32. Vaughn
Vaughn
I held up a small copy of a painting, looking between the man in the picture and the one before me.
Theodore didn’t appear amused at my analyzing gaze.
If anything, he looked pissed, which was better than afraid.
I could respect that. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
As our ‘second’ in the past, I had hoped for a prospective acquaintance again.
From what I could see of the good-looking man who stood just over six feet, I might have gotten lucky.
“I don’t really see the resemblance, but it has been over two hundred years.”
Theodore’s arms came to cross over his chest as he stared me down.
“It’s rumored you’re dead.”
“Many wish that were the case. Tell me, Mr. Hart, what do you know of me?”
He didn’t look impressed which had me smiling.
“You’re the Black Line King. The Blacklisted King. The traitor—”
My finger pointed. “That’s a lie.”
“I didn’t say it was the truth. You asked me what I know. I’m telling you what I’ve heard.”
“The Mastersons were not traitors, and neither was your family.”
“Little good it does us now. Neither of us holds a title.”
“Yet.”
Theodore’s head jerked, and his lids narrowed.
“You speak of treason.”
“You can’t speak of treason against an illegitimate king. I am king.”
Green eyes went wide.
“You could die for that.”
“I’m supposedly dead anyway. They’ll try again if they find out the truth. Do you want to guess why?”
“Because you’re the rightful king?”
I smiled bigger.
“I am, indeed.”
“But that can’t be why I’m here. Unless… it is why I’m here.”
“Not yet. But it is why I want to keep you close. I’m collecting evidence. I could technically fight with what my family has collected over the centuries, but it would never work. I need something better. Something undeniable.”
He huffed. “You’re going to need a lot more than that. Do you know how impossible it is to pull something like that off? Even if you did have evidence, you’re talking about—”
“I know exactly what I’m talking about. It has to happen. I’m the king.”
“And I’m the Duke of Shelton… and yet I’m not.”
“You will be.”
His lips parted.
“You’re serious.”
“I plan to reinstate all the old titles, yes.”
“And the ones created during the Evan’s rule?”
I shrugged. “They can remain, but they will not outrank those of old.”
Theodore was quiet as he seemed to think.
“I can’t say I’m opposed to the idea. What I am unsure of is this.” His hands lifted, gesturing to the room. “Where the hell am I?”
“If I wanted you to know, I wouldn’t have had you blindfolded when I brought you here. Until I can trust you, it’s going to have to be a surprise.”
“Excellent. Alright. Why am I here?”
I stood from my throne.
“My future queen is missing. Not just… missing but… hidden from me.”
“I’m not a detective, Mr. Masterson. I’m a barrister.”
“With the connections needed to find her. She’s being held by the SLB.”
“Repeat that.”
Awareness sparked on Theodore’s face. Not because he was interested, but because I knew he had his own suspicions about the agency.
“You’ve heard of it. The Sovereign Liaison Bureau. The SLB. Tell me what you know.”
Astonishment had Theodore laughing. “It’s a ghost story. A fucking smoke show. I’ve been hearing stories about this shadow department for years. I haven’t dug in too deep, if you know what I mean, but I have poked around a bit. Are you telling me it exists?”
“Not only does it exist, but I also know who runs it.”
“Who?”
I shrugged. “If I tell you that, there’s no going back. They have my future queen, and I want her back. There’s only one person I can think of that can get to her. That’s you.”
I stepped forward, meeting his eyes with a seriousness that had his face sobering from any amusement.
“I need your help to find Penelope Taylor, Theodore. My queen is only the beginning. Work with me. Help me right the past. In return, not only will I reinstate your title as Duke of Shelton, but I will make your wildest dreams come true.”
“Penelope Taylor. She—You’re… the masked captor?”
“We got into an argument. She ran back to her house. The SLB was waiting for her, Theodore. They took her.”
“You had her for four months. Did you really kill her parents?”
My face hardened.
“Her dad was an abusive piece of shit. Her mother wasn’t any better. I’d kill them again if I had the chance, only the second time, I’d take my time and drag it out so I could actually enjoy it. If you would have seen how injured she was when I took her, you would have done the same thing.”
“I would have killed them?”
A smile tugged at my mouth. “Have you ever loved someone before, Theo?”
“… I thought I did once.”
“There’s no thinking when you lose yourself as deeply as I have.
Love has the ability to make monsters of us all.
There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Penelope.
Nothing. Which is why I’m trusting and telling you all of this.
I need your help. And I need it now. King Lawrence wants what’s mine.
He hasn’t acted on Penelope yet, but he has in the past. It’s only a matter of time before he makes his move.
When he does, it’ll be too late for us. I won’t let him have her, and I can’t afford to die before I have an heir. Work with me. Help me.”
Theodore searched my face, but I saw the spark of something—need.
“Tell me everything you know. It’ll take me a little time, but I’ll find her. I won’t stop until I do. I give you my word.”
“I need more than your word. I need you as mine. I need you as part of The Order. It’s a simple yes or no. Who is your king? Does your loyalty lie with the Evans’? Or back with me?”
Theo’s eyes lowered to the floor, only to lift to look towards the door he’d come in. He took in the upside-down crown. Multiple expressions crossed his face. When he looked back at me, the hesitation was gone.
“I’ve heard the stories my ancestors have passed down. I know the truth. I belong at your side. We were never traitors. I choose you.”
I reached out, holding to his shoulder. “Correct answer. Welcome back. It’s time for you to get to work. I’ll have you dropped off with a list of my instructions. We’re going to find her, and we’re going to bring her home.”
