Chapter 19 Cedar #2
To me, she was the same Vesper. I didn't care about any of it. Vampire Vesper, human Vesper. Both were mine.
“This is not the time or the place,” she hissed. “Let's focus on the princess, and if you still want to hash this out, we can later.”
That put an end to our conversation and forced me to look in front of us. We were in the throne room again, a place I was getting sick of.
The magical explosion opened up my senses, forcing me to take in things I previously hadn’t. I had overlooked the lingering bits of magic embedded into the stone of this place. It felt… corrupted. Disgusting. Its tendrils slithered up, wrapping around our ankles and brushing across our hands.
Almost like it had a mind of its own.
It made me want to crawl out of my skin. It was similar to the magic I felt in General Lee’s hideout. Something about it didn't feel right.
I didn't think anyone else could feel it. The vampires didn't feel magic the same way we did. They could smell it, but if it wasn't actively coming from a witch, would they even know? They hadn't allowed witches near the Castle family in ages.
Maybe this is why.
There was something depraved going on here. But what I hadn't told the others was…
My eyes shot to the new Castle king, but his were already looking my way intently. I knew he didn't like Vesper here, but me?
I’m a threat. Or I’m going to be used next. Neither thought sat well with me.
My ego told me not to look away first, but the rational part of my brain forced my eyes to the front, looking over the sea of vampires who had shown up for the Blood Rites.
The sun was setting. The doors of the throne room were open, letting the golden rays shine in. Right in front of the stairs below the throne, there was a large goblet that was almost the size of a whole person. And inside, dark vampire blood.
There were texts about this in our archives, but this was the first time I or anyone else in my coven was invited to witness it.
“Thank you everyone for coming,” Aurelia said, stepping forward with a smile that twisted cruelly on her face.
“Both our loyal Castle family members and…” She motioned to the side where the vampire heads of various families and even some clan heads stood.
They were segregated. It was like the room had been split in half, with low-level family members on the left and important vampires on the right.
Atlas and her new fiancée were surprisingly absent. She was probably pissed at the arrangement and taking it out on us.
Though if a fight broke out and she was here, we would undoubtedly still lose.
“Our esteemed guests,” Aurelia finished, smiling even wider for them just before she walked down the steps.
“As you know, it is customary that when anyone joins the family, they add their blood to the goblet, then drink from it, tying themselves to us.
But now that we have a new king, it's time everyone pledges their loyalty to us—through blood.” Aurelia held her wrist to her face and bit into it in one smooth motion before she held it over the goblet, letting it fall inside.
“I may no longer be part of the Castle family, but I pledge my loyalty nonetheless.”
Caspian walked from his place off to the side to do the same, looking at Aurelia with a warm smile. There was a bit of jealousy coming from Vesper, but I was actually starting to feel relieved that she had someone by her side.
My heart twisted.
Our bonded was spilling her blood for the maniac she called her brother. It meant she was officially and irrevocably tied to him. The Blood Rites were more of an assembly than anything else, but at the end of the day, it was another bond. Another thing that tied her to this kingdom.
To him.
What can he do with all that power? If a bond between the three of us is this powerful, what does it mean for them?
“I have one more present to welcome in this new era,” Aurelia added and walked to the side where they were waiting.
“I promised my brother one thing. Proof that there is a traitor in our midst. Someone who seeks to ruin our family's rule before it even starts and has been secretly sharing information with our enemies.”
Whispers started, with vampires looking from side to side, trying to figure out if the person they were standing next to was the very traitor.
“General Lee, will you please join us in front?”
Gasps shot throughout the room. Some cowered, others almost seemed to be looking at the general with hungry gazes, trying to catch everything.
The family stayed suspiciously quiet.
All eyes were on the general as he stood next to the king like he always did. He was done up in a deep black robe and button-up ensemble. I glared at him, not able to keep in my hatred.
I could feel the disgusting waves of dark power rolling off him, especially now that it was coming to light.
He gave Aurelia a smile that made my skin crawl.
“Are you accusing me of something?” he asked, puffing his chest. “Kyan wouldn't take too kindly to you accusing her favorite and most loyal general.”
