that. What purpose would Draven have to broadcast Kol in a cell? For their sakes, he hoped his execution wasn’t in the script.
He gulped. “And what are you wanting my father to see?”
“Well, first of all,” Draven said, holding his arms wide and entering the shot with his back toward Kol. “I want to greet our viewers, vampire and shifter alike.” But he didn’t keep his back toward Kol long and turned to stand next to him—on the opposite side of Mr. Hair Gel—before addressing the blue dot again. “I, Draven, have captured one of the famed Dracul line,” he said. “This is Malkolm Dracul—the youngest Dracul, if I’m not mistaken.” He turned to wink at Kol. “Well... legitimate Dracul, that is.”
Kol narrowed his eyes at Draven. What was he playing at? Mention of Kol’s younger half-brothers was a jab at his mother more than anyone. But he didn’t think Draven said it loud enough for the mic to hear, so why mention it?
“Are you aware of your rich history, Malkolm?” Draven asked, speaking loud again for the camera.
Kol’s stomach lurched and his first thought sped to Aline and the Dracul curse. But the feeling passed quickly. What could Draven do in relation to the curse that the curse hadn’t done already?
“Your ancestor, Vlad Dracul specifically?”
Ah, Vlad. The entire world knew about Vlad.
“He was a dragon king who killed a lot of vampires,” Kol spouted with no emotion. “Everyone knows that,” he added.
Draven reached out and gripped the fingertips of Kol’s injured arm and twisted slightly, causing a twinge to radiate all the way to his shoulder. He felt his face flinch, but gave no other indication of the intense pain. He’d had worse. Draven immediately released his fingers, then turned to face him, but made sure the camera could still see his profile.
“If everyone knows the history of Vlad Dracul, can you guess what I plan to mention next?”
Kol stared at him without breaking eye-contact. “That you have a lot of angry vampires who want my head?” Somehow he kept his tone and volume the same as before, even though he could feel his pulse beating inside his arm.
Draven laughed a throaty laugh, acting as if he had thousands of audience members joining in. After a moment, he made a tsk sound directed at Kol, then pointed a finger at his face. “That princely arrogance,” he said. “You’ve had it your entire life, no? You’ve waved your title around like you’re the son of a king since you learned to crawl.”
Kol was silent. He wasn’t sure the reaction Draven was expecting, but whatever his aim was... he didn’t seem to be getting what he was looking for.
“But the Dracul’s are nobodies, amiright? Just haughty dragons who think they’re better than the other shifters.” Draven aimed a smirk at the blue light.
Was he trying to start some mutiny? Did he have any idea about the Dracul’s at all? Sure, Kol abhorred the deference he often received for being a Dracul, but they’d been instrumental in the safety of shifters for centuries. Was Draven trying to drag the name through the mud?
“Dracul Royalty is a delusional title. You aren’t royalty.” He paused for effect. “You’re all nothing more than a bunch of fire-breathing lizards.”
Kol couldn’t help the way his eyebrow arched.
Draven stared at him for a handful of seconds, but didn’t allow emotion to give away his thoughts.
“Do the other shifters realize that they’ve allowed the Dracul’s to throw their name around as if they’re gods for long enough? Someday I hope they wizen up and realize that they don’t need the likes of Eduard Dracul dictating them.”
Kol refused to comment on that. He could see what Draven was trying to do, and most of it had nothing to do with him, other than being a Dracul himself and the son of Eduard. But Draven clearly didn’t know Kol hated being treated like royalty. Perhaps he was attempting to damage Kol’s family pride?
Draven stared at Kol again, like his face would somehow reveal the right buttons to injure him. Obviously, the vampire leader didn’t know about his history with Myreen, otherwise he might’ve used her.
He prayed that Draven wouldn’t look to Char, and he kept his posture and gaze studiously away from the corner where she cowered. Char remained essentially motionless, which was smart; keep the attention off her.
With clenched teeth, Draven leaned forward and gripped Kol’s good hand. “I will make an example of you, prince,” he said and snapped Kol’s other arm at the word.
Kol couldn’t help but cry out, causing Char to lurch toward him before realizing what she’d done.
Draven gave her one knowing glance before turning back to his blue light. “I assure you my friends, I will make an example of this pretender. Many of you remember the actions of Vlad, and you will finally get your revenge.” Without taking a breath, but shifting his expression to one of malice, he continued. “And to the shifters... I would advise you to surrender now. You have lost.”
The blue light blinked off. And Kol blacked out.
