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I coughed into the back of my hand and waited for the screaming to stop. A year ago, I would have never believed I could enjoy torturing another person, even one so evil. Yet, here I was.
Tears ran down his ashy cheeks as his body regenerated, and I placed my fingers around the steel, glaring between the gap. “Ready to talk? I can do this all day.”
He spluttered, sliding himself to the back of the cell as if distance would do any good against my powers. “You can’t torture me like this. You’re a royal. It’s illegal.”
“Ah.” I placed my index finger on my chin, looking up to my left. “Yes, because no one breaks the rules here, right?”
“Fuck you.”
I tutted, then raised my hands to cause more pain when he cried.
“Wait, wait,” he begged. “Please don’t.”
“Who were you working with?”
“You will never become queen,” he said, and brought his hand to his chest. “I have been alive for half a century. You are sorely mistaken if you think I will let some little girl be my downfall. Your fate is already sealed, and you will suffer far worse than me.”
Without warning, he dug his nails into his ribcage, tearing at bone and muscle, ripping himself apart through wretched howls.
I stared, wild-eyed. “Stop!” I ordered, but his fingers were already curled around his heart. Then, with a wrenching tug, his heart rolled from his grip, his eyes paling under the dove-gray light. Blood splattered everywhere, and I stilled.
They’d blame me for this. Another vampire, dead. I’d been seen coming down to the dungeons, and he was right. I wasn’t supposed to kill another immortal. I was only a princess, not a queen yet. We were not supposed to be the judge or executioner, and in doing this he'd ensured my fate in his last moment in this world.
I’d only planned on torturing him. But, I underestimated his hatred for me. My blood ran cold as realization washed over me. If he despised me—so much that he would end his life rather than allow me to hurt him or give up the names of others who wanted to kill me—then there were others who felt the same. Then there were others who felt the same. I shivered as I stared at his corpse. They were going to destroy me, and this only gave them more incentive to. I ran down back to the entrance of the dungeons, feeling a metaphorical noose tightening around my neck.
THIRTY-THREE
Niall
Adrian stood at my side as we stared over the band of Blood Brothers. Four lords, a mortal who serves Gwen, and five others with a knack for espionage. Two had traveled from the city just to be here, and one was Sargon’s footman. Every one of them was hungry for power, ambitious and wanted more than this kingdom was willing to offer them.
These men had passed initiation; each recruit was given a secret to guard. At the end of the week, only the people in this room had kept their secret, as each was closely watched.
The second initiation was another test of loyalty. They thought they were already in, but Adrian wanted to put them through a second test, and I was more than happy to oblige. “Congratulations on getting in. Ten years ago, Adrian and I had formed the club which you know as the Blood Brothers. You are here because you have shown talent, potential, and loyalty. We require all three.”
Adrian cleared his throat, taking over the second part of our speech. “You will have connections and power through your brothers here. Mastering others is true power. The secret to getting everything you’ve ever wanted is community, learning control and patience. Those in positions of power simply handed to them do not know what to do with it. They did not have to fight to get where they wanted to be and had no idea what to do with it. Immortality is a gift, it gives us time to achieve what mortals must rush.” He looked at the servant. “You.” He pointed his finger at the mortal servant, who quickly stood. “Your name’s Edwin, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Do you desire immortality?” Adrian asked.
He looked from Adrian to me and nodded. “I do, but the king will not approve of servants being turned.”
Adrian gritted his teeth. “He has no say here. We will build a community that can even overturn a king and his whims. Do you wish to be a slave to others’ decisions, or are you ready to take the reins of your destiny?”
I watched his smile slowly build. “I’m ready.”
“Then we will grant you immortality—once you have proven yourself. You will be welcomed as a blood brother and granted riches beyond your wildest dreams.”
His smile dropped, and I stepped forward, sensing his waning disappointment. “What is it you truly want?” I gestured around us. “Don’t be afraid to speak your yearnings. We do not judge here.”
His throat bobbed. “I-I guess, well, there was this woman back home. She-she ruined my life.”
He wanted revenge, the easiest of the desires to manipulate. I placed my hand on his shoulder, nodding as I looked in his brown eyes. “What wrong did she do to you, brother?” I asked, assuming his wife had cheated, or something along those lines. It was always the same.
He relaxed under my touch. “It’s my sister.”
My eyebrows raised, and I motioned for him to continue.