But Aurelia didn't care about the threat. She just smiled.
I watched Adrian, trying to figure out if this would be the thing that pushed him off the edge, but surprisingly, his facial expression hadn’t even twitched.
“Then why don't you come down here and prove me wrong?”
He puffed up again, but the whispers had already started. The doubt had already begun to sink in.
This is it. If he truly had the rune on his chest and had been siphoning the magic and life force from these witches, putting his blood in the goblet would taint it. Maybe even kill vampires who drank from it, depending on how many witches he'd actually taken.
Magic and vampires didn’t mix well, which was why there were so very few cases of witch-vampire hybrids. Levana had been a special one.
“Yes, why don't you go and prove it, hm?” Adrian asked, a sly smile on his face.
They held each other's gaze for a moment before the general turned and started walking down the steps of the throne.
“Now, all I ask is that you,” Aurelia motioned to the goblet. “Pledge your loyalty.”
It wasn't that the general was expected to pledge his loyalty to a new king, but the way he froze sent a burst of suspicion through everyone in the room. It was obvious in the way they narrowed their eyes at him.
At this point, I wasn't even sure if him being guilty of anything mattered. He simply wasn't doing it—to a king who went crazy over the simplest things.
I looked at Adrian and saw that his hands were already digging into the side of the throne.
Sweat dripped down my brow. The general was so close to Aurelia that if anything happened—
“My loyalty is to the council,” he said. “Kyan would not be happy if I—”
“But aren't you here because you believe in my brother's cause? In his rule to bring back the Castle family from ruin?”
This finally got a reaction from the royal side of the room, not so much in whispers and gasps, but in the shared glances between them.
“My sister’s right,” her brother said and stood. “You said you were loyal to me, so now prove it. In front of everyone. I'm sure Kyan will understand one day.”
The general turned around, panic on his face. It's happening. I inched closer to Vesper, needing some type of stability in this whirlwind of panic.
“Your Majesty, listen—”
“Is there a reason why you don't want to pledge?” Adrian asked and tilted his head. “What my sister said is true. You were here to help bring the Castle family back from ruin. We don’t have to lie in front of our friends and family.”
The general was getting more nervous. His eyes were shifting, and he looked like a man who was about to flee.
“Like I mentioned, Kyan—”
“Is not here.” Adrian disappeared and reappeared in front of him. Lee’s eyes were getting red, but there was no sign of magic. No black veins traveling across his face and neck. “Now pledge your loyalty or lose your head.”
If he’s not using the witches, what is he doing?
“Wait.”
Aurelia and Caspian went to his side, and in one swift movement, they yanked his shirt open. I stepped forward, my hand reaching out to stop them, but Vesper grabbed my wrist.
“Don’t you dare touch me, you animals!”
My heart stopped in my chest. Ice-cold fear ran through my veins, freezing me to the ground.
Run. Run now. Not safe.
My entire body was urging me to get the hell out of there and to safety. But I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
Because right in the middle of his chest was a rune, carved into his skin, still open, but no blood was dropping. Almost like it was… festering. Black veins spread out from around it slowly, reaching up to his neck but stopping before they were visible.
It was one thing to see it on the ground, but seeing it in person, seeing my fears come to life, was something else entirely.
My mind flashed to the rune on the floor of the council's throne room. To my nightmares. They were all connected. We were all connected.
No one here seemed to know what it meant, but they could tell something was wrong, and all of them backed away as if scared.
Can they smell it?
Some eyes shot to me, making the connection. Connecting the dots and thinking that a witch had done this to him. Maybe even me.
Adrian turned to me, a sinister smile spreading across her face.
“I guess your little witch pet is going to be useful. How about you tell everyone what this is?”
This is why they dressed me up like they did. They were putting me on display so I could answer this one question. Aurelia and Caspian were sending me messages with their eyes, and through the bond, I could tell what they needed me to do.
But I was still caught off guard because Adrian asked the question like he already knew. Like we weren't revealing anything to him. Aurelia promised to deliver a traitor, but was General Lee truly one?
And, more importantly, if Adrian knew about this, how did he know?
Who taught them? The White Lotus themselves?