Chapter 24 Ezra #2
And then, smiling with the kind of certainty that comes from centuries of getting his way, he asks, “What is your name, Daughter?”
Fuck, he knows.
Did I just put Aurora in danger?
Will he attack?
A growl tears through me as the Cù Fèidh claws at my insides, a typhoon thrashing beneath my skin. She’s been slamming against my ribs since Renato arrived, every inch of her begging to rip free. I can barely hold her back.
A piece of me slips, and the beast materializes beside me, every part of her screaming for blood.
“Now, now, there’s no need for that, Ezra. I am here to redeem your favor, not harm this stunning creature,” Renato chides.
He turns to face me, though his gaze lingers on Aurora a beat too long before finally meeting mine.
“A Daughter. A true Daughter. I never thought I’d live to see it.”
He exhales with the kind of cold patience that makes your skin crawl, his eyes raking over her like she’s an asset he’s about to bid on.
“This could be … lucrative.”
Then, as if he owns the moment, he turns back to Aurora and gently takes her hand again. When the vampire touches her, the part of me that pretends to be civilized shatters.
What’s mine is mine, and I don’t fucking share.
The revenants twitch, vibrating with a tension I barely keep in check.
Not now, I warn them silently. You can braid yourselves into her hair later. I’ll even let one of you stroke her hip, but for the love of the void, just behave.
They still, but I can feel their resentment simmering, aimed straight at the vampire who dares to touch our queen.
“Fascinating,” Renato murmurs, studying her like he can feel the way she stirs the air. “You’d be the first Daughter to ever claim her power as queen.” His smile curves, lazy with indulgence. “But if the myths are even half true, you could tip the balance in ways no underborne alive has seen.”
His gaze flicks toward me, then back to her.
“Which makes me wonder … What will you be, brasita? A force of reckoning? A ruler? A weapon?” He exhales, the faintest thread of amusement in his voice.
“Whatever you decide, I do hope you’ll consider the benefits.”
His fingers tighten just slightly around hers. “Now, my dear, tell me. What is your name?”
“A-Aurora … Aurora Hagan … um … sir.”
“Please, my queen. Do not be afraid. It is I who should be tripping over my words in awe. I mean you no harm, brasita. Because of recent humbling events,” he continues with a graceful bow of his head, “I would not dare displease you or your hombre de sombra. You have my allegiance and the protection of my draughs, the vampires, and all who answer my call.”
Renato hums softly, making me want to scream. Of course he’s weighing her like currency, not a person.
“Ah,” he says softly, his voice oozing smug delight. “A Daughter without her power.” He shakes his head. “A shame, truly. But perhaps … an opportunity.”
His gaze cuts to mine. “Tell me, Ezra. Are you delaying her ascension?”
My shadows flare before I can stop them.
“That’s none of your fucking business, Ren.”
He tilts his head, amused.
“No, I suppose it isn’t. But you do realize what happens to an untapped resource?” His smile is thin and sharp. “Someone else finds a way to use it.”
If I didn’t share his concern, I’d already be mocking him.
But he’s not wrong. And that pisses me off more than anything.
He knows I’m dangerous, but does he know how dangerous? And this pompous asshole doesn’t bow before anyone, so referring to Aurora as a queen, and kissing her hand, is concerning.
Something isn’t right.
“Not that it’s any of your business, Renato, but we’re gathering information before she claims her power. She didn’t know what a Daughter was, let alone that she’s a Daughter, until yesterday. I won’t allow her to be in harm’s way for the benefit of others. She’s too important.”
The words scrape against something already cracked and bleeding inside me.
Jesus Christ, I sound desperate. But I don’t fucking care.
“Ah …” Renato says with a knowing grin, “so the Disciples were right. A Daughter’s protector”—he glances my way with a knowing smirk—“always finds them.”
The moment Renato’s fetid mouth closes, Aurora clears her throat. With one simple breath, this tiny half-human snaps the attention of two of the deadliest creatures alive.
I am awestruck.
And so fucking desperate for her.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t talk about me like I’m not standing right here. If I’m a queen, as you both seem to believe, I expect to be treated with the respect I deserve and be included in conversations that affect me.”
She stands on the other side of the vampire with her chin in the air and her fists clenched by her side. The copper flecks in her eyes glint and shine as her rage builds. A light wind plays with her hair, and the kettle corn scent of her magic drifts through the foyer.
