7. Enough Secrets to Sink a Ship
“You took it yourself, of course,” the Seelie Queen snapped with disgust. “You crave power as much as the demon filth.”
“The difference, my dear woman is that I have succeeded where all others have failed.”
Save me, the queen’s voice suddenly boomed in my head, and I grabbed my skull like I could make it stop even as I immediately leaped from my chair without another thought.
“Freeze!” I screamed at the table, and everyone did. “Don’t use any abilities.”
Now get me out of here, the queen ordered in my mind again.
Using my vampire speed, I tossed her over my shoulder and rushed out of the mansion and into the woods, not knowing where I was headed or able to stop myself as I practically flew through the thick foliage. Several feet to my left, a blinding flash of white mirrored my movement through the forest, but whatever it was never came toward me as I raced forward. Besides, I had bigger things to worry about. At least it had been long enough since my rebirth that the bits of sunlight breaking through the leaves above only mildly irritated me.
“Take me to the fairy circle,” the queen commanded, and I adjusted my route toward the patch of forest halfway across the island where I once visited the very circle she referred to.
All I could think about was leaving Julian behind, frozen along with the others. It all happened so fast that I hadn’t even had an opportunity to think before my body reacted to the queen’s bidding. This must have been how Julian felt with Silas. The space where my heart used to beat felt like it caved in at the thought. On top of everything, with all the exertion and stress, my appetite had resurfaced with a vengeance.
The oily black blood pumping through the queen’s veins smelled strangely like truffles and champagne, a bizarre delicacy that caused me to focus too hard on keeping my fangs retracted. Intellectually, I knew she had to have protected herself through our arrangement, but the animalistic part of me growled that I should at least try to take a sip. Without realizing I’d done it, I nuzzled my nose against her bony hip, currently near my face, and inhaled deeply.
A sudden smack to my backside startled me face forward even as my legs continued to run. “Don’t even think about it,” she said. “Not that I can blame you. I’m sure I’m delicious.”
Something large crashed through the brush ahead and the queen shouted, “Stop!”
I halted, a cloud of dust rising around my ankles.
“I smell it. It’s a demon—put me down and protect me,” she ordered.
I set the queen on her feet and stepped in front of her, readying myself for whatever was about to crash through the trees.
Flashes of blue flame erupted on either side of me, rushing around to meet, effectively trapping us in place. The only way to go was forward, and that’s exactly where the threat was coming from.
A growl rumbled low in my chest as a woman with pure black orbs for eyes appeared. Her smile showed off sharp incisors as she set her fists on the hips of her pristine white pantsuit. What was it with demon’s wearing that color?
“Well, if it isn’t the little psychic who’s caused such a ruckus,” she said, then tilted her head. “I won’t say I’m disappointed that there’s only one person to share the wealth with now. That doesn’t mean I’ll be gentle taking you back with me, though.”
She lifted her hands and blew on each in turn, causing the same blue flames to engulf each hand.
“I’ll do you no good,” I said, forcing down my animalistic urges to tear her to tiny shreds. “I’m a vampire now.”
I felt the queen step close behind me but didn’t dare take my eyes off the danger in front.
“Yet, I can see the blue of your psychic abilitites shining through your cold dead body. That’s all I really care about.”
“If you try to take me, you’ll end up as dead as Sirena,” I ground out from behind my extended fangs. Sirena was the other female board member who’d attacked me during the battle of the base. Julian had ripped her heart out.
Now I could do the same.
“If you touch my servant, I will rip the soul from your body and feed it to the goblins,” the queen said suddenly, stepping to my side. “She is mine now, Daria.”
I didn’t know whether it was more shocking that she knew the demon’s name or that Daria’s eyes widened in fear as she took a step back, the blue flames around us dying out.
We all stayed still for another minute, Daria clearly weighing her options as she eyed the queen. Finally, the demon sneered and dropped her arms to her sides.
“You will not stop us from accessing the fruits of our own labor,” she promised as she backed into the brush. “We will have another opportunity, and we will take it. You won’t be able to win when Grival is beside me.”
Fruits of their labor? I growled again. They thought they owned me because they’d gotten my father to inject their DNA into my system.
Daria disappeared from sight as the crashing sounds moved away from our location. I relaxed my stance and turned to the queen.
“You bluffed your way out,” I said, somewhat appreciateively. It wasn’t as though I wanted to serve her, but it was hard not to be impressed that she’d used her reputation despite being weakened by iron.
“You are welcome. Now, bring me to my home. We don’t know how long it will take her to retrieve that oaf she works with.”
Thankfully, she couldn’t see the roll of my eyes as I hoisted her over my shoulder again and took off. It wasn’t long before I spotted the area in the distance, just across the rocky pathway Julian had driven us over to visit her the first time. As soon as we reached the outside of the circle, I came to a stop and set her on the ground. I’d pictured racing back away at super speed once we’d gotten this far, but for some reason my legs stayed statue still as she adjusted her hair and clothing. Her skin had started peeling like the wood she was made of, and I wondered if the reason her glamour was glitching had more to do with the iron she ingested or her emotions. She’d held it together so well in front of the demon—maybe that had cost her.
