King of Gods (Vampire Crown Book 2)

by Scarlett Dawn

  Behind me, Lord Pippin placed gentle hands on my biceps and moved me to the side. He stepped forward and met my father head-on. His jaw clenched, but he stated with respect, “The Queen and I have talked privately about this. I have apologized to her for my lack of judgment and cruel actions. As she’s stated, she understands. But I will apologize to you too, Lord Cato. I am sorry that I hurt your daughter.” He swallowed and ran his fingers through his dark red hair. His words turned quiet. “I also hurt myself with my actions. I have no one else to blame for my mistakes. It’s all on me. And I am sorry.”

  Lord Cato’s fangs disappeared. His eyes gradually turned back to brown. His head of black hair cocked, and his eyes narrowed. “If I remember correctly, your little sister died in a tragic accident during the time of your Challenges.”

  Lord Pippin’s jaws flexed again. “Yes, she did.”

  My attention snapped to my father. “And if I remember correctly, my mother died unexpectedly during your Challenges, Lord Cato. You think I don’t understand what that means?” My nostrils flared. This whole damn conversation with my father was ridiculous. The man didn’t really give a damn about me—obviously. I hissed, “Can we all move along? We have more important issues to deal with.”

  Lord Xenon nodded his head gradually. “I think to keep everyone within the bounds of our law, from saying anything they shouldn’t right now, that is the best course of action.”

  Lord Otto stood blinking repeatedly. He mumbled, “I still can’t believe Lord Pippin was thinking about marriage.” His gaze landed on me, his fast-blinking eyes pondering.

  Oh good Christ. I did not want to hear what he was about to say. Too bad he didn’t give two shits one way or another. The man had no filter from thought to speech.

  With awe plastered on his face, he muttered, “You must be one hell of a fuck, your majesty.”

  “Enough, my lord”—my nostrils flared—“unless you want me to make your life a shit storm for the entirety of my reign?”

  Lord Belshazzar grunted. A small smile lifted his lips, and a malicious glint shone in his eyes. “And you know how long she’s going to be queen.”

  Yes, he did. If I did my job properly.

  Lord Otto’s mouth snapped shut. “All right. All right. Threat received and heard. You can all fuck off now.”

  Lord Cato grinned in delight, a little fang showing. “My daughter just beat you, my lord. How did that feel?”

  Lord Otto tossed him a saucy glance. “Please. Your daughter apparently has a pussy straight from heaven.” He tapped at his chin. “I wonder how I can rub against those pearly gates?”

  Lord Cato’s head snapped back. His cheeks flamed.

  I lifted my eyes to the ceiling and sighed heavily. I didn’t even bother to look down. “Well, you’ve succeeded, Lord Otto. You’ve made Lord Cato uncomfortable and regret his words. Will you please stop talking about my vagina now?”

  “I suppose so,” Lord Otto hummed. “For now.”

  “Wonderful,” Lord Belshazzar hissed. His patience was shattered and nowhere to be seen. His frigid gaze hit every one of the lords. “How about we actually do what we came here to do?”

  Lord Pippin griped, “I’m all for that.”

  Lord Cato sneered. “I bet you are.”

  Lord Belshazzar pointed a sharp finger at the front of the plane. “Everyone, get the fuck out. Master Niallan’s friends have arrived by now, and our guards are waiting for instructions. Try to act like the damn lords you are. We are united while we deal with this. No arguments. No personal shit.”

  I ran my fingers through my sleep tossed hair, attempting to look presentable. It would be hard since my clothes were wrinkled from a full day of travel, our only stop today to have our jet refueled.

  The lords started walking to the stairs.

  Except for one.

  Lord Belshazzar was seemingly our current herder. He jerked his head to the front of the plane. His eyes were still narrowed. “You, too. Get going.”

  My lips thinned. He was really angry.

  I grabbed my coat, and grumbled, “I’m hurrying.”

  He licked his teeth in irritation, his features pinched, while he watched me shove my arms into my jacket.

  I flicked a cross look his way as I fiddled with my zipper, the damn thing stuck.

