24. Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Four
Predator and Prey
Valda:
T his is the part I dreaded— looking into Konrad’s eyes as he realizes what I am: the one monster worse than a werw?lfe.
It’s almost worse than what comes next— him realizing my intentions. And then my having to carry them out.
“Valda!” Konrad gasps. “You’re an estrie! A vampire!”
I stare down at where I have pinned beneath me. With his werw?lfe strength, he could still overpower me, but it wouldn’t be easy. And I would outrun even his werw?lfe speed, especially with his blood in me. “What gave it away?”
“What are you doing?” Konrad demands. “Is this . . . your vengeance against me?”
Pursing my lips, I shake my head. “This isn’t personal, Konrad. You just made the mistake of being the first werw?lfe to hunt in our territory since my father began searching for your one of your kind. ”
Konrad stares up at me with horror. I wish it were never an expression I had to see on his face. It would be hard to see on any victim’s face, especially my first.
And especially a man I rather enjoy kissing.
“What do you want from me?” Konrad whispers.
One hand leaves his shoulder and trails down to the left side of his chest. “What I’ve always been after. Your heart.”
Konrad:
T he terror I felt when I returned to my homestead after the Night of Broken Walls is a different variety than the fear I feel now.
Then, I was terrified of being left alone in the world. Now I’m horrified that will be Eloise’s fate.
“Valda, please,” I gasp. “Don’t do this! I need my heart—” I pause. “Do you need my heart metaphorically or physically?”
“Physically.”
“Then I definitely need it.”
She caresses my chest. “But you’re fine with me taking your heart metaphysically?”
Even now, while in a state of abject terror, part of me still enjoys Valda’s proximity. It is a strange combination of the two I’d rather avoid feeling ever again.
Though it sounds like Valda is about to help me with that.
“Valda, please ,” I whisper. “Think of Eloise.”
“She has nothing to do with this,” Valda answers. “You needn’t fear for her.”
“You should be proud. ”
At Baron Schwerin’s voice, I turn my head to see him still sitting in his chair, a smug smile on his face.
“After rescuing my jewel from those pirates you will now ensure that no man will ever be able to harm her again.”
“I don’t understand—”
“Magic flows in the blood.” Baron Schwerin swirls his drink that I no longer think is wine. “When we drink from an elf, we control kin magic for the time. The same for a mortal born with magic— their power is ours to wield for a moment. A werw?lfe’s blood is the most potent of all and gives us the greatest range of power, as it complements our own.”
“Then take some of my blood!” I cry. “I don’t need all of it. But I do need my heart!”
“We will,” calls a man on the other side of the table. The other men— estries — nod in agreement and lift their goblets to me.
I frown. “Now, wait, I can’t feed all of you—”
“The blood they are about to enjoy is, unfortunately, temporary.” Baron Schwerin leans casually back in his wooden chair. “But to eat a heart is a permanent source of power. With her first kill, my jewel will become one of the most powerful creatures in all Constantinium.” He gives his daughter a soft smile.
Valda doesn’t return it as she stares down at me. “You don’t have to die.”
“You’ll cut out my heart, but I won’t die ?”
She nods. “If you willingly drink of my blood first, we can turn your sacrifice into the Dark Ritual. You can become an estrie like me.”
“You mean I can become your thrall ?”
Valda’s gaze is urgent, like it’s her destiny I’m deciding right now and not mine. “I will be a kind mistress.”
I push her hand off my heartbeat. “The Rite of the Moon doesn’t demand a willing victim like the Dark Ritual. I didn’t choose to become the blood-tainted monster that I am. I certainly won’t become a blood-tainted monster by choice like you .” I have lived by the Creator’s laws my whole life as much as a cursed werw?lfe can. I will continue to do so now, even if it kills me.
With that, I grab her arm and push her off me, into her father.
Then I jump off the table and run for the staircase that took me to this wretched room in the first place.
I expect to hear a dozen estries rising and giving chase. But I hear only Baron Schwerin’s calm words. “He’s your hunt, Valda. Pursue him.”
Valda:
F or a moment, I stare after Konrad, smelling the trail of terror and betrayal he leaves behind.
Then, the sensation of his heartbeat still pulsing against my fingers like a ghost pain, I turn to Vater . “Does it really have to be this way?”
He blinks in confusion. It’s the only time he ever blinks now— his last surviving mortal tick. “But this has been the plan all along. You track down the werw?lfe that conveniently killed so close to our territory and make him your first prey. And he’ll make you more powerful than ever before.”
