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I forced a small smile, and she returned to packing my suitcase, but uneasiness crawled over my skin. Perhaps she wouldn’t help me escape then. “What about my happiness?”
“I care about that too.” She stopped what she was doing. “You’re embracing your destiny, and while that’s scary, I admire your bravery to take it on. Sacrificing yourself to the good of others is most noble, and I will be honored to serve you as my queen. You can make a real difference here. I can’t pretend it won’t be a relief to not have Sargon on the throne and knowing Kalon won’t rule.”
“But won’t he need to continue the bloodline? I mean, I won’t be able to have children once I’m a vampire.”
“You can choose a successor whenever you decide to retire the crown. They don’t have to be your blood.”
I swallowed hard, trying to remove the lump in my throat.
“The castle’s magnificent,” she said as she zipped the bags.
She wanted me to save this kingdom, but I was no savior, not even if I wanted to be. I’d have to be authoritative and influential, which I wasn’t, not to mention I had zero interest in becoming immortal.
“I can’t wait to see it.” I pulled a jacket around me and rubbed my forearms.
“I’ll have this dress sent to your hotel room, so you can wear it in the morning.”
I hated lying to her, but I justified that she had lied to me too, not long ago. Still, it hurt my chest to do so. Dishonesty wasn’t in my blood, and each lie darkened me a little. “Great.”
“Here’s the ring.” She handed me a little black box. Carefully, I clicked back the lid, my heart swelling a little. I’d always thought this moment would be with Astor, or at the least, with the person I’d marry. I touched the white gold metal curling up to a point, housing a blue diamond that glittered under the light, feeling only sadness.
“Shouldn’t Sebastian be on one knee for this?” I teased, trying to lighten my own spirits.
“I hate this.” She winced. “One day, you will find your true mate and wear a ring which means something.”
They really did take marriage seriously. “It’s stunning.”
“I picked it out.”
I slowly pulled off my promise ring for the first time since Astor had put it on my finger, vowing to replace it with an engagement ring one day. “It’s time to leave the past behind,” I said as I placed Astor’s ring on the nightstand, leaving behind a piece of my heart with it. I glanced out the window, spotting a car parked out the front. “That’s the first car I’ve seen since being here,” I marveled. “Sebastian wasn’t joking when he said Sanmorte is behind modern times.”
“They’re not as necessary, considering we can fly, but even we can’t transport this many bags.”
Through the glass pane, I watched Zach close the trunk to the black vehicle, then speed to the other side. “How does Zach feel about this? I mean, I’m not his favorite person.”
“He hates the idea of you leading the monarchy less than Sargon or Kalon.”
“That’s something, I guess,” I contended, “although I’m certain he would pick someone else if he had the chance.”
“There is no one else.”
Sitting on my bed, dangling my feet over the edge, I thought about the escape I hoped for from the castle, knowing Zach would try to stop me, even if by chance Erianna didn’t. I would have to keep him away from us as much as possible. I hoped with Anna coming, he would be a little distracted by her presence.
“If it isn’t my future queen,” Zach said from the door, as if saying his name one too many times had summoned him. He played with the top button of his silver shirt that matched his silky hair, surprisingly fashionable when paired with his black pants and brown leather boots. “I’ve packed mine and Anna’s bags. Do you need help?”
“You can take these two down.” She pushed a suitcase to him, and he caught it with mind-spinning speed.
Sebastian cleared his throat as he appeared out of nowhere, his grim expression lowering the room's energy. “I need you to take Olivia away from here for a few hours.”
“Why?”
“Velda’s coming here. News of our engagement has reached Nightshade.” His gaze swiftly brushed past me and back to Erianna. “She’s one of the few people who could know what Olivia looks like.”
Zach chimed in, leaning back against the wall. “Look at her hair. It’s not a big jump to guess she’s the king’s lost heir.”
“About that.” Erianna pulled out two boxes of hair dye from her bag. “I’m sorry.” She shoved them into my hands.
“There are plenty of people with red hair!” I placed the boxes on the dresser. “I’m not coloring my hair.”