“Now, we have some unfinished business,” she said with a pointy-toothed grin. “You hid the truth from me, hoping to steal more time with your beloved.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, mind racing to find a way out of an impossible situation.
“I admire your ability to twist the truth,” she said, surprising me. “But I can’t just go doing favors for free. And now that I know how it works thanks to Blood Bath Bitch back at that horrible mansion, I have ideas forming.”
“Please, I just want to live my life and be left alone. I didn’t ask for any of this.” The familiar sensation of hyperventilating gripped me even though I had no real need to breathe, and I grasped at my chest.
“Poor dear, you were the unwilling rat trapped in the maze. Try to look at it differently. You’re the key to everything. You are a precious treasure. You will make me the most powerful being in the universe. I just have to reverse engineer the situation.”
“I don’t understand,” I sniffed, desperate to run, but still unable to.
“If you and Elsa have everything except fae blood to reach perfection, then perhaps all I have to do is drink all of your blood.”
Ice ran down my veins. It wouldn’t kill me, hell, I had little left in my own body at this point. But it didn’t sound pleasant. And worse, what if it worked? I suddenly preferred the demons’ company to hers.
“When we finish with that, I have a job for you,” she said, running a palm over the nearest upright stone, at waist level. “You will kill my last remaining formidable enemy known as Grival and bring me his heart.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“He wants me just as much as you do,” I argued, but she held up a hand to silence me, and my mouth snapped shut.
“He doesn’t know he’s still missing the critical piece because he’s too stupid and self-centered to consider using fae blood. And if you fail, at least I’ll have already tested my theory, and your debt will be paid. You can rekindle your love in the next life.”
She appeared downright pleased with herself. “I think I’ll try it now to see if it can overcome the iron in my system. Sit down and open a vein for me.”
I dropped to my bottom on the grass and tore open my wrist with my own teeth. Then I held up my arm, scarlet pooling slowly over the wound as she stalked forward, licking her lips. Tears wouldn’t come, but my body mimicked the motions of sobbing all the same, trembling and gasping.
Tsking softly, the queen reached for me—and stopped cold. Her eyes widened in unmistakable fear as she slowly retreated backward, nostrils flared, and gaze locked on something behind me.
“Bring me Grival’s heart,” she whispered as her back hit the stone circle. And with a lunge, she disappeared inside the center as though she’d simply vanished.
The sound of heavy breath over my shoulder had me frozen in fear as well. If whatever was behind me had scared the queen, it may be even worse than the demon we faced in the forest. Whatever it was was as silent as a vampire, yet it required breath. I was going to have to look. Somehow, I knew that it would wait for me to turn. With a surge of as much confidence I could muster, I stood and spun around in one super swift move.
Holy shit.
Facing me was my mother’s unicorn. Such a bright shade of white that it was nearly blinding. Her muscular body and shimmering coat stole my breath. She wasn’t as big as some of the horses I’d grown up with around the ranch in Kentucky, but there was no doubt she was the most impressive equine I’d ever come in contact with. A whinny sounded, and her lips sputtered in what felt like a laugh. Then she tossed her silken mane and lowered her head to show me her horn. It was probably the length of my arm and appeared to be made of a dull silver metal. Then it hit me.
“You have an iron horn?” I asked in wonder.
I swear she nodded in response then shook herself again, and the iron melted away, replaced by what looked like ivory and gold twisting around each other until they thinned out at the tip. Unbelievable.
“Thank you,” I whispered and reached out a hand which she quickly nudged her muzzle into, making me smile. The second I touched her exceptional soft head, a feeling of calm and wellbeing coated me like a warm hug.
She knelt on the ground with her front legs and jerked her head in a get-on motion. I threw a leg over her back, and she stood, taking off as fast as I could on my own two feet. She must have been what was tracking me through the forest initially. I’d thought perhaps it was a glimpse of Daria’s white suit, but I hadn’t heard a sound. This beautiful beast had stayed within transporting distance as Stan had said she would.
She carried me back through the same path we’d taken to get there, and I leaned forward, finding it easy to stay balanced. Whether it was my vampire reflexes or some unicorn magic, I couldn’t say, but either way, it was an amazing feeling as the wind whipped through my hair.
We reached the estate before two full hours had passed, and I swung down from her back as she came to a stop before the steps.
“I owe you an apple,” I promised, and she nodded eagerly with a bray of excitement as I climbed toward the building.
What I was about to face worried me, as did the queen’s order to kill Grival and bring her his heart. But the thing that concerned me most was the thought of Julian confronting me about still being in the queen’s service. It wasn’t that I’d lied exactly, as much as I hadn’t wanted to worry him and let him assume I was free when I’d returned.
The house was unusually quiet when I entered. Though vampires tended to be stealthy by nature, our advanced hearing allowed me to become accustomed to the slight creaks and scratches of footsteps on the hard floors of the mansion. Now, I heard none of it on the main floor as I steadied myself to open the grand doors just as Julian had done this morning.
