Death of Gods (Vampire Crown Book 3)

by Scarlett Dawn

  Lord Otto muttered under his breath, “Fucking finally. That took her long enough to say.”

  Both of my brows rose at my lover. “See? Not everyone is going to be happy with the choice you made. In fact, you may be the only person happy with your actions.”

  “So be it.” King Belshazzar shrugged his left shoulder. “And if you want to charge me with his death, then that is your choice. As it is theirs. See? Honorable. That one I can explain easily enough if you don’t understand how that action is honorable.”

  “Cut the smartass shit,” I muttered, tired.

  He crossed his arms over his chest. Silent.

  Damn. He actually listened.

  I scratched at my cheek with my free hand, while I swung the chain back and forth and watched the amulet swing softly through the air. I did this for a full ten minutes while I processed everything that had happened and all that was said here.

  Eventually, I spoke clearly, “Does anyone want to charge King Belshazzar with Lord Pippin’s death? And before you speak, this will be your official and only statement.”

  Lord Xenon stated, “No, I do not want to charge King Belshazzar for the crime of Lord Pippin’s death.”

  “No, I don’t want to charge King Belshazzar with Lord Pippin’s death,” Lord Cato grumbled in offense.

  Lord Otto stared down at the dead. Tears welled in his eyes and started to fall down his cheeks. He whispered, “Yes, I wish to charge King Belshazzar—”

  I drew my gun and fired before he could damn us all.

  The back of Lord Otto’s head blew off, his brain splattering the bar and wall and liquor bottles. His body tipped backward while a small trail of blood traveled down to his nose from the bitty bullet hole in the center of his forehead. His body landed on top of Lord Pippin with a thump.

  I calmly placed my gun back into my holster and returned my attention to my lover. “You were correct, Bel. No one in this room is innocent.”

  Just like the dead fucking moron who would have killed us all by charging King Belshazzar—and then me having to kill the king since he was guilty as sin. We had to get to S’Kir, survive in S’Kir, and find the Breaker, after all. King Belshazzar was needed for the survival of the druid and vampire factions. He couldn’t be charged with shit…but as their queen, I had to ask.

  Fucking. Idiot.

  King Belshazzar’s lips twitched at the corners. “Lord Xenon and Lord Cato are going to be very busy while we’re gone.”

  “Yes, that is going to be unpleasant for them.” I averted my attention in their direction. Both had utterly blank features, not showing any emotion whatsoever. I cleared my throat, and murmured, “I’m sorry I made your jobs harder. But it had to be done.”

  Lord Xenon jerked and stalked three steps to the pile of dead, and started kicking Lord Otto’s body, again and again, shouting, “You stupid motherfucker! Goddamn piece of shit! Why the fuck did you say that? Oh sure, let’s take away the one man who can save our people? You goddamn moron!”

  I guessed everyone grieved differently.

  Lord Cato lifted a black brow—the bellowing and kicking didn’t stop from the other lord—and stated calmly, “I believe Lord Xenon is upset that we won’t be getting any sleep until you two return.” He lifted his right hand and made a shooing motion at us. “Go. And get back…fast.”

  I nodded and grabbed my backpack full of clothes and weapons that King Belshazzar had instructed I pack. I tossed the Original vampire amulet to King Belshazzar, and he caught it with one hand while bending and grabbing his own backpack. I shoved my arms into the straps of my overloaded pack and adjusted it so it fit properly.

  “Lord Cato, please sign that document and make it official, and put it in the vault,” I ordered.

  “Yes, your majesty.” My father signed as the vampire witness and folded it, placing it in his pocket. “Your signature looks like mine.”

  King Belshazzar and I had hurriedly signed the official document when we’d arrived in the room. I probably should have read over it better since he stuck that ‘children’ rule in there.

  I snorted. “You mean, yours looks like mine?”

  My father simply laughed.

  I muttered, “King Belshazzar, how do we get to S’Kir? Where are we landing at?” Judging by our backpacks, it wouldn’t be luxurious.

