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Haha. Funny. “And what’s with the moving tunnels?”
He shrugs. “I spent ten years of my youth here. The soil around this temple is constantly shifting. The Scholar People are wonderous engineers. They’ve found a way to make their home flexible.”
Cool. We’re inside a giant stone Slinky. “Can’t wait to get the hell out of here.”
Gabrio shuts the door behind him and lowers his voice. “And just why are you here, Lake? And do not lie to me.”
I have to lie. I don’t want to, but Gabrio is loyal to Alwar. Mostly. He’s definitely loyal to his people. He’s a Wall Man in his heart, and that will never change.
“I came to learn about the address and how to make sure I don’t go down in some monster coup.”
He leans against the door and folds his meaty arms over his strong chest. “You are lying.”
Gabrio is the smartest of the brothers, so I’m not surprised he sees right through me. It isn’t that Alwar is an idiot, but he thinks in terms of political wars and how to win them, as any good king should. Tiago is the hammer who sees everything as a nail. Bard is…well, I don’t know, really. My heart says he’s the one with the conscience. He quit being a Wall Man, something of an honor for the War People, when his father exiled their mother and pregnant sister. Gabrio is the big-picture guy. He’s all about strategies.
“How can you expect me to be honest after the crap you pulled?” I ask.
“Me? What did I ‘pull’?”
How dare he play innocent. “You literally blocked me from leaving my palace after I woke up as a vampire.” It’s water under the bridge now, because I’m staying until I fix things for good, but that moment was a huge wake-up call.Trust no one.
“I stopped you from leaving because I love my people.” The harsh emotion in his emerald-green eyes is palpable.
“Yousided with Alwar.You, Bard,andTiago. After everything I sacrificed, including marrying your brother and letting you inside me, no one was willing to hear me out, Gabrio. And there I was, freaking the fuck out—a vampire!ToldI had to be the queen of a world that has kidnapped, abused, hunted, and manipulated me. A place…” I throw my arms to my sides, “I can’t even begin to understand. A place that killed my parents. And nowyouexpect me to trust you?” I know I’m losing my shit, and somehow I don’t care.
“Yes, I’m asking,” he snarls.
“Why would I possibly do that?”
“Because…” he says with a forced calm, “there isnothingmore dangerous for both our worlds than this. All bets are off. Order is gone! The Proxy Vow is gone. This is the apocalypse, woman. It’s here, and you’re too wrapped up in your ignorant human head to see it.”
His words hit a sore spot. It’s not the first time they’ve called me ignorant. While I can accept some of the blame for my hasty decisions, the truth is that they’re the ones keeping me in the dark. They tell me nothing, they scheme, they withhold key information, and then they turn around and call me an ignorant human.
“I’m not human anymore. And nothing you’ve just said qualifies as a reason to give you my blind trust. Sorry, bud.”
“Then how about I love you?”
I scoff. “Nice try. Wall Men don’t believe in love.” It’s all about duty.
“And yet, my eldest brother, Bardolf, loved you, too. He gave his life for you.”
Bard broke a law prohibiting the War People from crossing the bridges into my world. It was right after Grandma died, and I was going to have to sell River Wall Manor because I had no money to pay the inheritance tax. But then Bard, who’d alreadybeen living in my world when the law went into effect, had the bright idea to go to Monsterland and convince Alwar to give me a diamond I could cash in to save the estate. Bard was successful, but then, like a fool, he decided to come back to River Wall. That’s when he broke the law.
He should’ve stayed in Monsterland. He should’ve chosen to live. But he didn’t. He knew I was all alone and put me first.
I swallow hard. “Well, I can’t argue that Bard and I felt something for each other. Once. But that’s in the past. And it doesn’t mean I can trust you or him. He’s the king of the No Ones and—”
“You’re now our queen,hisqueen, because he supported you. Have you ever considered that maybe it was destiny? Him. You. Me. Alwar. As my mother used to say: a good chair has four legs.”
I’m not following. He thinks we’re all part of a chair? “Is this chair made of ironclad unbreakable loyalty?”
“Once again,” he says, “why are you here, Lake?”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!Everything in my mind says not to trust him, but my heart really wants to. I could use someone on my side.
No. I can’t give in.Too many lives are at stake back home. We’re talking six billion people and all the animals. My world is just too special to roll the dice. I can’t expecthimto side with me when he loves his people too.
“I am here,” I lie, “because…” My mind draws a blank. It has to be something he’ll believe, some explanation as to why I came to the temple without Alwar. “I think I’m pregnant,” I blurt out.
