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“That’s not what happened,” I glared.
“It will be, soon,” he said. “Besides. He really isn’t. A prince I mean. He’s just the kid of the man who ended the world. If anything, he should be held accountable.”
“Let him go,” I said.
“Sure, if that’s what you really want,” Nigel purred, stalking me from the cavern’s edge. “Here’s the key,” he said, pulling a golden chain from around his neck. “Come and take it from me.” He swung the key from the chain slowly, like a pendulum, before putting it away again.
I squeezed the tip of the spear between my fingers. I could feel the elixir thrumming in my veins, flaming my hatred. But was I fast enough, strong enough to challenge him?
“But first,” Nigel said, “take a good look at your fiance. See how hungry he is. You think you can fight him off, from fresh prey? You may be able to hold off his advances, but I’d wager, not without considerable harm to both of you. And in his desperation, he’d probably go after easier prey. Someone small, weak and blind.”
“Loralie,” I breathed, my eyes widening. If I freed Damien now, in his current state, I’d be putting my sister in danger.
“And Jamie,” Nigel nodded. “Yes, I’ve bothered to learn their names, though they were both a crushing disappointment to me. Now I’ll spare them for entertainment. So you see, you’re in no position to make demands.”
“Where is he? What have you done to him?”
“He’s around somewhere, I think. Though if you free Damien, I’m sure he’ll find your brother first. Hungry vampires are excellent hunters, after all. Take agoodlook, Emily. This is what we are, at our worst. If you let Damien out now, he’d kill you and your siblings in his blood lust. Wasteful and monstrous. You think you know him? This is the real him. Just another beast. Maybe the most violent mutid of them all. Fitting, he should end up down here, in his father’s den of bones.”
“This wasn’t his fault,” I said. “He’s nothing like you.”
“You’re partially right. The truth is, Damien doesn’t deserve this kingdom. He didn’t build it. He wasn’t even here in the beginning. You think Richard slaughtered all these humans alone? I was one of the first. I protected him. I helped him bury the bodies. We used them like juice boxes, discarding the waste in a pit until it was too full and foul. We needed a better system, one in which humans donated willingly, over many years.”
“The covenant,” I guessed, feeling a chill down my spine.
“I helped come up with that slogan, though the kingdom somewhat softened the meaning of the words. For me it was a threat, an ultimatum. Something I said to him once in passing. They can live with us, as part of our ecosystem, or die by our hand. Not just for our own preservation, but their own as well. A simple choice.”
“Live together, die apart,” I murmured, mostly out of habit.
“But then his son came back and I was brushed to the side, as the kingdom prospered. He coddled Damien, who was always too sensitive, and refused his nature. The years we’ve spent, being told who we can feed on and who we can’t. Does the falcon ask the mouse if it’s in the mood for dinner?”
“I’m not afraid of you. Who’s to say I’m not the hawk, and you’re the mouse? I’ve already left my mark on you. Maybe I’ll take the other eye this time.”
“It’s cute that you think this playful banter will help you. But the truth is, you’ve already lost. There is nothing you can do. No way to get out of here. You know you can’t defeat me alone.”
“I took out the king.”
“That’s true, though from what I hear, you barely survived,” he scanned my abdomen. “Even with Damien helping you. He won’t help you this time.”
“I’ll stop you,” I growled.
This time his laugh was full and grating, and it echoed in the cavern.
“You still don’t understand, do you?”
“Understand what?”
“This moment is a culmination that took decades of planning. Damien was always his father’s weakness. And who do you think was funding the rebels into civil unrest? I was just waiting for my chance, my opportunity. I knew by claiming you, I’d provoke Damien into getting involved, and he’s very hard to provoke. A pretty rebel, that the prince fell for enough to destroy his own father… the narrative writes itself.”
“I destroyed his father. Damien was just there.”
“He was there, for you. And the king was there, for his son. I didn’t steal the throne. You handed it to me. You think you can stop me now? I couldn’t have done this without you. Imadeyou, for this purpose. And you’ve worked out better than I could have hoped. Look at everything we’ve accomplished together.”
17
My head was spinning. I wanted to deny it all, or accuse him of lying. But somehow his words carried a weight of conviction, and they rang of truth that cut me to the core. He’d used me, from the beginning. And I’d fallen for it.
“You know, I have to thank you,” Nigel said. “I’d nearly forgotten about Richard’s experiments until you reminded me. He was obsessed with it when John Patten died, but it seems he’s made great strides again recently. Before you killed him, he was trying to create a new species. One race, no blood wars. Well I don’t think that’s a particularly good idea, though I am intrigued with the possibilities.”
