Chapter 20
Vastion
My. Fucking. Wife. As if today could get any more difficult after sharing my most unbearable secret, she had to choose this evening of all nights to galivant through the Hollows.
And for all its twists and turns, fate would lead her to the one chamber she must not find.
No servants were allowed to use the Hollows outside my quarters.
I wanted to be furious; I wanted to punish her.
But the sound of her beating, fearful heart had completely disarmed me.
She’d already heard too much, perhaps seen too much, and Gods forbid Orin had discovered her. He was already skeptical, and none too pleased that I’d shared the truth of Kesna and Harden with her. His chastising would be inescapable.
I never had to deal with these sorts of antics with any of my other wives.
They were compliant—mostly from trepidation and a desire to play their role appropriately.
They stuck closely by the side of their escorts and never wandered the castle.
But not Es, of course, pushing every boundary, unlocking every door.
At the moment of her arrival, I could have swept her away, possibly scared her out of ever mentioning anything she’d seen or heard again.
Threatened her with the safety of her loved ones and forced her silence.
But I’d played this game of secrecy many times.
Not even Adria nor Kesna knew of my experiments.
Sometimes, I thought I’d earned Kesna’s betrayal.
As king, there were limits to my honesty.
I always had to put the kingdom above all else.
Above, even, the human woman I had come to love.
Perhaps she gravitated towards Harden because he was honest with her.
I’d never know what had drawn her to him.
Was it merely that I was away and he was present?
Or was it that she could tell my love for her would never supersede my duty to Devana?
It was this rush of doubt and regret that had me laying myself bare to Esiree once more.
“They are Parcaesolis. Also known as the Parcaetes, meaning fates of the sun.”
Es’ gaze scanned the room, intrigued but still riddled with confusion. “I…I don’t know what that means.”
“They are scientists, assigned by me to find a cure.”
Her breath hitched in surprise. “A cure. For the Rabids?”
My shoulders sank, knowing the next piece I’d impart to her was perhaps the most dangerous truth of all. “For all the afflicted.”
Esiree’s eyes widened. “You’re seeking to cure all Vampyr?”
“Yes. That is my intent,” I replied flatly, awaiting her reaction.
She began to pace away from me, trying to get a better view of their laboratory.
Sturdy wooden workbenches were crowded with glass vessels of every shape and size.
Inside their translucent walls, mysterious liquids of dark amaranthine and saffron bubbled and smoked from the heat of a singular, steady flame beneath.
Dusty books and aged, water-stained scrolls were littered about.
Master Tyber was quite unorganized compared to my previous leads.
Apprentice Atticus’s efforts to keep some sort of order were fruitless.
“How long have you pursued this endeavor? Have you made any progress?”
Questions rolled off Esiree’s tongue in succession, and before she could ask another, I placed my hand on her shoulder.
“Come, let me escort you back. They need to focus, and Cade gets easily distracted.”
She tugged away from my grasp, defiantly pressing, “No, you must tell me. I need to know!”
I assured her, “I will answer these questions, and the others that will surely follow. But for now, they need to work uninterrupted. Undistracted. Any more time wasted and the blood will be unsalvageable.”
I began to lead the way back up the steps toward the Hollows from whence she came. She kept glancing over her shoulder as she reluctantly followed, taking note of their actions and movements. We were only a few strides into the hallway before she prodded me for answers again.
“The Parcaetes have been dedicated to this cause since shortly after the inception of the treaty.”
“How is that possible if they’re human,” she pointed out, noting that the covenant had been made centuries ago. Tyber, Atticus, and even Cade would have been lifetimes away from their own births.
I held the lantern out in front of me, mostly for her sake, and continued to move us in the direction of the royal wing. The climb was uphill, which wasn’t an ordeal for me, but I could sense a heaviness in her breathing.
“There were many before their time. Always three. The Master trains the Apprentice, and the Apprentice trains a Novice. Generational spacing acts as a safeguard for the work’s legacy, so they must be replaced after one —”
“—Dies?” Esiree interrupted.
“After one passes on, yes.”
In between her labored breaths, she continued her interrogation. “Then they’ve failed? All this time, and still no cure?” she said, her disappointed tone weighing heavily on my too-tired mind.
