Page 23 of Taste of Death

“I’ve heard rumors trickling in about crazed monsters. Just a horde of them running in and tearing the humans apart. Sounds like your kind of people, eh, Novak?”

Mazor laughed while I gave a tight-lipped, clenched smile. “Those with my clan’s affliction are hundreds of miles away from the human settlement. They’re mostly in the forests and mountains of the Crown. I heard it was Marrowers who had been slipped draitrium, but Blood ‘til Dawn is certainly keeping a tight lid on it.”

“Because they’re embarrassed,” Baros declared. “Whatever happened, it makes them look weak. They’re hoping it blows over, but we’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this.” He shot a grin at his daughter. “Haven’t we, akra?"

“Of course, Father.”

The three words sounded rehearsed, like they were all that she was allowed to say. She never met my eyes when I glanced at her, and I found myself feeling sorry for her. Like the butler, like so many others, she was just a tool for her father’s whims.

“Do you ever miss the Crown, Novak?” Boras blew a red smoke ring. “I loved visiting your family’s home out there when my father took me. It was glorious. Even as your guests, we felt like kings.”

I took a long swallow of wine. The Crown estate was, by all accounts, my home. I was born there, grew up there. It was the seat of my family’s power, when we had power. It was also the place of so many nightmarish memories before, during, and after my bloodline succumbed to their incurable madness.

“I miss the wild beauty and fresh air of the country, sometimes,” I said. “But I do love the convenience and liveliness of the Heart.”

Boras’s eyes flashed. “What if we took your ancestral home back from Blood ‘til Dawn?”

I stared at him, not understanding. “Took it back? They’re the ruling clan.”

“Not for long, if we get our way.” A slow grin spread over his face.

“Not if they keep losing their grip,” Mazor added. “Not if they fail to stop us.”

I looked between the two vampires, an increasingly sinking feeling taking root in my gut. “What exactly does Carpe Noctem have planned?”

“We’re going to unseat Blood ‘til Dawn and resume our place as ruling clan,” Baros said. “And there can be a spot for you as well, Novak.”

“How exactly do you plan to do this?” I asked. “My bloodline is all but wiped out. Blood ‘til Dawn are fighters, and they’re crafty. Carpe Noctem may have resources but respectfully, you’ve never been a warrior clan. Blood ‘til Dawn isn’t going to give an inch without a fight.”

“They’re weakened, as I said. And from what I hear, they have a soft spot for the young. They adopt juvenile vampires frequently, taking in strays.”

“So?”

Baros turned toward his daughter, paused when he looked at her, then returned his greedy gaze to me. “Impregnate my daughter with your heir, and move back to the Crown estate to restart your bloodline.”

My throat tightened and dried out like I’d inhaled too much darakt. “You’re serious?”

“Very. The Crown estate is a fortress. Your progeny will be safe. Blood ‘til Dawn won’t storm the building while a pregnant female is inside. They will already be at a disadvantage.”

“I fear you may underestimate how much they despise my bloodline.” The memory of being pinned to the wall, searched, and questioned came to the forefront of my mind. All of the snarling, disgruntled clan males were hazy in my recollection. The only clear face I saw was Amy’s, her fury at my treatment and how she stood up to Thorne, demanding that he let me go.

The memory made a smile tug at my lips. No one, not even anyone in my clan, had ever been so furiously righteous on my behalf. I hoped Amy’s friend realized what a gem she was.

“No matter how much they despise you, they will not harm a child or a pregnant female,” Baros insisted. “They will be cautious, and we’ll use that to press an advantage.”

I cast a glance toward his mostly silent daughter, wondering how she felt about being essentially used as a meat shield.

“You stand only to benefit from this, Novak,” Mazor said. “You’ll win your ancestral home back, be closely connected to the next ruling clan, and have an heir to repopulate Rathka’s Order.”

“Only if the child is a male,” Baros piped up. “If it’s a female, you’ll have to try for another, naturally.”

His daughter shifted uncomfortably. Nothing prevented a female from becoming an heir and taking over a clan. Baros was just an antiquated bastard, and a callous one, to say that right in front of his daughter.

“Well, this all sounds very… ambitious,” I hedged. “I’ll have to give it some thought.”

Baros laughed as if I’d made the most hilarious joke he’d heard in his life. “What is there to think about? You need an heir. We need to crush Blood ‘til Dawn. Nothing could be more simple.”

At my core, I didn’t want to be involved in this scheme. For all his faults, Thorne was much smarter than Baros, had the support of nearly all of Sanguine, and a lot more firepower. If a rebellion was on the horizon, my money was on Blood ‘til Dawn keeping its crown.

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