“How do you know this is true?”
“She told me.” Alex grimaced.“She’s proud of it and thinks it justifies all she’s done. She actually thought it would sway me to her cause.”
“I’ll give you two some time to talk.” Tristan pressed a kiss into Lucette’s hair, and she was about to object, but then realized having this talk with Tristan around wasn’t fair to Alex. He clearly wanted to talk to her about this in private, and now that she knew they were family . . . no wonder she’d felt a connection to him, but hadn’t fallen in love.
Tristan headed for the stairs.
“Wait,” she said. “Which of my parents’ rooms are you going to guard?”
He grinned. “I don’t have to choose.”
“Why not?” Her heart rate sped up. Had her mother moved to her grandfather’s estate in the country? Or worse, had something happened to one of her parents?
“Because they’re in the same room,” Tristan said.
Happiness burst inside Lucette. “How did that happen?”
“I talked them into it.” He grinned. “They were resistant, but I told them how much harder it was to keep them both safe if they were separated.”
“Oh, thank you!” Lucette flung herself into Tristan’s arms. “I know it doesn’t mean they’ll patch things up, but that they’re willing to be in the same room, even while sleeping, makes me so happy.”
He gave her a squeeze. “I’m glad. Now, let me go check on them.” Tristan winked as he left.
Lucette turned to Alex. “It really is good to see you. I missed you.” She sat down in one of the chairs, and gestured for him to sit in another.
“I missed you, too.” Alex sat down beside her. “I was angry when I left, but I was mostly hurt, and I think deep down I knew that we were never meant to fall in love.”
“Especially now that we know we’re cousins.” She grimaced.
“Yeah, there is that.” He let out a short laugh.“Of course, my mother doesn’t seem to think that’s an obstacle.”
“Really?”
“She has this warped idea that after she crushes your parents, she’ll bend you to her will, and then suddenly you’ll want to be a vampire and join our royal family.”
“Why would she think that?”
“Because she’s crazy and desperate to have everyone bow down at her feet.” He wrinkled his nose.“Once she gains control, she wants to be the sole leader of Sanguinia. She’s planning to abolish the democratic council of generals we’ve had for centuries.”
Lucette shuddered. “What does she plan to do to my parents?”
“I’m not sure.” He seemed as if he might be hiding something. Still, in spite of Tristan’s reservations, she felt sure she could trust Alex.
She put her hand on Alex’s arm. “Well, whatever it is, we’ve got to stop her. You’ll help, won’t you? I mean, I can understand if you don’t want to. She is your mother.”
“And your aunt.”
Lucette raised an eyebrow and shook her head as she pondered that unwanted reality. To think her own aunt had cursed her to torture her sister and ex-boyfriend. It made the curse so much worse knowing it had started over nothing but petty jealousy and a desire for revenge.
Three nights later, Lucette and Tristan were sitting next to a vase of roses and guarding her parents’ room when Alex sauntered down the corridor toward them. Lucette sprang to her feet to hug him.
Tristan shook Alex’s hand. “Hey, thanks for coming. Any news from the other side?”
Her joy at seeing the two of them on friendly terms faded quickly. Alex looked grim.
“My mother’s gaining support. More and more vampires consider Xandra the enemy now, and she’s impatient. She might not need to wait for your dad to declare war. She can’t believe that Xandra’s”—he turned to Lucette—“that you’ve held out so long. Given all the slayings, more vampires are now out for Xandran blood and she doesn’t even need to pay some to risk their lives.” He looked down. “Her lust for vengeance scares me.”
“It’s been quiet tonight,” Tristan said. “I know it’s early, but not a peep.”
“I’ll take a walk around the roof to see if I can spot any vampires,” Alex said.
“No, I’ll go.” Tristan reached for his hood.
“No.” Lucette took Tristan’s hand. “You guard my parents.” Because of Alex’s no-fighting rule, she felt more comfortable leaving Tristan in charge of protecting her parents. “I’ll go with Alex. I could use the fresh air.”