“But, Vater , he’s a good man. He has a daughter who depends on him, and he rescued me—”
“You won’t ever need someone to rescue again—”
I hold up a hand. “I didn’t say I needed it. But it was a nice thought all the same.”
Vater nods. “It was. Very kind. ”
A chair scrapes, and my father’s face changes as he glares beyond me. Looking like the storm waging outside, Vater thumps his fist on the table. “Theoden, be seated. This isn’t your hunt.”
“But she doesn’t want him—”
Vater glowers. “Do you want to spend the rest of eternity without a hand ?”
Sighing, Uncle Theoden sits back down.
Then Vater turns back to me, his expression soft again, like he isn’t the King of the most feared creatures in all Constantinium. “I will be honest— I had hoped seeing the carnage he wreaked would help remove any guilt you might feel in this situation.”
“He killed the monsters who murdered his family. How can I fault him? The guilt for slaying him will all be on me.”
“The guilt is a ghost pain from when you were mortal,” Uncle Theoden offers. “Which was not so long ago for you. If this will be too painful for you—”
Vater glowers at him again and he falls silent
“Maybe he’s right,” I whisper. “I was mortal less than a decade ago. Mayhap I’m not ready—”
Uncle Theoden rises.
I whirl at him. “Do you want me to deliver your hand to my father?”
His eyes widen, and he sits back down to the whispers of the other Old Bloods.
“No one is to harm Konrad,” I order all of them. “He’s my quarry, and I won’t take kindly to any of you touching him.”
They fall silent, and I turn back to my vater , who is beaming with pride. “You are coming into your power so brilliantly, my jewel.”
Smiling, I curtsy. “Thank you, Vater .”
He gestures for me to move closer, and I do.
Vate r cups my face with his large hand. “I’m trying so hard to give you everything my own sire wasn’t able to provide for me.”
“You’ve been the perfect father and sire,” I answer, leaning into his touch. “But after my little adventure, I find I want more than staying within these walls, always bettering myself. I want to experience my afterlife, too. I want to see more of Constantinium than your shadow, though I love it well.”
He sighs, caressing my cheek. “But it is such a dangerous world out there. Even knowing you are dangerous now, I have been so worried. Especially after that ransom note, though I knew it had to be part of your ploy.”
I nod. “I understand why you sheltered me before. But I’m not a child anymore. Nor am I mortal.”
Vater looks past me to the Old Bloods. They all excuse themselves to the opposite end of the room. Then he turns back to me. “But you are still vulnerable by night, as are we all. Even if I took time from my underworld empire to travel with you, even I am bound to the estrie curse. And you ran off before I could finish assembling the mortal party who was supposed to travel with you during this hunt and keep you safe.” Vater narrows his eyes.
“Mortals would only have impeded my hunt,” I answer. “But Konrad could keep up with me. And he’s already proven he can take care of me.”
He drops his hand. “What are you suggesting?”
“Konrad is a mercenary. He goes on adventures for coin . . .”
It’s been a very long time since Vater has looked surprised, and I think his face forgot how to display the emotion, so he looks like some fool just slapped him. “You’re asking me to hire your quarry to be your bodyguard?”
“And my guide to Constantinium. As well as my living source of werw?lfe blood. And if I ever change my mind, his heart would still be right there for the taking. ”
Vater leans back in his chair and folds his fingers. He’s considering my offer, but his gaze is just a little too sharp. “And there’s no other reason I should be aware of?”
I do my best to banish all potential tells from my face and posture. “He has a daughter, so she’s a built-in chaperone, and you wouldn’t even have to hire an additional person.”
He sighs heavily. “I spoiled you too much raising you, didn’t I?”
“I’d say you spoiled me just enough.” Leaning forward, I kiss him on the temple.
“Very well.” Vater sighs again. “Pursue your quarry. Tell him I would like to hire him, and if he agrees, he can be your pet for a while. Something to amuse you for the first part of your eternity, at least. There is no rush, I suppose, with eternity on our side.”
Kissing him again, I give him a half hug before pulling back.
“And when you grow bored, you know the Ritual.”
To make him a thrall so he can continue to live alongside me? Yes, I do. I just need the time to convince him to convince him to take that course of action.
But I’m an estrie. Time is one thing we have.
“Go.” Vater turns away and waves a hand like he’s tired of me, even though I know he’s hiding a smile so he can seem stern to his men. “Pursue your quarry already. And if the chase draws your predator instincts to the forefront, just be sure to save some blood for your Uncle Theoden.”
“Of course, Vater . I love you.”
Then, not wasting another moment, I return to my hunt.