by E. M. Knight
“If you know anything about The Haven’s vampires, you’d know they would never yield.”
“Oh?” Logan’s eyes sparkle. For a moment I see a fleck of black stream beyond the iris.
I blink, and it’s gone.
What was that? Could I have imagined it?
“Never,” I repeat. “Each one would fight to his dying breath before surrendering to you.”
“And yet how many were lost in the attack?” he asks. “You’ve seen our numbers. You know our strength. If I could inflict so much harm to you, without leaving the safety of our home, imagine how quickly you would be wiped out if I were to unleash my entire force.”
“So why haven’t you?” I asked. “If you wanted to take over, you’ve had ample opportunity to strike. But you haven’t. Why not?”
“War is not a simple game, son. The loss of vampire life is always a great tragedy. I do not make such decisions lightly.”
“And yet you turned The Convicted on us.”
“The Convicted were aberrations, wrought out of you r mother’s depravity. There is no place for such things in this world. They had to be destroyed.”
“You expect me to believe that? That you directed them against my coven so that we would win?” I scoff. “That’s a roundabout way of doing things.”
“I also had to demonstrate my strength.”
“To whom? Us, or your followers?”
“The vampires of The Crypts know who they are. They know our standing in the world. It was for your benefit. And now, it is time to take the next step.” He gestures at the television screens. “It’s time to retake the earth so it is ours.”
“The earth does not belong to us.”
“No? Then who? Not those pathetic humans, surely not. Those weak and supplicating creatures? They are destroying the beauty of the world. They do not appreciate what they have or what they are given. It is high time we take it from them.”
The way he’s speaking reminds me eerily of James.
“We are the aberrations,” I tell him. “All vampires are creatures of darkness. There is a reason we are barred from seeing the sun. The sun gives life. We are death.”
“No, you’re wrong. We are not death, we are existence. We are the epitome of life! Who else has the chance to learn all its secrets? Who else has the time needed to discover all of its wonderful mysteries? Human knowledge is built upon generations of progress, on a base that is added to with every new wave of births.
“But imagine what vampires would be capable of, were we not locked away. Imagine the riches we could discover, the mysteries we could solve! The progress humanity has made in the last century is astounding, but how many thousands of years did it take mankind to get there? What if all the great artists and scientists and writers and thinkers had the freedom that we do—the gift of unlimited time? What creations would Da Vinci be capable of were his life extended indefinitely? Faust? What would he write? Rembrandt? What would he paint?”
“Don’t tell me you care about such things,” I say drily.
“I do. Why would you not believe me?”
I gesture around us. “Look at your kingdom. Nothing here speaks of your interest in the arts. The only thing that is visible here is your greed for power, dominion, and might.”
The king shakes his head. “We all have roles to play in front of the ones who surround us,” he replies. “I am giving you a glimpse into my soul. This is who I truly am.” He taps his chest. “This is what the others do not see.”
“And why do I get the privilege?” I ask. “Don’t tell me it’s because I’m your son. I doubt you ever offered James such an elaborate confession.”
“You differ from James.”
“How? How would you know? We are both strangers to you.”
“Don’t think I don’t have eyes in The Haven,” he tells me. “Would you be so naive as to believe the King of the most powerful coven in the world would be blind to the goings-on of other covens? No. I watch them all. I see them all. I have—”
“All you have is a fistful of lies,” I cut in. I am growing tired of his rhetoric. “Nobody from the Outside has ever penetrated The Haven. That I know for a fact. The wards were impenetrable.”
Logan chuckles. “’Were,’” he quotes. “What about now?”
“They will be resurrected,” I say. “When they are, your threats will cease to hold meaning.”
He shakes his head. “Do you truly believe that? You’ve seen our might. You truly think that the wards can protect your coven when confronted by the strength of thousands of Crypt vampires?”
“Would you do that?” I ask. “Would you pit our covens against each other in open warfare?”
“If you stand against me? Yes. There is no question.” Logan smiles. “But I’ve invited you here to give you an opportunity to prevent all that. Kneel to me. Acknowledge me as your rightful ruler, and no more vampire lives shall be lost. Submit The Haven to my rule, and in return, I promise you prosperity… prosperity of a kind you have never imagined!”
“The Haven vampires won’t yield,” I say. “They will fight to defend their home, each of them, to their last breath.”
“So that is what you would sentence them to?” Logan asks. “Certain death? There is no need for more vampire blood to be spilled.”
“Even if I were to agree,” I say. “How could I trust you? How do I know you would not renege on your word?”
“My word as King is absolute. None have questioned it, because all know that I stand by what I say. A leader who cannot be trusted is a leader who is opening himself up for a coup. But there has not been rebellion or dissent amongst my vampires as long as I have ruled.”
“You’re talking about members of your clan,” I say. “Nothing about those from Outside. A track record here means little to me.”
Logan’s eyes narrow. A spasm of anger crosses his face.
He suppresses it immediately. “You are young,” he says softly. “You still have time. You will learn.”
I feel a shift in the air between us. “Learn what?”
