by Leigh Walker
She tilted her head. “Drinking from an intercross.”
I started then tried very hard to compose some semblance of a poker face. “I wouldn’t know about that.”
She grinned at me. “Child. Do you think me a fool?”
“No.” It would be so much less scary if she were.
“Did you think I would let my son marry just any commoner?”
I glanced at her nervously. “He chose me out of a lineup at the Trade. I thought that you didn’t care who he married.”
“You are as naive as you are stupid, which is sort of a toxic combination though quite common with your race.” The queen took another slow turn around the floor, her gaze never leaving me, as if she were a snake mesmerizing its prey. “If you think I would let my heir marry a common whore from Margate, you are quite mistaken, I assure you. If he had a different sort of personality, that might suit me. But because he is strong-willed and idealistic, I had to find him another type of match. And now I see that the gods have again favored me, because all of this is lining up with my plan.”
I stared straight ahead, not understanding.
“Years ago, I spied you with my son. As I’d never seen him with a human before, my curiosity was awakened. I attempted to lure you to my private chamber so that I might taste you. But Dominic protected you and saw to it that you were immediately extradited back to whatever piteous place you call home. Yes, young lady, I am well aware that you are as much from Margate as I am.”
I swallowed hard as she continued to circle me, my heart thundering in my chest. I wished Dominic had left us alone, so that she at least might be dead from drinking my blood.
“The prince tried to poison my wine with your blood later that afternoon, and he’s tried it many other times. But love and optimism blind him. I intercepted the toxin and had it thoroughly inspected. In other words, I had one of my loyal guards drink the wine. He experienced memory loss, and I knew I needed to investigate further. We confiscated a full vial of your blood from Dominic’s chambers, and my guard drank it. I watched him as he died on the spot, quite painfully, I might add.”
I shuddered. Another death I was responsible for, even if I’d never meant for it to happen. But that wasn’t the only thing that had me shaking. Too many realizations were assaulting me, a meteor shower of painful insight I couldn’t escape from. “Then why did you allow Dominic to drink from me the other night at dinner?” I cried. “Didn’t you think it could kill him?”
“Of course not.” Her nostrils flared. “As we have already established, I am not the fool here. I knew he’d tasted you before, though he’d lied to me about it. Very little takes place in the castle that I am unaware of, I can assure you. But I was curious to see the effects it had on him. I assumed, correctly, that he would not be harmed. Interestingly enough, he was also immune to the qualities in your blood that makes others of my kind forget you.”
“So you were testing him.” My voice shook.
“All you do with your children is test them. It’s a mother’s obligation, of course. I must see him learn and thrive. He’s my responsibility, and despite what you might think, no one will ever love him the way I do.” She was quiet for a moment. “This experiment also proved something to me, a tale I’ve heard for years.”
“What tale is that?”
“That certain of our kind were destined to mate with intercrosses. Those who aren’t worthy and drink of them die. Those that are worthy are rewarded.”
“Rewarded with what?” She was making my head spin.
“I’m not sure yet—the legends say it is some sort of power. I believe it’s something special, something that my son, who is destined to rule one day, deserves above others.” She cocked her head. “Come to think of it, I likely deserve it, too.”
As she continued to circle me, I waited. I detected lightness in her step that led me to believe that she was enjoying this and had probably been waiting for some time to talk to me in such a forthright manner.
“You know the foreign dignitary reception is coming soon—the night after next.”
My head thudded with a dull ache as I tried to keep up with her line of questioning. “I’m aware, Your Highness.”
“I’ve invited several special guests, vampires that share my sympathies about how to deal with the humans going forward.”
Unsure if she wanted me to answer, I simply nodded.
“I expect a few things from you going forward, Lady Victoria.”
My head began to throb in line with my heart. “Yes?”
“I need you to understand that your position here at the palace is very precarious. It would be a pity for my son to lose his beloved so soon before his wedding, but if that’s what must be done, I will execute my duty—and you as well.”
I tried to catch my breath as she came closer.
21
Obey
I will execute my duty—and you as well.
I took a step back, anything to put some space between the queen and me. “I-I don’t know what I’ve done to offend you.”
She finished her circle and stood in front of me, her dark eyes meeting mine. “You don’t offend me. You don’t have that sort of power. But I know that my son loves you, and I believe you have real feelings for him too. Therein lies my power, my advantage. You will do what I ask, or I will separate you from him for good, intercross or not.”
“What do you want from me?” My voice sounded faraway, like it was coming from the bottom of a well.
“Going forward, you will report directly to me. Your very life depends on it. I want you to support my initiatives and vouch for the slaves. Promote their opportunity to marry the guards, and see to it that every eligible, fertile slave finds a match. I also want you to lobby the council for this change, for reasons that support my race.”
“And what reasons are those?”
“If the guards and slaves mate, they will bear intercrosses.” Queen Danica cocked her head as she inspected me. “An intercross is an interesting thing, Lady Victoria. They have many incarnations, some of them quite powerful. Such beings cannot compare to a vampire, of course, although I’ve heard of intercrosses who are also immortal. I am looking forward to learning more about them through personal experience.”
