Page 110 of Vow of the Undead
King Drakkar sucked air through his teeth and slowly shook his head. “The last I checked, I’m the king, Dante. Not you. Not the council.”
“And who put that crown on your head?”
“Me,” King Drakkar growled, his voice rough with finality. “Why are you really here, Dante? You’re always at odds with the council. You and Astrid and Sten like to play at being in control but you can never sway Ylva and Darius and Sitric.”
Astrid and Sten. They weren’t just courtiers, I’d destroyed two council members with the silver pendant. A shiver cut down my arms.
Dante’s grimace deepened. “They’re not here. So maybe we’re no longer playing. Not now that we’ve bargained with Silver.”
All at once, my heart stopped.
I’d made no such bargain. But I also wasn’t Silver—not the real Silver.
She’s gone. The Grimward killed her. Forget her before I have to beat the memory out of you.Echoes of my father’s voice filled in my mind. It was as cunning as Loki’s but far crueler. Father always said the same thing until he hardly spoke to me at all.
You are Silver now. There is no Lux.
My gaze sliced from Dante to King Drakkar. The king went rigid. Fury flamed in his eyes and his jaw flexed. “You didn’t release her.”
For the first time, Dante smiled. “You went too far with this God complex. We will not have a God as our king.”
“I will not be directed like a child.” He marched over to Dante. “That’s your cue to leave.”
Dante only scoffed, refusing to back down. “I’m not here for you, my king.”
King Drakkar’s arm shot out behind him as if reaching for me. “Lux. Compel him.”
Dante smiled, and before I registered the king’s demand, the other vampire was upon me. He gripped my neck and wrenched my head to the side. My empty hands fruitlessly reached for the stake I’d left on the ground by the throne, but it was too far and my desperation was useless.
My heart wove a frayed rhythm. In a single breath, King Drakkar grabbed him and threw him against the black stone floor.
It only took one blink before Dante shot to his feet and past the king to lay his hands on me again. He gripped my shoulders and sank his fangs into my throat, the pain hot and slicing. I couldn’t help the shrieking gasp that escaped me.
Finding my voice now, I opened my mouth and spewed the power granted by the Gods in rasping breaths.
Dante released my throat and I gulped air thick with the rich smell of blood. I pawed at my neck where his fingernails had sliced into the soft flesh, just as my captors had.
Once free, I saw why the king hadn’t come for me. Another vampire had barreled into him. Drak was stronger, but not as fast as the wiry man. Familiar gold eyes flashed. The cut of his high cheekbones evident when the king slammed him to the ground and the man gritted his teeth.
Drak’s attacker had been in my nightmares, in my shame.
Sten.
Impossible, I’d destroyed him with the pendant, with the power of the Gods. I saw his flesh melt and his body go limp.
Of course, killing the undead was tricky. I’d thought Odin had been able to intervene to help me bring the vampires down for the simple purpose of saving my life.
But I’d never killed my captor.
Evidence of this lay in front of me as Sten kicked the stake across the room and launched towards the king again. The stake rolled toward the back door, hopelessly far from me now.
Drak shoved Sten as my strength waned. Dante gathered himself again just when I could no longer hold the compulsion. I dropped the compulsion, my chest heaving. Sweatbeaded on my brow as I scanned for the sensations again, drawing my awareness. It was all I could do to try.
I peeled my lips open but before I could compel Dante, Drak grabbed him by the back of the neck and threw him at the ground face first. He tried to block his fall, managing to only stumble forward.
Turning, he seethed and spat at Drak. “Either you kill her, or we will.”
“Boys!” A sharp voice cut from beyond the doors.