“Learn where prosperity lies. And learn which paths lead to destruction. Deny me now, refuse my offer, and you write your own death sentence.
“But join me… and we will rise together, my son. You are used to life beneath a woman. It is men who should lead! It is men who make up the powerful sex. Join me, and you will see, in your ascent, that there is no comparison. You and I together can stand above all. Me, as King, and you, as my rightful heir. You will become Prince in the true sense of the word! I offer you a gift—the gift of power, of dominion, of might! I extend my hand to you and offer all that I have built. Everything I have spent a lifetime creating can be yours, if only you reach out and take it!”
Another speck of black floats across his right eye.
“And in return…?” I ask him. “No offer comes without strings. What are your conditions? What do you want from me?”
Father smiles. “I want you to give me Eleira,” he says.
Chapter Forty-Nine
RAUL
THE KING’S ROYAL CHAMBERS
My gut clenches in a mixture of hatred and fear, and I step away.
“Never,” I breathe.
“A powerful witch is needed for what I intend,” he says. “She is the most powerful of all. But she was brought into our world by your coven. The proper way to join us, if peace is meant to take precedence, is a union between the vampire King and her.”
“You would wed her?” I cannot keep the incredulity from my voice. “That is what you’re proposing? No. That’s laughable.”
“It is the only way our covens will ever be linked,” he says, “without further bloodshed.”
“I will never give Eleira to you,” I hiss. “I would die first.”
“My, my,” Logan mutters. “So very possessive. The girl has sunk her claws into your heart, hasn’t she? That matters not. Marriage is but a political proposition. I would bed her, of course,” his e
yes shine with desire, “but you could have her on the days I am occupied.”
Revulsion builds in me with every word that comes from his mouth. “You speak of Eleira as some common whore,” I growl. Every single instinct in my body demands me to fly at him, to fight, to defend the honor of the woman I love.
But if I do, it would be my end. Father’s strength is enormous compared to mine. He would crush me like an empty aluminum can.
“You care for her.” The side of his lip twitches up in a semblance of a smile. “That will be your weakness for as long as she lives. You must learn that there is nothing and no one more important in life than yourself. Your instincts, your wants, your needs and goals and desires are the only things that matter.
“You will be vulnerable as long as you are linked to her, son. The sooner you recognize that, the sooner you break free of the bonds holding you back, the sooner you will realize your true potential. The sooner you will become worthy of being named my heir.”
“Worthy in whose eyes?” I scoff. “Yours? You assume I even want that title. I do not. I want nothing to do with you or your dirty promises.”
“Spoken like a true non-believer,” Logan says. “What is it holding you back, son? Is it a weakness in your character, some type of fatal flaw I am unaware of? Why do you say no when the world is offered to you on a golden platter?”
“A golden platter?” I almost laugh. “You bring me here, after executing an attack that killed many of my people. You frame an offer and make it sound like the most generous gift, when in reality all it serves is to further your sick purpose. You ask for me to give Eleira to you—as if she is mine to give, and not a conscious, sentient woman with a free will and free volition! And somehow, you expect gratitude? Must I remind you that it was one of your vampires who gave me a wound that nearly killed me? We might be family, you are right. But we will never be allies. You will forever be my enemy.”
Father stares at me for a long time. “Such an impassioned speech,” he says finally. “Said with such conviction! I could almost believe you meant every word.”
“I do,” I tell him darkly.
“No, no.” He shakes his head. “You are speaking with your intellect, with your reason, with your mind. But not a single word that passed your lips came with the conviction of the heart.”
“You flatter yourself,” I tell him. “Thinking you can see into my heart.”
“I don’t need to possess such abilities to know the true nature of every vampire. The essence that sustains you, that sustains each one of us, it does not differ from one to the other. It wants the same thing. It craves the same purpose. It leads us, naturally, to the same final goal.
“So speak as you do. It does not matter. I know you will come around. But ask yourself this, when your desires change, will I still have you?”
Logan trails off. “I think,” he says in a whisper, “not.”
“So you claim to be all benevolent? To want to bring our kind into some sort of idealized future that only you see? You want to tell me there are no underlying motives for what you propose?” I scoff. “I may not know you very well, Father, but I do know a thing or two about our vampiric nature, as well. I know we are cunning. I know we are deceitful. We lie and cheat and steal with nary a thought for the consequences when it suits us most.”
“You present me this offer. You say I would be a fool to reject it. Well, so be it! Label me a fool, call me a child, but never say that I abandoned my coven. Never will it be said that Raul Soren stood with the enemy and agreed to terms of surrender.”
I take a step toward him. “I came here with Eleira, as we were asked. You presented your offer. I refused it. Now, let us return to The Haven where we belong. You would not be so cowardly as to attack without us there, would you?”
“Cowardice is one thing you cannot accuse me of,” he says. “If that is your final choice…” he lets the last word hang in the air. “Then I pity you. Perhaps it was my mistake bringing you here. It is your mother the Queen who rules. Maybe she will be more receptive to what I propose.
