Blood Traitor

by Kim Loraine

  “You will stand to hear your fate, Blackthorne.”

  My gut churned, but I managed to rise. I lifted my chin and stared hard at the head of the council. He would have to see my face when he handed me my fate.

  “It is the decision of this council that you are guilty of treason and will face execution by silver this night. The Blackthorne crown will go to—”

  “Me.” A feminine voice I didn’t recognize rang out from the gathered crowd of vampires. We all turned to face her, shock registering on the expressions of many onlookers. A small woman with sparkling green eyes and a regal bearing strode into the circle to join me. She stopped when she reached the place I stood and settled a hand on my shoulder. She looked every inch like the bird-boned little creature my father always described her to be. Deceptively tiny and secretly vicious.

  “Anne?” the council leader said, his voice filled with incredulity.

  “Yes. Long time no see, Samson.” She winked. “Though, the last time you said my name like that you had a decidedly smaller amount of clothing on.”

  Samson shifted, clearly uncomfortable that she’d outed his identity. “You—”

  “I am Anne Blackthorne, first wife of Elias, and rightful queen of the Blackthorne lands. My crown will go to no one else.”

  “But, the King had children. Callum was his firstborn.”

  “And he is now dead.”

  “Cashel—”

  “According to you, he’s a traitor. And we all know about Lucas, the half-breed bastard.”

  “I’m sorry, Anne, you have no claim.”

  A crackle of dark energy radiated from her. “By law, our union was not severed. We had no children. Which means I am still ruler and now that I’ve been released, I can do my duty. I’ll take a husband, produce an heir, and we can put aside this…ugliness.”

  The crowd around us collectively gasped before the council members shifted in their places, clearly uncomfortable. “You’ve been in exile for hundreds of years,” Samson said.

  “I have, and now my husband is dead. I will take my crown or take down anyone who stands in my way.”

  I couldn’t see their faces, but their combined unease radiated and filled the air. All of them turned to face Samson, the council leader, waiting for his response. But after a few tense moments passed, he stepped forward and bowed his head.

  “I have no quarrel with you, my queen, but your husband’s son is a traitor and must be punished.”

  “No. Cashel Blackthorne is hereby pardoned of his crimes. He only acted out of necessity to free me from unlawful exile and bring back the rightful queen. He is loyal to the crown.”

  I forced myself to remain upright, pretending that her words were true. This woman shouldn’t have the crown, but did I have the energy to fight her? Not yet. I’d bide my time until I could take my place and ensure the Blackthorne legacy was upheld and changed for the better.

  “Take these shackles off my husband’s bastard son, he deserves better than this.” Anne’s voice was so light, so lilting, she seemed to be no more threatening than a child, but I knew better. I’d heard the stories my father had told of her insanity, of her cruelty. She was a mad queen in every sense of the word, and he’d put her aside for more than one reason.

  “Thank you, my queen,” I muttered.

  “Oh, call me mother, Cashel. After all, I’m the only parent you have left.”

  I couldn’t do it. My mouth wouldn’t form the word. Instead, I nodded, and the two of us left my prison behind. We walked down the long driveway, her in no rush, and me unable to do much more than trudge along without falling from the absolute weakness of starvation. When we finally reached the gate, I audibly sighed at the sight of the sleek black Land Rover idling and ready for us.

  “Do you have stores of blood in the car?” I asked.

  She smiled and shook her head. “No. I have something much better.”

  As soon as the door opened I was assaulted with the scent of fresh blood. A woman sat in the back seat, her hair piled high on her head, long graceful throat exposed. My entire body ached with desire to feed from her, but there was no way I’d be able to stop.

  “Go ahead, I brought her for you.” Anne’s sugary sweet voice made me ill.

  “I’ll kill her.”

  “That’s not a problem. Gigi’s life is of no consequence.”

  Swallowing hard, I took a slow breath and slid into the back of the car. I hadn’t wanted to feed from anyone but Olivia since she and I crossed that bridge. I didn’t know if I would truly be able to put my lips on another.