  King Belshazzar strolled toward me as he adjusted his own straps on his backpack. “We’re making a pit stop before we travel to S’Kir.”

  My eyes snapped to his. “What?”

  Lord Xenon kicked Lord Otto’s body again.

  “Yes, I agree. What?” Lord Cato growled. “You have to hurry. There is no time for pit stops.”

  King Belshazzar snorted. “It has been three thousand years since I left S’Kir. And language is fluid, ever-changing. While I may be able to communicate with the oldest people there, the queen won’t be able to speak the language at all. We’re going to see Lonzo in Edinburgh first, the druid language expert.”

  My father glared. “Don’t smoke anything there.”

  “I see you’ve met Lonzo before.” The king chuckled softly.

  Lord Cato peered down his nose. “I can’t recall.”

  “I’m sure you can’t,” King Belshazzar droned. He lifted the Original vampire amulet into the air in front of him and glanced down at me. “You’ll need to put your hand on me while I make the portal. The magic will knock you out otherwise.”

  “I already know that.” I sniffed. “And I still don’t want to touch you.”

  His blink was slow. “Excuse me?”

  “I don’t want to touch you. And I don’t want you touching me,” I clarified further. “I am still highly furious with you. Until I start getting some fucking answers from you, it’s hands-off time.”

  The king stared. “I think you’re serious right now.”

  “That’s because I am!” I shrieked, and threw my hands up into the air, my cool mien vanishing. “I killed Lord Otto to save our people. I still don’t know why the fuck you killed Lord Pippin. So I am mad at you! You’re not communicating with me, Bel. I need words that make sense to come out of your mouth at some point. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  Lord Xenon groaned loudly. “Quit fucking arguing and get the job done.”

  King Belshazzar cast a glare over his shoulder. “Shut it. She’s upset.”

  Lord Xenon groaned and turned to my father, bemoaning deeply, “My god. They are going to take forever. We’re going to be sleepless zombies in a war, and they’ll still be arguing in a faraway land. Do something about your daughter. I beg you.”

  Lord Cato snorted. “She has a point. And I’m not stepping into that shit.” He scratched at his cheek. “Unless King Belshazzar hurts her. Then I’ll step in.”

  The king growled under his breath in irritation and then turned his head back in my direction. He tempered his voice, speaking softly, “Gwen, I understand you’re upset. I would be, too, if I were in your shoes. But I’m not sorry that I killed Lord Pippin, and you’ll eventually understand why. I give you my word of honor.”

  I nibbled on my bottom lip and placed my hand on his shoulder. I sucked in a large lungful of air, and stated, “I’m touching you to get a job done. I’m not touching you because I’m happy with you. Understand?”

  He lifted one black eyebrow. “That’s something, I suppose.” The king looked over his shoulder again. “You two should go into another room for this. You won’t be able to handle the power either.”

  The Overlords grumbled quietly, but stepped outside into the Royal hallways and shut the front door behind them.

  King Belshazzar instantly chanted under his breath, and the Original vampire amulet glowed blood red as he started forming a circle in the air, making it wide enough for us to fit through side-by-side. Red flickers flew out of the air wherever the Original vampire amulet went, like the sparks from a welding machine.

  He grinned at his work when he was done, approving of the size.


  I gripped his shoulder tighter with my small hand.

  As one, we stepped through the portal.

  Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

  Firth of Forth

  THE PORTAL CLOSED BEHIND US.

  King Belshazzar’s ice blue eyes surveyed the terrain while he pocketed the Original vampire amulet in his pocket.

  I dropped my hand from the king’s shoulder and scanned the area the same way he was. Trees. Many trees, big and beautiful. And not a human, vampire, or druid in sight. I murmured absently, “I wonder if I kicked one of those amulets in your pants pockets if your dick would blow off. What do you think?”

  “I think you’re a dangerous woman when you’re pissed off.” King Belshazzar marched forward through the underbrush. “Keep up, Gwen. It’s a hike from here.”

