Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
SILVANUS
“It can’t be me,” Vaughn protested.
I knew he would say that.
We sat together on a bench at the cusp of a steep slope directly above Hurlock Town’s gates. High tide swallowed the causeway connecting the island to the mainland, the dark water churning rather angrily above it.
Mortal speed boats patrolled the area, the lights of a checkpoint flashing at the other end of the causeway.
At least my people would be relatively safe in my absence.
“It has to be you,” I responded to my friend. “There is no one else I trust in this world other than Medusa, and she’s not a vampire.”
He ran a hand over his face. “Ruling in your stead is fine, but to name me heir? I’m not worthy of that responsibility.”
I admired his modesty, which wasn’t as rare in Vaughn as others would believe. His bed-hopping and cocky bravado had given him a reputation for being a bit of a heartbreaker with one thing on his mind.
They couldn’t be more wrong.
“You’ve proven yourself worthy so many times over the years,” I said.
He sighed, his eyes downcast. “Layla shouldn’t have died. She’d be so much better than me.”
“Don’t say that.”
“It’s true.” He scraped his boot on the ground. “As much as she got on my wick, she would’ve made a great queen.”
“On your what?”
“She got on my wick. It means she annoyed me.” He shrugged. “Heard a new thrall say it a few days go about their uncle or something.”
Speaking of newly made creatures, a new vampire life knocked on my inner doors. Its fate rested with my decision to allow it into the world.
Another soul, another chain of obligation.
Still, I allowed the new life to begin, welcoming it into the Heart of All.
The more vampires, the better.
“I’d rather you remain king forever,” Vaughn said.
“But I might not be. And I couldn’t spend the afterlife with the rest of you, knowing I’d doomed you all to follow me into death.”
“Majesty, I—”
“Please, Vaughn.” I didn’t need to ask him. I could make it happen any time I wanted. But I loved him dearly and I didn’t want to force his hand.
If not him, then no one.
He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes on the sky. “Shit.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
Becoming the next king was a cruel ask, I knew that.
“Shit,” he repeated.
“I have to leave soon,” I said. “I need a decision.”
“Do I get a say?”
“Yes.”
He released the longest sigh I’d ever heard. “But not really. Not with the fate of our kind resting on my decision.”
I understood his suffering. After seventy years as king, I still didn’t feel worthy of it. And I never would. But someone had to do it.
Vaughn leaned back, folding his arms. “I’ll do it.”
Relief hit me with endless tsunamis. “Thank you, in more ways than I can convey.”
He cocked an eyebrow and snorted. “I’ll try to be a less dramatic king.”
I laughed, getting to my feet. “Ready to begin?”
He stood, brushing down the front of his black silk shirt. “Do it.”
I spoke the words. “The crown of blood I beseech to thee.” Biting my wrist to draw blood, I pressed it to his lips.
He grabbed my arm, sucking on my royal blood. He moaned, clearly enjoying himself from the exuberant licks of his tongue and the gluttonous slurping.
The Heart of All beat with ten intense pulses, each one a bell of sorts to signify its new home should I perish.
To seal the deal, I marked him on the neck. The scratch flared scarlet, then faded away.
Done. As easy as that.
Lord Vaughn Rosen, the next vampire king.
Vaughn released me, licking his lips, my blood running down his chin. His eyes shone a magnificent ruby glow, his skin radiant with pleasure.
My wrist healed quickly. “Thank you again.”
He wiped his chin with his sleeve. “Don’t mention it. But I’m going to need to fuck some of this fear out of me.”
“Of course.”
“I’m thinking Bobby’s throat would be a good place to stick my dick tonight. He loves a face fuck.”
Bobby. A vampire elf and a keen badminton player.
I glowered at him. “I don’t need to know the details.”
He chuckled. “So, Glimmer City, eh?”
“Indeed. Thank you again for letting us use your house.”
“Welcome.”
We couldn’t simply teleport into Glimmer City.
There were strict rules in place after a potentially deadly terrorist incident was averted at the last moment.
The mages responsible planned on burning the city to the ground after the former mayor was found out to be siphoning coin from the medical budget.
His arrest and incarceration didn’t appease the protestors seeking his execution, and so they took the insane step to try and make everyone pay. Which undermined their point.
After the terrorists were killed, the city officials initiated a magical lockdown to the edges of the city limits, their scanhawks programmed to detect unlicensed magic and send an emergency response unit to its location.
Medusa’s teleporting would register on the scanhawk radar.
There were no exceptions to the licensing, not even for me, and it would take two weeks to acquire one.
We didn’t have that time to spare.
Luckily, Vaughn owned a holiday home outside of the non-magic zone, and close enough to Elio’s parent’s house for our journey to be short.
A doorway appeared beside me, Medusa stepping through the portal in a state of abject terror.
“It’s Paris,” she announced. “He’s dead.”