  Gigi stared at me, her wide, doe eyes filled with excitement. Then, she spoke, soft French rolling off her tongue in a simple and sweet voice. “Take what you need. I am ready.”

  I responded in her native language, desperate to make sure she understood that what I needed might mean ending her life. She only nodded.

  “Gigi knows if she makes this sacrifice, I’ll reward her in the end.” Anne sounded almost bored with my hesitation. “Or would you rather continue wasting away?”

  The door shut, and I heard the crunch of gravel under Anne’s feet. Then the coppery tang of blood overwhelmed everything else. Twisting my frame back to focus on Gigi, I fought back a groan of want when I saw the line of crimson trailing down her perfectly poised throat. She’d cut herself, deep enough it wouldn’t stop bleeding anytime soon.

  “Take,” she whispered in English.

  Olivia flashed in my mind, her taste, her softness, her scent, but I pushed aside the memory of the woman I loved in order to do what needed to be done. I licked the blood clean before sinking my fangs into Gigi’s neck. I didn’t make it feel good. I couldn’t. I’d never bring another woman pleasure again with my bite or my body. The only one for me was Olivia.

  Blackthorne Manor was dark and empty when we walked inside, the echoes of my past sitting like ghosts in the walls. I didn’t sense any of my siblings. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect from Lucas after his rare display of loyalty. Had he run to avoid being punished by the council?

  “Yes. Your half-breed brother skipped town as soon as word got out of your little moment of patricide.” I hated that Anne could get inside my head. Hated the itch in my body to take another woman and feed from her as I had on Gigi.

  “And my sisters?”

  She shrugged and strode through the house. “Dealt with.”

  I rushed her, rage pumping through my blood as I pinned the small woman against the wall. “What do you mean by that?”

  A bitter laugh made her seem all at once mad and sinister. “They’re in exile. Those insipid fools seemed to think you’d want them to fight for your crown. But how can you have the woman you love if you take the throne?”

  Confusion twisted in my mind. “What do you mean?”

  “The King must provide a pure-blooded heir. You’ll never be able to do that with a human at your side. Blood of the sun or not. It’s bad enough your mother wasn’t of noble birth, but at least that whore wasn’t human.”

  I held her in place, but she acted as though I was of no consequence. “Don’t ever speak of my mother again.”

  She pressed her palm to my chest and shoved, hard. I’d underestimated her strength or given myself too much credit, because with that one gesture, I flew across the room, crashing into the thick wood paneling lining the walls hard enough to send a crack up to the ceiling.

  “You forget your place, Cashel. Without me, you’d be nothing but a pile of ashes. I could have you killed at any moment.”

  “Why don’t you? What’s the point of keeping me alive? I am one of the only vampires who can challenge your claim.”

  “Because I need you to serve as my protection. The clans won’t accept me until they know you’re behind their new queen.”

  I laughed, standing and brushing the dust off my clothes. “What makes you think I’ll do that?”

  “Because I know where your little bird has run off to, and if you don’t, I’ll kil
l her and leave her body on a pike outside your window.”

  A chill ran down my spine. “You know where Olivia is?”

  “I have my spies. They’re everywhere. Do you really want to risk her life because of your stupid pride?”

  “Tell me where I can find her.”

  She rolled her eyes and sighed. “You don’t get to know that until after you give me what I want.”

  “Fine. Assemble the clans, I’ll stand at your side in support. Then I’ll leave and you won’t have to deal with me again.”

  “Oh, Cashel, you’re pretty but so very dense. You don’t get to go anywhere. You’re a king killer, a traitor, and I’ll never be able to trust you fully. Your Olivia will not be the target of my anger unless you betray me, but you’ll also spend your nights at my side or in a cage.” She took the stairs and I followed, wishing like hell I could stake her and get away with it. “Perhaps, if you’re well behaved, I’ll put you out to stud and marry you off to a noblewoman. It might benefit us if you bred with the Stockholm clan. That Mattias is quite handsome. It’s such a pity he’s not a born vampire. But there are others. His adoptive sister is pure.”

