The Chalice (Luna Vampire Series)

by Christine Asher

  Crap! I'd get burned to shit if I tried to attack him through that blaze. In a rush, my eyes scanned the area, searching for any course of action that might help me. And the instant they landed on the pond, I knew it was the answer. Sopping wet clothing should keep the flames from burning me as badly, right? I guess we'd see.

  Within seconds, I'd used the sole of my shoe to stamp a hole in the icy shallows. Then I did a polar bear plunge into the frigid water. In spite of my teeth's nearly immediate chattering, I continued to flail about until prickling dampness completely saturated every inch of me.

  By the time I got back to Tsedaka, my hood clung frozen to my hair and my hands were so numb that I could barely hold onto the sword. I hurried, understanding that I was well on my way to hyperthermia. And, besides, if I pondered my crazy strategy of jumping headlong into the flames too much, I'd probably talk myself out of it. So, without more deliberation, I pulled the hood tightly over my face and leaped forward.

  Steam broiled into the air as the fire rapidly defrosted my cloak. Meanwhile, the skin of my hands started to sizzle. I cringed at the pain and, even though fabric blocked my vision, I firmly gripped the sword. I held it baseball bat style, similar to when I'd decapitated Isabella. Then I aimed at the area I assumed to be his neck and swung.

  Thankfully, my sword met its mark. Right away, the flames dissipated and I let out a sigh of relief. He couldn't hurt me anymore. Mind quivering in shock, I stared down at his crumpled remains. Blood spurted from his neck and his severed head, well, it was freakishly disturbing. The eyes were the worst, glossed over and empty.

  Unlike with Isabella, I couldn't afford to take any chances. Merely stabbing his heart wouldn't work; I had to ensure that he was gone for good. So, I rolled him onto his back and used my sword to slice apart his rib cage. It took a lot of effort, even with my vampire strength. Regardless, I reached my hand into his chest and separated the heart from its enclosure of thick veins with a hasty tug. Needless to say, I nearly barfed my guts up.

  In the face of my total disgust, I somehow kept time suspended while I retraced my steps toward the warmth of the underground. I thought I'd better carry along proof of Tsedaka's demise, so I held his heart in my right hand and his head in my left. Consequently, a light trickle of blood dotted the path behind me as I walked. Grimacing, I tried my best to ignore it by focusing on the positives. My lunatic of a father was dead. No more running. No more hiding. And no more fighting.

  Curiously, throughout all my traipsing around, I never caught sight of William. However, when I was almost to the main entrance I ran smack-dab into Petrus. As a result, I plopped the head and heart onto the ground. And, seeing as I'd ditched my sword back by the old man's body, I retrieved Petrus's gun. Then, unscrupulously, I targeted the precise spot in which he'd shot Lucien and pulled the trigger.

  I'm sure I could've tracked down a sword to finish the job but, for some reason, my soul balked at making the kill. So much death had occurred already, too much in fact. All unneeded. Now that Petrus's sire ceased to exist, he didn't have to follow orders. Maybe, if I gave him a second chance, he'd turn over a new leaf. On the flipside, maybe not. Either way, I was simply unable to bring about more death.

  Weariness seeped into me as I reentered the main hall, Tsedaka's head and heart in tow. My sluggishness notwithstanding, I climbed the platform and positioned myself in front of the throne. Shortly thereafter, I released my control over time. With a show of confidence, I held Tsedaka's remains high in the air and bellowed, "I am queen now, truly queen. The fighting has ended."

  Hundreds of startled eyes stared up at me in confusion, the room instantaneously quieting. And, of course, it took the crowd a little while to process the sight. Tsedaka's dripping body parts, my half burnt clothing, the crimson stains across the white material of my cloak. Nevertheless, within minutes the entire crowd was bowing, including my men.

  Lucien's reactions were easy to read, his pride and relief flooding our bond. Adrian's, on the other hand, weren't as deeply ingrained within my psyche. His face appeared to be relieved on the surface, but a telltale whisper of uneasiness rested in the set of his lips. Perhaps it had something to do with my unabashed disregard for his orders. Who knows. Whatever the reason, I'd stress over it later.

  You see, killing Tsedaka was just the first part of my plan. I still needed to deliver the news. Inhaling deeply, I summoned the remnants of my strength and envisioned my mind connecting with all the American vampires. I'd inadvertently done this before during my haphazard ecstasy trip, although, I only hoped I'd be able to repeat it now.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated, acknowledging the silence that surrounded me. Quiet, so quiet I could hear people breathing. I struggled, sweat accumulating on my brow. Nothing. Expectations. Pressure. And, truthfully, I was preparing to toss in the towel when I finally perceived the ethereal white strands beginning to attach my consciousness to others.

  It started with Lucien and Adrian, then those closest to the stage. Temples throbbing. The strain escalating. Yet, instinct guided me to push myself out, further and further. One last surge and the preternatural filaments extended to everyone on the property.

  I'd intended on merging with each vampire in the country, except intuition warned me against pressing on. I'd already spread myself extremely thin and I doubted my body could endure much more. These souls would have to do; they were the most crucial anyway.

  Refusing to squander another second, I moved into their minds. I compelled them to relive the memory of Tsedaka's death through my eyes, how I'd experienced it. The manipulation of time, the shield of fire, the beheading, and the unpleasant sensation of removing his heart.

  "My father is dead," I thought to them. "As his sole heir, I am queen. I order each of you to lay down your weapons. There will be no more fighting. Those who aren't from sector six are to return to sector one immediately and await my instructions. You've got a half hour to vacate the property. After which, I'll freeze the world again and execute any dissenters on site."

  As soon as I finished the message I pulled myself back, severing the white light strands. And, despite my energy's prompt decline, I wrapped myself in a façade of strength. Unsympathetically, I discarded Tsedaka's bloody remains onto the floor, making it clear he didn't deserve the slightest bit of kindness. Then I returned to the throne with a tenacious swagger.

  Sitting tall, I forced myself to exude the pride and confidence of a queen. My people needed to see me strong. Granted, I had no idea what tomorrow would bring or even the next couple of hours. Still, there were a few certainties. The battle was over. And, amidst my withdrawal from everyone's minds, I'd sensed their deep-seated fear of me. They recognized the power I wielded and knew I could take their lives just as easily as I'd taken Tsedaka's. This meant that his guards would follow my orders, for now at least.

  And above all else, I understood that this wasn't the end of my story. But only the beginning of my new life, the life of the great vampire queen...

  Look for Book 2 of the Luna Vampire Series, The Great Queen, in the Spring of 2012.