Page 72 of Sophie's Ruin
“I’m ready,” I said, as I faced Henry again.
He clasped my hand, and together, we left the bedroom and walked to the study where Isabelle and Wren already waited.
“Are you sure he needs to be a part of this?” Isabelle asked after we’d joined them.
Her voice shook slightly, betraying her nervousness. She wanted Wren out of the house while it was teeming with vampires, and I didn’t blame her, but he had to stay. We wanted to do everything right this time, which meant including a human in the conversation about the future of the Empire. Madam St. Clair, the human Governess of New Haven, would have been our first choice, but she still hadn’t returned from up north. Waylon was the second choice, but after I’d saved Henry and set out on my quest for vengeance, he had left the White Witches’ settlement and set out on his own mission to spread the word that the Dark Witches were no more. Once the news had reached those who’d traveled away before the war, they’d begun trickling back to their home regions. My father hadn’t returned yet, but every day, more and more humans arrived in New Haven, so I hoped to see him soon.
A knock sounded on the front door of the mansion, snapping me out of my thoughts. Everyone stilled, instantly on edge. Henry’s unease was palpable as his hand tightened around mine. I waited for him to pull me in the direction of the foyer, but he hesitated. When I gave him a questioning look, his deep-blue gaze fastened on me, and my breath hitched at what I sawin his eyes. Fear. All color had drained from his face, and his muscles had coiled so tight that I was afraid they might snap. Understanding washed over me then. He was hesitating because the last time we’d met with the clan leaders, days of torture had ensued for him.
Turning to face him fully, I placed my free hand over his racing heart. My chest was painfully tight as I stared at him. Moments like these were rare, when he let me glimpse how much what he’d endured truly affected him.
“Breathe with me,” I said, looking into his eyes. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Gaze locked on mine, he covered my hand on his chest with his, and inhaled and exhaled deeply, matching my breathing. After a few seconds, when his heartbeat had evened out, he gave a small nod and lowered my hand from his chest. Together, we turned toward the study door and walked out into the foyer.
34
We returned to the study a few minutes later, with the five clan leaders and Celeste in tow. Just like the humans deserved a seat at the table during this meeting, the White Witches also needed to be included. Besides, Henry and I had a plan on how to enforce the new world order, and we needed Celeste’s help to help carry it out.
Still holding my hand, Henry led me to stand in front of the oversized desk. My gaze briefly snapped to the Battle of New Haven painting on the wall behind it. The art piece was something I would be glad to leave behind when we moved out of the estate. Turning away from the canvas, I faced the other vampires in the room. Henry assumed a position to my right, with Isabelle and Wren standing beside him. Celeste flanked my other side, and I wondered if Henry had placed me closest to her in case things went very wrong again. Even if they did, I wouldn’t leave him. Never again.
Henry glanced at me as if he knew what I was thinking, and I gave him a reassuring smile before I faced the clan leaders again. My gaze slid over all the perfect faces. Thanks to me, Yvonne was the only original clan leader left. She was also the only one who’d seen first-hand what I was capable of. Unease rolled off her inwaves as she shifted from foot to foot, her gaze cast down to the floor. A young man with rich-brown skin and short, thickly curled hair stood to her right. I knew his name was Remy, and he was the new leader of the Stern clan. Thankfully, I didn’t pick up on the same air of arrogance and entitlement his predecessors had displayed when his dark brown eyes met mine. His flawless face was open as he stared back at me, which I hoped was a good sign.
Shifting my gaze away from him, I looked at Dion Bouvier, who’d taken over after Lena. The male was tall and slim, with a narrow face that seemed to be permanently set in a snide expression. He stood to Yvonne’s left, and his cold, nearly translucent eyes bored into me as he lifted his chin in defiance. I smirked at him and briefly glanced at the two remaining vampires in the room.
Adelaide had taken over after Camilla, and Delphine after Moreau. The former had long blonde hair and pale-blue eyes, while the latter had glossy, black locks that currently sat in a topknot. A few wispy strands were left down to frame her face, highlighting her unusual violet eyes with upswept corners. The two females were a striking contrast to each other, standing off and to the side between Dion and Isabelle. Their expressions were mostly neutral, if a little wary.
“Without further ado, thank you all for coming tonight,” Henry’s deep voice rang out in the study. Gone was the brief moment of weakness he’d let me witness earlier. Now, he was a cool, stoic presence by my side. “Your clans have chosen you all to replace the ones who perished.” All eyes in the room darted to me. Even Yvonne finally dragged her gaze from the floor to focus on me. Henry’s choice of words had been intentional—he’d wanted to establish dominance, to remind them who was in charge. “We hope that you are different from your predecessors, and that you will help us usher in a new era.”
He looked around the room at the other vampires, but all the wide-eyed, wary gazes were still fastened on me.
“Everyone in this room knows what transpired a few nights ago,” I spoke up, my voice loud and steady. It bounced off the walls in the otherwise quiet study. “Your former leaders crossed me, so I retaliated. The only reason you are all still standing here is because I chose to spare your lives.” I gave Yvonne a pointed look. She swallowed thickly but held my gaze. “The past few days have proven I’m capable of great monstrosities, but I am not a monster. You don’t have to be one, either,” I paused, letting the words sink in. “We’re offering you a chance. A chance at a future in a new world ruled by humans, not vampires. You can live alongside them or not live at all.”
I could feel Henry’s rapt attention on me like a physical touch. He was enjoying this—my shameless display of power.
“A new world ruled by humans? Where would we live?” Dion asked. Not surprising he would be the first one to speak up.
“How will we feed?” Adelaide chimed in, her glacial gaze darting around the room.
I noticed Yvonne’s lips curve into an arrogant smile—she’d expected such resistance from the others. Moreover, she’d counted on it.
“You can keep some of the wealth you have accumulated,” Henry took over like I’d known he would. After all, we’d discussed our plan of action beforehand. “But you will have to move out of your lavish estates and give them back to the humans. As for feeding, you can take the blood you have left in your cellars with you. When you run out, you can feed from humans but do so discreetly and without harming anyone. It’s all about self-control. That was how we survived in the past, before the Red War. We would feed from humans, but then give them our blood to heal the bite marks and compel them to forget.We would return to that, to leading a quiet, discreet life in the shadows.”
Delphine snarled and jerked her head to the side, fixing her gaze on the wall. She clearly hated what we were suggesting, but was choosing not to engage.Smart.
“The rules are simple,” Henry continued. “We are not asking you to do something you haven’t done before. Vampires had lived in the shadows before the Red War. We are simply going back to how it used to be. To how it should be.”
“And what if we don’t agree to your terms?” Dion challenged.
“Ask Yvonne if you should find out what happens then,” I challenged back.
Dion’s fish eyes darted to the female who paled, looking like she was about to be sick. “I buried Emeric’s clan under a mountain. Do you want your family to meet the same fate?” I forged on. Henry and I were planning to dig them out eventually, but he didn’t need to know that.
“No,” Dion rasped, meeting my gaze again.
I wasn’t proud of what I’d done when the darkness had consumed me, but the clans would never know I felt even a smidge of regret. All they would ever see would be the cold, menacing facade of a predator who was more powerful than them. I hoped that would be enough to deter any thoughts of rebellion in the future. And if it didn’t, well…we would have to find a way to squash it, hopefully without resorting to me embracing the darkness again.
“We propose a pact forged in blood to seal the agreement,” Henry said, and the clan leaders exchanged nervous glances at his words. This was where Celeste came in. In training with her, I’d been growing stronger with my light magic, but I wasn’t powerful enough for such an intricate spell.
