“I didn’t,” I replied. Normally I would have left it at that, but since he seemed to like my comebacks enough to consider a bargain, it might be best to throw in another as well. “We can’t all be omniscient like you.”
“It would hardly be fun if everyone were, now would it?” he asked, although the question was clearly rhetorical. “Well, let me enlighten you about my friend. She has a gift as rare as mine—she’s an inventor. She can invent a spell or potion for anything. But her price is steep. She loves memories, and she’s been bragging about how she acquired all of those memories at once for centuries. It’ll be exciting to tell her that I acquired a lifetime of memories tonight. There’s so much value in memories—so many experiences to learn from. People don’t cherish their own memories nearly enough.” He traced a finger along my jaw, but I backed away, refusing to be coaxed into giving in.
“I cherish mine.” I crossed my arms and glared at him. “There has to be something else you want.”
He tilted his head, as if contemplating it. “Now that you mention it, there is one other thing I want,” he said.
“What?” I asked.
“Something that belongs to you and you alone, that you’ve never given to anyone before.”
“That’s vague.” I rolled my eyes. “Care to be more specific?”
“I knew I liked you!” He smirked again and snapped his fingers. “But I’d prefer not to tell you any more until you agree to the deal.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, considering his words. Something that belonged to me and me alone could easily be my memories. The fae were tricky creatures. They were unable to lie, but they were talented at skirting around the truth. I needed to make sure I wouldn’t be giving him the very thing I’d already refused.
“You’re not referring to any of my memories?” I asked him. “Or my soul?”
“No.” He stepped closer, so he was towering over me. “I promise I’m not asking for your memories or your soul.”
“Good to know,” I said. If he wasn’t referring to my memories or soul, he must be referring to an object I owned. Unless…
“Do you promise that what you take from me won’t harm me in any way?”
“You will not be harmed,” he replied. “I have no desire to harm you.”
“Good.” I nodded, relieved that if I agreed, he wouldn’t be walking away with one of my fingers or eyeballs or something. “Is it an object?”
“Camelia, Camelia,” he said my name like a song. “I didn’t want to tell you more, and yet I’ve answered two of your questions. You may have enraptured me, but let’s not be too greedy now—especially since this is my second and final offer. If you want to know about this sapphire ring as badly as you claim, you’ll agree to the deal. And if you don’t… then I’ll get on my way. Although I don’t think Queen Laila will be pleased when she breeds you and discovers you’ve promised your first born child to the fae, now will she?”
I clenched my fists at the word breeds, anger rushing through my veins at the reminder of the future Queen Laila intended for me. He’d known while making that first deal with me that it would become leverage for him, and I’d fallen right into his trap.
This deal with Prince Devyn was also my key to freedom. I’d known a deal with the fae wouldn’t be easy. But this had to be better than giving up my memories… right?
“Fine.” I spoke quickly, not wanting to give myself time to talk myself out of this. “I agree to your deal.”
“Wonderful.” He walked over to a nearby rock, sitting down and patting a nearly identical rock next to him. “I invite you to take a seat to hear the answers to your questions. This story is a long one.”
I joined him, and he told me everything.
Camelia
“I can’t believe it,” I said, my mind blown with everything he’d told me. “I underestimated that conniving little blood slave.”
“You did,” he agreed. “But I wouldn’t give her too much credit. Geneva did most of the work.”
“I suppose she did.” I stood up, brushed off my skirt, and picked up my pack. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a sapphire ring to retrieve.”
I visualized the palace in preparation to teleport there, but when I tried to leave, nothing happened.
“My powers.” I stared at my hand and flexed it, then looked at Prince Devyn in horror. “You took my powers.”
“Relax.” He leaned back and looked at me, seeming mighty comfortable on that rock. “I didn’t take your powers.”
“Then how come I can’t transport myself back to the palace?”
“Because our deal has yet to be fulfilled,” he said. “Once it is, you’ll be free to leave.”
“Great.” I rubbed my hands together, eager to get out of here and back home. Laila was going to be thrilled when I told her what I knew. “Go get whatever it is of mine you need, and I’ll be on my way.”
“There’s nowhere for me to go.” He stood up, gazing down at me so intensely that my breath caught in my chest. “What I’m taking is right here.”
“What is it?” I gulped, fear settling over me at how little I knew about my side of our agreement.
He’d known that mentioning Laila’s plan to breed me would set me off, and I’d fallen into his game. Of course he’d known. He was omniscient.
He’d probably even known that I was going to turn down his first offer and accept his second. Yet, he’d asked for my memories anyway.
Why would he have done that, except for his own entertainment?
“There’s no need to be scared.” He stepped forward and moved my hair away from my face. For a moment I thought he was going to kiss me, but he brushed his cheek against mine, his lips hovering near my ear. “What I’ll be taking from you is far more precious than your memories, your soul, or even your powers.” His voice was low and husky, and he traced his thumb along my arm, causing me to shiver.
I tried to pull away, but his hand found mine, and he held me in place. I realized now, from the hungry way he looked at me, that I’d underestimated him. The fae were beautiful and charming, but they were also dangerous.
