Page 63 of True Sacrifice
I was still faster. At my signal, the doorway was unlocked, and I slipped through, shutting the door, and locking her in tight. Her small, balled fists banged against the doorway. Even with all her vampire strength, she wouldn’t be able to get out of there.
I left the secondary chamber and went around to the hidden viewing glass. I turned on the light so she could see me through the pane.
I smirked.
She flipped me off.
I laughed.
There was a little microphone on my side I could use to talk to her. We fit cameras and microphones all around the room, catching her every word and every movement.
“Now, I would like you to get one thing very clear. You are mine. I am your sire, your master, your daddy vampire. I don’t give a fuck what you call it, love. I just want you to know one thing. I will keep you in here until you learn your place, or until I control you.”
“Or until I figure out how to get out of here and roast your ass on a spit,” she snapped, turning her back on me.
I shut off the light and left her to her solitude. Guards would rotate shifts inside the observation chamber, as well as remote guards monitoring the cameras. I meant it for King Ailill. For now, it will simply house my king-killer.
I strode back to the throne room to give the news to father. He didn’t sit on the throne anymore. The large golden throne sat high atop a series of steps. A few steps down from him were landings where mother’s throne and my throne sat. Everyone had been beneath my father, but now he couldn’t walk up his own steps to sit on the damn thing.
There was a secret chamber behind the throne which led to a well warded room. Father was confined to his bed, as he had been for the past year. He looked small lying there in the gigantic bed, entirely unlike the large tyrant of a king he had been when I was young.
His skin had taken on a waxy color and his once pale skin turned plastic. His long dark hair hung down in strands, long having given up its luster. My mother had been father’s mate. Once she was killed, the withering started. It creeped in slowly for vampires. It always ended one way: death.
The withering happened to fae, too. Only to ones that lost their mate, but mating’s were getting increasingly rarer in the vampire community. Maybe it was because of the decline in the vampire population as father slowly lost grip on reality and the fae capitalized on our weakness.
“Father, I have news,” I said with a small smile, holding his delicate hand. He barely even drank blood anymore.
He grunted in response.
“I have a demonling progeny. With her, I will be powerful enough to defeat the fae and avenge mother.” I was hoping it would give him the will to hold on a little longer. Just enough for him to see the end of the war. To see that I was ready for the throne.
He grunted again. That’s all he really could do.
I patted his hand softly. “Just a little more and it will all be over, father,” I sighed, getting up to stand.
I would have to inform the generals to ramp up training and make sure everyone was ready. Tonight, however, I wanted to celebrate with blood, alcohol, and sex.
Sebastian was waiting for me in the throne room.
“All the alarms weren’t exactly subtle, brother. You have the entire castle in an uproar as to what it means.” He stood leaning casually against the throne. He had always hated the way father reigned with an iron fist and an insatiable thirst.
“Those are celebration bells, brother. The end of the war is upon us. Come out with me tonight, have some fun.” My brother would say no, like he always did. He had his own ways of blowing off steam.
“Try not to burn the entire kingdom down tonight,” Sebastian said lazily, pushing off from the throne and leaving in a flash of vampire speed.
Whatever. I could have a good time, like I always did. I could go where I want and do what I want because the vampires loved me. I headed to my favorite court club. Exotic dancers circled around poles on tiny stages. Men and women wore an array of leather and bare skin. Leashes and collars connected in pairs and squads.
I sat down and ordered a drink, looking around at the sea of eligible vampires for the evening. I picked a few for the night, two females and one male. I celebrated with them, pouring round after round down my throat.
We retired to a private suite. My pets’ hands started wandering, but I found myself… distracted. I gestured for them to continue without me. Clothing was torn off bodies and they all started biting each other as fingers continued to roam. I sat in the middle as naked bodies writhed around me, moaning and panting. I closed my eyes, finding the bond between me and my demonling closed, as if she was not in the same realm as I was.
That chamber really was effective, but I couldn’t help but feel the wave of disappointment. I was curious about her. Call it intrigued. A 500-year-old vampire doesn’t get intrigued often.
CHAPTER27
MORRIGAN
Iwas so sick and fucking tired of being locked in a fucking room! Apparently, males in all realms don’t understand the concept of communication. Thankfully, they had provided me with a bed, a toilet, and a sink in my prison. The bed was seriously like a prison mattress. There was no way I was going to sleep on this.
