by Ali Winters
Silence descends on the room. Every single vampire stares, slack-jawed. Too late, I realize I’ve spoken.
Demon shit.
My weapon. I just said my weapon.
Double demon shit.
The speaker narrows her eyes. Then, a slow, dark smirk forms on her face. She caught that. Unease knots low in my belly, spreading through my veins like rot.
“Your Majesty it is little more than an unfortunate situation,” Cassius says, moving in front of the woman. “Allow Alaric to have his human but have him keep a tighter rein on her.” He shoots a sidelong glance in my direction, scowling.
Elizabeth drums her fingers on the table, watching Alaric for his reaction, but his stony exterior has returned. After what feels like an eternity, she rises from her seat.
The door bursts open. A strong hand grips my shoulder and squeezes painfully, keeping me from turning to look. My knees nearly buckle from the force.
I watch Alaric for his reaction--confusion, shock, and then anger.
“What is the meaning of this? You are not part of this court.” The queen’s face reddens.
“My queen, I have come with more evidence against this human,” a familiar woman’s voice says with a quiver.
The speaker raises her arm and gestures for the new arrival to come forward. “Let them through.”
Two women step forward, the blonde woman from the theater and… Elise.
My stomach drops.
“We have evidence against her.”
“We don’t need—” Alaric starts, but the queen cuts him off with a look.
Elise elbows the other woman, visibly shaking. I don’t understand how a human can push a vampire around like that. Elise turns to me, lip curling just enough to show a single, elongated fang before looking away.
“I-I was in the theater with my lover—she was bleeding—it was an invitation, and he was only guilty of staying true to his nature. She slaughtered him without hesitation for it.”
Whispers ebb and flow, gaining strength. I catch a few words. “Kill her” and “no mercy” stick out among them.
They are calling for my death.
Then, Elizabeth breathes a single word that rings out like a bell, loud and clear, silencing the room. “Slayer.”
Elise clears her throat. “There is more, your majesty.” The queen stiffens, but Elise doesn’t wait for an invitation to continue. “When I worked for Mr. Devereaux, I caught this girl trying to kill him several times. She was never punished for it.” She shakes her head. “And then I noticed that Rosalie had never returned from the claiming. It’s not uncommon for her to go away for days at a time but never months. I think…” Elise chokes on a sob dabbing at nonexistent tears. “I think the human murdered her, too.”
The queen turns to Alaric. He is deathly still as he watches me. She has been unnervingly silent for most of this trial. There is something in her posture that sends dread pooling in my belly.
Cassius flicks a hand at the two women, and the guards behind me escort them out. Elise tries to protest, but they are removed as quickly as they came.
“Alaric,” Elizabeth asks slowly, placing a hand on top of his. “Is this true?”
My heart sinks.
Demons and saints… I will not survive this.
Chapter Fifteen
Clara
Death will come for me, no matter what happens next.
“Is this true?” Elizabeth asks again.
There is a long pause. Her fingers squeeze, nails biting into Alaric’s skin.
He doesn’t want to betray me, I can see it in his eyes, but what choice does he have? I don’t know what she’ll do if he lies to her or defies her.
“Yes.” I wince. The word echoes through the chamber. “I defended myself against Victor, and again at the theater, and here, and I will not apologize for that.”
My chest rises and falls with each breath.
“And what of Rosalie?” Elisabeth asks. “Did she attack you as well?”
I lift my chin. “No.” There is no reason to lie or hide the truth. “I killed her because she was a vampire, and for no other reason.”
The room falls silent and even the speaker is at a loss for words. The only sound is the rush of blood in my ears.
I just admitted to killing four vampires.
Elizabeth brushes the base of the bone crown with her fingertips. The gesture is strange as if she forgot it was there. She slides her hands over her hips, smoothing down the material of her dress. Her nostrils flare. Even she can’t hide the rage threatening to bubble over at my crimes.
She presses her lips into a thin line. “There has not been a slayer in over a hundred years. Any human who has taken the life of a single vampire must be put to death to prevent it from happening again. Claimed or not, she must pay for these atrocities. We will begin the draining process immediately,” she says.
Alaric pushes to his feet, his cool exterior gone. “No.”
Slowly, the queen pivots to face him, and her beautiful features twisted in fury soften. The change sends dread crawling over my skin like a thousand spiders. I fear whatever changed her mood more than my impending death.
Elizabeth reaches up and cups Alaric’s face, her hand pale against his skin. She guides his head so he is forced to look her in the eye. The cruelty behind that saccharine expression can only be worse than having every drop of my blood drained.
“For you, my prince, I believe we might be able to come to an agreement.” She steps away and opens her arms to the room. “Since this human is not fully marked, she may yet be claimed and marked by another.”
Alaric’s lips part. I shake my head, willing him not to speak.
I should have kept my mouth shut and never admitted anything, but I was stupid and all too ready to die. Now, I’ll spend what’s left of my life compelled, all free will stripped.
My stomach churns. I would prefer death.
Elizabeth pulls Alaric down to her eye level. She whispers something in his ear. He jerks back, but she presses a finger to her lips.
