by Ali Winters
Night-forged silver coated in gold to make it look harmless. It’s the perfect size for a creature as small as Cherno, meant to keep them, and me, weakened.
My lip pulls back in a snarl at Kharis.
“Now, now, don’t look so sour. This is only temporary. I will let them go once everything is in place.”
Reining in my fury, I nod obediently. “Of course, my queen.”
I have chosen to stand by her side in exchange for Clara’s life. Eyeing the cage, I have to wonder if she knew this moment would come by her design or if she had only hoped it would.
I stick out my elbow, offering it to her. She loops her hand through, and I tuck her arm into my side. Together, we walk down the halls toward the throne room.
It’s empty, save for the eleven remaining court members. We were twelve for so long, and then, she created Victor. But Clara had killed him… and now Alexander.
I watch her from the corner of my eye and wonder if she notices. Her face is unreadable as I escort her to the throne and remain standing at her side until she motions for me to sit.
The court is restless, murmuring quietly among themselves. I catch a few words here and there. No one knows the purpose of this meeting except for Elizabeth—and her secrets have never led to anything good.
She looks at each member of her court in turn. The moment her lavender eyes land on them, they fall silent.
Lawrence catches my eye, frowning. He tilts his head a fraction, confusion about this unexpected meeting clear in the crease of his brows, but I have no answers for him. I turn away from my friend to watch the man who has been a thorn in my side since the day Elizabeth turned him. Cassius holds his head high and places every ounce of his attention on the queen.
“Thank you all for coming. While the matter we are to discuss tonight is not dire, it is one that must be dealt with sooner rather than later to keep the peace we have become accustomed to,” Elizabeth begins. Her smile is far too broad.
Other than the typical petty squabbles among ourselves, there has been nothing out of the ordinary happening to call a meeting. The shifters have all left and live far enough away that there is no reason for our groups to have conflict.
Elizabeth holds her hand out to me, and I take it. Together, we stand.
“But first, I have an announcement.” She pauses, drawing out the moment until it is painful. “Our prince has decided to finally accept his place as consort. The crowning ceremony will be in two months’ time, where he will be oath bound to me.”
My blood turns to ice.
There’s a pregnant pause before the court breaks into subdued applause.
Oath bound to Elizabeth. I want to rip my hand away, to refuse all of this right here and now. That was not part of the deal, but speaking out against her now would be a death sentence for Clara.
I would rather cut out my own heart and feed it to the demons of the Otherworld than suffer a bond with Elizabeth. Whatever I do from here on out, I must do with care, or Clara will be the one paying the price.
She retakes her seat and looks ready to dismiss everyone. Surely this could not be the reason she called the meeting.
Elizabeth motions with her chin for me to sit. I do, keeping my mouth pressed into a tight line.
“Now, down to business,” she says once the room quiets.
I blow out a relieved breath. That announcement was a last-second addition… except that doesn’t explain the cage made specifically for Cherno. The details of her plans are beginning to take shape. I have fallen into every single trap she has laid out.
“Now that my consort will finally be crowned, he no longer has need for his marked human.”
My gut twists. Clara is the purpose of this meeting, after all.
“The reclaiming ceremony did not go as expected, and to prevent another such bothersome event, I will allow one of you to claim her.”
“But she is already marked,” a woman, hidden by several other taller members, says.
“Yes,” Elizabeth says, a fake pout on her lips. Her delight at this situation only serves to feed the dread freezing my blood in my veins. “The vampire who will become her new master must be willing to oath bind themselves to her.”
What she means is that Clara will not be bound to me.
Murmurs erupt with most of the court shaking their heads. A few even take a step back, revolted by the idea that they would be unable to claim another human ever again. Not many vampires willingly bind themselves to a human, and only on rare occasions will they do so with another vampire.
The urge to stand up and defy her nearly takes over, but I force myself to remain precisely as I am—keeping very still, my hands resting loosely on the arms of my throne, my face void of any reactions.
Cassius steps forward, and my vision turns red.
“I have been her guardian since the masquerade. I have developed a rapport with the human. I’m confident I can persuade her to take the oath with minimal effort.” He looks around at everyone, daring them to challenge him, his gaze stopping on Elizabeth—purposefully avoiding mine.
No one speaks up; no one else offers. He is above them all, only below Elizabeth and I in power. There is no doubt in my mind that is the reason for this. If he can’t have my position, then he will take everything he can from me.
Elizabeth’s fingers graze the back of my hand, drawing my attention. She watches me with cool curiosity. I have no idea if I’ve given anything away.
This farce of a meeting is all about Clara, giving Elizabeth the chance to announce her victory over me to the entirety of this court. Publicly giving me power then taking something from me simultaneously—showing us all that she is the queen for a reason.
“Yes,” she says, finally turning back to Cassius. “The human is yours. Oath bind her to you.” Her gaze flicks to me. “But do not kill her. No matter what her crimes are, she will be safe from punishment, but you are expected to bring her to heel. However you do it, get it done. She cannot remain wild.”
I stop listening as the queen brings this meeting to an end.
Clara will be oath bound to Cassius, and I to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth either knew I was planning to give in, at least in appearance, even before I consciously made the decision, or she intended to force my hand.
Though less than a half-hour in length, every second of this was a carefully crafted performance—a test to see how much control she has over me.
I turn my face up and take in the sharp angles of her profile. She gives me a sweet smile that could mean anything.
Though it remains to be seen if I have passed or failed.
Continue the story in
THE VAMPIRE OATH
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Author’s Note
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Acknowledgments
Writing is a solitary occupation and yet, it takes so many people to breathe life into a book. And this book is no exception.
So in random order:
Thank you to Krys and Erin for having my back, my fellow atomic indies, my ARC readers, beta readers, husband, SmartFood spicy popcorn, my pups, and of course, you, my readers—thank you for your love and support.
Also by Ali Winters
The Hunted Series
The Reapers
The Exodus
The Moirai
The Fallen
> Flirting with Death (A short story)
Shadow World
The Vampire Debt
The Vampire Curse
The Vampire Court
Th Vampire Oath
The Vampire Crown
The Vampire Betrayal
In The End duology
Sound of Silence
Light in Darkness
Stand Alone Titles
Army of the Winter Court
A Sky of Shattered Stars
Cast In Moonlight
About the Author
Ali Winters is the USA TODAY Bestselling author of several series filled with romance, magic, and adventure. She enjoys breaking down characters to build them up so they find their true strengths.
Her first love will always be fantasy, but she fully admits to being obsessed with coffee and T-Rex, and has a weakness for love interests that walk the line between gray and villainy.
Ali was born and raised in the PNW but now currently resides in the wastelands that time forgot, with impossibly cold winters, and summers that are too short. She spends her days with her husband and her two dog pack. (They have assimilated her as one of their own and since she’s the only one with opposable thumbs, have made her their leader.)
When she’s not consumed with creating magical worlds for readers to get lost in, she can be found walking, reading, designing graphics, and creating art in various mediums.
Connect with Ali online
www.aliwinters.com