  “No.” The word was harsh and clipped. “I’ll not be married off to anyone. I can’t.”

  “Why? Because that human is yours? You’re an idiot if you think she’s waiting for you. You’ve been gone weeks. Without your influence, she won’t be craving you anymore.”

  My chest tightened as her words sank in. Maybe she was right. Maybe Olivia never truly wanted me in the first place. Had I been so lost in her I’d forgotten the truth? She had been in love with Logan. She’d left me for him once. Rage boiled under the surface of my skin. “I never influenced her choices.”

  Anne offered me a piteous smile. “Did you give her pleasure when you tasted her?” When I didn’t answer, she continued. “Of course you did. She’d have run screaming from you after one time if you hadn’t.”

  Guilt and pain curled in my gut, a heavy stone of regret. “It was for her own good.”

  “Oh, I understand. Completely, in fact. It was so like your father to bring such a tempting morsel into the house, to taunt you all with her.” She sighed and stared dreamily at the portrait of my father done in oil. He looked every inch the dashing, commanding ruler he’d been before sun sickness had twisted his mind. “So handsome, but so shortsighted.” She snapped her gaze back to me. “Now, do you need me to lock you in the dungeon here, or can I trust you to stay in your rooms?”

  Her eyes blazed as she stared into my mind. Pulling from me everything I didn’t want her to find. My love for Olivia, my need to protect her, to find her, to escape this situation.

  “Hmm, looks doubtful,” she said. “Very well. I didn’t want to do this, but you leave me no choice.” Her gaze was strong enough I couldn’t break it. Panic built in my chest, twisting and clawing at my throat. “Olivia is of no consequence, Cashel. She is prey. She is a betrayal to your kind. All you want from her is the magic in her blood. No more. She ruined your life by coming here and poisoning your heart. She used you. Left you. She betrayed you.”

  I fought the compulsion, not willing to let her take Olivia from me. “You can’t. Vampires can’t compel each other. Our minds are too strong.”

  She laughed and deepened her gaze. “I’ve spent hundreds of years building my strength. How do you think I escaped my prison?”

  Then the floor seemed to vanish under my feet and the world went black and all I saw was the darkness of her irises. Everything I knew bent and shifted as my past with Olivia became something ugly and meaningless. “She ruined it all,” I heard myself utter. Olivia Stewart was nothing to me.

  “Exactly. Now, Cashel, darling, you should head up to your rooms. I’ve had your dinner sent up.” She grinned. “A succulent little treat, ready and willing for…anything you might need.”

  Hunger gnawed at my gut and my fangs elongated in my mouth. I shouldn’t have wanted to feed again so soon, but being deprived of blood for the last few weeks made me ravenous. Dinner in my room sounded like exactly what I needed.

  I had to get used to living here with Anne as queen. Maybe I’d be able to convince her to bring my siblings back to the manor before long and we could overthrow her together. Once they saw the truth about Olivia, about her wickedness and everything that had happened with our father, maybe they’d understand. Maybe they’d help me.

  I walked past the room where Olivia had stayed, the scent of roses still crisp and spicy in the air. It sent a flash of longing through me, memories of Olivia and me together. Anger rolled in my gut at the recollection of my father’s plot to make her nothing more than a breeding bitch. Of the night we spent together in the library. And finally, of the moment I gave up everything for her.

  I reached out and pressed my palm to the heavy wood door. A slash of pain hit me in the chest at the intrusion of the words I’d said to her while we’d made love in the cabin. The feel of her body against mine, the heat of her. My cock hardened on instinct, but I shut it all down. Try as she might, Anne’s compulsion couldn’t take hold. My love for Olivia was too deeply ingrained in my soul. With one returned memory, the power of Anne’s control had been turned to dust and Olivia returned to her rightful place in my heart. I had to play this right. Anne couldn’t know how much Olivia still meant to me.

  “I’ll find you, little bird. Wait for me.”

