Chapter 28
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
Selene
The scent of velvet and flowers fills my nose, stirring me awake.
My eyes snap open. “I’d ask what you’re doing here, but in truth, I know how weak of a man you are, Galen.
You’re showing your cracks, and soon they will fester into flaws.
” I sit up and stare at him. He’s perched on the edge of my bed.
The grin that was painted on his lips slips off like watercolor paint that was doused with too much liquid. He’s just a sad mess now.
“I know you’re lonely.” He pushes me to stand so he can look down at me. He thinks this gives him the upper hand. Newsflash: I can turn my neck and look elsewhere.
“Only a weak mind grows antsy in silent times, Galen. It is you who is lonely. I am content.” I stretch my legs out, proving my point. A glance outside tells me it’s still early morning. “Did your whore last night not exhaust you? You should still be sleeping,” I jab as I uncurl my spine.
There is no going back to sleep now.
His lips twitch. “Most women would be jealous.”
“Most women are fools. Why would I be jealous of a husband who breaks multiple vows? Murderous is more like it,” I sneer.
He opens the palm of his hand, magic flaring as he grows a shiny black stem, thorns sharpening like a knife on a whetstone. A red flower blooms as he stretches his hand toward me.
“And that is why, my sweet wife, I will always crave you. You’re a huntress, and that makes the game more fun.” His magic cuts the vine in half. He alters it more, and I watch as the flower turns the dark purplish-black color I know best.
He brings the rose to his nose, glides it over his lips, and then places it on my pillow.
“I only hunt prey that is worthy.” I swat the rose off my pillow and climb out of bed.
I’ll have all the bedding washed now. “Small bunnies mean nothing to me. You were fun until you became annoying. The bridge we made will never be rebuilt. The chasm is too wide. And I don’t care to make an effort with a liar who seeks to kill my people. What do you want?”
He flashes his fangs as he grins. “I want to go catch bunnies, Selene. Unlike you, I enjoy hunting all prey.” He lunges forward and grabs me.
Not involving Titus was the best part of Galen’s impromptu visit. His time weaving is emotionally provoked, and Galen is a master at plucking the string and playing with other emotions. The man’s tongue is a fiddle that can make even the most uncoordinated dance.
Magic snaps and swirls around us, creating a static that charges the air until the portal closes. “Why are we here?” I press my palm against my stomach, holding back my nausea.
I hate portals. The sensation is something I can’t get used to. Give me a horse so the wind can fill my hair any day. I also don’t trust portals. You need to have complete faith in the mage who opens it. We could have walked into a dungeon in some other kingdom.
I can’t help but wonder what Galen has on this mage. It’s rare for mages to work with vampires. They don’t want to be dragged into our war with the fae, which has made the alliance between mages and humans dangerously strong.
In front of us, a wide-open field runs endlessly, like an ocean.
It’s untouched; the wild grass dances and sings as the morning sunlight and gentle breeze awaken it.
Fresh dew drops still cling to the blades.
It would be a beautiful sight if my husband were not looming over me like a rain cloud.
Three dozen men gather on the far right, standing at attention, waiting for Galen’s orders.
“We’re hunting,” Galen smirks. He pulls off his leather gloves, which are embossed with black roses. For a man who gardens so much, he has only smooth, clean skin.
“You see, bunnies are useful. They can do so many things, sweet wife. You can use them for food.” Galen takes a flask out of his breast pocket and flips open the cap.
“As pets, weapons, even prey to catch something bigger.” His brown hair soaks in the sunlight, making it look like strands of gold are hiding in the woodsy brown shades.
It’s a built-in trap, luring prey closer. Galen’s soul isn’t black; it’s a void that swallows everything, every shade of color, till none exists. He’s been sucking away my spirit.
But then Titus came. He colored me with a new palette, thanks to Everett. I have a purpose again.
I watch as Galen’s lips close around the flask. A single droplet of blood escapes and dribbles down his chin.
He’s powering up. What for?
My neck stiffens, my fingers itch to reach for my weapon, but I only have my hands at my disposal. I look out at the field again. I understand. This is bait—free food humans eagerly accept—concealing Galen's sharp hook.
“What do you want with humans?”
Gulp. “You’re so smart. I love that about you.” He drinks the flask like the sun slurps up the moisture from the soil. Leaving not one drop behind. “I have a use for them.”