“Progress isn’t linear, Es. Isn’t your father some sort of healer? I figured you of all people might understand that.”
Even in the dark and with my back turned to her, I could see the scowl in her expression. She was becoming increasingly predictable to me in that way. I smirked in return, though she couldn’t witness it. How I loved when I could vex her the same way she did me.
“What progress, then?”
“To be fair, I am the one who led them astray. Initially, the Parcaetes were ordered to find a cure for the Vampyr, but when the Forlorn attacks increased, I demanded they change course and re-focus their efforts.”
I thought the reason would be obvious, but she had only now been exposed to this endeavor so I didn’t begrudge her line of questioning.
“Why focus on the Rabids?”
“What good would it be for the humans if we cure the Vampyr and there’s no one left to help fight the Forlorn? Right now, we’re your only advantage.”
Esiree’s footsteps came to a halt as she absorbed my answer. I slowed and added, “They pursue both, but the Forlorn is our kingdom’s most pressing concern.”
When I tried to continue the trek, she did not follow.
“Do you need to rest? I can carry you, if you’ll allow it?” I offered, knowing she was extremely stubborn, and I hadn’t earned that much favor with her.
“Thank you.”
“…For?” I asked, puzzled by the rare appearance of gratitude.
“For not lying to me, about any of it…” Esiree said earnestly, before adding, “…and for not killing me on sight after my discovery.”
Feeling uncomfortable with her sentiment, I stepped closer, leaning into her ear and said menacingly, “Who said I was going to let you live? Maybe I just didn’t want any witnesses.”
I heard her heart begin to race as her pulse pitter-pattered against the vein along her neck.
“Do you want to bite me?” she whispered, unease dancing between the facade of confidence.
I grabbed her chin and lifted it to me, the lantern light barely illuminating her fiery hair. “There are many things I want to do to you, Es… Biting you is on the short list of things I won’t allow myself. Even if you begged.”
The smell of Esiree’s fright quickly transitioned to desire, and this was the part of our game of cat and mouse that I despised the most. She was terrible at concealing the truth, even if I did have an advantage that human males did not.
There had to be some sort of bliss in the ignorance of not knowing if someone wanted you, their words simply a defense to overcome.
But I already had my confirmation. I had it every time we were alone, no matter how much she pretended—and it only made me want her more. To prove to her that her words were merely playing at disapproval.
I backed away, like I always did. Because when we both idled on the precipice of pursuing desire, I would always be the one to surrender. Always, until the day she surrendered to me.
For me.
And I wanted to believe that day was nearing.
We were approaching the long hallway that would lead us back to our chambers when she asked, “Why did you choose humans for this endeavor?”
“There’s a simple answer, and one that’s more complex. Since you’re insatiable, I’ll tell you both.”
Her silence gave way to my explanation. “The guarantee of tomorrow prevents the pursuits of today. Humans constantly evolve, they aspire to learn, to understand. They are persistently curious,” I said, hoping she’d find resonance in that.
“There is nothing to pursue when granted an endless life, no urgency. The Vampyr are unchanging. They have nothing to lose—but humans, they fight for future generations. The faces of people they’ll never know or meet.
There’s a determination and a resilience that resides in the living.
Those are the ones most suited to this quest and will die happily in the pursuit of knowledge. For they thrive on progress.”
I knew the answer erred on preaching, and it was more than Esiree sought, but she had to believe that I would protect those three humans with my life, just as I’d protect hers. Their cause was most precious to me. Essential.
“And the simple answer?”
I let out a humph, knowing my meaning had likely been lost on her. I didn’t expect her to understand. I didn’t expect anyone who hadn’t been burdened with this many lifetimes to understand.
“Human blood. They provide their own donations separate from the Vassals, solely to be used in experiments. Settled, unsettled, fresh, warm, cold, whatever they believe is needed to further the endeavor.”
When we reached the false door, I hung the lantern on the wall.
Though I could not hear anyone’s presence, I was still careful to ensure our secrecy.
Peeking into the hallway, I confirmed we were alone then lifted the tapestry fully to allow Esiree to exit from underneath my arched arm.
I quickly shut the door and covered it once more before following her back to our room.