Tristan’s jaw twitched. He was clearly not happy with the idea.
“I’ll be fine,” she told him. “Alex and I haven’t had much time to talk since he came back and we found out we’re cousins.”
Tristan paused for a moment, then bent down to kiss her. “Be careful.” He looked over to Alex. “Keep her safe.”
Alex stepped forward. “I kept her safe for weeks before you even showed up.”
Lucette feared they’d start another fight, but Tristan raised his palm toward Alex. “I know. Thank you.”
Alex seemed tense. “Are you okay?” she asked. Neither of her parents was perfect by any means, but she couldn’t imagine how Alex felt. Even though she sometimes got mad at her parents, she loved them and would be devastated to learn so many horrible things about them. What they’d done paled in comparison to the vampire queen’s crimes.
Alex looked around the next corner to check for vampires and then motioned her forward. “I always knew my mom hated Xandra—it’s why I snuck over here a few times as a kid. I wanted to see for myself what it was she found so despicable.”
“And what was your assessment?” She opened the door that led to the stairs to the roof.
“Other than the fact that you wanted to kill me with a twig?” He grinned and knocked her hip with his. “Seriously, I didn’t know what to think. I saw vampires being killed by your slayer army nearly every night.” He shook his head. “Even if they were feeding from humans, they didn’t deserve that.”
“I see that now.” She was ashamed at how her country had reacted to the vampires. “But really, it was your mother who started it all.”
Alex reached the top of the stairs and turned toward her. “Your mother, too. If she’d just invited her sister to the party.” His jaw hardened.
“Do you really think that would have changed things?”
Alex shook his head and squeezed his lips together. “I don’t know.”
They stepped onto the roof, and the night air felt fabulous on Lucette’s skin and in her lungs, and even if it was dangerous to be outside, she was glad she’d joined Alex. She needed to get fresh air more often.
“So, how goes the curse-breaking?” Alex asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t get it, I really don’t. The fairy queen told me I’d know how to prove my love when the time came, but I don’t. I have no idea.”
“Maybe you don’t really love him,” Alex said softly, his eyes trained on the village around them.
She grabbed his wrist. “I do love Tristan! I really do, with all my heart. I’ve loved him since I was thirteen.”
Alex backed away, but he didn’t look hurt or angry, just thoughtful and uncomfortable. He jammed both hands into the pockets of his hooded jacket. “Lucette, I hate to suggest this, but maybe it’s Tristan who doesn’t love you.”
She shook her head sharply. “No, he does. I’m sure.” But doubt prickled inside her.
Alex tipped his head to the side, and one of his fangs scraped along his lower lip in the way it did when he was deep in thought or not sure what to say. “Has he mentioned marriage?”
She took a step back, dangerously close to the roof’s edge. “I’m only sixteen!”
“That’s when your mom got married, though, right?” He pulled her away from the edge and put his hand on her shoulder. “What if that’s how you’re supposed to prove your love?”
Every nerve in Lucette’s body tingled, but she wasn’t sure if it was in fear or anticipation. Ma
rry Tristan? She wanted that someday, sure, but didn’t feel ready right now. She was way too young.
But if Alex was right and marriage was the key to proving her love, it might lift the curse and save her kingdom. Maybe it was her duty to marry young. But the fairy queen had said she’d know how to prove her love. If marriage was the answer, why wasn’t she certain? Instead, the suggestion made her uncomfortable and nervous.
Her throat closed up and her heart ached. What if she didn’t love Tristan enough? What if their love wasn’t true?
Alex squeezed her arm. “Listen. I don’t see any vampires approaching. Why don’t you go back up to your room in the tower? I’ll relieve Tristan and tell him where you are. I promise I won’t let any harm come to your parents. You should talk to Tristan, at least see what he thinks.”
Lucette’s cheeks burned. But if marriage was the way to prove her love, Alex was right. She had to at least discuss it with Tristan, and maybe as they talked, what she should do would become clear.
Lucette paced the space in front of the glass partition dividing the tower room. How could she even raise the subject of marriage with Tristan? Was she supposed to propose?