“Your blood banks are full. If you welcome more humans, your people will think you are slipping into bloodlust.”
“That’s true,” Galen replies, offering an easy shrug.
“So I have found another way to welcome more humans without spreading rumors. That’s why we are here.
” He opens his palms and thrusts his hands forward.
Long vines shoot forth from under the earth.
Tearing and ripping through the peaceful field. Grinding and thrashing open the soil.
I step back. The wild grass is churned into the soil and swallowed. It’s disgusting and impressive, in the same way vultures wait patiently for a dead animal to fester.
“Humans need food,” Galen adds. His vines continue to till the land for miles. Then it stops. He’s labored. He turns to the side so his people don’t see. Galen waves his hand, and a woman steps out from the crowd. He readjusts his crown, letting his fingers linger on it.
Does he fuck his crown? He’s caressing it like a lover.
He lowers his hand when the woman reaches our side.
I stay silent. She has the manners to bow.
Galen grabs her by the shoulders and tips her head to the side.
His eyes hold mine as he grins, then sinks his teeth into her neck.
She moans with pleasure. Courtesy of him, of course.
A vampire can choose to inflict pain or pleasure with their bite.
His throat rolls as he swallows, gulp after gulp of her essence.
I want to grab her. If Galen doesn’t stop soon, she’ll be dead. Instead, I hold his stare. If he wants my resentment or jealousy, he shall see none. Instead, I wear a mask of apathy.
Truly, I feel… nothing. I’m delighted he’s got his playthings. After all his confessions about his lies to trick me into being his wife, how could I not?
Titus.
He pops into my mind. What would it feel like to have his lips on my neck?
You can never know. You’re stuck in a marriage you didn’t choose.
Love was never in my future, only death. Everett knew this. He embraced it, as must I.
Turning suddenly, I try to hide the blush on my cheeks. Why do I keep thinking of Titus?
You know why. For the first time in your life, you are entirely terrified.
My brother’s death ripped out my heart. The only thing left is my mind. I can’t give that to Titus. In someone else’s hands, our minds can play tricks on us; they can make us think we have a heart again, believe we have a future, and have hopes about escaping.
I know the truth.
I have no future.
Everett knew this. He warned me about what was to come. I understand now. That’s why I keep Titus at bay. That, and Galen would kill him. The last thing we need is another problem on our plate. Everett gave Titus and me a mission that I intend to see through.
Galen licks his lips. He pulls away and presses his fingertip to a fang. He cuts himself and smears his blood, which has blood-clotting and healing properties, over her wound.
The human walks back to the crowd like a bee, dizzy and darting as she sways and wobbles.
“Nothing like freshly squeezed juice in the morning,” Galen comments with a chuckle.
“Some courts consider drinking from the vein to be a hedonistic act. They have reformed ways you might learn from.” I lift my chin higher and look back out at the field. The scent of dirt that has never felt the sun fills my nose. Musky, and wet, its layers are much darker than the topsoil.
The soldiers form a line as they drag huge bags closer to the tilled land.
They flash their daggers as they slice open the bags.
Whatever is within, they scoop it into their palms and begin to toss—what looks like grains from this distance—into the air.
Four more vampires stand behind them, hands raised, and then the winds begin to howl.
“Seeds,” Galen mutters. He stands shoulder to shoulder with me. He’s as annoying as a button that is holding the fabric too tightly around you. I just want to rip it open and be free.
It makes sense now. Galen tilled the land. The soldiers throw seeds into the air, which the wind magic spreads.
I know why he needs me here.
What I don’t know is why he needs more humans. “Why?” I whisper.
“Because humans need food, and I can provide that endlessly,” he retorts.
Galen wouldn’t lessen his barracks to hold human warriors unless he was plotting a battle I could never have predicted. Capable of not only dethroning a king, but setting siege upon the entire species.
“Now tell me the real reason you want more humans.”
Galen slides in front of me like a cornerstone, holding up all the weight and knowledge.
I’m just a small brick in this grand scheme.
However, removing just one brick can have a significant impact.
It might not cause the wall to crumble, but it will affect its longevity. That’s what Everett would have told me.
“I told you we are hunting bunnies.” His smooth fingers snake around my neck like phantoms. “Humans procreate like rabbits.”