Sidestepping Renato, I join Aurora as the Cù Fèidh follows close behind, taking up a protective post on her left side.
“Aurora is right,” I say, running my knuckles down her arm. “I apologize, little lupine. It won’t happen again.”
I let my touch linger, slow enough to be felt in every nerve, until the tension in her shoulders begins to melt.
Only then do I turn back to the vampire.
Renato watches Aurora with bright, unblinking eyes, his head tilting slightly like he’s staring at myth made flesh.
It isn’t worship. Fuck no. Renato doesn’t kneel for anyone.
But there’s a gleam in his eye that wasn’t there before. Something weighty.
Shit. It’s hope. How profoundly inconvenient.
“I apologize, Daughter. I did not mean to offend you,” Renato whispers with his head bowed.
Without another word, the vampire smiles at Aurora, strolls into my living room, makes himself at home on my couch, and casually flips open a book on local plant life.
Whatever Renato is up to, I’m almost certain he’s not a threat.
Not right now, anyway.
I nod to the Cù Fèidh, her return threading through me, making me whole. Only then do I take Aurora’s hand and guide her into the living room, settling her in my reading chair before stepping behind her and claiming my place as her king.
“Why are you here, Renato?”
I’m not in the mood for games and this asshole loves to play games.
He looks up from his book and clears his throat.
“Where shall I start? As you know, I’m here to redeem the favor you owe me, but I also have some information that may be useful to you and the little Reina de Brasas.
I will willingly divulge this information to you and ask nothing in return, except that you help Aurora ascend.
And protect her long enough for that crown to mean something. ”
“That’s awfully generous. What’s in it for you?”
The old vampire is annoyingly cunning. He wields every decision, every action, like a piece on a chessboard. He doesn’t make a move unless there’s a clear path to checkmate.
“The past few weeks have been difficult for me. I have power. Wealth. I can move governments with a single call. But I’ve lost someone. Someone important. And I need your help to bring him back where he belongs.”
If I didn’t know what a monster he is, I might spare some of my newfound empathy for the MLM cult leader. But he’s a murderer of underborne, erevald, and human. Trusting him is out of the question.
“I’m listening,” I say impatiently.
When he looks up, his mouth tightens, pain flickering sharp behind his eyes.
“I … have a son. Not by blood, of course. I found him long ago, just after Rome burned. He was … exceptional, even then. Raw, angry, but with such potential. I gave him purpose. Discipline. He’s been by my side ever since.
A companion. A protégé. And, in time, something more. I’ve grown to love him as my own.
“A few weeks ago, I sent him on a mission from which he never returned. In a blind panic, I sent mercenaries and my draughs to find him, fearing the worst. Thankfully, my men found him alive but held prisoner by someone like yourself. When confronted, she fiercely attacked, destroying anyone who tried to rescue him. There were only two survivors, one of whom is still in a coma.”
If possible, Renato looks paler than usual. He can’t care that much about one silly little vampire among his ranks. It’s beyond him to care.
But before I can respond, Aurora drops to her knees in front of Renato and gently grasps one of his hands in hers.
“It’s grief,” she whispers, the words trembling. “You lost him, and now you’re … hollow. I can feel it. Fuck, why does it hurt so much?”
When I move to comfort her, she holds up a hand, stopping me in my tracks. A move like that would normally piss me off, but not with her … never with her.
I return to my post behind the chair, curious to see how this plays out. The emotional interaction confuses me and makes the flesh below my skin itch and burn.
“Thank you, brasita. It’s been a long time since anyone has shown me any sympathy. I will not forget your kindness,” Renato says, bringing his other hand to rest upon hers.
The mere fact that he has his hands on Aurora—again—is enough to make me shake with rage. But there’s something happening between them, something I can’t quite parse.
As a precaution, I call on the Cù Fèidh again, who positions herself beside Aurora. She idly strokes the beast’s aether fur, completely unaware of the effect it has on me.
Every touch, every absent-minded caress, hums through my body—volts and ohms crawling under my skin. My grip tightens on the chair as a slow, searing ache coils in my gut.
She forgot … forgot I can feel her hands on my shadow.
Fuck, it feels good. Too good.
Stifling a groan, I steady myself, silently thanking the stars I’m behind my reading chair.
“I thought that, since the female who holds my son captive is the same creature as Ezra, that he could reason with the thing and get him back,” Renato says quietly.