And what if Alex mentioned his idea to Tristan? It might save her the terror of proposing, but the thought of the two of them discussing her made her feel worse.
The straps from her bow and quiver felt heavy against her chest, as if they were choking her, so she removed her weapons and set them near the door. Hands clammy, she rubbed her palms on her legs and bent over, hoping to gather her composure before Tristan arrived.
Suddenly, the door thudded open behind her. It struck the stone wall, and six hulking vampires burst into the room.
Six vampires? Lucette doesn’t have a chance!
To find out what happens next, turn to section 9: At War (page 291).
Section 9
AT WAR
Lucette lunged for her weapons, but the vampires were faster. One of them picked up her quiver and brought it down over his leg, snapping all her stakes at once.
Weaponless, she ran at the vampires and leaped into the air. She delivered a kick, striking one vampire in the gut. But as she landed, another grabbed her from behind and ran his fangs down her neck, scraping her skin. “I’ll bet you’re real tasty,” he said menacingly.
Lucette thrashed and squirmed, trying every trick she knew to break free, but the vampire pulled her arms behind her back and lifted her off the ground. Her shoulders burned with pain, but still she kicked, trying her best to make contact with one of the vampires, any one.
“Is this the princess?” a tall, dark-haired vampire asked.
“She’s awake. Must be,” a blond one replied. “I can’t wait for a bite.”
“Careful,” said the dark-haired one, who seemed to be the leader. “Two bites, max. If we kill her before getting her back to Sanguinia for conversion, the queen will kill us.”
The one holding her grazed his fangs along her neck again, and she strained to get away.
“Don’t bite now,” the leader said. “It’s too big a risk. Tie her up, and we’ll flip later to decide who gets to drink.”
Lucette kicked with all her might, wriggling under the hold of the strong vampire, but she couldn’t get free.
They quickly bound her in ropes, securing the knots tightly, and she twisted and pulled against the ropes, but it was no use.
“Let’s get going,” said the leader. “We can get her back to Sanguinia well before dawn.”
The door burst open and Tristan appeared, his slayer hood on, his crossbow cocked and loaded. He pulled the trigger without hesitating. Thwack ! An arrow punctured the leg of the blond vampire, who fell, groaning in pain.
In an instant, Tristan reloaded the crossbow and aimed at the dark-haired leader, but another vampire swung his arm at Tristan and knocked the crossbow off target. Tristan reached for a stake, but three vampires pounced on him at once. He spun and kicked, landing his boot hard on one vampire’s chest.
Lucette struggled against her ropes. They burned and dug into her skin. The dark-haired leader lifted her with one arm and pressed his fangs against her neck.
“Surrender or I’ll kill her,” he said to Tristan.
“No!” Lucette yelled. “Don’t believe him. They won’t kill me. They have orders to take me to the queen for conversion.” A horrible thought, but it might just save her life and, more importantly, Tristan’s. One more bite and he was dead.
The vampire leader laughed. “Doesn’t mean I won’t take a nice long drink first.” He ran his tongue over his yellow fangs. “And my only loyalty to our queen is the money she’s paying. If your boyfriend doesn’t drop his weapons, I’ll rip out both of your throats. Not even our surgeons can save you from that.”
Lucette gasped. She heard wood clattering against the stone floor. Tristan had dropped his weapons and lifted his hands in surrender.
The vampires laughed. One of them grabbed Tristan’s arms from behind, twisting them up and back. His face distorted in obvious pain, but he didn’t cry out.
The dark-haired vampire sauntered around Tristan, bending in to sniff every so often. “You look strong for a human,” he said. “I’ll bet you taste good. Potent.” Tension built as he toyed with Tristan, toyed with her, and Lucette tried to guess what the vampires would do next. It felt as if hours passed, but she knew it had been less than a minute.
The lead vampire lunged, pulling Tristan’s head back to expose his throat.
“No!” she yelled. “Don’t! Drink from me instead!”
“Lucette, no!” Tristan shouted.