  With the plane now emptied, he stepped right in front of me. His tall stature towered over my small height. His words were only for my ears, demanding, “Did you love him?”

  I ground my teeth together and then kept my voice at the same level as his so no one else would hear this conversation. “I wanted to marry him. What do you think? Of course, I loved him.”

  “And now?” His head cocked. “Do you want to stop our interaction together? Do you want to try being with him again?”

  “No. To all those questions.” I jerked on my zipper hard. It still didn’t move. I dropped my arms to my sides and stared right into his eyes. “But if I did want to stop with you, what would you say?”

  His cold eyes were so frigid, while a horrible little smile lifted his lips. Not a peep from him. He loomed even closer, his hard body pressing against mine.

  I tilted my head way back and held his gaze. “That, my lord, is what I thought.” I lifted a black brow and showed some fang in my ill-humor. “So quit being a jackass and help me with my freaking zipper.”

  Lord Belshazzar mirrored me, lifting his opposite eyebrow. A bit of fang showing too. “Say please.”

  I licked my bottom lip and then growled, “Please.”

  His eyes dipped to my mouth, and his hands slid between our bodies. My coat was zipped before I even took a breath. The lord’s blue eyes lifted to my blue eyes, his regard still ruthless and cold. Mysteries and truths lay hidden beneath that hardened gaze.

  His stare wholly captured mine. “Work fucks are different than personal fucks, Gwen.”

  My head snapped back in shock. What?

  I babbled, “We’re going there?”

  He scratched at the stubble on his chin. “I think so.”

  “You think so?” I blinked.

  He hissed, “Work with me here.”

  I stood in stunned silence.

  He waited. Patient. Or as patiently as he could.

  “Um…” I shook my head slowly and tried to comprehend the magnitude of what he wanted and what it would mean. He would not be an easy lover. He already wasn’t. There was no doubt about that. But, damn, did he ring my bell just right. My black brows puckered. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “And it would go both ways?”

  “Yes.”

  I swallowed hard. Was I really going to do this?

  My blink was as slow as the dawning of a new day.

  I mumbled, “All right.” This would be interesting.

  He lifted his right hand and ran his knuckles gently over my cheek. Sweet and soft. “If you touch Lord Pippin again—with affection—I’ll kill him right there. And no one will ever say a word.”

  Definitely not an easy lover.

  I raised my brows. “I told the truth. I don’t want him that way.”

  “That doesn’t change the outcome.”

  I was sure it wouldn’t.

  I tipped my head to the front of the plane. “We should probably go. If we take any longer, they’ll be wondering what’s going on in here.”

  “True enough.” He stepped back and peered down to button his suit jacket. His eyes trained on his working fingers. “You’re wearing the necklace I gave you?”

  “Yes.”

  Lord Belshazzar grabbed his own winter jacket, and his blue eyes touched mine. “Good. Let’s go.”

  * * *

  The forty minute drive from Qikiqtarjuaq to Cape Argent was quiet.

  Except for Devin and Ysander.

  Inside our limousine, Master Niallan’s best friends tossed files at him left and right, struggling to catch him up on the most important business he’d missed while being away. They we
re my entertainment. I watched their interaction with the Original druid and tried to decide which one he was going to kill during his final Challenge. The Overlords never confirmed TERMINATE was an actual Challenge for a King Novitiate, as it had been for the Queen Novitiate, but it was.

  I kept a firm grip on my delight the entire drive.

  One of them would be dead soon.

  I’d have sweet dreams that night.

  Master Niallan knocked his knuckles on the thin barrier separating us from the chauffeur. “This is it. Stop here, please.”

  The human driver’s eyes flashed in the rearview mirror, squinting in confusion. “Are you sure? There’s nothing here.”

  “I’m sure. Stop the car.”

  The limo slowly rolled to a stop, and the driver opened our door. A gust of freezing wind rushed inside, and the scent of fresh snow tickled my nose. Fat, freezing white flakes swirled into the interior of the vehicle like they were rushing to us for their quick death.