“Take her to the dungeon,” she says, smiling at Alaric, “until we can find someone suitable.”
The speaker lifts a hand. “She will need to be trained,” she says meekly.
“Fine, she will be placed in the custody of a vampire who can control her.” Elizabeth looks around. “Who here will become the girl’s master?”
“I will. I can keep her under control,” Lawrence says. His voice sounds odd to my ears. He has watched, silently through the proceedings this entire time until now.
“You?” The queen laughs, shrill and humorless. “No. You turned the first human you claimed. You do not have what it takes to keep this beast in line. You will not get another.”
“I can control her,” Cassius says. “Not to be her new master, but her intern guardian until she is reclaimed. I will compel her into submission and teach her how to be a proper human.”
My gaze drills into his broad back, suspicious of his motivations. What reason would he have for helping me?
Alaric snarls at him. The reaction elicits a spark in Elizabeth’s eye.
She hums, pressing a finger to the dimple in her cheek. “Yes, that will be acceptable. Train her to behave like the servant she is while arrangements are made for the reclaiming. Any vampires in want of a human may compete. The one who can compel her over any other will be the one to mark her.”
Icy fear slices through my chest. Cassius will control me until who knows how many vampires will vie to compel me at once. I would rather rot in the dungeons then become a puppet.
Alaric looks ready to jump over the table and rip Cassius to shreds. Elizabeth must sense it because she places a hand on his shoulder. He lowers back to his seat, but his posture remains ridged.
I squeeze my eyes, swallowing down the bile that threatens to come up.
“The four of you are no longer needed,” Cassius’s warm voice croons.
There’s a shuffle of boots
against stone retreating from my back as my guards leave. The door opens, and then they are gone.
I force my eyes open to find Cassius standing an arm’s length away, looking pleased.
My head spins with how quickly everything changed.
I’m still alive.
This doesn’t make sense, except when I look past Cassius to Alaric… it does. This is as much a punishment for him as it is for me. The difference is, I don’t know what awaits him. Separating us is only the beginning.
Cassius takes me by the upper arm. I suck in a sharp breath at the touch on the bruises from the guards. He frowns then moves his hand to my lower back.
“He is no longer your concern, little bird,” he whispers in my ear.
Applying gentle pressure, he leads me out of the room. I walk stiffly, my muscles aching. Once we’ve reached the ground levels, he drops his arm.
After two flights of stairs, I double over, exhausted and panting. I rest my hands on my knees and pull in deep breaths. Cassius rubs a hand over my back in soothing circles.
I swat at him. He avoids my sloppy move with ease and continues comforting me.
“I don’t know what you’re up to, but if you compel me, I will ki—”
He covers my mouth with a hand. “This is not the place for this discussion.”
Straightening my back, I place a foot on the bottom step leading to the third floor.
“You will not be returning to Alaric’s room.”
I turn to face him as his quiet words sink in.
“Where—” I don’t finish. His quirked brow tells me all I need to know.
“Your things will be brought down to our rooms. For now, you are to come with me.” He holds out a hand, but when I don’t take it, he adds, “This is not up for debate, little bird. What you and Alaric want at this moment doesn’t matter. I will compel you into doing as I ask… if I have to.”
Putting all further arguments behind me, I follow him with my head down and mouth clamped shut. I don’t trust him, but I have questions, and he has the answers.
We reach his room only a few minutes later. Cassius gestures for me to enter. He reaches out to take my hand when I hesitate. I pull away and walk inside.
The door clicks shut, echoing with a finality in my ears.
“What are you up to?” I demand, whirling on him, pointing an accusing finger. He frowns. “Why did you defend me in there?”
“Would you rather I let them kill you?” He takes a step forward then another until he bumps into my finger.
“You know what I mean. What are you up to?”
Cassius doesn’t look the least bit intimidated. Not that I expected him to be. He’s silent for a long time.
“When was the last time you ate?” he finally asks. “You’ve lost weight.”
“Stop avoiding my questions.”
“Bathe, and when you’ve cleaned up, you can eat and ask me as many questions as you want.”
The promise of food and a warm bath is enough to take the fight out of me.
In a blur, Cassius is across the room, taking a folded item from a drawer. He speeds back to my side and places it in my arms. He gestures toward a door. “It’s right through there.”
I take the proffered clothing and shuffle into the bathing room. My movements are mechanical as I strip down and wait for the tub to fill. The last thing I remove is the dagger and the leather strapping on my forearm.
When there’s a few inches of water, I turn the faucet off and step in. The second I sink down, exhaustion wraps itself tight around my bones. Quickly, I wash away the sweat and filth of the dungeon.
No matter how hard I try, my thoughts go to Alaric. I wonder where he is now and if he’s all right. I bite down on the inside of my cheek to suppress the gamut of emotions welling up.
He’s a vampire and the crown prince—a fact I still have a hard time believing. He can handle himself, but worry still twists at my gut.
I step out of the bath and dry off. Then, I slip the simple cream-colored shift over my head, grab the dagger, and step out.
Cassius leans against one of the bed posters, eyes drawn to the weapon in my hand.
