Page 34 of Dark Reckoning
I smiled because my baby was so badass.
A few minutes later, four of Salino's vampires, including the female from before, entered with another vampire who radiated power and self-importance. I knew he was Emperor Martin. He was tall, about six-three, and dressed impeccably in a black suit with a black, silver, and red tie. He actually had a cool satin cape with red lining and jewel-beaded lapels. It was flashy, not my taste, but I did have to admit, he had style. He was escorted to the throne, but he didn't sit. He stood in front of Salino, eyeing him up and down. The vampires who'd escorted him left, closing the door behind them.
Emperor Martin scoffed and shook his head. “You're sitting up there as if you deserve the privilege.”
“I am an emperor, am I not?” Salino said, then gestured around us. “Is this not the Throne Room?”
“You call yourself an emperor,” the ancient vampire said with a sneer. “You're unworthy. You're a punk who stole something that he is not entitled to.”
“And you're an uninvited guest in my territory and home who should conduct himself with more decorum,” Salino snapped back. “Why did you come?”
“I wanted to see with my own eyes Lord Barron-Price's betrayer,” Emperor Martin said. “Because of you, vampires will never be able to reach our full power. What do you have to say for yourself?”
I looked down at Salino, because I'd never seen him in the presence of a vampire older than him. However, the situation was different, because although this vampire had at least forty-four hundred years on Salino, they were equal in status. I wondered if it would matter.
Salino smirked with a huff. “You ask me to explain myself to you. What makes you think you're deserving of an explanation? My choice was my own.”
“Your selfishness has affected us all, boy!” Emperor Martin's rage was barely contained as he nearly foamed at the mouth. “You arrogant and ignorant cur! Do you know what you've done? How your actions destroyed our power base?”
Salino shrugged. “I feel plenty powerful. I think it's you who are greedy.”
“The gifts we were to receive at the sacrifice, you robbed all vampires of that. We could have very well become the most powerful of all supernals. A thousand years of preparing to honor the Dark God, El-Kazir, ruined—why?! I demand to know why we all must suffer for your selfish choice you claim was your own?”
Salino made a dismissive gesture. “We both know that any answer I give you will never be good enough to justify my actions in your eyes. Did you really come all the way here to bitch and moan about what can't be undone? Please tell me that my time is not being wasted on something so trivial?”
Okay, damn, Salino could talk some shit, that was for sure. I knew as much from our own interactions, but I wasn't a five-thousand-year-old vampire who could probably kill him f—holy shit! I jerked in response to how fast the emperor moved. Before I could even finish my thought, Emperor Martin advanced, moving at a speed that made him a blur even to me, but he was blasted back by a bright blue force. He screamed as his body went flying across the room, smashing into the opposite wall, cracking the plaster and destroying the mural. The vampire scrambled to his feet in a nanosecond and looked back at us, glaring with glowing red eyes and bared fangs.
My baby's spell was top-notch. The other members on the Council could call us amateurs all day long, but the fact of the matter was... our spells worked.
Salino motioned to Adrian and I. “As you can see, I have two very powerful mages at my side. One is my child, and the other is linked to me. I would think very carefully about your next words and actions, Emperor Martin.”
Emperor Martin growled as he stared intensely at the four of us. “Are they the ones who severed our line?” His voice was dripping with all of the ire he must have felt.
“Yes,” Salino said, as if he were proud of that fact. Hell, maybe he was.
The other emperor's fangs retracted and he adjusted his clothing. “I see. There is nothing redeeming about you, Salino. Enjoy your brief time as emperor.”
“Are you threatening me?” Salino asked and crossed one leg over the other as if he had not one care in the world. Either that, or he had plenty of confidence in Adrian and me.
“Indeed I am, but not just me. You've made yourself powerful enemies, Salino,” Emperor Martin declared.
“I see,” Salino said and he tapped his finger on the armrest and I took that as his signal. Lucky for Salino, Adrian did too and he began to chant.
“What is going on? You dare to sic your fucking mages on me!” Emperor Martin roared. He turned to try and flee the room, but again the protection spell knocked him on his ass. He rose and whirled around at us, snarling with bared fangs. “What is this?”
“A spell to keep you in place because I knew you'd behave like a rabid animal, Jude,” Salino said, using the emperor's first name, the way he had used Salino's.
“Release me, Salino!” Jude demanded.
Salino shook his head. “I had very little hope that when you requested a meeting with me, you would be willing to forego all of the threats and posturing the other emperors were tossing my way. But you are all the same.”
“I gave you a chance to explain yourself, you refused,” Jude declared.
“I did it to save my brother and best friend from being slaughtered in the name of sacrifice to the Dark God,” Salino confessed. “There. Does that explanation satisfy your curiosity? Does it ease your nerves? Does it dissolve your contempt? Does it quell your desire for revenge?”
“That is your reason?” Jude glared at Salino as if he were trying to will his death with a look.
Salino nodded.
