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I didn’t expect the offer, not after a millennium of war. “But we would lose our souls.”
“Which would be fair—if you ask me.” Viper chimed in again, looking at me like we were enemies on the battlefield. “You should be grateful that we would make the offer at all.”
I looked at Kingsnake again. “Why would you offer this gift?”
“Because the soul is sacred,” he said. “Every person deserves to decide how it’s used. While I would rather not make your kind our kind because of our bloody history, it’s preferable to the abuse of innocent people. We may be vampires and you may be Ethereal, but we were human once.”
I could live forever as a vampire—or accept that my time had come.
“What will you decide?” Kingsnake pressed.
“I have yet to tell my people the truth. I suspect that will give me my answer.” We were a peaceful race, respecting the gifts of the earth. We chose not to eat meat, respecting the creatures that shared our world. I suspected they would all choose to abolish the disgusting practice and accept their own deaths.
Viper looked livid at that answer. “If you think we’d allow this to continue—”
“Viper.” Kingsnake was the one to interrupt him this time.
Viper slammed his hand down on the table then sunk back into the chair, defeated.
Kingsnake continued. “How will you explain this truce without telling your people the truth?”
“I can’t,” I said simply. “I’ll need to tell them everything my father told me in confidence.”
“Why did he tell you?” Cobra asked.
I’d deceived him. “I pretended to be intrigued, rather than disgusted. He assumed he was preparing a new monarch, while I was plotting his destruction. I won’t pretend I’m not deeply hurt that you didn’t spare his life…” I paused, keeping my composure so I wouldn’t break down into tears. “But he had an evil heart. I don’t think this would have ever been resolved peacefully if he’d continued to live.”
“I tried,” Cobra said. “I really did.”
I wouldn’t look at him, not when I expected more loyalty than he’d shown.
Kingsnake spoke. “Would you grant us hospitality in your lands while you inform your people?”
I lifted my chin and looked at him. “I don’t appreciate your mistrust after the sacrifice I’ve made, after everything I’ve shared with you.”
“It’s not mistrust,” Kingsnake said. “But we’d like to know the outcome of your decision. We’d like to be present as we usher in a new era of peace. Because while you may grant it, it’s hard to believe if they can’t see it.”
I’d known this moment was coming, and the more I tried to postpone it, the more stressful it became. We’d just suffered a terrible defeat against the vampires, and now I would be the one to usher in a new era of camaraderie…and tell my people everything we’d believed had been a lie. Our entire ideology, our entire purpose…gone. I suspected some would take their own lives just to stop the pain. “I will always grant my allies accommodations when they ask for them. However, it does come with one condition.”
“We won’t feed,” Kingsnake said. “Your concern is unnecessary.”
I gave a nod. “Then Toman will make the arrangements. I wish you all a good night of sleep.” I left the table before anyone could speak and opened the door. “Please make accommodations for our guests. They’ll be staying with us briefly.”
Toman looked like he wanted to kill me, to stab his sword through my stomach. “This is asinine—”
“You need to trust me.”
“Trust someone who continually makes the wrong decisions?”
“Trust me, not marrying you was the right decision,” I said. “Now, do as I ask or resign from your position so I can find someone who will.”
“I’m a commander. Not a servant—”
“Then you’ve been dismissed.”
He seethed in silent anger.
I looked past him to one of the other guards. “Neo. You’ve been appointed as the Queen’s Guard.”
