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"Yes, but only a little. It was necessary for me to regain the strength to continue our way here to you."
"Don't you know the repercussions of feeding on a witch?" Caspian asks as he puts a protective arm around Sybil and pulls her closer.
My obvious confusion and lack of an answer lets Caspian know that I have no idea what he's talking about.
"Vampires are part demon, and coven witches are part divinity. Feeding on a coven witch has caused your predatory nature to kick into high gear."
"I don't understand what that means," I say. "I don'tfeelany different. I swear I'm not a threat to any of you, regardless of what my eyes are doing or what any old legends say. I feelfine. I'm in total control of myself."
"I believe you," Caspian says. "But we're still hesitant to let you stay here with the effect of drinking Blair's magical blood so visible in you."
"Yeah, I can see that. Who knew that there would be a glowy-eyed side effect," I say as I look at myself in the small mirror one more time before handing it back to Sybil. My eyes look like someone has punched holes of light through the pupils. "But I truly don't feel any different. I promise you I'm fine."
Although reluctant, Caspian and the rest of the Fae agree to let me stay there with Blair in the enclave while we send out word to the other two witches to come and meet us here. At least here, Arman and his vampires won't find us. Not only is there a whole army of Fae here, but there is also a magical barrier that shrouds the enclave in a fog that renders it invisible. It isn't impossible for the vampires to find us, but it does make it harder for them to see us. It buys us a night of rest before we continue with this plan.
"I'm sorry," Blair says later that night in the quiet stillness of the magical enclave. "I had no idea feeding on me would cause any side effects."
"It's not your fault." I smile at her. "I didn't know either. Besides, it's not a bad side effect. Now my eyes look even cooler and more dashing than they did before."
She giggles, but she still looks concerned.
"What do you think Caspian meant by when he said it activated yourpredatory nature?"
"No idea," I shrug. "I mean, vampires are already predatory by definition. We're right up there at the top of the food chain. But I don't feel like going around killing anyone. I never have, and I don't feel any more inclined to do so now. It's probably just an old myth or something. The Fae are full of old stories that are rarely true."
She doesn't look convinced.
"Does it hurt?" she asks. "Your eyes, I mean."
"Not at all. I don't even feel any different. But I wonder how the other vampires will react when they see them. They might not trust me as the replacement clan leader if my eyes look like I've swallowed the sun."
"Actually," she says as she moves her face closer to mine and stares intently into my eyes. I know she is just trying to look at me, but I can't help but drop down to glance at her plush lips that I long to feel against my own. "They'vestopped."
"Huh?"
"It looks like the glowing is fading. It's almost gone."
"Well, it was fun while it lasted," I tease.
9
BLAIR
It didn't take quite as much coaxing as I thought it would to get Treyton to agree to assume the role of clan leader. I know he doesn't want to do it, but he conceded to taking Arman's place to put a lid on the current threat. I admire him for doing such an honorable thing. But I also feel bad for him. It's more like a prison sentence than a promotion.
As soon as Elspeth and Isla arrive, we go over the plan one more time, wait for some of the Fae spies to let us know that Arman and the rest of the clan are back at the den to rest, and then we head there to remove Arman from the picture. Elspeth and Lucian have brought almost the entire werewolf pack with them, so taking out Arman won't be hard.
Isla succeeded in making the potion that will convince the clan vampires that Treyton has been their rightful leader all along. The Fae Queen transformed the potion into a fine dust, and Caspian and several of the Fae are coming with us to distribute the mind-altering brew to the clan.
When we get to the den, we're met with more vampires than before. Some are resting, some are feeding, and some guard the building as Arman regroups with his high-ranking men inside. But they aren't suspecting an attack, and that works to our advantage.
Lucian and his shifters have already laid out a plan—some of them take out the guards while Lucian and a few others sneak inside the den building. Lucian and his top two shifters head straight to find Arman. Isla goes with Sybil, Caspian, and the Fae to disperse the powdered potion. Meanwhile, Elspeth and I hang back with Treyton, keeping an eye on clan. As soon as we get word from Lucian that Arman has been taken out, it's time for Treyton to take his place.
"What happens if this doesn't work?" Elspeth asks in a worried voice as Treyton, Lucian, and I pace outside the den's common room, where some of the vampires are gathered to feed. Most of them are congregated there, which is why Caspian and the Fae began distributing the potion there. A few of the Fae go with werewolf escorts for added protection to get to the stragglers and the vamps who are guarding the perimeter.
In a matter of minutes, all the vampires in the clan have breathed in Isla's concoction and are willing to accept Treyton as their clan leader.
"This plan wascrazy," Treyton says under his breath as we walk into the room where Arman's throne sits. "I can't believe it worked."