We stared at each other, and I began to grasp what she was getting at.
“When you give birth,” the queen continued, “my grandchild shall be given every advantage. He or she will have the best nutrition, education, and environment that a child can ask for. We will teach it to fight and to use its brain as an instrument, and we will see what sort of powers it possesses. We will develop its talents.”
I couldn’t—I wouldn’t—think about what she was saying about my future child. It hadn’t occurred to me that Queen Danica might have approved of my marriage to Dominic for any reason other than strengthening her position in the kingdom. But it appeared that even her ulterior motives had ulterior motives.
Though I had considered the queen many things, never once had I considered her a grandmother. It was the most frightening thought of them all. Maybe she wanted an intercross grandchild as a symbol. Maybe she wanted it to experiment on. I didn’t know what she actually wanted, but it didn’t matter: she was never going to touch a child of mine. Never, as in over my dead body.
“That’s very kind of you,” I lied. “But what about the blood slaves and the guards? What is the purpose of their unions—what do you hope to gain from this?”
“To begin a new race—one that’s allegiant to me, of course. We will develop the talents and the loyalties, of any children borne from the slave-and-guard unions. They will make an excellent army, as any vampires who oppose me will not easily be able to destroy them.”
“And you want me to tell the council that?” I would keep the conversation on those other imaginary, future children, and not on mine. That was the only way to stop myself from shrieking like a banshee and gouging her eyes out then fleeing back to New Jersey, where I
would never see her evil face again.
“Of course not. I want you to tell them that the blood slaves are loyal and will make dutiful wives. I want you to tell them that a human can love a vampire wholly, body and soul, and that it is quite possible for a vampire to be satisfied in such a relationship. Explain that the commoners, once notified of the impending nuptials, will rally behind these unions—and that they will offer more of their kind to ours should we ask.” Queen Danica squared her shoulders. “Tell them that it’s in the best interests of our race to have such unions, because it strengthens our position over the humans. In marriage and in governance, we are their true masters.”
I objected to all of that, but I didn’t dare so much as shake my head. Still, I had to understand. “You already have everything you want from the villagers. You’ve ruled these lands for a long time, with no enemy in sight. Why do you need to do this now?”
“When enough humans have mated with my kind, we will hold true power over the kingdom and, in time, the world. When they see us as family, the citizens will not object when I decree that vampires will rule in the open, and we will drink from them at our whim. Even Dominic will approve of the plan, I believe—it’s kinder and gentler than outright enslavement, isn’t it?”
I opened my mouth then closed it. She was off the deep end, and I could say nothing to change it.
“Their women will be our birth servants, and the rest of the humans will be our blood banks. And we will have a new legion of underlings—the intercrosses, who are still our inferiors but who have powers the humans cannot begin to imagine. It is the intercrosses who will help us spread out and conquer the rest of the globe. They will be our race ambassadors, and they will thank their queen for their existence. And if you live, you will help me to spread this message. You will be the poster child of the dutiful wife, not to mention the picture of loyalty to your queen.”
The calmness with which she delivered her plans was unnerving, a testament to her unwavering commitment. “So you want me to support your efforts to enslave the humans. And you want me to do this without the prince’s knowledge or approval?” I asked.
“I want you to tell Dominic that you believe the slaves should be afforded an opportunity to marry who they love, just as you have been afforded such an opportunity. Then I want you to tell him that you plan to become pregnant as soon as possible so that our family line continues. Tell him all of this, and be obedient, and I may choose to let you live to walk down the aisle then to witness your children’s upbringing. Do not underestimate my spies, who serve me everywhere. I know far more than you could ever guess. For instance, I know my son has plotted against me in the past. You will help me subjugate his wilder thoughts by making him deliriously happy. You will give him a family, which will ground him. You will make him see that you are truly happy as our loyal subordinate, exchanging your freedom and free speech for safety, protection, and of course, love.” The word sounded filthy coming from the queen’s mouth, a debasement of its true meaning. “And you will show him how grateful the slaves are for their opportunities, which I have so mercifully granted them.”
Queen Danica eyed me up and down, making sure I was taking in every requirement. “Going forward, you will do as I ask when I ask. You will be my liaison to the slaves and guards, making sure that they have happy and fruitful unions. You will no longer voice your opinion to my son about society and the humans’ place in it. You will be subservient to him and, more importantly, to me. Not a word out of line, not a smile out of place. You give him your neck and your body freely, as often as he—and again, more importantly, as often as I—instruct. Do you understand?”
I summoned any courage I had and raised my chin. “My allegiance is to your son, Your Highness. I love him.”
“Of course you do. And because you truly love him, and he loves you, you will do as I command. Because otherwise, I will take you from him. I will slaughter you. It will ruin his life, of course.”
“How can you make threats like that when you claim to love him?” I cried.