  I shivered inside my thick jacket.

  Canada was fucking cold this time of year.

  I yanked my hood up and followed our group outside into the frenzied weather. I tilted my head down as another gust of wind blew a flurry of flakes into my face. My hands were deep in my pockets, barely warm, and crashing waves beat at a shore, ricocheting in the darkness surrounding us.

  The cliff we perched on overlooked the Atlantic Ocean. If it wasn’t white-out conditions, it would have been beautiful. This coastline was even more striking in the summer though. And during the day.

  Blindly walking around during the middle of the night, when I couldn’t see through the snow, in enemy territory, wasn’t my idea of a safe bet.

  I deliberately shuffled to stand next to Lord Belshazzar, hoping no one noticed. He’d said no harm would ever come to me if I was by his side, and when the advantage turned against you, you played smart. I wasn’t about to get taken out by a damn druid hiding in the snow piles surrounding us.

  Plus, the lord was a tall barrier against the wind.

  He shifted his stance—blocking the wind even further—and muttered, “Where the hell are we, Master Niallan. I don’t find this amusing.”

  “We are exactly where we’re supposed to be, Lord Belshazzar. This vehicle won’t be able to drive on the roads we’d need to take. Get your bags. It’s a hike from here.” A wicked grin curved his lips. “But I forgot to mention one little fact.”

  Lord Otto snorted. “What now?”

  The Original druid cast his eyes behind us to the black SUVs pulling to a stop. “Your guards can’t come.” He shrugged his shoulders, and his green eyes returned to our stony expressions. “You didn’t allow me any guards in your stronghold. I won’t allow you any in mine.”

  I sputtered, “That’s bullshit.”

  “All from your people’s making, your majesty. When Ysander and Devin tried to see me at your home,” his eyes flicked to Lord Belshazzar and back, “a certain lord made it adamantly clear to them they were not allowed inside.”

  I remembered the night Lord Belshazzar had been pulled away from the bed. We didn’t need to spend time out in the cold chatting about the details either. I could imagine how that conversation had gone—if any words were spoken. I only hoped there had been a lot of druid blood involved.

  We were going in alone because of that now. To a place no vampire had ever been before. To a place of druid magic. There better have been a lot of damn blood spilled from the two druid assholes currently standing on either side of Master Niallan, each with a smirk on his handsome face.

  Though, one stood a little closer than the other.

  I was now betting he killed Devin.

  Earlier, I’d decided Ysander.

  My mind still might change.

  But I hoped a miracle occurred, and it was both of them. A vampire Queen could dream.

  Lord Belshazzar stuffed his hands into his pockets. He sighed heavily, and a puff of white air appeared in front of his mouth. “You’re set on this, aren’t you?”

  “One hundred percent,” Master Niallan said without pomp. He wasn’t lying. “The choice is now yours.”

  The lords glanced at one another. Silent.

  “Fuck,” Lord Cato snapped. He pivoted and marched through the ankle-deep snow toward the waiting SUVs. “I’ll take care of our guards. Someone grab my bags too. I’d rather not be out here all night.”

  Snow crunched under my boots as I walked to the back of the first SUV. I lifted the hatch and started grabbing bags. I handed them off to silent lords who reached for them.

  With my teeth clenched, I stated, “We should probably leave one of you behind. That person could go back with our guards.”

  Lord Pippin shook his head. “All living Overlords must be present for the Challenges. It is law.”

  We moved to the next SUV.

  I pulled out more bags, still thinking. “Are there any loopholes for that?” If all our royalty died at the same time, the vampire race would be in chaos. “There has to be something.”

  Lord Xenon held two large bags down by his sides. “Our law is steadfast on this one. There are no loopholes for Challenges.”

  My brows scrunched. I turned to face them. “What about me then? Do I need to be there?”

  Our people were all, and to take a risk like this could be catastrophic if it didn’t absolutely need to happen. Want versus need were two very different things. The Secret may need to wait.

