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“You will do as you are bid, Zarius…or we will all die, not just me.” My father’s face seems to succumb to the flash of fear I saw, and although I thought it was for me, it was not. “One does not simply deny the wishes of Nosferatu…”
I squeeze his neck tighter, cutting off his ability to speak.
“I will not be anyone’s puppet, even Vladimir's,” I growl, meaning every word with all of my cold heart.
“He…is…our creator…” my father rasps, forcing the nearly soundless words past half-dead lips.
“Then let him come to me and destroy me himself. I will not wed her!”
I drop my father, his body crumbling to the ground in a way that makes me flinch. I remember loving this man, long before the wars. Far before Nosferatu Vladimir reached his talons from Romania and seized control of our territory. My father bent to his will like this willow tree bends to the wind, and it sickens me.
“He may be your creator, Father, but he does not rule what I do in this kingdom. He is far removed from our people, that he would seek to seize control now by sending his bastard daughter—”
“She will strengthen the bloodlines! She is unstoppable, a force of nature like none we’ve ever seen. She will bring you many children, stronger children. Set aside your desire for the failing flesh of man and do right by your own species—”
“A direct descendant, created by his own seed and fang, a true daughter of Dracula. I know this, Father, and it matters not!”
“It will matter when she comes here to claim you and finds you enthralled with a mortal!”
“Let her come. I will show the great Vladimir Dracula just what I think of his arranged marriage! I will not forsake my wife, my son, because he has chosen to seize power here!”
“He will have them killed, he will have me kill them…” My father’s voice is small now, his wide eyes staring in horror at the ground beneath his aged bones.
“Can you not step up to your own brother?” I scream, grabbing my father by the robes and shaking him. “Can you not muster enough bravery to defend what is yours? Will you fall to him because he says so? Because he bids it?”
“I am loyal to Vlad—” my father begins, but I silence him as I crush his throat and rip his life from his body in one foul swoop.
“You are a coward!” I roar, barely feeling an ounce of guilt as his dead body falls to the ground. I am King now, I’ve taken it, and no vampire from the other side of Europe is going to tell me how to live my life.
I’ve made up my mind, I will take my human wife and my young son far away from here. So far none of them will ever find us. I mount my horse, sparing one last hate-filled glare at the coward who was once my father.
I ride at a breakneck pace, running my horse into a froth to get to my home. I may not have enough time to flee far, but if I can get Arria and Adam out of here I will gladly lay down my life making sure the spawn of Nosferatu never touches them.
An orange glow crests the hill before I do, billowing smoke rising into the night sky like a beacon of misfortune. I pull my horse to a stop, jumping off the animal and roaring into the night sky. My home is in flames, the land around it filled with winged soldiers. Above my home, high in the air, flies a white-winged monstrosity. On top of the hill overlooking my modest home, I can see who she holds by the hair. I can see the child cradled against the monster’s chest.
My wife and child are in her arms.
Arria…
Adam…
She’ll kill them to claim me?
“My promised!” the vile woman calls to me, flying over to me as if she’s done nothing wrong. “I came to our home and found your little whore…” She throws my wife to the ground viscously and lands over her. She places her foot on Arria’s head and presses the love of my life face down into the dirt. It is only then that I realize this creature in white robes is breastfeeding my infant son.
“I will kill you, spawn of Vladimir…” I hiss, stepping forward.
She makes a tsking noise as a long talon extends from her index finger toward my only son’s eyes.
“Please, call me Angel. That's what Father calls me. Come with me, or I will kill your sonandyour whore…” she sneers, her soldiers coming up the hill and forming a tight circle around us.
Arria is crying, reaching for me, but if I move I risk them both.
“Release them!” I demand, hands fisting at my side.
Angel laughs, using that deadly talon to stroke Adam’s chubby cheek as he drinks her blood from her breast.
“I may let her son live, Zarius. I rather like the little halfling. Half vampire, half food. Will be interesting to see how he grows up, yes? Let me kill your food source, follow me back to Romania. Fill me with the rightful heir to all of this—” she waves around, signaling my kingdom.