“You were careless, Clara. You never should have mentioned the weapon. The Voice is suspicious of you—” He stops talking abruptly. “Do you still have the dagger?”
I nod. The Voice must be the ghostly pale vampire who spoke for the others.
“If you plan on keeping it in your possession, you would do well to never mention it to anyone besides Alaric and myself.” He straightens and motions to the single plate of food on the table. “Eat then sleep.”
I scoff, securing the dagger to my forearm. I don’t plan on letting it out of my grasp, not even while sleeping. I cross to the bed, grab a pillow and blanket, and then fling them on the ground below the window.
“Use the bed, Clara.”
“I’m not sleeping in your bed.” To emphasize my point, I sit on the piled-up blankets and straighten them out around me.
Cassius brings the plate to me and sits with his back against the wall.
Aware that I’m being difficult, I shove a piece of bread in my mouth and take a bite of cheese. My appetite returns with a vengeance, jaw aching with the delicious flavors, and I can’t seem to eat fast enough.
Twice, Cassius tells me to slow down before I finish. Setting the plate to the side, I cross my arms over my chest. I don’t like feeling vulnerable, and I don’t like the unknown.
“Why did you defend me?”
“I have my reasons,” he says. “but maybe I’m not as terrible as you want to believe I am.”
I scoff, not believing a word. “Do you want to know what I think?”
He raises a brow.
“You didn’t do this out of the goodness of your own heart. I think you want something Alaric had.”
He shrugs, not in the least bit offended. “It might have started out that way back in Windbury. We’ve always had a rivalry. Elizabeth would give him everything, and he would want none of it. The rest would get nothing.” Cassius pauses, light gray eyes searching my face. “I defended you because I find you fascinating, and you wouldn’t make it to the reclaiming alive if I’d let anyone else watch over you. Like it or not, I am your best chance at survival.”
“I still don’t trust you,” I say after a long moment.
“I wouldn’t expect you to.”
A yawn rips free. Cassius pats the space between us, and I scoot down and lower myself. As soon as my head hits the pillow, he begins running his fingers through my damp hair, working out the tangles. It’s annoyingly soothing.
“I hate that. Stop it.”
He laughs but otherwise ignores me.
I roll to my side and wriggle as close to the wall as possible. “You can leave me alone now.”
“Come now, little bird. We will be spending a lot of time together from now on.”
For some reason, his words remind me of Alaric. Pressure builds behind my eyes as hot tears work their way up. “I don’t want to be your friend.”
I have questions, but I’m too tired to remember half of them.
“I will compel you to sleep now,” he says as he begins to braid my hair.
“I am capable of falling asleep without your help. I just need you to leave me alone.”
He chuckles. “It’s so I can heal you.”
I press my hands into the floor, lifting myself up to scowl.
“Sleep,” he says.
His power slides over me. I push against the compulsion, trying to resist… and failing. A dull throb pounds in my head and my legs as a heavy weight settles over my mind.
My arms give out, and I fall, face first into the pillow.
Chapter Sixteen
Alaric
Once the last of the court has taken their leave, I push my chair back and rise. Elizabeth remains seated, leaning back with her long legs crossed. She says nothing as I stride from the room, but I feel the weight of her stare, follo
wing me, even after I’ve turned down the corridor.
My blood boils in my veins. Cassius finally has control over Clara, something I’ve suspected he’s wanted since the day he first laid eyes on her. If he can’t be Elizabeth’s crown prince, then he’ll settle for taking whatever he can from me. Still as childish and petty as ever.
I just hope Clara can see through his disguise to his true intentions. I was ready to give her the final mark to stop the absurd trial and have everything settled. Thanks to Elise, that is no longer possible.
Picking up my pace, I speed the rest of the way to my rooms, hoping Clara is still packing her things and waiting.
Near silent footsteps approach from behind. I stop, my hand hovering over the doorknob.
“I wanted to talk to you,” Elise says after several long seconds.
I don’t turn. “You have said more than enough today. I have no interest in hearing anything else from you.”
She circles me, blocking the door. I strain to hear movement from within, but there’s nothing.
“I don’t want there to be any hard feelings between us,” she says.
“It’s too late for that,” I snap. “I should kill you for what you did.”
Elise presses her fingertips to her mouth to hide her smile. “We both know you’re not that kind of vampire, Alaric.” She purrs my name in a sickly sweet tone.
“Elise.” I growl her name.
She waves a hand, brushing off my anger. “It was the right thing to do. We are vampires. We must protect our kind from humans who break our laws.”
“You would be dead if it weren’t for Clara, and this is how you repay her?”
“It doesn’t matter now,” she says with a shrug. “What matters is that I am a vampire and I am loyal.” Her eyes narrow when she speaks, emphasizing the last word.
What she doesn’t understand is that no vampire is loyal to anyone but themselves and their desires… not even me. Vampires have been known to betray lovers they’ve been with for lifetimes.
“You overstepped. You were nothing but a servant in my home. You had no right to act against her, no matter how you felt. She did nothing to you, and yet you continue to hurt her.” I lose the distance between us and lower my voice. “If you take action against her one more time, so help me, I will take care of you myself.”