Chapter 18: Myreen
Myreen woke the next day in a room she barely recognized. The same terror she’d felt on the first day welled in her again as she remembered the horror of the attack. How the walls melted to nothingness under the shifter tech. How one of the vampires who had been guarding her ended up dead, sizzled to a crisp by the sunlight that had never before penetrated the towers.
And Kol.
Myreen wasn’t sure she ever wanted to see him again. The betrayal still stung, but now he was here, in Draven’s custody. He and the other dragon had been taken to the dungeon immediately, thanks to Kenzie’s magic—another mind boggler. Who was the other dragon and why had she grabbed Kol’s hand like that? Did he have another girl on the side, just waiting for him to be free of his “job” seducing the prophesied siren?
It was awful to consider, but him being in Draven’s custody was worse than anything she’d ever wish on him. Especially after seeing the video of him with Draven. Myreen shuddered to think of what he was going through down there. Did Draven have that gas in the room to keep Kol and the other dragon from shifting?
So she decided to sneak down there and see him for herself. Kendall had warned her to stay away from the dungeon, but if Kol was in there, she had to risk it. And now was the perfect time—the time of day Ty had told her the vampires started teaching classes, leaving much of the school open to curious eyes.
And Myreen pulled a Ty and raced ahead of her guards down the stairs, hopping in the elevator and forcing the doors closed, descending before they had a chance to catch up. That should buy her some time.
But when she reached the lobby, she spotted a shock of red hair, and her jaw clenched. Kenzie. Myreen wasn’t sure whether to be excited or angry to see her friend. And the whole Kol matter only further muddied things.
Myreen changed course to pursue, and caught up with Kenzie in the stairwell leading to the classrooms.
Kenzie whirled around, her face flooding with shock, then relief. She launched into a hug that Myreen didn’t know how to respond to, so Myreen patted her back and waited for Kenzie’s anaconda arms to loosen.
“There you are!” Kenzie said, keeping her voice low despite her excitement.
“Yeah, I’m here. What are you doing here?” Myreen crossed her arms and stepped back.
“What do you think?”
Kenzie scanned the stairs, and Myreen glanced around too. They appeared to be alone, and Kenzie started walking up again, but Myreen went the other way, and once Kenzie realized, she followed. They could talk in the human quarters, and it would get Myreen closer to the dungeons, her original goal.
“What does he want with you?” Kenzie asked when the lobby faded from view.
“Well, for starters, I’m his daughter.” Kenzie nodded like she already knew, but Myreen went on, knowing the next part was the clincher. “He says he wants to unite shifters and vampires by creating hybrids—through my blood.”
“What?” Kenzie asked, grabbing Myreen’s arm as she came to a halt. “You’re kidding me.”
Myreen shook her head. “He’s also got a son. My half-brother. Ty.” Myreen smiled. “He’s super adorable. You’d love him.”
Kenzie eyed the stairs again, then leaned toward Myreen. “I have a hard time believing he could spawn anything but the devil.”
Myreen half-laughed. “You’ll have to meet Ty.”
“You’re not considering staying, are you?” Kenzie’s brows furrowed.
Myreen hooked an arm through Kenzie’s elbow as she guided her toward the next flight of stairs. “Let’s just say I’m undecided.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Kenzie, he’s my biological father. And I think Ty needs me. He’s only ten, and he’s the only kid in this castle. I think he’s lonely.”
“Myreen, he’s a vampire.”
Myreen shook her head. “Not yet. Draven won’t turn him until he turns eighteen.”
Kenzie’s chin lengthened as she appeared to consider the new information. “Okay. So we break him out. Along with you and Kol and that other dragon chick and...”
Myreen wasn’t interested in leaving just yet, but the sentence hung in the air, piquing her curiosity. “Is there someone else?”
Kenzie sighed. “Okay, so you remember there were three guys I was interested in?”
Myreen nodded.
“Well, one’s a vampire.”
“Kenzie!” Myreen said, then clamped a hand over her mouth.
“But he’s not like a normal vampire. He’s kind and good and sort of sweet when he’s not being a complete dork.”
Myreen’s brows rose.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I just thought... with your mom and all—”
“I get it. It’s okay. Before this, I probably would’ve freaked.”
“I’m still freaked. One of the other guys is one the Initiates here. Adam. And he’s pretty high up.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, but Adam’s a jerk. I think he’s part of the reason Leif—the good vampire—is in trouble now. Adam was basically stalking Leif when I got in the way.”
Myreen raised a questioning brow. “Anything else you’ve been hiding?”
Kenzie looked at the floor. “Yeah. I got the family grimoire back. It’s the key to unlocking my magic, and now I’m here, using it to give Draven the daywalker ability—”
“Wait. What?”