  “The Queen must be at two of the King Novitiate’s Challenges. You can’t stay behind either.” Lord Otto stared with meaning. “We all have to go in there for his Challenges.”

  This meant I still didn’t know everything.

  If we needed to go into that druid stronghold, with the possibility of death for all of us, then I definitely didn’t know the whole story. This is where they needed to be instead of taking care of the Challenges elsewhere. Their plan was moving forward despite the risk. There was only one thing they’d kept silent about recently.

  I grunted. “The attack?”

  Lord Belshazzar cracked his neck.

  The rest stayed silent.

  Fucking law.

  “Fantastic,” I muttered. I shoved the hatch down a little harder than needed and picked up my bags from the snowdrifts where I’d set them. The wind whipped at our faces without mercy. “Next time, a little heads up would be appreciated. I know you can manage that. You all talk more without words than anyone I know.”

  Lord Belshazzar’s lips twitched. He played on his words from earlier. “That still wouldn’t have changed the outcome.”

  I snorted, annoyed—and amused. “No, it wouldn’t have.” We were still walking in there. Guards or not. I tipped my head to where my father was now standing next to Master Niallan and his goons in this hellish winter land. “Lead the way, my lords.”

  I may have given them the lead so I could sneak next to Lord Belshazzar again without anyone wondering at my motives.

  I could sip on druids all day long and then walk on their corpses without breaking a sweat. But this snowstorm was messing with my vampire senses. All I could see was unusual darkness and thrashing snowflakes in front of my face. There had to be druid magic at work here, protecting against vampires, using our natural gifts against us. I wouldn’t be surprised if rocks suddenly appeared under our feet and attempted to trip us during our trek.

  “Follow me,” Master Niallan ordered. He turned and hiked directly off the road, speaking over his shoulder. “If you lose sight of me from here on out, you’re fucked. So stay close.”

  Knew it. Druid shit.

  The snow grinding under our boots began to echo all around, obscuring our essential hearing. Our breathing charged the air like a banging on a warrior’s drum, the soft flakes turned to stinging pellets against any exposed flesh.

  Irritated, I growled, “How far is it?”

  Ysander laughed loud and clear. “Two minutes in with druid magic and you’re already complaining? You bett
er hide in your room for the entire trip, your majesty. Lord Belshazzar won’t be around all the time to protect you.”

  My eyes narrowed on his muscular back, aggravated my actions hadn’t slipped his attention. “Keep thinking I’m a coward. I don’t mind.” And neither did I move away from the lord’s side. Taunting didn’t work on me. “It’ll be easier when I rip your throat out.”

  His gaze snapped back over his shoulder. The pleased smile on his face was still in place. “It would be fun to watch you try.”

  My smile matched his. I didn’t need to respond.

  Now, I was rooting for Ysander’s death.

  All by his best buddy’s hands.

  Devin could die later. I didn’t mind waiting.

  I was a tolerant person.

  He chuckled and turned back around. “Your majesty, you look just like your father with that look on your face.”

  I knew about my father’s history. It was all part of my training. “Oh, yes. Didn’t Lord Cato find and then trap you in a hole for fifty years? I’m sad I missed that. I imagine shoveling dirt over your body was a true pleasure.”

  Ysander’s back muscles twitched.

  My father snorted behind me. Quietly.

  Lord Belshazzar glanced down in my direction. Lifted a black brow. He droned, “I believe your father added an outhouse over that spot. It was used by our people on a regular basis. It was their favorite shit hole.”

  A deep chuckle built up from my chest. It spewed out into the night, catching us both by surprise—considering our surroundings. My eyes sparkled with merriment. “I didn’t know that.”

  His blue eyes zeroed in on my laughing mouth. The lord’s lips lifted in an amused grin. “It’s true. The outhouse even had a carving on it.”

  This was excellent. “What was it?”

  “Shit dropping down into an open mouth.”

  I burst into laughter and clutched my bags harder with my fists. I wanted to swing the damn things back and forth and skip around and around the silent and fuming druid in front of me. I sputtered, “Please tell me his mouth was open when he was buried.”