I was starting to regret coming here in the first place.
“Tell me.” I leaned back to look at him, and it took everything in me to keep my voice from shaking. “What do I owe you?”
“Something you’ll find much pleasure in giving me.” He entwined his fingers with mine, his eyes dilating as he gazed down at me. “Your virginity.”
Annika
I was going to tell Jacen the truth.
I’d been unable to sleep all night, my mind swirling with the possibilities of what might happen. I’d contemplating discussing it with Geneva, but opted against it. This was my decision, and mine alone. She didn’t know Jacen like I did. Plus, she had an inherent dislike for vampires. She would try to talk me out of my plan.
But I knew better. If I didn’t come clean to Jacen now, I would never forgive myself. I was already regretting not coming clean last night, when the opportunity had presented itself.
After all, he’d told me himself—the two of us were on the same side. He wanted to bring change to the Vale. If I’d come to him to begin with, we could have worked together to make that happen.
This all would have been a lot easier with Jacen by my side.
As for my lying to him… once I told him my side of the story—once I explained what I’d seen in the Omniscient Crystal—he had to understand. Everything I’ve seen of Jacen has shown me that he’s open minded and willing to listen to those around him.
Once I told him the truth and apologized for lying to him, we would figure out how to proceed… together.
I’d downed the morning potion provided by Geneva—the one to give me vampire strength and change my appearance—and had just finished getting ready when there was a knock on the door. Tess. She came to get me every morning to escort me to breakfast. The princesses always ate breakfast with Jacen, although the conversation rarely strayed fro
m chitchat. The deeper stuff had only come out once I was alone with him.
Since Princess Karina would also be at breakfast, I would wait to the end of the meal to request to speak with Jacen alone. I couldn’t wait any longer than that.
The less time I waited, the more likely he would be to forgive me.
The knock sounded again, louder this time.
“Coming,” I called to Tess, running a brush through my hair one last time.
Geneva was already back in bed as I headed out the door. The witch sure did love her beauty sleep.
Tess walked me down the hall, barely looking at me. Strange. Normally we at least exchanged pleasantries.
Something must be wrong.
“Is everything okay?” I asked her.
“Yes.” She glanced at me, quickly facing forward again. “Why do you ask?”
“You’re just quieter than normal, that’s all,” I said, since if she was going through something in her personal life, I didn’t want to pry. “I hope you know that if you ever need to talk with someone about something—about anything—I’m here to listen.”
“Thank you.” She nodded and picked up her pace. Her focus remained straight ahead, and she only slowed once we reached the breakfast room. “I’m sorry,” she said before resting her hand on the doorknob, still looking anywhere but at my face.
“About what?” I’d never seen her act this way, and unease rose in my stomach. What could she possibly have to apologize for?
“Nothing.” She shook off whatever she was about to say and met my eyes with a smile. “Enjoy your breakfast.”
I entered the breakfast room, and guards immediately surrounded me, grabbing my wrists and cuffing them behind my back.
Annika
I screamed and tried to run, but it was no use. There were three guards—large guards—and one of me. And with my hands cuffed behind my back, I couldn’t reach for Geneva’s sapphire ring tucked in the hidden pocket of my underwear.
“What are you doing?” I asked the guard in front of me, still squirming in an attempt to break free. “Where’s Jacen?”
“Prince Jacen is in the throne room.” He snarled, and a guard behind me tightened the cuffs.
I didn’t know what these cuffs were made of, but they certainly weren’t regular metal. My vampire strength could have broken through that in a second.
These cuffs were designed for supernaturals.
“Does the prince know what you’re doing to me?” I straightened and met his gaze, trying to look intimidating despite the fear clawing at my heart. Jacen wouldn’t have ordered this. Just last night he’d said he wanted to marry me. This must be someone else’s doing.
Only one name came to mind—Laila.
Somehow, she must have found her proof that the Seventh Kingdom didn’t exist.
“Of course he does,” the guard said. “Stop asking questions and come with us.”
I tugged at the handcuffs again, so hard that they cut into my skin, but it was no use. Whatever they were made of was too strong for me to break.
“Take me to Jacen,” I ordered as the guards tied a rope around me and pulled me into the hall—as if I were cattle. I looked around for Tess, but she was gone.
She must have known this was going to happen to me. That was why she’d been acting so strangely.
“I need to see the prince,” I repeated. “Now.”
“Shut your trap,” the main guard said.
His minions pulling the rope gave it a yank, so hard that it knocked the wind out of me. I stumbled to the ground, but they pulled me back up, forcing me to continue forward.
Soon we reached the throne room. The guards pushed the doors open, hauling me inside.
Jacen and Laila were seated on the thrones, and Karina stood by Jacen’s side. She rested her hand on his shoulder—a gigantic diamond ring gleamed on her finger. He refused to meet my eyes.
Camelia stood next to Laila, and she stepped forward when I arrived. “Finally,” she said, as if they’d been waiting for me for hours. “The imposter princess has decided to grace us with her presence.”
“I’m not an imposter.” I held her gaze with mine. “Uncuff me at once.”
