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“We still can’t just waltz in there, though,” I say. “We need something to help them know we’re telling the truth. And some kind of offering, to be respectful.”
Malcolm is a king, after all. You don’t just go into a king’s court to ask a favor of him without bringing something yourself.
North grins ferally. “Oh, we already have something.”
He turns and looks back down the hall, toward the room where we have Donovan. “Oh, I know just the thing.”
CHAPTER9
Donovan keeps up a steady stream of curses and yelling at us for a while as we revive ourselves, getting something to eat and all that. He peters out after about forty-five minutes, apparently out of ideas on what to curse us with next.
There’s a kind of dark satisfaction in seeing someone who was once so powerful to you, so intimidating, revealed to be so pathetic and at your mercy. But at the same time, there’s nothing satisfying in it at all. I just want Donovan done with. Whether that means he’s dead or he’s locked up by Malcolm for being a shitty-ass traitor to his people, I don’t care. But I don’t want to have to deal with him anymore.
We get our dinners and gear up again. That leads to another argument. I think that we should bring salt and holy water just in case, but North argues that’s going to be seen as a threat to the vampires. I point out that we’re only protecting ourselves and if they don’t appreciate the fact that we’re vulnerable and putting ourselves in danger and need a little protection, well, that’s on them.
Cain’s on my side with this. He still doesn’t want us to have to go to Penumbra at all. Raven tries to be neutral. Eventually, North agrees to a little bit of silver hidden under our clothes as a last-ditch protection if a vampire tries to grab us, but nothing else.
I feel woefully under protected. I’d like a lot more, thanks. After so long not trusting vampires and running from them, it’s hard to believe that any of them could ever be trustworthy.
But I do trust North. There is that, if nothing else. And North isn’t someone who will put me in danger, or any of us. He’ll protect us and take care of us. So if he thinks that this is an acceptable risk then I have to find a way to believe that, too.
And I mean, he’s right. We don’t have any other options.
We can’t portal directly to the Penumbra. There are far too many wards to allow that. So we have to portal outside of it, into a nearby small town in Maine, and then hike the rest of the way.
Donovan is far from cooperative. We don’t tell him where we’re going until we portal there, North holding up one of his arms, Raven holding up the other.
“If these assholes make even one move to attack us,” Cain mutters, “I’m going to strike first.”
I can’t blame him.
Donovan squirms once we step through the portal and he recognizes where we’re headed. “Are you serious?” he says archly. “You can’t possibly be walking right into a den of vampires. How stupid are you?”
When we continue walking, ignoring his threats, he starts to get more nervous. “Really, there’s no need for me to be here. You don’t need me to be present. I’ll just go on my way and you’ll go yours.”
“That’s cute,” Cain notes idly. “That you really think we’ll just let you go on your way after all you’ve done to us.”
Donovan gets angrier and more desperate the closer we get to the Penumbra, until he’s practically spitting with rage. Between the holy water-sprinkled ropes, Raven, and North, however, he can’t get out. He can’t do anything. He can only get more and more panicked.
I’ve got to admit, getting to watch Donovan freak out is delicious. Maybe this whole trip will be worth it for getting the chance to see him so undone. He was angry with us before and a bit panicked at the idea of betraying Roanac, but it’s not as bad as the way he looks now.
Vampires are extremely loyal to their own kind. Which means that you don’t betray another vampire without extremely good cause. And that arguably is exactly what Donovan’s been doing. Not to mention I’m pretty damn sure that his criminal activities aren’t going to be condoned by the vampire court. Especially since he hasn’t been exactly respectful about those criminal activities.
I genuinely don’t know if Malcolm condemns or condones being a full-on mob boss. His father would’ve been fine with it, I’m sure. But Malcolm, as Raven pointed out, is a little different. But even if hedidcondone it, everyone in New York City knows that Donovan hasn’t been giving the king his due. Donovan’s a power-hungry asshole and the only reason none of us have said anything is, well, we’re not vampires.
Non-vampires don’t just walk into the Penumbra. Until now.
That’s exactly what we’re doing, waltzing right on in. And I have to say that this is rather worth it for the panic on Donovan’s face as we get into the woods and then into the mountains.
Humans about now would usually get a whisper in their minds to turn back. A sensation that they wouldn’t be able to explain, just a feeling that they should take a left turn here, or camp somewhere else. It’s not enough for anyone to start up spooky stories of the haunted woods, because humans are ridiculous and telling them,hey, don’t go camping here because you’ll get a really spooky feelingwill just make them want to go there even more. They’re contrary that way. And they like scaring themselves.
It’s just a very subtle thing. A suggestion that maybe they wouldn’t enjoy hiking in this area as much as they thought they would, and they should do something else instead, go somewhere else. Explore another area.
I can hear it in my mind, whispering to me, but I’m able to ignore it. I’m not human, so I can just keep going. I’m aware of the spell, but it doesn’t take me over.
In front of us is a spot where two mountains seem to dip together, creating a kind of passage. Cain leads the way through, with Raven and North dragging Donovan through the middle, and me taking up the rear. I wanted to be in front but my mates insisted that I be in the back so that I can run in case this all goes tits up.
Once we step through the passage, we can see it. The castle.