When I did, I found Elsa, Julian, Merl, and my father all still frozen in place at the table which now lay overturned, probably from my hasty escape with the queen. I wrung my hands together as I released them with mind-bending.
Elsa had me by the throat in the air, kicking my feet for purchase before I could blink. But Julian was there just as fast and pried her fingers away before she could snap off my head and end me permanently.
He stepped between us, still holding her wrists in each hand, and they stared at each other, fangs extended, dark veins protruding from their necks and faces. After a staring contest of what felt like a century, but was probably more like twenty seconds, Elsa’s appearance melted back into one of a flawlessly beautiful woman and her teeth retracted. Julian followed just after and released her hands.
“Apologies,” she said, turning away from his intense stare. “I should have given you time to explain yourself, Charlotte.”
“Thank you,” I said, still unsure she’d let me live once I’d told them the truth.
Julian pulled me to his side protectively and waited. By this time, my father and Merl had joined us in the center of the empty room.
“Charlotte made a deal with the queen to save my life,” Julian said, angling himself in front of me again. “I turned her to prevent the queen from using her for her powers.” He stopped for a beat then aimed a stare that threatened to burn my father to ash. “And you just made sure that was all for nothing.”
My father’s eyes widened as the information sank in. Elsa remained preternaturally still, and Merl swallowed as he darted his gaze between all of us, waiting.
“You have a deal with the queen, and you didn’t think to inform us?” Elsa turned her own scarlet stare on me as a low grumble started somewhere deep in Julian’s chest.
“We thought she was no longer interested in that claim,” Julian spoke through clenched teeth. “There would have been no reason for her to act on it if you hadn’t decided to pursue theatrics instead of simply making the kill.”
I knew Julian had no compunction about taking a life when it came to protecting the innocent, but to hear him say it this way remained shocking.
“I think we all made mistakes.” I grabbed his arm, which felt something like a steel pole and stepped to his side again. “Now, I suppose all the secrets are out?” I glared over Elsa’s shoulder at my father.
“I suppose so,” Elsa said, relaxing her stance. “And while my theory should work with anyone of fae blood, theoretically the stronger the individual, the stronger the result. We will have to find another way to lure her out.” She turned and headed for the double doors, her train sweeping behind her in a clear dismissal.
“Wait a second,” I called, not even thinking it through. “What about the demons? Isn’t that why we’re here?”
Elsa froze mid-stride, lifted her head then swung around to face us. “The demons pose no true threat. Only two are left, and you’ve already demonstrated they can be defeated. I suggest you prepare yourself for the next time the queen calls you and find a way to rectify your mistake by capturing her or bringing her to me.”
This time the growl didn’t come from Julian, it came from my own gut, startling me even as I bared my teeth. “I don’t answer to you.”
“Don’t you?” She hissed. “You are a vampire, and I am your elected leader as you put it. Perhaps your mate should take more time explaining how your new life works and less time fucking you.”
The growl vanished, and my mouth dropped in shock and embarrassment as I glanced toward my mate. He’d never hesitated to jump in when anyone had so much as looked at me funny, but now he remained sullen and silent as though…as though what she’d said were true.
“And don’t get any notions about draining her yourself.” Elsa’s voice grew low and menacing as she stalked toward me. “I am a great ally, but you do not want me for an enemy.”
Trying not to tremble, I stood my ground. Elsa cocked her head as she considered me.
“Has the queen given you more orders? I’m surprised she let you return. Tell the truth.”
I felt her glamour slip inside of me again like a silken glove as she pushed it behind the words. She’d used it on Tomas, and compared to him, I was a newborn.
“She wants me to kill Grival and bring her his heart.” The words fell from my lips easily.
Elsa’s mouth coiled upward like a snake about to strike as she reached out to glide her knuckles along my cheek. “Very good. You will kill Grival, then bring me his heart first. You will still deliver it, so this does not break the terms of your bargain. Do you understand?”
My throat threatened to close with fear, but her glamour cemented the command in place, and I nodded my agreement.
“Feel free to assist her,” Elsa said, glancing at Julian. Then once again, swept from the room.
My father ducked his head and scurried out after her, possibly to avoid me, possibly to get back to his greatest love—work.
“Thank you for the most entertaining brunch I have attended in at least a century,” Merl said as he bowed with a flourish. “If you need any help, you know where to find me.” With a wink, he strode from the room as well, leaving me alone with Julian.
Silence hung in the air, and I dared a peek at him. Every tendon in his body stood erect, and his face was a mask of neutrality, but his eyes… His eyes glowed indigo, rimmed in scarlet and shone with rage. But who was the rage directed toward?
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I whispered.
A muscle in his jaw ticked, but otherwise he remained still.
“I knew you’d be upset.” I tried this tactic a bit louder as I fidgeted with my fingers.
“I am in need of some space,” Julian said, voice steady, but as formal as when we’d first started working together, and he had to act like he’d never met me.
My throat closed over my protests as he left the room, footsteps echoing in the empty space. When the doors closed behind him, I sank to my knees and cried once again, with no actual tears to release.