Queen Danica sighed indulgently. “You know, people think ruling is difficult. But let me tell you, it’s easy compared to being a mother. It’s my duty to show my son, my heir, the path forward. Sometimes that duty requires me to make difficult choices. But I will make them because I love my son. If you cannot obey me, you will die. And he will suffer because of your selfish choices.”
“He’ll never forgive you if you hurt me or our family.” My whole body was shaking with adrenaline. “You will lose him, Your Highness, and your worst fears will be realized.”
“Ah, again, let’s make note that the humans are masters of the obvious.” She chuckled. “Dominic will never know I had a hand in it. If you breathe a word of this conversation to him, it will be your last breath—I can assure you of that. I told you that the foreign dignitaries arrive tomorrow, did I not?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Their arrival affects you directly, Lady Victoria.” The queen raised her chin. “If you cross me or fail to perform as I’ve asked, I will make sure to let Emperor Lucas know that what he’s been missing all these years has finally been found.”
Emperor Lucas… I swallowed hard. “And what’s that?”
“His eldest daughter, the intercross.” The queen smiled at me, and the smile reached her eyes. “The child he tried vigilantly to kill so very many years ago.”
22
Duty
I could think of nothing but the queen and her words as I paced the garden that afternoon.
I was her slave, her direct report. Any small act of rebellion, and it was off with my head. She would take my life, ruining Dominic’s in the process, and I couldn’t even tell him the truth. If I did, I would risk us both.
My head spun from the intricacies of her madness. Only one week earlier, she’d wanted to transfuse the slaves in order to liven up her mealtimes. Now she’d found a new way to make them useful while simultaneously abusing them: having them bear children who would serve no one but her. Queen Danica went from one plot to another too quickly for me. The only common thread was that she was the direct beneficiary of all her schemes.
I was still reeling from the fact that she’d known who and what I was. She was well aware that I’d been to the kingdom before, and she’d allowed Dominic to choose me at the Trade. She’d known, before I did, before I even had the tools to comprehend my lineage, that I was an intercross. I’d never felt so exposed or like such a fool. Nothing was what I’d believed. And I’d found myself trapped in a way I hadn’t dreamed possible.
The cheerful sun shone upon me, and bright flowers lined my path, but I saw none of it; it was beyond my comprehension. My whole life had been a lie. My thoughts kept circling my mother then veering away because I couldn’t bear it. She’d never told me what I was or where I came from. She’d never told me the truth. Her betrayal tore me apart—and just when I thought she might return to me, I didn’t know if I would ever be able to look at her the same.
Part of me kept expecting to wake up, because this had to be a dream. But time kept passing, as evidenced by the sun crossing the sky. I wasn’t asleep, and it wasn’t a nightmare, or at least, not one I could escape from.
The queen intended to use me as a tool to rally the council to her side, to keep them obedient until she saw fit to kill them. She wanted me to lie, and smile while doing it. I was charged with convincing the council that humans, lowly humans, could be positive assets as mates for vampires. But I knew that “mate” was just another word for “slave.”
Queen Danica wanted me to betray my own people so she could build an army. She would make slaves out of all of us. We would bear the vampires’ children and let them feed from us at their will. We would be nothing, just bodies, to our lords and masters. And she expected me to play that role with Dominic. By commanding my allegiance to her, she was driving a wedge between the prince and me. It would never be the same now. The lies would divide us, till death do us part.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, the news about my father was worse. The queen herself had said that Emperor Lucas was my direct biological relative—and that he’d tried to kill me. And he was coming to the kingdom, an esteemed guest at my wedding. Dread crept over me. As recently as that morning, I’d been elated about marrying Dominic, but I no longer saw a happy ending. It was nowhere in sight: the queen had stolen my joy and shown me that my naivety was my downfall. I’d believed I could be happy. But fate had trapped me in a web I couldn’t escape from, and Queen Danica was the spider, cleaning her mouthparts as she considered me for her next meal. Not to mention what she’d said about my children…
My head was throbbing. I should probably have gotten out of the sun, but I couldn’t bear to go back inside the castle. She was in there, plotting her place at the helm of an enormous empire. The prince was also inside, and I didn’t dare face him. His mother wanted me to lie to him, to put on a false front. Otherwise, she would end my life. I had no doubt that she would do it, just as easily as she would swat a fly.
I didn’t know what to do. If I risked myself by defying the queen, she would report me to the emperor, and from what she’d said, the prognosis was not good. No, I had to shield both Dominic and myself from his mother’s wrath. I had to find a way.
But something else was troubling me. Did the prince know what I was? The clues were everywhere. Without knowing about intercrosses, I couldn’t have guessed what my powers meant. But Dominic was aware both of my mother’s marriage and the strange effects of my blood. Did he know? Did he keep it a secret from me all these years? And even if he did that for my protection, as is his way, could I forgive him for keeping something of this magnitude from me?
But those questions would have to wait. I had work to do. Before dismissing me, the queen had ordered me to first speak to the blood slaves then to report to the council. She wanted me to talk about the merits of her proposal to allow the slaves to marry the guards. She’d been very clear that if I started any trouble, she would dispense with me shortly.