  I put my feet into motion, his legs much longer than mine. “Yes, sir, Mr. Secret Keeper, sir.”

  He groaned low in his throat. “Are you going to be doing this the entire way?”

  “Maybe. I haven’t decided yet.” I shrugged my shoulders. I stepped over a fallen log. “So you weren’t saying all that shit about not being able to tell me yet because the Overlords were in the room with us?”

  “No. I really won’t tell you yet.” His lips curved up into a sexy smirk. “It’ll ruin the surprise, little one.”

  I huffed. “I don’t like surprises.”

  “Yes, you do. You haven’t taken off that necklace I gave you since the day I clasped it around your sweet neck.”

  I scowled. “Well, it is pretty.”

  “You think it’s so pretty that you hide it under every top you wear.” Bel chuckled quietly, his tone intimate. “You like having a secret with me.”

  My cheeks heated, a pink blush staining my skin.

  His smile was private as he ran those chilling eyes over my face. “It’s all right, Gwen. I like having a secret with you, too. And I’ll never tell.”

  I hopped over a deep rut in the dirt. “So if you’re not going to tell me the reason why you killed Lord Pippin, which pisses me the fuck off, do you want to talk about this whole children clause you put into the vampire and druid laws?”

  Bel hummed softly. “What do you want to know about it?”

  “I’ll start with a more practical question. Do you realize you just sealed the druids’ fate to always have a vampire ruler? If you had died at some point in the future, a druid could have taken over. Now, it’s set for only a vampire.”

  “Yes, I did realize that.”

  “And you don’t care that you took away that choice from them?”

  “I think I worked three thousand years to get the Original druid amulet back so that our people on Earth could co-mingle without being spurned or killed. I think I will raise my children to have the same opinions I do, with safety and love and justice in their hearts. And my children will be physically strong and magically powerful. They will be more than any other druid or vampire. What kind of magic they hold shouldn’t matter as long as they are the best rulers that the people can have. My children will be that.”

  I lifted my brows high on my forehead. “How do you know your children will be more?”

  Bel’s eyes caught mine. He didn’t flinch. “Because I am more, Gwen. You know this.”

  I shrugged one shoulder. “I just wanted to hear you verify it.”

  “You are so adorable. And a little annoying.”

  “And you’re still on my shit list.”

  Bel snickered. “Doo-ly noted.”

  I blinked. “That was bad. Don’t try that again.”

  “Not funny?”

  “Not in the slightest.” I sighed and stared up at the limbs shading us from the sun of a brand new day. “On to the personal question now. You obviously plan to have children with me at some point. How do you think that’s going to happen? Natural relationship? Artificial insemination? Surrogate? What’s going on inside that head of yours?”

  His lips twitched. “If you really knew what I was thinking about right now, you’d be blushing again.”

  I whapped his chest with the back of my hand. “Stay on track. I know you at least heard what I said while porno was playing in your mind.”

  “Don’t ruin my fun, little one. We’re walking by some sturdy trees. I could pound into you—”

  “Stop.” I shook my head. “Remember, we’re hands off until you start spilling more of your personal details.”

  The tips of his lips curved down in an honest frown. “All right. If that’s what you wish. I can wait for you to be ready.”

  I shook my head, and mumbled, “Every time you say that it hits me in the gut. I’ve never met anyone like you before, Bel. And I’m not just talking about your sexy horns either.”

  His frown disappeared in an instant, and his chest puffed up more than a little. My lover peeked down at me, and asked, “You think my horns are sexy?”

  “They’re fucking hot,” I stated honestly.

  One black eyebrow lifted, and he purred, “How hot?”

  “I’ve imagined myself riding you hard while I hold on to those sexy as fuck—” I cut myself off and hissed deep inside my chest. “You never answered my question about the children. Quit trying to distract me. We’re getting close to the city, and if I can hear it, you certainly can too.”

  His pants were a bit snugger in the crotch area, and his breathing was a smidge labored. Bel rumbled, “I want to hear more about your fantasy.”

  “Not going to happen right now. I asked you first.”