“I’ll let you return, son. In fact, I’ll be generous and give you an extra day. A day to fortify your defenses, to prepare yourself for the slaughter that is to come. But… then again…”
He pauses for a long moment. His eyes lose focus as he retreats into himself in thought.
“…then again,” he repeats, “…if it is Morgan who holds ultimate rule, perhaps it is time I speak with her. Extend an invitation to my former wife. Centuries have passed since—”
With a start he comes back to himself and seems to realize I am still there. He addresses me directly.
“Go back to The Haven with your girl. Tell your Queen that I have given you a day’s grace. But tell her, also, that if she were to come here, to sit down and negotiate with me… I would not turn her down. And the ceasefire that exists between our covens would be extended for the duration of her stay.”
I look at him in disbelief. Does he not know?
My doubt must have shown on my face, because Logan pounces forward. “What?” he demands. “What is it? Something is wrong.”
I shake my head. “The Queen wouldn’t come,” I tell him firmly.
“You think the thing that caused the rift between us stands in the way? What do you know of it?”
“Nothing,” I say. “But that is not the reason she won’t take you up on your offer.”
“Oh? Then what is?”
“She won’t come,” I say, “because she can’t. She was attacked by—”
Suddenly, I realize what I’m saying, how much information I’m giving away.
I would never do it in my right mind.
The bastard exerted his vampiric influence over me to loosen my tongue! He did it so deftly, I didn’t even notice!
With a flash of fiery anger I seal off my mind. I hate how careless I have been recently. Not at all fitting behavior for the Prince.
“She was attacked?” Logan asks. “By whom?”
“No,” I growl. “You’re not getting another word out of me.”
I turn to leave—and a great force of energy slams into my back.
I go sprawling on the floor. Before I can pick myself up, Logan is on me, pinning me to the ground, his face a mask of uncontrollable rage.
“Morgan,” he demands, spittle flying from his lips. “Tell me what happened to her!”
I struggle against his grip on my wrists. But I can barely make him budge. His strength is absolutely phenomenal.
I clench my jaw together to stop from speaking. I feel him trying to claw his way into my mind. I double down on the mental defense I’ve erected against him. Physically, I may be no match, but at least in my own mind, mentally, I have enough of an advantage to avoid succumbing to his strength.
“No,” I say.
“Tell me!” he screams. He grabs my shoulders and slams them against the floor. “Tell me what happened to my wife!”
Logan’s hand closes on my throat. He starts to squeeze. He’s going to crush my windpipe. No matter how I struggle and fight back, I am no match.
“Tell me,” Father demands. His eyes are blazing with madness. “Tell me now… or die.”
In that moment, I know this is no bluff. I cough, and a single word escapes my lips.
“Narwhark.”
Logan blinks. He relents on his grip and sits back.
“What did you say?”
“Narwhark,” I tell him again, rubbing my throat. Humiliation and wounded pride combine to fill me with a vile mix of self-loathing. But so be it—what can I do?
“I’ve heard that term before,” he says. “A demon.”
“Yes,” I agree. Something shifts in Logan’s expression. Is that greed shining in his eyes?
He steps off me and offers a hand immediately to help me up. I swat it away and stand on my own.
“Your Mother was attacked by a demon?” he asks. Then, before I can speak, he says “No, don’t answer. I can see
it’s true. But that is… interesting. It adds a new wrinkle to things.”
“What are you talking about?” I demand. In the back of my mind, I had always assumed that The Crypts were somehow behind the Narwhark attack. But Father’s surprise is genuine, as is his reaction to finding out Morgan was harmed.
He ignores my question. “I assume your mother is still alive? Of course she is. I would have sensed it if she’d died.”
How? I wonder.
“But the demon harmed her.” Logan walks to a distant column covered with runes. “Yet it did not kill. She will not come, as you say, not because she is unwilling, but because she is incapable. She is unconscious, is she not?”
He turns his head back. His eyes seal into me. “Is she not?”
“Yes,” I admit grudgingly.
He taps the stone he is looking at. “Come closer, son,” he tells me. “There is something that I wish to show you.”
It takes an enormous effort of will to cover up my absolute disgust, but I manage it. I walk to where Father is standing and look at the strange marked column.
“You’re the scholar of the stars, aren’t you?” he asks. “Yes, well, Beatrice says you are. I believe her.”
“Who is she to you?” I wonder.
He chuckles. “Do you think I would give away all my secrets at our first reunion?” He shakes his head. “No, no. I am not you.”
I grit my teeth together in irritation.
“A demon has not been sighted in this world for generations,” he continues. “But the prophecy that informed you of Eleira’s coming mentions one.” He turns to me, making a fist, and holds it between our faces. “It is no coincidence. And now, there can be no doubt. Eleira is the one we have been waiting for. She is the one we need.”
“You speak as if we’re allies,” I say.
“We are blood. And I am your father. At some point you will recognize that. And then you will do as I say.”
I scoff. “Hardly.”
“I was too rash before. You must forgive me. It is a flaw I have. I can be patient, and yet, sometimes, I tend to rush things.