Blood wasn’t about good or evil. It wasn’t honored because of religion. We didn’t use it in ceremony because we enjoyed the act. Blood was life. Blood was power. It symbolized what bound us all together—and what would set the kingdom right again.
For one to understand the true significance of sacrifice, they needed to believe the return was worth the cost.
A virgin for the rise of a king?
The Order knew one person, or even a hundred, didn’t compare to the wellbeing of millions.
Sacrifice…
It was the language of kings.
A connection to source.
Tonight, it would remember its blood, and the path back to the Crown would open. This time would work. It had to.
Hundreds of candles filled the Ritual Room, casting shadows with every sway and bend of the flames. Hooded robes circled around the Masterson crest, keeping their heads bowed towards the lion carved in stone. Centered in the middle was me and the empty shackles bolted to the floor.
As I stood, staring down at what used to be a sense of pride, all I felt now was a burning fury. This is what we’d come to. This was the result of a friendship broken by greed. Families—not just mine—wanting nothing more than justice. Revenge.
“Before our betrayal, the Crown was ruled by blood.” I paused, taking in the Masters that were looking at me through the hoods. “The kingdom knew its rightful line. But the throne was stolen from us. Tonight, we honor the blood that has been spilled, and we return blood to the Crown.”
Doors opened in the back of the room. Cries were immediate. A scream sounded, dying off as a nude blonde was led forward by two guards. Her feet tried to plant, but she couldn’t get footing as the guards forced her in my direction.
“Please. Please! I-I don’t want—Help! Please, help me!”
A hum of the chant started low, increasing in volume as the slave’s head jerked back and forth. A sea of Masters parted, allowing her through, only to immediately close rank.
“Blood remembers what was lost,
Blood repays the kingdom’s cost.
Blood of many, blood of one,
Together, the false crown is done.”
The chant repeated, changing, echoing, and growing louder as it filled the stone space.
As the guards wrestled the woman down, I peered up out of my own large hood, soaking in the scene around me.
Even though Penelope had never been part of a ceremony, I still wanted her here.
Maybe she would be horrified—maybe like with everything else, she’d surprise me.
I believed she could step into the role as my queen.
I could feel her with me as if she were suddenly here.
“Blood remembers what was lost,
Blood repays the kingdom’s cost.
Blood of many, blood of one,
Together, forever, until we’ve won.”
The Masters didn’t need a speech—they needed results.
I withdrew the antique dagger that used to belong to Vaughn Edward Ambrose Masterson the second. The silver reflected in the light, and the rubies looked black, giving glimpse to the deep crimson for only a moment before I lowered.
Dragging the tip of the blade from wrist to elbow, I watched blood began to bubble up and run into the shallow, indented crest around and underneath her.
“Oh, God, please! No! Please!”
I licked my lips, taking my time as I headed for her other arm. Masters were already removing their own daggers, slicing their palms and adding their blood to the crest as well. The carved channels darkened in color as blood began to fill them. It made my heart race, making the night feel… right.
“Please. Please!
I met brown eyes as I lowered. Her round stare widened over the seconds, jerking away from me when I didn’t budge. She wouldn’t understand why she had to die. I did. We all did.
Turning, I pushed the tip of the knife in just past the cuff, watching her skin split as I cut towards the other elbow as well. The blonde thrashed, trying to get free from the pain, but with as secured as she was, she didn’t move.
“Blood remembers what was lost,
Blood repays the kingdom’s cost.
Blood of many, blood of one,
Clear the path—the Crown is won.”
Won.
It would be.
Time.
All I needed was evidence and a miracle.
I refused to fail.
I couldn’t.
A shriek carried around the long room as I pierced her inner thigh, slowly dragging the knife towards her ankle.
Masters continued to change places, adding to the shallow pool of blood that was beginning to collect.
The blonde was beginning to hyperventilate through the sobs.
It was more common than not during the rituals.
It didn’t move me, but it did tell me that she wouldn’t be conscious much longer.
It had me finishing one leg and moving to the next.
She fought the pain but didn’t last past her knee.
The blonde’s head rolled, and I finished the incision, standing.
I waited for the last of the Masters while I stood tall in the center.
The chant continued. The words were a vibration of rebirth.
It fed the desire in each of us. Not all lost their title, but they’d lost lands.
They lost family members. And we wanted what was owed to us. We wanted some piece of what was ours.
I headed towards the top of the crest, lowering over the head of the slave. I placed my blade flat against her neck, slicing over the surface. Brown eyes shot open, and the girl’s lips parted in shock as she tried continually gasping.
The crest was outlined, filling even more as Masters crowded around, letting their own blood pour into the beast below.
Pushing back my hood, I spun in a circle, taking in all the Masters. I took my place next to the crown above the lion.
“Royal blood now seals the claim.”
“Crown and kingdom, true to name.”
Their returning chant had me lifting my palm to settle over the crown. Pain seared into me as I drug the sharpness over the center. Blood poured down my hand, slashing and adding a bright red to the crown below. I let it hover, coating the symbol of who I was. Who I was meant to be.
Darkness increased in the crest, and I began to circle around it, letting my hand hover.
“By my blood, the line is restored.”
“Rise again, forgotten lord.” They rang out.
More, I let my blood mix with theirs.
“Old blood honored, new blood sworn.”
“Now the rightful crown’s reborn.”
I holstered the dagger at their yell, grabbing the cloth to wrap around my hand.
“The old blood is honored. The Order fills the crown, and the blood of the rightful line awakens it.”
“The true kings are honored.
The brotherhood is bound.
The royal blood will return.”
I nodded at their chant.
“Only by blood we remember.” I lifted both of my hands. “It is done.”