  4

  Olivia

  I stood on the edge of the jagged cliff, staring down at the crashing waterfall below. It still hurt. Even now, a month after losing him. But did I ever really have Cash to begin with? My stomach churned at the thought of him, of the revelation Logan had given me clear as day.

  Cashel Blackthorne had killed my mother.

  Anger burned through me but it was tinged heavily with loss and heartbreak. I’d been an idiot and let him sway me with all the things he wanted me to think he was.

  “Don’t do anything stupid, Liv.” Logan’s voice caught me off guard, his warm, deep timbre more than welcome.

  I stepped back, not liking that he felt he needed to be on suicide watch. “I wasn’t going to jump.”

  “Good. He’s not worth it.”

  I bristled at the statement. I was important to the Blackthornes because of my blood. What made me so important to Logan? To the hunters? “Why?”

  He frowned and stepped closer. “What do you mean?”

  “Why do you care so much?”

  Logan wrapped his hand around my wrist and tugged me away from the cliff’s edge, his spicy, woodsy scent comforting and so different from Cashel’s. “Because you deserve a man who’ll love you with no strings attached.”

  “There are always strings.”

  “You are stronger than anyone gives you credit for, you know that? Over the last few weeks I’ve watched you go from scared and fragile to fierce and formidable. You could hold your own against a vampire. I’ve no doubt of that. But he got so far into your head you forget that. You fought your way out of that place. You kept yourself alive while you were there. You even escaped once. Don’t let him take that from you. You are a warrior.”

  I took a long, slow breath and straightened my shoulders. “Where are we now?”

  He frowned. “Colorado.”

  “Do you think we’re far enough away from them? Can we go out? Do something…normal for a change?”

  A smirk turned up the corner of his mouth. “Come with me. I’ve been working on something to help keep you hidden.”

  We ran along the trail, our steps breaking twigs and small branches as we went, but we weren’t trying to be quiet. It was the middle of the day, everything bathed in beautiful sunlight, and there were no vampires lurking, trying to find me. When we reached Logan’s tent, he rifled around in the backpack he always wore when going into town for supplies. Then he took my hands and deposited a silver pendant with an intricately formed sphere hanging from the chain in my palm. It was heavy and cold when I placed it over my head, and the
ball sat between my breasts like a warning. “Wear this. It’ll hide your scent and protect you.”

  Roses. The sharp bite of roses curled in my nose coming directly from the charm. “What is this?”

  “It’s like a vampire repellant. It cloaks whatever it is about your blood they want. There’s more to this though. A friend of mine is part of a witch coven. She put a charm inside as well. Said it will keep you off the radar of all vampires.”

  My eyebrows rose. “A witch? Does Hector know?”

  He chuckled and squeezed my hand. “Of course he knows. Hector has been working with this coven for years trying to figure out how to stop the vampires.”

  “You all really hate them, don’t you?”

  “Don’t you? They killed your mom. You saw him on the video, walking away with your mother’s blood all over him.”

  I closed my eyes against the assault of his words. It didn’t help. I relived the moment he showed me that fucking video over again as though for the first time. Cashel, grainy and in black and white, but definitely him, walked away from my house with a shirt soaked in blood. But the worst part, the part I’ll never forget, was when he brought his blood covered fingers to his lips and sucked them clean. Nausea coiled in my belly, and I had to take slow breaths to stop myself from getting sick.

  “Hey, I’m sorry. God. I just…it’s hard for me to understand how you can be sympathetic to them at all. We’ve all lost people we loved to them, but none of us have ever been with any of them.”

  I hated the way he said that. It was like I’d been tainted. Like I was unclean and needed to be purified in the eyes the majority of the camp. And honestly, that seemed to be the case. I didn’t talk to most of them. Instead, I chose to spend my time reading or training with Logan and the few other guys who’d help me. Everyone else steered clear. I couldn’t blame them. I had let Cashel Blackthorne feed from me, fuck me, make me his. And if it hadn’t been for Logan, I’d still be with my vampire. Only now, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be.