Chapter 9 Lily #2
Or did I imagine that? That Viper just declared his love for me…to my father.
Viper continued to stare down my father with the same sense of calm he always wore, like there was no desire to backpedal, like he spoke his truth and was ready to face the consequences.
My father did the same, giving no reaction to the proclamation he’d heard.
Neither of them said anything.
The silence continued on and on and on.
Viper was the one to speak first…eventually.
“When Lily told me an army of vampires with cursed blades marched on her kingdom, I feared for her life and the lives of the people she loves. I petitioned my king to come to their aid, but we were already weary from our own war. It wasn’t the answer I wanted.
” He gave a slight shrug. “So I did it anyway. And even though your daughter has rejected my love, I wouldn’t change anything. I still would have come, regardless.”
I did not expect the most tense and awkward conversation of my life to unfold directly before me.
My father must have been uncomfortable with all of this, but he showed no sign of it. “What will befall you when you return?”
“That’s my problem, not yours.”
“If an execution waits for you, you’re welcome to call the Southern Isles your home.”
He gave a slight shake of his head. “There will be no execution because the king is my brother. We’ll have words, and he’ll call me a fool for leaving my own lands defenseless to protect a woman who doesn’t reciprocate my affection.
And then we won’t speak for a month. But he’s done a lot of stupid shit himself, and I’ll make sure to remind him of that. He’ll come around. I’m not concerned.”
My father had only been awake for a day and found himself inserted into the most uncomfortable conversation any father could ever have. “I appreciate your honesty.”
“Good, because most people don’t.” Viper dismissed himself from the conversation and rose to his feet. “My men are eager for home, so it’s time I depart. Take care, Your Highness.”
“Talon.” My father rose to his feet, gripping the edge of the table for balance. It was strange to see him this way, so weak that he couldn’t lift a sword if he needed to fight for his life. He looked Viper in the eye and extended his hand to shake again. “I hope we meet again someday.”
Viper nodded before he took his hand. “As do I.” Viper turned away and left the room, a behemoth of a man in that thick armor with the cape that swirled behind him. His spine was stiffer than the trunk of a redwood as he walked out.
I wasn’t sure whose company was worse. My father’s or Viper’s.
I left the table without saying a word and followed Viper down the hallway. He was in the grand entryway when I caught up to him, the guards on either side of the double doors. They opened them at his approach.
“I know what you’re doing.”
He came to a stop, his cape shifting for a second at my sudden appearance.
“And it’s cheap.”
He turned to look at me, his expression as stoic as it’d been with my father. A moment of silence passed between us before he continued forward, walking out the double doors to the courtyard with the olive trees.
I followed him. “You think impressing my father will get what you want—”
He turned back to me in a rush, his massive size having the fluidity of a hunting shark. “Yes. He’s the person whose opinion matters most to you, and I wanted him to know that I’ve earned you—”
“I’m not a trophy that you can earn. I told you I love someone else.”
“You love a man that you’ll never have, Lily.” He took a step closer to me. “In what scenario do you get the ending you want? Tell me your genius plan, because I would love to hear it.”
I took a step back, my breathing uneven because I was so angry…and so hurt.
His eyes shifted back and forth as he waited for the answer.
But I didn’t have one, and he knew it.
“He wasn’t here.” He thumped his closed fist against his chest. “I was.”
“I had his strength—”
“But you had my sword and my navy and my army.” His eyes widened as the anger danced across his face. “He wasn’t here because he either abandoned you or he’s dead…or whatever comes after for a demon like him.”
“He’s not a demon.”
“So in either scenario, it doesn’t work.”
I took another step back.
“Tell me how it works.”
“I—I don’t know—”
“Because it doesn’t. And after you accept that and take some time to move on, you know where to find me. Because I’ll be waiting for you. Waiting for the woman who burns in my heart with a flame that could consume the world.”
It was the most romantic gesture any man had ever made for me, but my heart was still locked in the vault that only Callum could open. It’d been weeks since I’d seen his face, and I was uneasy and scared of what that meant, but my heart still didn’t falter.
“When your father questions you about that conversation that just took place, you won’t tell him about the man you love—because you know he would never accept it.
The ferocity and rage that he’ll exude will burn hotter than the fire from his dragon’s snout.
He will never accept it—and you know he won’t.
I may be a creature without a soul that consumes the blood of mortals, but I’m far more worthy than a demon. ”
“He would accept it, and he would help me.”
All he did was shake his head slightly.
“He will.”
Now Viper stared at me with pity, like I’d lost my mind.
“He’ll listen to me. I know he will.”
Viper seemed to have lost interest in the conversation because he angled his head slightly and looked elsewhere. “You know where to find me, Lily.” He started to turn away.
“I can’t believe you did this,” I said as I shook my head. “I told you I loved Callum, and you forced your way into my life anyway. Used your aid in the battle as leverage with my father. Strategically manipulating the situation to get what you want.”
He stared at me again, calm as always. “And?”
The heavy breath left my lungs automatically, ferocity burning my veins.
“You said that if you hadn’t met him, things might have been different for us.
Well, now Callum’s gone, and things are different once more.
I’m not ashamed to take advantage of the situation in my favor.
I’m not afraid to fight for the woman I love—even with cheap shots.
” He must have seen the red tint to my face and the way I boiled beneath the surface because he stepped away and headed toward the gate that led toward the village and the harbor.
“If you loved a man I could see in the flesh, I would understand. If you loved an honorable man who raised his sword in your name, I would step aside. But this love is not real. It’s a shadow of a dream, a tapestry braided by a manipulative and evil god who shows you blue skies instead of abysmal darkness.
It is a trick, and once you’re free of that spell, I’ll be there to take his place. ”