Kenzie gave a sheepish grin. “Unless you want to come with me before he can get the ingredients needed to perform the spell?”
Myreen shook her head. “You’ll have to figure that out on your own. I can’t believe you’d do all that just to try to get me back.”
Kenzie shrugged one shoulder. “You’re my girl. And like I said, I had more than one reason to stage a rescue. And the list keeps growing.”
“Yeah.” Myreen looked at the floor as they stopped in the middle of the bottom common room. The final room before the dungeons. “Any chance you can break Kol out of here?”
“I’m going to try. I hate that I had to trap him. And I’m sorry I had to do it in front of you.”
“I’m not gonna lie. Part of me felt like he deserved it.”
“Why?”
Myreen sighed. “He was only dating me because his father ordered him to.”
Kenzie’s brows furrowed. “Are you sure?”
“His dad told me. And Kol never denied it.”
“Do you... hate him?”
Myreen shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe? I haven’t had a lot of time to process.”
“Yeah. I get that.” But Kenzie was still peering at Myreen, doubt clouding her face. Myreen rubbed her arm, wondering what was going through Kenzie’s head.
“Do you feel like you’re... in control?” Kenzie asked, still looking at her funny.
“Of course. Why?”
Kenzie shook her head. “It’s probably nothing. I should go. You know, people to check on, places to see, school to sludge through.”
“Okay.” Myreen wasn’t sure if it was okay. The way Kenzie had looked at her made her feel like something was off. But she had her own person to check on. “If you do stage a rescue, the only places I’ve found to get out are the front door and the one to the roof. It’s at the top and up the central stairwell.”
“Thanks.” Kenzie headed for the exit, but stopped when she noticed Myreen wasn’t following. “You coming back upstairs?”
Myreen shook her head. “Not yet. I think I want to visit...” She looked over her shoulder, thinking of a reason not to have to go back up, but remembered Kendall lived on this floor. “A friend.”
Kenzie snorted. “Made a friend with the lowly humans already?”
“Ha ha,” Myreen deadpanned.
Kenzie shrugged. “Alright. See ya.”
Myreen waved goodbye, waiting until Kenzie was out of sight before taking one last glance around the room and heading toward the dungeon.
She crept down the stairs slowly, unsure if she was allowed down here after her talk with Kendall. But she needed to see for herself that Kol was okay, that he hadn’t been killed because of her.
As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she stiffened. There were two guards a little further in. They couldn’t see her yet, and she took a moment to breathe and think. Kendall had warned her to stay out of trouble, and there was a good c
hance trying to see Kol wouldn’t earn her any brownie points. But she had to see him. Despite everything, she couldn’t deny there was still a draw there, something pulling her toward Kol.
She had an idea, one that turned her stomach, but she didn’t see any way around it. She’d have to use her siren ability. Draven’s one rule was that she not use her powers on him. But he didn’t say anything about not using her powers on anyone else in the school. It was a flimsy loophole, but it was her only option and she was going to take it.
Myreen held her head high, calling on the burning need inside her and stepped into the room. The guards there froze at the sight of her, both men looking at her like she was the predator, even though they were the vampires.
“I’m to be allowed to see the dragon shifters unhindered and unaccompanied,” Myreen said, her voice a melodious tone vibrating with the power of her will. “You will not interfere as long as I’m here, and you will forget I was here once I leave. Do you understand?”
The guards, who had taken on a glassy-eyed look, nodded.
Myreen let go of her hold and proceeded forward. She walked with her head up and her shoulders back, as if she belonged there. The men shook out of their stupor, but let her pass without further glance.
Myreen scanned the cages in this room for any sign of Kol. Instead, she found a human—an Initiate, she assumed—wide-eyed and cowering. Myreen bit her lip and turned her head. She didn’t know what the guy had done to deserve such treatment, but she couldn’t allow herself to become side-tracked.
Myreen went through the door and found herself among more cages. This room was empty of both guards and prisoners, and Myreen breathed a sigh of relief. She pressed forward again.
Peering into the third room, she saw Kol and the girl he’d been caught with. There were also four vampires standing guard. She almost turned back right then. Myreen didn’t know to what extent she could use her siren ability, and the thought of Kol’s hand holding tight to that girl’s as they were captured threatened to derail her mission. But she’d already come this far.
Myreen gathered what remained of her courage and stepped into the room, commanding these guards the same way she’d commanded the last. And to her surprise, all four of them listened and obeyed. She wondered just how many people she could influence at once.