Once they did, I could reach for Geneva’s ring and have her take me far away from here. I just needed them to take off the cuffs.
Otherwise, I was dead meat.
“We checked her when we cuffed her,” the main guard said to the queen. “She’s not wearing a sapphire ring.”
I gaped at his words, and it felt like the ceiling was falling down on me. How did they know about the ring?
This was far worse than I’d thought.
“It must be in her quarters,” Laila said. “Send guards to find it. Don’t stop until it’s been located.”
He removed the walkie-talkie from his belt and repeated Laila’s orders to whoever was on the other end.
“You won’t find anything,” I said, since at least that part was true. And even though Geneva was sleeping, she would disappear back into the ring the moment the guards burst inside the room. “Whatever it is you want, I don’t have it.”
“Liar,” Camelia said. She had circles under her eyes—as if she hadn’t had enough sleep—but from the way she tilted her head and smiled, I could tell she was enjoying this.
“Jacen,” I pleaded, wishing he would look at me. I could barely look at him either—it hurt too much to know that I’d lost him forever—but I had to. “Please let me go. I’ll go back to my kingdom. I’ll leave you all in peace. I promise.”
“Tell us where the ring is.” When he finally locked his silver eyes with mine, they flashed with anger. “Once we have the ring, I’ll make sure no more harm comes to you. You may have lied to me, but you know me well enough to know I wouldn’t lie to you.”
My heart dropped at the realization that I couldn’t adhere to his request. Because while I believed Jacen didn’t want to harm me, there were too many others in this room who did.
Geneva’s sapphire ring was too powerful to find its way into any of their hands. If it did, it would be a disaster.
“You might not be so lenient when you find out who Princess Ana truly is.” Camelia pulled a syringe out of her pocket—it was full of a cloudy, blue substance—and flicked it a few times with her finger.
“You already told us who she is.” Jacen sat straighter on the throne, and Karina let her hand drape further over his shoulder. “An imposter who used Geneva’s ring to trick us into letting her into our kingdom.”
“That much is true.” Camelia uncapped the needle and smiled at the sharp point. “But I saved the best part of the reveal for now.”
The guards held me in place as she walked toward me. I tried again to fight them, but it was no use. With three against one, I didn’t stand a chance.
The witch paused when she reached me. “I can’t wait to see their expressions when they see who you truly are,” she said.
Then she jammed the syringe into my neck and pushed its contents inside my body.
Annika
The cold substance navigated my veins, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a strand of red hair turn brown. At the same time, my vision blurred, my hearing muffled, and I collapsed to the floor in pain.
The guards pulled me up, forcing me to stand.
Camelia handed the used syringe to one of the guards. “So you see,” she said, stepping up in front of me to face Jacen. The prince’s face was twisted in horror. “Princess Ana turns out to be merely Annika, a blood slave of the Vale. And not just any blood slave—a well known criminal.”
“Annika’s dead.” Jacen’s jaw clenched as he spoke. “You showed me her corpse.”
“She tricked us,” Camelia said. “She stole Geneva’s sapphire ring and has been using the witch to trick us all. She’s been masquerading as a vampire princess from a fake kingdom. I don’t imagine it would have been too hard for her to have faked her own death too.”
“I didn’t fake my death.�
� I narrowed my eyes at the witch. “You did. You gave Tanya a transformation potion to make her look like me, and then you killed her.”
“It’s true, then?” Jacen’s eyes flashed with pain. “You really are Annika?”
“I am.” I bowed my head in shame. “But it’s not like you think. Camelia’s the one who faked my death—I had nothing to do with that. I thought you were glad I was gone. If I’d known the truth, I wouldn’t have come in here and lied to you. After what you told me last night, I was planning on telling you the truth—”
“Shut up.” Camelia spun around and slapped my cheek. It stung—by now I had no doubt that whatever she’d injected me with had been an antidote to the vampire blood and transformation potion. I looked like myself again, and I was a human.
I wasn’t going to get out of here alive. Even if by some miracle Jacen had a change of heart, I was a weak human and there were too many vampires in here who wanted me dead—Laila included. And what the vampire queen commanded, the guards would obey.
I might as well go out with a bang.
“I came here to kill you,” I said, focusing on Laila. The queen looked remarkably childlike and innocent in her throne, but I knew better. “That was the plan all along. Pretend to be a vampire princess to infiltrate the palace, and find a way to take you down. Geneva’s help made it all possible. If Camelia hadn’t figured out the truth…” I turned my attention back to Camelia. “How did you find out the truth?”
“Let’s just say a little faerie told me.” She smirked. “Geneva might be powerful, but she’s not omniscient. Too bad. If she were, maybe you wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with.” She turned back to Laila and crossed her arms. “The girl admitted to coming here to kill you. How is she not dead yet?”
“Patience, patience,” Laila said. “You’re letting your emotions get the best of you, Camelia. You and I both know the girl can’t be killed until she’s no longer in command of Geneva’s sapphire ring. If she dies while in command of the ring—”
The Vampire Trick (Dark World: The Vampire Wish Book 3) Page 13
