Chapter 26 Lily #2
He seemed to understand exactly where that was because the world spun in a flash, and then my boots hit the hard snow.
I stood outside a stone castle at the bottom of an endless set of wide stairs.
The wind howled, and the pines bent slightly in the wind.
Gusts of snow flew by, despite the protection of the walls of the city.
I headed up the stairs and approached the double doors to the castle.
Two guards were there, and they immediately unsheathed their blades for battle like I was an enemy here to take down the castle entirely on my own.
“I’m looking for General Viper. Is he here?”
At that moment, the enormous double doors opened behind the soldiers, and just by chance, he stepped into the cold, covered in his black and red armor, a crest of a snake in the center of his chest. With dilated pupils and a slit down the middle of his dark eyes, he stared me down.
First, with hostility, and then surprise once he recognized me.
“Stand down.” He moved directly between the two soldiers, who stepped out of the way like the parting sea.
He stopped before me, eyes flicking back and forth between mine like he needed a moment to verify it was really me.
A flicker of emotion entered his gaze, a desire that I remembered seeing during our nights together in front of the fire. “I knew you’d come back—”
“My kingdom is at war, and I come to ask for aid.” My heart raced so quickly in my chest that I could hear it pound in my ears.
Made it almost difficult to hear. “The Barbarians carry blades of cursed gold that leave their victims unable to heal. My father was cut down in battle, and only by the power of our dragons is he able to cling to life. The Barbarians have conquered my ally, and they have vampires in their army that my men can’t defeat.
I understand this isn’t your war, that we’re so far away that the outcome doesn’t affect you, but I believe if these assholes are the victors, it will affect you…
someday.” I got it all out before he could interrupt me, so he could understand that I’d come for one specific reason…
and one specific reason alone. He was as handsome as I remembered, but my desire for him had been extinguished by the love for another man.
I’d thought bedding a vampire was foolish, but a relationship with him now made way more sense than being with the god of the underworld.
He absorbed all of that in a silence that lasted minutes. His eyes hardened when he realized I didn’t seek his heart, but his army. There wasn’t anger in the stare, but disappointment so clear that I was certain Callum could see it too. “I’m sorry about your father and your kingdom.”
“Thank you.”
“I can present this to my king, but we had our own war recently, and we’ve been in recovery ever since.”
“He’s your brother, isn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Then could you ask him as your brother, not your king?”
He inhaled a slow breath as his eyes dropped momentarily. “I would for my woman…but not anyone less.”
It was a fair thing to say, so I didn’t react to it.
I knew Callum was there and could easily piece all of this together in a flash.
My skin felt red because of how hot it was.
I felt like I’d betrayed the man in my heart just by acknowledging my past. “This enemy is intent on world domination. I hope our fleet of dragons is enough to defeat them, but their cannons cause wounds that don’t heal…
and they could take out my dragons. They conquered my biggest ally before I could get there, and I’m not going to pretend I’m not scared because I am. ”
Viper stared at me with his reptilian eyes, his thoughts and emotions concealed from me.
The silence continued, and it was unclear if he was actually considering my request…
or thinking about something else. “I will petition the king on your behalf. In the meantime, I’ll have the servants prepare your quarters—”
“I’m not staying, but thank you for the offer.”
“You just got here, Lily. You must be exhausted.”
“War encroaches on my borders. I can’t be this far away from my kingdom when it’s in peril. Time is not on my side, so if you could speak to your brother as quickly as possible, I would appreciate it.”
“I don’t even know where your kingdom is.”
“I can draw you a map…if you choose to come.”
His eyes flicked back and forth quickly when he realized it was already time to say goodbye, even though he’d just said hello.
Ask him about the platinum. His voice sounded in my head because he didn’t appear beside me in the flesh. Maybe because he didn’t want me to see him standing there…during an awkward reunion.
“I’m searching for something called platinum. It’s an iridescent element, similar to steel but lighter in color, reflective like glass. It’s the antidote to the cursed gold that inflicts permanent wounds. Do you know where I can find it?”
He considered the question for a while before he answered. “No. We use a form of steel along with an obsidian alloy. It’s the reason our armor and blades are the color of darkest night. But I will ask everyone I can on your behalf.”
“Thank you.” Now there was nothing to do but leave.
I didn’t have time to persuade a vampire king to come to my aid across the world.
Even if Viper were the one in charge, I didn’t think it would have been possible either.
It was an enormous request for someone who wasn’t even an ally, just someone who’d shared a bed with him for a couple weeks.
I gave a slight nod of my head to dismiss the conversation. “I’m glad you’re well, General.” I took a step back to leave, but he halted me in place.
“Lily.” He commanded me with his sudden change of tone, issuing an order like I was one of his soldiers.
I stilled, but my heart raced a million miles a minute, afraid of what he might say next, afraid that the topic would return to us rather than war.
“My bed has been full of an endless line of beautiful women. But none of them has ever meant anything to me.”
I held my breath, wishing I could dismiss Callum so he wouldn’t have to see this. If some bitch confessed her feelings for him in front of me, I’d have a hard time not punching her in the face. But Callum had always been far calmer than I was.
“But you did.”