  The beast that lurked inside him growled.

  “Nope. That’s not going to work either.” I snorted.

  My lover glowered. “Yes, I do want children with you at some point in my life. Not any time soon. But…at some point. We would make sweet, beautiful babies together.”

  I shook my head and chuckled, dumbfounded and confused. “Well, we know what they would look like.”

  Bel’s lips twitched. “Indeed.”

  I swept my eyes up to his, and asked seriously, “Are you saying you want us to be mated and have children together, Bel?”

  “Would it scare you if I said that?”

  “Fuck yes, it would.”

  My lover hummed under his breath. “Do you want me to lie to you to make you feel better or do you want me to tell you the truth?”

  “The truth. I think.” I bent and grabbed a leaf off the ground and pinched the stem. Lost in my thoughts, I twirled it between my fingers. “Actually, don’t answer. Either way I look at it, I don’t think I’m ready for the answer.”

  He leaned down and kissed the top of my head. “I know, little one. It’s all right.”

  I squinted in his direction. “I let that kiss slide, you know.”

  “If you say so.” Bel’s deep chuckle tickled my ears.

  I whacked his chest again for good measure.

  He snickered harder. “Fucking adorable.”

  I flashed my fangs in his direction but quickly simmered down when I saw humans. A playground was in full use right outside the forested area. I sighed and pointed a finger. “You can’t tell me you really want one of those. Look at that little boy running around and yanking the other kids’ underwear up their ass cracks—”

  “I believe they call that a wedgie.”

  “All right, a wedgie. How undignified is that?” I exclaimed. “That child’s poor parent has to be embarrassed.”

  Bel’s lips twitched at the corners. “I think you forget I saw you for a time when you were still living with your parents at the stronghold. I remember one instance with porridge that was quite memorable. The managers use that story as a warning to new employees to this day.”

  I stared straight ahead, sputtering, “They do not!”

  “They do. I promise you.” He shook his head of long black hair, the slight breeze ruffling it. “How did you get into the kitchen anyway? No one has ever been able to figure it out.”

  My grin was tiny. “You keep your secrets, I’
ll keep mine.”

  He grunted. “Very mature, Gwen.”

  I giggled as we passed the playground. “You can say whatever you want. I’m still not going to tell.”

  Frustration flickered in his eyes. “And you call me cruel? There’s a reward for anyone who can figure it out. Every year, a little money is put into a reward account. I think it’s up to six hundred dollars now.”

  My head tipped back, and laughter danced past my lips. “I’m not going to let you cheat. That’s not right.”

  He shrugged his shoulders and adjusted his backpack, the sidewalk much smoother to walk on with our bulky loads than a forest floor. Bel grumbled, “Fine. I’ll figure it out one day.”

  “Where exactly are we going in Edinburgh?” I surveyed the morning joggers and people rushing in their cars, late for work. The architecture was absolutely darling, new and old structures smashed together for a creative smorgasbord of style. “I’ve never been here before. This is new for me.”

  “Lonzo lives on a busy street full of retail shops. That’s where we’re headed.”

  “Does he know we’re coming?” I asked.

  “No,” Bel stated very slowly and rubbed at his bristly chin with the palm of his hand. “He and I had a small argument the last time we saw each other. I doubt we’ll be welcome.”

  “Small argument?” I lifted a brow.

  We both curved around a woman with a steaming cup of coffee gripped in her right hand and two leashes for her rowdy dogs in the other. The lady must have been trying to get burned. That was a bad decision altogether.

  Bel teetered his right hand in front him. “He…may…have lost an arm somewhere in the middle of our argument. It was about a hundred years ago. Not long enough for him to forget.”

  I shook my head in exasperation and asked in a voice full of doubt, “Are you sure he’ll help us?”

  “If he doesn’t do it willingly, I’ll make him.”

  “That’s the team spirit.” I sniffed. “I don’t have many changes of clothes in my backpack. I ended up bringing more weapons than garments. So make sure to keep the splatter away from me.”