The dark-haired vampire drew his fangs away from Tristan’s neck. “What makes you think I won’t drink from you both?”
“Drink from me first, then. All of you.” She struggled against her bindings. Maybe if she let them all drink, they’d get full and lose interest in Tristan.
“No,” Tristan said. “Take me.”
The vampire smiled. “Aw, isn’t this sweet?” He slammed Tristan’s head into the wall, and he fell to the floor in an unconscious heap.
“Tristan!” Lucette tried to see if he was okay, but the five uninjured vampires were blocking her sightline with evil, hungry grins on their faces, while the injured blond one was struggling to pull Tristan’s arrow out of his leg.
“Perhaps we should all take a sip of blood, since she’s offered us such a polite invitation.” The dark-haired one sauntered forward. “What do you think?”
“Just get it over with,” Lucette said. If this was the way she’d die, so be it. At least it gave Tristan a chance.
Blood rushed through her head so fast and hard she could hear it, but the knowledge that she was doing the right thing, the only thing, that she was saving Tristan, erased her fear. The vampire’s teeth moved to her throat and hovered over the surface, his warm breath moistening her skin.
“Let her go!” Someone shouted from the doorway.
Hope returned as Alex leaped into the room and dove for the vampire who was about to strike. The vampire dropped Lucette, but first his sharp fangs pierced her skin, and twin lines of blood trailed down her neck from the wound.
Just then, one of the doors to the slayers’ cases burst open. Then another. And another.
They were awake.
Alex drove a stake through the shoulder of the vampire he’d tackled, and from where he lay on the floor, he turned to kick the leader. The rest of the slayers emerged from their cases, weapons raised, and using quick, practiced motions, they knocked two vampires to the floor.
Lucette’s heart burst with joy. They’d done it! By offering their lives for each other, she and Tristan had proven their love, and the curse had lifted. But the battle was far from over, and the slayers and vampires fought ferociously.
Lucette struggled against her bindings. She had to get to Tristan. He drowsily lifted his head from the floor, and her heart swelled. He was alive. The blond vampire, his leg now free of the arrow, lunged for Tristan,
fangs forward. But quick as lightning, Alex grabbed one of Tristan’s stakes and drove it into the attacking vampire’s back—a death stroke to the heart.
All of his team down, the lead vampire raced for the stairs to flee, and one of the recently woken slayers raised his stake over another injured vampire’s chest.
“Stop!” Lucette shouted. “Don’t kill him! Take him prisoner, arrest him, deport him—but don’t kill him.”
The slayer paused, and the vampire took advantage and kicked the slayer. But instead of continuing his attack, the vampire raced for the stairs after the leader, holding his wounded shoulder.
The slayers circled Alex and Tristan, clearly confused.
Tristan still looked woozy from his head injury, but he lifted his hand as he pulled himself up to sit. “Guys, you know me.” He pulled off his hood. “And this guy is a vampire, but he’s also a friend. You saw how he just saved me. Ask the princess.”
“He’s an ally,” Lucette confirmed as a slayer cut her bindings.
She rushed over and dove into Tristan’s arms. “I thought they were going to kill you.”
“I couldn’t die.” Tristan kissed her. “That would mean leaving you.” Lucette hugged him, then turned to place a quick kiss on Alex’s cheek. “Thank you. You saved Tristan’s life.”
“No,” Alex said. “You saved both of your lives by putting him before yourself.”
Warmth flooded through her, and she leaned into Tristan, so happy that she could barely speak. But there would be time for hugs later. Right now, she needed to see if her parents were okay.
Queen Natasha struck Ivan across the face and the tall, dark-haired vampire flew into a wall. She smiled at his pain.
Even better, this fool had confirmed that the curse had lifted and she could finally cross into Xandra. But merely killing Catia and Stefan wouldn’t do. She wanted to see them suffer, to lose everything they held dear. She’d make them beg to die.
“How did this happen?” Natasha roared.
Ivan shrunk toward the floor. “We were outnumbered.”
Sleeping Beauty Page 23
